Book 17 Chapter 4
**Chapter 103**
In the southwestern part of the continent of Akrad, in the borderland between the Republic and the Kingdom of Ballad, wilderness (廣野) terrain is scattered.
Scorpions!
Vipers!
Perhaps because it was close to a tropical climate, the vegetation was large, and there were many creatures not found in the north. This was true not only for vegetation but also for monsters!
“So, I made this. A dish made by mixing the leaves and branches of the monster A-Uro, which lures and devours living creatures: A-Uro Branch Salad!”
To this, press firmly on the eyeball of a black panther, which A-Uro clearly ate recently, and decorate with white juice, and it's complete.
“Oh, and by the way, I finely minced the brain and put it in the salad, so it’s excellent for protein supplementation too.”
“Hey, you vulgar scoundrel! I told you not to do such things! Stop messing with food with disgusting parts like eyeballs and brains!”
“I wasn't going to give it to a regionally prejudiced shaman anyway, so scram.”
Lin filled a bowl to the brim and offered it to Lista and Kiess in turn.
“……”
“……”
The time it took for the souls to disappear from the eyes of the hero and the archer was at most 1 second!
“Delicious, delicious, delicious.”
“Kyukyukyun!”
Pipi and Sval were already face-down in the pot, feasting!
Lista wanted to scream but couldn't cast a shadow on Lin's pure eyes, which were staring intently at her, so she eventually picked up a spoon! Pitiful!
Frida lightly had her meal with jerky, and afterward, the party gathered by the Belissor River, facing each other.
“We need information about Gambrabbit, one of the Four Foes (四敵) leading the Cheonggeon bandits.”
“Enough, let’s just go now.”
“What are you talking about, Frida! If we don’t enforce justice, then who will?!”
“Wouldn’t I want to punish that villain who brainwashed Pipi and me to do bad things? But Lista! Don’t we have a bigger mission? What do we do when there’s no information about the leader of the Cheonggeon bandits anywhere?”
It was around that time that an uninvited guest joined the conversation.
“Surely a hero certified by the Papacy doesn’t have information about the Four Foes? I wonder if you’re really a hero!”
“Roar!”
“Ro-oar!”
“Ah, no, you…!”
The heroine, accompanied by two lionesses, was holding a massive double-bladed axe with her sturdy physique. Showing off her dignity with a lioness fur armor, it was Leonia, the leader of the [Lion's Roar] mercenary band!
“Ah, hello! Lin!”
Despite her confident entrance, Leonia had to blush when she spoke to Lin.
‘Lin is cool and chic. So, she must like cool and chic women. Therefore, I must act cool and chic.’
Leonia, who once again reviewed her code of conduct in her mind, approached Lin and said,
“I was just passing by, you know? Well, Horu and Senru said they smelled you! So I came to meet you for a bit! Have you been well?”
However, there was someone who blocked her steps towards Lin with her whole body: Lista Alter Surpaine!
“Lin is busy reading. Please don’t disturb her.”
“Your desire to monopolize Lin remains, Hero!”
“W-what desire! I’m just trying to keep her from being badly influenced by a bad adult! Our Lin is pure! She shouldn’t be dirtied!”
“What?! Are you calling me a bad adult right now?!”
At that moment, Lin, who was turning a page, let out a sigh.
It was an advanced version of the [Reading a Grimoire to a Pig's Ear] mode, which only displayed a dialogue in place of speech when the surrounding noise was too loud, and it was highly effective.
Leonia flinched in surprise.
‘Right! Lin doesn’t like this clingy behavior! The woman suitable for Lin must be cool and chic!’
Leonia cleared her throat, regaining her regal composure, and said,
“Lin, I’ve been searching for the backers of [Seven Souls], the ones who caused the incident in the Kingdom of Hosen. Then I obtained some strange information.”
As the surroundings quieted down, Lin’s [Reading a Grimoire to a Pig's Ear] mode also switched to stage 1. Stage 1 is just adding exclamations.
“Hmm…”
As Lin’s confident smile appeared on her lips, Leonia clenched her fists with joy.
‘It worked! This is the pace! Good, let’s continue the conversation!’
The lionesses on both sides swallowed dryly, enthusiastically cheering Leonia on!
“It was that a massive amount of poison gas had moved to the <Simila> region. And they were collecting enormous amounts of bones and mud. This is used for necromancy rituals! There’s a sorcerer of the abyss!”
“Oh, really…?”
“So, I was tracking the sorcerer of the abyss to that <Simila> right now. Oh, did my story get too long? My motto in life is always to be cool and chic, get straight to the point, and leave. Well then, Lin, see you next time.”
“Hmph…”
Lin smiling twice was enough to make both of Leonia’s cheeks flush hot!
‘I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know! My heart feels like it’s going to explode!!!’
As Leonia was about to make a cool and chic exit, leading Horu and Senru, Lista shouted,
“If there really is a mastermind behind [Seven Souls], I advise you, Princess, that it’s not an enemy you can handle. You should just go back.”
“So, you’re telling me to just stand by? These are the guys who turned our kingdom, our people, into that state?”
“I meant that perhaps you should leave judging that fellow to us and just relax and enjoy a tea party, Princess. Hohoho.”
“Can the hero do nothing but provoke people! Are you really a hero?”
“And what about you, Princess!”
Electricity sparked in the air where Leonia and Lista’s gazes clashed. Frida exhaled a long stream of cigarette smoke.
“Indeed, that Lin fellow has the potential to become the [Strongest Swallow Tribe]. Someday, the day will come when I have to deal with that fellow myself, on behalf of the many women who will shed tears because of him. Pipi, prepare yourself mentally starting now.”
Pipi nodded solemnly.
“Pipi, Pipi, Pipi kills Lin, the traitor who chose the Swallow Tribe instead of the Sun Parrot Tribe.”