第１４０５堀：冒険者ギルドの魔物専門者 (Part1)
Chapter 1405: The Adventurer Guild’s Monster Specialist
Side: Wazfi
"These are truly rare specimens."
The woman with a sharp, spirited gaze currently patting down the monster before her is Kate-san. Following a message from Yuki-san, Hivia and I were tasked with escorting her. Apparently, she is a specialist in monster ecology dispatched directly from the Adventurer Guild’s headquarters.
At first, I wondered why I had been chosen for this, but after speaking with her, I found we get along quite well. Well, she is a monster specialist, and that puts her in the same field as Hivia and me. If we didn’t hit it off, it would have to mean our personalities were fundamentally incompatible.
After all, Weed is a treasure trove of rare monsters. Or rather, we have the ability to summon them at will.
"To think you have managed to tame monsters of this caliber. Even in the Dosou Kingdom, there aren't a hundred griffins in total."
Even as she says this, she doesn't stop stroking the griffin. If the Dosou Kingdom possesses fewer than a hundred, then our military strength is truly off the charts. Even if they don't quite reach the level of dragons, griffins are on par with wyverns—incredibly formidable creatures. On the If Continent, a force like that could genuinely bring a nation to its knees. It’s the kind of threat that would require the combined efforts of magic sword users and academy deans just to repel. It’s clear that while the Dosou Kingdom is labeled a small nation, its actual military might is far beyond what that scale suggests.
Yuki-san and Milly-san instructed me to investigate Kate-san’s true intentions for coming here, but honestly speaking...
"Hey, Wazfi. I hate to say it, but doesn't it just look like Kate-san is having the time of her life?"
"I think so too. But there’s no doubt she came here to gauge Weed’s military strength. I might have made a mistake in choosing where to show her around."
I’m starting to regret showing her these griffins. Yuki-san and the others told me to keep quiet about Coral-san, Grado, and the sea dragons, but I realize now that even showing off a flock of 155 griffins might cast suspicion on our standing as the Dosou Kingdom.
For the record, while these griffins can be used in combat, their primary role is managing the monsters within the dungeon district of the adventurer sector. Weed is a strange space where dungeons exist for adventurers to earn their keep, but to reach those dungeons, one must first traverse and explore the vast, scattered terrain. The griffins are mainly used as a means of transport for that purpose. It costs a fee, of course.
Those without money have to make the trek on foot. I thought it was a joke at first, but the intent is that if you can't handle that much, you aren't fit to explore the dungeons. Beyond that, they also serve as transport for children heading into the forests or plains for training, and they act as rescue units in case of trouble. Recently, we’ve even started offering "leisure sky tours" for people to ride them.
It’s hard to call that a "combat-ready force," isn't it? If anything, the Dosou Kingdom, which treats monsters as a core part of its national defense, might be seen as taking this too lightly.
"Anyway, how much longer do I have to keep this up? I’m running out of things to show her."
"Yuki-nii-san said it’s fine to show her the general monster reference books we share with the Adventurer Guild."
"Ah, the books, not the actual field specimens. I suppose that makes sense—we can’t exactly show her Kirika-san or the high-level monsters."
"Exactly. That’s why we keep the goblins and orcs at the forefront; they don't raise any red flags at a glance."
I see. Yuki-san really thinks these things through. Well, in terms of raw power, the goblins and orcs are actually stronger than the griffins, but since she doesn't realize that, she likely assumes they are of a lower tier.
Before arriving here, Kate-san had already greeted Steve, John, Mino-chan, and Surakichi-san, who oversee the monster army. She was surprised that monsters were the ones managing the military, but that surprise was limited to their intelligence and the fact that Mino-chan is a Blood Minotaur. She viewed the others as merely rare.
If Steve and his group went all out, they wouldn't just be a threat to us—they’d be a danger even to Yuki-san’s wives. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.
As I was lost in these thoughts, she finished observing the griffin and returned to us.
"How was it?" I asked, opting for a safe, neutral question.
"A fine griffin indeed. The numbers are also impressive. The way you secure monsters using the dungeons here in Weed is truly remarkable. However, why do you not lend out your monsters as the Dosou Kingdom does?"
Ah, so that’s the question she had.
"Only Dungeon Masters and Tamers can properly manage these monsters. It’s not as simple as just lending them out and calling it a day. If something were to happen, it would become a matter of trust. You know how dungeons don't exactly have the best reputation, right?"
"Ah, indeed. While it’s true that Weed has become a hub for logistics, human migration, and alliances through dungeon-linked gates, until recently, dungeons were seen as calamities that birthed monsters. Though, for adventurers, they have always been mountains of treasure."
That’s right. It’s only recently that dungeons have been viewed as beneficial to the public. To adventurers, they are treasure troves, but to the average person, they are nothing but dangerous zones. Though, I’ve only heard this through stories and don't have much firsthand experience with that sentiment. Still, I understand that compared to the Great Forest of the If Continent, the threat level is high.
"If a mishap were to occur, it could put the Dosou Kingdom, which handles these monsters, in a precarious position."
"Exactly. And above all, Weed didn't have much of a reputation to begin with."
Weed was originally just a part of the Roschur Kingdom. It seems Yuki-san had to navigate the politics carefully to gain independence, so he couldn't exactly flaunt the power of the dungeons openly.
"It’s a complicated matter... I suppose that’s why neither the Dosou Kingdom nor the Adventurer Guild has approached you regarding Monster Tamers."
"Monster Tamers?"
"Are you truly unaware?"
"My apologies. I haven't been on this continent for long, and my studies are lacking..."
"Oh, is that so?" Kate-san’s eyes widened as she looked at me.
"Yes. I am from the Lancer Magic Academy."
"Ah, the If Continent, where magic power is scarce, if I recall?"