Free Web NovelAfter Zain and Troy's stories ended, the drinking session was practically over. Of course, everyone kept drinking more, so Zain and Troy eventually fell asleep as if passing out.
"Sigh."
I let out a low sigh while looking at the two sprawled out. Then I moved to clean up the drinking session, and Grandmother stood up.
"Revelof, I'll help you."
"No, it's fine. Grandmother, hurry back and rest."
Grandmother urged me twice more, but I declined grandmother's help.
"It's also quite late. Go back and rest well."
"...Alright. If that's what you say, I understand. Have a good night, Revelof."
"You too, Grandmother."
After smiling and finishing greetings with Grandmother, I hoisted Zain over my shoulder first.
"Mmm... I'll eat more..."
"Be quiet."
I rebuked Zain and moved him to his quarters. Fortunately, he wasn't that heavy, so it didn't take long to move him. The problem was Troy.
"This isn't muscle, it's just stone. So heavy."
Even though I was just throwing him in his quarters, my body heated up. The fact that he was limp from being drunk helped too.
After moving Troy like that, I returned to the dining hall again.
There were still many things I hadn't cleaned up. I thought if I left them, the kids would have a hard time in the morning. But what greeted me in the dining hall was none other than Terdius.
"Rest. I'll do the cleaning."
It was an unexpected sight. But it wasn't just words—Terdius had already roughly finished cleaning.
He seemed quite drunk too, but his alcohol must have worn off somewhat in the meantime. I shook my head and helped with the remaining cleaning.
"Not at all. Let's finish quickly by doing it together."
When I said so and moved, Terdius looked at me for a moment. I could see his lips curve up slightly.
'It feels like we've become noticeably closer than before.'
I quickly moved the dishes and washed them. Meanwhile, Terdius organized the trash generated from the drinking session.
Thanks to that, cleaning up the drinking session ended quickly, and I was planning to go to bed after greeting Terdius. When we left the dining hall together...
"...Thank you, Leviathan."
Terdius spoke in a small voice barely audible. I immediately turned my head to look at him, but he had already disappeared.
"That guy..."
He's changed a lot.
***
The day after the drinking session, I had to do the work of each regional temple instead of the senior members struggling with hangovers.
'Really...'
Until now, I thought the senior members were free from hangovers. But if they drank several times the amount of normal people, they also seemed to experience hangovers.
Well, I could have simply given them healing potions to solve it, but I didn't give them potions to mean they shouldn't drink this much from now on.
'Thanks to that, I had to do all the work myself.'
If I had known this would happen, I should have just given them healing potions and been done with it. Like that, I had to spend the daytime regretting.
And now, the world was night shrouded in darkness. Today, even the stars weren't visible, and only the moon was up.
It was time for everyone to prepare to sleep, but I was rather preparing to go out. Wearing a robe and pulling up my hood.
—My child, will you be alright alone?
'Of course. I've already made full preparations.'
—Alright. If it seems too much for you, I'll help you.
Kyros gave me power as soon as it was generated, so how exactly would he help me? Still, I was quite grateful that he at least said so.
'Yes. Thank you.'
This task wasn't very difficult. That's why I planned to go alone without other senior members. The distance was close, and the difficulty was low.
And it wasn't a quest Kyros gave me either. This task was just a 'hidden dungeon' like I had experienced before.
After checking my inventory and finishing all inspections, I immediately opened the window. And I quickly jumped down from my office.
Thud—
But the next moment, I was a bit surprised. An unexpected gaze was looking at me from below the office window.
'Why is this guy here?'
Moreover, I hadn't noticed this guy's presence. Naturally, I thought there would be no one behind the building, that is, at the senior members' training area.
Especially at such a late hour. But today someone was there.
"...Brother. Were you training until this hour?"
"Ah, yes. I couldn't sleep."
It was Terdius. He was holding a wooden sword and dripping with sweat. I didn't know when he came, but he seemed to have trained for quite a while.
"But Church Leader, where are you going?"
Terdius put down the wooden sword he was holding on the stand and asked me while wiping sweat with a towel. I somehow felt like I was being interrogated.
"Ah. I just have somewhere to go briefly."
When I said so with a smile, Terdius quickly added.
"Then I'll come with you."
This guy was saying he'd follow without even knowing where I was going. Well, it didn't really matter much...
"Yes. Let's do that."
After nodding at Terdius, I quickly moved my steps. He instantly caught up to my fast pace.
I crossed the temple wall with Terdius and skillfully stopped by the stables to borrow two horses. And we quickly left Holden Territory.
Where we were heading was just south, a bit away from Holden Territory. A place where forests and several small villages gathered, and our destination was a lake located here.
The so-called 'Monster Lake' where monsters had been frequently appearing lately.
"So where is the destination?"
"It's not too far. It's a lake where monsters have been appearing recently."
"Come to think of it, I did hear rumors of nearby villages suffering damage. There must be believers of ours in the village."
"Well... that's right."
That was also correct, but there was another reason I visited.
After riding for a while like that, we soon arrived at the lakeside. Terdius and I tied the horses well and distanced ourselves from the lakeside.
"Busy with work during the day, and working for believers at night too."
Terdius spoke to me in a monotone. Though it was true I came for the believers...
I just smiled, then opened my inventory. And I took out three potions I had made before. I handed two of them to Terdius.
"What's this?"
"From now on, we're going to enter the lake. And to enter the lake, we need to drink these."
"Did you make them yourself?"
"Of course."
At my smile, Terdius showed a slightly surprised expression. Before he opened the medicine bottle, I quickly spoke.
"First drink this one. This is an antidote I made. Judging from the description of the monster living in the lake, it definitely uses poison."
"I see."
At my words, Terdius gulped down my special antidote. Then I shook the other potion in my hand and said.
"And this is also a potion I made myself. If you take this potion, you can breathe underwater and we can talk to each other."
"Ooh... If it has such functions, it would be quite valuable."
This potion was superior to what I had made before, so as Terdius said, I could receive quite a lot of money. But I had no such plans for now.
We weren't impoverished, and if the recipe happened to get into others' hands, it might become troublesome. freewebnovёl.ƈom
"Please drink it first."
I immediately drank the potion. Simultaneously with taking it, my ears felt stuffy for a moment, but soon returned to normal.
"The effect will probably... last until everything is finished."
After saying so, I quickly jumped into the dark lakeside.
Right then, a quest appeared before my eyes.
[You have discovered the Hidden Dungeon 'Six-Tailed Stingray's Lake'!]
[Hidden Quest 'Lake Purification' occurs!]
[Hidden Quest Occurrence!]
[Hidden Quest <Lake Purification>
Description: This place was originally a lake used as drinking water for all living things. However, recently, due to a suddenly appeared Six-Tailed Stingray, the drinking water has been contaminated. Please purify the lake for the people and animals and plants.
Objective: Eliminate the Six-Tailed Stingray
On Success: ???
On Failure: -]
[Will you accept?]
[Yes/No]
I immediately accepted the quest. Right. What contaminated this lake was the monster called 'Six-Tailed Stingray.'
It used deadly poison and moved freely in water, so it was a bit annoying, but it wasn't to the extent that I couldn't take it down alone.
After accepting the quest like that, when I turned my head, I could see Terdius had also entered the lake.
"Brother, can you hear me?"
I tried speaking to him experimentally. Then Terdius opened his mouth.
"Yes. I hear you well."
Hearing Terdius's voice, I looked around. Seeing the fish swimming leisurely nearby showed no particular reaction, the potion seemed properly made.
'I did well making it so those who drank the potion could communicate.'
I smiled faintly and gestured to Terdius. A signal to proceed inward.
***
"Phew!"
As soon as I escaped from the lake, I gasped for oxygen. Because the task ended a bit later than expected, my breathing was a bit off.
'That stingray, perhaps because of variables in the hidden route, it was quite stronger than in the original.'
Without Terdius, it probably would have been quite dangerous. I smiled at Terdius, who was looking at me a bit worriedly.
"Without you, Brother, I would have been in danger."
"Phew, to think you were going to attempt such a reckless thing. I'm glad I followed."
Terdius said while pulling me, completely drained, out of the lake. I threw off my robe full of water with difficulty.
"I didn't expect it would turn out like this either."
And when I complained lightly to Terdius, I could see him smiling faintly.
This hidden dungeon quest ended successfully. As a success reward, I acquired the jewels the stingray had hidden, and among them, I got what I wanted most.
—You worked hard, my child.
'Not at all.'
—The item you separately collected, you'll give it to that child?
'Yes. I have the holy sword anyway.'
That's a good idea.
While listening to Kyros's words, I took out the item I had kept in my inventory.
The reason I came to this hidden dungeon was precisely because of this.
I immediately handed that item to Terdius.
"Please take it, Brother."
Then Terdius's eyes opened wide.
Because what I handed him was a sword.
