Chapter 84 – Free Quest assignment

Nozomu scratched his head and said, “I need to be extra careful with those vials, then. And I am going to need a place to put all this money. I wasn’t expecting it to be this much already!”

“The nectar doesn’t explode that easily, you know? As for the money, you need to decide where to spend it. You can’t have all these coins, or the country will have a shortage of coins very soon if the sales keep on increasing! We are already getting orders from other countries, and I need to hire more people to help our Cook. And the other Guild Masters are facing the same problem! Lack of staff for so many orders of pizzas, chocolates, and chewing gums! You are going to be filthy rich in no time, Nozomu! Together with your Baronet title and the lands the Princess promised, you will be a very interesting bachelor for every single woman out there. I would be very surprised if you don’t have a girlfriend already!”

“Well, talking about that… I have one, actually. It is still kind of secret, but I am going to be the Princess’ consort very soon.”

“Really? Well, I was kind of expecting that because of the way she acted near you, but I thought she would wait for a few years for you to get older. How did you conquer her so fast?”

Nozomu made an awkward smile and answered, “With honesty, politeness, and charm? I have no idea, actually. I don’t think I did anything out of the ordinary besides treating her like that.”

“Perhaps that was what she needed. Considering she is the ruling Princess and, judging by the way the Nobles in her court were acting when we went to see her, no wonder she can’t be at ease with them like she was with you. But… what about Taisetsuna?”

“What about her? I don’t follow.”

“Come on, you can’t be that blind, can you? I have noticed since the first time you both arrived that she likes you. How did she react to your relationship with the Princess?”

“She was… surprisingly understanding and even said that she wanted to conquer me and perhaps didn’t even mind being my… concubine... It is kind of hard to explain why, but I got myself in a strange situation with the Princess…”

The Guild Master sighed and said, “You found out she loves Koyaga and not you, right? And that consort thing is a facade when, in fact, she will be with Koyaga. Let me guess, she asked you for an heir to keep the story?”

“You… seem to know a lot, or are you just guessing to see what sticks?”

“I am just guessing, but I know about the Princess and Koyaga. You said that you were going to be the consort, considering that she always loved Koyaga. I just put two and two together. If Taisetsuna thought about becoming your concubine, it means she also knows and doesn’t mind keeping the story, because she will have you all to herself. It is just… are you okay with all that? Being used, I mean? I don’t know if I would accept such a thing.”

“I thought about refusing because it was their problem, not mine, but I like them both, and I want to see them happy. Besides, imagine if the Princess never got an heir to inherit her title to rule? It is not hard to imagine the Nobles fighting for the Throne and causing a civil war. With the Empire so nearby, the Emperor would definitely take that advantage to invade.”

The Guild Master slowly nodded, and he then asked, looking puzzled, “Wait, you don’t know? The Emperor died, and his older son is now the Emperor. The Empire troops that were near the border with our country received orders to get back to the Capital, and the new Emperor sent a few messages to every King and Prince in the World, announcing that he is the new Emperor, and he expected to start conversations with the neighbouring countries.”

“I heard that in the Academy. We even had a class discussing the implications it could have in the near future with all the changes that come when a new Emperor receives that position. Especially in such a strange situation, with his entire family being poisoned, and his Ministers as well on the next day. It seems he escaped being poisoned only by a miracle.”

“Maybe he doesn’t escape for long. Whoever poisoned his family and the Ministers, could still be aiming at him. There were other attempts to kill the former Emperor over the years. I guess it is what happens when you try to invade and control nearby countries. You would have to keep looking behind your shoulder for your entire life.”

Nozomu made a slight frown as he was looking at the pile of chocolates and asked, “Is there any more chocolates? I am not sure how many Dragons are in the World, but I don’t know if this will be enough.”

“I am receiving bags in the morning and the afternoon from several Guilds and Inns ever since you asked for chocolates. I don’t know where I am going to put more bags, and I might need to move my office to the kitchen if this keeps going.”

“I will take them when I leave. Hinotsume and Mizukonta came with me so they can carry the bags. Maybe it would be better to put all these bags inside a few blankets. It would be easier for them to carry.”

“I can ask Seta’s helpers to do that while you go for the Free Quest. Go say hi to him before you leave. I think he is missing you.”

Nozomu smiled and went out of the office, straight to the kitchen. He greeted the big Bovine-kind man with a handshake and got a powerful hug that almost broke his back.
He introduced the two boys that were working on the stove, making chocolates and tomato sauce, and after Nozomu tasted the two pots and gave his approval, he left for the main room again, joining the others, with Seta following him, holding a bowl of Cookies.
They both sat next to Taisetsuna and ate the Cookies while drinking the tea that Koyaga’s young helper brought, and they talked about what they were up to in the Academy.
…

Hinotsume and Mizukonta landed near the new house of the couple that asked for the Free Quest, startling them.
Nozomu jumped to the floor, and Oaky walked next to him to meet the couple that was on the porch of their house, staring at the Dragons.

He greeted them both and explained, “We are here for the Free Quest you requested. My Party is arriving in a moment, but we came first. I already talked with the Dragons, and they are willing to help. One of them is going to clear the field, while the other will be with me and this pet plant, chopping wood from the trees in the middle of the field to make the stable. If you have enough seeds, we can also prepare the soil.”

The man slowly nodded, unable to stop staring at the two Dragons and answered, “We… have seeds… We got a lot as wedding gifts… The Dragons work in the Guild of Adventurers?”

“No, they are my friends. The Fire Dragon didn’t want to help because he doesn’t like to meddle in Human or Beast-kind affairs, but the blue female agreed to help, so he said he would as well because I mocked him all the way here. It is better if we get started so that my friends have wood to do the rest of the work.”

The woman asked, after gulping, “Do you need our help?”

“Well, the Quest said we would get lunch, but since we are so many, I will ask my friends to go hunt in that forest behind us, so that we can have a big feast. I was told the Adventurers at the Guild built this house. Is it good enough for you both, or do you need something more?”

The woman made a big smile and said, “It is marvellous and really well made. We will need to make an extra bedroom for the children, but we have time for that. I am not even pregnant yet.”

“It is never too soon to prepare rooms for kids. When my friends arrive, they for sure won’t mind making one or two extra rooms. Considering there are so many big rocks and trees in that field where you want to plant, we will have plenty of materials.”

“That… That would be amazing! But we didn’t ask anything more in the Free Quest...”

Nozomu shrugged and answered before going to Hinotsume again, “Since we are here, might as well use us. We are a big group, so it is better to find work for everyone.”
…

While Nozomu was looking at the pile of trees near the house, Taisetsuna was using Wind Magic to make planks from them.
Oaky carried the new planks out of the way while the others were busy increasing the size of the house to make two extra rooms and the stable.
Following Nozomu’s advice, Hinen and Tomiga were making a hole at the left of the house with a tunnel that would lead to the kitchen. It would serve as a cooler to keep food and used as a pantry. Tomiga’s friends were taking care of the rocks for the walls of the hole, and Robert Keskula was using Fire Magic to bind the rocks together.
Chujitsuna returned with Draiky and Tresuria, carrying prey they caught in the forest nearby that Mizukonta easily froze to be put in the new cooler.
They all took a break for lunch when the cooler was completed, all covered and the tunnel connected to the house, when Hinotsume returned from his suspicious disappearance as soon as he finished ploughing the field.
He was making a weird smile and was carrying two huge wrapped sheets in his hands. He carefully put both packages on the ground, and the couple that was next to Nozomu gasped.
About twenty sheep and ten cows ran away from the huge Dragon, and Tresuria rushed to make a fence out of vines to keep them there.

The big red Dragon shrugged and said, “What? That farm in the Empire had too many cattle, so I thought they wouldn’t find out if a few went missing. Don’t worry, no one saw me. Even if they did, they would think I was getting a snack.”

Nozomu asked, almost shouting, “You stole them? Gosh, Hinotsume! That farm might need them!”

“Shut up! They had hundreds of cattle! Those two meat sacs near you didn’t have any! And now they have! Say thank you and shut up, moron!”

Nozomu rubbed his face with both hands and said, “Thank you… What I am going to do with you… And why do you keep on thinking that you are above everyone?”

“Because I am! Did you forget I am the King of the Dragons? I am above every meat sac in the World! And all the Dragons! You should be very honoured by my care instead of scolding me, moron!”

“Okay, okay, thank you for this gift… I only hope we don’t get into trouble because of you.”

Hinotsume tilted his head a bit. “In trouble? I brought these from the Empire. There is no Dragon there to be annoyed about my visit there and take those four-legged creatures.”

“And those big sheets where you were carrying the sheep and the cows?”

“Oh, those… I might have, or I might not, visited an army camp on my search for these cattle, and I might have, or I might not, grabbed two of their biggest tents. Don’t worry, I gave them plenty of time to flee.”

Nozomu slowly shook his head, staring at the big smiling mouth in front of him, and spoke, “You have one loose screw in that big head of yours, Hinotsume…”

The man approached and made a deep bow as he said, “Thank you, oh great Dragon! We will cherish your gifts forever! I don’t know how I can thank you for such generosity!”

The big Fire Dragon answered. “Hinotsume. Name your first kid after me. That will be payment enough.”

“I… can I even do that? It won’t be… insulting?”

“It would if it wasn’t me saying for you to do it. If it is a girl, Mizukonta used to be a very common name many centuries ago. There was once a time when there were a lot of meat sacs called Hinotsume and Mizukonta, as an appreciation for our actions. That is something that has been forgotten over the centuries. It is about time for that tradition to be used again, considering that we are lately engaging a lot more with meat sacs than we used to.”

The woman joined her husband and said while making a deep bow as well and holding the tip of her dress. “It would be my greatest honour to name my son after you, oh great Dragon! And if it is a girl, Mizukonta.”

Hinotsume looked at Nozomu and pointed at the bowing couple. “See that? That is the proper way to talk to me or Mizukonta, moron! What are they teaching you in that Academy? Weren’t you supposed to learn how to deal with Nobles and Kings?”

“Yes, but judging by what I said last time I was in the Princess’ Castle, I have difficulties in that department.”

The enormous Dragon stretched one claw and pushed Nozomu to the right while saying, “For the moment, go with that Gailie and make a proper place for the cattle! That stable your friends are making is too small for my gifts! Make one bigger and stronger, worthy of my offerings!”

“Alright, alright, I am going! Wait, a minute… Why didn’t you call Tresuria meat sac as well?”

“What? Did I never tell you? Gailies are way above Humans and Beastkind! Their care for the forests is on pair with the Dragons! Meat sacs keep on forgetting the importance of plants, and-“

Then, the ground shook. Hinotsume frowned and looked at Mizukonta, but as suddenly as it trembled, it stopped. The ground shook three more times, and the shaking lasted longer than the previous one.
When it stopped again, the others went to check if the stable and the house were still secure while Tresuria made more vines on the fence that was holding the cattle, who were nervous from all the tremors.

Mizukonta approached Nozomu and, after glancing East, she said, “I am not sure if this ended. I have a bad feeling about this.”

Before Hinotsume could say anything, the ground trembled again, and everyone fell, unable to keep standing because of the strength of the tremors.
It kept trembling with such intensity that everything inside the house shifted places, and the noise of plates breaking reached their ears, outside.

Mizukonta looked at East again, and her jaw dropped. “Hinotsume!”

*"And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain" --> It is almost ending this story. Only seven chapters to the end.*