Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Page 590

Among the fishermen who were wolfing down their fresh seafood were Tiona and Tione.

"What are you doing, Miss Tiona...?"

"They were originally asking me questions, but I got hungry. They said I could eat as long as I paid, so I started eating!"

Tiona, who was eating grilled fish even more voraciously than the fishermen, turned around and looked at the panicked Lefia.

Tiona and the others were supposed to be gathering intelligence like Ais and the others, but because there had been no progress, they took a break. Besides Tiona and Tione, some other members of the group were also resting after eating.

"...Tiona, how is Tione?"

"Hmm~, she's quite angry, but she should be alright for now. We went to places where Kali and the others weren't this morning, and I kept an eye on her to make sure she didn't do anything strange."

While observing Tiony, Ais secretly asked Tiona a question.

Tione's face has been sour since last night. The other members of the group, including Humebunny Sakta, have been made restless by her.

Now, Dione seemed to be masking her frustration as she shoved her lunch into her mouth. "Another one," she urged repeatedly with a glare, and the tall, sturdy fishermen, startled, readily agreed.

Keeping a close eye on Tione, Tiona, who was acting alongside her, said with a wry smile, "It seems like things are turned upside down from usual—"

"Nadia, are you alright?"

So what about Tiona? After Ais revealed her thoughts—

"I'm fine, Ais. I think you know I'm not good at overthinking."

Tiona returned the smile as usual. Her smile was nonchalant, as if nothing was wrong.

That innocent smile seemed a bit forced; was it just Ais's imagination?

In the end, however, Ais couldn't bring herself to ask any more questions.

"But... you ladies really have a good appetite. We've seen plenty of adventurers, but first-level adventurers are something else."

Among the fishermen surrounding the grilling net with Tiona and the others, a particularly strong man wore a generous smile.

It is a human with black hair and black eyes, and a height of nearly two meters.

"That petite young lady over there, is Lady [Sword Maiden] also a big eater?"

"Ais doesn't eat as much as we do—but she loves potato balls."

"Who are you...?"

"My name is Rod, and I'm the commander here."

Rod answered generously, looking at Ais.

Ais paused, then asked the man who called himself the captain:

"[Nyod's Familia]...Mr. Rhodes, you've been fishing all along?"

"Yes, because that's all we know how to do. Not only Lake Rolog, but we also go out to sea to fish. We probably spend more time being rocked by the waves than staying on land."

The Nyod Familia is a faction that exists solely for fishing. The men of the sea are likely very confident in their abilities, but neither they nor the chief god have any intention of fighting against other factions to expand their power.

Rather than a faction, it is more like a labor union or fisheries association.

"Most of the men who grow up in this town will become fishermen and follow the god Nyod."

"I'm a little curious, are there no other fishermen in the port city (Melon) besides the [Njord Family]?"

"Starting anew is possible, but nobody wants to do it. Nyod is a good god, and you can receive 'blessings' from him. No matter what kind of person you are, you can use him to exert superhuman power."

Rhodes answered Lefia's question. Following his gaze, they saw a slender human in front of the warehouse, carrying a large net all by himself. He probably had [ability stats] engraved on his back too.

"If you want to make a living by fishing, becoming a member of the gods' retinue is the fastest way. Besides, if you want to go to the seas where monsters roam, it's better to have some 'favor'."

Rod said that in this day and age, even from the perspective of self-defense, "God's grace" is indispensable for fishermen.

Because if you are surrounded by the sea on all sides, and you are attacked by a monster, no one will be able to save you.

"Most importantly, we all love Nyod. That great man has taken care of us since we were little... He has protected the town for a long time along with our deceased father and the old men. We all love that god."

Because Nyord, the god of fisheries, had been based in the port city (Merlen) for many years, no other deity established a new fishing faction there. This is one of the reasons why the Nyord clan monopolized the fishing industry.

A childlike smile appeared on Rhodes's handsome face, filled with trust and reverence for the Lord God.

"Are Mr. Rhodes and the others also fighting monsters?"

"Ah... well. Sometimes the townspeople ask us to deal with monsters while we're fishing."

Ais confirmed the information she had gathered in town.

If these weren't directly born from the dungeon, but rather weakened surface monsters for the purpose of reproduction, the fishermen who received the "blessing" would be more than capable. Besides monsters, they also repel pirates; each one is an elite soldier. According to Rhodes, he's been at sea for decades since childhood, surviving countless perilous situations and reaching Lv.2. From what Ais observed, some of the fishermen also possess the strength of a mid-level novice adventurer.

Unless the situation is too difficult, they handle the battles themselves, and Orario rarely sends adventurers.

Have you ever seen a man-eating flower monster in the sea or a lake?

"Are you talking about the monster that appeared yesterday? I only got back from sea this morning, so I didn't see it with my own eyes, but... I'll ask anyway, you're not talking about the aqua serpent, are you?"

Ais and the others nodded in response to Rhodes, whose burly arms were crossed over his chest.

The fisherman who knew the most about the harbor (Mellen) waterfront area, with a stern face, began to speak:

"To be honest, I have a clue. I've seen it several times in Lake Rolog and the surrounding waters while fishing. A long, snake-like shadow swimming in the water under the boat."

"...!"

"I really thought it was a big water snake or something..."

At this point, Rod paused for a moment and looked up.

"But the monsters you're talking about have never attacked us."

Rhodes looked around, and the other fishermen nodded in agreement, saying they had never been attacked and had never clearly seen what it looked like. Hearing this, Ais, Lefia, and Tiona all looked puzzled.

"...? Hey, what's that bag you're wearing around your waist? It seems like every fisherman has one."

At that moment, Tiona suddenly asked a question.

As she said, the fishermen coming and going in the fishing port all had cloth bags hanging from their waists that were slightly larger than the pouches commonly used by adventurers.

"Oh! You have a sharp eye!"

Upon hearing Tiona's words, Rod exclaimed happily.

He picked up his waist pouch with his right hand to show it to everyone, like a child showing off a treasured toy.

"This is magic powder. Just sprinkle it on the water, and the monsters won't come near!"

"Huh?"

Rhodes spoke with such confidence that he surprised Lefia and the others, as well as Tiona.

Tiona took the bag to see what was inside, and forcefully opened the tightly sealed opening.

"Ah, be careful."

"Ugh—whoa! It stinks!"

In an instant, a pungent stench wafted out, and Tiona, who was holding the bag, leaned back.

"Ugh!" Ais, Lefia, and the others quickly covered their noses with their hands.

"Ugh, tell me first! What's in here?!"

Tiona's eyes welled up with tears from the fumes, and she peered into the bag to see what was inside.

Lefia and the others endured the stench and huddled close to Tiona.

"Is it raw? It looks like various things have been ground into powder..."

"This color looks disgusting—"

The powder was a mixture of various hues, including red, yellow, and black, and coupled with its strange odor, it looked like it had been collected from crushed corpses. The mysterious powder, shimmering with subtle light, made Tiona frown.

"They say monsters won't come near... Even Orario doesn't have this kind of item, right?"

"I think it's the opposite, more like bait? Like, something mixed with flesh and blood (trap props) to attract monsters that want to attack the ship." After checking the contents of the bag, Lefia, Tiona and the other members whispered among themselves.

As Lefia said, Orario doesn't sell any handy items that can ward off monsters. However, only Ais knows that there is an item with the same effect.

This was something she heard from the boy (Bell) who had desperately escaped to the 18th floor a few days ago. He said that a pharmacist from their faction, with whom they were on good terms, had accidentally created the so-called "stinky bag."

Bell said that the gadget that emitted a strong stench kept the "middle-level" monsters away, and they were able to reach the safe floor thanks to the gadget's effectiveness.

This powder might be the same kind of prop as those smelly bags.

But... is it really possible for such a strange smell to drive away the monsters that inhabit the water?

"I heard that Orario invented this powder?"

Seeing the doubtful expressions on Lefia's and the others' faces, Rhodes and the other fishermen also looked puzzled.

"Isn't there that guy in the city? The one who's really outrageous, I think he's called the Shrimp Tiger or the Oyster Man..."

"Perseus?"

"Yes, yes, that's it. Wasn't it made by that person?"

Indeed, that rare Item Maker might be able to do it... but Lefia and the others still looked somewhat puzzled. If this magical powder really worked, then why wasn't it in the labyrinth city of Orario, but instead appeared in the port city of Melen?

"Excuse me, who gave Mr. Rhodes this powder?"

"It's Old Man Borg... you know, the mayor's (Medor's) house. He bought it from the city and gave it to us for free. Not just fishermen, but any boat that frequently travels to and from Murren can get one. It's been like this for a long time. That old man is really good to us."

Rod answered Raphael's question directly.

"Even if you sprinkle it, monsters like the 'Ambush Fish' will still attack, so it's not perfect... But with this powder, the damage caused by monsters has definitely decreased a lot."

The fisherman's leader said that now every boat sails while sprinkling this powder.

(Yesterday, the Kali Familia was attacked by a man-eating flower (monster)... Could it be because they didn't have this powder?)

After hearing what Rhodes said, Ais fell into deep thought.

This powder is found on fishing boats from Meren, as well as on passenger ships and sailboats that frequently use the port. This is the first time the Kali Familia has entered Meren Port.

Of course, they probably didn't know such a powder existed.

"..."

Ais took the bag from Tiona and reached inside.

She scooped up the powder, a mixture of various colors that emitted a faint glow, and let it fall from her palm.

Ais stared intently at the spilling powder.

"Speaking of which...could your Loki Familia do something about dealing with those Amazons?"

“…What’s wrong?”

"No, nothing really happened... It's just that the fishermen (us) and the people in town are terrified of them. Those guys are obviously super strong, and they were just swaggering around in the streets, so..."

Coincidentally, just like Rivera was being questioned by the guild, Rhodes also scratched his head and sought them out to discuss the [Kali Familia]. While Tiona listened with a serious expression, the other fishermen began to plead desperately. "Those people are terrifying!" "They're like beasts, beasts!" Seeing their cries, Ais and the others looked troubled.

"..."

Meanwhile, Tione, standing some distance away, glared sharply at the town. "—Rhodes, something terrible has happened!"

Their conversation with the fishermen was quickly interrupted.

An orc fisherman rushed into the fishing port, panting heavily.

Before I could even ask what was wrong, the young man fired off a barrage of questions:

"Those Amazons are causing trouble in the streets! Mark and the others are in their hands!"

The bustling atmosphere of the fishing port instantly turned into astonishment.

Beside Rhodes and the fishermen, whose expressions had changed drastically, Ais and the others also stared wide-eyed.

In the blink of an eye, everyone was in an uproar, but Tiona suddenly snapped back to reality and looked around.

"Oops……!"

She then let out a groan.

A few seconds later, Ais also noticed.