kscans

Chapter 225 - A Pet for Dungeon Exploration

Hayato sat with Maris at the dining hall table and told her about Mist.

All the while, Maris was stroking Sieg's belly, but her hand stopped when Hayato finished his story.

"Mist-san is in danger! Then we have to go rescue him right away!"

Havato wanted to do the same, but he calmed Maris down since they were not ready. He also added, prefacing it with "This is just speculation," that there was a high possibility Mist was trapped in a monster room.

Maris seemed to accept that. A monster room was like a death trap where you were certain to be defeated, but it was not enough to defeat Mist. Maris understood the possibility of getting stuck in such a place.

"You're right. So, are you going to that dungeon with Ash-san and the others?"

"Um, unfortunately, it's difficult for Ash and the others too. That's why I'm asking people who can go. By the way, what about you, Maris? If you have the time, I'd like you to go."

"Of course, I don't mind! That's what I'd like to say, but I might not be very useful in a dungeon..."

Seeing Maris say this dejectedly, Hayato thought, with all due respect, "That's true."

As a tamer, Maris could fight alongside her pet monsters. There was no doubt that she was strong, but in a confined space like a dungeon, her abilities were severely limited.

The most effective way for a tamer to fight was hit and away. It was a tactic where you land a blow and then retreat to a place where the opponent's attack cannot reach you. This fighting style utilized the speed of a mountable monster. It could not be done in the narrow passages of a dungeon.

There was a fighting style where you sent your pet to attack without riding it, but strong monsters were generally large. There were some dungeons that dragons could not even enter.

Lancelot, the Elder Griffon considered to be Maris's strongest pet, was classified as large, so it was unclear if he could even enter Necropolis.

Maris herself had combat power, but she could only use spear arts. It was difficult to wield a spear in a narrow space, limiting her to a fighting style of "thrusting." Her Weapon Skills would likely be limited to that as well.

(In a dungeon battle, Maris is a bit of a tough choice in terms of combat power... Of course, she's stronger than me. But right now, I don't have anyone who seems like they could be a main fighting force.)

"I have shown Damian-sama to his room. Is this a guest?"

Rose came down the stairs. She looked at Maris and spoke. Maris also tilted her head slightly upon seeing Rose.

Havato was momentarily confused, but then he remembered that the two of them were meeting for the first time.

"You two haven't met before, have you? This is the tamer Maris, and this maid is Rose-san."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Maris Sola! This little one is Siegfried. Please call him Sieg!"

"A pleasure to meet you, Maris-sama. I am Rose Beltz, a maid belonging to the Maid Guild. I look forward to making your acquaintance. By the way, when you say the tamer Maris-sama, do you mean that Maris-sama?"

Havato did not know which Maris she was talking about, but he tilted his head, wondering if there was such a famous Maris.

"Um, is Maris famous?"

"She's quite famous in Tamer Guild circles. They say if you consult Maris-sama about your pet, most problems will be solved. I've also heard that if you entrust your pet's training to her, she'll make them quite strong."

Pet monsters, like players, could have their skills trained and resistances built up. It was usually something players did themselves, but you could also pay the Tamer Guild to do it.

If you asked Maris to strengthen your pet, it would come back considerably stronger. For that reason, many players specifically requested Maris, making her the top earner. However, she was so popular that her fees were high, making it difficult to request her services.

"Wow, you were that amazing?"

Maris looked embarrassed and scratched the back of her head with her left hand.

"You could say that!"

"I'm relieved you're the same old Maris."

"I've also heard that Maris-sama can understand the language of animals."

Maris once again made the gesture of scratching the back of her head with her left hand. Perhaps as a way to hide her embarrassment, her hand stroking Sieg's belly sped up. Sieg looked a little annoyed.

"Well... you could say that!"

"You should deny that. Being able to talk to animals."

Maris looked at Hayato with a puzzled expression.

"No, I can talk to them. It's more like I can vaguely understand what they're saying. Right, Sieg? Your tummy is hot? I should stroke it gently? Ah, sorry."

Havato was at a loss as to what to think. In reality, it was definitely impossible. But this was a virtual reality. It was not out of the realm of possibility.

He thought about it for a while but decided to put it on hold for now. Right now, Mist was more important.

Rose must have sensed this too, as she brought the conversation back to the main topic.

"Since Maris-sama is here, does that mean you will be borrowing her help for Mist-sama's rescue?"

"That's the plan, but in Maris's case, dungeons have a lot of restrictions, so I thought it might be difficult."

"I see. It is true that I have heard tamers are not suited for dungeon clearing."

"It's... it's not my pets' fault... It's all my fault..."

Maris, who had been so proud moments ago, was now dejected. Sieg patted Maris's shoulder with his right paw as if to say, "You're doing fine."

"Does Maris-sama not have any pets for dungeon exploration?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but are there really pets for dungeon exploration?"

"Yes. I do not know the details, but I have heard there are pets that have almost no combat power but can discover and disarm traps through scouting, as well as pick locks. I do not think there are any pets with abilities equivalent to skill level 100, though."

Havato and Rose both turned their gazes to Maris.

Maris nodded.

"There are. My defense captain is something like that."

"...First of all, what's a defense captain?"

"Oh? Did I never mention it? Sieg is the princess of a certain fallen kingdom, and she's currently working hard to restore her country. The one I've put in charge of the newly formed kingdom's defense corps is Hercules, whom you also know, Hayato-san."

"There are so many things I want to retort to. For starters, even if you say I know him, I don't have any acquaintances like that... Could you be talking about the beetle that was the subject of the bet in the Clan War's betting match? I know that one."

During the Clan War, Hayato had to bet one of Maris's pets to match the male calico cat. Since the male calico cat was worth one hundred million G, he had offered the equally valuable Hercules Beetle.

In the end, the match took place without that bet, but it was true that Hayato knew the Hercules Beetle.

(Come to think of it, she did say she persuaded the beetle. Is it true she can talk to them? No, that doesn't matter right now.)

"So that Hercules Beetle is a pet for dungeon exploration?"

"That's right. I haven't specifically trained him for dungeon exploration, but I think he'll be quite useful even in his base state. However, it's best not to expect much from him in terms of combat power."

Putting aside the retort of why he was a defense captain if he could not be expected to fight, Hayato thought he should ask for her help. In the first place, he could not borrow the help of Relic or Sonia, so he did not have anyone with treasure hunting skills.

He had been thinking of asking the Treasure Hunter Guild, but if Maris could have her pet do it, there was nothing better.

"Then, can I ask you to lend your strength to the search for Mist-san, Maris?"

"Of course! And I'll look into some pets that can be useful in dungeons too."

"Please do. Well then, first, let's make some Nekomanma Deluxe. The ingredients are--"

"Yes, I brought them. Thank you. Oh, by the way, Hayato-san, do you know about dinosaurs? I've been hearing a lot about them in the Royal Capital recently. Do you know where they are? The Tamer Guild is buzzing with the topic too."

"Eh? Dinosaurs? They were on the floating island. I built an airship and went there."

There was a momentary pause. Then Maris shot up from her chair and leaned her face close to Hayato's. If the table had not been between them, she would have headbutted him.

"Why didn't you take me with you!"

"Well, you said you were busy. Besides, I only found out there were dinosaurs after I got there."

"Grrr. It's true I said that, but... I don't know if I can tame them, but I wanted to try..."

"Well, I'll take you there next time, so then."

"You promise! Alright, first, let's rescue Mist-san, and then we'll go straight to the floating island! I'm going to tame the yet-unseen dinosaurs!"

Maris's nostrils were flaring.

Sieg was swatting at Maris with his tail, as if telling her to calm down.