kscans

Chapter 42 - Elder Griffon

Maris, who had arrived before the shop even opened, seemed to be in quite a panic.

She only said she wanted to defeat a clan, but I did not know the circumstances at all. So I decided to ask for the details.

I only knew Maris as a tamer, but there was a chance she was strong. A calculating part of me was at work, thinking that if it meant strengthening the clan's forces, it would be worthwhile.

According to Maris, in a Clan War Betting Match, a certain monster had been put up as a wager.

It was by the currently third-ranked clan, Blood Knights. A clan made up of five tamers and five monsters.

All of them were mounted on monsters, and their attacks, which utilized that mobility, were like lightning. Hayato had heard of their style, repeating hit and away tactics to win without letting the opponent do anything.

The monster that clan was betting was a rare animal, a male calico cat.

Hayato had not even known that animals and monsters had genders, but apparently, it was quite a rare animal in the tamer community.

"I was hoping he could become a husband for my Siegfried!"

"You named a female Siegfried? And that is the reason you came here so early in the morning?"

"S-sorry. I am not in any clan, so I thought this was the only place I could ask! Also, you seem like a nice person, Hayato-san!"

"That is not a compliment, you know?"

Normally, he would turn down such a request, but the fact that the opponent was ranked third was appealing. There were three Clan Wars left. He had been wanting to fight and win against a clan in the top five at least once.

He had been so busy making Requiem lately that he had not noticed, but if there was such a Betting Match, he would want to fight them somehow, even without Maris's situation.

But he did not understand the reason for putting up a male calico cat in a Betting Match. The Blood Knights were currently in third place. If they were after prize money, they would choose a Random Match.

If they fought a lower-ranked clan that took the bait, they would get fewer points even if they won, and there was a possibility they could fall out of the ranking race.

(Or is it a trap to lure in an easy to beat team? If they want to stay in the top five, a fight with an A-rank clan is unavoidable. But A-rank clans vary in strength. If a weak or easy to beat A-rank clan takes the bet, they can win and secure their spot in the top five... something like that, I guess.)

In a Betting Match, it is possible to refuse an opponent who makes an offer.

If the wager is not suitable, of course, there is no need to fight. It is possible to fight even if someone wagers an unsuitable item, like Hayato did two times ago, but unless there is a very good reason, most people would not.

And while you could choose a low-ranking clan to earn prize money, whether that matchup would be approved is another story. An investigation would be conducted to prevent match-fixing.

(I wonder if they took various circumstances into account for my last Betting Match. Diite seemed to know the situation somehow, well, that is fine. Our clan is A-rank. From their perspective and the game management's perspective, we are a suitable opponent. Now the question is what to bet.)

In Hayato's mind, he was already thinking about fighting. Until yesterday, he thought it might be impossible to fight a top-five clan, but this situation had fallen into his lap, and his mind was already made up.

(If the wager is a tamed animal, it is better if we do the same, right? But I do not know how valuable a male calico cat is. Does Maris have an animal or monster of comparable value?)

Hayato looked at Maris, who had an expectant look in her eyes.

"You will join the clan and fight with us, right, Maris?"

"Yes! Is what I would like to say, but I might not be much of a help... I have not tamed any very powerful monsters, so I am not that strong."

"So conversely, if you tamed a powerful monster, you could become strong, is that right?"

"W-well, yes, but, um, I do not have any friends... and taming a powerful monster requires a certain amount of strength..."

"Do not say sad things like you do not have friends. But if that is the case, I might have an idea..."

He could not do it himself, but Ash and the others were there. He could just have them help tame a powerful monster.

"I want to confirm one more thing. Do you have a tamed animal or monster that is comparable to a male calico cat? For a Betting Match, we need to wager something too. I know you probably do not want to bet a pet, but if we do not, they might not accept. And there is also the possibility that we lose the Clan War and they take your pet. If you are going to ask my clan for help, I would like you to have that much resolve."

This was a deal that had merits for Hayato too, so it was not right to push too many demerits onto Maris, but he wanted to confirm just how resolved she was. The reason was for her pet's husband. He could not have her just saying, "Sorry we lost."

"I am the one asking, so that is only natural! I have a rare monster tamed, so I am thinking of betting it. I convinced it yesterday and got its consent to be part of the wager!"

"I see... yes, I understand your resolve, Maris. So what kind of monster is it?"

"Yes, I brought it with me!"

"Huh? It is outside?"

"No, it is right here!"

Maris took something out of her Item Bag and held it out to Hayato. There was some kind of black insect on Maris's palm.

"What is this?"

"You do not know!? It is a rhinoceros beetle! A Hercules Beetle! It is a pretty rare monster!"

"Oh, it is a rhinoceros beetle? And it is treated as a monster? Is it valuable? And you convinced this guy?"

According to Maris, she spent a very long time convincing it. Wondering if the Taming Skill let you talk to monsters, he decided for now that there was no problem. According to Maris, at the Tamer Guild's pet auction, its price was comparable to a male calico cat.

"Alright. I cannot say for sure, but I will try to challenge the other clan to a fight by betting this little guy. But it is all up to them, so if it does not work out, you will have to give up."

"Y-yes, I suppose that cannot be helped..."

"It is out of the question to give up, Master."

Esha came in from the entrance, throwing the door open with force.

"Good morning, Esha. Did you hear everything even though you just came in?"

"Good morning. Yes, I heard everything. A husband for Siegfried... If they have a baby, please give me one. If I tame it from childhood, it should become my loyal pet. Rest assured. I will raise it to be a cat you can be proud of anywhere."

"Uh, yes, if they have a baby, please take good care of it."

"The deal is done. Master, this Esha Crown is more motivated than ever before."

"So you had less motivation before? Well, whatever. Now then, Maris, we need you to become a fighting force right away, so I would like you to tame a strong monster... Do you have anything you would like?"

"Huh? B-but, I am basically a solo player, so I cannot tame very strong monsters..."

"I will ask my friends for that. See, you remember the people I was with when you got the Lucky Rabbit, right? Those two are strong, so I think they can handle most monsters."

"R-really!? Then a Griffon! A Griffon, please!"

A Griffon is a monster with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.

Hayato was not very familiar with which monsters could be tamed, but he knew about Griffons.

In this game, there are rideable animals like horses and donkeys, but they are just for ground travel. Griffons are different. They are rideable monsters that can fly. There are several rideable monsters that can fly, but the most famous one in this game is probably the Griffon.

To command a Griffon, you need a high Taming Skill, but to ride one, you also need a high Riding Skill. Hayato had never actually seen one flying, but he had always dreamed of it.

"Oh, a Griffon, that is great. I do not know where they live, but do you, Maris?"

"Yes! I have always wanted to tame one, so I know the location well!"

"Then I will contact my friends. I think I can reach them right away, so just wait a moment."

Maris said, "I will go get ready," and happily left the base.

Only Hayato and Esha remained.

"I think it would be better to tame a dragon or something."

"In terms of strength, maybe, but Ash and the others might not like that, so a Griffon should be fine."

Dragons are ground-based mounts. They are strong, but they cannot fly. That was a negative for Hayato. There was also the hope that maybe two people could ride one.

"Well, when it comes to dragons, it is like you have already tamed Ash-sama and the others, Hayato-sama... I got chills just saying that."

"What are you saying so early in the morning?"

After that, he introduced Maris to Ash and the others when they came to the base, and had them head to the habitat.

At that time, Ren happened to see the beetle and fainted for a bit, but it seemed there was no cause for concern.

(She is fine with curses, but not with bugs...? And is not she a dragon?)

Hayato thought this as he returned to his room to make Relic's equipment.

The next day, Ash and the others came to the base.

It was Ash, Ren, and Maris. All three of them had slightly troubled looks on their faces, so he guessed there had been some kind of problem.

"A problem with taming the Griffon?"

"Not a problem, exactly, but I was hoping to borrow your help for a bit, Hayato."

"Huh? Mine?"

"Actually, there is a rare Griffon monster. It is a pretty strong monster called an Elder Griffon... and I am hoping to have Maris tame it."

"Elder... a Griffon that is a senior or an elder? What do you mean you need my help to tame it?"

According to Ash, some rare monsters could be forcibly summoned by preparing specific items.

The problem was the method to summon the Elder Griffon. It was possible by offering a Dragon Steak at an altar on the summit of a certain mountain, but the Dragon Steak had to be made at that summit.

To get to the summit, you had to pass through a place called the Swamp of Decay, and any food you brought through there would spoil. In other words, you could not prepare it in advance and bring it with you.

The system was that after passing through the swamp, you had to defeat a dragon on that mountain, make a Dragon Steak from it, and then offer it to finally face the Elder Griffon.

"That is a pretty complicated method. But I see. So I just need to go to the summit with you and make a Dragon Steak there, right?"

"Are you sure you can do it?"

"Of course. But will it be okay with just you, Ash, and me? Should we go with the whole clan? The Elder Griffon is strong, right?"

"The goal is to tame it, so I do not think we need a lot of fighting strength. If it comes down to it, I will turn into a dragon and defeat it, so it is not necessary. The problem is healing."

Taming generates a monster's Hate Value. During the taming process, Maris would likely be attacked.

"I can draw its hate with my War Cry, but I cannot attack, so I cannot generate that much. Maris will probably take a lot of damage too. Even if Ren halves its attack power with Dragon Curse, it will probably still be tough. Against a rare monster, there is a limit to how much you can heal with potions... Do you know anyone who can use healing magic, Hayato?"

Hayato had someone in mind.

In his former clan, Kokuryu, there were members who role-played as clerics or holy knights skilled in recovery magic, but the person Hayato had in mind was Diite, whom he had met recently.

"I will try contacting him. I do not know if he will help. You need him right away, right?"

Hayato said this and then contacted Diite.

Diite readily accepted Hayato's offer.

"If it means I can earn your trust, I would not be averse to it. Let us go at once."

True to his word, Diite came right away.

And so, a party of five, Hayato, Ash, Ren, Maris, and Diite, came to the mountain where the Elder Griffon resided, Balitoa.

It was a mountain further north of the Royal Capital, an area where animal-type monsters often appeared.

Walking up the mountain path was not tiring, so Hayato simply enjoyed the climb. It was a rare experience, so you could even say he was in a picnic mood.

Monsters appeared, but they were no match for Ash and the others. He heard that stronger monsters would appear further up the summit, but even if they were strong, this party would not have a hard time. Hayato thought this and walked leisurely up the mountain path.

That said, he was not just walking up the mountain path. He was closely watching Maris's and Diite's fighting styles.

Maris fought with physical attacks. She carried a large shield that could cover her entire body and a fairly long weapon called a lance. Maris said that once she tamed a Griffon, she would fight as a Griffon Rider.

Tamers did not just fight by setting their monsters on enemies. By riding them, they could become one with the monster and perform coordinated attacks. The ones who did this best were probably the Blood Knights, whom they were scheduled to fight next.

(Maris alone is not very strong at the moment due to her skill composition. But if she rides an Elder Griffon, she might become quite strong. I really hope she succeeds in taming it. And as for Diite...)

Hayato had been worried about whether his friends and Diite could coordinate well, but that was unnecessary.

Diite's support was just that precise. From support magic to recovery magic, and sometimes even attack magic, he used them without drawing the monster's Hate Value, and you could even say he was making the entire party run smoothly.

"Diite is not so much strong as he is skilled."

"Is that so? I believe I am taking the most efficient course of action."

"Hayato is right. Being able to fight without worrying about anything is a blessing for a frontline class."

"That is right! My support magic never runs out, and he always heals me based on the situation. I think I am fighting better than usual!"

"...Is not your role overlapping with mine a little...? But my curse power is superior!"

Ash and Maris were full of praise, but only Ren was showing a competitive spirit.

"What can I say, this is all to earn your trust, Hayato-kun. Now, let us go to the summit. You are going to tame an Elder Griffon, are you not?"

Diite said this cheerfully, and everyone nodded.

(Does not seem to be a problem. Esha does not seem to think very highly of Diite, but Ash and the others do not seem to mind. Maybe I will try to persuade Esha next time.)

Hayato thought this as he climbed the mountain path.

Three hours later, Hayato and the others reached the summit.

They had passed through the Swamp of Decay, defeated a dragon near the summit, and obtained dragon bone-in meat. All that was left was to make the Dragon Steak and offer it at the altar.

But before that, Hayato was amazed by the view from the summit. He was moved by a sight he rarely got to see even in reality.

A boundless land spread out before his eyes. The small Royal Capital visible in the distance. To the east, a vast ocean, and the clouds were below him. The summit was a rocky place, but the view from there was a magnificent sight.

"Hayato-kun, what do you think of the view from here?"

Diite called out to the moved Hayato. Hayato let out one deep breath and looked at Diite.

"Yeah, it is a wonderful view. And in autumn it will turn red, and in winter it will turn white with snow, right? It is a view that makes you want to come back again and again."

"I thought you would say that, Hayato-kun. Yes, this world is wonderful. I implore you to go not just here, but to various places and see them with your own eyes."

While wondering about the cheerful Diite, Hayato looked around again.

(I have been so focused on production that I have not really gone anywhere. Once the Clan War is over and I have some free time, maybe a trip with everyone would be nice. If I do not get the prize money, I will have to look for a job, though.)

After remembering something practical for a moment, he psyched himself up to work hard so that would not happen.

And he began preparations to make the Dragon Steak. Hayato took out his cooking equipment, which he rarely brought outside the base, and equipped it. Unfortunately, he did not have any Salt-grilled Saury, but he figured it would not be a problem and started cooking.

"Hayato, this is hard to say, but you look really weird."

At Ash's words, Ren and Maris nodded in agreement. Only Diite seemed to have no particular opinion.

He was wearing a chef's hat, a pastry chef's apron, sushi chef's geta, and other equipment that increased his DEX. It was certainly a strange outfit, but this was his ultimate equipment for cooking.

"What do you want me to do, I need it to increase my cooking success rate. I do not want to dress like this outside my room either."

Hayato took out his favorite knife and selected Dragon Steak from the menu.

A few minutes later, he had made five Dragon Steaks. The quality was one five-star, one four-star, and three three-stars.

"Well, that means we have five chances."

"Making a Dragon Steak with 100 percent success is weird, is not it? I was thinking we would be lucky to get one."

"It is thanks to this weird outfit. Anyway, let's summon it right away."

Hayato switched back to his normal equipment and handed the Dragon Steak to Maris.

Maris nodded and placed the Dragon Steak in a spot surrounded by stones.

"It is coming!"

Maris shouted and pointed to the sky, and Hayato could see something flying through the air at high speed. It was gradually getting closer.

It was definitely a Griffon.

Just as Hayato thought that, the flying Griffon's body slam hit Maris directly.

Maris blocked it with her shield, but she was blown away so far that the expression knockback felt lukewarm. She was clearly blown back about ten meters.

And Maris's HP was 0. She was defeated in one hit.