Level Eater
Chapter 137

When Nana took the Frog cane from the [Item Box] and placed it on the counter, the light-brown-skinned elderly woman's eyes widened a little.

"Is this not the cane of Grangrenu? That means you guys had a real fight with Grangrenu and won."

"Grangrenu? Let's see, the big frog monster?" (Tatsuro)

"Yes, it's one of the most famous bosses in this dungeon. It is said to only drop the cane if you don't exploit its weakness, but instead bring it to its knees and then beat it. Also, the monsters that always come out in this dungeon aren't the kind of monsters you can fight head-on and win, It's been a while since I've seen one, so I'm a little surprised."

"I see. Does that mean it's rare?" (Tatsuro)

"I'd say it's about a six on a scale of one to ten. The information on how to get it is pretty well known, and you can get it by spending money and hiring strong adventurers."

Apparently, in game terms, it's like getting out of the early stages of the game and immediately getting a weapon that you can only get in the middle stage of the game.

"I know this is a cane, but does it have any other special effects?" (Tatsuro)

"That information has nothing to do with the appraisal, so it's going to cost you extra, is that okay?"

When Tatsuro turned a probing look at her, thinking it was okay to ask for information that could be paid for, the elderly woman smiled and held up eight fingers with both hands.

"... Eight hundred Shis?" (Tatsuro)

"It's just your kid's allowance, is it?"

"Yeah, I understand…" (Tatsuro)

Tatsuro thought she was cracking a joke, but when the other party's expression did not move even a twitch, Tatsuro quickly paid the 800 Shis.

"Thank you."

"So since there is more information about it, which means there's more to it than just being a regular cane, right?" (Tatsuro)

"That's right. First, hold it in your hand and stroke your finger down the frog's back."

"Nana, do you want to try?" (Tatsuro)

"Yes, sir!" (Nana)

When Tatsuro talked to Nana, who looked like she wanted to do it, she excitedly held the cane in her hand.

Then she stroked its back with her index finger, just as the elderly woman had said. Then the mouth of the frog doll snapped open and...

"Gwah, wah"

"……Um, what on earth does it mean now?" (Tatsuro)

"Well, since you ask me, there's no particular meaning to it. Why it has such a function is still a mystery."

"… perhaps is that the information we're looking for on the Grangrenu?" (Tatsuro)

"Oh no, don't get angry over this. There are other things as well."

The woman laughed while flapping her right hand and glancing at Tatsuro's glaring eyes.

Incidentally, during this time, Ai and Nana, their eyes shining, were happy to take turns making the frog cane squeak.

"Well, would you mind tapping the back with your finger?"

"I understand!" (Nana)

"I wonder what will happen next." (Ai)

Ai and Nana excitedly poked the frog cane back, and a slimy liquid came out of the entire frog figure.

Due to their actions, the frog had a shiny, shiny appearance that looked eerie to Tatsuro.

"What's with the slippery.......? Is this another mystery feature that just makes things slippery?" (Tatsuro)

"That makes sense, in a way. If you fought with the Grangrenu, you know that the slime is the same ingredient as the anti-magic mucus it had. So if the magic is from a very weak monster, it will work on its own, and even if it's from a strong monster, it seems to have some effect."

"That's a feature that, well, makes sense." (Tatsuro)

"Hmm, but I heard that when that mucus is out, it loses all functionality as a cane."

"Why did you make it a cane" (Tatsuro)

As expected, the slimy feeling was disgusting, Ai and Nana immediately withdrew their fingers and wiped the slimy residue from their fingers.

As Tatsuro watched them from the side, a third more piece of information was given by the woman.

"The only other thing I can think of is that if you concentrate the magic power on the frog part, it will expand like a balloon."

"What does that mean?" (Tatsuro)

"I said it's like a balloon, but it's hard, and it can become quite a blunt instrument if you hit with it hard enough."

"So why did you make it a cane ......?" (Nana)

While she was saying that, Nana was playing with the frog cane by pouring magic power into it to make it inflate and deflate. But Ai could not do that, so she looked at Nana enviously.

After learning about the strange characteristics of the frog cane, which was not like a cane, there was nothing particularly unusual, so the appraisal proceeded smoothly in an orderly fashion.

In the midst of all this, the woman opened a light silver container and was mildly surprised to see what was inside.

"Oh my, all these contents are sleeping scales. It sells for a surprisingly high price. It is said to be a very efficient source of income here in this dungeon."

"I see, you can get a lot of them pretty easily." (Tatsuro)

"It's used as an ingredient for varieties of medicines, so there's a lot of demand for it."

"Heh, medicine?" (Tatsuro)

Since he was a little reluctant to take something from the mini-goblin's body into his body, Tatsuro intentionally refrained from asking for the detailed name of the medicine so that he may be able to take care of it at some point.

After the assessment was complete, Tatsuro sold the magic stones, monster materials, and unneeded equipment he picked up along the way while sorting through his [Item Box] and when he was done, he received the money from the woman and went outside.

Incidentally, Tatsuro also showed her the board that produces threads, but she did not seem to understand it well and the price was vague, so he has not sold it and it is still in his [Item Box].

And so, after Tatsuro and his team finished satisfying their hunger by entering random stores, they returned to Lyadas to prepare to go to the next town.

The journey was uneventful, and they arrived at their destination, Lyadas, after a day of relaxing in the rhino cart.

Since it was exactly noon at the time, they went into their usual lodging and had Cardina and her sisters rest inside Tatsuro while the two of them sat on the couch and ate their meal.

"Now that we're done exploring the dungeon, it's time to say goodbye to this town…" (Tatsuro)

"Well, I guess we could go home just going around the dungeon from here, but it's a different world after all, and we would like to see a lot of things." (Ai)

"That's true, but then we'll have to say goodbye to Ennio." (Tatsuro)

"Oh, maybe if we go on a trip, we may be able to go back to Japan without coming back here, and I may be exaggerating, but this might be the last time we will see him." (Ai)

"I don't know how convenient teleportation magic is.'' (Tatsuro)

For the time being, Tatsuro had received an endorsement from the help function that they could return to their original world, but he did not know anything concrete other than that, so he couldn't make any simplistic ideas.

"Even without us, Ennio won't be alone and lonely anymore, will he?" (Ai)

"I'm sure that's true Marikka-san treats him like a member of her family, and for what it's worth, he seems to be getting along well with Yorn, and he seemed happy to be on a new path. He shouldn't have to miss us or be treated unfairly without us anymore. So a little sad, but tomorrow we will say goodbye as friends and start our journey. Marikka-san's going to be pretty busy in the next week or so, and that's about the only chance we're going to get." (Tatsuro)

"I see that the mayoral election is about to start in earnest. Then, frequent visits to see him will only be a hindrance." (Ai)

With a sense of longing in their hearts, they embraced each other as if to bury it.

And just like that, they fell asleep, comfortable with each other's body heat.

The next day, after eating breakfast and getting dressed, they headed to Marikka's house immediately.

They were dressed in slightly expensive clothes, including necklaces bought at a department store in town, as they were parting ways with Ennio.

As they approached Marikka's house, Yorn, the green serpent, was still glaring at them as usual.

"Hey, Yorn! I'm here!" (Ai)

When Ai waved her hand cheerfully and called out loudly, she knocked on the doorway with a look that said someone troublesome had arrived and announced her presence as a visitor to Marikka.

Marikka reacted immediately to this and came flying out of the upper window on Ennio, landing gracefully on the ground.

When Ennio saw them, he looked very happy, perhaps because it was the wish of Tatsuro or maybe for another reason.

Then Marikka got off the Ennio and asked them to come in, and without hesitation, Tatsuro asked Ai to push open the gate and we went inside.

"Good morning, Marikka, Ennio." (Tatsuro)

"Good morning, you two." (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

"Gwaff!" (Ennio)

After a quick greeting, Tatsuro immediately took out a large hunk of dragon meat and held it out in front of Ennio, who looked at Marikka with a great deal of drool.

Marikka smiled and nodded at that and immediately bit into the meat.

"He no longer jumps on me right away anymore without a word from you." (Tatsuro)

"It took a lot of effort to teach him, but I wanted him to be a rational beast, not just a beast. Just spoiling them and nurturing them isn't a good thing, is it?" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

"That right. I had a neighbor who had a pet, but she had problems because she raised it in a spoiled way that it became a rambunctious child." (Ai)

"That right. So, when you have a child, you have to tell them what is not right." (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

"I'll keep it in mind." (Ai)

"Mm, that's good!" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

Although they are not children born to Ai, Cardina and her sisters are loved like children. If you think about it, they are excellent from the start, and Tatsuro and Ai spoil them all the time because they don't do much that is wrong. If he had not been told here, he would have raised them with the same educational policy, Tatsuro made a mental note of that.

"So you came here today to say goodbye because you're leaving town soon?" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

"Yes. We've been through three dungeons, and we've had a lot of success, so we think it's time to go." (Tatsuro)

"I see, Ennio will be lonely too." (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

"But Marikka-san will be there from now on, won't she?" (Ai)

"Of course. This child is my partner and family, just like Yorn. In terms of position, I guess Yorn is the older brother and Ennio is the younger brother. And I am the oldest sister!" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

Marikka said this with a joking laugh, but there was a firm motherly affection in her eyes, which was enough to put them both at ease.

Incidentally, Yorn was listening to the conversation and looked as if he wanted to say, "You are my sister," but no one in the room noticed it.

While all this was going on, Ennio was still mopping his mouth as if still basking in the afterglow of the dragon meat he had so nicely flattened.

"Ennio seemed satisfied with the results too." (Ai)

"I am so happy to see him. If he's this happy, it's worth giving him to her." (Ai)

"But how can you serve dragon meat so readily?" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

"Haha...well, I have a lot of things and I have a lot of things... Oh, yes. I'll give you some dragon meat so you can give it to Ennio after we leave town, even if only occasionally." (Tatsuro)

"Huh? I don't mind, but... It's not a meat you can give to people so readily, you know. You can sell it when you leave and it's going to sell for a good amount of money, and what if I sell it after you guys leave?" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

"Well, you are my friend's sister! So. I trust you." (Ai)

Marikka looked a little stunned at Ai's honest smile as if to say, "What a helpless girl!

"I understand. I have to keep my promise to my brother's friends!" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

"Thank you." (Tatsuro)

"Thanks!" (Ai)

"Ah, But be careful on your journey ahead. You don't know if any of those strange people will look at your team again, do you?" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

"Oh, that's true. I'll treat it a little more carefully next time." (Tatsuro)

"Mm-hmm. I am glad you are honest!" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

Then Tatsuro gave Marikka dragon meat from the [Item Box], keeping it to a modest amount since it was difficult to find a place to put it if he gave too large a quantity.

With that, Marikka asked Yorn to hold the huge hunk of meat while she said a few words to Tatsuro and the others, telling them to play with Ennio, and went to carry the meat inside the house.

"So then, let's play! What about you, Tatsuro?" (Ai)

"I'll join you this time, I can't follow you physically, but I can do something with magic." (Tatsuro)

"I see. Well, I guess I'll just run around as much as I can without wrecking the house!" (Ai)

"Oh, ──── oh, she's already gone." (Tatsuro)

Before Tatsuro could reply, Ai clapped her hand at Ennio, who was pleasantly euphoric, and ran past him, while Ennio followed with a grin.

The amazingly fast chase seemed to Tatsuro like a warp at best, and he wondered how he could join in, so he built an impromptu giant jungle gym with earth magic.

Ai and Ennio, who saw this, immediately entered into it and ran around in a different dimensional trajectory, sometimes even mixing in [Air Walk].

Seeing this, Tatsuro made it into an athletic field beyond the realm of a game by placing traps simple enough to prevent Ai and Ennio from getting hurt and mud dolls to hinder their progress, while taking care not to let the two go wild and destroy the house, he joined in the fun from another angle.

And so the time passed, and when the sun had turned orange, this pleasant time came to an end.

The jungle gym was now gone, and Tatsuro, Ai, and Ennio were all lying on the ground, looking satisfied and comfortably tired.

"That was fun." (Ai)

"Yeah, it was fun. How was Ennio?" (Tatsuro)

"Gfafafa." (Ennio)

"Haha" (Ai)

"Haha." (Tatsuro)

Their laughter, which was a little scary when they first heard it, now sounded like a normal laugh to them, and they laughed together with Ennio as they looked at the sky.

Marikka was only ever in the house out of concern and would look out the window occasionally and laugh.

"Hey, Ennio. We come from a different world from this one. So we are going to leave this town to go back home.

And then we don't know when you're going to see us again, and maybe you won't see us again." (Tatsuro)

"So, I came here today to say goodbye." (Ai)

"Gwaff?" (Ennio)

They knew very well that he did not understand their words. However, they both wanted to say goodbye to their friend and tell him everything.

As expected, the true meaning of their words did not seem to be conveyed, but Ennio still sensed that they were going somewhere, and gently held Tatsuro and the others down with his large right arm.

They hugged tightly in each other's arms, which could be taken as an almost force-free embrace, and said their final goodbyes.

"Bye, Ennio" (Tatsuro)

"Bye-bye, Ennio." (Ai)

"Guuu…" (Ennio)

Just as Tatsuro was about to shake his head and press him, Marikka, who had guessed the general situation from the window, called out to him, while unable to bear what was going on.

"Ennio. Your friends are trying to move on, so let's just smile here and see them off." (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

"…Guuu." (Ennio)

So finally Ennio released them of his own free will, without relying on the power of the contract.

And his face seemed to be smiling, even though his ears were drooping but the corners of his mouth were firmly upturned.

They exchanged hugs with Ennio once more, choking on it, and then smiled the same smirk and moved away.

"Well then, we're leaving now. Please continue to take good care of Ennio." (Tatsuro)

"Please." (Ai)

"I understand what you are talking about. So don't worry, you guys go ahead and achieve your goals" (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

""Yes.""

So they said goodbye once more to Ennio, who smiled awkwardly, and Marikka, who waved to them with a beautiful smile, and turned and waved again and again as they left.

"They are gone. Ennio. You don't have to hold back anymore." (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

"Guuu..." (Ennio)

As soon as Marikka said this, the corners of Ennio's mouth dropped and he nodded his head sadly.

Seeing this, Marikka gently and tenderly stroked the tip of Ennio's nose.

"I was proud of you for being able to say goodbye with a smile on your face. You are a very sweet child." (Marikka Shurjaniemi) (T/N: Yes I know the raws said girl but I am going to change it to child, definitely a mistake from the author)

"Guuu......" (Ennio)

"I am so happy and proud to be part of a family with you." (Marikka Shurjaniemi)

"Guuu…"

A gentle voice mixed with the love of a mother that Ennio had never received in his life called out to him, and large tears welled up in Ennio's eyes, and as he howled, he wet the ground with tears.