Waking up to the crisp morning light, I carefully washed myself and groomed my mane.
However, since I was going to meet an important person, I had to try not to look too fierce. The problem was, no matter how I styled myself, I still looked terrifying.
I stroked my mane and picked out the most elegant shirt and trousers from the clothes Leanna had prepared, then put on a jacket over them.
Standing in front of the mirror… uh. Even with the most stylish clothes, having such a frightening horse face always felt awkward.
However, wearing this high-class outfit seemed to lessen my ferocity… I couldn't change it any further, so I'll just leave it as it is.
After getting ready, I went to the first floor to meet Lisbeth at the agreed time and saw her and Ars in the rest area.
But Lisbeth, who noticed me first, suddenly widened her eyes, and then Ars's expression froze as he stared at me.
"What? Does it look out of place? This is quite a shock..."
"N-no, it's not. Shimo, your appearance has changed so much... you're completely different from when I first saw you in human form."
Ars said with a surprised expression.
Isn't the person in the mirror just a well-dressed half-human, half-beast horse-headed monster?
Then, curious about Lisbeth's reaction, I looked at her and found her eyes still wide and her face flushed.
Could it be that she was shocked by this handsome appearance?
Although it's a bit much for me to say... is this horse-headed monster really handsome?
"Uh... Shimo... well... um, um. It suits you very well!"
Lisbeth forced a smile, her face still flushed. Hmm... I'm starting to doubt Lisbeth's taste.
After confirming that neither of them seemed to be acting strangely, and looking at Lisbeth's smile, we headed straight for the lord's city.
Even though I had expected it, the wide-eyed stares from the people outside were still intense. The gazes held a mixture of astonishment and a kind of "wow" of admiration, which was truly perplexing.
Not just Lisbeth, but were all the people of Esendia's aesthetics this bizarre?
They walked awkwardly, parting ways with the two at the fork in the road leading to the church.
They planned to go to the church first to collect their payment from Paul, and then purchase supplies for the dungeon.
Anticipating that the affairs in the lord's city would take a long time, they agreed to meet the two again that evening.
After parting ways with the two, they walked through the noble district towards the lord's city… a typical wealthy area, where the gazes cast by those seemingly rich people were stinging.
And here came another kind of strange look.
When would they finally escape these people's gazes…? This was agonizing… Upon arriving in the lord's city, they immediately presented their invitations and were led to the lord's office by staff.
Unlike expected, there was no waiting or delay; the process was completed quickly.
They had thought they would have to wait at least two or three hours… Was the lord perhaps more leisurely than they had imagined?
In short, the lord's city I observed along the way resembled more of an ordinary office building than a castle.
Asking the civil servant-looking staff member who was guiding me, I learned that the first and second floors were the offices of many staff members inside the entrance, while the third floor and above were the work areas for high-ranking officials and the lord.
The overall impression, if you disregarded the rustic exterior and luxurious interior decoration, was almost like looking at an ordinary company.
Although the lord's family's living quarters were also connected to the castle, entry to the staff offices was prohibited. Indeed, it was inappropriate to have living quarters and workplaces connected.
"Please go in this way," the civil servant leading the way said with a professional smile.
Before me appeared a rather large and ornate door, befitting the lord's offices. Unlike the offices I had seen along the way, this door truly exuded the grandeur befitting a castle.
Seeing this, I finally felt I was seeing the atmosphere a lord's city should have.
"Is there any special etiquette to observe when meeting the Lord?"
"Just be careful not to do anything too impolite. Lord Shimo is, after all, a divine beast who doesn't understand human culture very well, and the Lord is very understanding about that." The staff member said as they pushed open the door... Two soldiers who appeared to be guards were visible at the entrance, and a middle-aged man sat behind a huge desk inside.
The middle-aged man, who had been frowning at a mountain of documents, immediately smiled and stood up when he saw me.
"Ah. You've come. You must be the divine beast Shimo. Welcome."
The welcome from this middle-aged man was genuine and heartfelt. It was a rare treat to receive such a sincere greeting from a stranger, and my first impression of this man was quite good.
However... why did this man look so tired?
His deep dark circles and wrinkles showed considerable fatigue.
Even though he was trying his best to hide it, I could still sense his weariness. It seems the position of Lord is quite demanding.
"I've always wanted to meet you. Please come this way."
"Thank you very much." The lord gestured to the sofa seating area. I thanked him and sat down, and the lord, rubbing his eyes, sat down opposite me.
"Phew… First, I want to thank you. I heard you played a crucial role in the battle against the Hero Devourer."
"Haha… just lucky. If it weren't for the other adventurers, I would definitely be dead by now."
Hearing this, the lord smiled and said.
"You said you're 30 years old, right? That's why you have a different, more arrogant attitude than other divine beasts. If it were any other divine beast, they would be giving me quite a headache by now."
"Other divine beasts?" Seeing my question, the lord explained the treatment of other divine beasts and the way the Kingdom of Reinhardt treated divine beasts.
It's said that other divine beasts are mostly monsters that have lived for hundreds of years, and when facing humans who have lived for at most a hundred years, even with differences, they still show a somewhat condescending attitude.
This is why it doesn't fit in with the Kingdom of Reinhard, which is ruled by humans and whose culture is rooted in humanity. It's said that it has never established a close relationship with the divine beasts it has interacted with a few times so far.
Therefore, the kingdom currently doesn't possess any divine beasts of its own; at most, it has only had slight contact with one or two divine beasts near its territory.
This is completely incompatible with the kingdom's ideology, which considers all beings below the goddess as human-blooded royalty.
"Even so, divine beasts are still considered sacred beings, and each divine beast possesses power and commands a group, so the kingdom cannot exclude them. However, since you've appeared as an adventurer, you're requesting to be accepted as a citizen."
That's quite an interesting story. Given the kingdom's characteristics, it's rare to see a divine beast actively seeking out its kingdom.
"Actually, when you arrived, I planned to hold a formal welcome banquet in the lord's city… but as you know, with the sudden appearance of the super-sized dungeon and that Hero Devourer, it's simply not a situation where we can manage such things."
The lord said this, sighing as he leaned back on the sofa.
"The royal family is in a huge scramble to get to the bottom of things... Anyway, I apologize for the late greeting."
"You flatter me. I'm already incredibly grateful for your concern regarding the resettlement allowance."
Hearing this, the lord smiled and produced a magical artifact with a button, pressing it. Soon, an employee, seemingly a secretary, appeared, holding a small ledger and placing a box in front of me.
"This is your reward for your efforts in the battle against the Hero Devourer. I wanted to give more, but according to the contract, each participating guild receives a uniform payment of 50 gold coins... I can't put in more money, so I hope you'll accept it."
"Thank you."
I expressed my gratitude directly without opening the box. Someone of the lord's caliber wouldn't cheat on the amount, would they?
50 gold coins at once!
It's like winning the lottery.
Won't I be smirking? "Are you planning to stay in Ladia?"
"Adventure inevitably involves a lot of traveling, but I think I'll be staying in Ladia for a long time."
"That would be best. Some say that the arrival of the divine beast alone is a blessing for Ladia." Having never seen any other divine beasts, in my mind they were just monsters that could take human form, yet they were described as a blessing. Though I had no real understanding, divine beasts must indeed be extraordinary.
While talking with the lord, I mentioned another purpose for coming to the lord's city today.
Information sharing regarding the Hero Devourer.
I explained that we not only need to deal with the creature that appeared this time, but similar beings will continue to appear in the future, and that I needed information for this. The lord looked slightly surprised and asked.
"You... you didn't become an adventurer just to defeat those monsters, did you?"
"While there was an element of wanting to experience the adventurer's life, that's basically it."
It's actually completely irrelevant, but let's just say that.
"...Your arrival might truly be a blessing. To become an adventurer to vanquish those monsters that target the nation's shield—the Hero..."
Though it's destined to create enmity with many heroes, let's assume that for now.
After a moment of contemplation, the lord began to recount the monsters resembling the Hero Devourer that had previously appeared.
It's said that monsters that appear alongside super-sized dungeons, emitting an aura similar to that of Tesser but without causing pollution, have been discovered multiple times, and the battles against these monsters have resulted in considerable losses.
The period when these monsters first appeared coincided with the disappearance or loss of contact with several heroes. Considering the Hero Devourer incident, it's speculated that they may have perished at the hands of these monsters, like the veteran heroes.
Because of this speculation, the royal family is currently in a state of turmoil, the lord said, rubbing his forehead.
After a brief thought, he said he would convey what I had said to the royal family and promised to share it with me once he obtained relevant information.
Since it's a divine beast, I was expecting something special, but for me, it's exactly what I wanted.
After the conversation, I bid farewell to the lord, saying "Please take care of me in the future," and then left the lord's office.
Not only did I receive a promise of information sharing regarding the 'one who brings destruction'... but more importantly, there was this box. Inside were actually 50 gold coins! I couldn't help but smile.
"Hehehe... uh."
As I walked out of the office in a cheerful mood, I saw a noblewoman approaching from the other end of the corridor, carrying a file folder, her high heels clicking.
Her hair was styled in a high bun, adorned with what appeared to be expensive hairpins, her translucent sky-blue hair flowing freely. She wore a gown so magnificent it made one exclaim, "She truly looks like an aristocrat!"
Although clearly a married middle-aged woman, her stunningly beautiful face, which at first glance could easily be mistaken for someone in their twenties, was as she gracefully walked towards me.
And that woman's breasts... Of all the breasts I've ever seen, the Guild Master and Claire are tied for first place, but this woman's are no less impressive.
No, perhaps this side is even bigger… As I gazed at her astonishing bust and beauty… the previously expressionless noblewoman noticed me, and her face instantly contorted.
"…A filthy monster…" …What? Did I hear that right? Even though it was a quiet mutter, it sounds like she's cursing me, right? The noblewoman glanced at me sideways, then turned and walked into the lord's office.
I could tell she was noble just by her attire? But why did she start cursing right away? This auntie has a terrible temper.
Encountering such hostile stares for the first time in a long time, my mood plummeted. What a pity about that face and figure.
To alleviate my depressed mood, I stroked the chest full of gold coins and walked out of the lord's city.