Chapter 64: Beastman Hero Chrome - Part 1
We returned to the capital exactly as planned, and headed straight to the guild.
Upon arriving, we called for Fiine-san and the others at the reception, then moved to our usual consultation room.
"Jin-san, Chloe-san, I'm relieved to see you've returned safely. While I know of your strength, I couldn't help but worry sending just the two of you into the dungeon," Fiine-san said.
"Even though I knew of your strength, I still had my doubts. It's truly a relief to be reunited like this," I replied.
Fiine-san and Ricola-san expressed their genuine relief.
The Iwaneishi Mountain Dungeon is of moderate difficulty. Sending just two adventurers into such a place required serious consideration. Even though it was what we wished for, if we had received news of your demise after sending you out, it would have been mentally taxing.
"We apologize for causing you worry. However, we were able to return safely like this," I said, reassuring them.
As I spoke, Chloe chimed in with similar sentiments.
Afterward, we began our report on the battles we faced in the dungeon.
"... You defeated several Gold Nugget Golems?"
"After days of exploring, you finally encountered a creature like that, right? And you encountered multiple of them in just one expedition!?"
"Yes, and we have the proof in the form of gold nuggets."
I took out some gold nuggets from my [Interdimensional Box] and placed them on the table in front of the astonished Fiine-san and the others.
Although they varied in size, even the smallest nugget was worth dozens of gold coins.
Seeing these gold nuggets before them, Fiine-san and Ricola-san were both left in shock.
"Jin-kun, you went a bit overboard. Fiine-san and the others are stunned," Chloe commented.
"... Well, I might have gotten a bit carried away. But, come on, Chloe. You wanted to show Fiine-san and the others how many Gold Nugget Golems you defeated, right?"
"Well, yeah. I can't deny that," Chloe replied.
Chloe recognized my intent, but she couldn't help but feel a bit proud of her accomplishment.
After everyone had regained their composure, we continued with the rest of the report.
"I see, you ventured down to the 20th floor. Impressive, far beyond our expectations," Fiine-san acknowledged.
"We knew the strategy for dealing with Golems in advance, so we applied that knowledge for efficient progress," I explained.
"... When you mentioned the strategy for dealing with Golems, were you referring to targeting their cores?"
"Yes. Chloe and I have good eyesight, so we observed the Golems and determined the location of their cores. We then used magic to attack and defeat them."
As I explained, Fiine-san and Ricola-san let out a sigh simultaneously.
"Wasn't that method of defeating Golems a bit unusual? Jin-kun, you said to give it a try, but isn't that not the typical way?"
"... The method of defeating Golems that Jin-san mentioned is not the standard approach. The strategy Jin-san just described is a technique that only a very small number of top-tier adventurers can accomplish. It requires exceptional visual acuity and the ability to deal significant damage to the core. Only those with both of these qualities can execute this method."
"I see... But, it seemed surprisingly easy to do, didn't it?" Chloe asked, tilting her head.
Hearing Chloe's words, I explained, "It seemed easy because of Chloe's natural talent. As Ricola-san mentioned, that method requires two major strengths."
"We understood that both of you possess exceptional talents, but it seems our understanding was still somewhat limited," Fiine-san commented, and Ricola-san nodded in agreement.
Well, even with that said, I can't blame them. Targeting Golem cores is truly a challenging strategy, and even during the gaming era, it took me some time to get used to it.
Thanks to that experience, I had some insight, which allowed me to use the core-targeting strategy without relying solely on my eyesight, similar to Chloe's approach.
"Now, about these gold nuggets, what would you like to do with them? Will you sell them?"
"I plan to sell all the gold nuggets except for the largest one. Also, there are numerous other Golem materials. Would it be better to bring them out separately?"
"That would be helpful. By the way, how much of those materials do you have?"
"I haven't counted them, but I believe we've defeated several hundred Normal Golems. As for Elemental Golems, while the number isn't as high as Normal Golems, there are quite a few."
Upon hearing my explanation, Fiine-san and Ricola-san exchanged glances and replied, "Understood."
With the report concluded, we moved the materials to the underground workshop.
At the workshop, I laid out the Golem materials.
Seeing the amount of materials, the workshop staff fell silent. Fiine-san and the others had expected as much and quietly remarked, "That's quite a lot."
"Given the quantity, it seems that it might not be feasible to process all of these materials immediately. Would it be acceptable to finalize the reward next week?"
"We were planning for that from the start, so that works for us. If we were to insist on processing this quantity right away, it could strain the good relationship we've established with the guild."
With our tasks at the guild completed, we said our goodbyes and left the guild building, dispersing outside with Chloe.