Chapter 677

TENKEN 677 The One Named Dimitris

When we asked Colbert about Dimitris, the words that came out of him were strict, stern, and eccentric.

Words that worry me a little.

「...Was he a bad person?」

「Buhahaha! He’s scary indeed, but he’s not a bad person. He’s merciless to his disciples, but the people revere him like a hero」

「?」

Fran doesn’t seem to be able to picture it very well. She is making a difficult face and is tilting her head.

「What can I say is that he’s tough on people who make fighting their livelihood. He must have used himself as his standard. He’d even say something like 『Is that all you can do! You’d die? There’s no way I’ll let you die yet! If you were really dying, you wouldn’t be able to speak!』」

Uwaah―. That’s pretty tough. It sounds like the Marine corps. But if that’s all he does, he won’t be adored by many disciples, right?

Though Colbert had a wry smile on his face, I could see the respect he had for Demetrius in every word he said. Even though he was excommunicated, his respect for his master remained unchanged.

「But he’s a person that won’t abandon someone in need nor take compensation from the poor. He’d say that it was only for his training. But that’s how he saved the village I grew up in」

So, what he’s saying is that he’s been wandering around the continent of Gilberd, helping people in need for free? That would certainly be considered heroic.

But is that okay?

Dimitris was an S-ranked adventurer. In other words, he is at the top of all adventurers.

If such a person were to help people for free, wouldn’t the other adventurers have nothing to do?

Let’s say the village that was saved for free by Dimitris next hires a D-ranked adventurer. Would they be comfortable with it then? They’re going to have to pay tens of thousands of gold to an adventurer who is far less skilled and weaker than Dimitris. It should be a fair reward, but it’s not surprising that people would complain.

Besides, isn’t this a matter that should be addressed to the faces of the knights and soldiers?

「Is it okay for him to do that?」

「What do you mean?」

「If he won’t accept payment, the other adventurers will be in trouble」

「Ah―, you mean that huh?」

Fran voiced her concerns before I could say anything to her. In Fran’s case, she’s the type of person who believes that compensation is a justified form of appreciation.

However, Fran could also understand the act of helping a person she liked for free. In the Black Cat Kin’s village and elsewhere, she was treated with great respect, but she didn’t get any reward.

I guess that’s why it bothered her even more.

「In master Dimitris’ case, you see. Originally, he became an adventurer because it was convenient for his training. And when he became an A-ranked adventurer, he easily attempted to quit」

「Why」

「Because it became too much of a trouble, he said. The recruitment of nobles and the guild’s meddling. Then there was the issue of the request fee. For Master, belonging to the guild must have been a hindrance. But the guild held him back from that」

Well, of course, everyone would hold them back if an A-ranked adventurer ever said that he was quitting.

At that time, Dimitris had put forward three conditions for him to stay on as an adventurer.

When accepting unexpected requests, Dimitris may decide the fee for the request. The adventurer’s guild will cooperate in the training of Dimitris’s apprentices. And unrestricted access to magical areas.

And the Adventurer’s Guild accepted all of those conditions. Apparently, even back then it was said that he would eventually rise to rank S, and they wanted to keep Dimitris in the guild at all costs.

There were some problems at first, but now that the story has become well known in the small southern group of countries where Dimitris is active, no major problems have occurred since then.

「It seems that the other adventurers have had a lot to say to him, but he’s stubborn as hell. He’s also a bit of a hothead. I even heard that he punched them in the face to shut them up」

He’s adding that he’s a stubborn and a hotheaded person now...

I’m sure he’s not a bad person, but I just can’t get a good impression of him.

「How can I get closer to him? And what’s his favorite food?」

「I don’t know what his favorite food is... He’s a person whose daily life is like a training session, so he puts more importance on nutrition than taste in his meals. All he eats is just salads with medicinal herbs; he even goes as far as to take a medicinal herbs bath. To be honest, the only reason I got interested in cooking was because I was sick of such bad food」

「So it’s impossible to get close to him with delicious food?」

「Well, unless you have a dish that is rich in nutrients and makes one stronger after eating it」

「Hmm」

A dish that makes one stronger? No, if there was such a thing, I’d feed it to Fran myself. But maybe it’s possible to provide food that is nutritionally balanced and tastes good. It doesn’t sound promising though.

「Then, what’re his hobbies?」

「It’s training. Well, Master Dimitris would never admit it. Training is life, and life is training. That’s what he says all the time. I don’t think he’s interested in anything else. A thing that might interest him would be fighting a strong opponent, I guess?」

The type that is only interested in improving themselves, huh. This one seems troublesome.

Colbert may feel offended, but my impression of him right now is that of Ashwrath, who is caring for others.

「It might be a good idea to challenge him to a mock battle, you know?」

「You think so?」

「Yeah. He’s having a hard time finding people to have mock battles with these days. I’m sure he’ll be happy to accept. Of course, if they’re too weak, he’ll just ignore you, but Fran will be fine」

「Hmm」

「However, you’re going to deal with one of the strongest human beings in the world. Are you prepared for that? You won’t be back scratch-free, you know?」

「Fufun, just like I wanted」

Aah―, this is bad. Fran’s berserker switch has gone on! I can’t help but notice the battle-crazed smile on her face.

She would never stop even if I stopped her. After all, it was a mock battle with an S-ranked adventurer. It was like a platinum ticket for Fran. (1)

Still, we have to make sure we nail this.

『Fran, don’t push yourself too hard, okay?』

(Nn, I understand)

That’s not the face of someone who understands though!

I wonder if Dimitris is actually a person who is fond of his grandchildren or something and gets charmed from the moment he meets Fran who’s around the same age.

==TLN===

(1) Platinum Ticket is similar to an SSR gacha ticket (or golden ticket).