Episode 39

There was much to salvage from the corpse of an Iron Wolf.

Not only did it possess thick skin with metallic fur, but its teeth and claws were valuable alchemy materials, and the mage tower would pay handsomely for its heart.

Including the magic stone, the total could sum up to roughly 80 copper.

“It’s a jackpot.”

“Usually, people form a party to hunt it. After dividing the loot, there’s not much left… But Jonah caught it alone. That’s why it’s a significant amount.”

“Hehee! Do you see this? I’m, y’know? Like, y’know? So capable, aren’t I?”

As I danced around the Iron Wolf, Lydia turned her head and laughed.

“Pfft.”

“Ah! Did you just laugh at me, Miss Lydia?”

“No.”

“I heard that loud and clear, you know? You just laughed.”

“I did laugh, but not in mockery. Just…”

“Just?”

“You looked like a goblin that had succeeded in hunting.”

“What! Calling a super handsome young man like me a goblin? I think you should go to the cathedral today and have your eyes healed, Miss Lydia!”

“You’re about the same height.”

“…….”

I had nothing to say in response.

In this reverse world, being young and short was useful in many ways… but still, being compared to a goblin was a bit much.

I grumbled and took out my utility dagger. Just as I was about to push it towards the corpse of the Iron Wolf, I hesitated.

“Miss Lydia. Miss Lydia.”

“What?”

“How do you skin it?”

Until now, the by-products I’d harvested were things like horns or wrists—parts that could be roughly cut or smashed to collect.

But skinning required a specific technique, which I didn’t know since I’d never done it before.

In response to my question, Lydia lifted her head slightly and answered with a proud tone.

“I don’t know either.”

“? But I heard Iron Wolf hides are the most valuable part.”

“Yeah. But since I didn’t know how to skin it, I just took the teeth and claws.”

“Aren’t there monsters on other floors whose hides are valuable too?”

“There are. But it wasn’t me who skinned them. It was Beni.”

“…And who is Beni?”

“My party member?”

Right. Now that I thought about it, Lydia was only looking after me because her usual party member was on a break for personal reasons.

I remembered Lydia mentioning she had asked Beni to track down her wallet. So, they were colleagues.

Anyway, I understood why Lydia didn’t know how to skin… But still, if this was supposed to be the most valuable part, I couldn’t just leave it.

“Could you at least tell me what you’ve seen?”

“It’s okay, but… Jonah, you probably won’t be able to do it. Only Beni can do Beni’s method.”

“Wait, do they use magic to skin it or something?”

“Yeah. They swallow the monster whole and spit out only the by-products. The magic stones are extracted later too.”

“……”

I hadn’t realized she meant they literally used magic.

“Sigh. I can’t help it. Even if it gets a bit damaged, I’ll have to tear it off.”

“Hehe.”

“…Why are you laughing weirdly again?”

“It’s nothing.”

Lydia, who laughed suspiciously, leaned against a tree and crossed her arms.

It was nice how her chest was emphasized, resting on top of her arms, but her expression full of anticipation was disconcerting.

“Hmph. Fine. I’ll try to manage on my own, so you just watch from there.”

“I will.”

Lydia clearly didn’t intend to help me. So I stood alone and glared at the Iron Wolf’s belly.

I didn’t know the details, but I think I saw on TV in my previous life that you usually start cutting from the belly of such large animals and then slowly peel towards the back or legs. I guess I’ll have to try it out first…

Aiming at a suitable spot, I thrust the utility dagger straight down.

Thud.

“???”

It sounded more like a punch than a knife strike. In fact, the skin wasn’t pierced at all, and only the flesh quivered slightly.

“No, wait. Could it be?”

Wondering if that was the case, I switched from the utility dagger, which was good for delicate work, to the sharper and sturdier combat dagger.

Thwack!

The results were the same. Although the flesh quivered more due to the increased force, the skin wasn’t pierced.

“…Miss Lydia. The knife won’t go in.”

“Right. That’s why it’s expensive. Why else would a monster on the first floor cost 80 coppers?”

“Who would bother skinning it if it’s this tough…?”

“Adventurers who stay on the first floor despite having qualified to move down to the second. People who were strong even before entering the labyrinth. Those who bought expensive, high-quality skinning knives from guilds. And geniuses who awakened their aura while roaming the first floor.”

“Then what can I, a face genius without aura, do?”

“Just pluck out the Iron Wolf’s teeth and claws, weakling Jonah. Give up on the magic stone and skin.”

“…How much would those two fetch if I sold them?”

“Don’t know. I just remember it’s a pittance.”

So, the amount was small enough to be considered a pittance.

My mood, which had been good just a moment ago, plummeted rapidly. With a gloomy face, I poked at the Iron Wolf’s gums and the base of its claws with a dagger.

These at least came out easily. So, they must not be worth much.

With a gaze dripping with regret for not being able to retrieve the magic stones, I looked at the relatively intact corpse of the Iron Wolf.

But then, Lydia’s suggestive voice came from behind.

“Jonah. Did you know? I can use aura.”

“…What?”

“And it’s pretty strong too. Ahem.”

Lydia, with an expressionless face, huffed through her nose. The angle of her eyebrows and the corner of her mouth was slightly off by about 5 degrees, clearly indicating that she was smirking.

“Well, of course, since you’re the ‘Noble’ Miss Lydia. Why boast about something so obvious… huh?”

Wait, what had Lydia just said? That those who can use aura or are adventurers above the first floor level could pierce its skin?

“Miss Lydia.”

“Yeah.”

“…What’s your goal?”

If she were going to help, she would have done so already. She wouldn’t have been just leaning against a tree, watching me from the side.

My guess must have been right. A pleased expression appeared on Lydia’s face.

“I like clever kids like you.”

“Kehut!”

It’s not that it put me in a bad mood, given her face and the bikini armor… but it was annoyingly irritating for some reason.

Lydia arrogantly nodded her head in front of me as I harvested the monster.

“Try to persuade me.”

“Excuse me?”

“You know, like what Jonah often does to Senior Ellie. Coaxing her gently and asking for this and that. Try it on me.”

“Hmm…you pretended not to, but you actually like that kind of thing, don’t you, Miss Lydia?”

“However, exclude anything sexual.”

“……?”

“Even if it’s only limited to Senior Ellie, Jonah relies too much on sexual appeal.”

That was true. I’d often made erotic jokes to Ellie in the past, and lately, that level had been increasing. However.

“Isn’t that honestly Ellie’s fault? You just can’t help but tease them when they have that funny of a reaction!”

“What are you, a 7-year-old girl…?”

Lydia, incredulous, pressed her forehead with her hand. Since it was true that I was teasing Ellie because I liked her, I couldn’t exactly refute it.

“Anyway. My point is this. Jonah is too obsessed with an unhealthy way of communication. If it’s because you don’t know any other way, you should practice with me.”

“Ah-ha?”

I got the gist of it.

Having been with Lydia up until now, I’d realized a few things, one of which was that Lydia was not very adventurer-like.

Given the rough nature of the work, it was hard to find refinement among adventurers. Even Ellie was a good person, but if you asked whether that made her refined, the answer would be no.

But Lydia was different. For starters, her posture was different.

Standing straight with shoulders wide, there was confidence in her stride. Perhaps that was why, despite being short, she didn’t feel small.

Her gaze was direct, and although she may be a bit blunt when speaking, her way of speaking was not vulgar, and she rarely raised her voice, even when her emotions were elevated.

In short, she carried herself with dignity.

Not quite as genuinely as someone like Eve, but among adventurers, she was certainly considered a notch above the rest.

Her nickname of ‘Noble’ likely came from her inherently good nature and exemplary habits.

Of course, from Lydia’s perspective, she was probably just acting as she was taught in her youth or how she believed a knight should behave.

In any case, that was the gist. Lydia was the epitome of a proper, upright young lady.

“…Miss Lydia. You’re a maiden, right?”

“…I’m telling you not to say things like that.”

Lydia pointed out my actions with her cheeks puffed. This unknown condition must also have arisen because of her nature. From Lydia’s perspective, I must be a vulgar pinkette.

She probably thought it was because I hadn’t learned proper communication methods.

After all, she often taught me common knowledge and comforted me, saying I didn’t have to overdo it and that she hoped I would come to know ordinary happiness.

…I don’t know why she cared so much about me, though.

I giggled and shrugged my shoulders.

“Well, that’s fine. It means I should woo Miss Lydia in a wholesome way, right?”

“That could be interpreted in a very wrong way, but yes, basically.”

“That’s my specialty!”

“…That’s not something to be proud of.”

Lydia looked exasperated. I deliberately straightened my disheveled clothes in front of her.

There were several ways to persuade Lydia. I could brace myself for a bit of shamefulness and act with my usual cuteness or logically explain the benefits of securing the Iron Wolf’s hide.

What was important was to ask Lydia for help in a sensible manner.

But if it’s specifically Lydia, there’s only one method that would work best.

Stand tall as if a sword is embedded in your spine, and slightly lift your chin to exude an air of arrogance.

Here, the crucial part was the gaze. With an expression not too arrogant but sufficiently reserved to seem so, I looked up at Lydia.

A completely different appearance from the usual me.

What I was aiming for was the image of a noble’s young son.

“Lady Lydia.”

“……!”

Lydia’s half-closed eyes snapped open.