#543 The S-Class Visit

Winter has arrived, despite all that has happened.

We have experienced winter multiple times on the farm, so we have grown accustomed to it.

The earth spirits part with us to hibernate during this cold season, and the orcs go fishing in the distant seas.

In a way, the farm becomes less crowded. But there is no time to feel lonely.

There are many things to do even in winter.

As one of them, we are welcoming guests today.

We met them at Ardheg’s new Dragon Emperor Castle just recently—the S-class adventurers. 

* * *

“Woah...”

“All the S-class adventurers are here!”

S-class adventurers are the most experienced and skilled adventurers belonging to the Adventurers’ Guild.

Currently, only five adventurers have been given the “S” rank of the tens of thousands of active members. 

The people most excited by their visit are the young boys and girls of their own race.

“We missed you, Teacher Silver Wolf!”

“Lord Golden Bat, you’re so cool!”

“Look, it’s Black Cat! The most alluring adventurer!”

We host young people studying on our farm to shoulder society’s future, including students from the human race.

For these promising youngsters, S-class adventurers with the best achievements are their idols.

Just as young demons aspire to become the Heavenly Four or young mermaids hope to become witches themselves eventually.

For the young people of the human race, an S-class adventurer must be the person they dream of becoming someday.

“Not really.”

“I have a master to serve, so I don’t intend to become an adventurer.”

Oh, is that so?

Right, most of our human students are either children of feudal lords or retainers.

They do not need to bother becoming freelance adventurers when they already have stable jobs.

“Thank you for inviting us here today, Lord Saint,” says Silver Wolf.

He’s the S-class adventurer we are closest to.

This is his second visit to our farm, and it seems like it would be smoothest to proceed with everything through him.

“Sorry for calling you out of the blue. I’m sure you have other matters to attend to...”

“If I could come to this farm, I would drop whatever matter I was handling and fly over. For us adventurers, this farm is like a utopia, after all...!”

Huh? Is that so?

But why?

Anyway, it’s going to be hectic today because Silver Wolf is accompanied by other S-class adventurers.

Speaking of which, there’s already a commotion going on.

“Ngroaahhhh!!!”

“Grahhhhhhhh!!”

What are those beastly growls?

I thought a raid was going on, but then I saw two people engaged in a power struggle.

One of them was Pink Tonton.

She is a boar therianthrope who attracted a great deal of attention for her role in the big event at the Dragon Emperor’s Castle.

Fighting her is Letasreit, who’s pushing Pink Tonton back with equal force.

“Hahaha! You pack a lot of punch for such a small body! You’d make the perfect star in the new organization I’m starting!”

“You’re pretty toned both in mind and body yourself! Why don’t you come and grow beans with me?”

Why are they starting a contest of strength as soon as they arrive?

Silver Wolf, who couldn’t help but notice, explains, “Pink Tonton got encouraged by the last event’s success and said she wants to start a business.”

“A business?”

“She’s planning to turn spectated fights like the one with the Demon Queen at the Dragon Emperor’s Castle into a business. In the process, she’s also trying to hire mercenaries who have lost their jobs.”

Like the fight with Queen Glasya outside the Dragon Emperor’s Castle?

Could that be what I think it is? 

...Pro wrestling?!

“Originally, Pink Tonton was focused on rescuing mercenaries and knights who had lost their source of income after the war ended...The reason she became an S-class adventurer was to organize former mercenaries who had changed professions.”

“That’s quite a tear-jerking story...!”

“She’s actually one of the more decent fellows among the S-class adventurers.”

As Silver Wolf and I made small talk, Pink Tonton and Letasreit changed their stance and...

...Look at that, Letasreit, who is smaller in stature, lifted Pink Tonton’s huge body and...

Lands a Brain Buster?!

A crowd eventually gathered around to watch the thrilling fight between the two.

Letasreit used to be a princess, so it’s no surprise she’s also quite the charming young lady. I imagine she’ll be quite the idol if she debuts as a wrestler...

More importantly, thanks to the beans, she’s becoming more and more of a powerhouse character lately.

Hold on, this story isn’t supposed to head this way.

“Pink Tonton is not quitting the adventuring profession either. She says that if she can make the rounds from dungeon to dungeon, her income will be more stable, and people will be more accepting of the idea. This could even be new business development for adventurers.’

“She’s really got everything planned to a T, huh...?”

I visualize the human and demon races setting up their organizations and making easy money from the exciting idea of these showdowns.

Well, let’s leave Ms. Pinktonton alone for now because she isn’t the only visitor today.

“Nice to see you again, Saint!”

“Oh, hello!”

The person who approached me casually was another S-class adventurer named Brown Kato.

He and I had hit it off at the last event.

“Ready...!”

“Fight!”

We call out to each other.

“The heart of bitterness?”

“A father’s heart!”

“Repress it, and the fountain of life will spring forth!”

“Behold!”

“THE SPIRIT OF BITTERNESS IS ABLAZE SULTRILY!”

Cryptic messages were exchanged without pause as if we knew what the other would say next.

After all, Brown Kato is a former hero who was summoned from another world, just like me.

He has risen to the rank of S-class adventurer in this world.

Since we are from the same generation, we have similar tastes and a sense of humor.

That’s how we hit it off perfectly at the last event.

“I’m impressed, Saint. You can recite the lyrics of Shitto Dan’s theme song!”

“I used to buy their issue every month! Let’s do Tekkotsu Musume next!”

And so we did, immersing in the memories of the world we used to live in!

It sure is fun to mingle with people from the same place as you!

“I’ve prepared a lot of food for you today, Kato! Please eat to your heart’s content!”

“Yahoo! Hamburgers, katsudon, and even udon tempura! All the things I thought I’d never be able to eat again!”

Cuisine from my world is more appreciated by those who already know the taste than those who eat it for the first time.

Kato’s reaction is so vivid that going all-out cooking was worth every effort.

I should prepare him a cake for dessert.

I’m afraid the girls will nab the sweet stuff, though.

“...Hey.”

While I was lost in my monologue, a voice brought me back to reality.

It was cold and gruff.

“I’d appreciate it if you could stop frolicking around and cut to the chase already,” says Golden Bat, the S-class adventurer with the most pompous attitude.

He was the one who got an earful after the recent event.

“You didn’t forget why we, S-class adventurers, went out of our way to visit you, right?”

“Purrecisely! Our time is purrecious!”

And another one, Black Cat, a cat therianthrope.

The S-class adventurers are made up of five members in total.

“Watch your mouths. You’re talking to the very same Lord Saint who invited us to his farm!”

As usual, Silver Wolf has no choice but to keep the relentless troublemakers in check.

“Hmph. He’s the one who summoned us. Why doesn’t he quickly present the bait that he used to lure us out!”

“Yes! It’s exactly because of that that we went out of our way to come here! Our schedule is packed till the very last second!”

Expresses the impatient adventurers.

What do they want so badly? Well, that’s...

“You told us that if we accepted your invitation to come here...”

“You’d take us to a purrivate dungeon no one else knows about! So take us there already!!!”