Our Dog Bites.

“We will not move.”

The adventurers’ guild receptionist showed obvious signs of confusion upon hearing those words.

I was taken aback, too.

After all, I wasn’t the one who had spoken.

It was Barkal who had spoken.

“We will not go!”

Once again, Barkal shouted at the receptionist.

“Branch Manager Blaz Deepster. What a long name!”

“‘Branch Manager’ is a title, Barkal.”

I began explaining to Barkal what the ‘Adventurers’ Guild Branch Manager’ position was.

Roughly, I told him: someone who manages the many adventuring parties in Iushil, much like our own ‘Dungeon God’ party.

“If he’s so great, he should just resolve requests alone.”

Although I had explained this, Barkal didn’t look convinced. The receptionist seemed at a loss facing Barkal’s attitude.

“St-still, it’s a summons from the Branch Manager. Since you’re adventurers, you should comply…”

“We’re the ones smashing dungeons!”

Barkal clenched his fist and continued.

“We’re the ones who’ve built honor! On the contrary, we stand even higher! We’re the ones who should be respected!”

“B-but…”

“If they have something to say, let them come here! If not, then prove it with a conversation of flesh!”

A conversation of flesh, seriously.

Branch Managers are usually elderly, right?

Just as I felt some Confucian values creeping up on me, I realized this world was very different from the one I knew.

Wasn’t there even someone who claimed that you could kill a god just by severing head from body?

The unfortunate thing is, both people mentioned are the same person.

“He’s right.”

Under normal circumstances, I would have tried to calm Barkal down, but this time I took his side.

Why?

Because I need to hurry to Camilla and get my money.

“If they have something to say, they come here. That’s the rule of barbarians.”

“That’s the rule of the Red Wolf Tribe!”

Honestly, I have no idea what the ‘Red Wolf Tribe’ rules are.

But I like it. You can stick it everywhere and it sounds convincing enough.

“D-Dungeon God party!?”

Again, the receptionist’s voice called out, but we didn’t look back.

At least Serena seemed to give a dazed smile and a bow, but she didn’t appear to object to our decision.

* * *

“… So, you’re saying this is the equipment the necromancer stole from us?”

Camilla asked. She looked quite troubled.

“I-I’ll ask one more time. You’re sure this is the crystal sphere imbued with the power of Archeion, the God of Truth and Pursuit?”

She seemed to be in denial of reality.

But what could I do? It was my job to give her the blunt truth. That way, I get paid, too.

“There’s no doubt. The necromancer seemed to know you as well.”

Thud.

As soon as I revealed the truth, Camilla suddenly slammed her face down on the table.

“Hwaaaah…!”

Then she began making strange whining sounds. What’s with her?

Isn’t she rich? Can’t she just buy a new one?

“That’s not something you can just buy with money…!”

Camilla let out a sigh. I was startled, wondering if she could read my thoughts.

“Do you know how much I donated to the Archeion Temple to get that crystal sphere? And it was the last one left, too!”

Aaaaah!

Her voice rang out in the Bearded Cat Inn, filled with frustration.

Luckily, there were no customers. Like before, we had rented out the inn for a set sum.

“Camilla.”

I called out to her, and she quieted down a little from her wails.

She should be able to hear me now.

“Let’s do the settlement. Five gold coins for the dead necromancer. I’ve already taken the advance, so you owe me three.”

Aaaaah!

Camilla started wailing again.

A middle-aged man who had been watching from the back strode toward me.

Rubelt, was it?

He was the man who had previously come to the alley with the rogue whose arm Barkal broke.

“It’s just that Archeion-blessed artifacts are now nearly impossible to obtain,” he said, explaining her reaction.

I see.

Well, that’s fortunate for me.

It’s a tool that tells you who’s a ‘necromancer’ among people you meet. That’s more terrifying than any monster.

“Here, take three gold coins.”

On Camilla’s behalf, the man called Rubelt handed me the coins.

“You’re not going to check whether the necromancer is really dead?”

He handed them over so easily that I was rather puzzled.

I could be lying about killing the necromancer, and the crystal could be fake, too, right?

“A barbarian doesn’t know how to lie, right? That’s what I heard, anyway.”

Well, that depends on the person.

“Besides, there’s no way to prove it now, right? That crystal is definitely ours. We have no choice but to accept it.”

“If you want, I’ll give you his head! Check for yourself!”

Barkal shouted. He was the one who cut off the necromancer’s head.

“Barkal, did you really bring the head?”

“I wouldn’t want to keep something so disgusting near me!”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“T-there’s no need for that.”

At the mention of the head, Rubelt vehemently refused.

Well, I got the money. Conversation’s over.

I pocketed the gold coins, and we stood up from our seats.

We started heading out of the inn—

“Hm?”

Someone entered the inn.

An old man with white hair, showing just a little, and beside him a young man assisting the elder, with a large figure protecting them.

“We’re closed today.”

Innkeeper Hordi spoke to the newcomers, but the young man ignored him and instead spoke cheerfully.

“Ah, so you’re all gathered here!”

“I said, we’re closed!”

At the young man’s words, Hordi threatened him. The youth, however, now looked flustered.

“W-wait, don’t you know who this is?”

He respectfully pointed at the old man who had entered.

Who was he? I had no idea.

Did Barkal know? Doubtful.

Serena seemed to recognize him, but I didn’t bother to ask.

“This is Blaz Deepster, Branch Manager of the Iushil Guild!”

“Blaz Deepster…!”

Hordi mouthed the name, trailing off at the end.

The branch manager, huh.

He must be the one the guild receptionist earlier wanted us to meet.

“We’re closed today.”

Even knowing who it was, Hordi still refused them entry.

Stubborn guy, this one.

“Please, let them in.”

Just as entry and refusal were butting heads, Camilla intervened.

She’d been sobbing moments before, but suddenly appeared back to her senses.

With her permission, the old man, young man, and large man entered the inn.

Blaz, stroking his white beard once, took a seat.

“I had heard of you often, but this is my first time seeing you in person.”

He gazed at us leisurely.

“Nice to meet you, Dungeon God party. I’m Blaz Deepster, the one overseeing the adventurer guild here in Iushil.”

He was evidently someone of high rank at the guild, but I didn’t feel any need to bow.

Rather, I was simply curious as to why he’d come to us.

“You told the receptionist to come see you if there was anything to say, so I’ve come myself in person to meet you.”

So the words I’d said to the receptionist had already been relayed.

“So you’re the Branch Manager, this Blaz Deepster?!”

At the mention of his name, Barkal stepped forward abruptly.

“Did you come here for a conversation of flesh?!”

Clenching and unclenching his fist, Barkal acted aggressive.

If need be, he looked ready to even beat up an old man. That was the feeling Barkal gave off.

“Insolent brat.”

Blocking Barkal’s path stood the large man who had entered with Blaz.

Indeed, even when facing the immense intimidation of the skull helm, the big man showed no fear, glaring right back. He was about the same size as Barkal, too.

“Show some respect. Barbarians like you aren’t even fit to meet the Branch Manager’s eyes.”

The big man’s aura was strong, much more so than the ‘silver-grade adventurers’ I’d seen before.

“Were you a disease sufferer without eyes? Then it makes sense you can’t stare properly!”

Whether Barkal didn’t understand, or was simply provoking him, I wasn’t sure.

But knowing Barkal, the odds were overwhelmingly in favor of the former.

But the big man apparently took it as a provocation. He scowled, glaring at Barkal.

“Stupid barbarian bastard. Do you not understand what I’m saying?”

“Seems you don’t understand what I’m saying, either.”

I could see Barkal’s eyes blazing between the skull helmet’s gaps.

“Our Red Wolf Tribe won’t tolerate insults against barbarians. There is no next time.”

The atmosphere threatened to erupt with no warning, so I called Barkal.

“Let’s hear what they have to say. We can decide afterward.”

“Brother, I will follow your word.”

Barkal, having stood his ground, withdrew a step.

“Tunbald, stand down as well.”

Blaz addressed the big man, who, upon being called Tunbald, also stepped back like Barkal.

“Blaz, there was no need to bother with such foolish barbarians. They’re the same ‘bronze-rank’ that couldn’t even handle the last incident.”

“That will do.”

For whatever reason, this Tunbald kept mumbling in complaint, but Blaz cut him off and turned to me.

There’d been a commotion. Time to apologize.

“My companion was rude. I apologize.”

Blaz tilted his head slightly.

“To think I’d hear an apology from a barbarian. You live long enough, you see all kinds of things.”

He chuckled, stroking his beard.

“No need for apologies. Tunbald’s tongue is sharp as well.”

“My apology isn’t for your conversation.”

“Hm?”

A question flickered over Blaz’s face as his fingers combed his beard.

Then it happened.

Like lightning, Barkal stomped the ground, seized Tunbald’s face, and hurled him straight out the window.

Crash──!

With a thunderous noise, Barkal flung a man the size of himself out the window.

It happened so fast, no one had time to react.

Except for me—because I’d expected it—and Serena, who was ridiculously well-trained physically.

“That’s the apology for what just happened.”

That’s why I apologized first.

Because I knew our dog was going to bite.

————-= Clacky’s Corner ————-=

They’ve been together enough that Dmihtan knows how Barkal would act…

Also, the title really fits…

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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