Chapter 9: Travel Plans and Taming Monsters
Libra always looked tired, but when she saw Kuro, she looked like she became especially strained. The little white hare munched on a verde straw as she glared at it from atop my bed. When the hare went for a second straw, she pouted even further. "You came back with a monster. And of all the monsters you could find, you chose a rabbit. How and why has this happened?"
I shrugged as I rubbed Kuro behind his ears. The hare didn't show me any attention as he continued eating his meal. "I met him while hunting in the woods. Is that a problem?"
"There are so many problems!" Libra responded, showing a surprising amount of energy with her reply. "That's not a common pet. It's a monster. Monsters don't follow the laws applied to standard animals. They gain Exp and level up like humans. Even worse, they can gain Exp in multiple different ways. Eating is one of those ways. They don't get full like normal creatures - instead, they just keep eating and growing stronger. A small group of monsters could devour an entire city if not properly regulated. Also, monsters can gain Exp by destroying terrain, and can change their form as they grow. Some of them go berserk and destroy entire cities. There are legends about dragons that reached the size of continents. They were so large, just a small movement caused volcanoes to erupt and entire civilizations to be wiped out. And now you're raising one as a pet!"
I looked at the small tuft of fur that was now chewing through my herb collection, and tried to imagine a hare the size of a continent. I chuckled as I imagined a giant puffball enveloping the sky. "It's fine, I'll take good care of him. Kuro, stop eating my plants."
The hare paused, its ears twitching as it looked up at me. I felt like a parent scolding a child for being childish. However, after a moment Kuro slinked over to my bed, sniffing up at Libra with interest.
"Keep him away from me!" Libra warned me. "If a monster were to consume me, it would herald the end of the world!"
I wasn't sure how true that was. Best I could tell, the demi-goddess didn't seam all that powerful. She was more like a pencil-pusher than some monster powerup, but best to play it safe. "Kuro, no matter what, don't harm the demi-goddess. She's a friend."
The hare lowered its head, the small black dot that made up its nose twitching in what I interpreted to be frustration. How much intellect did this creature have, anyway? He seemed pretty willing to follow my orders, at least. We'd have to test his intelligence another time. I looked over his appraisal screen with interest.
{Kuro}
[Tamed by: Barroco Gaia]
Level: 1
Exp: 39/100
HP: 10/10
MP: -Not Active-
Stamina: 6/10
Str: 2
Int: 1
Dex: 2
Skills:
[Inherent Skill: Venomous Bite]
[Inherent Skill: Resounding Kick]
Level 1 and already stronger than me? I guess it was a racial trait. Boxing hares seemed to be astute jumpers and strong hitters. I'd have to look into skills to teach him, though those inherited skills were intriguing. [Venomous Bite] and [Resounding Kick] sounded more like traits than skills - perhaps they were optional whenever he did an attack. I wonder if he could be used as a combat pet?
After a while, I went downstairs to eat dinner and plan my next move. I had spent seven whole days in this town, and I was starting to get a hang of my abilities. High on the to-do list were getting armor, and continuing my craft skills. I needed a steady income, and I wanted a larger list of herbs to concoct potions and poisons with. I also needed a more permanent base of operations. I only had 3 days left of living at the inn until I had to either pay for a longer stay or find somewhere else to go. While money was no issue right now, the resources of this town were already depleting from my demands.
Also, the room was getting a bit cramped. Now I had a monster hare staying with me, not to mention a demi-goddess that lounged in my bed. I still needed a better setup than the inn could provide. Not to mention, I kept feeling Dahlia and Ailia watching me whenever I was in public. The mother and daughter were charming, but I felt restricted by their meddling. How does a level 1 explain they've got needles and paralytic poison to face the dangers around them? How would I explain my tremendous resistance abilities? It was best just not telling them.
And so, on my eighth day, I spent the day looking for a map of the area, which I managed to get from a shady trader near the edge of the stalls. I also managed to get some dried fruits and fish that would last me a few days at least. The majority I threw into the pack I had gotten on my first day browsing the stalls, but I did take the time to try a piece to know what kind of food I was getting into. It was basic, tasteless, and frankly a bit hard to swallow, but it worked as a ration. I also invested in a canteen and some basic fire-starting tools. Finally, I asked around for a cart that travelled from town to the nearby big city. Apparently there was one that ran every other day. The journey itself would take about half a day.
After I confirmed the information, I returned to the inn and was greeted by a rousing chorus from the bar patrons. It was just after sundown, and several of them had taken up a drinking tune. Leading them was Ailia, who also had a mug in hand. Despite her high level of [Alcohol Tolerance], she was also a bit rosy in her cheeks, and I could see her husband keeping the bar in order behind her. The song itself was something bout sailing and mermaids, which I had never heard before. The smiling faces made me feel rather cheerful, and the moment Ailia spotted me I realized I had no chance of going up to my room right away.
"Barro! Get over here and have a drink! Tonight's cause for celebration!"
I had a mug of sour smelling ale shoved in my hand and was given a spot at the bar. I sipped it with no intention of getting drunk. The taste wasn't as off-putting as the smell implied, but there was a distinct burning aftertaste I couldn't get rid of.
[Alcohol Tolerance Skill Unlocked!]
[Alcohol Tolerance Skill Mastered!]
Immediately the intoxicating atmosphere lost its sway, and the alcohol had suddenly lost its meaning. I mean, I wasn't the drinking sort to begin with, but knowing you basically can't get drunk took all the fun out of it. Still, I pretended to drink whenever I felt Ailia's eyes on me.
"What are we celebrating?" I asked her as the song died down.
"It's little-ol-me's birthday!" she announced, her free hand gesticulating wildly. "And that means its also our anniversary, and the day we established this fine inn," she added, poking her husband with an elbow. "I don't like to remember dates, so we got married and opened this inn the same day! It's been twenty happy years now!"
A few bar patrons cheered along with her, and I felt a smile creeping up on my lips. This woman was strangely charismatic, though I sensed she was pretending to be more drunk than she actually was. Probably an act to make the bar a little more cheery. "Well congratulations!" I told her. Fishing into my magical coin purse, I brought out a single gold coin. "Here, drinks are on me for the night!"
The entire inn went silent, and I saw Ailia's eyes widen. She reached down and picked up the gold coin gingerly, as if it would turn to dust and fall out of her fingers. When the candlelight hit the reflective surface, a few people shifted uncomfortably. I felt a shudder go down my spine involuntarily, as the entire atmosphere paused to look at that single gold coin.
And then Ailia smiled. The coin disappeared under her counter in a heartbeat, and out came a tankard. Her husband appeared next to her with a small barrel, as if this was a pre-ordained moment. "You heard him boys! Drinks are free tonight! Courtesy of Barro!"
The barrel was tapped, and dark brown beer flowed into the tankard. Cheering erupted around me, and Ailia pushed the large mug towards me. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that gold coin was proof you were a noble or something," she said to me in an almost whisper. "But, I know better. Drink up. We need to get you and me even."
"Even for what?" I asked, taking a sip from the tankard.
"For the drinking competition you and I are going to have," Ailia explained, lifting the bottom of the tankard a little higher, making me chug the contents. "You and me are going to drink til the sun comes up!"
There are many legends that were born that night. One such legend was about the drinking contest between an unknown traveler and the owner of the Sleeping Cow Inn. While it went on from night into morning, nobody was sober enough to recall the official winner. However, whenever someone asked Ailia, they only got a blush as a reply, or a fist to the face depending on her mood. And the traveler? He disappeared a couple days later. Some people say he was a fierce fighter with scars along his body. Others say it was actually a woman, some drunk monk from another part of the world. However, the most unbelievable tales insist it was a small, unassuming man, who's level was all only 1.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone