263 Thus Far and Hereafter
"T-that was too much for this old bone's heart..."
"Haa~, we should be safe over here right... haa, haa."
Minya and the gramps gasped for breaths.
We all just outran a landslide coming in real fast behind us.
The sheer force was such that we would have gotten crushed in it if it caught up. A sure death.
They ran with all their might and immediately sprawled out on the ground like this once we were finally in the clear.
"Okay so now, let's get down to business. I'd like to consult some things about my request."
Naturally I'm neither tired or short of breath. Calmly asking them about our next plan.
"P-please wait. I need time to process this..."
"Ya... Really can't judge a book by its cover..."
I don't get what they're surprised about. But I still ended up waiting until they could talk.
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"Now then, whaddya wanna get me do? Ask me anything! I'mma take on any absurd request!"
"What are you talking about gramps? I mean, shouldn't you get in touch with me first thing first!?"
Minya got angry at the gramps.
Thus she told him about Dento, and how he had fallen for the guy's scheme.
"...Got no other way. Couldn't think straight back then, I got no choice but to cling on that lie. That was no good. It's my disgrace. What a pitiful man I am."
I stayed silent as the gramps got down in the dump.
Next, Minya told gramps how Dento was trying to abduct and enslave her.
"To hell with that trash! I'mma wring him out if it's the first thing I do back at the capital!"
Looks like gramps is familiar with Dento. I doused his anger here.
"Guy's no more. I took care of the him. Don't worry about it. He ambushed us on our way here and I turned the tables on them."
"Wha?" that was Minya.
"Umm? To me it looked like they were gone in a blink though? By turned the tables, you mean they're dead?"
She must have smelled the blood back then. But it was a complete mystery as to how, she must only hold a suspicion on Dento's and the thugs' fate.
"You don't need to mind them anymore. That's all."
"Unu. I gotcha, I'mma trust ya on it."
Looks like the gramps believes me. But not Minya.
As I was about to move on to my request, my stomach rumbled.
"Come to think of it, we haven't had lunch yet, have we. Let's go back to that hut first before continuing."
I've decided to take a break first here.
Not like we're in a hurry anyway, we can also delay going back to the capital once things have calmed down.
Thus I propose.
"Let's stay overnight there and make our way to the capital tomorrow. Any objection?"
"No objection here. I never thought I would reunite with gramps this soon, so my schedule is open."
"I'm fine s'well. But I'd like to get back quick and settle my debt asap. It's a stupid amount. Borrowed from an acquaintance so I managed to ask for an extension at least. But if yer' truly gonna hand over that mithril ore as you said, then I should get it all cleared in a day."
"Gramps? What are you saying? Weren't you listening, that mithril thing is a big fat lie you know?"
"Well, let's save that after lunch. I mean it's related to my request. For now we all gotta take a breather first."
Thus we went back to the hut and prepared lunch.
I realized I forgot something again.
(Ah, forgot to fetch Chimera. No wait, it's probably taking a stroll somewhere on its own anyway.)
I didn't see Chimera when I came out of the dungeon.
Only natural I didn't notice. There was that scene with Minya and gramps followed by another incident.
(It always disappeared whenever and showed up again whenever, let's just leave it be. Ah, I'm gonna have to explain to gramps huh? What a pain~.)
Thus I stirred the pot while sighing at the prospect of having to explain about Chimera all over again to gramps.