The immortal hero who thinks of the heroines as his daughters vs. heroines who want to make the hero understand them - Chap 8

Rex wrapped himself in a cloak to conceal his body, carrying only a small amount of food as he left the town of Linex.
Linda wanted to see him off, but she had so much work as the guild leader that she couldn’t even take a short break, so she regretfully had to decline.
In the end, Rex sets off on his journey alone.

“… It’s been a long time.”

He had jumped out from the Spirit Mountain and visited this small village. He thought he would leave immediately, but an unexpected encounter kept him there for ten years.
So, stepping outside Linex’s town like this was the first time in ten years.

Although he has lived longer than ordinary humans, his heart still races when he sets his sights on unknown lands.
He takes a deep breath and steps toward the town, where he plans to establish a branch of the Adventurers’ Guild.

◇

After walking for about three days, he sees a town with impressive city walls.
Even though the town of Linex is developing, it was rural until recently. In comparison to what could be called a city here, it pales.

When Rex approaches what seems to be the gatekeeper, he is told, “Wait a moment.”

“… Ah, you’re from the Adventurers’ Guild, aren’t you?”

While waiting, a stout man approaches him with a friendly smile.
In Linex, food production must catch up with the rapidly increasing population. While people aren’t starving, nobody can build sufficient fat reserves. However, the man standing before him looks as if he’s never done physical labor in his life, making Rex feel the disparity even here.

“Yes, I am Rex, the vice president of the Adventurers’ Guild. And you are?”
“I’m Lainshell, the lord of this town… Well, nice to meet you.”

With a somewhat pompous tone, the man extends his right hand. Smiling, Rex extends his own hand in return.

“The reason I wanted to talk to you so quickly is simple… the incidents involving monsters have been rising lately.”
“Monsters, you say. Have they increased so suddenly?”
“Yes. Now, within just a few days, double the number of people suffer injuries, both minor and severe.”
“That serious…”

Rex inadvertently lets his surprise show. But it’s understandable. His senses have been numbed due to regularly diving into dungeons, but fundamentally, monsters are living beings with magical powers. It takes time for them to grow from birth to maturity. Therefore, the sudden increase in incidents is an abnormal situation.

“Has anything like this happened before?”
“No, I’ve consulted with those who have passed down our history, and nothing like this seems to have occurred.”
“In that case, there seems to be some reason behind it.”

Indeed, as living beings, monsters’ populations would naturally fluctuate with the seasons. But since no such historical precedent exists, it suggests an abnormal cause for the surge in monster activity.
“Then, shall we bring a few adventurers from Linex to reduce the monster numbers and establish an Adventurer’s Guild here for reinforcements?”
“Yes, but it’s unlikely that the number of adventurers will suddenly increase. Therefore, I’d like you to remove the cause of the monster proliferation…”

Internally, Rex sighs. He had anticipated this, and a problematic issue had arisen. He can’t help but wonder if the young lady he’s dealing with might be a harbinger of misfortune. While pondering this, a thought that would surely make her furious if she found out, he nods in agreement to Lord Lainshell’s request.

“Let’s aim for about seven days, depending on the complexity.”

The lord’s eyes widen at the ambitious timeframe.

Once their conversation in front of the city wall is over, Rex is guided into the town. From the outside, it was clear that there were developmental differences, but upon entering, these became even more pronounced. First off, the number of people he passes is incomparable to Linex. Whereas Linex has only humans, this town has long-eared, highly magical races and shorter, dwarf-like species.

The scene makes him feel slightly dizzy, like he has entered a different world.

“Haha, most people who come here for the first time have that kind of reaction.”

With a mischievous grin, Lainshell leads the way. Watching his portly belly swing from side to side as he walks, they finally arrive at their destination—a structure made not of stone like the others but of inviting wood.

“Surely we can’t offer our guest a shabby inn, can we? This is the best lodging in the town.”
“Thank you very much…”

Facing the lord who had turned back to him, Rex bowed his head. Although there had been talk about establishing a guild branch, he needed to be more confident. That’s because they were newly established adventurers, and the general public’s opinion— at least around the town of Linex—was that they were ‘uncivilized and lacking in refinement.’

Though they were combat capable, the nature of their job—risking their lives to battle monsters—naturally made them hot-blooded. This led to impromptu brawls breaking out in the streets or indulging in alcohol early in the morning, given the thought that they might die the next day. Such behavior resulted in public scrutiny.

So, he thought they would likely be looked down upon, but the hospitality they received was beyond his expectations. The townspeople must have been fed up with the damage caused by monsters.

Rex understood that if he showed any arrogance or disrespect now, it would worsen the public’s perception of adventurers. So, he made sure to express his gratitude with proper decorum. Smiling at his manner, Lord Lainshell said, “I’ll revisit you after some time has passed. Until then, please rest and recover from your journey,” before returning to his residence in the town center.

“How gracious…”

No matter how immortal he might be, the fatigue from a long journey couldn’t be avoided. On top of that, he hadn’t been able to bathe satisfactorily during the trip, so he felt grimy. His first order of business is to freshen up and then explore the town. With such thoughts in mind, Rex entered the inn.
The lord hadn’t specified when he would revisit Rex, but going out for a few hours was fine. Dressing in the unique clothes provided by the inn, Rex set out to explore the town.

(The streets were well-paved with cobblestones, and they were wide enough for about five people to stretch their arms out side by side.)

Linda was acting as the town mayor, and as her assistant, Rex found the town’s state intriguing, considering it could serve as a model for the town of Linex. Fire prevention was a priority, as the buildings were made of stone and spaced apart. The gaps weren’t vast, but it would likely be enough to prevent fires from spreading.

Houses built in haste to accommodate the growing population were primarily made from wood harvested from the surrounding forest. Land use was maximized by minimizing gaps between buildings. Even a small fire could become a significant issue, often requiring Rex’s intervention. It might be challenging to implement such arrangements immediately, but eventually, he’d like to see it happen in Linex. It would mean fewer fire-related emergencies for him to deal with.

And with that thought, he nodded to himself.
Feeling a bit of his work-averse nature surfacing, Rex released a melancholic sigh as he continued his stroll.

“Hey there, big guy, you seem down! How about some meat to lift your spirits?”

At that moment, a woman running a street stall called out to him. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, Rex thought he did have some time to spare and reached into his pocket.

“A hundred Tonbori should do it!”
“… Tonbori?”
“What? You don’t know what Tonbori is? How backwater are you? If you don’t have money, go away!”

He found it a bit odd to be shooed away after being the one approached, but what intrigued him more was the term ‘Tonbori.’ In this town, physical goods aren’t exchanged directly. Instead, the city has established a metal chip system for transactions.