Chapter 56: Victory Celebration

We rushed to the designated battleground, where Iris and the lizardmen were supposed to engage in combat. What we beheld there were the toadmen retreating with their backs turned, and despite being battered, the lizardmen raised triumphant shouts.

There wasn’t a single person who remained uninjured, and several lay motionless on the ground. There seemed to be casualties, a painful reality, but it was such a fierce battle. It was inevitable that there would be casualties, and the fact that it was limited to just a few was proof of their valiant efforts.

“Oh, oh! Sir Dragon Bones!”

“Sir Dragon Bones and his friends have taken down their general!”

“Thanks to you, we’re saved.”

“We defeated the Toadman Prince …?”

Thanks to us, they were saved? What does that mean? …No, I can somehow guess. Judging from the frenzied state of the fleeing Toadmen, they must have somehow learned about the death of their prince, causing their morale to completely collapse.

“Sir Dragon Bones, well done.”

“warrior commander, indeed, we have won. …Now, what about the fallen soldiers?”

“There are four of them. Thanks to Lady Iris’ valiant efforts, that was all.”

“I see…”

I was on the verge of bursting into laughter at the praise from the warrior commander. Who wouldn’t be happy when their companions received compliments?

“So, what about Iris herself?”

“She’s over there.”

When we looked in the direction he indicated, not a single one of us could utter a word. Iris’ health bar was completely red, indicating she was on the brink of death. But that wasn’t all; most of her hundreds of tentacles were severed, and the remaining connected ones were covered in wounds.

Her tough outer shell had cracked, and some parts had peeled off, revealing her internal structure. She was in an utterly devastated state, and it was a miracle she was still alive!

“Iris! Are you okay!?”

Ruby exclaimed in a rush, and no one stopped her. In fact, the three of us men hurriedly approached Iris as well.

“Ah..Ruby… Did we win?”

“Y-Yeah! We won!”

“I see…”

“I- Iris!?”

After Iris weakly answered, she fell silent. Ruby and the others were in a panic, but I had a sense of what might be happening to her.

“Iris! Iris!” Ruby exclaimed.

“Calm down, Ruby,” I said.

“But!”

“Maybe Iris got a forced logout.”

A forced logout was a safety feature present in all VR devices, except those illegally modified. These fully immersive VR devices allowed users to experience sensations almost identical to reality, even though they were in a virtual world. As a downside, accidents in the game, such as falling from a great height or drowning, could lead to fatal consequences in real life.

Encountering such accidents could result in fainting, and in some cases, it might leave lingering psychological effects. There was even a case overseas where a woman who had previously enjoyed bungee jumping ended up experiencing a fatal fall within a VR world and subsequently developed acrophobia (fear of heights).

After that incident, it became mandatory for all fully immersive VR devices to include safety measures such as monitoring brainwaves and forcibly logging out players if necessary. In this case, it seemed that Iris had accumulated too much mental fatigue from continuous battles. The device likely detected her exhaustion and logged her out as a precaution.

“I hope she’s alright…” Ruby said.

“The problem now is that we have to carry her body to the lizardmen’s village,” I remarked.

We knew that if you logged out outside of a designated area, your physical body would remain behind. It was still fresh in my memories how I had logged out while sitting on a chair instead of a bed, and in the meantime, I continuously exposed myself to light to reduce the level of [Light Weakness].

“I can carry her and put her on a raft,” Jigoro said.

“No way! You can’t just touch a girl’s body without permission!” Ruby exclaimed.

Ruby immediately dismissed Jigoro’s suggestion. From the perspective of someone like me, who tends to be careless, it wouldn’t be a problem since that was just an avatar. But perhaps women have a different sense of such matters.

“That’s why I’ll carry her! A raft can serve as a cushion,” Ruby said.

“Ruby insists on doing it herself. Let’s just follow her lead.”

And so, that’s how we headed back to the lizardmen’s village, carrying Iris, whose consciousness was currently logged out.

◆◇◆◇◆◇

“This is… that familiar ceiling.”

“Oh, looks like you managed to log in.”

“How are you feeling?”

Considering that we had some time until Iris could return, we took turns resting. Just after I and Jigoro returned, Iris logged in.

“Oh, um, sorry for the trouble!”

“No need to thank me, thank Ruby.”

“We didn’t do anything.”

After that, we told Iris about what had happened since then. To be honest, there wasn’t much to tell. After returning to the village and reporting our victory, the lizardmen, as a way to mourn their fallen comrades, started a celebration of the triumph. They invited us to join in if we wanted.

However, we couldn’t leave Iris alone, so when we were taking a break, Genjuro decided to participate, and in my and Jigoro’s case, it was planned that I would attend.

“So, let’s go as a group of three. When the other comes back and sees no one, they would understand.”

“Alright, let’s do it! They’ll have some good booze, right? Looking forward to the lizardman’s local sake,” Jigoro said.

“Don’t drink too much to get drunk, though. After all, it counts as a status ailment,”

It didn’t matter to me since I had the [Status Resistance], but in the game, drinking too much alcohol would make you drunk. They had borrowed the system from a VR teaching material that simulates the dangers of alcohol for minors.

It was quite realistic; getting tipsy was just the beginning, and eventually, you’d end up dead from acute alcohol poisoning. It didn’t affect me, and I couldn’t drink anyway.

“No worries! You know, Ogres like me are known for being heavy drinkers. A little excess won’t hurt,” Jigoro added.

It’s a common theme in old tales that ogres get defeated because of that… Tales like Momotaro’s ogre island or the drinker goblin from fairy tales are supposed to have been taken down because of alcohol.

Anyway, leaving that aside, currently in FSW, there were dishes that could be consumed for recovery, and alcohol was one of them. Except for me, everyone else needed to eat, and Iris, who had the [Cooking] skill, always prepared food for the four of us.

Since it was a feast this time, we could eat as much as we wanted, and Iris didn’t need to cook. Nice and easy.

“Oh, um…”

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

For some reason, Iris hesitated to leave the house. Oh, come on, Jigoro, he went ahead so quickly! Is he that excited about the alcohol!?

“Is it alright if I come along?”

“Hmm?”

Huh? What on earth was she saying?

“I did my best, but… Didn’t some people die? I wonder if their families hold a grudge against me…”

Ah, it’s a common story theme in war-based tales. The commander struggles in a desperate situation, and their heroic deeds are praised for ensuring the survival of as many subordinates as possible. However, they end up being blamed by the relatives of the subordinates who died.

Iris was in the position of a struggling superior. She was probably worried about being blamed.

Even though it was a game, it was common for players to get deeply involved with NPCs due to the advanced AI that allows flexible interactions in conversations. I mean, even I would get upset if the lizardmen, with whom I’ve become so deeply involved, got killed by another player.

However, Iris’s worries were unfounded. I must make her understand that.

“Iris, let’s go. It will be alright, I promise.”

“Y-Yes…”

I insisted on taking Iris out, even if it meant being a bit forceful. She reluctantly followed me with a barely audible voice, moving slowly. Her pace was clearly slower than her usual walking speed; she didn’t seem enthusiastic about this.

“Oh, it’s Sir Dragon Bones and Lady Iris!”

“They’re our heroes and benefactors! Everyone, let’s give them a warm welcome!”

As we joined the feast, the atmosphere instantly became lively. I must admit, we were the key players in the battle’s victory, so it was natural for everyone to be in high spirits.

“Please, both of you, help yourselves.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“T-Thank you.”

A female lizardman approached us and handed us drinks. Since it was customary to accept them, I took mine even though I couldn’t actually drink because of my race. Iris also hesitantly accepted hers.

Hmm, this is a good opportunity. I should let Iris know.

“You know, the woman who just gave us the drinks was the older sister of the deceased Lizardman.”

“Eh!?”

I could see the surprise in Iris’s eyes, and it was understandable. After all, there hadn’t been a trace of hostility from the female Lizardman.

“Do you remember Agnasrelim’s teachings about the dragon’s perspective on life and death?”

“Um, the one where dying is a result of one’s own lack of strength… Oh!”

“Realized it, did you? It’s the same for the Lizardmen.”

In battle, they fought and were defeated, succumbing to their own lack of strength. Their defeat was caused by their own shortcomings, so there was no point in holding grudges against the ones who defeated them. That’s the perspective they held.

As a result, they didn’t even harbor resentment toward the ones who killed them. That’s why it was even more unlikely that Iris would be blamed.

Well, there was this unavoidable animosity toward the Toadmen because their territories overlapped, leading to frequent clashes. But that was a different story altogether.

“In fact, it seems your worries would be disrespectful to the deceased. It would undermine the fact that they fought with their lives on the line.”

The responsibility for one’s own life rests solely with the individual. It’s considered both a personal duty and a right. That’s why taking on the responsibility for someone else’s life would be a demeaning act towards the deceased.

It may sound harsh, but it’s what the village chief used to say, and it does seem overly severe. However, it’s probably the way of life for those who live in the wild.

“Ah! So you guys were here after all!”

“Hey, Ruby. Calm down.”

Ah, Ruby and Genjuro have returned. Now everyone is here.

“Now, let’s feast! Eat and drink as you please.”

“Understood!”

Ah, Iris’s voice has regained its energy. That’s good to see. Well then, I should also enjoy the feast, even if I can’t partake in the delights of food tasting.

◆◇◆◇◆◇

[Hey, it’s getting exciting.]

As the night reached its peak, Agnasrelim arrived. The Lizardmen, in a hurry, tried to prostrate themselves, but Agnasrelim stopped them.

[It’s a joyous occasion, so there’s no need for formalities.]

Lord Agnasrelim said so, but the Lizardmen didn’t raise their heads, displaying utmost respect. Seeing this, Agnasrelim shook his head with a tinge of disappointment.

I had always thought, isn’t this Dragon Lord quite lonely? It seemed like he wanted to engage in a more ordinary conversation with the Lizardmen.

[Phew, well, never mind. First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude for saving my kin. Thank you, my little friends.]

――――――――――

Emergency Quest: “Save the Lizardmen!” has been successfully completed!

Obtained title: “Friend of the Water Dragon Lord”

――――――――――

It was an urgent quest given by the village chief, but I wondered if Lord Agnasrelim would consider it completed. More importantly, there was a new title obtained – “Friend of the Water Dragon King.” I wanted to become strong enough to wear that name without feeling embarrassed.

“[I think I’ll give you all something as a token of appreciation. You can tell me what you want. Well, there might be things I can’t do, though.]”

Huh, we could choose our reward? In front of us, a screen displayed a list of various items. It felt like something out of a game. We were supposed to pick one from these options, I guess.

…Incredible. All the weapons and armor were of Legendary or Treasure-class rarity. Could it be that these were the belongings of foolish challengers who faced Lord Agnasrelim? It certainly seemed that way.

Hmm, what should I choose? Honestly, my current weapons and armor were already quite decent. If I gather the materials, I could ask Iris to craft the best items for me.

Oh? Is this a book? However, it’s categorized as a weapon? Let’s take a closer look at the details.

――――――――――

• The Dark Grimoire – Quality: Superior, Rarity: L (Legendary)

A Grimoire, compiled by a legendary sage. Fourteen volumes.

The Grimoire is a supportive weapon that reduces the consumption of magic power.

The Dark Grimoire grants resistance against the dark element and amplifies the power of [Dark Magic].

Equipment Effects: [Magic Power Consumption Reduction], [Dark Element Resistance], [Dark Element Enhancement]

――――――――――

I found it! There’s no other choice for me! I quickly selected the “Dark Grimoire”.

Every effect seemed enticing, but what drew me the most was the [Dark Element Resistance]. You might wonder why. Well, even as an undead, I’m still vulnerable to regular [Dark Magic]. Apparently, resistance to elements isn’t granted based on one’s race.

Isn’t it frustrating to face a villain who is immune to dark magic? That’s why I desperately wanted the [Dark Element Resistance] as soon as possible!

“[Yes, it looks like everyone has made their choice. Now, receive your rewards.]”

When Lord Agnasrelim said that, a light blue ball of light appeared before us. Upon touching it, the light faded, and each of our chosen items materialized.

I picked a book, Jigoro chose a belt, Iris took a large shield, Genjuro went for a sword, and Ruby got a thrusting sword. It seemed everyone had selected something they desired.

“[Is this all right for you? If you want to change your choice, do it now.]”

Lord Agnasrelim said so, but no one among us expressed a desire to change their choice. We had taken our time to make our decisions, after all.

Oh! That’s right! There was something I had wanted to ask Lord Agnasrelim since I met him. I needed to ask before he left!

“Lord Agnasrelim, it’s not about the rewards, but may I ask you something?”

“[Sure, if I can answer, I will.]”

“First, take a look at this.”

I took out the Dragon’s Jewel I received as a reward from the “Trial of the Azure Moon” from my inventory.