The dungeon has been parasitized

Chapter 70 Rat Merchant

"Hello?"

Bang, bang bang bang!

Hyacinth's head had just peeked out of the passage when it was startled by the sudden explosion and shrank back in.

What happened? Was Yanami attacked?

"W-Why was there an explosion?"

Daisy behind her was also startled. She shrank her neck and asked Hyacinth, but Hyacinth did not answer. Instead, she gripped the short sword in her hand and poked her head out again.

"Yana! Are you alright?! Huh?"

"Ah, hyacinth, you've come."

When Hyacinth looked at Yanami, she found that Yanami was the only one in the cave, and that Yanami was holding a magic wand and looking at Hyacinth with a strange expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Um... why was there an explosion just now?"

"Ah, I was practicing magic just now."

As Yanami wiped her sweat, she raised her wand once more.

Hiss, hiss hiss hiss...

After the wand emitted a glow, a flaming arrow familiar to Hyacinth appeared above Yanami's head.

Hyacinth looked at the flaming arrows burning at high temperatures and subconsciously swallowed.

"This is...without chanting?"

"Yes, I just learned it today."

"You can cast such powerful magic without chanting?"

The explosion just now was anything but ordinary, Hyacinth knew very well, being skilled in using explosives.

"Haha, it's alright."

She's amazing. Luckily, I didn't resist her back then—Hyacinth realized this once again.

"So, how's the deal going?"

"Well, the leader agreed to the salt trade, but as for the other things, I'd like you to meet someone else to discuss them."

"Really? That's great."

Yanami smiled, and Hyacinth smiled shyly as well.

"However, could you please put away your magic for now?"

"certainly."

Yanami gently waved her wand, and all the fire arrows disappeared.

After Yanami eliminated the fire arrow, Hyacinth emerged from the passage, followed by Daisy and the guinea pig from before.

But besides the three of them, there were others behind them, first four rat-like people wearing knight armor.

"Hello...?"

Wearing helmets, they didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly in response to Yanami's greeting, and then silently lined up on both sides of the cave entrance.

Are these guards?

Following them were two guinea pigs wearing saddles, both led by a rat-like human, who eventually came to Hyacinth's side.

"Hello, I'm Violet. Your magic is amazing."

"Ah, thank you for the compliment. I am Yanami Renata. Please call me Yanami."

She looked up, and Yanami could then see that she was a gentle-looking woman. Because she was wearing a long robe and a wide-brimmed hat, Yanami had not initially recognized her gender.

In addition, she was holding a wand with a yellowish-brown gemstone at the top.

Magic cores really come in all shapes and sizes.

"She's also a mage, and she's very skilled at identifying materials like magic cores, so the leader asked her to help appraise your items."

"Violet, that's amazing."

The daisies beside her nodded in agreement.

Speaking of which... hyacinths, daisies, violets, aren't they all flower names? The names of the mouse-like people are really unique.

"That feels amazing."

"Heh, I'm just a mage who understands magic cores."

Violet smiled gently, her expression soothing.

"The leader has agreed to your trade request, but the monster materials need to be appraised by me before a decision is made. Let's talk about the coal first."

"Okay, sure."

After Violet finished speaking, Hyacinth walked over to the guinea pig and took off three bags.

"We've brought this much with us; this is salt and some spices. We plan to trade these for your charcoal."

thump.

The bag was placed on the ground with a heavy thud.

"So many?"

Yanami looked inside the bag in surprise. It contained several bags of different sizes, presumably containing various spices and salts in separate containers.

"Yes, about ten kilograms. We have quite a lot of spices, and the leader has agreed."

"And what about this bag?"

There was another bag containing the clothes that Yanami had requested, and next to it was another bag that didn't look like salt and spices.

"This is a gift for you, some nuts and the like."

"Ah, thank you."

Yanami took the bag from Hyacinth; it was quite heavy. She took out a nut and immediately tasted it.

"It's delicious."

"Of course, this is something our rat clan has cultivated for generations; it's our favorite food."

"I...I like to eat it too."

The hyacinths and daisies straightened their backs with a hint of pride.

"I'm sorry, I didn't prepare a gift... but I did prepare a lot of charcoal."

"It's okay, but how much charcoal do you have?"

"There are many, please don't be surprised, please follow me."

Yanami, along with Hyacinth and the others, arrived at the entrance of the plantation cave, where a three-meter-tall coal cube was placed...

"So many?!"

"Wow, so high!"

Hyacinth and daisy stared in shock at the pitch-black cube, which was twice their height.

These were all made of carbonized tree branches. Because of the previous battle with the Cursed Tree Spirit, the already devastated forest was made even worse, and the trees that were uprooted by the Cursed Tree Spirit became ready-made charcoal.

All Yanami had to do was send the black wolf out to bring them back; it was very easy.

"We can't possibly transport all of this back, and we only brought ten kilograms of salt and spices with us..."

"It's alright, take as much as you can. This is enough for me, consider it my gift."

"So..."

Hyacinth extended her hand to Yanami with a smile.

Happy transaction.

Happy transaction.

Yanami smiled and shook hands with her back.

"What should we do with this charcoal? Should we put it on the big rat?"

"Of course, the knights will help carry these charcoal pieces."

Violet answered Yanami before Hyacinth and the others, then looked at the knights following behind her.

"Knights, I beg you."

"No problem, Almond, you go with them, and the rest of you come with me to move things."

The lead knight nodded and gave instructions to the other knights.

"Yes."

Once the arrangements were made, everyone agreed without complaint.

However, Yanami still noticed something was amiss.

Judging from their voices, these armored knights are also women, though they are indeed quite petite.

What about the males of the mouse-like race?

The knights brought over the guinea pigs, one for each of the three knights. The guinea pigs opened their mouths wide and bit off the overly long branches and charcoal, then the knights tied them up with ropes and hung them on their bodies.

"Well then, Miss Yanami, shall we go take a look at your materials?"

"OK."

Yanami nodded to Violet, then led them back to the plantation.