Just looking over the leviathan’s whole body took quite a long time. No surprise there, considering how ginormous it was. I actually started wondering if I could get away with slipping off to wait somewhere a little nicer at one point, but of course, I would have no such luck.
I did try by telling Fel and Sui, 《So hey, even if someone does try to get at the leviathan, those two barriers should keep them far away from it, and if someone actually got through them, you’d know right away. Seeing as there’s nothing for us to do to help, why don’t we go find somewhere more comfortable to sit down?》 through telepathy, but Fel was unconvinced.
《The elf’s obsession with the leviathan makes him the greatest threat of all. I will not let him out of my sight,》was how Fel put it.
Okay, yeah. It’s hard not to see it that way, considering how Elrand’s been acting.
I didn’t like it, but I also couldn’t deny that Fel had made a solid case. That said, it was also true that Elrand had Moira constantly breathing down his neck, not to mention every single one of the Adventurer’s guild higher-ups watching him like a hawk. Apparently, nobody trusted him.
Anyway, to make a long story short, I was stuck walking along with Moira and the guild folks as Elrand did his checks. The king, queen, and assorted nobility who were attending arrived partway through that period, raising a bit of an uproar in doing so, but the king instructed everyone to pay them no mind and keep working. Nobody was about to argue with him, so the process resumed as quickly as it had been disrupted.
At long last, Elrand seemed to have finished checking the leviathan from top to bottom...but to my surprise, he ended up returning to us with a frown on his face.
“What’s wrong, Elrand?” Bram asked.
“I’m afraid to say that, unfortunately...butchering this leviathan may prove impossible,” Elrand replied.
“Whaaat?!” Bram wailed, completely aghast. That was not the news he’d been hoping for after over a week of preparation.
“All that talk about how much you were looking forward to it, and now you mean to tell us you’re not up to the task?” Moira jabbed.
“We remember how confident you were!” said one of the guild’s higher-ups.
“You badgered us incessantly to get things started as soon as possible!” another exclaimed.
“Indeed! What is the meaning of this, elf?!” Fel barked, joining in on the protest.
Everyone—Fel included—kept hounding Elrand for an answer for some time, noting that if he couldn’t handle the job, he should have said so in the first place, and griping bitterly about how he’d made it sound like butchering the monster would be child’s play for him. Elrand had ended up with a whole crowd of very angry people on his case.
“W-Wait! At least let me explain myself!” Elrand frantically shouted.
《Hey, Master? Does this mean Sui doesn’t get to try the leviathan meat after all?》 Sui asked. The slime was already feeling a little depressed, from the sound of it.
《I hate to say it, but we should try to be ready for that possibility,》 I replied.
《Awww! Sui wants leviathan meat, Master!》 Sui repeated as it bounced off Fel’s back, landing in my arms.
I guess you were more excited than anyone, huh, Sui? I gave the slime a comforting pat as I waited for Elrand to clarify what was going on.