Chapter 24

"Sorry, but I'd like to put a hold on any further purchases for a while."

While checking the condition of the prey in the carriage, Cody, the dismantler, said this. Orson, who had been waiting by the carriage, nodded with a wry smile. It couldn't be helped. After all, this was the third time today that Al and the others had brought in prey. This time, there were four around 3 meters, two around 2 meters, and three around 1 meter. The previous two times, they had also brought in roughly the same amount to Cody.

"How did you manage to hunt so much in such a short time? Last year, I remember you spent about half a month hunting large-mouthed lizards, but you didn't bring in this much."

Cody looked half exasperated.

"That's a bit hard to explain. But, I guess we were just lucky."

"Sure, I get that... but if you keep bringing in this much, I won't be able to process it all, and it'll start to rot. It's great that you have so much, but the number of craftsmen is limited. If you plan to do the same thing next year, please consider pacing yourself. I'd appreciate it."

"Ah, I understand."

Orson shrugged. This time, it was just because the rain came early. Next year, they would probably go back to their original method.

"Also, uh, sorry, Orson, but there's something I need to ask you specifically."

"Me specifically?"

When he heard this, Orson looked puzzled for a moment, but then seemed to realize something and murmured, "Ah, I see."

"Do you need to hurry?"

Orson glanced at his feet. Seeing this, Cody nodded as if he understood.

"If you have about a month, that should be fine. Can I ask you to do it?"

"Ah, I see. If that's the case, I should be able to manage."

It seemed Orson had a new job. Al planned to ask him about it later, but he probably wouldn't tell him. There are times when you have to keep secrets for clients. It was a bit disappointing that Cody didn't trust him, but they had only met a few times. It couldn't be helped.

"That's the situation. Al, you'll have to work alone for a while. But, with the earnings from this, you might be able to take a break for a while."

After three trips, in addition to the cost of the armor, Al had made a profit of about 15 gold coins. It was enough to live on for a month, or even six months if he cut back. However, it was still a bit short of what he needed to buy a spellbook.

"Got it. I'll check out the Adventurer's Guild for now."

"Ah, that might be a good idea."

After paying the others, who were waiting for the carriage to be empty, generously, the two left Cody's shop. The sun was starting to set, but it was still a bit early to go back to the inn for dinner. As they were discussing what to do next, a group with a carriage returned. It was Blair and his group, whom they had encountered before.

"Orson, how did it go for you?"

Blair was quite unhappy today. Some of the people with him were injured and limping. On his cart, there were only two large-mouthed lizards, and they were less than a meter long and in poor condition.

"Ah, the river was swollen. We didn't catch anything."

Orson answered with a regretful look. Al was a bit surprised but remained silent, wondering if there was some meaning behind it.

"Really? I see, that makes sense."

Blair seemed to be satisfied for some reason.

"See you later."

Orson said this rather curtly and quickly passed by Blair and his group. Al hurried after him and, after they had put some distance between them, asked why he had lied.

"From the looks of it, they were pretty beaten up. They probably didn't catch anything. Given the injuries, they might have been dragged into a melee by multiple large-mouthed lizards and had to flee. I told them that much. But, it doesn't seem like anyone died, and Cody won't say who he bought the large-mouthed lizards from. It's smart to say that and feel sorry for them in your heart."

Orson smiled slyly.

"I see. If you say so, that's fine."

Al nodded, satisfied with Orson's answer.

-----

"Do you know anyone around here named Lala?"

Cody's shop was on South 3rd Street, but after parting ways with Orson, Al had come to South 4th Street, which was on the outskirts. According to a woman named Carmilla, whom he had met before, there should be someone in this area who dealt in unofficial spellbooks, known as Garbage Scrolls. When he arrived, he found a slum with shabby houses and tents made of sun-dried bricks, rough wooden boards, and cloth. The drainage was poorly maintained, and garbage piled up along the sides of the roads, emitting a strong stench. In one corner, a market-like setup was open, with people selling various items on the roadside and cooking some unidentifiable soup over a fire. Al approached one of these vendors.

"Lala? Never heard of her... What does she sell?"

An elderly man, selling old hats and battered staffs on a rag on the roadside, tilted his head.

"Well, never mind. See you."

Unfortunately, Al didn't know what she looked like, so he couldn't ask any further. He looked at the items for sale, thinking about what to do next, and decided to try a possibility. There was a chance that the person might also deal in magical items. Magical items were tools that could produce magical effects by extracting energy from black minerals called magic stones. While they were often made by specialized mages, they were originally discovered in ruins, just like spellbooks. Of course, magical items are still found in ancient ruins today. However, some of the items discovered are of unknown use, and there were stories that such items were sometimes handled alongside Garbage Scrolls. These items should glow with a pale blue light when detected by a magic detection spell.

*Magic Detection*

*Enhanced Perception* - Visual Enhancement

Al walked around the market, hoping to find something that reacted, and at a small stall with a black cloth about a meter square, he found a small, black sphere, slightly smaller than a fist, faintly glowing pale blue among some junk.

Thank you for reading.

I plan to post twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays at 10 AM. Thank you for your support.

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On March 12, 2023, I forgot to include the visual enhancement option in the Enhanced Perception spell, so I have corrected it.