Chapter 46

Spring is the season for work. It's a time that guild members look forward to with joy.

The groups that had been secluded deep in the Baroa Forest expand their range of activities, making it possible to hunt.

There are some minor negative factors, such as the value of Charge Dear fur dropping due to the shedding season, but it's still a pleasant season to walk around, as you can pick up shed antlers and find plenty of herbs and wild plants.

However, spring is also a season when one can't be so involved with the Baroa Forest.

Awakening of Insects. Spring is the season when insects emerge.

It's also the time when Pike Hoppers start making their buzzing sounds in various places.

In Halperia, the Pike Hopper, a relatively rare insect-type monster, is a grasshopper-sized creature.

Its pointed head is sturdy, and the headbutt it delivers from a powerful jump can be lethal to children.

However, due to its large size, it's not very agile, and avoiding it isn't that difficult if you stand to the side. Even an Iron-class guild member can defeat it.

But the problem with Pike Hoppers isn't their combat power. The big issue is that their main food source is wheat.

Not only are they large and herbivorous, but they also target wheat, the staple food of humans. They are despised to a degree that makes other annoying pests seem insignificant in this country.

Fortunately, Pike Hoppers are not the type of monster that moves in groups targeting wheat. They can't fly, so a simple fence can restrict their movement to some extent.

Still, as an agricultural nation, they are not a tolerable presence.

Therefore, the guild organizes large-scale extermination campaigns against these grasshoppers in the spring.

"Here they come, the bouncing contribution points."

As soon as I entered the forest near the farm, I heard the mechanical sound of something trampling through the bushes.

It's a Pike Hopper. Despite being a grasshopper, they have a life cycle similar to cicadas, developing from eggs to adults underground. But once they emerge on the ground, they are completely like grasshoppers.

Killing them isn't very profitable, but the contribution points are decent.

However, it's a shame that the materials are hard to sell. You can get edible parts similar to chicken meat by butchering them, but in Halperia, insect consumption is generally not accepted, or rather, it's a reaction against Sangreal. I'm not sure if I want to go through the trouble of butchering them just to eat them.

Still, these monsters are convenient for me.

"Moderate attack power, no intelligence to run away, and minimal blood. I actually quite like you."

A Pike Hopper charged out of the bushes with a burst of speed.

I sidestepped to avoid it, and the Pike Hopper continued its charge for a bit before slowly turning around. Its movement is somewhat tank-like.

"Having it expose its side like this makes it easier to deal with."

The moment after its charge is the biggest weakness.

If I can cut off its side with my bastard sword, that's usually the end of it. Normally, it's not soft enough for a sword to cut through, but for me, this is what makes it easy.

Even if I get hit by its charge, I hardly take any damage. Its charge isn't strong enough to penetrate my reinforced light armor. In that sense, it's a stress-free opponent.

"Come on, keep coming. I'm a bit short on cash, so bring about a hundred of you."

That day, I continued slashing Pike Hoppers until just before sunset, but the maximum number I could kill was about 20.

It's a number that would take a few days to hunt, but since it's a solo job, it's not a big profit for me.

Some people apparently process their hind legs to make short weapon handles, but that's not very popular either.

"Maybe I'll ask the guild for a good job."

I filled a sack with the hard shells from the Pike Hoppers' foreheads and decided to head back.

However, the guild is also busy during this season.

Not only Elena and Mileine, but even Florence, who usually handles back-office work, is called in to help with the influx of requests.

Especially the private consultations with clients are frequent, so there are many staff members moving around the building.

It would be annoying to stand in line and ask, "Do you have any good jobs?" I'll wait until the line clears a bit before joining.

"Good work, Elena. It's really busy, huh?"

"Ha... It's really hectic. So, Mongrel, what brings you here today?"

"Sorry to bother you, but do you have any jobs that a Bronze 3 can take and earn some money? Maybe something physically demanding?"

"Are you short on cash again?"

"Recently, there have been a lot of interesting items."

"Maybe you're spending too much? Well, the market is lively, so I understand. ...Hmm, let me see... Ah, I remember a good job. A communal warehouse in a secluded alley is being sold to a trading company. There's a job to move heavy tools from inside."

Oh, that sounds like a straightforward physical job.

"Since it's a communal warehouse, the items need to be delivered to each owner's location, but the alley is narrow, so they can't use moving equipment. There are a lot of heavy items, like iron beds mounted on wooden bases... They were looking for about three workers."

"It's perfect for me. I can do it alone, no need for three people."

"I thought you'd say that. ...It will take about two days to arrange the request, can you wait that long?"

"Sure, take your time. It's a tough job, so it should pay well."

"...Actually, you'd earn more if you took a Silver-class job."

"Maybe next time."

Good jobs do exist if you look for them.

Two days later, I got the job sooner than expected.

Apparently, they needed to clear the warehouse quickly to hand it over to the trading company, and the owners were quite anxious.

"Our young guys don't have the strength... I could have moved them if I were younger."

Various heavy tools were placed near the entrance of the warehouse. Moving them through the narrow alley would indeed be tough.

It's not a place where more people would necessarily help.

The new buildings in front of the warehouse are probably in the way... but there's nothing we can do about that...

"I'll move them one by one. The old guys, just put some kind of label on the items so I know where to deliver them. I'll follow the labels."

"Thanks... If you could also put them in the underground storage, that would be a big help."

"Sure, no problem. But it's a bit of a hassle to go up and down, so maybe we can gather them in a spot nearby first?"

"That would be great. Thanks a lot."

With that settled, things move quickly. Let's get the warehouse cleaned up quickly.

"Wow! You're really strong... You're a real guild member. I thought it was expensive to put this out as a request, but it was worth it."

"Ha, it's nothing. I'll work hard for my pay."

There are four users of the communal warehouse, and I need to deliver their large items to four different locations. Some are in underground storage, and some are deep in narrow alleys, making it a troublesome job. I can understand why they wouldn't want to think about clearing the warehouse without enhanced strength.

But for me, it's not a big deal. Despite the effort of moving, I steadily completed the task and emptied the warehouse by noon.

The old guys treated me to lunch, and in the afternoon, I delivered the items to each store's storage, which took about an hour.

There were heavy items, but not many. As long as I moved them carefully, it was manageable.

"Phew, I'm glad it's done in one day. Thank you so much, Mongrel."

"This is my job. Don't worry about it. If you need anything, just contact the guild or me."

"Can we get a discount if we go directly to you without the guild?"

"Sure, as long as it's not a job that would get me in trouble with the guild. 'Helping a friend' kind of thing."

"I see... We don't want to fight with the guild, but... if there's an opportunity, we'll contact you directly."

Hehe, it's a relief to deal with someone who understands.

The cost of going through the guild is more noticeable for smaller stores.

In such cases, it's not bad for me to work directly. It's different when working as a party, but for individual help, there's not much to complain about.

The issue is that the guild won't mediate if there's a dispute over payment, but as long as it's within Regol, it should be fine. If they try to stiff me, I'll take action, in a subtle way.

"Well... now I have some more shopping money."

I was running low on cash due to the spices and some seaweed-like items, but I managed to recover here.

I still have magic textbooks and new equipment to buy.

It's not bad to keep working for a while to earn more money.