Chapter 82

There are still a few days before the fishing trip.

During this time, I was busy modifying my fishing gear and buying the expensive thread of Skyforest Spiders at the market, steadily preparing for the trip. It feels like I'm getting ready for a trip. I'm the type who actually enjoys this kind of thing.

I also need to earn some money to use there, so I thought I'd thicken my somewhat thin wallet.

With that in mind, I thought I'd take on some random quests, so I dropped by the guild, and the group sitting around a table all looked at me at once.

"Hey, it's Mongrel."

"Should we ask him?"

"But it's Mongrel, you know? Even if we ask him..."

"Let's at least hear him out."

"Isn't that kind of rude to say..."

The group gathered at the table right by the entrance seemed to be a bunch of kids, not quite sure if they were adults yet.

They looked like they belonged to different parties, and among them was Miselina from "Young Sapling Staff." It's quite rare to see such a diverse group of people with different jobs gathered together.

"What's up, what's up. Do you have something you want to ask this veteran guild member, Mongrel?"

"...What should we do? Should we ask this person?"

"Will he charge us money later...?"

"Shut up! What do you think I am, you guys?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"No, it's good to hold back from saying something you shouldn't, right? But this silence... No, it's still good. I'll just praise your mature behavior here..."

Looking at the table, there were several pieces of equipment scattered around.

It looked like one of those second-hand markets the guild occasionally holds. ...But they were all the same type of weapon.

"Throwing weapons, huh."

Spread out on the table were all kinds of projectiles.

There were metal pebbles just right for throwing, small knives, and darts. It's impressive how they managed to gather such a variety.

"That's right, Mongrel. We're all swordsmen or mages, but we thought it would be good to have a few throwing weapons. You know, even as a swordsman, there are times when you can't get close to the enemy. In such situations, it's good to have something you can throw."

"Hmm, that's a good attitude. Warren, what do you use?"

"I use this! Throwing knives!"

"Pretty standard, huh?"

Throwing knives are simpler in handle design and slightly more compact than regular knives. They can also be used as regular knives in a pinch, making them quite convenient. It's great that they have other uses besides being projectiles.

"Um... This is what I use. I don't have many, so I only have one..."

"Darts, huh. They're light, so they're not bad for a mage like Miselina."

"Y-Yes."

The timid mage Miselina apparently uses darts.

Darts are just like modern darts, but larger. The usage is similar. They pierce the target when thrown. They feel like a lightweight version of a javelin.

In Halperia, where metal resources are scarce, weapons made mostly of wood with small metal parts are cheap and easy to use. Losing them doesn't hurt your wallet too much.

"I use this. A hand axe! It's heavy and bulky, so I can only carry one, but it's powerful and convenient, so I love using it!"

"Frank, a hand axe, huh? Suits you. The name and all."

"The name?"

"No, just a feeling."

In my previous life, there was a throwing axe called a francisca. Frank's name is similar, and it feels like fate.

Historically, it was quite powerful. An axe flying at you? That's pretty cool.

"I use this dagger!"

"I use a slightly longer one than Miselina's darts. The needle is long, so it should be enough to pierce through beasts... I think."

Then, one after another, they started showing off their own throwing weapons. It seems the weapons on the table were items they had brought to show off.

"Are you guys talking about which throwing weapon is the best?"

"You got it, Mongrel."

"That's right! I think throwing knives are the best. They're the most standard, and they look cool when they stick in the target..."

I get that they look cool. I haven't done any knife tricks since I injured my hand trying to do a butterfly knife action a while back.

"But what if the monster escapes after you throw it and it gets stuck? You'd lose a valuable weapon!"

"Well, you'd finish it off with one hit!"

"Still, the hand axe is the best! If you can kill the enemy with one hit, there's no problem!"

"Scary, but that's true... However, heavy weapons are a burden..."

Yeah, there are various factors to consider when choosing a secondary weapon: lethality, convenience, portability, and cost. It's a tough choice.

But it's also fun to choose a weapon that suits you. And, you know, it's okay to let your romantic side show a bit. Yeah.

"Hey, Mongrel, which one do you think is the best? Tell us!"

"Well, there are issues like carrying capacity and personal preference, but... you don't seem to want that kind of answer, do you?"

"Huh? Just tell us which one is the strongest!"

You're a power gamer, huh? Fine, I'll pick one for you.

"Let me give you a non-romantic answer. The strongest here is the hand axe."

"There you go! As expected, Mongrel knows his stuff."

"Really?"

"It's strong, but..."

"It's simply powerful. It can kill a goblin in one hit, and if you hit it right, it might even take down a crazy boar or a charge deer. Other weapons can't do that."

I picked up the hand axe from the table and tossed it lightly, catching it. The slightly different center of gravity from a regular axe is nice.

"But it's heavy, so carrying it is a hassle. It might be useful for chopping firewood or dismantling things while camping, but it's not something everyone needs to carry. And you can't target birds in trees, which is a downside. The lack of range makes it hard to use casually."

"True, but..."

"But it's the strongest. It might be good to have one in the party."

Next, I picked up the darts. They're like oversized darts.

"Darts are good for targeting birds. They can be used by mages in close combat, are light, and cheap. Choosing this isn't a bad idea."

"That's a relief... I was losing confidence..."

"Preferably, a type that can be poisoned. The needle is long, but it's often not enough to kill on its own."

"Poison, huh... Okay..."

Next, I picked up Warren's throwing knives. Not bad, this is pretty good.

"Throwing knives don't take up much space, do decent damage, and have various uses. They're good."

"Right?"

"But you use them more as regular knives, and there aren't many opportunities to throw them..."

"..."

Silence is agreement. Yeah, there aren't many opportunities to use throwing knives.

They don't do much damage against tough enemies like crazy boars. It's also scary to lose them if they get stuck and the enemy escapes. But for swordsmen, throwing weapons are mostly for intimidation. Any weapon is fine.

"Hey, Mongrel, what do you use?"

"I'm curious too."

"Do you carry throwing weapons without a shield?"

"I heard you're bad with a bow."

"You don't usually carry a bow, though."

"Show us, show us."

You guys are noisy. Throwing weapons. I don't use them much in regular hunts...

"Um, I'm a guild member who can handle anything with just a bastard sword... Is there something in my bag...?"

"What kind of throwing weapon is in the back of your bag?"

"You never use it!"

"Shut up! Oh, right, I put it here."

The front pocket of my bag. I had slipped a thin weapon in there for reinforcement. This is... the only throwing weapon I have now.

"Ta-da, the chakram, officially adopted by the old Halperia army!"

I pulled out a thin ring-shaped razor. In my previous life, it was called a chakram. I have three of them.

The hole is off-center, making it non-circular, which causes it to spin irregularly when thrown, making it a bit easier to stick... or so they say.

"Ah, I've heard of this! It's a throwing weapon used in the past!"

"It's in old storybooks. It's quite old... a bit sooty. Has it been used a lot...?"

"Mongrel, can you use this?"

"..."

"Why are you silent..."

Well, yeah.

"No... I bought this at an antique shop... I did sharpen it. I sharpened it, but it doesn't stick very well..."

"It doesn't work."

"Why do you have it in your bag?"

"It's not that much of a hassle..."

It doesn't stick well when thrown normally. Maybe it's too round. It doesn't even cleanly cut through branches. It's also hard to hold. ...Honestly, there's not much to praise about this weapon. I'm seriously wondering why the old army adopted it.

"But, it's good for tying branches when smoking meat in the wild. You don't need a rope, so it's convenient. Just twist it like this."

"Is it worse than a throwing knife?"

"The soot is because of that..."

"Everything else looks more convenient now..."

Well, that's true. My chakram is bad. I definitely can't recommend it to them.

But it can be slipped into gaps... and it's useful as a hidden throwing weapon... yeah...

And I can handle a chakram well... at least, I can.