Chapter 83

"Ha, ha... ha..."

The swordsman was smiling wryly.

When Haru went to sell the monsters.

As expected, or rather, as anticipated, after the third time, there wouldn't be a fourth time, a swordsman came up to us.

The reason was simple.

He said something along the lines of, "No one is hunting monsters in such an abnormal situation; everyone is doing reconnaissance and preparing defenses to protect this town."

Troubled, I ignored him and asked the guild receptionist if it would be okay to bring the birds that Marina and Carol were watching outside the guild.

Then, we carried the birds.

10 birds, 20 birds, 30 birds... By the time we exceeded 40 birds, we started to attract attention.

50 birds, 60 birds, 70 birds... By the time we exceeded 70 birds, the swordsman who had approached us was smiling wryly and seemed to be losing touch with reality.

80 birds, 90 birds, 100 birds, 110 birds, 120 birds, 130 birds, and some fruits.

"Did you hunt all of these in the Eastern Forest?"

The woman in her early 30s, who was handling the registration, asked for confirmation, and I nodded.

"Well, to this extent... I don't want to say 'to this extent,' but I don't think it will collapse the ecosystem. However, it might be better to set a hunting ban for a while. This is a special time, so it's very helpful, but normally, please don't hunt this much."

"Understood, I'll be careful."

I gave a superficial response and received 3,990 cents for 133 birds, plus the cost of the fruits, totaling 4,500 cents.

About 1,100 cents per person... around 110,000 yen.

But most of it was earned by Haru and Marina.

"So, Mr. Swordsman, do you need something from us?"

"N-no, nothing. It's reassuring to have a hunter like you in Ferito. Ha, ha, ha."

The man said this and left the guild, stepping backward.

During this time, the receptionist was still processing the paperwork.

"Congratulations, Haru Watart has been promoted from Rank F to Rank E with this quest."

"Thank you."

Haru bowed without expression, but his tail was wagging, indicating he was happy.

Adventurer ranks range from G to SSS, and Haru had reached Rank F before meeting me, even though he was a slave.

The reason was that he had taken on guard requests and the like, even as a rental slave.

As the rank increases, adventurers can access more information held by the guild and take on higher-difficulty quests.

After leaving the guild, I told Marina and Carol that Haru had been promoted, and both congratulated him.

"Maybe we should have a promotion party for Haru. It's a bit tough today, though."

"Given the state of the town, it's understandable."

The town was still crowded, but there was no sense of calm.

In a world without the internet or radio, information is gathered by foot.

Everyone must be desperate to get information.

In that sense, I should be grateful to Carol.

We returned to the inn.

The dining room was empty.

In the midst of this, the innkeeper and the bartender from the downstairs bar were talking.

"It's that Sutchno, he's probably with Frio."

"Frio hasn't been home since the day before yesterday. With the town in this state, I'm worried he might have been attacked by monsters."

"Don't worry, he's not a kid anymore. But if he comes back, I'll give him a good beating."

It seems these two were a married couple, and their son hadn't come home.

Normally, it wouldn't be a problem, but with the town in this state, they were worried.

They didn't seem to notice us, so I called out to them.

"Good evening."

"Oh, welcome back. Dinner is ready."

"Then, let's have it right away. Is it okay for everyone?"

When I asked, everyone agreed.

The meal was mainly meat, but there was less than yesterday.

"Sorry, but it's a tough time. The country is urging us to save food. In return, we are giving partial refunds."

I received 12 cents as change.

I accepted it without complaint.

The amount was less, but the meal was very delicious.

"Madam, do you have any information about the monster horde? I heard that a hunting party is being formed and will set out tomorrow."

"I only know what you do. According to the reconnaissance, it's true that monsters are overflowing from the dungeon. The high-ups in the country monopolized it instead of opening it to the public, which is why the monsters are overflowing. However, the three adventurers who were holding back the overflow have evacuated once, so I think the hunting party will clash with the monsters by tomorrow night."

The innkeeper said this and took away the finished dishes.

Then, we gathered in one room.

To verify the power of My World.

"Then, I'll be back in a moment. My World."

A rift in space appeared, and I entered it.

I found myself on the red earth as usual.

The sky was white, illuminating me.

An arrow was stuck in front of me.

It seems that no matter where you enter, you end up in this place.

In other words, if I build a house here, I can return home from anywhere.

Next, I thought about creating a spring.

Just as I thought this—my vision caught something.

On the red earth, which should have been empty, there was someone who shouldn't have been there.

A beautiful woman with long, sky-blue hair, like the early morning sky.

A woman I didn't recognize.

Or rather, someone I felt I had seen somewhere before.

But where?

"......!?"

As I remembered where it was—I gasped.

"Nice to meet you, Ichinjo-san."

She was dressed in a white dress, exuding a beautiful and seductive aura.

To describe it, she seemed otherworldly.

Not just her aura, but her very essence.

The first time I saw her was in the church.

"I am Ribray. The Goddess of Order and Balance."

The beautiful goddess statue that stood next to the statue of Setrans was now in my world.

The moment I realized that a goddess could enter my world without permission, I discovered a significant flaw in the shut-in skill.