Chapter 19

The news of having mined a large amount of mithril ore and the rumor of the cyclops, known as the adventurer killer, being defeated spread quickly as soon as we returned to the pioneer village Golden Dawn.

Mithril ore has always been surrounded by monsters, making it difficult to supply steadily. The reason is that while a small, elite group skilled in combat can indeed reach the ore quickly, the number of people capable of mining the ore is limited. Furthermore, the transportation issue is significant. Even if the ore is mined and packed tightly into barrels, it's not possible to bring carriages deep into the mine. As a result, the amount of ore that can be brought back is small.

Later, Reifan taught me that being able to mine a large amount of mithril ore, as we did this time, is very rare.

The reasons this was possible are: 1. Magic bombs. 2. Sharpness oil. 3. Spatial storage. 4. Reliable guards. 5. Reifan, who is knowledgeable about ores. It's difficult to have all of these.

By the way, it was decided that the magic bombs would be kept secret, based on Reifan's decision. We asked the members of Raidock's party and Jitaro to keep it quiet. Personally, I don't mind either way, but since it was decided by the guild leader, there was no room for argument.

Incidentally, it was decided that Kail would be informed.

"Excuse me, Lord Reifan! When will the mithril be sold!? I'll buy it whether it's ore or ingots!"

The first to rush over after hearing the rumor was the merchant Akindo. Among the merchants who come and go in this village, he is the most astute and capable. Moreover, unlike other merchants who try to take advantage of us, he is the type who can be trusted for the long term. I also order alchemy-related books from him, and his ability to obtain rare books is impressive for a traveling merchant.

"Wait, wait! Nothing has been decided yet! Besides, we need Lord Kail's permission to sell the ore!"

"Ah! I'm sorry! But if permission is granted, please consider us!"

"Hey, Akindo! Don't cut in line! If that happens, please consider our guild!"

"Rather, do business with me!"

"Ahahahaha!"

I left Reifan, who was being jostled around, and headed towards Kail. Kail, who had been watching the commotion from the window of the mansion, had a troubled smile on his face.

"Welcome back, Craft."

"Yeah. As you can see, Reifan is a bit late."

"Hahaha..."

Kail's twin sister, Mina, plopped down next to me. It was the seat Reifan usually sits in. There's no specific seating arrangement, so it's not a problem, but is it okay not to sit next to Kail?

I couldn't say anything, so I just looked at Mina, but for some reason, she turned her head away.

I don't understand.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lord Kail..."

"Thank you for your hard work, Reifan."

Reifan, who had been jostled around by the merchants, finally entered Kail's mansion.

His hair was all messy.

"Please give your report."

"Yes. I'll provide the details of the encounters with monsters in writing later, but for now, I'll give an overview. In the forest, we encountered goblins, orcs, giant spiders, and a hydra that seemed to be lost."

"Indeed, there are many monsters in this forest. It's understandable why the development hasn't gone well."

"Yes. However, especially during the early stages of development, a large amount of wood is needed. If everything had to be transported in, the transportation costs alone would bankrupt the country, so being near the forest is an absolute requirement."

"Of course, I understand. Now that the initial stage of village development is complete, I believe things will stabilize. ...I apologize. Please continue."

Kail apologized for going off-topic.

His response is not what I would expect from a noble.

I had always thought of them as being proud and arrogant.

"We discovered a cave on site and explored it. Inside, there were rock lizards, will-o'-the-wisps, giant pill bugs, and other such monsters wandering around."

"Quite a challenging cave, it seems."

"Yes. However, thanks to Raidock's party, we were able to proceed without any injuries. I didn't realize that a powerful stamina potion could have such a significant impact on strategy."

"Indeed. I had a vague understanding of it, but hearing the actual results is impressive."

"The highlight was the defeat of the cyclops. It was possible thanks to Craft's magic attacks, but I think the fact that we didn't run out of stamina deep in the cave was a significant factor."

"Wow. I heard it's called the adventurer killer, right?"

This is a difficult question for Reifan to answer.

"Yes. Cyclopes are different from other monsters in that they often appear suddenly and alone. The reason is unknown even to the adventurer guild. Well, there hasn't been much progress in studying monster ecology. Anyway, it's unpredictable where they will appear, and they have the habit of chasing humans persistently. If you encounter one unprepared, you're usually wiped out."

"That's troublesome."

"I once encountered one and barely managed to escape."

At that time, a series of coincidences, including the terrain, allowed us to escape, but realistically, it was not a fight we could win.

Raidock's decision to fight upon encountering the cyclops was impressive. It was a brave move.

"Stamina potions, healing potions, sharpness oil, hard forging oil... when all of these are available, it feels like our combat power is multiplied tenfold."

"Yes, I agree."

"I can't really say. It might be a bit dangerous to claim a tenfold increase."

"That's true. It might be safer to simply recognize that our combat power is enhanced."

"Agreed."

Kail is responsible for this village. It's better to be cautious.

"By the way, about the mithril, Reifan was pressured to sell it immediately. What do you think is the best course of action?"

Personally, as long as we have the necessary amount, I plan to follow Kail's judgment.

"Let's hold off on exporting for a while."

"Agreed."

Kail's immediate decision is met with Reifan's agreement.

"Is there a reason for this?"

"Well, actually, there has been a significant technological innovation in mithril processing recently. And it has spread rapidly."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Blacksmiths who couldn't handle mithril before can now do so, which has caused the demand for mithril to skyrocket."

"Ah, the market price has been rising steadily, too."

"Yes, that's right."

I see. If we want to sell it for the best price, we should wait until the market price peaks. If we flood the market now, we might be resented by other merchants.

"Understood. But, this is a personal request, I would like to allow the sale of weapons and armor to adventurers based in the village."

Otherwise, the plan won't progress.

"Agreed. I'll think about the sales method, but I'll find a way to sell to the adventurers."

"Thanks."

"Raidock's group should be able to equip themselves fairly quickly with the money they earn."

"Indeed."

Selling the cyclops materials will net Raidock's group a significant amount of money. Considering their usual performance, they will likely start equipping themselves with mithril gear.

"Then, let's start making mithril ingots tomorrow."

"Actually, there's something I want you to make first."

"What is it?"

"A large cauldron made of an alloy of mithril, iron, and copper."

"A large cauldron?"

"Yes, I want you to make an alchemy cauldron."

This marks the next step in alchemy.