Chapter 14

"Hey, kid. It looks like you've gathered the promised number. I really appreciate it."

The traveling merchant who had come to buy the bricks I created with magic said this. According to him, the brick market was currently booming. He had even said he would buy as many as I could provide.

Given that my plan to mass-produce high-end tableware and live a carefree life had quickly vanished, I thought it would be nice to at least give the boastful merchant who said he would buy bricks no matter what a bit of a surprise. So, I told him, "Next time you come, I'll have prepared several times, no, ten times as many bricks."

It seems that because I had been delivering sandals seriously until now, the merchant took my words seriously and came well-prepared. He had secured a means of transportation to carry the heavy bricks and had returned to the village.

"What the... Is this thing... a monster...?"

I couldn't help but mutter when I saw the transportation the merchant had prepared. It was impossible for a person to carry heavy bricks on their back. So, the merchant had brought a larger cart than usual. However, what was pulling the cart was neither a human nor a horse or donkey.

It was a two-legged creature with a body covered in scales, sharp claws on its hands and feet, and eyes that gleamed with a raised gaze. It looked like a large lizard or crocodile standing on its hind legs. The moment our eyes met, it opened its mouth, which protruded forward from its nose, revealing large, jagged teeth. If it were to bite, I would surely die. Such a creature definitely did not exist in my previous life.

"Haha, is this your first time seeing a riding dragon? What do you think? It's pretty cool, right? You said you'd prepare a large number of bricks, so I brought this strong one."

"Riding dragon? So, this is a dragon?"

"Hmm? No, it's not a real dragon. This is a type of working beast."

"Working beast? What's that?"

I asked, unfamiliar with the term. I climbed onto the cart, and the merchant picked up the bricks from the ground and handed them to me. As I helped stack them neatly without toppling, the merchant explained about the working beasts.

A working beast, as the name suggests, is a creature that humans use. However, it's not like they capture wild animals and use them. That's because working beasts are raised from eggs by humans.

If you carry a working beast's egg with you, it absorbs the magic power of the person holding it. The egg grows by using this absorbed magic power as nourishment. When the egg hatches, the creature that emerges is extremely obedient to its human parent.

That's not all. Working beasts grow differently depending on the magic power they absorb. Some, like the one in front of me, are two-legged reptiles, while others have completely different forms. In other words, the appearance of the working beast depends entirely on the person who raises the egg. Therefore, people who can raise unique or highly practical working beasts are highly valued. Conversely, many people can only raise useless working beasts. In fact, more people can't even hatch the eggs.

Riding dragons are apparently very popular among working beasts. They are strong, sturdy, and brave. Interestingly, real dragons also exist in this world. The fact that riding dragons resemble these powerful dragons in appearance is one of the reasons for their popularity. Other popular types include durable horse-like ones and flying bird-like working beasts.

"Hmm. So, these working beasts are expensive to buy?"

"Of course. They're almost like valuable assets. Just so you know, don't play with it."

No, I wouldn't do that.

Actually, I heard something very interesting. While I said I would sell bricks, the current demand was due to a special need, and it was uncertain if it would continue. I had been thinking about securing multiple items to sell.

Working beasts that can be ridden, or even those that can carry heavy loads, are always in demand. The fact that their appearance depends entirely on the person raising them means that no one knows what will happen until they try. So, I decided to try raising a working beast's egg. If I get a good one, it would surely be a big win. That's why I asked the merchant to bring a working beast's egg the next time he came. However, I didn't realize at the time that the price of the egg would be so high that it would barely cover all the money I had earned so far.

Thank you for reading.

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