Chapter 17

I will head towards the board where 10th-grade requests are posted.

To accept a request, it seems you have to be quick and bring the request form to the reception.

However, there are also requests with no upper limit, such as gathering spices and herbs.

At a glance, the requests include demolition and transportation of debris from abandoned houses, cargo transport for road construction, babysitting, copying books, and cleaning houses.

Most of the requests are completed within the village. The rewards vary widely; even for babysitting, the difference can be around 50%.

Is that because of the children's level of mischief?

Among these, gathering herbs in the northern forest is quite efficient. Although the types of herbs differ, it's nearly twice as efficient compared to gathering herbs in the southern forest.

I'm curious about the reasons, so I'll ask the girl at the reception.

Registration doesn't happen very often, so I'll try asking the girl from earlier.

"Regarding the gathering in the northern forest? In the southern forest, due to the blessing of the plant deity, large carnivores and monsters do not appear. However, in the northern forest, there is no such blessing, and because it is filled with magical elements, large carnivores and monsters frequently appear. While their territories are somewhat fixed, making the threat level low, it's not recommended for beginners. For more details, there should be information about the northern forest in the library on the 2nd floor. Please check there."

Honestly, I can't risk my life without any information. In typical other-world scenarios, I might just go there and be awesome, but that's impossible for a middle-aged man like me.

Information is the weapon. I've always wondered where that reckless courage comes from.

So, I'll go up to the 2nd floor and open the library.

Parchments are neatly bundled and placed. A small girl is busily organizing the documents.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt your work. Do you have any materials on the northern forest?"

The girl finally notices me and turns around, flustered.

"Yes, materials on the northern forest. Would a rough map, the species and territories, and the vegetation be sufficient?"

Wow, a perfect response. She looks like a committee chair with her braids and glasses.

She's cute, but I'm not a lolicon. At least, not until she's as old as Rizathia, who is 15. Is that a lolicon...? I might be called that by Backbeard-sama.

Anyway, it's not like I can be a lolicon with someone taller than me, and she's an adult. Well, it's pointless to think about it.

"Here are the materials. Please return them to the counter after you're done."

She bows and returns to her work. She's like a lively guardian spirit.

"So, the northern forest..."

First, I'll use the 5km distance from the edge of the southern forest to this village as a reference.

The northern forest is also about 5km away, but it's an ellipse that stretches east-west, with a major axis of about 35km.

The scale on the map is probably rough, but this is quite large.

As a resident of Hyogo Prefecture, a good comparison would be the 35km or so from Sannomiya to Osaka via the Hanshin Expressway.

"It encompasses three large cities. If you get lost, you might not be able to return."

Regarding the species, the largest carnivore is a bear, a 3-meter class. The center is the territory of a group, so the probability of encountering one is low.

There are also wolves. Their territory is quite extensive, and they are reportedly seen even at the forest's edge.

As for poisonous creatures, it seems there are only the Aodaishomodoki I ate the other day. It's a good thing this is the first village and the level is low. It's not an RPG, after all.

Regarding the monsters, here are the details:

- Horned rabbit? Monocorn Rabbit. Herbivorous, but it charges with its horn when large animals approach for self-defense.

- The long-awaited Goblin. It's called a Goblin, so it's a Goblin. They are said to have evolved intelligence and arm themselves in groups.

- Green monkey? It's called a Green Monkey. They eat fruits and insects but attack after warning if other large animals enter their territory.

There are a few others, but they are not clearly reported and are not listed in the materials.

The rabbits and monkeys are fine, but the Goblin. In RPGs, they're cannon fodder, but a bipedal creature with a weapon is a real threat.

For example, a man waving a knife in the city is already a case. You can only call the police. It's terrifying to encounter one suddenly in the forest.

Regarding the vegetation, it seems to be profitable, but there are no detailed records. However, the herbs mentioned in the request are likely to be found somewhere in the northern forest.

As the girl said, I'll return the materials to the counter.

"For now, I'll see the actual herbs."

I go down to the 1st floor and ask the girl at the reception again.

"Excuse me, do you have the actual Vass grass?"

"Yes, please wait a moment. ...Here it is. For gathering, please bring the roots of those over 20cm."

Holding the Vass grass, I whisper.

"I will use 'Recognition.'"

Hmm. It seems to contain a slight anesthetic component.

The magical elements absorbed by the plant transform into a magical component that enhances the plant's healing power, which in turn boosts the body's natural healing ability.

I've always wondered why eating herbs in RPGs heals wounds, but this is the process. I'm a bit moved.

"By the way, what is this grass used for?"

"At the Alchemist Guild, the medicinal components are extracted and made into healing ointments."

Ah, as expected. Concentrating it would indeed increase its effectiveness.

Since I confirmed it with 'Recognition,' I should be able to gather it without mistakes.

Just in case, I'll also check the proof parts of the monsters I confirmed earlier. I might not encounter them, but it would be troublesome to bring them back after a fight.

Hunting starts from the 9th grade. For the three species I mentioned, the material requests are the horns of the Monocorn Rabbit. For the Goblin and Green Monkey, it's the nose, and for the Monocorn Rabbit, it's both ears.

There is no upper limit for these as well.

"I want to accept a request for 800 wyr for 5 Vass grass. Is there any procedure needed?"

"Since there is no upper limit, no special procedure is required. Please bring the actual items to the appraisal counter over there."

With that, I'll prepare for my job.

I'll return to Ast's house and borrow two machetes, a leather cord, and two burlap bags from Tisha.

I'll put one machete in a sheath and attach it to my belt. The other one I'll tie to the end of the snake staff I made the day before yesterday with the leather cord to make a simple glaive.

In the Middle Ages, peasants sometimes used machetes as glaives, so it's not that strange.

I know a bit of kendo from my student days, so I understand that in combat, long weapons are overwhelmingly advantageous.

Honestly, a person with a knife is much more frightening than a person with a metal pipe, even if they have the same level of skill.

It's difficult to thrust without a tip, but if you hit with a solid piece of metal, it will deal damage whether it pierces or not.

"Alright, let's go."

With the preparations done, I tell Tisha that I'm going to the northern forest.

She hands me a wrapped lump, which she prepared.

"It's lunch. I'm sorry it's not much."

I hadn't thought about lunch at all, so I was very grateful.

I fill my water bottle with water and leave the house.

Here we go, my first adventure.