Chapter 16

Well, first I need to go report to the guild.

I opened the guild’s door as usual and spoke to Sally.

"Hello, I’ve come to report on a request. It’s about the Green Wolf extermination."

"Sure, please hand over your guild card. Did you manage to kill around 700 today?"

Sally took my guild card and made a fairly accurate guess with a laugh. But in reality, including those I encountered on the way, it was 513. That’s about a 30% error.

"Not quite that many. It was 513."

I felt like I had lost. Maybe I should have looked for 200 more. I’d need to find another pack.

"Huh? 513, you say. By the way, where did you defeat these Green Wolves?"

Seeing my disappointed face, Sally’s smile grew even wider. It seemed a bit unnatural, but it was probably just my imagination.

"I encountered a large pack of Green Wolves about ten minutes down in the forest. I managed to wipe them out using magic and swords, and that’s how I got this many."

Sally looked a bit puzzled after hearing my story.

"Green Wolves...? Was it just one pack?"

"Yes, but is there something wrong?"

"No, it’s just that Green Wolves don’t usually form such large packs. At most, they form groups of five or so, and occasionally, if they have an excellent leader, groups of about 100. I’ve never heard of a pack of 500."

So, I was either very unlucky... or very lucky. I managed to defeat them and learned how to fight them. If I hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t be here.

"Anyway, let’s settle up. 10 Tels per wolf, so that’s 5130 Tels. By the way, are you selling the Green Wolf corpses?"

"Yes, I plan to sell all of them. Should I go to the counter?"

"Ah, if possible, I’d appreciate it if you could hold off on selling all of them here. The guild has facilities to preserve ingredients, but the capacity is limited. According to guild rules, if you insist on selling, we’ll buy them, but could you limit it to around 100? We can use the magic stones, but it’s a waste to let the meat spoil, and it’s not good for hygiene..."

That makes sense. Not everyone has an item box. Storing and transporting ingredients to other towns isn’t easy.

"I understand. So, 100 at the counter?"

"Yes, please."

Sally moved to the buyback counter. I started placing the best-conditioned Green Wolf corpses on it, and Sally tossed them into something at her feet. It must be a storage entrance or something. Thinking about it, it’s quite practical.

After handing over 100, I returned to the original counter and received the payment. 200 Tels per wolf, so that’s 25130 Tels. I thanked her and left the guild.

Next, it’s the blacksmith. My armor didn’t get damaged or dirty, but I felt I had used my shield and sword quite a bit, so I decided to have them checked.

I opened the door to Dovelaug’s shop. Dovelaug was unusually manning the store.

"Hello, I’ve come to request maintenance for my sword and shield, as I used them heavily in battle."

"Sure, let me see them."

I handed over my sword and shield. Dovelaug examined and poked them, then returned the shield to me.

"The shield doesn’t need repair. The sword, however, needs to be resharpened. 500 Tels, okay?"

"Yes, that’s fine."

I handed over 50 copper coins, which were counted by my item box.

"Alright, it’ll take about 30 minutes. What do you want to do?"

"I don’t have anything else to do, so I’ll watch."

"Alright."

Dovelaug moved to the workshop and started sharpening the sword.

"You’re pretty good with a sword, aren’t you? From the wear on this sword and the condition of the shield, it looks like you’ve been hunting a lot of Green Wolves. It’s not a number you could get in two or three days."

"You can tell that from the sword?"

Yes, from the state of the sword, you can tell what you’ve been fighting. Blacksmiths are amazing.

"Yeah, mostly. The detailed scratches on the shield suggest you’ve taken hits, but the shield isn’t warped, which narrows it down. Then, the sword’s damage almost confirms it. The way these scratches look, you can probably sweep through 2 or 3 at a time. The older scratches aren’t as deep, but the newer ones are."

Blacksmiths are amazing!!!

"Yes, that’s right. I think it’s because my level has increased."

"Ah, I see. ...There, it’s done."

He handed me the sword, which now gleamed like new.

Actually, it’s probably a bit worn down.

"But I think you should consider changing your sword eventually. A quenched carbon steel sword is strong for an iron sword, but it’s still iron. It can’t stand up to materials from excellent monsters or special metals. Of course, they’re expensive, so it’s a matter of when you have the money."

That’s true. I’d like to get a sword made from dragon materials or something. It would be romantic and strong.

"If you’re alive, you’ll probably end up using such materials someday, but you’ll likely have to leave this town. There aren’t many skilled people here. If you want a good sword or shield in other lands, look for a dwarf’s shop. Dwarves take pride in their weapons, and if a mediocre blacksmith opens a shop, they’ll shut it down. They say it’s to protect the pride of the dwarves. So, you won’t find a bad dwarf blacksmith. Of course, I’m one of the best among them."

Dovelaug laughed. It’s nice of him to recommend other good shops.

"By the way, how much would a sword made from dragon materials cost...?"

"Ah, it would be a wyvern or sub-dragon. Such swords start at 400 million Tels. There’s not much material that can be used for the blade. A sturdy sword made from bones would be cheaper, but it’s more of a blunt weapon with a blade, which wouldn’t suit your fighting style. True dragons haven’t been found in centuries, so you can’t get them. There are a few that exist as national treasures. If a real dragon appeared, it would cause a country to fall and create a big commotion."

That’s expensive! I can’t afford it, idiot!

Moreover, a real dragon can destroy a country. Dragons are truly in a different league.

"That’s incredibly expensive. What kind of sword should I aim for, then?"

"A decent sword that you can switch to would cost around 5 million Tels. Anything cheaper wouldn’t make much of a difference. A good option would be a sword with a Metal Lizard Metal blade attached to a sub-dragon bone. A fully Metal Lizard Metal sword would be more durable and almost unbreakable, but it would cost four times as much. The blade alone is still harder and more durable than sub-dragon, so I recommend it. It won’t set your enemies on fire, though."

Do sub-dragon swords set enemies on fire...?

The name "Metal Lizard Metal" is a bit confusing...

Is it a metal from a Metal Lizard? I’ll ask.

"What is Metal Lizard Metal?"

"There’s a B-rank large lizard called a Metal Lizard. It’s called that because its body is covered in extremely hard metal. It occasionally appears, and when it does in a town like this with few proper mages, it causes significant damage. Its armor, which is 4 cm thick and made of metal, covers its entire body, making it almost impossible to penetrate with a sword. It’s also large, heavy, and strong, so shields are useless. It’s known as a swordsman killer. The armor from this creature is called Metal Lizard Metal."

That’s a terrifying creature. I probably won’t encounter one, though.

I thanked him and left the shop.

It’s still light, so I decided to gather Zunana herbs before heading home.

I went outside the gate and entered the forest as usual. It was a routine herb-gathering session.

After about five minutes of gathering, a Green Wolf appeared. I silenced it with a rock spear and resumed gathering. The herbs made satisfying popping sounds as I collected them.

After about eight more minutes, another Green Wolf appeared. I dealt with it the same way.

I continued gathering herbs and defeating Green Wolves, but I noticed there were more Green Wolves than usual.

However, it wasn’t a problem as long as the income was high. I couldn’t sell them immediately, but each Green Wolf, including the bounty, was worth 210 Tels, and the herbs were worth 7 each.

Maybe they were attracted by the blood smell on my clothes. I tried leaving a Green Wolf corpse and resumed gathering herbs.

The Green Wolves still attacked, but the number didn’t increase just because I left a corpse.

The smell, whether from the blood on my clothes or the real corpse, was still there.

It was getting dark, so I decided to call it a day, have dinner, and go to bed. I could settle up tomorrow.