Chapter 55

Today, the adventurer is taking a break. Koushin and Rada are also acting separately. I was standing alone in the town square, watching the flow of people. I sat down at the corner of a flower bed, lost in thought about the passersby.

Beastfolk, carriages, dwarves, and creatures I couldn't quite identify...

I still get excited by such scenes. There are still so many things to see for the first time.

A small child ran past me, carrying a load that must have been three times their size. A dwarf... no, a halfling, perhaps. They can be short but still adults. Sometimes, even I get mistaken.

Generally, people in this world are tough and strong. They also mature early. They walk and talk early, get married young, and usually have children by the age of 15. No wonder a 7-year-old traveling alone isn't frowned upon.

Is it because of the monsters? I haven't felt any danger in the city so far, but apparently, stampedes can ravage villages and towns. Maybe they can't afford to take their time with babies. The average lifespan seems short, but thanks to potions, it might not be as short as I thought. The population just doesn't seem to grow much.

Speaking of potions, the bottles are apparently made by alchemists. I was surprised to find out there are alchemists. Moreover, they are made using magic. It's strange to see such intricate glass bottles in a world where glass windows are hardly common. They're probably not glass, strictly speaking. I'd like to see how they make them someday.

I'm not sure if skills are good or not. Maybe it's because the usage isn't widespread. I don't know who gives them or for what purpose, but they seem rather crude. For example, magic manipulation. Rada has something similar called magic control. I don't really understand how they differ. One thing I can think of is the user's consciousness. I taught Koushin magic manipulation, and Koushin learned it as magic manipulation. Rada learned magic control from her master. So, the skill name is determined by the user's consciousness. If I had said "divine eye" instead of "appraisal," the skill might have been called "divine eye."

Anyway, as long as it makes sense to the user, that's fine.

Speaking of skills, Koushin is currently learning sword skills.

Last night, we decided to eat out at a restaurant where many adventurers gather. The food was decent, but I overheard a useful conversation. Apparently, sword skills include things like flying slashes and flames. Koushin was almost speechless with surprise.

It seems that while adventurers use these skills regularly, the guards haven't adopted them. Koushin only learned sword skills as a guard. Maybe they thought these skills weren't suitable for combat, or they couldn't do the same things, or they tried and failed. In any case, Koushin was eager to learn. The kind-hearted adventurers agreed to teach him during training. He must be swinging his sword around enthusiastically right now. I declined, as I don't have sword skills, and I don't want to mess things up with my strange advice.

This is the frustrating part about skills. You can't reproduce or imagine what you haven't seen. And there aren't many opportunities to see others' skills. There are no schools or dojos for this. Even nobles seem to learn from their families.

Finding a good teacher is important, but most people tend to keep their skills secret, so they don't develop. However, just seeing them doesn't mean you can do them.

I tapped the magic bag attached to my waist. I'm carrying it today. Actually, I think Koushin got tired of me constantly asking for this and that, so I've taken over. The rumors have spread enough, so it should be fine. Apparently, it also has a feature that makes it hard to steal.

Right now, I'm training the magic bag. I know it sounds strange, but I'm trying to encourage it to learn time stop. I'm praising it to help it grow. Yes, it's confusing.

Tap tap. You're an excellent magic bag. You should be able to learn time stop on your own. You can do it. You're cool! The best! My magic bag is the best in the world! Keep it up, learn the ultimate skill called time stop!

I'm doing this in my head, with a serious face. I'm an idiot.

Anyway, I asked the kind adventurers about meat preservation methods. They don't have magic bags, so they only take requests for nearby monster meat. They go out with wagons, load up, and return, but apparently, the meat only lasts 2-3 days if the blood isn't drained. Hmm, that's a problem.

The restaurant owner also said that processed meat doesn't last long, so most of what's sold is unprocessed. The blood, which contains magic, might be affecting it. I remember they said to extract the magic stone after reaching the guild. Of course, if the meat isn't needed, they extract the magic stone on the spot.

Time stop is essential. Incidentally, adventurers with time stop-enabled magic bags are very popular in the guild.

*Clank*

A dry sound. I looked in the direction of the sound and saw a bottle disappearing with a sparkle. This is the magic of fantasy. Potion bottles disappear when you hit them, so you can heal injured people in battle by throwing them. Of course, you can also open the cap and drink them normally.

Knowing that the bottles are made by alchemists, it makes sense that they disappear. It's still mysterious, though.

*Roar*

A lizard-type mount, walking slowly, let out a surprisingly cute sound. I wonder if there are any Chobos around. No, that's not right. There are horses, after all.

I should head back. If I leave Rada alone, she'll keep compounding potions. She's recently shown interest in my makeshift spices. She's not good at calculations, but she absorbs what she likes quickly.

I stood up and made my way through the crowd. I wonder what we'll have for dinner tonight.