Chapter 16

"Hey, Sermia."

"What? That's creepy."

"That's harsh... Anyway, I've made some new knives and a longsword, so I'm thinking of going to town to sell them. It's been about a week since we last went, right? It's a shame to forget people who might remember us, so I think it's a good idea to go."

"That's true... Alright, I'll go with you."

"It's bad of me to ask when you're about to start hunting again."

"It's fine, really. It's not urgent."

So, Sermia and I decided to prepare and head to town.

Sermia carried a bow and a knife. It's good to have a way to attack from a distance in case of emergencies. The arrowheads for her bow are my special design.

I packed the knives I was selling into a backpack, put some simple food for the journey in a separate pouch, and hung it on my waist. I debated what to do with the longswords but ended up bundling them together and tying them to the top of my backpack. I kept one on my left hip for self-defense, and a dagger in my pocket.

I was inwardly overjoyed that my outfit looked like something I had seen in illustrations from my previous world, but Sermia noticed.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Nothing, just hoping the longswords will sell well."

"Hmm..."

She was quite suspicious, but didn't press the issue further. Maybe she's gotten used to my odd moments of joy, or maybe she thinks all craftsmen are a bit eccentric.

We walked through the forest. The longswords made it heavier than usual, but with my enhanced strength, it didn't slow me down. If we had to stop frequently, I'd consider using a cart, but for now, it wasn't necessary.

However, if we had to carry 20 short spears and 20 longswords, it would be physically difficult, so I might need to start cutting down trees in preparation for that.

We took a short break, and just when we were about 30 minutes from the road, Sermia stopped. Something was there.

"What is it?"

"The smell of blood is strong, making it hard to tell. Something that eats meat is around. It's probably a forest wolf... They've probably noticed us."

"What do we do?"

"Let's observe for a bit. The smell of blood suggests they've caught something and are eating it, so they probably won't come our way once they're satisfied."

"I see."

"If they do come—"

"If they do come?"

"Then it's time to use what you have on your hip, Eizou."

It seemed wise to listen to Sermia, who has more experience living in the forest.

After a while, Sermia said quietly,

"Looks like they're moving away."

"Good."

I sighed in relief. The weapon on my hip would be useful in an emergency, but since it's for sale, I'd rather avoid anything that might make it unsellable. It was fortunate that it didn't come to that.

As we continued toward the road, I asked Sermia,

"What do forest wolves usually catch?"

"Various things. Mostly tree deer. Sometimes grass rabbits or earth rats. We hunt tree deer too, but we don't eat the internal organs except the heart, so some creatures come for the leftovers."

When I asked about "grass rabbits" and "earth rats," she explained that grass rabbits have thin, green ears that look like grass, and earth rats are brown and live in holes in the ground. Apparently, most creatures in this forest use camouflage to survive by deceiving their enemies. This suggests that there are keen-eyed predators at the top of the food chain, like dragons...

"Hey, do dragons exist?"

"Dragons? I've never seen one, but I've heard they exist."

They exist. I'd like to see one, but I'm not confident I'd survive. Maybe I'll save that for the final thrill of this second life.

We reached the town without incident. Marius was on guard at the entrance.

"Ah, hello."

I greeted him.

"Oh, it's you. I was worried when you didn't show up."

"Sorry, we ran out of stock and had to make more. Thanks to you, Marius."

"Ah, that. I was a bit surprised by that. I hope it didn't cause any problems."

"No, no, no problems at all."

"That's good... So, are these today's items?"

"Yes, the usual knives and some new longswords."

"I see. I might come by later, so take care."

"Sure, I'll be waiting."

After exchanging greetings with Marius, we headed to the market. We paid the fee, set up the sales stand, and arranged a few knives and one longsword. The textile merchant from last time was nearby, so I waved to him. It was time to start business for the day.

Since it would be a while before things got busy, I asked Sermia to run an errand. We needed to replenish our food supplies, which had dwindled over the past week. The money from our last sale would easily cover it.

By the time Sermia returned, I had sold four knives. It seemed the guards were fond of them and often saw them in use.

In addition to the knives, I had sold two longswords. Both were bought by the same person, a traveling merchant who would use one and resell the other. He laughed, saying it wouldn't be a problem even if he couldn't sell it. Traveling merchants want to carry items that are sure to sell, so he probably had a buyer in mind.

Traveling sounds a bit appealing. If I ever have the spare time, maybe I'll take Sermia on a company trip. Who knows when that will be, though.

Just as we were about to leave, Marius and a colleague came by, and we sold two more longswords.

"Is it okay? I appreciate the sales, but aren't weapons like these provided by the lord?"

"Sure, the ones for guard duty are, but not for personal training. It's inevitable that they might bring their training weapons by mistake."

Marius winked, looking even more charming than usual.