Chapter 26

Starting today, I will supply goods to Kamiro, but for today, I will limit it to just 10 knives and 4 longswords. Each set includes one high-end model, and I received payment for those as well. I will keep the remaining 4 knives and 2 longswords in my possession, as I have taken a space in the free market and want to sell them myself.

In the end, today's sales were just 2 knives and 1 longsword bought by Mr. Marius's colleague. I guess the people who were thinking of buying have already made their purchases... I'm a bit worried about the sales of the goods I supplied, but I'll have to rely on Kamiro.

During the breaks in my business at the free market, I sent Sermia and Rike to buy dried root vegetables, salt, and grains. I thought about thanking Mr. Marius if I saw him on the way back, but I didn't see him. I think I will come to supply goods once a week from now on, so I'll do it next time.

On the way back, I didn't have much luggage, so I arrived home about 30 minutes earlier than usual. It was a full day of work, so I was tired. After putting away the things I bought and cleaning off the dirt from my trip (even though it was a day trip), I decided to go to bed early.

Starting the next day, I will continue with construction and blacksmithing. From now on, I will work on the high-end models, while Rike will work on the standard models. Additionally, I will start making new weapons. To be specific, I will start making short swords. There will be three lengths—knives, short swords, and longswords—each with high-end and standard models. The short sword will be the same as the longsword in terms of construction, just a different length. The idea is to choose based on the ease of handling and the intended use.

After about two days, I finished papering the walls of the room and the corridor, and I had some stock of blacksmithing work. Then, an incident occurred. Sermia went hunting and encountered a large black bear. When I heard this, the scene from the day we met Sermia came back to my mind.

"Hey, are you okay!? Are you hurt!?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I ran away as soon as I noticed it. I think I put some distance between us, but that guy has a good nose, so he might be following me."

"I see..."

I was relieved that Sermia was safe, but I had to think about what to do next. If the bear follows her, it could be troublesome. If it wanders around here and we run into it somewhere, it will definitely be a problem.

The person most likely to run into it is me, as I go to fetch water every morning, but Sermia and Rike also go outside sometimes. If they run into it...

I shook my head to clear the bad thoughts. I have to do something about this. Fighting with a knife is out of the question, and I don't have time to prepare a custom longsword. However, I could try the custom short spear I made but haven't tested yet. It might be a good opportunity.

"I'm going out for a bit."

"Eh, wait, you can't be serious."

"I'll take care of it if it's around. Lock the door from both sides until I get back."

"Then I'm coming too!"

"No, I don't have the confidence to protect you and retreat if something happens. I have some experience. I'm not doubting Sermia's archery skills, but please let me handle this."

"Damn... You better come back."

"Boss, I also ask you to come back. Please come back."

"Yeah. We're a family now. I won't die and leave you all behind."

I took the short spear from the workshop and went outside. I heard Sermia and the others lock the door as instructed, and I entered the forest.

I thought the forest was unusually dark today, and it started raining. This is the first time it has rained since I came to this world... I headed in the direction where I felt I might encounter something dangerous. Usually, when I go to town, I rely on Sermia, and I don't feel much danger from small threats. But with a large black bear, even I can sense the danger. After all, I could easily die if I'm not careful. I tried to find the sound of the bear amidst the rain, while blending my own sounds with the rain.

According to what Sermia told me, even without the rain, the bear should have returned to its den by now. If that were the case, my cheater's intuition wouldn't be sensing danger. Since it is, the bear is still wandering around. It might have gotten a taste for human flesh, which reminds me of the bear attacks I saw in my previous world. If that's the case, it's likely to be a threat to the beastmen living in this forest and humans in general. Today, with the rain masking my scent, I have a chance. If so, I have to do it today.

"Get ready, Eizo."

In my previous world, I was willing to sacrifice my life to save a cat, but in this world, I'm trying to kill a bear. The irony made me smile wryly. I slowly, slowly moved toward the dangerous area. How long had it been? It felt both long and short.

All my senses—danger detection, survival instinct, and survival knowledge—were screaming at maximum volume that this place was dangerous.

I found "It."