Chapter 30

The next morning, after fetching water, I prepared to go to town with Sermia and Rike.

"Today, we’ll unload the weapons, stock up on iron ore and coal, and then plan to head back after getting some salt. Is there anything you want to do?"

"No, not really."

"I don’t have anything either."

"Got it. Then we’ll head straight back... I’ll allocate that time to work."

"Understood."

"Alright."

For the inventory transport, Rike and I share the load. Rike, who looks like a small girl, has incredible strength, being a dwarf. Sermia, a tiger beastgirl, is also strong, but as a guard, I don’t want her to carry too much extra baggage.

The three of us walked through the "Black Forest." I thought it would be a quiet day, but Sermia sensed the presence of forest wolves twice, causing us to stop moving and take a break.

"Maybe because I took care of the bear?"

"That could be it, but it’s also the time when they start having cubs."

"Feeding the mothers, huh?"

"Right. In about a month, you might see them with their cubs. They’re cute. Don’t get too close, but if you just watch from a distance, they won’t do anything."

"Listening to you, the wolves in this forest seem quite gentle."

Rike voiced her doubt, which I also felt. I thought they would attack if humans were around, but it seems that unless provoked, the wolves in this forest don’t do anything.

"Yeah, there’s plenty of prey here—tree deer, grass rabbits, and so on. They can hunt those. The forest has many trees, making it easier to limit escape routes, and it’s not that difficult a hunt for the wolves. And..."

"And?"

"Because Rike and I are strong. How about you, Rike? Anyway, ordinary people in town would be attacked. It’s simple; they’re the weakest prey. I said before that those who smell like humans are less likely to be attacked, but that’s only for those living near the forest."

"I see. I should avoid going out alone, then."

"Yeah. When you go out, it’s better to take Rike or me."

Rike, despite her appearance, has strength and courage, but she’s not particularly skilled in combat. Considering the risk of being attacked by forest wolves, it’s better to take me or Sermia.

"Still, it’s quite family-oriented for the forest wolves to hunt for their pregnant mothers."

This time, it was my thought.

"They’re smart, too. Some scholars in the city say that a group of wolf beastgirls who lived in the forest eventually turned back into wolves, and they are the ancestors of the forest wolves."

"Is that true?"

"Of course not. But they are smart enough to make you think so. I’ve heard from travelers that the wolves in the plains can’t compare to them."

"Wow."

Perhaps they developed their intelligence because hunting was easy... No, maybe it’s because it was easy that they had the leisure to develop their intelligence. Without the room for trial and error, where failure rates are acceptable, they wouldn’t even try. This is what makes the other world interesting.

We continued our conversation as we walked through the forest. In the end, nothing happened on the road from the forest to the town. Even though the road is only used about once a week, we’ve never encountered bandits. Even without Sermia and Rike, there’s no sign of beastgirls or sub-humans being mistreated in town, so this world might be more advanced than I thought... Maybe the situation is different inside the walls, but I have no intention of checking.

Today’s guard wasn’t Mr. Marius, but a colleague who had bought a longsword with me. He seemed to have tested my longsword and said he would come to Camillo’s shop later when I told him about the high-end models I was unloading.

When I went to Camillo’s shop, it was bigger than I expected. Not only was it spacious, but it also had a second floor.

"Wow, it’s big..."

"Yeah, I was a bit surprised too."

I wondered if our products would be suitable for such a large store. Inside, it looked like there were various items, as Camillo had said. I asked a staff member if Camillo was around, and they said they would call him, so I took a look around the store. There were household items like dishes and baskets, and high-end items like salt, sugar, and spices. There were also alcoholic beverages like firewater, wine, and ale. My weapons were displayed in a slightly secluded area, with a general model and a high-end model of a knife and a longsword each.

"Looking at them like this, they really feel like merchandise."

Sermia said with a sense of nostalgia.

"Yeah. In a free market, they’d just be on a display stand."

I don’t have a sense of display, but even I felt that the display was quite good.

As I was looking around, Camillo arrived.

"Hey, you made it. Follow me, let’s talk in the back."

"Got it."

We followed Camillo in a group. We were led to a room on the second floor, which seemed to be set up for negotiations and meetings. It was spacious, with a large table and chairs. Camillo gestured for us to sit, and he sat on the opposite side. Once everyone was seated, I started the conversation.

"Today, I brought knives, longswords, and short swords. How many do you want to take?"

"Hmm? Ah, we’ll take all of what you brought. They’re actually selling quite well."

"Really? That’s good to hear. Still, it’s a big store. Were you a well-known merchant?"

"Yeah, I was pretty well-known. Also, we sell to everyone—ordinary citizens, travelers, and even other merchants—so the variety of items increases, and the store naturally gets bigger."

It reminds me of a similar store in my previous world. If this is groundbreaking in this world, I hope it thrives. I’d be happy if my weapons could help.

"I see."

"More importantly..."

Camillo looked serious. Maybe he couldn’t get the iron ore.

"Huh? What’s up? If you don’t have the iron ore, I can come back another time, no problem."

"No, it’s not that. Actually, I have a request to make a custom sword for you."

"A custom sword..."

Considering the performance of the custom swords I make, I can’t just make them for anyone, but if I keep saying that, custom swords will always be for family use. I need to provide them to someone eventually.

Seeing me deep in thought, Camillo said,

"Well, if you say no, I’ll turn it down for you."

"I wouldn’t mind selling it to the right person..."

"Really? Then it’s probably fine. I can vouch for both their sword skills and character."

"Hmm..."

But I want to judge for myself. However, it’s not practical to meet every time this comes up... Oh, right.

"Then, how about this: if they can come to my workshop alone, I’ll make it for them."

"Is that okay?"

"Yeah, I’ll give you the location."

If they can navigate the Black Forest, where forest wolves roam, to my workshop (and home), they must be skilled. I can make a sword for someone like that.

"Then, I’ll say that."

"Feel free to tell anyone else you think is good, too."

"Got it."

"Sermia and Rike, I’m sorry, but can you let me do this?"

"Of course, Master."

"Same here."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

Then, I told Camillo the location of my house and moved on to the transaction.