Chapter 10

On the way back from the western hill, I kept defeating monsters and reached LV4, learning the skill <Gathering LV1>. My holy magic also improved, but I think it's because I used purification for cleaning the room and the composite magic <Drying>. Since I haven't used other magic, they haven't improved. Actually, when I reached LV3, I had already learned <Observation>, so I achieved my temporary goal.

Regarding the monster hunting, I received an official stamp of approval that I could handle it without any problems. However, it was also pointed out that if I continue solo, it would be dangerous in terms of magic usage, especially in battles involving multiple enemies or long distances. It seems that the approach to solo and party battles is different. Leonis's words about survival carry a lot of weight. He must have lost many acquaintances to reach the A-rank, right?

I feel sorry, but I don't think I have the mental strength to continue even if I lose my companions. To be honest, I don't have the confidence to get along well with my companions.

"Clayne, here. Take the prey you caught today to the guild and have it disassembled. If you're motivated, try to attend a disassembly training session sometime."

"Understood. I'll deliver the rabbit meat later."

"No, you caught it, didn't you?"

"I can't eat it all... Think of it as a return for the feast you treated me to yesterday."

"Alright, alright... This concludes your training. Make sure you earn a living as an adventurer."

"Yes! I'll do my best."

At the entrance to the town, I parted ways with my master and Leonis. I thought Leonis needed to return to the guild, but apparently, he doesn't need to show up today because he has registered to be a trainer.

I'll go to the guild and have the prey disassembled. My master also said, "Rabbit meat is delicious," so I'll divide it into portions for my master and Leonis and bring it as a gift.

"Excuse me, I'd like to request a disassembly..."

When I went to the disassembly workshop behind the guild, there was a gruff-looking old man with a beard. He was shorter than an average adult male, and his ears were slightly pointed. He might be a dwarf, common in fantasy settings. He looked good in his work clothes.

"Um, I'm a new adventurer. I'd like to request the disassembly of the monsters I caught today... um, six Horn Rabbits and two Yakokko. I want the meat, please. And a big lizard..."

"...Disassembly of this one, huh. It'll take about 30 minutes, so wait around."

I took out the monsters I had hunted from the bag. I asked for the disassembly of the edible parts of the monsters. Ideally, I want to learn how to do it myself next time.

"Can I watch?"

"Huh? You'll get in the way."

"Um... I won't get in the way. I want to learn how to disassemble. I'll pay for the training."

"...Damn... Fine. I'll give you a training session, so watch closely. You can observe for up to three hours, in addition to today's disassembly."

"Thank you."

He quickly skinned and disassembled the monsters, adjusting the angles for better visibility and explaining skillfully. Even though he was explaining to just one person, he was very thorough. It was very helpful. The knife glided smoothly, separating the bones from the meat.

"Got it?"

"Um, to be honest, it was too fast for me to understand... Can I try disassembling a rabbit while you watch?"

"...Sure. I won't stop, but you can try... Also, if you bring your own materials for disassembly in the future, you can practice here. There will be a training fee, though."

"Of course, I'll pay."

I finished disassembling my own materials quickly, but I watched the disassembly of monsters from other adventurers and learned a lot.

When I mentioned that I had broken the horns of the Horn Rabbits, the old man looked at me closely. When I explained that I would deliver them to Pamela, he seemed surprised and then sighed. He then explained which parts of other materials are good to keep if I'm delivering to Pamela, though I don't know why. There must be some reason.

In the adventurer's guild, if you don't specify that you need certain parts when you take a quest, they will be discarded. However, the price will increase if you request specific parts... Yeah. I should take them beforehand, like this time. Materials are important. Don't waste them.

"You don't have enough strength. Train more."

The final advice from the training... Yes. The knife seemed to glide in without much force, but apparently, a certain amount of strength is needed.

Yeah. It's difficult... Needs practice. Still, there are plenty of Horn Rabbits around town, so I won't have trouble finding them.

"Hmph. Your technique is still rough. Come by occasionally."

"Yes, thank you."

I thought I was getting better towards the end, but apparently, I still have a long way to go. I'll try to come by once a week to practice. It would be good to prepare various types of monsters to learn better.

The training and disassembly fees were 120G. I thought the disassembly fee was cheap, but apparently, the guild does it to prevent damage to the materials. If the fees were high, people would disassemble the materials themselves and damage them. That's the purpose. I see.

Well, it might be different for rare monsters. I don't have any plans for that, so I'll learn on my own.

It would be nice to learn <Disassembly> when I level up next.

After that, I was late delivering the meat, and Leonis was surprised and told me not to overdo it. I thought I would go home and rest after a hard day's work... but...

"×××! ××××××!"

"×! ×××××××! ××××××××!"

As I approached my house, I heard loud voices arguing. It had been a few hours since sunset, so it wasn't quite midnight, but it was quite late. The front warehouse was closed, and there were no signs of people around, making it very quiet. From the neighboring workshop, I could hear the occasional tapping sound, indicating that someone was still working.

Still, the voices seemed to be from a man and a woman, and they were getting closer.

I thought they were just arguing in the neighborhood, but when I reached my house, I saw an unfamiliar man and woman arguing in front of my house.

"Huh? Why?"

The man and woman noticed my words and looked at me.

One was a middle-aged woman who looked like a succubus. She must have been a popular, sexy lady in her younger days. She was wearing a dress or a gown made of shiny, high-quality fabric, which was fashionable in this town. She was well-dressed, and her posture and figure were excellent.

The other was a tall old man with white hair and a full beard. He carried a large hammer on his back and wore a large pair of goggles on his head. His clothes were thick, fire-resistant work clothes, making him look like a craftsman with no interest in fashion.

They seemed to have no connection with each other, yet they were arguing in front of my house.

And now they are glaring at me... Why?

"......Um... Is there something at my house?"

"......Are you the weirdo who rented this house?"

"Finally, you're back. I've been waiting for you."

"Um? ...What?"

But... even if you say you've been waiting for me... I don't know you. The succubus-like woman smiled and pulled me into the house. The tall old man followed behind her.

Huh? The door was locked, so how did they get in?

What? Did I do something?