Chapter 23

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In the autumn when the wheat fields shine golden, how are you doing? This is Hermann. During the summer, I went to the high-energy alchemist in this village to check the materials, or rather, to verify the materials I had collected. I had him check if the items I had gathered were correct, and since I got a perfect score, I could collect them without any worries. ...Since then, I've been going to the alchemist's place from time to time, mainly for the "floating giant water lily."

Well, I found quite a few. You know, that thing called a "material radar"? When you're looking for materials, you often find the "floating giant water lily." I found some that I had seen before, but I reported them as soon as I found them. The alchemist is quite generous. He gives me one large magic coin for each one I find, which is very welcome for me. I wasn't really looking for them with the mindset that finding them would be lucky, but it turns out that you have to look for them to find them. Thanks to that, I made a good profit.

The price of materials here isn't that high, apparently, and it's not a good place for gathering from a sacred site. But for me, the more attribute materials I have, the happier I am, so it doesn't matter. Rather, I'm happy that I can find more because they're cheaper. It's especially good that the two most expensive ones are fruits. They are plants called "King Woodthorn" and "Dragon Palace Messenger," and they bear a lot of fruit in one place. When you find one spot, you can gather enough to fill two vials, which is very helpful. Moss is expensive, but you need to fill a vial to get the price.

So, I'm gathering as I please. And other adventurers come to this sacred site quite often. It's cool in the summer, so there were quite a few. There were times when there were more tents than I could count on both hands. In the Campano Forest, I could count them on one hand. ...It's hot there, so it's unpopular in the summer, and it's even more unpopular because of the poison. I was told in the winter that the fireweed, which is essential for the antidote potion, is regularly collected by the alchemy guild staff. Apparently, the other things they collect on business trips become their own, which is quite popular in the alchemy guild.

It seems that fireweed can be cultivated in fire-attribute sacred sites and magic realms, but there are poisonous monsters in the salt springs of Jema, so the alchemists can only cultivate it in the magic realm. The alchemists in the magic realm can only cultivate it themselves, so they are busy supplying the antidote potions to the adventurer guild in the magic realm. It's not that they don't cultivate it in the Campano Forest because it's profitable, but simply because there aren't enough people. It seems that the alchemy guild is only in the capital of this territory. In return, there is an adventurer guild in each town. There isn't one in the village, though.

Despite all this, the gathering is going smoothly. It's a big deal that I could verify if the materials were correct. Until now, I had been gathering based on the assumption that they were correct, so if I had been wrong, it would have been a waste of effort. As for the items from Lala's swamp, the alchemist in this village is a pro, so I feel good that they were correct, and he gets information about the "floating giant water lily," so it's a win-win relationship.

Another thing I need to report is about the children here. The children who said they wanted to become adventurers are doing their prayers and studies every day. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are essential if you want to become a proper adventurer. It's a relief that they are keeping their promise. They do their prayers when they come and when they leave.

And then, the adults in the village stormed my tent. What's going on? I haven't done anything wrong, have I? I'm in a seiza position, but it's just because the tent is low. What are they talking about? We've been staring at each other for a while. Someone, please get to the point. My legs can't hold out. ...It seems they understand what I want to say, and they are looking at one person. Is this person the representative? The representative sighed and spoke to me.

"Did you teach the children how to become good adventurers?"

"Yes, but what's the problem with that?"

I haven't done anything wrong. ...Could they be the eldest children? If so, I might have done something wrong, but if they are the eldest, it would be worse to leave them alone. If they are treated like that, it's understandable to think they are the second children. Leaving them in the rain is not right. I'm not saying it's good to leave the second children alone, either.

"...Is it true that you can't become a good adventurer without being able to read, write, and do arithmetic?"

"It's true. Those who can't read, write, or do arithmetic will be abandoned by the adventurer guild. They will either earn a living by performing exterminations on the way to town or in the magic realm. To become a good adventurer, you need to be able to read, write, and do arithmetic, at least read. Otherwise, you can't read the guild's documents. If you can't read the documents, you won't know the proper methods for gathering. The guild won't teach you these things verbally; you have to learn them on your own."

"Are adventurers who can't read, write, or do arithmetic looked down upon?"

"Yes, they are probably seen as cheap labor, at least in the city. Most of the adventurers who come here can read and write, so they look better and seem like ordinary people."

"...Is it really true that the only options are to earn a living in town or go to the magic realm?"

"I don't think there are any other options. If there are, it would be to learn to read, write, and do arithmetic or become an apprentice in a craft. The latter requires talent, and in either case, you will be drilled in reading, writing, and arithmetic."

...I can't see where this conversation is going. What are they trying to find out? I'm relieved that they don't seem to be blaming me, but why are they interested in the inner workings of adventurers? They are supposed to be farmers, right? Even if they aren't, they are still the eldest children.

"What kind of life do adventurers have?"

"What kind of life do adventurers have? If you have the talent to make a big success in the magic realm, you can build a family with the money you earn there. If you can read, write, and do arithmetic, you can probably have a family. However, you might have to work longer than a magic realm adventurer."

"...What about those who can't read or write?"

"What kind of life do adventurers who can't read or write have? Most likely, they will die in a fire or starve to death. They won't have a good end."

"You mean our younger brothers and sisters?"

"...If they can't read or write, they are probably already dead. That's the life of the lowest adventurers. I think they will probably die before they turn 40."

"...I see."

"Yes, that's right."

Are they worried about their younger brothers and sisters? If so, would they ask such roundabout questions? ...They might. They don't want to face reality. Most adventurers who can't read or write are at the bottom. There are a few exceptions in the magic realm, but without talent, that's what they are. ...I'm just repeating what I've heard from the adventurer guild and the alchemy guild, but I can only imagine to a certain extent. I can read, write, and do arithmetic myself.

"Hey, can you become a good adventurer if you can read, write, and do arithmetic?"

"Even if you learn to read, write, and do arithmetic, if you don't use them, you will end up at the bottom. At least, if you can read, write, and do arithmetic, the guild will help you. If you can't, you will only be told to study."

"In that case, what the children are doing now might be a waste, right?"

"There is a possibility, but if you can read, write, and do arithmetic, the guild will probably teach you more. It's better than not knowing anything."

"Then why do you tell them to pray every day? Why do they need to pray?"

"If you pray to the gods for the talents you want before the Star Assignment Ceremony, the stars are more likely to be assigned to those talents. The alchemist in my village said that. In fact, I and my siblings have been assigned stars for the talents we wanted. I think you can probably learn this at the church. The more strongly and frequently you pray, the more likely your wishes will come true."

"Does that apply to the talents of the eldest children in farming families?"

"Probably. My eldest brother in my village had five stars assigned to farming. Although the period of prayer was short, I think the number of stars assigned will increase."

"I see. Hey."

"Yeah, it might be a good idea to tell the other children to go to the church."

"Yeah. I don't understand why they are sent to town as errand boys."

The adults started discussing among themselves, leaving me alone. I can understand what they are thinking. They are probably wondering why I didn't tell them about this great opportunity to get the talents they want. However, it can't be helped. It's not certain that praying will definitely give you the talents you want. There are only tendencies, and it's not clear if it's true. I don't know of any cases where someone didn't get the talent they prayed for, but there must be some. It's impossible to judge whether the method of prayer was wrong.

"Hey, adventurer. Do you think the children this year can still make it in time for the Star Assignment Ceremony?"

"It depends on the individual. The effectiveness of the prayer varies depending on the strength of the prayer."

"If there's a possibility, let's try it. What about reading, writing, and arithmetic?"

"For reading, writing, and arithmetic, it's probably best not to let those who can't do it leave the village. Even farmers repair scythes and sickles and sell fast grass to merchants, right?"

"...That's true. It's better if farmers can do it. ...We should consult the village chief."

"Yeah, that's a good idea."

"It's too early for us to make a decision. Let's go to the village chief's house."

So, the adults trooped into the village chief's house. ...Phew. I was wondering what was going on. Being able to read, write, and do arithmetic has no disadvantages. In fact, it's only beneficial. It might not be necessary for those who have only been farmers, but it's essential if you want to go to town. Even if you can, there are some who can't make it, but that's a different story. It's hard to even start a conversation if you can't.

Despite all this, peace has come to me. I can finally relax. Seiza is painful. I don't know why, but it feels like I'm being scolded. ...Ouch, my legs are numb. I haven't even prepared breakfast yet. Well, maybe I can take it easy today. This village might change like my village did.

Whether you found it interesting or not, I would appreciate it if you could leave a review. If you could point out any issues in your feedback, I could reflect them in my writing, even as a casual reader.

...Probably.