Chapter 2

From here on, the story continues in the third person.

Gaius, after being kicked out of the group, drank to celebrate his new beginning, feeling a bit sentimental, and returned to the mansion, thoroughly drunk.

The four members of the party "Crescent Claw" initially didn't realize that this place would be their base.

It was probably due to the twilight. However, the golden eyes of the monsters illuminated by the moonlight and street lamps, the complete set of camping equipment, and the mountain of monster materials in the yard—no matter how hard they squinted, it was still a mountain. A mountain piled up.

"Huh...?"

There was no way this amount could fit into their item pouches.

They had indeed defeated large monsters like dragons and griffins, so it made sense that they had materials. But had they been carrying all this with them all along? Hadn't they been selling it off? As they pondered this, they finally reached the entrance of the mansion, and the moment they opened the door, a large amount of healing potions and other items tumbled out.

There was no way they could enter the mansion.

They decided to give up for the day and return to the town to stay at an inn. Ideally, they would have wanted to stay in two rooms, two people each, but the sobering realization of the "seriousness" of the situation made them hesitant.

They took two rooms but gathered in one room to face each other. Of course, it was late at night, so they spoke in hushed tones.

"Gaius... did you really stockpile so much material?"

"Didn't you sell or deliver all of it... Oh, what are we going to do with this?"

"It won't fit in our item pouches...!"

"Let's call a merchant first thing in the morning."

They reluctantly nodded in agreement with Ben's suggestion and decided on this as a temporary solution.

However, they were about to face even more trouble.

◇◇◇

—Time rewinds, and Gaius, who had left "Crescent Claw," returned to the base alone to feed and water the dracolixes, his riding beasts, for the night and morning, and to change their straw, saying hello to them.

Dracolixes are dragon-like creatures used for riding, fearless against any enemy, and with powerful claws and fangs.

They are not dangerous if properly tamed, but if you forget to feed them or neglect to clean their bedding, they can become violent. Their destructive power is immense. They are convenient for adventures but must be handled with care and are somewhat temperamental.

"Since it's going to be a bit cramped, I won't be able to feed you in the morning, so you guys eat carefully."

Moreover, they have their own preferences for food. He placed all the food near the stables, assuming they would know their own preferences.

Gaius led out his dracolix, Shukuru, a female, and tied her outside the mansion. He had to move the items from the attic to the yard, and he didn't want to be accused of item theft, nor was he kind enough to convert them into money at an appropriate place.

If there were materials needed by the palace, he would deliver them there (mainly materials from large monsters), and during guild deliveries, he would sometimes give slightly lower quality items to lower-level adventurers. He would properly burn and bury inferior items, but ordinary quality items could be delivered without issue. This is where the "Appraisal" skill, unique to Item Masters, comes in handy.

At stores and blacksmiths, he could sell high-quality materials at a slightly lower price and buy items at a discount, thanks to the "Negotiation" skill of Item Masters. The "Item Inventory" skill allows Item Masters to store and save items without any limits.

He would sometimes let blacksmiths reforge items with insufficient durability at a low price, but items with very low durability, even if rare, were better suited for collectors. There was a market for them, but without the "Negotiation" skill, he would be underpaid. However, he didn't have the time to sell them off.

He placed the tents and camping equipment in easily visible places and put necessary food and healing potions at the entrance of the mansion. Even so, it took him from noon until evening to finish.

"If I do this much, I've fulfilled my duty! Alright, let me make the rounds and then leave the town."

It was still early enough for the stores and the castle to be open.

He decided to start with the castle, and Gaius, now lighter, mounted Shukuru and headed for the castle.