Chapter 34

Hmmm...

"Ugh... Have we arrived?"

Upon reaching our destination and seeing Raphatal looking slightly exhausted, I groaned.

She seems to be doing better than before, but it's still impossible for her to run at full speed.

"We've arrived at the cabin?"

Phyllo seemed to still have energy to spare, even after we stopped the cart, and was kicking her legs.

Raphatal, on the other hand, looked nauseous and was swaying unsteadily.

"Then let's load the timber."

I helped the lumberjack who came out of the cabin to load the timber onto the cart.

I also joined the lumberjack in the logging work, and thanks to my skill, the quality improved.

Raphatal's vehicle training continued for a while. Incidentally, I let her absorb the timber's properties.

The conditions for the Oak Shield have been unlocked.

The conditions for the Resgi Shield have been unlocked.

Oak Shield

Ability not unlocked... Equipment bonus, Carpentry Skill 1

Resgi Shield

Ability not unlocked... Equipment bonus, Basic Carpentry Recipe

These are derived from the Wood Shield. These two types of wood seem to be common in this world. Oak has a fragrant smell similar to cypress in my world, and Resgi is similar to cedar but has varying grain patterns depending on where it's cut.

Well, it doesn't really matter.

A few days later.

Clang, clang, clang.

I was working hard with a wooden hammer to modify the cart into a carriage.

Thanks to the Carpentry Skill 1 I gained the other day, I expect the performance to improve somewhat.

I added a frame to the cart and then covered it with a thick cloth.

The reconstruction of Reute Village was progressing smoothly, and we were no longer needed to help.

The villagers even helped me with the modification when they saw what I was doing.

"Alright, this should do it."

"It's complete."

I celebrated the completion of the carriage with a few of the villagers.

Phyllo seemed to be fine with pulling the carriage... well, that's fine.

"I appreciate your help."

"Oh no, it's nothing. We haven't been able to do much to help the Hero, so it's the least we can do."

The villagers had been smiling and helping me out.

Even though they are my saviors, I can't just take advantage of that. But I can sincerely feel grateful.

"It makes me happy to hear that."

"You're going to be a peddler, right?"

"To be specific, I'll be a jack-of-all-trades, transporting goods and selling items from village to village, town to town, and also transporting people."

"Ah..."

The villagers didn't seem to fully understand.

Well, it's true that this isn't the kind of thing a Hero would do, based on what Genkou said.

I don't have much hope of success either, but since I have Phyllo, it would be a waste not to use her.

"Huh? Wow... The cart has turned into a carriage!"

Phyllo, who had been playing in human form until a moment ago, was surprised by the significant change in the cart.

"Are you going to pull this, Phyllo?"

With sparkling eyes, Phyllo asked.

"Yep, that's right. You're going to pull this carriage and run all over the country."

"Really!?"

Phyllo exclaimed with great enthusiasm.

I would probably find such heavy labor tedious...

"You're really going to do it?"

Raphatal muttered, looking somewhat gloomy.

She still hasn't completely overcome her motion sickness and isn't enthusiastic about the carriage journey.

"You'll get used to it eventually. Just bear with it for now."

"Okay."

I turned to Phyllo and confirmed multiple times.

"Phyllo, what's your job?"

"Um, Phyllo's job is to pull the carriage to the place you tell me to go."

"Right."

"And to kick anyone with a spear."

"That's correct."

"The second part is wrong! What is that supposed to mean?"

Raphatal objected as if something was seriously wrong.

"What do you mean... with that look as if I'm the one who's wrong?"

Kick Genkou when you see him. What's wrong with that?

If I argue with her every time, there's no end to it.

"Alright, then let's start our peddling. I'll hide inside the carriage, so Raphatal, you'll be the one to sell things when we first arrive at a village or town."

"Ah... I understand."

My bad reputation still lingers outside of Reute Village. If I were to negotiate, we might not be able to sell anything.

So, Raphatal will handle the sales and negotiations.

She is also quite attractive and doesn't have a problem with strangers, so she's well-suited for the job.

"Let's set off then."

We loaded our belongings onto the carriage and had Phyllo pull it.

"Ah, Hero-sama."

"Hmm? What is it?"

The people of Reute Village gathered to see us off. A middle-aged man with fine clothing approached me.

"I am the lord appointed by the country to oversee this Reute Village. Thank you very much, Shield Hero-sama."

"Don't worry about it. This village just happened to be a good base for me."

"...Here."

The lord handed me a piece of parchment.

"What is this?"

"It's a commercial pass that will be useful for your peddling."

"Commercial pass?"

"Yes. In this country, when you peddle, you need to pay a certain amount of money to the lord of each village or town you visit."

...I see. Well, I could use my authority as a Hero... but my bad reputation might have a negative impact.

"That's where my signed commercial pass comes in. With this, you won't have to pay the fees in most cases. Please make good use of it."

"Um... Is that okay?"

"Yes. I need to pay a fair price for what you've done, or I won't be able to face the villagers."

Thinking about it, this is a farming village near the Kingdom of Melromarc. The convenience of transportation means that being a lord here requires a significant amount of power and authority.

The villagers have seen me minimize the damage from the wave. Despite my bad reputation and the king's disapproval, I made a difficult decision for the sake of the villagers... yet he seems to be in good spirits.

"...This is to ensure that your bad reputation doesn't hinder your business."

He is taking it in good faith. So, I can sincerely express my gratitude.

"Thank you. I'll use it."

"Safe travels."

"...Yeah, I'll be back."

"We will also do our best to assist you in your work. We will cooperate in any way we can."

"Please don't overextend yourselves."

"Yes!"

And so, we set off as jack-of-all-trades.

Our first business was selling medicine.

We had a limited selection but sold it at a slightly lower price than the market rate.

The main items were healing potions and nutritional supplements. These are higher-level potions, so they can be sold at a relatively high price.

We also bought herbs we knew from the villages we visited and prepared the medicine during our travels.

Thanks to Phyllo's speed, we usually reached the next village within a day, but occasionally we had to camp out.

When that happened, we would stop the carriage, start a fire, and have a meal.

"Master! There's space next to Phyllo! Let's sleep together!"

Phyllo, in her monster form, patted the spot next to her, pleading for me to sit there.

"It's too hot next to you..."

Phyllo seems to want to sleep with me. Maybe because I ordered her not to transform in inns, she becomes even more demanding when we camp out.

Well, when we camp out, there's no one to bother, so it's okay sometimes...

"Phyllo really likes Master, doesn't she?"

"Yep! I won't lose to you, Raphatal-nee!"

"Why does it always come to this!"

Raphatal and Phyllo sometimes have subtle arguments that seem both friendly and unfriendly.

Phyllo is like a child, so why is she getting so worked up?

Oh, Raphatal is practically a child too. They are the same in terms of mental age.

"Alright, both of you, go to sleep. I'll wake you up when it's your turn."

"Aww, you're treating Phyllo like a child again!"

"That's right! Don't treat us like children!"

"Sure, Raphatal and Phyllo are both adults, right?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Yep! Master is so mean!"

With such silly conversations, our peddling journey continued.