Chapter 35

"Huh?"

While working inside the carriage for about an hour on our way to the next village, I noticed a strange sound.

Next to the carriage, I could hear a man panting heavily. When I looked out, he was running with a worried expression, holding a handbag.

"What's the rush?"

In situations like this, it's a good idea to pique their curiosity to bring up a good deal.

"Hey, you there, what's wrong?"

"I need to get back to the village on the other side of the mountain quickly..."

"You need to go to the village on the other side of the mountain in a hurry?"

It seems Filo overtook a man who was running because his parent had fallen ill and he was buying medicine.

"Yes, it's a matter of life and death."

I listened to the man's story as he ran alongside the swaying carriage at full speed.

Hmm... considering the distance to the other side of the mountain, it would probably cost about 50 copper coins...

"Filo, can you get there quickly if you run at your top speed?"

"Um, if I don't pull the carriage, I can get there faster."

"Got it."

I turned to Raphatalia, and she nodded as if reading my mind.

"Will you take him for one silver coin?"

"Wh-What!?"

The man looked surprised.

"But I only have enough money to buy the medicine..."

"I'll accept something worth one silver coin. You can give me herbs or something the next time you come. Don't try to lie about it."

"Well, in that case..."

"Alright, it's settled. Filo!"

"Sure thing!"

Filo applied the emergency brake, stopping the carriage by the roadside, and moved to the back.

I climbed onto Filo's back and ran, catching up to the man and picking him up.

"Whoa!"

Filo lifted the surprised man with both hands and ran at full speed.

Raphatalia waved from the carriage.

"Let's go!"

"Okay!"

Thud, thud, thud!

Filo's serious running speed, despite his ridiculous physique, was quite fast.

It was about twice as fast as the average Filo.

We quickly reached the man's house in the village on the other side of the mountain.

"How fast is that..."

"More importantly, you need to give the medicine to your parent quickly. Don't drop it."

"Y-Yes!"

The man entered the house, and I followed him inside. I hadn't finished talking about the payment yet.

It was a typical farmer's house in a rural village.

When I went inside, I could hear a coughing sound.

"Mom, here's the medicine. Please take it."

Walking in the direction of the voice, I saw the man trying to give medicine to an old woman who looked pale and on the verge of death.

The medicine seemed to be more effective than any I knew.

Hmm...

"Hey, let me give it to her. Why don't you boil some water and make something nutritious?"

"Is that okay?"

"It's no trouble, just on the way."

I took the medicine from the man and held the old woman's back while giving it to her.

...I hope the skill I learned earlier to increase the effectiveness of medicine works well.

"Cough... Cough..."

The old woman managed to take the medicine I held and swallow it.

A faint light appeared and scattered in my vision.

It seems to have worked.

The old woman's condition visibly improved. Her pale face turned slightly red, and her coughing decreased.

"Take it easy and rest. Your family will bring you food soon."

The old woman looked up at me with a trembling expression and then lay down.

"Well then."

I left the room where the old woman was and went to the kitchen where the man was.

"Did she take it?"

"Yes, her condition seems to have stabilized."

The man relaxed, lowering his shoulders in relief at my response.

"Pay me when I come back."

"Yes."

I left the man's house, climbed back onto Filo, and returned to where we had left the carriage.

When we arrived back in the village, the man greeted us with a tense expression.

"Um..."

"What's wrong?"

I answered while unloading the goods for sale and the requested cargo.

"My mother's condition visibly improved, but who are you exactly..."

"If you don't know me, you don't need to know."

If you knew, the bad reputation would probably come to mind, and you'd definitely give me a suspicious look.

"At least your name?"

"I don't have to tell you. The medicine must have been particularly effective. Now, bring me one silver coin or something of equivalent value."

"Y-Yes!"

The man rummaged through his house and brought out some food.

"Well, that'll do. See you again if we meet."

"Yes! Thank you so much!"

The man's face seemed a bit more cheerful.

By the way, when I visited this village again, the old woman, the man's mother, was incredibly energetic... maybe too energetic, but that's a different story.

So, I continued to hide in the carriage and work on mixing potions and deciphering intermediate recipes.

Intermediate recipes were easier to decipher than magic books and more approachable.

I was quite relieved when I finally managed to decipher the healing potion.

Reflecting on it, I had neglected my studies until now.

I had forgotten about it over the past month, but if I ever meet my younger brother alive, it might be good to say something to him.

"Mr. Naofumi, we're done selling here."

We arrived in the village in the afternoon, and it was now evening.

"What about the goods and letters to take to the next village?"

"I have them."

I got out of the carriage and loaded the goods.

The items entrusted to an unknown peddler are limited.

Most of them are cheap and can be stolen, but it's still a way to earn some pocket money.

I travel from village to village, from town to town, as a peddler.

For those who want healing potions, I give them directly and apply the effect enhancement plan.

After about two weeks, I had become somewhat famous in the surrounding area as a peddler with a rare monster.

Becoming famous means gaining trust, and the number of passengers in the carriage increased.

As a result, my earnings gradually improved.

There are several advantages to being a peddler.

First, the potions I make during travel can be sold.

Second, I can defeat monsters that appear during travel and increase the variety of shields. Most of them are status-boosting types, though.

I learned that the types of monsters vary greatly by region.

For me, who can become stronger by having weak monsters absorbed by my shield, being a peddler turned out to be a good choice.

I also started to hear various information.

Until now, I didn't know, but I could guess where the other heroes, Genkou, Ren, and Itsuki, were based and active.

Genkou seems to focus on the southwestern region from the castle. According to the story, he saved a village suffering from famine by unsealing a legendary crop. He probably used knowledge from games or something.

Ren is based in the southeastern region from the castle but tends to go anywhere where there are aggressive monsters. Rumors say he defeated a fierce dragon in the eastern land.

Itsuki... I don't really understand what he wants to do, but rumors say he overthrew a tyrannical ruler in a small country in the north with a resistance group, visiting as an adventurer from the Kingdom of Melromarc.

However, there's no definitive evidence to identify him. I only hear vague stories like "an adventurer with a bow was the strongest" that make me think of Itsuki.

It could also be interpreted that events similar to those in the Four Holy Weapons book I read before coming to this world are happening.

Anyway, the carriage journey continues.

The results of the past two weeks are as follows:

Me: Level 34

Raphatalia: Level 37

Filo: Level 32

Filo's level has risen abnormally, probably because he's a monster.

By this time, Filo's physical abilities had improved significantly, and he could pull the carriage with one hand (wing?) while yawning.

Of course, I scolded him, but he said:

"The carriage is too light, and I'm losing motivation."

Well, that's fine.

Most of the shields are still status-boosting and resistance types.

Other notable changes include:

Pickaxe Shield

Ability Unlocked... Equipment Bonus, Mining Skill 1

Crystal Ore Shield

Ability Unlocked... Equipment Bonus, Crafting Skill 1

These shields appeared when I absorbed a broken pickaxe and low-quality crystal ore I found on the road in a town known for its mines.

These two... they seem to have skills that could be useful for making money, but I still lack information to fully utilize them.

When I casually polished the crystal ore, it broke and turned into scrap, so I think I need some kind of recipe.

Originally, I had to decipher the intermediate potion recipe book I received from the apothecary.

After about two weeks, I finally finished deciphering it. I had been staring at it for nearly three weeks, so it's not surprising.

Antidote

Weed Killer

Healing Ointment

Healing Potion (already made)

Nutrient Potion (already made)

Gunpowder

Strong Acid Water

Magic Water

Soul Healing Potion

Insecticide

The book ended there. This is the foundation of intermediate potions, and the effects of the potions can vary depending on the ingredients.

It's quite vague, but I understand the average recipes from the parts the apothecary gave me as a bonus.

After reaching this point, I absorbed the intermediate potion recipe book into my shield.

The shield that came out was this:

Book Shield

Ability Unlocked... Equipment Bonus, Magic Power Increase (Small)

Hmm. I almost made a mistake by absorbing the intermediate potion recipe book, thinking it would come out naturally. I almost rejected the kindness.

Moreover, the defense is extremely low.

So, the next day after finishing the deciphering, a monster called a Trent appeared, and we immediately defeated it and absorbed it into the shield.

Trent Shield conditions unlocked.

Blue Trent Shield conditions unlocked.

Black Trent Shield conditions unlocked.

Trent Shield

Ability Unlocked... Equipment Bonus, Plant Appraisal 2

Blue Trent Shield

Ability Unlocked... Equipment Bonus, Intermediate Potion Recipe 1

Black Trent Shield

Ability Unlocked... Equipment Bonus, Apprentice Potion Making

What kind of torture is this?

It's cruel to come out after the deciphering is finished!

The only consolation is that it only went up to the Healing Ointment. Probably, since the previous one was a Mash, plant-type monsters are the materials for recipe shields.

I'll cry if Recipe 2 and 3 come out soon.

I could make the Antidote, Weed Killer, and Healing Ointment from known herbs, but I don't know where to find the materials for the rest, from Gunpowder down.

According to the apothecary, Gunpowder can be substituted. So, I tried making it with a flammable herb called "Pachi Pachi Grass."

It turned out to be a powder-like, flammable ash. I tried making a small bag of it into a bomb.

When I tried to throw it at an enemy, I accidentally dropped it at my feet with a pain. Well, it was just a pathetic burning ash, not really a bomb.

I was amazed that even using a bomb-like tool for attack is not allowed.

Strong Acid Water is a slightly less acidic water than sulfuric acid, which can be made by combining unique minerals of this world and adding water. I haven't made it yet, but I'm considering making it only for shields because anyone who wants it must be crazy.

Magic Water is an item that rapidly restores magic power when drunk. However, the materials are rare and expensive. It might be better to sell the herbs than to make it.

Similarly, Soul Healing Water has an effect to restore SP, but the materials are rare and difficult to gather.

Insecticide was easy. Just mix or dissolve bug-repelling herbs.

The new items I can make and sell are the Antidote, Healing Ointment, and Insecticide.

However, considering that a small amount of materials can make a lot of Weed Killer, it might be good to think about where to sell it.

I also absorbed some of the excess into the shield.

Antidote Shield conditions unlocked.

Glyphosate Shield conditions unlocked.

Medicine Shield conditions unlocked.

Plant Fire Shield conditions unlocked.

Killer Insect Shield α conditions unlocked.

Antidote Shield

Ability Unlocked... Equipment Bonus, Defense 5

Glyphosate Shield

Ability Unlocked... Equipment Bonus, 5% Reduction in Plant Attacks

Medicine Shield

Ability Unlocked... Equipment Bonus, Small Range Expansion of Medicine Effects

Plant Fire Shield

Ability Unlocked... Equipment Bonus, Small Fire Resistance

Killer Insect Shield α

Ability Unlocked... Equipment Bonus, 3% Reduction in Insect Attacks

The original skill of the Antidote Shield is probably Medium Poison Resistance, which I think changed because I already learned it from the Chimera Viper Shield.

It seems that overlapping skills are replaced.

The Medicine Shield has a "range expansion" effect, but it's unclear what range it refers to.

Does it mean the range of a single medicine's effect increases, or can the effect be shared with those around you?

The latter seems too convenient.

The Plant Fire Shield is questionable for me, who is already mostly immune to most magic.

What is Glyphosate? It sounds like a chemical used in weed killers. The Killer Insect Shield α... I think the type will increase depending on the herbs mixed.

The effect is a damage reduction from attacks by a specific type of enemy. It's a useful ability, I think.

The problem is deciphering the magic book.

This is quite challenging.

Recently, Raphatalia seems to have gotten the hang of it and can perform phenomena similar to magic even though she hasn't learned it yet.

A ball of light floats in front of Raphatalia for a few seconds.

This is a potential embarrassment for a hero.

So, I asked Filo about it after Raphatalia went to sleep. Whether to call it magic is very difficult, but I asked with a desperate hope.

"Well, you just, you know, gather all your strength from the bottom of your body and think really hard about becoming what you want to be."

Hmm. I don't understand.

It's clear that she's not thinking about it.

It seems that reading the words written in the book doesn't automatically make you able to use magic.

Since I'm from a world without magic, I feel like giving up.

Still... I need to learn magic.

Not just for the apothecary lady's expectations, but to survive.

I don't have to participate in the wave battles, but if I flee in the face of the enemy, I don't know what will happen. Protecting nearby villages and towns is a perfect job for me. In that case, being able to use magic will eventually make a difference.

I could choose to buy crystal orbs, but if I can learn cheaply from a book, that's the better option.

So, I've been grunting and groaning with the magic book in hand in the carriage recently.

According to Raphatalia, you need to make the words in the book react to your magic power and resonate with your soul, similar to what Filo said, but it's a difficult, sensory explanation.

It's a bit more understandable than Filo's, but what is magic power? Do I even have such a sensation?

These questions keep swirling in my head.

Well, that's the result of the past two weeks.