Chapter 15

"Welcome back safely! You've really done a great job exterminating the bandits!"

Upon completing the bandit extermination and returning to Mints Village, the village chief, a balding man, and the villagers welcomed us with open arms.

What kind of upbringing allows someone to act so shamelessly? It's either a thick-skinned, shameless attitude or a naive country bumpkin...

I had intended to throw in a sarcastic remark about keeping the bandit information secret, but it felt too silly, so I decided to hold back.

"Chief, the mission is completed. Their hideout is in the rocky area deep in the eastern forest. They're all lying there. And this is the leader of the bandits."

I showed the contents of the bag to the chief.

"Y-Yes, I've confirmed it... I'll send the youth group to the hideout tomorrow morning. Umm, and, can we recover their belongings?"

"...Do as you please."

"Thank you! It's a great help!"

"Gratitude is fine, but more importantly, I'd like to receive the remaining reward."

"Y-Yes, of course! Please, come to my house! My wife and daughter have prepared a feast! Please rest and recover from your fatigue!"

Honestly, I'd like to leave this village as soon as possible, but the stagecoach has already passed. Besides, while the chief is one thing, it would hurt my heart to be rude to that girl.

I'll stay in Mints Village for the night and head back to the capital in the morning.

†

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"Noel, can I become an explorer too?"

While being invited to the chief's house for a meal, the chief's daughter, a girl with a ponytail, asked me this.

"I'm sorry, but the ability that manifested from the appraisal was combat-related..."

I nod in response to the chief's explanation.

"Do you want to become an explorer?"

"Yes! I want to become a great explorer like Noel!"

The girl answered with shining eyes. The chief and his wife smiled awkwardly, as if they had already decided it was just a childhood dream.

"Anyone can become an explorer as long as they are an adult. You just need to register at the government office. After that, it's common to enter the training school in the capital and be trained by instructors. The duration is two years for frontliners and one year for backliners, as frontliners take longer to master the necessary skills."

"My ability is a swordsman, so two years..."

"After graduating from the training school, you'll either join a party or a clan to start your activities. Solo activities are not recommended as they are reckless."

"...Um, does the training school cost money?"

"No, it's free. The country encourages explorers, so it's funded by the government. There are no tuition fees or entrance fees."

"Really?"

A bright, cheerful voice. Her face looked as if the door to her dream had just opened.

"But, the government doesn't cover the students' living expenses. You have to pay for them yourself. The capital has high living costs. Balancing part-time work while attending the training school might be unrealistic. In other words, you need to have some savings before entering the school."

"Is that so..."

Her tone dropped sharply at the reality of money. Her fluctuating emotions reminded me of my younger self, making me feel uncomfortable.

"Then, can't I just enter a training school outside the capital? I heard there's one in Yudra nearby?"

"Unfortunately, the only government-funded training school is in the capital. In other regions, you need to pay a large entrance fee and tuition, and the quality of education is much lower."

"I see... Then, what about becoming an explorer without entering a training school?"

"It's possible, but not recommended. Fighting demons without any knowledge or experience is suicidal. You'd be easily killed by mutants or criminals."

Unless you have a personal mentor to teach you one-on-one, you should absolutely graduate from a training school. The survival rate is vastly different.

"To put it bluntly, being an explorer is a job that requires risking your life. It's also a job that involves taking other lives. Both the hunter and the hunted are desperate. Approaching with a naive mindset will only end in death."

"..."

My words made the girl look down sadly. It hurts to disappoint a dreamy child, but it would be worse to irresponsibly encourage her and then have her die. Even if she's a child, I need to convey the truth.

However, just stating the facts isn't enough as a mentor.

"If you really want to become an explorer, there's a good way. It's to become a supporter."

"A supporter?"

"A job that assists explorers by carrying their belongings or guiding them. The Supporter Association manages this, and you can earn money by registering and working there. You can also observe various parties' battles directly. Of course, there's a risk to your life, but since you're not a combatant, the survival rate is high. The association will also teach you how to survive. Once you gain knowledge and experience, you can become an explorer."

The girl's eyes widened, and she exclaimed with joy.

"There's such a way! Thank you for telling me!"

"There are many ways to become a profitable explorer. Don't get stuck in your thinking; gather information first. If you do, a path will surely open up."

"I understand! I'll do some research on my own!"

"Good, do that. Good luck."

"...Um, if I become a strong explorer, can I join the Azure Extranet?"

She asked me with a shy look, and I chuckled.

"Sure. If you really become a strong explorer and I don't disappoint you as an explorer, we can fight together then."

"Really!? I'm so happy and grateful! I'll definitely become a strong explorer! So, it's a promise, okay?"

I made a rash promise, but it's fine. What happens will depend on the future. If this girl becomes an excellent explorer, there's no problem with making her a companion.

However, the chief and his wife, as parents, looked troubled. They probably have their own plans and schedules. They can't speak out in front of me, but they will likely lecture her and change her mind once I'm gone.

Well, that's a family matter. It's not my business. Whether the dreamy girl will be crushed by reality or not is something the near future will reveal.

†

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"Thank you for the meal, it was delicious."

The meal was over, and my plate was empty.

To be honest, the food wasn't very good. It lacked essential seasonings like salt and spices to mask the flavors.

But, it's a courtesy to eat everything when hosted by people living in difficult conditions. Especially when a little girl helped, it's even more important to finish everything.

Alma, sitting next to me, seemed to feel the same way and finished her plate. She's now fighting off sleep with droopy eyes.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"I appreciate it. I'd like to receive the remaining reward before I go to bed. As a professional, I need to settle things properly."

"I understand, I'll bring it right away. But, there's one more thing I've prepared for you. Please, try this as well."

The chief nodded, and his wife brought a bottle of wine.

"This wine is quite a fine vintage. I bought it when we had some extra money from a good harvest, and it cost 100,000 fil at the time. It has aged well and should be even more valuable now."

"Wow, you're treating us to such good wine?"

"Yes, we've been greatly helped by the Azure Extranet. Selling the bandits' belongings will give us some extra money, and it wouldn't be right to be stingy here."

The cork was pulled, and wine was poured into my and Alma's glasses.

"Here, don't be shy, drink up!"

I was strongly urged to take the glass. However, I only sniffed the aroma and put it back on the table.

"Indeed, it's a fine wine. The color and aroma alone clearly show it's a top-quality vintage."

"Yes, of course! It's a wine you can hardly find even in the capital!"

"True. But, for such a high-quality vintage, it would be rude to drink it first as a guest. Chief, you should drink first."

"Um? M-Me?"

The chief visibly panicked, as if drinking the wine would lead to something unpleasant.

"I also think the chief should drink first. Here, please."

Alma placed her glass in front of the chief, and he started to turn pale. I smiled at his comically agitated reaction.

"What's wrong? Not drinking?"

"N-No, I... I'm not very good with alcohol..."

"That's odd. Why would you buy a 100,000 fil wine if you're not good with alcohol?"

"N-No, that's... um..."

His comical reaction is no longer funny. It's time to end this.

"Poison, right? You laced this wine with poison?"

My words made the chief open his eyes wide and stand up.

"P-Poison!? Why would I do such a thing!?"

"Why? To eliminate us and take our money and equipment, of course."

"Ridiculous! Your accusations are baseless! What proof do you have that I put poison in the wine!?"

"Proof, number one."

I raised my index finger.

"A man who lies about the number of bandits to save on rewards wouldn't serve a 100,000 fil wine to guests. You said there were twenty bandits, but there were actually three times as many. You lied to me."

"I-I don't know! I don't know anything about that!"

"Proof, number two."

I raised my middle finger.

"This wine isn't a high-quality vintage. It's cheap. You might have been deceived by a merchant, but that's irrelevant. The important thing is that the quality of the wine is so poor that I can tell it's cheap just by smelling it. This means the wine has already been opened and has been sitting for a while. You put the poison in then and re-corked it. Trying to make us feel safe by pulling the cork in front of us backfired."

"That's... um..."

"Hmph, did you think a young boy and girl much younger than you wouldn't be able to tell the difference in wine? Fool. If you had any brain, you'd know that people living in the capital have refined palates."

"Guh... It must have been a mistake! My wife must have confused it with my nightcap! Yes! If you look closely, the label is different! You told her to be careful when bringing it, didn't you!"

"I-I'm very sorry!"

Are you still trying to put on a show? I'm starting to feel like killing you.

"Proof, number three."

I raised my ring finger.

"You and your wife have been leaking murderous intent since we started talking about the wine. Your desperation to kill us is palpable. I understand you wanted to make sure we drank the poison, but it's ridiculous to call it a fine vintage. You were trying to make us believe it was a special wine to mask the unusual taste of the poison, but such a cheap trick wouldn't work."

"Alma, the poison in the wine has a slightly unusual taste. To make us not notice it as a foreign substance, it needs to be rationalized in some way. Well, such a cheap act wouldn't fool anyone but a complete fool. Even if it did, scouts have poison resistance and poison detection abilities, so it would be meaningless. If you really wanted to kill us, you should have understood our abilities."

Alma chuckled, and the chief and his wife grimaced in frustration.

"S-Shut up! Your words can't be used as evidence!"

"If you want evidence, it's right in front of you. If you claim we're lying, drink the wine. Right now."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!! Who would listen to what you say! Get out! Get out of this village now!!"

What a grown man, acting like a child. I don't mind leaving, but the remaining reward is still owed. Besides, as an explorer, I can't just leave after being treated this way.

"Let me ask again. Did you put poison in the wine? Tell me everything."

"Yes, I put the poison in. I wanted the foolish explorers to die after defeating the bandits so I could take their money and equipment. It was easy to deceive a bunch of kids who only know how to fight. I planned to kill them."

Skill: Truth Extraction.

The chief, who spoke the truth, quickly covered his mouth with his hand.

"Father, is it true?"

The chief's daughter, who had been stunned, stared at her father as if he were an unknown monster. Poor girl, she learned the truth about her parents' wickedness in front of others.

"Ugh... I-I'm so sorry!!"

The chief finally admitted his guilt and bowed before us.

"Trying to kill people and apologizing is not enough."

"I know what I did is unforgivable! But, we had our reasons..."

"Reasons?"

"We have a large debt... When a famine hit the village before, I borrowed money to help everyone... We need the money to pay it back... If we fall behind, it will be disastrous... I didn't want to do this, but for the village's future, someone had to take the risk!"

"Lie."

I stated firmly, and the chief shook his head vigorously.

"N-No, it's not a lie! It's true!"

"The debt is real, but the famine is a lie. You might think you can fool me because I'm young, but the last famine in this area was thirty years ago."

"How do you know that...?"

"Remember the mutation extermination mission you requested before? The mutation we defeated was affected by the geology. Before accepting the mission, I researched the types and conditions of crops grown in this area at the capital's library to infer the geology. I learned about the famine then."

The chief, caught in another lie, was speechless and stood there.

"Even now, you're still lying. What do you want?"

"N-No, it's... um..."

"Most likely, you were deceived by a shady merchant. For example, he might have sold you a special price gosling that lays golden eggs. You fell for it and ended up with a large debt."

"How do you know...?"

Wow, is this really true? I just guessed, but this guy must be really stupid.

"You're a dim-witted, dull, and despicable person. Living is a luxury for someone like you."

"Ugh, gah..."

"...Enough, it's troublesome. Bring the remaining reward quickly. You're not worth holding accountable."

"That's not fair! What remaining reward? You have Goldo's head! You can cash it in!"

The chief, suddenly angry, ranted and then panicked at his own slip of the tongue.

"N-No, that was... just a slip of the tongue..."

"Hmm, not what you meant, huh?"

"M-M-M-Of course! It was a joke... hahaha."

"Joke, huh. Well, it was quite amusing. Hahaha!"

"Ah, thank you! Ahahaha."

"Hahahaha!"

I was thinking about how to hold you accountable, but now I have my answer.

"---Let's start with your right eye."

"Huh? R-Right eye?"

I kicked my chair, stood up, grabbed the chief by the collar, and slammed him onto the table. Then, as I declared, I thrust my thumb into his dirty right eye.