Chapter 5

Kaldi lifted his glasses and said, "However, there are other methods."

"If it's impossible to defeat the monsters, we can just capture them alive and cast magic on them," he explained.

"Do you actually capture monsters alive?"

"Yes, mainly for food," Kaldi replied.

"Oh, so you can eat monsters too..."

That's right.

In this world, people eat the meat of monsters.

The deliciousness of the preserved meat, which hasn't been processed at all, is probably due to the meat of these monsters.

Apparently, for the edible monsters where freshness is important, they are sold while still alive.

"Then, let's go to the market."

"Okay, but is it alright to leave the shop?"

"Yes, I'll leave it to my wife or daughter."

"Thank you."

"Not at all. If there's a chance to get that mysterious tool, it's no problem at all."

As he said this, his daughter, Felia, came over.

She seemed used to manning the shop and quickly went inside.

Felia is a cute girl with pink hair.

She is 17 years old, one year younger than me.

She is tall like Kaldi.

She has large eyes, a low nose, and a childlike face.

Despite her cute face, her expressions and words are mature, making her appear very intelligent.

This is probably due to Kaldi's influence.

She is truly the shop's mascot.

She always smells really good, so I wanted to stay a bit longer in the shop to see her, but Kaldi was in no mood for that.

He came out with a small shoulder bag.

"Then, let's go."

"Okay!"

The market is about a 5-minute walk away.

This town, Einbaum, is not very large.

It's probably about 2 km from one end to the other.

Moreover, the places where people usually shop are concentrated in one area.

So, the inn, tool shop, and market are not far from each other.

I've been in this world for a month, so I have a general idea of the town.

It's a small town, so there are no particularly dangerous areas.

If asked if it's safe, it's not particularly safe, but it doesn't vary much by location.

However, I'm not very familiar with the monsters sold at the market.

Especially, I never thought about using edible monsters to boost my stats.

This is my first time properly looking at the monster market.

To be honest, it's not as ominous as I thought.

Since they are for food, they don't seem too gruesome.

The main ones are fish monsters, which might be similar to a Japanese fresh market.

"What do you think?"

I have no idea which monster is good, so I ask Kaldi.

"Hmm... They all look delicious, but they are a bit expensive for you right now.

I think the stats can be boosted by casting magic on these monsters.

However, edible monsters are in high demand, so they are expensive.

For you, a cheaper monster should be sufficient to boost your stats."

I see, that makes sense.

I'm not looking for a delicious monster right now.

Still, do they look delicious?

Even the fish have impressive fangs and gills that are as sharp as knives.

"Sometimes, monsters specifically for stat boosting are sold.

Basically, only nobles buy them.

Children can safely boost their stats by casting magic on them.

It seems there are none today."

"Is that so? Should we come back another day?"

"No, let's go to the guild.

We'll post a capture quest."

"A capture quest?"

"Yes, let's go now."

"O-Okay, I understand."

Kaldi walks quickly.

His decisiveness is impressive.

The guild is a place where quests can be posted.

The guild is near the inn, weapon shop, and Kaldi's tool shop.

This is because adventurers use these places.

"Let's talk while we head to the guild."

"Okay, thank you."

Kaldi's actions are efficient.

He seems to be a very reasonable and efficient person.

"The guild accepts various quests.

Monster hunting, searching for missing persons, item collection.

This time, we'll request a live capture of a monster.

Have you heard of the Horn Rabbit?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know much about monsters."

"It's a rabbit about 50 cm tall with a large horn on its head.

It mainly attacks with this horn.

It has claws and fangs, but they are not very threatening.

Once the horn is broken, it's perfect for a novice adventurer."

"I see."

"We'll request a Horn Rabbit capture quest at the guild.

Adventurers will accept the quest and bring the Horn Rabbit to the guild.

I will pay the guild, and about 90% of the reward goes to the adventurer.

There are many Horn Rabbits, and it's an ideal quest for beginners.

If we post the request, I think we can get one by today."

As Kaldi explains, we walk for about 5 minutes past the tool shop and arrive at the guild.

The guild is not made of wood but of stone.

It is built with bricks.

Inside, there is a hall that can hold 20-30 people, and a reception area at the back.

There are stairs on both sides of the reception that lead to the second floor.

On the first floor, there is a bulletin board along the wall, and a few adventurers are looking at it.

This is my first time entering the guild.

It seems that people who are not posting quests or are not adventurers should not enter.

It's just not a good idea.

Kaldi heads to the reception with ease.

At the reception, there is a muscular, bald man.

I wonder if it's necessary for the receptionist to be so muscular...

"Hey, Kaldi! No herbs today?"

"That's right, adventurers use them all themselves.

But today is different."

"Not herbs? That's unusual..."

"Yes, a Horn Rabbit capture."

"Ah, that's a relief.

There aren't many quests for the young ones.

For jerky?"

"No, to boost his stats."

The muscular man looks at me closely.

"Please take care of it!"

"Whoa, boosting stats at your age?

Well, we accept quest requests, so it's fine."

In this world, people usually boost their stats by around 12 years old.

At 12, they start taking on quests.

So, it's natural for a 18-year-old like me to get this reaction.

"So, how many?"

"Let's say about 3 for now."

"Okay, 3. That's 750 sepeta."

"Understood."

As he says this, Kaldi tries to pay.

"Wait a moment. I'll pay."

"No, it's fine. In return, let me see the results.

Also, let me have exclusive rights to that tool."

Kaldi smiles.

But his eyes are scary.

No matter what I say, he won't let me pay.

Since the inn costs 300 sepeta per night, this is about 2.5 nights' worth, a considerable amount.

By the way, I have about 40,000 sepeta.

I sold the writing tools for 50,000 sepeta.

Indeed, considering my future life, it's helpful to save money here.

"Alright, I'll go back to my shop.

Let's meet here again in the evening.

Until then, just focus on [Mana Manipulation].

Make sure your MP is fully recovered."

"Understood. Thank you!"

I return to the inn, feeling excited.

If I learn [Recovery Magic] and [Storage], I won't have to worry about money in this world.

I was thinking about getting a job, so this is very helpful.

The jobs I can do with my weak stats are limited, and I won't earn much.

Kaldi said to make sure my MP is fully recovered.

I should check.

MP: 55/57

The MP cost of [Air Cutter] is 2.

Since there's time until evening, I should cast it two more times.

I cast [Air Cutter] twice into empty space and then continue with the usual [Mana Manipulation].

Today, I will circulate my mana in a clockwise direction many times.

It's a monotonous task.