Chapter 44

Summary of the previous chapter ------------------------------------------------------

Yuki shows reluctance about using the outdoor toilet.

Considering the future, they discuss whether the toilet situation can be improved.

The conversation concludes with Haruka deciding to work on creating an appropriate magical item.

The gate to the city of Rafan was passed without any particular issues.

We had been passing through it almost every day recently, and our companions, Natuki and Yuki, also had guild cards, which was probably why.

Another reason might be that all the gatekeepers were elderly, and the young gatekeeper we had seen before was not there... Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him since the first day. Perhaps he was reassigned.

After entering the city, we immediately moved to the "Drowsy Bear" to greet the innkeeper and secure two rooms.

If we couldn’t get a room here, it would have been quite a sad situation, so it was a relief to be able to do so.

Of course, since this inn, which is a hidden gem, had never been fully booked even when we were staying there, I wasn’t too worried.

After resolving our concerns, we headed to the Adventurer’s Guild to sell the Task Boar materials.

“It’s been a while, Diora.”

“Oh? Isn’t that Haruka and the others? It hasn’t been that long, but did you leave the city?”

“Yes. Fortunately, we were able to complete our business quickly and return.”

“Business... You were looking for someone, right? So, these two are...?”

Diora looked at Yuki and Natuki as she said this.

We had already informed her about our departure and the reason for it.

“I’m Yuki.”

“I’m Natuki. I’ll be traveling with these three, so please take care of me.”

“Yes, of course. Have you already registered?”

“Yes, in Saarstadt.”

Diora nodded in understanding at Yuki’s words.

“Oh, there? If that’s the case, it’s better to come back. It’s not suitable for work.”

As someone who handles guild registrations, she probably has this information.

The inn was expensive, and there was little work.

The food was also terrible, and there was no reason to stay.

“By the way, we hunted a Task Boar on the way, so can we ask you to buy it?”

“Sure, I understand. Please wait a moment.”

We took out the usual meat and hide and placed them on the counter, and Diora took them to the back.

I thought to myself, Diora is surprisingly strong.

She can carry a leather bag weighing 20-30 kilograms without any trouble.

“So, are you going to be active in this city for a while?”

“Yes. We’re still beginners, so we’ll take it step by step.”

“That’s good. Many people get carried away once they start making some money...”

Diora sighed gloomily as she said this.

Like the ‘study’ during the first herb request, she probably has a lot of trouble with this.

Adventurers are basically responsible for themselves, but it’s not a pleasant feeling when rookies get injured or worse, which is easy to imagine.

“By the way, I’ve been wondering, but the bags you three have, they seem very convenient?”

“Oh, you noticed? I put a lot of thought into making them.”

Haruka started explaining the bag happily.

This is for this purpose, this is for this reason, this bag can carry heavy loads with less burden than a head bag, etc.

She had already shown off the bag to Yuki and the others, but since they knew about backpacks, she could only boast about making them herself. However, she could boast about the bag itself to Diora, so she looked happy.

“Interesting. Can I try carrying it?”

“Eh? Oh, sure, go ahead.”

Diora came out from behind the counter, and Haruka let her carry the backpack, adjusting the straps slightly.

Diora walked around a bit, took it off, lifted it to check the weight, and put it back on.

“This isn’t magical, right?”

She tilted her head in curiosity, but I could understand her feelings.

Even with the same weight, a backpack puts less strain on the body compared to a handbag or just carrying it.

That’s why backpacks are used by military forces around the world.

You can march long distances with a load equal to your body weight, of course, if you’re in good physical condition.

Moreover, even among backpacks, the difference in strain and fatigue between high-end and low-end models is significant.

Even if they look similar, the difference is clear when you actually use them. While higher price doesn’t always mean better quality, low-end products have their limits.

In our case, Haruka’s efforts have made our backpacks quite good.

“Yes, of course. It’s just made with strong fabric and leather.”

“I see... Haruka, if you don’t mind, would you sell this to the guild?”

Haruka’s eyes widened at Diora’s suggestion.

“Eh? This bag?”

“I mean the technology, not just the bag. This is quite revolutionary.”

“Well... Actually, we’ve been talking about making and selling them ourselves since we have the manpower...”

Haruka looked at Yuki and the others, and Diora nodded in understanding but shook her head in disagreement.

“It’s not a bad idea, but I don’t recommend it.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Of course, this bag is a good product and will sell. But how many can you three make in a day? Considering your other activities as adventurers, it will be quite limited. Even if you focus on making bags, the quantity will be limited.”

Haruka’s sewing skill is at level 2. Considering that Yuki can quickly learn the sewing skill, the speed might be above average for a regular craftsman.

But as Diora said, if you try to do it part-time as an adventurer, the quantity will be limited, and if you focus on it, it will be difficult for us to help.

“The biggest problem is imitation. If it sells well, major merchants will copy it and produce and sell it in large quantities.”

“... Is there no system to protect ideas?”

“Only if it’s a magical item listed in the alchemy compendium. This kind of thing is difficult.”

Even in the original world with international treaties, some countries ignore intellectual property rights and sell copy products.

In this world’s cultural level, it would be difficult to protect such things, both between countries and within the same country.

“But wouldn’t the guild be the same?”

“No, the guild is a powerful organization. Not many merchants would dare to challenge it directly. Besides, the main target for this bag is adventurers.”

It’s not like the guild is selling something that would cause conflict.

If Haruka agrees, the guild will pay royalties for a certain period, which could potentially be more profitable than selling it themselves.

“In return, I would like Haruka to instruct the craftsmen for a few days.”

From what I heard, it seems like a good deal.

I trust Diora, and even if we were cheated, the loss from the backpack sales wouldn’t be significant.

Haruka looked at us, and after confirming that we all nodded, she agreed with Diora.

“Alright. I’m planning to make the same bag for these two, so I can create a pattern and use it for instruction. It will take a few days, though.”

“Of course. We also need to finalize the details and gather the craftsmen.”

Diora extended her hand with a smile, and Haruka shook it firmly.

Incidentally, Diora was still carrying the backpack.

Her outfit was clearly for city use, so it looked a bit odd.

“Oh, I’m still carrying it. Let me return it.”

Noticing my gaze, she looked a bit embarrassed and quickly took off the backpack and handed it to Haruka.

“It seems the calculation is done. Let’s see, 18,800 rea. Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

Wow, that’s quite a bit.

Haruka took the money and the empty leather bag.

If we said no, they would return the meat and other items, but since we have no complaints, this is the usual pattern. They also clean the bag and return it, which is quite convenient.

Those who want to negotiate can take their items to the counter in the back storage area for appraisal and price negotiation, but we’ve never done that.

We don’t have the knowledge to negotiate, and it would just be a hassle. Letting the guild handle it also leaves a good impression.

“By the way, Diora, I have one more question... What do you think about renting a house?”

“Eh? For living? Well... If you’re going to use this city as your base with five people, it might be a good idea.”

According to Diora, you can rent a house for about 5,000 to 10,000 rea per month.

There’s no deposit or key money, but if you’re late on rent, you’ll be evicted immediately, and if you damage the house, you’ll be charged for repairs.

However, since no guarantor is required, as long as you pay the rent, it’s easier to rent than in Japan.

“The price varies depending on the location, layout, and size. Do you have any preferences?”

“Hmm... What do you think, everyone?”

“Is the center of the city more expensive?”

“Yes. The center, the main street, and areas around it are more expensive. On the other hand, areas with poor security are cheaper. Ironically, the area around the guild is also cheaper.”

The security around the guild isn’t bad, but the image of adventurers brings down the market price.

In reality, adventurers who do foolish things immediately affect their rank, so there are few problematic people. However, to the general public, they look like dirty people carrying weapons.

Without people like us who can use ‘Purification,’ adventurers often return to the inn covered in blood and mud, which is inevitable.

“In that case, should we aim for the area around the guild?”

“Yes, if you’re an adventurer.”

“We use the east gate more often, so it will be a bit far...”

“But once you all level up, you’ll move your activities to the southern forest, right? Then it will be closer.”

Generally, the east area is for beginners, and the south area is for intermediates, so Diora’s point is correct.

However, we will probably continue to operate in the east for a while.

“By the way, have you completed any goblin hunts?”

“Yes, twice. These two haven’t yet.”

“Do you have any goblin magic stones?”

“Ah, no, we didn’t collect them...”

“I see. Well, it’s fine for you. Can I see your guild cards? Naoto and Toya as well.”

We handed our guild cards to Diora, and she engraved a mark on the back of each one.

“Congratulations. You’re now rookies.”

“Eh? We were below rookie before?”

“Yes. Well, considering how much you’ve earned, it might seem a bit different, but officially, you’re adventurers who can collect magic stones.”

Technically, we haven’t collected any yet, but considering our past performance, it’s not a lie to say we’ve leveled up.

Of course, it’s the lowest rank, so it’s not that strict.

“Now you’re all rank 1. You can take on more requests, but since you’re already making a good income, it might not matter much.”

“I see. But rank 1 means rookie, right? What are you called before that—without a rank?”

“There’s no specific term, but some people call them half-adepts. I think it’s fine as long as there’s a need, even if they don’t kill monsters.”

Adventurer registration is open to anyone who pays, and if they haven’t even killed the weakest monster, they might be considered half-adepts...

“By the way, how much is a goblin magic stone worth?”

“250 rea each.”

It was cheaper than I expected.

Considering how much determination it takes to kill a goblin, it seems low to me.

“...I’m starting to think being a half-adept is fine.”

“Actually, Dindel fruits are more expensive. If there’s a goblin hunt request, you also get a bounty, which makes it a bit better.”

“But Task Boars are also quite expensive, right?”

“That’s just supply and demand. It’s impressive that you can hunt them regularly. They’re not easy to find.”

Goblins only yield magic stones, and their value is determined by their quality. Magic stones are a type of fuel, so they are compared to other fuels.

To put it simply, if a goblin magic stone can boil 100 liters of water, it’s compared to the price of firewood that can boil 100 liters of water.

On the other hand, boars are sold for their meat, and the price is based on the meat’s value.

The difficulty of the hunt doesn’t factor into the price.

It’s a tough world.

Incidentally, we can hunt boars frequently thanks to my ‘Scouting’ skill and Toya’s sharp senses, so for ordinary adventurers, the price of Task Boars is reasonable.

“(Hey, why didn’t we collect goblin magic stones? They’re worth some money.)”

“(Goblin magic stones are in their heads—around the hippocampus. It’s a bit too early to crack open their skulls...)”

“(Ah, I see.)”

Goblins look like the typical ones in games, but since they walk on two legs, to extract the magic stone, you’d have to either smash their skull with a sword or cut off their head and dig it out... Ugh. It’s still a bit too early for that.

I can’t do it, and it wouldn’t be right to ask Haruka to do it.

Smashing their skull during combat is one thing, but desecrating a corpse is a bit too much.

Maybe we’ll get used to it eventually.

“We got off topic. So, what about the house? The guild can help you find one in this area.”

“Eh? The Adventurer’s Guild does that too?”

“Only in this area. As I mentioned, the general public tends to avoid adventurers. For the owners, it’s safer to go through the guild when renting to adventurers.”

There’s also the benefit of not having to negotiate directly with adventurers, who are perceived as rough.

“Besides, some real estate agents treat adventurers poorly.”

“I see.”

Real estate agents naturally prioritize people with stable jobs over adventurers, who are unstable and risky.

“Is this area okay for the house? Any other preferences?”

“I want a large yard for training.”

“Okay, Toya wants a large yard.”

“I want a bath... but that might be difficult, right?”

“...What do you think, Diora?”

I want a bath too.

While ‘Purification’ can clean us, I’d like to take a bath occasionally for the mood.

It seems everyone feels the same way, looking at Diora hopefully, but her expression is not encouraging.

“A bath? It’s not possible in a regular house. Only in noble-level mansions, which we don’t handle. The best we can do is a house with a large laundry area where you can set up a bucket.”

A laundry area is a place for washing clothes, and in this world, where hand washing is the norm, even inns have dedicated areas for it.

In inns, the area available to guests is usually an open space near the well, but in your own home, you need to wash regardless of the weather, and you might need to wash large items like sheets.

Some houses have a room with a drainage system for this purpose.

“With a rental, that’s probably the limit. Any other preferences?”

“I want a private room. Ideally, a room for each person plus an extra for work.”

For Haruka’s alchemy and my time-space magic training, having extra room would be helpful. We also have barrels stored in the “Drowsy Bear” warehouse, so we need a larger food storage area.

“I want a yard too. I’d like to have some space for gardening.”

Gardening...

Yeah, maybe having some mental space is important when settling down.

In my case, I only did some weeding in my yard when my parents told me to during a big clean-up.

Even when my parents bought and planted flower seedlings, I thought, “Why not plant fruit trees? We could eat them,” or “Why not plant vegetables? We could enjoy both flowers and fruits.”

“...Is that all your preferences? Diora, can you manage it?”

“Well... Five or more private rooms, a large laundry area, and a yard. Since you’re helping us with the bags, I’ll do my best. Can you wait a few days?”

“Of course. Thank you.”

“““Thank you.”””

We all bowed to Diora, who nodded with a smile, and left