Chapter 67

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

We looked for a good quest at the guild.

The Vibe Bear's warning and the Magic Mushrooms.

We found a quest to hunt a Great Salamander.

After leaving the guild, we headed to the forest through the east gate.

"I found two quests that caught my attention. What do you think?"

"Great Salamander... Well, giant salamanders are fine, right? But I think we should see how much we earn today before deciding. I'm interested in hunting them, but it doesn't seem very efficient in terms of making money."

"Yeah, the distance is a problem."

Diora's tone suggested it would take about a day one way.

Since it takes half a day to get to Saarstadt, it's only natural that it would take longer to go further upstream.

Besides, if the target wasn't bulky, it might be different, but with giant salamanders, we can't catch many.

In that case, it might be more profitable to catch cheaper things nearby.

"Then what about the Magic Mushrooms?"

"The name is one thing, but the effects are also dangerous, right? No, I can use them for my [Pharmacology]."

"Come to think of it, you said you use them for painkillers. -- Can you make potions with [Alchemy]? What's the difference between [Pharmacology] and [Alchemy]?"

Toya's words made me tilt my head.

Indeed, if you can make potions with [Alchemy], [Pharmacology] seems unnecessary, right?

"Well... Halka, what do you think?"

"[Alchemy] can make potions. [Pharmacology] can only make potions."

"Then, is [Pharmacology] meaningless?"

"Not at all. There are medicines that can only be made with [Alchemy], but there are far more that can only be made with [Pharmacology]. [Pharmacology] is better for mass production. [Alchemy] uses magic power to make medicines."

"In other words, there are strengths and weaknesses in making medicines, right?"

"Exactly. That's the idea."

"Since we can use both, we're safe. Diseases and injuries are scary."

"Even though Natsuki's [Pharmacology Lv.3] is advanced, I still need more practice."

Still, it's much better than nothing.

It's more reassuring to take medicine made by the two of us than to see a doctor we don't understand.

"Then, if we gather medicinal herbs, one of the two of us can use them, right? Selling them as medicine could be profitable, couldn't it?"

"No, it's not possible."

When Toya said that, I immediately disagreed.

"Why not?"

"Toya, would you buy Viagra on the street?"

"...No. I see, it's about trust. Besides, I don't need Viagra!"

There have been cases of counterfeit drugs mixed into regular pharmacies in Japan, even with personal imports over the internet.

I was skeptical to hear that it was common practice to buy drugs from someone who suddenly appeared, without verifying their identity, and then sell them to pharmacies.

If such abnormal business practices are allowed, I wonder if the Japanese pharmaceutical wholesalers are okay.

If you can forge packaging, you can do whatever you want, including terrorism.

There are counterfeit drugs that are indistinguishable from the real thing, which are a problem worldwide, yet there seems to be a lack of crisis awareness.

It's not like you can identify the components and effects of a drug with a single appraisal, like in a game.

In this world, there isn't even packaging. Ordinary people can't tell if it's a potion or just water. It's hard to imagine that people would buy from someone they don't know.

"Technically, you can sell if you register with the guild and open a shop, but the benefits are few. It's costly."

"...Is that the same for alchemists?"

"Technically, yes. Whether or not they sell, selling itself is not a crime."

"Then, can we sell magic bags?"

By the way, they're in short supply and can be sold for a lot, right?

We can't use 'space expansion' yet, but if we can sell them, it could be profitable.

"They can be sold, but it will bring trouble to Naoh. And Yuki, too."

"Me!?"

"And Yuki!?"

"Didn't I say that time-space magic is rare? If Naoh, who has no backing, can use it, it will cause a lot of trouble."

"Oh, nobles?"

"Exactly. Time-space magic, when you level up, includes 'teleportation,' right? The authorities won't let it go."

"I see. That sounds troublesome."

"Either hide it thoroughly or get a backer... but hiding it is the only option. It's unlikely to find a convenient backer easily."

"True."

It's hard to imagine that someone would back us without any benefit.

If we provide benefits, our actions will be restricted.

Therefore, it's natural to choose to hide it as much as possible.

"Hey, Halka. I can't accept being an afterthought! Is it a matter of affection? A difference in affection! Naoh, the lovey-dovey Halka is just... --"

"Shut up."

Halka's chop landed on Yuki's head as she started saying something ridiculous.

Yuki, who almost bit her tongue, pressed her mouth, mumbling.

"We act together, and since Naoh is at a higher level, the strategy should be the same. If Yuki wants to act independently, that's different?"

"No! I'll follow you for life!"

"Life is a long time. Well, both of you, try not to draw attention."

"Okay (Yeah)."

We don't want any trouble.

"So, in the end, are we going to look for Magic Mushrooms?"

"The main issue is the possibility of encountering a Vibe Bear. I can avoid combat with my [Scouting], but... what do you think?"

"I... rather, we should fight. Last time was dangerous, but stronger enemies will appear in the future. They can also serve as practice partners."

"I'll abstain. I don't know how strong they are."

"I haven't encountered them either, but I think we should try. While safety is important, challenging stronger opponents is necessary for growth."

Natsuki was more aggressive than I thought!

Come to think of it, she practiced martial arts in her original world.

"Majority rules. Let's do it. Toya, it's up to you. You're the toughest."

"Okay. This time, we have chain mail and a shield. It's much safer than last time."

Last time, we faced a bear with cheap leather armor and an iron rod. ...Yeah, Toya, you've got guts. Facing a bear of that size.

"So, our plan is to look for Magic Mushrooms while gathering medicinal herbs, hunt Task Boars if we see them, and if Goblins come close, we'll take them down, but we won't actively seek them out. Is that okay?"

We nodded to Halka's plan and stepped into the forest.

◇ ◇ ◇

Once in the forest, we split into 2 vs. 3, taking turns gathering medicinal herbs and keeping watch.

In terms of combat power, Toya and Halka, and the other combinations. Since everyone can use [Help] or [Appraisal], we can gather the correct herbs without mistakes, and the work progresses smoothly. Thanks to the shovel, we can now gather herbs that require roots.

After about an hour of moving and gathering, Toya found it.

"Hey, there are Magic Mushrooms."

Following Toya's words, we looked in the direction he pointed and saw a tree about 20 centimeters in diameter that had fallen, with several white mushrooms growing from it.

The shape was like a shiitake mushroom with a slightly longer and thicker stem.

"These are the Vibe Bear's favorite, right?"

"They don't look very tasty, do they?"

"No, no, Yuki, mushrooms generally don't look very tasty, do they? We only think they're tasty because we know they are."

"...Maybe?"

Shiitake mushrooms look delicious because we know they're tasty when grilled with a little soy sauce.

Objectively, they don't look as appetizing as fruits.

If colorful things look tasty, in the case of mushrooms, they often look dangerous and make you lose your appetite. It's strange.

This is probably because the mushrooms we usually eat are plain.

"But, they're completely white, like button mushrooms."

"Button mushrooms... Magic Mushrooms look even more dangerous now."

Natsuki's words made Toya chuckle.

"By the way, Magic Mushrooms are a general term for mushrooms that contain certain alkaloids, not just one type. Most of them don't look like the mushrooms we imagine."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. I believe Fly Agaric is one of them."

"Since they have painkilling effects, the alkaloids they contain are closer to Datura, right?"

"Right, Hual Gang Qingzhou?"

"Yes."

I think he was the one who made anesthetic drugs.

I remember reading it in a manga once.

"Let's gather them. Toya, does [Appraisal] say anything?"

"Ah, it says they are raw materials for anesthetics and that mushrooms with caps less than 3 centimeters are worthless, while those over 10 centimeters are very valuable."

"3 centimeters... We won't find many. There are none over 10 centimeters."

The mushrooms on the fallen tree were sparse, fewer than shiitake mushrooms grown on logs.

About half are less than 3 centimeters, so we probably won't gather more than 10.

"How much would these be worth?"

"I didn't ask. But they'll probably buy them at a reasonable price, so let's gather them."

"Okay."

If we deal with merchants, we might be cheated, but the guild is more reliable. The price might be a bit lower, but considering the time it takes to find a buyer, it's not bad.

"The largest one is... about 8 centimeters. We could leave them to grow, but..."

"That's not a good idea. If Vibe Bears come, they'll eat them."

"Of course."

We harvested all the mushrooms over 3 centimeters and put them in a bag.

Upon closer inspection of the tree trunk, we found claw marks. It was probably knocked down by a Vibe Bear.

"Still, if we can gather Magic Mushrooms thanks to the Vibe Bears, it feels wrong to kill them."

"Well? That bear isn't cute at all, so I don't really care."

"Isn't it cute?"

"No. Not at all. It's vicious. Well, the meat is cheap, and the only thing we can sell is the fur, so I don't really want to kill them actively."

Grizzly bears are cuter, right?

"If we encounter them, we'll kill them. Once we're done gathering, we'll move quickly. There's no need to wait for the Vibe Bears to come."

"Understood."

We checked one last time to make sure we hadn't missed any and left the area quickly.