Chapter 73

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

Discovered two orcs.

Natsuki took them down with a single spear strike, and Toya also dispatched them relatively easily.

We hurriedly butchered them and headed back.

After that, until we left the forest, we only detected an enemy once within our search range.

However, it was likely a task boar, so we continued without changing our course and managed to escape the forest without any battles.

The encounter rate would probably draw complaints in a game, but in reality, if the density of monsters was so high that you'd encounter them multiple times in an hour, they would keep gathering while you were in battle, and you would surely die.

Animals would likely run away, but monsters are essentially beings that attack humans, so it's practically impossible for them to ignore a battle happening right next to them.

Once we reached the road, we started running again. It's quite tough carrying a full backpack and a bag of meat, but since this time the large and extra-large shares went to Toya and Natsuki, and the other three, including me, got the small shares, I can't really complain.

Probably, if we had a bit more, we could use 'Spatial Expansion.'

I've managed to successfully activate 'Time Delay' and 'Weight Reduction' simultaneously about once every ten tries, so it shouldn't be too long before I can create a magic bag with both 'Spatial Expansion' and 'Weight Reduction.'

I'll have to work hard for my own sake. Yeah.

When we returned to town, we first visited Aera to sell some of the meat and then headed to the guild with the rest.

We had to wait a bit longer than usual because it was later in the day, but we successfully sold the orcs, some herbs, and magic mushrooms.

The orcs, with their magic stones, meat, and hides, totaled 72,800 rea, and the herbs and magic mushrooms were 32,000 rea. That's a bit more than 100 gold coins.

Hmm, if the weather holds, we should be able to earn enough for the land in just two more days, right?

By the way, we all reached Rank 2 after defeating the orcs.

According to Diora, a Rank 2 evaluation is "a bit better than a rookie," but she also warned us that "this is the level where people tend to get overconfident and die easily," so she advised us to be even more careful.

Additionally, we were told that orcs sometimes have nests nearby, and if you fight near a nest, a large number of reinforcements will come.

Considering the possibility that we were detected from outside my detection range, this is a very important point.

We can manage with 3 or 4, but "numbers matter." If it's 10 or more, we would almost certainly lose.

In case of an emergency, we should consider retreating and focus more on detection.

◇ ◇ ◇

The next day, and the day after that, we focused on earning money by hunting orcs.

We did look for magic mushrooms, but the places we had already harvested from were mostly empty, and most of the new logs we found had already been eaten.

Thinking about it, finding those first three logs was quite lucky.

Probably, the area we cleared of the vype bear was its territory. We haven't encountered any other vype bears since, so we might not have much luck with magic mushrooms in the future.

Hunting orcs is profitable, but the bottleneck is transportation. We have to turn back after taking down two. On the bright side, this has given us more time for training.

I can now activate 'Spatial Expansion,' so if I can stabilize the simultaneous activation of 'Weight Reduction,' I can create a magic bag.

That would make things much easier in many ways. I want to achieve this within a few days.

Actually, Yuki managed to activate 'Spatial Expansion' before me, which is a bit concerning... but I'm still better at control. Once she taught me the trick, I could use it right away, so it should be fine.

The next day, the weather turned questionable, so we only managed to take down one task boar and finished work by noon. We visited Diora to sell our materials and check on the progress of the land purchase.

"Yes, it's going smoothly. I think we can finalize it within a few days."

"Really? I thought it would take longer."

"Everyone is working hard, and I've been pushing as well. It's not a big deal for me. Yes."

Diora smiled reassuringly.

I'll pretend not to notice her slightly unsettling tone.

"Are we working hard enough? We usually finish early."

The first time we took down orcs, we worked a bit later, but most of the time, we return by mid-afternoon.

"But you're still bringing back prey, right? Many Rank 1 or 2 adventurers can't even catch prey from morning till evening and end up settling for herbs. If they manage to take down even one orc, they celebrate for days."

"For days... If they do that, they won't save any money."

For a party of 5-6, taking down one orc would net each person about 6 gold coins.

At the Slumbering Bear Inn, it might be different, but in Saarstadt, even with decent food and drink, 3 days would be enough to spend it all.

They also need money for weapons and armor, so it's not a leisurely amount to earn.

The reason we can save money is partly because the Slumbering Bear Inn is cheap, no one spends money on alcohol or other luxuries, and with sewing skills, we can make our own clothes to some extent.

"That's true. If they keep that up, they won't be able to rank up. Many adventurers don't think ahead..."

On the other hand, those who do think ahead tend to rank up smoothly.

"Ranks 3 and 4 are achievable with effort, so those who stall before reaching those ranks have little future."

"What happens to those people when they get older?"

"Well, most of them don't get old. They die along the way."

Yuki's expression froze at Diora's blunt words.

"Those who find a turning point or are blessed with some luck might find a regular job... but most of them have unrealistic ideas like 'I will succeed.'"

It's a bit like middle school syndrome.

Actually, considering the age of adulthood in this world, the age at which people decide to become adventurers is around the middle school age. They continue to hold onto the idea that "I'm special!" and if they keep being adventurers, they end up in a graveyard. A real one.

We need to take this as a warning. Owning a home and saving money is important.

"From my experience, it doesn't seem too difficult for a few people to take down orcs and save money... but is it hard to find them?"

"That's because Natsuki is strong. New adventurers are just young people from rural areas. They might have some strength, but they're unskilled and inexperienced. They can handle goblins, but orcs are tough."

I see, without skills.

Our starting point is different from those who don't have weapon skills from the beginning. Even if they find a mentor, it's not guaranteed that they'll teach them for free.

"Also, it's questionable whether they have the foresight to save enough to buy good weapons like Natsuki's."

The spear I bought for Natsuki costs about 1.4 million yen in Japanese currency.

It's not something a middle school student could afford.

I could probably afford a spear like the one Natsuki bought, but facing an orc with it would still be scary. It might break easily.

"Of course, finding them is also difficult. It's hard to find orcs, and you need to choose those that are alone or in pairs, and be able to escape if there are three or more. It's quite challenging for rookies. Many die while hunting orcs."

In summary, it's thanks to our detection skills and weapon skills.

Even without obvious cheats, the evil god has made it relatively easy for us to earn money, especially considering where we were sent.

"So, I'm really grateful for Natsuki and the others bringing orc meat regularly. It's popular."

"Even you, Diora?"

"Yes, I like it too. I get to enjoy it!"

Diora smiled.

It seems she gets it at a guild member price, similar to what happened in Dindel.

Meat is a bit expensive in this world, but at the guild's purchase price, it's affordable enough for regular people to eat daily. For Diora, who is a guild executive, it's no problem at all.

"I'm glad we can help. But we'll probably take a break tomorrow."

"It looks like it's going to rain. I'll have some free time, so I'll visit the landowner again."

"Thank you. I have the money ready."

"Thank you, I'll be looking forward to it."