Chapter 89

Previous Summary ------------------------------------------------------

Returning to the room, I tied up Toya and made him learn the skill [Iron Wall].

Taking advantage of the absence of the girls, the two of us engaged in some lewd talk.

The training to enhance our combat strength continued the next day as well.

Basically, the main focus of the training was to enable Toya and Natsumi, who support the front line, to handle multiple enemies, and for us in the rear to be able to eliminate more enemies.

During this process, the magic level on the skill chart of the rear group increased, but this seemed to be more because we used spells set at a certain level in the grimoire, rather than an actual increase in magical ability.

In fact, even though the level of my [Fire Magic] increased to 3, the maximum power of 'Fire Arrow' did not increase, so the level itself did not contribute to enhancing combat strength at all.

However, the 'Fireball' listed as a level 3 spell, unlike 'Fire Arrow,' explodes on impact, making it effective for eliminating weak enemies or for intimidation purposes.

Still, if it hits an orc directly, it would probably make the skin and meat unsellable, so I'll probably continue to use 'Fire Arrow' to blow off their heads as usual.

On the other hand, improving direct combat skills is not something that can be easily achieved.

Thanks to the [Strength Enhancement] skill, I can handle weapons more easily, so there should be a significant improvement. However, in the mock battles, everyone had the same [Strength Enhancement], so the difference was not noticeable.

Another achievement was that I successfully obtained the new skill [Vajra].

After increasing physical defense, magical defense, and strength, the next step was to increase agility. I achieved this by repeatedly doing interval dashes.

Immediately after obtaining it, I hid it and fought a mock battle with Toya, winning decisively, but of course, it was immediately noticed.

As a result, within a few hours, everyone obtained it, and the same outcome of almost no difference occurred again.

◇ ◇ ◇

That day, as usual, when we visited to sell the orcs, Diora-san called out to me.

"Naoto, the extermination request you were waiting for has come in."

"Really, finally? Has it appeared on the road?"

"No, there are no eyewitness reports yet, but since your party has been consistently bringing them in, it's likely."

Diora-san chuckled, saying it was probably due to us.

"Have you seen the Orc Leader in the forest?"

"Is it a larger individual than a regular orc? I've seen it."

"Is that so? It's certain that a nest has been established. As I said before, don't overexert yourselves, okay?"

"Of course. There's no point in making money if you're not alive."

Our goal is, first, to survive. Second, to live a comfortable life.

Becoming stronger by defeating enemies and saving money are means to that end.

There's no point if you die.

"By the way, can you buy the orc magic stones along with the rest?"

"Sure, come this way."

As usual, we sold the meat of four orcs and the accumulated magic stones.

The magic stones are about 3,000 rea each, but if the buyback price doubles, it's not something to be underestimated.

I tightened my relaxed cheeks, put the bag of gold coins into the magic bag, and called out to Natsumi, who was waiting in front of the bulletin board.

"Natsumi, it seems the orc nest extermination request has been posted. Is it there?"

Today, only Natsumi was accompanying me. For the past few days, we've been training, so only 2 or 3 members with free time have been coming to sell the orcs.

While it's possible to go alone with a magic bag, as a precaution, either me or Toya, along with one or two of the girls, accompany each other.

"Yes, this one."

Summarizing the content of the paper Natsumi pointed to, it states: "Eliminate the orc nest in the depths of the forest and defeat the higher-level orcs," and "Buy orc magic stones at double the price until the extermination is complete." This is roughly the same as what Diora-san told us.

It's natural that the guild doesn't mention the details of the higher-level orcs or that they will organize an extermination if left unchecked.

"Reading this, if you think it's just the Orc Leader and go to exterminate, it could be dangerous."

"You're right. They probably didn't specify the Orc Leader, but that's on your own responsibility."

The guild hasn't confirmed whether the higher-level orcs are leaders, captains, or even higher. That's why they use the term 'higher-level orcs.'

What actions to take based on this information are left to the adventurers themselves.

...It's also possible that they don't expect the extermination to succeed.

"Let's discuss it with Haruka and the others when we get back."

"Yes, the reward is good, and we want to exterminate if possible, but..."

We nodded at each other and left the guild.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Really? In a way, the timing is good. Tommy contacted me saying the short swords are ready."

This was Haruka's reaction when we returned to the inn and told her about the orc extermination request.

"Good timing, are you going to go on the extermination?"

"Whether or not we eliminate the nest, we'll still go hunting orcs, right? We've been training for this."

"I agree. I'm more confident now that I can take them down faster."

"Can I definitely take them down with 'Fire Arrow'? Last time, Haruka and I took down one together."

I thought they might hesitate a bit more after the last time, but everyone was surprisingly aggressive.

Well, I was the only one who felt the danger. The others only had minor scratches.

By the way, the time it took to dissect the orcs. We have a magic bag with a wide opening as a countermeasure, which we have prepared.

The material is orc leather, and the magic array embroidery was a joint effort of the three girls, who worked hard in shifts, but they successfully achieved the intended function.

The purpose was to temporarily move orcs, but thinking about it, this magic bag has many other uses.

For example, it could be useful when moving furniture after the house is built, as long as no one sees you.

"Shall we go to Gantz's place to pick up the short swords first?"

"Yes, let's get them and head to the forest. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, I'm tired of just training."

"I agree. The weather is nice today, too."

It had been cloudy for the past few days, but today was a clear autumn day. The weather was perfect for a picnic, but we were heading to a brutal monster hunt.

We prepared for the hunt and left the inn quickly, heading to Gantz's shop.

"Hey, it's you guys. You came to pick them up, right?"

Gantz greeted us at the counter today.

"Yes. Is Tommy in the back?"

"Yeah. Toya, you know the way. Go in and get them."

We moved to the back as instructed, and Tommy, who was working at the furnace in the workshop, noticed us and turned around.

"Ah, everyone. You're early?"

"Yes, we want to go hunting after we get them."

"Is that so? Then I'll give them to you quickly."

Tommy took out a short sword that was a bit more rugged than a typical one.

The blade was about 1.5 times wider and a bit thicker. The slightly curved shape resembled a wakizashi, but the handle and tsuba were more like what is common in this world.

The scabbard given to us was also simple, lacking the elegance and artistry of a Japanese sword.

Haruka and Yuki took them, swung them lightly, and nodded.

"It's heavy, but manageable."

"Right. The balance is good, and this length is easy to handle."

I also tried it, and it felt surprisingly easy to handle, with a good balance.

At first glance, it felt like a machete, but it was closer to a wakizashi.

"Since you wanted a practical wakizashi, it turned out like this. The core is tough blue steel, and the outer layer is magic iron, forged together."

The core is tough blue steel, and the outer layer is hard magic iron.

It seems to mimic the method of making Japanese swords, but how effective is it?

"The sharpness can cut through orc skin, and it won't chip even if it hits a regular iron sword. It's also tough, so it won't break easily."

The hardness of magic iron is above yellow iron, and its toughness is slightly below blue steel, but it seems that a single-layer structure of magic iron might be better. Could the different properties of the two metals prevent them from integrating properly?

When I asked Tommy about this, he looked a bit uncomfortable.

"To be honest, this sword might be the same or slightly worse than if it were made entirely of magic iron. However, it saves on materials, and with Gantz's skill, this structure is stronger, so I think the direction is correct."

Hmm, well, since he made it for free as practice, I shouldn't complain. I'll look forward to his future growth.

"By the way, if this sword and my sword were to clash?"

"Your sword would dent more, I think. It might chip against yellow iron, but a light sharpening should fix it. You can do that, right?"

"Yeah, I have the [Blacksmithing] skill."

"You can use it to cut branches like a machete, so it's quite practical. --How is it?"

As a secondary weapon, it's convenient that it can be used for other purposes besides combat.

In the forest, small branches and bushes often get in the way, so it will likely come in handy.

"Yeah, I think it's good."

"There are some things we can't know until we use it, but it's not bad."

"Great! Thank you!"

Although the words were a bit different, both Yuki and Haruka looked satisfied, and Tommy smiled happily.

"By the way, how much did it cost?"

"That's up to Gantz. Honestly, I don't know the details..."

Tommy confirmed the materials with Gantz, so the budget shouldn't have been exceeded, but he didn't know the actual cost of the materials.

"Alright, I'll let you know after we use them."

"Thank you!"

"Yes, let me know at the inn. Thank you."

Leaving the forge and returning to the shop, Gantz greeted us with a pleased smile.

"How was it? Not bad, right?"

"From what I saw and heard, there's nothing to complain about."

"The real test is in actual combat. Even if the design is good, the actual performance might not match."

"That's not something to worry about. I'm in business. No matter how much it's practice for my apprentice, I won't give you something that endangers your life."

"How much do we owe you?"

"Hmm... 80 gold coins for both."

Using magic iron and with good quality, just 80,000 rea?

It's almost half the price of my spear.

"...That's cheaper than I thought."

"Using magic iron, but the size is a bit smaller. However, give Tommy your honest feedback, whether it's praise or criticism. It will help him grow."

"Understood."

Haruka nodded, took out her wallet, and started placing gold coins on the counter. It's always a hassle to count dozens of coins. Whether paper money is easier to count than coins is debatable, but for carrying, paper money is definitely more convenient.

There are large gold coins worth 10 regular gold coins, but I've never seen one. Larger merchants use them, but considering they're worth about 100,000 rea, it's understandable why they're not commonly seen. As a result, Haruka, who handles the money, always has a tough time.

While Haruka was counting, Toya, who was looking at the sword she borrowed, suddenly asked Gantz.

"What do you think of this sword, Gantz?"

"From my perspective, it doesn't fully utilize the material, but as an apprentice, he's doing well—no, he's amazing. I'm not prying into his past, but he's not just a beginner, right?"

"Haha, no comment on that."

Gantz looked at Toya with a piercing gaze, and Toya shook his head with a slightly troubled smile.

I can't say I have the skill but am a complete beginner.

"Well, that's fine. He's almost at the level of a professional. I don't think you need to worry about him."

"That's good. I'll leave it to you."

"You did me a favor by giving me the shovel. I'll take care of him until he can stand on his own."

Gantz smiled.