Chapter 23

7/15 This is my third post of the day.

"Wow, not bad for a first job, quite a lot, isn't it?"

I receive praise from Rody, who stands before me.

This is the dissection area located at the back of the Hunter Guild. The larger entrance, designed for the dissection area, is set on the back street, and the interior of the building is connected to the main entrance, which has the reception and the request board.

When I entered through what could be called the back door, I was asked, "I don't recognize you, are you a new recruit?" After introducing myself, I learned that the bearded man named Rody was the site supervisor.

He looks so imposing that I can't help but feel he has the air of a guild master.

"I tried to bleed the Horn Rabbits by feeling my way around. How do you think it turned out?"

I haven't quite caught my breath yet, but I want to make sure I'm meeting the needs of the people on site, so I ask.

"Hmm... The color of the meat seems fine, so this should be okay. However..."

"However...?"

"Preferably, you should decapitate the Horn Rabbits in one swift move. If you slash them from the side, the skin will inevitably be downgraded. In this case, it's not a big deal, but you don't need to push yourself too hard."

"I see... That makes sense."

The problem is that I tend to align my knife with the Horn Rabbits' charge, so the blade ends up hitting the side.

If I were to just decapitate them, I would need to use a jacket to restrain them, but I'm hesitant to carry more equipment.

"For 5 Horn Rabbits, the material value is all 'B'. For the Goblins, you have 4 magic stones and parts, and for the Hooleymoors, you have 3 magic stones and parts! Hand this over at the reception, and you'll receive your reward. The basket will be collected here."

Rody hands me a wooden board, and upon checking the contents, it indeed matches what he said.

"What are the material value grades?"

"There are five grades from E to A. If you use fire magic and burn them, the skin won't be usable, and the meat might also be cooked, so it would be a D or E. Naturally, the material value would drop!"

"I see. So, if I just decapitate them, it would be an A, right?"

"As long as the meat quality hasn't deteriorated over time. However, the difference between A and B is only 200 Bikes. Don't risk your life just to get an A. Your life is more important!"

"You're right, thank you! I plan to come almost every day, so please take care of me."

"Sure! If Loki earns, the guild earns. Don't overdo it!"

He's a nice guy.

I'll probably be relying on him for a while, so if I move to the next hunting ground, I'll make sure to ask him for tips on getting high prices.

With these thoughts in mind, I walk through the well-trodden wooden path, passing by the reference room and the training room, heading towards the reception counter.

A wooden sign hangs from the ceiling, making it easy for new recruits to find their way.

Upon arrival, Amanda, as expected, signals me to come over with her eyes, so I leave the young lady and head to Amanda.

When I hand her the wooden board Rody gave me, her eyes widen slightly.

"Loki, did you end up forming a party?"

"No, I felt that the Palmeira Great Forest was manageable, so I'm thinking about forming a party from the next Locker Plain..."

"That's... You've even taken down sword-wielding Goblins, so you must have F-rank level skills... Still, that's quite a number."

"I realized my own shortcomings and decided to put in more effort. I ran around looking for monsters, and this is the result."

"Don't push yourself too hard. As a hunter, you'll have to risk your life for years to come. Always keep some room to spare..."

"You're right. I realize I pushed myself today, and my legs are really sore..."

"Hehe. Well, today you completed your first job successfully, so I'll say congratulations. I'll calculate your reward, so please wait a moment."

"Got it, I'll wait here."

With that, I head to the skewer lady's stand.

I'm incredibly thirsty... I feel like I'm going to die of thirst.

"Ma'am, do you have any drinks?"

"Of course. But it's a bit early for alcohol... How about some fruit water? I also have ice water."

"Ah, ice water sounds good right now. I want to drink it all at once."

"Sure. That'll be 100 Bikes."

I drink the water handed to me in one go.

"Phew! Delicious!! Another one, please!"

The water feels so refreshing that I can't help but shout.

Thinking about it, the fruit water at the inn was always at room temperature, so this is the first time I've had a cold drink in this world.

Water really does taste three times better when it's cold... which means ice magic.

I'd like to learn it eventually, but since I can't even cast spells in my current situation, it would be a waste to learn it now.

For the time being, I'll have to buy it from stores.

"Loki! I'm done with the calculations!"

Hearing Amanda call me, I thank the lady, return the glass, and head to the counter.

"Here you go! Your first reward is 48,500 Bikes! That's quite a lot. And you did it in half a day, so it's almost too much."

"O, o, ooh!"

I thought I would earn a decent amount since I worked hard today.

But I didn't expect it to be nearly 50,000!

Wait a minute...

If I consider the morning and afternoon runs, I could earn around 100,000 Bikes a day...

If I were told to keep up the same pace tomorrow, I might collapse, but it gives me a good benchmark for what I can earn if I really push myself.

I see, I see... If I just want to live in this world, as long as my body holds up, there's no problem at all!

"Hehe, it was worth the effort. Tomorrow, take a break or slow down, and adjust your pace accordingly."

"Yes, I'll be careful not to overwork myself. By the way, I have a question for you, Amanda..."

There, I ask about the knowledge I lacked today and the essential equipment for hunters.

"Well, the essential equipment would be weapons, but many people carry spare weapons in case they break. Many also carry knives on their belts to save space. If you come during a busy time, you can observe other hunters. Besides, you need a cloth to wipe the blood off your weapon and a water bottle. The water bottle is essential for drinking water. For hunters going to the Ruru Forest, portable food and rain gear are also essential since they can't return immediately. For the Palmeira Great Forest, you can return easily, so only those who don't plan to return for lunch carry them. Some use hooks on their baskets to carry more at once. Emergency potions are also essential, and those going to the Locker Plain always carry poison potions. Many also wear armor, and it's essential to maintain it regularly after hunting."

"I see... That's very helpful information!"

"Wait... You didn't even bring a water bottle?"

She looks me over, and I feel a sharp pain in my side.

My right hand, which still has blood stains despite trying to cover them with dirt, is the source of her gaze. It's pointless to hide it...

"I went with a light heart to see what it was like... So I'll go buy them now!"

"Ha... I told you to form a party! You'll die soon if you keep this up!"

"If I get confused, I'll ask you, Amanda, so please forgive me..."

"Y-Yes! Ask me properly. Me!"

"Yes! I'll go now before the store closes!"

Feeling like it would be better to escape, I quickly leave.

Running is tiring, but I can't help it since I feel like I'm being targeted by a monster-like presence from Amanda.

As I walk towards the shopping district where I bought clothes before, I see the familiar trio walking towards me.

They seem to have noticed me as well.

"Loki!"

"Hey, are you done with today's hunting job?"

"Hey! I've already cashed in and am heading to the store now. Jinque and the others... are you heading out now?"

Potter's basket contains 3 Horn Rabbits, and about half of it is filled with herbs and, strangely, fruits.

"Huh? Fruits?"

I can't help but ask, and

"Fruits are also bought by the guild, did you know? I'll take some home, but I won't give them all!"

May smiles and explains that fruits are bought by the guild for about 100 Bikes each and then sold to stores and restaurants.

Looking in the basket, there seem to be about 30 fruits... Unlike me, who targets only monsters, Jinque and the others move in a small area, collecting everything that can earn money.

Even if Potter carries the basket, it would be too much to run around a wide area.

I also find it difficult to run around with a basket on my back.

At first, it's fine when the basket is empty, but it becomes quite heavy with 2 or 3 Horn Rabbits.

So, this time, I left the basket on a tree branch at the edge of the forest and the plain, and searched for Horn Rabbits without it after the third one.

I can carry one Horn Rabbit easily, so I collected magic stones and parts in between and returned to the basket's location.

This method of putting the Horn Rabbit in the basket and then exploring again without the basket seemed quite efficient.

However, it's a bit difficult for everyone to do, as I used the compass function on my wristwatch to keep track of my exploration.

I went straight into the forest, deviated a bit, and then returned in a straight line.

If you can't do this, it would be quite difficult to find the basket you left behind, so it wouldn't be a useful method for Jinque and the others.

It would also make Potter's role redundant.

(Oh... right, right...)

I remember I have something to give them and reach into my leather bag, pulling out the silver coin.

"I went to the church today. I felt I didn't need a status check for now, so I came back without using it. If you want, you can have it."

The three of them look at the silver coin in my hand.

"Is this the one? The free status check you get when you register as a hunter?"

"I did it a few days ago. It's the same, a silver cross!"

"That's right. I said I would give it to the church, but they didn't say anything, so I think Jinque and the others can get a free check too."

"Really? It's been almost two years since my last check, and I was thinking about doing it again... Is it okay? It's a chance to know what skills you have!"

"Well, I tried hunting today, and I realized I don't need any other skills as long as I have [Presence Detection]. As long as I'm in the Palmeira Great Forest, new skills won't make a difference. I only fight monsters."

"That's true. If that's the case, I appreciate it... but I can't take it for free. It costs 20,000 Bikes, so I'll buy it from you for half, 10,000 Bikes."

"Sure, sure. In return, can you tell me something? What were your status checks like when you did them before?"

"\"What, like?\""

"I heard the black stone slab shows text, and the skills you have appear all at once?"

"That's right. When I was 10, I saw about 10 skills and their levels. I didn't write them down, so it's roughly that many."

"Jinque, you had that many!? I had 7! [Foreign Language Understanding], [Gathering], [Pharmacology]..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!"

I desperately try to stop May.

She seems to remember all the skills she got recently, and if I let her continue, she'll reveal all her skills in the middle of the street.

I don't know what people in this world think, but in games, revealing your skills is like exposing your weaknesses.

That's why I think it's best to keep them hidden, and I don't want to be the one to expose them to the public.

"It's better not to tell people about your skills. There might be bad adults out there!"

"Okay! I'll keep it a secret!"

"That's right. If you have rare skills, you might be kidnapped and sold as a slave, as my dad used to say. I don't think it's a problem for May, though."

"Why not!?"

Phew... That was close...

"I see... So, as a new hunter, I don't need a status check