Chapter 54

In the guild's archive room.

Having woken up more leisurely than usual, I was checking the monster information I had skimmed through before.

(Hmm, there are three types of monsters... There's no information that the Rigs Spiders are poisonous...)

What to bring and what to leave out.

According to the information I had heard beforehand, it takes about three hours one way from the town of Bezart to the Ruru Forest.

I don't have the luxury of carrying extra baggage, so I need to keep my belongings to a minimum.

However, I mustn't forget the essentials.

After doing some preliminary research on the Ruru Forest, my next stop was Rodi's place.

"Rodi-san~ While you're working, could you tell me about the materials from the Ruru Forest?"

"Already here, huh? There's not much of the troublesome skinning work, so it's fine."

Saying that, he came over to the counter, but I didn't want to interfere with his work, so I really hoped he would continue working.

Ignoring my feelings, Rodi started his explanation.

"As I mentioned before, the most valuable thing in Ruru is the Orc meat. It's simply more delicious than ordinary livestock, so the meat itself is highly valued. Plus, you can get a considerable amount from one Orc."

"Hmm... By the way, how much can you get from one Orc?"

"No one brings a whole Orc, so it's not a good reference, but if you were to bring a whole one, it would probably be around 200,000 Bikes."

"Wow... That does seem quite expensive."

"But it's a monster that's over two meters tall. You can't carry it back on your shoulders, so hunters disassemble it on the spot and bring back the meat, the kill parts, and the magic stones. Whether to bring back as much meat as possible from one Orc or only the high-quality parts depends on the party."

"I see... The quality of the meat varies by part."

It's like a cow on Earth, but while I know which parts are delicious and expensive, I have no idea where they are on the body.

"To hunt efficiently, you need to know about the meat. You can naturally learn by eating different parts, but for example, the meat around the back is generally expensive. Most parties that hunt multiple Orcs and bring back only the high-quality parts usually bring back the meat from around the back."

"By the way, how big is the high-quality part around the back? And the price?"

Saying that, Rodi, perhaps using a magic tool, brought out a frozen piece of meat about 30cm by 50cm from a rectangular container that looked like a commercial refrigerator.

"This is the part with good meat quality and high trading value. This would fetch around 60,000 Bikes as a 'B' rank material. Here, try holding it."

"Ugh... It's pretty heavy."

"Right? Considering its size and weight, you can probably only carry 4 to 5 pieces in a large basket. Moreover, the quality of the meat deteriorates quickly. The key is how quickly you can hunt the Orcs, disassemble them, and bring them back while avoiding other monsters. Those who can't do it well often bring back as much meat as possible from one kill, regardless of quality."

"Hmm..."

I did some quick calculations in my head, and it made sense why some hunters stay in the Locker Plains.

It's a 6-hour round trip to the hunting grounds.

The materials, even when packed in a large basket, would fetch around 300,000 Bikes at most.

Moreover, that's for advanced parties that can quickly hunt Orcs. If you take it easy, the quality of the meat will deteriorate, and the cash value will drop.

For someone inexperienced, it might be around 150,000 Bikes for one Orc's worth of meat.

There might be an advantage to only needing to kill one Orc, but for some parties, the Locker Plains might still be more profitable.

"Um... Just for reference, what's the highest daily sale amount for a hunter in Bezart for the Ruru Forest?"

"The highest is around 400,000 Bikes. Only one group, besides you, uses the extra-large basket, and they can achieve that."

"..."

"So, to be honest... I don't think it would make much sense for Loki to go. No matter how excellent you are, it would be difficult to fill an extra-large basket without degrading the meat quality, and it's not a place where you can make two round trips in a day."

"Right..."

I might be able to quickly hunt and disassemble Orcs to fill an extra-large basket if I try hard.

However, it's impossible to cover the 6-hour round trip...

I could run to save time on the way there, but if the basket is full, the return trip would be hopeless.

"Well, Loki doesn't seem to be solely motivated by money, so it might be worth going once."

With that, I learned the following information about the materials from the Ruru Forest:

Orc: 3,000 Bikes per kill, 3,500 Bikes for the magic stone. The meat can fetch a high price depending on the part and quantity. The kill part is the nose.

Rigs Spider: 2,500 Bikes per kill, 2,800 Bikes for the magic stone. There is demand for the silk after it is released, with the price depending on the amount. The kill part is the head.

Small Wolf: 2,400 Bikes per kill, 2,500 Bikes for the magic stone. There is demand for the fur, and it is recommended to skin them, fetching 5,000 Bikes per wolf. The kill part is the tail.

Hmm, the more details I hear, the more hopeless it seems.

Of course, the rewards are better than in the Palmeira Great Forest, but unfortunately, the Locker Plains were just too good.

Moreover, the magic stones don't seem to be elemental, and the materials, especially the Orc and Small Wolf, require the tedious task of skinning.

This isn't a task that can be done in a minute or two... for 5,000 Bikes.

In the Locker Plains, disassembling takes only about 10 seconds, so the effort and reward are clearly not balanced.

Additionally, to harvest the silk from the Rigs Spiders, you need to make them release it, which is a risky process. Even if the buyback price is good, the motivation drops significantly.

(Aaaah...)

Still, I thanked Rodi for taking the time to tell me and walked away, thinking.

Should I fundamentally change my approach? ...But if I do, I might need to acquire another skill depending on the situation...

My thoughts swirled in my head but didn't coalesce.

If I do it, I need to be prepared.

(Hmm... In any case, I should go once and see how strong the monsters are.)

I decided on that and informed my target, Amanda, about my plans for the next day.

"Amanda-san, I'm thinking of going to the Ruru Forest tomorrow."

"I thought so when you mentioned the E-rank... You don't even seem to be considering a party, do you?"

"Y-Yes, that's right, but I just want to try it out and see how it goes..."

"Hmm. I know you've been achieving great results on your own, and I'm not going to say anything, but please be careful. Is there anything you want to know?"

"One thing I want to confirm. Is there a river in the Ruru Forest?"

"A river? The Sail River runs through the forest. What's the matter?"

"No, I was just wondering if there would be a water source."

"I see. But you must bring a water bottle. Even though the river runs through the forest, the Sail River separates the territories, and you'll have to go quite deep into the forest from the Bezart side."

"Do you know how many days it takes to get deep into the forest?"

"Probably... It's not like the Palmeira Forest, so it's not possible in one day. You should be able to reach it within two days."

"I see, that's helpful! Thank you!"

"I have a bad feeling... What are you planning? Spit it out honestly!"

"Eh? Eeh? I just thought I'd try hunting if it's possible..."

"Really? You seem suspicious..."

"Ah, and I have one more thing to confirm, even though it might be a bit much. Is it possible to deposit the money I have on hand with the guild?"

"Eh? What do you mean? The cash you have?"

"Yes. The money I have is heavy and a bit of a hassle. I thought it would be nice to add it to the money I have deposited."

"J-J-Hassle... I've never seen a child treat money so casually..."

"Um, Amanda-san?"

"A-Ah, right. It's not impossible, but it's not usually done. Absolutely not."

"Ugh... I might have to ask you for a favor... depending on the results of tomorrow."

"Alright. If that's the case, come to me. No one else will do it."

"Understood. You're the best, Amanda-san. I can rely on you."

Leaving the cheerful Amanda behind, I temporarily left the guild.

If I stayed, I would start emitting the smell of monsters again. I need to retreat before that happens.

However... This should do for now.

Depending on the results of tomorrow, I might have to be prepared.

I decided to re-enter Sage Mode.

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