Chapter 83

The area around my base was bustling with activity, to the point of being surprising.

Hunters were on watch in all directions, taking turns, but by the riverside, three pots were being used to cook something, and next to them, a huge piece of orc meat was being roasted, apparently caught on the way.

The women responsible for this area were someone's girlfriends or wives.

In the bath, three male hunters were soaking, and around them, other naked male hunters were immersed in the river water.

The temperature was even hotter than when I first arrived in this world.

It was a scorching summer day, and I could understand why entering the river felt so good.

They were probably enjoying it like a sauna, taking turns between the bath and the river.

And I was busy fishing with Jink and the other two.

I borrowed the fishing rods from Mei, who was doing something with a basket she claimed to be good at, though I still had no idea what she was doing.

A few others had also brought fishing rods and were fishing at a distance, chatting away.

"Since then, how's the Locker Plain? Is it going well?"

"It's tripled my income. Thanks to that, I even bought some cheap armor."

"I was worried when I got hit by the Air Mantis' [Wind Magic] though."

"Ah... Are you okay!?"

That's right.

I was supposed to show the power of [Wind Magic] level 1, but I got flustered when I realized Jink didn't have the [Earth Magic] he was supposed to have and forgot about it...

"It was because of the distance. As Loki said, it's just a strong wind if you're about 10 meters away, right?"

"Yeah, but it would have been dangerous if I had gotten closer."

"Yeah, it was probably a good thing that the target was Potta. I would have panicked and gotten closer."

Well... I don't think it's good that Potta was targeted, but it's true that Potta wouldn't have approached with the basket on his back.

In fact, it's easy to imagine that he would have been too scared to move.

It's a silver lining, I guess.

"Interesting... So, are we going to stay here?"

I looked around, but Jink had a serious expression.

"Frankly, it's too much for just us. A few monsters appeared on the way, and I quickly realized that I couldn't take down an orc."

A quick glance at his equipment showed that he was still using a disassembly knife as his main weapon.

Plus, Jink is shorter than me.

To deal a fatal blow, he would need to aim for the eye with a bow or gradually wound the legs to make the monster lower its head.

And during that time, it wouldn't just be one monster.

Considering that other monsters might join in... Yeah, it's tough.

Even if Jink survived, Mei and Potta would be at risk.

"Well, I realized that while hunting here. If the goal is to make money, the Locker Plain is the best. It all depends on the goal, right?"

"True. Our main goal is to bring money home, so we didn't need to discuss much and decided on the Locker Plain."

"If we keep working hard, we should be able to learn [Detection] and [Exploration] soon. That should make hunting in the Locker Plain much easier, right?"

"That's what Mei wanted. [Exploration]... I already have [Archery], so maybe I'll go for [Exploration] next? Or I could let Mei take it."

As we were talking, a loud voice rang out.

"The food is ready! Come and get it if you want to eat!"

"Hey! It's time to eat! I haven't caught anything, so let's go eat!"

"I'm hungry!"

"I wonder what they made?"

We gathered our group, including Mei, who was frantically scooping with her basket, and headed over.

Most of the others had also gathered, but half of them were in their underwear, still wet from the river.

Moreover, they were mostly muscular men, making the scene quite unpleasant to look at.

We lined up, and when I saw the ingredients in the wooden bowls, I was inwardly delighted to see a soup loaded with the vegetables I had been craving.

(This is it! I can't stand a diet of just meat... Ah, it smells so good...)

I took a sip of the soup while standing. Besides salt, it tasted like consomme, though I didn't think consomme would exist in this world. The flavor was similar to a cloudy consomme, which made me feel warm inside.

Looking around for a place to sit, I spotted Alba and Mizuru eating and chatting.

Thinking it was a good opportunity, I joined them.

"How was the bath?"

"Oh, Loki, it was great!"

"I never thought I'd be able to take a bath! It makes me angry to think that nobles are always soaking in such luxury, but it was definitely the best!"

"Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed it. You two were going back and forth between the river and the bath, right?"

"When it gets hot, we go into the river, and when we get cold, we go into the bath. I never thought such a pleasure existed in the world."

"If we had a bath at home, we could even drink some sake..."

Mizuru was rubbing the bath as if he didn't want to leave.

A bath alone might be possible with some effort, but a river and a bath together would be too much, even for nobles.

(Oh, right, I should tell them...)

It would be a double blow for Mizuru, but I had to tell them something I hadn't mentioned yesterday.

It was something I had to say eventually.

"By the way, I forgot to tell you yesterday, but I'll probably be leaving here in about 6 days."

My current level is 16.

I've been hunting for two full days at level 16, but my experience points have only increased by about 25%.

This means I've already surpassed my level cap.

I'll aim for level 17, but after that, it will be a tough grind.

So, it's probably time to wrap up in the Rurubu Forest.

"...I see. Well, it can't be helped. I was prepared for it."

"Yeah, about a month and a half in total? Still, we've made a lot of money!"

"Plus, the guild warned us that this situation couldn't last forever, so it's good timing."

"Huh? Warned?"

"Yeah. They said that the amount of materials being brought in every day is far beyond what they expected. If it continues, they won't be able to maintain the buyback prices."

Ah, I see... I hadn't thought about it that deeply...

Depending on the situation, we might need to retreat earlier.

"Is it okay for another 6 days?"

"That should be fine. Magic stones are consumables, and there's no shortage of Small Wolf skins, which are quickly turned into clothes and shoes. There's no way there will be too many materials that directly affect the lives of commoners. The guild is probably worried about the orc meat..."

"It's expensive meat. I hear it's frozen with magic tools and transported to the town of Malta, but they're probably starting to struggle with the supply there."

Hmm.

The guild decides the buyback prices, after all.

Even if I ask Alba and Mizuru, they can only give me an estimate.

This incident has been a good lesson in being cautious with perishable food items in the future, but...

The question is what to do next.

"If the prices drop suddenly, please let me know. You don't have to stick with me, and in that case, I'll consider an early retreat."

"Ah, don't worry about it. Even if the value of the meat drops, we're still making way more than we used to!"

"That's right. If the demand for meat drops, we can fill the baskets with other materials. We won't lose anything."

"Okay... Then I'll stick to the plan for about 6 more days. I'll let you know on the last day, so let's keep working hard until then."

"Alright, I'll count on you."

"Hey, we still have 6 days, so let's not get all sentimental yet! The main event is about to start!"

"Huh?"

As Mizuru said, pointing with his chin, everyone seemed to have finished eating.

The women were gathering around the bath.

"Hey! It's our turn now! All the men, turn your backs! If you don't guard us properly, we won't be responsible for what happens later!"

The voice of the oldest-looking wife echoed around and in my heart.

...I see.

This is indeed the main event.

Glancing at the women, there were about 10 of them, ranging from late teens to mid-30s, excluding Mei.

In this world, or at least in this region, there are quite a few attractive women, so from my perspective, they are all in my strike zone.

—Something is stirring.

Looking at the two men, Mizuru was already wearing a lecherous expression, and Alba, pretending to be a gentleman, was fidgeting with a stretched nose.

Phew...

The men slowly moved away from the bath, including Jink and Potta, who were being chased away with someone.

In the meantime, I was thinking about where to position myself and what would be the most advantageous.

(Is there a good way... Hmm... Hmm... Ah...)

I had an idea and immediately approached the leader of the women.

"Excuse me! My name is Loki, and I have the [Exploration] skill, which allows me to detect the presence of monsters within about 30 meters. However, if I move away from the bath, the safety level will drop... Is it okay if I stay nearby?"

"Oh, you're Loki. I've heard you've been helping our husbands, so thank you! So, with that skill, it's better to stay near the bath?"

"Basically, yes. I'm a man, so I won't force it, but since this is a place with many monsters..."

It's a gamble, but it's the truth. Even if someone knows about the [Exploration] skill, there's no problem, and if they refuse, I'll just guard from a distance.

So, there's no downside for me.

The women seemed to be considering the pros and cons, but more like waiting for someone to speak up.

And there was one person who didn't read the room.

"Loki is reassuring to have around! He'll protect us!"

Nice one, Mei!

Then the tide seemed to turn.

"Sure, why not? He's still a kid."

"Yeah, and if he can take down a monster alone, he must be the strongest, right? It's safer to have him nearby."

"Right, right. I heard he built this bath too."

"True. Even if the men are on guard, if something slips through, it could be dangerous... So, let's have Loki stay nearby."

"Agreed!"

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