Chapter 156: Scum Swarming to Meat

“Are you planning to make me practice Appraisal this time?”

“Even if I say practice, if you connect with the spirit, it’ll help you, so I don’t think you need to practice desperately like I did. You just need to practice Appraisal while working—checking optimal herb extraction times, the amount of extracts to mix, things like that.”

At Felica’s workshop, a Flame or Fire Magic spirit had been helping inside the furnace even though Grandma Felica had never received Fire Magic. Since glasswork was her profession, a Crafting Skill spirit had also attached itself to her.

My sister had acquired Water Magic and Potion Compounding spirits after the fact, so the Appraisal spirit should attach itself to her if she called it as well.

For that matter, numerous spirits had attached themselves to me—Healing Magic, Water Magic, Fire Magic, and more—and helped me in all kinds of ways. If my sister called the Appraisal spirit, it ought to attach itself to her too.

“Certainly, knowing optimal times and amounts for herb components, and when mixing, would be convenient.”

“If you can determine the ideal condition of each ingredient and combine them into the best possible potions, the shop’s future will be secure. Didn’t they teach you anything like that while you trained at the Apothecaries’ Guild?”

“The Guild Master—or rather, no one in that guild—had Appraisal. They were certainly strict about dryness, measured quantities, and mixing the various medicinal solutions, though.”

“If Appraisal lets you judge all that, you can climb another level. ‘Belinda, the apothecary of Lynas whom even Apothecary Claudins respects.’ Wouldn’t that sound impressive?”

Her expression showed that she didn’t entirely dislike the idea, so I summoned the Appraisal spirit and had her call to it. On her second attempt, it moved to my sister’s side and disappeared from view, so it seemed to have taken a liking to her.

“After this, whenever you do something, look at the object and try Appraisal in your mind—adding conditions like magic amount, dryness level, and so on.”

I visited the Adventurers’ Guild for the first time in a while and asked for the Submaster.

“You’re not with Mintz and the others?”

“My sister is making me help her. Submaster, please dismantle these in secret again.”

“That thing? After dismantling…”

“I understand. I’ll bring out one more of each, please.”

“Alright, let’s go to the dismantling area.”

The Submaster dragged me into the dismantling area and summoned the dismantling supervisor.

“We’re dismantling the usual thing, so prepare the blindfold.”

“If it’s a blindfold, that thing?”

“Yes. Like before, they’ll take the meat, but there’s more to come, so keep it secret.”

In the back where the dismantling supervisor prepared the blindfold, I lined up the Golden Goats and Sham.

“I’ll have the meat ready after noon three days from now, so don’t forget the replacements.”

“You’re sending it to the royal capital anyway, right?”

“Of course. This becomes the guild’s achievement and proof that Lynas’s guild has skilled members. Well, I won’t mention your name, but many will figure it out anyway, so be careful.”

Count Arkwright’s crests had recently kept such people quiet. Ted was always complaining that he had nothing to do.

I didn’t want the guild learning about the giant snake either, so perhaps I could negotiate with Chancellor Brighton to split the meat.

The day before the meat was ready, I visited the Galstein Magic Tool Shop on Delphine Street.

I had visited the Galstein Magic Tool Shop many times, so the staff greeted me with their deepest bows when I stepped down from the hired carriage. I had another 180 hours of time delay added to my Rank 5-180 Magic Bag, paid 182 gold coins, and left the shop.

Now I’ll use the Rank 5-360 Magic Bag as a food storage, the 12-360 Magic Bag exclusively for prey and large items, and the 8-160 Magic Bag for daily use and as a sake cellar.

Heading to the Adventurer’s Guild and entering the dismantling area, I found the displeased-looking Submaster and dismantling supervisor waiting.

“What happened?”

“It seems word spread that the auctioned game came through this guild. Several people have hired adventurers as proxies to corner the supply.”

“So there are people demanding I hand over the meat?”

“Yeah, and they don’t seem to be very upstanding types. They might go to your house.”

“My house has warding talismans posted, and Ted and the others are there, so it should be fine.”

“Your house isn’t publicly known, so you should be safe for a while, but be careful. After taking the meat, stay quietly at home.”

The Submaster’s kind warning sent a chill down my spine, but I collected the meat, left replacement Golden Goats and Shams, told them to deposit the payment into my account, and headed from the dismantling area to the dining hall.

Several men had been squatting outside the guild and staring at me. I had found it strange, but now the mystery was solved. Carrying my ale, I sat at a nearby table, and one man from a group at the back casually left the dining hall.

More trouble again. I was getting sick of it, but I wouldn’t let anyone steal my delicious meat. I waited to see what sort of men would appear, but the one who left didn’t return, which was rather anticlimactic. The men who seemed to be his companions occasionally glanced my way but showed no sign of moving.

I returned my ale mug to the counter and headed for the entrance. The men at the back of the dining hall began to move. Outside, the men who had been squatting there were now seated and talking with the man who had left the dining hall.

They’re pretending not to know, but I haven’t forgotten how they looked at me when I came to the guild. I could go straight home, but there’s no guarantee the count’s crest will protect me, so I decided to leave the city.

As I strolled toward the west gate, a string of hangers-on followed me like goldfish droppings and rapidly closed the distance.

“Brother, you’re definitely Leon the Breeze, right?”

“I don’t recall claiming such a nickname.”

“You’re Leon, the wind mage, right?”

“Certainly I’m Leon, but who might you gentlemen be?”

“Don’t mind us. We’ve been waiting to ask you to spare us a bit of the meat you received.”

“Denied. I didn’t go deep into the forest to give it to others. If you want meat, go deep into the forest and you can get as much as you want.”

“Are you mocking us, knowing full well?”

“As rumored, you seem like a thick-skinned guy.”

“It seems you have no intention of giving us meat.”

“I don’t know who hired you, but I’m quite strong and my patron is a big shot, so you’d better stop.”

“Hoo, you say some fancy things. Don’t think you can continue as an adventurer in this city if you make enemies of us.”

“The runt who used to run errands for Mintz and Scott gets cocky just because he’s gotten a little famous—you’ll get hurt.”

“Don’t think you’re safe just because we’re in the city. If we get serious…”

Annoyed, I dropped a red-bean-sized Flame down the collar of the man speaking so arrogantly. He looked puzzled for an instant, then began a strange dance while screaming, ‘Ah! Hot!’

His companions were bewildered by the sudden commotion and took their eyes off me, so I gave the apparent leader a Flame as well.

I drained the magic from the Flame tormenting the man who was rolling around. I left the apparent leader’s Flame in place and watched with a thin smile, allowing him to enjoy it for a full three minutes.

“What’s so funny! Did you do something?”

“Ehh, please stop with the false accusations. They suddenly started screaming and dancing, so I wondered if they had some strange illness. The changing of seasons makes it easy to fall ill, so please take care of your health.”

Smiling broadly, I turned my back on the fools and headed for the west gate, and they followed at a distance.

Leaving the west gate, I walked leisurely toward where I practiced lightning magic. It was obvious the guys from earlier were following behind at a distance. I went around behind tall grass and began preparations to welcome them.

It had been a while since I used [Concealment]—or perhaps [Tree Camouflage] was the better name. I quieted my mind, erased my presence, and blended into the tall grass.

The guys who quickly caught up started making noise, saying “He vanished!” and such. Fools, I’m right next to you, I thought, laughing as I waited for everyone to appear, then wrapped them in [Whirlwind!] and spun them around.

‘Eek! Stop this—!’ ‘Wha-wha-what’s this?!’ ‘I’m getting dizzy… Ugh!’ ‘Stop! Please!’

I caught them one after another in [Whirlwind!] and spun them around. Once the last man was turning, I drained the magic from the first whirlwind. As each spell stopped, its victim collapsed—a disaster of vomit, rolled-back eyes, and unconscious bodies. Some desperately tried to flee, but they couldn’t even crawl properly. I lacked enough rope, so I smashed each man across the shin and broke one of his arms with the butt of my short spear.

After catching my breath, I counted fifteen men. I enclosed the whole group in a [Ring!], drank tea while waiting for them to recover, and appraised the man who had spoken so arrogantly.

[Appraisal: Criminal history… robbery and murder, slave trading, habitual lying]

I hit the jackpot with a terrible guy right away, so I appraised the shady-looking guys.

[Appraisal: Criminal history… theft, fraud, child abduction, murder] [Appraisal: Criminal history… slave hunting, robbery and murder, pleasure killing, fraud, arson] [Appraisal: Criminal history… robbery, murder, theft, slave trading, sadistic tendencies…]

No good, my sanity can’t take this. Since Appraisal wouldn’t count as evidence, I decided to check their belongings.

“You guys seem to have quite interesting personalities, so I’ve decided to learn from you.”

<Guh, using such cowardly magic… ughhh>

“You said, ‘Don’t think you’re safe just because we’re in the city,’ didn’t you? You have a rotten personality and look like the sort who kills for pleasure, so hand over your Magic Pouches.”

“You… You attacked us with magic, and you dare beat us…” “He broke my arm, and I think my leg is broken too.” “You bastard! Once we return to the city, you won’t get away with this!” “I’ll kill you and your entire family. Remember that!”

Annoyed, I tossed bean-sized Flames into the mouths of the guys talking.

<Gwah> <Aaah, gyaaa> <Ughhhhh>

Ah, they vomited the Flames out along with everything else.