Kays Translations

Chapter 10: Returning a Favor Should Matter

Ren found several things to reflect on as he made his way back to Clausel.

The first was food. If he intended to spend an entire day surveying and hunting, bringing only lunch was not enough. The second was transportation. Setting off with a cart would be awkward in the forest, but dragging every carcass home by hand was hardly elegant either.

(There is no easy answer when I am working alone.)

He reviewed the day’s results.

Eight Mitsume. Two Earthworms.

Earthworms were enormous E-rank monsters that moved by crawling over the ground. Yelquq had once controlled the same species. Their size made them difficult to carry, so Ren had tied the ten carcasses together with vines from the Wooden Magic Sword and was dragging them toward town.

To avoid dirtying the main road, he kept to its edge. Even so, every adventurer who passed stared at the eleven-year-old hauling a line of monsters behind him.

Lord Lessard had warned him not to overdo things on his first day. Ren had clearly failed to follow that advice.

When Clausel’s gate came into view, he wondered whether the carcasses would fit through it. The opening was easily wide enough. The true problem was how much attention he would attract.

The knight on duty recognized him and laughed in surprise.

“Lord Lessard told us that you had begun working outside town, Ren-dono, but this is quite a first day’s catch.”

“Do other adventurers not bring back this many?”

“Most hunt smaller monsters. Large ones are difficult to transport, so they are usually dismantled in the field or stripped only of the most valuable materials.”

Ren silently decided to remember that.

“Earthworms are especially troublesome despite being E-rank,” the knight continued. “Their ecology makes them hard to hunt, but their shells have many uses and fetch a good price. Few people make a habit of pursuing them.”

That was welcome news. The survey remained Ren’s primary responsibility, but hunting could also provide the money he needed to support himself and help the village.

“May I take all of these to the Adventurers’ Guild?”

“As long as they are not spilling blood or fluids across the road, there is no problem. But… did you truly drag them here alone?”

“Yes. I do not have a party.”

The knight stared for a moment, then stepped aside. As Ren continued into town, the man watched the vines and carcasses slide after him.

“Our hero may be even more remarkable than I thought,” he murmured.

Ren was simply relieved that the guild stood near the gate.

Once he arrived, however, he stopped in front of its entrance.

The monsters would never fit through the door. Forcing them inside would damage the building, and dragging ten corpses through a crowded hall seemed inappropriate in any case.

“What am I supposed to do now?”

“That’s quite a haul.”

“More than quite a haul.”

The two adventurers who had spoken to him the previous day approached and stared at the pile.

“There is a loading dock along the side,” one said. “Take them there.”

“There is?”

“Anyone who brings in large prey uses it. If the quarry is too large even for the dock, the guild sends appraisers outside.”

(I should have listened to the registration explanation more carefully.)

Ren had assumed the procedures would resemble the game and rushed through them. This was a real organization in a real world, not a menu screen.

He thanked the men and moved the carcasses to the loading area. Guild employees were already gathering there, wearing the same astonished expressions as everyone else.

“Will you be selling all of them?” the receptionist asked.

“Yes. I removed only the magic stones.”

While the staff assessed the bodies, a crowd formed nearby. Clausel’s residents already knew Ren as the boy who had returned with Licia and exposed Given’s knights. His sudden success at the guild would spread his name even further.

(Should I have tried to remain unnoticed, like the protagonists in some stories?)

He had once imagined that avoiding attention would help him escape the game Ren’s fate. Yet that opportunity had vanished long ago. His defeat of the Thief Wolfen was known beyond Clausel, and he could never have abandoned his family or village merely to conceal his strength.

His original wish in this world had been simple: to live peacefully and never give the emperor a reason to order his subjugation.

The emperor had condemned the game Ren because he killed Licia and Chronois. Ren’s prominence alone had not created that ending. His true objective was therefore not to become invisible, but to ensure that he never followed the path that led to their deaths.

Even retiring permanently to the frontier would not guarantee safety. Given’s conspiracy had already proved that danger could find him there. His connection to Licia could draw him into noble politics, but friendship with a great noble such as Marquis Ignat might also deter future enemies.

(And that protection could create an entirely different problem. There is no perfect choice.)

Ren did not regret fighting for his home or moving to Clausel while the village recovered. He would simply have to make each decision carefully.

“The appraisal is complete.”

The receptionist’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.

“That was fast.”

“These species have established prices. The payment shown here is after the dismantling fees have been deducted.”

She handed him the written assessment.

“Six hundred thousand G?”

A commoner’s daily wage was roughly ten thousand G. He had earned the equivalent of around sixty days of ordinary labor.

“Earthworms sell for two hundred and fifty thousand G each after fees,” she explained. “Their materials are expensive because they are difficult to acquire. Mitsume are easier to hunt, so each is worth twelve thousand G. A buyer currently needs Earthworm material, which added a bonus to the total.”

“I understand. I will accept it.”

At the counter, Ren signed the receipt and received six gold coins. One gold coin was worth one hundred thousand G. A silver coin was ten thousand, a copper coin one thousand, and an iron coin one hundred.

The six heavy coins clinked together in his pocket as he left.

“I need a wallet.”

He remembered the upscale clothing shop Licia had taken him to. A good wallet should last, so buying one from a skilled craftsman seemed reasonable.

Ren walked uphill, then hesitated outside the store. Although he had washed at a watering place in the forest, his clothes still bore traces of the hunt. He was turning away when the shop owner opened the door.

“Ren-dono? Please come in.”

“I should return after cleaning myself properly.”

“Nonsense. You have honored my shop with a visit, and no other customers are present.”

The owner placed a closed sign outside, reserving the store for him.

“Please consider it a matter of my pride. My predecessor would scold me if I failed to welcome Clausel’s young hero.”

Grateful for the kindness, Ren entered and explained that Lord Lessard had assigned him work outside town. He expected to hunt regularly and needed something durable enough to carry coin safely.

“A sturdy wallet would indeed be best. I have several over here.”

The displayed wallets were beautifully tanned and carefully stitched. They were undoubtedly expensive, but the materials might have come from monsters and could not be judged by the standards of Ren’s previous life.

As he searched for a price, something beyond the wallet shelf caught his attention.

A simple white one-piece dress hung among the women’s clothing.

(Maybe it would suit her.)

He pictured Licia wearing it. She had bought him several sets of clothes without asking for anything in return. Giving something back should be natural.

The owner followed his gaze and smiled without teasing him.

“We can tailor that dress to Lady Licia’s measurements.”

“You can do that without her being here?”

“Our shop has adjusted her clothing before. We already have everything required.”

“Then I will buy it.”

The price, including tailoring, was high but well within the money he had earned. The owner promised to deliver it to the Clausel residence in Ren’s name when it was ready.

“And the wallet?”

Ren finally remembered why he had come.

“It is getting late, and Licia and the others will return soon. I will buy one another day.”

“Then today shall be devoted entirely to the young lady’s dress.”

Ren left without the wallet, but his steps felt strangely light. He still had a report to write when he returned, yet the prospect did nothing to diminish his good mood.

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