Chapter 27: Searching for Something ①

Now then, what should I really do today?  

Normally, I’d head to the dungeon’s waste area, but it’s currently closed.  

The closure will continue until Arifa’s younger brother, Agaro, defeats the dungeon anomaly.  

I wonder how long that will take.  

He’s probably at the tavern, drinking himself into oblivion again today. He’s been doing that ever since the closure.  

According to Arifa, he’s waiting for comrades to help him subdue the anomaly.  

Dungeon anomalies of Class II are incredibly difficult to subdue solo.  

Realistically, only the 27 Grade I explorers in this world could possibly handle that alone.  

But instead of preparing, Agaro is doing nothing but getting drunk.  

Honestly, it’s a pathetic sight. What happened to the heroic Agaro on the day of the closure?  

By the way, not all the dungeons around Hydrangea are closed.  

Only the central dungeon within the city has been shut down.  

Because of this, most other explorers are continuing as usual.  

The central dungeon is deep and filled with strong monsters, so it isn’t very profitable anyway.  

Only Grade IV and Grade III explorers venture in, and seeing Grade VI or Grade V explorers is rare.  

However, none of the other five dungeons have waste areas. The waste area exists only in the central dungeon.  

Honestly, I understand the circumstances, but I wish they’d reopen it soon.  

For now, I can sustain myself for another two months.  

Beyond that, it’ll get tough.  

Living off the witch’s requests alone isn’t sustainable, though her requests do pay well.  

I know that if I consult her, I can probably manage, but I’d rather not.  

She’s troublesome—a heavy, high-maintenance type of person.  

“…Guess I’ll go searching, then.”  

With a sigh, I make up my mind.  

It’s not the best option, and it’s dangerous.  

But the profits outweigh the risks.  

I glance at the Crescent Moon Vessel.  

“……”  

Depending on how it’s used, this bowl could generate an enormous amount of money.  

It’s far too valuable to have been a reward for such a simple collection task.  

Being a Legendary relic, it’s almost inconceivable.  

What is that witch planning?  

To summarize, she’s the only person who knows about my [Vanish] relic.  

As for [Danger Perception], the [Wheel of Fortune], and my fourth relic, she doesn’t know about those.  

I should assume she has some kind of ulterior motive.  

I don’t know what it is, but… there’s no point in dwelling on it. She’s a witch, after all.  

Still, to implement my moneymaking plan, I need something—something I must find.  

Equipping my knife, I step out of the house.  

What I’m searching for isn’t particularly common in this world.  

It’s available, but not popular, making it rare.  

From the perspective of my past life, it’s amusing to think of it as rare.  

Its rarity stems from a lack of education or literacy.  

One reason for this is the low literacy rate.  

This isn’t a world where everyone has access to education.  

As such, not everyone can read and write.  

Thanks to my uncle teaching me, I can read and write. My progress was further helped by memories from my past life.  

Arriving at the general store, I head to a small section where my target should be.  

It’s a cramped space with just one shelf.  

These items rarely sell; in fact, it’s a miracle they’re even stocked.  

“How many do you want?”  

“Hmm. Five potions, please.”  

“Sure thing. Here you go.”  

The shopkeeper exchanges some banter with a group of explorers.  

“What’s the news? Is it about the ‘Blue Bamboo Swords’ team?”  

“Yeah, it is. They ventured into that forest.”  

“That forest? Oh dear…”  

“Lately, more and more city-based explorers have been heading into the forest.”  

“With the closure, there are barely any requests left.”  

“And the other dungeons are overcrowded, too.”  

“I’ve heard the same. By the way, how do you even know they went into the forest?”  

“There’s a Legendary flute stored at the guild. When it’s played, it signals someone entering the forest.”  

“A flute, huh?”  

“Yeah, and some have actually heard the flute around the forest recently.”  

“Could be connected to something.”  

“Who knows. Here’s your five potions.”  

The dungeon’s closure seems to be affecting many explorers.  

I feel sorry for them, but my focus remains on my search.  

I’m looking for books—specifically, a herbal encyclopedia or a healing potion guide.  

If they’re here… oh, there’s someone else in this corner. A young girl.  

She’s standing in front of the bookshelf, staring at the top shelf, reaching up.  

But she can’t quite reach. She jumps, but it’s still out of her grasp.  

Her two white tails, one long and one short, sway in irritation.  

“Urgh.”  

“This one?”  

I casually pluck the fourth book from the top-right shelf and hand it to her.  

“Ah… yes. Thank you kindly.”

The girl looked up and thanked me. Huh? This girl…  

She seems familiar.  

A beautiful cat beastkin with light green hair streaked with white.  

She wore a black robe with the hood up, partially hiding one eye with her hair.  

The hood was shaped to accommodate her cat ears, which made it bulge slightly.  

A wooden staff hung at her waist, and her two white tails—one long, one short—swayed gently.  

Oh, I remember now.  

She’s a Grade III explorer, just like Liv.  

She’s a member of the all-female party *Torquetum*.  

However, I don’t know her name.  

“Well, I also needed something from this shelf,” 

“Oh? So, you can read?”  

“Yes, to some extent.”  

“That’s impressive. A young one like you… Hmm, wait. Have we met somewhere before?”  

“Uh, I’m not sure.”  

We had, indeed, met before.  

But she probably wouldn’t remember me—she’d been on the verge of death at the time.  

She tilted her head, puzzled.  

“Hmmm? Maybe it’s just my imagination.”  

“I think so.”  

“…If that’s the case, I apologize. I didn’t mean to sound like I was hitting on you.”  

“Huh? Now that you mention it, it did sound a bit like that.”  

I gave a wry smile. She blinked, then hurriedly panicked.  

“No, no, I would never hit on someone like that!”  

“Oh, of course, I understand.”  

“G-good, then. Farewell.”  

Clutching the book she had picked, she quickly headed toward the counter.  

I sighed and turned my attention back to the bookshelf.  

After searching through it again… my desired book was nowhere to be found.  

“Most of these are novels or poetry.”  

The majority of the shelf was filled with entertainment-oriented books.  

In one corner, there were some old cookbooks and travel journals.  

Both looked faded—likely decades old.  

One of the cookbooks caught my interest. I picked it up and flipped through it.  

“…I didn’t know there were such recipes for pan beans.”  

This might be worth buying. I wonder how much it costs.  

Books are expensive, as they aren’t as widespread as scrolls.  

However, this one is old. Maybe I could haggle for a lower price… though I’m not good at negotiating.  

“Looks like you’ve found what you were looking for.”  

“Huh?”  

The girl had returned. Her white tails swayed cheerfully.  

What’s this about?

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