Chapter 57: Returning to the Capital
Deciding to sell half of the prey in Carcas , I headed for the Adventurer’s Guild, but the enticing smells from the market drew me in, so I made a detour.
After replenishing my dwindling supplies, I finally made my way to the guild.
At the purchasing counter, I told the clerk I had wolves and fang dogs, and was allowed into the slaughtering area. It was still early, so no one was around; just the cleaner, who came over when he saw me.
“Never seen you before. What’s your catch?”
“Chikki chik ki Birds, Runner Birds, Green Birds, Red Chickens—around thirty in total—plus Red Bears and High Orcs.”
“That’s quite rough. Put the birds on that workbench over there, and line up the beasts next to them.”
“The birds are fine, but I’ve got about twenty-five or twenty-six wolves and dogs.”
“Then start lining up the beasts from that pillar over here.”
I stacked the birds on the workbench and began arranging the beasts from the Black Tiger, as instructed:
- Chikki chikki Bird: 11
- Runner Bird: 9
- Green Bird: 8
- Red Chicken: 7
- Black Tiger: 1
- Red Bear: 1
- High Orc: 2
- Big Elk: 1
- Large Horn Boar: 1
- Forest Wolf: 4
- Rush Wolf: 7
- Black Wolf: 4
- Fang Dog: 7
- Killer Dog: 5
“Not bad at all. Came from the capital, huh?”
“I wandered through the forest from Ledion for about ten days.”
“Flying solo, I see?”
“Yes, I go at my own pace.”
“This will take a while, so have a drink in the cafeteria.”
I handed over my guild card and headed to the guild cafeteria. It was quiet, with only a few unmotivated patrons.
As usual, people stared, but I acted nonchalant and took a gulp of ale. Being a passing town, there was no one to bother me, which was relaxing. There are always more scum in crowded places, but this town seemed full of hardworking adventurers.
Before long, the slaughterer arrived, and after hearing the usual lines, I explained I was based in the capital but had gotten lost and just ended up here.
Chikki chikki Birds went for 92,000 Dara each, Runner Birds 38,000 Dara, and even the Black Tiger fetched 420,000 Dara—not bad, though a bit cheaper than expected. The total came to 3,516,000 Dara, and I thanked the slaughterer.
I submitted the assessment sheet at the settlement counter, leaving everything with the guild, and confirmed I could withdraw from the Commercial Guild using my Adventurer’s Card.
Having flown south from the capital over seven days, walking from here in Carcas to the capital along the main road would take two days. It was the pickup day for the cabin, but I wanted to clear out the prey in my magic bag—and I needed to earn more to avoid freezing.
I decided to sell the rest in the next town, Casandre, and hunt along the way back to the capital. It would take two or three extra days, but earnings came first.
As sunset approached, I saw Casandra in the distance, entered the plains, and took a nap. Releasing some magic to avoid exhaustion, I could feel the familiar gathering of presences around me.
Upon waking, I checked the time: about 6 hours and 20 minutes had passed. Whether my magic had increased was unknown, but recovery from exhaustion was definitely faster. I don’t exhaust my magic daily, but I wanted to measure it someday to see if it had grown.
After the adventurers had left for their work, I went to Casandra’s Adventurer Guild and was allowed into the slaughtering area. The place was empty at first light, and calling someone at the counter was a first-time experience.
I arranged the prey as instructed by the frowning slaughterer, leaving the birds for last as my “alarm clock.”
- Red Bear: 1
- High Orc: 1
- Big Elk: 1
- Large Horn Boar: 1
- Forest Wolf: 5
- Rush Wolf: 6
- Black Wolf: 5
- Fang Dog: 7
- Killer Dog: 6
“Where do I put the birds?”
“The birds?”
“I’ve got about thirty: Chikki chikki Birds, Runner Birds, etc.”
The startled slaughterer quickly pointed to a workbench, and I sorted the birds by type:
- Chikki chikki Bird: 13
- Runner Bird: 10
- Green Bird: 8
- Red Chicken: 8
“All done. I’ll be in the cafeteria, thanks.”
Handing him my guild card, I headed to the cafeteria for ale. I was now fully accustomed to the warm ale—it had become a habit.
This time, without the Black Tiger, the total appraisal was slightly lower: 3,030,000 Dara. I thanked the slaughterer, received the assessment sheet, and was again asked to bring more birds. I politely explained that I was returning to the capital and couldn’t carry more in my magic pouch.
At the settlement counter, I submitted the sheet and left everything with the guild, getting the signature to depart.
From Casandra to Ledion, I zigzagged along the forest boundary, taking a full day, and planned to sell prey at Ledion’s Adventurer Guild the next morning. Then, I would continue similarly to return to the capital, Leclerc, pick up the cabin from Balin’s Woodworks, and sell prey at the Adventurer Guild.
Satisfied with the perfect plan, I set off into the forest.
Of course, plans are never fixed. They often collapse, and I would come to feel the reality of “plans gone awry.”
By the time I reached Ledion, I had caught: three Chikki chikki Birds, one Runner Bird, three Red Chickens, and two Hedgehogs. I couldn’t catch the dogs or wolves with travel passes, so hunting continued until I reached the capital.
Deeper into the forest boundary, I hunted and managed to catch: five Chikki chikki Birds, seven Green Birds, four Runner Birds, six Fang Dogs, and eight Carions.
I spent a night just outside the capital, and when the adventurers went out to work, I returned to the city, hired a carriage, and went to Balin’s Woodworks on Delence Street.
The completed cabin was under a sheet in the back storage area. I inspected the interior, tested the Musou windows, and paid the remaining 2,600,000 Dara before placing the cabin into my magic bag.
The craftsmen looked exasperated to see me actually putting the cabin into the bag, muttering, “I’ve never heard of anyone camping inside something like this,” which I gracefully ignored as I left the workshop.
Even creating a dome with wind magic is considered outrageous, so bringing a wooden cabin inside and camping? No one would ever think of that.
While inspecting the interior, I realized the bunk beds were wooden and, without any mattress, would make my shoulders ache. I asked the carriage driver to take me to a shop that sold bed mats.
Human-sized bed mats fit perfectly, so I bought one immediately. I also found a feather duvet and purchased that on the spot. The bed mat cost 150,000 Dara, and the feather duvet 300,000 Dara. Smiling, I headed to the Adventurer’s Guild.
Just before the market, I had the carriage drop me off, ate breakfast, and then went to the guild. It was still a bit early for lunch, but, as usual, the place was crowded and I groaned.
To the purchasing clerk, I simply said the magical spell:
“I’ve brought the items Chief Holtz asked for, so please let me through.”
“Ah—don’t tell me you’re lying.”
“Ah, if not, that’s fine too, but take responsibility later, okay?”
The word “responsibility” made him frown, but he waved me through. Of course, if I lied and they found out inside, I’d be thrown out.
Though it wasn’t extremely crowded, there were still a few dozen people lined up. I told the nearest slaughterer that I had items for Chief Holtz.
Without a word, he just pointed ahead: “Go.”
There, inspecting a massive silver beast in detail, was Chief Holtz. Excited by the unfamiliar prey, I approached, only to be glared at by the men nearby.
“What’s up, kid?”
“Stay over there.”
“Ah—I’ve brought what Chief Holtz asked for.”
“Oh… you’re the one, huh?”
“I managed to catch just over twenty birds, so I brought them along.”
“You brought in so many that buyers flooded in. Since then, there’s been no word, and those who missed out have been a nuisance. Weren’t you in the capital these past three months?”
“I went into the deep forest with Jaeger and the others. I thought I’d start hunting around the capital again and brought a few as practice.”
“So, you’ll be around the capital for a while?”
“That’s the plan. I want to earn a bit, so I’ll do my best.”
“I’ve been struggling with people who push to get the birds. I’m counting on you.”
I placed the birds on the workbench at the same back area of the slaughtering site as before:
- Chikki chikki Bird: 8 × 72,000 = 576,000 Dara
- Runner Bird: 5 × 44,000 = 220,000 Dara
- Green Bird: 7 × 30,000 = 210,000 Dara
- Red Chicken: 3 × 27,000 = 81,000 Dara
- Hedgehog: 3 × 22,000 = 66,000 Dara
- Fang Dog: 6 × 26,000 = 156,000 Dara
- Carion: 8 × 21,000 = 168,000 Dara
Total: 1,477,000 Dara
The clerk appraised them quickly, handed me the sheet, and I received it. Prices were slightly higher than before, though still cheaper than in Carcas.
“Get Chikki chikki Birds and Runner Birds as quickly as possible. Catch as many as you can!”
“If I do that, other parties will glare at me.”
“There’s no one skilled enough. At most, they’ll bring one or two. There are plenty of wealthy people who like chicken, but since supply is low, it’s first-come, first-served.”
That sounded like I could hunt freely, so I thought I’d do a round of hunting in the forests around the capital.