Chapter 105 - Chapter 104: Yaroibarov's Inn
Month of Wind, Week 1, Day of Sun.
This is finally the last month of the year.
Mika wanders along the Southeast Main Street of the capital, holding a memo in one hand.
"Um... was the next shop over there? ...Ah, was it this way?"
Mika had come to buy the "Adventurer's Essential Set" that he keeps stocked in his Magic Bag.
Today, he had finished a "Curse-type" request to dispel curses in the morning.
And so, in the afternoon, he wandered the main street buying various tools.
Of course, the actual shops he bought from were located a few alleys off the main street.
Mika had been visiting the Adventurer's Guild to see if he could meet Salomrassa or Trys to ask about the Essential Set.
He visited the guild frequently and finally found Trys the other day.
Then, he asked what items Trys usually takes on quests and was told which shops to buy them from.
When deciding what items to keep stocked in his Magic Bag, Mika kept in mind that there might be companions other than himself.
A representative item is "Magic Recovery Potion."
If it were just for Mika, "Magic Recovery Potions" like this would not be necessary.
Because he can recover as much as he wants with "Absorb."
Let's imagine a situation where, during a quest, you encounter a scene where some adventurer party is in a pinch.
Even if there is a mage among those adventurers, without magic power they are no fighting force. They are just dead weight.
But what if you could recover their magic power?
They would quickly turn into a splendid fighting force.
Since Mika had found out about this, he wanted to help as much as possible.
But relying on Mika to carry everything would place too much burden on him.
So, he is also purchasing items that he thinks, "I don't need them, but others probably do."
For Mika, the Agu Bear extermination is a somewhat bitter memory.
That time, he had already been defeated, but he might encounter a scene where someone is saying, "We are fighting right now."
Taking such things into consideration, he selected the necessary items.
Also, taking this opportunity, Mika decided to update his equipment.
He went to a specialty shop in the Blacksmith District and first asked about armor made of rare metals.
However,
"Oh, the basic rule is to bring the actual item yourself."
That was the answer.
In other words, it seems one must obtain the rare metal oneself, bring it in, and say, "Make this for me."
The number and strength of effects that can be [Granted] change depending on the ratio of rare metal used.
It seems that even using one percent rare metal yields a certain effect.
The most common ratio is three to five percent.
Equipment using a higher ratio of rare metal is something even the shop staff have only seen a few times.
(I wonder what ratio of rare metal Trys and Kaerya's equipment has?)
Trys had said something like, "It has quite a bit of filler mixed in."
So, I think it's probably around three percent. Maybe up to four percent at most.
(...Could it be that Kaerya wears a bikini armor because of the amount of rare metal she obtained?)
Increase the ratio of filler to increase the protected area.
Or increase the purity to reduce the defense area but enhance the effects of [Granting].
She might have chosen that way.
(I wondered why she wore such armor thing, but maybe she considered the amount of "Gold-type Rare Metal Hihiirokane" she obtained.)
Mika spent quite a lot of time just listening to the shop staff talk about equipment made of rare metals.
(It can't be helped! Fantasy lovers are weak when it comes to these kinds of talks!)
And so, he gave up on rare metal armor.
Well, this was something he knew from the start, so he wasn't particularly disappointed.
...Though he had hoped for a miracle.
Mika decided to replace his chest plate, gauntlets, and boots, and while doing so, he tried making various requests.
Whether they were feasible or not, simply conveying his wishes was free.
Light as possible, excellent defense, and not too gaudy.
Anyway, since there were so many types of materials, he decided to let a specialist choose for him.
"We have something good."
He was selected without hesitation.
However,
"It will be twelve million Rats in total."
The shopkeeper said with a smile.
A smile that said, "You won't be able to afford it anyway," and also, "If you could afford it, I'd be smiling for real."
And so, he kept lowering the rank.
Starting at twelve million Rats, if he lowered it little by little, he would never stay within budget.
Mika had considered a budget of one to two million Rats for replacing his equipment.
The total cost of his previous leather equipment was 130,000 Rats, so this is suddenly ten times the budget.
He would have to spend quite a bit, but the rank of the monsters he was facing had also increased.
He spent a fortune all at once on the Magic Bag, stocking up on essentials, and replacing his equipment. But if he could earn steadily from this, it was necessary expense.
Even buying this much, it only cost about half of his current funds.
If there is a way to earn, then for safety's sake, he should buy it.
After all, you can't take money with you to the next world.
What Mika decided to purchase anew was a leather vest, leather gauntlets, and leather boots.
Saying it like that makes it sound like hardly anything changed, but the materials were completely different.
There is a monster called the Desert Tortoise.
It is a monster with a very hard shell and skin, and it seems they use the tanned skin of this monster as material.
Also, between the leather, they weave in a fabric made of threads of some kind of steel or another kind of steel alloy.
The leather gauntlets he had before had a hard plate as a base, but the new gauntlets he is buying are just this alloy and leather.
So, even if Mika's arms get a bit thicker, the size won't become mismatched.
Of course, if his body grows, the size will eventually become mismatched, but it is thought that they will become tattered and need replacement before that happens.
And, due to this equipment change, Mika's defense power increased by a huge margin.
First, by changing from a chest plate to a vest, his abdomen is now protected as well.
Furthermore, the defense power of this leather is terrible.
Previously, Mika had his gauntlets broken by an En Batamos's claw.
But it seems this leather would only get slightly scratched by an En Batamos's claw.
Moreover, underneath is laid the fabric woven with the alloy.
It seems that without a doubt, even if he cannot dodge and takes the hit, the damage will not penetrate.
"...You might get blown away though."
The shopkeeper said awkwardly.
Well, the lightness of his body weight has nothing to do with the armor.
By the way, if it were Sou-Labi, it seems he wouldn't even get scratched even if bitten.
Armor is really important...
Thus, buying armor and various tools, he gradually approached the general line of an adventurer.
Until now, he had relied entirely on magic, which was a bit too forceful.
Solidifying the foundation is necessary precisely when earning well.
Tighten the cords of the helmet after winning.
This is one of the most necessary words for Mika, who tends to be careless.
"Oh? Isn't that a monk?"
As Mika checked the next shop while looking at his memo, such a voice was directed at him.
Looking up, there stood a bald, muscular man who looked like a mafia bodyguard.
"Huh? Ta... Yaroibarov-san."
Yaroibarov of "Crimson Dye," commonly known as Tako-chan, looked down at Mika with children on both shoulders.
Why is Tako-chan in the capital?
Tourism?
"It's been a while. Are you doing well?"
"Yes, Yaroibarov-san looks energetic too. By the way, I dropped by the inn in Sarbengeal the other day. It seemed you were out, so I couldn't meet you."
"Oh, is that so? That was a bad thing to do. I've been tied up here lately."
Saying that, Yaroibarov raised the corner of his mouth.
"Here?"
When Mika tilted his head, Yaroibarov grinned.
"Yeah. Just right, monk. Do you have time now?"
Saying that, Yaroibarov gestured with his chin for Mika to follow.
"Hoee~~..."
Mika looked up at the dilapidated building Yaroibarov had led him to.
This was near the center of District 3.
Somewhere in the middle between the East Main Street and the Southeast Main Street.
Perhaps slightly closer to the Southeast Main Street.
It was far from the Blacksmith District, so there was no noise, but frankly, it was a bit dim.
Since it was a bit deep from the main streets passing through the district, a sense of desolation hung in the air.
"I bought this. The inside is already quite done, you know?"
Saying that, Yaroibarov went inside.
Following Yaroibarov inside, indeed, the inside was quite clean.
As Yaroibarov tried to put down the children he was carrying on his shoulders, the children started throwing a tantrum, saying "No, no."
"Go play upstairs."
Saying that and putting the children down, the children squealed and ran up the stairs in the front to the second floor.
As Mika watched the children off, Yaroibarov shook his head vigorously.
"I searched for years, and finally a property that fit the budget came up. I've been tied up here since the beginning of last month."
Now that he mentioned it, he thought he had heard before that he wanted to open a shop in the capital.
"Are you running an inn in the capital too?"
"Yes. Finally, my dream is coming true."
It seems that in the Second District of the capital, the competition rate and prices were truly high, and he couldn't find a property that met the conditions easily.
However...
"Um... is it okay to open it in such a back alley?"
It was a bit hard to say, but wasn't the location too bad?
After all, for any business, first and foremost, it must face the main street.
That was the bottom line.
Would customers come in on such a road with few passersby?
But it seemed Mika's worries were entirely unfounded, as Yaroibarov grinned at the corner of his mouth.
"For now, it's almost full with reservations. They are even urging me to open soon. And the exterior is still untouched."
"Huh?"
It seems applications to make it a regular inn have already come in for almost all rooms.
(What? What's going on?)
He couldn't understand it at all.
But this mysterious phenomenon seemed to be due to Yaroibarov's name value.
Yaroibarov of "Crimson Dye."
His name was known to the general public, but it had an absolute effect on adventurers.
What Yaroibarov cared about regarding the location in the capital was being close to the Adventurer's Guild.
Close meant a few kilometers was within the acceptable range, but essentially, he was looking for candidate sites in the districts across the street where the Adventurer's Guild was located.
There were two Adventurer's Guilds in the capital.
The First Branch on the West Main Street and the Second Branch on the Southeast Main Street.
So, Districts 6 and 7 across the West Main Street.
And Districts 3 and 4 across the Southeast Main Street.
He was waiting for a building that could be used as an inn to go up for sale among these four districts.
"This is a pretty good location? It's about one kilometer to the Guild. The Blacksmith District is a little over one kilometer away too. I got lucky."
That was the gist of it.
For Yaroibarov, who originally turned away first-time visitors, how many people passed in front of the inn didn't matter.
It seemed that a location convenient for adventurers was important.
"Recently, I went drinking with a friend who is an active adventurer. I just asked them, and reservations piled up in no time."
For earning adventurers, a safe inn is more precious than anything else.
Yaroibarov's inn had mid-level inn rates and was much safer than some fancy high-class inns.
So, it was no wonder adventurers gathered wanting to make it their regular spot.
Incidentally, the food is delicious too.
"By the way, there was something I wanted to ask Yaroibarov-san."
"Hm? Something you want to ask?"
"What are the conditions for staying at Yaroibarov-san's inn?"
He had heard that first-time visitors were turned away, but he hadn't asked how one could stay.
If he had known that, he would have wanted to stay at Yaroibarov's inn in Sarbengeal back then.
Regardless of whether it was empty or not.
"Well, anyone I approve of?"
"That's true, but how do you know that? You can't tell unless Yaroibarov-san is stationed there."
Even if Yaroibarov approved of Mika right now, how would they judge it at the inn in Sarbengeal?
"Oh, that's because you register your Guild Card."
"Register your Guild Card?"
By registering the Guild Card, it seems that registration information can be registered in all inns.
Yaroibarov took out a metal rod from his chest pocket.
He lightly tapped Mika's Guild Card with the metal rod, and that was the end of the registration.
"It takes about two weeks for it to reflect in inns in other towns, but for now, monk, you can stay at our place with this."
"Oh, thank you."
It felt like he was rushing him.
"By the way, do you know any good cooks among your acquaintances?"
"A good cook?"
He didn't have any particular leads.
"Is something wrong with the cooking?"
"One of the people I planned to have come couldn't make it here. Well, I can just fill in for that part myself."
It seems he had brought several people from other shops he managed for this new inn.
But it seems one of the planned people couldn't make it.
(Yaroibarov-san would probably work for three or four people worth.)
Even so, there is a limit to what can be handled simultaneously.
It probably can't be solved by simple physical strength issues.
"Weren't there any promising kids?"
He remembered hearing that he took in children from orphanages, etc.
"I'm currently teaching them how to clean rooms and do laundry, but cooking is a pain to teach from scratch."
Well, it would be a problem if a child who couldn't even peel vegetables was in the kitchen.
He understood that he wanted to raise children who had some foundation.
But unfortunately, he had no such leads.
"I don't think of anyone. Sorry..."
"No, I'm asking just in case."
Yaroibarov shrugged his shoulders.
Yaroibarov probably wouldn't collapse from overwork no matter how much he worked, but managing the business and working in the kitchen would be truly busy.
And so, after chatting with Yaroibarov for a while and getting a brief tour of the inn, Mika returned to shopping.
"...But, I see. Yaroibarov-san came to the capital."
A senior adventurer of A-rank would be within Mika's sphere of action.
If anything happened in the future, he might be able to consult with him about various things.
Back in Sarbengeal, he was far outside his sphere of action, so he rarely met him, but from now on, he could visit casually.
"He must be quite busy."
Thinking that he would try to drop by without bothering him too much, Mika ran back to the main street.
■■■■■■
[Shesbarno's Perspective]
Shesbarno was fighting a monster in Modesse Forest.
"Uraaaaaaaah!!!"
Dogaaaaaaaan!!!
Making a roar that didn't seem like the sound of a sword strike, he slashed the giant boar monster called Sai-Boar from the side.
The Sai-Boar slashed by Shesbarno was sliced into rings... well, not quite into rings, but there was just a sliver connecting it.
To slice a Sai-Boar with a body height of nearly two meters into rings, the length of the sword was insufficient in the first place, so this result was inevitable.
Bugigiiiii!!!
Even so, the Sai-Boar let out a piercing scream, thrashing about while falling, flapping its front and hind legs.
It had incredible vitality.
Shesbarno shook off his sword, sheathed it, and turned his back to the monster.
"Haa... Even a pig like that was enough to relieve my stress... You lot, finish it off!"
The knights ordered by Shesbarno to deliver the final blow gave a reply that didn't seem like knights at all, "Uh-huh," and thrust their swords into the Sai-Boar.
"Good work, Captain. With this, we have confirmed almost the entire area."
Hoguajil, a man in his late twenties serving as Vice-Captain, spoke to Shesbarno with a smile.
Hoguajil was an assistant and overseer assigned to Shesbarno, who was anxious about his work as a Company Commander.
Despite having the ability to serve as a Company Commander himself, he was a strange man who turned down promotion talks,
"I don't want to bear such heavy responsibility."
He spoke gently with a smile.
Well, the feeling of not wanting to bear responsibility was easy to understand.
Shesbarno would never have accepted being a Company Commander if not under Ozendorwa.
Both had enough skill to become Company Commanders, but neither wanted to become one.
By combining such two people, they could function as a single company for now.
It was a move worthy of Ozendorwa.
"So, what are the results?"
"A, ahaha..."
At Shesbarno's question, Hoguajil's smile twisted.
Three weeks ago, Ozendorwa had ordered an investigation of Modesse Forest.
They mobilized all one hundred knights belonging to the company to roughly survey the entire area, but there was no clue at all.
"We went. There was nothing. Is that going to look good? Am I a kid's errand boy!?"
"Even if you say that..."
If it doesn't exist, it doesn't exist.
The feeling of wanting to say that was easy to understand.
Because Shesbarno felt the same way.
But...
"For now, divide the forest into nine blocks. Starting tomorrow, we will investigate block by block."
Shesbarno proposed what he had thought of.
"Deploy everyone into one block and move the block every week."
"One week!?"
If they spent one week on one block, it would take nearly two months to finish all of them.
"Surely, during that time..."
"Of course, we will camp."
Hoguajil shook his head weakly.
It was Month of Wind, Week 1.
The cold had become quite strong, and next month was Month of Earth.
Winter would officially begin.
It was natural to not want to camp during such a season.
Moreover, from the closest point to the capital, it was only a few kilometers.
If they forced such a thing in this company of roughnecks, deserters would follow one after another, and worse, even rebels might appear.
"Do you have a complaint?"
"............Can I say it?"
"You're no good. You can't beat me with words."
Saying that, Shesbarno tapped his sword.
"As usual. If you have a complaint, listen to it with this sword."
There were only two rules for Shesbarno's company.
Absolute obedience to Shesbarno's orders.
And, if you have a complaint, defeat Shesbarno with your sword.
That was all.
"If there is someone stronger than me, let them be the Company Commander. If you are dissatisfied with my orders, drag me down."
Saying that, Shesbarno showed a ferocious smile.
In this company of roughnecks, strength was everything.
Shesbarno followed Ozendorwa because of that strength.
The soldiers followed Shesbarno because of that strength too.
He had not stopped the soldiers from quitting the knighthood.
They were already ostracized by other knight orders anyway.
No one would try to stop them.
If you want to quit, quit.
But, if you are in Shesbarno's company, obey Shesbarno.
That was all there was to it.
"We will prioritize investigating several blocks with high possibilities. During the investigation, entry of civilians into that block will be prohibited. Thoroughly scour it so not even a thread is missed."
Watching Shesbarno's back leave after giving such a cruel order, Hoguajil let out a deep sigh.