Chapter 67

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Hey guys,\n

Here’s the chapter.\n

Sorry for the delay.\n

Enjoy the read.\n

Yours truly,\n

\n

—

Rational

Next morning. I go to Vale’s Adventurer Guild.\n

Roxanne is doing the laundry, and Sherry is preparing breakfast.

Quratar will be farther away from Palmasque, as it’s to the west of the Imperial Capital, which in turn is to the west of Vale.\n

So it’s rational to start off from Vale.\n

It’s also well in the morning here than in the west.\n

I had Sherry write the names of the towns that fall on route from the Imperial Capital to Palmasque. I match it with the ads posted on the guild wall.

There are many adventurers who are stationed here for the purpose of teleporting to other locations.\n

Charges are two silver coins per person.\n

Therefore, I have Roxanne and Sherry stay at home. I’ll be making the trip alone.

I could also post a job stating the place I want to be teleported to.\n

However, the charges in that case would be higher.\n

Because Palmasque is quite distant, I might end up attracting unnecessary attention.\n

I have no reason to be hasty, therefore, I’ll take safer way.

When I was searching for ads on the guild wall, I found an ad that mentioned ‘Dohona.’\n

I remember it from yesterday’s conversation.

“Dohona?”

I ask an adventurer woman of Vale’s Adventurer Guild.\n

She directs me to a person.\n

I don’t know because I have never been to Dohona’s Adventurer Guild, but there’s a person standing in the transit area. He must be from Dohona’s Adventurer Guild.\n

According to what Sherry said yesterday, Dohona should be the next town that falls on the route, but it’s not mentioned on the paper.\n

And there’s no other ad that matches with the cities mentioned on the paper.

“I want to go to Dobur, but you seem to be from Dohona’s Adventurer Guild.”

I ask the middle aged man who was standing in the transit area.

“Yes, because Dobur is too far from here.\n

“Too far?”\n

“It’s too far for two silver coins. I’ve been to Dobur before, so I can take you there, but the charges will be eight silver coins.”

Apparently, the ads posted on the wall mention only those towns which are not too far.\n

“Is it negotiable?”\n

Eight silver coins is four times the original!

“Negotiable?”\n

“You can’t go to Dobur with two silver coins. The closest I can take you for two silver coins is Shupowar. However, I don’t know if they go to Dobur from Shupowar.”

Seems reasonable.\n

It is reasonable.\n

But I know that I’m being taken advantage of.\n

Is this way of business normal in this world?

“Can you take me to Dobur from Shupowar for four silver coins?\n

“Let’s see… how about six silver coins to Dobur?”\n

“Hmm…”

You can’t go directly to a far off place, for the consumption of MP is considerable.\n

If you use up all of your MP, you’ll need Mana Pill to recover it.\n

Is that why there’s extra charge?

“I’ll take five silver coins then. No less than that.”

The old man is reducing the charges even more.\n

There’s a possibility that they don’t go to Dobur from Shupowar.\n

Do I have no other choice but to spend five silver coins?

“Alright, five silver coins for Dobur.”\n

“Thank you for the business.”

The old man laughs.\n

A handsome young man laughing like that is a different thing, but an old man doing that looks weird.

Damn it!\n

The trip has only just started, and I’ve already spent five silver coins!\n

I’m stIll not convinced about this trip.

When we reach Dobur’s Adventurer guild, someone asks the old man for Dohona, and he quotes three silver coins.\n

Everyone withdraws.\n

He’s plain greedy.\n

Serves him right.

By the way, I can go back from Dobur’s Adventurer Guild to Shupowar for two silver coins.\n

And from Dobur to Dohona for four silver coins.\n

The conclusion is, going there via Shupowar is cheaper.

That old man knew it clearly.\n

But connecting trips take longer, so five silver coins is not a bad deal.\n

However, the old man hid the fact that five silver coins was the market price, and didn’t quote it right from the start.\n

Eight is simply too much!

I return home from Dobur’s Adventurer Guild.\n

I wasted too much time in negotiation, and kept those two waiting for breakfast.\n

Dobur doesn’t seem to be at a distance that can be covered with two silver coins, and I confirmed that by going back to home.

When I arrived at home, my MP had decreased a bit.\n

Just like Field Walk, MP consumption of Warp as well seems to be dependent on distance.\n

The reason why this distance didn’t affect me as much as it affects other adventurers is because I have multiple jobs, including Wizard. Therefore, I have a lot more MP than other adventurers.\n

Whether Field Walk is more efficient or Warp, in terms of MP consumption, I can’t verify it because I don’t have Field Walk.

When you’re stationed at adventurer guild, you’ll often get customers in quick succession, not affording you any spare time to recover MP.\n

So you need to consume Mana Pill which is not free.\n

Therefore, the distance you cover with two silver coins is short.

Next morning. I return home after advancing further.\n

I can feel my MP decreasing even more than yesterday.\n

I’m not sure if I’ve even covered half of the total distance.\n

Is directly going to Palmasque really not possible?

When I returned, Sherry had made hide boots.\n

Combining this with yesterday’s, she has made a complete collection of Hide Mittens, Hide Cap and Hide Boots.\n

Earlier, I was concerned about Sherry’s constantly declining trust in those who taught her about Master Smith job, but not anymore.

“What are Master Smiths supposed to make after Hide Boots?”\n

“Club.” (TL: Can also mean hammer, as mentioned in previous chapters.)\n

“Club?”

Sherry is now moving on to weapons.\n

She has finally caught up.\n

Does making a club require skills?

“However, the material used in making a Club is plank, dropped by Rub Shrub.\n

“Plank?”\n

“The monster that drops plank appears on higher floors.”

I see. Such trap.\n

If a Master Smith is to make better equipment, they need to go to higher floors.\n

Well thought out.

A good equipment should use good materials indeed.\n

Cheaper materials have their limits.\n

But good materials are dropped by stronger monsters.

The items which monsters drop are originally parts of their own body.\n

You can’t expect a weak monster to drop steel or orichalcum.\n

The monster that drops orichalcum must have orichalcum somewhere on its body.\n

It’s rational.

“Can’t we just buy it?”\n

“Umm… generally speaking, you make and sell hide equipment until you’re able to hunt Rub Shrubs.”\n

“Is that so?”\n

“If you buy materials, your profits decrease. Unless you want me to make it, I won’t consider making it. There are many equipment after club which comprise solely of hide. I can try making them instead. It’ll also serve as an alternative to my training.”

Just like making a Dagger consumes more MP than making a Misanga, equipment which are further up the order would require more MP, even if they’re made only of leather.\n

There’s no significant change in profits, if you make more of simple items, or less of advanced items.\n

Because people who can make advanced items are fewer, they’re supposed to make more. But there’s no need for us to overdo it.

“I understand. You keep making Hide Mittens, Hide Caps and Hide Boots for now.”\n

“Yes. Also, now that we can hunt monsters on 9th floor, we should try the labyrinth where Mino appears on 9th floor. That way, we can hunt monsters, and I can collect materials at the same time.”

Is there really such a labyrinth?\n

If there’s a labyrinth where Mino appears on 9th floor, I can hunt and Sherry can collect materials. That’s killing two birds with one stone.

“Hmm. I don’t think we have to go out of our way.”

Because hide is a normal drop from Mino, there’s no trouble in collecting it anyway.\n

And the monster on 9th floor of Vale’s labyrinth is Slow Rabbit, the skin of which sells for twice as much as Mino’s, so it’s better from earnings standpoint.\n

Although I’m reluctant about fighting Rapid Rabbit again, it doesn’t mean we should just run away from it.\n

It’s not good to bully weak monsters.

“Understood.”\n

“Is there no labyrinth where the monster that drops plank appears on 9th floor?”\n

“Umm… the least floor where Rub Shrub appears is 12th. Although the order is different, monsters that appear from 1st floor to 11th are same for any labyrinth. Similarly 12th to 22nd floor, and so on.”

So it was like that.\n

It’s my first time hearing this.

Kobolds, Slow Rabbits, Minos etc, they seem to be the monsters that appear from 1st to 11th floor in every labyrinth.\n

This has indeed been the case for Quratar’s and Vale’s labyrinths.\n

Rub Shrub seems to appear from 12th floor to 22nd.

“The most I can do is try to look for a labyrinth where Rub Shrub appears on 12th floor.”

There’s gonna be quite a while before Sherry is able to make next equipment.\n

We can only make hide equipment for now, but I can’t have her make in large quantities, so as not to fluctuate market price too much.

I finished afternoon exploration as soon as I could.\n

It’s been ten days since Sherry came here.\n

It’s the day Sherry’s maid clothes were supposed to be ready.

“We are finishing early today? Are you going to take bath?”

When we return home, Roxanne asks me with seemingly expectant eyes.\n

No, they were certainly expectant eyes.\n

She seems to have taken a liking to bath.\n

Unfortunately, however, it’s not time for bath.

“No, it’s not time for bath. It’s time to go to the merchant’s place.”

“Slave merchant? Do you intend to increase party members?”

She asks with eyes seemingly devoid of expectation.\n

No, they were certainly devoid of expectation.\n

And I don’t know why, but the temperature seems to have dropped.\n

Or it might have only been my imagination.

“Not this time, unfortunately, I don’t have enough money to afford one. But I do intend to add more party members. It’s natural course of action to increase our battle strength. You two stay here for now.”\n

“Yes.”\n

“Understood.”

It’s better to make their mind up beforehand.\n

But I should tell them only that which is necessary.

The purpose of increasing party members is to increase battle strength, of course.\n

There is no implicit objective.\n

But…

“My objective is to increase battle strength, but I won’t acquire someone who doesn’t get along with Roxanne and Sherry.\n

“Okay.”

Having a male slave is out of question because of the risk to these two.\n

I have no particular criteria anymore for next slave.\n

Granny is no option either.\n

Someone young would improve the battle strength more.

Someone who would motivate me.\n

Morale is an important factor in determining battle strength.\n

Someone young. Someone beautiful.\n

My motivation is slightly different.

The purpose of adding new party member is to increase battle strength.\n

It’s natural course of action to increase battle strength.\n

It’s decided then. We have to increase battle strength.\n

There’s no helping it because we have to increase battle strength.

Yes.\n

It’s rational.

“The reason for my visit this time is different. I have to pick Sherry’s clothes. Are you sure you don’t want the will changed, Roxanne?”\n

“I’m sure.”

Roxanne nods with confidence.\n

If Roxanne says it’s fine, it probably is fine.

“Sherry, do you want it changed? According to the will, you’ll be released in the event of my death.”\n

“I have only recently come under your care, so I’m fine with it.”\n

“Okay, no problem.”\n

“Thank you.”

I may die outside battle, so there’s no merit in dragging them to death with me.\n

To have Sherry released after my death is rational.

“It’s not like you’ll stab me while I’m asleep, just because you’ll be released.”\n

“No, if master dies in the house, surviving slave would be the suspect. Therefore, you’re more at risk in labyrinth.”\n

“Don’t scare me.”\n

“I won’t do it, of course.”

Sherry says coldly.\n

In labyrinth, there won’t be any need to dispose off the body.\n

There won’t be any further investigation, if it is stated that I died to a monster.\n

Labyrinth is definitely the best place for murder.

In labyrinth, however, I have Roxanne with me.\n

Sherry can’t act recklessly there either.

“I trust Sherry.”\n

“I’ll work hard to repay your trust. What do you have in the will for Roxanne-san? Will she also be released?”\n

“No.”\n

“I won’t be released if master is dead.”

Roxanne declares it herself.\n

It’s better than I saying it.\n

If I say it myself, it would seem like I’m forcing her.

“You won’t be?”\n

“To protect master is my only purpose. I would protect master’s life even if I have to give my own life. There’s no point in having myself released. If master dies, I will have failed in my duty, so it’s only natural to follow him in death. I would not like to live in a world where master is not alive.”

I’m in awe after listening to her reason.\n

Grateful. I really am grateful.

“Umm…”\n

“That’s what Roxanne feels. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. I may also die to illness. There’s no point in dying for that.”

The atmosphere is somewhat uncomfortable.\n

I feel like a soldier facing a kamikaze.

It was awkward to tell her about her release just like that.\n

So I had to explain it that way.\n

Sherry doesn’t have to follow me.

“Don’t you have anyone to inherit your slaves?”\n

“No.”\n

“Is that so? Then I would like you to have me released.”

Good.\n

She speaks her mind.\n

As expected of Sherry.\n

She is rational.

—

TL: Roxanne besto grill ❤ (Sorry, I had to say it).

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