Baggage Carrier ②
A white teacup was placed on the table.
The small gold rim around the cup’s edge gave it a luxurious feel.
I hooked my fingers through the cup’s handle and lifted it.
Inside the cup was a pale green liquid that sparkled faintly.
I thought I heard groans coming from the liquid along with bubbles.
It must have been my imagination.
“Do you happen to have any Potion Compounding books?”
I put the teacup down without drinking from it.
The Witch grinned.
“Hoh hoh. So that’s your angle, eh?”
“I managed to get my hands on an Herbal Encyclopedia. But I couldn’t find a Compounding book.”
“Hee hee, so you got the Herbal Encyclopedia, did you? Impressive, Wof-shounen.”
“Do you have a Compounding book?”
“Of course, of course. I do indeed. I certainly do.”
“That’s great. Is it… expensive?”
I understood it would be valuable.
However, I couldn’t predict just how much.
I held conflicting sets of values within me.
The values of this world, and the values of my previous world.
In this world, books are precious.
Furthermore, a book on Potion Compounding is exceptionally rare.
But in my previous world, books weren’t particularly precious.
Regarding compounding, while not Potions, the knowledge wasn’t rare or anything special either.
These mismatched values and feelings.
I realized they were both my strength and my weakness.
“Hmm, hmm. I knew you’d come asking for this, but to get the Herbal Encyclopedia so quickly is, how should I put it… hmm, hmm. Much faster than expected, eh?”
She muttered such things under her breath.
Did she really have some plan in mind when she gave me the Crescent Vessel?
The Witch was still humming and hawing. This wasn’t looking good. It might be impossible.
But I had a trump card.
Deep within my pouch lay the egg-like container that held the Elixir.
It was empty, but the container itself should still hold some value.
Come to think of it, it had been in there the whole time.
I hadn’t taken it out once since putting it in.
Somehow, I disliked even looking at or touching it.
I was scared of it.
That’s right. Now was the chance to let it go.
I gently reached into the pouch at my hip, towards the egg deep inside… Huh?
“Eh…?”
“That’s right, that’s right! Yes, that’s it!”
“Wh-What is it?”
I quickly pulled my hand out of the pouch.
That sensation just now— No, no, that couldn’t possibly be right.
“Fufu, fufu, an old acquaintance of Kon’s child, you see. They’re working as a Seeker now, eh?”
“A Seeker?”
“Yup, yup. A Tier IV Seeker, part of a party, eh?”
“I don’t see where this is going.”
“We’re just getting to the important part, eh? That party is going to delve into a Dungeon soon, you see. And they’re looking for a Baggage Carrier, eh?”
“…Do you mean like a Hired Pup?”
A sense of aversion naturally surfaced within me.
“Well, well, not quite, eh. Not a Hired Pup, eh.”
“Just carrying baggage?”
“That, and, well, miscellaneous chores, eh?”
“…If I agree to do that, will you give me the Compounding book?”
“Yup, yup. Glad you catch on quick, helps things along, eh?”
“That’s only for the duration of entering the Dungeon and coming back, right?”
“Of course, of course. What do you say, eh?”
I thought for a moment.
Baggage Carrier, or rather, miscellaneous chores.
Getting the Compounding book just for that could be called an exceptional deal.
There was no reason to refuse, but… I felt anxious. I’d never done anything like it.
I’ve never done it, but, right.
Yeah. That’s it. It’s because I’ve never done it.
“Understood. I’ll accept the job.”
“Good, good. That’s a relief, eh?”
“So, what kind of people are they?”
“Hmm, hmm, Wof-shounen, have you ever heard of ‘Fang of Thunder’, eh?”
“…Sorry. I’m not really familiar with things like that.”
“Oh my, oh my, well, Kon doesn’t know much about them either, eh?”
“Shouldn’t you know about your acquaintances, though?”
“Haha, haha, sharp tongue you have there, eh?”
“So, the party is called ‘Fang of Thunder’, then?”
“Right, right. As for what kind of party they are, you’ll have to see for yourself, eh?”
“Understood.”
“Alright then, alright then, I’ll contact them, let’s see. It’ll take two or three days, eh?”
“Understood. I’ll come back in three days.”
“Ah, ah, wait up, wait up, eh?”
As I started to stand, the Witch handed me a piece of paper.
“What’s this?”
“Fufu, fufu, it’s a recipe for something even the current Wof-shounen can compound, eh?”
“Even I can make it!?”
“Yup, yup. You can get the necessary ingredients in town and the Forest, eh?”
“…Thank you very much.”
I left the Witch’s house.
I was quite curious about the recipe I’d received.
But the thing that concerned me most right now was one thing.
The Egg-shaped Container that had held the Elixir.
I had used the Elixir, so the container should have been empty.
Empty means light. That’s obvious.
And yet, I had felt weight.