Chapter 4: Those Annoying Guys
“Kaito, you really managed to create something like this, even with a Rush Wolf involved.”
“I received Earth Magic during the Bestowal Ceremony. While I was practicing, I got surrounded by a Rush Wolf. When I made a pitfall, this guy fell in headfirst, so I buried him alive. I really thought I was going to die.”
“Make sure to sell everything, including the Magic Stones.”
“Yes, please.”
“Alright, wait for me in the cafeteria. Since it’s in good condition without any damage, I’ll give you a high appraisal.”
I bowed my head to Yahan and headed over to Fuyusa, who buys medicinal herbs.
“Fuyusa, could you appraise these medicinal herbs for me?”
“You have eight Sarasa fruits, seventeen Yoizame leaves, and five Bell Flowers, along with some miscellaneous items that total one Iron Coin. That makes it 65,200 Dara in total. You did well!”
I pretended to put the 50,000 Dara into my pocket, but instead, I tossed it into my Spatial Storage. I then placed 15,200 Dara into the opposite pocket.
“Hey, Kaito, you’re making quite a bit of money, aren’t you?”
It was the Three Scumbags, their faces red from drinking since morning. If I ran into them outside the city, they would take my collected medicinal herbs or beat me up, making for a miserable experience.
“You couldn’t possibly have defeated a Rush Wolf. Where did you steal it from?”
“That doesn’t matter. You know the deal—half of it is a thank-you for us.”
“I like obedient kids.”
“Are you guys really trying to extort money from a child? Aren’t you ashamed of threatening kids while drunk in the morning?”
“Shut up, old hag. Just go away.”
“Oh, is that so? Then you’re prepared for the consequences, huh? That kid is a civilian, not an Adventurer. You know what happens if you lay a hand on him, right? It’s been rumored that you’ve been robbing him of medicinal herbs and using violence outside the city. Before long, you’ll be branded as criminals.”
“Shut up, old hag. Do you have any proof? You can’t become a criminal just from rumors. Let’s go; I’m feeling sick.”
Yodo and Gil left the guild with nasty smiles on their faces, while Naiya followed behind. They had no idea that I was planning to get back at them, including for the past grievances, now that I had received magic.
Called by Yahan, I headed to the buying counter.
“The fur is nice and large, so with the Magic Stones included, it will be 150,000 Dara. Does that sound good?”
“Yes, thank you very much. By the way, Yahan, how much do clocks usually cost?”
“A used one should be around 50,000 to 60,000 Dara. You should find some at the Adventurer’s shop up ahead.”
After thanking Yahan, I went to the Adventurer’s shop and told them I wanted a clock. When I showed the suspicious-looking clerk the silver coins in my hand, he cheerfully took one out from behind the counter to show me. The price was 75,000 Dara, so I told him I would check other shops first and browsed through various knives.
I bought a slightly larger knife for 20,000 Dara.
“Hey, would you buy this for 65,000 Dara?”
“No way. That’s way higher than the market price I heard from Yahan. I’m going to check other shops. Besides, that clock has quite a few scratches and looks like it was handled poorly. Even I can tell it’s overpriced.”
“You asked Yahan, huh? Do you visit the guild often?”
“I’ve been coming to sell medicinal herbs for about three years now. See you.”
“Wait, I’ll show you something better. Just keep it a secret from Yahan.”
“Well, let’s see the goods first.”
From the back of the counter, he brought out four clocks. Three had beautiful engravings, but I was shown a simple one that looked brass-colored. It had no chain, and while it had some minor scratches, there were no dents. When I opened the lid, the inside was clean.
“How long does it last on a single wind?”
“About two to three days. If it’s a high-quality one, it can last four to five days, but that would be six silver coins.”
“I’ll take it for five coins.”
After some back-and-forth, I settled on 55,000 Dara, and he threw in three bags for medicinal herbs—large, medium, and small—as a bonus.
“Goodness, you’re quite the negotiator. By the way, have you registered as an Adventurer yet?”
“Not yet; I can’t do it until next year.”
“I heard there was a wolf left in front of the guild. Was that you? The Adventurers were talking about a kid bringing it in.”
“Yeah, I got lucky and brought it in along with the medicinal herbs.”
“Seems like the order of things is a bit off, but a kid like you can’t handle a hunt.”
“Are boots expensive?”
“I don’t have anything that would fit your feet. You should go to a shoemaker. Your clothes are pretty worn out too, but the ones here won’t fit unless you go to a second-hand shop.”
After thanking him, I left the store and discreetly stored the knife and clock in my Spatial Storage. With about 20,000 Dara combined from my previous savings and this transaction, I went on a shopping spree for food.
I couldn’t skip on the bread filled with plenty of ingredients, so I bought ten from one shop, then another ten from a different shop, pretending to put them in my backpack while actually storing them. I stocked up on skewers, fruits, beans, potatoes, and soup stock, quickly storing them away so no one would see. Finally, I decided to head to the shoemaker and the second-hand shop.
When I stood in front of the shoemaker, the old man asked me gruffly if I needed something. I told him I was looking for sturdy shoes since I go out to gather medicinal herbs. I showed him my pocket watch, indicating I had enough money to buy something.
I pretended to pull it from my pocket, but it was actually from my Spatial Storage, and it seemed he didn’t notice. I was satisfied with the results of my practice.
He asked me to show my feet, and I took off my shoes and placed my bare feet on the counter. After examining them, he went to the back and returned with two pairs of boots.
“Try these on.”
I slipped on a pair with socks, but they felt a bit tight and my toes were cramped. When I mentioned this, he handed me another pair, which fit perfectly and had soft ankles with no pressure points. The price was 80,000 Dara, but since my feet were important, I bought them on the spot.
At the second-hand shop, I paid 40,000 Dara for pants with side pockets and a hooded jacket suitable for Adventurers, leaving me nearly broke.
With no more business in the city, I decided to head straight to the grasslands. I had noticed the Three Scumbags following me when I left the city, but I kept a straight face as I passed through the gates and hurried toward the campsite.
Though I appeared to be carrying a heavy load, my backpack was empty, making my steps light. They were also carrying their gear and Longswords, so they couldn’t run too fast, especially with people around.
After walking for over two hours, I stopped and pretended to notice them for the first time, starting to walk again. Occasionally, I glanced back and quickened my pace.
I approached a spot where dense bushes made visibility poor along the roadside. Pretending to look at them, I scanned the surroundings to confirm there were no other people, then slipped into the thick bushes.
I saw them start to run, but I calmly entered the thicket and sat down. They soon caught up, but seeing me sitting there without fear, they looked puzzled.
With a soft thud and a tight squeeze, I began to drop them into the hole I had prepared.
Inside the one-meter-wide, 2.5-meter-deep pit, they groaned, and I left an air hole to ensure they couldn’t escape.
Since they weren’t carrying any belongings, I figured they must have left their stuff somewhere when they took off running. I found their gear piled up at the base of a tree.
After collecting their belongings, I approached the pit, where I could faintly hear their pleas for help.
I widened the air hole to the size of their faces and greeted them.
“Naiya, how are you doing? Think about whether you want to stay there until you die or follow my orders.”
I conveyed the same message to the other two and began to construct tonight’s sleeping quarters nearby. I disguised it to look like a rock from the outside, ensuring it was spacious enough to sleep comfortably while leaving holes for monitoring and ventilation.
I took out my clock to check the time; it was 6 PM. The summer sun was still high, but after pouring my mana into solidifying the Dome, I collapsed into a deep sleep.
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When I woke up and checked the clock, it was just past 1 AM. My mana had recovered in just a little over six hours, which was surprisingly quick. Buying that clock was definitely a good decision.
I constructed a small stove and raised the chimney high, taking firewood from my Spatial Storage to start a fire. Magic is really convenient.
The stove was made with Earth Magic, and I didn’t need a tent. I stored my food in my Spatial Storage, where it wouldn’t spoil and the temperature wouldn’t change. Compared to camping in Japan, it was a world apart—at least when it came to camping.
But there was one problem: when I stored the clock in my Spatial Storage, time stopped for it, so I had to adjust my meals accordingly.
I filled a pot with water using Life Magic and placed it on the stove, watching the flickering flames as I added soup stock to a cup, waiting for the water to boil.
It was a blissful moment, but the blissful times I had as a Japanese person had now become part of my daily life.
As I nibbled on the bread filled with plenty of ingredients, I continued to wait for the water in the cup to boil.
As I waited for three minutes with hot water poured into my cup noodles, Japan felt like a distant memory…