Chapter 40: The Reason for My Worries is One
“It’s intuition, from this Chris Ease!”
This time, Chris was trying to charm a guild staff member. I was pretending to help Ash and had discreetly withdrawn from the front lines.
“Intuition, you say? …Please wait a moment,” the staff member replied, seemingly taken aback by the phrase, before retreating into the back.
“Hey. Is it really intuition?” Dean, who had been looking disinterested, moved over to the counter where Chris stood, his expression suddenly serious.
“It is indeed intuition.”
“Ugh, just say it already! This is such a hassle. Is it urgent? Can it wait until spring?” Dean scratched his head while facing the puffed-up Chris.
“I think spring will be fine,” Chris said, his earlier confidence now wavering slightly.
Why has the conversation suddenly shifted to agreeing with Chris? Is intuition really that respected?
“The spirit accompanying Chris seems to be a Light Spirit, and it likely grants ‘Divine Revelation.’ Although it appears he and those around him are oblivious, I believe he has a track record with his intuition,” the butler whispered in my ear.
Ah, so he has a spirit with him.
In this world, while not everyone has the benefits of spirits, there are a fair number of people who do. The powers of spirits vary widely, and some have subtle benefits—like not getting sunburned or having their hair turn red—so many people might go about their lives without realizing it.
Few can see spirits. However, the fact that they exist is common knowledge, so those with extraordinary physical abilities or, like Chris, a knack for predicting the future are not dismissed lightly.
For someone like me, who usually keeps his spirit hidden except when naming it, it seems difficult to pretend not to see them. I avoid looking at my spirit because it can be a rather frightening sight.
“If it’s not an investigation and it’s definitely a battle with the Three-Horn, then I might get called in too. Guess dinner will be at the Tavern,” Dean said, sounding resigned.
If a battle is certain, does that mean two Silver Rank members are needed?
“Heh, I hear you owe the guild a favor,” Chris said cheerfully.
Ah, so because of Pink Head, he can’t refuse requests from the guild. Good luck with that.
The food at the tavern and the street stalls is typically salty and heavy, aimed at workers, so I tend to avoid it. While not having to worry about food is a luxury, the abundance of meat here is likely thanks to the rich forest.
Salted meat is, of course, a staple, and Rabbit Tendon is an important ingredient for glue, while hides can be sold. This city seems to import wheat and ores in exchange. There are fields outside the city walls, but they often get ravaged by Demon Beasts, making it a bit of a double-edged sword.
Since vegetables are scarce, there’s a culture of eating animal organs raw to supplement vitamins and nutrients, like liver. Considering the environment, the risk of parasites is a concern. Why is it that they eat only meat raw, despite not eating fish or vegetables raw?
“If a battle is certain, are they looking for experienced Iron Rank members to hunt the Two-Horn?”
I was worried about bacteria, but it seems the locals are largely unaffected by them. Now that I think about it, allergies and E. coli seem to be issues only in developed countries. Perhaps being too clean makes them weak against bacteria? I wonder if I’d be fine in this body… though I won’t test it.
“No, we only need to defeat one Three-Horn. I don’t intend to stay deep in the forest for long. I want the guilds in other cities and the Gold Rank to get involved as well.”
“Gold Rank too?” Dean grimaced.
Thinking about bacteria led the conversation to money.
“The atmosphere in the entire forest is unusual.”
“Flooding?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
The two of them wore serious expressions. Dean spoke in a lower voice than before, seemingly trying to keep Ash in the loop. I had thought Chris was the type to blurt out whatever came to mind, but it seems he’s actually quite thoughtful.
Glancing at Ash, I saw him deep in thought, his face looking a bit scary. I secretly flinched.
When I returned my gaze, I found Dean and Chris both staring at Ash, frozen in place.
After a while, the assessment of Ash’s bear and the rabbit and fox brought by the butler was completed, and Chris and Dean were called by the staff, signaling the end of our gathering.
Then, a few days later, Dean stopped me.
“I know it’s a bit awkward since I owe you, but could you accompany me to the depths of the forest in spring?” He led me into a dining establishment, and just as the food arrived, he made his request.
“Pass.”
“That was quick!”
“On the surface, I’ll just be carrying supplies, and you can leave the fighting with the Demon Beasts to me. Personally, I want to see how the spirits are doing in the depths of the forest.”
“Eh?”
“Well, you don’t have to answer right away. I’ve already gotten a yes from Ash, and it’s just that having two people who can see spirits would be better; I’m not forcing you.”
If Ash goes, the butler will likely go too, so there are already two people who can see spirits. I won’t mention that, though.
According to Dean, since they’re Silver Rank, it’s decided that he and Chris will go. Those two will select a certain number of people and request assistance through the guild.
This time, they want to move quickly, so they’re looking for someone who can handle Demon Beasts and carry a lot of supplies, which is Chris’s hope. Dean agrees but wants to keep it a secret that he wants someone to see spirits.
It’s clear that, bypassing the guild’s Iron Rank, Chris has set his sights on me and Ash. Even with experience, there aren’t many who can easily carry a bear.
Investigations usually take place in the autumn when the forest is rich in resources, but this time they plan to head out in spring without waiting. They seem eager to leave, but traveling through a snow-covered forest would be inefficient, so they’ll wait for spring.
The monetary rewards for investigations aren’t that great, but those ranked Iron or higher are guaranteed at least one star, and those ranked Copper or lower will move up a rank.
They say the rewards won’t be lower than that, but neither option seems particularly appealing. What’s truly attractive is the knowledge; I can’t judge whether the state of the depths of the forest is normal or not. Also, I need to know how much material I can sell.
But I really dislike the idea of camping out for long periods.
The members will be Dean, Chris, Ash, the butler (Note), and Retze. I’m not sure about Chris, but I think I could manage spending a long time with the others.
Camping out, huh…