The reason the payment was 200,000 Gal became evident rather quickly. Meister had designated quite a few items for delivery. The same went for the materials I was supposed to purchase.
But who was I? Wasn’t I the almighty owner of an Inventory?
I still had plenty of space since I had yet to stock up on lunchboxes or drinking water. I could even leave a few items in the workshop and come back to collect them later.
Making full use of my Inventory, I left the workshop with my hands empty.
As a side note, Meister, after seeing that, was visibly irritated. Well, he started liking it later on, though, muttering something about the items not getting damaged this way.
“There’s no reason for you to insult my inventions—!”
But while buying the materials, I realized there wasn’t enough money—even after delivering all the commissioned items and collecting the full payments—so I briefly returned to the workshop.
However, what met me as the door to the workshop opened was a sharp shout. It was Meister.
“Hah, calling advice an insult. That’s what I mean about you being immature. Isn’t it true that you’re wasting your time here?”
Was it okay for me to enter?I stood hesitantly before the building. Even as I did, the conversation continued inside.
“You’re calling my research a waste of time…!”
“Then what else is it if not a waste of time? It’s been nine years of endlessly pouring money into something without any results.”
Wow… Look at that audacity.
“And your research goals are all the same: Arcane items that can be operated without Arcane Power, just for trivial things like heating water or emitting a faint light. What value is there in things like that? What difference would it make to give ordinary people these things?!”
“At the very least, they won’t have to beg wizards like you for help!”
“Hah, those who would even think of asking a wizard for help usually have the means to afford it. And they don’t come to us to light a lamp or heat water, but for things far beyond that.”
On another note, that guy clearly didn’t understand the value of such “simple” things, like devices that could heat water or emit even faint light, to ordinary people.
“You need to face reality now! Stop clinging to the impossible and aim for something greater! Why are you wasting your talents on such things? What you should be doing isn’t this sort of thing, but developing stronger spells and better Arcane items!”
I was utterly dumbfounded when I heard that.
Telling someone to give up on doing what they wanted with their talent, as if it were your talent and your job to decide, was simply ridiculous.
“Use your talent in better ways!”
That guy didn’t seem to have a clue how lucky he was to be able to do what he wanted and to have been born with the right talents for it.
“You fucking bastard—”
“How amusing, blaming others for your own lack of intelligence and competence. Were you trying to prove you’re only capable of flapping your tongue?”
“…!”
“What are…?”
I knew we weren’t close enough for this, and I risked breaking character by stepping in, but I still chose to intervene.
“If you have time to stick your nose in someone else’s business without being asked, spend that time working on your incompetence, trash.”
No matter how this argument started, this was the one thing I couldn’t back down on.
“Do you even know who you’re talking to? I’m a sage…!”
“It seems the Magic Tower really is rotting from within if all a so-called sage can do is flaunt their position instead of their skill.”
“Y-You punk. What do you even know…!”
“I know enough to see that you’re incompetent and worthless. Whether you’re a sage or a great sage or whatever, if you truly had the skill you claim, you wouldn’t be asking a great master to develop it for you.” ṞåℕÖβЁs̩
Right. Even if this wasn’t my fight, I couldn’t just stand by.
“In this world, that’s usually called incompetence, trash.”
I already knew how miserable a person could become when they couldn’t achieve their dreams despite their talent.
“…Pfft. Puhahahaha!”
Was it because I’d channeled all his frustrations into a passionate tirade? Meister suddenly burst into laughter. Perhaps he found it hilarious that the wizard couldn’t even refute my words properly and just kept taking hits.
In my opinion, though, it seemed like Meister could have handled this a lot more easily than I had.
“Did you hear that, you incompetent trash sage? If you did, how about kindly getting your behind out of here?”
Well, it was hard to keep your cool when you were the one getting criticized like that out of nowhere. Now that I thought about it, I could only do it so easily because it was someone else’s business.
“…Even so, this doesn’t change the fact that what you’re working on right now is worthless! Do you really think such trivial things could possibly change the world in any meaningful way?!”
Seriously, why was that damn wizard bastard so pathetic? Was he a maggot or something?
“Foolishness turns into comedy when it reaches its peak. Get out. The world will change far more than you think.”
“Hah, what would someone who isn’t even a wizard know?!”
I raised an eyebrow at the wizard’s words.
Did he seriously just ask a modern person who knew how much people’s lives had changed with the development of electricity the significance of developing that Battery? As far as I knew, that Battery was practically on par with the discovery of electricity itself.
“One doesn’t need to be a wizard to know that light dispels darkness. Once this invention becomes widespread, everyone will be able to make effective use of the nights they previously spent sleeping. How could that possibly lack value?”
“That’s already possible now! Something like that won’t…!”
“Hah. Do you truly not know what it means to illuminate the night without burning expensive oil or candles? How did you even become a sage with a brain like that?”
I looked at the wizard with genuine contempt. He faltered. It seemed my contempt had hit its mark, or at least I thought so.
“Get out. I won’t waste a second longer on someone who fails to recognize gold when it’s right in front of them. That would be a real ‘waste of time.’”
But I had no desire to continue talking. Passing the wizard, I headed inside, straightening my back and tensing my body to make myself appear as imposing as possible.
The wizard, who’d been about to say something, fell silent and watched me pass by. This brat was scared. I had a gut feeling strong enough to call it a near-certainty.
“…Y-You’ll regret this!”
Look at that. If he hadn’t been scared, he wouldn’t have been saying such cliche threats but retorting with sharp counterarguments.
“You’ll regret treating me like this—!”
“I should have definitely told you to get out.”
“H-Heek!”
Yeah, get out, you old fart. Although I’d also been called an old fart before, you were the most useless old fart of them all.
Crash.
That guy was so weak to simple threats. I rested my hand on the hilt of my sword and clicked my tongue inwardly as I watched that guy retreat at just a bit of pressure.
Had I known this would happen, I would have kicked him out like this from the beginning. A twinge of regret went through my mind.
Bang!
Well, he was gone now. That’s all that mattered.
Clicking my tongue again, I pulled out the materials Meister had ordered. There were still some I needed to buy, but I would leave these here for now.
“Do you really think so?”
But then, a question struck my ears. It was Meister’s, sounding distant yet desperate.
“Do you really think this will change the world and people’s lives?”
It was the question of someone seeking reassurance that they were walking on the right path.
“…Yes.”
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have answered so easily. Words that could determine someone’s life shouldn’t be thrown around lightly.
However, this had already been proven and concluded on Earth. It was okay to answer him.
“Yes. What you’re doing is right.”
Besides, Meister was the type who would continue regardless of my answer, so it was fine.
If he was going to move forward regardless of what I said, it would be better to cheer him on a bit so that he could do so in good spirits.
“And you… I must admit, you’re the only one among all these idiots who can think properly.”
Still, his saying “I must admit” instead of a simple “thank you” kind of rubbed me the wrong way. It was a little endearing since he reminded me of my old friend, but it still annoyed me.
Should I really have helped him?
“By the way, you came back early.”
“I ran out of money.”
“What…?”
“Hand it over.”
So reap what you sow.
Pay up.
* * *
“Here, your payment.”
It had been six days since I’d received that delivery request before I finally received my commission fee. It had taken pretty long to calculate properly.
“The interest was calculated according to the standard method the Adventurer’s Guild uses. Look it over.”
Honestly, the image of Meister trembling over not even having enough money for materials was still fresh in my mind. How had he managed to grow so much in the meantime?
As a casual joke that I didn’t actually mean ran through my mind, I stashed the money in my Inventory. After I’d completed several requests over the past six days—Meister was busy with other things and didn’t need me to stick around the workshop—my wallet had also swelled considerably.
Although Meister, who’d also been handling requests while I had, was still flat broke.
Seriously, how much was he spending on materials to remain penniless even after getting commissions from the castle?
“I checked.”
Well, I’d been paid, so that was good enough for me. I turned to leave the workshop.
“Where are you going?”
The one who stopped me was Meister. “I finally have some time to research your equipment.” Naturally, the reason was something research-related.
“Postpone it.”
“Do you think my time is cheap?”
“And you think mine is?”
Unfortunately, I already had a prior engagement. One involving money, no less.
“Tsk.”
Meister also noticed and reluctantly let me go. Since he’d been the one to postpone his research, he couldn’t say anything.
“What? Why is it so cheap?”
“Haven’t you heard? They say the Skyflow Tiger sacrificed its own life to bring abundance to this land.”
“What? Why would the Skyflow Tiger do that?”
“No idea. I heard that the Temple actually hunted it down…”
“Are you mad?”
I left the workshop district and headed to the general stores. This was the fastest way to reach my destination.
“Even the Merfolk have gone weirdly quiet. It feels like the calm before a storm. Makes me feel anxious…”
“What good does worrying do, huh? Buy something or move along. When you live from day to day, you don’t have time for all that nonsense.”
“Urgh… Then show me those grapes.”
The vegetables and fruits were really fresh. Was the Mountain Lord actually doing its job properly?”
“Welcome… erm, sir!”
“How much?”
Looking over the produce he had to offer, I turned to the vendor. The fresh blueberry-like fruits looked too delicious for me to pass up on.
“1,500 Gal per handful… sir.”
“Sweet?”
“Absolutely… sir. If you’re unsure, feel free to try one.”
I wouldn’t refuse such an offer. I popped a berry in my mouth, a sweet and tart flavor spreading across my tongue.
Clink.
“My, thank you very much!”
I handed over 15,000 Gal. I hoped these would cheer Frederick up a little. He was feeling rather uneasy because he’d been spending too much time cooped up in the stable.
“Are you interested in anything else, sir?”
“Cherries.”
“Oh my, an excellent choice. These were picked fresh this morning.”
After wrapping the blueberries in a cloth, I picked up some cherries and apricots. These were for me.
Crunch.
Wow, that juice. I bit into the second apricot, a slight happiness spreading through my body as my mouth filled with its ripe sweetness.
Soon, my destination came into view.
“Civilians are prohibited beyond this point. Please identify yourself.”
With a clang, the guards stationed at the gate moved their spears. Crossed in an X-shape to block the gate, the two spears looked almost artistic. Discipline was well maintained here.
“I came here on a request.”
“A request… Are you an adventurer? If so, please show me your card.”
Well, it would be a serious problem if the military discipline in a city with frequent battles were lacking.
I handed over my card and waited in front of the gate while they confirmed my identity. It seemed the gatekeepers weren’t in charge of that directly, however, seeing as the one who received my card went off somewhere, leaving his comrade alone.
“…”
“…”
The remaining guard fidgeted slightly, his lips twitching as he kept glancing at me. Did he want to say something?
“…Erm.”
Should I say something like “What are you looking at?” While I was pondering that, the soldier who’d been glancing at me finally spoke up.
Everything except his mouth was stiff, as if he was afraid someone might catch him talking.
“Thank you for last time.”
However, his gaze seemed incredibly gentle. I really had no idea why he was acting like that when this was the first time we’d met.
“You probably don’t remember, Adventurer… but if you hadn’t stepped in that day, I’d either be dead or have lost a leg. I survived because of you, Adventurer. Thank you again.”
…Erm, okay? When did I save him, though? I didn’t recall doing anything like that in this city…
“Ah, erm… I’m talking about when we subdued all those Demon Worshipers.”
…Right. That.
But had I saved a guard then? All I could remember was assisting them in taking them Demon Worshipers. Then again, it had been dark, and I had been really sleepy, so I hadn’t paid too much attention to what was happening around me.
“…I just did what needed to be done.”
Still, if he said I’d saved him, it must have been like that. It wasn’t exactly bad news that my interference had saved someone’s life.
So I replied nonchalantly. The soldier’s expression softened slightly, though.
“You’re just like what I’ve heard.”
That comment caught my curiosity. What had he heard? Where had he heard it? Who had he heard it from?
“We’ve confirmed everything!”
Just then, the other guard who’d left to get my card verified returned.
“Here’s your card, and I’ll escort you. Please don’t wander away from me.”
It seemed even visitors on official business weren’t allowed to roam around, so I got an escort.
Meanwhile, the guard who’d thanked me reverted to his stony demeanor as if he never talked to me. That was a little funny.
“Hey, isn’t that guy…?”
“Do you know him?”
“I told you about it last time. At the checkpoint…”
“Aah.”
Regardless, I moved inside under my escort’s watchful eyes. The soldiers resting on one side whispered among themselves. Apparently, military discipline wasn’t enforced during breaks.
For some reason, they all seemed to recognize me.
“You made it just in time.”
It was the same when we arrived at the training ground, which seemed to be our destination. As someone who looked to be a captain addressed me, some of the soldiers standing in formation glanced at me and whispered to the person next to them.
“Who just opened their mouth?”
Of course, the culprits were immediately caught and punished with a sharp glare.
“You’ve already been briefed on the details of the request, right?”
Still, it seemed the captain preferred not to reprimand her men before an outsider. Returning her attention to me, she continued the conversation.
“We usually don’t bring outside personnel for reconnaissance… but given our circumstances and the recommendation we received, we’ve made an exception this time.”
However, her overbearing tone made it clear she didn’t view me favorably. Her emphasis on “usually don’t bring outside personnel” and “recommendation” made that more than apparent.
It seemed she’d had no intention of hiring me but was pressured into it by someone higher up. I had no idea who that might be, though.
“However, I will not tolerate disobeying orders, breaking rules, or acting arbitrarily just because you’re an adventurer. Let’s be clear about that.”
No, but seriously, who were they? I didn’t particularly care about the captain’s attitude since we’d soon be parting ways anyway—I’d also met far worse people in my line of work—all I wanted to know was who’d forced her to hire me.
I obviously didn’t have any allies or connections here since this was my first time in this city…
“We will depart in thirty minutes. In the meantime, report to the squad leader for a briefing on unit protocol and to receive a harpoon.”
It couldn’t have been the Hero’s party… They didn’t have a reason to… What the hell?
I was lost in a sea of questions I couldn’t answer. I really couldn’t make any sense of this.
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