Volume 2 Chapter 7 Exploring The Suburbs And The End Of The Day
After leaving the Adventurer's Guild and walking along West Main Street, Al reached the packed dirt road marked with a sign for 4th Ring Road. A strange, rotten smell filled the area. It seemed to be coming from the huge holes dug along the street, which were surrounded by fences. This area was already on the outskirts of town, with hardly any buildings around. To protect the street, fences were built in various places, along with watchtowers that had roofs.
At the intersection of West Main Street and 4th Ring Road, there was a large earthwork. On top of it, a simple fort-like structure was built. This must be the base for defending the west. By this time in the afternoon, a group of adventurers who had finished hunting was lined up near West Main Street. The line led to the edge of the western fort, where they were likely turning in the corpses of beasts and receiving their rewards.
"Hey, checking things out?"
The one who spoke to Al was an older man named Orson, who he had seen at the (Red-Faced Sheep) tavern last night. He hadn't noticed before, but he was lightly dragging one leg.
"Hello, Mr. Orson. Is that the processing area over there?"
"Yeah, that's right. They collect the corpses from the adventurers there. They sort the parts that can be used for livestock feed from those that can't. The usable parts are taken to the livestock farm, and the unusable ones are thrown into the holes dug around the fort. When the holes are full, they cover them with dirt and dig new ones. The buried corpses will eventually become good fertilizer. That's how the places where humans can live keep expanding, or so the higher-ups at the Adventurer's Guild say."
"I see. Just hearing that doesn't sound like a bad deal."
"But you know, if you work a whole day dealing with corpses, that smell sticks to you and won't come off. No one will want to come near you. You can't even go into restaurants, and it's tough to find a place to stay."
Al made a really disgusted face, but seeing that, Orson started to laugh.
"Kukuku, a magician who can take down a bandit leader with Magic Missile wouldn't be doing that kind of work, so don't worry."
"Well, that was really just a fluke. I've worked as an adventurer in the capital, but I was going to school at the same time, so it was really just a side gig. I'm not sure if I can really make money here."
At first, Orson looked puzzled by Al's words, but as he listened, he started to understand that Al really felt that way.
"I see. So what are you thinking of doing to earn some money?"
"Well, I checked the requests at the Adventurer's Guild, and there was a gathering request for Red Giant Ants, so I was thinking about looking for those."
The Red Giant Ants are a bit larger, about 20mm long (� 0.79 inches). The white liquid they secrete from their glands is said to be used for medicine. Orson knew about that request too and shook his head, saying it wasn't really recommended.
"Isn't that one a pretty good reward? A lot of people think that way. But you probably don't know this area well, so you're saying it. Out to the west from here, there are a lot of magic beasts, and the worst one is the Red Demon Ant, which looks a lot like the Red Giant Ant. They may look similar, but if you get bitten, even an adult can become completely paralyzed from the poison. I'm not trying to scare you, but it's better to get used to this area a bit before taking on gathering jobs. So, how about it? Want to team up with me and try hunting some barbarians for a while? I can explain how things work around here too."
He had a serious injury about a year ago and now can only walk with a limp, so he's been struggling with fewer job options lately. He explained that teaming up with Al would open up a lot more work for him. Al looked at Orson's face and thought for a moment. From the way he talked, he seemed like a decent person with a lot of knowledge. Mr. Russ and his son also seemed to trust him. It wouldn't be a bad idea to gain some experience as an adventurer with him for a while.
"Got it. Mr. Orson. I'd really appreciate it."
"Oh, that's the spirit! Thanks! Then let's get to know each other a bit more. We need to think about which hunting grounds I know are the most efficient."
The two of them quickly started talking about their sword skills, magic abilities, and the range of their spells.
* * *
The two in high spirits returned to the (Red-Faced Sheep) inn just as it was starting to get a little dark. Al had lured out the enemy, and after Orson held them off, they worked together to defeat it. They had successfully earned about 30 silver coins, even though they had only started in the early afternoon. At this rate, both of them could make enough money for a month's living expenses in just a week.
After changing clothes, the two were happily chatting while cleaning the dirt off their weapons and gear in the inn's courtyard when Iris, the innkeeper's daughter, appeared. It seemed Al had a visitor. She said it was a delicate-looking man around the same age who wore glasses, so they hurried to the dining hall where the guest was waiting.
"Hey, Alfred. Congrats on arriving safely. How's Lester?"
Waiting in the dining hall was Kane, a classmate, just as Al had imagined. Al quickly approached and shook his hand firmly.
"Yeah, I still have a lot to learn. But, well, I've made a few acquaintances, and I think this city is nice."
Kane nodded in relief. It seemed he had been waiting for Al while having a light meal, as there were plates of food on the table where he was sitting. Al asked Louren, Russ's wife who was serving, to bring his dinner here as well.
"That's good to hear. As someone from this city, I'm happy for you. But, if I remember correctly, this is your first time here, and you just arrived yesterday, right? The inn staff seems really friendly with you, though. What happened?"
"Well, actually..."
Al explained to Kane that after parting ways with him, he had been with Barbara and rescued Russ and the others, who are the owners of the inn. At first, Kane listened with a nod, but when he heard about how Al and Barbara had stormed what seemed to be a bandit hideout, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Well, no wonder they feel grateful. So, are you planning to stay here for a while?"
"Yeah. Today, I went hunting with an adventurer named Orson, who usually stays here. He's a nice guy and has been teaching me a lot."
Kane nodded in agreement. Just then, Iris brought Al his dinner on a tray. It looked like rye bread, a hearty meat soup, and boiled beans.
"Thanks, Ms. Iris."
When Al thanked her, she smiled happily and bowed before leaving. Kane watched this and smirked a little.
"Wow, you're doing pretty well. Have you already got a girlfriend?"
Al shook his head vigorously. He had no such intentions at all. That was just a misunderstanding. The two of them then spent some time chatting about who they liked back in middle school, deepening their friendship.
"By the way, I almost forgot the reason for my visit."
Feeling full and noticing that more drunken customers were starting to fill the dining room, Kane said this with a hint of apology as he pulled a package out of his bag.
"I came here today because Sir Naresh got a message from Sir Levy saying you were staying here. Sir Naresh really wants to meet you, but he's been so busy that he can't get away. So, I came instead. This is a thank-you gift for helping him. He was really sad that he couldn't thank you himself."
Al took the package. It was a long, light box.
"Can I open it?"
"I don't know what's inside. I think it's fine."
Al carefully opened the package. Inside was a spellbook. Al's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"What is this? It looks old and valuable. Does it have anything written in it?"
Kane seemed to know nothing about the spellbook. Al looked at the title of the scroll. It was a Physical Boost spell, a type of magic that nobles and knights liked to use, and it was rarely found in the market because they almost had a monopoly on it. Al looked shocked.
"This? I think it's really valuable, but didn't Sir Naresh say anything else?"
"Well, he seemed to think of you as a lifesaver, like this isn't even enough to repay you. I told him he should sneak out tonight, but it seems he wasn't allowed to. He's leaving here the day after tomorrow for the entrance ceremony of a higher school. By the way, I think he mentioned that he doesn't have any talent for magic, so he doesn't need to worry about it."
"I see, thank you. Please tell him I'll use it gratefully."
Kane nodded at Al's words.
"If something happens, I'll be at the government office, so come talk to me. Right now, I'm working there as an intern for the internal affairs minister, helping my father."
"Yeah, I appreciate it."
The two of them raised their glasses filled with the remaining ale and toasted.
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