Volume 4 Chapter 6 Beyond 100 Chapters, And It's A Template In Fragments!
The workers' job of processing the innerwears got pushed to the next day because it got dark. The two of them (Randy and Liz) worked together to finish the rest early the next morning, right after the sun came up. Since they had been in an open area for a long time, they also needed tights and other supplies.
They needed both tops and bottoms, plus extra sets for washing. And there were way more workers than the servants in the mansion or the ones making beauty serum.
Still, thanks to their experiences from the last 2 times, they finished all the work before noon. After that, they jumped onto a ship and were now on a boat trip.
The Marquis family had a fast ship. They were hitching a ride on a ship that was bringing materials to the port, planning to go to a city called Rivernant along the way.
"I really don't want to see any more Igniforia (a type of dry grass) for a while."
Randy said this with a wry smile, and Liz weakly nodded in agreement. Randy had been saying for a long time that the things only they could do were a big burden.
That said, being on the ship was a bit uncomfortable since it was so open, and it felt wrong to see the Marquis's crew working. They wanted to help with their innerwears too, but both of them shook their heads to push that thought away.
──Besides, they didn't have any materials left anyway──
It was a tricky situation. If they started making clothes for the crew, they would have to do it for all the sailors coming into the port. If that happened, Randy and Liz would turn into machines for making heated innerwears.
They had to avoid that at all costs.
"Looks like we need to think about the textile industry... we need to plan the production line."
"Yeah, that's true."
Even though it was for the development of their territory, there were still a lot of problems. First, they needed more people and land. Right now, with not many machines, they needed manpower for everything.
"It's getting embarrassing to keep relying on other families..."
Randy scratched his head and looked across the river... at Hartfield. The kingdom had a big textile industry, but it didn't mean Cecilia or Liz would help them out.
"I can't really ask the Hartfield family to start a textile business."
Following Randy's wry smile, Liz also looked across the river.
"Cecily's family is over there, right?"
"Yeah. I wonder what they're doing now."
As Randy stared at the unseen opposite bank, Liz quietly said, "They might not be able to keep their promise." They had promised to visit each other on holidays, but it turned out that school life was more relaxed than they thought.
"Then why not just call them?"
Cecilia and Luke both said they didn't have much to do during winter vacation. So, Randy thought they could call them over to help out... mainly Luke. Especially Luke.
They also needed to dig holes to use geothermal energy. Of course, Ellie could use her magic to dig the holes in one go, but it was better to have as many people as possible to help with the heavy work, like carrying pipes.
"You really want to get Sir Luke to help, huh?"
Randy shrugged at Liz, who was giving him a side-eye.
"First, we should get permission from Sir Alan."
Liz sighed heavily, and Randy nodded in agreement as they looked at Rivernant shining in the sunset. As expected from the Marquis family's fast ship, they arrived quicker than they imagined.
"Let's set up an appointment right away and look for a place to stay."
"Yes. Since we're here, I'd like to check out some magic tool shops too."
There was a chance they wouldn't find the ancient documents with runic infusions. They should also consider improving the heating stove.
While they were deciding on their plans, the ship docked at the port of Rivernant.
* * *
Rivernant, the second city of the Dukedom built along the mouth of a big river, is actually the most prosperous city.
Unlike the capital in the mountains, the Dukedom's top Port City, built along the big river, has been an important place for people and goods to gather for a long time. Plus, being the home of the Grand Duke family has greatly helped its prosperity.
The Grand Duke family actively developed Rivernant, which led to its current success.
Using the waterways that ran through the town, Randy and the others hurried to their destination. After all, the sun was already starting to set.
The two of them were rushing to the Adventurers' Guild. They wanted to meet Aaron, the guildmaster, to get an appointment and also ask for a good place to stay. This way, they could kill 2 birds with one stone. So, they were on a small boat, heading towards the center of town.
Following the winding waterways, they arrived at the Adventurers' Guild just as the sun was setting.
They could hear a lot of people making noise, mixed with the light coming from the guild. This was the time when adventurers were having fun at the tavern next door, letting off steam.
"Ugh, we're a bit late."
Usually, adventurers aren't like this, but they have a rough side to them. When they drink, things can get messy... that's what Randy heard first at the guild in the capital.
They even had to close the tavern once because of trouble, but then rowdy people started causing chaos at the town taverns. So, it was recommended to use the guild's tavern to keep things under control.
"What should we do? Should we come back tomorrow?"
Before they left, they heard from Volcan that the Count Shadler family was spreading bad rumors about Victor. Going in now could lead to trouble.
"No. Let's deliver Sir Volcan's letter today. We don't have time to waste."
Liz took a deep breath, and Randy said, "Got it. Stay close to me," as he took her hand and opened the guild's door.
As the door opened, the lively voices and smell of alcohol surrounded them... and they felt some rude stares directed at them.
It was understandable. In Rivernant, both Randy and Liz were just unknown young people.
Ignoring the stares, they slipped into the reception area just before it closed.
"...What can I help you with today?"
The receptionist tilted her head, and Randy quietly handed her the letter from Volcan.
"I'm from the Viscount Victor family. I'd like to set up an appointment to meet with the guildmaster."
The receptionist, seeing the letter with the Viscount's seal, said, "P-Please wait a moment," and hurriedly whispered something to a man who looked like a higher-up while handing him the letter.
After a while, the man told Randy and Liz, "I'll check on that," and left... but that turned out to be a mistake. It seemed like the man was a sort of barrier, and as soon as he left, some troublemakers started bothering Randy and Liz.
"Hey, you two! Come drink with us!"
The receptionist warned the loud man, which made things calm down for a moment, but Randy could feel the annoyance building up.
"Randy, don't start a fight."
"I'm not that stupid."
With a sigh, Randy ignored the rude stares and comments and asked the receptionist for a recommended place to stay. After waiting a bit for the man to return...
"Seriously... I said blood ties can't be denied, but seeing someone so similar is annoying."
A man with sharp eyes, like a hawk, came out with a wry smile.
As soon as the hawk-eyed man appeared, the jeers from the tavern stopped, and the adventurers became noticeably quieter. It made sense. The presence of the old man felt powerful, similar to Keith and Volcan, making him seem like a master, not just an old man.
"I'm Aaron Knightley, the head of the Dukedom Guild."
Randy shook Aaron's hand firmly.
"I'm Randoplh Victor, the heir of the Viscount family."
When Randy introduced himself, the tavern buzzed with excitement. After all, everyone in the Dukedom Adventurers' Guild knew about the Viscount Victor territory. It was the hottest hunting ground right now, but also a dangerous place that low-ranked adventurers couldn't enter.
At the same time, there had been some bad rumors about the territory lately. They said it was trying to betray the Dukedom by teaming up with the kingdom.
Feeling the mixed emotions in the stares behind him, Randy spoke up.
"I didn't expect to meet you so soon."
Randy laughed, and Aaron shook his head, saying, "No way."
"Looks like I'm going to get involved in some trouble, so I came here to warn these fools."
Everyone turned away from Aaron's sharp gaze. It seemed they understood what an adventurer was, and Aaron had come to cut off any trouble before Randy and the others got tangled up in it.
"Sorry for the trouble──."
"Don't worry about it. I owe your grandfather a lot."
Randy was taken aback by Aaron's smile, which he had never seen before.
"That said, I won't hold back on the meeting and requests, okay?"
With that sharp gaze back on him, Randy nodded, "Yeah."
"Good. Then come by tomorrow at noon. Luckily, I'm free in the afternoon."
Randy turned to Liz with a big smile when Aaron nodded. Liz pushed him to hurry, and they had the perfect timing.
"That was lucky."
"Yeah. We're on a roll."
As the two celebrated, Aaron let out a small sigh and said, "See you tomorrow──" when a voice rang out from the back of the tavern.
"Hold on a second!"
When Randy and the others turned to see who it was, they found a man leaning back with a glass in hand, surrounded by his friends.
He had arms as thick as logs.
His strong body was clear even through his clothes.
A huge sword was propped up beside him.
He looked like a muscle guy, similar to Randy, and slammed his glass down on the table.
"Isn't the Victor family the one having trouble with Count Shadler over magic ore?"
The man, smirking, started talking about the conflict between the Victor and Shadler families.
But what he said was really bad.
According to him, the Victor family was pressuring the Shadler family to lower the price of magic ore. They needed more magic ore than usual for their growing territory and wanted a discount for buying in bulk.
"Using the kingdom's nobles as a shield, it seems you're being pretty tough on Count Shadler, huh?"
It sounded ridiculous, but the guild buzzed with excitement at his words. If it was true, the Victor family would be seen as traitors. Asking for a discount in the harsh winter Dukedom was nothing short of betrayal.
The moment the rumor about Victor teaming up with the kingdom spread, it took on a life of its own.
"Are you really saying that the guild will side with these guys just because they're old acquaintances?"
Aaron muttered "fool" under his breath at the grinning man.
"Cain. This trouble between Victor and Shadler... where did you get that information?"
With a frown, Aaron asked, and the man called Cain just laughed without a care.
"Who knows? But everyone knows, right?"
Aaron narrowed his eyes, but Randy raised his hand to interrupt.
"Hey, Aaron. Sorry, but the one being picked on is me... no, it's us, the Victors."
Randy spoke calmly, and Aaron frowned slightly but just said, "I see," and fell silent.
For Randy, it would be easy to just punch the guy. But the other guy was a commoner. It would go against the Victor name for a noble to just hit a commoner without a second thought.
Plus, the other guy had sent a fool their way. So, he decided to use that to his advantage and take a roundabout approach.
In simple terms, he planned to provoke him.
"Now then... you over there who looks like you have no brains──."
"Huh?"
A deep voice echoed through the guild.
"How much did fool Shadler pay you?"
At Randy's words, the other adventurers turned to Cain and his party all at once.
"What are you talking about?"
Cain, still smirking, changed his expression to something even worse and said,
"Calling the Count a fool... is that okay? Little Victor?"
With a sigh, Randy replied,
"Sorry for calling you a fool... but being compared to Shadler is just sad for a fool."
Randy shot back with a smirk, not waiting for Cain's response.
"Shadler isn't just fool, he's really, really fool. He's teaming up with a super idiot like you."
Cain stood up, leaning on the counter, looking at Randy.
"Who are you calling a super idiot?"
"You! It's you! Have you even seen the price of magic ore sold by Victor?"
"Huh?"
Cain's voice got higher in surprise.
"If we're getting a cheap deal from the Count's family, then Victor must be selling it super cheap, right? Tell me how much."
Randy smirked, and Cain seemed to calm down a bit, smiling back.
"You mean to say that magic ore sold by Victor is expensive? That's because your family is jacking up the prices, right? Planning to squeeze money from the townspeople."
Cain laughed like he won and shouted, "Too bad for you, idiot!"
"Hey, what's up with that? Calling me an 'idiot'? Are you introducing yourself now? Don't worry, everyone already knows you're an idiot, so no need for an introduction."
Randy snorted and added, "More like a super idiot."
"How can we raise the prices on stuff sold in regular shops? Are you dumb? Oh wait, my bad. You're a super idiot."
Randy kept pushing back, not letting Cain argue.
"By the way, I have a letter here from Shadler saying, 'The amount of magic ore being mined is going down, so we have to raise the prices.' Is this town okay? Aren't the prices for magic ore going to go up?"
Randy grinned, and the adventurers started to murmur, "What's that?" Magic ore is a resource needed to survive the winter. If there's less of it, they shouldn't be sitting around drinking here.
The copy Keith gave him before leaving is really coming in handy. Experience really counts.
"You know all the rumors that aren't true, but you don't know the 'info' with the Shadler family seal? Are you sure you're okay, adventurer? Oh, I guess being an idiot means you won't catch a cold even in the cold weather. For now, I kind of envy your stupidity."
Cain was completely beaten by Randy, shaking with anger.
"So? Do you have anything to say?"
Randy sighed, and Cain's voice shook as he said, "You've got some guts."
"You sure talk a lot. Winning a verbal fight must feel great, huh?"
Cain gritted his teeth, and Randy snorted.
"Winning against an idiot like you isn't something to brag about. It's just a normal result, like a kid playing 'house'."
Cain, feeling completely overwhelmed, grabbed a sword nearby.
"Brat. You know what you're getting into, right? You're challenging me, the S-rank adventurer, Cain Bloodrage, the Blood Tempest."
Cain was breathing heavily, and Randy smirked. Since he's a noble and Cain is a commoner, he can't start a fight himself, but if Cain starts it, that's different.
That's why he got into this 'verbal fight' he didn't even want. He needed Cain to take the bait.
"It's too late to be scared now! I'm going to beat you up!"
Unaware of Randy's plans, the poor lamb walked right into the trap, and the chaos began.
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