Chapter 40: BET
“A genius spirit user? “
The daughter of the Lumberjack family, Chérie Lumberjack. According to Yukari, she is a genius spirit user who controls a powerful spirit and has achieved adventurer rank A at the age of 16.
Hearing that, I tried to make a guess. 「Spirit user」―― in other words she 「attacks using spirits」. But that would be impractical, that is, back at the time of Mobius.
Certainly, it’s useful to attack using the powerful spirits in the early stages of the game. However, as you approach the middle of the end game, the so-called “It’s faster to just punch them” phenomenon occurs. Specifically, as a result of your stats rising and your various skills improving, the cost-performance of trading blows is more effective than using spirits. Therefore, in the late game, it’s hard to think of spirits as useful other than to use them for 《Spirit Possession》. But well, that’s just my opinion. I wonder how it would be in this world? But even so, for the 16-year-old daughter of a noble to be considered a genius and achieve adventurer rank A by using spirits…… I have a good hunch.
“By the way, I think I still haven’t heard your age, Yukari.”
After I said while remembering, Yukari then continued.
“Uhmm, I’m 19 years old. How about you two? “
“I’m 17.”
“I am 16 years old.”
No way— That’s the kind of face Yukari made. Well, I understand why.
“You are the oldest.”
“Onee-chan! “
“……In dark elf theory, I’m still young. I’m about 16 years old.”
Yukari’s expression froze after hearing the word “oldest”, which Silvia deliberately said. And what do you mean with dark elf theory? Is that some sort of mathematical formula?
…………Wait, am I being relegated in this chat?
Somehow, I’m getting a bit lonely. You wanna come, Angolmois……?
“――Did you call for me, my Second?”
“Just talk to me about something.”
“As you wish. Then, let me tell you about the time when I destroyed the earth spirit, Gnome――”
“What are you saying!? “
What’s with this guy…… what is he saying!?
“Did you really destroy him? “
“Indeed. It happened a certain midnight. He rebelled saying he would defeat me and would replace me as the ruler of the spirits.”
“Ahh, I see.”
So, there’s that kind of strife in the spirit world too. Then, I guess he had no choice.
“And also, not only did he dare to stain my sleep-wear with soil, HE EVEN PUT A CRACK ON MY FAVORITE CUP! Please, forgive me.”
…………Eh?
“It was a disgrace for him to attack me on my bed, but he ignored it. He understood what he did when he attacked me. Therefore, I dropped the thunder of death onto Gnome, and turned him into charcoal in an instant! “
Angolmois then laughed with a “Kakaka”. Wait, no, no, no…….
“Was that okay? “
“Huh? Ahh, don’t worry about it. The position of next Great Spirit of Earth was left to his daughter.”
“That’s not what I meant……”
Aren’t this guy and I connected? Then why can’t I understand the point of that story?
As I was sighing at this loose sense of unity, a knock sounded at the door.
“Second-sama, and everyone in team Firstest, I’ve come to pick you up.”
It was the steward of Earl Lumberjack’s house, Forest-san.
“A carriage is parked downstairs, outside. If you are ready――”
I just nodded to avoid making the greeting too long and said we were ready to leave. It’s great that he is polite, but the way he speaks just takes too long.
“（Angolmois, can you change into ‘manner mode’? You can, right? Do it.）“
“（As you wish.）“
I instructed Angolmois based on the knowledge I obtained by the sense of togetherness.
In the next moment, Angolmois went 「Bzzzzt! 」like an electrical discharge, and changed into red and black lightning, entering my body.
「（With this, others won’t be able to see me.）」
We can still talk, but he has no substance. I decided to call this state ‘manner mode’ from now on.
“Alright, you guys are ready, right? Let’s go～.”
After completing the necessary preparations, we headed outside to where Forest-san was waiting for us.
The moment my hand casually touched the doorknob to open it.
ZZZZZZZT! !
“DAAAAAAAAAAAMN, IT HURTS! “
“Se-Second-dono!? What’s wrong!? “
It hurts!! The heck is this!?
“（……Fumu. Maybe static electricity overflowing from me? Or maybe something similar.）“
T-this bastard, shit……! This wasn’t at the level of static! Fuck!
“（Hahaha, my bad! Forgive me, my Sec――）“
Unsummon!
“…………I’m sorry but, can someone else open the door?”
“Un-understood? “
Yukari did so while being puzzled.
“Later…… I’ll explain it later.”
Dragging my still numb body, I went to the meeting with the Earl.
The three girls were bitterly laughing inside the carriage when I told them what had happened. It shocked me that even Eko could make such a face. I vowed in my mind to never use ‘manner mode’ ever again.
“Hahaha! Is that so?”
We met with the Earl, then we had dinner.
I looked at the complexion of Earl Barel Lumberjack, who was sitting in front of me, nodding with a broad grin.
A good-natured man in his mid-forties, with an athletic body that isn’t too thin nor too fat, and his demeanor was of someone well versed in martial arts, without any opening. Yet, there was a bright intellectual flame burning in the back of his eyes. It was easy to see he was a man who had both brains and brawn.
He was like a veteran warrior, or an old merchant; someone like me couldn’t even reach the heels of such a splendid person.
And this was a grand entertainment of guests.
It even made me want to ask ‘Do you really want the Mithril Alloy this bad?’. Dinner was just this impressive.
“Was it to your liking? That is a stew made with mushrooms gathered from Le?ador, it’s my children’s favorite.”
The Earl spoke without erasing the huge smile on his face. But I was starting to feel troubled about how to answer.
I just answered with the appropriated faked smile. The Earl has been the only one doing the talking. Silvia and Yukari just said a couple words at the start and since then they haven’t made any sound. Eko… Well, Eko has just been eating non-stop since the beginning.
“Are all of you in the A-ranked team Firstest in your teens? My daughter, Chérie is 16 years old. She’s a bit of a stubborn tomboy, but I’d appreciate if you could get along with her at tomorrow’s dinner party.”
Dinner ended without any complication.
After saying that, the Earl stood up from his seat and extended his hand for a handshake.
And thus, he came to see us off, even though we will be meeting again tomorrow.
Thinking about something that has been bugging me, I stopped my feet.
“Ohh, Second-dono. Is there something you need? “
Noticing my actions, the Earl called out to me.
Perfect. He is way above me, yet he lowers himself. He has social status, honor, ability, and also pride. But then, why go this far? I just couldn’t help but to wonder that.
“Lord Barel, why are you going this far for this deal? “
The Earl kept his smiling face, but his eyes narrowed. I noticed Yukari, who was standing next to me, stiffening in response.
“……People getting wealthy, soldiers getting stronger; it’s all for the country’s sake. This is my belief.”
Fumu. So, he’s a ‘Fukoku Kyouhei” type of guy. (TLN: Slogan of the Meiji era, basically a policy of increasing national prosperity and military power?)
“Solid, lightweight, long lasting. The armor and arms industry of Mithril Alloy is greatly linked to the strengthening of the nation’s power. And that has to be done in the center of commerce of the Castall Kingdom, or in other words, in my city of Le?ador.”
“So, this is all for the country’s sake? “
“No. For the people, for the soldiers and for the country. My business must satisfy all three of them.”
The Earl said not even one should be missing.
……I admire his ‘determination’. Especially the point where he makes the distinction between people and soldiers. And the soldiers, in this case, might not be limited to soldiers under the kingdom, but also means “people able to fight” such as adventurers.
People and soldiers――beginners and veterans, so to speak.
Earl Barel Lumberjack, he has a good understanding of this world. That is, the difference between the weak and the strong.
That being the case. I doubt he would try to double-cross a strong person such as myself.
It seems good to bet on this deal.
“I see, I understand. I’ll look forward to tomorrow’s meeting.”
“Likewise! Thank you very much for your valuable time today.”
Along with a smile, my party left.
Thus, the schedule of the first day ended.
—————————–
—————————-
The next day.
After spending all morning being swayed by a carriage, we moved towards the commercial city Le?ador.
It seems like it was hard to get up early for some of us, since Silvia and Eko were happily huddled together as they slept.
“Yukari, what are your plans for the deal? “
“I don’t think that wholesaling continuously is what Master has envisioned. Therefore, I believe the wisest choice is to make short-term contracts, maybe worth a few billion CL of Mithril Alloy, and renew it every few months.”
“Is that so? By the way, how long would it take to earn 30 billion worth of Mithril Alloy? “
“Please wait a minute.”
After receiving that question, Yukari started calculating while looking at the notes I gave her.
That was, the amount of Mithril dropped by the Proline Dungeon’s boss, the Mithril Golem, times the five clears a day, then divide its market price by 30 billion.
“Approximately 20 days…… Ehh.”
“Ehh.”
Yukari was surprised by the answer at which she arrived. Obviously, I too was surprised.
I mean, 30 billion CL in just three weeks. In other words, 10 billion CL a week, or about 1.4 billion CL per day.
That is incredible. Is Mithril Alloy this valuable in this world when compared to Mobius?
……No, if I think about it properly, this is just normal. The probability that Mithril is dropped from the normal golems in the Proline Dungeon is about 6.25%. And that drop is about 1/20 of the size when compared to the Mithril dropped by the Mithril Golem. And it’s this rare because the dungeon hasn’t been captured yet.
“Still, it’s not normal.”
“……No, what’s not normal is doing five clears a day.”
How on earth did you come up with five clears being normal—- is what Yukari’s cold eyes were screaming at me. I just answered her with an innocent smile. Seeing me, Yukari just sighed in response, and I must admit that her drooping ears were a little cute.
“That’s right, I don’t think that the price of Mithril Alloy will collapse.”
“Yeah. For a deal of 30 billion CL, I believe we can take two or three months to complete it.”
Ahh, that’s true. 30 billion in three weeks would be ‘five clears a day’. But it might be better to leave two days off each week, and sometimes stop at three clears and just relax in the afternoon.
“Understood. Then, at the meeting, move in that direction.”
“Yes. Please leave it to me.”
I left the details of the meeting about the deal to Yukari’s discretion. Because if it’s me, then I would probably do it ‘thoughtlessly’ and it would turn into something outrageous. Silvia also said “That way is better”, but that’s something I don’t want to be told by the likes of her.
——————
……While having some random thoughts, I was dozing off in the boat.
“Master. I can see it.”
Then, I was awakened by Yukari’s voice.
Looking outside using a small window, I could see the lively scenery of 『Le?ador』, a large commercial city that flourished like the Kingdom’s capital.
The main street was filled with street stalls, and tides of people walked everywhere doing business amidst all the hustle and bustle.
This city felt ‘real’, unlike the time of Mobius―― a testament that the people living here were alive.
“I hope this goes well.”
Said Yukari.
I just nodded with a “Yeah” and moved my gaze towards the outside scenery.
I felt like I was looking at a totally different world.
“? ……! We there!? “
“Ughhu!? “
After waking up, Eko excitedly jumped around as she saw the scene outside. Then, she landed on Silvia’s stomach, giving her the worst wake up call.
How peaceful. Truly peaceful.
If possible, I’d wish for these peaceful days to continue for a long time. While having those thoughts, I was resting my cheek on my hand and watching the girls.
However, such a wish was shattered in the evening.
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