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TL: ALT
Chapter 160 – Jennifer’s Scout Caravan Day 4, Afternoon
Kimmy-san took me to an area southeast of the royal capital where the headquarters of various merchant guilds from across the country were gathered.
They seemed to use various birds, and there were large, cone-shaped birdhouses. The birdhouses had countless holes in them, and hawks, kites, and gryphons were flying in and out busily.
“Do they use the birds to deliver letters?”
I asked Kimmy-san, who was walking in front of me.
“Yes, in addition to birds, they use magic tools from the Adventurers’ Guild, as well as carriages and couriers. This ‘birdhouse’ is where information gathers.”
As we got closer, the size of the birdhouse in the center of the area became apparent. It was about twice the size of a three-story building, and I felt as if I had shrunk.
Merchants shouted loudly in the street, slave porters and horses walked slowly, and boys with shoulder bags ran through the crowd.
Mysterious shops lined both sides of the street and caught my eye. There were so many people that I almost lost sight of Kimmy-san.
“If you get lost, just walk toward the birdhouse, and Kimmy will be there.”
I heard Warren-san’s deep voice behind me. Although we were separated and couldn’t see each other, he seemed to understand how I felt.
Several people bumped into me, but after hearing someone click their tongue five times, I realized that I wouldn’t get in trouble if I just followed the flow of people.
I pushed my way forward and finally reached the building directly below the birdhouse.
The buildings of each merchant guild were built around the birdhouse as if to protect it.
“Military notice! Military notice!”
Kimmy-san shouted loudly. She entered the guild building and headed straight for the birdhouse, cutting through the building as she went. The blacksmiths and weapon merchants stopped and stared at the three of us.
A tarp stretched from the birdhouse to the roof of the guild building. The sound of dripping water suggests that it is meant to prevent bird droppings.
Monster tamers controlling the birds were handing letters received from the birdhouse to guild staff waiting at counters inside the building. It was unusual to see the counters facing inward.
“Notice from the military! An envoy from the demonic land has arrived. Everyone, listen up!”
As Kimmy-san’s voice echoed through the area, the monster tamers stopped in their tracks.
The birdhouse was enveloped in silence amidst the crowd of people, and tension ran high.
“Jennifer-san, please.”
Kimmy-san prompted me to step forward, but I didn’t know what to say. The monster tamers crouched down so that the merchants could see my face.
Even from across the counter, I could tell that the skilled merchants were watching me. It was only natural, considering I was a foreigner in their workplace.
“What should I say?”
“Just talk about survival techniques in the demonic land.”
I took a deep breath and began.
“My name is Jennifer Volkov. I have come here as an envoy from the demonic land to sell survival techniques. With these techniques, you can survive in harsh environments like the demonic land. Please help spread this knowledge to improve the survival rate of adventurers.”
There was no response, and the monster tamers just stared at the birdhouse.
There was no response; the monster tamers just stared at the birdhouse. As expected, this was not a place for amateurs to do business. Even though I was just standing there, I started to sweat profusely.
“…Even if you say ‘spread the word,’ this is a place of business. Wouldn’t it be better to go to a theater or a novelist’s house?”
A small merchant with a shaved head and a large scar on his forehead asked from behind the counter.
“Even if you call them survival techniques, they’re intangible, so they’re hard to trade.”
A noble-looking woman with a large chest also chimed in from behind the counter. She must be quite wealthy because the counter was piled high with sweets.
There was nothing to be done. It seemed the merchants weren’t interested.
“Don’t worry about it. They’re just trying to haggle. Merchants want to buy low and sell high.”
Warren-san patted me on the back to encourage me.
“For now, just destroy this dummy completely. You can do what the lord of the demonic land did, right?”
“Eh?”
While I was still confused, Warren-san stabbed the training dummy into the ground.
“Do you want me to destroy it? This is just a training dummy. Is it okay to break it?”
Someone made this, so I feel bad.
“It’s okay. The craftsmen said they’d be happy if someone could destroy it.”
“I see…”
Standing in front of the dummy, I could feel everyone’s eyes on me.
Come to think of it, this was probably the first time I had ever faced something that didn’t move or show hostility. In fact, it had been a long time since I had faced another person. Makyo-san isn’t a person; he’s a monster, so he doesn’t count.
I can’t fight this dummy in front of me like I would in the demonic land. All I have to do is show it to the merchants behind the counter; blowing its head off should suffice.
“Go all out.”
As I hesitated, Warren-san called out to me from behind.
“Go all out? If you say so, I’ll do it…”
There’s a way to fight in the demonic land—or rather, a way Makyo-san fights. I’m just copying what I’ve seen, but I suppose that’s probably the full power of the demonic land.
I gathered my magical power, raised my mace, and aimed it at the dummy’s torso.
All that’s left is to swing the mace and release my magic. If I go all out, it might fly all the way to the building’s counter in front of me.
BANG!
The dummy’s leather skin was torn to shreds, and its insides were reduced to splinters.
“Oh, I’m sorry! I held back a little!”
I bowed my head and asked, “Can I try again?”
“No need. Kimmy, give me Jennifer’s information.”
Warren-san instructed Kimmy-san.
“Jennifer Volkov is a former adventurer from the north who belonged to the ‘White Lightning.’ She left the party and moved to the demonic land about four months ago. Is that correct?”
“That’s right…”
It seems that they are investigating various things.
“Wait a minute! Could she have become this strong in just four months?”
“The White Lightning is a group of adventurers who have become well-known recently, right?”
“If she’s that strong, she should be more famous. Maybe it’s time to stop hiding information about the demonic land. Even the royal family is taking action regarding it.”
The merchants at the various counters began to talk.
“Is it true that you wiped out the monsters in the mountains around White Ox a few days ago?”
A voluptuous merchant asked.
“Yes, it’s true. I’m traveling around the kingdom to teach survival techniques from the demonic land.”
“Did you also wipe out the monsters at the Colosseum this morning?”
“That was me, too.”
“You got that strong in just four months?”
“Living in the demonic land naturally makes you like this. The margrave of the demonic land is much stronger.”
When I said that, Warren-san smiled slyly.
“Is it true that you traveled from White Ox to the capital in just one day?”
A monster tamer who had been crouching stood up and asked.
“Yes, once you get the hang of it, anyone can run fast. This technique was developed by Makyo-san.”
I ran around the birdhouse, using my magic-infused legs.
“Fofofo. Miss from the demonic land. Survival techniques are a matter of right to live, correct?”
An old man with a thin face came out of the birdhouse and asked me this time. He smelled like bird droppings, so he must be a monster tamer, too.
“Yes, if you die in the demonic land, Makyo-san will be in trouble, so please don’t do that.”
“What do you mean by ‘trouble’?”
Kimmy-san interjected.
“Makyo-san is afraid of ghosts.”
“Well, that’s unexpected.”
“Believing in such things is ridiculous, isn’t it?”
“Talking about silly occult stuff will make you lose credibility.”
“Don’t you have any respect for your ancestors?”
The merchants began to voice their opinions.
“Well, if there are no ghosts, the golems will lose their will, and one of our companions in the demonic land will disappear. Ghosts are supposed to exist there.”
“Golems? What an unusual creature. Are they ancient artifacts?”
A merchant with a shaved head leaned forward to ask. He was almost hanging off the counter.
“Yes, there are several golems in the dungeon that used to be a military base.”
“Golems in a dungeon!?”
“It seems there are several dungeons in the demonic land. There were conflicts between them. If anyone knows anything, please tell me.”
The merchants fell silent for a moment, deep in thought.
“This birdhouse is said to have been built by a merchant who sold a fallen kingdom’s dungeon. It is also said that this merchant’s guild was established to promote the development of the merchant guild.”
The old monster tamer answered. The fallen kingdom must be Yggdrasil.
“The technology to build dungeons has already been lost, but the White Ox Dungeon is said to have been sold by a dungeon seller.”
“He must have been an excellent merchant.”
“He was recorded as eccentric, but he seemed unfazed by it.”
Perhaps the dungeon seller was similar to Makyo-san.
“Was the dungeon seller dragonfolk?”
“No, the fallen kingdom had various races, including ordinary humans. That’s all we know.”
“Even a little information is helpful. Those of us who live there are constantly faced with things we don’t understand.”
“Is the demonic land really that enjoyable?”
“Enjoyable? It’s a harsh daily life.”
“But you seem to be smiling.”
“Eh…?”
He pointed it out, and I realized that I must have been smiling.
“The demonic land is harsh, but… You have to change yourself. You can’t lie. You have to confront all your cunning and pure sides in order to survive. So, you become honest. I’m sorry; that’s a strange thing to say.”
“No, I really want to hear the voices of the demonic land’s inhabitants.”
Warren-san leaned in close. Everyone in the room fell silent and looked at me.
“In the demonic land, we don’t use money. The lord, Makyo-san, says that as long as we work, that’s all he asks. Our homes are caves and our clothes are falling apart, but he makes sure we have enough to eat. In that situation, there’s no point in trying to make yourself look important or belittle yourself.”
As I spoke, I realized how much I had pretended before becoming a resident of the demonic land, and I felt ashamed.
“There’s no time to fear change. You have to adapt to keep up with others. Becoming stronger is part of that change, and you can’t survive without adapting to the situation. Every day, before I know it, the day is over. I’m covered in sweat, but I don’t feel bad…”
For some reason, when I talk about the demonic land, the corners of my mouth turn up.
“Before, I wouldn’t have dared to speak in public while wearing such dirty clothes. Now, I’m proud of my clothes stained with wild plant juice. It looks strange, doesn’t it?”
“No, they’re not strange.”
Warren-san smiled.
“Please sell me the right to become an inhabitant of the demonic land!”
A young monster tamer who had been crouching down stood up.
“Sell it to me, too!”
“Then me too!”
“I want it, too!”
The other monster tamers stood up one after another.
“The survival manual costs one silver coin, but we’re currently out of stock. More are being printed at the church.”
“The director of this birdhouse will buy all of them.”
When the old monster tamer said that, the merchants tried to stop him.
“Wait a minute!”
We didn’t say we wouldn’t buy it!”
“If buying the survival manual means we can trade with the demonic land, we can’t just stay silent!”
Suddenly, the merchants behind the counter leaned forward.
“How much tax do you expect to pay for trading with the demonic land?”
A question came from a merchant with a shaved head.
“No, there’s no tax. The lord probably doesn’t care about taxes.”
I don’t think Makyo-san is thinking about taxes. He’ll probably just be told to get back to work.”
“What!? What do you mean!?”
“I can’t believe it! I’ve heard that the magic staffs forged in the harsh environment of the demonic land are powerful weapons!”
“How are you going to build bridges and roads?”
“What if someone gets sick?”
The merchants leaned forward from behind the counter and stepped out of the building.
“We make the roads by cutting stones we’ve mined and laying them down using Makyo-san’s magic. We make healing potions for illnesses or use magic stones to cure them. As for bridges, they collapse easily, so we just jump over them. We have a weaponsmith from a vampire clan who makes weapons as needed. We’ve also set up a crocodile ranch, so making leather goods should be relatively easy anytime.”
After I explained the current state of the demonic land to the best of my ability, everyone except Warren-san, who was present, began to panic.
“Wait, wait, wait, wait!”
“Does the lord also run a stone quarry?”
“We make what we don’t have. We have no choice but to survive with what’s available in the demonic land.”
“What about crocodile leather?”
“We keep a large monster crocodile called a Rock Crocodile. Its skin is much harder and easier to process than the Basilisk skin I killed this morning.”
“Is there a blacksmith?”
“No, there isn’t. However, we have an elf who has mastered magic circles, so we often reinforce weapons with them. We are also in the process of inviting dwarf technicians from the Elven Kingdom.”
“Things have gotten this far in just a few months!?”
“What is the army doing!?”
The merchants bombarded me with questions, but finally, their attention shifted to Warren-san and Kimmy-san.
“The development of the demonic land and the excavation of ancient ruins are the royal family’s long-held wishes. We have no intention of withholding our cooperation. That is all.”
Warren-san answered, arms crossed.
“So, do you only intend to trade with the royal family?”
“No. We have set up trading posts outside the demonic land. We need food, such as flour, once every three months, so negotiations with East Kenya should already be underway.”
When I said that, the merchants turned to look at the merchant who appeared to be from the East Kenya Merchants’ Association.
The East Kenya merchant hurriedly checked the letter that had been delivered to him. He found a large red envelope and turned pale. He opened it, read it, and hung his head.
“It was among the items that arrived earlier. East Kenya is going to start trading materials and food from the demonic land.”
The bald merchant from East Kenya stared into space and spat out the words.
“Is there any other information that should be shared?”
“The people of the demonic land are said to fly through the air on wyverns. Their speed is beyond our comprehension. Since we cannot go there, negotiations should be made when the inhabitants of the demonic land visit, and decisions should be made immediately…”
The East Kenyan merchant spoke in a low voice, but those around the birdhouse could still hear him easily.
“Your Excellency Warren! You should have given us advance warning about something this important!”
“I did give you advance warning. It’s been about three months since the lord of the demonic land became the margrave. You merchants looked down on us, assuming that we would never be able to develop the demonic land. You failed to evaluate us fairly. Wasn’t that what caused this confusion?”
“So you mean the army could have predicted this situation?”
“Of course. My younger brother is stationed at the military facilities in the frontier as captain of the supply corps.”
“Your younger brother? You mean the bandit hunter?”
When the merchant asked, Warren-san nodded vigorously. It seems the captain has a nickname. Perhaps it comes from his previous position.
“Messenger-dono! If this continues, East Kenya and the royal family will buy the materials from the demonic land cheaply. Please expand the trading area!”
The big-breasted merchant asked with a smile, despite her anxiety.
“We would like to do that, but the trading post is located deep in the forest, beyond the military facilities. We have no choice but to trade with those who live nearby.”
“Then we just need to prepare a place for trade, right?”
“Well, yes.”
“Your Excellency Warren, the royal family is very supportive of the demonic land. In that case, could you lend some of the military’s land to the demonic land?”
“If it’s land that isn’t currently in use, there shouldn’t be a problem. Is there any land suitable for trade?”
“We’ll look for it now! Merchants, get your maps ready! Check the forts and abandoned villages destroyed by the ‘bandit hunter’! There should be a few places in the east that are suitable for trade!”
At that command, the merchants rushed back to their counters and pulled out their maps.
“If it involves the bandit hunter, the southern merchant guild won’t stay silent. We owe him a lot!”
“Something’s fishy with those White Ox guys. Those White Ox guys. I thought they were buying up abandoned mines since this morning, but their actions must be the result of the demonic land messenger’s influence. What a joke!”
“Who’s going to take the lead?”
The merchants complained while looking at maps.
“If the demonic land is all about quick decisions, we don’t have time! Hurry up!”
The big-breasted merchant was angry.
“Um, are they looking for trading locations in the demonic land?”
I asked Warren-san and Kimmy-san in a low voice.
“That’s right. If we wait, they’ll find them on their own.”
“They finally realized that the demonic land is a huge source of materials. It will become a huge market.”
Kimmy-san smiled cheerfully.
“A market?”
“Yes, monsters hide for leather workshops, bones and wood for weapon shops, meat for food, stone for construction, herbs for medicine, and magic stones for energy. Everything collected in the demonic land can be sold. One trading post won’t be enough. A village with shops from each guild will probably be built.”
“What? So they’re deciding where to build the village now?”
“That’s how it will be. It’s like an enclave of the demonic land. You’ll be busy, Messenger-dono.”
It seems that, even when living in the demonic land, going outside is a big deal.
I could only watch the merchants argue over the map. I didn’t understand the distribution system, so I had no say in the matter; however, I also couldn’t return to the demonic land until a suitable candidate location was decided.
Warren-san and Kimmy-san took me out of the birdhouse, saying that participating in multiple discussions was exhausting. Being exposed to the merchants’ enthusiasm was exhausting, even though I wasn’t doing anything.
“Is the captain called Bandit Hunter?”
I asked Warren-san at a restaurant rumored to serve the best noodles in the royal capital.
“That was a long time ago. When he first joined the army, some people opposed his assignment to the frontier. To prove his abilities, he destroyed thieves, bandits, mountain bandits, and pirates in various places. That’s how it became known to the public.”
As Warren-san explained, Kimmy-san laughed while eating her noodles.
“Is that not the truth?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t say it’s wrong.”
When I looked at Kimmy-san, she was laughing so hard that she couldn’t eat.
“Among those outlaws, there were some with special talents.”
After laughing for a while, Kimmy-san began to explain.
“The person Jennifer-san calls the captain could spot them instantly. He would go alone to their forts and hideouts, knock out the talented ones, and recruit them into his army. He would say, “From now on, you’re my subordinate.” Most of the groups were destroyed after that.”
“So he wasn’t showing off his skills? He was scouting them? Really?”
“Yes, at least the reason there is no thief guild in the capital is because of the ‘bandit hunter.’ I was recruited, so I know it’s true.”
Kimmy-san laughed and showed me the tattoo under her collarbone.
The captain sounded like an amazing person.
By the time we finished eating noodles, the discussion in the birdhouse had concluded, and the location of the trading post in the demonic land had been decided.
To the west of the demonic land, near the training facility, there are abandoned ruins and a deserted village that will be repaired and renovated. Since they are not within the demonic land, they are good places that anyone can visit.
It would be best to use materials from the demonic land as much as possible.
After telling Kimmy-san this, I made the decision to leave the royal capital.
“You might want to check out the southern seas. I think you’ll understand why it’s impossible to enter the demonic land from the sea.”
Kimmy-san gave me that advice.
“I understand.”
My original goal of teaching the demonic land’s survival techniques and earning money gradually faded away. I decided to resume my original plan of scouting exiles capable of adapting to the land and continuing my journey.
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