97 - information exchange transaction

At the carriage stop where Thor and his friends returned after abandoning the northbound route, they met Bettina and her friends, all of whom were familiar adventurers.

The red-haired beauty, who had been slapped on the buttocks by Moe at the very beginning of the meeting, looked disappointed.

I wanted to be more cool here, I wanted to say my lines!

"No, this one is more ladylike."

"...... mmm, as usual."

"...... you've been well, little one."

"Mr. Betti, it's been a long time. Hello to you too, Mr. Godin, Mr. Tapa, and Mr. Tali.

Hey, what's up?

"Hello, everyone."

When we met before, he said that he would be promoted if he could defeat the remaining ten rampaging river horses, but it seems that he has successfully drawn the lottery for the upper stream hunting grounds.

All of them wore the same white-bordered adventurer's tags around their necks as Thor and the others.

"Look, Moo-chan! You can't just slap me like that. Are you sorry?"

"Moo will not be intimidated by anything that threatens him!"

"That's a fine mind you have, Mr. Moo."

"...... that's the spirit."

"...... Brilliant, little one."

"Whose side are you on?

Tolls were moving up the ladder at a frightening pace, but not to be outdone, the bettas were changing the color of their plates one after the other.

This seems to have ignited the fire of Moo, the youngest and shortest record holder.

Thor looked at the four of them, his cheeks slightly relaxed at the sight of a child lightly bristling his hair.

Bettina turns to the side with a somewhat sulky look on her face, but today she has her red hair tied up tightly with a white cloth to protect it from the sand.

She is wearing tight-fitting leather armor with white scales and a thin sword clinging to her slender legs.

Her good looks, including her winning eyes, are the same as ever.

And for some reason, the red-haired maiden has been glancing at Yuril and his guide, Saralisa, since a few minutes ago.

Godan, standing diagonally next to her, is dressed in a muddy reddish armor.

He carries a large diamond shield on his back and a club with a spiked iron ball at its tip from his waist.

Although he is dressed in a stately manner, he does not appear intimidating because of his soft demeanor.

Behind the young lady and the butler are the fat Midoriwa twins.

Both of them were dressed in loose-fitting front-fitting cloth clothes and had white cloth dexterously wrapped around their heads.

The older brother, Tapa, carried a bow on his back and wore a leather breastplate and gloves on one breast and his dominant hand only.

The younger brother, Tali, wears several daggers sheathed at his waist.

Thor is intrigued to see their eyes, which are unusually threadbare and shining with joy.

"You're in a good mood today, aren't you?"

"...... yeah, it's windy here."

"...... reminds me of a place a little far away."

Reginalia, the homeland of the Suiba tribe, is a prairie located in the south of the Central Land.

It is said that the wind blows unceasingly throughout the year on this unobstructed plain.

"I see... I guess that's what a windman is supposed to do..."

"...... How's it going over there?"

"...... looks like quite a crop."

The twins look at the pile of white stones on the sled pulled by Thor and ask with interest.

Then Godin joined in the conversation.

"Could this be the raw material for hard white copper?

"How did you figure that out?"

Yes, I hear it is a very good material. Where did you get it?

Thor gave a small nod to the young man of the brown-horned tribe who looked at him lightly and turned around behind him.

He then asked the silent guide who was watching the circle of Thor and the others.　

"I'm sorry, but how much can I tell you?"

"Yes. I'm not supposed to tell you all this, but I know you're a very important acquaintance. I'll keep my ear to the ground for a minute and let you get away with a few minor points."

The answer came not from Saralisa, but from her brother-in-law, who was sitting on an empty barrel on the side.

Thor nodded his head in thanks to Garudo who interrupted him and asked a question that occurred to him.

"Have you already decided on a guide for Bettina and the others?"

"Yes, these girls are very popular. They wouldn't give up anywhere, so I had no choice but to go with them.

I see. I'm looking forward to working with you.

"Oh, thank you for your kind words. I thank you, Mr. Hero. And I hear that Mr. Garudo is a reliable guide. I look forward to your guidance and suggestions.

"Well, not as much as you might expect. Well, leave it to me to run away with my tail between my legs.

As soon as she heard these words, Bettina of the Red Tail tribe lifted her chin proudly.

My red tail has never curled in fear in all my life. I am afraid I will not be able to meet your expectations.

Thor and Godan briefly consult with each other, leaving the young lady laughing with her hands on her hips, and Moe laughing beside her for some reason.

"We can't take a straight path through the east. There are too many rock lizards and sand. North is the one we tried this time..."

"...... mmmm, they seem like somewhat stiff opponents."

"...... I can handle a strong wind, but..."

"I'm not very good on bad footholds either. I'm not sure I'd be able to--"

"Yeah, the rest of the way is southbound, which actually doesn't seem to be a good fit for us."

"......, but we think it's a good idea for us."

"I've never been there, so I can't say for sure, but at least they should be easier to fight than we are."

I see, so you want information on that area.

"Thank you for talking so quickly. We've screwed up both times and we're nowhere near where we want to be. I'm just looking for any leads I can get."

"Okay. I'm not sure I want to give up hard white copper, but--"

"...... Let's continue on through the Valley of the Rough Wind."

"I'm counting on you. Oh, and if you have any leftover hard copper, I'll pass some on to you.

That would be very kind of you.

After most of the details have been decided, Bettina joins the conversation.

"Did you have a destination in mind, by any chance?　Then I hope it's okay with me."

Yes, miss. You are welcome to speak your mind.

"Hmm, a proud member of the Red Tailed Clan needn't make such a lowly excuse. When you decide to go, you must face the front!

Well, I'll let them know.

"I'm counting on you, Godin."

The butler, having bowed deeply, quietly approached the guide and spoke into his ear.

"Well, Mr. Garudo, this time I would like you to guide us southward.

"Hey, hey, hey, you're saying the wrong thing, missy."　

Yes, I'm afraid the lady probably won't notice. She is not very sensitive to ...... directions.

"Are you sure you want to do that, ......?"

Garudo's face turned dumbfounded, and he gave an exaggerated shrug to Thor.