185 - - the other side of tradition

"Let's get going, shall we, ladies and gentlemen?

At the words of the second-in-command, Thor and the others reloaded their packs.

Today was the end of their stay in the swamp.

They leave the encampment in the mid-morning and reach the ruins of the fort on the shore of the swamp before noon.

Thor and Thora finally take a rest after washing the black mud from their leather shoes.

Yuril has also removed the fabric that protects him from the miasma, and is now breathing easier.

Moo, who had been on the sled and had not been affected by the mud, was climbing and jumping down the rotting stone walls with great energy.

He had fallen down and had Thor erase the result of his fall.　

The young men of the thunder roar group, perhaps because they were no longer under the watchful eye of their commander, were sitting on the ground with relaxed expressions on their faces.

Thor thanked the vice-captain, who frowned at his appearance, for his hospitality over the past three days.

"Thank you for everything you've done for us. Thank you very much.

"No, no. It's been a great experience!

The second-in-command, who put her fist on her chest, asked me with a serious look in her eyes.

"How was our thunder roar group?"

"Yes, it is. The leadership is good and the motivation seems good. The atmosphere of discipline is not bad.

Well then!"

"No, I don't want to make a quick decision. I'm sorry, but we've had invitations from other encampments."

"I see. ....... Excuse me!"

The woman, who had suddenly become very animated, tried to continue with her words with a determined look on her face.

"The Commander didn't want me to tell you, but the tradition of the Thunderclap is--"

"I know. I know you did that on purpose."

Thor sensed that the long hours of labor in the mud, and perhaps the bad food, had some meaning.

Judging from his concern for Moe, Sorrugam did not seem to be a man who would impose absurdly.

It seems that he was right, and the vice-captain looks at him in surprise.

"Great ......!　I've never known anyone to figure that out in one sitting."

"I don't know the specific reason, though. Is it something to do with the Titans?"

At Thor's question, the vice captain rolls his eyes again.

It seems that he was right.

"Yes, the battle with the Mud Poison Giants is said to last over three days at the longest. Of course, there is no time to eat properly. A warm and tasty meal will energize you, but it will also relax you. It takes at least six months or more to build up a body that can withstand the poison of the giants. No matter how much we complain, neither the swamp nor the giants are the kind of opponents who will take it easy on us!

The vice-captain blurted out all at once, but his voice was so loud that even the young men who were sitting down seemed to hear him.

With panicked faces, the group members started to stand up.

The woman, her chin slightly pulled back, looked up at Thor with a blush on her face.

"I beg your pardon. I am sorry that I said too much.

"Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. I got the message.

Around that time, the whinnying of horses can be heard in the distance.

The first to arrive was the Thundering Clan's carriage.

The members of the Thundering Band descended with wooden planks in their arms, and in turn, the deputy commander and the others, each carrying a rolled-up snakeskin, climbed into the carriage.

The skins were to be tanned in the town and used for gear, tents, or in exchange for other encampments.

It is said that the materials from the swamp are not widely available because there is a limit to the amount that can be transported by wagon, and because most of the materials are consumed for their own use.

"Thank you for telling us about the snake meat dish. I'll make sure not to throw it away next time!"　

Waving his hand as he leaves, the vice-captain smiles gently.

A child standing on top of the stone wall folds his arms and says, "I don't know why.

"Yeah, go for it!　Moo is always ready for a refill!"

"You can't talk like that! Torchan, I won't help you next time.

"No!　You don't taste good, Tor-chan, you'll eat it!

"I want good food, too, Tor-chan."

"Grown-ups shouldn't be so selfish!"

While they were arguing over some nonsense, the wagon driven by Garudo arrived.

Thor and the others hurry to get in, carrying snakeskins.

They are not allowed to stay too long because of the negative effects on the horses.

Thor thanks Garudo for leaving before dawn and making it in time for the noon meeting.

"I'm sorry for the early hour," he says.

"This is my job. If you're going to work for me, do it for the horses."

"That's true. Was there a rest stop after this?"

"Yes, I don't want to push you any further today. We'll spend the night there and return to the city tomorrow at noon.

A little off the beaten path, about two hours from the swamp, are the remnants of another fort, which provides some shelter from the wind.

One day on the way out, three days at the campsite in the swamp, and one and a half days on the way back.

In total, it takes about five days to explore the swamp.

As I get used to it, I plan to increase my stay at the encampment to four days, but that would leave me with only one day a week in the city.

Sorlgam, the leader of the Thundercrowers, says that he only returns to the city once every ten days or so.

The next day, Thor and his friends return safely to the border town of Dadan, and immediately take the snakeskin to the buying place to have it converted into a bill of goods.

They then headed for their favorite armor shop at the end of an alley.

"Hey, buddy."

"Oh, isn't that you, hero? Are you sure you don't want to come here to sell oil?"

"I ain't got no oil, but I got a new job for you."

"Hello, Mr. Ramow."

It's been a while.

"Oh, Sora-chan and Bessan-san. You've come a long way. I got to see your big performance the other day.

"Did you hear Moo's song?　Grandpa."

"Of course I did. "Of course I did.

When his master suddenly hummed a tune, Moo returned it with a big smile that almost spilled over.

"So, what's next? Oh, blue-striped serpent's skin. Hmm, which one are you going to do with?

"Which is?"

"Well, is it the back leather or the belly leather?"

"What, is there a difference besides the color?"

When Sola tilted her head, the old master rubbed the head of her nose and explained carefully.

The blue skin on the back of a blue-striped serpent has fine scales that are slippery and resistant to changes in condition.

On the other hand, the silvery skin on the belly has large and thick scales, making it strong and durable against shocks.

"So for a cloak, I would recommend using the back skin, but for armor, I would choose the belly skin, which is less prone to tearing."

"Well, I'll take that for my armor, then. Which do you prefer, gloves or leather shoes?

"If it's easy to walk in the mud, blue leather is the way to go. The gloves are up to you.

"If my feet are blue, maybe my hands should be blue too.

"Yes, that's right. That's what I'm going to ask for.

Sola, who likes the color blue, chooses leather for her back, and Ulil makes the same order.

The two of them looked at each other and laughed happily when they decided on the same color.

"Moo, I want one that doesn't get mud in it!"

"That's a tough one. Like the leather of a river horse, the leather of a giant snake repels water very well. At the height of a monk, the mud will be up to his knees in the deepest part. If it's too long, it will be hard for him to move.

"I see. Can you think of something good to do?"

"I don't have a choice. I'll take care of it.

Come on!

"So, how long do you think it will take to finish?　Oh, boy."

Yeah, that's the thing. I may need a little more time this time. I'm a little shorthanded.

Did you work him so hard that he finally ran away from your son?

"No, I'm not!　The higher-ups opened a store in Bossalia."

If you ask me, the mute eldest son with a beard is missing.

"That's a happy thing."

"Congratulations."

"Yeah, if you want, you can give him a visit when you go over there. He's not very sociable, so I'm worried about how well he's doing. ......"

The second son, who was working behind Thor, burst out laughing at the owner's words.

Moe saw this and asked with an innocent look on his face.

"What's wrong?　Tor-chan. Grandpa, did you say something funny?"

No, I beg your pardon. Well then, I'm counting on you, mister."

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see."

The next day, Thor and his friends took their time and headed back to the swamp two days later.

The next stop was the encampment of the "Bearers of the Burning Flame.