44 Episode 43 Front and Purchase

I entered the guild full of doors to report in.

You talk to the receptionist, who sits at one of the two counters and is so muscular that you think she should be an adventurer herself.

I'm sorry, I'm here to report a request.

"Oh, can I use your card?

Yes.

I give him two cards at once.

"Oh, you cut down a tree while you were alone, that's nice. The number of trees is ....... Hmm?　What's wrong with this thing?

"Does it ever break down?

I haven't heard anything about what to do if the guild card malfunctions.

I've never even heard of a malfunction, but it says 1211 cards.

Did I cut that many?

Hmm, I think I cut at least 500, but I don't know if I cut that many.

...... Are you sure?

You've never had a guild card lie to you before, have you?

Is that so ......?　Can you give me a moment to check with the Mayor of Desibatore?

In the event that you've got a lot of money to spend, you'll want to make sure that you've got it in your pocket.

And he's an E-ranked soloist, so it's strange that he doesn't suspect anything.

"Yes, that's fine.

All right, I'll get him.

The man who came out was a gray-haired but muscular man.

The watchtower reported that trees were falling at an alarming rate, is that you?

Ah, ......, yes, that's me.

That's you?

I was puzzled for a moment, but then I thought about it, and it only helped me to talk faster.

"Oh, I've seen the site, it's amazing. 　Can you use that thing continuously?

I'm not surprised at all. Awesome.

The receptionist was surprised, so it's probably not normal, but this is the mayor of Decibatore.

This is the mayor of Desibatore, but he looks like the head of a guild.

It's not that much more tiring than a normal fight, you could go all day if you wanted to.

...... Well, in that case, I have a mission I'd like to ask you to undertake, if you don't mind.

What's the plan?

Pushing back the front lines. We've been on the defensive for a while now, but they're just going to push us around, so we're looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

I've been looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

So, what do you want me to do?

All I ask is that you cut down the tree, I'll take care of the rest, and I'll get you an escort if you need one.

Oh, I'd rather you didn't go in there, because I don't want you to get caught.

If it's a demon, it's okay to get involved, but if it's a person, it's not good.

I'm trying to be careful, but it's not very efficient or reliable.

"Okay, but we can't afford not to protect the city, so please set a time to cut down the area around the city, and do it all at once. 　I'm not entirely sure what the effects of large-scale logging will be, so I want to gather my forces in the city for the first large-scale logging.

"Understood, can we start tomorrow afternoon?

I'm a little short on time to get the word out. Can't it be the day after tomorrow?

Well, it's already night.

All right, we'll start at noon the day after tomorrow. By the way, when do we start to see results after logging?

"If you're asking when it will affect the front line against demons, it will be soon after cutting, because demons won't spring up where there are no trees. 　It will take about half a year for the demons to lose their momentum, but if you can push them back far enough that it has a significant impact, you will be able to take back the Brocken site, so you don't need to worry about it for now.

"Is it the momentum of the demon?

I know what a gush is, but what's momentum?

The momentum of the assault would be higher without trees.

Demons lose their power when they're away from a lot of trees. Even if there are no trees, their power will remain the same for about three months after they are cut down, and then it will gradually decrease for about six months until it loses momentum. 　Some people say it's caused by magic, but I don't believe it, because magic doesn't recover fast.

Is that also the reason why the demons you hunt around here are inedible?

I'm not sure if it's the same thing, but I'm sure it's the same thing.

I don't really care if it's a magical element or not.

"Okay, so in short, I should just cut the tree without worrying about it.

That's it.

Well, that's it for today.

Yeah.

So, I'll sleep and prepare for tomorrow.

I got my Decibatore card.

Oh, I should get a place to stay.

Do you have any recommendations for a place to stay?

"If you have money, it's relatively safe near the center.

All right, I'll look for a place to stay around here.

I leave the guild and enter the first inn I see.

The shopkeeper was an old man who looked like he could make it as an adventurer.

I don't think you can come to this town without being that big.

"I'd like to stay here. How much?

"Fifteen thousand a night with half board, fourteen thousand without.

1,000 for food.

But I have a bad feeling about what you just said, "Other than that, there's not much difference between them.

I'll ask about it.

What kind of rice?

"Wheat flour kneaded and boiled with zunana grass, buckwheat flour kneaded with hot water, and dried meat.

I had a bad feeling about this.

I've never heard of using zunana grass in cooking, but the rest is even worse.

No food, please. Can I use my credit card?

"Yeah, no problem, just hold up your card.

In this store, you just touch the card to the box.

I wonder if other cities will introduce this system.

I wonder if other cities will introduce this system, though money and other issues may come into play.

The room wasn't particularly special.

The bed is a bit old, but it's solid.

I wonder if it was prepared before Decibatore became the front line.

I ate the Green Wolf Set Meal that was in the item box for dinner and went to bed.

The next morning, I woke up at a similar time as usual, probably out of habit.

No bells were ringing, but I'm not even sure if there is such a thing in this city.

If everyone went to bed at night and woke up in the morning regularly, we would be overrun in no time.

Nevertheless, I have nothing to do today.

The call is not only to avoid human casualties when cutting the area, but also to prepare for the effects of large-scale logging.

If we cut down the trees without permission, and the demons that have been driven out of their homes attack the town all at once, we won't be able to see anything.

I could go out and hunt the demons, but I'm going to go with the idea I had the other day.

I'm going to collect the demon materials that have been discarded at Decibatore and sell them at Photoren.

I'll secure the sales route later, but first I need to prepare the goods.

Also, maybe we can sell the lumber.

I have some money anyway, and I'm thinking of starting a company to make money using item boxes.

In this world, would it be called a business association?　Well, I don't care either way.

On the other hand, the fact that I have so much money means that I don't need to earn much, but it's too late to prepare money when I need it.

Besides, even if I lose some money, it is unlikely that I will run out of money, and there is a good chance that I will make money.

It's not a bad bet at all.

Is there any reason not to do it?

But I won't think about the company until I get to Photoren. First, procurement.

We'll go to the guild.

Because demons are guilds, and guilds are demons.

It might be a bad idea to buy them without telling the guild.

"Excuse me, I'd like to purchase materials for demons, is that okay?

...... Ah, the item box. 　It's not like the guild is regulating the sale of items in this city, but you should be aware that you will be taxed outside of Desi Battleye. Sales are taxed everywhere, but you should ask about that system in Photoren.

"Okay, by the way, do you have any recommendations for places to buy?

Well, if you go out that door and go right two doors down, you'll find a store that sells food and medicine, and if you ask them, they might be able to buy it for you.

Thank you, I'll go there.

I walked out the door, and two doors to the right, I saw a store that was quite large for this city.

It was about twice the size of the guild, with what looked like a sturdy warehouse next to it.

Or rather, I think this is one of the stores we went to when we brought in the food.

I'm sorry, but I was told that this might be a good place to stock up on materials for demons.

Item Box Adventurer, how much do I get paid?

Hmm .

It's not for sale yet, so I don't know the market price.

Well, I don't know the market price, but what is it?

I don't know what the going rate is.　How about a tenth of the price in Photoren? I don't mind if you bring me some food for that.

Oh, that's cheap.

Oh, that's cheap. Well, it's probably just garbage in this town.

And if you think about it, even a tenth of that might be a fair price.

Well, it doesn't matter, because transporting demon materials from here to there means that they will return to here.

There's no problem at all if the luggage on the way back increases.

Then, I'll go and bring some ingredients. 　By the way, I felt like there was a lack of ...... food in this inn. Is there a need to bring pre-cooked food?

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I can find something. 　But I've also heard that some people want to eat something else, so you're welcome to bring it, and I'll color the price.

I'll do that, I'll pay you in money for now, and I'll bring you the food when I get it, just let me know when you get it. 　Shall I pay the money in advance?　I've got a couple of giant spider crabs in my item box, so that's fine.

Well, how about a million for one for now?

I'll take that.

The deal is done.

The item box is great.