44-039 Rank up...?

We were able to pass through the gates of the city of Laffan without any problems.

We had been passing through the gates every day recently, and our companions, Natsuki and Yuki, had guild cards, too.

The fact that all of the gatekeepers were older and there was no sign of the young man who was supposed to be the gatekeeper was also a factor. ...... I haven't seen him since the first day, have you?　I'm not sure if he's been reassigned or not.

After entering the city, I immediately moved to the Bear of Slumber, greeted the father, and secured two rooms.

We were relieved because it would have been quite sad if we could not get a room here.

But I wasn't too worried, since this was a hole in the wall inn that didn't seem to be full even when we were staying there.

After taking care of our concerns, we headed to the adventurer's guild to sell the materials for the task boar.

It's been a while, Diora-san.

What?　It's been a while since I've seen you. It hasn't been that long, but you've left town, haven't you?

Yes. Fortunately, we were able to finish our business quickly, so we came back.

You said you were looking for ...... someone, so you two were there?

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

I've already told her that I'm leaving town and why I'm leaving.

Yuki here.

This is Natsuki. I'll be working with the three of you, so please take care of me from now on.

Yes, thank you. Have you registered yet?

Yes. In the city of Sarstad.

Diora nodded in agreement with Yuki.

Oh, there? If so, you'd better come back. It's not the best place to work.

As a receptionist for the guild, she must have some information about the area.

Accommodation is expensive and work is scarce.

And the food was so bad that there was no reason to stay.

"Anyway, I hunted down a task boar on the way, can you buy it for me?

"Yes, I understand. One moment, please.

We put the meat and skins on the counter as usual, and Diora-san took them to the back.

It occurred to me that Mr. Diora is surprisingly strong.

He can carry a leather bag weighing 20 to 30 kilos.

So, are you all going to be working in this city for a while?

"Yes. We're just starting out, so we'll take it slow.

That's good. A lot of people get carried away when they make a little money. ......

Ms. Diora said and sighed gloomily.

She must have had a lot of trouble with her first request for herbs, as well as with her "study".

Even though adventurers are basically responsible for their own actions, it's easy to imagine that it's never nice to see a rookie get injured and go down.

I've been wondering for a while now if those bags you three are carrying look useful.

"Oh, you know what?　I've put a lot of thought into this.

Haruka happily began to explain about the bags.

This is for this purpose, this is for this reason, this bag can carry heavier things without any burden than a zuda bag, and so on.

As he had boasted to Yuki and the others a while ago, he could only boast to the two who knew it was a backpack that he had made it himself, but he was happy to boast to Diora about the bag itself.

I see. Do you mind if I carry it for a moment?

"What?　Oh, yes, that's fine.

Haruka puts her own backpack on Diora-san, who comes out from the counter, and lightly adjusts the straps.

Diora-san walks around for a while, then sets it down and lifts the backpack to check its weight. She puts it on again.

"This is not magic, is it?

"This isn't magic, is it?" She twisted her head and said curiously, but I couldn't help but understand her feeling.

Compared to a handbag or simply carrying the same weight, a backpack puts much less burden on the body.

This is why backpacks are used by the armed forces of many countries.

You can even march long distances with a load as heavy as your own body weight on your back. Of course, this is only if you train yourself.

Also, even with the same backpack, if you compare a high quality backpack with a cheap backpack, there is a huge difference in the strain and fatigue on the body.

It may not look like there is much of a difference just by looking at it, but when you actually use it, the difference is obvious. It's not that expensive is better, but there is a limit to the quality of cheap products.

In this respect, our backpacks are quite good, thanks to Haruka's hard work.

Yes, of course. We use durable cloth and leather, but that's all.

I see. ...... Haruka, if you don't mind, would you like to sell this to the guild?

I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that.

"What?　I'm not sure what to say.

The bag, or rather the technology. It's quite revolutionary, isn't it?

We've got the manpower and we're talking about making and selling it ourselves. ......

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a fan of your work.

It's not a bad idea, but ...... I wouldn't recommend it.

Is that so?

Yes. Of course, this bag is a good one and will sell. But how much can the three of you make in a day?　If you are working as adventurers, it will be very little, and even if you concentrate on making bags, it will be limited.

Haruka's [sewing] skill is level 2. If you consider that Yuki can take the [sewing] skill right away, her speed may be better than that of an ordinary craftsman.

But if you are an adventurer, as Diora says, your numbers will be limited, and if you are a full-time worker, we will be in trouble because we can't help you much.

The biggest problem is imitation. If it sells, the big merchants will copy it and start making and selling it in larger quantities than Haruka's.

"There's no system to protect ...... ideas, is there?

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

Even in the original world, where there are international treaties, there are countries that ignore all intellectual property rights and sell copies of their products.

At the cultural level of this world, it would be very difficult to protect patents and such things, not only between countries, but even within the same country.

But isn't it the same with the guilds?

No, but the Guild is a powerful organization in its own right. There aren't many merchants who would fight with them head-on. Besides, the main target of this bag is adventurers.

It's like fighting with the target of the sale.

If Haruka agrees, the adventurer's guild will pay us royalties for a certain period of time, so we are more likely to make a profit than if we sold it ourselves.

In exchange, I would like you to instruct the craftsmen for a few days, Haruka-san.

From what I've heard, it sounds like a pretty good deal.

I think Diora is reasonably trustworthy, and even if we were duped, it wouldn't have much impact on our backpack sales.

Haruka looked back at us, made sure we all nodded, and agreed with Diora.

I understand. First of all, I'm going to make the same thing for these two, and then I'll make a mold and teach them how to use it, okay?　I'll need a few days of your time.

Yes, of course. Yes, of course. We need to finalize our plans and gather craftsmen.

Haruka grasped Diora's hand with a smile and shook it firmly.

Incidentally, Ms. Diora is still carrying her backpack.

Her clothes are clearly designed for the streets, so she looks slightly uncomfortable.

I left it on my back. I'll give it back.

I'll give it back to you." Perhaps she noticed my gaze, and a little embarrassed, she hurriedly took down her backpack and presented it to Haruka.

I'm sure you've just finished your calculations. Let's see, 18,800 Reais. Are you sure?

"Yes.

Oh, that's quite a haul.

Haruka takes the money presented to her with an empty leather bag.

If you say no, they will give you back the meat, but since we don't have anything to complain about, this is the basic pattern. The bag is cleaned and returned to us, so it's pretty easy.

If you want to negotiate with them, you can bring the items to the counter in the storage area in the back of the building and negotiate the price.

Since we don't have the knowledge to negotiate, it's not worth the hassle, and we think it will make a good impression if we leave it to the guild.

Also, Diora, I have a question for you. ...... How do you feel about renting a house?

What?　Is it for residential use?　Well, if ......5 you want to make this city your base, that might be a good idea.

According to what Diora told me, you can rent a house for about 5,000 to 10,000 Rea per month.

There is no deposit or key money, but if you are late in paying the rent, you will be evicted immediately.

Even so, as long as you pay the rent properly, it is easier to rent a house than in Japan because you don't need a guarantor.

The price depends on the location, layout, and size of the room.

"Hmmm, ......, what do you guys think?

"Well, are the prices higher near the center of town?

Yes. In the center. Along the main street. That area is expensive. The rest of the city is cheaper if it's unsafe. And, to my disgrace, the area around the guild is also cheap.

Even though the area around the guild isn't too bad, the price is lowered by the image of adventurers.

In reality, adventurers who do stupid things are immediately affected by their ranks, so there are very few people with problems, but the general public probably gets the impression that they are walking around looking dirty and carrying weapons.

If you don't have someone who can use "purification" like we do, you'll inevitably end up walking back to the inn dirty with blood and mud, so it's unavoidable. .......

So, the guild area is your target?

If you're an adventurer, then yes.

We use the east gate a lot, so it's a bit far. ......

But as you level up, you'll move your activities to the southern forest, right?　Then it will be closer this time.

In general, the east area is for rookies and the south area is for mid-level players, so Diora is right.

However, for the time being, we will probably continue our activities in the east.

By the way, have you ever killed a goblin?

"Yes, twice. These two haven't yet.

Do you have any magic stones?

Oh, no, I haven't. ......

I see. Well, that's fine with Haruka and the others. Can you give me your guild card?　You too, Nao-san and Toya-san.

When we put our guild cards on the counter, Diora engraved them one by one on the back with a chisel-like tool.

Congratulations, sir. You are now a rookie.

"Huh?　We're not rookies yet, are we?

"Yes. Well, Haruka and the others have made quite a bit of money, so it's not quite the same, but at least we're adventurers now that we've collected the magic stone.

We haven't collected the samples yet, but it seems that the rank has been upgraded because they would not lie, considering their past achievements.

Of course, since it's the lowest rank, it's probably not too tough.

You are now rank 1. The number of requests you can accept will increase, but I'm making enough money now, so I don't think it matters much.

"Huh. But you're a rookie at rank one, right?　Before that, what do they call you if you don't have a rank?

There's no specific name for it, but some people call it pre-Rookie, or ...... some people with a bad mouth call it an odder. I think it's a good idea even if you don't defeat demons, there's still demand for that.

If you've only registered as an adventurer, anyone can do it for a fee, and if you've never defeated even the weakest of demons, you're probably half-baked. .......

By the way, how much are the goblin magic stones worth?

That's 250 rares a piece.

It was cheaper than I expected.

Even though they're not very strong, it takes a lot of guts to kill them. By my standards.

I'm starting to think that ...... is half-baked.

I'd rather pay for the dindle fruit. The goblins are a little better, though, because they also come with a separate reward for killing them if you request it.

But Task Boar is pretty expensive too, isn't it?

That's just a matter of supply and demand. In the first place, it's amazing how many of you come hunting for them every time. It's not easy to find.

The only thing you can get from goblins is magic stones, and their value is determined simply by their quality. Magical stones are a kind of fuel, so they are compared to other fuels.

To put it simply, if one goblin's magic stone can boil 100 liters of water, it is compared to the price of firewood that can boil 100 liters.

On the other hand, boars are sold for their meat, which is bought at that unit price.

The difficulty of killing a boar has nothing to do with it.

It's a hard world.

Incidentally, we are able to hunt wild boars frequently thanks to my [Enemy Search] and Toya's keen senses, so the price of task boars, which are rarely hunted, is reasonable for ordinary adventurers.

(Hey, why didn't you collect the goblin's magic stone?　It's worth some money.

"(The Goblin's Stone is in the head, in the hippocampus. (The goblin's magic stone is in the head - the hippocampus. ...... is not a good place to crack it open.

(Oh, I see.)

The goblin's appearance is similar to that of a typical video game, but it walks on two legs, and if you want to get the magic stone out of its head, you'll have to either smash the sword into its skull, or cut off its head and pick out the contents ....... It's still a little tough.

I'm sorry to make Haruka do it when I don't think I can.

I don't mind having my skull shattered as a result of an attack in combat, but I'm a little uncomfortable with destroying a corpse.

Maybe I'll get used to it in time, though.

I digress. So, what do you want to do about the house?　The guild can act as an intermediary around here.

What?　Does the Adventurer's Guild do that kind of work?

Only in this area, though. As I said before, ordinary people are a bit shunned by the guild. Even if the owner wants to lend it to an adventurer, it's safer to go through the guild.

The owner also has the advantage of not having to negotiate directly with adventurers, who have a reputation for being rough and tumble.

Besides, adventurers are often treated poorly by ordinary brokers.

"Oh, I see.

It's natural for brokers to give priority to people with stable jobs over adventurers.

Those who earn money may earn money, but it's a precarious occupation and their lives may be in danger.

Do you have any preference?　Is there anything else you want?

I'd like to have a big yard. I want to work out.

Yeah, you want a big yard.

I'd like a bathroom, but that's ...... difficult, isn't it?

What do you think, ...... Diora?

I'd like that, too.

If I just want to get clean, I can do it with purification, but I want to take a bath once in a while. I'm in the mood.

I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

A bath is ...... impossible in an ordinary house. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. ...... The best you can do is to install a tub in a house with a large laundry room.

A laundry room, as the name implies, is a place to do laundry, and in this world where hand washing is the norm, even inns have places dedicated to it.

In the case of an inn, guests can usually use the open space by the well, but if it's your own house, you need to wash your clothes regardless of the weather, whether it's winter or rain, and even large items such as sheets need to be washed.

For this reason, some houses have earthen floors that can be drained indoors.

That's the limit for renters. What else?

"I'd like a private room. I'd like to have a private room, and if possible, a workroom for more people, that would be great.

Considering Hulka's alchemy, and my training in space-time magic and making magic bags, it would be helpful to have a room to spare, and there are also barrels of food stored in the rented warehouse of the Bear of Slumber.

If you don't have a large pantry, you'll need a place to store them.

I'll need a garden, too.　I'd like to be able to afford to grow some flowers.

Flowers: ...... Gardening?

I'm sure you'll be able to find a place to put them.

In my case, I've only been able to pull weeds out of my own garden when my parents told me to do it during cleaning.

Even when my parents bought flowering plants and planted them, I thought, "Why don't we plant fruit trees so we can eat them?" or "Why don't we plant vegetables so we can enjoy both flowers and fruits? I thought, "If I plant vegetables, can't I enjoy both flowers and fruits?

"Is that what ...... hope is all about?　Ms. Diora, can you manage that?

Well, ...... at least five private rooms, a large laundry room, and a garden. I'll try my best to help you with the bag, Haruka. Can you wait a few days?

"Of course. Thank you very much.

""Thank you very much."

We all bowed to Diora, who nodded with a smile while twisting her head slightly, and left the Adventurer's Guild.