150-135 Defeat the thief (1)

"Taking down bandits?　That sounds like an adventurous request!

The five of us, including Natsuki and Yuki, gathered in the reference room.

Toya was surprisingly enthusiastic.

The other party seems to be an adventurer, too.

I'm not sure that's what you mean by 'adventurous'.

Taking down bandits? ...... I've never dealt with humans before.

I don't mind humanoid demons anymore, but ......

I'm not sure what to make of that.

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good opportunity.

I think it might be a good opportunity. If they can attack me in a straightforward manner, I think it might alleviate some of the hesitation and stress afterwards, since I don't have to hold back.

Are Natsuki and the others against it?

Not really. I don't want to kill anyone, but unless you're holed up in Rafaan, there's a good chance you'll be attacked, and it's a risk you can't take.

I feel the same way, I guess. The most important thing is our own lives.

So you'll take the job this time, right?　--Yes, then let's do it.

Toya was the only one who actively agreed, but there was no active opposition, so in the end they decided to take on the task of defeating the bandits.

If you think of it as helping people, you will feel a little less guilty. ...... No, it's not really something you should feel guilty about.

If a bandit is caught in this country, he will either face death or forced labor. Even if the latter is the case, he will die in the end, so he is just leaving the act of killing to others.

If I had to guess, it would be more socially valuable to capture them alive without killing them, but for this request, I have the impression that they don't care if they live or die - or rather, they want to be killed.

The guild probably doesn't want the fact that an adventurer has become a bandit to be made public.

The guild may feel a little uncomfortable about it, but it cannot simply blame them for sending out requests to take down the bandits at their own expense.

It takes a long time for the country to act against a few bandits, and the sooner the damage is done, the more important it is for the people around.

By the way, Toya finished reading the book, didn't you?

Yeah. Sort of. I'm not sure how much he remembers, so I'll leave that to his [Appraisal] skills. But now you're free this afternoon, right?

Yeah. We'll leave tomorrow.

Got it. You guys have been going around the market this morning, right?

Yeah. Haruka and Nao were alone. Did anything good happen?

The only good thing was that we found ...... soba noodles. Yuki, can you make soba?

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

Soba?　I've never made soba before. ......

"Oh, really? I've bought quite a few.

The process itself is not that difficult, so I'm sure you can make it through trial and error. .......

When I looked around for someone else, an unexpected person raised his hand.

I've done it before, you know.　I'm not very good at it.

"What?　Why Toya?

Because my father was a bit into it. He doesn't usually cook.

I see. That makes sense.

It sounds like your uncle's hobby. Buckwheat noodle making. ...... Prejudice?

I'll have to ask Toya to teach me.

If Yuki and the others can make it, we can count on them.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out. Haruka and the others have the cooking skills.

But we bought a lot of buckwheat, what else can we do with it?

The only other uses for buckwheat flour are ...... buckwheat noodles and galettes.

It's not something you eat very often, is it? It's not something you eat very often, it's just..." "Hey, Haruka, maybe you bought too much.

You can put it in your magic bag and it won't deteriorate, you can say it's not a problem, but you have to buy it. ....... It's not a problem, but I'm not sure if I needed to buy it.

I've been thinking about it for a while.　I'm thinking of donating them to an orphanage if I can make them well. It's hard to use soba noodles as they are.

"Donation? That's not bad.

Oh, I didn't know Haruka was such a generous person.

I didn't know you were such a philanthropist." Haruka shook her head at my teasing remark.

It's not that good. You're looking for profit. It's not that good.

"...... I see, that's one way to look at it.

I think there is a little bit of embarrassment, but as long as God is real, there may be a point to cheating. Besides, a good deed is still a good deed, even if it is calculated.

Did Natsuki and the others find anything interesting?

"I had a good time looking around the market, but I bought a few spices, I guess.　I thought I'd plant some in my garden.

Unlike the buckwheat noodles I found, Natsuki and the others didn't find anything of interest in the area they looked around.

The only thing they bought were spices that they hadn't seen in Rafan, because they could just buy them in Rafan if they were ordinary ingredients.

There are some things that are useful to have in the garden. Laurels, herbs...

Laurier. Yes, it's useful. Do we have it here?

I'm sure it grows wild somewhere. ....... If you can find one nearby, you don't have to plant it.

You can just pluck the leaves and let them dry for a while.

But Natsuki's house is Japanese style, so it's unlikely that she'll be able to plant many herbs. Did you plant anything?

In my house, we have sansho. We used to make tsukudani with the berries.

Sansho. It's nice, isn't it, the smell of sansho?

The women were happily talking about spices.

If it's a spice that can be easily grown in the garden, it's cheap to buy it at the market, but if you only use it in small quantities, you might as well go to the trouble of buying it .......

We don't cook, so you can do whatever you want with it. Hey, Toya.

No, I've heard of bay leaves. I don't know how to use it.

I know how to use it, if that's what you're asking!　You put it in curry, right?

When I confirmed this, Haruka and the others nodded with a slight expression on their faces.

"Well, you're not wrong. It's not just curry, though.

It's often used in dishes where meat is cooked. Stews, pasta sauces.

Japanese food doesn't usually use it.

I see. I was under the impression that bay leaves were equivalent to curry, but I guess I'm just a novice who doesn't cook. I guess I should leave it to you.

"Well, I don't care what it is as long as it tastes good!　Hey, Nao.

No, you're right, but... I'll help you if you need it.

I'll help you out if you need it.　Well, I might expand that area, so I'll ask you then.

Okay, I'll do the heavy lifting.

I'll be making blocks, huh?　Let me know when you're ready.

Thanks to the earth magic, I can now make beautiful blocks, and the frame of the flower bed is solid.

Compared to the effort of picking up stones, making blocks with magic is now a piece of cake.

After that, we told the lady at the reception that we would accept the request, but at that point we realized that none of us had ever controlled a horse before.

As a result, Toya couldn't go out in the afternoon, and had to spend half a day with us to learn how to drive and take care of a horse.

The next morning we left the inn.

The next morning, we had left the inn, rented a carriage from the guild, and left Kerg.

Although the lecture was a bit tame, there was no problem in getting the trained horses to walk along the road, and the carriage was heading for the town of Raffan.

It would have taken us three days to get home by carriage instead of the one day it would have taken us if we had run, so it would have taken us a long time, and the reward we would have gotten would not have been much better than what we were getting now.

In addition to gaining experience, there is also the fact that I took the job because it would help people.

I hope they'll come out soon.

"It's hard to stay alert, you know. But now the portable toilet has finally come into its own!　We've been making them for a long time, but we haven't been using them.

I clapped my hands when Yuki said that with a bit of happiness.

"Oh, that reminds me, we talked about that. Did you finish it?

"Yes, I did. The results have been fed back to our toilets, haven't they?　Hot water flush function.

Oh, yeah, they added that a while back.

Oh, yeah, they added that a while back." "Oh, by the way, the toilet seat got warmer at the same time.

The toilet had almost no complaints to begin with, but it became even more comfortable after those functions were added.

And the toilet seat is something I was thankful for. It was wintertime.

I hadn't had to use it before because I wasn't staying overnight, but this time it would be useful for the location, right?

"Yeah, I guess so. I don't know if we'll be able to stand in a place with such good visibility.

Yeah. I wouldn't mind pissing myself.

The last time I stayed overnight was when I was fishing, and I made a simple toilet to cope with the fact that I wouldn't be moving around for a few days.

Even if I had an attack while working, the forest would have blocked my view to some extent, and unlike before, there would have been several women present, so we would have been able to watch each other's surroundings.

Recently, she has become more open-minded and no longer uses the blindfold cloth. I guess Haruka and the others have become more accustomed to this world.

"So, how much have you achieved, and what features do you want?

"First of all, the odor control and hot water flushing functions are the same as the ones we have at home. We use the same ones. This is because of the magic bag. I wouldn't be able to carry it around without it.

"I see.

The magic bag has made it easier for you.

In Japan, the only portable toilets that people can carry are very simple toilets (?). In Japan, the only portable toilet that people can carry is a very simple toilet. If you want to make something decent, you can't do it without a magic bag.

I compromised on the sound insulation to some extent. It would be dangerous to block out the sound from the outside, and it is possible to block out only the outside from the inside, but it would have cost too much. Maybe half the cost?　So, Toya, Nao, don't listen too closely!

"I won't!

We're not the kind of perverts who enjoy listening to a girl go to the bathroom.

We're not perverts who enjoy listening to the sound of a girl's toilet. Well, we don't want to be unable to hear the warning when a demon attacks, so I guess it's a reasonable function.

As for the blindfold, I decided to use a board. It's safer to be able to see your surroundings, but it's also uncomfortable. If it's just me, I can let the others take care of the perimeter.

"Yeah, it's good, isn't it?　Even if it's like a magic mirror, it's still uncomfortable.

You can't calm down and hold your ground if you see them standing right next to you, no matter how many of these members you're dealing with.

I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you, but if you've built a private room, I hope it's a proper private room.

Lastly, what to do in case a demon runs into the room?

"A barrier. Sounds difficult, but did you do it?

Sort of. But it consumes a magic stone every time it attacks, so it's not very fuel efficient.

You can't use goblin level, you need at least a hobgoblin magic stone, so every time you get attacked, 600 rares disappear.

Moreover, the amount consumed cannot be adjusted, and one stone is emptied each time. The same is true for more expensive magic stones.

It would be nice if we had a lot of hobgoblin stones, but we don't encounter many of them these days, so the next best thing is the scarp-ape stone, which is 1,200 rares. This one is 1,200 rares. It's a bit painful for just catching one attack.

In addition, one attack is one attack, whether it's a light attack or a heavy attack. .......

This is going to be a real pain in the wallet if you don't protect your toilet.

Yeah. So basically, try to avoid being hit by attacks. By the way, you can only set up to ten magic stones, so make sure you take care of them before they're consumed, or you'll end up embarrassing yourself.

"It's okay, I guess. Unless you have a stomach ache.

You don't usually go to work in that situation.

Fortunately, or should I say thanks to [stubbornness], so far we haven't gotten sick, and we haven't experienced any stomach upset.

We have been taking care of our health to a certain extent, and thanks to Haruka and her friends, we have been eating Japanese style food, but considering the risk of getting sick in this world, we are sure that we have been helped a lot.

But how did you make it?　You made it with Haruka and Yuki, didn't you?

I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that. I'm not sure if it's because of my alchemy.

I'm not sure if it's really that hard to do.　I was able to get by with applying and combining things from the book. Besides, we didn't mass produce it, so we didn't consider the cost. Especially the barrier part.

The other parts are not very efficient either. It doesn't really matter for us because we get the magic stones ourselves, but for normal people, it would be too costly.

No, normal people don't need a toilet like this.

That's true!

Only adventurers, and female adventurers at that, would want a toilet like this.

They could be sold to wealthy merchants and noblemen, but considering all the trouble they'd have to go through, I doubt it would be worth it.

Well, it's good that it's easier to set up camp, isn't it?

Yes. It's a bit safer to camp along a road like this, but ......

It's not good for toilets.

The visibility is too good. If we didn't have portable toilets, we'd be in trouble.

I agree. I wouldn't feel comfortable digging a hole to do my business here either.

If you can let go of your sense of shame, you can see 360 degrees around you, and it's safe.

If you like that feeling of freedom, you might like it too. --Not for me, though.

Well...

Haruka, who had been smiling at Toya's words, clapped her hands to change her mind and turned serious.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it. This is the first time we're facing an enemy with wisdom.

"Yes, it is.

The enemy this time is a 'wise enemy,' that is, a human being.

Up until now, I've fought Orcs and Scarp Apebels, even though they had some wisdom.

It's not only the confusion of fighting humans, but also the possibility that they will use their wits to attack you that sets them apart from other demons.

Haruka reminded us of this, and we tightened our expressions.