Volume 4 - CH 15

Chapter 15 – How to handle the Materials and Fear of Heights?

Three days have passed since Fuu-chan joined the group.

After exploring the surrounding area every day… We found 9 Wind Ryu scales, 3 Wind Ryu claws, 1 Wind Ryu fang, and precious medicinal herbs. I can understand the scales, but how did the claws and fangs fall off? Will the claws and fangs grow back?

We decided to discuss what to do with it anyway.

“Well, this is an incredibly valuable material, isn’t it? Will there be a big fuss about it this time?”

“No doubt, there will be a big fuss. Not only in this country, but I think the royalty and nobility of other countries will be eager to obtain it.”

“Ah, so it will be a big deal after all. Since everyone wants to make armor out of this, we can’t just hide it away. If we announce that we found it in this place, it will raise the question of how it got to the underground lake.”

“Yes, we wouldn’t have been able to get there without Wataru-san’s help. But Wataru-san doesn’t want to be noticed, so we can’t talk about it, can we?”

“Yes, that’s right. So, since I don’t need the materials for the Wind Ryu, could you please pretend that you all descended from that big hole with a rope? I’ll just pretend that I was waiting in the village.”

“That’s not quite how it works. We can pretend that we went down from the big hole, but you’ll have to accept the materials as well.”

“Well, if an F-ranked merchant happens to have the materials for the Wind Ryu, there will be a storm of trouble.”

“You don’t have to tell them you have it. As long as it’s all we’re giving out, they won’t know. Well, it will be harder to sell it for cash, so we might as well pretend we got some of it.”

“Once we pretend we got a little, we’ll be in a lot of trouble.”

“But Wataru-san, you are traveling with us, and since the trouble is definite, I think it would be better to make it easier for you to cash it in.”

“Oh, that may be true, indeed.”

“Then it’s settled. Wataru-san’s materials are four Wind Ryu scales and two Wind Ryu claws. Is that okay?”

“No, I don’t need that many. Four scales and two claws are too many.”

“But we’re getting the fangs, so that’s what we’re benefiting from, right?”

“Three scales and one claw is enough for me. So publicly, I will have one scale. All of you in Girasole, besides making equipment, will have to sell it somewhere to fit in, so please keep more.”

“Umm, okay, then I will give half of the money for the materials I sell to Wataru-san. That’s decided.”

“Hah, I understand. I’ll take care of it.”

“Fufu, it’s turned out to be a hassle, hasn’t it? But we are very happy with it. Thank you, Wataru-san.”

“Well, when push comes to shove, I’ll just shut myself in. So how are you going to use the materials?”

“Fufu, weapons made of Ryu material. The scales will be used for our armor and Carla’s shield. The fangs and claws are big enough to make swords, spears, and knives, and the rest will be auctioned off.”

“Alessia, since they were found in this country, we must donate one to the cathedral.”

“Ah, Dorothea is right. Let’s offer one of the scales. I think there will be a reward for it, right?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“In the first place, how much would the Ryu’s material be worth?”

“I wonder how much it costs? Does anyone know?”

“Since it is impossible to subjugate Ryu in the first place, some heroes talk to them, and then they are made into armaments and kept as national treasures by a few countries.”

“…Is it okay for you ladies to make equipment out of such a thing?”

“Y-yes, I have a very bad feeling about it… What should we do?

“As for me, the claws and fangs are too dangerous to reveal. I think it would be better to pretend we found two scales, donate one, and auction off the other.”

“Dorothea, you are not going to make weapons and armor?”

“A national treasure weapon and armor are more dangerous to wear. I think it would be better to have Wataru-san keep the rest and have it made in secret when we find a trustworthy craftsman.”

“It would be better if I didn’t mention that I have one scale, too. Then, let’s say that only two scales were found this time. It’s a secret, everyone. It looks really dangerous.”

“Hey, Master, if it’s so dangerous. Shouldn’t everything be kept secret since we won’t be making weapons and armor anymore?”

“That’s true, too. What shall we do?　”

“Um, we can’t keep it all a secret. The medicinal herbs that grow there are very precious. We have to ask the government to protect them.”

“Ah, there are medicinal herbs there.”

“If Ryu material is found there, it will raise suspicions about us, so I think it would be better to donate one of them.”

“Well, let me summarize. When we descended from the big hole with a rope, we found two Ryu scales and a cluster of precious medicinal herbs. Is that correct?”

“”””””””Yes.””””””””

“Then, we should go back. We also need to locate the big hole. How do we locate the big hole?”

“Since I know the direction, should we just try to find it?”

“Marina was probably right. Let’s go back to the village, gather some rope, and go again.”

“I’m sorry. Because of my selfishness, I’ll have to bother you like this.”

“Fufu, it’s okay. If it weren’t for Wataru-san, we wouldn’t have found this in the first place. Considering that, it’s the same as if we didn’t have to go through this much trouble, right, everyone?”

“””””Yes.”””””

“Thank you, everyone.”

But there’s another thing that’s hard to exchange for cash… If I could exchange it all for cash, I could buy a luxury liner. Well, I’ll just have to do my best to sell the pepper.

We spent the next two days back in the village, gathered up the ropes, and set out in search of the big hole. Marina-san led us in the direction of the big hole.

“It was getting dark soon.”

“Yes, let’s make camp.”

I serve dinner and summon the hut boat. We all eat together and decide on the order of the watch. As usual, I am exempt from being on watch. I am a little embarrassed that I can’t fight even though my level is high. I could have accepted that it would be no problem if I were low-level.

Lately, Rimu and Fuu-chan are always with me, which is cute to see, but I miss having Rimu on my head so much. I go into the hut boat and go to sleep, thinking about stupid things.

…Morning, huh? I do my morning routine with Ines and Felicia and leave the hut boat. I greet the members of the Girasole, prepare breakfast and eat it together.

“It’s time to get going. Marina, please show us the way.”

“Okay.”

“Marina-san, do you know the distance to the big cave?”

“I have a general idea, but the feeling of being in a cave is different from the feeling of going through the forest, so there will be a discrepancy in the distance. I know that if we walk for another hour or so, we will be close to it.”

“I understand, thank you.”

Can we find it by the end of the day? It’s that big hole; we’ll know if we get close enough.

After walking for a while, Marina-san told us to proceed with caution around. She said it could be anywhere from here to there.

We proceeded, paying attention to our surroundings.

“I hear the wind coming from over there.”

“Marina, do you know how far away it is?”

“It’s not that far.”

“Okay, let’s go there.”

I can’t hear it at all. Marina-san, you are a human, aren’t you? Only Marina-san noticed that there, even though there were a lot of members with animal ears? That sounds like some kind of skill.

As I proceeded in the direction Marina-san said, I began to hear the sound of the wind, but I couldn’t find the big hole.

“I think it’s in the middle of that cliff.”

“That cliff…?”

When I looked at it, there was a pretty high cliff… halfway up? How do we get there?

“Good, I can climb that high.”

“Yeah, we don’t need any special equipment.”

Eh? Alessia-san, Dorothea-san, what are you talking about? That’s a cliff, isn’t it? Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy? What should I do? I’m the one who started the search for the big hole, and I’m supposed to say I’m too scared to climb it?

“Wataru-san, can you bring out the rope? Dorothea and Marina will climb up and hang the rope, so just wait for them.”

I summon the storage boat for now and take out the rope. Dorothea-san and Marina-san are climbing up the cliffs with ease…

If they hang a rope, it means we don’t have to climb the cliff with bare hands. But does it mean we have to climb the cliff with a single rope…? Do we have to do it?

While I was thinking about it, Ilma-san and Claretta-san climbed up the rope.

“Next is Wataru-san.”

It seems I have no choice but to do it…

“Yes.”

I grabbed the rope and started to climb. Maybe it’s the effect of my level-up, but I’m finding it surprisingly easy to climb… I was a little too optimistic and looked down on the way up. The height is much higher than I expected, and my legs start to shake.

Leveling up doesn’t make my heart stronger… I’m scared stiff… but I can’t get scared and stuck in front of a group of women. The rest of the way, I climbed over the cliff, powered by the power of an unexplainable look.

Climbing up to the middle of the cliff, I found a large space where there was a big hole sucking in the air. A strong wind was blowing into the hole.

“Can we climb down?”

“I think the rope is long enough; we’ll try it when everyone else climbs up.”

“R-right.”

Wow, going down into a hole that is several steps deeper than the cliff we came up to and in a strong wind?

After everyone has climbed up, the rope is tied tightly to the rock and hangs down into the hole… The rope is flapping around in the strong wind… Are we really going to go down?

Marina-san grabbed the rope and went down into the hole without hesitation… It seems we are really going down.

“Alessia-san, does this mean we all have to go down?”

“? Oh, yes, I wonder. I don’t know since Marina and Dorothea are already down there.　Well, it looks like they are waiting for us below, so let’s go down.”

(Master, if you think you can’t make it, you’d better say so.)

(Felicia is right. It would be very embarrassing if you got stuck on the way down and caused trouble.)

(Y-yes, I can see the future of being stuck, so I’ll wait here.)

“Alessia-san, since it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to climb up this hole, is it okay if I wait here?”

“Really? Then don’t push yourself; just wait here; I’ll call them both and come back.”

I looked at Alessia-san as she was going down. She was hanging in the air, and the wind was blowing her around, but she was going down smoothly. That looks scary. I’m really glad I stopped.

“Ufufu, are you afraid of heights, Wataru-san?

“I don’t know about that. But I got very scared during the cliff climb earlier, so I don’t have confidence that I can climb back up after going down this hole.”

“It is important to say what you can’t do. That’s great.”

I should have said something pathetic, but Ilma-san praised me. I felt like I was getting something out of it. Alessia-san, Dorothea-san, and Marina-san returned. They said that this bottom was definitely the place where we found the Ryu’s scales.

After checking it out, we went down the cliff, and… it was 100 times scarier to go down than to go up. If I had tried to go down to the big hole, I would have been stuck in the middle for sure.

I was exhausted from the effort of going down the cliff, but I made it back to the village, feeling dizzy. We arrived at the village in the evening, but there was no place to stay, so we prepared to camp at the carriage.

“How do you plan to do things after returning to Barletta?”

“We will report to the guildmaster of the adventurers’ guild about this place and the Ryu scales. Maybe we can ask him to inform the cathedral about the donation of the Ryu scales and about the auction plans?”

“I think Alessia’s idea is fine. No matter where we report it, there will be a big fuss, and it would be faster to do it all at the adventurers’ guild. But how should we report Wataru-san?”

“About me? As I’m going to assume that I don’t have the scales, is it too much to ask that I was a merchant who followed you on your adventures and was away from you when you got the Ryu scales?”

“If anyone asks about it in the village, they will immediately know, so you can just say that you were following us on our adventures, but you were just watching us. That would be fine.”

“Right, it would not have worked if we made up too much of a story. I think we should go with what Dorothea-san said.”

“Right, then, let’s have dinner soon.”

Dinner is served, and everyone eats together. After enjoying Rimu and Fuu-chan’s sharing of the food, we get ready for bed.”

Since we are in a village, we don’t take a hut boat today. We set up our tents and rested. We were allowed to use one of the carriages, so we summoned a rubber boat inside and went to sleep.

It’s hard that I haven’t been able to have lovey-dovey time lately. Good night.