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Chapter 333 Part 1

333

《You have received (2) message(s) from your friend(s).》

I’ve logged in.
The time is 5:50 AM.
Just as usual.

The location is some island in E4.
Or rather, this is a coral reef.
I didn’t really pay attention to the terrain last night.
First, let’s summon Bunraku.
Let’s ask it to use our bounty of Akoya Pearl Oyster scallops for breakfast.

So, who are the messages from?
The messages are from Margrid and Saki.
I wonder if they’re related to my requests?

『Your pearl equipment is ready. I’ll be in Twilight Castle for a while.』

Oh boy.
I’m so far off to the east that it’s going to be difficult for me to get there.
I wonder if there’s something I can do about that.

『I’ve made various prototypes using the Ice Flying Dragon Hide. Could you come here? I’ll be waiting for you at Twilight Castle.』

Hmm.
I wonder why…?
Neither Margrid nor Saki have attached any work data to their messages.
From what I understand, does it mean that they want me to go to the west?
Maybe I’m reading too much into it.

『P.S. Reina and the others are on Water Spirit Island. If you’re going to warp to Twilight Castle, why not stop by?』

Ah, I see.
Are various logistics networks being established?
Logistics is scary.
Systematization is scary.
In a way, they might be changing the game mechanics within.

Breakfast was pasta.
Did Bunraku stir-fry the scallops in olive oil?
The aroma of herbs and garlic is nice.
Very simple.
But delicious.
Bunraku is at a level I can’t possibly reach in terms of cooking.
There’s not even a sense of rivalry in this regard.
Cooking is completely left to it.

So, shall we move?
I’ll go with the standard lineup of Heather, Aotsuki, Sputter, Setsui, and Ignis.

Now, I wonder…
Why are there so few monsters?
Or should I say, so few groups of monsters?
Is it because of the ships?
The Underwater Sand Hall, which serves as the E4 Area Portal, seems to be the cause.
I’ve seen several ships around the nearest island.
Perhaps they’ve already started establishing a base?
Information spreads so quickly!

Well, it’s not all bad.
I arrived at Water Spirit Island at 7:40 AM.
Getting there was easy and stress-free.
However, it wasn’t enough in terms of earning experience points.
There were no level-ups on the way.

「Yo!」

「Ah, good morning.」

「I thought you were coming! I heard about it from Saki!」

「Ah, I see.」

「Wait just a moment! We’ll be ready to go once Mio is done cleaning up!」

Reina is as lively as usual.
Hmm…
But enough of that.
What’s this outrageous smell?
This smell…
This smell!

Does this smell like rice being cooked?

「Thank you for waiting!」

「Have you got everything you need?」

「Yeah, I’ve already double checked.」

Did Mio notice the face I was making?
She pulled out something and showed it to me.

A rice ball.
Shaped like a triangle.
It’s even wrapped in seaweed!

「I can’t guarantee the taste, but would you like to try it?」

There’s no way I could refuse.
All I could do was nod.

Even though I was being watched, I ate it all at once.
There’s no filling inside.
But it’s enough.
Why is it that I find this unusually delicious?
Maybe because rice is the soul food of Japan.

However…
At this rate, my desires will get even worse.
Now I want miso soup.
And soy sauce.
There are various local specialties.
Horse sashimi is something that can probably be eaten in this game world, but sweet soy sauce is an absolute must.
In my case, I only use grated ginger as a condiment.
I don’t need garlic, shiso leaves, or onions.
Hmm.
I guess the lack of soy sauce is the problem after all.
But fermented foods seem tricky.
It’s a shame.
It really is a shame.

But hey, there’s rice.
The ambition for a bowl of rice can now be realized.
Although, according to Mio, it seems we’re still a ways off from mass production for now.

It seems that there are other players accompanying us to Twilight Castle, so I recalled all of my Summoned Monsters.
Who else is coming along?
There are three merchants I’m seeing for the first time.
It seems I have to wait a bit.
Let’s sell all the low-quality Akoya Pearl Oysters to Kaya while I wait.

The time is exactly 8:00 AM.
Everyone is now here.
The three merchants seem to be new members of Fiona’s guild.
None of them have undergone their Class Change yet.
We weren’t really introduced to one another; instead, we kept it brief with a simple bow.
As soon as we formed a party, Reina used the Return Home spell.
In an instant, we were at Twilight Castle.
No, this spell is really convenient!

The party disbanded immediately.
And then I headed to the usual place in Twilight Castle with Reina and Mio.
There are few players.
Well, it’s natural that there are few Guide Teams.
Are there also few Production Job players?
It seems that the castle’s repairs are complete, so I wonder if they’re going to other Area Portals.

I look at Reina.
She must have seen that my face was full of questions.
So she explained things concisely.
The reconstruction team with Shinonome at its center is going to the W6 Area Portal.
It seems that the W5 Area Portal is still not usable, but the one in W6 was released somehow.
The name of the W6 Area Portal?
It’s called Anti-Demon Fortress.

Not only that.
It seems that some Area Portals have been released in the west as well.
The Ruined Battlefield of Chaos in N1W4 map.
The Blue Sky Riverside in N2W3 map.
The Thousand-Mile Monument in N2W4 map.

This seems to be the result of more active expeditions in which the Guide Teams form unions.
Hmm.
I can’t let myself stay behind.
Shall I try aiming for a spot 7 squares away?
Well, now that I’ve come to the west, wouldn’t it be a good idea to use the W7 Map to improve my forces’ strength?
Having more choices is really a good thing.

「It was done quickly, but here it is.」

「Let’s take a look.」

It’s a pearl necklace.
However, it seems that it is not just a simple necklace.

【Equipment: Necklace】 Mithril Silver Necklace+　Grade C+　Rarity 5
　M・AP+14　Weight 1+　Durability 200
　A necklace made of Mithril silver chains.
　Reinforced with magic.
　[Custom]
　Empowered by adding several pearls to this necklace.
　※Water Magic Power Up [Medium]

「So?」

「Is this mithril silver?」

「That’s right. I got it through trading with someone from the north, so I tried making a prototype.」

Whoa.
Speaking of mithril silver equipment, there is something I found in a cave.
It’s the one Nias is currently wearing.
Would this one be better in terms of performance?
Also, it seems like it’s supposed to be strengthened with gems.
There is enough space in the center to connect a mount for setting the gems.
It looks like there are 5 pieces.

「Is this a reproduction of the necklace I showed you before?」

「I’ve made it so that the pearls connect to each other without the need to drill holes into them. They’re a little bulky, so it’s heavy.」

「Huh?」

「But in terms of performance, I think it may be a little better?」

「Can they be removed?」

「It won’t be as good as having them on a mount, but it can be done.」

「What about gemstones inlaid into a mount?」

「That’s not a problem. In fact, I made this one with that in mind, so it’s okay.」

I see.
In that case, I think it can be strengthened in many ways.
It would be a good idea to attach opals and equip it to Nias.
In this case, I’ll want to use good quality pearls.
Yes.
Let’s make a new request.

I took out my pearls.
These are the ones from Grades C+ to B.
I had accumulated a total of 22 pieces.
And then there’s the other ones.
Four white South Sea Pearls, 3 golden ones, and 5 black South Sea Pearls.

「Can you mount these onto equipment to reinforce it?」

「Oh, you’ve brought in such rare items again…」

「Will these not work?」

「I have received requests for one South Sea Pearl at a time, but this is my first time having to work with this many. It will take some time.」

「That’s fine.」

Margrid seems to be carefully using 【Appraise】 on each one.
Then, after thinking for a while…

「White, gold, and black, right? How about making one of each into a ring?」

「What’s the idea behind that?」

「They say there’s good synergy. Although I can’t say for sure because there’s only one example.」

「Huh?」

「I guess it’s because pearls don’t interfere with each other.」

「Can they be compatible with both rings and necklaces?」

「I can’t really recommend them for rings after all…」

Hmm.
It might be too much to ask, huh?

「Then, could you make two of each color into rings? The rest can be just mounted.」

「Understood. What about the other pearls?」

「How about setting them on the Mithril Silver Necklace?」

「Sure. Which of your Summoned Monsters will this be for?」

「Heather. My Silky.」

「That girl, huh? Understood.」

「And can you make a Mithril Silver Necklace for me too?」

「I figured you’d ask me that. It’ll take some time, but I’ll do it.」