Chapter 253
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Translator: “Hakou” Editor: “Weasalopes”
There, was the Old Lady, who was going straight facing backwards through a sea of sand, and a pillar of sand that jutted out continuously in her trail.
(Strategy, found.)
The Desert Ghost senses vibrations and launches an attack. To put it in another way, it will always appear where it hears a sound.
We could easily hit it by moving straight while facing backwards and shooting at it.
(If only I had realized this sooner)
Earlier, I had been using a similar approach, but letting the number of bullets decide the fight.
(This enemy is a good match for me)
I thought as I looked behind me. If I had been the type to fight using a sword, this would have been a pretty tough fight.
It’s like being on the board of a whack-a-mole game.
(…That’s it huh)
After confirming that the pillar of sand had stopped appearing, I turned to face forward. Then I headed back to collect the drop.
I took out a large bag made of sailcloth, put the sand in it, and hit it with Old Lady’s hand.
(Too bad no one wants this)
I collected them last time, but since no one came to buy them, it was thrown away.
(What a waste. If no one knows how to put it to use, then I might as well find a use for it myself)
It would normally be a proof of subjugation, but Herbivore mechanic says he doesn’t need it because he trusts me.
But I still pick it up out of habit.
『Put things together and find the use of it』
It may seem like I’m putting the horse before the cart, but this kind of thing is not uncommon in the field of science.
I opened the mouth of the bag wide and looked inside with the Old Lady’s eyes. There were the remains of about ten dessert ghosts of various sizes.
『The warty balance ball will help you keep your body and mind healthy』
A slogan suddenly popped in my mind. As I thought, it has to be that, after looking at this shape and this texture, it must be that.
(I’m also an E rank merchant. I need to be useful to the guild not only as a pilot, but also as a merchant)
I folded my arms and nodded inside the cockpit.
Last time I told Herbivore mechanic about my idea, but he didn’t approve. It might be a good idea to discuss it with the guild master this time.
(It is more comfortable for me to talk to them now than I was back then)
Realizing this, I smiled wryly.
My relationships within the merchant guild have grown, and my position in the guild has improved. I guess you could call this growth.
(Alright, let’s go back)
I threw one of the balls high in the air and caught it sideways as it fell. Next, I lifted a large sailcloth bag onto my shoulder and activated wind magic.
A cloud of dust began to roll up, spreading from Old Lady’s feet to the surroundings.
***
The merchant guild that stood facing the central square of the royal capital.
On the third floor of the guild, in the guild master’s office, there were three men around a table. The guild master, the vice guild master, and the chief with a scary-looking face.
「So this is 『The Revolutioner』 new invention huh?」
The tough-looking man took the wand on the table and looked at it carefully. Next to him, reading the instruction manual, is the Santa Claus-like vice guild leader.
「Chief, try to shoot me like a Knight with that wand」
The tough-looking man looks surprised when told by the petite man who looks like a goblin. Santa Claus looks up from the instruction manual in his hand and explains in a quiet tone.
「Don’t worry, it will be fine. It’s supposed to shoot a light arrow, but… there won’t be any pain」
Hearing that, the guild master smiled and nodded. The chief was nervous, but pointed the tip of the wand at the goblin, saying, 『excuse me』.
「There!」
With a small murmur, the white light from the short staff wand hits the guild leader.
「See? Everything’s fine. Now hand me that wand and you hold this stick」
He did as he was told and picked up the stick on the table. It was shorter and slightly thicker than his index finger.
「Alright, hold it tightly, okay?」
With a mischievous smile, the guild master pointed the wand at the chief.
「There!」
Instantly, a white light hit the strong man’s chest. With short cry of 『Whoa!』 the chief drops the stick.
「Interesting, isn’t it? I wonder what would happen if it was inside instead of holding it on your hand」
The guild master, with the corners of his eyes lowered and the corners of his mouth raised, says, and the tough-looking man grunts while picking up the stick.
「I see, as expected of the revolutioner of the industry. This is… I’m sure this is going to be a hit」
Santa Claus, who had placed the manual on the table, affirmed the chief’s words.
「It’s already becoming popular. It seems that they are selling it to various places through the merchants they know」
The guild master nodded repeatedly with a look of satisfaction on his face.
「I thought he’d been quiet lately, but I didn’t know he’d been working on something like this. As a merchant, I’m very happy to hear that」
He looked at the crates piled in the corner of the room and continued.
「I’ve already rented out the brothel. When Tauro-kun comes back, why don’t the four of us try it out?」
He probably had already talked to the vice guild master. He nodded with a calm expression.
(Testing a new product with the executives. Me?)
He was nervous, but he couldn’t contain his joy and replied loudly.
「I’ll be happy to oblige!」
The old goblin and Santa Claus looked at each other with smiles on their faces.
***
Far east of the northern city of the Empire. A little south over the Kingdom.
There was a pearl-white B-class Knight who left the Valley of Lilies and headed west along a narrow road.
What stood out from this Knight is the emblem of lily inlaid in the four colors of red, blue, white and yellow on its shoulder. This is the Knight of Lily Knight’s commander.
(Desert Ghost huh…)
A woman with long eyelashes and long, straight chestnut brown hair, thought with a difficult expression in the cockpit.
She has a long scar under her right eye, but it doesn’t spoil her beauty. In fact, it makes her look more fearless.
(Three… No, I want at least five of it)
She’s heading to a desert area located in the Kingdom. Her goal is to hunt the demon beasts that live there and get the drops.
It’s a material used to make a favorite item in Lily Knights, and they have run out of it.
(I shouldn’t have taken a detour)
When returning from the Empire to the Valley of Lilies, the fastest way is to cross the desert. However, dealing with the Desert Ghost was troublesome, so she took a detour.
If she had gone through the desert, there was no doubt that she would have encountered them. And if she had done that, she would have at least been able to get her own share.
(For a weak demon beast, they’re sure hard to kill)
She was depressed, thinking about her opponent who uses hit and run tactics from inside the sand.
(Hm? A sandstorm?)
When she looked at the road ahead, I saw a huge cloud of dust. And it seems to approaching her.
(…That’s strange)
The desert was still far away and there was no wind around. Feeling something was strange, the eyelash mature woman put her hand on the hilt of her sword and lowered her posture.
As she gazed ahead, the cloud of sand gradually became smaller and smaller, and eventually subsided completely.
(What was that?)
She wondered if it was just something like a passing whirlwind. While thinking about such a thing, she started walking again, but she didn’t let her guard down.
The Knight’s feet continued to move forward for a while. What appeared in her field of vision was the figure of a rather small beige-colored Knight.
With a rifle on its back and a large white bag slung over its shoulder, it was walking toward her.
(The Knight of the Kingdom’s merchant guild huh)
Painted on its shoulder is the emblem of a goddess mounted on a scale. Seeing it, she judged that it’s safe and lowered her tension.
In any country, the job of a merchant guild’s Knights is to exterminate demon beasts on the roads. There was no reason for her to get into trouble with them as a mercenary.
(We’ve passed each other once before, and it was willing to yield the road to our group back then)
Now it was her turn to pull over and park the Knight at the edge of the narrow road.
She gave a light bow and looked at the hand of the B-class Knight passing by, and couldn’t help but call out to it from the external sound system.
『I see you are from the merchant guild. Excuse me, may I have a word?』
The small, beige-colored, B-class Knight turns around with a dubious look on its face. The eyelash mature woman coughs once, greets him and introduces herself first.
『Ahh, the commander of Lily Knights, is it? What can I help you with?』
What came out from the B-class Knight of the merchant guild was the voice of a man with no particular distinctive features.
Pointing to the translucent, warty sphere in the other person’s hand, the eyelashes mature woman open her mouth.
『Could that possibly be a drop item from the Desert Ghost?』
The beige-colored Knight nodded. He told her that he had just finished subjugating the Desert Ghosts and was on his way back to the royal capital.
The eyelashes mature woman’s expression became stern as she heard this.
(This means that even if I go to the desert now, it is unlikely that I will encounter any Desert Ghosts)
This means that she won’t be able to get the drops.
There may be some left, but it will be hard to find them without any markers.
So, there is only one thing to do.
『That thing you hold in your hands, would it be possible to let me buy it?』
At this point, even if it’s just that one, I have to get it no matter what. If it’s that big, I can probably make three of them.
There was no response from the B-class of the merchant guild. It was a Knight, so I couldn’t see his expression, but I sensed a pause, as if he was puzzled.
『Of course you can! I’m glad, to think that there are actually people who want it. So, how many would you like?』
The reply came back two beats later in a happy tone.
However, her ears picked up a strange word and she asked back.
『By “how many”, you mean… there’s more?』
This time, she clearly saw the beige-colored Knight nod. He places the sailcloth bag he was carrying on his shoulder on the ground and opens the bag to reveal the contents.
『I’m sure there are at least ten of them here』
Her eyes showed signs of disbelief, but before she could think, the words came out of her mouth.
『I’ll take all of them!』
Here, the perspective shifts to the beige Knight of the merchant guild pilot, Tauro, who is in the cockpit.
(All of them?)
A single B-class Knight who claimed to be the commander of a mercenary knight order. I was more surprised at the offer of its pilot.
(Eh? Isn’t this drop supposed to be a totally unpopular, waste product?)
In fact, the last time I brought it back to the royal capital, it was thrown away because no one would buy it.
(I’m thankful for that offer, but now I’d like to hear what she used it for. No, before that, what should I do about the price tag?)
I don’t know what the market price is.
But I’m also a merchant, an intermediate E-rank one at that. I can’t show my shameful appearance.
As I was wondering what to do, I noticed that the white knight in front of me was acting strangely.
『You forgot to bring money with you, huh?』
I said to the nodding white B-class.
She said she hadn’t planned on trading in the first place and only had enough money for food and lodging in case of emergency.
If that’s the case, the other party’s price would be more than that.
(I’ll be troubled if she said she’ll pay with her guild cards, because I don’t know how to receive them. Well, it seems she doesn’t have it with her though)
Maybe I should start learning a few basic things about being a merchant. I made a note in my mind and made a suggestion that came to mind.
『Then, how about this, since this is our first time meeting, I can give it to you for free. In return, can you tell me the market and what are you going to use it for?』
I exchanged it for sales information. This way, the other party won’t feel pressured, and I can get valuable data on the market.
When I pushed the sailcloth bag to her, the white B-class looked a little puzzled.
Then she nodded deeply, took the bag in her hand, and began to speak in a determined tone.
(No, you didn’t have to be that frank about it)
What I found out from her explanation is that many of the members of the Lily Knights wanted to have one.
They use it as a balance ball for exercise. But she said the main reason for its popularity is for masturbation.
『It will start feeling good as we straddle and bounce on it over and over』
Is what she said.
There are about ten warty balance balls in the bag. More than twenty can be made with this.
If you consider the smaller ones inside, the total number is said to be thirty.
『You’re giving me all of this for free, so I’m obligated to tell you everything I know』
She sure has good character. Doesn’t matter whether it’s a B-class Knight, or a single Knight, I guess it’s to be expected from a knight commander.
『If you ever get your hands on one of this again, bring it to the Valley of the Lilies. I promise you’ll get a good price』
She offered a handshake, and I grabbed her hand and shook it up and down.
(Does this mean I got my first customer?)
This is the first time since I took a job at the Kingdom’s merchant guild, so I feel a strange sense of fulfillment.
After parting ways with the commander of the Lily Knights, I let the Old Lady take the remaining one in her hand and walk forward a little.
Then, after checking my surroundings, I nodded lightly.
(It seems there’s no one nearby. With this, I can reactivate the hover)
I activated wind magic in Old Lady’s legs and started driving down the road while rolling up a cloud of dust.
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