Kujonin Chapter 56

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Kujonin
Author: Hanabokuro
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Story 56

After having made clear our goals, the next day it seems like all my employees were full of motivation.
Unfurling the map, we went over the details on what is going on where.
I didn't really get where anything is other than the forest Ayl and company went to in order for training and the way to Seth and Merumo's parents' homes, but the blank s.p.a.ces on the map, that was the only the outline of the continent, was filled in.
And also, from Seth and Merumo's stories, I found out there's a hero within the Ruginia Alliance.
"Do you know what kind of person he is?" (Naoki)
"I'd heard that he was an older man, though…" (Seth)
"I had heard that the king bestowed territory on a young man who had become a hero." (Meru)
The information might have a bit of time lag, but I've understood he's male for now.
"Do you know which spirit's blessings he has?" (Naoki)
"No, that's…" (Seth)
"You don't hear about it, ne." (Meru)
In the first place, there aren't many hot-topic rumors about the hero, so for now it's to the degree that there's a hero within the country.
That's probably how it is if there's no demon king, and the demon king's army isn't attacking.
"With only a hero around even though there's no demon king, guess it can't be helped."
"I'd heard there might be a hero in a distant country somewhere."
Velsa said, wracking her brains.
I'll try asking the Demon G.o.d next about this area here.
"Then, while picking up information about heroes, let's go with what we just talked about until the s.h.i.+p is fixed."
""""OK!""""
My employees replied quite frankly.

Seth and Ayl had their measurements taken by Merumo before going into the forest to train.
With that, Merumo made those two's coveralls.
Velsa and I will go between the Merchants Guild and the Adventurers Guild looking for work. If there wasn't any work, I'll turn towards searching for flowers that can be used for pesticides for the mite ticks while conducting our business.
I gave everyone a silver coin each for lunch.
"Do we need it?"
"We do!"
Ayl and Seth intended to use their catches on the spot, so they lightly protested.
"Then what if I gave you the item bag?"
"Un."
It would be better for Ayl to carry it if she's going to dismantle the monsters they hunt.
I took 5, 6 bottles of recover potion out of the item bag and put them in Velsa's rucksack.
Do we not have enough bags?
"Merumo, can you make bags with the leftover cloth?"
"I think I probably can but … just barely."
"Then if there's not enough, go to the textile shop again and buy some."
I said as I handed her 5 gold coins, but when I did so, Merumo said, "It won't be that much," and only took 2, giving the rest back.
"It's good that you get it."
Velsa slapped Merumo on the shoulder.
"In terms of money sense, our president is a complete idiot, so beware, newcomers."
Ayl said.
"Isn't that fatal for a company?"
Seth said.
It's absolutely right, so I can't say anything.
"A, my wallet is in the item bag."(Naoki)
I said while looking at Ayl, but she shook her head.
"No, well, there might be something that comes up where I'll need money, right?!" (Naoki)
"Then here's 2 silver coins." (Ayl)
And she handed me 2 silver coins.
Why!? Even though it's my money! And I turn to protest.
"Right now it's the company's money."
"N,no way…!"
Oppressed by my employees! I'm able to understand the feelings of G.o.d, who told me about the spirits, a little bit.
"Well, whatever."
Let's go find extermination jobs and earn some more.
"Velsa, watch out so Naoki doesn't suddenly buy slaves or something."
"Roger."
Was that an issue? I guess, na.

Grasping the two silver coins, Velsa and I left the inn together.
We went around to the Merchants Guild and Adventurers Guild, but there wasn't any work that was specifically pest control work and the Merchant Guild's Staff-san said, "How about making posters and such?"
"If no one knows about it, work won't come in, after all."
On the way back I bought straw paper and paint at the general goods store, and for now I headed to the forest to search for flowers for pesticides.
On the way to the forest I realized that if I was searching for flowers that insect monsters don't like to approach, wouldn't it be easier to find it if I made a request at the Adventurers Guild?
I tried suggesting it to Velsa.
"N~ that's true. But if we find it ourselves we'll be paying for nothing, and if you put out the request there's the possibility that there will be an increase of people in our trade."
Since Velsa said so, and it's not some exceedingly pressing matter we've fallen into, I didn't continue on about making a request at the Adventurers Guild.

I don't think it's particularly profitable, so people entering the same business will go bankrupt, right? As for us, we have recovery potions so; when I thought that I got kind of sad, so I couldn't say it.
"What's up?"
"No, it's nothing. I was just about to say something kinda distressing is all. Let's go buy a tasty lunch."
"Un."
We bought sandwiches stuffed full of meet that seemed to be seasoned well at a food stall and entered the forest.

When I used the Search Skill, there are small monsters crawling all over.
I want to catch every one and investigate them, but we don't have anything to put them in, and right now we're looking for places without monsters.
Even so, I asked Velsa about the monsters I was interested in and, while catching and releasing them, I investigated them.
The monsters on the continent are quite a bit different, so it was novel for Velsa as well.
When Ayl entered the forest, she was only fighting strong monsters so she didn't really take a look at small monsters, seems like.
There were monsters who camouflage themselves among the plants and monsters that were the plants themselves, so it was actually quite interesting.
When I realized it, the sun had reached its highest point.

In a slight clearing in the forest, I struck and defeated a hard mushroom monster, and sat down on it to have lunch.
When the sandwich entered my mouth, the painfully spicy sauce rushed up through my sinuses, and after that the softness of the meat texture and the umami from the bread that soaked up the meat juices spread fully through my mouth; it's pretty good.
Velsa also seems to like it, saying, "This, this is great."
Let's tell everyone about it when we get back.
"After an afternoon nap, want to try going a bit further?"
"Un, that sounds good."
We encourage afternoon naps at our company.
Simply because I, the president, get sleepy after eating.
If adventurers heard we're going to take a nap in the middle of a monster infested forest, they might say, "Are you trying to die?" but Velsa's level has also risen decently, so there's probably no problems.
"That's right. As the president, are there any skills you want me to have? My skill points are acc.u.mulating, so."
Velsa suddenly asked.
"Hm? No; I want to respect my employees' freedom to choose. Do what you want. And like, in all practicality, I don't really get much about skills. It'd be best functionally if the two new employees have a search type skill, but whether they themselves want it, or whether they are able to use it effectively, etc, is something else entirely. Think about it. I have the Arithmetic Skill at max level, but I'm this kind of useless guy."
So saying, I slapped my wallet and the 2 silver coins jingled.
"I understand."
"Are there any skills you were interested in?"
"Yeah. There's the Microscope Skill. Recently I've been observing the mite ticks, and I want to see if they grow hair on their surfaces. It comes from the Dilution Skill. I want to try taking it."
What's that, it sounds so useful!
"I'm also going to take it."
With that conversation my sleepiness was blown off somewhere and, in the end, we moved on with taking a nap.

Past the forest is a plain, and past the plain is a desert, it seems.
Seth came from a town on the banks of a lake past the mountain range east of the desert by riding merchants' wagons, he said.
"Your hometown is way far away. And like, this country is way huge."
That was my thoughts when I heard that.
They said it was an Alliance so I thought it'd be pretty big, but it seems like the territory is composed of the entire southern continent.

We ran for exercise after the meal, and soon we were out of the forest, entering the gra.s.sland area.
It's just, it looks like Velsa, who was running behind me, has already hit her limit so we'll head back.
"Haa, I thought I was going to die. Naoki, you're now prohibited from running full out."
"Velsa, hit your limits? Want me to give you a piggyback ride?"
Of course, those are words hold the hopes of getting a 'lucky pervert' situation hitting my back.
"Right, if you would."
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
"No, if I carried Velsa, your b.r.e.a.s.t.s will by hitting my back, but is that okay?"
"You care about that? It's fine. My b.r.e.a.s.t.s aren't anywhere near Merumo's. Maa, if you care so much I'll wear my rucksack in the front."
Velsa wore her rucksack in the front and, like that, got on my back.
Looks like Velsa, who's tall and has long arms and legs, has no problems like that.
I said way too much and lost my lucky chance, so my excitement dropped way down.

"What, you're not energetic all of a sudden?"
I heard Velsa's voice from behind me.
I can feel recovery potion bottles on my back.
My steps are heavy.
And also, I've been seeing some kind of big monster coming this way on Search Skill for a while now.
"Velsa."
"What?"
"There's some kind of large monster closing in on us from behind, what should we do?"
"What do you mean, what should we do? I'll get down, so fight it."
Velsa got down from my back.
When I turned to look behind us, a runaway horse monster, feehorse, was coming this way.
I drew a magic circle on the ground, had Velsa enter it, and waited for the feehorse to come.
The feehorse probably isn't that strong so there was no need to take extra measures to protect Velsa, but just to be sure.
The feehorse came right up to me, neighed, stood on its hind legs, and brought its forelegs swinging downwards.
The feehorse has horseshoes attached, so it looks like he has an owner.
I firmly grab the forelegs, and with a "Heave ho," I brought it down.
The downed feehorse shook its head wildly, but I flicked it in the forehead and it lost consciousness.
"You're not going to kill it?"
"Yeah, this guy has horseshoes on him. He probably ran away from somewhere. N? He has something in his ear."
When I looked with the Search Skill, I saw a small monster in the feehorse's ear.
That's why he was frenzied, I bet.
Velsa took a pair of tweezers used for dissection out of her bag and pulled a yellow locust monster out of the feehorse's
"This is … a locust hopper."
"Huh? Aren't yellow locusts bad news?"
"Yeah, they're called 'Demons' that live in the desert."

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I thought Ayl was being overdramatic, but then I remembered Naoki did do things like give every last penny he had to a random monster scholar he met for the first time on a whim.>