Year 7442, Month 4, Day 15

Having nothing to do puts a surprising amount of mental pressure on you. Up until now I've had sword and magic training and the development and production of rubber

products so I've never even thought of having time to spare. I can't swing the sword around in the middle of the town and I can't carelessly use magic either. I

can't do anything about rubber products since I don't have the raw materials. Since I have a considerably amount of money I guess I could go enjoy myself somewhere

but in the first place I don't even know what to do to start enjoying myself. I feel like going to the store that older brother suggested to me in the middle of the

day, rather before noon like this and forming the bond of true brothers is somehow different as well. There's probably no discounts for early morning and the

daytime.

It can't be helped so I enter the first eatery I find and somehow pa.s.s the time sipping at bean tea until noon then go to the government office. I go to where I just

heard the bulletin board should be but let alone the bulletin there's no one there. I guess I was a bit early? When I'm standing around there bored I think it's

the receptionist in charge of taking jobs but two of bring out a wooden stand. After placing the stand down the two of them go off somewhere and bring out another

stand sort of thing again. I wonder if this is a stand to put the job board on? If it's a wooden board that can fit on this sort of stand then it should be about 3

m wide.

I don't know how high it will be but I can only hope there's a considerable number of jobs. After a while the two from just now return carrying a board. So that's

the job bulletin board? While waiting for them to set it up I excitedly approach the bulletin board.

There's several jobs written on the bulletin board. It seems they're done by directly writing with charcoal or something on the board.

2/10/39 Employment Viscount Dangut Territory Defense Piecework Some Travel

22/2/40 Employment Viscount Betts Territory Defense Piecework Some Travel

25/1/42 Gathering Byorg 100,000 Young Dalgil Fruit 10kg

11/2/42 Escort Viscount Rushmore 1,000,000 /4/3 Send/Return Baarag to Keel by 1/7/42

20/2/42 Gathering Byorg 120,000 Bakklai Leaves 500 count

10/4/42 Escort Mins Company 400,000 /2 Belus Round-trip by 20/4/42

13/4/42 Delivery Zulaid Metal-smith 80,000 3kg sword to Bessh in 15

14/4/42 Escort Mal Company 200,000 /2 Bendol Roundtrip by 24/4/42

14/4/42 Delivery Zulaid Metal-smith 100,000 3kg sword to Doritt in 20

14/4/42 Escort Webdos Company 5,500,000 /10 Rombertia Round-trip by 24/4/42

There seems to be a lot of abbreviations. I don't want to understand so I should probably confirm what the abbreviations mean with the official. Since I'm the only

one here right now it's not like I'd be a hindrance for their job.

There fundamentally wasn't anything difficult with it. For the sake of my own review I'll explain them in order. The numbers on the left edge of each job is the day

the government office accepted was requested the job. Next is a simple explanation of the job content. After that is the name of who requested it. The next number

after that is the compensation paid on job completion and the amount is in (Z) zeni. After that differs depending on the job.

The first two jobs are special cases and it seems they're contracts for a certain period of time. The content of the job is patrolling and defense of the territory.

In other words it kind of like the patrol the squires did in Bakkudo village but it's necessary to confirm the content of the job directly with the requester. After

having the official explain it to me it seems that the Some Travel portion is suspicious. I somehow understand that the reward will increase or decrease based on the

number of monsters defeated but it seems that the majority of the people who make the requests have a certain threshold and if you don't defeat a certain amount of monsters a reward

of zero is even possible. That's why the jobs been ignored for several years since it was accepted.

In other words the real jobs are starting from the second one. The content of the job is gathering. Byorg is the name of a doctor that lives in Keel so it's probably

gathering the materials for some medicine. Dalgil produce fruit in the fall. Around this period it would be after all of the fruit have fallen and there's probably

still not flowers. Though 10 silver coins (100,000 zeni) for 10kg is a good deal you can't accept it even if you want to.

The fourth one is Escort. The requester is Viscount Rushmore of Baalag Village and since it says Send/Return Baalag you have to go to Baalag village and then escort

Viscount Rushmore them self or whoever they designate to Keel. Then return them back to Baalag village again. It seems that the number on the far right edge is the

day they want to depart Baalag village. In other words you have to get to Baalag village by this day. I skipped over it a bit but there's two numbers written after

the compensation. The number on the left means that's the minimum number of people the requester thinks is necessary. The number on the right is the number of people

still required. In other words the total compensation of this job is 1 gold coin (1,000,000 zeni) but in order to have enough guards you need four people and there's

already one applied for it, so there's still three people that can receive it.

Skipping over the fifth one to the sixth one. You already know right? It's a job from Mins Company and you have to escort round-trip to Belus village. The reward is

40 silver coins (400,000 zeni). However, you need more than 2 people in order to accept it.

The seventh one is carrying luggage. Zulaid Metal-smith is the blacksmith that makes all of the equipment for the knight group that I went to yesterday. For a reward

of 8 silver coins (80,000 zeni) you have to deliver a sword to Bessh village. The weight is 3kg. When you deliver it you have to return with the payment for the

sword. Also you have to return within 15 days of accepting the sword to deliver. If it exceeds that then you become a criminal. Delivery fraud huh?

There's no need for explanation for the ones past the eighth right? You already know. Now then, among these a job that I can receive is...and there is one. Right,

the ninth one I skipped explaining. It's a delivery but the destination is Doritt. The reward is 10 silver coins (100,000 zeni). It's fine as long as I return

within 20 days of accepting the job. Since I have a war horse if I hurry I should be able to do it in 4 or 5 days I'm sure. I should have plenty of time to achieve

my objective over there as well.

Alright, I'll try accepting this. I go to the official and say that I want to accept the ninth job. And then the official hands me a wooden tag and asks my name.

After replying with my name they quickly recorded the information written on my Status Open. It seems that this is all you need to accept a job. A line was

immediately put through the ninth job. I guess this is the symbol that a job has already been taken. I was instructed to go and meet the person in charge at Zulaid

Metal-smith within one week (six days).

When I looked at the tag I noticed a weird symbol was written and it seems that's the tally. I guess this is proof that the one who accepted the job is an Adventurer

(Handyman). I put the tag into my pocket and as I was about to return I heard several voices talking as they approached. It seems a group of adventurers has come to

confirm the jobs. I guess I'll take a look at them for a bit.

"Oh, five jobs were added and...one was taken huh?"

"Since we just returned can we rest for a bit?"

"I'm hungry~ I wanted to come after eating first."

"There's a fixed trip to Rombertia, isn't this fine?"

"Ah, that sounds good~ All thanks to rubber right. 500,000 in two months is delicious right?"

"There's no point in choosing right?"

"Hey, the price is going up. And it's 10 people this time."

"It's good we weren't beaten to it this time."

"Ha~ Five carriages huh? Webdos Company sure is making a profit~"

"It was worth coming here in a hurry. Then, I guess the rubber escort is fine right?"

It seems to be a group of six. They're noisily quarreling but it seems they're going to accept the most expensive escort job to Rombertia. By the way, that rubber, I

made it~ When I tried identifying them they were all Free People and over level 10, the leader looking guy in his mid-30s was at level 14. Amazing~ So that's a real

adventurer huh. I'm sure they've left their heavy luggage and armor at the inn. They're all wearing light outfits of pants and s.h.i.+rts and some of them aren't even

armed. A number of them are wearing rubber sandals. Ah, those sandals as well, in fact I made them~

Since I was even able to see real adventurers, my business here has ended. I guess I'll return to the inn one. Zulaid Metal-smith? I won't go until the last minute.

My inn has already been paid for after all.

I stopped by the clothes shop when I was returning to the inn and bought some wrinkled long cuff pants and a worn-out s.h.i.+rt. After wearing the pants long enough to

hide my boots and changing s.h.i.+rts I put my sword on my waist. And without taking along my wallet I put two silver Shu and 10 copper coins in my bare pants pocket

before preparations to depart are complete. It looks extremely unnatural because I don't have a scabbard for my sword but I've hidden it by wrapping the blade with a

leather string. It's {OK} as long as I look like a poor failed adventurer so this is fine.

I head out to the bar in the slums that the apprentice told me about yesterday. I want to collect information about the famous Begulu (he's fine as Begulu A).

Honestly speaking, if this Begulu A is also the same person as my objective Begulu B then it would be convenient for me. Since I can just use magic to take him out

when he's in a place with no people around.

Just, since I don't know the face of Begulu A I'm going to have enter the bar for a while and just keep identifying the names of every one who enters while gathering

information on Begulu A. I'm not taking into consideration the possibility that Begulu A is using a fake name. Since he's a failed adventurer his real name should be

exposed through Status Open.

Alright, I'll head out.

I'm not dirty but with an appropriately seedy appearance I curl up my back and start walking. Hmhn, with this no matter how you look at it I look like a failed

adventurer. In order to make it seem like I came from a different town when no one is watching I should roll around in the dirt on the road a bit I guess. Since this

area is still the area of living for the upper layer of people there's not very many people walking around so I should do it right away.

I enter a path that it doesn't seem like anyone would enter and roll around. And around my thigh I felt a disgusting sensation and a disgusting smell. This smell

is...the smell of s.h.i.+t.. it seems I crushed the s.h.i.+t in the middle of the path by rolling around. It stinks~ I guess the surface was dried because I couldn't smell

it until I crushed it or my nose has broken because of the smell of sewage from all over the place, whenever I roll around in the middle of the streets from now on

I'll need to be careful. I might do it again tomorrow after all. I quickly try to wash it off with water magic but it didn't completely come off. I tried to hide it

by drying it after but I wonder if this is okay? Well it's fine.

Really though, don't take a s.h.i.+t in the middle of the street. Since Keel is clean town where there's a lot of sewage streams made that flow into the large river that

flows through the center. Not to mention this is the area where the reasonably rich people live as well. G.o.d said that the culture level was up to the 15th century

of Earth but isn't the toilets around here at the lowest 7th century level? It doesn't really matter much at this point but still. What's unpleasant is unpleasant.

After preparing myself again I head towards the bar in the slums. This time I really started curving my back while restlessly looking around. After all, I don't want

people to think I stink. I can see a bar close to the corner of a crossroad. I wonder if this is the place? It seems that this place has several tables sticking

outside just like Binsil's restaurant. If I look at the customers all of them look similar and are unclean, it feels a bit dirty as well. There was a small table on

the border of the outside so I sit there and shortly an unsociable middle aged man came to take my order. I asked for beer and some cooked beans. It seems he didn't

notice the smell of s.h.i.+t coming from my thighs, or he realized and ignored it.

The beer was 70 Z and the cooked beans were 30 Z for a total of 1 copper coin = 100 yen, idiotically cheap. However, the beer doesn't just have some remaining sourness

to it but it's considerably cheap, and the cooked beans were boiled too long so the majority of them didn't even retain their shape, and frankly put not good at all.

I start drinking with a grim face as I observe the store. I grab some of the strongly salted beans while was.h.i.+ng them down with sour beer and start identifying all

of the people in the store one at a time. All of their levels are low and let alone a unique ability there's not even a single person with the special skill magic.

At best there's a couple of non-humans who have their characteristic special skills.

I sit back on the crude wooden train just like the other customers while spending my time identifying. I endured drinking this cup of beer while listening to the

conversations of the customers for 30 minutes but I didn't hear anything in particular about Begulu. As I was preparing my resolve to stick around until night I

asked for an additional order of beer from the unsocial middle aged man and he said "use at least 300 Z per hour" as returned 3 large s.h.i.+zu in change. I see, it's

not just cheap it has that sort of system.

I added a couple of additional orders and entered into the posture to persevere for a while and then a new group of customers came in. The group this time all had

swords and spreads. They weren't wearing anything like armor but their clothes aren't any different than the rest of the customers. I wonder if these guys are the

so-called failed adventurers? It's a group of seven so I start identifying them one at a time but there's no one that seems like Begulu and their levels are only 4 -

6, nothing significant. Since the highest level guy is 25 years old I'm sure their skill is really not much at all. Since they're all making sour faces I'm sure they

don't have much money as well.

However, I'm sure there's a possibility that if they're failed adventurers they might have some information about Begulu. I decide to concentrate on just them while

listening in.

"This beer is disgusting as usual."

"Don't say that, we're not making anything after all~"

"The jobs that come from above are all just stingy transportation jobs after all, I want to make it big here pretty soon~"

Above? Someone above them I guess? I wonder if it's some sort of organization?

"It sucks that we can't take on proper jobs right~?"

"Ha...you reap what you sow there"

"That's true though~ The looks of those officials at the government office gradually get openly worse. I don't feel like going anymore~"

"The one who fails jobs countless times is the problem."

"It's not like you can take on jobs anymore because you've failed so many as well~ Don't say it so arrogantly~"

"If I hadn't teamed up with someone like you then even I would have been able to manage one or two escort jobs~"

"Stop it, you guys. It's boring even if you fight."

"I sometimes think I'm going to return to my village already."

"If you open your legs~ you can earn something right? Ah, with that ugly face I guess it's impossible huh. Kehheee~"

"What was that? You just did me last year after you were infected with crabs didn't you! It was terrible after that."

"That was a~ moment of stupidity. As long as I have money there's no way I'd touch you."

I reflexively tried identifying the two of them but both of their conditions were Good. I guess since parasites are different than diseases they aren't shown in

Identify or because they're already finished removing them, I wonder which? I have a feeling it's probably the ladder but I have no way of being sure on it.

"Aaahh~ Isn't there some kind of big chance laying around?"

"No way, like there'd be somethin like that."

"But you know~ We can't keep up like this forever right~?"

"...Yeah, that's right. If I had 4 - 5 gold coins...No, 2 - 3 would be fine, I'm sure I could make some kind of business~"

"Yeah, really though. But business is impossible for you right? Since you're an idiot."

Since they're all having such an idiotic conversation I'd say both are bob. Hm, after all it seems like it'd be okay to think of these guys as the base level of

failed adventurers.

"But ya' kno~ Wer still several levels better than Azzas and dos guys that cudn't pay properly pay taxes, got thrown our of Keel and hav ha to camp for several

years. It's them right, that attacked some caravan last month and was chased off by the guards?"

"Ah, I've heard about that as well. Azzas face looks good but he has no brains, and since he's weak."

"I'm sure if Jild hadn't grouped up with Azzas he wouldn't have died~"

"Trash groups up with trash~ How many are in their group now? If there's too many of them a subjugation job will appear, gyahaha."

"I think it was 4 or 5 of them? They can't even attack a small single carriage caravan~ Since there's at least 2 guards. If one of them gets done in then there's no

next time after all."

"Then why did they attack a caravan?"

"Well Azzas is an idiot after all. Most likely he tried taking one out with a surprise attack even though if that fails there's no other choice than run~ That's the

limit of Azzas idiocy right."

"Even though it's better to think that if they're a proper guard they can use magic, it's because idiots all think using themselves as the standard~"

Ah, I'll order one more cup of ale.

"Come to think of it, what was it, that brat?"

"Like we'd know with just that"

"That one that did it well, the guy who got hired by Mizbel Company."

"Ah, Kuro huh?"

What? The chair creaks.

"Playboy Kuro huh. We all say that exclusive escorts are just small groups but you know. He did it well right~ In reality, even if the pay for a single time is cheap

I'm jealous he always has a job available to him~"

"Yeah, everyone says he's a failure as an adventurer but, that's just everyone jealous of him~ Really, I'm envious."

"I thought he had seduced the old woman of Mizbel Company but I guess it's different. A while back I saw him getting yelled at."

"He~ I could have sworn he had seduced the old lady. Even for him I though his interests were too bad~"

"Only his interest in women was good after all. It's no surprise he would just ignore Jelil."

"What was that? I would refuse that myself. The black hair and eyes are creepy."

I'm the same, sorry about that, you ugly b.i.t.c.h.

"Recently ya know~ He seems to be infatuated with that pretty daughter of Binsil. That's a good woman right~"

"Binsil huh~ So the great exclusive escort-sama can enter a store as expensive as that~"

There's no way Binsil is expensive.

"Hmph, that woman is black hair and black eyes right? Don't they suit each other being creepy."

"She ain't that creepy right? Well she has no luck being targeted by Kruo though. Isn't she going to have money sucked out of her like all of his women until now?"

"I wonder about that? She's not falling into his lap like they usually do it seems~"

"He has enough fixed income to go to Binsil's restaurant and he's seducing that beauty, really I'm envious~"

It seems that Kuro has going through some trouble. It's a pun though. But, he, managed to escape from here it seems.

"Speaking of Kruo, he left Boss Begulu's place right?"

Oh..

"That's right. It seems he was burnt quite a bit. According to the story I heard his body is messed up pretty bad~"

"What's that?"

"That's why when he left the Boss' place, that, what was it again, he was done in by the magician at the Boss place."

"Eh? It's my first time hearing that~ What was done to him?"

"It seems he was burnt with {Flamethrower}~"

"Eeh...Are you serious?"

Eeh..Are you serious.

"And? And?"

"Obviously it's a huge burn. Supposedly he has a huge burn mark from his back to his stomach. As a bonus it seems Begulu's name was carved into his back with a

sword. Well, several days after that he crawled into and had healing magic used on it so it seems the sword wound was fixed though. But it seems that the burn marks

are amazin~ Remember, when I screwed up and broke my arm, I heard from the healer that time."

"The burn didn't recover?"

"It was supposedly too late. Since he quickly was able to use magic on it he was able to recover without a trace but. Supposedly the longer the time pa.s.ses the more

of the wound or burn can't be fixed."

I know that. I had a scar remaining on my leg when I scratched after being bitten by a mosquito until it bled. I never thought of trying to use magic after being

bitten by a mosquito after all. I realized after it started to scab and used healing magic, the scab immediately came off but the scar remained. After growing up

when I started training with healing magic I went all out and tried gouging out that scar with a knife and after using healing magic it completely disappeared.

"He~ then, no woman will go near him because it's disgusting huh. I guess no matter how much of a playboy Kuro is no woman would have s.e.x with a guy with a body like

that."

"That's right. Maybe a cheap prost.i.tute."

"Then, I wonder if that Binsil girl doesn't know about it?"

"I'm sure, if she knew there's no way she would pay attention to him."

It seemed like Mary knew.

"Come to think of it, if we're talking about Boss Begulu, it seems like he's trying do some big job wasn't it?"

"Big job?"

"I don't know that much, but it was going to earn a lot right?"

"I guess that's true. But ya know, if he's gonna profit I'd like to get on it too, right~?"

"Right, but, I'm afraid to go to Janlud's shop. That place is dangerous. Since I'm a weak girl I might suddenly get attacked."

"Not happening~ Are you sayin that knowing your face, r.e.t.a.r.d."

"Anisa, you're saying that but the other night 'Shut the h.e.l.l up~'"

It seems that Janlud's store is Begulu's base. It's the other bar that I heard was dangerous that's further in the slum's center than here. What the, I heard good

information from the first day. Then, I guess I'll head home soon. I'll show my face at Mary's place. I guess I'll head out when I finish off my food.

"But ya know, I wonder what in the world that big job is?"

"No idea. Is he going to attack a caravan or something with all his followers?"

"Unless they manage to kill everyone it'll get exposed and they'll be on the course to being in the care of the knight group. I wonder if the Boss would do somethin

like that?"

"If they can kill everyone then there's no way to tell who did it so it's possible."

"Since there's close to 20 people~ Last year the one who attacked Gelufn's caravan was the Boss right? Can't he manage it if he tries?"

"Hey, don't go running your mouth. If someone from Boss' place hears ya, yer... this."

It seems that after all Begulu A is a pretty bad person. When I stood up from my seat and went to leave the store, I was told by the ugly b.i.t.c.h.

"What the, I thought something stinks~ but it was you~ Don't go leaking s.h.i.+t you, poor a.s.s~"

"Ey, Sorya abou' tha, sis. But, I din' leak it~ So forgive me~"

d.a.m.n it, but just as I thought I still stink.

"Shut up~ Don't talk to me virgin brat."

Viviivii...I'm not a virgin! Ah, no, I'm a virgin in Orth aren't I?

"Hey now, don't pick fights over stupid s.h.i.+t. Sorry about that bro."

"It's no prob, then, Iyl be headin out now.."

I try to use the tone of a small fry as best as I can imagine while leaving the store but somehow it p.i.s.ses me off. I can hear them saying, "That guy's black hair as

well, that s.h.i.+t b.a.s.t.a.r.d is the same as Kuro with black hair right?" "Hey Jelil, you're saying black hair, black hair an awful lot but unexpectedly you were after

Kuro weren't you?" "Ah~? When did I try to get Kuro's attention?" "Haven't you been talking about him since earlier."

Jelil huh? I'll remember you. Ugly b.i.t.c.h.

Since the smell was bothering me I didn't go to Binsil's restaurant. I'll hurry back and wash my pants.

When I returned to the Bins Manor the clerk made a disgusted face.

I washed my pants near the well in the back while half-crying.

Since no one was looking I tried was.h.i.+ng them with a hot water shower but the smell got even worse so I ended up throwing away my newly purchased pants. It p.i.s.sed me

off so I burnt them all at once.

Trash must be sterilized.

I'm already sick of everything, I don't want to go anywhere else today.