Chapter 34

Chapter 034 : Mysterious Abnormal Phenomenon

The merchants treated Radi and me with the utmost courtesy and escorted us into the tent.

“We apologize! We should have originally received you somewhere more formal…!”

“No, not at all. This is already more than enough for us.”

“Y-you are humble too! We have not prepared much, but please, have some black tea and refreshments!”

“I’ll gratefully accept.”

After Radi drank the black tea first, she signaled to me with her eyes.

｢Radi gives a slight nod and informs you there is no poison!｣

‘What is this? If they’re not even trying to poison us….’

In the Velheim I knew, goodwill without a reason did not exist.

Judging by Radi’s reaction, they did not seem to be acquaintances of hers either….

As it happened, I needed to earn their goodwill for a favorable negotiation, so I decided to probe the group of merchants before me and bit into a cookie.

“Oh, this truly is a delicious cookie! The subtle spread of butter flavor is quite excellent. Thank you for the warm hospitality.”

“Ooh, we are relieved that the snacks we prepared are to your liking! We apologize that we could not prepare anything more luxurious inside the dungeon!”

｢For a merchant, satisfactory hospitality is akin to pride!｣

｢You stimulate the merchants’ pride. Luck increases by 1.｣

‘For now, it seems their goodwill toward us is genuine….’

Should I probe when we met?

“It feels strange to see you again after so long. That was quite the serious incident….”

“Y-yes? Doran-nim, have you met us before? It certainly was a serious incident, but… we are glad you are safe! Radi-nim as well, of course!”

｢The merchants look at you in puzzlement.｣

‘What? Have we never met directly?’

It had only been two weeks since I started traveling with Radi.

If this was a connection made during that time, there was no way I would fail to recognize them….

As I rapidly searched my memory, Radi tapped my foot beneath the table, then subtly pointed at her abdomen with her middle finger.

The spot where I had stabbed downward with the dagger while fighting the Night Stalker.

‘Aha…!’

“…I’m glad my sacrifice was of help! It was quite a difficult fierce battle, but as a warrior, stepping forward for neighbors in trouble is only natural!”

“Ooh! What admirable chivalric spirit…! Thanks to you two defeating the Night Stalker, we were able to safely receive supplies from the surface! Thank you!!”

When I recited that with a righteous air, the merchants bowed their heads and expressed their gratitude.

While I had been unconscious after receiving treatment at the temple, I had heard that several merchants had visited the tent to offer thanks, so perhaps they were part of that group.

Though Radi had turned most of them away.

As I drank the black tea with dignity, a new notification appeared on the Log Window.

｢The merchant group admires your dignified words and conduct! It is extremely rare for an adventurer no better than a ruffian to possess this degree of formality.｣

｢The merchants raise their evaluation of you! They will treat you with even greater caution when dealing with you.｣

｢Luck increases by 2!｣

‘Formality…? Is this thanks to a modern person’s basic manners?’

But I did not let my guard down.

I knew that the merchants of this world were a breed that moved thoroughly by profit and loss, rather than feelings like gratitude.

‘What do they really want?’

As I observed them carefully, I realized the merchants’ greedy gazes were fixed on the inner pocket of my robe.

A place where adventurers usually kept valuables.

Only then did I realize what the merchants wanted, and I raised the corners of my lips as I placed an object on the table.

[Night Stalker’s Rune]

｢A rune containing the power of the jaguar monster, Night Stalker! Absorbing this rune allows use of the special Skill ‘Dark Leap.’｣

｢However, according to rumor, this rune carries a terrifying price! Absorbing it carelessly is not recommended!｣

A claw-shaped rune, commonly seen from beast-type monsters.

The merchants stared wide-eyed at the claw I had taken out.

“Th-this is the very… rune containing the power of that ultra-rare monster! To think we would see this with our own eyes…!”

“Runes are already extremely expensive rarities, but even the original monster itself is precious… It truly existed!”

After letting the merchants admire it to their hearts’ content, I opened my mouth.

“Are you perhaps interested in this item?”

“Hmm… It is certainly a dream product, but… I think purchasing it is beyond our trading company’s financial power. Besides, there are stories that Night Stalker’s Rune is highly selective about its wearer… We shall be satisfied with having seen it!”

“I see. That is unfortunate.”

I smiled gently and collected the rune back into my coat.

Since it was an extremely difficult item to sell, I had never expected them to buy it from the start.

I had achieved my intended purpose too.

｢The merchants are highly satisfied after witnessing a rare sight!｣

｢The spoils of a powerful and rare monster are akin to an adventurer’s medal! The merchants feel awe toward you and will provide slightly more convenience during negotiations!｣

‘Good, it’s working well.’

Deciding this was enough, I cleared my throat and got to the main subject.

“Ahem… Then may I tell you my business soon?”

“Ah! We kept you for too long without realizing it! Come to think of it, what brings you here?”

“We need a sturdy log raft to cross the wetland. The rafts being rented at the dock seemed a bit unstable. Would it be possible to request a custom-made one?”

“Ah, actually, that is….”

The merchants glanced at one another and carefully gauged each other’s reactions before they spoke with difficulty.

“…I think it will be difficult to fulfill your request immediately, Doran-nim.”

“May I ask the reason?”

“The truth is, we are also having difficulty obtaining timber. To the point that we do not have a single log left on hand.”

“It sounds as if there is a story behind that.”

“Yes, actually….”

The merchant sighed and lowered his head.

What they carefully confessed was as follows.

“…An abnormal phenomenon?”

“Yes… There is a small forest a short distance from here, and whenever the lumberjacks enter it, they lose consciousness and collapse. Since no one knows the cause, everyone is becoming more and more reluctant to go to the forest….”

“Have you tried requesting an investigation from adventurers?”

“O-of course! But perhaps because they think we are profiteering, they were all uncooperative…! We barely managed to hire a few and send them, but even they were carried back unconscious….”

When the merchant’s shoulders drooped, Radi drank the black tea, turned to me, and asked,

“That’s what they say. What will you do?”

“…….”

After thinking deeply, I opened my mouth.

“What symptoms did the people who fainted have?”

“Symptoms, you say? Hmm… The people carried back on stretchers usually woke up after an hour or two! They had no external injuries… and because everyone collapsed at the same time, they said they did not see their attacker.”

“No external injuries, and they didn’t see an attacker….”

“…Ah! The people who woke up said they heard a strange sound just before they fainted!”

“A strange sound?”

“Yes. They said they seemed to have heard a faint, gentle melody….”

“A melody… Did the faces of the people who collapsed look peaceful, by any chance?”

“H-how did you know?! You are exactly right!! Everyone had comfortable expressions, as if they were deeply asleep! One of them even had insomnia, and he said he felt refreshed because he had slept deeply for the first time in ages!”

｢The merchants admire your outstanding insight!｣

｢Intelligence increases by 1!｣

After careful thought, I slowly opened my mouth.

“…Very well. I will eliminate that abnormal phenomenon for you!”

“R-really?!”

“However, I have one condition. If the problem is solved, please build a raft large enough for my entire party to cross the wetland.”

“How could we refuse? We will provide everything from raft construction to rental free of charge! To think someone as reputable as Doran-nim will take this on—nothing could be more reassuring!”

“Yes, then I will return once the matter is resolved. …The black tea was excellent. Thank you for your hospitality.”

I smiled lightly, bowed my head, and rose from my seat.

After giving a suitable wave to the merchants seeing us off, I came out of the tent and found Malton waiting at the entrance.

“Ah, Malton. You waited long?”

“I heard the rough story. A Night Stalker, was it? It seems something interesting happened while I was gone.”

“I was going to tell you separately later, when it was just us. …What about the guild members?”

“It seemed the conversation would take some time, so I sent them back for now. They should be resting by now… Would it be better to call them?”

“No, this actually works out. Right now, they’ll only get in the way.”

As I strode forward, Radi asked in confusion,

“Doran-nim, do you know the identity of the abnormal phenomenon the merchants mentioned? I can’t figure it out no matter how much I think about it….”

“I’ll explain that while we move from now on. But before that, we need a few preparations….”

I jerked my chin toward Radi’s backpack and continued.

“Radi, take out some of the bolts you have. Malton, you get the cooking tools.”

“Bolts? Why my bolts?”

“Cooking tools… Why are you suddenly asking for cooking tools?”

“You’ll find out soon.”

Radi and Malton exchanged puzzled glances and followed.

***

“So this is the forest… For a place where a ghost story has spread, it’s surprisingly ordinary….”

When they arrived at the forest where the strange phenomenon was said to occur, Radi looked around and murmured.

From the outside, it was a place not particularly different from any other woodland.

“So… what have you been fiddling with this whole time?”

“Wait a bit. It’s almost… done!”

[New! Cheap Earplugs]

｢Earplugs made by stripping off cotton so they can be inserted into the ears. Their quality is crude, but they are sufficient to block sound briefly.｣

They were earplugs made by removing the compressed cotton attached to the tips of Radi’s bolts.

Radi looked at the pathetic lumps of cotton with suspicion.

“…What are these? Don’t tell me you’re deliberately ruining my bolts just because I shot you a few times earlier….”

“As if. We’re going to block our ears with these and enter the forest.”

“Block our ears?”

“Yeah. You guessed that the abnormal phenomenon has something to do with sound, right? They might fall out of your ears midway, so take plenty. Don’t forget to wet them with water before putting them in. …I made yours too, Malton.”

“Thank you. But are you not using them?”

When Malton looked at me in confusion, I smiled and waved my hand.

“It’s fine. I’m just planning to transform. Instead, take care of my clothes.”

“Of course. Hand them here.”

Without hesitation, I took off my clothes and handed them to Malton.

Then Radi, who was beside me, recoiled and shouted.

“Ugh…! I told you not to strip without warning in front of me!!”

｢Strength increases by 2!｣

“Ah, right. Sorry. I got used to it.”

“Don’t just apologize with your mouth. Go somewhere else and change!!”

“Fine, I’ll go, I’ll go.”

I shuffled behind a tree, changed, then returned wearing only my robe.

“That ability is truly… difficult to use in front of others. You have to undress every time, after all.”

“It used to be like that, but these days, I actually like it because my stats go up.”

I answered shamelessly and focused on the [Disguise] Skill.

As I immersed myself to the extreme, a cool radiance flowed out from my entire body.

At this sign, clearly different from what had happened so far, Radi and Malton held their breath.

At last, when my tightly closed mouth opened, an unfamiliar spell burst from my lips.

“O primordial crystal, awaken beneath the blue starlight, devour magic, and crush the intruders!”