Raising the Lowest-Ranked Adventurer, the Heroic Girl – Wasn’t I Just a Substitute Old Man?

Raising the Lowest-Ranked Adventurer, the Heroic Girl – Wasn’t I Just a Substitute Old Man?

Volume 3 Chapter 13   The second material, collection complete.

“That seems tough.”

“Well, both of you are high-ranked, right? You’re good at unleashing firepower, but not so great at fine adjustments.”

“Hmm… So, what have you been doing all this time?”

As Asada’s gaze shifted towards my hands, she seemed curious about what I was doing and asked me about it.

“Hm? Oh, this?”

But honestly, it’s not like I’m doing something that can be described as significant. It’s just a way to pass the time or a form of self-amusement, if you will.

It technically counts as training to some extent, but for me, it’s more of a trivial exercise that holds little meaning.

“It’s not really something I can say I’m doing. If I had to describe it, I’d say it’s a way to kill time.”

“Killing time, huh…”

Muttering to herself, she peered closer, only to find small streams of water forming a miniature castle on my hand.

The water, of course, was created by my magic, and I was simply shaping and playing with it.

When it comes to creating intricate objects, it requires a certain level of control over magical energy. So, if I were to create a detailed castle like this, it would indeed demonstrate considerable skill.

“Not only can I transform it into castles, but I can also turn it into animals and make them move.”

It’s challenging to make them move in a natural manner, but if I were to create rabbits or kittens flying through the sky, they might become popular with these two, don’t you think?

However, this action has no real purpose.

I just started doing it on a whim after seeing Miyano and Abe struggling with controlling magical energy during the extraction of the Usuba hana flowers.

You might think that I could help with the extraction instead of indulging in such playfulness, but I don’t have enough magical energy to spare.

If it were just this level of amusement, taking a short break would be enough for me to recover, but when it comes to extracting Usuba hana flowers, a brief rest won’t be sufficient for a full recovery.

So, it’s simply a way to pass the time.

Originally, I didn’t intend to let them engage in such lengthy extractions while engaging in such pastimes, but it’s their first time coming this far. It’s okay to be a bit more lenient today.

Well, even though I say that, the extraction time has only increased from five or ten minutes to thirty minutes.

Going beyond that would not only be pushing it, but there’s a real risk of not making it back in time for curfew.

“Well, that’s all well and good… But hey, can you even eat those in the first place?”

Asada, this time, glanced at the container holding the Usubana flowers and posed that question. Well, it’s a natural question to ask.

Everything here possesses an effect similar to blades. It’s natural to wonder if such things can be consumed.

“Hmm? Ah, look.”

However, when taken in the correct manner, they become harder than ordinary flowers but transform into an edible state. Naturally, the blades disappear too.

To let them experience it firsthand, I took a flower from the container and tore off a petal, extending it towards Asada.

And Asada, without hesitation, took the petal and put it in her mouth.

“Mmm… It doesn’t really taste like anything.”

“…I meant for you to accept it and eat it…”

“?”

As Asada tilted their head, as if momentarily unable to comprehend my words, she suddenly jumped and started panicking, likely recalling her actions from a few seconds ago.

“…What about Kitahara? And the other two over there?”

It would be unfair to bring up that matter, so I offered the same petal to Kitahara, who was also waiting nearby, and to the other two who were still persevering in their attempts to successfully extract the flowers.

“I can faintly smell the scent of flowers.”

“I wonder what it is? It has an interesting texture…”

“Is it a type of confectionery?”

If I were to describe it, it would be like a wafer in the shape of a flower.

It has a crunchy and crumbly texture, similar to when you eat certain types of sweets.

Although it is thinner and harder than a typical wafer, that’s essentially what it feels like.

Considering that it was originally a blade capable of even damaging iron, it makes sense.

However, while it does have an intriguing texture, it’s not a particularly remarkable ingredient. It’s not unique, nor is it inherently delicious or nutritious. In fact, it’s not even commonly used as a food ingredient.

It’s like a weed. You can eat it, but it’s not considered a food item. It’s not harmful if consumed, but there’s no reason to go out of your way to make it into food.

This thin blade flower falls into that category. If we’re talking purely about the appearance of flowers, there are far more attractive options available.

Moreover, this dungeon isn’t specifically designed for harvesting thin blade flowers. Typically, people come here to collect materials for anti-blade purposes.

In general, thin blade flowers would only be evaluated as something visually pleasing, nothing more.

Now, why do I know about such a niche item? It’s because I was taught by a senior adventurer.

By “senior,” I don’t mean someone from my school days, but rather a fellow adventurer who has more experience.

As third-class adventurers, and considering our relatively advanced age, we share information to protect ourselves.

Among that information, there was a report from adventurers who wandered this place in search of items with market value. It was through that report that we learned how to extract thin blade flowers.

“The taste comes from adding syrup or chocolate on top. While the texture does have its appeal, to be honest, we’re mainly focused on the appearance.”

Or rather, it’s about the shape.

We’re just going to pour the syrup over it, similar to making candy apples. As long as it has a pleasing shape, that’s all that matters.

Honestly, when you eat a candy apple, you’re not expecting it to taste like candy. After all, the core is still an apple. It’s the same with this. We’re only concerned about how it looks after adding the candy coating.

“But even if it’s all about the appearance, make sure to collect enough of them since they’re the main attraction.”

We’ll sell them in the form of candy apples or chocolate-covered bananas. This thin blade flower serves as the equivalent of the apple or banana. Without it, we’d just be selling plain syrup and chocolate.

Well, syrup and chocolate might sell on their own as luxury items.

“But this is quite challenging.”

Miyano looks back at us with dissatisfaction, but I knew it would be difficult, and I expected it.

However, we have no choice but to do it.

“I know. For you guys, it’s like trying to step on an ant without crushing it, right?”

“How about you, Igami-san? How does it feel for you?”

“For me? Well… it’s like trying to hang in mid-air at the same height indefinitely.”

“That’s quite different.”

“Of course. Our strengths and abilities are different. If you’re seeking precision, it’s bound to be that way.”

However, while I have a knack for precise tasks, it’s not like I can attempt them repeatedly without any issues like Miyano and the others.

If I’m lucky, I might get ten attempts at most, but even that would require breaks and the use of restorative potions.

Considering that I have to think about returning later, let’s say five attempts is the limit.

Miyano and the others don’t seem to be concerned about such things as they keep trying multiple times without a problem.

“Well, originally we weren’t even supposed to reach this far today, so even if we fail, it’s not a big deal. Just think of it as training and do your best.”

After returning with Miyano and Abe, who seemed frustrated after not being able to collect a single one for about ten minutes, they practiced controlling their magic power. They went on consecutive days during their week off and succeeded, collecting the necessary amount.

I thought it would take much longer, but I never expected them to burn the forest and bring a cart…

Certainly, that method allows for transporting a larger quantity in various ways and makes the round trip easier.

We made sure there were no people around, and although the forest inside the dungeon would eventually regenerate… it was truly unexpected.

We handed the materials over to the supplier arranged by Yasu for storage, and he contacted us once about the quantity.

Even for him, the speed and amount were beyond expectations.

“Now all that’s left is the chocolate and candy, right?”

“Yeah. But I wonder what warm chocolate is like? I’ve never tasted it before.”

“That’s true. If you try to buy it normally, it’s quite expensive.”

Miyano and the others are discussing such things as they come out of the dungeon for the last time this time.

But even if they say it’s expensive, it’s something they can easily afford with their pocket money.

After all, they’re first-class adventurers and wealthy… I’m envious.

“You guys have money, don’t you?”

“We may have money, but it’s just that as commoners, we tend to hesitate to buy things that seem expensive, you know?”

“I’m not exactly a penny-pincher, but even I feel like a thousand-yen chocolate is a bit pricey.”

“Well, there aren’t any places around here that sell it to begin with.”

Warm chocolate can’t be sold directly in stores due to its nature. It would melt if left at room temperature.

Was it around sixty degrees? That’s the temperature at which chocolate starts to melt.

Unlike regular chocolate, it melts when it gets below that temperature, so it can’t be sold normally.

Well, I mean, it’s not that it can’t be sold at all, but in that case, it would be sold as a liquid. So, if you want to eat it as a proper snack, you either have to buy liquid chocolate and heat it up yourself for cooking, or buy it from a store.

“Have you ever tried it?”

“I have. Well, I didn’t buy it, I went to collect it myself.”

“I see. And why did you do that?”

“What’s with the ‘I see’? It’s not because I wanted to eat it myself. It’s because it’s profitable.”

It was good over there. I went to collect it because it’s a luxury item, and it fetched a pretty good price.

The difficulty of the monsters wasn’t that high, and as long as you were prepared, you could earn money relatively safely.

On the other hand, the dungeon was bothersome, or rather, it was so hot that I didn’t want to stay there any longer. If you ask me if I want to go there again, I would prefer not to.

At that time, I heard from Yasu that there were complaints from others because I was collecting too many luxury items using a loophole. I decided to stop doing it after that. I learned the importance of market balance.

This time, since we won’t sell it on the market and it’s a temporary thing, I don’t think there will be much complaint. I think so.

“Well, that’s not important. So, how was the chocolate?”

“Well, it’s like takoyaki. It melts when you roll the hot one in your mouth. The taste is normal. Well, it’s delicious, but it’s not extremely bitter or sweet… Well, it has a well-balanced flavor.”

But even if I say that, you won’t really understand the texture unless you actually try it.

“You’ll understand that when you actually try it, so look forward to it next time.”

With that, we finished collecting the second material and handed it over to the supplier, and then we headed back home.