Read Novel Full Vol 24 Chapter 5
Vol 24 Chapter 5
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Chapter 5 – Flashy…
When I visited the commercial guild in Gothenburg, I found that it had been completely destroyed. Fortunately, the adventurers’ guild was still operating, so I gathered information and learned about the tragic situation. Mear-san, whom I had been worried about, was alive but hospitalized in a church. There was also a shortage of doctors. The situation was so dire that I asked Claretta-san to go treat the injured. I had prepared myself for the aftermath of the war, but this was more than I could bear.
“First of all, there are a lot of sea monsters that attacked us during our voyage. I would like to offer you a job dismantling them. You will be paid in a portion of the materials from the dismantled monsters. Many of the materials can be used as food, so it will be quite helpful.”
I calmed the male staff member and made my request.
This isn’t a situation where I need to negotiate. Given my current advantage, I could squeeze them for everything they’ve got if I wanted to. However, that wouldn’t make sense given that I’m offering them support.
The monsters are just sitting there, so donating them would free up some space. If we can get some of the materials back after dismantling them, that’s good enough.
Even if the monsters are edible, that doesn’t mean they’re tasty. Gluttony Sharks are definitely not delicious.
Speaking of which, I processed some shark fin. There were various reasons, but mainly because it was just sitting there unused, and it’s something typically served on luxury liners. I should cook it.
It might be fun to study how to cook Gluttony Shark fins with the God of Gastronomy-sama.
But I shouldn’t be thinking about such fun things right now.
Since it’s business, though, and I’m in charge, I got carried away and used the first-person pronoun “watashi,” which is kind of embarrassing. I guess most people use “watashi” when they enter the workforce. I wonder if everyone feels embarrassed at first. [T/N: He usually uses “ore,” which is not suitable for formal business situations (unless the atmosphere is very relaxed).]
“Oh, and since I need to free up some space on the ship, I’ll donate the items that aren’t worth much. Please make good use of them. Can you gather people under these conditions?”
I don’t plan on starting with high-end monsters, such as sea serpents. We’ll begin with lower-ranked monsters, which would be a hindrance if they returned. I don’t have the ability to turn them into money.
Donatella-san could probably handle it, but I’ll need her to work hard from now on, so I should avoid troublesome work, even if it means losing a little money.
“Y-yes, we have a lot of people who need work right now. We also have a fair number of people with dismantling skills. If we put them in charge, we should be able to handle a considerable amount.”
The man from the commercial guild lit up when the conversation turned to work. However, as we talked, he calmed down and began questioning how much work they could actually provide. It was the calmness of a merchant.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t hide his expectations, which meant he was in a desperate situation.
Still, the amount of work… To be honest, I have no idea. I’ve hardly ever done dismantling work myself, and I only have a rough idea of how many monsters I have and how many boats they would fill.
How am I supposed to estimate the workload in such a situation?
The first step is always the most important, though. I can’t see whether this effort will give momentum to the reconstruction of Gothenburg, but I feel that I am being asked to make an important decision.
Actually, why am I thinking about reconstruction at all?
The God of Commerce-sama asked me to transport supplies and support the trade network on this continent. I shouldn’t have to think about reconstruction.
I shouldn’t have to, but I’m a coward and can’t abandon people suffering right in front of me.
Above all, my desire to appear cool in front of the girls drives me.
The girls in my group are kind. If I abandon them, they’ll probably be less impressed with me. On the other hand, if I don’t abandon them, they’ll like me more, right?
All right, I’m a coward and a wimp, but I’m willing to endure some hardship to impress them. I’ll start off with a flourish.
If more people gather than expected, I’ll go all out and fight a high-class monster, like a sea serpent.
If we run out, there are plenty of monsters in the open sea. As long as we make enough noise and spill the blood of our prey, we can keep replenishing our supply as long as we have the stamina and endurance.
We can choose when to provide Sea Serpent-class prey. I’ll leave that decision entirely up to Donatella-san.
Perhaps when things have calmed down and the merchants are feeling more energetic.
“Gather as many people as you can. Of course, gather everyone who can work properly, but also gather as many elderly people and children as possible. There’s plenty of work to do. I’ll assign the work, and you guys will manage it. You decide the limits.”
Fufu, wasn’t I cool just now?
I glanced at the girls.
…Right, I’m speaking the language of this continent. I tried to sound cool, but it didn’t come across at all. Damn it!
“Even if you say so…”
The male staff member looked confused.
Well, that’s to be expected. If he had believed the story and gathered a large group of people, only to have it turn out to be a lie, there would likely be a riot. Jokes like that don’t work in situations like this, so doing something like that would cause a riot.
It should be a helpful job, but it’s difficult to take it at face value.
“All right, then. First, gather some adventurers who can escort us to the port, as well as some people who are good at dismantling things. I’ll bring the materials from the ship, and you can decide how many people to bring based on the situation.”
My attempt to sound cool backfired, so I relaxed and gave a safe answer.
That’s right. I wanted to do something flashy and impressive, but attempting something beyond my capabilities would only lead to failure. It’s better for me to do what I’m good at and steadily earn goodwill…
“Then it’s possible.”
“Then let’s get moving right away. We’ll go back to the ship and bring the monsters.”
“Right now?”
“Yes, right now. I’ll be moving out immediately, so we don’t have much time.”
Given this town’s situation, I feel that if we delay even a day, more people will starve to death. I don’t like being busy, but now is the time to prioritize speed and do my best. Also, I don’t like the current business model at all. I want to stabilize the situation as soon as possible and retreat to the ship.
“I see. That’s typical of Wataru! I understand; let’s hurry back.”
After saying goodbye to the male staff, I explained the situation to Alessia-san and the others on the way back to the ship. They praised me profusely.
It seems that actions that benefit others are particularly well-received by the girls.
Pent also praised me, but I don’t think he understands the situation.
“Ilma, was everything okay?”
When I returned to the Japanese-style boat, Ilma-san was leisurely reading a difficult book. It seemed that there were no particular problems. But just to be sure, I checked with her.
“Yes, after Dorothea left, a few people gathered, but I used magic to keep them at bay. They didn’t come any closer.”
I’m a little concerned about how much magic she used. Ilma-san wouldn’t do anything reckless, but she might have used powerful magic.
If she did, it would cause a commotion, but I’m sure it would be fine. People wouldn’t gather at the port out of fear of Ilma-san. They wouldn’t, would they?
There should be people around the port, but I’m uneasy that they’re all gone.
“Um, thank you very much. I understand the situation, so I’ll go back to the ship. Alessia, please explain the situation to Ilma while I’m gone.”
“Got it.”
I left the explanation to Alessia-san and departed the Japanese-style boat. I quickly arrived at the Stronghold. Alessia-san’s explanation was not yet finished, but I boarded the ship and went up to the deck.
There was a huge raft. It was much larger than the tent rafts used on the southeastern island of the Southern City.
Camille-san, Donatella-san, and Mauro-san had prepared it.
Knowing the limitations of my Ship Summoning, they prepared four of these rafts instead of using up my limit to transport a large amount of supplies.
I think the foresight of capable people is amazing.
The first thing to be transported isn’t supplies, but monsters.
After lowering the rafts to the sea surface, out of sight from the port, I will summon rubber boats containing the monsters and bring them close to the rafts. It will take some time to transfer the monsters, but gathering people will also require time, so the timing should be just right.
“Was it a mistake to send Carla to the church?”
Alessia-san muttered as we worked on transferring the monsters. Everyone nodded in agreement.
It was indeed difficult for just us to lower the huge raft into the sea. It’s amazing that a few people can lift such a huge raft, but Carla-san can lift it by herself.
She’s also much faster than we are at transferring monsters. In terms of putting the right people in the right places, we failed in our personnel allocation. However, there was no way to know this would happen, so it can’t be helped.
Ensuring the safety of Claretta-san, Donatella-san, and Rimu is important. I can accept a little hardship for that. Next time, I’ll make sure to reassign Carla-san.
“Hmm, I understand the situation. The question is how the soldiers will react when a large number of monsters that weren’t there during the inspection are brought in. It’ll be fine. They’re serious and inflexible, but they’re not so stupid as to reject a helping hand extended to the town.”
After Alessia-san finished her explanation, Ilma-san thought about how the soldiers at the port would react. Come to think of it, I forgot that monsters rot, so they were all stored in rubber boats.
But, as Ilma-san said, it should be fine. The soldier is serious, but he also has the guts to bluff for his own safety. He should be able to swallow a mystery like that.
Still, how many more times will we have to transfer the cargo today? I should consider calling Carla-san for help.
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