Read Novel Full Vol 24 Chapter 8
Vol 24 Chapter 8
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Chapter 8 – Why?
It’s day two of unloading sea monsters in Gothenburg. I thought it would be easy since Gothenburg was overwhelmed the previous day. However, they’ve now added more workspaces at the port, and workers are pouring in, not just from the city, but also from surrounding villages. I’m starting to worry about the supposedly massive stockpile of sea monsters.
On day three, we continued unloading sea monsters until nightfall, but we still couldn’t fill Gothenburg’s capacity.
Then, just past noon on the third day, I checked in with Ines and Alessia-san, who had shown up at the port. They said that even more people had gathered, creating a festival-like atmosphere.
Honestly, just transferring monsters was getting me down, so Carla-san and I decided to head to the port for a break and a change of pace.
I’d heard about it, but the port was truly in a festive mood. Even from a distance, I could see people of all ages bustling about noisily.
The men at the port waved at us as we approached, but it wasn’t a welcoming gesture.
I believe some welcome sentiment was involved, but Ines and Alessia-san told me the gesture was actually a signal to guide us over and attach the raft.
Had I not known, I might have thought we were being warmly welcomed and waved back nonchalantly, only to embarrass myself. What a dreadful trap.
“Good work. Oh, not the usual beauties today. Can we take it?”
As instructed, I set the raft alongside, and the man who had signaled approached cheerfully. But I also caught a glimpse of a slightly disappointed look.
I get that feeling. I would have been disappointed too if an unremarkable guy had shown up when I was expecting Ines or Alessia-san. Well, that guy did smile when he saw Carla-san, though.
It’s awkward for me to say, but men are simple, aren’t they?
“No problem, please do.”
“All right, everyone, let’s get started!”
Three men leaped onto the raft, hoisted the monster, and tossed it to the people waiting at the port. Those who caught it carried it to the processing area.
It looked rough, but on an unstable raft, that method seemed safe and efficient. Though all kinds of liquid were splattering everywhere. Seeing the people catch it and smile while getting drenched in that stuff… I sensed a hint of madness in them. Not that I’d say that out loud.
Huh? Oh, one of the men who caught the thrown monster handed his catch to a nearby boy. The boy smiled and thanked him before heading toward the processing area.
Since it was a small, precut piece of monster material, they entrusted it to the child. This kind of judgment call is a sign that they’ve gained some breathing room.
Once the smaller catches are finished, two more people come down to the raft to tackle the big ones. The whole process seems well-established. Men gather on the shore, too, cooperating to lift and carry the monsters.
It seems they have already designated where each monster goes. Some head to the simple dismantling site at the port, while others go to the main dismantling site at the town’s Adventurer’s Guild. They’re carried off without any particular confirmation.
With a system this well-established, no matter how high-level we are, our transport speed simply couldn’t keep up.
Ah, there’s Donatella-san, Felicia, and Dorothea-san. Simon-san is with them, too. Glancing toward the tents, I see our companions working.
Donatella-san and Simon-san are deep in conversation, while Felicia and Dorothea-san seem to be keeping watch and checking the harbor situation.
They notice us, too, and Felicia and Dorothea-san give us a small wave.
Since the cargo handling seemed fine, I decided to head over to everyone. Just as I was about to invite Carla-san to join me ashore, Felicia hurriedly ran over.
…Right, I was also a target for protection. I had let my guard down a bit in the festive atmosphere.
Sandwiched between Felicia and Carla-san, I arrived at the harbor. Felicia’s barrier was already deployed, of course.
“How are you feeling? Oh, I brought drinks. Help yourselves, everyone.”
Since I couldn’t pull out cans or plastic bottles here, I poured tea from my leather canteen into wooden cups and handed them out.
This canteen has a plastic bag inside, so the tea doesn’t pick up any leather smell. Plus, you can take out the plastic bag and wash it, making maintenance super easy!
I made this excellent water canteen quite a while ago. I think I made it around the time I bought Ferry and had access to plastic bags.
When I finished it, I felt a sense of possibility regarding my talent. However, I forgot that I never had a chance to use it. Today, it finally saw the light of day.
Since I rarely interact with others, I never needed a water bottle. What about the convenience of being able to take it out and wash it? In this world, there’s something called “daily life magic,” so purification would fix it. When I realized this, I almost cried quietly.
But right now, my homemade water canteen has its moment to shine. Honestly, I’m quite happy.
The girls accepted it with thanks. I also offered a cup to Simon-san, who looked confused and asked, “Is it okay for me too?”
“Huh? It’s cold…”
Simon-san was surprised when he sipped from the cup. In this world, sweets are fairly common, but coldness relies on magic, so he was surprised by how cold it was.
Even on Dark Elf Island, if few people could use ice-based magic, chilling drinks would likely be considered a luxury. In adventurer or merchant guilds, chilling materials or food would likely be prioritized.
Well, on the Dark Elf Island, they even sell ice. Once I’m finished working on this continent, I should visit the island, but the ice cream must be sold out by now. If I keep the kids and fairies waiting too long, they might start rioting.
“So, Simon-san, have any problems arisen?”
After relaxing with a drink for a moment, I asked Simon about the current situation. It wouldn’t be necessary for me to be involved if it were left to Donatella-san, but I asked out of pride as the person in charge. Please don’t tell me anything complicated.
……He didn’t mention anything complicated, but he explained in detail how to increase personnel, workspace, material processing, and post-processing distribution.
They say that small, densely packed text can cause your eyes to glaze over. But when you receive a lot of detailed reports like this one, your brain just overloads, and the content doesn’t register. I guess you could say your brain glazes over in situations like this.
Anyway, it seems there aren’t any particular problems, so I should be able to understand it.
I ended the conversation and took a quick look around the port with Felicia and Carla-san before returning to the Stronghold.
“Shall we stop by the Adventurers’ Guild too?” I was asked, but with so many people gathered, the pressure to move more cargo was intense. I decided to just get back to work.
I have to work hard…
＊＊＊
While we were working hard to unload cargo back on the ship, I heard a loud boom and crackling sounds coming from the port.
It must have been thunder—Felicia’s magic.
Such magic at the port usually indicates a summons, but it had only been about two hours since I returned, and the sun was still high. There was plenty of work time remaining. Was this an accident?
I felt flustered, but honestly, I couldn’t imagine a situation in which Felicia and Dorothea-san could cause trouble.
“Wataru, Ines, and I will go check it out for now.”
Alessia-san seemed to share my confusion. Still, since she offered to scout, I readily agreed.
I’m definitely worried, but I’m not so overconfident as to think that I could handle it if I went alone. I’ll follow the experienced ones. That’s the mature thing to do.
“Wataru, could you head down to the port for a bit? It might take some time, so bring Carla and Pent, too.”
Alessia-san and Ines returned in about twenty minutes. They looked perplexed, but it didn’t seem like a dangerous situation.
“Understood. So, what happened?”
We all boarded the Japanese-style boat, and I asked Alessia-san about it.
“Well, it’s not as if a huge problem occurred… or is it? I suppose it is a big problem?”
Alessia-san tried to answer, but her response was vague. It seemed like she didn’t fully grasp the situation either.
“Master, I don’t think I can explain it well either. It’d be quicker to check over there directly.”
Since Alessia-san couldn’t explain it, I decided to ask Ines, who had gone to the port with her. But before I could speak, she beat me to it.
If these two—flawed, yet undeniably capable—were struggling to explain, what on earth was happening at the port?
“Yeah, I don’t get it.”
We arrived at the port and assessed the situation, but I couldn’t quite grasp it.
“Master, I apologize for summoning you.”
“That’s fine, but what’s going on?”
I asked Felicia, who looked apologetic. She should be able to explain the situation correctly.
“Yes, Master. Shortly after you returned to the ship, those individuals—apparently the local magistrates—appeared.”
I see. They do look rather pompous, and it makes sense that they’re on the ruling side. Those must be the officials dispatched by the victorious nation. They were treated like minor officials, and I’d assumed the first impression wasn’t favorable.
“Then, they demanded that we present them with monsters. They also said that since I’m a slave, they want me as a tribute too.”
Huh? Felicia as a tribute? That’s enough to make me want to kill them. Well, it’s pretty much textbook behavior for a minor official, so I can understand it.
Powerful people making unreasonable demands is a fantasy staple, right? Similar things could happen under normal circumstances, so in a country in chaos like this one, you’d expect unreasonable demands from those in power to be even worse.
“I see… But I still don’t get it.”
“Was there something unclear in my explanation?”
Felicia asked apologetically in response to my mutter.
“No, it’s not unclear. Rather, you’re still explaining. What I don’t understand is… why those magistrates who made those unreasonable demands are already beaten to a pulp and lying on the ground. They’re even properly bound with their hands and feet restrained.”
Typically, when those in power start making unreasonable demands, that’s when the protagonist steps in. Against the odds, they either stand their ground against authority or skillfully navigate the situation to overcome the crisis. That was supposed to be the absolute standard, the ultimate classic path.
In this case, since I delivered a huge shipment of monster materials to the port, I should be the protagonist. This should be my moment to shine. I hate trouble, but I don’t dislike this classic template.
Yet, the magistrates were beaten to a pulp. It’s not like our crew beat them up. It’s obvious that the guild master and the others surrounding the magistrates beat them up… Why?
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