Will I End Up As a Hero or a Demon King (WN)

Chapter 35

Sponsored chapter by Patreon, and you may also want to check our new Patreon tier since you can now choose a tier for specific novels, so please go check it out, and also new Ko-Fi offer here~

Enjoy~

Chapter 35 – Reward

“Oh, that’s a lot for a first job, isn’t it?”

I received a compliment from Roddy-san, who was standing right in front of me.

This is the dismantling area at the back of the Hunter’s Guild.

The large entrance to the dismantling area is located on the back street, and the building inside is connected to the main entrance, where the reception desk and the request board are located.

When I entered through what could be called the back entrance, the first thing I was told was, “I haven’t seen you around here before. Are you new?” So I introduced myself and learned that the bearded old man who calls himself Roddy is the site manager.

He is a big guy, and I think Roddy-san looks more like a guild master.

“I fumbled around and tried to drain the Horned Rabbit’s blood, but what do you think?”

I’m not quite sure I’m ready, but I want to make sure it meets the needs of the people on the field, so I decided to ask.

“Hmm… the color of the meat looks fine, so this should do the trick. However…”

“However…?”

“If possible, you should cut off the head of the Horned Rabbit in one go. If you cut it from the side, the skin will get a negative evaluation. The only thing is, if you do it this way, it’s only a little bit, so you don’t have to force it.”

“I see. That’s true, isn’t it?”

The problem is that I have to aim the knife from the side to match the speed of the Horned Rabbit, so the place where the blade hits is also on the side.

If I just wanted to cut off the neck, I suppose I could do it with a jacket operation, but… I don’t like the idea of having more baggage.

“The material for 5 Horned Rabbits is all B, 4 Goblin’s magic stones and proof of subjugation, and 3 Hooley Mole’s magic stones and proof of subjugation! Give them to the receptionist, and you will be rewarded! I’ll collect the baskets here.”

After saying that, Roddy-san handed me a wooden board, and when I checked the contents, I found that it was indeed written exactly as he said.

“How many grades of material value are there?”

“There are five grades, from E to A. If you use fire magic to roast them, the skin is useless, and even the meat may be cooked through, so it will be D or E. That would naturally lower the material value, wouldn’t it?”

“Oh well. So if I just cut off the head, it would be A.”

“Unless the quality of the meat has deteriorated over time. But there’s only a 200 beeke difference in material value between A and B. Don’t risk your life to get an A. You’re only worth it if you’re alive!”

“Right, thank you very much! I’ll come here almost every day from now on.”

“Oh! If Loki makes money, the guild will also make money. You should work hard in moderation!”

He’s a very good-natured guy.

It seems that he’ll be of help to me for the time being, and when I go to the next hunting ground, I’ll be sure to ask him for tips on how to get the highest price.

With these thoughts in mind, I walked to the reception desk, passing through the hallway of evenly spaced wooden planks, the reference room on the way, and the room where I took the training course.

A wooden information board hung from the ceiling so that newcomers could get there without getting lost, for which I was very grateful.

When I arrived, Amanda-san naturally called out to me with her eyes, “Come here,” so I ignored the young lady’s answer and went to Amanda-san.

Amanda-san’s eyes widened a little as I handed her the wooden plank that Roddy-san had given me earlier.

“Loki-kun, did you form a party after all?”

“Ah, no… I felt that the Palmera Great Forest was not a problem, so I thought I would start thinking about what to do with the party from the next place called the Rocker Plains…”

“Yes… since you also defeated a sword-wielding Goblin, you must have an F-rank equivalent ability… but that’s still a fair number.”

“I realized that I had been a bit naive. So I got back into the swing of things and ran around looking for monsters, and that’s how I ended up like this.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard, okay? As a hunter, you’re going to have to sacrifice your life even after three or five years if you don’t change your job. You always have to have some leeway, right?”

“That’s right. I am aware that I overexerted myself today, and I am sorry for that. Thanks to that, my legs are extremely painful…”

“Fufu. Well, I’ll be honest and say congratulations on successfully completing your first job today. Can you wait a moment while I do the calculations?”

“Okay, I’ll just sit down and wait.”

And with that, I went to the lady who was serving the meat skewers.

I was so thirsty… I thought I was going to die of thirst, not of a monster.

“Auntie, do you have anything to drink?”

“Of course. But it looks like it’s too early for alcohol… so would you mind having some fruit water? We also have water with ice.”

“Ah, water with ice would be fine for now. I want to drink it all at once.”

“Alright. That’s one hundred beeke.”

With that, I drank the water given to me in one gulp.

“PuhahhーーIt’s so good!!! One more, please!”

It penetrated my throat to the point that I couldn’t help but exclaim.

Come to think of it, the fruit water at the inn was room temperature, so this was the first time in this world that I had a cold drink.

After all, water tastes three times better when it’s cold… so it must be ice magic.

I would like to acquire it eventually, but it would be a waste of treasure even if I acquired it in this situation where I can’t even activate the magic.

For now, the only way is to buy it from a shop like this.

“Loki-kun! I’ve finished the calculations!”

I thanked the lady, returned the cup, and walked over to the counter.

“Yes, thank you for your patience! Your first reward is a whopping 48,500 beeke! That is quite a sum of money. And considering it’s only been half a day, it’s a little too much.”

“O-ooohhhhh!”

I thought it would be a good amount of money because I worked really hard today.

But I didn’t expect it to be close to 50,000!

Huh?

Considering one trip in the morning and another trip in the afternoon, that would be about 100,000 a day…?

If I had to do the same pace tomorrow, I’d probably collapse, but it’s a good indication that I can make that much money if I really put my mind to it.

I see. If I just live in this world, as long as I can move around, it’s no problem at all!

“Fufufu, all that hard work was worth it. Tomorrow, you can rest, slow down, or adapt.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful not to break my body. Now, I’d like to ask you a few questions, Amanda-san…”

There, I confirm the lack of knowledge that I felt today and the essential equipment for hunters.

“Well, let’s see. I would say a weapon is a must, but many people carry a backup weapon in case it breaks. A lot of people carry a knife on their hip to save bulk, so the next time you are in a crowded area, take a look at other hunters. Then you’ll need a cloth to wipe the blood off your weapon and a canteen. Of course, a canteen is also essential for drinking water. If you go to the Lulub Forest as a hunter, you will not be able to return immediately, so portable food and rain gear are essential… In the Great Forest of Palmera, you can return immediately, so those who do not intend to return at noon should bring these items. Some people, like Potta, use baskets with a hook to carry more items at once. Some people also bring potions for emergencies, and those who go to the Rocker Plain always bring poison potions. Many people wear protective gear from that point on, so it is important to take care of it after the hunt.”

“I see… That’s very helpful information!”

“Eh… don’t tell me you went there without a canteen?”

While she looked at me as if she was going to lick the whole thing, she hit me in a very painful place.

Even if I cover it up with dirt, the gaze stops at my right hand, which has quite a bit of blood on it, so I guess it would be pointless to hide it…

“I went there with a casual feeling to see what it was like… So I think I’m going to buy it now!”

“Sigh… That’s why I said you should have a party! If you don’t, you’ll be dead in no time!”

“If I don’t understand, I’ll ask Amanda-san, so please forgive me…”

“O-okay! You should listen to me. Really!”

“Yes! Well, since the store is closed, I’ll be going!”

I felt like I should run away, so I left quickly.

I was lazy when it came to running, but I could feel the presence of Amanda-san’s occasional demon-like presence.

As I was walking towards the shopping street where I had bought some clothes before, I saw three familiar people walking ahead of me.

They seemed to have noticed me.

“Loki-kun!”

“Hey, are you done hunting for the day?”

“Hey! I’ve already exchanged my money and am about to go shopping. Zink-kun and the others… You guys are about to start, huh?”

There are three Horned Rabbits hanging in Potta-kun’s basket, with herbs and berries halfway up the basket.

Hmm? Fruits?”

I can’t help but poke around.

“The guild buys the fruit too, didn’t you know? I won’t give them all of it, though, because I’ll take some home!”

According to the information, Mei-chan told me with a grin, the guild also buys fruit for about 100 beekeepers each, which they then sell wholesale to stores and restaurants.

A quick glance at the basket shows that there are about 30 pieces in it… Unlike me, who only goes after monsters, Zink-kun’s party goes around a small area and collects anything that can be used for money.

Even though Potta-kun is a baggage carrier, it would be hard for him to run around in a large area.

By the way, it is also hard for me to walk around with a basket on my back.

It’s okay in the beginning when the basket is empty, but as soon as two or three Horned Rabbits enter the basket, it becomes very difficult to run around.

So this time, in order to meet my quota, I left the basket on a branch on the border of the forest and the plain, and I went looking for the third and later Horned Rabbits without the basket.

Since I could easily move around with at least one of them in my hand, I returned to the location of the basket while collecting the magic stone and the parts I had killed.

Once the body was in the basket, I went back empty-handed, which seemed quite efficient to me.

However, it is hard to say whether anyone could have done it, and I was only able to do it because I had a good idea of where I was going with the directional function of my wristwatch.

I went into the forest in a straight line, turned around a bit, and then went back in a straight line in the opposite direction.

Without this method, it would have been very difficult to find the basket, so it would have been useless to teach Zink-kun and the others.

It would be a useless method to teach Zink-kun and the others, and it would also make Potta-kun’s existence meaningless.

“(Oops… that’s right…)”

I put my hand into my leather bag and offered Zink-kun and the others the silver coin I wanted to give them.

“I went to church earlier. But I didn’t feel the need to use it for the time being, so I came back without using it. So I’ll give you this if you want.”

The three looked at the silver coin in my hand.

“This is the one, right? The one you used to check your status when you registered as a hunter.”

“I did it the other day; it’s a silver coin with a cross on it, so it’s the same!”

“That’s it. When I told the church that I was going to give it to someone, they didn’t say anything, so I’m sure Zink-kun and the others can use it and get it done for free.”

Seriously? It’s been almost two years since I checked it out, and I thought it was time to do it… Are you sure? It’s a chance for you to find out what skills you have, you know?”

“Hmm… I’ve been hunting today, and I don’t really use any other skills as long as I have Presence Detection. So, as long as I’m in the Great Forest of Palmera, it doesn’t matter if I have new skills or not. I just kill monsters.”

“Is that so? In that case, I’d appreciate it, but… I should not have gotten it for free. If I remember correctly, it cost 20,000 beeke, right? Then I’ll buy it for half the price, 10,000 beeke.”

“That’s fine, that’s fine. But I want to ask you a question. How did all three of you do the last time you had your status checked?”

“”What do you mean?””

“I’ve heard that letters appear on the blackboard, but do you feel that the skills you’re acquiring suddenly appear all at once?”

“Yes. When I took the test at the age of 10, about 10 skills and their levels appeared. I didn’t have it transcribed, so it was about that many.”

“There were that many, Zinc! I had seven! It’s Different Language Comprehension, Harvesting, Pharmacist…”

“Wait, wait, wait!”

I tried desperately to stop Mei-chan from talking.

Mei-chan, who had recently been checked, seemed to remember everything well, and at this rate, she was about to reveal all of her possession skills in the middle of the street while folding her fingers.

I don’t know what people in this world think, but in a game, revealing your skills is like revealing a weakness.

That’s why I think it’s fundamental to hide them, and as expected, I don’t feel comfortable exposing them to the public because of a question I asked.

“Maybe you shouldn’t tell people so much about your abilities. There could be bad adults out there!”

“I see! Then I won’t tell anyone!”

“That’s right. My father always told me that if you have a rare skill, you can be kidnapped and made a slave. I don’t think Meisa will have a problem with that.”

“Why?”

Phew~ Dangerous, dangerous…

“I see… Then today is my first day as a hunter, and I don’t need to be tested yet.”

“Skills are not something that suddenly increases in level. Normally, you should have your skills checked every few years.”

“I see… Well, if it’s been two years since you’ve done it, Zink-kun, it means a lot more to you than it does to me, so go ahead and use it!”

“Yes, thank you! I’ll buy you a skewer the next time I see you at the guild!”

“Ah, that’s a great idea! Well, if I don’t hurry, the shop will be closing, so I’ll go buy a canteen or something!”

“See you later!”

“Bye!”

I thought as I waved to the three of them, who waved back at me.

“(As I thought, it’s still the same as what the church says… Now it seems safe to say that the status that people see in this world is only skills and skill level.)”

Is this what Acorn meant by awesome?

As I thought about this, I hurried down the street to the store just as the evening bell began to ring.