A month had passed since the Founding Festival concluded and the Semroid Troupe departed from the town.
During that time, the summer heat had finally begun to let up. I had settled into a steady training routine: catching and sorting slimes to donate to the church, and evolving a new species I’d discovered that preferred wind-attribute mana.
It was exactly half a year since I had parted ways with the Duke’s family when I stopped by the Adventurer Guild and was called over by Wogan.
"Ryoma, looks like you’ve been keeping busy lately. For a while there, I was worried you’d decided to stick strictly to being a merchant."
"Ahaha... well, I’ve just been taking things at my own pace."
"Well, once you’re in a position of leadership, you’ve got certain responsibilities to handle whether you're suited for 'em or not. Anyway, down to business. Do you have any plans for the next two weeks starting from next Monday?"
I had a surplus of waterproof cloth stockpiled, and no urgent business at the shop.
"My schedule is clear."
"Good. Then I’ve got a request I’d like you to take. The job involves harvesting, but since the volume is so high, I need a Space Magic user. It would be a huge help if you could join the team as their transport specialist. By the way, the harvest site is crawling with those monsters you’ve been wanting to fight."
"Is that true?"
"Yeah. The targets are Trents. We need you to harvest the lumber from them."
Trents!
Trents were plant-type monsters that resembled trees. They specialized in camouflage, blending into the forest to ambush humans and other monsters. They were dangerous creatures, common even in the Shulls Great Forest.
"I’ll give a detailed explanation once the rest of the team is here. If you’re interested, come back to the guild tomorrow at noon. If you’re still on board after the briefing, we’ll register your participation then."
"Understood. I'll see you tomorrow at noon, then."
"Right. Watch yourself out there."
Now that I had a plan, I needed to let everyone at the shop know I’d be away.
The Next Day
When I visited the guild as promised, Miya was already waiting in the briefing room.
"Meow? Was Ryoma called in too, meow?"
"Apparently they need another Space Magic user."
"To gather that much wood... I wonder what they’re planning to do with it, nyan."
"I was wondering that myself."
While we were chatting, Welanna’s group arrived, followed by Raypin. Then Asagi showed up, and finally, Wogan stepped in to begin the briefing.
"Alright, here’s the gist of it."
To summarize the details, our objective was to secure lumber. This meant hunting Trents and bringing back the timber. The quota was a minimum of three hundred units, with a bonus for any extra we could manage.
I wasn’t sure exactly how large a single Trent was, so I couldn't visualize how much space three hundred would take up, but it was clearly going to be a massive amount. It made sense why they had recruited both Raypin and me.
Departure was set for two days from now.
Since there were no issues, I officially accepted the job. Looking around, it seemed everyone else was on board as well. However, as the meeting wrapped up, Welanna spoke up.
"Gathering this much Trent lumber... is something big happening?"
"Yeah. You all know the population of this town has been dipping, right?"
"Of course. Since that one mine was abandoned, anyone who couldn't find work has been moving on."
"The previous administration didn't seem too bothered by it, but the new head of the Town Office is a different story. They’re keen on increasing the population, boosting revenue, and improving the town environment. They’ve got a lot of projects in the works. For this one, they’ve adopted a proposal to create a new local attraction to draw people in. But the problem is, this town doesn't have much to offer besides mines and iron."
I wondered if the Rimur Bird habitat wouldn't make for a good tourist spot.
"Apparently that idea came up, but the season the birds gather is the same time as the Grel Frog hunt, so it’s not exactly tourist-friendly. They can't stop the hunt because of the income from the frogs, so the idea was scrapped. Besides, the Town Office wants a permanent attraction that’s available all year round."
Revitalizing a town didn't sound easy. I didn't know much about urban planning, but it seemed to me they should use whatever advantages they already had. If they treated the hunt like a festival... would that not work?
"Wouldn't a temporary attraction be fine? As a seasonal tradition?" I asked.
"Seasonal traditions are great, but this is a mining town. If the mines ever dry up, the town would only have income for that one season. They want something year-round to prepare for the future."
I see. Put that way, it was a logical concern.
"I get what you’re thinking, Ryoma. We’re not that desperate yet, so I think taking it slow is fine, too. But the town decided to go in this direction. Ultimately, they’re going to build a second town district past the South Gate, designed specifically for tourism. At the center of it, they’re building a new 'Arena' to be the star attraction. They'll hold matches and generate revenue from tournament entry fees, gambling, and all the inns and shops that'll spring up around it. It'll cost a fortune to build, but the long-term profits will be massive."
"An Arena and gambling... that sounds like a recipe for a dip in public order, verily," Asagi noted.
It was easy to imagine thugs and ruffians wandering the streets.
"That’s exactly why it’s going to be a separate district. All the facilities for guests and participants will be contained within the new town. This town will stay exactly as it is—a quiet mining town. You can just think of it as a separate city being built to the south, though we'll share the same administration. The budget for public order is being increased significantly, the guard force is being expanded, and the gambling will be strictly regulated by the town. Now, to answer Welanna’s question... the man who’s been commissioned to design and build the Arena is Perdor Beckentain."
The room erupted in surprise at that name. Was he that famous?
"Who is that, exactly?" I asked.
"Hm? Does Ryoma not know? He is the second son of House Beckentain. He was meant to assist his brother in managing their lands, but he ran away to pursue his passion for architecture. He is quite well known, indeed," Raypin explained.
"He’s a genius architect without equal," Miya added, "but he’s also famous for being an absolute eccentric."
He sounded like a handful.
"When they approached him, he apparently had a sudden flash of inspiration and accepted on the spot. But he set a condition: he insisted on using Trent lumber for the Arena's key structures. Said it couldn't be built with anything else. So, we’ve been tasked with securing the materials."
I suppose that was the obsession of an artist. I later learned that while Trent wood can be used for construction, it rarely is because it's usually reserved for making high-quality magic staves. Perdor Beckentain must have been a truly exceptional talent to be allowed such an expensive demand.
With the briefing concluded, the meeting adjourned.
I spent the next two days preparing. Most of that time was spent moving the items stored in my Dimension Home into the warehouse I’d built in the abandoned mine, then sealing the entrance with Earth Magic to keep everything organized and secure.
I also spent time expanding my Dimension Home, using the techniques Sebas had taught me. I felt the mental load of the expansion increase with every attempt, but by utilizing my massive mana pool and treating it as training, I managed to expand the space until it was roughly the size of the ground floor of my shop’s dormitory. I still wasn't sure how large a Trent was, but this should be enough to store a significant amount of timber.
On the day of departure, I arrived at the South Gate to meet the others.
"Are they not here yet?"
I scanned the crowd, but didn't see anyone I recognized. Just as I was wondering if I’d gotten the time wrong, I saw Raypin and Asagi approaching.
"Good morning, Raypin-san, Asagi-san!"
"Good morning, indeed."
"Good morning, Ryoma. Is your health in good order today?"
"I’m doing great."
Miya’s group joined us shortly after. At the gate, we took possession of a freight wagon and two horses arranged by the Guild Master, along with our travel rations, and the journey began. Mizelia took the lead as our coachman.
The terrain south of Gimul consisted of vast plains dotted with trees, and the peaceful scenery drifted past as the wagon swayed along the road. As we traveled, Asagi, our designated leader, went over our strategy.
"Once we enter the forest, Miya, Welanna’s group, and this one will focus on the front lines to fell the Trents. Raypin and Ryoma will handle transport. Furthermore, Raypin will scout for targets and maintain vigilance, with Ryoma acting as his personal guard. Does this suit everyone?"
I nodded in agreement. While my primary role was support, everyone knew I had joined to gain combat experience, so they were planning to let me handle some of the fighting as well.
After that, Raypin took over the discussion, briefing us on the weaknesses of our targets.
Trents attacked by swinging their branches, so we had to be careful of overhead strikes. Their weak point was a face-like knot on the trunk; destroying that knot or severing the trunk below it was the fastest way to kill them. However, since we needed the wood for construction, we had to keep the damage to a minimum. We didn't need to be perfect, but we were to avoid unnecessary hacking and slashing.
He also warned us about High Trents. They were slower than the common variety, but their branches were thicker and hit with much more force. They could also use Wood Magic to animate vines and roots to ensnare their enemies, making them a headache for any vanguard.
Distinguishing a Trent from a normal tree was apparently easiest through Mana Perception. Unless the knot was clearly visible, they were almost identical to regular trees, but their high mana density made them stand out like a beacon to anyone who could sense it.
Finally, Raypin mentioned that Trents could actually move. They were slower than slimes, but they could pull up their roots and crawl along the ground. The idea of a tree picking itself up to walk was so bizarre it felt almost surreal. It made me wonder what monsters actually were.
"What are monsters, you ask?"
When I posed the question during a break, Raypin explained that monsters were animals, plants, or even inanimate objects that had been mutated by mana. In the case of Trents, a normal tree that absorbed enough mana would undergo a transformation. Knowing that mana could cause such radical mutations made the existence of walking trees much easier to accept. I remembered Pauline mentioning "Mana Mutation" before; it seemed that was the same phenomenon.
"Are humans affected by it?" I asked.
"One may suffer from 'Mana Sickness' if too much mana enters the system, causing a loss of physical composure, but it is unheard of for a human to accumulate enough to trigger a mutation. The human body has natural defenses that release excess mana before it can reach such dangerous levels."
I also asked about the details of Mana Sickness. It turned out that people with high natural mana were less susceptible, and it was rare for ordinary people to suffer from it unless they overused Mana Stones, downed too many recovery potions, or consumed an excessive amount of monster meat.
Raypin added that since mana is primarily concentrated in the blood, the meat itself wasn't much of a concern. Most cases were mild; if someone got sick from eating too much monster meat, it was usually treated as a joke or a sign of bad luck rather than a serious medical emergency.
As we chatted, we continued our peaceful trek. Raypin explained that most monsters instinctively avoided groups that were clearly dangerous, so few creatures around Gimul would be foolish enough to attack a wagon carrying seven seasoned adventurers. True to his word, we weren't bothered once during our first day on the road.
The time passed quickly as I talked about slimes and monsters with Raypin, listened to Mizelia’s travel stories, and got into a lively debate with Asagi about miso and soy sauce.
"Miso soup... how I long for it. I never dreamed I would be able to find miso or soy sauce in a place like Lenaf. Truly, you have my thanks for the information."
"If you'd like, I can make some miso soup for dinner tonight. I have all the ingredients with me."
"Verily?! I would be honored!"
And so, I took over the cooking for the evening. Inside Raypin’s Dimension Home, I prepared miso soup, nikujaga, and white rice.
The meal was a hit with everyone, but Asagi was actually moved to tears by the taste of the soup.
"Asagi, has it really been that long since you’ve been home?" Welanna asked.
"Indeed. The island of this one's birth is far across the sea, and the journey is arduous. More importantly, it is the tradition of the dojo where I studied that once a student has achieved a certain mastery of the blade, they must become an adventurer and leave the island. One is not permitted to return until they either reach S-Rank or fifty years have passed."
"Fifty years? Why that long?"
"It is said to be the number of years the founder of our style spent traveling the world. Whether one chooses to hone their blade or seek wisdom, surviving in the wide world is considered the ultimate ordeal. There are monsters and cultures here that simply do not exist on our island."
"But is the village okay with its strongest people leaving for fifty years? Doesn't that leave you vulnerable?"
"Fear not. Only those who seek to master the peak of swordsmanship are sent away. There are many skilled warriors who remain—those who study for self-defense, those dedicated to the village guard, and the instructors themselves. The village is well-protected."
We finished our meal while sharing stories, then began preparing our sleeping bags. Raypin’s Dimension Home was impressively large.
"In my younger days, I would often go months without returning to my base during my research. I needed a place to store my furniture, research papers, and specimens, so I spent years expanding this space. Nowadays, I stay in Gimul more often, so I leave most of my things at the house, but the space remains."
He mentioned that expanding the space was often easier than cleaning it, which was a slightly dubious reason, but the results were undeniable. Even empty, it was easily twice the size of my own Dimension Home. I clearly still had much to learn.
With the preparations for the night complete, we settled in early. We had to be ready to move at sunrise.