I decided to keep the line "It's not the reflection that's beautiful, but your face in the mirror" to myself.
So, they really had been doubting whether it was authentic. When Gosler said there was "no mistake," he must have meant it was undoubtedly a genuine Pelmask mirror. I suppose an industry revolution was long overdue.
Well, it couldn't be helped. Regardless of whether actual counterfeits were circulating, I could easily imagine inferior products being passed off as Pelmask mirrors. I’d just take it as a win that I’d now received Cassia’s personal seal of approval.
"Now then, regarding the price..." Gosler said, broaching the subject now that the mirror's authenticity was confirmed.
The price, huh?
If I recalled correctly, Gosler had mentioned something in the ballpark of ten-thousand-some Nahl, noting that twenty thousand would be a hard sell. Even though Sherry had negotiated the cost down, the workshop’s initial asking price had been thirty-five silver coins. If I bought them at the Imperial Capital and sold them for triple the price, they would go for ten thousand five hundred Nahl. That felt like a fair baseline.
If the Knight Order put their minds to it, they could send their own people to buy the mirrors. Even if one person couldn't make the trip alone, a party of six adventurers taking turns using Field Walk could reach Pelmask. If the journey proved too grueling, they could stay overnight.
Assuming the daily rate for an adventurer was one thousand Nahl, a party of six taking two days to bring back one mirror each would incur an overhead of two thousand Nahl per mirror. Adding the base cost, they could obtain them for five thousand five hundred Nahl total. It might cost a bit more with lodging and other expenses, but if they could make the round trip in a single day, it would be even cheaper. I couldn't really justify an exorbitant markup.
"Then how about one gold coin per mirror?" I suggested.
Besides, I couldn't very well rip them off right in front of Cassia. To bring up business negotiations while she was present... Gosler was more of a tactician than I'd thought.
"Is that not a bit too cheap?" Gosler asked. "Even in the Imperial Capital, they would likely cost more than that. And traveling to the capital ourselves incurs significant costs."
"If you organized a proper expedition and went directly to Pelmask, you might get them for half that price," I countered.
"Hiring people is a major undertaking. Pelmask mirrors aren't something we need every single day. Since we are buying them as the need arises, it's only natural that the price would be somewhat higher."
I see. This was his judgment as the administrator of the Knight Order. He couldn't just hire people whenever he wanted and fire them the moment they were no longer needed. Once you hired someone, you had to look after them even when there was no work to be done. Hiring adventurers might look cheaper on paper, but in the long run, it was an expensive burden. Even if it was technically cheaper to fetch the mirrors themselves, it was more profitable to just buy them if the price was reasonable.
Though, I was the one the Knight Order had tried to recruit in the first place.
"It's fine," I said. "I’ve managed to increase my supply as well."
"Are you truly sure? I understand. Thank you very much."
"As expected of the man I have high hopes for, Michio-dono," the Duke added.
Being praised by the Duke didn't really move the needle for me.
"It is a blessing to obtain such quality items so cheaply," Cassia said with a smile.
Now, being praised by Cassia made me very happy. In reality, the purchase price had dropped thanks to Sherry anyway. This much profit would be more than enough.
I accepted one gold coin from Gosler and headed outside, still basking in the glow of Cassia's compliment. Before going home, I stopped by the Kohaku Merchant's shop.
"Well, well. Welcome!" the cat-kin merchant called out.
It seemed the female cat-kin clerk wasn't around today. I’d thought I’d finally be able to appreciate her presence properly since neither Roxanne nor Sherry were with me this time.
"Sorry to intrude," I said.
"Please, come this way."
"Welcome."
Just as the thought crossed my mind, she greeted me from the back of the shop. Cassia was certainly the more beautiful of the two, but there was something about cat-kin. They were like a "dessert stomach"—I always had room for more.
The female cat-kin clerk served me herb tea.
"I have brought in some raw Kohaku stones from the processing plant," the merchant said, getting down to business. "I can let you have up to ten."
"I see. I'll take the lot."
"Thank you very much. However, I am not sure when I can have the next batch ready."
Apparently, Kohaku wasn't something that could be harvested on a whim. That made sense. If you could find it in piles like pebbles on the side of the road, it wouldn't be expensive. Its rarity was exactly why the price skyrocketed when transported across distances. Besides, if there were plenty to go around, someone else would have jumped on this lucrative trade by now. This merchant could just hire adventurers and sell them far and wide himself, but he didn't because the supply simply wasn't there.
"Well, I guess it can't be helped."
"Kohaku is often washed up on the coast after a storm. I expect we'll have more once the weather turns."
"By the way," I asked, "is it possible to get ahold of something called Taluem?"
"That would be Taluem. It's a white wood with a beautiful grain. Since it's a local specialty, obtaining it isn't impossible, though our company doesn't specifically deal in timber."
So it was a type of wood after all, just as the Duke had suggested for the mirror frames. Since it was considered valuable, it must have been something like cypress, teak, or mahogany.
"I want you to use that Taluem to make small boxes for the necklaces."
The Kohaku necklace I’d bought the other day had come in a simple cloth bag. Back in Japan, an item of that quality would always be presented in some kind of case. Apparently, that custom didn't exist in this world.
"Small boxes, you say?"
"Kohaku necklaces are luxury items. A Taluem box would give them an even more premium feel."
"It's exactly as you say. But... why tell this to us?" The merchant was clearly intrigued. He agreed that a box would help create a high-end presentation.
"I'm not from these parts. A local merchant like you would be much better at sourcing Taluem boxes. Besides, even if I were the only one selling necklaces in boxes, everyone would just copy the idea once the word got out anyway."
"Are you planning to sell Kohaku necklaces elsewhere?"
"There's a market for them. They seem like they'd sell well in Pelmask, too. I won't sell them anywhere near here, so you don't have to worry about the local competition."
Since the merchant sold them directly in this area, he likely didn't want his market disrupted.
"Would you mind if we also started selling ours with these small boxes?"
"Not at all."
"Understood. I shall look into it immediately. Taluem boxes... you have given me a wonderful idea."
I left the shop after placing my order. A cloth bag was a bit underwhelming for such an expensive necklace; a box was definitely the way to go. I’d save the necklace for the workshop master's wife until those were ready.
I spent the rest of the day in the labyrinth until evening. At dusk, I bought some Love Shrub leaves and a small pot before returning home. I wasn't about to make insecticide in a cooking pot. I had a pot that still had soap in it, but I had my doubts about using it for both. There are soaps with disinfectants, after all, but even though this was technically insecticide, the target was that creature. I wasn't keen on using soap that that thing might have touched.
"Once the Love Shrub leaves are minced like this, you simmer them until the mixture thickens. When it gets sticky, you remove the leaves and keep simmering. Once it boils down and turns white, take it off the heat and let it dry," Sherry explained.
While Roxanne and I prepared dinner, Sherry demonstrated the insecticide-making process.
"How long does it need to dry?" I asked.
"Two or three days is best. Drying it makes the poison even more potent. Did you know that those lowly creatures are cannibalistic, Master?"
"Is that so?"
"Since the toxin in the Love Shrub leaves is tasteless and odorless, those that die from eating the bait also become targets for cannibalism. By drying it to strengthen the poison, we can spread secondary damage throughout the nest. It will be a total wipeout."
Wonderful.
"Spasibo," I said.
"Spa?"
"It's another way of saying thank you. That's a very helpful medicine."
"I'll mix in some flour and sugar after it's dry so they'll want to eat it. However, even in this state, if you leave it to dry on a plate, the creature will die just by walking over it."
"So we can expect results as soon as tonight?"
My heart swelled with emotion. Finally, I could sleep in peace.
Perhaps because I slept so well, my labyrinth exploration went smoothly the next day. After delivering one mirror in the morning, I stayed in the labyrinth until I reached the boss room of the Vale Labyrinth 10th Floor late in the afternoon. The 10th-floor boss, the Strong Ant, was naturally no match for Roxanne.
"I suppose we should fight a few monsters on the eleventh floor before we head back," I suggested.
Since it was almost time to call it a day, we only stepped onto the eleventh floor briefly.
"The monsters on the eleventh floor of Vale are Spice Spiders," Sherry informed me. "Since we have already fought them in Quratar, they are the only ones left that we haven't faced here in Vale."
I asked Sherry for details as usual. The groups of monsters that appeared from floors one through eleven were the same across all labyrinths. Since we’d fought Spice Spiders in Quratar but not in Vale, they were the last ones on the list for Vale's eleventh floor. Conversely, the monsters we'd fought in Vale but not in Quratar would be the ones waiting for us on Quratar's eleventh floor. What were those again?
"Spice Spiders use poison, right?"
"Yes. However, the probability is lower than with NEET Ants. Since you've fought them in Quratar before, I don't believe there will be any problems."
"Does the chance of being poisoned increase on higher floors?"
"If it's a poison-based skill, the frequency increases. But for poison from normal attacks, there isn't any data suggesting a significant increase. Even if there is one, it would be marginal."
"I see."
Facing monsters we’d already encountered was a huge advantage. Tackling two labyrinths simultaneously had more benefits than I’d initially thought.
We tested the waters on the eleventh floor. Spice Spiders didn't have an elemental weakness, which made them a bit of a chore for a mage. The NEET Ants, being weak to water, were much easier to manage. Still, it was manageable. With Durandal, I could take them out with a single Rush. We were ready for Vale's eleventh floor.
The next morning, we broke through the 10th floor in Quratar as well. We had fought the Escape Goat boss, Pan, several times in Vale, so that experience served us well.
"The eleventh floor of the Quratar Labyrinth is considered quite difficult," Sherry warned as we passed through the boss room.
"Difficult?"
"The monsters here are Green Caterpillars. They are the most troublesome enemies among those on the eleventh floor. Furthermore, the NEET Ants from the ninth floor still appear here."
Right, the Green Caterpillars were the ones we’d seen in Vale but not yet in Quratar. But were they really that strong? They didn't use poison; I only remembered hacking them down with Durandal.
"Well, the NEET Ants are certainly a pain," I muttered. Poison was the worst. I really didn't want to get hit by that again.
"The Green Caterpillars spit thread," Sherry added.
Ah, right—the thread. Spitting thread was a skill attack. And skills were used more frequently on higher floors. That would definitely be a nuisance. Getting caught in thread while a NEET Ant moved in for a poison attack... that was a nasty combination.
"So that's the catch."
"It is possible to dodge the thread, however," the ever-capable Wolf-kin chimed in.
"Right..."
Sherry and I exchanged a look and nodded. It wasn't going to be easy just because we’d seen them before. Regardless, we had to press on.
We defeated the first two groups without incident, and the third was fine as well. It seemed the Level 11 Green Caterpillars didn't just spit thread at random. The Level 11 Escape Goats were annoying because they ran away, but we could handle them. At this rate, Quratar's eleventh floor seemed doable.
The first time a Green Caterpillar spat thread was during our fourth battle on the floor.
"It's coming!" Roxanne warned, leaping away.
Thread sprayed across the spot where she had been standing, the white silk dancing fruitlessly in the air. She really could dodge it. Sherry, who was beside her, was safe. Since I was keeping my distance from the front line, I wasn't hit either. Learning to keep my distance to counter Needle Wood magic had certainly paid off.
However, if I stayed too far back, the risk of being ambushed by another group from behind would increase. Since we’d made a perfect dodge, we wiped out the monsters without further trouble. We continued through the labyrinth, and the next time a caterpillar spat thread, Roxanne dodged it just as gracefully. The third attempt ended before it started because I had Durandal out at the time.
They didn't use the skill every single time, but as long as we were grinding here, getting hit was inevitable.
And on the fourth attempt, Sherry got caught.
A Green Caterpillar had circled behind us, slipping through a gap left by a fleeing Escape Goat, and shot its thread diagonally across the front line. Roxanne reacted instantly and escaped the area of effect, but Sherry, being on the far edge, was a split-second too late—or perhaps it had been in her blind spot. Even if she had noticed, it might have been impossible to dodge. It certainly would have been for me.
White thread enveloped Sherry, hundreds of strands entangling her. While her movements were slowed, another caterpillar slammed into her. Luckily, the Escape Goat had already fled; if she’d been hit by a concentrated attack, it might have been dangerous.
I set the First Aid aside for a moment, performing Plating in the brief gaps between my spells, and unleashed a Fire Storm. Just as the caterpillar was moving in for a follow-up hit on the immobilized Sherry, the magic triggered. Every monster, including the fleeing goat, was engulfed in flames. They collapsed and vanished into smoke.
"Are you okay?" I asked, rushing over to administer First Aid.
"Yes. I'm sorry, Master. I couldn't dodge it."
"It can't be helped. I probably couldn't have dodged it either."
"Thank you. I'm fine now."
Sherry stopped me after a few applications of First Aid. She looked like she’d taken a decent hit. Thanks to the Plating, the follow-up attack hadn't been too devastating, but still.
To kill NEET Ants and Escape Goats with one swing of Durandal, I needed the Warrior skill "Rush." If I equipped Warrior while using Durandal, I had to drop Alchemist, which meant the Plating effect would vanish. Because of that, I only used Plating when we were about to take heavy hits. This time, the initial strike had landed before I could apply it.
"In the worst-case scenario, you're going to have to tank a lot of damage. Can you handle that?"
"I believe I can do my best, Master."
"Believe I can do my best," huh? Sherry was rational; if she truly thought it was impossible, she would have said so. But if it was a fifty-fifty chance? If it was just barely manageable? She might be saying she could do it just to avoid worrying me.
I had to take her answer with a grain of salt. "I believe I can do my best" meant she wasn't entirely sure it was safe. Safety had to come first. It had worked out this time because the Escape Goat was already gone, but what if it hadn't been? What if it had been a NEET Ant instead?
I had to conclude that Quratar's eleventh floor was currently beyond our safe limits.
We moved from Quratar back to the Vale Labyrinth. Green Caterpillars were rare on Vale's eleventh floor. We’d face Spice Spiders and NEET Ants, so poison was still a risk, but that was a trade-off I was willing to make. Entering a labyrinth meant living with risk; you couldn't eliminate it entirely. There was no guarantee that Green Caterpillars wouldn't show up in Vale, after all. They could have appeared on the ninth or tenth floors, too.
In Vale, the hunting was almost perfectly stable. Still, I needed a proper countermeasure. Waiting for a caterpillar to spit thread was a losing game. The easiest fix was either boosting my magic power or strengthening Sherry's defense. Sherry's Leather Jacket was practically starting gear; I needed to address that first.
We had the funds from the mirror and Kohaku trade. Better armor would mean less damage taken, allowing her to endure longer even if she was immobilized. My wand was also a cheap shop-bought item. Strengthening my staff would help, too—faster kills meant less time spent in active combat.
Then again, if my magic power only went up a little, it might not actually reduce the number of spells needed to kill a monster. That was a high bar to clear. Boosting her defense was the more reliable immediate fix.
There was also the Substitution Misanga, but that was a one-time-only safety net. If she got caught in thread and dogpiled, blocking one hit wouldn't save her. It was meant for unexpected lethal blows, not as a primary strategy for known dangers. Besides, there was no guarantee only Sherry would get hit. She was the most likely target, but I could get caught if I wasn't careful, and even Roxanne... well, the possibility wasn't zero.
Probably.
We fought in Vale until dawn, and after leaving the labyrinth, I delivered a mirror to Bode. This was my new daily routine. After breakfast, I had Sherry work on her smithing—another part of the routine.
"After this, I'm planning to head to Pelmask, and then we're going to the armor shop," I announced.
"For an equipment upgrade?"
"I want to replace those leather jackets. We need something better for both of you."
"Shouldn't you prioritize your own gear first, Master?" Roxanne asked.
"If we had plenty of room to spare, I would. But right now, we're hitting a wall on Quratar's eleventh floor. We need to upgrade where the danger is greatest."
I managed to persuade Roxanne. I was the rear guard; I was doing fine. I sometimes moved to the front to recover MP, but Durandal’s HP Absorption kept me healthy. The monsters' attacks weren't that threatening to me yet. For today, the priority was Sherry's defense.
"Um... thank you. I'm sorry to put you to this trouble."
"Don't worry about it, Sherry. Every party member has their role. Right now, the priority is reinforcing the front line."
I told her not to dwell on it. In her case, she was contributing as a Master Smith as much as a combatant.
"Yes. Thank you very much."
"Understood."
While Sherry was the primary concern, I couldn't just upgrade her gear and leave Roxanne behind. I’d replace both. I needed to buy multiple items to get the thirty percent discount anyway.
"Tell the workshop master's wife that I'm looking for a truly exceptional necklace for her," I added.
"Understood."
I brought out the third necklace and sent the two of them off to Pelmask. I secured two mirrors for the Duke—not quite a daily task yet, but I had four more to go. Once my MP was restored, I headed to the armor shop.
"Is the next step up from a leather jacket the Hard Leather Jacket?" I asked the clerk, whom I had become quite familiar with. It was a large shop near the center of Quratar, and I’d been selling Sherry’s crafted items here lately.
"That is one option. For front-line fighters, we also have Chainmail, and for men, Iron or Steel Armor. Chainmail is roughly equal in protection to hard leather. Metal armor is heavier and more restrictive, but its defensive properties are quite reliable."
Opposite the shelf with the leather jackets was the Chainmail—essentially a shirt of linked metal rings. When I picked it up, it was surprisingly heavy. Running around a labyrinth in this? No way. Heavy equipment was a no-go for Roxanne, who relied on speed and evasion.
"Roxanne, you'd prefer the Hard Leather Jacket, wouldn't you?"
"It is excellent equipment. Are you sure, Master?"
"I'm sure." Upgrading by inches wouldn't make us any safer. "Sherry, would the Hard Leather Jacket work for you too?"
"I don't think this weight would be an issue for me," Sherry said, lifting the Chainmail.
She could handle the metal armor? She didn't look like she was lifting it effortlessly, but she wasn't struggling either.
"Isn't it too heavy?"
"It's heavy, yes, but it won't be a problem."
Well, if she said it was fine, I'd take her word for it. Dwarves were naturally strong, or perhaps she had some passive bonus.
I checked several pieces. The Chainmail seemed to have one empty skill slot, while the Hard Leather Jackets had up to two. That probably made the leather jackets the superior items overall. Then again, it might just have been that they didn't have many Chainmail in stock with multiple slots.
"Alright, pick out the best ones you can find."
I pulled several pieces with empty slots and handed them to the girls. I couldn't really tell the difference myself, but Roxanne took the selection process very seriously, so I let them choose for themselves. While they were busy, I browsed the rest of the shop. There were Hard Leather Hats and Gloves, too. Those would be the next logical upgrades.
But for now, this was enough. I didn't want to upgrade everything at once and leave us with nothing to look forward to. We’d test the new torso armor against the Level 11 Green Caterpillars first. If it worked, great. If not, it meant we just needed more training.
I took the pieces they’d selected and bought them with the thirty percent discount. Two gold coins vanished from my pouch. Better gear was getting expensive.
Back home, I had them try on the new equipment. The Chainmail really looked the part of combat armor—a solid, tubular suit of metal. Perhaps because of its rigidity, it didn't exactly highlight Sherry's curves, though it covered her well. You could barely see her clothes through the links. It wasn't exactly what you'd call sexy, but then again, that wasn't the point in a labyrinth.
"Is it possible to wear a leather jacket over the chainmail?" I asked.
"Equipment is enchanted, Master. It's designed to fit the wearer perfectly and resist damage. If you layer multiple pieces on the same part of the body, the enchantments clash. Some say it might increase defense slightly, but it causes the gear to fall apart almost immediately," Sherry explained.
One piece per body part was the rule.
"Wait, was it also a problem for me to carry both a sword and a wand?"
"As long as you aren't trying to use them simultaneously, one in each hand, it should be fine. Simply having a sword at your hip doesn't interfere with your staff."
Good to know. I’d have to be careful about switching them properly.
"I'd like to test the new gear in Quratar, but maybe tomorrow morning would be better?"
"The eleventh floor of Quratar isn't very popular because of the difficulty," Sherry noted. "It shouldn't be too crowded even now."
"Alright, let's head to Quratar then."
We warped to the eleventh floor. Testing the gear essentially meant letting someone get hit, and since Sherry was the one most likely to get caught in the thread, she was the volunteer. I didn't like the idea of it, but if we didn't see how the armor held up under real conditions, we'd never know.
"We'll fight here for a bit. Or... should you just let them catch you on purpose?"
"Yes, that would be best," Sherry agreed.
Taking a hit on purpose was different from getting hit unexpectedly in a real fight, but since the main concern was being immobilized by thread, the "on purpose" part didn't matter much for the defensive test. Roxanne led us to our first encounter.
It was a small group: two Green Caterpillars and an Escape Goat. Perfect. Or so I thought, but they didn't spit a single thread.
"How fleeting they were," I muttered.
"They were far too weak," Sherry added.
"They didn't even use their skills," Roxanne noted.
Japanese puns clearly didn't translate into Brahim. That made sense.
The next group had three Green Caterpillars. Was that still "simple"?
"It's coming!" Roxanne warned.
I saw Sherry move, preparing to take the hit while swinging her club. The caterpillar spat its thread even as it was knocked back, the spray shifting slightly due to the impact, but it still caught Sherry. She could have dodged, but she stood her ground and let the thread envelop her, then braced for the follow-up strike.
I focused on my magic. I had to stay calm.
Then it hit me—damn it. Even if she was getting hit on purpose, I shouldn't have ended the fight so fast. My Fire Storm triggered, and all three caterpillars were engulfed in flames. They collapsed instantly.
Whoops. Because she’d knocked the monster back, Sherry had only taken a single hit.
"H-how was it?"
"I can definitely feel the difference, Master. The impact was much lighter; the defense is clearly higher. It was only one hit, so it's hard to be certain, but I believe we'll be fine on this floor now."
"G-good. That's settled then." I forced the issue to a close. Letting her get hit again just to be sure? No way. Once was enough.
"I agree," Sherry said.
"Then let's head back to Vale."
We returned to the Vale Labyrinth. Quratar's eleventh floor wasn't our main goal, and since we were already doing fine in Vale, the new armor made me feel much more secure. We fought until evening, then headed home.
While Roxanne and I made dinner, Sherry finished the dumplings made from the Love Shrub decoction. They were large—about the size of a sweet rice ball.
"They dried beautifully. Since this is the first batch, I'll just mix in some flour and sugar," she said.
"You're making them pretty big."
"We don't need many. I'll put a few in the kitchen and some by the entrance. That should do it."
Sherry began setting out the bait.