The Novice Alchemist’s Store

"Now let's go out and exorcise the bear! Thank you for today, Mr. Jasper."

"Oh, let it be. For Non, it's not every person."

The members of the bear hunt are me and Kate, Iris, and Jasper, the hunter.

Mr. Jasper was added because he was sometimes a neighbor and easy to ask for, but the primary reason was to expect the hunter to be able to track him down.

If you can't find it, it doesn't make sense.

Well, I'm an amateur, and Iris and the others don't seem to be able to do it, so I wanted you to be a professional.

Mr. Jasper, the only hunter in this village, would surely do it.

"Sarasa, let me ask you something, are you okay? Non is a hunter, but if he's a normal bear, what can he do about demons?

"Yes, because I will fight alone. Run when you're in danger."

"If you do that, you'll kill me! For God's sake, run when it's dangerous, okay?

"haha...... it's ok, really"

Out of the blue, isn't it, Mr. Jasper's place?

Mr. Elles, you look strong.

"Well, then, Kate, I'd like you to show me around."

"Okay. Uh... this way."

With Kate's guidance, we first head to the place where we were attacked.

She didn't seem to remember clearly either, but when she ran away, she was running in charge of Mr. Iris, who had lost one arm. Naturally, there is a little bit of blood on that path.

That seemed like a good signpost if you take it from Jasper, the hunter, and he was assisting me with it every time Kate showed a bare gesture of getting lost.

And leave the village for about 30 minutes.

"Here! This is where they attacked me!

Even I, the amateur, found out that this was the scene of a tragedy.

Grass crushed by broken branches, marks of something burning, and still lingering dull black bloodstains.

"Damn... Sarasa, he's pretty big, huh? At least you can't shoot me. No matter how big a bear you were."

Mr. Jasper, who had detected claw marks and such on the tree around, shook his head with a slightly frightened look.

In Mr. Iris's story, he said, 'It was about two minutes bigger than his head,' but in Jasper's view, it seems certain that it's bigger than that.

"Ma, you'll be fine. The question is how to kill her beautifully..."

"There it is! My sword!!"

At that time, Mr. Iris, who was looking around violently looking for something, raised his delightful voice and picked up a sword from the grass.

Speaking of which, you weren't able to recover your sword.

"Good for you"

"Ah, the manager..."

Mr. Iris, who was happily holding his sword, gave me a slightly awkward look when I spoke, and began to make his hands wax like he panicked.

"This is, that! Never, I was wondering if I could safely collect my sword if I followed you with my luggage! I wish I could repay you something!

"Huh? Oh, I don't mind. If you don't have a sword, you won't get a job."

I wondered what you were panicking about, and that's what happened.

I wish I didn't have to feel backwards.

Like I didn't have when I came to this village, a thing called a sword is a pretty good price and not so easy to buy.

In particular, it would be a serious problem for Mr Iris, who is currently in debt.

I can't work without a sword, and that's why I'm not an explorer either, so I don't have a sword that I can lend.

I can't lend you the sword I just got from my master.

"Excuse me, Mr. Store Manager. I totally lost it, too. - Iris, if you wanted to retrieve your sword, wouldn't it be polite to say something?

"Ugh... My apologies, Store Manager. I can't deny the sword was on my mind when I volunteered to carry my stuff."

With an awkward look on his face, Mr. Iris puts his head down on me and Mr. Kate lowers his head to go with it.

"Oh, no, you really don't have to care, do you? I'm glad they found you."

"Ugh, I'm such a sweet store manager..."

"No, really"

I managed to forgive Mr. Iris for the pitiful look on his face, and the orbital modification.

"Mr. Jasper, is tracking possible?

"Leave it to me. You can't hunt without being able to track a giant like this."

"It helps. Well, thank you."

"Ooh."

We follow the traces of the bear, guided by Mr. Jasper, who nodded vigorously.

The first way we headed was in the direction we came.

However, he had interrupted the chase relatively quickly and had changed course in a different direction.

"Is this... were we lucky?

"Right. If you get certified as a prey, the bear will persevere. That... was Hell Flame Grizzly? I don't know if that applies."

"Demons are pretty persistent, aren't they? There are a lot of belligerent objects, so unlike normal animals, they seem to come under attack a lot."

Ordinary wildlife escapes first if it encounters humans.

Unless you're hungry enough, but if you make the right noise and walk, they usually avoid you over there.

But creatures classified as demons are different.

I dare to come closer from the other side, and there are quite a few cases of being attacked.

It's a rather vague division between animals and demons, but it could be quite a clear difference around here.

Of course, demons don't get paid or gradually attacked by anything, but you don't know the ecology in detail around them.

"I'm glad Hell Flame Grizzly gave up along the way. If it had followed me to the village, it would have been dangerous."

"In my village, there's no one I can deal with... except Sarasa"

"Probably not a problem if you're a veteran explorer... well, it's a different matter if you'll fight for the village"

"Wow, I'm gonna fight?

"No, no, Mr. Iris, you've been hit."

"Mind, mind only."

More important than your heart, your life.

On top of the temporary party, I don't abandon even the two explorers who pulled their legs, or I know they're very good people, but they're a little dangerous.

You're getting closer and closer to the village in this direction.

"Yes. Looks like you're glad you came"

While the traces are serpentine, they are moving to the village as an approximate move.

If left unattended, there is a good chance, they would have broken into the village.

"Mmm, this is a pretty new trail. From here on out, proceed with caution."

"Really? So..."

Explore the area with detective magic.

If you came close, would you get caught?

"- Oh, here it is. I found it. Well, then, you're going. You can follow me, but when you find me, it's troublesome..."

I think Mr. Jasper is fine, but the other two...

"Are you sure you're okay on your own?

"Yes, because I'm still an alchemist."

"There is no strong image of an alchemist in Non..."

I know how you feel. But strong people are strong, aren't they?

Especially with our master. irrationally.

That, absolutely, I think he's more than a kingdom knight, even if he fought with his sword alone.

I can't compare to that, but a short battle without stamina would be pretty strong.

Me cosily headed in the direction found by detective magic.

A little further behind it, Mr. Jasper and the others follow.

The important thing is to ambush.

It doesn't have to be an ambush to kill, but in terms of material, an ambush is important.

- Discover.

Turning his back on this one, he's scratching the trunk of the tree with his nails.

"Dear Store Manager, how do you kill me?

"I don't care if you just shoot me... is it my neck this time"

"Neck?"

"Yes, it's best to break your neck, you can take the material"

"Huh...?

"Ha!"

Me leaping as far as I can toward that back as I want, approaching Mr. Iris with his neck clenched.

Feet to be tapped in.

A dull sound that sounds "cockroach".

Thick neck of a bending hell-flame grizzly.

I kicked down that giant and landed behind it.

Hell Flame Grizzly's body fell to the ground and lay still motionless with Pickle.

"Phew."

"Huh? Huh? Huh!?"

"... Yes?

"Unbelievable..."

I stood on the ground, alternating between me and Hell Flame Grizzlies, who stopped moving, and Mr. Iris, who is confused.

"You said before breakfast."

"No, that's what the manager did say. No way, no, no, hey?

Hey? Even if they say so.

"I just thought you were going to take it down with that sword."

"I brought it with insurance, but you can collect more material if you don't cut it."

I'm better at physics in the first place.

Money, because there was no money.

Weapons wear out when used, and it costs money to take care of them.

In that regard, magic and physical skills are good.

Zero cost. All you need is your strength, your mental strength! How ecological!

That's why you basically killed him with physical surgery when you were practicing, right, me?

The fur can be recovered beautifully.

By the way, the master of this is the school swordsmanship teacher.

I don't have an exam for physical surgery, but the teacher seemed to be an orphan, sympathetic to me in the same situation and eager to mentor me.

"Shall we retrieve the material quickly? It's better if it's fresh... Yeah, there's plenty of flame bags in it."

The flame bag is an organ in a fiery demon, like Hell Flame Grizzly, with liquid inside.

All you need to do to recover this is take it down in an instant.

When it comes to battle and they throw up flames, even if they shoot because of it, it even means the contents carrappo.

This time a few days ago, we got into a fight with the Iris, but I guess we didn't consume that much.

"Ho, Sarasa, are you handy?

"I'm a professional, too. If you can't do this, you can't name an alchemist."

At least as far as the demonic dismantling arm is concerned, I'm confident Mr. Jasper won't beat me.

"Ugh, my struggling enemies are so light on the material..."

Proceed to recover the material while being watched by Iris, who looks somewhat complicated.

Fresh materials are hard to come by so far, so it looks like you can expect them for the price.

About half of it, send it to the master or flush it to South Strag......

"Well, at the end of the day, it's an eyeball. After that, it's enough to go home."

"Are you done yet? You're really early."

"The fresher the better it's worth...... eh! No way, this is..."

Normally white Hell Flame Grizzly eyeballs.

But that I took out, it was stained with bright red color.

◇ ◇ ◇

"The frenzy of Hell Flame Grizzly?

"Yes, that's very likely"

“The Frenzy of Hell Flame Grizzlies".

It refers to Hell Flame Grizzlies attacking nearby villages and towns as a group.

The causes are theoretical, but the most powerful theory is "lack of flame stones”.

Flaming stone, as its name suggests, is a stone that houses the power of flaming, and in this vicinity it produces in the back of the Great Tree Sea, in the middle belly of some mountains.

Hell Flame Grizzlies prefer to eat this stone, but when they can't secure enough for some reason, they leave their normal territory and start rampaging, as if they've lost their reason.

The sign is a red-dyed eye.

This time the individual I defeated is like a scourge, and after a while the body of the group will come.

I hear that there have been more than a hundred good and ten, if bad.

"Oh, no..."

The village chief was stuck with my explanation like that.

After that, we hurried back to the village, and when we threw our prey into Mr. Jasper's demolition cabin, we were immediately visiting the village chief's house.

One or two would just increase my savings, but it's just impossible to deal with “frenzy” alone. I'm not proud of it, but I don't have the stamina to fight for a long time.

"Duh, what am I supposed to do... Jasper, can you handle this?

"You can't kill one in Non. Even if you ask your lord to rescue you, there's still time."

"Tomorrow at the earliest, but no later than six days."

"I can't! I can't even get in touch in time...... In the first place, whether the lord will send forth soldiers"

The village chief blues his face and holds his head. Mr. Elles only has about a job to collect taxes, he was just saying, and I guess he's not used to training grounds.

If you can count on me, externally or calmly, Mr. Jasper is overwhelmingly upstairs.

"Sarasa, can you handle this?

"Mr. Jasper, I killed him briefly earlier, but that's because he's unintentionally alone, right?

Something like strangling a sheep and being pushed into ten sheep in the same row.

It is not comparable.

"Of course, I will cooperate to the best of my ability... but who can fight in the villagers?

"Clearly, about Jasper. Probably not helping."

"Oh. Most of them are just peasants."

"Still, I think we can throw stones and hang water, but we'll still have to ask collectors to help us."

"But there's no money in the village..."

It was the Iris who were with him who responded promptly to the village chief who leaked the words like trouble.

"Wow, I'll work with you! Minor force though."

"If there's anything I can do."

"Oh, thank God. Other collectors of ancient ginseng might be able to help..."

"If you're rewarded, if you shoot Hell Flame Grizzly, you'll figure it out with that material. Because I'll buy it. So let's hire them."

The gatherer is not a mercenary, but I think he will cooperate if he pays for the village he is staying in.

The problem is, if you're not a veteran, you can't shoot Hell Flame Grizzly, but if you're around Mr. Andre, you're probably fine.

"But still enough people to protect the whole village, right?

"Yes, but there is a way"

I just read in the book, too, that Hell Flame Grizzlies, who prefer flame stones, can be induced to some extent by using magical crystal stones with the magic of fire.

If we can't protect the entire village, we have to gather our enemies in one place.

"Build a fence, direct it there and slap it all at once. If those who can't fight can also help with watches, advance preparation, etc., we can figure it out..."

Even if we couldn't collect it completely, it should be better than getting ripped apart from all sorts of places. Against Hagre, someone will have to deal with it in an assault.

"Of course, it's the village chief who decides, so I think there's a way for us all to evacuate somewhere..."

"We can't evacuate. The majority of the villagers are farmers. You can't live without abandoning farmland. It's no use just expecting support from the Lords here..."

"The lord here is incompetent."

The sighing village chief and Mr. Jasper, who decides too clearly.

But if the village is just to crumble, a normal lord would support it... oh, but is that it? To put it to the extreme, it doesn't have to be the same villagers who are in that village.

There is no way to bring people from elsewhere to the village that has become Carrappo.

Finally, if you collect the land bill or something, the lord will make money...

"Rather, Sarasa is the one who came to this village and the sun is shallow. You don't even have to be here, do you?

"Uh-huh. You can't just leave without your friends."

Lorea, you're one of the few friends I have, and I'm being looked after by Mr. Elles and Mr. Dillall.

Unless you have no prospect at all, but if you have eyes that can handle it, I'm not going to run away.

"Thank you. Sarasa came to me this time of year to guide God."

"I'm sorry. Grateful. Non is also attached to this village. I don't want to do anything to throw it away if I can."

"No. All I can do is to the extent of my power. More than that, let's pack the details of the policy."

Then we continued our discussions for a while in order to consolidate details such as the extent to which the fence was built, the combat area and how to direct it.

For once, as for me studying knowledge around there at school as well, anyway, it was unexpected that Mr. Iris and Kate had more knowledge than I imagined, but it was a delightful miscalculation that the discussion had progressed thanks to it.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Mr. Sarasa, is there anything you can do to help me?

"Right, well, can you pick some herbs out of the garden and wash them?

"Got it!

Dropping off Lorea as soon as she gets out of the house, I get to build a Demonic Crystal Stone with the magic of fire.

When I say Demon Crystal Stone, I don't need anything as pure as the one used for the smelter Artifact, so I just crush the Crumb Demon Crystal Stone and put magic into it.

However, the amount is high because it has to be sown quite extensively in order to induce it.

"If this fails, you have a huge deficit..."

I'm supposed to recover the cost of the crumb demon crystal stone I consume and the smelting drug Potion I offer from the material I killed Hell Flame Grizzly, but I hope that works too.

If I fail and run away from the village, I will return to the King's Capital and work in the master's shop.

Exactly in this short period of time. I want to avoid that.

By the way, I'm explaining the situation to Lorea because she's going to be known anyway.

She's been out of line for a while, but it's just as soon as she gets me back and tries to do what she can.

By the way, I'm asking Iris and Kate to help me build the fence.

A strong fence to make to a place to collect Hell Flame Grizzlies, and a simple fence to make around a village facing the woods.

It depends on how far you can build it, but I don't think you need to be so pessimistic to see the hands of Mr. Geberg and all the collaborators who built our garden walls.

At the very least, if the fence in the battle area is solid, we'll figure it out...... and good?

No, no, no. No pessimism.

I need to work hard thinking I can.

I put my strength into the hammer of crushing the scraps demon crystal stone so as to shake off the weak thoughts that came to my mind.