Ilias wakes up to the glare of the morning sun shining through the window.
　It's morning, I have to get up.
　He pulls himself up, the familiar sight of his room.
　But unlike usual, he is not feeling well.
　He thinks about the reason and remembers what happened yesterday.
　You wake up as usual, but then you notice that he is not coming back, and you think about what to do.
　I waited and waited, hoping that maybe he would come back, wondering if I should go out to look for him, fearing that we would cross paths.
　In the end, he came back just before sunset.
　After that, he took me to the "Dog Bone".
　I remembered the incident with the waiter I met there, the bustle of the restaurant, the delicious food and drink.
　And I remember the conversation I had with him.
　--It was fun.
　Everyone was nice to me in Raggedy, but I never got involved off duty.
　He'd been invited to join, but he'd distanced himself on the pretext of training.
　I was ostracized by the others.
　I was afraid that if I befriended them outside of work, I might cause them trouble.
　But it wasn't all that bad.
　I'm sure there are people who don't like me.
　But there were certainly people who recognized me and respected me.
　I ruminated on what he had said again in my head. 　　
　My mouth dropped open.

And .......

　My memory is hazy from that point on. I don't remember walking home.
　Even after I became old enough to drink, I never bothered to do so. Feeling heightened by a long time of drinking: .......
　Finally, a break in consciousness: .......
　Oh, my God.

"Am I drunk?

　And then he carried me to .......
　I wake up clearly feeling miserable.
　I put my right hand to my face and let out a deep sigh.
　Let's just get up.
　I get up and go downstairs to wash my face.
　I go back to my room and change into my work clothes.
　There is no time to make breakfast. I'll go to the market and buy some fruit.
　Yes, I'll have to apologize to him - or thank him.
　You arrive in front of his room and knock lightly.
　No answer. I wonder if he's still asleep.
　The first time I met him, I woke him up when he was asleep.

I remembered that he was a good sleeper.　

　I laughed as I remembered the past.
　It was almost time for me to leave, and I wanted to talk to him about dinner so that we wouldn't miss each other.
　I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to get up.
　I open the door and call out to him.

"Are you still asleep?　About last night...

　He was already gone.
　Left by the window are the clothes he wore yesterday. They've been washed.
　I wondered when he had woken up, and whether I had slept so deeply that I hadn't noticed them being washed in the house in the first place.

"...... huh.

　I'm not sure.

I'm not a fan.

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.
　I've got a lot of muscle pain.
　I had to get up before the sun came up because of it.
　I didn't feel like going back to sleep, so I quickly did the laundry and decided to go out.
　I'm sneezing. I think I'd better take a siesta for an hour or so at noon.
　The sun is starting to rise while I'm moving to Dog Bone.
　I wonder if Godz is awake, and if he is, I'll get some leftovers.
　I arrive at the store, and at the same time I meet someone I recognize.
　It's Grandpa Kara's wife.

"Hey, you're up early, kid.
"Good morning, sir. You too.
It's a rule that older people wake up early!

　She's all gut-punched.
　You've got a lot of energy. I need some.

I just wanted to get started on the ingredients and preparation.
Oh, I was just going over yesterday's customer count and sales, and then I was going to talk to Godz about the cash flow, including wages for everyone.
Oh, well, I'll take care of it. I can handle it. I'm pretty good at it.

　I'm sure she keeps a close eye on her husband's salary.
　I wonder how much allowance old man Kara gets.

I'll just listen to your progress and go home.
"There's still some left over from yesterday, go ahead and eat.

　I thought I wouldn't be able to make it, but I got an invitation I never thought I'd get.



"So I'll take your word for it.
Salt is really useful. Just a little bit of it in almost any dish will make it taste better and more delicious.
"In fact, if we could make seasonings and other products using salt, we could expand the range of our cuisine. In order to do that, we have to lower the price of salt.
Can you do that?
It's not a sure thing, but we'll be working on it.
"Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed. People are hesitant to use salt when they hear the price.

　"Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

"Good morning, Mrs. Dmitry Kovkon!　Good morning, Mrs. Dmitry Kovkon!

　Godz greeted me with a salute.
　So, this is the owner of the restaurant, huh?
　As we ate, Godz talked to me about sales and expenses.
　We discussed the direction of the business with Karaji's wife.
　At this rate, he should be able to manage his finances without any problems.
　The number of employees has suddenly increased, but it seems that we can maintain a positive balance.
　If there is a problem, it is that the amount of foodstuff to be transported will increase, but they have already arranged for a cart.
　It looks like we have nothing to do for the time being.

If we can increase the number of recipes for women and lunch, we can increase the number of customers and the operation rate. Next time I have an idea, I'll write it down on a piece of paper and bring it to you.
"Oh, there'll be more?
What are you talking about? I'm going hard!
Huh?

　Grandma scaring the shit out of a two-meter tall man, nice composition.

Yeah, I'll have to give you your share.
You don't have that kind of money now that you have more employees. I just need to recoup the salt money I paid before.

　After all, I can eat salty food here from now on.
　That's enough compensation for the past few days of work.

"That's all well and good, but ......, you're welcome to come over for dinner anytime. I'll buy you a meal whenever I'm free.
Okay, I'll come when it's crowded.
I'll come when it's crowded.

　But I'll treat you to a drink from time to time.
　At any rate, I'm currently living as a pimp. I'll have to get a job soon.
　After paying for the salt, the baskets, and the two days' wages, I have a little extra money in my pocket.
　However, if you subtract the cost of the food I ate and the dinner I had yesterday, it's not much more.
　Eventually, I will have to return this money to the Iliad. I also have to think about how to pay for it.

I'm going on a money-grabbing trip then.
"Oh, be careful ......, if you're in need of money, why don't you at least accept a reward?

　The place to go is Mr. Ban's place. If you want to talk about money, you have to rely on the merchant.
　Despite the fact that I had been there for three days in a row, Mr. Ban was always smiling and helpful.

Thank you for letting me visit 'Dog Bone'. It's been a wonderful transformation.
You've already been there, just yesterday?
"Of course, the most reliable thing is what you see with your own eyes. But the employees were a bit of a surprise to me. ......

　The wives of the famous knights, I suppose, would be atrocious to those who knew them.
　They're also very motivated to have a vibrant life after a long time, and they can kill two birds with one stone by earning money.

Thanks to you, I'm out of work. Now that I have some free time, I thought I'd move on to something else.
You're talking about exploring uncharted territories. You have a plan?
Yes, ......, but I'd appreciate it if we could keep this between us.

　I have a copy of Docola's map on my desk.

It's .......
"This is a copy of the map that belonged to the leader of the bandit alliance that was destroyed the other day. They built their base in the mountains and forests to escape the hands of the knights. And they had carefully studied their surroundings.
"How did you get this? But this is amazing. The fact that they were operating over such a large area ...... should make it difficult for our knights.
It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this. I'd like to investigate these areas.
I'd like to investigate these areas. Hmm, this reminds me of the time I saw a treasure map!
A treasure map? You used to be an adventurer?
Yes, I was more of a merchant, so I'm calmer now, but I was naughty in the past.

　I wonder, aren't there too many people with high specs that I know?
　I feel a great affinity for Godz and Saira, I wonder if they actually have a special skill.
　I wonder if they actually have any special skills... Oh, I remember Mr. Ban praising Godz's connoisseurship of alcohol.
　Sila may also have a talent as a dressmaker. 　

But you're careless. Didn't you think I was going to make a run for it?
That's the time. I'll just assume you're that kind of person.
Ha-ha-ha, that's scary. Then I'll be a good cooperator.
The only thing is, I'm not sure I'm strong enough to do the research. ......


I see. So you need someone to be your bouncer.
And the money to hire them. ......

　We don't have the money for labor, food, horses, or miscellaneous expenses.
　If you have a knight like Kara, you'll be fine, but you can't make him work for free so many times.
　Oh, no, wait.

How about recruiting interested volunteers like you, Mr. Van?
"I think it's not a bad idea, we can split the cost. However, there is a possibility that the information will be leaked to other business rivals when we recruit them.

　That's right, some people will try to outsmart you when it comes to profit.
　This plan requires that a hierarchical relationship be established beforehand.

We can arrange for a trusted adventurer or two to join us. It'll be small for a while, but we'll see how it goes.
"Yes, I'll think about the funding in the meantime.
You're not going to make us pay for it, are you?
We can't maintain a cooperative relationship if we're too lax.

　The idea is not the end of the story.
　After obtaining the resources, Mr. Ban takes the initiative.
　If we have to rely on Mr. Van from the beginning of the research, we will not have any need for him.
　I need to figure this out on my own.

But I'm afraid I'm going to have to rely on you to arrange and pay for the first adventurer. ......
"I'll pay you for that as a reward for increasing the supply of salt in the future.

　The best outcome of this plan is to achieve early resource discovery.
　If the prospects are good, we can choose to borrow money.
　If we play our cards right, we may even be able to convince the government.
　In that case, we need to learn as much as we can about geography now, and sharpen our sense of smell.
　After that, I asked Mr. Van to tell me about the mines that are currently being used, and we started to go through the details.

Iliad.

The Iliad. Did you get a response to your invitation to the ceremony and dinner for the collaborators?

　Ilias looked at Lord Ragdoll's words with a look of annoyance on his face.
　We haven't spent much time together, and with everything that's been going on, we haven't had a chance to talk about it.

I'm sorry, but you were off duty yesterday.
I'm sorry, ...... actually, he went out the night before and didn't come back until the evening.
Did you by any chance get held up all day?
"Yes, sir.

　Lord Raggedy sighed.
　It's not nice to ruin an off-duty day like that.

You can go home now.
"But...
"Yes, you may. I'll put it another way. Sir Ratzel's task today is to inform his collaborators of the invitation and to get their approval. Time is running out, so do your best!
"Yes, sir!

　Sir Raggedy smiled softly as Ilias rushed off after him.
　Compared to the day before yesterday, his shoulders were much more relaxed. He wondered if something had happened in the short time they had been together.
　Lord Raggedy felt that Ilias was like a daughter to him.
　Seeing the change in her, Lord Raggedy felt grateful for the young man he had not yet seen.

...... What will the king do?

　The story of the book was told to the king.
　The king looked at him with difficulty and then entrusted the book to Lord Raggedythe.
　He was instructed to track down the origin of the book, but nothing more.
　The King is looking forward to meeting the young man.
　Hopefully, we can establish a good relationship. .......

I'll be back.

　Now the adventure begins.
　According to Mr. Van, there are some areas nearby that are free of dangerous beasts.
　I checked the map and found a cave.
　In order to save money, I decided to go there by myself.
　Hmmm... I wish I could learn from my Japanese self how to be so active.
　I greeted the gatekeeper and left the castle.
　Mr. Van is following me.
　I said I would go and see the castle by myself, and he agreed to lend me his horse.
　But when I told him I couldn't ride a horse, he said.

I said, "Well, I'll go with you. It's been a long time since I've felt like moving!

　He said. He seemed to have been turned on while planning the adventure.
　Is that all right with you, Master of the House?
　We continue in the other direction, the road to the mine.
　About an hour later, when he was about 30% of the way to the mine, he dismounted and entered the forest.

"Don't these horses attack people?
"Don't worry, we've trained them to run for the country.

　That's good.
　I remembered that Kara Gye's horse had a rough temperament and had almost bitten me on the way back.
　In comparison, this horse's eyes were gentle.
　I parted company with the horse and continued through the forest.
　As I expected, being a former adventurer, his speed was no less than that of Kara and the other knights.
　No, he's even faster than that.
　He is also taking care to make it easy for us to follow.


　I wonder if he was a scout when he was an adventurer.
　I don't sense any hesitation in the direction we're going.

You're good at this, aren't you?
Of course. I'm not much of a fighter, but I'm still as good as any young man at scouting.
That's very encouraging.

　As we passed through the forest, the number of trees dwindled.
　As we pass through the forest, the number of trees diminishes, the rocky surface begins to appear, and the path begins to change from flat to uphill.
　We struggled to catch up with them, but arrived at our destination safely.
　Unlike the cave we had found before, it was surrounded by rocky surfaces. It's more like a crack than a cave entrance.
　From here on, it's mostly rocky mountains. There was no information on Docola's map about what lay beyond.
　I guess this is the best place to hide.

Well, let's go.

　Both of them took their torches and entered the cave.
　There is a narrow passage inside.
　The path was straight and easy to follow, but there was nothing new to discover on the rock surface.
　It would be nice if there were more paths leading underground. .......

It's just a passage, isn't it?
Yes, it is. ...... Oh, it's a dead end.

　Oh my god, it's a dead end.
　I came across a cavity about the size of a studio, but the path ended there.
　It seems that our initial investigation was unsuccessful.

Hmm, that's too bad. It's a pity that it's so narrow and long that it was never used as a hideout.
That's true. ...... Unless you can see some ore on the rock face. ......
"I don't see anything like that. ...... Hmm?

　Mr. van was looking at the wall when he noticed something.

"What's wrong?
This is ...... the only place where the wall is magically created.

　Is there such a thing?　I looked at the wall he pointed to.
　But I can't tell the difference from the other walls.
　It looks like the same material.

"It looks the same to me. ......
"Ha-ha-ha, yes, yes, yes. But a professional in this field can tell.

　What Mr. van took out was a kind of twisted stake that looks like something you would hook on your head.
　It reminded me of the stakes used to set up tents when camping.

It reminds me of the stakes used to pitch tents when camping. "You probably used earth magic to build the wall using the surrounding ore. ...... Hmm!

　He thrusts the stake into the wall with great force.
　The next thing he pulls out is a gleamingly decorated hammer.
　Mr. Van left his bag with me and confronted the stake. 　

Please keep a little distance, it's dangerous.

　I silently move away.
　Mr. Bang takes a deep breath and swings the hammer down toward the stake.
　With a roar, the wall shatters.

What's that?
It's an enchanted hammer that multiplies the impact by tens of times. It's useful for breaking through walls.
Some things are more useful than others.
It wastes a certain amount of magic power, and you can't use it while holding the magic seal stone, but that's the downside.

　Oh, so that's why you made him carry the luggage.
　And it seems that Japanese people with very little magic power can't use it.
　I was hoping that a weapon with magic in it would be able to do both magic and combat!
　There was a further passage beyond the collapsed wall.

"This is, hmmm, .......

　I can understand why Mr. Van is pondering this.
　Now we're here to search for resources.
　But what we found was a deliberately hidden passage.
　Something smells fishy.
　The bandits probably turned back at this point.

"Okay, let's go.

　Oh, Mr. Van's eyes are in adventurer mode.
　I guess he'd rather satisfy his curiosity than end up in the wrong place.
　We nodded and went on.
　After a while, we saw a light ahead.
　It's outside, and it looks like we're through the mountains.
　We pass through the cave and look around, dazzled by the light outside.
　There was a new forest.
　Compared to the forest we had just entered, the vegetation other than trees seemed to be more mature.
　Hmm, I wonder what this emptiness is.
　Could this be a passage that was used in the past?

Is this the end?
...... No, please wait a moment.

　Then Mr. Van walks into the forest.
　Not wanting to be left behind, I continued.
　Mr. Van seems to be investigating the forest rather than following the path.
　He is nodding his head repeatedly, looking very interested. 　

It seems we've made a rather important discovery.



　Naturally, you nod your head.

"Take a look at this map.

　You take out a large map.
　Unlike Docora's map, there is no detailed information, but it shows the topography of the entire Tarzan territory.

We've gone from here. Based on the amount of time we've been walking, we should be somewhere around here.

　He's pointing to a place-- a mountain range.

You're in the mountains.
Yes, which means that this forest is a hidden forest surrounded by mountains.

　Well, there is a space in the middle of a big mountain range, and there is a forest there.
　This is certainly a discovery. .......

Isn't this just a strange forest in the vicinity?
No, I've examined the vegetation around this area and it's not the same as what we've seen in the Tarzan territory.

　I took another look at the surrounding trees and plants.
　If you ask me, this is not the same forest we've been walking around in for the past few days.
　Yes, this is close to that place.

The shape of the plants is similar to the ones in the Mountain of the Kuro Demon Slayer.
Oh, you know it well.
Yeah, I was attacked by a slime there the other day.
How did you survive?

　Oh, I miss that reaction.
　But it's true.
　The trees are not translucent or luminous.
　The trees are not transparent, nor are they luminous, but the plants at my feet, illuminated by them, are. 　

"Yes, well, I was lucky.
This is not a place where luck is a problem. ...... These plants live in a land of high magic. It was thought that there was no other place in Tarz where these plants occurred besides the mountains. ......
So you're saying there's a chance we could find a rare plant?
Yes, this will be a new business opportunity!

　Mr. van is very pleased.
　Oh, he's just starting to look around.
　But if we can get valuable medicinal herbs instead of salt and other edibles, it will be a good business opportunity.
　You must have a good routine to get an unexpected hit on an expedition that seemed to be a dud!
　I nodded my head and was about to head towards Mr. Van, who seemed to be disappearing from my sight.
　With a sudden shock, I lost consciousness.