The Spearmaster and the Black Cat
chapter-32

Chapter 32

The open space was a market . A huge market .

It is place where various street stalls are gathered .

Not only glass products or ceramic plates, but also various furs, a great variety of meat, wonderful multicolored vegetables, a really varied selection of items are being sold .

I come across standards of fantasy in one of the stalls, a Dwarf-san .

Dwarfs really are short .

The plump figure dressed in fur seems to be a merchant .

A group of humans and tiger beastman with iron traps thrown over their shoulders are making exaggerated gestures while talking and removing money from their wallet, making a trade .

Speaking of Dwarfs, I remember coming across Loirr when I was deep underground .

Just a little, but is this one of short as Loirr who was underground?

After all I can only see a lot of figures of demi-humans in a city .

Furthermore, a crowd is forming in one corner of aslant corner of the market .

-Right away I go to the crowd .

It is slaves . Here is a slave market .

Humans and beastmen are wearing dirty clothing and collars around their hands and feet, chained together and made to walk .

The slaves are placed on a low wooden stand .

Thereupon, richly dressed people in the area begin raising appraisal of the slaves all at once .

There is a great amount of competition in the auction place .

It does not seem to matter if the slave is a demi-human .

The upper part of the body is like a human woman connected like the other slaves with a collars around both hands, and her lower body is that of a snake .

…I am curious about the race, and for a while, I watch how she is able to walk .

Then,

“Can’t you shop satisfactorily? I’ll buy it if the sense of smell is superior, being made to buy such rubbish-”

N? What?

I hear suddenly hear a rough voice from the person next to me .

“S-sleepy-”

A beast woman is kicked and her face touches the ground .

“Hahaha, a face stuck in horse dung . As punishment stay like that today . ”

A fat merchant or noble man, has a vulgar smile and is smelling beastman slaves like garbage .

The beast woman is keeping her face to the ground according to his instructions .

Horrendous treatment .

Cold eyes are gathering from the area, but no one is going to stop the scene .

I stop such a thing here too . I do not intend to say such a thing .

This is the common sense of this world .

It makes me feel sick, but the corner slave market continues for a long time .

When I pass through the area with various stall gathered, I appear on the main street .

The main street is a straight road with a large number of build forming a line on each side .

I see a big building on the right side will an oblong signboard .

Adventurer’s Guild is written on the sign board . (TL: :D)

The is the Adventurer’s Guild .

With three stories, it is the biggest build in this area .

Next to it there seems to a stable prepared with magic beasts similar to thoroughbred horses and popobumus shoving their face into their own feed pails, eating .

There is a plump seemingly good-natured person in charge too .

Without delay, I try talking to the person .

“Can I use this place?”

“Ou, sure . ”

In that case, should I hand him a tip?

“Well then, I will be in your care for a while . ”

I pull a little extra and hand him the tip .

“Wao, uh, a silver coin? You are very generous . My name is Pyutchi . This is enough to look after ’em for three months, so I’ll see to it properly”

His reaction to the tip is good .

“Then, please take care of this magic beast . ”

I get down from the popobumu while saying so to the care taker, then remove the magic bag connected to the back of the saddle, and lean the spear against the should the black cat is not sitting on and head to the neighboring guild .

The two wooden doors of the guild’s entrance are big .

Both doors are left thrown open to the left and right .

A large number of adventurers are coming and going .

I mix in with them and set foot into the Adventurer’s Guild for the first time .

Looking from the entrance, the ceiling is high .

There is a big pillar in the middle of the ceiling and the first floor is considerably large .

Sunlight is coming in through a sky light and open wooden windows, lighting up the whole hall . The floor seems to be high-class wood; the grain of the wood is reflected beautifully making you feel the smell of cypress if you touched your nose to the floor .

Was this building just finished?

There are three big magic formations installed against the wall .

When an adventurer steps foot in the magic formation they immediately disappear, so it appears to be a metastasis magic formation .

They have such a thing . While admiring it, I move to stand in front of a wide wooden bulletin board .

Paper requests are posted on the bulletin board .

The adventurers seem to be choosing the posted requests and it is considerably crowded .

Should I look at the request papers too?

I look and read the characters on the papers posted on the bulletin board .

…Fumufumu…I see .

On each bulletin board written in big letters in A, B, C, etc

Monster exterminations are written as A+ or B+

This is for ranks?

A small sum is set at the bottom of the bulletin board; it seems to a be a wooden tally to record what requests are taken .

This must be what you do when you choose a request .

Anyway, I should stop looking and register now .

I can see a desk further inside .

In the middle of the Guild a counter is set up-

The desk is windowed like a bank or government office .

There is a female receptionist and a middle-age male receptionist for the adventurers .

First time at the guild .

If possible I want to talk with the cute young woman .

Besides, it is crowded…

Oh, itaita .

Girlish short-haired woman . Long eyelashes and blue and eyes .

She feels like a beautiful foreigner .

Her full chest is good too . It is not crowded, so I will ask that girl .

“Sorry . I would like to register as an adventurer . ”

“Yes . I will receive you . The registration charge will be one silver coin . And then, on this paper please write down your name, race, age, and home town . Do you need someone to write for you?”

“No-”

Then, Rollo jumps from my shoulder .

She gets on the reception desk .

“Kya!”

“Ah, korra, Rollo!”

“Wow, cute… Black-chan, Rollo, is that you name?”

The receptionist places her voluptuous chest on the desk and begins the stroke Rollo’s head with a smile .

“Nya, Nya〜n . ”

Rollo happily responds as her head is stroked, and focuses her eyes on the receptionist’s jiggling chest .

I take advantage of it as well .

Deliberately I appreciate to jiggling melons .

Receptionist-san has loose clothing wrapped around her body, and because her chest is big, the upper half of her chest is exposed and faint blood vessels stand out .

When I turn such erotic eyes to her, the receptionist-san raises her face and looks at me .

Quickly, I look at Rollo to deceive her .

“Ah, sorry, this fellow official name is Rollodinu . She came down . ”

When I catch Rollo by the scruff and lift her up-

“Ah, it’s all right so leave her here . ”

“…Is that so? Rollo, be calm, okay?”

I accept and place her gently on the desk .

Rollo looks up with her small face and moves her red eyes back and forth between receptionist-san and me, as if sensing the atmosphere, she shits into a sitting position and becomes quiet .

“Oriko-san〜”

“Uh, you should right it on this paper . ”

Hearing a loud voice calling out in a questioning tone, the big breasted receptionist-san turn away from Rollo and fixes her posture .

-Her breasts jiggle .

Receptionist-san opens her small lips that contrast with her hug breasts .

“Ah, yes . On this paper write your name, race, hometown, etc . , and now what kind of job . Please write your Battle Occupation . If you have multiple, then please write down the one you specialize in . Because when it comes to appeal there are jobs acquired by experience so anything is okay . It is also fine if you don’t write to write anything or lie . You are free to do such things . ”

On the paper I am handed there are multiple things like name, race, hometown column, occupation column and Battle Occupation column .

“Is hometown okay?”

“It is fine if you do not want to write it . ”

“Can it be changed later?”

“It is possible . However, there is an exclusive use charge each time . ”

“Understood . ”

I can write in different world characters thanks to the skill .

I write it in a flowing script and hand over the money and documents .

“Well then, please wait a moment . ”

After receptionist-san checks what I wrote and walks back with the paper .

I wrote my name and age properly without stating my hometown .

For Battle Occupation I wrote “Spear Officer” and “Chain User . ”

I also did not write my actual race, Rusivault, and neither did I write my proper Battle Occupation, “Dark Magic Spearman . ”

“Spear Officer” is also aa type of spearman so it should be fine .

It may be better to write it properly for appeal .

However, I intend to start out safely .

When I think about such a thing, receptionist-san takes a silver board with a crystal down from a shelf in the back, and carries it .

And, the silver board in placed on the desk .

“Then, please place your left hand on this crystal ball, place your thumb on the board, and please understand that several drops of blood will be collected from your thumb . ”

Blood is extracted . Achilles-shisho also said something about that .

The tool for gathering blood is connected to the metal plate .

The crystal ball is a little bigger than an adults palm and is pretty and transparent .

As told I place my left hand on the crystal ball .

I push the thumb of my right hand into the indent on the silver board .

A needle is stuck in my thumb with a *chiku* and a little blood flows to the silver board .

Thereupon, a small magic formation floats in the crystal ball under my left hand, emitting a white light before it disappears .

“With this it is complete . ”

When receptionist-san says so she removes a small silver metal plate from inside the board and places it on the receptionist’s desk .

“This, is it an adventurer’s card?”

“Yes . Certainly . Please take it . ”

I pick up the card and look at it .

Name: Shuya Kagari

Age: 22

Title: None

Race: Human

Occupation: G Rank Adventurer

Affiliation: None

Battle Occupation: Spear Officer: Chain User

Number of Completed Requests:

With this, I am an adventurer from today going forward .

I need to be careful not to lose this adventurer’s card from the receptionist’s desk .

The explanation of rank begins, but since I heard it Shisho I mostly ignore it .

“Because the guild adds titles without permission, do not mind it so much, to receive a request bring one of the wooden tags marked with a number from under the board . ”

Wooden tag .

“There are cases when a request is completed but a client does not submit a ‘completed wooden tag’ to the guild . Please remember that in this case, the client with the completion tag must submit it to the guild beforehand or the adventurer must come to the guild together with the client with both their completion tag and the commission’s items to complete the commission . However, for most monster subjugation requests the guild looks after the wooden completion tag, so there is no need to worry . ”

What?

Saying I do not need to worry even if the client is a bad guy…

“The adventurer’s guild of this city appraises materials to some extent but we are basically a brokerage . Please remember that for clients and quarrels between adventurers, accept for “special cases” we will not interfere . ”

I am curious about the exception, but is it such a thing .

Even if there is a crooked client it has to be taken care of yourself…

“In the case that you would like to store your luggage there is a storehouse company that will hold your possessions in the warehouse district that the guild recommends . Please remember that it is not under the guild’s jurisdiction . And then it is explained by the Adventurer’s Guild’s bank in 【Fort City Hector】”

I can deposit my luggage?

There is also a bank .

“A bank?”

“Yes . You are able to deposit a gold coin . However, the money cannot be withdrawn from other Adventurer’s Guilds . ”

It seems both convenient and inconvenient .

It is something like a safe-deposit box .

The deposited amount does not seem to be recorded in the adventurer’s card .

“How does the bank account work?”

“When registering and receiving an adventurer it is recorded with the ‘magic crystal . ’ Since your blood is registered with your adventurer’s card, the magic crystal only reacts to the blood of the person . It is an authentication method . ”

I see the magic crystal reacts .

The card authenticates it . It probably is not DNA authentication, so it might be mana in the blood?

“Is it possible to forge this card?”

“That would be impossible . Blood is something that goes hand in hand with a person’s mana . Even if someone does I think it would be rejected . Only the original that is registered with the guild reacts with the magic crystal, and it is said the magic crystal was given to the Adventurer’s Guild when it was founded by the ‘god of order, Orimiru” so you do not need to worry . ”

Hee, god of blood and mana . (TL: I don’t know why he says this, it doesn’t fit, so just now that I’m confused too . )

There are three sacred treasure, however I understand if that’s the case .

That magic formation produced in the crystal just now .

However, this card seems to authenticate through blood, but I was approved as a human so there do not seem to be any high-performance functions .

It will only distinguish the mana contained in the blood .

Now then, considering this card and crystal, I should ask about the gold coin .

“…I understand . Now, I would like to hear about a place that could buy this ancient gold?”

“Yes . The guild will purchase it . ”

“Is that so . This is an ancient gold coin, I would like to hear the price before selling it, could you appraise it?”

I take out only one of the gold coins I got from Achilles-shisho and hand it over .

“Yes . Please wait a little . I will show it to one of the guild appraisers . ”

Saying so, the big-breasted receptionist-san withdraws with the coin in her hand .

The big-breasted receptionist-san shows the ancient gold coin to a staff person who is placing something on a balance scale behind the reception desk and talks with them .

The appraisal seems to end immediately, and the receptionist-san returns with a drawn look expression and swaying breasts .

“T-this gold coin . Amazing . Okao-san says it can be sold for a single white gold coin . A specialized shop may purchase it for more . ”

Uhaa, Achilles-shisho .

You gave me such a large sum of money .

One white gold coin for it…that is ten gold pieces . That is one-million yen .

That means, the money I gave Yui should be useful .

Eyes gather from all around . This large sum of money…

“…It sells for a quite a lot . How much could it be sold for in a specialty store?”

“I cannot say because I have not heard of a shop in 【Hector】 that specializes in such ancient items, but it seems it could go for at least more than a single white gold coin . ”

This city does not have one .

“There’s no specialty store…”

“Eeh, yes . There are a lot of shops like pawn shops and pawnbrokers around this city . There are also shops that specialize in metal working, if it’s such a store it costs a lot of money separately, so… there should be shops in 【Holkerbam】 and 【Pernette】 that handle ancient articles . ”

“Is that so…”

In a different city .

Uun, I will need to think about how to handle this a little .

“This is 【Hector】 . So, I think you can have peace of mind that other than pawnbrokers the guild’s price will be the highest . ”

“Is that so, then, please buy this just one . I would like ten gold coins, rather than a white gold coin . ”

“Yes, understood . Wait a moment . ”

Receptionist-san goes inside, put gold coins in a small bag and returns .

“This is ten gold pieces . ”

“Got it . Thanks . ”

I open the bag and confirm it on the spot .

Gold coins shine when I open the bag . Not able to withstand the shining light, Rollo puts a paw in the bag like she wants to play .

Rollo…

“Rollo-kun . Should I tie up this cute foot?”

“Nya? Nyaa . ”

“Fufu, kawaaiiii . ”

Receptionist-san is reacting loudly in a strange way; I try to hold Rollo back .

On this occasion, I do not forget to “massage” the pads of her feet . While I enjoy the feeling of her soft paw pads, I suddenly remember .

I had collected various things .

I take them out of the magic bag and place them on the desk .

Other than the fur of the blue and white tigers I also place the bunch of Zoru’s rings on the desk .

And, since I have adjusted to big-breast-san, I return to my normal respectful tone, using honorifics .

“Could you buy these items?”

“Ah, yes . The spoils and rings, the ability appraisal of magic items cannot be done, but it can be assessed with the light assessment magic item . Will that be acceptable?”

“Good . ”

The big-breasted receptionist-san seems to be able to assess the magic item .

“The fire beast stone ring has a red enfal magic jewel, the wind ring has a white wind magic stone, as for this yellow one, it seems to be the ring of the Lorelei thunder beast stone, they all seem to be high-quality magic items . However, there is damage and cracks in the jewels and they seem about ready to lose their mana…so the price is a little low . N, as for this, creator…eh, where did you obtain this collection of rings?”

She is surprised when she looks at the emblem inside the rings .

These rings are Zoru’s . I make up suitable story .

“I got them from a magic user I am acquainted with . ”

Receptionist-san looks at me with *jiiiii* eyes .

“…Is that so . This rings are eighty-nine gold coins . This horn, a rabbit horn . It is five copper coins . These other items appear from the ‘Galbaunt Tiger’ and ‘Howak Mantis’ in the magic fog . Both are monsters from the B class?”

Seeming surprised that I defeated B ranked monsters, the big-breasted receptionist-san twitches a little and talks .

Other than that, I am surprised by the buying price of the rings that was mentioned .

The price is amazing…

Ma, I do not show it on my face .

“…I killed the monster . So, what is the price for bone tusk and arms?”

“I-is that so…the galbaunt tiger bone tusk is one gold coin, and the price of this mantis arm is only one gold coin . ”

If I collected everything it would amount to a small fortune .

Since the bag’s size is limited there is no helping it .

“…Good . High price . Then all together, please purchase all of this . ”

“Yes . …Please, receive it . ”

I receive a lot of gold coins and return a smile .

Receptionist-san returns an awkward smile .

I put the gold coin bag on my back .

“Then, I will go look at the requests . ”

“Yes . ”

After directing an affectionate smile at the receptionist-san I walk away .

I move to the requests notice board .

Then, I properly looking from G to D rank .

I am confident I can immediately challenge the D rank .

Ma, the outcome is my own responsibility .

As expect something related to “Genju’s Sake Ball of Light” or the “Sacred Stone of Wisdom”…

Is not there . I will look at the other requests, I have a lot of money, but I want to take a request since I became an adventurer . I also want to increase my rank .

Saying that, I properly choose a request .

A D and C rank request .

The contents of the requests are “Caravan Guards . ”

Next, there are a lot of requests for body guards in the pleasure quarter, gambling quarter, new quarter, and the various shops in the warehouse quarter .

“Bell Tower” Bodyguard Wanted . Among other things .

Next…”Demon Hunting Tour Around Hino Village . ”

The others, there are many monsters appearing from the 【Magic Fog Forest】 and 【Mt . Burdock】 on this side of the 【Burdock Woodland】 .

The area around Burdock mountain seems to be a non-searched area and has good rewards .

As for the others…most requests are the labyrinth . It appears that there a three huge labyrinths around this fort city Hector .

The first is 【Magic Labyrinth Sabido ・Kents】

The second is 【Vallaida Insect Shrine】

The third is 【Pel Heka Line Great Maze Labyrinth】

Other than the above ground requests there three labyrinths are the only ones .

I choose three of the wooden tag requests .

The first .

Client: Samiras Firm

Request Details: D rank subjugation of ants .

Time Period: Indefinite

Subjugation Target: Ten Ants .

Home Level: Upper Region of Vallaida .

Reward: Five silver coins .

Proof of Subjugation: Yellow Leg Claw

Suggestion: They often attack in groups . May attention to their mandibles .

Note: Harvestable Materials are the small yellow claw, antenna, and mandibles . All can sell for between one to two large copper coins, prices change with the market price . There is a rare chance of a magic stone drop . The location of the magic stone is normally in the abdominal region .

The second one .

Client: North Set Sebari Firm .

Request Details: C rank subjugation of long-armed ants .

Time Period: Indefinite

Subjugation Target: Five Long-armed Ants

Home Level: Upper Middle levels of Vallaida .

Reward: One Gold Coin .

Proof of Subjugation: White Leg Claw

Suggestion: Often attack in groups . Be wary of long white leg claws .

Note: Harvestable materials include small white claws and antenna, all can sell for between 5-8 copper coins, prices change with market price . Rare change of magic stone drop, magic stone normally located in the abdominal region .

The third one .

Client: Dualbell Wrought Gold Association, belonging to the large Dualbell Trading Firm .

Request Details: C rank subjugation of soldier ant .

Time Period: Indefinite

Subjugation Target: Five Soldier Ants

Home Level: Middle Levels of Vallaida Charmed Shrine

Reward: One gold coin .

Proof of Subjugation: Black Leg Claw .

Suggestion: Two-man cell, three-man cell . There is a lot a platoon scale mobilization . Many have long leg claws characteristic of long armed ants . In the situation they are accompanied by an officer .

Note: Harvestable materials include small black claw, antenna, back carapace, and mandibles, all can sell for between 5-8 large copper coins, prices change with market price . Rare change of magic stone drop, magic stone normally located in abdomen region .

I remove all three of them with the feeling of the back carapaces and mandibles .

I take the three wooden tags and my adventurer card to receptionist-san .

“You suddenly want to challenge D and C rank requests solo?”

Receptionist-san is shocked and turns doubtful eyes on me .

“Is rank some final criteria? Even if D, can’t C, up to S and A requests be received?”

“Eh, yes, but…”

Then-

“Nya . ”

A cute cat voice comes out .

When receptionist-san notices the voice of the black cat, she turns a smile to Rollo .

With the healing effect of the cat, her natural doubtful gaze disappears .

And, she receives my adventurer cad and the requests as if she understood a little .

It is because I had B rank monster materials earlier .

The big-breasted receptionist-san would understand with that . Things worked themselves out of their own accord .

I continue asking questions .

“By the way, where is the Vallaida Insect Shrine?”

“You can jump there . The Vallaida Insect Shrine is located to the southeast of Hector, it is in the forested land that spreads out from Mt . Burdock . ”

I can jump there? Aah, the magic formation from earlier .

“The magic formation . ”

“Yes . It is a metastasis formation . They are set up by the guild to jump directly to the three entrances . ”

When receptionist-san points a finger I see an adventurer disappear after walking onto a magi formation .

I see when he enters .

“It’s that . ”

“Yes . It is convenient . ”

“…It would be good if there were metastasis formation connecting towns to each other . ”

“Yeah, but, creating them seems to require a very large amount of magic stones and multiple ingredients as well as money, besides, it seems they do not work across too great a distance . Kuna-san apparently to have the space-time attribute, I seem to be limited, so if various conditions aren’t met then installing it is impossible . ”

Conditions . So being able to connect towns with metastasis formations depends on conditions .

Ma, the basis is impossible .

If it can be done so easily then history would be different as well .

Distribution of good, war, every aspect would be changed dramatically .

Nevertheless, the “space-time attribute?”

I look with magic observing eyes .

The magic formation, they are all connected slightly with mana, but for what reason?

I might want to meet this “Kuna . ”

“Can I meet Kuna?”

“Kuna-san is an adventurer . and he also seems busy because he has a shop? Still, if you want to meet him, you can go to the magic tool shop Kuna-san runs, you may be able to meet him . ”

“Is that so, then there’s no helping it . For now, could you tell me where the magic tool shop is?”

Receptionist-san writes an address on a piece of a wood chips and hands it to me .

“Yes . It’s this way . ”

“Thanks . ”

I look at the chip of wood and immediately memorize it .

It is written clearly .

“Then, let’s finish the request procedure . Please place your hand on the crystal ball . ”

I place my hand as I am told .

“Like this?”

After the crystal ball shines, receptionist-san removes my adventurer’s card from the silver plate and hands it to me .

“With this, the request is accepted . ”

“Got it, lastly, I would like you to tell me about shops selling articles for insect shrine labyrinth . ”

Receptionist-san nods and talks while glancing outside .

“Then, directly across main street there is ‘Babon’s Shop,’ a general merchant-san . ”

Babon’s shop . I will remember it .

“Thank you . Then I will go . ”

“Yes, please work hard〜”

“Nyaa . ”

Rollo also says goodbye to receptionist-san and turning her body around quickly, jumps away .

She jumps to my shoulder like usual .

I turn on my heel and walk away from the reception desk where other adventurers are waiting in line, then I head outside the guild where it is just as crowded .