Chapter 306: He’s Been Taking Selfies
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Since the guildmaster gave me all the magic stones he had, I filled all of his barrels with water. Watching the water manifest as if suddenly coming into existence out of thin air, the guildmaster was dumbstruck.
“…Incredible. Though I don’t understand what sort of magic art it is,” he finally managed to squeeze out.
Well, I don’t understand the story behind this either, but even so, it works, so it’s fine!
“Mmh. But, it looks like the air and magic elements in the area have thinned out with just this. Luckily I was able to finish up since a wind is going, but if we had been in a cave or another place with no wind, some people might have collapsed.”
Personally I’d be fine, though, since I can secure my own air.
The guildmaster tried to go and take a look at the rest of the town in panic, but he became pale when I told him, “Wait. The first one to collapse would have been you, guildmaster. You still being on your feet means the other residents are fine as well. The people closest to the spell, except for me, are the very first to suffer.”
“…Please tell me such things ahead of time,” he pressed out through his lips after a while.
＊
“…But, you have my gratitude. With this much we’ll be able to hold out until the rainy season.”
The guildmaster said in apparent relief, causing me to tilt my head in confusion.
“You have a lake next door, don’t you? It seems to be fairly big and shows no signs of drying up anytime soon either, right?”
The guildmaster furrowed his eyebrows into a grim expression, “That has local reasons. ――We gather rainwater and drink it around here. The lake is our last resort. We used its water in the past, but…once upon a time, the water level in the lake fell drastically because of excessive use. Ever since then, people drinking the lake’s water get stomach cramps, dry up, and die.”
Whoa! That’s shocking!
Was the water contaminated with saprophytic bacteria because of the lacking water? Sure, I think you’d get an upset stomach if you drink murky water, but wouldn’t it be fine to filter it through sand?
Ah, but if the lake dried up due to that, it’d be bad news, I suppose.
The guildmaster told me with a serious expression, “We’ve made it a rule to only drink the lake’s water after resolving ourselves for death if we have nothing else to drink anymore.”
What a tragic resolve.
“Hmm, so that’s how it is, huh? Okay, as long as you put out a request, we’ll investigate the water quality for you as S-Rank adventurers, you know?”
He blinked his eyes in obvious surprise, so I further told him, “Sword is an S-Rank adventurer and I’m an A-Rank. Together we’re active as an S-Rank party. For that reason, we’ve got the obligation to resolve requests that are difficult to handle for ordinary adventurers. So, we’ll handle this task, if you put up a request.”
After staring at me while unable to say anything, the guildmaster muttered, “……You can do something like that?”
“I can check the water quality, yeah. Though I cannot tell you whether we’ll be able to improve the water’s quality. It depends on the prior investigation. Also, it’s a question of the request reward. You won’t be able to pay, if it should require large-scale repair and construction work, right?”
The guildmaster nodded.
“…Yep, it’s just as you say. Okay, I’ll put up the request, so please take care of it. But, before that I’m going to sell the water first.”
Or so he said.
＊
While watching the guildmaster gleefully carrying the barrels around, I heard a beeping sound.
“Hmm? A message?”
Since I got a notification about a message having arrived on my tablet, I took a look, just to spot Sword taking a selfie with Ryoku.
Gaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!
What are these guys doing while I’m tolling away over here!? Also, why a selfie? Who taught you that!? Also, why send it to me!? You could go with other people right!?!?!
I sent back a grudge emoticon.
＊
Afterwards, Sword sent me one message after the other. Now that he had remembered the messaging function, he was pretty aggressive about using it to its fullest.
But I wonder what might be the point in sending them to me who’s traveling with him anyway. I think Damsel Scarlet would gladly humor him as a conversation partner.
Given that she reincarnated after dying young in the other world, she’s gotta be good at exchanging messages over a long period of time. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve always been bad at this sort of stuff.
＊
Ignoring Sword’s messages, I followed the guildmaster. He went to a roofed square and chimed a bell over there. Soon after, droves of people showed up.
Oh, they’ve brought water jugs with them! I see. That’s what the bell chiming meant.
“Everyone, listen up! We got our hands on extremely clean water! Today it’s going to be one jug per person! The next sale will take place in three days from now! This time I decided on one tenth as a special exception!”
The people got all excited about this.
But, what does he mean with one tenth?
Just as I wondered about that, the very first person placed glittering sand on something like a scale. Once the hand of the scale moved a tenth, the person’s jug was filled with water and passed back.
I see, I see, so that’s how it works.
“Gold dust?”
The guildmaster shook his head at my mutter.
“It’s a rare metal called 【Rainbow Sand】. You can only obtain it in this area. Since it’s being traded at a high price, people buy the water they lack with this. Most recently, the value has been plummeting since others have been taking advantage of this, though…”
The guildmaster pulled a bitter face. The leader of the guild over here seemed to be a man with many troubles, too.
＊
I blended among the people who were peacefully buying water.
“I’ll pay a hundred, so please sell me a full barrel.”
One of them offered. But, the guildmaster scornfully laughed at that.
“Even a thousand wouldn’t be enough. I have no water to sell to you. Get lost! You’re in the way of the next person!”
Thereupon, that person apparently got angry and called out to some place. In response, a bunch of grim old dudes, who looked like typical underlings, showed up. The guildmaster and several adventurer-looking guys took them on, but since they were outnumbered, some of the attackers broke through, approaching my location.
Just when I wondered what they were up to, one of them attempted to destroy a barrel, so I kicked him. He was blown away.
“What are you people up to?”
Everyone stared at me in surprise when I spoke up. And the underling dudes, who I hadn’t kicked, glared at me.
Mufufufu, I feel trouble brewing.
Seeing me gleaming with a broad smile, the guildmaster called out to me with a frown.
“Hey, lad…”
*snap*
“I’m no lad! When addressing me, use 『Milady』 or 『Indra』!”
When I interrupted him to shout all that, the guildmaster became flabbergasted, before scratching his head.
“…Deliberately telling others to call you 『Missy』…you sure are a strange one. …Okay, let me correct myself then. Missy, you are overdoing it. The merchant guild will put up a request to have you arrested.”
I lifted my chin and snorted scornfully.
“There’s no way they’d dare. Who do you think I am? It’s impossible for merchants, penny-pinchers who only care about their own little profits, to put up a request for my arrest, and even if they did, I don’t care. In such a case, the merchant guild would simply vanish from this country.”
The guildmaster and the folks, who seemed to be members of the merchant guild, froze on the spot.
Once I heard laughter, I turned around, just to find Ryoku…
…and Sword.
“……You managed to show up at a weird moment again, didn’t you? Just tour the place while taking selfies with Ryoku! You’re a nuisance over here!”
I waved my hand dismissively.
Sword’s laughing expression changed into one of hurt feelings.
“I came to pick you up since it seemed like you were done over here. Isn’t that treatment way too mean?”
It’s not! It’s been much worse for me to keep getting your selfies!
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