“The appraised value of the spoils obtained by hunting and gathering until evening, is the rule. Since it’s over the span of 5 days, don’t forget to pace yourselves.”

Early morning of the next day we decided to start the compet.i.tion, which was done over again to settle the score, after greeting Bukhart-san, who was a former elite adventurer.
The teams are me, Katharina and dous.h.i.+ as one-man teams and Erw’s group, who will compete by a united team of 5 people.
Although Ina snapped unusually due to Katharina’s abusive words yesterday, she shouldn’t be able to win by herself after all.
The joint effort of the 5 people as a team was something inevitable.
That’s because powerful magicians hold such level of overwhelming strength.

“Ina, don’t do the impossible.” (Wendelin)

“Of course, even I’m not an idiot to such a degree.” (Ina)

“That means?” (Wendelin)

“We will compensate with numbers and also, our main target will be gathering.” (Ina)

I see, they thought up a truly clever move.
If you hunt large monsters, the price per monster will be high, but it will take time.
If that’s the case, one should limit the hunting to self-defense and earn income by exploiting their numbers with the gathering of produce like fruit types and expensive medicinal plants.
That was also a strategy more befitting to the calm Ina.

“Nice, the point is to discover places with produce, which has high unit prices.”

“If you consider how harshly you spoke, that’s a pretty small-minded method.” (Katharina)

“You as well, since you are believing it’s fine for an adventurer to just hunt monsters by shooting flashy magic, you are a simpleton, right?” (Ina)

“What did you say!?” (Katharina)

Katharina provokes Ina, but ends up getting enraged being countered by Ina in reverse.
Certainly, what Ina has said is right.
If an adventurer subjugates powerful monsters flas.h.i.+ly, they might be seen as cool by amateurs, but it’s not like that’s all there is to the work of an adventurer.
An adventurer’s job is to acquire things that will sell at least.
That is, if they defeated dragons and powerful monsters, those would become money, however, as there are only few adventurers capable of doing that, there are actually many adventurers choosing the way of getting income by gathering things mostly.
As it would be troublesome for the adventurer’s guild’s side as well, if they were to die or get seriously injured in reckless subjugation, adventurers, who earn constant income for as long as possible, were very welcome.
As for elite adventurers, there isn’t any more but a handful of those.
In fact, in the past there have been adventurers, who exceeded 10.000.000 cents in their lifetime by efficiently and skilfully gathering high-priced produce in plain, remote forest without ever entering a monster domain.
Such people will end up hidden in the shadows of elite adventurers, but it was a fact that they were successful albeit hidden.

“Ojou-chan’s, quarrelling is prohibited. Take care to resolve such things through the compet.i.tion.” (Burkhart)

“Understood.” (Ina)

“I got it.” (Katharina)

As expected of Katharina, she gave an obedient reply to the warning of Burkhart-san, who was a renown adventurer.
It’s likely she is unable to object imprudently, given that he is possessing accomplishments she can’t complain about.

“Well then, start.” (Burkhart)

Upon Burkhart-san’s call the compet.i.tion begins, however it’s not like I will do anything different.
Entering the Demon Forest, I’m just neatly killing the monsters, who come rus.h.i.+ng at me.
I don’t change the method of piercing arrows, made out of wooden branches, into their weak spots and the lower half of their brain stems from behind either.
Since I was struck with the idea of compressing the entirety of the wooden branches with magic before changing them into arrows around yesterday evening, it only increased the misfortune for the monsters, who were pierced with an increased force.

“However, they don’t learn, or rather…” (Wendelin)

I thought they would be a bit more intelligent, but as usual the monsters tore at my deployed magic barrier and thrust their claws with a sound of grinding, scrunching and scratching.
And they die being stabbed into their vital spots from behind.
Even the other monsters, although it will be fine for them to give up after having seen the final moments of the monster, that attacked before, they repeat the absolutely same attack and get defeated in the same way.
I didn’t understand if they might be unable to settle down or else have a far too aggressive instinct rather than being plain dumb.

“Phew, an onigiri has to have a dried plum after all.” (Wendelin)

Same as yesterday, I took my lunch in the midst of monsters continuing with the sounds of scratching, crunching and grinding at my magic barrier. But the result is me having defeated more than yesterday by raising my efficiency.
If it’s like this, I won’t likely lose to that Katharina.
However, she shouldn’t be standing around and folding her arms either. I had to be on guard.

“Rather, I don’t give a d.a.m.n about something like a compet.i.tion.” (Wendelin)

Also, for some reason there was the matter of dous.h.i.+ partic.i.p.ating, but…

“There’s no way for that man to die. I can imagine his strategy to be simple as well.” (Wendelin)

In order to not being wounded by monsters, he has been probably beating them to death or smas.h.i.+ng their heads just like the flying dragon some time ago.
Not long ago I heard the continuous cries of death agony by something that seemed to be monsters, but I tried to not overly mind it for the sake of my mental sanity.
Also, how far will Erw’s group be able to approach Katharina’s results by skilfully and efficiently earning income through putting priority on gathering, I wonder.

“Well then, let’s continue to hunt, huh?” (Wendelin)

Advancing to skilfully and efficiently hunt in the afternoon of that day as well, that will continue for 5 days, too.
Leaving the magic bag, where the spoil was put in, to the guild’s employee, there doesn’t seem to be something like an announcement of the current rankings like in quiz shows of my previous life.

“Well, so much loot. Can’t you have such contest every day?”

In this time’s compet.i.tion the guild’s side cooperated remarkably.
But from their point of view, it appears to be something desirable to increase the profits by three famous magicians competing over the outcome.

“We can’t satisfy the demand at all.”

It was great that it became possible to raid the Demon Forest, but due to the high degree of difficulty, unskilled adventurers will only turn into corpses.
Or perhaps I should say, it doesn’t look like the spoils will increase well with many groups of adventurers, who jump at getting rich quickly.
Although it’s not like it never happens that elite veterans come from another region, there are only few people moving here expressly, given that they have been able to originally earn money in the domains, they have made the city into the base of activity.

“Also, it’s because this place here, it has nothing…”

The magic airs.h.i.+p comes regularly, but to begin with, the city, that was to be made with the goal of having adventurers dive into the Demon Forest, hasn’t been built yet at all.
As even the adventurer’s guild’s branch is just a shack, you can even say that it’s only natural.
The amus.e.m.e.nt facilities, the inn, which is likewise still a hut, and the food and peddler stalls aimed at adventurers were at the same level too.
It was to a degree that sarcastic adventurers have been saying 『City? It hasn’t even become a village yet!』.

“It’s not like there aren’t funds and materials. The time, the time is just too short…”

“There seem to be many other places which require development as well, right?”

As it was originally a savage land with nothing in it, we have ended up putting priority on the area of Baulburg in the beginning no matter what.
I tell the guild employee that I want them to endure for a bit longer there.

“At present there’s no problem as we are somehow able to live. Sooner or later people will likely come gathering here as well.”

“Well then, I will announce the result.” (Burkhart)

First was me, but as result of only hunting large monsters as deep inside as possible, I got spoils to the degree of being three times that of Katharina.
It might also be due to me getting used to defeat the monsters with magic without damaging them.
I hunted a considerable number of sabre-toothed tigers, however there wasn’t even a single albino mixed in among those after all.
In the end it can be considered that my casual luck was great on the first day.

“It’s overwhelming.”

“Kukuku…”

Katharina likely hunted eagerly as well, but our difference in mana capacity was big after all, I guess.
Since there is no specimen among her spoils that looks like it may bring in a super-large sum of money, the compet.i.tion was probably decided before taking it up on the auction.

“U~~~~mm, next is Erw’s group, but…”

There was the point of how much they will be able to approach Katharina’s result, but the guild employee, who has done the counting of the spoils, announced a surprising result.

“Almost without a doubt the estimated value is superior, even more so than Katharina-san’s.”

“Wh-! What’s this about!?”

“Well, by only compensating with numbers…”

It seems they have picked large amounts of cacao and fruit types, which has a high unit price due to its high demand, and gathered large quant.i.ties of expensive medicinal herb types in addition, which will turn into a large sum of money.
Concerning the medicinal plants, Elise, who also acted as healer a.s.sistant at the church, apparently contributed in a big way.
It looks like they skilfully made use of her knowledge where medicinal plants like these are growing.
As expected of Elise, she obviously demonstrated her plainly perfect superwoman style.
And, against expectations, there was also a big number of hunted prey.

“There are countless sabre-toothed tigers as well. Furthermore, they have no wounds.”

“Though if you say we have them, we do, but it’s the same as Wend.” (Luise)

All of the sabre-toothed tigers were hunted by Luise.

Dodging their charges and attacks with the least amount of movement by making use of her excellent kinetic vision, she circles into their back and defeats them with a single magically loaded strike.
As for having no wounds, it’s apparently because she is tearing only the lower stem of the brain to pieces with an internal impact, which is a secret technique of the magic combat style.
You won’t be able to grasp it at all by only the looks.

“What’s this? The simplicity is scary.”

“It’s a technique you won’t be able to use if you don’t have a certain degree of mana. Dous.h.i.+’s coaching was useful for that, too.” (Luise)

Now that she mentions it, there was something like that.
Luise possesses mana between intermediate and advanced level. She fights while economizing it to the utmost with the magic combat style.
Dous.h.i.+ and me will end up deploying a magic barrier in advance in order to be alright, even when receiving the enemy’s attacks, however Luise is capable of executing her decisions in 1/100th of a second units.
If it’s the evasion of attacks, she will dodge it normally without deploying something like a magic barrier.

“With four people gathering, my role has been to monitor the surroundings. The foundation was to call Wilma and Ina-chan for help, if there were too many.” (Luise)

It seems Luise professionally hunted the sabre-toothed tigers, which were the biggest threat.
Once you look at the other monsters, those are likely the results of Ina stabbing close to the heart and brain parts and Wilma defeating them with a clean beheading.

“Currently the native fruits of the Demon Forest and such have a rising tendency in value. If there are this many, I believe their worth will be raised in the auction by major dealers and similar.”

Major dealers are possessing a great number of general-purpose magic bags.
Given that the freshness won’t drop once you put it in there, I hear that they will buy large quant.i.ties once they are up for sale even if it is fresh foodstuff.
Buying it at the time when the price is low, their aim is to gain profits by selling it at the time when the price is high.
They won’t be pressured by administration since they have economic clout, even if they hold back large amounts of stocks. It seems to be impossible for the prices of native Demon Forest products to fall for quite a time.
After all they can’t be gathered anywhere but here.
Therefore, they buy it now just because it’s buyable.
In order to not lose against other rivals, they apparently won’t hesitate to raise the prices in a bidding compet.i.tion at the auction.

“Also, Luise-san has great luck…”

An albino sabre-toothed tiger was placed ahead of the guild employee’s look.
With this it was two specimen, but its size was also once size bigger than the specimen I hunted.

“Moreover, it’s completely unhurt.”

“The inside isn’t unhurt though.”

“If you say that, there’s Armstrong-dous.h.i.+, but…”

There was another one, dous.h.i.+, who willfully joined in, but his results were astounding.
It’s a dreadful number of monster corpses, but all of them were lined up in a state, which showed their expressions of anguish. Several guild employees carried out an earnest a.s.sessment.

“Umm… Dous.h.i.+?”

“I’ve been hunting this amount of monsters for a long time!” (Armstrong)

Dous.h.i.+ thrust out his fist in front of him.
Simply put, he beat them to death with magically charged fists, kicked them dead and smashed their heads.
It might not have taken time due to its plainness, but unmistakably, the only person capable of doing such thing in this world is likely dous.h.i.+.
I only hoped that those attacks wouldn’t be aimed at me.

“Also, I discovered historic ruins deep within the forest! I think I will go for an exploration as early as tomorrow!” (Armstrong)

“What! Isn’t dous.h.i.+ first in an overwhelming manner?” (Erwin)

Surely it was as Erw said.
Overwhelming even my amount of prey as well, he has moreover even discovered an unexplored historic ruin.
As one would expect, that might be the only worthwhile thing of him partic.i.p.ating willfully.

“Dous.h.i.+, don’t steal the work of the youngsters too much.”

“I think so as well. But, in fact, my second and third wives were apparently pregnant. I judged I should go earn some money so we don’t fall short no matter what happens in the future!” (Armstrong)

“Umm? Is it the 20th?”

“Aye. This time I want a girl for sure!” (Armstrong)

Looking at dous.h.i.+’s large military accomplishments, Burkhart-san rebukes him to not steal too much of the young adventurers’ income, but dous.h.i.+ refuses that with the expenses since his children will be born once again.
Or rather, dous.h.i.+ seems to be thinking even less about family planning than my father.
However, no one is probably bothered by it, because his ability is top.

“If a girl is born, it will be even fine to marry her to Earl Baumeister!” (Armstrong)

“Huh?” (Wendelin)

“(A girl that looks like dous.h.i.+ as wife of Wend?)” (Erwin)

Dous.h.i.+’s daughter is made into my wife.
Rather than first mentioning the age difference and such, Erw ends up uttering in a whisper what bothers him in a few words.

“(A girl that looks like dous.h.i.+?)” (Wendelin)

What appeared in my head right away was a muscled and brawny girl with just the same face as dous.h.i.+.

“(I want you to spare me of that. Or rather, I have no confidence I would be able to get an erection…)” (Wendelin)

Although I feel regretful with such a vulgar talk, but I couldn’t bear the image of having my spine broken in the bridal night.

“Umm, dous.h.i.+-sama, in front of Elise such remark is a bit…” (Ina)

“Oh, that’s right. I want you to think about the marriage of our children and grandchildren!” (Armstrong)

When I hesitated what answer to give, it was Ina, who threw me a lifeline.
Mentioning the name of his beloved niece, Elise, he was refused indirectly.

“(Ina! You saved me! You really saved me there!)” (Wendelin)

“Wai-! Wend!” (Ina)

I ended up embracing Ina spontaneously, but everyone, except dous.h.i.+, showed an expression as if agreeing to a great extent.
It seems everyone was imagining dous.h.i.+’s daughter as manifestation of dous.h.i.+ himself in female clothing.

“Well, that means we safely finished the compet.i.tion.”

First is dous.h.i.+, second is me and third is Erw’s group.
Given that dous.h.i.+ is an elite adventurer to begin with, that’s something that probably can’t be helped.

“You don’t particularly care about something like ranking anyway, right?” (Burkhart)

Once Burkhart-san asks the guild employee, who was next to him, he gave an answer that could be interpreted as affirmative.

“With such an amount of goods it will be given a large price for the bidding at the auction in the capital. Thereupon the gossip will flow into other regions.”

If they notice the possibility to earn more money than at their local area, there was the potential of a.s.sembling a group of elites here.
That’s like the reason why the adventurer guild supported this compet.i.tion.

“Also, historic ruins, huh?”

“Yes. We just began the investigation of the Demon Forest. There should be several other yet unknown historic ruins in there.”

If the historic ruin, which was discovered by dous.h.i.+, brings in a large amount of spoils, this will also trigger the gathering of many adventurers.
That’s because an unknown historic ruin has such a high potential for earning money.
In other words, the adventurer’s guild as well as dous.h.i.+ wanted to help with the development by gathering skillful adventurers in the vicinity of the Demon Forest.
Adventurers, who can earn money, will come together with their families, build a house and start living here.
It will also cause a large amount of taxes to be paid. Since merchants will also come to cater them, it is related to giving the area a stimulation.

“Then, tomorrow it’s exploration of the historic ruins!” (Armstrong)

“The members are… Are these members fine?”

Rather than the underground ruins, where we were close to death before, our combat potential has been increased by adding Wilma and dous.h.i.+.
It should be alright, if there isn’t anything very dangerous.

“Tomorrow will start early, too. Let’s go back?”

“I want you to let me stay over as well!” (Armstrong)

“Me too. Please take me along with teleportation.” (Burkhart)

“That’s fine. Lately the number of people I can transport via teleportation has increased.” (Wendelin)

Apparently my precision with magic and my mana capacity rose due to the battle with the undead black smoke giant and the free use of engineering magic afterwards. It reached the point that I’m able to transport up to ten people, excluding myself, at once.

“That’s handy. Then I will leave it to you.”

“Got it.” (Wendelin)

In preparation of the historic ruins exploration tomorrow, we decide to turn in earlier than usual and move to the mansion with teleportation magic.
But, gradually I’m a.s.sailed by the feeling that I’m forgetting something.

“Wendelin-sama?” (Elise)

“Elise, did I forget something?” (Wendelin)

“If there’s a single thing, wouldn’t that be the matter of Katharina-san, with whom we competed?” (Elise)

“I totally forgot!” (Wendelin)

Come to think of it, I recall having done a compet.i.tion with Katharina for a few days.
At the end dous.h.i.+’s impact was far too strong. Everyone ended up forgetting about her, including me as well.
Elise remembering it, can be considered to be due to her having a const.i.tution of immunity as his niece.

“Will you go back?”

“Since it’s troublesome, tomorrow will probably be fine. Hey, Wilma.” (Wendelin)

“Huh? It’s fine, even if you leave her alone for a day since she is tenacious.” (Wilma)

“You and Wilma are sometimes quite cruel. That woman had mostly a sharp tongue, too, though.”

Although Erw says so, I completely didn’t feel like deliberately returning for the sake of that woman.
A compet.i.tion to determine who is number 1? I’d like you to excuse me from something this sultry.
Me accepting the compet.i.tion was for the opportunity of hunting and because I judged she wouldn’t shut up if I didn’t accept it.

“She can be your partner, Erw.” (Wendelin)

“No way. That woman, albeit being a beauty, is annoying.” (Erwin)

“You are mostly too though.”

In the end I think it can’t be helped that she was forgotten on that day.
Returning to the mansion, everyone ate the meal prepared by Dominique and slept properly. The next day we have once again gathered in front of the adventurer’s guild’s branch near the Demon Forest.
And there that Katharina was lying in wait with an expression as if pouting.

“Without even declaring the results of the compet.i.tion, you abandoned me here! What h.e.l.l are you thinking!?” (Katharina)

“You got angry after all, huh?” (Wendelin)

“Obviously!” (Katharina)

After she expressly came here to pick a fight, being ignored was detestable, it seems.

“But, you know, you didn’t say anything as you were dumbfounded by dous.h.i.+’s words and deeds.” (Wendelin)

“That is…” (Katharina)

I wouldn’t have forgotten her if she had at least said 『Don’t forget me!』 at that time, but because she wasn’t accustomed to dous.h.i.+, she kept standing stock still in mute amazement in that situation.

“Even we have a.s.sociated with him for many years, however that person establishes shocking realities regularly.”

Originally I heard he was an elite adventurer, but by no means did I think he would this amazing or perhaps I should say shocking since he has been occasionally hunting as part-time job albeit being the Royal Head Magician.
Or rather, won’t someone stop him, I wonder?
Though I have a hunch that it will be useless, even if he is stopped.

“Besides, it’s our win in the compet.i.tion.” (Wendelin)

Katharina’s results weren’t something to feel ashamed about as renown elite in society.
To put it simply, she likely chose the wrong opponents.

“The compet.i.tion still hasn’t finished! From here on it’s the spoils of around one month!” (Katharina)

“You will compete with dous.h.i.+ for a month, too?” (Wendelin)

“That is…” (Katharina)

It’s probably a compet.i.tion with no chance of winning in the first place.
If our party joins up with Burkhart, we will be able to win without a doubt, but you can’t even call such a thing winning anymore.

“For you to reach the point of being able to win will take time, I believe.” (Wendelin)

“We will postpone the compet.i.tion for a short while!” (Katharina)

Somehow it’s been a success to have her withdraw from the matter with the compet.i.tion.
But, how unyielding is she, or rather, how obsessed is she with gaining a reputation by winning against me?

“I believe that you will become a celebrity right away, if you active in this area normally.” (Wendelin)

“If it’s this much, it’s no good!” (Katharina)

“Why?” (Wendelin)

“You, if you put in great efforts, won’t it be connected to peerage and achievements? Even if I put in great efforts surpa.s.sing yours, whether it will lead somewhere or not…” (Katharina)

It’s the tragedy uniquely applying to women.
No matter how many more great efforts than men they put in, they won’t be able to receive peerage. they will only attract a suspicious lot aiming for the money they earned.
Therefore she has been obsessing over making a name by herself without joining a party.
She has likely been thinking that she won’t be able to regain the lost peerage of her ancestor unless she performs achievement to the degree of being treated as exception.
Even that is uncertain as well, but currently she has nothing else to cling on but that.
If you consider it like that, she is slightly pitiable.

“Well, it’s uncertain whether it will be useful, but…”

I appeal to Katharina that I want her to join the historic ruins exploration.
In this time’s historic ruin exploration dous.h.i.+ and Wilma have been added as well. Our combat potential has increased to being overwhelmingly more than last time.
But, in this world there’s nothing absolute.
Therefore I thought I want Katharina, who is a top magician, to partic.i.p.ate as well.
As a matter of fact, she has a surprisingly meek character, although her tongue is a bit evil. At the compet.i.tion this time she didn’t do anything like cheating at all either.
There’s no worry to be stabbed in the back either.
However, there’s the point that I’d like her to apologize to Ina’s group first.

“It’s an unknown historic ruin, therefore it’s uncertain what might jump out.” (Wendelin)

“It’s my first time to do a historic ruin exploration, but I’m an adventurer renown in the west. The choice of running away doesn’t exist for me!” (Katharina)

“That will save us troubles. I want to excuse myself from a situation like last time.” (Wendelin)

“I’ve heard the rumors. The other day Baron Rückner, who lost his rank for taking part in an attempted a.s.sa.s.sination plot, caused a disturbance.” (Katharina)

That’s not the truth, but it seems that rumor is spreading with the reason that if it’s him, he is capable of anything.
Since it’s suffering the consequences, I didn’t have absolutely any intention to correct her.

“Well, then let’s go diving right away?”

“Look carefully at my true abilities!” (Katharina)

“(If you consider it being her way of phrasing things, it’s something cute, huh…?)”

Like this Katharina was added as member too and we once again started the exploration of an unknown historic ruin.