Chapter 262 - Chapter 232: I Need to Do Something Quickly...
Tuesday
"Mhm."
"Yeah, see you at lunch."
Mion trotted off to her seat, and I headed to mine. Nat was already waiting, looking like he had something to report.
"Morning. Anything up?"
"Morning. Thanks for the info about the pepper."
Ah, that. The message I sent was read, so I guess Seth or Iincho must have contacted him.
"Did you find it already?"
"Nah, not that fast, obviously. But yeah, we decided to form a guild."
"Whoa, you're counting on the pepper?"
Pepper was trading at a high price, and white pepper didn't exist — probably because the manufacturing method was unknown — so relying on that for a profit wasn't something I'd recommend.
"We're not gambling that hard. We're talking about heading further south from the current settlement. If there's pepper, that'd be amazing, but we're betting we can make it work even without it."
According to Nat, they're leaving the current settlement to the two guilds, [Afternoon Blossom] and [Moonlit Banquet], and aiming further southwest. They're considering an area beyond a large river, even further south than Cleene, a fishing village where many fishing players gather.
"That sounds more like a gamble than just relying on pepper..."
"Not really. We've already scouted places where the river narrows and is crossable. Plus, there's a huge benefit: we'll be much closer to the Inner Ancient Dungeon."
"Huh? Wasn't that place salty because of all the slimes?"
"...Some slimes are carrying Dragon Coins."
"Seriously?!"
Nat and his friends had already received Earth Dragon Coins from the Gnomes, and now they'd apparently gotten more.
"So you're talking about selling those?"
"We figured it wouldn't be good to sell them to some unknown player, so we consulted Count Rashad. He said the kingdom would buy them."
With the mediation of those two guilds, Nat and his friends were welcomed to develop a new town and establish a guild. All payments for this would apparently be made with rare drops from slimes: Earth Dragon Coins.
"Plus, with your information about the pepper, we figured it was now or never."
"I see. I can't help directly, but I'll pass along any information I find."
"Please do! And, about this..."
He gave me his usual two-handed prayer gesture. And there was more.
"You said the climate is similar to the southern part of the island, right? Could you tell me what can be found where on that island?"
"Oh, that. I can tell you as much as you want about that... But more importantly, aren't you going to invite Iincho?"
"Ugh..."
This guy already had a loose approach to finances. Until now, I'd been covering for him, but this time it wouldn't be like that. So, it'd be better to have the meticulous Iincho with him. That's the logic, so make up your mind.
"Well, most of my friends are guys, so I'm a little uneasy, you know..."
He's hopeless. I need to do something about him quickly...
*
During lunch break, I told him about all the island's products and their approximate locations. It was just for reference, but since Camlus Fruit had actually been found, and Papu Trees were apparently nearby, the possibility of finding Leppelin (pepper) seemed high.
However, even if they found it, they planned to keep a low profile for a while. There was a rumor that NPC bandits frequently targeted pepper shipments.
"Couldn't that information be leaking from the merchants who buy the pepper?"
"Ah!"
At Iincho's astute observation, the two of us guys were left making stupid faces.
Well, with all that going on, it was club time.
Argenta-san had replied, saying she'd come to the Large Transfer Room in the dungeon where we first met, at 9 PM today.
So, I was exploring the southern part of the island on Tuesday, also in preparation for her arrival.
"Shou-kun. You're collecting not just Papu Fruit, but the leaves too..."
"Oh, right. I thought of this last night before bed, or rather, remembered it. I figured they might make good Papu Leaf Tea."
"Huh? Persimmon leaves can be made into tea?"
"Yeah. Come to think of it, Tsubaki-san was incredibly good at brewing tea, so she might know about it."
I remembered she was terrible at cooking but excellent at brewing tea. The tea leaves she used must have been really good quality, but I wonder if it's just a hobby.
Come to think of it, tea leaves come from the Camellia family, don't they...
"What kind of flavor does it have?"
"It's fragrant... and a little sweet? It's not a strong flavor, but it's not bitter, so it's easy to drink."
In summer, cold Papu Leaf Tea is great for chugging down. Mugicha (barley tea) is also hard to give up, but there's no barley here in the first place...
"I see. I'll ask Tsubaki-san about it next time."
"Well, I don't know if IRO's Papu Leaf Tea will be the same, but if it turns out good after I try it, I might offer some to Argenta-san."
It was the same feeling as thinking warabi mochi definitely goes with tea, Japanese tea, right?
Even if the Papu Leaf Tea works out, I'll have to find other tea leaves. And coffee beans...
"Woof."
"Oh, thanks."
Lupi hunted two Bicobits and presented them to me. The usual exchange: I quickly dismantled them and gave her a slice as a treat.
Since it was club time, we hurried through the southern part of the island and arrived at the cave where the goblins used to be.
"Ah, Shou-kun, there's something I'd like to ask Nina-san."
"Huh? What is it?"
"Does Nina-san know about the respawn of mining points in the ore deposits?"
"Ah, right!"
Those ore deposits are apparently part of the Ancient Ruins facility, so it's possible Nina manages them.
As we entered the Ancient Ruins,
"Nina, you got a moment?"
"[Yes. How may I help you? ]"
I spoke into the ring, and she replied immediately.
"The ore deposits ahead are part of the facility, right? Can the Mithril Ore deposits be mined now?"
"[Yes. While the Mana Transmission Line was inoperable, the southern sector appeared to be operating independently, but it is now under control. The Mithril Ore deposits are currently regenerating and will be minable in approximately two weeks.]"
"Thank you!"
"We did it!"
"Yeah, thanks, Mion. I'd completely forgotten."
If Mithril becomes available again, I won't hesitate to use the Mithril ingots I have. For now, I wonder what to make with them.
It feels a bit wasteful for a Round Shield... perhaps tools? There's talk of making a Goddess Statue, and upgrading my Woodcrafting tools to Mithril seems like a good idea...
"Woof."
"Whoops, looks like we're already at the stairs."
"Shou-kun, it's almost 5:30."
"Roger. I'll hurry up."
Well, before that, I need to talk to Argenta-san. While I'm at it, I'll ask if there's any more information about the Goddess Statue...