Chapter 48 - In Nakanohara
"So, in the end, you exterminated the goblins and spiders, captured the boss, and drove off that red-eyed man who cornered Mayor Adolf?"
After parting ways at the mountain hut with Angus-san and the others, who were continuing the spider investigation until the end of the contract period, we returned to Nakanohara in one go using a teleportation circle. We immediately reported to Hans-san.
"See? Wasn't it a good idea to request support from the Marcelo Company?"
Paul-san was puffing out his chest boastfully.
"You did well to come back alive. That's quite something."
Oh? Does this mean he's actually impressed? Aren't we quite something too? Beatrix is also smirking. Beowulf is also smiling.
"Now, about the reward..."
Paul-san brought up the crucial point while rubbing his hands together.
"I'm assuming we'll get paid for all the various things we dealt with, in addition to the goblin extermination share..."
I leaned forward instinctively.
"That's right. The goblin extermination share is for four people for three days, so twenty-four silver coins. Then ten silver coins for the spider extermination. A total of thirty-four silver coins is equivalent to sixty-eight rats. Isn't that a great haul for three days' work?"
He doesn't have to convert it into rats every single time. No, that doesn't matter. That much is a given. The important part is what comes next. After all, we've achieved a feat equivalent to one gold coin per person.
"And then?"
"There's more, right?"
Beatrix and Paul-san pressed him.
"That's all. That's all you guys exterminated, right?"
Exterminated? Exterminated... Come to think of it...
"What are you saying! We gave a fatal wound to and drove off the monster that cornered that Mayor Adolf! That alone should be worth enough!"
"What are you saying, you hunter? If your arrow hits but the prey gets away, there's no harvest, right?"
"During the Revenant incident, we got a reward just for driving them off!"
"That was because that was the agreement. It's different from normal monster extermination."
"We even caught the man who was controlling the goblins!"
"That's part of the reward for goblin extermination. First of all, humans aren't monsters!"
Paul-san and Beatrix snapped at him repeatedly, but Hans-san flatly refused, saying he couldn't give rewards for things that weren't exterminated.
In the end, the reward for three days... this time, because it was an emergency dispatch mission, Beowulf also gets a special bonus for the spider extermination, so the Marcelo Company's share is split four ways... when converted per person, after the protection fee... I mean, the referral fee for the company is deducted by ten percent, it's seven silver coins and four copper coins. When broken down daily, it's forty-eight copper coins. It doesn't even reach five rats.
Even though they paid for all expenses like food and lodging, it feels a bit cheap for a battle where we might have been wiped out if things had gone wrong...
Still, my earnings for this month have exceeded one gold coin just from extermination rewards. Of course, half of that is from rat extermination rewards, but compared to when I only had rat extermination rewards, it's a great growth. However, since one is treated as a full-fledged adult by earning two gold coins a month, I still have to work hard.
We moved to the dining hall, and while Marcelo-san and I were soothing the two who were sulking, Hans-san came over. It seems a messenger came from the town hall.
"Don't be so angry. Sorry, but could you take Beowulf and go to Mayor Adolf's place now? It seems he has something to talk about."
"How could I not go!"
He probably intends to negotiate directly with the Mayor. Paul-san stood up roughly from his seat.
In the Mayor's office were Priest Williams and Robinson-san, who had returned to men's clothing. Not only that, the Archbishop, the Headmistress, and even Jennifer-sensei were there.
" I heard! You guys took down the monster that almost killed Adolf, didn't you? As expected of my students."
The Headmistress jumped at us. Adolf-san was smiling wryly on the sofa.
"How on earth did you drive it off? Tell Teacher."
"Jeanne fired magic from her boobs and drove it off."
"That's not it! How long are you going to keep saying that? Give it a rest!"
"I see. Jeanne was modest, so I was worried, but she's grown up splendidly."
Um, Headmistress? What does that mean? I can't fire magic from my boobs, right? Modest or grown up, where are you talking about?
"Oh? You can. Who said magic only comes from hands? If you feel like it, you can fire it from your eyes, nose, or even your feet."
"Whaaaaaaaat!"
It's a shocking fact. If I don't have to thrust out my hands, the variations for surprise attacks will increase.
"Can you fire it from your mouth too?"
Paul-san immediately bit. Moreover, he seems to be in the mood to fire magic from his mouth.
"Of course you can. Shall I show you right here?"
The Headmistress slowly opened her mouth. Even if it's chantless, how does she intend to activate it?
"Headmistress. That's enough of that. You've heard that Jeanne had tucked magic circles into her chest, haven't you? What if you blow strange ideas into them and a strange mage is created?"
Jennifer-sensei stood up and clapped her hands.
"Yes, yes. You guys shouldn't take it seriously either. The Headmistress is about the only one who can fire magic from her mouth. The Headmistress is the kind of person who bites a monster and then fires magic from her mouth to finish it off. She's special in many ways, so you must not imitate her."
I'm totally put off. Why on earth did she feel like biting a monster? Was she hungry?
"Eh! If you remember it, it'll surely be useful someday."
She neither denied nor confirmed biting the monster. She just let it slide as if she hadn't heard.
"How many years did you practice to be able to use magic stably from your mouth?"
"Three... no, four years, I think."
"And that was after you defeated the Demon Lord, wasn't it?"
In other words, even someone at the level of defeating a Demon Lord has to train for years to fire magic from their mouth?
"But then, people who have lost their limbs in war or accidents would never be able to use magic for the rest of their lives. It's better to be able to use it from various parts of the body. You don't necessarily have to defeat a Demon Lord; anyone can do it if they grasp the knack. And you can learn to do it from places other than the mouth much faster."
"That is certainly as you say, but shouldn't we just teach those people because they need it? There is no need to teach those who can use their hands how to use their feet as a substitute for their hands. Furthermore, there is no need to spend time teaching them specifically to fire magic from their mouth."
Jennifer-sensei is certainly right. It's better to learn other things during the four years it takes to learn how to fire magic from the mouth. I'll consider it if I ever have both my arms bitten off at the shoulder by a monster.
"Can you do it, Adolf-san?"
"It's not that I can't, but it's unstable and the power drops. It's partly because I didn't practice seriously, but I think it's better to use your hands as long as you can. And let me tell you, it's not from the mouth. It's the feet."
Beatrix, who asked, was surprised herself. Well, of course she would be. You practiced it. And you can do it.
"You guys don't have to do it."
This time it was Paul-san. Despite being the first one to bite, he's telling others not to do it.
"I'll do it. Older people like me don't have much room for growth, so we don't often learn new magic. It's just about being creative with how we use it. You guys, who have a lot of room for growth, should focus your efforts on mastering new magic."
I see, so that's how it is. In any case, he wants to do it himself.
"Headmistress. If you don't mind, could you teach me the way to use magic from various parts of the body? I'll pay tuition if necessary."
Paul-san bowed deeply to the Headmistress. He seems serious. It seems that the idea of firing magic from the mouth has struck a chord with Paul-san.
"Actually, I have something to talk to you guys about regarding that."
Adolf-san spoke to us with a serious face.
Adolf-san's story was about creating a new school. Tomorrow, most of the general conscripts of the Demon Lord Subjugation Army and the seriously injured whose wounds have healed will return. Among the seriously injured are those who have lost hands or feet. We must consider support for their lives after they return. Injury and sickness allowances are provided, but it was clear from previous war experiences that they were insufficient. However, the country no longer has the money to increase the allowances.
Therefore, the idea came up to create a school that also serves as vocational training.
The location is the town guard's meeting hall. It's basically free. When it can't be used, they'll substitute the town hall, the guard squad, or the Kingdom garrison's conference room, or in some cases, the church or the orphanage's workshop.
Three times a week, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The instructors will mainly be people who have actually obtained jobs and are working despite having lost limbs in the previous war. In addition, they will widely recruit people with professional skills, such as technical staff including priests working at the church workshop, and mages.
The three high-level mages of the Marcelo Company were also selected. It seems their versatility, unique to high-level mages, was highly valued. The Headmistress was chosen for her role in teaching the knack of activating magic using various parts of the body, not just the hands, because it would be very useful if mastered.
By the way, the tuition is free for those with disabilities, and those who are not... like Paul-san, who has a hobby of wanting to fire magic from his mouth despite being sound in body and limb, have to pay.
The reward as an instructor in the magic department is two silver coins per session. It comes from public funds... I'd like to say, but since there's no money, they'll solicit donations. If it's six sessions a week, it's twelve silver coins. Since it's forty-eight coins a month, they could probably pay it from public funds, but he said the philosophy of everyone supporting one person's life is important.
It's a wonderful idea. People with physical disabilities are having a hard time in life. Rather than just giving them money as a relief measure, it's best if the person can earn money themselves.
But it doesn't seem to have anything to do with us...
"About that, could you take in Robinson here at the Marcelo Company for a while?"
Huh?
I exchanged looks with Paul-san and Marcelo-san. Beatrix has her arms crossed. I don't understand why the conversation is going in that direction.
There are official residences of the town hall for a place to live. Income... couldn't they just make him a temporary employee at the town hall? I think they should let him take care of horses in the stable. Since he's done it before, there should be no problem. Taking care of horses at the post station or helping with grazing on a farm should be fine too. If he can freely control animals, he should be in high demand. He must want that too. Since the Marcelo Company doesn't handle animals, it would be a waste of his talent.
"What do you mean? For us, animal-related work is..."
Marcelo-san started to say something but trailed off in the middle. He seemed to have thought of something.
"Are you going to have him do monster extermination until things cool down?"
Beatrix immediately added.
"There's that, but there's also something else I want him to do."
Adolf-san's voice was unusually heavy.
"What should we do? If it's something we can do, we'll do it for you."
Beatrix easily accepted without even hearing the details. Is it really going to be okay?
"Actually. I want you to go to the goblin nest one more time."