kscans

Chapter 24 - The Underworld

A week had passed since the Monster Uproar.

As a thank-you from the 'Beautiful Sword' party, I was getting a look at their armor.

Since it would draw too much attention in town, we decided to do it at my house.

All four of them came along. I wondered if they always moved as a group. Maybe this was what being a party was all about.

Bardos and I, on the other hand, went our separate ways unless we were hunting. We both did as we pleased. For my part, having time alone was a blessing when I had errands on Earth. I wondered what Bardos thought about it, but he was the type to speak his mind, so I figured I didn't need to worry.

Once we arrived at the house, I got right to inspecting their armor. First, I had them take it off so I could examine the materials and check how snugly it fit their bodies. To an outsider, it would look like the actions of a pervert, but you can't succeed in armorsmithing just by looking.

To make armor that truly suits the wearer, you have to understand their build and movements, and determine how close a fit you can achieve without it chafing. Without doing this, you can't create a proper suit.

Two of them—Tina and Leona, I believe—seemed to understand, and they removed their armor without any resistance. The moment Leona took off her armor, her C-cup chest evolved into a D-cup.

It was just that her breasts were large to begin with. I couldn't help but gulp, but I hadn't asked her to undress for any lecherous reason!

Clear mind, unified spirit, no lewd thoughts, katsu!

Tina, on the other hand, remained a B-cup, both in and out of her armor. Well, smaller chests did make certain parts of armor crafting easier.

In its own way, this was an ideal physique. Yes, yes. I came to my own private conclusion.

Meanwhile, Tina was staring daggers at Leona's chest. Leona, for her part, crossed her arms to hide her breasts, a gesture that only made her look more sensual.

Begone, lust! Katsu!

I've strayed quite a bit from the topic.

I immediately analyzed their armor. The materials for both were high-quality minerals. Mithril. In my world, it was an incredibly rare ore, one whose very existence was uncertain. As expected of another world. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if they had platinum or even Adamantite. I decided to ask them about it.

"Adamantite... it's a precious ore, and you need a permit from the country for it to even enter the market. What's more, any armor or weapons made from it cost enough to buy a grand mansion. We can't afford that, obviously, so armor made from Mithril, the second most precious metal, is much more accessible."

It was Leona who answered.

Tina had looked ready to speak, but for some reason, she blushed and fell silent. Is she not confident in her knowledge? The impression she was making on me was solidifying into that of a quiet woman.

Next, I asked them to demonstrate their movements and combat tactics while wearing the armor. I wanted to see where it was easy to move in and where it was restrictive. Both of them moved well. Leona seemed to focus on power, but her movements were also specialized for defense. Tina's movements prioritized speed, specializing in dodging rather than taking enemy attacks, and she kept a sharp eye on her surroundings.

She surveyed the entire field and acted with precision—the movements of a commander. I was impressed. She was a leader, through and through.

Satisfied, I thanked them, and they prepared to leave.

Tina looked like she wanted to say something, and Leona offered, "Shall I say it for you?" but Tina refused. She walked up to me and said,

"U-um! Would... would you like to... have... a meal with me... sometime?"

Her words came out in such a halting way.

A meal, huh... At the town tavern, we'd probably be misunderstood by the others, so I opted for a safer approach.

"I understand. In that case, why don't we eat together at my house next time? I'm most comfortable with my own cooking."

Making it at home. My own cooking.

Well, something simple. Grilling some meat, stewing some vegetables and seasoning them. Maybe I'll serve the porridge I make with miso soup. She'd probably find the soup alone novel enough.

When I thought that and looked at Tina, her face was so red I could almost see steam rising from her head.

Then she declared,

"Understood!! I! Will do my absolute best!!"

She said it with such force.

Overwhelmed by her intensity, I gave an awkward reply. "Right, please do your best." Tina nodded her head vigorously and then ran off. The other three looked at me, gave a thumbs-up, and a wink.

What was that all about?

After that, I set to work on a certain task.

It was time to replace my sword's hilt. In the last battle, the plain wood handle had been half-charred black. It was clear it couldn't withstand the high temperature of the blade. For that reason, I had found a material called heat-resistant steel. I figured that if I used this for the sword's guard, it wouldn't burn.

Finding the steel was surprisingly easy.

At a certain newly-opened department store, they were holding an event to demonstrate how much heat the steel could withstand. Seeing my chance, I went to watch. I activated 'Analysis' and understood its properties.

As a result, I successfully processed the heat-resistant steel into a sword guard. After that, I carved the grip from wood, wrapped it with black cord, attached the pommel, and it was complete.

It was, for all intents and purposes, a true Japanese Sword.

Next, I thought about a way to make money on Earth.

Before, I'd sold processed gold and silver accessories at a back-alley shop. But that was an emergency sale. I needed a way to sell things without attracting attention. That's when I thought of fur. From what I'd seen online, rabbit pelts were being traded for ten thousand yen. This information filled me with glee.

In the other world, I could hunt as many monsters as I wanted, and for ten copper coins, a specialty shop would process the pelts for me.

I could just sell those. It would also feel like I was doing my job as a hunter, killing two birds with one stone.

I immediately went to a specialty furrier.

I could do it myself, but it would take ten days and the method was difficult, so I decided to leave it to the professionals.

The processing technology for monsters in this world surpassed that of Earth. A pelt could be finished in just five days. After that, I was about to register for an online auction, but a thought occurred to me.

In this world, I was a hermit.

I'd grown tired of modern society, returned to the countryside, and was now traveling back and forth to another world using a book I found in a storehouse.

For someone like me to participate in a normal online auction... it felt bland.

Like with the back-alley shop, participating as a seller in a back-alley auction would be more profitable, and a feeling of 'this seems fun' welled up inside me. I had sworn to become a man of strong body and mind, but I decided to separate the other world from Earth.

Of course, I wasn't going to engage in human trafficking or robbery and murder. I forced myself to accept the rationalization that because the pelts were from another world, selling them on the open market carried risks.

I bought a brown wig and sunglasses in town, and headed for the shop where I had previously cashed in the gold accessories.

As a precaution, I activated 'Detection' to check for enemies.

I'd been hassled by yakuza last time, so I decided to proceed with caution.

The result: no reaction.

I was relieved, but carelessness is a great danger. Steeling myself, I entered the shop carrying a 'gift' in my travel bag.

The shopkeeper looked at me warily, but I paid him no mind and went to the counter.

"Sorry to bother you, but I want to sell this at a black market auction. Do you know the place?"

As I spoke, I took out a Wolf pelt.

This pelt was from a wolf I had hunted in the other world and had processed by a specialist. It was twice the size of a wolf from Earth, but in the other world, it was a normal size.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper said,

"Is this a wolf? It's huge for one, but it doesn't look fake. It's real. I won't ask where you got it, but the place you're talking about isn't so welcoming that a newcomer can just waltz in. Give it up, or give me half the sale price as a brokerage fee."

The shopkeeper said with a smirk.

I had expected as much, so I took out the gift I'd brought: an Anaconda skin.

"This is an Anaconda skin. I'd like to pay the brokerage fee with this."

The shopkeeper's face was a mask of astonishment.

Anacondas don't live in Japan. At a pet shop, you might find a juvenile less than a meter long. But the one I brought was probably eight meters long.

With this much, you could make all the wallets, bags, and belts you wanted. It would fetch a better price than the Wolf pelt.

The shopkeeper looked back and forth between me and the anaconda.

"Are you sure about this? The anaconda is worth more than the wolf. Are you really okay with giving all this as a brokerage fee?"

I nodded my head, affirming my decision.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper thought for a moment, then took a piece of paper from a drawer and wrote something down.

He put the paper in an envelope, handed it to me, and spread out a map.

"Go to this location. The back-alley auction accepts sellers four times a month, on Sundays at 11 PM. There will be a man in a suit in front of the door. Tell him, 'It's raining spears today.' When he asks who sent you, give him this envelope. That should get you through."

"The rest is up to your luck. The customers are often different each time. You'd better pray you meet someone who wants to buy a Wolf pelt."

With that, he took the Anaconda skin and went into the back.

I gave a bow and left the shop.

I was pretty tense, but it went well.

Now, it was just a matter of timing. Fur is most in demand when it's cold. Fortunately, a strong cold snap was forecast for a week later, a time when heaters would be going on sale. I thought I'd put it up for auction then.

Besides, the 'One Month of Winter' was about to start in the other world. It was truly convenient. All that was left was to consult with Bardos about our future hunting and adventuring work.

With that in mind, I headed home.

Still, a back-alley auction, huh? I thought it was called a black market auction.