Chapter 3-9 : Investigation Ⅰ (part 2)

 

「I advise you not to be blinded by money and carelessly go too deep into the forest to look for rare materials with half-assed knowledge.」(Sarasa)

「Well, forests are dangerous after all, especially the Great Sea of Trees.」(Kate)

「Yup. Not only do you need to have knowledge but you also need to be cautious all the time because the forest always tries to attack you… like thisー!」(Sarasa)

I quickly pulled out my sword and swung it vertically right next to Kate-san’s face.

ーSLASH!

Soon after, a snake that was a bit thinner than my arm fell to the ground with its body separated into two parts.

「Uwa!! I didn’t notice it…」(Kate)

「They’re small but venomous. Normally, they won’t attack unless you disturb them, but in this case, Kate-san was too close to its tree, so it probably thought that you would attack it. They also contain alchemy materials but collecting them is very risky because their venom is lethal.」(Sarasa)

「I see… Anyway, thank you, Store Owner-san.」(Kate)

「No problem.」(Sarasa)

When I put the corpse of the snake in my leather bag, Andre-san asked me with a confused face.

「Sarasa-chan, you talked like it was nothing serious, but do those snakes usually live around here?」(Andre)

「Oh right, none of you guys have ever gone this deep. Yeah, probably. But they are animals, not monsters, so as long as you don’t disturb them or go near their trees, they won’t attack you. 」(Sarasa)

These snakes indeed contain alchemy materials but they are rarely needed for making potions and artifacts, so I don’t think hunting them is worth the risk.

「What if I was bitten…? Is there anything I can do to save myself?」(Iris)

「Nope. All you can do is regret your bad luck and wait until you die.」(Sarasa)

When I answered Iris-san’s question, Gil-san made a wry face.

「We seriously can’t underestimate the Great Sea of Trees, huh…」(Gil)

「But don’t worry, folks! If you buy the antivenoms I make, your life will be saved!」(Sarasa)

「Advertising at a time like this… That’s Sarasa-chan for you.」(Gil)

「Haha. However, there are many kinds of snake venom, so you need to use the right antivenom. It will be useless if you use the wrong one. Therefore, you have to know what kind of snake that bites you.」(Sarasa)

「I see. So that’s why we can’t move carelessly in the forest with half-assed knowledge.」(Gil)

「Exactly. By the way, snake fangs can’t penetrate Flexible Gloves, so I recommend you to wear them if you want to collect something on the trees.」(Sarasa)

「Really? Oi, Andre, let’s wear the gloves just in case!」(Gil)

「Ou!」(Andre)

Andre-san immediately put his large backpack on the ground, took out three pairs of Flexible Gloves and handed two of them to Gil-san and Gray-san.

By the way, Iris-san and Kate-san usually wear them before going to the forest.

「The venom comes from the fangs on their upper jaw. If you notice they will attack you, it’s best to grab their heads before you get bitten.」(Sarasa)

「Grab their heads, huh? That’ll be tricky. Is there any other way to deal with them? Or is there an artifact that can drive away snakes?」(Andre)

「Honestly, I’m not sure, but I think wearing equipment that doesn’t allow snake fangs to pass through like those Flexible Gloves is enough.」(Sarasa)

 

***

 

After I gave them lectures about alchemy materials and the danger of the forest, we continued walking until the sun started to tilt, and then we decided to find a place to set up a camp.

There are two artifacts that I prepared for camping: a small magic stove and the Floating Tent I made the other day.

Andre-san has an insect repellent artifact, so I didn’t bring any of those. Besides, my Floating Tent has the feature to repel insects, so I don’t think I need insect repellent.

As for lighting, I can just use magic to create a light source. It’s more convenient and safer than using fire.

「Hoo~ So this is the rumored Floating Tent, huh? It has become a hot topic among Collectors, you know?」(Andre)

「It’s floating… Interesting.」(Gil)

「Ah, this is the first time the three of you have seen this tent, right?」(Sarasa)

「Yeah, we haven’t been in your store since we got sick after eating that cursed honey.」(Gray)

「Haha… By the way, I’m currently receiving orders to make this tent, so you can tell me if you want one.」(Sarasa)

「Be careful, Andre-san, it will be hard for you to refrain from buying it once you lie down in this tent.」(Iris)

「Yeah, it’s super comfortable after all.」(Kate)

Iris-san and Kate-san warned Andre-san but it looks like it just made him and his friends more curious about the tent.

「Hee… Is that so…? Sarasa-chan, can we go in?」(Andre)

「Yes, go ahead.」(Sarasa)

When I opened the entrance, Andre-san and his friends slowly went inside the tent and laid down.

「Whoaa! This is amazing!」(Andre)

「This is so comfortable! I can sleep like a log in this!」(Gil)

「It’s way more comfortable than our beds in the inn. Moreover, the air here feels cool…」(Gray)

「Right? Right~? So, do you want to order one, sir?」(Sarasa)

I switched into my merchant mode and once again offered them Floating Tents.

「Uhh… This is expensive, right…?」(Andre)

「Well, it depends on the size and the additional functions, so it can be cheaper.」(Sarasa)

My Floating Tent has insect repellent and air conditioning functions, but there are other functions like an alarm that will warn you when there are dangerous creatures approaching or a switch that can pop out a light source for people who can’t use magic.

After enjoying the tent for a while, the three of them came out.

They were thinking while folding their arms after I told them the price for a Floating Tent that can fit three men.

「Hmm… It’s not that we can’t afford it with our current savings.」(Andre)

「Yeah. It’s not as expensive as I thought.」(Gil)

「We can collect more materials if we have this… Hm? Wait a minute… We rarely camp in the forest, don’t we?」(Gray)

「「Aa…」」(Andre & Gil)

When they realized that, they looked at me.

「How could we not realize it? We just told her about that this afternoon when Andre tried to act cool.」(Gil)

「Oi, forget about that already!」(Andre)

「Ahaha… Well, that’s too bad.」(Sarasa)

Because the Great Sea of Trees is a dangerous place, not many Collectors in this village usually camp there, meaning not many Collectors need a Floating Tent in this village.

I think Gretz-san, who is traveling from place to place while selling his goods, is the one who needs a Floating Tent the most in this village. However, I don’t think he can afford it because he just spent a lot of money to order a Harvester from me as a gift to his parents (ch 2-19).

「Umm… Actually, I’m starting to think about educating the other Collectors in this village.」(Sarasa)

It’s a matter of course that the Great Sea of Trees is a place full of dangers. However, if the Collectors in this village have enough knowledge and know how to deal with those dangers, I think the number of Collectors who camp in the forest will increase, as a result, some of them will buy my Floating Tents. Not only that. Their income will greatly increase as well, so it’s a win-win situation for all of us.

「But it will be really hard, right?」(Iris)

「You can teach Iris and me anytime since we’re living together, but how about the other Collectors? Do you seriously want to give them lectures?」(Kate)

Senior Collectors teach new Collectors about everything they know. That’s the standard practice among Collectors and that’s how you gain knowledge as a new Collector.

「No, not me. I can’t teach so many Collectors.」(Sarasa)

「Oi, oi… Don’t tell me…」(Andre)

「Andre-san, Gil-san, Gray-san… I will need your help for this.」(Sarasa)

「I knew it… It’s not like we don’t want to help but as you know, we don’t have much knowledge.」(Andre)

「Our seniors taught us various things a long time ago but it wasn’t much because they were not brave enough to go too deep into the forest.」(Gil)

So in other words, even veterans like these three don’t have much experience and knowledge. I see…

「Don’t worry. I will teach you everything I know, and then you can share your knowledge with the other Collectors. How about that?」(Sarasa)

「Hmm, I see… I think it’s worth a try. We’re now seniors here, so we better learn new things. 」(Andre)

「Nice. I’m counting on you.」(Sarasa)

Since we are deep in the Great Sea of Trees, I hope Andre-san and the others can learn a lot before we complete Erin-san’s request and go home.

 

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