Arc 2 - Part 1
Chapter 11: Three months later
Three months have pasts since Sarah first went out to find clients. I could never have imagined just how successful my business was to become.
Two appointments are made a day, with as many as 10 people being guided.
The schedule table is always full.
Seriously, I have had no help from the Adventurers Guild.
I am making 1 big copper a day.
So, if I can live for two weeks on 1 big copper, so if I times that by 30 it would be the same as having a monthly salary of more than 1.5 million yen in Japan. (TN: A little over $13000 US.)
Sarah also seems to be good for money.
In addition to quests she is also earning 2 copper coins a day.
Unlike adventuring there is little need to repair or buy new equipment.
I am earning quite a sum of money, if I save enough then I would be able to retire.
However, I was gradually getting angrier with the Adventurers Guild who neglected so many uneducated adventurers.
Speaking of getting angry, the number of fools coming by to try and earn money off me has increased.
The other day, the innkeeper told me that he would be charging me extra for the place, due to it being annoying.
“Well, I’m staying at this inn, and those who consult will also tray at this inn and eat meals, how is it annoying?”
With that the innkeeper withdrew his request.
I decided that it would be best to hide my money in another place.
There was also a time when an adventurer that also retired due to injuries tried to steal my money.
Even if I was out of practice, I had been an adventurer for 5 years and I always wore a sword so I could still protect myself.
I hit him with the flat of my sword as to not kill him.
It was sad that he was an adventurer I had gone shopping with before.
Business was going well, but the number of unpleasant things happening also increased.
Chapter 12: Reason to start another business
Sarah came in when I was sitting in a corner of the inn, writing in between guides adventurers.
“hah. I came to drop off a reservation form, what is that? A Spell book?”
“No, it is a book to record transactions and memos.”
“There’s tens of pages. Isn’t parchment expensive?”
Certainly, for adventurers such a thing as parchment is uselessly expensive item. Because this worlds literacy is rally low, people have to memorise things instead causing many to have surprisingly good memory’s.
“Well compared to plant paper it is not bad. I have just gotten into the habit of recording transactions due to being concerned.”
“What are you concerned about?”
“Well. There are many things. How many adventurers are guided in a day? Among the adventurers who are guided, how many have returned safely? Several people who have returned safe have used the service again…”
“Why do care about such things?”
“It is mainly to measure the satisfaction of those that employ me services. Though, it is also to help me decide whether to create a new business.”
“You are thinking of starting a new business even though this one is so popular?” Sarah gave a surprised voice as her eyes opened wide.
While such a way of though may be normal.
“Well I am worried about those that come back injured. What do you think happens to them? While most only come back with small injuries, some do have grave injuries such as missing limbs, leaving them as cripples. How are they supposed to live properly? I want to do something for those guys.”
Sarah stared at me with a look of surprise in her eyes.
Chapter 13: Supporting novices from the beginning
I will help disabled people.
Sarah who had heard my determination timidly asked, “Why don’t you donate to the church?”
The church does distribute food to both disabled and poor people and opens a sanatorium1 to treat injured people.
It is a custom of this world for more well-off people to donate a percentage of one’s income to the church.
So, Sarah’s question was quite valid.
But my opinion is different.
“Why do I have to donate to such a priest(Pig)?”
The Priest in charge of the Church’s ledger manages birth, marriage and funerals.
Adventurers are out of the church’s control so, their relationship inevitably bad.
While I was an adventurer I held negative feeling towards the Church and so while my eyes are still black I refuse to donate to them.
Besides most of the donations disappears into that priest’s(Pig’s) clothing as bribes. Only about 5% of donations are used for honourable deeds.
“I am thinking of preventing injuries.”
“Is that so… However, if you are thinking of dabbling in protective gear you should stop.”
Sarah’s concerns are valid.
Rights over armour manufacturing are tightly held by the Smithing and Leather Guilds.
Besides, the military is heavily involved with the management of armour.
If a nobody like me were to produce and sell armour without permission, it would be asking for trouble.
“I understand that, I will not be selling armour.” Saying so I pointed at my feet.
Chapter 14: Significants of one’s footing
Authors note: Thank you for so many bookmarks, points and impressions.
It was cold this weekend so I spent it writing stories. I hope you enjoy it.
Sarah looked at her feet.
“Are you sick?” She so rudely said.
“Fool! Shoes, shoes!”
“Come to think of it, you have always been peculiar about shoes since long ago.”
Sarah is in town so she is currently wearing braided sandals, but during rainy days people wear wooden shoes.
While the first-class district’s paths are stone the third-class district where we are, has a stone main road with soil paths leading off it.
When going adventuring the basic is braided sandals.
It is hard to walk long distances when your feet are heavy, and they are from rural areas where most people go barefoot from childhood not even bothering with sandals.
Besides the wooden shoes of this world have terrible comfort.
There isn’t even distinction between left and right feet.
When I wear shoes my big and small toes hurt.
Are pointed shoes fashionable while rounded ones are not?
Besides, there is no such thing as shoelaces in this world.
If your feet are too small for the shoe then you must stuff cloth in them, if that still doesn’t fix it, then you use rope to fasten them.
The sole of the shoes is flat, so walking long distances tires you out quickly.
In other words, what happens during adventurers are as such.
Walking long distances tires you quickly.
Sharp rock will stab into your feet when you walk over them with sandals.
You can easily slip and sprain your ankle.
All that is fine when you are just on the move.
But what if that happens while you are fighting a goblin?
While I was in adventurer my party, I was seen as strange by my comrades for making my own shoes.
In this world, I am the only one wearing military like shoes.
I want to popularise these outdoor shoes to novice adventurers.
Chapter 15: Commitment to shoes
There is a reason for me to be particular about shoes.
For adventurers walking is what they do the most.
You walk to the place of the quest, battle against monsters then walk home.
When you are unable to walk, you are unable to be an adventurer.
That’s why I quit being an adventurer after my knee injury.
“Good shoes are directly linked to the life of adventurers.” This isn’t just my opinion.
I discovered it while reading my tour guide memo.
In the data, it summarises who and how they received an injurie during their quest.
According to it, 40% of all injuries that happen to adventurers. Happen while they are going to and from a quest.
While they do not injure themselves on farm and city roads, when they enter caves with cheap sandals rocks injure their feet.
With feet injuries, your movement is hampered. Causing fighting to be out of the question. In a party of 3-5 people even one-person injured causes significant loses in fighting power.
When stepping in to bushes you can not only get cuts on your feet, but there is also a chance of being bitten by a snake.
Skilled rangers tend to be able to avoid this, but most adventurers are former farmers.
Monsters naturally know the dangers of nature.
You understand the dangers when you have to carry an injured companion which cannot move on their own.
Or if you over work your injurie, it could make you sick and cause you to become disabled.
I want to reduce such accidents.
Some adventurers coming from rural village filled with hope, sprain their leg on the first quest and die. Such an end is too miserable.
Novice adventurers are foolish, but I would like to give them the opportunity to live and to die in a manlier way.
They have come to grow on me as we have spent time shopping.
They may be dirty and illiterate, but they also deserve to start their career with slightly better conditions.