Magic Maker - How to make magic in another world - - Chapter 41

Magic Maker – How to make magic in another world –

Chapter 41   Two years of change

The Adventurer’s Guild in Istria.

There, robust men crowd the space.

Faces marked with wounds, arms like logs, well-worn weapons and armor, and the intense atmosphere—they make it undoubtedly a place not meant for children.

However, without hesitation, Sis and I step into the heart of the guild.

All eyes focus on us at once.

Disregarding the attention, we head towards the reception.

Then, a large man blocks our path.

We look up at him.

What a fearsome face.

Covered in cuts all over, limbs muscular, and a heated chest.

The great sword he carries seems like it could kill us with its weight alone.

His heavy armor is marked with numerous slashes, indicating he has been through many battles.

The man glares at us and opens his mouth.

“Hey.”

“Hello, Gods-san.”

“Oh, Shion and Marie seem to be doing well. How was the goblin subjugation in Bons Forest?”

“There were more than expected. It might be a good idea to dispatch another subjugation team.”

“Especially concerned about the number of hobgoblins.”

“Yeah, not just in Bons Forest, but it seems the number of monsters in other places is increasing too. The kingdom’s subjugation teams are being sent to the surroundings, but they can’t keep up. Thanks to that, the guild has seen an increase in requests for monster subjugation. It warms the pockets of adventurers, which is appreciated, but it’s a bit worrying.”

“Yes… Gods-san, since you often go solo, please be careful.”

“Haha! Thanks for worrying. I’ve been around for a while, so I don’t let my guard down. You guys be careful too. Well, worry is unnecessary for those about to reach Silver Rank soon. Seriously, can’t say ‘kids’ anymore. There aren’t many adults who have reached Silver, you know.”

We awkwardly smile at his response.

Gods-san gives a small laugh, waves without turning around, and walks away.

Until a year ago, we used to take subjugation requests with Dad or Glast. However, a year ago, after receiving approval from Dad, we were allowed to act as a pair.

Since then, we’ve been going on monster subjugations every few days.

Initially, there was some resistance to children taking on requests alone, but we gained trust by consistently delivering results.

Gods-san, too, used to look down on us quite a bit when we first met.

Well, it’s not natural for kids to come to an adult place.

We understood that and just silently continued to produce results.

And now, those results have brought us to where we are.

“Looks like the number of monsters is increasing after all.”

“Yeah. It seems the number of monsters is clearly increasing worldwide.”

The cause is not yet known.

However, both the country and adventurers are aware of the growing threat of monsters.

That’s why there has been an increase in monster subjugation requests at the Adventurer’s Guild.

“That many goblins near the town is strange. Kobolds, I can understand.”

“Exactly. Kobolds are relatively numerous, and they often live near towns. But goblins don’t live near large cities, and even in rural areas, their numbers are usually low.”

Previously, there was an incident where goblins attacked a village. At that time, there were only a few of them. It takes about ten villagers to defeat one goblin.

A skilled swordsman could do it alone, but it’s impossible for an ordinary adult. Goblin extermination in the village is usually handled by the villagers and Dad. Dad is quite strong, and he could probably do it alone.

However, if Dad isn’t around, the villagers can’t do anything. So, Dad takes the men from the village to carry out the extermination. Despite Dad being strong, he can’t do everything alone.

It’s difficult to find goblins, and using a swarm tactic is safer. Dad isn’t invincible. To ensure the villagers can survive even if Dad is absent, he considers these aspects.

Unfortunately, it backfired, and goblins invaded our home. But that’s understandable. Goblins usually don’t live near human settlements, and even in rural areas, their numbers are low.

Humans are nothing but enemies to goblins, so they typically create their habitats in mountains or forests, far away from towns or villages. Occasionally, they may attack rural towns, but that’s extremely rare.

They usually attack when they are very hungry or aggressive due to some cause. Generally, goblins harm humans who enter the forest or mountains.

On the other hand, kobolds sometimes underestimate humans and live near human settlements, aiming to steal human weapons, armor, and tools. They have intelligence but aren’t particularly smart.

This led to the previous goblin attack. However, recently, even that common sense doesn’t seem to apply. The goblin invasion a few years ago might have been a sign.

Both goblins and kobolds have increased in number, becoming more aggressive. Thanks to adventurers and subjugation teams, some level of safety is maintained, but if their numbers increase further, it might become difficult.

Anyway, there’s nothing we can do about it. Let’s quickly get the reward and go home. We handed over the goblin ears at the reception. The receptionist, used to this routine, processed it smoothly without saying anything.

After receiving the reward, we left the guild. Outside the guild, the familiar townscape awaited. Sis and I caressed the horses we had left by the guild. Two horses, one for each of us.

We bought them with the rewards from the guild and the help from Glast. It wasn’t about doing this for money, but somehow, we had become quite wealthy.

With that in mind, we decided to buy horses. Until then, we were often taken to and from places by Dad or Glast. Just at the right time, we bought horses with the rewards we earned by ourselves. Mounted on the horses, Sis and I proceeded down the street.

“Should we go to Glast-san’s place?”

“Yeah, let’s drop by.”

Amidst the bustling crowd, we moved forward slowly. In the lively atmosphere, I noticed people sitting in the corner of the street. There were quite a few young people, and it gave an indescribable feeling.

“There seem to be more wanderers recently.”

“Yeah, it’s definitely increased compared to a few years ago…”

It’s different from when I first came to Istria. There’s something noticeably unsettling in the air. The increasing number of monsters is also concerning.

What’s happening? Is it just a coincidence with no significant reason? I can’t help but compare it to memories from a few years ago. Even though I’m still a child, I find myself nostalgic for memories from an even younger age. After a while, we arrived at Glast’s shop, which seemed to be open. When we entered, we heard a familiar voice.

“Welcome… Oh, it’s Shion and Marie.”

“Hello, Glast-san.”

“Yeah, come on in. I was just thinking of closing for the day since there aren’t many customers. It’s not a day when the regulars usually show up.”

“Is it okay?”

“Don’t worry about it. We don’t get many new customers anyway. Today’s not a day when the regulars are expected to come.”

Is that so? Glast’s shop doesn’t have many customers. It’s not because Glast isn’t skilled; it’s just that the location of the shop isn’t favorable. If you set up a shop in a place with few passersby, the number of visitors will be limited.

Glast seems to consider it challenging to attract new customers and is thinking about opening a new shop in a different location. For that purpose, he’s saving money for the opening fund.

The refinement of thunderstone ore is part of that effort. I’ve been helping with thunderstone ore refining for over two years now. After Glast casually closed the shop, he moved towards the back. We followed, passing through the living room and heading to the forge.

“Separate from today, do you want to refine some ores?”

“Nah, not today. Actually, I’ve been thinking it might be a good time to stop.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. As you two know, we’re the only ones who can process thunderstone ore. Holding a monopoly on the sales market has drawn attention from the Merchant Guild. It’s not looking too good, and considering how we’ve been overlooked until now, it’s kind of a miracle. I’m thinking it might be a good idea to stop soon. I’ve saved up a considerable amount of funds, and I’m also considering opening a new shop.”

The Merchant Guild— an organization that controls the circulation of goods worldwide, playing a significant role in driving the economy. It’s not an exaggeration to say they hold rights and power equivalent to those of a nation, and even a king can’t easily intervene. That’s what I’ve heard, but I don’t know the actual details.

“I see. So, this is the end of our assistance, huh?”

“Well, we might be stopping the processing, but anytime you want to visit, feel free. You two are always welcome.”

Inspired by Glast’s childlike smile, we also let out a relaxed expression.

“So, how have things been lately? I hear you’ve been quite active.”

“Hehe, we’re about to reach Silver Rank soon.”

“Silver!? That’s impressive. I don’t think there are many at your age who’ve reached Silver Rank. Isn’t that right?”

“Really? I thought Father and Glast-san reached it much earlier.”

“Well, we weren’t registered with the guild back then. We were hunting monsters, you know? But in our time, adventurer guilds weren’t as common.”

“Oh, I see. Father and Glast-san are from different countries, right?”

“Yeah. We’re from Adon. Same as Gawain. I’m technically a noble, too.”

“You, a noble? Can’t see that at all.”

“Haha, you said it. I think the same, but Gawain was even less noble-like than me. He was crazier than I was… Oops, I shouldn’t say more; he might kill me.”

He raised his index finger and spoke cheerfully.

With his occasional childlike expressions, both Marie and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth from Glast. He’s been kind to us. Even if we stop processing thunderstone ore, we’ll come back. After chatting for a while, we left the shop.