Save the Starving Frontier! The “Buyer” of the Reversed Chastity World - 22

Chapter 22: Let’s Send the Adventurers Off!

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From the morning, I saw off a group heading out to hunt magic beasts. Magic beast hunting was necessary. Not only to cull harmful creatures and ensure safety, but also as a means of securing meat.

So, once the adventurers recovered enough stamina, they went out to hunt the magic beasts in the surrounding area. They patrolled near the city, and if they found magic beasts, they hunted them down.

It was the adventurers’ job to reduce their numbers so the beasts wouldn’t encroach on human living spaces. In fact, the quarry on the outskirts and the forest where timber was harvested apparently had magic beasts wandering about, making them inaccessible. That was why, in order to secure resources for the city’s reconstruction, they first went to hunt down the beasts.

“So then, we’d like to get some equipment ready.”

“Exactly! I want you to provide weapons and armor like the ones you gave to Sophie!”

The one saying this was Palm. She seemed to be a companion of Sophie, the female adventurer who had brought magic beasts the other day. Apparently, she was in the same party, serving as a rear guard with her bow.

She seemed to have taken a liking to the compound bow I provided earlier. And now, in order to clear out the quarry and the forest, she wanted me to supply equipment to the other adventurers as well. Well, I didn’t mind that.

“Safety boots are useless if the size doesn’t fit. Anyone who wants a pair, measure your feet first.”

I took out a retractable tape measure and measured their foot sizes, bringing out boots that matched. I also provided survival knives and compound bows, in the quantities they needed. There was no end to other useful items, either.

Like polyethylene rope, yellow and black striped, known as “tiger rope.” Though limited in material variety, I also had wire ropes made of metal. These strong ropes, while not durable enough alone to restrain a magic beast, could be braided together for greater strength.

“With this, it’ll be easier to carry magic beasts back! Thanks!”

“They can even be used for traps to stop movement. Not bad at all, right?”

Aisha also gave her approval. Besides that, I also prepared ingredients that could serve as bait to lure magic beasts, and saw them off on their departure.

“Remember, the stab-resistant vests won’t tear, but you’ll still feel the impact. Be careful.”

“I know! I’ll be back!”

My cheat wasn’t for combat. Even if adventurers went off to face danger, I couldn’t help them. I couldn’t protect them. It was they who defended this city. I could produce anything from the Internet Mall, but that didn’t mean I could do everything alone.

“Couldn’t you have survived by hunting magic beasts for food?”

“We did. But in a single day, we could only hunt two, maybe three beasts. That’s nowhere near enough to feed this whole city. That’s why everyone slowly starved.”

Aisha explained. The famine had apparently lasted for quite some time. Yeah, it made sense. No one had the strength to act anymore.

If there had been even a little food left, people would have gathered where the able-bodied were. The fact that everyone collapsed must have meant they had eaten every last grain of wheat.

“The magic rampage happened two months ago. Until you came, Kaito-nii-chan, we survived by eating less and less each day.”

Etna explained, with Pirika nodding beside her. Two months. That was plenty of time for the food to run out. Even though they had a well for water, it still took energy to draw it. And without food, you couldn’t muster any strength. They had endured a lot for those two months.

“Well, now you can eat good food. There are those who didn’t make it, so eat their share too. You who survived, make sure you eat.”

“Yeah!”

Etna and Pirika smiled. Maybe I had been too late, or maybe I had just barely made it in time. If I had come to this world two months earlier, no one would have had to starve. Though if that had been the case, I might not have been forced to discover my cheat ability either.

“Nii-chan, gimme parfait!”

“I want fluffy pancakes!”

They placed their orders, and I served them.

Eat, eat. As long as you’re eating good food, things will work out somehow. They say weddings and funerals alike require meals. Even at a funeral, people still eat.

By eating, the living had to push away the sorrow of those who had passed. No matter who left us, we who lived would still grow hungry today.

“I really hope the adventurers return safely.”

“No need to worry. It’s certainly a dangerous profession, but none of them are amateurs.”

It seemed that the ones who had gone hunting now were only seasoned adventurers. The novices, I heard, were helping with the city’s reconstruction instead. That made sense. They couldn’t afford to send precious manpower into such high-risk situations. It was probably the veterans’ way of looking out for them.

“Aisha. Is there anything else you think could be useful for you all? I’d like to hear various opinions from adventurers.”

“Leave it to me. I’m a mid-rank or higher adventurer, pretty well known too!”

Aisha answered confidently, so I showed her various items. The pruning shears for tall branches seemed well received. I thought they might cut high branches with wind magic, but apparently they wanted to use them as weapons. Like a short spear, stabbing with them. Pretty brutal.

Things like hardware store pickaxes or mountaineering ice axes also seemed good as handheld weapons. Since ice axes were light, they were apparently easy for novice adventurers to use.

Another unexpected one was spices. Chili pepper powder, black pepper, and such could blind a beast’s eyes and nose. Wrap them up and throw them, or dissolve them with water magic to aim more precisely. That made sense—many anti-molester sprays and bear deterrent sprays back in my world used chili’s capsaicin too.

If there were items to restore magic power, they could apparently fire off spells continuously. But unfortunately, I was on the side that “bought” magic power. So of course, I didn’t sell items that contradicted that by restoring it.

“I don’t really know what effects my stuff might have. I’d like to see them in action once, for myself.”

“I know you’re not thinking of it as mere sightseeing… But it’s dangerous. Especially now, when everyone has only just recovered from starvation. It’d be better to wait until the city as a whole regains more strength.”

Aisha cautioned me. Wise words. Since I had no combat ability, I had no choice but to rely on those who did. And if things were so strained that I’d only become a burden, there was no way I could go outside the city yet.

“In that case, maybe the knight order would be more suitable. With their discipline, they’d have a higher chance of protecting you. And above all, they have numbers.”

Commander Sharon suggested. She was right—depending on the knights wasn’t a bad idea.

After all, if the city was truly going to recover, they had to regain the ability to subdue beasts as well. This was a frontier town. Saying, “We overcame hunger, but then were wiped out by magic beasts,” wouldn’t be a joke anyone could laugh at.

“Does the knight order go on subjugation missions?”

“Somewhat, yes. But… Right now they’re busy with distribution work. I doubt everyone has regained enough strength yet for organized military action.”

That made sense. Recovery varied from person to person. At the moment, it was just some of the adventurers who had regained their strength who were taking the initiative to hunt. Once everyone had enough food in their bellies, they’d probably be able to take bolder action.

Until then, all I could do was keep ordering food.

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