「Ah. The Adventurers’ Guildmaster has recognized Takato as a provisional-adventurer, and the guild will entrust him with contracts for goblin hunting. Guildmaster Cyrus has approved that you may refuse other requests.」
Gorg read the parchment while holding the magnifying glass I lent him, and explained the contents.
「Does that actually have force? What if someone above the guildmaster shows up and overturns it?」
「Hmm. Someone above the guildmaster would be a government official, a noble, or the Margrave, I suppose. But that guildmaster should be fine. He was once a first-class adventurer and he married the Margrave’s little sister.」
Good thing I did not run off. I would have made an enemy of the Margrave.
「I see. Thanks. By the way, Gorg, you can read too? Are you from a good family?」
「My father worked at the castle. When I was a kid, we lived in town, so I learned reading, writing, and arithmetic then. Still, I was better with my hands than my head, so I became a craftsman.」
People carry histories.
「If you ever go to the castle, my younger brother works there. If you give my name, they’ll know me.」
「I hope I never have to go to the castle. That would be trouble.」
If I don’t go there voluntarily, I’ll only be called there. I can already see a future full of trouble.
「Well, if we can trust you, we can make you a provisional-adventurer.」
「All right. From the guild’s point of view, having you is a godsend. There really aren’t people willing to hunt goblins.」
Since damage has occurred, they must budget for it. Is the local government doing its job?
「If Gorg is willing, I’ll make you a contractor. If you chop wood and kill two or three on the way, that’ll cover your drink money. If you kill twenty, you can buy more specialized tools.」
Having one of the giants as a contractor would save the trouble of loading and unloading for Ladarion, and the tools could be made in giant sizes.
「You should do it! You can do it in between work, right?」
Romy-san, who had been listening, cut in. Ah, that’s one of those requests I can’t refuse.
「H-hey, what are you saying? You know how much of a pain goblin hunting is, right?」
「Make traps. Takato, teach him.」
Oh dear. The fire’s spread to us too. Well, if the goblins get exterminated, I’ll get my share, so I do not mind.
「There are a lot of goblins around Lasagna Village too. You can use pitfall traps or cage traps, there are many methods. Gorg, can you use a bow?」
For goblins, you do not need a proper bow. A blowgun might even do. A slingshot would work too. I made one as a kid and played with it on the riverbank.
「I only did it a little when I was young, so I am not confident I could hit goblins.」
「Then set traps.」
I taught them the pitfall plan I had used before. If Ladarion could dig, Gorg can too. If it is a lot of work, get someone to help. Offer wine as payment and they will gladly gather. Also, even if items are non-transferable, lending is allowed. Consumables and perishables do not seem to be restricted by that useless goddess. They still disappear after fifteen days if not touched, though.
「Bait can be leftover meat. If you do not have any, I will prepare some.」
If I buy a kilogram of processed meat and have Ladarion carry it out, it will swell to five or six times the amount. I take thirty percent of the profit, so I can at least cover the bait.
「Haah. All right. We have room in our work schedule. I will gather some free hands and dig holes.」
「I will buy wine for those who help.」
Even cheap wine bought for five hundred yen is a luxury here. A drinking party would not even reach ten thousand yen. Their snacks are just salted peas and they are fine with that.
「Then every man in the village will join. Your wine is tasty.」
「If Gorg becomes a contractor, you will be able to buy things too.」
「Somehow it feels like my workload is increasing. Is it just me?」
Gorg is perceptive. He could predict that even before I explained the contractor system.
「Do your best, then. You can feed your wife and children something tasty with it.」
I, a single man, understand how hard it is to raise three children. If you want your family to be comfortable, you must work hard, father.
「Do your best, husband.」
Gorg accepts his wife’s kiss with a grudging face. I hope he explodes from embarrassment (smiles).
「Dad, I want to hunt goblins too!」
Then the boy leapt onto the two who were hugging.
「Huh? You are too young. You cannot leave the village until you are ten.」
「Carlo, who is the same age, goes out of the village!」
「Carlo only helps carry firewood to the woodpile, he does not go beyond that.」
Trying to reason with him, the boy only threw a tantrum. Raising kids is hard…
「Takato, I want to hunt goblins too! If I hunt a lot, I can eat lots of candy, right?」
Is this kid, like Ladarion, driven by appetite?
「Is there no way for under-ten-year-olds to go out?」
「If you go with your parents you can go around the village, but a child alone will just die. Wolves appear around here.」
Wolves? You should have warned me earlier! I was totally unprepared!
「Muggle」
Ah, that’s the boy’s name. The daughter is Mimi. The youngest is Rock.
「You cannot do it all at once. First learn one special skill for hunting goblins.」
「…Special skill…?」
He’s still too young to know what that means.
「Tomorrow I will give you something good. It is a weapon even Muggle can use. If you learn to handle it, you can hunt not only goblins but even flying birds.」
「Hey, Takato. Please don’t do anything dangerous. He’s just a child and still doesn’t understand.」
「If he does not understand, I will teach him until he does. My grandfather taught me right and wrong when I was about Muggle’s age. He taught me how to make and use a slingshot.」
I was a granddad’s boy. I played outside more than I played games, and my grandfather taught me how to make a slingshot from scratch.
「Well, if he misbehaves, skip his meals or give him a smack. People who do not know pain do not become decent adults.」
That would be abuse in my old world, and I do not claim it is right. Still, my grandfather’s lessons helped me live a proper life. If I ever marry and have kids, I will raise them to understand others’ pain.
「Haah. Fine. Muggle. If you misbehave, no meals and a fist to the face.」
Gorg grabbed Muggle by the head and lifted him up. Muggle barely endured it. Giants are terrifying!
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