Chapter 8: Fundraising / Malice

In the Sacrificial Forest, there are dozens of plant species that can be exchanged for money.
After consulting with Shiraishi-san, i decided on three key points to target.

[TL/N: Changing Ancestral Forest to Sacrificial Forest, As it better illustrates the original text.]

First, those that grow in relatively large clusters.
Second, those that have no similar-looking counterparts.
Third, those whose weight and price are balanced.

I will search for plants that meet these three criteria.

At the same time, I’ll also make a map. Considering the direction the exit of the
【Labyrinth of Beginnings】 faces as north, I’ll deduce the approximate distance based on the travel time.

“Alright, let’s do this…”

At the entrance of the Forest, I take a deep breath. Today, I won’t bother with the Anmon.

I close my eyes and draw mana into my entire body.
Softly, strongly.

“Flexible Enhancement: Mimicry”

Thump

A sensation as if my whole body is filled with fluid. It absorbs the impact on my body and gently pushes back. A magic inspired by the physical enhancement that Anmon uses.

I achieved this by storing mana as a relatively large mass and circulating it greatly through my entire body, dividing it into six parts: limbs, torso, and head. The sensation is close to the continuous ‘wobbling’ you feel the moment you step into a bathtub.

The greatest benefit of this enhancement magic is its overwhelming acceleration.
The ground of the Forest, uneven due to tree roots, is different from flat concrete. I can react more intuitively to the changing angle of contact and slipperiness with each step.

I run, gain momentum, grab a vine, climb a tree, and gain altitude. This makes it easier to search for the target plants. Jumping from tree to tree also serves as training.

“Monsters are amazing…”

Before I knew it, I muttered those words.

Moving through tall trees at this speed is normal for them. Even the humid air feels pleasant when it’s sliced through at such velocity. They perceive space three-dimensionally, quickly switch magic power, and accelerate efficiently. To have such functions innately…

Interesting.

Only when I’m diving into the dungeon like this can I forget who I am.
I like my family. But the clinging reality doesn’t disappear. Every time I stop, negative thoughts flood my mind.

Leave it behind. For now, I’m free.

A group of Ammon comes into view. Should I run?

“1, 2, 3… 3500 yen. What a waste.”

I sigh and change course. I don’t have the confidence to take on five at once yet.

Faster, faster—more, faster.
The dense trees disappear.

“Whoa!”

I hurriedly decelerate and cling to a branch. That was close. I almost did a no-rope bungee jump.

A sudden gap appeared in the Forest. I climb down from the tree hoping to find the plant I’m looking for.

“Is this… Yororehi?”

I approach and observe. At first glance, it looks like a plant with large leaves, but the stem is a pale yellow. Considering the size of the leaves, it’s probably the right one.

It’s a plant containing narcotic components, so I can’t touch it carelessly. One leaf sells for 60 yen, a super high-priced item. This area alone is probably worth 40,000 to 50,000 yen. I roughly note the location on the map. If I do this, I can harvest it once and then come back for more at a later time.

Well then, should I harvest it?
Scary. Having narcotic components is quite a risk, isn’t it?

In the first place, is it okay for someone under 20 to be involved with narcotics?
Even over 20 is probably not allowed…

Well, then it’s fine. On the contrary.
I put on the work gloves and mask I brought, cut off the leaves with scissors, and put them into plastic bags.

The important thing is not to harvest everything. If it withers and stops producing seeds, I’ll be the one in trouble. Since it can’t be cultivated on Earth, I have to cherish what’s here.

..There are also some leaves that have been torn off before I got here.
Judging from the cross-section, scissors weren’t used. Did someone take them by hand?

Out of curiosity, I observe the ground and find several fallen leaves. They are all fresh and green, and there are traces of chewing. However, judging from the fact that they were spat out afterwards, they weren’t eaten for sustenance.

Narcotic components are used in painkillers, right?

Could it be that this place is where injured animals gather? They bite the leaves to alleviate the pain and then walk again. What does the Yororehi gain at that time?

For example, fruits on Earth are eaten with their seeds, allowing them to be carried far away. It’s hard to believe that they only provide benefits unilaterally.

There are no signs of droppings.
…Injury.
Could it be blood?

I haven’t heard much about it, but this is a dungeon. It wouldn’t be strange if there were plants that grow by obtaining nutrients from blood.

I like this idea, so I make a small note of it on the map.

I stop harvesting at a reasonable point and set off to look for the next spot.

Another plant I want to find is the Makka fruit.
The Makka fruit is apparently called that because its fruit is bright red. I really want to see it.

◇

“Hey, Shiraishi.”
“Yes, Instructor.”

Haruka reflexively straightened her back when a middle-aged man with a beard called out to her. Back when Haruka was an adventurer, this man had drilled her relentlessly. She still couldn’t forget how strict he was back then, and she couldn’t help but feel tense in front of the instructor.

“Isshiki, there’s a rumor going around about him.”
“Is there?”

“They say there’s a newbie who killed 30 Angry Monkeys in one day. Solo, too. That’s something you rarely see.”
“Well, he is Isshiki-kun.”

Haruka had already stopped trying to think seriously about him. Common sense didn’t apply to someone who could play tag with monkeys in the Forest and win.
No matter what Isshiki Itsuki did, she now intended to dismiss it with the single phrase, “Well, he is Isshiki-kun.”

There is such a thing as immeasurable talent.
Itsuki’s measurements were beyond Haruka’s imagination.

“What’s different? Between Isshiki and ordinary adventurers?”
“It’s not just talent… I feel.”

How should she describe it? That coldness in the depths of that very ordinary boy’s eyes.
Having lost his parents and carrying the burden of five family members, yet being able to remain ordinary. That in itself was no longer commonplace.

“Shiraishi, are you alright?”
“About what?”

Haruka lowered her eyes and smiled. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand the instructor’s question.

“I’m already someone who has given up.”
“That’s right.”

Once, Haruka had also been an adventurer.
In Area 3, Spirit Path of the Polar Night, she lost her companions, and the party slowly fell apart. As it was, she ended up quitting being an adventurer almost by default.

She still occasionally visited the dungeon, but she couldn’t bring herself to go any further.

“I’m fine. I actually quite like this job.”
“Ah.”

The instructor nodded heavily and left.

The time was evening. It was about the time when the exchange office would start getting busy. What kind of things would come in today?

The novice adventurers were gradually getting used to extracting the hearts from the Goblins. If she could raise the purchase price, they would be happy. No matter how busy she was, Haruka made sure to examine and appraise properly.

A party that had gone deep might return. Being the first to appraise something no one had ever seen before was also a privilege of this job.

Beyond the gate, the adventurers returned. They were mid-level adventurers who usually ventured into Area 3. Several parties seemed to have returned at the same time, and there were more than ten people.

Leather bags were placed heavily in front of her. Opening them, Haruka’s eyes widened.

“Eh—why do you all have only Angry Monkey ears?”
“Just count them, okay?”

The adventurer said rudely. He didn’t seem to be in a state to talk, so Haruka decided to do her job quietly.

37, 40, 42, 55…
Too many. Never before had this many Angry Monkeys been defeated in a single day.

The Ancestral Forest wasn’t very profitable for parties. That’s why experienced adventurers didn’t stay there for long. There wasn’t a clear rule, but it was an area for beginners to get used to the dungeon.

And the mid-level adventurers had ravaged it.

The adventurers grinned as they watched Haruka count. It didn’t make her feel very good.

Listening intently, she could catch a part of their conversation.

“That newbie isn’t such a big deal after all.”

With that one sentence, Haruka understood everything.

—These people felt inferior to Isshiki-kun.

An unavoidable path for those with talent as adventurers.
It was the baseless malice from those who were being overtaken.

Haruka finished the exchange quickly, feeling gloomy.

Haruka, who was intentionally looking down, didn’t notice.
That despite the late hour, a lone man had entered the gate.

“Don’t go killing anyone, you lecherous pervert.”
“Leave this to me and go on ahead!”