3 idiot chapter 120

Episode 120. Working Beasts

After a hearty breakfast, we were led by Reed to visit a weapons shop.

For the record, today we were taking the day off work. Starting tomorrow, we’d begin a job escorting a civilian fishing vessel, arranged through Daryl’s introduction.

Man, things are going smoothly.

We already received the reward from the previous request, and there’s still payment coming later from the disassembly of the magic beast we haven’t processed yet.

So yeah, I thought we’d end up penniless again today, but...

“I’ll give you the purchase price for the ‘tiger’ pelt.”

The Branch Manager, who had started treating us a bit more casually ever since the magic beast meat incident, handed over a sack of coins.

Whether it was because the pelt was in good condition, or because the ‘tiger’ was particularly valuable, I don’t know.

But it fetched a decent sum and warmed up my wallet.

Which meant, time to go shopping again today.

“Got any sturdier spears? This one broke pretty badly when I hauled up a shark.”

“A... shark, you say? Understood. I’ll consult with someone higher up and bring out a few options for you.”

“Are these all the long blades you’ve got? I know they’re not really considered weapons, but...”

“In that case, we can introduce you to a specialty store. I’ll give you a letter of referral—you should be able to get a bit of a discount with it.”

“About this pickaxe—do you have anything bigger? And I’d like a larger shield too, if possible.”

“A-a bigger one than this is... a bit hard to come by...”

Each of us had a store clerk assisting us one-on-one, as we shopped at Reed’s store—same one that helped us out before.

We were mainly restocking weapons and repairing whatever was still usable.

The quality was definitely good... but compared to the ‘Hearty Eater Series,’ they felt a bit lacking.

Different tools for forest and sea, different enemies, different wear and tear.

I get it, but we’d burned through a lot of weapons for the first time in a while, and I was a bit worried about our finances.

They said they could put the rest on our tab if needed, but I really didn’t want to add to our debt.

Hopefully, the tiger pelt money would be enough to cover things...

“Master, thank you for waiting.”

“How do we look? We can move more easily than before.”

[Still all black though, huh.]

Saying that, the two of them returned in their new outfits.

That said, it wasn’t a dramatic change or anything.

Apparently, they had custom gear made to fit their body sizes perfectly, so they looked a bit sleeker than before.

With added leather and other materials in key places, it looked like the armor was reinforced for more protection.

Plus, the balance of the design and color scheme seemed improved.

“Looks good. Cleaner than before, and it suits you.”

That’s what I said, but...

We didn’t order anything like this.

I remembered them getting measured before we went out to sea, but I never imagined they’d come out with full custom gear.

This is bad. This has to be crazy expensive...

Just as I was thinking that—

“This time, please accept it as a ‘thank you,’ okay? I know you’ll just say you’ll pay for the gear eventually, right? So just consider this my personal gift to you.”

Chubby merchant Reed approached us with a broad smile.

Still though...

“You’re giving us way too much. If you wanted to show thanks, helping us make peace with the soldiers in the first place was more than enough.”

“Oh come now, that was hardly enough to express my gratitude. For a merchant, the most valuable commodity is life. Not giving anything in return to those who protected ours would be disgraceful. Besides, I have considered ways to profit from this, too.”

“Oh? Like how?”

“If people see Walkers who defeated a high-tier ‘Gluttony’ and a ‘Phantom Whale’ fully equipped with our custom gear... well, you can imagine the rest.”

“Marketing mascots, huh.”

He was a merchant after all.

Though if you asked me whether we’d really bring in customers with our appearances, I’d say... probably not.

“And, I actually have two more requests, if you don’t mind. First: while you’re in this city, would you consider selling the materials from any magic beasts you hunt directly to us through a private contract? Of course, we’ll pay fair market value, and there will be no haggling. We’ll process everything through the guild, so you won’t be burdened at all—I guarantee it.”

“Uh... what’s the benefit of that? You’re still buying through the guild, right?”

“Oh, plenty of benefits! Valuable materials like magic beast parts and magic stones are often auctioned off. It takes time to get them, and the prices skyrocket! That’s why we merchants want to set up direct deals and buy at reasonable prices. That’s the honest truth.”

“So basically, we’ll get our money faster, but we won’t be seeing any outrageous amounts, is that it?”

“Put bluntly, yes... But of course, we’ll never pay insultingly low prices! For example, this latest catch should fetch quite a sum! Sure, if you put it up for auction, you might—”

“I’m in.”

“—make even more profit, and—uh, wow. That was fast.”

What we needed now was quick liquidation and a reliable buyer.

Since we didn’t plan to stay in this city too long, we wanted to turn our spoils into cash as quickly as possible.

So Reed’s proposal was actually very welcome.

Now I understood—no wonder selling off materials had taken time. They were being auctioned.

That explained it.

Though, since there’s a chance we might keep some of the magic stones for ourselves, I imagine Reed might be a little disappointed about that.

"Then, it's fine to assume you'll enter into a direct contract with us, correct?"

"Yeah, that's right. So, what's the other thing?"

In that instant, I felt like his demeanor changed.

"I was thinking of opening a restaurant that serves 'magic beast meat' after sending a letter to the town you were staying in to prove its safety. I’d like to ask for information, ways to prepare it, and recipes too... Of course, we’ll pay you a percentage of the profits. If that’s not enough, we’ll increase it. For as long as the restaurant exists, you’ll be paid."

"...I'm in."

"Then, to ensure you all can keep working effectively, would you kindly accept this equipment?"

As he said that, he began laying out the equipment meant for me, Nishida, and Azuma.

I feel like we were talked into this a little too smoothly... but oh well.

It’s not like we’re planning to stay long or do anything major in this place anyway.

So, we accepted the equipment he handed over and put it on.

Damn, it feels even more comfortable than what we had before.

With the hem of my thick leather coat swishing dramatically, I pointed a firm finger at him.

"Make sure you pay up, alright? We’ll make sure you get your money’s worth."

"Absolutely. I’ll be looking forward to it."

And so, we ended up acquiring equipment that felt even more mobile than before—gear for the sea.

---

"Oh, you guys are 'Hearty Eater,' huh? Just like I heard... how should I put it, you're really all black."

"Nice to meet you. Easy to remember, right?"

"Hah! That’s for sure."

The fisherman uncle gave a wry, amused grin.

The day after we got our custom gear, we headed to the port.

Thanks to Daryl’s introduction, we got several designated requests.

We’re planning to go through them one by one, but... people are gathering around like crazy.

"Hey, Hearty Eater! You're coming with me tomorrow, got it!? Don’t forget!"

"I’m next after that! My job can’t be done in a day, so be ready for it!"

Voices came from every direction.

Total fisherman vibes.

A bunch of laid-back sea men not sweating the details were hollering all around us.

"Yeah, yeah! We’ll guard you properly, so sit tight and wait!"

"We're countin' on ya, Hearty Eater bros!"

"Kaka! The guys who took down that giant beast really are something else! I’m looking forward to it!"

With that, they left, smiling.

It’s nice that they’re friendly and all, but we’re in the middle of talking to a client.

Wish they could read the room just a little.

As I sighed, thinking that, the client in front of me gave a sharp, grinning smirk.

"I’ve got high hopes for you, 'Hearty Eater.'"

"Yeah, leave it to us."

Alright, time to get to work.

Today’s prey is a soft-bodied creature.

We'll be providing escort while they gather regular meat—err, I mean, regular seafood.

Apparently, lately a "big one" has been interfering with their catch.

If possible, we’re to repel it.

They’d prefer it exterminated, but if that’s too much, just driving it off is fine.

There's payment involved, and we’re also promised a share of the catch.

And most importantly...

"As promised, we get to keep everything we hunt, yeah?"

"Of course. Honestly, if you hunt it, that’s great for us."

With that, we boarded the client's ship.

Much smaller than Daryl’s, but probably standard for a fishing boat.

It was still early—before sunrise.

In that darkness, we set out toward the open sea.

Wiping away the drool that threatened to escape.

"Soft-bodied creatures... octopus? Squid? Either’s fine. We’re eating good today, guys."

"I want grilled squid… Whole grilled is nice, but I really wanna eat the tentacles."

"Octopus is tempting too. I’m already looking forward to it."

While we chatted, we stepped toward the edge of the deck.

"Suuu... suu..."

"...Kwaa."

[The girls look sleepy.]

"...Kana, can I leave them to you?"

[Understood. If Nozomi falls asleep, I’ll 'switch' with her, and I’ll keep an eye on Minami too.]

Leaving the two girls to the dragon, we turned our gazes to the dark sea.

Fish are nice, but squid and octopus are something else entirely.

Grilled squid, takoyaki.

Charcoal-grilled tentacles, fried dishes.

Sashimi, vinegar-pickled, whatever.

If you don’t look forward to this, you probably just don’t like seafood.

That’s how excited I am.

"Alrighttt! Time to EAT— I mean, HUNT, boys!"

"UOOHHHH!"

Thus began our second job at sea.

………………….

………………….

"They’ve gone out to sea again, it seems."

"Yes, well... Ever since my introduction, the sea folks have all been fighting over them. After all, they took down a high-rank 'Big Eater' and even a 'Phantom Whale.'"

Daryl reported proudly, but she let out a small sigh.

Their abilities are real, and they’ve produced results beyond expectations.

So why did she still feel uneasy?

It wasn’t fear that they’d get hurt—it was wondering what they'd bring back this time.

Ugh, her stomach hurt.

Even just the shark and the whale brought in a ridiculous number of letters from all over.

"How did they defeat it?" "Is it real?" "When’s it going on auction?"

That’s all they asked.

She couldn’t possibly reply to all of them.

"Anyway, let’s hold onto those cuts of meat... The rest of the materials, I’ll put up for auction. It’ll take a bit of time, but the payment will go to Daryl’s clan as usual, correct?"

"Ah—well, for most of the prey, sure. But for the high-rank 'Gluttony' and the 'Phantom Whale'... I’d prefer you pay them directly."

"...What do you mean by that?"

With such a large sum involved, normally he’d be jumping for joy.

But Daryl scratched his head awkwardly and averted his gaze.

"We really didn’t do anything. We were just running away. They hunted it on their own... I mean, we did fire a few cannon rounds, but, uh..."

"...I see, that’s enough. I assumed you fired on the 'Phantom Whale' with your ship since its head was blown off."

"The girl with the horn and their leader’s spear did that."

"Stop. I don’t want to hear any more."

She sighed heavily and looked over the auction list.

To bring in monsters in this condition—minimal damage, excellent material quality.

This would easily fetch a sky-high price.

Even the commission alone might cover guild staff bonuses.

While she was thinking that—

"Sorry, can I make one selfish request?"

"What is it? That’s rare for you."

Daryl once again looked away, mumbling awkwardly.

"The horn from the 'Phantom Whale' and the two magic stones—could we keep those? As proof of the hunt, it’s something a sea man wants to have, you know?"

"Ah, I see. That’s fine. Since you hunted it, the material rights belong to you. Just the horn and the stones? Speaking of which... the magic stone from the high-rank 'Gluttony' isn’t on the list. Where’d it go?"

"They crushed it after putting on their armor."

"...What?"

"They crushed it, after changing into their 'black armor.'"

"...I see. Never mind. I don’t understand anything anymore."

She sighed again and checked off the horn and stones on the list.

Those were some magnificent pieces.

They’d make grand ornaments for his ship.

Or so she thought—

"Give both of those to 'Hearty Eater.' They’re the ones who should hold the proof of that hunt."

"...You’ve gotten awfully humble, Daryl."

"It’s not humility... I just realized I’m still small-time."

She looked at him with a somewhat exasperated expression as he gave a dry laugh.

He had sailed the ship and rescued everyone from danger.

Even if 'Hearty Eater' had been the ones to slay the monsters, it was thanks to Daryl’s crew that they returned safely.

And yet...

"Sigh... Giving away something that could fetch so much money, huh."

"That said, knowing them, they’ll probably say something like, 'What the hell are we supposed to do with this? We don’t need it.'"

"...What are they?"

"Who knows, really."

And so, it seemed 'Hearty Eater' had earned full trust from the sea clans, and they were off to sea once more.

This time on a civilian fishing vessel, once again in pursuit of prey.

Weird, considering this was only their second sea job.

"My stomach already hurts."

"I really get that. Those guys have ridiculous luck in weird ways."

"Haaahhhh..."

This time, she truly wished they’d just bring back a normal mission report.

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