Volume 3 Chapter 125: Work and Reputation (2/2)

“Ah, found you!” [Teacher]

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” [Ryouma]

When I got there, what was waiting for me was a female teacher and a boy.

“What’s the matter?” [Ryouma]

“The medicine I bought isn’t working.” [Boy Adventurer]

“I think he might have gotten a fake medicine, but I’m not particular with this kind of stuff, so I’m not sure. You said you knew a lot about medicine, right?” [Female Teacher]

“I do have some knowledge on the subject. Can I see that medicine?” [Ryouma]

Fake Medicine?　That shouldn’t happen if you buy at a normal store.

“It’s this. It’s from the pharmacy and was a little expensive, but I was told it’s very effective, so I splurged on it.” [Boy Adventurer]

“Let’s see…” [Ryouma]

The boy seemed to be itchy as he was rubbing himself atop his clothes. He took out a small bottle and handed it to me. When I examined it, I was able to get a rough understanding of the situation.

“When did you start using this and how many times have you used it?” [Ryouma]

“I just started using it this morning. It didn’t seem to be working, so I used it 5 times…” [Boy Adventurer]

“Alright. This isn’t a fake. It just deteriorated.” [Ryouma]

“Deteriorated?” [Boy Adventurer]

“Did you place the bottle under direct sunlight?　It’s true that it’s an insect repellent concocted using some fairly good ingredients, but its weak against sunlight. That’s why you have to store it someplace away from the sun or its efficacy will go down.

Also, if people with weak skin use it too much, they might irritate their skin. So, that itchiness your feeling might not just be because of the insects. Didn’t the clerk explain this to you when you purchased it?” [Ryouma]

“Not at all!” [Boy Adventurer]

Did the clerk really not explain it or did this adventurer simply not hear it? I don’t know, but either way this medicine is the real thing.

“Thank you for explaining. I can take care of the rest.” [Teacher]

“I’ll leave it in your hands then.” [Ryouma]

“Excuse me.” [???]

“Yes. I’m going!” [Ryouma]

…There were quite a lot of people asking me questions.

From the atmosphere on the first day, I thought I wouldn’t be relied on too much, but it’s surprisingly busy.

In any case, I did my best to answer those that asked me questions. I spent one hour trying to teach them all.

Maybe it’s because it’s nearing winter, but recently the sun has been setting early. Thanks to most of the students have coming back, the wave of questions finally calmed down.

“Ryouma, can I have a sec?” [Roche]

“What is it,　Roche-san?” [Ryouma]

“There are still some students that haven’t come back. It’s that group of four that caused a problem on the first day. Have you seen them by any chance?” [Roche]

“I saw those four in the woods some time ago hunting a monster for a job. But I haven’t seen them since then.” [Ryouma]

“I see. In that case, can you take a look? You saw them in the woods right?” [Roche]

“That is where I saw them, but.. Can you lend me your ear for a bit?” [Ryouma]

“Hmm?” [Roche]

“…Those four fell for a trap job. They couldn’t find any rock lizard at the woods, so they were considering going to the plains to look for one.” [Ryouma]

That’s why I’m not confident they’ll be at the woods.

“I see. In that case, it might be a good idea to send someone there too… Never mind. It looks like that won’t be necessary.” [Roche]

“?” [Ryouma]

Roche-san suddenly changed his mind. Before I could ask him why, he pointed his thick finger behind me.

“…I see.” [Ryouma]

When I turned around, that group of four was already walking back. From the way they walked, they appeared somewhat lethargic, but at least, they don’t seem to be wounded. They’re probably just tired from having to carry their quarry.

“Sorry we’re late.” [Adventurer 1]

“Sorry!” [Adventurer 2]

“We ended up taking more time hunting than expected.” [Adventurer 3]

“But we sure were able to hunt a lot!” [Adventurer 4]

“Look, look!” [Adventurer 1]

The four of them spoke to Roche-san like that as they raised up their hunted game and showed off.

“Grass Rat, huh. And 8 of them too.” [Roche]

“Usu!” [Adventurer 1]

“We’re good at hunting.” [Adventurer 2]

“Something like this is easy as long as you can find their nest!” [Adventurer 3]

“Idiot! Sorry.” [Adventurer 4]

When I tried to talk to them, the four of them suddenly behaved like a pounce of borrowed kitten.

Hmm?　Why are they acting like this toward me?

“Umm~ Did I do something?” [Ryouma]

“You’re the owner of the Bamboo Forest, right?” [Adventurer 1]

The least reserved of the four mentioned the name of my store.

“I see. Is this related to my store?” [Ryouma]

“You and your store are helping out the slum people, right?　Because of that we were told not to trouble your store or people related to it.” [Adventurer 1]

“Who told you that?” [Ryouma]

“The adults at the slum. Look. We’re poor, right?　Even if we don’t do anything, most stores wouldn’t appreciate us approaching them and they would push us away. Even if they’re not that blunt about it, it’s clear that their attitude toward us is bad. That sort of stuff spreads quickly. Even if don’t go out of our way to cause trouble for others, if anything happens, people will tell children not to approach us.

On the other hand, if it’s a store like yours that treats people like us well, we get told by the slum adults not to cause you problems.” [Adventurer 1]

Good reputation and bad reputation are shared by the people within the same circle, huh.

“We’ve long heard about how the owner of the store is a kid and how he beat up some delinquent adventurers and thugs and threw them at the guards. But we’ve never seen your face before. So when we found out yesterday that you’re the rumored store owner, these guys pissed their pants. They didn’t know if they were going to be scolded by the adults first or be beaten by you first.” [Adventurer 1]

“We didn’t piss our pants!” [Adventurer 2]

“We were just trying to talk politely.” [Adventurer 3]

“Yeah! You tell him!” [Adventurer 4]

The boy adventurer laughed as he explained the situation and his friends booed him.

But…

“I understand the reason now. But you don’t have to worry about the incident yesterday. I won’t beat you up just because you did something I don’t like. Unless you try to kill me anyway.” [Ryouma]

“What? I told you right? Even if you don’t do that, the adults told us not to approach you. Ah, I’m Gazel, by the way. It’s nice to meet you!”

“Nice to meet you too.” [Ryouma]

He seems like an honest child. I hear these children often pick fights with Berk’s group, but they don’t seem malicious. If anything, they strike me as a group of open-hearted children.　They’re still young, so it’s good they’re this lively… Or at least that’s what I think anyway.

“Right. We want to handle our quarry. Is there a designated place for that?” [Gazel]

“You can go to the back of that carriage then.” [Roche]

“Thanks. We’ll go settle our business then. Let’s go!” [Gazel]

As Gazel took his friends with him, they disappeared to the back of the carriage.

“He seems like a lively kid.” [Ryouma]

“Yeah. The presence of a person like that can liven up a party’s atmosphere. Well, there are also those that are too lively and end up causing problems… You were there too yesterday too. But if you try talking to him, you’ll find that he’s not a bad guy. It feels like he’s not being honest, though. But then again, when you were young too, you…”

As Roche-san was talking, he suddenly stopped.

“What’s the matter?” [Ryouma]

“Nothing. I was about to talk about your youth, but then I remembered you’re still a kid yourself… When I’m not looking at you, it feels like I’m not talking to a kid. It feels like I’m talking to an adult.” [roche]

“I get that a lot.” [Ryouma]

Because you know I’m actually an adult. This kid you’re talking to has the heart of a middle-aged uncle.

“By the way, Roche-san. They mentioned something about hearing about me.” [Ryouma]

“The youngest of the instructors. Someone who’s even younger than the students themselves. And with that house of yours for a tent, of course, you’d stand out. Because of that a lot of the students asked about you.

Although there’s a lot among the students who’s just registered. There’s a lot among the instructors who participated in the previous goblin subjugation job. Beating up a group of delinquent adventurers or a horde of goblins, owning a store, taking out a powerful bandit… Any newcomer who does all that is bound to have word of him spread.” [Roche]

True. I might have been a bit violent.

“And now word has gotten out that I’m the person from the rumors.” [Ryouma]

“Yeah. But isn’t it fine? It’s not like they’re looking down at you.” [Roche]

“That might be true.” [Ryouma]

I can’t decide right now if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but I suppose this means that they’ve at least acknowledged my abilities.

More than anything else, at least we’ve now confirmed that all the students are safe.

Beneath the dazzling night sky swayed the bonfire of the students.

To cook their food… To warm themselves from the cold wind of the night…

As I watched the smiles of the students surrounding the bonfire, my mood gradually turned peaceful.

“Uwaah!?”

“What!?”

“!?”

But it was at such a time that something happened.

Within the quiet camp, beneath the starry sky, suddenly screamed a person.

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