The Unchanging Daily Routine
After finishing the interior design request, there was nothing urgent for us to do.
In other words, we are back to the same routine we had before we started collecting materials.
It was halfway through the day and too late to go hunting Ogres, though, so we were just going to show up at the Adventurers’ Guild.
The Vardmoi Adventurers’ Guild, which we visited after a long time, was bustling even more than before.
I wonder if something happened?
Avoiding those who were scanning through quest boards, I approached the usual receptionist.
“Oh my? It’s Miss Lily’s group. It’s been a while. Did you return from your expedition?”
“Yes, just recently. By the way, what’s with that crowd over there?”
“Oh, that. It’s a recruitment request for escorts. Merchants who purchased rare materials from the Adventurers’ Guild are trying to transport them to various places, but they’re having trouble finding capable escorts.”
Rare materials… could those be the monster materials we’ve hunted?
Even if they’re meant to be transported, they’re often bulky and heavy.
It seems they’re looking for adventurers with the appropriate strength for this escort job.
However, even in a trading hub like Vardmoi, the number of adventurers is limited.
While there might be plenty of adventurers up to Green Rank, the numbers drastically decrease once you get to the Red Ranks.
Merchants are seeking escorts of the Red Rank, and adventurers are negotiating to be allowed on these missions even though they are Blue Rank.
Well, it’s none of my concern as a Copper-ranked merchant.
“Excuse me. How’s the escort request I put up going?”
While I was chatting with the receptionist, an older man interrupted.
Well, we were just having a casual conversation, so I don’t mind, but he gave off a bad vibe.
“Well, the request from Jagant Company hasn’t been accepted yet. The condition that requires four or more Red-ranked adventurers is indeed quite stringent.”
“And why is that? We at our company are offering an exceptional deal.”
“While the Guild appreciates your request, the going rate for hiring Red-ranked adventurers as escorts is 4,000 Rubies per day, excluding lodging and meals. The Jagant Company has only offered 2,500 Rubies, including lodging and meals, so it might be difficult.”
“Tch… Adventurers, only interested in money, the lot of them.”
“If you feel that way, it’s fine to withdraw the request. We’re currently facing a shortage of Red-ranked adventurers, so it’s a challenging situation.”
“You… you’ll regret crossing the Jagant Company!”
The man left angrily. What on earth was that about?
“Sigh, the Jagant Company used to be better under the previous generation…”
“The current generation is mediocre… well, it lacks talent.”
“You’re right, Miss Keuko. But in reality, the Jagant Company’s revenue has been declining steadily. It’s still balanced for now, but it’s said that falling into the red is just a matter of time.”
Hmm, I see.
Oh, when I was on the long-distance bus to Vardmoi, there was a commotion created by the heir to the Jagant Company.
I wonder if that was the real deal?
Let’s ask.
“It’s most likely the real deal. He’s known around Vardmoi as the young lord who always has three Blue-ranked adventurers trailing behind him. It’s best if you don’t get involved, Miss Lily.”
Right, I don’t want any involvement with that.
After that, I asked about events that had occurred in Vardmoi over the past month.
There didn’t seem to be any major disruptions, but it seems the artisans who work with Ogre horns and tusks were affected.
Because ever since I arrived in Vardmoi, I’ve been stably supplying horns and tusks, the sudden halt in supply led to an increase in raw material costs.
They use Ogre horns to make throwing knives and ogre tusks for arrowheads, and apparently, the scouts’ pockets took a hit.
So, they want me to resume Ogre hunting quickly.
They’re saying both “don’t hunt” and “hunt” depending on the convenience.
Well, horns and tusks are byproducts, so I don’t really care either way.