The Seasoned Hunter and the Monster Pelts

I confirmed that the pot of water had come to a full boil and removed the fire magic stone.

That took care of my promise.

I'd already let the inn staff know, so we all headed back to our room.

After getting ourselves ready, there was more than enough time to get moving.

The sun was looking pleasantly bright, too.

Azu and the others could handle themselves, but Orleans would be in danger against monsters without armor.

That said, putting armor on her would just leave her unable to move.

Better to have her dodge rather than try to take hits.

I made sure to spell that out clearly.

"For now, let's go meet this injured hunter. We don't know what kind of monsters are out there."

"Right."

"In that case, I know where to go."

Elza stepped in front of me with a little giggle, looking like she wanted to say leave it to me.

"This way."

She said and started walking.

Where she'd learned that, I had no idea. Well, if she already knew, that made things easy.

Elza walked with her hands clasped behind her back, the hem of her priest robe swaying.

Like she was going on a picnic.

We walked a short while from the inn and reached the outskirts of town.

A single house stood there alone, near the forest's edge.

Not particularly large, but sturdy and well-built from logs.

"This is it. I spoke with the client from yesterday and got the location. It seemed like he might need healing, too."

"Good thinking. Appreciate it."

A bell was attached to the front door. The idea was clearly to ring it to announce yourself.

I reached for the bell to pay our visit, but Orleans was staring at it curiously.

Come to think of it, the manor house hadn't had a doorbell.

Had she never even seen one before?

"Orleans, try swinging this side to side."

"Yes, sir."

I had Orleans grip the bell's cord and swing it back and forth.

The ball on the end of the cord swayed and struck the bell, sending its chime ringing several times.

"It made a sound. So that's how it works."

"That's right. Set one up and you'll know right away if someone's come to visit."

"I see."

After a short wait, a voice called out for us to come in.

I opened the door without hesitation and stepped inside.

The interior looked exactly like a hunter's home.

Several bows and axes leaned against the walls, and pelts from what appeared to be hunted prey were spread across the floor.

Strips of smoked meat hung from the ceiling, likely preserved food.

The place was well-kept, and the layout felt deliberate.

The owner was clearly a meticulous man.

I found myself wanting to look around the whole house, but doing so in front of the owner would be rude.

Azu and Orleans were already gawking with undisguised curiosity, but they were kids, so hopefully he'd let it slide.

The hunter himself was sitting on his bed, watching us.

He had a stern face. Skilled tradesmen tended to look like that.

My first impression was his build. He was well-muscled, with old scars marking his face and arms. He must have been fighting monsters head-on for a long time.

His right arm was wrapped in cotton bandages.

If he'd injured one arm, he certainly wouldn't be able to hunt.

Probably his dominant arm, too.

"Who're you people?"

"We were hired to deal with the monsters. Figured we'd talk to you first, since you know the area."

"The name's Edgar. Don't just call me 'you.'"

He said it with a sour expression. I nodded at that.

"Got it, Edgar-san. I'm Yohane, by the way. Can you tell us about the monsters around here?"

"Yeah. My own screw-up's the reason for all this, so."

With that, Edgar stood up.

He deftly opened a box in the corner of the room with one hand and pulled out its contents.

Inside the box were monster pelts.

They'd been skinned with remarkable technique, and appeared to have been treated for preservation.

Good enough to be mounted as taxidermy on the spot.

He laid out pelts from three types of monsters and sat down on the floor.

"Come closer. So you can get a good look at the pelts."

We moved in as instructed.

"You should recognize these two if you're adventurers."

The pelts Edgar pointed to were familiar.

Horned Rabbit and Wolf Monster.

They looked slightly different from the ones I knew, but that was probably just regional variation.

Neither would be a problem for Azu and the others.

"This one's the big game."

The third pelt.

This was from a bull.

There were marks where tusks had protruded from the mouth.

Judging by the size of the pelt, the monster itself might have been larger than an ordinary bull.

"This one got me with its tusks. 'Course, I finished it off with my left hand. There are also some Bug Monsters, but they're no real threat."

"I see."

"Its attack pattern is a charge, then a toss-up. Once it launches you, it gores you with its tusks when you land. They're few in number but the most dangerous."

I nodded at his words.

"If you've got a mage, it's easy work, but…"

Edgar looked our way as he said that.

"We've got that covered. We plan to take out as many as requested, anyway. About that injury of yours, though…"

"Hm, oh. This'll take a while to heal. Cut's a bit deep."

"Let our priestess heal it."

"A priestess? That'd be a blessing, but… I'm afraid I can't really afford an offering right now."

Edgar had no income with his injury.

He'd want nothing more than to be healed, but I could understand his hesitation.

"By the way, what do you plan to do with these pelts?"

"I use the meat and organs, but as for pelts… Cotton's cheap around here, so they've been piling up. I just preserve 'em like this."

"Then could I take some of these pelts off your hands? I'll pay if needed."

"What, you want the pelts? Hang on a sec."

Edgar walked over to the stacked boxes.

Azu and I followed to lend a hand.

Edgar passed us one box at a time.

"How's this? If you're healing me, forget the money."

"Mind if I take a look inside?"

The boxes contained Horned Rabbit and wolf pelts.

Azu's box also had some Bull Monster pelts mixed in.

"More than enough. In fact, it's too much, so please, let me pay."

"Yeah? I'll leave that to you, then."

Deal struck. Once Edgar's injury was healed, the town would rest easier, too.

I handed over two gold coins for the two boxes.

Edgar possessed seriously expert butchering skills.

Ideally, I'd love to have him teach Azu and the others, but that was probably asking too much.

All these pelts just sitting here unused, a side effect of cheap cotton flooding the market.

If I brought them back to the Kingdom and had them processed, they'd sell for a tidy sum.

"Now then, let me heal you. Breath of the divine…"

Elza directed her healing miracle at Edgar, and the treatment was done in moments.

"Fine work. Thanks, priestess, and Yohane-san."

"Of course. Well then, we'll hunt some monsters and be on our way."

"Right. Oh, there's a dead labyrinth nearby. Monsters have been nesting in it, so watch yourselves."

We left Edgar's house with the boxes and some dried meat as a parting gift.

A good deal all around. I'd have liked to head back just on that, but the quest was still outstanding.

"Alright, let's drop these off and then make a loop around the town first."

"Got it. I'll do my best."

From here on, I'd leave it to Azu and the others — the professionals.