Wagon

Around Dudur Valley, it seemed that the strength of monsters had significantly subsided compared to before. There were occasional mid-level monsters present, with mostly low-level ones.

Efficiency in climbing the Ladder supposedly required a suitable proficiency in combat, but the area just beyond Dudur Valley seemed to be perfect for that.

I, with a trait that depleted magic power after five sword draws, was advised that defeating stronger advanced monsters would be more efficient. However, venturing that far proved challenging.

Clatter...

We traveled along the road in a simple wagon pulled by a beast, resembling a cargo carriage. Our vehicle was an open cargo bed, much like the back of a light truck. There were benches on both sides, and we sat facing each other.

The state army currently focused on thinning out monsters around the road while repairing the asphalt. They aimed to advance with carriages further ahead, probably for logistical maintenance. However, the road to places where advanced monsters still roamed was not yet developed.

The unrepaired sections were quite rough, with asphalt peeling off, making it impossible for carriages to go beyond a certain point. We would travel by carriage as far as possible and then walk to reach the hunting grounds.

Nevertheless, we could go beyond areas where low-level monsters appeared and reach places suitable for mid-level Ladder climbing.

According to the twins, the three students were all considered excellent. They had been blessed by spirits, with their initial values and the increase in abilities when climbing the Ladder from the early stages being quite impressive compared to common standards.

The twins, both ranking in the 2000s, boasted of being strong, claiming they could handle an advanced monster with just the two of them.

Clatter...

Nevertheless.

"It's nice, the cushion."

Although the road was paved, it seemed quite bumpy. Perhaps there was some distortion in the tire's roundness, or maybe the suspension was weak, but the ride was quite shaky.

Nishina and Sakuragi had cushions from the beginning. They said they bought them in some town, so I thought about buying one too, but there was no such variety store in Dudur Valley, and I was still not benefiting from cushions. Nishina showed his gentlemanly side, lending his cushion to Kimishima, and now Nishina and I were enduring the discomfort.

There were five carriages this time. One was ours, and the rest were related to repairing the asphalt of the road.

There were two carriages with workers, each carrying 5-6 personnel and one carriage with tools for the work. The remaining carriage had state army soldiers for guarding the workers.

The driving of the carriage was supposed to be alternated between Chiron-san and Panon-san, but halfway through, Nishina said he wanted to learn to drive. So now, he was learning to drive while holding the reins next to Chiron-san.

We would go as far as the pavement was completed, and from there, we would walk. However, if it was a place similar to usual, we could probably reach monsters without walking too much.

Monsters also appeared on the road. Domesticated magical beasts were mostly eaten by wild monsters since they were mostly low-level. The guards played an important role in protecting the workers and magical beasts.

After swaying on the carriage for a while, Kimishima suddenly opened her bag and took out Mera. Then, holding Mera in both hands, she placed it outside the cart.

...Plop.

Dung. After excreting, Mera was put back into Kimishima's bag as if nothing happened. I had gotten used to it by now, but the surreal scene made Nishina and me smile wryly.

Mera seemed to be a type of monster called a Firebird. Normally, only those who possessed a skill called "Tamer”, allowing them to control magical creatures, could subjugate monsters. However, this creature was known to be popular as it could be subjugated without the Tame skill, making it quite rare. Moreover, it was said that if one found one, it could be sold at a price that allowed one to live and play around for several years.

The adult form of the Firebird produced eggs when it was near death. These eggs hatched from the fire generated by the dying adult. This time, I, fearing a forest fire, desperately extinguished the fire, so I obtained the egg in its egg state. Actually, that seemed to be the correct way to catch a Firebird.

In other words, by inflicting near-fatal damage to the Firebird, it laid eggs. Then, by stopping the ignition phenomenon required for hatching, one could obtain them in their egg state.

After buying the egg, all that was left was for the purchaser to burn it, and a chick would hatch from the egg.

The subsequent imprinting involved synchronizing the consciousness of the newly-born Firebird chick, whether it was a magical creature or another creature, to a considerable depth. It was not just imprinting but almost synchronizing consciousness, and the mechanism was to have you take care of it until it became an adult.

Although it was said to involve the mind, fears of mental contamination arose. However, the nurturing side developed a kind of maternal instinct toward the chick, sending simple desires such as hunger. The nurturer nurtured the chick to some extent.

That was why nobles actively sought it, and once it was put on the market, it quickly became a valuable magical creature that everyone rushed to acquire.

Carton had said, "The Firebird got away.”, if one considered that the Firebird, injured and fleeing, had made it to that location and died, it all made sense.

After Mera finished its toilet training, when the urge to go came, the intention of Mera was directly transmitted to Kimishima, and this surreal scene unfolded. It seemed that Sakuragi was somewhat envious, and she often searched for a Firebird.

"Well, if you really wanted a pet, wouldn't a Clockbird be more practical?"

"Clockbird?"

"A monster that entrusted childcare to others. There were several types, but the one most likely to be found in the city was the Clockbird."

"Huh? Sounds good! Yeah, yeah."

Panon told Sakuragi, who envied Mera, a story about other magical creatures that could be kept as pets. Although it seemed quite expensive, Sakuragi seemed delighted. At that rate, she might have ended up buying one.

"Alright, this seems to be the place."

The carriage was stopped at a certain location. The other carriages were also parked together.

"Alright, we'll leave the guard duty to you."

"It's not just guard duty; it's work."

"Hahaha. Well, the rate of intermediate-level monsters is increasing bit by bit around here. Be careful."

"I got it. You guys be careful too."

I still hadn't completely memorized the faces and names of the members of the state army, but Chiron and Panon exchanged banter with the workers and escort soldiers. Perhaps this atmosphere appealed to Nishina and Kimishima. Their language was rough, but they didn't forget to show consideration for each other. It was a pleasant relationship.

While getting off the carriage, stretching our bodies, and making preparations, I couldn't help but be curious about the work. They seemed to be peeling off and removing the cracked asphalt. They inserted a metal rod similar to a crowbar into the cracks and began hammering with a mallet.

"Mister, interested in this?"

Panon asked as I observed the work.

"Well, in our world, we also had asphalt. I'm just curious."

"I see. It melts when heated, and solidifies when cooled. It's a mysterious oil."

"Haha, I don't know much about it. It's probably a technology brought over by people from some other world."

"Yes, I don't know the details too well. But this stuff is abundant in our Federal Rivet State, and it's cheap and convenient."

"Oh, it's a domestic product. That's wonderful."

As I listened to the conversation, it seemed to be natural asphalt. In Japan, I remembered that refined products from crude oil were used, but perhaps the properties were slightly different here. I didn't know the details, but being able to apply my world's technology for the benefit of this world was fantastic and seemed enjoyable.

Hmm, yes.

"Sensei? Let's go."

The students, impatiently waiting, urged me as I continued to watch the work. I hurriedly followed the students who were already on their way.

Access 10 Chapters ahead of the Novelupdates release on our Patreon. <3