Chapter 65: A Significant Mission

 

We were summoned to Kyle's estate and led into the usual room where we were served tea. As usual, Leifan and I were there, and Mina, as usual, made herself comfortable on my lap.

It was clear why I was there, but oddly enough, Jitaro was present too.

"Ah, it seemed fun, so I decided to join in," Jitaro said nonchalantly.

"You're so carefree," I remarked.

Jitaro often participated in important events related to the town's development, so it wasn't a problem. But I wondered, is he neglecting his duties as a hunter?

As we were chatting, Kyle entered the room with Persia.

"Thank you for waiting. I was a bit tied up sorting some documents," Kyle said.

"You seem very busy, Kyle," I noted.

"Yes, the population continues to grow, so there is much to be done."

"You're not overworking yourself, are you?"

"I won't say I'm not, but I do make sure to get enough rest and sleep," Kyle assured.

My gaze shifted from Kyle to Persia.

"That's good. If left to his own devices, Lord Kyle would bury himself in paperwork without eating, and every time, Persia has to forcibly take him to the table, and at night, she waits for the candle to burn out before lighting a new one and taking the documents away. So, he must be getting enough sleep."

"Kyle..." I said, giving him a disapproving look.

Kyle scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed.

"I'm not pushing myself too hard," he reassured.

"Well, that's good. If there's anything you can't handle, make sure to consult us," I advised.

"Yes. In fact, there's something I need your help with, Craft," Kyle revealed.

"Ah, so this call was about that?"

"Yes."

Leifan and I usually talked about routine matters.

However, this time it was clear that there was a special request since Raidock was also called in.

"Yay! I'll do my best!" Jitaro exclaimed excitedly.

"No, Jitaro, you weren't even supposed to be here," I pointed out.

"Oh come on, Craft. Are you going to keep all the fun to yourself?" Jitaro complained.

"Look, it's obviously about Raidock and me."

Kyle entered the conversation with a smile.

"Don't worry. I was originally planning to consult with you, Craft, and Raidock, and if necessary, involve Jitaro as well."

"Really? That's great!" Jitaro was overjoyed.

"Regardless, Jitaro, let's get to the main point," I said, brushing aside his complaint.

"Alright."

Jitaro grumbled about being dismissed as unimportant, but I ignored him and prompted Kyle to continue.

"The task I want to request from everyone involves exploring uncharted territories," Kyle explained.

"Uncharted territories... So, areas humanity has not yet reached," I clarified.

Humanity had been pushed back by monsters for centuries, only recently reclaiming land to expand our living spaces through the establishment of villages, towns, and nations. The once-glorious human civilization that ruled this land with the power of magic was now barely a memory.

For us, most of the world remained shrouded in mystery. It's common to find massive ruins when exploring beyond the villages.

"Yes. While the surrounding areas of Golden Dawn have been well-documented with the help of the adventurers' guild, there are still many unknown areas further afield. We've made progress in surveying the plains, but the forests and mountains are mostly unexplored."

"That's right. Even a slight deviation from a path in the forest can lead to the unknown," I agreed.

Jitaro nodded.

"I've experienced that myself. I thought I knew the forest where I used to hunt, but just off the usual path, I found an old stone house, which was quite a shock."

Even experts like Jitaro are surprised by what they find.

Raidock added, "When we were searching for dragons, it was similar. Even in the plains, where slight undulations can hide distant views. It took us nearly a month to find them."

"Even the plains can be deceiving. There's probably a lot in the forests that hasn't been discovered," I noted.

Kyle nodded earnestly.

"That's correct. However, this survey will focus on covering a wide area, so detailed investigations are not necessary. We mainly need to map out the distribution of plants, animals, and monsters."

"I see. So the results of this survey will be handed over to the adventurers' guild for more in-depth investigations," I concluded.

"Yes, exactly," Kyle confirmed.

Kyle's face lit up with a smile.

Mina, sitting on my lap, swung her legs idly, looking bored. "If you're bored, you can go back to your room, you know?"

"The walls of Golden Dawn are complete, and the population has increased. It's time to move to the next phase," Kyle announced.

"That's right. Now that we have this stronghold, it's time for us to expand our living area," I agreed.

This was the first step for humanity, which had long been oppressed by monsters, to reclaim their living territories—a beginning of a great endeavor.

"And the only ones who can undertake this task are Raidock, who has slain a dragon, Craft, the peak of alchemy, and Leifan, who is not only skilled in smithing but also knowledgeable about ores!"

Mina turned her face up towards me.

Hmm, I certainly don't look the part of someone so grand.

"It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but indeed, this task would be difficult for anyone else," I said.

"Yes. It's a dangerous mission, and I would really prefer if you, Craft, could stay…"

"I was an adventurer once, too. You can count on my magic as well. Don't hesitate to ask."

"Right. I trust you, brother. Please cover a wide area in your survey."

"Understood. Leave it to me."

"There's another matter. The commercial guild has requested us to procure some rare ores…"

Kyle looked a bit troubled.

"Rare ores... Mithril?"

"Yes. Mithril is in high demand, but there are also many inquiries about adamantine."

"It would be great to have both."

"As for mithril, we regularly send mining teams to the vein you and Leifan found, so that’s not much of an issue. However, if possible, we would like to discover and mine an adamantine vein."

"Understood. Leave it to me."

Rare metals are a perfectly reasonable target for the next resources for our new settlements. Especially since adamantine is so scarce, finding a new source would definitely be a big win for Kyle.

It's one of the few chances I have to help Kyle. I'll definitely find it. With Leifan, it should be doable.

"If we find an adamantine mine, it'll boost Lord Kyle’s reputation! I’ve never touched adamantine before, so I really want to find it!"

"Relying on you!"

Raidock was excited, and so was Leifan at the mention of adamantine. Being part gnome, mithril and adamantine were metals of great significance to her.

"There’s also another request from the adventurers' guild. Raidock, do you know the Casper sisters?"

"Casper? Of course, I know them. They’re three sisters, top young adventurers originally based in the town of Gandar, where the frontier count resides, but they recently moved their base to Golden Dawn."

I had heard of the Casper sisters too.

A skilled young adventuring party that had quickly reached E-rank, and now likely D or C-rank, since I heard all three had crests. And they were all reputed to be beauties.

"Have you met them?"

"Just greeted them at the guild."

"If you know them, it makes it easier to discuss. The guild wants the Casper sisters to join this survey."

"Why?"

"Not sure, but they want us to train them. They’re new to Golden Dawn and probably don’t know our ways yet."

"I see. The guild wants to train them because they’re seen as promising."

"That’s right. We can refuse if there's a problem."

"What do you think, Raidock?"

"No problem on my end. Training the next generation is part of an adventurer’s duty, even if they might be older."

"That shouldn’t be an issue. It’s the years of adventuring that count."

"Right. They looked about my age or a bit younger. If Craft is fine with it, it's up to Leifan and Jitaro."

"I'm fine with it!"

"I got no problems, man! Always happy to welcome girls!"

"Yeah, figured you'd say that."

With everyone's consent, I let Kyle know we were all in agreement.

"Understood. Then please consult with the Casper sisters at the adventurers' guild and set the departure date. We'd like the survey to last two to three months. Craft, that's about the stock we have for potions, right?"

"Yes, we have enough inventory for that duration. Persia, make sure Kyle doesn’t overdo it while we're gone."

"You don’t have to ask."

"Oh... Craft, you don’t trust me..."

"It's not about trust; it's about not overdoing it."

Kyle might just try to develop the town further to surprise us while we're gone.

"The head of the adventurers' guild said he'd like you to come to the guild as soon as possible if you accept the task."

"Then let's head to the adventurers' guild right away."

"Yes! Please take care of yourselves, everyone! Goodbye!"

"Yeah, leave it to us."

We left Kyle's estate and headed towards the adventurers' guild. On the way, Jitaro stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"What kind of people are the Casper sisters?"

"I've heard they're beautiful sisters."

"! Let's hurry then! Stand up! Hurry! Hurry!!"

"Really, Jitaro..."

Not only Leifan, but Raidock and I could only smile wryly.

I thought you were after Azure...

Just 3 days until the book release!

(I don't think I'll be able to update tomorrow, sorry.)