Akatsuki Translations

The quantity of magic stones that could be harvested from the enormous Dungeon City of Sin, Greed, was the greatest on the Isralia continent.

The blessings of the spirits bestowed upon the temple priests were critical for societal maintenance. The protection of the Sun God, known as the【Barrier of the Sun, 】 shielded the entire city as if enveloping it, serving as the emblem of this very principle.

However, on the flip side, it was impossible to uphold the current society solely through the power of the spirits. The development of magic technology drastically increased its consumption, accelerating the depletion of magic power itself. The magic power possessed by each individual was no longer sufficient. The demand for magic stones from the dungeon exploded.

Therefore, many cities coveted the magic stones produced in Greed, but trade was fraught with considerable difficulties.

“After all, one step outside the city and you’re in the 【Area Beyond Human Habitation, 】” Diz mused in front of the City of Greed’s main gate.

The area outside the city was the ‘Area Beyond Human Habitation.’ Human control was limited to within the defensive walls and barriers of the city-state. One step outside, and it was a lawless region, rife with monsters and thieves.

Traveling through such an area inherently involved risks. Ever since the dungeons appeared worldwide, and monsters began to overflow from the dungeons, fracturing the human survival zone, trade had become increasingly difficult.

“So, one solution is, this…..” -Shizuku

《It’s biiiiigg》-Akane

Looking up at the “thing,” Shizuku and Akane gaped in awe.

It was far larger than the crystal golem they had defeated the other day—a massive “turtle” creature that stomped on the ground with its six legs. A “turtle monster” with a large horn sprouting from its head.

“It’s an 【Island-Eating Turtle. 】 A terrestrial ‘Transport Beast’ exceeding 100 meters (328.1 ft) in length. It can carry wagons.” -Diz.

“What does it eat to grow this large?” -Shizuku

“Magic stones.” -Diz

《Aren’t they tough?》-Akane

“It chomps them down. Wild Island-Eating Turtles are said to eat even the bedrock where magic stones are buried.” -Diz

If bitten by that thing, anything—rock or otherwise—would surely be crushed effortlessly. One would not want to get close to its face, even by mistake.

“Like normal monsters, it also feeds on the magic power in the atmosphere, so it’s not that much of a big eater. Still, being able to maintain an Island-Eating Turtle is unique to Greed, I guess.” -Diz

“How fast is it’s walking speed?” -Shizuku

“About the same as a wagon, I’d say. However, its charm lies in the fact that it can walk non-stop for several days without rest.” -Diz

The giant turtle let out a hefty sigh. Its warm breath reached them, despite being quite a distance away. Maybe it didn’t stink because its main diet was magic stones.

“More importantly, if you ride on its back, the risk of being attacked during intercity movement is significantly reduced.” -Dzi

“Whether it’s thieves or monsters attacking, it’s just too big to handle.” -Ur

Size equated to strength.

Ur, who had fought the crystal golem, could attest to this. The giant turtle, which made the crystal golem look like a pebble, was not something Ur wanted to challenge. It seemed the monsters felt the same way.

“So, I too was planning to use this for intercity movement—but.” -Diz

“But?” -Ur

“It’s no use.” -Diz

Diz slumped. Seeing her usually confident self in a dejected state was a bit refreshing.

“Can I ask why?” -Ur

Island-Eating Turtles should allow anyone to ride as long as they paid the appropriate fee (of course, criminals were exceptions). Especially for someone like her with an official rank, there seemed to be no reason for refusal.

“Some of the people in the 【Merchant Guild, 】which funds a significant portion of the maintenance cost for the mobile fortresses in each city, hold a serious grudge against me.” -Diz

“What did you do…?” -Ur

“I exploited a weakness to snatch something I wanted.” -Diz

“How wicked! So you just brought it on yourself!” -Ur

There was no room for sympathy. Diz did not deny the accusation, appearing to be aware of her wrongdoing.

“So, if I can’t use a mobile fortress, I’ll have to travel by wagon. But I’m a bit short-handed right now. I need a guard.” -Diz

“So, you’re asking us…?” -Ur

This was the proposal and request from Diz.

“I have to travel between cities for work, and considering your goals, it’s a perfect fit, right?” -Diz

Indeed, if they moved according to her schedule, he could stay with Akane. It was an optimal proposal. However,

“We appreciate the offer, but are you sure you can trust us? We’ve only been adventurers for a month.” -Ur

“You’d risk your life to guard me if it came to that, right? I do have a hostage, after all.” -Shizuku

《I’m the hostage!》-Akane

Akane raised her hand. Ur pulled at her cheek.

“It’s hard to be straightforwardly happy about this.” -Ur

“But it is a help.” -Shizuku

It was a proposal that benefited both Ur and Shizuku.

Going after the bounty heads and visiting each city, the biggest challenge would be the lack of a stable income. It’s precisely why many adventurers establish a base and repeatedly dive into the same dungeon. If they could guard while moving, the instability of income during travel would be resolved.

While they couldn’t simply jump at the offer, it was indeed a tempting proposition.

“But where exactly are you heading after leaving Greed?” -Ur

“Hmm,” Diz mused, crouching down and began to sketch a simple map of the Isralia continent on the ground with a pebble. She drew an oblique ellipse representing the upper half, then placed a dot in the bottom right corner—marking the current location, the 【City of Sin, Greed】. From there, Diz drew a curved line to the right.

She then placed a pebble at a point slightly upper left from the center of the continent.

“I plan to bypass the 【Apas Mountain Range】, pass through the 【City of Sin, Lust, 】 and ultimately aim for the capital state of the Grand Federation, the 【City of Sin, Proudia. 】” -Diz

“That’s a long journey.” -Ur

“Well, yes. Crossing the Apas Mountain Range directly is tough, so we’ll take a long journey, going around from the east.” -Diz

“How long will it take?” -Shizuku

“Who knows. We’ll probably stop at satellite cities for supplies, and depending on the situation, we might even get work. I plan to spend a month in Lust, but there’s also a chance we’ll go to Gradol.” -Diz

“Going to Gradol would be a considerable detour, right?” -Ur

“That’s exactly why I need guards. I want to delegate tasks like preparing for camping and repelling monster attacks.” -Diz

“I see,” Ur nodded, visualizing the map of the Isralia continent in his head.

As she said, they would almost half-circumnavigate the continent of Isralia.

However, for Ur and Shizuku, that was a welcome journey. The more cities they visited, the higher their chances of encountering bounty heads. The longer the journey, the longer their guard salary would continue. The proposed fee was not bad either.

Looking at Shizuku, Ur saw her nod in agreement. He turned back to Diz.

“Understood. We accept your request.” -Ur

“Then, make sure to stock up now. Encountering monsters on the way is a nuisance, and ideally, I want to move out in sync with the departure of the Island-Eating Turtle. Try to finish all your errands within the next two days.” -Diz

And so, Ur and Shizuku began their preparations for departure.

                                              ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Artisan Quarter

“Well, it seems we need to refresh our equipment.” -Ur

“Yes.” -Shizuku

“Frankly, I’m quite terrified by the amount of money we have. I want to spend it all.” -Ur

“That’s not a good idea.” -Shizuku

“Guess it isn’t.” -Ur

Ur clutched at his chest, where his purse bulged with gold coins. He looked afraid.

The money they’d acquired after defeating the crystal golem consisted of fifteen gold coins and twenty silver coins. They’d spent all the silver coins on the feast at the tavern. After paying the Red Ogre two gold coins for their “cooperation,” they were left with thirteen gold coins, their entire fortune.

Of course, carrying all this money around would be terrifying, so they’d deposited some of it with the Adventurers’ Guild. Only ring-bearers could use this bank, but it was trustworthy. Ur had deposited five of the gold coins there and carried eight with him. It was a considerable sum, even so.

Adventurers ventured out, gathered gold, bought new equipment with that gold, and then earned more gold with that equipment. This was the basic cycle of income and expenditure for adventurers, but of course, reality wasn’t so simple.

Expensive weapons often came with high maintenance costs. Even if one suddenly acquired a powerful weapon or armor, one might not be able to use it effectively. In the current Age of Great Dungeons, it was not uncommon to suddenly acquire a fortune. However, it was also common to hear of adventurers who failed to make good use of such fortunes and ended up losing big. Therefore, it was also common to hear of fortunes lost in vain.

That’s why Ur had deposited a minimum of five gold coins and carried eight. Of course, it was still a considerable sum.

“So, how should we use it?” -Ur

“We need armor for you, Ur-sama. Most of my equipment is still intact, but…” -Shizuku

“In my case, I’ve lost almost all of my equipment…” -Ur

It was a testament to the ferocity of the battle they’d been through.

The equipment Ur had worn during the crystal golem battle, including the Dragonfang Cannon, the chalk armor, the shield, and two anti-impact necklaces, had all been smashed into dust and rendered unusable. Ur had found the chalk series to be reliable and easy to use. Although it looked somewhat clumsy, it was sturdy and did not significantly hinder movement.

And so, they had ventured into the Artisan Quarter, where blacksmiths gathered. However…

“Congratulations on defeating the crystal golem, hero! Look, this is the same type of sword that a hero once used to kill a dragon, a dragon-slaying sword, the Dragonslayer! How about it for five gold coins?!” -Artisan

“Congratulations on defeating the crystal golem, hero! Take a look at this beautiful silver armor! Made of mithril, it’s a full suit of mail that repels magic! A masterpiece by the famous blacksmith from the West, Grala! Eight gold coins!” -Artisan

“Congratulations on defeating the crystal golem, hero! Look at this! One of the 【Spirit Artifacts】given to humans by the Wind Spirit, Fynellian! Armor of the Gale! Ten gold coins!” -Artisan

“Amazing, they’re trying their hardest to milk us for all we’re worth…” -Ur

The eyes of the artisans who were also merchants shone with a predatory gleam, clearly directed at Ur and Shizuku. The glow in the eyes of the adventurers during the subjugation festival paled in comparison. Honestly, it was terrifying.

The names of the victors of the subjugation festival, Ur and Shizuku, spread quickly through Greed. And so did the news of their sudden wealth. Their venture into the town was a golden opportunity for those that saw them as easy prey.

“Perhaps it would be better to go to the Golden Hammer?” -Shizuku

“Yeah, there should be better.” -Ur

　　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

“Ur! Ur! It’s all thanks to us, isn’t it!! Thanks to my shield, right? Hand over the gold!!” -Golden Hammer Member

“Oh! Shizuku-san! I thought it was all over when they took you to the hospital! Please, marry me!!!!” -Golden Hammer Member

“Ur! I have a sword that’s so specialized even the merchants wouldn’t buy it, but you have the money, right?” -Golden Hammer Member

“It wasn’t better.” -Ur

“They certainly lack refinement in the way they express their desires, don’t they?” -Golden Hammer Member

“Don’t be so ruthless, Shizuku~.” -Golden Hammer Member

Considering it was evident that the Golden Hammer’s artisans were particularly obsessed with money. Of course, being money-minded was natural. But it was questionable whether they should be so blatantly trying to push their wares.

“I’ll buy. I plan to buy armor, so please calm down.” -Ur

“Hey, try jumping. How much money do you have?” -Golden Hammer Member

“You guys some sort of hoodlums?” -Ur

Anyway, since they were planning to spend all their money, he showed four gold coins to speed up the process. There was a small murmur of surprise at the number of gold coins, and then, in the next moment, weapons and armor began to line up in front of Ur.

“A Fire Magic Stone Dagger! Two gold coins!” -Golden Hammer Member

“Silver Chain Armor woven from mithril! Three gold coins! -Golden Hammer Member

“Leather gloves made from the golden fire fish! One gold coin!” -Golden Hammer Member

“Hold on, hold on, hold on. Just wait a second. You greedy bunch, just wait.” -Ur

As things stood, there was a danger that an endless stream of ludicrously expensive equipment would keep being thrown at Ur, so he stopped them. It was bad for the heart and there was no end to it.

“We will be leaving Greed and traveling a long distance. We desire items that are suitable for a long journey and that we can maintain ourselves. If rare materials are used, we may not be able to repair them in other places.” -Shizuku

Shizuku stated their needs with a radiant smile. Some of the craftsmen covered their faces with their hands and groaned at her words about leaving Greed, but they ignored them.

“I’d prefer a full set of armor, something sturdy. I’m not good at dodging.” -Ur

“Defensive but suited for a journey, huh? That’s a difficult request.” -Dwarf Blacksmith

“I wouldn’t mind the Chalk Series I got before.” -Ur

“Due to the nature of the materials used, that one is rather bulky. It’s not ideal for travel…” -Dwarf Blacksmith

The dwarf blacksmith grumbled.

“When armor is damaged, if you stay in Greed, there are craftsmen nearby. But when traveling, that’s not always the case. There may not be a dedicated craftsman in town, or you may be outside of a city altogether.” -Dwarf Blacksmith

“Would leather armor be better?” -Ur

“I can’t say that for sure. Items made from monster hides can be powerful, but they require a suitable ‘needle’ to tailor. Ultimately, it all comes down to the craftsmanship and tools.” -Dwarf Blacksmith

“So in any case, it’s not something we can easily repair on our own. Powerful armor.” -Ur

“Yet, if you go for replaceable armor, it would make you feel unsecure…” -Dwarf Blacksmith

Saying that, the dwarf blacksmith picked out a product from the selection of goods on display at the blacksmith’s shop and presented it to Ur. It was…

“Gray armor?” -Ur

“Armor of Fire-consuming Stone, full body as you requested, with cloth padding at the joints for easy movement. Three gold coins.” -Dwarf Blacksmith

“What are its features?” -Ur

“It’s not as good as Mithril, but it’s not bad in terms of sturdiness. Above all, it ‘consumes’ magic.” -Dwarf Blacksmith

“Consumes? Like a magic-storing stone?” -Ur

Ur glanced at Shizuku. The thing she wore around her neck was a magic-storing stone.

“Well, it’s somewhat similar. It has a property that allows it to absorb a small amount of magic. Therefore, it can easily ward off magic attacks or attacks from monsters.” -Dwarf Blacksmith

While receiving the explanation, he tried it on. It was slightly too big for a perfect fit, but with some adjustments, it seemed like it would fit his body. It was heavier than the chalk armor he had worn during the fight with the crystal golem, but not so much that it hindered his movements.

“The absorbed magic will eventually dissipate. It doesn’t grow by absorbing, and of course, if the impact is too strong, it will break. But it’s a good piece. It’s durable and strong. Fire-consuming stone is not a rare mineral, so it’s easy to repair.” -Dwarf Blacksmith

“I’ll take it.” -Ur

With that, the craftsman who likely made the armor posed triumphantly. Around him, men sighed and stomped their feet. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. As far as Ur was concerned, if they were having that much fun, he wished they would have given him a bit more of a discount.

“So, what else are you going to buy? You’re not just buying armor, are you?” -Dwarf Blacksmith

“I’d like a shield and helmet too, if possible…” -Ur

And with that, Ur took out a thing wrapped in cloth.

It was a stone that looked like a semi-transparent gem, a mix of blue and black. For a moment, the dwarf old man tilted his head, tapped the stone with a small hammer, and then grimaced.

“A 【fragment of a crystal golem】… always bringing troublesome things.” -Dwarf Blacksmith

Most of the monsters produced by the dungeon disappear when defeated, leaving behind only their magic stones. But not all of them. There are also drop items that are not consumed by the dungeon. When Ur and Shizuku defeated the crystal golem, its body remained among the vast amount of magic stones.

Of course, the two had the right to possess these drop items. However, they had been wondering what to do with them. Naturally, neither Ur nor Shizuku could do anything with it. Moreover, they didn’t quite understand how valuable this item was.

According to Glen, “It can be used as a material for armor, but it’s too hard and troublesome to process and select the craftsman.”

According to Diz, “Even when polished, the shine is mediocre and uneven. It’s not great as a gem.”

So, they decided to bring it to the Artisan’s Quarter.

Since its hardness was guaranteed, it would be a fortune if it could be used for armor. If it was likely to be damaged during the journey and difficult to prepare new materials, it would be desirable to have a shield that was not intricately made, considering it might have to be discarded if it broke.

“Is it going to be difficult? I thought we could make a shield out of it because of its size.” -Shizuku

“Leave it to us, Shizuku-san!” “With our skills, this is nothing!” -Golden Hammer Member

“Damn it… Well, I’ll give it a try. I’m itchin’ to give a fragment of a crystal golem a go.” -Dwarf Blacksmith

There were several ways to defeat a crystal golem.

In the case of the “function stop” that Ur and Shizuku were forced to avoid, the crystal golem did not drop any fragments. The body of the crystal golem crumbles in an instant when it stops functioning. Thus, the material can only be obtained by defeating it head-on or making it rampage.

The hardness is top-notch, but there are not many adventurers who are willing to take on the additional risk of defeating the already troublesome crystal golem. Therefore, despite its high performance, it was a rare item.

“I’ll charge you for the material, but I’ll cover the labor cost. But I’m gonna need a reasonable amount of money.”

At those words, Ur and Shizuku looked at each other and nodded.

“If we’re covering the cost of materials, give us a 50% discount.” -Ur

“It’s a lot of work to process this. At most, I’ll give you a 20% discount.” -Dwarf Blacksmith

“How about a 40% discount then?” -Ur

“I said it’s 20% off.” -Dwarf Blacksmith

“Even though we literally risked our lives to defeat the crystal golem…” -Shizuku

Shizuku cried pitifully.

“Old man! Give ‘em a discount!” -Golden Hammer Member

“Old man! Especially for Shizuku-san, it’s heartbreaking!” -Golden Hammer Member

“Whose side are you on?” -Dwarf Blacksmith

In the end, they settled on a 30% discount.

After that, Ur purchased a helmet of Fire-consuming Stone as a set with the armor, handed over two more gold coins for the shield, and completed the replenishment of his armor equipment.

They were left with three gold coins.

Lots of world-building! Very exciting!