Chapter 366
Chapter 366
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 366
>Chapter Title: Even So, the Kid Is Kind
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One week.
Time flew by.
Without a doubt, that week was hell for Reilly like nothing else before.
……That concludes the rough outline for establishing the base camp in the Arapurkin Mountains. Proposed by Reilly. There are still many shortcomings, so please add your opinions freely.
After Aster gathered the mercenaries and held a briefing on the base camp concept, the way they looked at Reilly had grown incomparably colder.
I hear he was a pretty decent Pathfinder in the Hamern Great Forest……
Familiar faces are the scariest, and he's exactly that type.
Sure, we'd love to make a ton of money, but this is a bit much……
The mercenaries from Whirlwind Wings and Kalia Mercenary Group openly avoided Reilly, while those dispatched from the Hamern Great Forest just shook their heads silently.
And they had good reason.
- You thieving bastards. Daylight robbers, that's what you are. Kyaaak, ptui!
- Don't let me catch you coming back here.
They all remembered Reilly throwing tantrums at the base camp, complaining about the rip-off prices.
Of course, Reilly turned into a lamb whenever a mercenary with some clout showed up at the base camp. But against the greenhorn mercenaries there, he was the king of complaints.
If he hadn't been one of the few comparable Pathfinders in the forest, he would've lost his head ages ago—that was the consensus among the base camp mercenaries.
And now that guy was……
……He must've been jealous, that's all.
We get it. With a plan like this, how could his stomach not hurt?
Hmm, maybe we should report this to the chief?
Reilly wanted to scream that it wasn't true.
That it was a misunderstanding. That he'd never said anything like that.
But he never got the chance.
No, far from a chance, the frame-up only solidified with each passing day.
Let's put the first base camp here. Isn't this about the distance where supplies would run out?
But, chief. These are figures for climbing with experienced Sherpas. With regular Sherpas, it'd take a full extra day from this point to the base camp.
Exactly, that's why we need this.
This is……
Beacon fire.
……Beacon fire?
Yeah, beacon fire. Light one, and the base camp dispatches a rescue team. A find-and-rescue service—what do you think?
We'll have to…… charge more.
Exactly.
And this proposal too……
Yeah, Reilly's.
They were setting up the base camp at a distance that was touch-and-go, then squeezing money out of people with rescue teams.
And that was just the start.
How about introducing a 'rest stop' system on the way to the base camp?
Rest stop……
An intermediate outpost. Sell supplies there. Camping's allowed, but we'll make that free. In exchange.
In exchange?
Rest stop essentials and food priced at 1.2 times the base camp rates.
……Hah. Who'd use it?
Inexperienced Sherpas might.
Indeed……
At this point, base camp accessibility didn't matter at all.
There was only one thing to consider.
……Profitability.
Plant the base camp in a zone loaded with magic materials, no matter what. Provide paid services all the way until they reach it.
But there were concerns too.
This is way too thieving…… Mercenaries and gatherers aren't idiots—they'll blow up with complaints. Think about it. The amount of magic materials you can gather in one go is limited, but expenses just keep piling up.
It might make sense for tourists.
Tourists spend pretty generously.
But the folks heading to Arapurkin are all there to make a buck—who'd welcome these costs?
They might come once, but never twice.
That was the mercenaries' worry, but Aster smiled as if he'd anticipated it.
I asked Reilly about that too. And he had a solution.
……A solution?
Wyvern.
Wyvern……
Train wyverns to deliver the magic materials. To Development Site No. 1. That way, going up's tough, but coming down, no baggage worries, right? Think about it.
……You've shelled out big to drag yourself up to the base camp.
Of course you're thinking about breaking even.
But the magic materials you can carry down are limited, so resentment creeps in.
Then, that's when.
- Just n silver! Try the wyvern delivery system!
No more baggage worries.
Just gather hard, stockpile at Development Site No. 1. Breakfast, gather; lunch, gather; dinner, gather. Huh? When to head down? Why head down? You already spent good money climbing up?
……Hah.
Oh, our side handling sales on commission wouldn't be bad either. Might need to set up a trading company? Anyway, doesn't this give plenty of merit?
This too……
Reilly's.
……Vicious bastard.
Several more creative ideas were proposed in Reilly's name.
He suggested setting up an altitude sickness training camp.
……And charging for it?
Of course. The first base camp isn't that high. Second one's the same. But the third? That's tough. So, set it up at the second base camp. And add this.
What……
Give graduates one free wyvern rescue voucher.
……Hah.
Altitude sickness camp and wyvern rescue.
Plus wyvern carriages(?) for impatient mercenaries and merchants.
These were radical systems only possible at Development Site No. 1, home to the Sky King's black wyvern 'Yongyong'.
Radical? Or more than that?
'This…… makes money.'
'Definitely.'
If things went like this, a base camp unlike any in continental history would be born.
But contrary to expectations, a nagging unease stirred in their hearts.
'Is this…… right?'
'Money's good, but.'
They couldn't shake the feeling of profiting off others' misery.
You know, like those war merchants and arms dealers raking it in while people die in wars.
Sure, one could say what right do we sword-eaters have to such flimsy morals—but the unease lingered.
As if sensing it, Aster proposed to the mercenaries.
Just my thought…… how about this?
What?
Nah, looking at everyone's faces, it's like 'eh, this is a bit……' If it really bothers you, let's throw in some charity work.
Charity…… work?
Yeah. Pick certain weeks each month for free rescues, or donate a cut of profits. Plenty of ways, right? Of course, spending money's tough until the base camp stabilizes.
The mercenaries applauded.
Indeed!
As expected of the chief!
Aster's suggestion was a refreshing breeze that blew away the lingering unease.
Right. If it feels like profiting off misery, just give back with the earnings.
Sure, it might seem like cheap self-consolation, but it beat doing nothing.
Meanwhile, the mercenaries' glares at Reilly grew icier by the day.
What the hell's in that head of his.
Dangerous guy.
Good thing we have the chief……
Conversely, Aster's stature rose daily.
I heard he set up an orphanage somewhere.
The forest mercenaries say he's 'that mage.' You know, the one who helped when Hamern Great Forest was in chaos……
Isn't he too young? And that mage wore a mask……
Obviously, he doesn't want his good deeds known. And what's age got to do with it? Didn't you see? When he fought that black wyvern……
Unverified rumors spread like wildfire.
In them, Aster became the 'secret philanthropist,' 'humble mage,' 'genius with talent and character.'
Reilly could go mad jumping.
'That…… that lunatic, what?'
If he endured even a tenth of what he'd done to him, he wouldn't spout such nonsense.
His insides twisted.
But what truly drove Reilly insane was something else.
Overheard in passing conversation.
Aster had said.
Reilly? Hm…… yeah, he has that tendency, but still……
Still?
The kid's kind.
“Gwaaaack!”
……That day, Reilly spat blood and took to bed—a fact known only to those in the know.
* * *
The base camp project sailed smoothly, like a ship with the wind at its back.
Mercenaries trained wyverns with the help of the black wyvern 'Yongyong,' and Evelyn, who broke the strike, maximized the project's profitability.
Meanwhile, Aster returned to his leisurely days.
Save for occasional trips to the Arapurkin Mountains for base camp matters, he was the picture of idleness.
So, day by day.
Spring passed.
“This should be enough to accept mercenaries or traders. Construction continues, of course.”
The development site, with minimal infrastructure, opened for business.
With the first base camp complete, the link between 'Base Camp - Development Site No. 1' was ready to test.
“What's the development site name? Can't keep calling it No. 1 forever.”
Got a good one?
Well……
Then, 'Nest.'
Nest?
Yeah, Nest. If there's a better name, we'll go with that.
They asked Muspellun Grand Duke, Third Imperial Princess, Blandoga Patriarch, Lortel Young Patriarch—but no better ideas came.
So, the name stuck as 'Nest.'
As summer approached, word came from Parun.
[Business has a solid foundation. Contact me once the development site's buildings are done.]
He'd secured buyers and investors and wanted to settle in.
[Should be around fall.]
[Got it.]
Soon after, Hickster arrived at the Nest from the main house.
“You're here.”
“Yeah.”
He'd grown unrecognizably stronger in months.
But instead of arrogance, Hickster sought instruction.
“Master Knight?”
“On assignment.”
“I see. Lots of monsters in the Arapurkin Mountains, right? Must've been hunting them.”
So, as summer's sweltering heat peaked.
……Hm.
[17 times 17 is 289. 17 times 18 is 306. 17 times 19 is……]
Aster, keeping watch beside the wyvern drilling its 19 times table, suddenly looked up at the sky.
And reached a decision after months of deliberation.
“Wyvern.”
[……?]
“Time to head out.”
The wyvern tilted its head.
And asked.
[Head out? Where to?]
Aster answered.
“To the continent.”
……The Nest was built. Time to spread wings long folded.