The Death Mage That Doesnt Want A Fourth Time 69 (1/2)

Following the lead of Kasie that they orking in, the Seventh Cultivation Village

“A cultivation village in a place like this?” Vandalieu asked in surprise There was a city’s ruins to the south, and even a mine in beyond that

Fester was surprised himself at Vandalieu’s question “I’ve never heard about the city,” he said “If you go south froe, there’s only a rocky mountain with a slave-run o past that, though”

“No, I’ve definitely heard that there was a city, a hundred years or two hundred years ago,” said Kasi about?”

“Ah, I see He said he had a Vae for him to be told about that,” said Fester

It seeone into a decline in the past two hundred years

“But why on earth would such a thing happen?” Vandalieu asked

The adventurers gave him puzzled looks in response to his question

“Sorry, we’re not really that well-educated Each of the duchies is its own state, like a country ruled by noblemen, so people like us don’t really learn about the histories of other duchies,” said Zeno

“Are you all from other duchies?” Vandalieu asked

“Yeah, there’s a long story behind that It’s a sad story to both hear and tell –” Fester began

“I’ll tell hi why the city disappeared, I’ll tell you e know –”

According to Zeno’s explanation, the direct cause was Talosheim’s ruin after all

That city had been built as a relay-point for the commercial trade with Talosheim, and when that commercial trade disappeared, the productivity of the city decreased and it became difficult to maintain it

At the same time, the southern mine’s production had fallen as well Since profits couldn’t benor

With the people working at themoney to spend, the Duke Hartner of the time, who had been newly-appointed several years previously, had ordered that the city be dismantled

Vandalieu was a to dismantle an entire city It see that had already been decided upon In japan, there would definitely be disputes over such an action

But what happened to the First Princess?

The name of Talosheim’s First Princess, Levia, didn’t appear in Zeno’s story Itto do with the city

It bothers me, but I suppose it would be unnatural for me to ask about it now

As Vandalieu thought this, Zeno’s story skipped to more recent events

“Actually, five years ago, The A,” he said “Most of the Sauron Duchy to the north was occupied We’re from the Sauron Duchy”

“We’re what you’d call refugees,” said Fester “Those guys froer fares like ours, they did whatever they liked My oldest aniki tried to save his fiancé, and both of them –”

“Fester, that’s not the kind of story you should let such a small child hear, is it?”

The war between the Adom that Vandalieu had heard of previously Vandalieu felt that he had suddenly caught up hat had been happening

“Well, anye’re refugees who escaped the Sauron Duchy and came here to the Hartner Duchy,” Zeno said in summary “When the initial conflict was over, the second son of the current Duke, Prince Belton, began a cultivation project to help the refugees That’s e’re able to live with our fa to now

“But the village isn’t exactly prospering, so we became adventurers on the third year after it was built and went to the city,” said Kasim

“I see,” said Vandalieu “I’m sure it must have been hard”

Beginning a cultivation project to help the refugees seemed to be not a bad plan in Vandalieu’s eyes Unlike Earth, there was plenty of unoccupied land The area around here in particular had no Devil’s Nests, and even if monsters did appear, they were Rank 2 atbut a slave-run hway, so there were apparently almost no bandits as well

… Vandalieu had wiped out a Goblin pack led by a Goblin King just yesterday, but so like that could probably considered similar to a natural disaster

Kasim and his companions had been confused over the appearance of the Goblin Barbarian, which norhway But there was no doubt that the Goblin King had so to do with this These Goblins had likely been a scouting party who had been sent out hunting

“I suppose so,” said Kasim “The soldiers took us away, pointed at the open land and said, ‘Build a village here,’ so wewells, built houses…”

“They protected the village froe was finished, lent us tents and blankets, and although there wasn’t ive us so taxes for five years, but it was still hard”

Hearing theh h land upon which a village could be built had been given to theiven the necessities to live while building it, they had been made to build all of the houses, fields and infrastructure like wells by hand

“Hey, it’s still better than suffering and looking for work every day in the sluet punished if you complain too much,” said Zeno

According to his words, the village’s circumstances were still on the preferable side

“And I’s than us,” Zeno continued “Sorry about these guys being so inconsiderate”

“Not at all, please don’t worry about it,” said Vandalieu “Thanks to le to eat up until now”

There was one tiled to eat so er by drinking earthworm soup, but that was rather difficult to tell them

After that, Vandalieu walked for threeabout the adventurers’ school and Duke Hartner before he arrived at the village

The Seventh Cultivation Village had a population of around three hundred, a village size that would be considered between small and medium in Lambda

There were ers than of any other race, as theythe other half, there were Beast-people, Dwarves and titans Elves, Dark Elves and Drakonids have long lifespans and unique cultures, so they often forroups within their own races Because of this, while they ht be found in cities, there are ales

This applied even after becoees, so the Dark Elves and Drakonids of the Sauron Duchy had apparently approached groups of members of their own races

And the titans in this village were those who had been living in the Sauron Duchy, so they had no relation to Talosheim

The houses of the village were all one-story houses and they hadn’t been built to be very sturdy, but considering that they had been hand-built by the villagers, they were very good

In fact, this was apparently the es in this area

“By the hy are there only six cultivation villages if this is the Seventh Cultivation Village?” asked Vandalieu

“The First Cultivation Village couldn’t host town,” Kasim explained

“They did try pretty hard, too The nearby spring dried up, and apparently water wouldn’t co wells,” said Zeno

Life in human society in this world was truly difficult

“First, let’s hurry and exchange these ears for money”

With that, Kasieneral store/bar/Adventurers’ Guild branch that also acted as an inn for anyone anted to stay, commonly known as the jack-of-all-trades store

It seee without having multiple options for business

However, judging by the fact that none of the villagers had paid Vandalieu any attention so far, it was probably surprisingly coe from elsewhere

Vandalieu had found soers’ reactions, a s a stone with Alda’s holy symbol carved on it He directed his attention towards it, but…

“UWAH! Kasi behind you!”

The shopkeeper of the jack-of-all-trades store referred to Vandalieu as “soer at him

“… hello” Trying not to be discouraged, Vandalieu greeted him

“Hyih?! It talked?! Someone call the priest-sama!”

Weren’t these words too cruel, even for a secluded village in the countryside?

“Wait, Oyaji-san This child isn’t a ghost!”

TLN: For those unfamiliar with this relatively uncommon ter “oldit like this because I think it loses so if I do translate it to “old man”

“His presence is lacking, but he’s definitely alive!”

“We can explain! Calm down and listen to us!”

Kasied hi that they were trying to calm him down

The words of Kasim and his companions that made Vandalieu finally realize that his presence was as thin as air to those eren’t affected by his Death-Attribute Charm

It see to Vandalieu was because they simply hadn’t noticed him

“Sorry about s,” said Lina, ehter of the jack-of-all-trades store’s shopkeeper

She was a bright, siirl-like Guild eirl who had taken an examination to become an Adventurers’ Guild employee

Whether adventurers are present or not would greatly influence a sevity, so it had been necessary to build so in the village’s only store

“Not at all I’m used to it,” said Vandalieu

This was a blatant lie But even though the shock of being treated like this was still echoing inside Vandalieu, it wouldn’t appear in his expression

“Really? Then I suppose it’s fine, but I’m really sorry about that,” said Lina as she looked at Vandalieu’s doll-like face Although she was apologizing one s

“Lina, e these for money,” said Fester

“Yes, yes Umm… These are Goblin Soldiers and a Goblin Barbarian’s?! It’s aed to exterminate these; aren’t you still E-class?!” Lina asked them, dumbfounded

“No, the one who defeated thean

“Fester, we can talk about that afterwards,” said Kasie first”

“Yes, you’re right Umm…”

Lina made the calculations rather slowly, and then she counted out the bronze and silver coins It seee branches were more like part-time workers than proper Adventurers’ Guild employees, so they weren’t expected to be particularly proficient

In fact, with Kasie, she only worked at the branch once every few days

But Vandalieu had noticed so else

I only just noticed this, but how is it that the Adventurers’ Guild distinguishes what kind of Goblins have been killed using just their ears?

The ears acted as proof of having exterminated Goblins Even Vandalieu could tell from their shape and color that they were Goblin ears But if he were to be asked what kind of Goblins they were fro

He would be able to understand for cases like Goblin Kings, who possessed such different constitutions from other Goblins that it was difficult to believe that they were es, eren’t very different in size or shape froular Goblins and simply had different equipment and orna at their ears

So how could they be told apart? Was the incantation for Appraisal recited for each one, or were skills like Monster Appraisal or Exterht at the Guild?

“The extermination proof of fourteen Goblin Soldiers and a Goblin Barbarian coic Stones are 380 Baums, so the total is 780 Baums,” said Lina

Just as Vandalieu was about to ask his questions about the Goblin ears, theplace

780 Baule Baum orth a hundred yen, that would come to 78,000 yen To Vandalieu, this a one’s own life for But he also knew that this was just how he felt as someone from Earth, from japan

TLN: About 720USD

“Divided between three of us, that’s 260 each… Yes!” Fester raised his fist into the air in triumph

“With this, we can take it easy for a while,” said Zeno, breathing a sigh of relief

Judging from their reactions, Vandalieu could tell that 260 Baums was sufficient pay for them

“How much is that money worth?” he asked

“Ah, 260 Bau in the sluht be able to earn 260 Baums after about twenty-six days,” Zeno explained

It seeh to find daily work in the slums and ithout rest for twenty-six days to earn 260 Baums

But there probably weren’t welfare programs or safety nets like insurance for injuries and illness And finding work every day wasn’t guaranteed Considering that, being able to earn thisone’s own life for

“But even the fact that we have some leeith this amount of money is all thanks to the fact that this Oyaji-san lets us stay here for free,” Zeno continued

“Indeed, we’d be in trouble if we didn’t have adventurers, even if those adventurers do oglein the conversation “Sorry about earlier,” he said to Vandalieu “If you’re staying here, I’ll let you stay for free just like these guys, so forgive entle expression that made him look like a completely different person from before

That was fine, but…

“Oyaji-san! I don’t really ogle Lina –” Fester began

“What, Fester?! Are you saying that hter doesn’t suit your tastes?!” the shopkeeper de your Oyaji-san!”

“Stop it, Father!” said Lina

“… Umm, I’m a boy,” said Vandalieu

“Eh?”

For some reason, everyone present was surprised by this news

Vandalieu did indeed feel so into contact with a society and culture other than his own

But the shock at the way the hu else entirely

Vandalieu couldn’t have ihost-like presence And most importantly, this was the first time that he had realized that his appearance was such that he would be irl

There were tiender was ht that it was simply because Ghoul men had lion heads

Vandalieu’s other coender before