Chapter Twenty-one: My Moxa Will Breathe Fire! Huh? Is That Dangerous?
Afterward, I slept like a log, only to be awakened by Mr. Ville, and before I knew it, we were heading out for a gathering request.
This time, the request that Mr. Xenon, Mr. Ed, and Ms. Aria accepted was a "gathering request" where we had to gather requested items and submit them to the guild to complete the request. Apparently, any surplus can also be sold to the guild, and there are requests suited to all levels from beginners to veterans.
When we arrived on site, the plan was for us to scatter around and gather stuff. So I figured I’d team up with Mr. Ville and get some hands-on practice with gathering and whatnot… And so, I’m back at it again with gathering training, in the forest a bit away from Ellarge this time!
“Mr. Ville, Mr. Ville, will these tille mushrooms sell?”
“It’ll sell, but it won’t fetch a high price… Probably around 5 iron coins for 100g. It’s better to focus on finding the ‘ruby fungus’ we’re after; that’ll fetch us some gold when we have extra.”
“Got it! I’ll keep an eye out for them!”
I thought it might be risky for us to spread out so much… But apparently, there aren’t many seriously dangerous monsters around here, so there’s no need to worry too much. In the first place, adventurers frequently come through these forests near Ellarge for requests, so there aren’t many strong monsters, magical creatures, or packs of beasts… Well, some do exist, but they avoid people and hide deep in the forest, so encounters are rare.
I thought the party took a monster or beast subjugation request instead of a gathering one… But with their vanguard leader Mr. Ville away, if they happened to encounter anything big, they’d be underpowered and unable to take it down… So that was the judgment, apparently.
Well, better safe than sorry, right?
Mr. Ville suggested we gather request items while also collecting things we can sell for funds, so I’m searching while utilizing Survival! Of course, since I don’t know the buying prices, I’m gathering while asking the veteran adventurer Mr. Ville for advice. I’m also being careful not to stray too far from him, lest any monsters appear and cause trouble…
For reference… To get a basic room and bed at the Wildcat Pavilion, it’s around two copper coins per night… And a light meal is around five iron coins. The currencies are iron, copper, silver, gold… And though I likely won’t see them, there are also large gold coins used in general circulation. The counting is based on 10, so ten iron for one copper, ten copper for one silver… And so on.
There are also debased coins below iron coins, but those aren’t officially recognized money. Above large gold coins, there are supposedly platinum coins, but those don’t circulate much—they’re only used in very large transactions, I hear.
So in the case of the tille mushrooms I found earlier—a hefty mushroom with a flat cap opened wide like a rippling umbrella—100g would pay for a snack, and 400g would cover a night at the Wildcat Pavilion…
“Ruby fungus” that Mr. Ville has recommended is a mushroom with a ruby-red cap and a yellow stem. They look poisonous but are actually non-toxic, and highly sought after for their fragrance and flavor. So getting 400g of them could pay not only for accommodation but also for a slightly luxurious meal!
From what I can see in Survival, tille mushrooms look plenty delicious too, but their plain appearance and mild taste lose out to the visually striking, rich flavor of ruby fungus. So let’s enjoy the low-margin tille mushrooms ourselves!
Oh right! g (germe) is the unit of weight, and m (molta) is the unit of length… How to put it, the systems here have a familiar ring, don’t they? Even time units like seconds, minutes, and hours work the same.
“Ah! I spotted something again!”
A bluish frame from Survival flashed brightly at the edge of my vision. When I consciously use it, Survival is super convenient for finding edible things too.
Just like it automatically warns me of danger, it also alerts me like this when there’s food nearby.
[Black Mugwort (Edible)
Often regarded more as a medicinal herb than food. The stems are tough and bitter when mature.
The soft young leaves can be eaten and sometimes used in sweets.
Also used as an ingredient in medicinal potions and ointments, among various other applications.]
Ohhh!!! Oohhhh!! Mugwort!
It’s our dear friend, the mugwort plant, the reliable companion of acupuncturists, especially moxibustion practitioners! This… this cannot be overlooked! From the perspective of a moxibustion practitioner, it absolutely must be secured at all costs!
I don’t think I can make top-grade moxa, but wouldn’t it be possible to manage with something of average to poor quality? Back in technical school, as part of extracurricular activities, my classmates and I made some, so I know the process! While it might not be suitable for direct moxibustion, it could be used for indirect moxibustion, warm moxibustion, or even mugwort heat pads, right?!
Suddenly! I’m fired up!
Since they can also be used in sweets, I want to gather both the young leaves and mature ones.
“Mr. Ville, Mr. Ville! Do black mugworts sell?”
“They’re used when making medicinal toxin-purging and wound-healing potions, but since they grow everywhere and anyone can gather them, they don’t fetch much… Around pocket change for children, I’d say.”
“Really!? Then I can use them without reservation!”
If that’s the case, then it’s mugwort gathering time! I’ll gather as much as I can without stripping the land bare. Just as I turn on my heel, a red frame jumps out at the edge of my vision.
Gyaaa! Again!? Really!?!?
At the same moment I desperately suppress my panicking mind and body, Mr. Ville gently supports my back.
I-it’s okay… I’m okay! Mr. Ville is here! I’m fine… I’m fine…!
As I clenched my teeth to restrain my urge to scream, I heard leaves and branches rustling from the thicket in front of me.
[Big Frog (Edible)
A gigantic frog-like magical creature. They move slowly and are not terribly dangerous unless provoked.
Secrete a milky white toxin from glands behind their ears and warts on their skin. Causes mild inflammation if gets on the skin.
The meat is non-toxic when skinned, but has poor flavor and is not good for eating.]
Whoaaa… A super big frog… There’s a frog about the size of a shiba inu, a huge bullfrog-looking thing… I don’t particularly dislike frogs, and I’m fine with touching them, but something about its considerable size and emotionless, staring eyes is a little… creepy.
And you’re not that tasty either! What a letdown!
I’ve heard frogs perceive moving objects as prey… So I figure as long as I stay perfectly still, the risk is low. We stare at each other silently for a while, but soon enough, the frog lazily crawls away the same way it has appeared.
Cold sweat trickles down my back. I know Mr. Ville is by my side, and I understand that we are dealing with a creature that isn’t particularly dangerous… but fear is fear!
“…Phew… That was… one big frog…”
“Boiled or roasted, that thing doesn’t taste good… Not worth the effort of taking it down. As long as it doesn’t approach us, best to ignore it.”
“It does secrete poison… Come to think of it, that bird yesterday was a ‘monster,’ but that frog just now was labeled a ‘magical creature’… Is there some difference between them?”
“Yeah, that’s right… A normal animal that’s gained magical power becomes a magical creature, while one that has magical power and uses skill-like abilities is called a monster… Something like that?”
As I involuntarily let out a deep sigh, Mr. Ville patted my back while explaining. It’s not that simple, but it seems like there’s a progression or transformation from animals to magical creatures to monsters… or something like that. According to what Mr. Ville explained, while magical creatures may not possess skill-like abilities, they are significantly stronger or larger compared to normal animals.
Looking back, the super delicious milk trout was also labeled as a "magical creature," huh? Ah! So that’s why milk trout was also big… But wait… even in this world, maybe there are big ones like rock trout or steelhead…? Well, that frog being called a "magical creature" definitely justifies its size, though!
More importantly, it’s mugwort, mugwort! The fact that the raw material for my acupuncturist’s tool exists and seems to be available in abundance is just fantastic! This is definitely a major win!
As I cram the surrounding mugwort into the largest plastic bag, Mr. Ville gazes at me with a look that says "low-profit margin"… but please, just wait a moment! I’ll explain later why I’m harvesting this… for now, please let me bask in the joy of possibly becoming an acupuncturist and practitioner of moxibustion in particular!
Ahh… I wonder if there are any acupuncture needles lying around… like in sizes 3.1, 3.2, 6.2, 6.3, or maybe size 2.3… If they were stainless steel I could even make moxibustion needles…
Well, of course, there wouldn’t be any!
Someone… please… acupuncture needles for me!
The translator's corner
This chapter made me look into the protagonist's profession more closely, ㅠ_ㅠ. "鍼灸師" refers to practitioners of traditional Japanese acupuncture and moxibustion therapy. And moxibustion is a therapeutic technique that involves the burning of mugwort at acupuncture points or on specific areas of the body. But "acupuncturist and practitioner of moxibustion" looks too bulky and long, so I'll just write "acunpturist" whenever possible. Just know that her profession means not only "acunpturist" but also "practitioner of moxibustion."
Thank you for the explanation and the translation <3
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