Year 7445, Month 7, Day 14
"Yeah, as expected of someone lead one of the top teams, it was quite the good job."
"We made quite the good purchase."
Well, I don't feel bad being praised but how many times is this already. I'm already starting to get a bit fed up. I already can't do anything but make a dry smile. Do I really look such a mindless idiot who wants to be praised that much? Though I'm already at an adult age, maybe it just can't be helped since from their age in their 40s I just look like a brat?
"Obviously I'm sure you understand as well but magic is..particularly healing magic is extremely important to adventurers. However, even if you use magic to heal injuries they don't easily return to complete recovery and many people end up being in the care of healers even after they return to the surface."
Well I guess that's true. Even if you were to take an attack to the arm and the flesh tears while the bone fractures. Putting aside the detailed reason, in order to do something about an injury on that level you would need to use healing magic at least twice. Since it's necessary to use magic once each for the muscle and the bone fracture. Just now I said "at least twice" but this is really the bare minimum and depending on the degree of the injury it's normal for twice to be insufficient.
If this were a cut to the abdomen and even your internal organs were injured then it's often that you need to have healing magic used even more than that. Since it's unusual to use healing spells consecutively like that generally they just use healing magic on the most serious wound or important internal organs and it's common to just ignore the rest. Going off the example from just now you would use healing magic to only fix the bone fracture and leave alone the cut wound to the muscle and skin itself.
Even if I say leaving alone the wound itself, as long as it's not far too dirty, or the bleeding itself wasn't too heavy then it's uncommon for someone to die with that as the cause. There's even blood clotting medicines after all...But, while it's only obvious really leaving it untouched is a problem as well. It takes an extremely long time for it to completely recover and it's only obvious but it hurts.
Going off the example from before if the muscle itself were to be cut then even if the bone fracture were to be healed until the muscle is healed the arm would still be useless. Even if just the bone fracture was healed there's not much meaning to just thinking of "using your arm", and if they really just ignore it then the muscle might never recover leaving them with a disability.
That's why there's a mountain of people who are under the care of healers and medicine even after they leave the dungeon when injured. Even if there's someone in the party that can use healing magic, if only one person was injured then a normal magician might be plenty to heal them but if there were multiple people injured then they'll quickly run out of mana and in the end need to be in the care of a healer.
Since you can receive any level of healing magic for 50,000 Z, so it's still seen as the better option than enduring the pain and living in fear of a permanent disability, and it's not like it's extravagantly expensive either. If you have them use healing magic once, on one spot, for one type of wound then at the very least you can relax that you won't have any major disability. The only ones who would think of it as too expensive would be poor people with no money at all. Incidentally what type of healing spell the healer uses is something they decide after seeing the wound so the patient them self can at best express their wishes.
I used not just {Cure Critical} but the simple {Cure} and {Cure Light} a considerable number of times while in the dungeon this time myself.
"..I guess so."
"Since the pain still remains it often takes a considerable amount of time for the healing to be over as well."
Meiria said with a light smile that left me with a strange feeling something was off while she ate the delicious looking bacon and vegetable stir fry appetizer.
"I guess so."
"If it's a high class healing spell then their injuries will recover with a considerable speed but there's not many who can use healing spells at that level after all."
Koritto made suggestive sounds towards what his wife was saying while bringing some fish broth to his mouth. Ah, it seems they can properly use the knife and fork even though they're not nobles. I showed a bit of admiration. I mean previously they were just grabbing their food directly with their hands like everyone else a while back.
"I guess so."
"Besides, even if you say they're skilled at using healing spells, it's not like they can use it on them self either."
Meiria said it again while drinking some delicious looking wine. Well, normally it's impossible right. If the wound is light then it seems there's people who can do it but for the most part there aren't any.
"I guess so."
Since a while ago I've just been repeating the same line.
"It seems your techniques with magic are considerably high but even then it's not like you've become able to use {Cure All} yet right? Ah, do you know the healing spell {Cure All}? It's the ultimate healing spell that's said to requires all of the magic special skills at level 5 or above to be able to use. If you just have this healing spell used on you once then the pain from the wound will be reduced to less than half in an instant and even if you don't use healing spells after that it recovers you to almost fully healed."
".."
I made a slightly bewildered face. Do they really think I'm lacking common sense to that extent?
"Oh my, judging from that face it seems like you didn't know."
"Well but after all it was just as I thought, as expected right...I'm glad that we could finish the conversation this quickly.."
Conversation this quickly you say..The one who dragged it out this far was you all...I haven't done anything but make noises that I'm still listening.
"Even if we were to just take adventurers as clients it's not like we could sell that many of them as well and even as we are right now we can't get our hands on all that many. That's where we thought we'd like to borrow you power."
"If it comes to a company that sells luxury goods to nobles then it's should be trustworthy as well."
I see now. Including the information I learned in the dungeon this time I was able to figure out that they aren't completely committing fraud. However, prior to that the way they split up the teams for the first party, or rather the inclination that I noticed in the members they split up was bothering me. That I was placed in a position at the front is, well fine. I'm a newcomer and the former leader of the top team, I can agree with it because they needed to confirm my true abilities in combat in the dungeon in the true meaning. But, while we were in the dungeon this time I was able to identify a group which is compelled into sacrifices and a group fortified with skilled members that won't easily be injured.
This time, excluding the exclusively support Kamu and Misu who use the bow and spells, we were split up into largely three groups. Koritto and my group. The group of skilled members Meiria, Haruku, and Kimu who wouldn't suffer significant injuries. And after that was Rokko, Kevin, and Jeru who you could call a decoy group. Though it's still possible that it was just a one-time thing as well.
However, fundamentally while we were exploring and fighting we were split into these groups. Even if you're splitting up into groups, normally you take it into consideration so there's not a large difference in power between each of the groups. Even more so when it comes to the 6th floor where you might end up getting caught in a teleport trap if something unexpected happens so the abilities of the members that are split into groups should be carefully taken into consideration.
They shouldn't know whether if you get caught in the teleport trap you'll be teleported together with others or not. Since they don't know that, it's only natural to take into consideration the possibility of several people teleporting at the same time. Even more so since they had the actual example of Gkudo and his little sister Yuriel ending up teleporting to the same area last year. Saying it honestly, even I think that you won't end up being teleported together, just from what I can imagine and it's not like I have any sort of evidence or conviction that's actually the same.
Most likely, these three decoys are fundamentally easy prey. Up until now, when they just had one team with members rotation they probably had someone take up that role as well I'm sure, and now that they have things organized into two teams the second party might be a good fish tank for training new decoys when they need to be replenished. It's hard to call it a very desirable method but it's difficult to point out that they're clearly doing anything wrong.
I guess the Rindobel couple would like to escape from these sorts of methods and in some meanings deal directly with a major company.
Toris, Bel. It seems to be a bit different from your expectations. However, it doesn't particularly matter. Rather than a complete success I personally would prefer if there's a failure somewhere along the way they can learn from. For that sake something like the lives of {Sun.Ray} members aren't a big loss, no matter how much my reputation falls or I'm made fun of by others, if we go to the 9th floor and end up finding a huge treasure then I'll have countless chances to make up for it later.
In any case it's not a problem that I can give an immediate reply to either way so I should just stop it at earning some time for now. I repeated the answer "Please let me think about" while avoiding an answer until we ended up splitting ways. It's only obvious but I was told that all of the current members know about the temple notes so if I find it strange I can ask anyone about it and confirm if they really work but they asked me not to tell any of the other members about the important parts relating to making it a business from tonight's discussion. Also, it's only obvious but in regards to the temple notes as well, I was strictly told not to discuss it with anyone other than the other members. Even if you don't say it, it's not something you would normally talk about I'm sure.
.................
After returning to "Kairugu's Inn" I went to the stable to check my horse for instructions from Toris and the others and then I immediately left the inn again. But you know, they need to write things out a bit more concrete, this gives me too much room to think on my own. Also, they want a reply by tomorrow morning, that's too much of a hurry. That's reduction in points.
..I wonder who would be good. It's already past 8 pm so there might already be some members asleep. In that case..I don't know about the ones who have their own home but the one's who would be most likely to stay up late at night are..searching random bars is troublesome.
I steadily walk through the town of Baldukk with the lights from restaurants and bars along the street, for the time being I'll try checking the inn where the person I'm searching for is staying. It's not a very high class inn. An inn that costs around 3,000 Z per night. I tried asking the owner or head clerk or whatever if they could call out the person I'm searching for. It's only obvious but I told them that if they're sleeping there's no need to wake them up.
However, in a few minutes the person I was looking for invited me to their room. The room was lit up by a lighting magic tool and judging off the time it took for them to come out and their clothes they probably weren't asleep.
"What's the matter at a time like this? Greed-san."
The person I was looking for, Binnodo.Gekudo asked me with a questionable face while offering me some tea.
"No, I'm sorry for stopping by so late at night. There was a bit of something I wanted to try asking about..I tried thinking about who would be best to ask in regards to it but I thought that you might still be awake.."
He's from a sub-Baron family. According to information from the Identify sub-window the sub-Baron Gekudo family are the governors of Matoson village in the King's Direct Territories. I can't tell as far as the state of business for Matoson village but I thought it wouldn't be as poor as Bakuddo was in the past. In that case it's possible they would make use of lighting magic tools in their daily lifestyle. Even if not a magic tool I thought it wouldn't be strange for him to stay up late with the light from a lamp. It seems it was the correct answer.
Though I say that during this season he'll still end up waking up tomorrow morning at 4:30. I need to leave before 9 pm at latest. There's not even an hour left.
"Binsu-san. As a matter of fact I just heard about the temple notes from the Rindobel-sans."
Hearing my words Binsu's questionable face changed to understanding.
"Ah, so that's what it was. I get it now. If it's the first time you've heard about the charms then I can understand the feeling of wanting to confirm it in a hurry...This is mine. Originally I had a more proper one but that time last year..that is, I ended up using it."
What Gekudo showed me wasn't a God Note or anything at all, it was just something like a security note carved into something like cheap parchment. It seems to be something the Rindobel couple wrote. The fact that 2,000,000 Z was left in their care is written on it. The date is December of last year.
"This is?"
"Yeah, it's something like proof of the offering in order to obtain a charm from the temple. In one or two years I'll receive a proper charm from the temple in exchange for it. Amazing isn't it?"
He said as if boasting about it. Well it's not as if I don't understand those feelings.
"Ho..After all, it will really end up becoming a charm from the temple right.."
"In regards to that I'll give you my guarantee. Since I've actually used one before myself. It's thanks to the charm that I was saved at that time. If it wasn't for that then I would have ended up having to rest for 2-3 weeks."
I don't know if it's 2,000,000 or 3,000,000 but I guess not having to rest from one of the top teams for that level of period would certainly increase the chances of getting your hands on an amazing treasure. And also, depending on the case just having the amount of suffering from pain reduced is something you can't buy so easily with money. It's not like it will directly come in handy in the dungeon but since the effects you gain from it are real if you just think about it normally, it's certainly something considerably good to have as insurance.
"Do you find it strange? But, I'm quite grateful for it. I think that being able to enter the dungeon again without taking such a long break will connect to increasing everyone's chances of staying alive. Ah, no, it's not like I want to brag that my power is that great. Even if I'm like this I'm an end-user as a magician. There's times when a difficult battle could be made easier thanks to my magic. Also if someone gets injured then I can at least use {Cure} on them.."
So his allies don't fall into a crisis, huh. He has quite the splendid way of thinking. As expected of someone who received the education of a sub-Baron family. No, it's not like I have any basis for it though.
"Also, this is something I'll specially show since it's Greed-san. This is the charm that Yuriel had before she died last year. Though it ended up meaningless since she wasn't able to make it out of the dungeon alive.."
"That is..I'm very sorry for not making it in time."
"Ah! No! I'm sorry as well for saying it in such a strange way! I didn't mean it in that way!"
While Gekudo's face turned bright red as he went into a panic I calmed him down saying I didn't mind it and used {Status Open} on the God Note he handed me.
【Proof: Yoranfinu.Gekudo Sub-Baron Second Daughter】
Nothing particularly strange comes up with 【Identify】. Though it's not like this itself would be what uses {Cure All} on you so I guess that's only obvious.
Well, if they're handing over real ones just as they stated in the first place then it's not fraud. You could still call it expensive but it's normally an item that would take you at least 10 years to obtain. You say it's only obvious that it's expensive. I was able to gain some proper proof. Of course, the possibility that Gekudo is trying to deceive me isn't zero as well. It's not like I've seen the real thing taking effect on Gekudo in person nor have I actually gotten my hands on a charm and tested it out either. However, I can't think of any reason why Gekudo would even go to the point of using his little sister's God Note to deceive me but to him it's still possible he feels a greater debt of gratitude towards the Rindobel couple than to me.
However, there's no end once you start doubting everything. A probably that's close to zero isn't worth taking into consideration I'm sure. If you were to worry about things like that then you wouldn't even be able to take a step outside and for the time being I think he's someone who feels indebted to and wouldn't try to deceive me. Even if that actually ended up being the case then it's just a matter of me not having an eye for people and if I end up suffering heavy losses or losing my life as a result of that then I was just that much of a person.
And while I say that, this is my way of thinking from my impression of Gekudo and not that of the Rindobel couple. It seems that even after one or two years from taking the money they don't hand over the God Note. 2,000,000 or 3,000,000 is a large sum of money. If the person ends up passing away before they hand over the God Note then if they were to offer it at their grave (if something like that actually existed) or search out their bereaved family to return the money they took then they could hold their chests high without any blame for Fraud.
I apologized once again to Gekudo for visiting so late and after politely thanking him I left the inn.
I returned to "Kairugu's Inn" and including the details of the proof I found out and my own opinions I wrote a letter and put it into the harness of my horse.
Author's Note: (Translator: small note about healing spells giving bad experience towards magic skills compared to attack spells)