GILF Hunter

Ian arrived at the Mercenary Guild with Louise.

The interior of the guild was already in a state of chaotic commotion.

’I’m saying, tell us what’s going on so we can react accordingly!’

’News will be coming in soon, so please just wait a moment!’

Not just Louise, but alchemists from all over had gathered at the guild.

Seeing the alchemists rushing out and gathering like that, it seemed the emergency wasn’t just empty fuss.

Louise couldn’t follow him up to the second floor, so she joined the place where the alchemists were gathered instead.

Ian, led into a room by a staff member, met Camilla and received a detailed explanation of what had happened.

’A problem has occurred with the supply of potion ingredients.’

’Ingredient supply? Did a band of bandits appear?’

’No. I heard monsters have occupied a nearby farm.’

Camilla pointed to a spot on the map spread across the table to show the location as she explained.

’There’s a large farm nearby that grows Mana Clover, which is used as a potion ingredient. Monsters have settled there, so all the workers have evacuated. Because of that, work has completely stopped.’

’Isn’t that one of the most widely used ingredients?’

’You know it well. Is it because you’re running an alchemy business? I won’t need to explain in detail.’

Mana Clover was one of the basic primary ingredients that went into making potions most frequently.

Since it was used to create the primary material called the potion base, you could assume it was almost always included when making buff-type potions.

’That’s... a bigger problem than I thought?’

’Right. It’s an ingredient used everywhere, so all the alchemists are in an uproar.’

Ian had just seen that uproar for himself on the first floor.

Since it was such a commonly used ingredient, everyone probably had some stockpile, but once that runs out, the real problems will begin.

The merchants’ warehouses might have stock, but... as soon as news broke that the supply was cut off, the price likely skyrocketed immediately.

Ian asked Camilla.

’Can’t you temporarily buy it from somewhere else?’

’This is the largest farm in this vicinity, so it was actually in a situation where it supplied all of Labyrinth’s volume and sold the surplus elsewhere.’

Labyrinth was the place that consumed the most potions in this region, and at the same time, it was a place with the largest production facilities.

The only place that could supply the volume needed by Labyrinth was Labyrinth itself.

Since it would have been difficult to withstand the competition with the large merchant groups responsible for the supply here, it had to be assumed that there was nowhere else near Labyrinth that could provide the ingredients.

’As you know, isn’t this the time when potions are selling like crazy?’

’That’s true. Since the invasion isn’t far off...’

This was exactly Louise’s problem. The supply of major potion ingredients had been cut off entirely.

No matter how much she went around saying that shop work was difficult, Louise was someone who operated the shop seriously anyway.

If production stopped like this during the most profitable time of the year, she had no choice but to become aggressive.

’Is there a problem with the volume to be used during the invasion?’

’Haha. Are you worrying about the city before your own potion business?’

Camilla chuckled while looking at Ian.

Since the wealth of B-rank mercenaries grows on a different dimension compared to when they were C-rank, most of them are only hell-bent on starting their own businesses and making money.

Ian was the only one who worried about the city this diligently.

Even if they always complained that he brought troublesome work, there was a reason why the guild people, including the Vice Guild Master, had no choice but to favor Ian.

Camilla nodded and replied to Ian’s question.

’The stockpiled volume is sufficient. However, at this rate, won’t potion prices skyrocket after the invasion ends? That would be a headache for us too.’

Thanks to her experience so far, Camilla could clearly predict how things would flow in this case.

’Mercenaries won’t want to go out on requests because it won’t be profitable. Clients won’t be able to avoid commissioning work, so eventually, request fees will double. Won’t such things lower the trust in the guild?’

As a result of sharing opinions within the guild like that, it was concluded that the matter should be handled as quickly as possible before things got busier due to the invasion.

’Originally, it’s correct for them to issue a request and hire mercenaries to solve it, but as you said, isn’t the invasion not far off? We decided to just send people from the guild to solve it before things get more complicated.’

’I see. It’ll definitely be more convenient to settle it quickly.’

It was a frequent occurrence for monsters to surge in certain areas, causing people to evacuate.

In fact, it wasn’t an incident of a scale that the guild should handle directly, but after hearing the explanation, he could understand the reason for stepping in like this.

Ian, who had been listening to Camilla’s explanation, finally asked one thing he was curious about.

’According to the documents you showed me, there are quite a few participating mercenary groups, but have the others not arrived yet?’

Given Camilla’s personality, she would hate the inefficiency of giving the same talk to each person one by one. Yet Ian was the only one listening to the story so far.

’The other mercenary groups should be on their way to the site.’

’...Already?’

’By chance, there were mercenary groups out nearby. I sent word and caught them.’

Instead of starting from Labyrinth, they had immediately gathered mercenaries who were near the location where the incident occurred.

’Then we...’

’There are enough personnel to do the work, but there’s only one B-rank mercenary group over there. It’s such a wide area that it’ll be hard for a single B-rank to cover it.’

It meant that since the area where the incident occurred was so vast and there were many personnel, he should go and help control them.

＊　＊　＊

’Haa.... Are we there yet?’

’According to the map, we’re almost there.’

’I feel like I heard that earlier too...’

Mika, who had been walking through the forest path continuously, asked Ian with a tired look.

They had accepted the guild’s request and departed immediately, and were currently moving toward the campsite where the mercenaries they would work with were gathered.

It would be better if there were someone to exchange complaints with comfortably.

Mika, thinking so, glanced to her side, but the position where someone usually should be was empty.

Mika, who felt the void of the suddenly empty seat particularly large, said to Ian.

’Is it really okay not to bring Airi?’

’She has lessons that were scheduled in advance... and that side is more important right now.’

’She must have been very disappointed that she couldn’t go on the request and had to study...’

...Wouldn’t she have actually liked it?

Ian tilted his head slightly and pondered.

Especially since this request was one where other mercenary groups gathered together. She would likely be breathing a sigh of relief right about now.

As per Mika’s question, Ian had departed for this expedition leaving Airi out of the members.

Since it was more important for Airi to learn new magic, he had her proceed with the pre-determined study schedule as it was.

It would have been nice to have reserve members to deploy at times like this when a main member has to be missing, but it’s not easy to find such personnel.

At a level around B-rank, there would be no one who wants to be a reserve member who quietly waits at the base for when they are needed.

Gathering mercenaries who wait without complaint while receiving only a base salary, and picking them one by one according to the situation, was something only possible because it was a game.

Mika, recalling the image of Airi who would be studying hard back at the base, asked Ian.

’Is that magic really that important?’

’Your role, Mika, is just as important. You’re practicing that, right?’

’I am doing it, but... will that really solve everything by itself?’

She had received the explanation that it was for this invasion, but since the methods were so simple, she questioned if this could truly solve it.

While sharing a conversation while walking the forest path, Rin’s shout, who was slightly ahead, was heard.

’I see it ahead! It must be there!’

’Haa.... That coachman mister definitely said it was right in front of us after getting off the carriage, but just how much have we walked...’

Mika grumbled with a tired face as she moved her steps.

Originally, carriages went up to the farm entrance, but now carriages didn’t go close because of the monster appearance. Thanks to that, they had to get off far away and walk in for a long time.

Thanks to that, Mika, tired from walking for so long, let out a sigh.

Still, even though she said that, perhaps because her stamina had increased a lot in the meantime, she didn’t look like she was about to lose her breath like before.

Ian and the members, who moved a bit further, arrived at the campsite where the Labyrinth mercenary groups were gathered.

The mercenaries were using the huts on one side of the farm, which were originally used by workers, as their camp.

Two mercenaries guarding the front stopped Ian’s group.

’Wait, which mercenary group are you from?’

’From the Labyrinth Guild!’

Rin, who was standing at the forefront, held out the mercenary badge. The two mercenaries who saw the B-rank badge flinched, and one went inside to call someone.

’Please wait a moment.’

’I heard the opponent is monsters, but do you really go this far?’

’Because there are thieves who try to sneak in and loot at times like this. If someone isn’t guarding, the farm gets completely looted.’

’Eh... they come to steal when monsters are appearing?’

’If they could distinguish such things, would they be thieves?’

Rin was horrified by the words of the mercenary guarding the entrance.

Meanwhile, having heard that someone had arrived, several mercenaries walked out from inside the camp.

They seemed to be the B-rank mercenary group members who were leading this hastily formed subjugation force.

’....’

Among them, one of the bulkiest men walked forward and stood before Ian.

He was a man who looked like a bear, whom one had to tilt their head far back to look up at.