part2 · 100-ep100
Episode 100: An Abnormal Item Box
"Then, let's head home for now."
"...Home?"
"Yeah. I want to properly see what kind of magic stones and materials you have."
"...Got it."
The two of them started walking toward Mizuki's house.
◇
Once back home, Mizuki thought about Ren's Item Box anew.
From what she'd heard from Ren, inside the Item Box were not just magic stones, but the monsters themselves.
And moreover—
apparently he selected and stored the ones that looked edible or usable.
"...But."
Mizuki made a slightly troubled face.
"Monsters come as one whole animal, right?"
"...Yeah."
"Even if you take that to the guild, they won't buy it as-is, right?"
"...Is that so?"
"Yeah. Because you have to separate it into materials."
Hide. Meat. Fangs. Claws. Bone.
Depending on the monster, there were special materials too. If you brought a whole animal's worth of them together, it would be quite a size.
"...Where should I butcher it?"
Mizuki thought.
The guild had butchering facilities. But depending on the amount brought in, it would also take time.
"...Ren."
"...Hm?"
"Do you have any butchered materials or anything?"
"...I do."
"Huh?"
Ren answered as if it were nothing.
"...Once I put them in the Item Box, it butchers them for me on its own."
"......"
Mizuki's movement stopped.
"...Huh?"
"...They're all already butchered."
"......"
A few seconds. Mizuki said nothing.
"...The Item Box did?"
"...Yeah."
"On its own?"
"...Yeah."
"...Butchering?"
"...Yeah."
Ren looked at Mizuki with a puzzled expression.
But—
Mizuki's head was in no state for that.
"...I've never heard of an Item Box like that..."
"...Is that so?"
"It is!"
Her voice rose without thinking.
Mizuki was an adventurer. Enough to rise to A-rank, she had conquered many dungeons.
She knew adventurers who had an Item Box. Ones with large capacity. Ones that slowed the time of stored items. Ones with special storage abilities.
Even so—
"...An Item Box that butchers automatically—I've never heard of one..."
"...It was convenient."
"It's not a matter of convenient or not..."
Mizuki nearly clutched her head.
For Ren, it was probably a function he'd used as a matter of course through ten years of life.
But—
That an Item Box with such a function existed, Mizuki had never known.
"...Anyway."
Mizuki pulled herself together.
"Could I have a look at some of the already-butchered materials?"
"...Yeah."
Ren held out his hand.
The next moment—
several materials appeared on the table.
"...!"
Mizuki's eyes widened.
There, neatly processed materials were lined up.
Meat. Hide. Fangs. Claws. Bone.
Each of them was separated by type.
"...This is all of it?"
"...Yeah."
"Just by putting it in the Item Box?"
"...Yeah."
"......"
Mizuki picked up one of the materials.
The condition was good. Few blemishes. The unnecessary parts had been cleanly removed too.
"...Amazing."
"...You think so?"
"Yeah..."
Mizuki looked at Ren again.
Ten years. Ren had survived the dungeon alone.
In the midst of that—
he had probably, without realizing it, mastered the functions he needed to live.
"...With this, you can take it straight to the guild."
"...Yeah."
"Then, let's take out only what we need."
"...Got it."
Looking at the materials lined up, Mizuki thought for a moment.
"Ren."
"...Hm?"
"First, could you take out the materials from the weakest monsters you can?"
"...Weak ones?"
"Yeah. Since it's the first time, if we take too many high-rank ones, it might stand out."
"...Got it."
Ren checked inside the Item Box.
"...Is this okay?"
"Yeah. Show me."
The next moment.
Several materials appeared on the table.
Hide. Fangs. Claws. Bone.
All of them neatly processed.
Mizuki checked them one by one.
"...What monster is this?"
"...Aqualizard."
"...Huh?"
Mizuki's hand stopped.
"Isn't this... a monster equivalent to B-rank?"
"...Is that so?"
"It is."
Mizuki looked at another material.
"Then, what about this?"
"...Great Sea Serpent."
"This is B-rank too..."
Yet another material.
"...This one too?"
"...Yeah."
"......"
Mizuki was at a loss for words.
"Ren..."
"...Hm?"
"This is the weakest one?"
"...Yeah."
It was far too casual an answer.
"......"
Mizuki stared at the materials.
B-rank. B-rank. B-rank again.
B-rank at the very least.
In other words—
The materials in Ren's Item Box were, from the lowest bar, already beyond ordinary.
"...You said it was weak, right?"
"...Yeah."
"To an adventurer, this isn't weak at all, you know?"
"...Is that so?"
"It is!"
Mizuki raised her voice without thinking.
For Ren, it was probably in the "weak" category within ten years of dungeon life.
But for Mizuki, it was different.
A B-rank monster. Even just that was a sufficiently dangerous opponent.
"...Then, should I take out a few more?"
"Yeah. Show me a few more."
Ren held out his hand.
The next moment—
—Thud.
New materials appeared on the floor.
"...Huh?"
One. Two. Three.
Materials increased one after another.
Hide. Fangs. Claws. Bone. And yet more materials.
Before she knew it, the floor was starting to be buried in materials.
"W-wait a second!"
Mizuki raised her voice in a fluster. But Ren still didn't stop his hand.
"...This one too?"
"That's enough!"
Mizuki stopped him immediately. Ren's hand stopped.
"......"
On the floor of the room, a huge amount of materials was lined up.
"...Ren."
"...Hm?"
"We can't take this much."
"...You think so?"
"I do."
Mizuki looked at the floor. If they were to take this much to the guild, that alone would be a hassle.
And on top of that—
"Materials—not just anyone can sell them, you know."
"...Is that so?"
"Yeah. Basically, they won't buy from anyone who isn't an adventurer."
Mizuki gave a wry smile.
"So this time, I have to be the one to take them."
"...I see."
Mizuki thought for a moment.
From among the materials in front of her, she chose the Aqualizard and Great Sea Serpent materials. Both were monsters equivalent to B-rank.
For these two, it would make a sufficient amount of money.
And besides—
rather than bringing in a large amount of high-rank materials from the start, this much would be less likely to stand out.
"...Then."
Mizuki gathered the necessary materials.
"This time, let's go with just the Aqualizard and Great Sea Serpent ones."
"...Yeah."
"I'll take the magic stones along too."
"...Got it."
Mizuki looked at the gathered materials.
"This should be fine."
And then, she looked at Ren.
"Then, I'm off to sell them at the guild."
"...Yeah."
Mizuki stood up, carrying the materials.
And so—
to obtain Ren's first income.
Mizuki headed alone to the adventurers' guild.