Chapter 453 – Harvest and Reward

“This is… quite impressive,” Heather murmured in admiration as she looked at the two Yetis and Mammoth Soldier placed before the Adventurer Guild.

The sheer size of these creatures created quite a spectacle, drawing a crowd in front of the guild.

“Indeed. Since the new section has no walls, these creatures attacked simultaneously along with numerous Snow Golems. The Yetis weren’t just physically strong—they also used ice breath and such… They’re quite troublesome monsters. As for the Mammoth Soldier, well, its physical strength matches its appearance, I’d say.”

This served as a perfect opportunity to warn about the new section, so I explained the general characteristics of the Glacial Forest. How the entire area is frozen and at low temperatures, the poor footing, and geyser traps among other things.

“…A new section, huh? That sounds dangerous.”

“What do you mean by ‘no walls’?”

“That must be what they call an open-type section. Same as the Great Corruption Lake.”

I could hear the adventurers whispering among themselves. Particularly when someone mentioned it being similar to the Great Corruption Lake, several adventurers made openly disgusted faces. Those must be… adventurers who have experience venturing into the Great Corruption Lake.

In terms of similarities with the Great Corruption Lake, there were shared concerns like enemies detecting you from afar and reinforcements appearing, or the poor footing. This made it easier to convey what kind of place it was and what precautions were necessary.

“Isn’t that magician talking with Heather over there… the one who went to the Blazing Fortress and casually defeated Guardians?”

“Ah… Come to think of it, that’s the child magician who was building a theater.”

“I’ve heard rumors that despite looking like a child, they’re actually an Archmage who’s been alive since ancient times.”

“Seriously…?”

The adventurers’ gossip continued in this vein, but…

I decided not to pay too much attention to the adventurers’ rumors. There were various false stories circulating about the Demon Slayer connection, and we deliberately hadn’t publicized the true nature of the Otherworld Ambassador either. As the person in question, confirming or denying anything felt like it might stir up unnecessary trouble.

“It would be helpful if we could talk inside the guild,” I said, shaking my head slightly with a wry smile, and had Heather handle various administrative procedures.

“Yes, I imagine there’s quite a bit to discuss,” she replied.

Inside the Adventurer Guild, there was plenty to do: detailed reporting on the new section, compiling warnings for adventurers, exchanging materials for money, receiving payments, and so on.

We entered the guild and, led by Heather and Auria, everyone moved to a back room. The monster materials left outside the guild would be fine as they were.

They clearly indicated the threat level of the new section. The adventurers would spread rumors about what kind of area it was, and the guild would supplement those rumors by disseminating accurate information.

As for the materials, there were guards watching them, so no one would likely try anything under public scrutiny.

Corulis was sitting by the guild entrance, and soldiers were accompanying it while keeping watch around the area.

“Ah—you’re back.”

“Welcome back.”

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

When we were shown to the back room of the Adventurer Guild… three people stood up to greet us: Vice-Commander Oswald of the guild, and across from him, Princess Stephania and Princess Adriana, who had been drinking tea.

Marlene went over to the two princesses with an untroubled smile, and they patted her head.

“So, how was it? From the perspective of someone who actually went there,” Oswald asked, turning to Auria after watching the scene with an affectionate smile.

Since Princess Stephania and Princess Adriana had seen the situation through the Five Senses Link, there was no need to explain to them. But Oswald probably wanted to hear from Auria, whose abilities he knew well.

“Hmm. The problem is that when traveling with Theodore and the others, everything seems less impressive. It’s like my senses have become numb…” Auria said, shaking her head, then urged us to sit at the table. Once everyone was seated in chairs, Heather prepared tea for us. After we had settled, Auria began discussing the new section.

“It’s quite a dangerous area. As the adventurers outside said, it’s probably what the Great Corruption Lake would be like if you removed the poison and froze it solid.”

“I heard from Your Highness that it’s a section without walls… Does that mean the danger level is comparable to the Great Corruption Lake?”

“Hmm. While visibility is decent, there are many obstacles, so sightlines are about even. The fact that some of the monsters that appear are classically strong is also problematic. There’s little room for tricks, and the fact that the branching point is from the Magic Light Water Vein isn’t good either. It’s like being thrown out into the harsh winter cold after being drenched in rain. The nature of the traps is troublesome too, and charging in without prior knowledge would be suicidal.”

“First, you need the basic capability to explore the Magic Light Water Vein to some extent, so with proper warnings, I don’t think anyone would act recklessly,” I added, and Oswald nodded.

“That’s certainly true.”

“We’re grateful that Theodore shares information so generously.”

“There are records from when the old mine was discovered, showing that everyone rushed in and injuries piled up,” Auria said.

Oswald nodded, and he, Heather, and Auria all bowed their heads together.

“Thank you. According to records from the old mine days, when new sections appear, pioneering adventurers tend to want to monopolize information.”

“Ah. Looking to strike it rich, then,” Rosemary nodded understandingly from behind her feather fan.

Considering the rarity of materials from monsters that haven’t existed until now, it would indeed be profitable. Especially with creatures like mammoths and yetis—since the individuals are large, the amount of money gained from a single hunt would be substantial.

“Hmm. Even so, adventurers have their limits regarding acceptable danger. Seeing the monsters outside, even if they know it could be profitable, they probably won’t charge in recklessly.”

That’s true. Even after the gatekeepers disappeared from places like the Blazing Fortress, the danger level remained too high, and they’re still avoided.

“In that case, it seems likely that several groups will team up,” Grace said.

Auria nodded in response. “That’s right. So we’ll help them determine that and cooperate accordingly. Since that’s part of our job here, we won’t let it cause delays.”

“For now, should we prepare cold-weather gear and equipment with water resistance? We’ll probably need to compile the characteristics of the monsters that appear too.”

“That’s right. We should notify adventurers planning to enter the new section to prepare accordingly. For the time being, exploration of the new section will likely require registration.”

The general framework for future arrangements seemed to be decided. The guild had plenty of expertise regarding labyrinths, so we could probably leave this to them.

Considering Beriondora is in the north, this might be useful for cold-weather combat training too. For the Demon-Slaying Knight Order, it should be an area they can handle without problems. Maybe I’ll discuss it with Elliot and the others later.

“Now then… regarding the spoils from this time, what would you like to do?”

“I’m thinking of keeping a portion and selling the rest to the guild,” I answered Heather’s question.

Looking at it from an equipment perspective, there wasn’t anything absolutely necessary. If we needed something later, we could always go explore the Glacial Forest again.

Some fur from one of the Yetis. Magic Stone extraction from the other. Just enough Mammoth Soldier meat for normal consumption. Snow Golem crystal plates in quantities needed for experiments and prototype crafting. And the necklace found in the treasure chest. The rest would be sold to the guild. When I conveyed our approximate share and the portion to be sold to the guild, Heather nodded.

“For materials from monsters in new sections that haven’t existed before, we compare them to similar monsters, consider their rarity, and pay a premium accordingly.”

“If there are precedents, then following those is fine. In my case, receiving payment for both new section investigation and information would feel like double-dipping on rewards.”

So we had her calculate the approximate prices.

The amount Heather quoted… probably included consideration for rarity, but even compared to standards like Elephas Soldiers, it felt quite expensive.

The guild must have added some extra, or perhaps it included a congratulatory portion since these were the first materials obtained from the new section.

Well… I suppose I’ll head home and sample the taste of mammoth meat. Since there’s a large quantity as ingredients, maybe I should invite people over—it would be a good opportunity.