NOVEL NEXT Chapter 34.1
34.1. Endless Summer 3
After recovering materials from both General Spider and Knight Spider, Nord somehow managed to haul the heavy load and spent the night in a suitable camping spot nearby.
For dinner, they borrowed some of the prey caught in the spiders’ web.
Compared to the previous night’s meal, this was just as luxurious. Nord and Newt ate heartily, keeping minimal vigilance, and had a good rest.
The next day, they resumed exploring the forest.
Since there were two spiders, it was possible there could be a third or more lurking.
They spent three full days meticulously investigating but found no further spider traces. Newt, being able to fly, was immensely helpful in this search.
It appeared that the two spiders they defeated were the only ones in Alba Forest, much to Nord’s relief, as it meant no more battles were necessary.
Carrying their heavy load, Nord returned to the forest entrance around noon, seven days after entering the forest. The slower pace was due to the weight of the materials.
At the forest entrance, the middle-aged hunter and the man who greeted Nord upon their arrival in the village rushed toward them with a worried expression.
It turned out they had been checking the area daily since the third day, concerned about Nord’s delayed return.
Seeing Nord’s massive haul, the man offered to fetch a cart from the village.
Having trekked back from deep in the forest, the walk to the village seemed trivial, but Nord gratefully accepted the offer.
Nord set the load down and passed the time until the cart arrived by enjoying the view from Alba Forest.
Born and raised in the capital, Nord was unfamiliar with the countryside. Even after becoming an adventurer and gaining varied experiences, they rarely visited rural villages, likely because they prioritized well-paying jobs.
While Nord had camped in desolate forests and mountains or passed through rundown hamlets, they had little interaction with rural villages, apart from glimpsing them from a distance during travels.
It was peculiar for an adventurer with over a year’s experience, but it reflected Nord’s tendency to take high-risk, high-reward missions.
The forests and mountains Nord had explored were untouched wildernesses, unlike the cultivated village woods. Seeing the scenery up close was a novelty.
Requests from rural villages were usually simple, low-paying tasks like goblin extermination, typically handled by local adventurers, making them irrelevant to a capital-based adventurer like Nord.
For a while, Nord enjoyed the rural scenery.
When the cart arrived, the spider materials were loaded, and Nord returned to Alba Village, where Johan was waiting at the entrance.
It seemed Johan had been notified of Nord’s return and came from the mansion, riding a horse led by a stablehand.
“Nord, I was worried about you!”
“I’m back, brother.”
After dismounting the cart, Nord greeted Johan.
Nord reported the mission’s completion and showed the materials they brought back, leaving Johan astonished at the quantity.
“You must be exhausted. Stay the night.”
“No, that’s— Actually, I will. Thank you.”
Johan, noticing the damage to Nord’s armor and the amount of material, insisted they stay and rest, which Nord eventually agreed to, realizing that camping in the forest didn’t provide adequate recovery.
That evening, Nord was again invited to the Aubrière family dinner table, enjoying an even more lavish feast than the first night.
Naturally, the highlight of the evening was the tale of the battle against General Spider in the forest.
The next day, the Aubrière family tried to persuade Nord to stay longer, but this time, Nord firmly declined.
The reason was simple: their remaining vacation days.
The post-battle search had taken more time than expected, leaving little room in their schedule for the return journey.
With no choice, the Aubrière family reluctantly sent Nord off with gifts of long-lasting local produce and wine, as well as a letter for the Ferris family.
As Nord departed Alba Territory, Johan tasked them with delivering a young man heading to a nearby town on a village errand.
“If it stands, use it—even if it’s your younger brother.”
The saying crossed Nord’s mind as they accepted the task with a wry smile.
§
Nord returned to the capital on the last day of their extended vacation.
After delivering the gifts and letter to the Ferris family, they made a brief greeting before heading to the Adventurer’s Guild. Reporting the mission’s completion, they refrained from selling the materials yet, intending to visit another destination.
“Hey… wait, is that you, Nord? Been a while!”
“This place hasn’t changed, I see. Anyway, take a look at this.”
Opening the door of a familiar shop, Nord was greeted by the jingle of a bell and the gruff welcome of the shopkeeper.
Ignoring the usual lack of customer service, Nord silently showed the shopkeeper their battered armor amidst the overstocked shop.
“Whoa, that’s some serious damage… The only part intact is the fish-lizard scales.”
Examining the armor’s condition, the shopkeeper asked what they fought.
“General Spider,” Nord replied tersely.
“Good grief! You’re still a Crystal-ranked adventurer, right?”
“Well, let’s just say I’ve grown. A lot happened.”
“Fine, you’re alive, so I’ll give you that. Got materials, then?”
“There’s a cart outside.”
General Spider’s strength exceeded the scale armor’s capacity, which was suitable for a Crystal-ranked adventurer. A less fortunate adventurer would’ve likely met their end—or worse, been cocooned as spider food. Nord silently thanked their divine instructor for sparing them that fate.
After showing the shopkeeper the materials in the cart, Nord discussed crafting new armor.
Their current armor was damaged, and while it could be repaired with existing materials, Nord felt it was time for an upgrade.
With the high-grade materials from General Spider and Knight Spider, they decided to commission a better suit of armor.
“How long will it take?”
“About a month, and the cost… here’s the estimate.”
“That’ll do. Go ahead.”
Despite the shopkeeper’s blunt demeanor, they worked efficiently, quickly calculating the cost.
Nord agreed and placed the order, suspecting the shop’s workload was due to the eastern knight orders’ large-scale drills.
Despite the busy schedule, the shop prioritized Nord’s order, highlighting the perks of being a regular customer.
After helping carry the necessary materials into the shop, Nord also requested urgent sharpening of their sword, which the shopkeeper promised to complete by the next day.
Leaving the shop, Nord sold the remaining materials at the guild. Despite using some for the armor, the Knight Spider materials fetched a substantial sum, exceeding expectations due to a recent surge in material prices caused by the knight orders’ drills.
While counting the silver coins, Nord reflected on the adventure.
Even factoring in Johan’s discounted payment for the mission, the expedition had been immensely rewarding.
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