Tenkomori: The Homecoming Club Conquers Another World

In preparation for the arrival of the intruders, we decided to take the next day off.

However, they didn't show up for a long time, so I sent Roland to check on them and politely invited them into the house. But, "Battle Axe of Destruction" had a firm grip on several of the intruders, and even the head of the adventurer's guild, Gerrit, come along with a reluctant look on his face, but it was probably just a small matter. It's nothing to worry about, right?

Father had asked me to deal with the situation fairly, so I told the adventurer's guild leader, Gerrit, and give him an objective explanation of the circumstances that led to the dispute. After getting the intruder's statement, Guild Leader Herrit declared, with a twitch of his temple, that we had the right to the loots.

The intruder had claimed that they were going to use a trap to kill the Rhino, but there was no trace of such a trap in the area, and they could not give a proper answer as to what kind of trap it was. Even if that were true, the only wounds they had inflicted were arrow wounds they inflicted while we were fighting. It was impossible to prove that they had intercepted us. When pursued by the fuming guild leader, they confessed that they had simply run into Eras Rhino in the grasslands and fled into the forest.

The guild leader apologized to me for his lack of supervision and the intruders have driven away, leaving the mansion in a huff. Incidentally, they were a D-ranked party called "Sette," and they hadn't been in town long enough to have met the "Battle Axe of Destruction". If they had known each other, the situation would have been quite different.

Thus, the "Our Prey Problem" was settled.

It had been a long time since I'd carried Eras Rhino in.

With a relaxed air, shaking his thinning hair, guild leader Herrit cut in.

According to him, they actually don't bother to carry Eras Rhino because its meat is inexpensive. They had difficulty carrying that huge body, and upon receiving the report, the guild hurriedly gathered carriers and hired two sets of guards to protect it.

It was after midnight when they returned to the town. Guild leader Herrit took out a document.

The breakdown is, the meat and bones are worth six gold coins, the hides are worth three gold coins, the longhorns are worth eight gold coins, the short horns are worth four gold coins, and since they found a good amount of magic stones, they will buy them for sixty gold coins. The labor cost for the legs and guards is eight gold coins, so if I sell them all, I will end up with seventy-three gold coins.

The magic stone is really expensive.

"When I said it was quite expensive, I meant for a magic stone. There are many times when they are too small or cannot be found in the first place. I guess we got lucky this time."

As he spoke, the guild leader made a circle with his fingertips.

It seemed that the magic stone is the size of a golf ball. I looked at the "Battle Axe of Destruction" not knowing the standard, but their expression did not change. It seems to be a size that C-ranked adventurers are used to seeing it. The average commoner's monthly income is two to three gold coins. It's a head-to-head split, so it's about twelve gold coins per person. It was difficult to judge whether this was a high price to pay for risking one's life.

As I looked at the documents, I asked Roland about "Battle Axe of Destruction".

"Is there any material you want? There's no need to sell everything. Danil, who uses offensive magic, might have some use for the magic stones.

"I don't want you to recommend the most expensive one. Besides, I don't carry a wand with me."

"Wand?"

"If it's that big, I tend to put it in the head of my staff. I'm also a fencer, so I don't need one."

He didn't seem to be particularly reserved. They don't need it.

Aside from the magic stone, there are other materials as well. I asked everyone the same question again, and Markant shook his head.

"I don't need it. I've got this one for weapons and this Valset armor."

"I'm with you. The horns could be made into a sword, but I don't need them."

"Can I have some of the skin? My current armor is getting worn out. Eras Rhino is not so easy to find."

Only Ose asked for the leather.

A Valset is a monster with hard scales, similar in appearance to an armadillo or a pangolin. It's not as good as that, but I'm sure the skin of the Eras Rhino is just as good. Otherwise, Ose would not want it.

"Why don't you get yourself a new one, kid?"

Roland suggested from behind me.

"New? I just bought my armor."

"Eras Rhino is worth replacing. It's lighter than cowhide, softer, and stronger. It's not easy to find. You can use your current armor as a backup."

"If that's the case, you can get a new one at… That's right. Why don't we give it to your father and brother, anyway?"

"That's a good idea, a family gift."

I felt a little embarrassed at Roland's cheerful smile.  I'm going to sulk again. I'll think of a different gift.

"Uh, excuse me."

As I was talking with Roland about what kind of armor to get, Markant opened his mouth in a reserved manner.

"We all defeated Erath Rhino together. That is an undeniable fact. But it was Alter-sama… who put the finishing touches on it. The skin is fine, but can you please take the magic stone?"

"What do you say- is it my imitation? I don't need a wand. The value of magic stones is 60 gold coins, and you may be able to make the difference, but I don't think I have that kind of money."

"I don't. And I'm asking you to take it. While we've been keeping an eye on Eras Rhino, we've been doing some reflecting. Roland… prevented it, but we couldn't hold off Eras Rhino. The order was to eliminate the unruly monsters. We failed in our mission to protect him. We apologize for that and vow never to make the same mistake again."

The words were crude, but they were the most sincere I had ever heard. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

Markant's point was not misguided. Technically speaking, it was a mistake. But Roland was also one of the guards. In hindsight, I can see why he didn't leave my side in case something like that happened. And the magic stone is bad, it's most of the profit from the sale. If word of this gets out, people might think I took it for power. I'm not going to do that. I've already discussed it with the intruders. What was your name again?

I was trying to remember something unimportant, but Valerie was on my heels.

"I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you. Alter's weapons are a small sword and a stiletto. I have two of them, and I think they'll do just fine."

"Wait, wait, wait, that's not just right. It's almost all mine. My father has been very strict with me about fairness."

"That's not a problem. In this mission, there is no agreement on the spoils of war. In this case, even if the employer claims all the rights. It is the fault of the adventurer who did not properly do their job. Therefore, we do not wish to undermine the will of your lordship. Besides, the battle with Eras Rhino was my first actual battle and my first victory. It will be a lifelong treasure for Alter-sama, along with the magic stone. We were able to help him, and that's enough."

Valerie smiled as she said it.

What the hell is this? Why are we pushing each other's loot? If Roland had seen through all this and chosen them, he would have been impressed.

It's true that if you've fought such a big monster and got weapons and magic stones, you'll never forget it. That's a very clever thing to say. He pretends that my first battle with a goblin, but I'll pretend that I didn't notice. Even though he was born in a farming village and hated goblins as if they were snakes or scorpions, the owner of the Faraway Steep would never harbor any ill will towards them. It is filled with infinite compassion that gently embraces the mountaineer.

It is not likely to break the "Battle Axe of Destruction". And if they ask me this much, I will have to accept.

I was grateful and almost agreed, but there was one thing that bothered me.

"I want to ask you one question. Earlier, you said that Roland and Ose had difficulty in obtaining Eras Rhino. Is that because they're being hunted so much that they're dwindling? Or is it a rare monster to begin with?"

Knowing what happened to Rhinos in my previous life, I don't have a good impression of Rhinoceros horns. I don't want to be hypocritical, but I would feel sorry for them if they were being hunted all over the place here too. If I wear such a thing, my people would condemn me.

The "Battle Axe of Destruction" looked at each other and tilted their heads.

In response, guild leader Herrit opened his mouth instead.

"I can't give you an answer in a few words, but first of all, the habitat of the Eras Rhino is mainly grasslands. Which inevitably overlap with the human territory. And the villages where they appear usually suffer severe damage to their crops. As a result, many Eras Rhino have been defeated."

"Well then, ……."

"No, I wouldn't say it's decreasing. The reason is while their original habitat was much further south than here. According to the adventurer's guild in this area. The Eras Rhino's flock is seen every few years and a warning is issued to the neighboring villages. Also, the material of the Eras Rhino is rare because it is a powerful demon that acts in packs. It is rare for them to act alone, as they have done in this case, but the Eras Rhino itself is not rare. If you are looking for new material, there are plenty of opportunities."

And then, I realized that the guild leader was mistaken, but he answered my question anyway. It was a relief to know that they are far from extinction.

"All right. I'll take it then. Thank you, everyone."

As I lowered my head, the "Battle Axe of Destruction" hurriedly bowed back.

But they are sweet. They must not have noticed that my face was distorted as I lowered my head. I'll ask my father to add the number of magic stones and horns as the reward for the escort mission. Hahaha, don't think that you can easily sell your debt to me, "Battle Axe of Destruction".

I felt a strangely warm gaze from Roland, so I stopped thinking about it.

I received the magic stone, two horns, and even the skins for the three of us, but somehow in the discussion that followed, I ended up monopolizing all of the remaining profits from the sale. In the end, it was a total takeover. The reason for this situation was that I had completely forgotten the cost of making the swords and armor. It seems that they still need more money, so they agreed to use the proceeds from the sale of Eras Rhino as a deposit, and the rest from the distribution of the catch from the expedition. I would pay with the money he might earn in the future. And the reason why Chief Gerrit was willing to accept such an absurd contract was that I was the son of a lord.

After seeing off the "Battle Axe of Destruction" and guild leader Gerrit, I have guilt about my apology and pity and vowed to earn money from tomorrow.