Jigglypuff's Diary

“So that’s why the old butler isn’t around.” [Jeff]

After lunch… during our post-meal tea party that had at some point become a custom, we shared information with the mountain exploration team.

“Yeah, so, I was hoping to get your advice.
Is there anyone in the slums who knows how to weave rope?
If so, it would be a huge help if I could hire them and get some of the kids to make it for me.
I could just buy it like I did this time, but considering the possibility that we’ll need a large amount in the future, and the impact it might have on other people who need rope, I thought it’d be more convenient if we could produce it ourselves.” [Ryouma]

“If you ask among the drifters from the farming villages, you could probably gather a decent workforce. Just don’t expect too much from the brats. I’m sure they can do it if you teach them, but it’ll take some time before they become useful.” [Jeff]

Apparently, rope is mostly made by people living in the farming villages during their break from farming or in winter.
There are people who make it in the city, but the straw and other materials needed for rope are harder to come by in the city than in rural areas.
Plus, with jobs becoming more specialized in the city, there are naturally fewer opportunities to do it.

“Wouldn’t it be faster just to have your goblins do it?” [Jeff]
“That’s also an option. We could use the stalks left over after threshing the Pipspear Grass (Kotsubuyarikusa).
But the goblins also have to take care of the slimes, and I’d prefer to have the goblins help with my research when they’re free, mainly to prevent information leaks.” [Ryouma]

“It certainly is hard to imagine a goblin stealing information, isn’t it? They could try and they’d never find a buyer. In that regard, they’re perfect for maintaining confidentiality.
However, there’s no point in keeping something as commonplace as a rope a secret, and depending on the volume required, it could turn into a massive undertaking.
Judging by Sebas-sama’s reaction… I also believe it would be better to prepare a human workforce.” [Eleonora]

It was because even Ms. Eleonora was saying that much that I’m trying to employ people to help with the rope production, but Jeff had a point too.

That led me to take out a certain item from my Item Box.

“What do you think of this?” [Ryouma]

“A thin stick with a pointy lump?” [Yurdum]

“This is another tool I’m planning to produce for the purpose of warlock arts. It’s called incense.” [Ryouma]

“Ah, that thing you said you were going to make using Kareppashi wood. You’ve already made it?” [Yurdum]

Just as Yurdum said, it was a prototype I made last night using branches I’d collected in between the breaks in our construction jobs.

“It’s made by adding finely powdered fragrance to finely ground wood dust, kneading them together with water, then shaping the mixture, and leaving it to dry.
I used a bit of magic to dry this one, but it should be possible to manufacture them even without it.” [Ryouma]

“Sounds easier than rope.
Even a tiny kid who’s useless at picking up trash could do it, I think.
It’s basically playing with mud, after all. No offense.” [Jeff]
“If you do it completely by hand, I guess it kind of feels like that.” [Ryouma]

I played a lot with the moisture content during the prototyping phase, so it really did feel like playing with mud.
It’s the difference between true craftsmanship and my amateur imitation, so it should be something I can improve later.
Also, if I create dedicated molds and tools, I should be able to improve the production rate and quality.

“We also need to be careful to ensure they don’t inhale the dust during the process, so I’d like to hire someone who can manage that aspect as well.” [Ryouma]

“You’re going to need guys with some muscle to grind up the wood anyway, so you might as well hire a few adults and have them look after the brats while they’re at it.
As long as the work isn’t difficult, you can just ask around and people will gather.
So, how do you use this thing?” [Jeff]

“You just light it on fire. Shall we try one? I’ve only just made it, so I haven’t actually tested it myself yet.” [Ryouma]

Since everyone else seemed interested as well, I placed a cone-shaped piece of incense—which looked a bit like moxa—onto an empty small plate and lit it with magic.
When I fanned out the small flame with my hand, the smoke, which had briefly billowed, turned white and grew thin as it drifted up toward the ceiling.
Then, a unique fragrance began to fill the room.

…The smoke is rising nicely. I’ll consider this a success for now.

“I feel like I’ve smelled this scent once before…” [Wereanna]

“I’m not used to the smell, but it’s strangely calming~” [Syria]

“It’s close to the smell you get when you go deep into the forest… spices?” [Mizelia]

“I know! It’s the smell of the liquor Ryouma gave us the other day, nyaa!” [Miya]

The four beastmen were all sharing their impressions; as expected, their sense of smell must be incredibly sharp.
I wouldn’t be as confident on my first try.

“I put the bark of a Heat Emitting Tree into this incense as a fragrance.” [Ryouma]

“Huh… Does that mean the Great Forest smells like this too?” [Miya]

“There’s also the smell of rain and other plants out there, so it’s probably more like this scent is mixed in with all of those. Just like Miya-san said, it’s likely closer to the smell of the liquor made in the Great Forest.” [Syria]

That liquor is produced or stored in barrels made from the heat emitting tree, so the scent of the tree has transferred to it.
This scent is one of the many chemical substances the heat emitting tree stores inside to protect itself from the insects and pathogens of the Great Forest.
While some people might be allergic to it, it is generally harmless to anything other than bugs.

Before I entered the Great Forest, I made and used an insect repellent from Everlasting Darkness (Herb), but apparently, people who stay at the base in the Great Forest for long periods use a repellent extracted and refined from the heat emitting trees instead.

Even the monsters in the Great Forest, like the frequently seen Raptors, scratch the heat emitting trees to use the sap that oozes out.
It’s said that fresh scratches on a heat emitting tree are one of the ways adventurers use to spot a Raptor breeding ground.

“Speaking of which, what’s contained on the outside of the bark mainly acts as an insect repellent. Against insects that still approach despite this effect, it fights back with components possessing insecticidal and bactericidal properties located from just beneath the bark down to the trunk. Furthermore, I hear those components are more abundant and concentrated in older trees.
What I used this time was a single branch harvested from a tree growing in my home village, so it’s about 40 to 50 years old. This incense, which has the bark mixed into it, should have an insecticidal effect in addition to its scent.” [Ryouma]

As I was explaining this, I suddenly noticed something. While the five adventurers were enjoying the rare fragrance and listening to my story with interest, the faces of the three nobles had stiffened slightly.

“Lord Takebayashi, that is a very precious item.” [Eleonora]

“You can’t harvest a 50-year-old heat emitting tree without going deep into the Great Forest, and when you consider the labor and danger of bringing it back… well, even if we tried to put a price on it, I wouldn’t know what’s appropriate.” [Yurdum]

“Sourcing materials from your home town is well and good from a warlock’s perspective, but this is a tool that can only exist because you’re capable of harvesting it and bringing it back yourself.” [Rosenberg]

I was actually wondering if mosquito coils made from these would sell, but apparently, they’re luxury goods?

The initial cost was zero, and since the original heat emitting tree was super massive, a single branch is equivalent to dozens of normal trees, making it a very easily accessible material for me.

“That is only true for you, Lord Takebayashi.
It is fine for your personal use, but if you intend to release it into the market, I believe it requires careful consideration.” [Eleonora]

“Understood. In that case, let me consult with you again later. There’s also the option of changing the fragrance to something else, so for now, let’s just treat this as an experiment.” [Ryouma]

Oh right, speaking of price.

“Lord Rosenberg, regarding that rope I’d cursed… if I do decide to sell it, what kind of price should I set for it?
It would help a lot if I knew the general market rate before discussions took place.” [Ryouma]

“The price? It fluctuates depending on the practitioner’s skill and the item’s effects, but… for rope made by you, Ryouma-kun, you could charge ten times the purchase price to start with.” [Rosenberg]

…Excuse me?

“There are practitioners who require expensive tools, materials, and a lot of time just to make a single cursed item, after all.
In order to protect the livelihoods of warlock arts practitioners, cursed items made upon request are meant to be expensive.
At about ten times the price of a mere rope, it’s actually cheap for a cursed item.” [Rosenberg]

“It also concerns the prestige of the clients. Should rumor spread that they are being miserly about compensation, it will affect their reputation, so they always pay generously.
People who request items from warlocks are often either noble or rich.” [Eleonora]

I understand that’s how it is, but ten times?
In my case, I can cast it just by chanting a single word.
To think that alone makes the rope’s value jump tenfold is terrifying.
Maybe this might actually be more like alchemy than actual alchemy.

“I understand.
Taking ten times the purchase price as a baseline… I imagine there are other customs as well, so I’ll leave the fine-tuning to you, Ms. Eleonora.” [Ryouma]

“Certainly.” [Eleonora]

I decided to not carelessly put my foot in my mouth and just leave everything to her, who was an expert at handling these matters, then I changed the subject.

“How is the progress on the western side going?” [Ryouma]

“We’re just one step away from finishing over there. The slope is steep and the footing is bad, so it’s taking a bit of time, but we should be able to wrap it up this afternoon.” [Miya]

“Perhaps because of the miasma’s influence, there are fewer signs of life compared to the east.
There aren’t any dangerous animals, though, so it’s safe in that regard.” [Mizelia]

“Besides that, there were a lot of gross-looking trees growing there, nyaa.” [Miya]

I had some doubts about what would happen to the mountain’s ecosystem with so few animals, but at this stage, I guess it’s still safe.

By the way, the “gross” thing Miya-san mentioned was a type of tree called a “Pugipogi,” according to Yurdum.
Apparently, it’s a tree completely covered in a dense pattern of small, eyeball-like markings—a sight that would absolutely be pure torture for anyone with trypophobia.

“Well, it just looks gross, it’s not like it’s poisonous…
Oh, but you can’t use it for firewood. It burns well enough, but it produces a ton of soot, so you have to be careful about that.
If you use it for cooking, especially indoors, it would be a disaster.” [Yurdum]

“That makes it difficult to find a use for the thinned wood… Well, let’s think about that separately later. For now, everyone, please continue with the rest of the survey.” [Ryouma]

With that, our information exchange concluded.
Everyone headed off to their respective afternoon jobs: the adventurer team and Yurdum to the mountain survey, Ms. Eleonora, the goblins, and I to resume building the mountain road, and Lord Rosenberg to study improvement plans for his lost magic.

A few hours passed, and I reached the foot of the mountain. With this, the retaining wall on one side of the road was finished. I was just thinking about taking a short break and then working on the other side on my way back… when I noticed Mr. Sebas walking down from above.

“Mr. Sebas! Welcome back!” [Ryouma]

“I have returned. It seems your work has progressed quite a bit as well.” [Sebas]

“Yes. Once the other half of the retaining wall is done, we’ll fell all the trees in the middle and carry out the thinned wood…
The goblins are already working on that, so once the road is paved, I can transport it efficiently using dimension magic, so I expect a basic road to be finished in about a day.
How did things go on your end, Mr. Sebas?” [Ryouma]

“I secured a mix of new items and old stock, so the quality varies, but I acquired 300 bundles of 50 meters each. That makes for about 15 kilometers in length.” [Sebas]

Fifteen kilometers worth… he bought quite a lot.
Mr. Sebas pulled a letter from his Item Box and handed it to me.
It was addressed to me from Mr. Reinhart.

Apparently, Mr. Sebas had used his authority to spend the duke’s funds to purchase the rope.
Also, since he happened to stop by Gaunago, where the ducal estate is located, he went out of his way to return to the mansion and report the situation to prevent any future issues.

“Though it ended up being an after-the-fact report, the Master is also extremely interested in your rope, Sir Ryouma.” [Sebas]

Hearing that, I opened the letter… The first thing that caught my eye was the rather stiff wording. With seasonal greetings and poetic words of gratitude for my daily assistance, it felt very aristocratic. Thinking that it seemed a bit different from usual, I read on…

“Mr. Sebas, to summarize it roughly, it looks like he’s writing to ask me to ‘sell him the rope I make.’ Specifically, after we finish verifying it here, he wants to introduce it on a trial basis at the new town construction site being built near Gimel.” [Ryouma]

“You aren’t misreading it. I have heard the same.” [Sebas]

I was told things would move fast, but aren’t they moving a little too fast?

“Lord Takebayashi, this year, His Majesty the King has declared the arrival of a ‘Demon Surge.’
I believe that is also the reason His Grace the Duke seeks the rope you produce… Even if the effect is limited, the rope is overwhelmingly cheaper compared to barrier magic tools, meaning it can protect that many more places.” [Eleonora]

“It is exactly as Lady Eleonora says.
We haven’t had any sightings of monsters that would require dispatching high-ranking adventurers yet, but reports of fast-breeding, numerous small monsters and goblins are on the rise.
To commoners, even a few goblins can be a threat, so if they appear, construction work will grind to a halt.
Just the information that they ‘might’ be nearby is enough to make workers anxious and slow their work. The Master is hoping that your rope can help mitigate these issues.” [Sebas]

I see… So the reason Mr. Sebas was so keenly interested and made such a massive purchase was because he knew about these circumstances and Mr. Reinhart’s struggles…
I’ve been hearing a lot about the Demon Surge lately, but is the situation worse than I thought?

“Understood. I wasn’t planning on refusing anyway, and if I’m being counted on, I’ll do my best to meet those expectations.
The construction work has just reached a good stopping point… Let’s push the rest of the work to tomorrow, and spend this time casting curses on the rope instead.” [Ryouma]

I heard the adventurer team’s mountain survey would be finished today, so tomorrow morning, I’ll have them string up the rope around the mountain together with Lord Rosenberg.
The goblins and I can just proceed with the construction on our own in the meantime; it won’t be a problem.

And so, I hastily returned to our lodgings and began mass-producing rope enchanted with human-warding and beast-warding effects.