Chapter 55
It had been about a month since Allen started going hunting in mid-November. Since then, he'd kept up the routine of hunting once every six days.
Back in elementary school, I was only allowed to play games on Sundays. Hunting once a week reminds me of those days. Looking back, it was a pretty weird rule.
After nine p.m., Allen was inside a weapons shop.
"Here you go. I don't know what you plan to use these for, but will these do?"
The weapons shop owner handed him a spherical object. It was about the size of a baseball. Allen picked it up.
"Wow! Thank you very much! Is sixty silver coins all right?"
"That's what we agreed on," the owner said. Allen handed over the money and received three iron balls.
(Looks good. These should work in place of stones.)
He put the iron balls he had bought into Storage and went home. After work today, he'd stopped by the weapons shop to pick up the iron balls he'd ordered.
He'd had four days off since then. Naturally, he'd spent all four hunting, and his level had risen from nine to twelve. His stats had increased, which was great, but there was one problem.
The stones had started breaking when he threw them. Another reason was that he had no use for Insect G's Taunt, so he'd switched those cards to Beast E. His attack power had gone up, and the stones could no longer withstand the force. The stones shattered when they hit goblins. He'd lost every stone he'd brought from Krena Village.
He'd asked the weapons shop to make iron balls as a substitute. The owner said that since he already hammered lumps of iron into weapons, making balls wouldn't take much effort. He'd said one would cost twenty silver coins, so Allen ordered three.
(Still, there are so many things I want. Armor, a magical fire starter, about ten iron balls... And weapons, too. Weapons can wait, since I have Summons.)
He updated his wish list in a note in his grimoire. A magical fire starter cost three gold coins. Armor came in all kinds of prices, but the expensive ones required gold coins. Weapons were much the same.
(This really feels like I'm getting equipped in a new town for the first time!)
Even though he was short on money, he couldn't help getting excited. It reminded him of when he was Kenichi and had reached a new town in a game, trying to decide which equipment to buy first.
(Hunting monsters, earning EXP and money, then upgrading my equipment. It's a classic progression. Though for some reason, my income is a fixed salary.)
He received his wages as a footman at the end of each month. At the end of November, he'd received fifty silver coins.
Allen's salary was fifty silver coins a month, or six gold coins a year. He wasn't subject to a head tax.
Since he was only eight, apparently he was paid half the normal footman's wage. A regular footman started at twelve.
Typical monthly wages by rank:
• Butler: 5 gold coins
• Attendant: 2 gold coins
• Footman: 1 gold coin
Rikkerel, the head footman who'd explained this to him, earned one gold and fifty silver coins (150 silver coins). Rikkerel was so helpful that he told Allen everything, even things he hadn't asked about, like the butler's salary.
(If the Adventurers' Guild paid bounties for subjugations, I could earn a little more. Well, I'm not desperate for money, and it's a long way from the mansion.)
His Summons acted as shields when fighting goblins, so he'd never been hit. He needed money, but he figured he could take his time earning more.
He returned to the mansion. It was late, so he was about to go to bed when he made eye contact with Rikkerel.
"Hey, Allen."
"Yes, Rikkerel-san. Good evening."
Rikkerel called out to him.
"Did you do something? The butler wants to see you."
"Huh?"
He couldn't think of anything that would get him summoned. But if he'd been called, he had to go. He told Rikkerel he understood, then headed to the butler's room.
Knock, knock.
"Excuse me. It's Allen."
"...Come in."
It was late, but apparently he was allowed to enter. He went inside and was told to sit on the sofa, so he did.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Hmm."
Allen had come because he'd been called, but the butler only murmured and didn't say anything. For the moment, he waited for the conversation to begin.
"Allen. You're doing excellent work. The other servants tell me you work hard."
After a short while, the butler began to speak. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully.
"Th-thank you."
"However, the members of House Granvelle are always being watched by others. It's very important to conduct yourself properly at all times."
(Hm? What is this about? Is he going to lecture me?)
"Y-yes."
"What do you do on your days off?"
The butler looked straight at Allen as he questioned him.
"Huh?"
On his days off, Allen left before sunrise, moving at a tremendous speed. And he didn't return until after nine p.m. This had continued for a month. The butler was talking about how suspicious his behavior was.
"Um..."
(What should I do?)
Allen wondered whether he should tell him. As he pondered, the butler added more.
"You will not leave this room until you tell me."
(I see. I guess I have no choice but to tell him. He found out fast.)
He'd known that he'd eventually be found out. He hunted around Granvelle City, and although he tried to avoid running into anyone, there were adventurers out there. Word might spread about a black-haired boy outside the city and eventually reach the mansion. He'd been hunting with that possibility in mind.
That didn't mean he was going to stop hunting.
"On my days off, I hunt monsters outside the city."
He answered honestly.
"M-monsters?"
"That's right. On my days off, I hunt monsters outside Granvelle City from morning onward."
The butler had heard an eight-year-old boy say he hunted monsters outside the city. He was nearly sixty and thought there was little left that could surprise him, but at Allen's words, his eyes widened as he realized he could still be astonished. It was as if something utterly beyond common sense had appeared before him in the form of a boy.
"...Monsters, you say. Come to think of it, was that why you were asking Rikkerel about the White Dragon Mountains and the Adventurers' Guild?"
(Huh, did Rikkerel rat me out? Well, it makes sense to ask his supervisor about my conduct.)
For a moment, Allen thought of blaming Rikkerel, but then reconsidered.
"That's right."
"So you asked for a full day off so you could hunt. Why do you hunt?"
"Because I'm the son of Rodan, the boar hunter. I want to become a great man like my father."
"Hm?"
The words came out naturally. They were something he had always believed.
(That's right. I'm Dad's son, and he wanted to be a hunter. I love hunting, too. When I think about it, we're really father and son.)
He was convinced by his own words.
It was a similarity between father and son that he'd only noticed after they'd been separated. It was an enormous point in common: the thing that gave their lives meaning. He could even sense the will of the gods in the fact that he had been reincarnated with Rodan as his father.
"Hunting on my days off is what gives my life meaning."
"What gives your life meaning, huh? To that extent... Yes, you really are Rodan's son."
The butler seemed to understand. Allen must have grown up deeply influenced by Rodan. The hero of the village had a son who declared that hunting gave his life meaning. The butler remembered the conviction in Allen's eyes when he'd asked him for a full day off. If he hadn't agreed then, Allen might really have quit being a footman.
"I see. Well, as long as you don't cause trouble like the head chef, having something that gives your life meaning is important."
(Hm? The head chef? Oh, right. They argue sometimes.)
The head chef loved cooking. That was all well and good, but he bought more ingredients than the budget allowed and devoted himself to experimenting with recipes. He was probably close in age to the butler, and didn't back down at all, even when arguing with his superior.
Allen had witnessed the battle between the butler, who insisted they stay within budget, and the head chef, who wanted to make even tastier food, many times since arriving at the mansion.
"Yes. I'll make sure it doesn't interfere with my work."
"Good, Allen. I hope you find purpose in your work at this mansion, just as I have."
"Y-yes."
(That might be difficult. I didn't come all the way to another world just to work for someone else!)
He gave the butler a perfunctory reply. At the sight of his stiff expression, the butler sighed in exasperation.
"So, what are you doing with the Horned Rabbits you've killed?"
"Huh?"
The butler assumed Allen was hunting Horned Rabbits near the city. He couldn't imagine that Allen was hunting goblins in a place a day's walk from town.
"You don't have to hide it. You're selling them to the butcher for pocket money, aren't you?"
(I see. So that's where he's going with this.)
"I'm sorry."
Allen let the butler believe he was secretly selling Horned Rabbit meat to the butcher.
"Hmm. It's not a good look for a member of House Granvelle to be earning pocket money like that. It could become a rumor around town."
"Yes."
He did his best to look remorseful.
However, he hadn't taken the meat to the butcher. If he did, he would have to go to the butcher and then return to the mansion, which would make him very late. He'd been leaving everything except the Magic Stones behind. EXP mattered more than pocket money.
"Still, it's a shame to waste good meat. House Granvelle will buy it from you."
"Really?"
(That's a huge help.)
Meat he'd been throwing away could earn him money.
"Hm? Well, I can't pay you very much. Let's see... One silver coin per animal."
He figured that would be enough. And so, part of the truth about Allen's hunting outside the city came to light.