Chapter 23
After effortlessly taking down the Goblin Colony, I went on to wipe out one colony after another.
It was simple, repetitive work: just firing off Fireballs.
Honestly, the day had been a bit of a letdown.
Then, as evening fell, I left the dungeon.
I stopped by the Guild to sell the magic stones and drop items, then returned to the inn.
After a quick dinner, I headed straight back to my room.
“Time to announce today’s results~! Yay, applause~!”
Urged on by MP, who looked even more excited than I did, I took the coins from the small pouch I used as a wallet and laid them out on the bed.
If this were a slightly better inn, there’d be a little table in the room, but this cheap inn didn’t offer such luxuries.
There was only a bed. It was a room for sleeping, and nothing else.
I piled the coins up on the shabby bed.
Today’s hunting results were—
21 colonies.
1,341 goblins.
21 Goblin Leaders.
As for the drop items—
Goblin magic stones were worth 100 gold each, for a total of 134,100 gold.
Goblin Leader magic stones were worth 500 gold each, for a total of 10,500 gold.
Goblin Seeds, which you get for wiping out a colony, were worth 2,000 gold each, for a total of 42,000 gold.
The grand total was 186,600 gold!
In just one day, I’d earned more than the average monthly income of an ordinary citizen: 150,000 gold.
Though it was a little less than the Sky-Cleaving Sword earned as a whole in a day, it far surpassed anything I’d ever made by myself.
I’d never made this much in a single day before.
The results made it clear just how broken it was to fire off Skills over and over.
Incidentally, a Goblin Seed is an item that produces two goblins using the 【Taming】 Skill, and is used by tamers.
It’s a lower-tier Seed, but novice tamers have a decent demand for it, so it fetches a pretty good price as a drop item.
“Seeing the numbers laid out like that, it really is incredible...”
“This is mana management at its finest!!”
MP held up a V sign as if MP were the one who’d accomplished it, but MP was absolutely right.
“Yeah, it’s all thanks to you, MP. Thank you.”
“Hehehe~.”
When I patted MP’s silver hair, MP happily fluttered all four wings.
“After everything you’ve done for me, I ought to do something to thank you.”
Now that I had money to spare, I wanted to buy something for MP, too.
MP had been happy with the grilled squid. Maybe I should get some takoyaki next time?
“Is there anything you want? Don’t worry about the money—just tell me if there’s something you’d like.”
“In that case...”
MP hesitantly began to speak.
“I’d like you to share some of your mana with me, Master~.”
“Huh? Mana? I don’t mind, but...”
“Mana is the greatest treat of all for a Gift Fairy~.”
“Wait, really? Even better than grilled squid?”
“Uuugh, grilled squid is tempting, but... It’s nothing compared to your mana, Master~.”
We’d been together for two weeks, but this was the first I’d heard of it.
Even though MP had helped me so much, I’d never once given MP any mana.
I didn’t even know how I was supposed to give it to MP.
I felt a little ashamed at what an ingrate I’d been.
I realized I’d been too caught up in my own problems to think about anyone else...
“You didn’t have to hold back. You could’ve told me sooner.”
“Oh, no, no. Strengthening you was the top priority, Master~. Until now, we didn’t have the luxury of asking for anything so indulgent~.”
“So does that mean we have some breathing room now?”
“Yes! Your hard work has paid off, and now we have a real chance of standing up to those parasites!”
The “parasites” were Guy and the others, my former party members.
It was a harsh way to put it, but the fact was, they’d been leeching off my mana for five whole years.
What MP was most worried about was those guys coming after me out of spite.
That was why MP had made it the top priority to manage my mana so I could fight back if they showed up.
And now, at last, it seemed we were finally in a position to do that.
Even with my Gift, I couldn’t have made proper use of it on my own.
This was entirely thanks to MP.
“It wasn’t my hard work. It’s because you managed my mana so well. Thank you, truly.”
“That makes me so happy~. I’m happiest when you praise my track record with mana management~.”
Maybe MP was excited, because MP started circling around me.
“This is my way of thanking you. If you’re willing to accept my mana, take as much as you like.”
At my words, MP’s face blossomed into a bright, beaming smile.
It was the kind of smile that made me feel I’d gladly give up any amount of mana just to see it.