Backbeard-sama is watching... Bakumite?

I head toward the bulletin board where requests of rank 10 are listed. To accept a request, you need to quickly obtain the request slip from the front desk. However, there are also unlimited requests, such as collecting spices and herbs.

Looking at them roughly, there are requests like dismantling abandoned buildings, transporting demolition materials, road construction labor, babysitting, copying books, and house cleaning. Most of the requests seem to be completed within the village. The completion fees vary widely; even for babysitting, they can differ by nearly 50%. Is it because of how much the child is active?

Among these, herb collection in the Northern Forest seems significantly more efficient. Even though the types of herbs are different, it's about twice as efficient compared to collecting herbs in the Southern Forest.

Since I'm curious about this, I ask the girl at the front desk.

"Regarding the Northern Forest? In the Southern Forest, there is a divine protection from the god of plants, so large carnivorous beasts and monsters do not appear. In the Northern Forest, there is no such divine protection, and due to the abundance of mana, large carnivorous beasts and monsters frequently appear. While their territories are somewhat established, it's still not recommended for beginners. For more details, there should be information about the Northern Forest in the library on the 2nd floor. Please check there."

Frankly, I can't risk my life without any information. In this other world, following the usual tropes would mean charging ahead, but as a middle-aged man with a beer belly, that's impossible for me. Information is my weapon. Or rather, where does that kind of reckless courage come from? It's been puzzling me since I was young.

So, I go up to the 2nd floor and open the library. There are stacks of parchment neatly arranged. A small girl is organizing documents there.

"Excuse me for interrupting your work. Do you have any materials on the Northern Forest?"

The girl notices me and turns around, flustered.

"Yes. The Northern Forest materials? Would you like a general map, the species that inhabit it, their territories, or the flora?"

Wow, perfect response. If she had pigtails and glasses, she'd be the classic club president character. She's cute, but I'm not a lolicon. At least, not for someone who hasn't grown taller than me yet. Wait, isn't that girl around 15 years old? Lolicon... or is it? Backbeard-sama might yell at me.

Anyway, moving on. Here are the materials. Please return them after reading."

She bows and goes back to her work. She seems lively, like a little house sprite.

"Alright, about the Northern Forest..."

For reference, I'll consider the distance from the edge of the Southern Forest to this village as 5 km. The Northern Forest is also about 5 km away but stretches out in an oval shape with a major axis of around 35 km. That's pretty large. Using an example familiar to someone from Hyogo Prefecture, it's roughly the distance from Nobeoka to Osaka via Hanshin Expressway.

"About three large cities' worth of area. If I get lost, I might not be able to find my way back."

Regarding the species that inhabit it, there are large carnivores like bears, which are about 3 meters in size. They seem to have group territories around the center, so the chance of encountering them is low. There are also wolves, whose territories are apparently quite extensive, and they can be spotted even near the outer edges of the forest.

As for venomous creatures, there's something similar to the rat snake I ate earlier. At least it's a low-level village; that's good. Not an RPG, but still...

Regarding monsters (or demons), here are the details:
- A rabbit with horns? Called Monocorn Rabbit. Herbivorous but will charge with their horns if large animals approach for self-defense.
- Everyone's favorite, Goblins. Translated as Goblins, so they must be Goblins. They seem to have some intelligence and arm themselves in groups.
- Green monkeys, called Green Monkey. They eat fruits and insects but will warn and attack if other large creatures enter their territory.

There are a few others, but there aren't clear reports about them, so they're not mentioned in the materials.

Rabbits and monkeys are fine, but Goblins? In RPGs, they're common enemies, but having two-legged beings with weapons is still threatening. Imagine encountering someone swinging a knife in the street; you'd call the police. That's scary enough coming from the forest.

Regarding flora, it seems profitable but not detailed. However, the herbs mentioned in the requests definitely grow somewhere in the Northern Forest.

As instructed by the girl, I return the materials to the counter.

"Alright, let me see the actual herb."

I go back down to the 1st floor and ask the same girl at the front desk again.

"Do you have the actual Vas grass?"

"Yes. Please wait a moment... Here it is. When collecting, please bring them with roots intact if they are over 20 cm tall."

Holding the Vas grass, I whisper:

"I exercise my 'recognition.'"

Hmm. It seems to contain some anesthetic components. The plant absorbs mana and transforms it into healing properties, which in turn boosts the human body's natural healing ability. I always wondered how eating herbs works in RPGs to heal wounds. This makes sense now.

"By the way, what is this herb used for?"

"It's processed by the Pharmacist Guild to extract its medicinal components and make healing potions."

As expected. Concentrating it would definitely enhance its effects. At least, I can collect them correctly after confirming with 'recognition.'

Just in case, I'll also check the parts needed to prove the defeat of monsters. Whether we meet them or not is uncertain, but carrying their body parts back afterward would be a hassle.

Defeating them starts from rank 9. Among the three mentioned earlier, the request for materials would likely be the horn of Monocorn Rabbit. For Goblins and Green Monkeys, it's their noses, and for Monocorn Rabbits, both ears are needed as proof of defeat. There is no limit to how many you can collect.

"Can I register a request to collect 5 Vas grasses for 800 Waruru?"

"Since it's an unlimited request, there's no need for special procedures. Just bring the herbs to the appraisal counter."

Alright, time to prepare for work.

I go back to Ast's house and borrow an axe from Teisha — two of them, a leather strap, and two burlap bags.

One axe is sheathed and strapped to my waist. The other is tied to the end of the staff I made two days ago for snake hunting, making it a makeshift glaive. It's not uncommon in medieval times for peasants to use axes as glaives. From what I learned in fencing during college, long-handled weapons are overwhelmingly advantageous in combat.

Frankly, if both sides have similar skills, someone with an iron pipe is much scarier than someone with a knife. Even without a blade, swinging a heavy iron object with force will deal damage regardless of whether it pierces or not.

"Alright, let's get going."

With everything prepared, I inform Teisha that I'm heading to the Northern Forest. She hands me a wrapped block as if she had prepared it.

"It's lunch. It's not much, so please excuse me."

Since I hadn't thought about bringing lunch, this was very helpful.

I fill my water bottle and leave the house.

Alright, time for my first adventure.