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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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My life was full of ups and downs.
Though I had to leave my beloved hometown after becoming like this, it wasn’t all bad.
I, who was just an ordinary village boy, gained exceptional physical abilities after becoming ‘something other than human.’
Strength, stamina, everything related to physical prowess—I became far stronger than the average adult male.
That’s why I was able to start as an adventurer, even with nothing to my name.
Even though I was unskilled with weapons, my raw strength was enough to defeat monsters with a single swing.
And then there was the sixth sense I hadn’t felt as a human.
Even though I couldn’t see with my eyes, I had a sharpened sense of perception, far more acute than sight, which allowed me to easily adapt to the adventurer’s life, despite my young age and lack of experience.
Well, even so, monster subjugation was a dangerous job, one wrong step could lead to death.
After a few years of activity, fighting monsters with my eyes covered became my trademark, and I became somewhat famous.
Blind Swordsman Iyerpol.
It wasn’t entirely inaccurate, since I didn’t walk around with my eyes open.
I perceived the world not with my sight, but with other senses.
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After returning to Tillasden from Las Pallas:
After a two-day rest, I headed towards the market street with familiar steps.
I carried two bags, both filled with something, on my back.
Passing by the bustling shops on a bright afternoon, I reached a shop located at the edge of the street and opened the door.
With the clear ringing of a bell, the middle-aged man at the counter greeted me.
“Oh! I was wondering when you’d be back, Iyer.”
“Uncle Dooks, how have you been?”
“Doing well, thanks to you.”
The shop was still deserted, as always.
Various crafts were displayed on the shelves lining both sides of the shop.
The crafts were made of clay, stone, and various other materials.
The quality of the crafts was undoubtedly high, but the reason for the lack of customers was clearly the shop’s terrible location.
The products needed to be seen by people walking down the street, but located at the very edge, it was impossible for anyone to notice them.
I had already told Uncle Dooks this countless times…
‘Does the king pay your rent for a good location?’
…but he never listened.
Still, I thought it would be better to invest a little and raise awareness, rather than letting the shop gather dust like this.
But I had given up on that conversation long ago.
I walked to the counter and put down the bags I was carrying.
Thump!
“You’ve made a lot again. You must have a lot of free time.”
“You’d understand if you tried being an adventurer, Uncle. There’s a lot of downtime.”
“Right, right. Let me see what you’ve brought.”
There were two reasons why I regularly visited this shop.
The first was to sell the finished products of my hobby, straw crafting.
It was an old hobby I picked up when I started as an adventurer, and my crafting skills had improved to the point where the finished products were considered marketable.
During a festival in Tillasden, I displayed my crafts on the street, and Uncle Dooks, who happened to notice the high quality of my work, made me an offer.
He asked if I would be interested in selling them.
So, I started making straw crafts whenever I had free time during requests or at home, and I delivered a selection of them to this shop.
Uncle Dooks examined a detailed cat figurine made of straw rope and opened his mouth.
“Your skills are still amazing. It’s a waste to just sell these as children’s toys.”
“You flatter me.”
“Have you ever thought about making a proper piece? Not these animal figurines, but something more substantial.”
“Like what, for example?”
“Hmm. How about an architectural structure, like a castle? The Phailure mansion, or the Kalak Royal Palace.”
Architectural structures.
The difficulty would be incredibly high, but it wouldn’t be impossible if I put my mind to it.
However, with such large crafts, even the slightest difference in quality could significantly affect its evaluation.
It would take a long time, enough to warrant taking a vacation…
I told him I would think about it.
Uncle Dooks had a good eye for these things.
After receiving the payment for the straw crafts that filled my bag, I tapped my pocket with a satisfied expression.
But this wasn’t the main reason I visited this shop.
The reason I had a stable income, even though I no longer took monster subjugation requests.
That reason was also in this shop.
“So, let’s get down to business. How was this month?”
“Hmm, good. The word has already spread quite a bit within Kalak.”
“I didn’t go around visiting all those craftsmen for nothing.”
“I’m the one who advised you to do that, you brat. Anyway, it seems to be working. We’ve received contract offers from a few more trading companies. There are some parts you need to sign, so wait a moment.”
I hummed cheerfully as I scribbled my signature on the dotted line of the document Uncle Dooks brought me.
The reason I had a stable income.
It was because of a small tool I developed while crafting.
A year ago, when I was busy with adventurer work.
While working on a delicate task that was difficult to do by hand, I suddenly felt the need for a new tool.
A tool thinner than a human finger, capable of various tasks, and easy to carry.
Being an adventurer meant having a lot of downtime.
After much research and crafting, I finally completed a tool, and Uncle Dooks showed great interest in it.
When he asked how I was able to do such delicate work, I showed him the tool I developed.
After carefully examining it, he asked if he could borrow it for a while.
The next time I visited the shop, a refined version of the crude tool I had made was completed.
Uncle Dooks thought the tool would be useful not only for crafting but also for other craftsmen, and he started distributing it.
And as he predicted, craftsmen from all over started requesting the tool.
Uncle Dooks, who had stopped producing the tool himself, suggested applying for a patent at Kalak’s patent office…
We signed a contract, with me as the inventor and Uncle Dooks as the manufacturer and distributor, and received a joint patent.
This prevented other trading companies from copying the tool, and after the patent was approved, we started selling the tool by signing distribution contracts with other trading companies.
That’s how Uncle Dooks and I secured a stable income from the sales of the tool I invented.
This was the reason I stopped taking monster subjugation requests.
“Here’s this month’s payment.”
What Uncle Dooks handed me was a thin piece of paper.
But it wasn’t just any paper. It was a banknote issued by the largest bank in Kalak.
I counted the amount written on the banknote and put it in my pocket with a happy face.
Money was good.
Money brought peace of mind.
Look at how calm my heart was with just this one banknote.
What a healthy medicine it was.
Uncle Dooks, watching my happy face, opened his mouth.
“But I have some bad news.”
“Is it something that can’t be solved with money? Uhuhu.”
“To be precise, it’s a problem directly related to this money. It seems trading companies from other countries have caught wind of it.”
“Huh?”
A serious problem was suddenly raised.
My happy expression immediately turned serious as I leaned towards Uncle Dooks.
“We’ve secured the patent for this tool at Kalak’s patent office, but… that doesn’t apply to other countries, you know.”
“Hmm.”
“If trading companies from other countries get their hands on this tool and start producing it, there’s a chance that imported goods will take over our market. If that happens, it’ll be difficult for us to claim our rights.”
Truly… plans made by humans don’t always go their way.
There was a reason why I hadn’t quit being an adventurer altogether and was aiming for the adventurer’s pension.
Because there were unexpected events like this.
Uncle Dooks said to me with a heavy expression.
“Think about going abroad. It would be better if you could get the patent recognized in other countries’ patent offices as well.”
“…It’s one problem after another.”
“That’s life.”
When the patent was approved, I was overjoyed, and I felt like I could do anything.
But that feeling didn’t last long.
Life doesn’t always go as planned.
Just like how I didn’t intend to become something other than human, and how I didn’t plan to become an adventurer.
But because of those experiences, I knew I always had to be prepared for various contingencies.
“I’ll think about it, Uncle.”
“Alright. I’ll also explore various options.”
After discussing future plans with Uncle Dooks for a while longer, I finally left his shop in the early evening.
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The evening pub was bustling with adventurers.
Adventurers generally used temporary lodgings rather than owning houses, so they frequented pubs rather than cooking their own meals.
Of course, I wasn’t much different, so I still had the habit of eating at pubs.
I entered the pub and sat at an empty counter seat.
The pub madam recognized me and brought me a glass of water.
“What can I get for you, Iyer?”
“What’s today’s dinner special?”
“Grilled sausages sautéed with onions.”
“Then I’ll have that and a beer.”
Soon, the madam brought me the food and a beer.
The portion was quite generous.
The price was cheap, but the amount was substantial.
This was why I couldn’t stop coming to this pub.
When I asked if she made any profit selling like this, the madam said,
‘I’m giving you this much because it’s you.’
I’ve been told I have a pleasant demeanor.
I received an unusual amount of goodwill from people while living in Tillasden.
This was why I couldn’t leave Tillasden.
Just as I was about to pick up the food with my fork… the bustling pub suddenly fell silent.
My hand, which was about to bring the sausage to my mouth, stopped in mid-air due to the sudden change in atmosphere.
What’s going on?
Why did everyone suddenly go quiet?
I lifted my head and looked around.
Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the entrance of the pub.
I followed their gaze and saw a brown-haired swordsman standing at the door.
His short brown hair and deep-set eyes revealed his handsome features, and behind his tall build, a large shield and sword were strapped to his back.
The armor he wore wasn’t cheap either, indicating he was a successful adventurer.
No, he was one of the few people I knew well.
But why did everyone suddenly go quiet just because he entered the pub?
As I pondered this question, the man, who had been standing motionless at the entrance, started walking towards the counter.
I realized his gaze was directed at me.
And as expected, he stopped right next to the counter seat where I was sitting.
“…It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, it has. How have you been?”
But why the long face today?
He looked at me with a completely hardened expression, unlike usual.
It seemed he had something to say, but he just stared down at me without speaking.
…This wasn’t like him.
In the end, I was the one who spoke first.
“What’s up? Something wrong?”
“…”
“You came here to see me, right?”
He nodded in affirmation.
I surveyed the atmosphere without turning my head.
People were looking at us with intrigued expressions.
All of them silent.
What was going on?
As I wondered, he finally opened his mouth.
“Help me, Iyer.”
“Huh?”
“I need you.”
Please.
My former comrade and the leader of the most reliable adventurer party in Tillasden.
A skilled and popular man who enjoyed the trust of many.
‘Wagner of the Greatsword,’ known as the best adventurer in this city, asked me for help.
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When it rains, it pours.