Helios Orb Chronicle – Chapter 85

The day after receiving the Lapis Laz weapons, we woke up.

Today, we couldn’t go hunting because we had preparations for the Alliance.

Instead, we planned to go to the Crafter’s Guild to pick up our Beast Carriage.

We were told we’d get contact before noon, so we needed to return to the Magic Silver Inn and confirm the Alliance’s meeting place, but it wasn’t that much of a hassle.

Plus, Meena was also off from the Order’s Guild today, so she was in a good mood from the morning.

Besides, speaking of preparations, the potions were already stashed in storage, and since Prim could use healing magic, we should be fine unless something truly extraordinary happened.

Of course, there were no potions that could fix lost limbs, so that was the only thing we had to be careful about.

“Wow, it’s as big as they say.”

A normal beast carriage is about 5 meters deep, 3 meters wide, and 2 meters tall. Our beast carriage, however, is slightly larger at 6 meters deep, 3 meters wide, and 2.5 meters tall.

“Jade and Fluorite will get even bigger, and we’ve heard they have the potential to evolve not just into An, but even into Catastrophe Species.”

Jade and Fluorite, who had evolved into the rare species Hippogriff Philius and Hippogriff Philia, had recently been growing larger again.

They were probably close to 4 meters in size now.

“Just in case, we’ve made adjustments so the stable entrance can be remodeled. So, if they’re of a certain size, I think we can manage.”

Fina explained, but even though the beast carriage was large, Jade and Fluorite would have to stoop to get inside.

For now, we could manage, but if they got any bigger, it felt like we’d need something like a horse transport. That was why she’d made it so the stable entrance could be remodeled, which was greatly appreciated.

Incidentally, the stable entrance was on the right side of the beast carriage, a retractable storage type that deployed with one touch.

“I believe the interior is as you requested. The bathroom, including the changing area, is 50 square meters. Your bedrooms are 40 square meters each, with three rooms. The living room is 50 square meters. There are two guest rooms, each 20 square meters. The toilet is 10 square meters, and the garden, including the stable, is 180 square meters.”

The cabin the beast carriage we requested was 15 square meters, but with a 30x Mirroring enchantment, the total area became 450 square meters.

Normally, the limit for Mirroring enchantment was 10x, and the reason for not being able to apply higher enchantments was that ordinary crafters lacked the magic power.

Magic enchantments used either Craft Magic Infringing or Bestowed Magic Multiring. My Bestowed Magic also included enchantment magic.

Therefore, I also helped with the Mirroring enchantment. With the magic power of an Ancient Human, we could have achieved 50x, let alone 30x. But there was no need for such a vast space.

Fina seemed pleased, mentioning that even just being able to do this was enough to make a living as a crafter, which was a memorable moment for me.

Although the garden might seem spacious, with Jade and Fluorite nearly 4 meters long, and Mina’s familiar, the Battle Horse Breeze, being about the same size as a normal horse, it might become a bit tight in the future if everyone else also contracts familiars.

Incidentally, the height of the Mirroring space was also 30x, so it was nearly 30 meters tall.

“This is wonderful. It has a four-wheel independent suspension, and even dampers for shock absorption, so it feels comfortable just riding in it.”

“That’s fairly standard, so it wasn’t particularly problematic. The interior was more challenging.”

I suppose so. After all, they probably used as much material as building a mansion.

Incidentally, for the wheels, instead of wood or metal, they generally use a material made from monster leather filled with rubber and air. It’s more brittle than rubber tires, but for normal use, it only needs to be replaced once a year. It can be easily made with the Craft Magic Tubing Ring, and the labor cost for replacement is only about a Magic Silver coin, which is also excellent.

“This is amazing. Thank you, Fina. It’s more than I ordered.”

“I’m happy to hear you say that. I’ll have opportunities to ride in it too, so I definitely put extra effort into it.”

We wouldn’t use it on our next trip to the Royal Capital, but we’d still use it when going out together. In fact, Fina’s family is from Valentia, and Ed wants to visit them once things settle down there.

“But with beast carriages, they’re usually pulled by two Battle Horses, right? Fluorite doesn’t seem to like pulling the carriage, so will Jade alone be enough?”

Raus’s question was understandable, but it should be fine.

“It’s fine. We tested it by having a Grantpus pull it, and it pulled without any problems.”

The Grantpus is the strongest monster for pulling a beast carriage, but Hippogriffs have comparable strength. So, if a Grantpus can pull it, it’s reasonable to assume that Jade, who has evolved into the rare species Hippogriff Philius, can also handle it. It’s designed to be pulled by two horses, and since she seems to get along with Mina’s familiar, Breeze, Fluorite will probably pull it if she’s with Jade or Breeze.

“Now, about the price, as I told you, it will be 1.2 million Eru.”

There was no helping it. After all, it had more rooms than originally planned, and the interior needed to be finished accordingly.

“Understood. The payment will be made at the Crafter’s Guild reception, right?”

“Yes. Once that’s done, the order will be completed, and our payment will be processed.”

Most guild requests are for crafting or dismantling. However, for large orders, it’s not undertaken by just one or two people, but by several, or even dozens. Therefore, the client reports the completion of the order at the Crafter’s Guild reception, pays for the item in exchange for ownership, and the crafters’ rewards are disbursed afterwards.

For this beast carriage crafting order, Fina did most of the work. However, when it came to the bedrooms, bathroom, and stable, she simply couldn’t handle it all. Specialty crafters handled those parts, so they needed to be compensated.

We were satisfied with the result, which exceeded our expectations, and we had enough savings to build several more beast carriages, so we had no complaints about paying.

Apparently, some people haggle over the finished product, trying to lower the price, or in the worst case, unilaterally cancel the order. Regarding payment, if the finished product clearly deviates from the order, the Crafter’s Guild will investigate, and if the claim is accepted, it will be processed. However, outright cancellation is impossible to deal with. Of course, since the order uses contract magic, unilaterally canceling the order for personal reasons constitutes a breach of contract, making the person subject to punishment, and in some cases, they could be apprehended by the Order’s Guild. So, even idiots wouldn’t go that far, but apparently, it’s quite common in Retisencia.

Now, regarding the remuneration, the main crafter receives 10% of the price, while crafters who worked on partial tasks like the courtyard and interior receive 3% to 5% of the price. Therefore, Fina will receive a remarkable reward of 120,000 Eru for an S-rank crafter.

“Thank you, Fina.”

“Thank you as well for entrusting me with such a large project.”

Fina completed a major project, and we finally obtained our long-awaited beast carriage, so we were both smiling. I really wanted to try riding in it right away.

“Since we got the beast carriage, shall we try riding it a bit?”

“I’d like to, but Fina still has work, and Ed and Marina are working on something, aren’t they? It wouldn’t be right for us to go ahead without them.”

“Ah, that’s right. Fina was freed from her slavery by Laberna and married Ed, but she still continues to work as Laberna’s secretary. Fina has also joined the Wing Crest, and she’s currently in the process of handing over her responsibilities, so she doesn’t have much free time. Ed and Marina are in the middle of crafting weapons for the Wing Crest, so it’s impossible to take them with us. It’s a shame, but our first ride will have to wait until after the Alliance.”

But it wasn’t even noon yet, and our preparations for tomorrow were mostly done. We probably hadn’t received any contact from the Hunter’s Guild yet, so how should we kill time?

“In that case, let’s buy some casual clothes and dresses too. We’ll need them when we go to the Royal Capital.”

After picking up the beast carriage, Prim said that.

“Ah, right. There’s a high probability we’ll be having an audience with the King. But I was told that armor coat is fine for me and Raus?”

“That’s right.”

We were decided to go to the Royal Capital, but we had quite a few things to do: escorting Princess Yuriana, escorting Retisencia operatives, reporting on the alloy, and visiting Mina’s parents. Furthermore, there were rewards for me and Prim saving Feel, and Princess Manalies, Princess Yuriana’s older sister, wanted to meet Prim, so a visit to the royal castle was confirmed.

Normally, hunters are allowed to enter the castle as long as their equipment is in order. However, for High Class individuals, they often have more disposable income and tend to prepare proper dresses and tuxedos, or at least suitable attire.

Given that we’d likely have opportunities to use them in the future, and with the I-equipping that allows for quick changes, I agreed to prepare dresses for the ladies. I didn’t want to wear a tuxedo, and Richard told me that my armor coat would be more than sufficient formal wear, so I had no intention of buying one. Raus felt the same way.

“While that might be fine for you, it’s not for us. Well, I intend to attend as a Hunter this time, so I don’t know if there will be an opportunity to wear them.”

“Still, it’s better to be prepared.”

Mina agreed with Prim’s opinion, and Lydia and Ludia nodded. These four had apparently attended noble evening parties before, so they understood the need for dresses. However, Flam and Rebecca had no such experience, so they looked clueless.

“Therefore, I’m buying them for everyone. Yamato, we’ll be using the expense account, okay?”

“Please do. It’ll be under the Wing Crest, so there’s no need for me to pay out of pocket.”

With that, the ladies happily entered the clothing store. The Undine sisters, Flam and Rebecca, looked a bit bewildered, but they’d get used to it.

“So, what are we guys going to do?”

“We have no choice but to accompany them. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately, we have time. If it takes too long, we’ll have to go back to the Magic Silver Inn and check if there’s any message…”

Raus looked at me with a “what now?” expression, but I could only give him the same answer. Fortunately, everyone wasn’t the type to spend too much time shopping, so it probably wouldn’t take too long.

“There was a time when I thought like that too.”

“Me too…”

It was now 2 PM. We entered the clothing store around 10 AM, so we had been waiting for nearly four hours. Of course, we weren’t just waiting; we were repeatedly asked for our opinions on dresses we found interesting, so both Raus and I were exhausted, and more importantly, starving.

Surprisingly—and forgive me for saying so—Ludia was taking the longest. She hadn’t had many opportunities to wear girly clothes, and since she was a Martial Artist, she preferred practical attire. So, she was having trouble deciding what kind of dress would suit her.

“Isn’t this a bit too flashy? The neckline is quite open, and it doesn’t suit me.”

“It’s fine. Yamato, you agree, right?”

“Yeah. Ludia, you’re cute, so I think it’ll suit you.”

When I said that, she blushed furiously. In the end, Ludia chose that red dress.

As for the others, Prim chose a red dress that emphasized her cleavage. Mina and Lydia chose chic and elegant dresses, Mina in white and Lydia in blue. Flam chose a light blue dress with a shawl that had a Chinese feel. Rebecca chose a light red dress with frills that seemed easy to move in.

We had already tried them on, but Prim’s dress had an incredible impact on her cleavage. I could also subtly glimpse Mina’s cleavage, and Flam’s dress had a slit that revealed hints of her thighs, which was a feast for the eyes. Lydia had a modest bust, but she chose a design that didn’t show it, making her look simply beautiful. Ludia, on the other hand, looked demure in a style completely different from her usual active wear, which made my heart pound.

After that, we returned to the Magic Silver Inn after a late lunch to find a letter addressed to me and Prim. As expected, it was from the Hunter’s Guild, and it seemed that five members of High Order would be participating. While I knew that not everyone could participate, it was still grateful that five people would join.

The meeting was scheduled for 5 PM at Marquis Frederica’s mansion. I was concerned about the finances of the Marquis’s household, as they seemed to gather so frequently. As provincial governors, this was a problem bigger than Black Fenrir or Evil Drake, and they couldn’t just ignore it.

In any case, we still had about two hours until then, so we needed to kill some time.

“Besides, can we go too?”

“Why not? While it’s actually related to me and Prim, it’s not completely unrelated to everyone else.”

It was customary for raid members to refrain from hunting before an Alliance. Alliances were known to be harsh, and this was a courtesy to allow participants to join with peace of mind. In fact, if a comrade was brought in unconscious, concentration would be lost, and it would cause trouble for other participants. However, since Alliances involved undertaking dangerous quests, there was concern for those waiting, and those who went hunting were more likely to get injured.

“Oh, right. If we’re going, why don’t we bring Marquis Frederica some souvenirs?”

“That’s a good idea.”

“Yeah. Besides, it’s usually when Yamato and Prim cause trouble that they gather, right? Bringing something as an apology would be a good idea.”

Ludia said something rude, but I didn’t intend to cause trouble! It’s true that we were called to Marquis Frederica’s mansion every few days, but we were the ones who resolved the issues?

“It’s because the frequency is too high that people say you caused trouble, isn’t it?”

Lydia was also sharp-tongued. But it was true that the frequency was high, so I couldn’t argue back…

“By the way, what should we bring as a souvenir?”

Rebecca, looking exasperated, brought the conversation back on track, but indeed, it was difficult to decide what to bring.

“The ones gathering this time are us with the Holy Grave, the provincial governor, the Guild Master, and selected High Order members. That’ll be over 30 people. Given the time, bringing sweets would be difficult…”

“Perhaps it would be better to bring ingredients.”

“Ah, it’s because dinner will be at Marquis Frederica’s mansion.”

Given the time and the nature of the gathering, it wouldn’t end quickly. That raised the question of dinner, but it would likely be prepared at Marquis Frederica’s mansion. It had been that way before.

“Ingredients, huh? That might be good. We have Feather Drake and Winger Drake, not to mention Abyss Taurus, so they should be more than sufficient as ingredients.”

More than sufficient; they were super-premium ingredients. Even Feather Drake was considered a delicacy, and its rare subspecies Winger Drake, not to mention the meat of Abyss Taurus, a Catastrophe Species of Blue Lake Bull, was something that couldn’t be bought even with money.

Monster meat, while some types are inedible, many are edible. Furthermore, edible monsters tend to get tastier as their Monster Rank increases, and their prices rise proportionally.

The highly-regarded Feather Drake is a B-rank Monster, but its habitat is in deep mountains like Mylight, so it’s rarely distributed and quite expensive. The rare subspecies Winger Drake appears only once every few years, so it’s even more expensive, and there are even rumors that it sells out instantly.

But Abyss Taurus is on a different level. It’s a Catastrophe Species, so there’s no luxury of securing ingredients. Catastrophe Species are said to appear only once every few decades, and it’s unknown which monster will become a Catastrophe Species. Therefore, even a Grand Hunter’s Master has never eaten Abyss Taurus.

Knowing this, even the Hunter’s Guild doesn’t sell the meat, and we have had it properly dismantled through a request to the Crafter’s Guild.

“In that case, let’s go with Abyss Taurus meat. It’ll be good for boosting morale for tomorrow.”

“I agree.”

We haven’t eaten it yet either, so I’m secretly looking forward to it. It will likely require preparation, so we should head to Marquis Frederica’s mansion sooner rather than later.

“Speaking of Marquis Frederica, have you made up your mind?”

To ask that now, Mina? Prim and Flam were also clearly curious. While I don’t dislike Marquis Frederica, I actually like her and think she’s beautiful, but resolving those feelings isn’t easy… No, as Prim said, thinking about marrying her when her child inherits the household might make it a little easier.

“It’s still a bit uncertain, but for nobles, a successor is a pressing issue. However, I believe I should take responsibility.”

“That’s good. It suits you, Yamato.”

“Besides, it’s not too far to Memoria with Jade there. If we wanted to, I think we could make it a day trip.”

“The Marquis is likely worried too, so it’s best to give an answer sooner rather than later.”

Prim, Mina, and Flam have already accepted the idea of Marquis Frederica becoming a single mother. Princess Yuriana isn’t my fiancée, but I’ve been implicitly asked to marry her as one of the rewards, and more importantly, she wants it, so Prim and the others already perceive me as their fiancé. Since I have Princess Yuriana’s permission, I feel like if I continue to hesitate, it might breed distrust in everyone. Lydia and Ludia are not my fiancées, but they seem to consider being asked to be a single mother by an Ancient Human like me as normal, so they haven’t said anything.

“So, after the Alliance… that sounds like a flag, so I’ll tell her later.”

“I’ll come to pick you up after the battle,” sounds like a death flag, no matter how you look at it. I have no intention of that whatsoever, but it’s best to avoid raising unnecessary flags.