第１３０４堀：魔物のことなら冒険者ギルドへ (Part1)
**Excavation 1304: For Monsters, Go to the Adventurer Guild**
**Side: Milly**
I’m in high spirits today.
And why, you ask? Because...
“Sorry about today. Dragging you along for work like this.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Just being able to walk together like this makes me happy. Fiora, girls, I’m counting on you today too.”
“““Yes, ma’am!”””
That’s right—today is a lovey-dovey commute to work with Yuki-san!
And we’ll be working together!
It’s the very picture of a happily married couple.
Fiora and her group are quite capable, and since they’re members I can truly trust, I can really relax.
“Still, the investigation into the Great Jungle is throwing up more problems than I expected,” I remarked.
“It’s not exactly a ‘problem,’ per se,” Yuki-san replied. “But if we don’t crush every point of uncertainty, it could trip us up later. Besides, their research into monsters over there hasn’t progressed at all. Pointing out their lack of knowledge is a moot point.”
“That’s true.”
We people of the Rogari Continent are exposed to the threat of monsters on a daily basis.
Because of that, we’ve conducted extensive research and established countermeasures. To the people of the If Continent, however, monsters are perceived as rare and not particularly strong.
Consequently, they aren’t great at fighting monsters, but conversely, they are much more skilled at interpersonal combat than those on Rogari.
In terms of raw levels, Rogari is higher, but when it comes to fighting people—specifically group tactics—they are exceptionally adept.
There have been many instances where our adventurers, trying to push through with sheer levels, were lured into traps and beaten soundly.
I suppose it’s the difference between specializing in monsters versus specializing in people.
“Milly, as far as you know, can you think of any place that matches the situation of the Great Jungle?”
“Like the Great Jungle?”
I paused to think.
Forests inhabited by monsters are surprisingly common.
On the Rogari Continent, where monsters are a given, a forest *without* monsters would actually be the rarity.
However, when it comes to a distribution like the Great Jungle...
“You might already know this, but generally speaking, the distribution of monsters in the Great Jungle is quite standard. Weak monsters inhabit the periphery—the edge of the forest—and the deeper you go, the stronger they get. This is a common sight across Rogari.”
Yes, this distribution isn't unusual on our continent.
I doubted Yuki-san didn't know this, but I explained it just in case.
“Right. Or rather, it’s the basic distribution for any living thing to survive.”
“Living things, not just monsters?”
“Yeah. Even on Earth, we have this hierarchical structure—a pyramid shape. Think of a triangle; the higher up you go, the stronger the individual. But the population size decreases. To use an example from here, bears are easy to understand, right? They’re wild animals, but they’re stronger than many monsters, and it’s rare to encounter them in places where you’d easily find goblins, kobolds, or orcs.”
“Ah, when you put it that way, it makes sense.”
It’s true that while we hear the name ‘bear’ often, we don’t actually encounter them that frequently.
Even at the Adventurer Guild, bear materials fetch a reasonably high price.
Occasionally, there are particularly powerful individuals, much like Named Monsters.
“Well, what I want to know isn't so much about the environment, but the structural aspect,” Yuki-san clarified.
“Structural?”
“Yeah. The terrain, I guess.”
“I see. Terrain similar to the Great Jungle.”
“Exactly. Surrounded by mountain ranges with a massive forest existing in the center.”
“Hmm... nothing comes to mind immediately. It might be best to go to the Adventurer Guild to look through the records or ask around.”
“True. That was the plan anyway.”
And so, with Yuki-san and the others in tow, I arrived at the Adventurer Guild.
“Oh, it’s quite lively.”
“It’s amazing for this early in the morning.”
“It really is~.”
“Everyone here is an adventurer, right?”
Fiora and the girls seemed surprised by the scene.
I suppose they don’t often come here in the morning.
“It’s always like this in the morning. Setting aside those earning a living in the dungeon, there are escorts for merchants traveling to other towns and villages.”
“Eh? Even though there are Gates?”
“Between capitals is one thing, but there’s still a need to go from a capital to other towns and villages. The profit isn't massive, but without it, those places would wither away. Weed and the various kingdoms put out requests to prevent that.”
Yes, these transport escort jobs are for the support of regional towns and villages.
Distribution has certainly improved thanks to the Gates.
However, places without Gates would otherwise fall into decline.
So far, we haven't seen that happen in any blatant way.
After all, Gates are currently only installed in the capital of each nation.
Goods are transported from there to the various towns and villages.
That said, because it’s safer and easier to make money than trading with small towns, the number of people doing it is still decreasing.
“...I see. It’s a difficult problem,” Fiora said, her and Orelia wearing serious expressions.
“It is. It’s a problem that will definitely surface eventually, even if things are fine for now. But that’s something for us to worry about later. Now that we know why it’s crowded, let’s head upstairs.”
“Okaay~.”
“Understood.”
Hobis is as laid-back as ever, while Yayui is a bit more earnest.
I suppose that’s just their personalities.
With those thoughts in mind, I headed up to the second floor.
No one tried to pick a fight with us today.
Perhaps they were all too busy competing for requests?
Thinking this, I entered the Guild Master’s room instead of my own office.
“Good morning, Rock-san, Kina.”
“Oh, morning, Rep Milly... and Lord Yuki too?”
“Morning~! It’s rare to see you with Yuki-san so early. Did something happen?”
Inside, Guild Master Rock and Vice Guild Master Kina were, as usual, wrestling with mountains of paperwork.
...I really think this every time, but why is there so much paperwork for those at the top?
I understand the reasons, but it makes you want to go back to reception work just for a change of pace.
That’s why I handle reception duties myself sometimes—to take a break and check on the front lines.
“Yes. We’d like to borrow your wisdom for a moment.”
“Wisdom?”
“The only wisdom we’ve got is about monsters or the state of adventurer work, though?”
“That’s exactly the knowledge I want. Can you make some time?” Yuki-san asked.
“Wait a sec. I’ve got some work that has to be finished first thing. How about you, Kina?”
“As for me... there! Finished. I was just about to take these downstairs, but...”
“Then wait a moment, take mine with you. And bring some tea while you’re at it.”
“Got it. Well, we have a little time, want to chat?”
“Sure. Or rather, where is my share of the work for today?”
When I asked, Kina handed over a bundle of documents from the side.
“Here. Today’s portion.”