WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
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◈ The Wizard's Memoir ◈
Chapter 4: Supplies
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Etran Griff.
A genius boy from the royal capital who had entered Storm-Seed University at twelve and earned the title of Mage at sixteen. Rumor had it that the princess had personally invited him to become a court wizard, but he had declined in order to become an adventurer.
“That’s true.”
“Really? Why? You could’ve been a court wizard!”
“Because I want to be an adventurer.”
Etran said casually that this part was true as well. Olivia and Dahlia exchanged a glance, then gave him pitying looks.
“There are plenty of immature adventurers, but...”
“This one really is just a kid, isn’t he?”
He sighed. He had heard that countless times over the past few months.
“I have my reasons.”
But he had no reason to explain them, so he left it at that. Olivia and Dahlia did not press him, either. Few professions attracted as varied a crowd as adventuring. They might not understand, but they could accept it.
Etran’s group, or Olivia’s party, to use the proper name, finished their preliminary survey of the Well Cavern and returned to the Guild pub in North-Landing. Their results gave the pub owner, who was also the branch manager, quite a shock.
“Huh? Why are there so many?”
Their main objective had been to check whether the monsters had respawned. Instead, they had killed twenty-two goblins, effectively clearing the place out. The next exploration team would have an easy journey to the heart of the cavern.
“Don’t you know how good I am?”
“That’s exactly why I’m surprised.”
The pub owner carefully checked the goblin ears. Sometimes, people mixed in ears from the opposite side to inflate the count. The first offense earned a warning, the second a fine, and the third could result in expulsion. Like merchants and mercenaries, adventurers relied on their good name.
“Was this the new wizard’s work?”
After confirming that there really were twenty-two, the pub owner asked the question casually. A tank and a support alone could not have achieved this. They would need artillery with excellent offensive power.
“He’s an incredible newcomer.”
“So he really is a genius. Dermi will be sick with envy.”
They held a small celebration, both to welcome their incredible newcomer and to mark the success of their first adventure together.
Dungeons in the form of old castles generally yielded valuable finds, so the shares paid out were high as well. The reward for twenty-two goblins was set generously, earning them a full 220 dena. At North-Landing’s prices, that was enough to eat and laze around for three weeks.
“Our little wizard doesn’t drink, so he could make it last three months!”
“I don’t think it would last quite that long...”
Milk was more expensive than alcohol. Of course, he did not empty five or six cups of milk at a sitting, so the cost worked out about the same.
Olivia laughed heartily, apparently in a good mood.
“At this rate, I think we could clear the dungeon ourselves. What do you think?”
“Clear it?”
“Defeat the dungeon’s master.”
Dahlia answered for Olivia, balancing a cup on one finger and spinning it around. Not every dungeon had treasure, but most did, along with a master who guarded it.
“Does the dungeon disappear if you defeat its master?”
“The strange phenomenon that keeps producing monsters stops.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better to go after the master first?”
“It’s not that simple. You need more than the right place. The timing and conditions have to be right, too.”
“Timing and conditions?”
“Dungeons are mysterious places.”
In one labyrinth dungeon, the master appeared only when there were ten or fewer living humans inside. In one laboratory dungeon, the master appeared only when two entrance doors were opened at the same time. Baffled, Etran protested to his blameless companions.
“How are you supposed to figure out ridiculous conditions like that?”
“Tsk, tsk... Don’t underestimate adventurers. Once you’ve got enough experience, you get a rough feel for it.”
Olivia wagged a finger from side to side. The warrior rather enjoyed showing off.
“Judging by past cases, wells often have a connection to the moon.”
“The moon in the sky?”
“That’s right. In some places, the boss only appears under a full moon. In others, it only appears under a waning crescent.”
Etran genuinely wondered how anyone had discovered such absurd conditions. Did they try every crazy idea that came to mind? Dahlia laughed and revealed the truth.
“Actually, plenty of places have records. Remember how we said some supports are archaeologists?”
“Oh, so that’s why.”
As Etran nodded, taking in this new information, Olivia drained one beer after another and let out a hot breath.
“Anyway, we’re doing it! The Well Cavern! We’re taking it!”
“Drunk already. Definitely drunk.”
For a warrior, Olivia had a poor tolerance for alcohol. Dahlia, on the other hand, drank so much that Etran wondered how it all fit inside that tiny body.
‘So it’s true what they say. A halfling’s belly is really a barrel of booze...’
Etran looked from one distinctive companion to the other and wondered whether this party would work out. But to the pub owner, a wizard sipping milk at a drinking party was every bit as unusual.
‘Birds of a feather really do flock together, even without any help.’
The branch manager would stake their professional reputation on it. This was a party of adventurers who suited one another quite well.
@
North-Landing.
As its name suggested, the village stood at the entrance to Northland, the lands north of the royal capital.
Like any other village, it had farms and raised sheep. But it also stood beside the Skein River, which flowed from the northern highlands to the southern Triangle Peninsula, so shipping had developed there as well.
Good transport had always encouraged trade. Though it could not compare with the royal capital, the village boasted a permanent market where almost anything could be found.
“Um... do we really need to go this far?”
Etran made no attempt to hide his discomfort. But the warrior and the seeker, enjoying their first shopping trip in a while, paid him little attention.
“Wouldn’t this be better? It needs some iron in it to be sturdy.”
“He’s slow enough already. How’s he supposed to keep up wearing a lump of iron? This is the right one, so stop arguing.”
It was a rather grim place for young women to go shopping. They were in a weapons workshop, filled with the smells of iron and oil and displays of sharp blades.
“This, this, and this. Put them on.”
“Whoa! Why’s it so expensive?”
“It’s an investment. An investment.”
The warrior and the seeker already had equipment they liked, so these purchases were for Etran.
He took off his thick robe, fitted the leather pieces over his front and back, and fastened them together. It was a simple but effective breastplate.
“It’s lighter than I expected.”
“Because it’s properly made.”
This was not hide armor so crude that charging money for it would be an insult. It was properly tanned leather armor. With the fat removed and the moisture dried out, it was light for its size. When he touched the surface, it felt as hard as tree bark.
“But isn’t it a little big?”
“As long as the shoulders fit, it’s fine. The fastenings can be adjusted to tighten it.”
Etran moved his body this way and that. It was more comfortable than he had expected. He thought he could manage wearing it around.
In short, he was wrong.
He put on a sword belt that wrapped around him two and a half times, hung an arm-length shortsword and a palm-sized dagger from it, then set a kettle hat shaped like a turtle shell on his head. With each addition, the load became harder to bear. In the end, he could not stand it and pulled everything off.
“I’ll pass on this. No, I’m not wearing it.”
Olivia urged him to reconsider, saying, “Without a lid, your head could go flying before you even knew what happened,” but he firmly refused.
“Magic requires concentration. And it’s easier to concentrate when you’re comfortable. Have you ever seen someone cast spells with all sorts of things hanging off them?”
After a little arguing, they bought only the leather breastplate and a single dagger. The workshop’s craftsperson adjusted the fit on the spot and threw in a small belt for the dagger. Compared with the warrior and the seeker, it was not much, but Etran still felt as though he looked more seasoned. Even the mischievous Dahlia agreed.
“Now we just need to stick a beard on you and give you a few scars. Then you’ll look like an adventurer.”
“...You’re joking, right?”
The dena they had unintentionally saved thanks to Etran’s stubbornness was spent elsewhere at Olivia’s whim. She bought a large mutton ham from a street stall and a wooden keg of strong spirits.
“Isn’t that a bit much to finish today?”
“It’s not for today.”
Olivia said it as though it were obvious, making both Etran and Dahlia start. She really did intend to clear the Well Cavern.
“How do you know what the dungeon’s master will be? What if a cave troll turns up?”
“A troll? In a cramped place like that? It’ll be an undead knight at worst.”
“It’s not a dungeon with undead in it.”
They also bought a sack of hardtack. Looking over everything, they had enough food for half a month.
“I’ll handle the preparations, so don’t you worry. It’s not like I only started doing this yesterday.”
“Now you’ve made me worried...”
Whatever else happened, Etran got a close look at how to prepare for a dungeon expedition.
With summer approaching, they could skip much of the equipment for cold weather. Still, they bought two wool blankets per person in case they needed to camp. He also learned the unexpected fact that blankets sized for children and halflings were relatively cheap.
Drinking water was more important than food. They would be deep underground, not out in the open, so water would be hard to find. And, surprisingly, water spoiled easily. They prepared several canteens, dividing the water into daily portions. Even so, they needed strong liquor in case it became contaminated. Mixing in alcohol would help it keep longer.
Torches were not favored because they were troublesome to manage and could not be put out quickly in an emergency. They packed lanterns and oil instead. Since they would need light day and night for half a month, the amount of oil was greater than he had expected.
“Do we need lighting when I’m here?”
“If something happens to you, should we all die along with you?”
“......”
“I’m joking. Just joking. Even a brilliant wizard can’t cast spells all day.”
It varied from wizard to wizard, but there was a limit to how long they could maintain their magic. Apparently, the old quack they had mentioned before could only manage two hours a day.
“But I can use magic all day...”
“...You’re a monster.”
Etran’s mana reserves were abnormally high. Ordinary standards simply did not apply.
Olivia hesitated when he said he could keep a Light Orb lit for twenty-four hours, but bought the lantern oil anyway. No matter how impressive a wizard he was, he still needed to rest.
Once they added spare clothes and personal hygiene supplies, including toothbrushes, towels, and toilet paper, three backpacks bulged with gear.
Etran realized that his deduction when he first met his companions had been right. This was how much luggage they needed for a real expedition.
“We can each carry one.”
There was another piece of wisdom from experienced adventurers: they had not packed all of any one item in a single bag. This was a precaution in case they lost a pack or the person carrying it went missing.
It was not a pleasant piece of wisdom for Etran or Dahlia. Each had to carry a backpack weighing 66 pounds, about 30 kilograms.
It was a difficult load for a wizard with little stamina and a small halfling. Still, they could not complain, because Olivia took the heaviest pack.
She hoisted it in one hand and slung it over her shoulder so easily that they checked whether the packs had been switched. Without exaggeration, hers weighed 90 pounds, about 40 kilograms.
“That’s about as much as I weigh...”
Dahlia looked ready to cry. It was a lie. Despite their appearance, halflings were a fairly heavy race.
“We’ll take them off during fights. And it’s weight we’ll be eating and drinking, so they’ll get lighter as we go.”
Their leader had decided, so there were no objections. Still, they would not be leaving the very next day. As an adventurers’ saying went, those who hurried reached the afterlife first. They decided to rest for one more day.
“The day after tomorrow?”
“Yep. The day after tomorrow.”
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