Chapter 228

A Game of Chicken (3)

So far, a total of five named users had asked me for orichalcum.

Let’s Grow Trees, Cheonggu Princess, I’ll Become a Duke, Passing Dwarf, and King Leor.

If each of them had wanted a different item, I wouldn’t have questioned it.

But since every single one of them had requested orichalcum, I couldn’t help finding it strange.

I searched through the gallery, wondering if it possessed some property I didn’t know about, but found nothing.

There really wasn’t a single post containing the information I wanted—just a few pointless shitposts.

’Hmm... I really don’t get it.’

Given the circumstances, I couldn’t help being suspicious.

The timing was far too convenient to dismiss as a coincidence.

It wasn’t just one or two people, but five. Even excluding the dwarf, there were still four.

However, while I had my suspicions, I had no concrete evidence. For now, I took care of what I needed to do first.

The trade with King Leor. I had asked him to wait while I searched the gallery.

[Wild Grylls: I’m back. What will you give me, King Leor? If possible, I’d like something useful for exploration.]

[King Leor: Like the crystal orb I gave you last time?]

[Wild Grylls: Yes.]

[King Leor: How about a water bottle with a purification function?]

Strangely enough, it was exactly the same item Cheonggu Princess had just given me.

Did every demon household have one of those?

I had heard that the demons possessed a great deal of magic that had been integrated into everyday life, so it wasn’t impossible.

However, I had no intention of obtaining something I already possessed. I needed something else.

[Wild Grylls: Someone else already gave me one of those. Do you have anything else?]

[King Leor: Hmm... Ah! Then how about a gas mask?]

[Wild Grylls: A gas mask?]

[King Leor: Yes. It will be extremely useful when entering a poisonous area or dealing with plant-type monsters.]

Although the mention of a gas mask puzzled me at first, I soon realized that it was surprisingly important.

My body had adapted to most poisons, but that wasn’t true for the rest of my companions.

If I could, I would have hunted more golden frogs and asked All-Father to make additional pills.

For some unknown reason, however, the golden frogs had stopped appearing.

’A gas mask should cover that problem, right?’

First, I needed to find out what kind of gas mask it was.

There was a significant difference in performance between military and civilian models.

Moreover, technological development in this world was all over the place, so I couldn’t be sure how useful it would actually be.

[Wild Grylls: It sounds useful, but can the mask alone filter out poison and smoke? There are separate military and civilian models, you know.]

[King Leor: Ah, that’s right. You said you had served in the military, didn’t you? You’re correct. However, the gas mask I’ll give you is exceptionally versatile. It can filter poison, smoke, sand, dust, and more. It’s extremely useful.]

[Wild Grylls: That sounds really expensive ;; Wait, wouldn’t I also need replacement filters?]

[King Leor: The filter contains purification magic. As long as you can recharge it with mana, it can be used indefinitely unless it is physically damaged.]

That sounded incredible.

I was impressed by King Leor’s explanation.

Just like last time, King Leor was offering something remarkably practical.

There was no reason to refuse the trade. Still, there was something I wanted to ask.

[Wild Grylls: I’ll make the trade. But may I ask you something?]

[King Leor: Yes, of course.]

[Wild Grylls: Orichalcum doesn’t have some other ability, does it? Aside from being highly responsive to mana.]

I didn’t mention that other people had also contacted me in search of orichalcum.

That could create an unnecessary misunderstanding, and this might still be nothing more than my imagination.

[King Leor: No, it doesn’t have any other abilities. Its advantage is that it’s extremely versatile.]

[Wild Grylls: By versatile, you mean it can be easily applied to magic other than relay magic, right?]

Like how the dwarf planned to use it in his brewing machine.

I kept that part to myself.

[King Leor: Correct. It can be readily used for both military and civilian purposes.]

[Wild Grylls: Thank you. By the way, do you have any for animals?]

[King Leor: There are gas masks designed for horses. How many do you need?]

[Wild Grylls: Give me a moment.]

When I heard that gas masks for animals existed, I turned my head.

The ones who could wear normal gas masks were me, Ludwig, Namu ppareumbo, Kkobong, and finally Wonmo.

I would only need specialized masks for Tyrano and Largo, whose snouts were comparatively long.

Cain? Cain was a statue. He didn’t need to breathe. If necessary, I could just put him inside the subspace backpack.

[You appear to be entertaining a deeply disturbing thought.]

"Me? When?"

[You cannot say that while staring directly at me.]

"I was looking at the gallery."

Ignoring the sharp-witted Cain, I resumed my conversation with King Leor.

Fortunately, King Leor said he could provide as many gas masks as I wanted.

In return, I gave him a large amount of orichalcum: five pieces, each approximately the size of a fist.

[King Leor: Aren’t you giving me far too much? You may not have a sense of its value, but orichalcum is an extraordinarily rare mineral. You could scour an entire vein and still fail to find any.]

[Wild Grylls: My entire cave is made of orichalcum.]

[King Leor: :::]

[Wild Grylls: For reference, there’s also a regenerating mithril vein in the back of another cave.]

When I told him that, he could only laugh.

I examined the gas masks I had received from King Leor.

Surprisingly, they weren’t much different from the gas masks I was familiar with.

There was a filter canister attached around the mouth and a full-face hood that covered the entire head.

The eye lenses were even made of reinforced glass. I hadn’t realized this world possessed technology of this level.

That was the ordinary gas mask, however. The ones made for animals with long snouts—

’Isn’t this a plague doctor’s mask?’

They looked exactly like plague doctor masks. The pointed beak itself served as the filter.

I was worried about whether Tyrano could actually wear one.

"Pii?"

"Isn’t it uncomfortable?"

"Piiiii!"

Fortunately, he didn’t seem uncomfortable.

"Kkyaaaaaak!"

Wonmo, on the other hand, shrieked and ran away in terror.

Well, plague doctors did look frightening.

In any case, I distributed the masks to my other companions and taught them how to put them on.

Although it was my first time handling this world’s gas masks, their basic structure was similar, so it was fairly easy.

"#$%%#.#%$?"

[He says this is a gas mask intended for special operations. He wishes to know where you acquired it.]

"I obtained it through bartering on the gallery."

At my answer, Ludwig raised an eyebrow.

He looked as though he couldn’t understand what I had just told him. I quietly asked him about it.

"Is there a problem?"

"Yes. This is military equipment."

Ludwig had learned enough of the language to manage a simple reply like that.

When I heard that it was military equipment, I gave him a look that asked what the problem was.

Ludwig thought for a moment before quietly muttering,

"They sell this... on the gallery?"

"Technically, I received it from someone else."

"At least a noble. And %%#."

[He says the person must be at least a marquis.]

A marquis. If I remembered correctly, that was the rank directly below a duke.

It was definitely unusual that someone could immediately obtain this many gas masks.

At the very least, King Leor had to be a soldier of commander rank or someone in an equivalent position.

In a sense, he had just committed military procurement fraud.

’Is this really okay?’

Just in case, I accessed the auction house to see whether similar gas masks were being sold.

Fortunately, they were. Their prices, however, were absurdly high.

That meant it should be safe to post about them.

I immediately made a post.

Title: A New Monster Has Appeared!

Wild Grylls

(Photo of Tyrano wearing a plague-doctor gas mask)

(Photo of Wonmo wearing a gas mask)

They’re monsters resistant to poison. Please cheer for them.

└ Heavenly Demon: They are wearing peculiar masks.

└ SwordMaster: Those are gas masks.

└ Heavenly Demon: What is a gas mask? Judging by the name, it must be a mask that blocks poison.

└ SwordMaster: Exactly. They’re usually military equipment, but adventurers have started using them frequently in recent years.

└ Heavenly Demon: This lady possesses immunity to all poisons, so poison is useless against me.

└ SwordMaster: Yes, yes. Of course. You’re the Heavenly Demon, after all.

└ Looks like he’s seriously preparing for an expedition.

└ Look how cute Tyrano is, lmaooo.

└ Are the ones sold commercially the same as the military models?

└ The commercially available ones are downgraded versions.

└ Selling military models would be military procurement fraud, lmaooo.

└ Cheonggu Princess: Gas masks were invented by us demons too! I’m sho proud!

└ That’s because you people kept throwing poison magic everywhere ;;

└ The funny part is that poison magic is lethal to demons too, so they barely use it, lmaooo.

└ Don’t demons have surprisingly advanced military technology?

└ They’ve been fighting constantly, so of course it advanced, lol.

└ Starlight Princess: If you’re concerned about poison, I can make resistance potions for you.

└ Wild Grylls: Oh. Would they temporarily grant resistance to poison?

└ Starlight Princess: Yes, but they won’t purify the air you breathe. They only increase your resistance.

└ Wild Grylls: If there’s anything you need, just tell me. I’ll give you whatever I can.

└ Starlight Princess: Then could you possibly give me a little orichalcum? I need it to reorganize my workshop.

"Orichalcum again?"

I let out an incredulous laugh at Starlight Princess’s request.

At least she had stated a clear purpose, just like the dwarf, so I wasn’t suspicious of her.

I merely thought it was an astonishing coincidence.

Moreover, Starlight Princess could provide me with a great deal of assistance, so I gladly agreed.

└ Starlight Princess: Thank you. You should apply the potion I send you directly to your skin.

└ Wild Grylls: I think I understand what you mean. Thank you.

└ Don’t eat it. Give it to your skin.

└ Damn, it’s been ages since I heard that one, lmaooo.

└ Starlight Princess: That one was rather amusing~

Now that I had also received Starlight Princess’s support, all that remained was tomorrow’s expedition.

Since our entire group would be moving together, we needed to prepare thoroughly.

The greatest variables among us were the children.

"Wonmo. Tyrano."

"Kkyu?"

When I called them, the two looked at me with bright, innocent eyes.

The mere sight made my heart ache, but strict instruction was necessary, even if I had to start now.

If even one of them disappeared from sight, it would be a crisis. If both vanished?

I would be facing the greatest crisis of my life.

I needed to train them thoroughly.

"Tomorrow, we’re going on a very important expedition. That means you two have an important role to play."

"Kkyuu?"

"Pii?"

They tilted their heads as though wondering what that had to do with them.

How could I make these two understand?

I pondered for a moment before a brilliant idea came to me.

"Listen carefully. Tomorrow, you might have to eat less food than usual."

"Kkyuuuuu?!"

"Piiiiii?!"

The children recoiled in horror at the possibility of eating less.

Seeing my opportunity, I began explaining things carefully.

"That means you have to listen to everything I say. Suppose you’re hungry tomorrow, but there’s nothing to eat. Then you suddenly smell something delicious coming from somewhere. What should you do?"

"Kkyuuu!"

"Piiik!"

Their eyes sparkled when they heard my question.

Obviously, we run toward it! they seemed to answer.

No, that was definitely their answer.

"No! You can’t go there! It might be a trap!"

"Kkyuuu..."

"Piii..."

"Now, I’ll ask again. If you smell something delicious while you’re hungry?"

"Kkyuuu!"

"Beik!"

"I said you’re not allowed to go!"

We had a long way to go.

***

While Grylls was thoroughly educating the children, Mephisto was busy devising an intelligence operation.

He needed to assemble the spies who would soon be dispatched to Alvenheim.

However, a very minor problem had arisen.

"Keirin, have you seen the purification water bottle?"

"The purification water bottle? No, I haven’t."

Spies had been treated poorly since ancient times.

Even if one was interrogated and summarily executed, their country had no grounds to complain.

Consequently, spies needed to prepare for every possibility and equip themselves with all manner of items.

The purification water bottle was part of those preparations. They might be forced to cross treacherous terrain, after all.

"How strange. I’m certain it was here until yesterday."

"You must have miscounted."

Keirin continued to feign ignorance.

She had given that purification water bottle to Grylls.

Fortunately, her father, Asmode, merely found it puzzling and didn’t suspect anything unusual.

"By the way, Father. When I inspected the military supplies today, I discovered that an unusually large number of gas masks were missing."

"Hmm? Gas masks?"

"Yes. Do you happen to know why?"

At Keirin’s question, Asmode blinked before answering.

"I have no idea."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

The father and daughter both continued to feign ignorance.

However, neither could entirely conceal the occasional flicker in their eyes.

"Perhaps we should use this opportunity to inspect our inventory and verify the quantities."

"That is an excellent idea."

A battle of reading the room had begun in more ways than one.