The Frontier Alchemist ~ I Can't Go Back to That Job After You Made My Budget Zero

I was on my way back from a few days away with Hippopo.

Kalene had been true to her word and had budgeted well for the solution of this water problem. It would not be too difficult to install a water purification system as long as we had a large water bottle.

Therefore, I have asked Roa and Ahri to go to King's Landing with most of the budget to buy water bottles. There is a limit to the number of bottles we can make by ourselves in the frontier.

We had instead gone to get materials for a certain monster, which we were relieved to have successfully obtained.

We had asked Karin about the monsters in the area and had a good idea of what to look for, but they are living creatures too. There was a high possibility that we would not be able to find them.

In this sense, I was very lucky.

Incidentally, I was able to hunt a good number of monsters other than the ones I had targeted during the few days I was out and about. I am happy to have obtained various materials for smelting.

It is a good thing that I have prepared scrolls for hunting several kinds of monsters. If the scrolls are incompatible with the monsters you are hunting, the materials will be damaged or deteriorated.

Hippopo gives me a warning as I'm thinking "Bumo...". It seems that Kalin's campsite is in sight.

I walk into the encampment with Hippopo on my back.

I am greeted by passersby, who express their joy at my return. We are often asked about the results of our hunt. It is apparent that everyone is quite excited about the possibility of increased water rations.

As we pass by the food storage area, we see the person in charge of food management. As I recall, Ary told me his name after that.

"Ah, Master Rust!　Welcome back!"

I'm back. Mr. Leitner. Just in time. I actually hunted some monsters along the way and brought back some edible parts that are not alchemical materials. I was hoping to find some food."

"Really!　That would be great. I'd love to buy it!　And where is the meat?"

It's in this backpack. I'm expanding the capacity with a little alchemy," I tell him, pointing to the backpack on my back.

By this time, a few of the encampment's residents had gathered. They all looked very strong. They were probably curious to know what kind of monsters we had hunted.

"Ah. I haven't done anything with it except for stripping it for alchemy. I ask.

"Oh, there's a place over here for demolition!　I'll assess it and you can have it there!　So, what have you been hunting?"

He leads us to a nearby tent. Apparently this is the right place.

I put down my backpack and take out one scroll first and unfold it. The curious looks on the faces of the residents who had been following me around the tent.

Then I start to put down the monster corpses one after another.

The first one is a bull-shaped monster. It has two rows of horns, one on its head and the other on its back. The horns and multiple stomachs have been removed for use in alchemy. About four of them. The place gets smaller all at once.

What?　Four male twin lynghorns, and you hunted them all by yourself?　They're dangerous, herding animals together...　No, is this a barbecue?" Residents who had been looking at us in a rustling mood.

"Hardly a scratch!　It's in great shape. Excellent. Hey, guys!　Help me," Littner calls his men working in the tent.

"Mr. Leitner, I still have some ......"

What?

"I'll take them out anyway," I continued, taking out the corpses of the other monsters I had hunted one after another.

Rat-shaped corpses of various sizes. A horse with three heads. A bear that looked like a mole. And fish-shaped monsters with legs for walking on land. Each of them is made up of a few fish and dozens of fish.

Monsters piled up like a small mountain.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

The people around us, who had been making a racket earlier, have gone quiet as if in disbelief. Except for one.

"Hellhorse, Hellhorse, Hellhorse, Hellhorse, Hellhorse, Hellhorse, Hellhorse, Hellhorse, Hellhorse, Hellhorse, Hellhorse... That's a monster I've never seen ...... before. He's killed at least a dozen Hellhorse and Earthen Bear, both of which are listed as Class A Dangerous Species. I'd love to fight it," mutters a skinhead man who stands out from the crowd of strong-looking residents.

I can feel the skinhead man's hot gaze on me.

...... I'll leave the rest to you. Please let me know when you get the results of the evaluation," I said, and quickly left the place.