The flower girl, who had been captured by the Vampire Torido and turned to stone, Prina, was selling alcohol.
Weed was even selling off all the alcohol he had brewed in this occasion. Because he could get a higher price for restaurant sale than individual sale.
Adventurers arrived at the destroyed Embinyu Fortress.
“Hmm, so this was the ferocious battlefield.”
“It has an eerie feeling, as if something is going to come out.”
Hon, Billeo, Garrick, and the others had moved to the River of Lamentations basin towards the evening. They had emptied their pockets of even their change until their stats stopped rising from eating the Hydra and Imoogi meat.
“I see you are eating a lot. I will specially give you a 20 Silver discount for each plate of meat. Since it is very precious meat, please enjoy.”
When they heard Weed's words, they were, of course, so thankful that they were moved to tears. It's not like they didn't think he was cheap, but he was the one holding the knife!
After eating the food, they went to use the movement portal. However, Morata's Soldiers and Paladins were blocking their way.
“You cannot use the portal.”
Hon asked politely, “What kind of request must we take? Is there a quest, by any chance?”
At their question that was aimed towards getting permission to use the movement portal, the Soldiers shook their heads.
“You must pay a usage fee.”
“A fee?”
“Each person is 350 gold.”
Having used all the money they had to eat meat, Hon and the group fell into an embarrassing situation.
Looking at the group, Hon asked, “What to do?”
“What else? We've gotta get the money.”
The Magician Easton rummaged through his pockets one by one. He had always had the pleasure of making lots of money through the production of magic goods, but thanks to drinking alcohol while eating meat, his pockets were completely empty.
“There's no helping it. Let's take this chance to get rid of things we aren't using.”
“Shall we?”
“Yeah, we might as well organize our packs now.”
In Morata, the group sold off things like swords and armor they had used in the past, and ores they had stored separately. They were scraping up the funds for hunting by selling the items they had treasured in remembrance. It was true that the movement portal fee was a bit expensive, but the sum was more than worth a better hunting ground.
Like that, they moved to the Matallost Church's temple and sought out the Embinyu Fortress.
The collapsed castle walls and tower, piles of skeletons that looked like they would rise at any moment. It was an eerie night since the riverside was foggy, too, but there were over 80 players who had come through the movement portal like Hon's group. With the excitement of starting a new and dangerous adventure, plenty of adventurers had come to the River of Lamentations, and were looking around the Embinyu Fortress battlefield they had seen in the broadcast.
“Selling goods necessary for hunting. Purchasing all kinds of japtem at high prices.”
The Merchant Mapan had come to the Embinyu Fortress entrance and set up shop at some point. Since it was business that only dealt with high leveled players, the margin would be considerable.
“Anyone who'll take a Soldier? I'll fight without sparing myself physically.”
“I'm Vittese. Only people who know me, please take me along.”
Players who had come alone were seeking parties here. Hon's group didn't need another party member, so they were going to hunt with just their group.
Just then, Weed walked in from the plains. His black mantle fluttered as he walked straight to the Embinyu Fortress. Weed arrived and spoke to those who were looking around inside the ruined fortress.
“Everyone… do you perhaps need a quest?”
“…?”
“I will share the quest I've received. It's a B difficulty request.”
It was a difficulty Weed may or may not be able to do. It was underground, so he couldn't drag a bunch of his sculptured life-forms along with him, and there was a labyrinth inside, so it would drain a lot of time.
“What quest is it?” A blond-haired female Elementalist asked in curiosity.
The Wargod Weed. Opinions on him were still divided, but it was the quest of a figure who was believed as a Wargod by many.
“It is the Rescue the Matallost Church's Prisoners quest. It's a part of the linked quest I am doing.”
“Really?”
Even if Weed shared the linked quest, the people who joined in the middle wouldn't be able to receive the follow-up quest since they hadn't started from the beginning. If this one quest was finished, it would end with that. But despite that, it was an offer they could not help but be drawn to.
The majority of those who had come here had heard rumors before about the Matallost Church, which was related to the Resurrection Army.
“That's a place related to the Resurrection Army and Daymond, right?”
“Yeah. I think so.”
While Weed was stopping the Embinyu Church's plot, the Resurrection Priests had become unable to raise Demonic Spirits with dead ghosts. It wasn't just a fight against the Embinyu Church, but it had been a chance for Weed to grow even more famous as an adventurer. Because of that, the Resurrection Army was currently unable to increase their forces and were maintaining their siege at Fort Odin.
“Where is the quest location?”
“Right here, it is an underground prison.”
“Really?”
The players at the Embinyu Fortress, including the Elementalists, hurried to approach Weed. They were going to receive the shared quest since it was a very good quest!
“Please share with me, Weed-nim!”
“Thank you. Please share the quest you worked hard to receive.”
Weed smiled as he spoke to those who were thanking him. “However, I will take a fixed participation fee. It's 800 Gold.”
“…”
A B rank difficulty quest related to the Matallost Church! Even if the linked quest didn't continue for them, they could receive the reward of other quests, along with EXP and Fame.
Weed, who was making money off endless rip-offs and scam fees!
Chapter 4: 1 Deeply Touching Copper
◊ ◊ ◊
While the expedition was dealing with the Matallost Church quest, Weed made sculptures. Because the basement of the Embinyu Fortress had turned into an enormous dungeon, it wasn't something that could be resolved in a day.
“There's no end to the world of Sculpting.”
Sculpting had developed and changed over thousands of years. Along with drawing, it could be called the foundation of art.
Weed casually created sculptures of animals such as deer, rabbits, sheep, wolves, and foxes.
“They're guys I've made so much that I'm sick of 'em.”
He vividly remembered the times when he sold them for just a few Coppers as souvenirs in Rosenheim Kingdom. Those were his beginner days, when he dreamt of making a mountain of Coppers and having fun. Back then, he had just taken the main features and had sculpted them cutely with his basic level of Sculpting.
“The simpler and more adorable they were, the better the souvenirs sold.”
It was necessary for them to be light, so the weight wouldn't be burdensome. However, the deer and wolf Weed was making now were different.
“Now I have to try making a real wolf and deer.”
Weed shaped the deer into a form three times its real-life size. What's more, he used precious stone materials such as granite and peridot. He sculpted the deer's simple, innocent bright eyes, round nose, slender body and legs realistically over two days.