I managed to clear the suspicions of Dius and the others before returning to the village.
　Well, even though we've known each other for a certain amount of time, it seems that this one was too much.
　Thanks to the fact that Nohl and the others joined us in persuading us, we were able to convince them that we weren't doing anything dangerous for the time being.

　And the next morning, I was sold a cart that could carry the colotium in the village, and we set off for the capital.
　We hitched the cart to the two horses that Miggle and Dius were riding and carried the colotium.
　Esther rode it, and me and Nol rode our horses normally, just as we did on the way there.

　But no matter how much easier it was to carry, this ore was too heavy and could crush the horse.
　So, just like when I was escorting Arderbelle-san, I asked Esther to cast a support spell on the horse.
　The horse moved forward at a speed that was unbelievable with the heavy colotium on board, and by noon on the second day after the start of the movement, the horse returned to where the royal capital was in sight.

''Wow, we're dragging this kind of ore and we've already made it back. I knew Esther's magic was amazing.''

''Hmm, that's natural. With my supportive magic, even a horse can become as strong as any other monster around.

That's kind of scary to hear...

　As I was running alongside Dius and the others' cargo bed, I heard Miggle's surprised voice.
　It's a good thing that Estelle's support magic is applied, because it makes her surprisingly strong.
　It's a good thing that a horse in its current state can lightly kick down at least Wolf.

''You guys are so screwed up to do support magic on a horse, even outside of battle...''

Really?　There's more mages besides us who cast supportive magic on their horses to move around, right?

'I've heard the stories but I don't think it's normal to keep it going all the time.

Well, well, it got me home early, so that's good.

　I'm sure mages have the idea of adding support magic to their horses.
　However, there doesn't seem to be a mage who always adds it while moving.......that's right.
　Estelle is a gacha-produced equipment with a fast automatic recovery of MP, so even if you always use support magic, the amount of recovery exceeds the amount you consume.
　Considering that, I may have been doing something out of the ordinary, but for once, it can't be helped.

　Soon after that, we arrived at the royal capital, dismounted from our horses and came to a certain place that Dius had told us to go.
　It's the equipment store in Ganz that we were asked to visit a long time ago.
　The colotiums are too heavy for Dius and his team to carry alone, so I'm going to carry them inside the store.

"I'm sorry to ask you to carry the colotium when you gave it to me. We can't even carry this thing ourselves...

It's fine. Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I've been to Mr. Ganz's equipment store.

You haven't been around much lately, have you?

　Ever since I started converting points for gacha-produced equipment in House Extension, I haven't been here much, except for when I was selling my stinger shells.
　It's been a really long time since I've even been able to do that less recently.
　Tying the horse's straps close together, he lifted the colotium from the back of the cart and we went inside.

'Raha ... oh, it's Dius. And...Okura!　It's been a while!

Hi. Long time no see.

　Mr. Gantz, the familiar big, strong-looking man, greeted me with a loud voice.

''It's rare that you guys come together.

"Yes, I went hunting with Okura this time. That's how I got this ore, so I brought it with me.

"Oh, so you're hunting with me, not asking me to. You guys seem to be getting along great. So, put that stone here........ah!

　When Dius points his hand at the colotium I'm holding and appeals to me, Ganz-san sees it and shakes in surprise, pointing towards me.

Is it a co-corotium?

'Yes, I got it from the Stogal mine. It was almost like they beat me, though.

Come on, man. There are times when you need to cooperate.

'When you put it that way...'

　It's true that we may have been the ones who did most of the work to defeat them, but we were able to help some of them.
　We were close enough to stick together until the colossus came out, so it's not like we're being told that we were the ones to do it so one-sidedly.

'Either way, it's awesome you brought the colotium!　Oh I've never seen it in this big of a state before....

　When I put the colotium on the floor, Mr. Ganz is excited to stare at it as if he were devouring it.
　He's more excited than he was when he brought the stinger's shell to me.
　I thought Mr. Ganz would handle it in a certain way, but I don't think so.

'Are colotiums rare, even for Mr. Gantz?

'Of course!　It's something that's rarely even available on the general market to begin with!　The only thing that's out there is a little thing that's been split up!　　Na!

Oh, please calm down!

　Ganz-san was crowding Dius, red-faced and bleary-eyed, appealing to him in a desperate manner.
　Estelle and the others saw that and pulled back slightly.

''Suu, you are very excited, aren't you?

Your eyes are killing me. You look like your brother when he does that.

''Haha........Gantz-san is like this when he brings good material. Normally Paula would calm me down........

　I'd appreciate it if you didn't put me in the same situation. No matter how much I am, I'm not this desperate when I'm turning the mess.
　Miggle-chan is also scratching her cheeks and smiling bitterly as she looks at Ganz-san like that.
　Come to think of it, I haven't seen your daughter today.
　Ganz-san has welcomed me to his home, has he gone somewhere?

I'm sorry, I'm a little distracted. So, do you want to use this to make that sword you've been talking about?

Yes, sir.

"Alright, I've been entrusted with something this valuable and I'm gonna make it the best it can be!

　With Dius's approval, Mr. Ganz is taut with his arms rolled up.
　If he's this excited, maybe colotium is an ore that craftsmen long to process.
　I was just about to leave for home when Ganz-san called out to me, "You're here with us, that means you're with us?

"Since you came with us, you're going to make one for Okura, right?

No, we're just here to bring in the ore.

What?　You don't mean........all this ore is for Dius?

I'm sure you will.

What?　Are you an idiot?

As I told you, they gave us this whole thing to give away almost for free.

　I didn't expect to be called an idiot..................Even Mr. Ganz had the same reaction as Dius and the others.
　And the moment he heard the word "gratuitous", Ganz-san, who was excited, suddenly fell silent.

''Well Okura, I'm sorry, but let me tell you something. Are you crazy?

Well, I don't have to tell you that and they're helping me with certain things.

You don't even have a proper weapon by the looks of it, so why don't you make one?　That strange weapon you're carrying around your waist, you've been using it since you first came here, haven't you?

Oh, no. That's good enough for me.

But I don't know how you can fight with this stuff.

　Saying that, Gantz-san came closer and looked at the Excalibur I was hanging from my waist.
　Hmm, I'm interested in a weapon that uses precious colotium, but from our point of view, we don't need it.
　Maybe a weapon made from rare materials could be as good as a gacha SSR equipment.
　However, this Excalibur, which has been strengthened through a series of explosions, has already surpassed ordinary SSR and UR equipment.
　So this time, we can give it all to Dius and the others, and if we're going to ask them to make it for us, we can do it again the next time.

　As I was thinking that, Gantz-san, who had been looking at Excalibur, reached out his hand to touch it this time.
　So I huffed and I shouted.

''Well, wait!　It's dangerous to touch it unintentionally!

Oh, hey I'm sorry. But you don't have to yell.

No, there's a lot of poison in them.

What?　What, are you f*cking poisoning me?

　Huh, that's dangerous. If you were to accidentally touch the blade, you would be poisoned.
　It's even sharper than it looks, so even a light touch will instantly poison you.
　We don't have Sisha now, and if that happened, we would have had to bring out the elixir to cure it.

''Was that such a dangerous weapon........''

Yeah, I got in a bit of a mess when I cut my finger during a raid last time.

That's also...Okura-san is surprisingly lacking in some things, isn't she?

That was a terrible time...

Oh, my God, that happened. Is it when I'm not around?

　Nol is in a smeared mood, perhaps remembering the commotion.
　Esther was visiting Annelie-chan's house at that time, so she didn't know that I was in a poisoned state at home without permission.
　
''And, for now, I guess we'll just use Dius' sword this time, right?

'Yes, I'd like to discuss the excess with Miggle and the others to decide, so it would be great if you could keep it.

You're one of the good guys who thought of us.

I'm always thinking of Miggle and his friends!

'Oh, yeah?'

　Miggle-chan grinned teasingly, to which Dius responded with a slightly annoyed look.
　I was thinking about that for Miggle-chan and the others during Stinger's crust, so I guess it's true that he usually does.
　It just doesn't seem like they're really in trouble, so it's a bit of a tease. They both seem to be getting along well, after all.
　Then I talked with Ganz-san for a while, left the colotium with him, and we left the shop.

Thank you for this time, Okura. If we have a chance, let's do some more requests or hunting together. We'll do our best to be able to fight properly at that time.

Oh, I'll see you when we're not busy again. When I get the colloquium, I'll ask the association to contact you.

'I know it won't be so easy to get, but I'll keep my fingers crossed. I'll pay you well next time.

　I was even persuaded on the way to the village that I would give the colotiums this time for free, but if I ever gave them to you again, I would get paid for them properly.
　As for me, I would have been willing to give them all for free, but if I had told him that, he would have been scared away.
　I don't like to overdo it, even when it's well-meaning.
　It's our fault for not being able to properly talk about why we're being helped, but that can't be helped.

''Oh, I guess I'll have to say goodbye to Esther again...''

'Don't look so sorry. I had a great time hunting with Miggle and the others, so let's do it again.

I knew Esther was a good girl.

　Miggle-chan stroked Esther's head and looked like she was going to miss it.
　But she said we should do it again, and she responded with a smile.

''Thank you for everything this time, Noll-san. The food was terrific.

I am glad to hear you say so. We'll prepare more materials next time, so I hope you'll look forward to it!

'I'm going to change my purpose for being so obsessive...'

It's not often that I get to cook together with other adventurer girls, so it was really fun.

　The Noles also seem to have become much more familiar with Miggle-chan through this hunt.
　It would be troubling if they were too enthusiastic about cooking, but.............................if they look like they're having so much fun, that's fine too.
　I can't introduce Luna or Freesia to you, but if I get the chance, it might be nice to invite them to my home.
　With that in mind, this time we're done. If I ever get a chance to do it again, I'd love to hunt with them.
　Well, I've been gone for a long time, but I wonder if Sissiya and the others have been staying at home?