Chapter 10: At Long Last, a <Mount>! Mounted Combat Are Finally Here!
"Marie-senpai! Marie-senpai, are you here!?"
"Well, well, what’s with the big voice? That’s rare comin’ from you, mister."
"Oh, Marie-senpai! Let’s talk inside. I need to use the <Young Dragon>, fast."
"Oh-ho, so you got somethin’ good again, huh? Fine, I’ll fetch it right away."
I barged into the back room I knew so well and dumped out my <Item Bag (Capacity: Large>. Clatter, clatter—materials spilled everywhere, and the recipe vanished into the pile.
Just then, Marie-senpai arrived, carrying the <Young Dragon> in her arms.
"Hang on, Marie-senpai! I’m looking for it!"
"…You called me all the way here just to show me this mess?"
Her eyes glazed over as she took in the mountain of materials.
Don’t worry. It’s dungeon week—we’ve got plenty of time. Besides, I didn’t gather this stuff to sell, so only a handful of it will ever leave my hands. She can relax.
"Wait—Mister, isn’t this the <Battleaxe of Takewari's Rage>!? Don’t tell me you pulled another <Gold Chest>!?"
Marie-senpai’s voice cracked as she pointed at the massive axe.
No, not that! I’m looking for the recipe!
"Hehh… this one piece could go for twenty million mirus, y’know. I’m sure there was someone in a B-rank guild who wanted it bad."
Twenty million!? That’s way higher than I estimated.
Ah… right.
In this real-life <DanKatsu>, boss farming isn’t recognized.
Normally, people dive into a dungeon, beat the boss at the end, then return straight away. In other words, you only ever get one boss drop per clear. Just like the <Advanced Job Change Ticket>, Gold Chest drops are extremely rare. That’s why their value skyrockets.
We only pulled our <Gold Chest> after twenty-five runs.
For the locals here, that means challenging a dungeon twenty-five times. Even once per day, that’s nearly a month of work. And to hit a specific drop among several possibilities? You’d need insane luck. It could take over a year—or never happen at all.
Until now, drops had only been early-game gear, so values weren’t that different from the game. But the <Battleaxe of Takewari's Rage>? That’s strong enough for Intermediate-Level Dungeons. With upgrades, it’d stay viable even in Intermediate Upper-tier dungeons.
No wonder it’s so valuable in this real-world <DanKatsu>, where people rarely get past the Intermediate-Level Dungeon.
I made a mental note: sometimes, gear here is worth way more than in the game. Gotta keep that in mind.
"There it is!"
While Marie-senpai had the <Young Dragon> analyze the axe, I finally salvaged what I was looking for.
"Hm? Ohh, that’s a recipe, isn’t it! What kind?"
"Prepare yourself, Marie-senpai! This one’s a <Gold Chest> drop!"
"Wh-wh—nyaaaat!?"
She yowled in shock, sounding exactly like a cat. …And okay, I’ll admit it—my heart fluttered a little. Cute. Way too cute, senpai.
Excellent reaction, Marie-senpai!
"So then, about the <Young Dragon>—"
"Geez! Why didn’t you say that first, mister!? Let’s decipher it already!"
In a blur, she snatched the recipe from my hand. I didn’t even see it happen!
With practiced movements, she lifted the <Young Dragon> and activated 『Dechiper』.
Wait a second… was she really this smooth at it? Or is this just standard for production jobs?
"『Dechiper』 complete!"
Her work was fast—ridiculously fast. I barely had time to be surprised.
Alright, time to pray.
<Lucky Cat-sama>, <Lucky Cat-sama>. Please, let it be the recipe for a construct!
"…What’s this? <Karakuri Carriage Recipe>?"
"Jackpot―!!"
Yes—yes, yes, YES!!
I really pulled it—the <Karakuri Carriage Recipe>!
Unbelievable! This is exactly why <DanKatsu> never gets old!
<Lucky Cat-sama>, you’re the best! Absolutely the best!
Thank you, <Lucky Cat-sama>!!
"Praise <Lucky Cat-sama>! Banzai! Banzaaai!!"
"Uh-oh. Mister’s lost it."
Of course I’ve lost it. Totally spinning! Countdown to a full spin: five seconds!
──<Karakuri Carriage>.
This was the <Mount>-type equipment I’d been planning to prepare for Ester.
【Knight】-type jobs gain access to mounted skills.
<Mounts> are a category of special gear that use up two accessory slots. They’re inorganic equipment designed for riding—things like carriages.
If it’s a living creature instead, it’s called a <Beast Mount>. That’s where horses and monster mounts come in.
Riding a <Mount> that fits your aptitude boosts movement speed and massively powers up certain <Skills>. Ester’s 『Lance Charge』 is a prime example. Whether it’s a <Mount> or a <Beast Mount>, as long as she’s mounted, that skill’s damage skyrockets.
And <Mounts> like <Carriages> are gear designed purely for movement.
The name might not sound all that impressive, but once you actually use one, it’s frighteningly useful.
First off—passenger capacity. Up to five people can ride.
That alone already shows how much of a game-changer this is in dungeons.
Dash straight to the boss's room, and you’ll be on the deepest floor in no time.
Maybe that’s why dungeon paths are always just wide enough for vehicles to pass through.
On top of that, while traveling, Mounted Attacks are unlocked—at least against monsters along the way. It’s the same charging strike <Takewari Taro> used.
With that, you can mow down monsters without stopping, blitzing through the dungeon corridors. It cuts down time drastically!
The drawback? Monsters trampled that way don’t give EXP, and their drops are left behind. But honestly—who cares? Boss farming is way more important than random drops!
There are other perks too, but to sum it up, Ester finally gets her big power-up.
Sorry for keeping you waiting until Job Lv.40. At last, Ester’s time to shine!
And it’s <Gold Chest>-grade rare gear on top of that!
Yeah… this is it. This is a total victory.
"Hey, mister. Can I ask ya somethin’?"
"Oh, what is it, Marie-senpai? By the way, aren’t you kind of tiny?"
"That insult? I’ll buy it at full price! But more importantly—why the hell are we dancing right now!?"
Well, that’s obvious—I’m hyped to the max.
I mean, come on! A <Karakuri Carriage Recipe>—the one I thought was way out of reach—I just pulled it off a single dungeon run!
How could I not spin around? Spin, spin, spin~!
"Ahhh, mister’s gone crazy!"
"Is it really so bad to be spinning~?"
I tightened my arms around Marie-senpai’s waist and picked up the pace.
Her small frame was already halfway off the ground. So light!
"Stop it already, mister! I get it, I get it! I know how happy you are—just put me down!"
Despite all her complaining, she went along with it, but ten whole minutes of being dangled around like that was apparently too much for her. She finally called it quits.
When I set her down gently, her legs were wobbling a little.
…Might’ve gone a bit overboard.
"Haah… haah… wow, mister. I never thought you had this kinda side to ya. Totally unexpected."
Marie-senpai spoke between ragged breaths.
"Wanna go again after you rest?"
"Hell no! How happy are you, anyway!?"
Not doing it again? That’s a shame.
Spinning around at full hype is so much fun.
"So, what exactly is this <Karakuri Carriage Recipe>? Judging from how you’re acting, you already know what it does, right?"
Of course I know. Perfect timing, actually.
I was planning on finding someone who could craft this anyway.
So I explained everything to Marie-senpai.
"Whoa! Sounds incredible, doesn’t it?"
She said, looking over the <Karakuri Carriage Recipe>.
Exactly! It’s crazy strong—after all, it’s a drop from <Gold Chest>.
Originally, I was just going to settle for a normal <Mount> or <Carriage> recipe. Maybe if I got lucky, I’d snag the <Karakuri Carriage Recipe> later—but since I ended the <Tsukumo Bamboo Groove Dungeon> with this in hand, I’d planned to commission a normal one first. Surely some guilds would at least have that recipe.
But to actually land the jackpot on my first try… I have to make this now. This <Gold Chest>-grade beast!
"That’s why I’m looking for someone with the 【Craftsman】 or 【Artisan】 Job. Marie-senpai, know anyone?"
"Fufufu. As a matter of fact, I know a top-notch 【Craftsman】."
"Oh, for real!? As expected of you, Marie-senpai! Please introduce me!"
The <Wappen Seal Sticker> guild may be amazing at production, but weapons and accessories aren’t their specialty. They mainly handle armor.
A 【Craftsman】, on the other hand, is a dedicated accessory specialist. Some can even make certain items too.
That said, accessory production Jobs are a little less appreciated compared to weapon and armor Jobs.
Weapons and armor are generally Job-specific gear. It’s not like anyone can just equip whatever they like—each Job has equipment suited to them.
Which means, even if you get a boss drop, there’s a pretty high chance you won’t be able to use it.
If you want equipment that fits you, the fastest way is to commission it from a production Job—at least when it comes to weapons and armor.
Accessories, on the other hand, can usually be equipped by anyone. If one drops, you can just slap it on—no need to have something custom-made. That’s why production Jobs specializing in accessories tend to be a bit underappreciated.
So I wasn’t sure if I’d easily be able to meet a skilled 【Craftsman】.
Lucky me—it looks like I can. And since Marie-senpai’s introducing them, they shouldn’t be shady either.
Now I can finally get that <Mount Carriage> made!
By the way, <Mount>-type gear can only be crafted. They never drop from monsters.
Which makes this pretty much the 【Craftsman】’s greatest stage. Since <Mounts> use the accessory slot, it falls squarely in their domain.
The "Knight Baron" category allows up to five members in a guild.
Back when I played the game, I always filled that cap, so I ended up relying on 【Craftsman】 a lot.
And I’ll be relying on one again this time!
Let’s have Marie-senpai make the introduction right away.
"Hold on a sec, lemme check."
She pulled out her <Student Handbook> and started a chat. The reply came almost instantly. That was fast!
"Oh, looks like they’re nearby. They said they’ll come over right now."
"As expected of a production Job. Always quick to jump on this kinda talk."
Apparently, the mention of a <Gold Chest> recipe got their attention. Figures.
"Marie, you here?"
"Already!?"
Barely thirty seconds had passed!
And they skipped right past the storefront, walking straight into the back room where we were. How the heck!?
"Wait—you! The quiet senpai from before!"
"…The 【Hero】, huh."
The person who walked in was familiar. A third-year with a craftsman’s air about him, the one who’d been tending shop when I bought the <True Soul Necklace>.
The taciturn senpai.
Still as sparing with words as ever.
Back then, I thought he was just a jeweler, but it looks like he’s actually a 【Craftsman】. Maybe that’s why he was stuck watching the shop?
"What, you two know each other?"
"Yeah, I bought some accessory gear at his shop once. And I also turned in some Beginner Low-tier materials there."
"Huh? Don’t tell me… boss mats?"
"Nope. Remember when Beginner Low-tier mats spiked in price? It was that. No boss drops."
"Phew, that’s a relief."
Marie-senpai let out a breath like a weight had been lifted. Was there some kind of trouble with selling boss mats?
"Well, that makes things easier then. If you already know each other, all the better. This is the skilled 【Craftsman】 I was talking about—Gant. Doesn’t talk much, but he’s good."
So the taciturn senpai’s name was Gant.
He probably wouldn’t have introduced himself otherwise, so Marie-senpai went ahead and gave me his name.
"Right, I haven’t introduced myself either. I’m Zephyrus, the 【Hero】. I came today because I want to commission something using this recipe. Marie-senpai brought me to you."
"…I see. Show me."
Didn’t have to ask what he meant.
With just a nod at my introduction, Gant-senpai’s eyes were already fixed on the recipe from the <Gold Chest> in my hand—the <Karakuri Carriage Recipe>.
"Here you go. Think you can make it? I’ve got all the materials right here."
I handed him the recipe and gestured at the mountain of <Takewari Taro> mats scattered across the floor.
Gant-senpai silently stared at the recipe for a moment. Then, out of nowhere, a grin split his face, and he said.
"Of course."
Ester’s power-up was close at hand.
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