I decided to ask "Sage" sensei about some confusing things.

"Hey, I noticed that Rizatia had 'Archery (Turka Village Small Bow Style),' but this goblin has 'Spear Technique.' Why is that?" I asked.

Sage sensei explained that the goblin's skill is actually 'Spear Technique (Northern Forest Goblin Wooden Spear) 0.19.' The exact skill isn't directly applicable because of structural differences, so they extract usable parts and apply them. He also mentioned that in my world, there are derivative skills under 'Swordsmanship,' like the Shinkage and Jigen styles.

It makes sense, I guess. The core techniques like basic swings, parries, and counters are common, and then they branch out based on the situation. So if I could level up 'Swordsmanship,' maybe I could pull off some of those fancy moves like the old swordmasters? But finding a proper sword in this medieval-like world seems tough, and honestly, I'd rather stick to mid-range combat. A chubby guy like me swinging a sword around just doesn't seem right.

Okay, enough about that. I need to focus on the aftermath of what I did. I mean, the goblin scouts might come back, and if they don't, it'll raise suspicions. But I can't really go looking for them, and I don't have the tools to dig a hole or anything. So I decided to destroy the goblin's body—crushing it and cutting off the nose, limbs, and head. The torso was too big, so I just carried it back to the marsh. I weighted down each part with rocks to hide them and let the small crab-like and shrimp-like creatures take care of the rest. Hopefully, the wildlife here will think it was just another animal attack.

After that, I cleaned the blood off my shoes with some cloth scraps I had. Then I went back to the battlefield and scattered dirt to hide the bloodstains. "Well, that should do it for now. Hopefully, this place can still be used for future missions," I thought.

I remembered that each goblin is worth 2,000 Waruru, which is like three hours of work at a convenience store. It's crazy how cheap life is here. Anyway, I headed back to the village entrance, feeling pretty hungry after all that. It had taken me over an hour to clean up and move everything.

When I got back, I opened the lunch Teisha had given me. It was bread with lard and mustard, some salted cabbage, and raw ham. I wondered if the mustard was made from brown mustard seeds. Maybe from the southern forest? The ham was saltier than what I'm used to in Japan, but after all that work, it hit the spot perfectly. "Thanks for the meal. It was delicious," I said to myself, grateful for Teisha.

As I walked back towards the village, the sun started to set. I headed to the adventurer's guild to get my rewards. The receptionist told me to go to the appraisal counter, and since it wasn't busy, I got right in. The appraiser was a man in his 30s with dark brown hair. He checked each item carefully, and after about ten minutes, he told me I had one goblin and twenty bundles of Vaz grass. That came out to 18,000 Waruru total. I agreed, handed over my card, and they processed the payment. I was a bit surprised that my rank didn't change, but I guess one day's work isn't enough for that.

The appraiser mentioned that the Vaz grass was in short supply, so this would really help. I guess people weren't going deep enough into the forest to find more, and at my rank, it's too dangerous. But with "Sage" sensei's help, I could do it without much trouble. I felt kind of lucky about that.

I received 5,000 Waruru coins and 1,000 Waruru coins. I thought about how I needed a small pouch for my money since there were no paper bills. It would be easier to carry coins in a bag.

I checked off the tasks I'd completed: confirming the collection request, figuring out how to explore for the items, and using "Sage" to make collection more efficient. Those were all done. As for the combat tasks, I decided to put them on hold since my rank is too low to be efficient.

I still needed to do a few more things: have Rizatia check the fruit I collected, buy shoes, buy a wallet, and buy a new tarp. I thought about stopping by the general store on my way back to Ast's place.

The store was near the center of the village, closer than the guild. They had most basic goods. I needed a new tarp since the one I had was filthy. I found a small wallet with a boar emblem on it, which was kind of cute. It had a chain, so I could attach it to my tunic's pocket. I thought about hanging it from my belt, but with my belly, I didn't want to risk losing it. Plus, my belt was loose, and I didn't want it to fall off.

The store owner, an old man with white hair, told me the tarp would be 3,000 Waruru for two and the wallet would be 2,000. That was almost half of what I'd earned that day, but I couldn't avoid it. He mentioned that shoes were sold at a different store, probably the tailor. I figured they'd be expensive, maybe around 10,000 Waruru, which I couldn't afford right now.

I checked off buying the wallet and tarp from my list. It was a productive day. I was pretty tired, so I decided to head back to Ast's place.

"I'm Back," I said as I opened the door. It felt strange, like coming home after a divorce. But it also felt warm and comforting. I guess that's where I am now.