Volume 5 - CH 8.1

Chapter 5-8 : Planning And Preparation Ⅲ (part 1)

After seeing off Iris-san and Kate-san who went to gather information, Lorea-chan and I continued drinking tea in the kitchen.

「Ahh~ The tea you brew is delicious as always~」(Sarasa)

「Hehe, thank you. So, Sarasa-san, what are we going to do now? Shall we go to the village chief’s house? I doubt he has useful information you need though…」(Lorea)

「No, we’re not going there. The other villagers don’t seem to have useful information either since they don’t usually go to the forest in winter.」(Sarasa)

The only exception is Jasper-san, Ells-san’s husband. He is a hunter, so he sometimes goes to the forest even during winter.

However, I don’t think he has ever set foot on a snowy mountain. There’s no reason for him to go too far from the village after all.

「For now, I think I will start preparing the necessary equipment to climb a snowy mountain.」(Sarasa)

「Eh? I thought you didn’t have enough materials to make any equipment or artifacts.」(Lorea)

「Well, that’s true, but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing I can do. First, I think I will make a list of the items and equipment we might need.」(Sarasa)

Since there are no Collectors in this village who usually go to a snowy mountain in winter, I think I will make the equipment just for ourselves.

If I make more than we need, no one will buy them after all. Besides, I can’t afford to spend money on extra equipment.

「I wonder what kind of equipment we’ll need… Lorea-chan, you have any idea?」(Sarasa)

「Umm… I think winter clothes and some protective wear are essential.」(Lorea)

「That’s right. We still have Heat-proof Coats but since it’s not that effective in a cold environment, I think we better make some winter clothes.」(Sarasa)

Heat-proof Coats can also prevent cold air, but it’s not as effective as when you use them in a hot environment.

Wearing Heat-proof Coats is not that different from wearing normal coats in a cold environment, so I think we should wear proper winter clothes.

「But you can add a function that warms your body from inside the coat, right?」(Lorea)

「That’s possible, but it’s not a good idea. It will warm your body but it may endanger your life at the same time.」(Sarasa)

「What do you mean?」(Lorea)

「Acting without sweating is an iron rule when you climb a snowy mountain. If you sweat in a cold environment, especially on a snowy mountain, your body will get cold and you will be more likely to catch a cold. You may even get frostbite and die. Moreover, we may have to fight monsters while searching for materials.」(Sarasa)

As a matter of course, you move a lot while fighting. As a result, you will sweat a lot.

If you restrict your movements so that you don’t sweat, you might die from enemies’ attacks, but if you move quickly in a battle, you might die from frostbite due to sweating.

The only way to survive is to kill your enemies quickly before you start sweating.

「That’s why we also need underwear that can absorb sweat. As for winter clothes, I think we need hooded winter coats, thick trousers, boots for walking on snow, thick gloves, hats, and earmuffs.」(Sarasa)

「Do you need hats and earmuffs even though the coats have hoods?」(Lorea)

「Yeah. We won’t use the hoods unless in a blizzard. Hoods block your vision after all. The other things we may need are probably sunscreen and sunglasses.」(Sarasa)

「Eh? You need sunscreen in winter?」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan asked curiously.

It’s cold in winter, so I can understand why she was a bit confused.

「Sunlight can still be a bit troublesome even in winter, especially in open areas without trees. Moreover, the sunlight reflected from the snow is quite harsh. Well, it won’t hurt your skin if you only work for a few hours, but we will be collecting materials for a few days.」(Sarasa)

「I see… Snow can reflect sunlight. That’s why you need sunglasses too.」(Lorea)

「Yup. They are important in order to reduce the risk of making mistakes due to glare during battle. Other than winter clothes and protective wear, I think we also need sleeping bags and potions that can raise our body temperature. I will improve the heater function of my Floating Tent too just in case so that we can sleep comfortably at night.」(Sarasa)

After I’m done making the to-do list and the list of the necessary items, I let out a sigh.

「Hmm… I think that’s all we need for now.」(Sarasa)

「That’s a lot of stuff.」(Lorea)

「Lacking preparation can be life-threatening, so it’s normal.」(Sarasa)

「I see… But do you have enough money for all of these items?」(Lorea)

「Hmm, certainly, the money I got from the prince may not be enough, but if I buy cheaper materials then I have to think of a way to make the equipment and artifacts without reducing their performance which is incredibly hard to do…」(Sarasa)

It would be stupid if we lost our lives because I make poor quality equipment because I bought cheaper materials.

「It’ll be difficult since most materials needed can’t be replaced with cheaper ones, except for pelt, I guess.」(Sarasa)

「Do you mean the pelt to make coats, boots, and things like that?」(Lorea)

「Yup. Pelts from monsters are the highest quality pelts you can get. Animal pelts are not as good as monster pelts, but they’re much cheaper. Coats made from monster pelts are extremely expensive. Two hundred gold coins I got from Prince Ferik is barely enough to pay for three of them.」(Sarasa)

「Two hundred gold coins for three coats… Certainly, that’s very expensive…」(Lorea)

「That’s why I’m thinking of using animal pelts. I think I will use sheep pelts to make the coats.」(Sarasa)

「I see. But since they’re cheaper than monster pelts, they must have a disadvantage, right?」(Lorea)

「Yeah, but it’s not something to worry about. Animal pelts are just slightly thinner than monster pelts.」(Sarasa)

「That’s it? Then why are their prices so different?」(Lorea)

「Coats made from monster fur and pelts are usually worn by nobles and rich people for status. 」(Sarasa)

「I see…」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan doesn’t seem to understand why people buy super-expensive items when they are cheaper substitutes.

「Lorea-chan, you know, nobles like to show their fortune to others, especially those who regularly appear in social circles. Well, except for humble nobles like the Lotze Family.」(Sarasa)

「Ah, I see. Certainly, it’s hard to imagine Iris-san showing off an expensive coat and accessories to the other nobles…」(Lorea)

「Fufu. I know, right?」(Sarasa)

「By the way, is there something I can do to help you make the equipment?」(Lorea)

「Ah, I want you to help me with the sewing work. Also, I want you to make lunch boxes for us to eat while we’re working on the snowy mountain.」(Sarasa)

「Alright, you can leave it to me.」(Lorea)

「Oh, right. I want you to make us delicious sweets too.」(Sarasa)

「Sweets? Isn’t it better to have something that fills your stomach like bread?」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan tilted her head as she asked me, looking a bit confused, but I strongly denied her.

「Your lunch boxes will be enough to fill our stomachs. What we need is the food to satisfy our desire as girls who love sweets!」(Sarasa)

「Ahh, I see.」(Lorea)

「We will be working on a snowy mountain for a few days. Unable to eat sweets when we want to will affect our mental state after all.」(Sarasa)

「Fufu. I understand. I will do as best as I can to prepare delicious lunch boxes and sweets for you. Of course, I’ll try my best doing the sewing work too!」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan clenched her fists and smiled at me, as if saying, “you can count on me!”

I know I can depend on her.