Ah, I need some coins. The big fish I found is too big that it might swallow me before I could parasite off it.

I don't earn anything from the business the school has during this trip. There is the maintenance wage we get every night but that doesn't give me much. I can use it as spending money when we get to the central island. I hope to find some interesting things I can resold for more when I get back.

Also, I graduated so I should find a place to work now. I can't start a shop by myself since I don't have the necessary funds. I can't open a loan too since I don't have a guarantor, I can't believe the hero introduced that too.

The best course of action I could take is to apprentice in a shop so I already asked the professors for help. I have a few potential places but all of them are almost at the corners of the continent. The places where the people are poor but full of battles from bandits and monsters, so most of the customers need weapons. It's good since that is what I want to specialize in but there are some troublesome customers too that want to handle things by force.

Chatterbox will return to his family and try to build up his brand which his family would then sell. They live in a very rich city that connects to 8 different other cities, a great trade hub.

Victor will resume his adventuring as a guard escort or a monster material hunter. He wants to see everything so he won't stay in one place.

Each of us will be going on our own paths. Chatterbox has the financial backing of his family while victor has friends and reputation as a guard. In comparison to them, I don't have anything but my skills and some wealth. I'm off to a rough start.

I hate restarting to zero wealth. If only I have at least a hundred gold coins, I don't have to apprentice to the corners of civilization and I could start my own foundation in some nearby town.

I'll have to start preparing for things I might need. I need my own tools since I have been using the school's. I won't buy anything from the central island since the dwarf continent has the best tools for a blacksmith. I need some weapons and armour but we have the best of those too.

"...Br.."

What do the other races excel at that I might need in the far corner of the continent?

Humans are pretty average on everything which is a nice way of saying they suck at everything. Most hero stayed with the humans but all their inventions and reformation was spread to the other races as well, which was improved to compliment their traits.

Demi-humans excel in fighting but I can't buy that. They used to be named as hybrids before the hero came, which was changed to beast race by the hero but since there are other mix with not only beast but insects and the like, they changed it to demi-humans. The dwarf continent was supposed to be changed too since there are other races besides dwarfs but as expected of the land of the stubborn, no one was in favour of the change so it was left as is. They fight using their own bodies because they have different characteristics that would be comparable to weapons. As long as they get stronger, their weapons will also get stronger.

"...i.l.."

The elves are best at bow and wisdom which is incompatible with dwarves. Using the previous bandit battles as an example, no bows are useful in this continent other than a minor annoyance. The elves have magic to supplement that and make the arrows enchanted as they fire so its useful for them but the dwarves lack that magic capability. We can use magic to a certain extent but the way they use magic is like art while we use it as a baseball bat. They are also the best alchemist on this planet, their herb compendium is the most complete that even includes herbs from the other continents. I read the tree hero traveled everywhere to complete it. She also created new herbs so the book grew so big that it looks like a mini library.

The demons or citizens of the demon continent have great materials. However, the ingredients are mostly for potions and enchantments. They are the best at magic and curses. The curses might be useful so if there are some books and scrolls I might buy it.

I want to learn enchantments too but its too soon to do that since it uses up a lot of money. I need the equipment, I need the enchantment material and I need the correct magic formation. I will learn it after mastering making the equipment and making money off of it.

"...Hey!..."

There won't be much I might want to buy but this is also good since I won't have to worry about impulse buying.

*Shake* *Shake*

"Brill!!!!! Hey Brill!!!"
"Stop shaking me!!! What?!?!?"
"You two there! Don't shout! If you want to talk keep it low!"
"Sorry!!"x2

Ugh! I made the combat healers angry at me again. Please stop glaring at me, I wasn't the one who did it. It was chatterbox here who shouted first. Even if I wanted too, I couldn't build a good relationship to the rich lady with the way it is now.

"...What is so important that you have to wake me up from my thinking? Look at what you have gotten me into."
"...The teachers announced that if we want the equipment of the bandits then they would give us five minutes to loot them. Also, they got mad at me too!"
"...They are already mad at me and now with what happened they are double mad at me! Wait, what? We can loot them!"
"...It's too late now, the five minutes are done now."
"...Tsk, did you get anything?"
"...I won't go in there with all that blood and flesh. Also, what if some other bandit groups came because of the noise we made? You want to make me walk through there without the protection of the carriage?"
"...Are you really part of a travelling merchant's family?"
"...Chatterbox is part of a travelling merchant's family but he is the youngest of the family so they baby him."
"...W-wha! Shut up Victor!"
"...He has a special armoured wagon to ride. It even has a bed inside it. hahaha"
"...Don't say any more!"
"...Every time there are problems, he would hide under the blankets. He won't ever leave the safety of his wagon until they reach the town. hahaha"

As expected of the parents who actually paid the friend of their youngest so they would stay as friends.

"...Did you get anything victor?"
"...No, the weapons are broken and the armour aren't my size."
"...You could have adjusted it yourself."
"...I haven't really mastered the way to knit chainmail. hehehe"

And, as expected of the brute force of the group. I guess there isn't much to do but wait until we get attacked or we find a secure place to camp for the night.

*chew*

"...What do you have there brill?"
"...beef jerky."
"...Can I have some?"
"...3 copper coins a piece."
"...Stingy! Give me five."

I earned a small sum.

*chew* *chew*

"...Can I have some brill?"
"...1 copper a piece."
"...Give me ten."
"...Wait, wait, wait. Why did you give him a cheaper price?"
"...He helped defend the carriage. Do you want to deflect a giant's spear throw too? I would give also give you a discount."
"...ah-haha-aha."

That's what I thought, even though you probably won't get hurt because of all the protection accessories your parent's gave you.

*chew* *chew* *chew*

I earned more again maybe the others want to buy some too.

*glance* *glance*

"Hey blacksmith, pass some jerky to us too."

Ugh, my stealing glances led me to meet eyes with the combat healer captain. It looks like I can't earn anymore. I can't really charge them since they are in charge of our safety.

"Of course, here this is for our brave protectors."
"How much?"
"I wouldn't dare to charge you ladies."
"Thanks"

There goes all my jerky. At least I ate some already before I gave it to them.

*stops*

"Hmm, what is it now?"

Two hours after the last battle and we already have another one?

"Viola, lily and may stay here. I and jenny will go check it out."
"Yes, ma'am!"x4

I better ready the shield.

"Please pass the shield back here."
"No, as long as the enemy doesn't attack we won't defend. If we are overly guarded, they might think we have something of immensely expensive that we need to hide it from view. There are mounted guards beside our carriage so they can defend us if we are ambushed from behind so just stay calm."

I only wanted to be prepared but it would be more trouble to argue here so I won't care anymore.

"Formation D"

*rattle* *rattle*

Oh? We started moving again? That's weird? The combat healers haven't returned too so there must be enemies.

*Step* *Step* *Step*

The two combat healers started walking toward this side of the carriage fully equipped while holding the shield. However, like she said before, she isn't holding the shield up. This lets the enemies see inside our carriage.

*rattle* *rattle*

I see what happened. There are bandits on both sides of the road but they aren't attacking us, they haven't even readied their weapons. They are just sitting there while looking at us as we pass.

There body language says we should pass but since we aren't 100% sure they won't do anything, the guards are still on high alert in case they decided to attack us.

*rattle* *rattle*

We passed peacefully and they really did leave us alone. We still don't know if we jumped into an open cage so our guards are still on alert. A soldier's life isn't for me. They have to be this alert throughout the whole trip, especially here in the danger area. Enduring that for so long would exhaust me mentally.

*step* *step* *step*

The combat healers came back. This means they have judged that the situation is calm for now.

"Good work girls. The leaders are going to start sending a few guards to scout a place to make camp. Rest for now."

Thirty minutes have passed so it seems like this isn't an ambush. There really are sensible bandits who won't attack anyone they see. I'm glad the symbol of the army finally has an effect.