Hunter and Mad Scien Chapter 195

"I arrived not too long ago. Is there anything new these days?"

"Of course. Do you rember the Sterling incident from a while back? They say that processing and using the leather and bones from the monsters that appeared there makes magic tool effects much better. I hear you can even use them in completely different ways from existing machines, though I don't know much about that part."

The latter story was brought up to match the interests of Cider Claiborne, who was a magical engineer. However, unfortunately, Cider wasn't particularly interested in that story. He had known about it a year before the Sterling incident broke out.

"Monster leather. Is that really being distributed?"

"Of course. Don't you trust ? I'm getting supplies from trustworthy people. You'll know when you see it. It's completely different from animal leather or bones."

It really was. Setting aside the softness of the leather or ease of dyeing, just looking at magic power perability alone, it was trendously good material compared to ordinary animal leather. He'd need to do more research for the details, though.

Esperanza, who was browsing the display case where she had previously discovered troll leather, thought the sa thing. Compared to animal leather, it was considerably good material. And it absolutely didn't co from Sterling.

The monsters that appeared at Sterling Harbor were all aquatic species.

Slippery sea serpents, mollusk and crustacean monsters. Aquatic species have byproducts too, but in a dungeon so chaotic that even Esperanza couldn't collect such things, other people couldn't have had the leisure to dismantle monsters either. And those byproducts weren't this type anyway.

The general public didn't know that only aquatic monsters appeared in that dungeon anyway. They could just lie and say there were other monsters not captured in the few photographs.

In other words, Daria was creating other dungeons to supply leather while selling it as items from Sterling.

Of course, it wasn't a lie that would last long. Eventually, they'd have to reveal at least one more dungeon....... The 'Monster Crisis'? morial Park?

That might be it. By this ti, plans to cause the Monster Crisis would already be established, and even if there were variables, there would be no need to change locations now.

"Do you think I look easy?"

"Pardon?"

While Esperanza was lost in thought among the well-processed monster leather, sowhat nacing sounds ca from the other side. When voices rose, Esperanza widened her eyes and watched Cider shake the owner with his sharp tongue.

It wasn't out of worry for Cider. Even if problems arose, he could handle one owner by himself. She was just curious about what he was saying.

"If it's about the types of byproducts that ca out of the dungeon at that ti, research has already been completed at Finley. This is sothing different. Did you think I couldn't distinguish that much?"

The owner's eyes widened. It didn't seem like simple surprise at having hidden facts exposed.

He definitely knew sothing, but apparently wasn't certain about it. You could see his mind spinning rapidly. Eventually, the owner made a servile smile.

"How could I deceive Count? I couldn't tell you because it wasn't confird information. Haha, please co this way for a mont."

Besides the two of them, there were about three or four more custors in the shop browsing completed magic tools. Since the conversation from now on would be about maintaining secrecy, the owner led Cider to an inner room while trying to maintain his strained smile. Instead of straining to hear the conversation that was no longer audible, Esperanza browsed the new magic tools.

Her first visit here was just a year ago. She clearly rembered being excited about discovering a single piece of troll leather then, but now half the leather was monster leather. Magic tools were also using monster leather and bones.

'The quality doesn't seem that good though.'

She'd need to do research to properly examine things like magic power perability, but just by looking, it wasn't leather from impressive monsters. So it couldn't have co from Sterling Harbor.

Esperanza couldn't even rember when she had last touched such shabby leather. Naturally, she didn't know what monster leather it was either. But just looking at it, it seed like it would be pathetic.

'This is completely...... even Cordelia could catch it if you just gave her a gun?'

It wasn't all that kind of leather, but most of it was. From low-grade monsters that looked like they'd die if you kicked them.

Esperanza recalled the leather decorating the handle of the walking stick belonging to the man she saw yesterday. That looked better quality than this. That was probably leather from quite a strong monster. So they were distributing both good and bad leather simultaneously.

'Why bother......?'

They're doing all sorts of troubleso things. Esperanza still couldn't gauge Daria's thinking. Since leather wouldn't be distributed only to this shop, considering the total distribution volu, even if the two of them killed monsters in dungeons all day long, it wouldn't be enough.

Surely the two of them weren't really doing that? Then would finding the dungeon be enough?

No. Considering the amount of work spread out so far, Daria couldn't be that idle. Then where exactly is she and what is she doing now?

She couldn't get a sense of where to start looking. However, while Cider completed the machine, Esperanza and Cyrus had to find Daria and steal the Golden Claw.

Was there no choice but to find Luke Havenly? Though she didn't even know where he was......

"Esperanza."

Her thoughts stopped abruptly at the weight of the hand wrapping around her shoulder.

"Are you done talking?"

"Sothing like that. Let's talk about the details when we get ho....... Is there anything you want?"

He wouldn't literally be asking what she wanted. Esperanza selected about half of the leather hanging on the display.

"All of this."

Cider tapped the floor with his walking stick to call the owner. The owner, who was taking the leather to package it, tilted his head.

'She picked out monster leather with uncanny accuracy.'

Well, considering she's soone that Avondale person brings around, she wouldn't be ordinary. The rchant's sharp gaze swept over the two people. The arm around her waist, the inaudible conversation shared at a distance where their noses almost touched.

'They're not in an ordinary relationship.'

Well, it wasn't his concern. So noble's love affairs and such.

"Packaging is done. Count, then I'll pass along what you ntioned."

"What are you passing along?"

Cider, who had entrusted the packaged leather to coachman Taylor, scribbled sothing briefly on his checkbook and then pulled Esperanza's shoulder to whisper in her ear.

"I confird there are separate suppliers. It seems like different people handle high-grade and low-grade leather, which side do you want to check?"

"Can't we do both?"

"If we go that far, we'll be suspected."

They couldn't avoid suspicion from the part where they were trying to et suppliers, but Cider would have made so excuse for that.

To track as quickly as possible without being caught, they couldn't catch both rabbits. It was regrettable, but if they had to choose, the answer was simple. Cider probably thought it was obvious too.

"Low-grade leather."

Then Cider tore off the check and showed it to Esperanza. A line written in neat handwriting where the amount should have been written. It was the sa answer.

"I thought so."

If you knew, don't bother asking. Esperanza clicked her tongue while curling up the corners of her lips.

??????°??☆????°??????

After the short outing ended, Cider, who had returned to the mansion, holed himself up in the research lab. Esperanza, idling alone, unfolded the slip of paper the owner had slipped under the checkbook once more.

The people distributing leather belonged to the poor quality side. Those with one foot sowhere between the underworld and the legitimate world.

If this was also Daria's choice, it was a decent choice. Before long, their role would be replaced by hunters' direct trading markets. Unlike entrepreneurs or the governnt, these people had nothing but force as a defense asure, and using back-alley thugs' pitiful force against hunters who were mages—the outco was obvious.

But even for temporary work, the idea of using thugs was sothing Esperanza would never have thought of. It wasn't a matter of being smart or not.......

'It shouldn't be.'

Rather, it was a matter of whether you could think of the options or not, and this kind of thing was inevitably influenced by experience.

Esperanza had never been involved with underworld figures in reality. Perhaps Daria was familiar with such people.

Esperanza had never thought about what kind of person Daria was. She wasn't curious either. Actually, it was the sa now too.

Now was the ti to do what needed to be done.

Esperanza, wearing a pitch-black hood that ca down to her ankles, jumped out the window.

Her destination was Alter District. The second floor of a shabby apartnt. The place where a quack doctor once lived.

This was the place where leather suppliers gathered.

??????°??☆????°??????

Esperanza, who quickly passed through the deep shadows of Alter District, jumped up with a light running start and hung onto the window fra. Then, holding onto the window fra like swinging on a swing, she swayed and flew.

After landing silently on the window fra, she checked the inside through the window that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in about ten years.

It was a narrow, dim room. It seed to sll of musty mold. She couldn't sense any presence. Esperanza carefully opened the window.

Click, there was a sound. A locking chanism was engaged.

Esperanza pondered for a mont, then went down below. She picked up a stone from the dirt ground and broke the window.

Despite the loud sound of breaking glass, no one opened their door to look out. Their will to not care even if sothing happened was firm.

Though it was sowhat bitter, it was helpful at tis like this. Esperanza carefully entered inside, being careful not to step on the broken glass.

When she stepped on the floor, dust rose up. Esperanza, who felt like sneezing and covered her mouth, closed the worn curtains even more thoroughly. She had to be careful not to leave traces of entry and exit from outside.

Sothing soft touched her carefully moving toes. The floor was full of carelessly thrown leather. She wasn't certain if it was monster leather.

Esperanza brushed the yellow dust off her shoulders and moved carefully to avoid stepping on the scattered leather. She couldn't leave footprints. That would beco a clue.

When her eyes adjusted, the dark interior beca faintly visible. It was similar to when she had visited with Jack's slum friend before. The bookshelf and desk of Dr. Sullivan, who had pretended to be a quack doctor, remained as they were. It seed he had left almost all his books behind when he departed.

Esperanza looked closely at the bookshelf. What was on the bookshelf were generally dical texts. So of them looked like things only quacks would read at first glance.

'Surely he didn't actually practice dicine with these?'

Suppressing the ominous thought that was creeping in, she looked through a bit more but there was nothing special.