Chapter 410: Producing a Wimpy Snake

Strategy wiki〜! For when you're in a pinch!

Q. How can I make save points or furniture with the player's own hands?
A. Become a carpenter.

Q. ......If possible, is there any method other than becoming a carpenter?
A. No there isn't, you trash. Stop slacking off and start by hammering some nails.

"Shit...!!"

Where exactly in this danger zone am I supposed to become a carpenter...!
But there's still an option left, kukuku... In this game, 'Furniture Maker' exists as a job. It's a production class that's entirely in the realm of hobbies at this point, but there's a phrase called 'Sunday Carpenter,' so it's probably a job with no shortage of things to do as a hobby. The fact that it requires magical aptitude is a liiiittle suspicious, though. That definitely has some hidden elements to it; keep up the good work, Library.

But something just clicked for me here. What happens to the furniture made by a Furniture Maker? It's not like the crafter is going to chuck them at monsters.
Furniture is an item that only functions when placed in a house. Well, they're objects that don't provide any buffs whatsoever, but still. You need skills to craft them, so why would magical aptitude be required...?
That's right, furniture is something placed in a house, placed in a mansion, placed in a store... and placed in a Base.

Kukukukuku... I see, I already had the answer in my hands. Just because I was thinking, 'I'll keep it put away until I show it off to everyone,' I almost forgot its very existence. But isn't now the exact time for it to fulfill its purpose...?

"I wonder if it'll be unsteady... Say Wimp, Sammy-chan made this cave, right?"

"That's right! Sammy-chan is amazing! She melted the walls with poison and dug through!"

The melancholy drifting from Sammy-chan acutely conveyed the harshness of that labor. You made her excavate that while a battlefield was popping off right next door...? You're a demon.

"Sorry, but could you dig the ground here like this... in a straight line, kinda like making a trench?"

"...I guess it's fine, it's not like I'm the one doing it."

S-Sammy-chan...!!
My chest is filled to the brim with apologies and gratitude. Hey now, this is dangerous, my affection rating for Sammy-chan is skyrocketing. Even though she's a snake.
Sammy-chan, with a gaze of affection (reptilian) that seemed to say 'It's fine' and accept me, dripped venom from her fangs and, with a serious demeanor, slowly melted the ground. So it's an acidic type rather than a neurotoxin...

A few minutes later, Sammy-chan, having dug a trench inside the cave, coiled up, looking like she had just finished a job well done. Thank you for your hard work!!

"Even the depth is perfect...? Seriously, is Sammy-chan a maestro or something...!?"

I must answer those expectations. Even if it's the work of a monster whose status as an NPC is questionable, I am a man who aims for the high score...! C'mon Brunbas!!

"Allow me to introduce you. This is Brunhilde Baskerville... err? Ah, right right, Brunhilde Baskerville No. 3. Ah, the official name is Brunbas."

"What is this weirdly shaped box?"

"Listen here, Sammy-chan's extra. This is called a ship. Sh-i-p. Do you understand?"

"Updating information on designation Wimp: Deficiency of Intelligence."

"Are you making a fool of me!? Or rather, what do you mean 'extra'!?"

"Listen here, attachment part. The one contributing the most right now in this place is Sammy-chan, and you're dead last. Add '-san' to her name, call her Sammy-chan-san."

"S-Sammy-chan is Sammy-chan!"

This bastard, I'm the one who Understands Sammy-chan-san better! You see, Sammy-chan-san is, Sammy-chan-san is...!!
No wait, calm down, my tension is getting weird. It's not good that the ratio of competence and incompetence as an NPC is making Faeria's shadow cross my mind. Having an incompetent character hold back a competent one is just so... ah, dammit!!

"I've decided. I've decided..."

"W-What is it..."

"Special training...!"

It's going to be demon-level grinding meant for absolute hardcore players, a full-throttle sprint along the very precipice of death where I won't let you live but won't let you die either...!! I know, you bastard! What do you mean Level 62!? 62!!

"I'm going to train you up until you can at least trade blows with that Goldunine...!!"

"Noooooo! I'm gonna die, I'm gonna dieeee!!"

"Relax, as long as you don't actually die, I'll heal you... Saina, is it possible to lure an Armilet Gargantula in here and fight it?"

"It is possible under certain conditions. At present, the area near the entrance is wide enough for smaller Armilet Gargantulas—depending on individual variance—to intrude, however—『You're joking, right!?』—Please remain silent for a moment... If we attempt to improve the capabilities of individual designation: Wimp here, a too-narrow entrance could induce self-destruct behaviors from a swarming mass of Armilet Gargantulas."

"Too long, summarize it."

"The entrance is narrow, so in the worst-case scenario, we will be buried alive."

"Nice, 10 Intelligence points."

"Problem occurred: This Machine's (My) Intelligence is already at its maximum value. Will it hit the counter-stop?"

"That's a New Game Plus element."

"The second playthrough...!!"

It's a playthrough that sounds like a spinning gear going nowhere, but if I say that, this will take too long, so I won't.

"Listen Wimp, you say you don't want to die, but do you know the best way to distance yourself from mortal danger in this world is to get stronger?"

"U-Uhh... I don't really care, I have Sammy-chan anyway."

"What are you gonna do relying entirely on Sammy-chan-san? If you get stronger too, it'll be even safer, you know?"

"U-Uhh..."

"Besides, it seems you haven't fully grasped the chance you have at this very moment, so I'll tell you... Me and Saina are going to help you with your special training, you know? Meaning, you can safely and reliably get stronger...?"

"Safely... reliably..."

"And it's not like I'm telling you to go challenge those giant monsters... This is a chance, Wimp... You get it, right?"

"I-I guess it can't be helped then!!"

So easy to trick.

The method of using Brunbas as a temporary save point seemed like a brilliant idea at first, but when I actually think about it, there are a lot of problems.
The biggest problem is that Brunbas is a ship to begin with. In other words, it's something meant to float on the ocean or a river. And furthermore, it's a base meant for 'Wolfgang'... meaning, I can't just leave it sitting there forever.

To put it bluntly, I just set up a save point as a stopgap measure; it hasn't fundamentally solved anything. As expected, I need furniture or something... It feels like that's the kind of thing my wallet—I mean, the Golden Scale Trading Company—could buy for me, but how the hell am I supposed to get to Fifticia from here...?

"I saved, so I can return instantly by respawning, but the problem is the means to get there, huh..."

Do I really have to return via the Human-Powered Super Express? What a drag... no wait, come to think of it.

"Contractor, regarding the expansion of this cave I proposed earlier in order to execute the enhancement plan for individual designation Wimp."

"Ah, I'll leave the preparations entirely to you. I'm going to take a quick nap and then head out."

The next day.

"Good morning, Saiga-san."

"G-Good morning, Hizutome-kun."

"I've got a little something I want to consult you about, do you have time tonight?"

"Eh? Yes, I'm free, but..."

"I kinda want to see you, Saiga-san..."

"Poheh!?"

"...At the Bugman Village."

".........................Ah, yes."

As expected of a hardcore player like Saiga-san, she agreed without a second thought.

• Title is a reference to "Nobuta wo Produce", a 2005 Japanese TV Drama