I was reincarnated as bait for the summoned hero
Enjoying a leisurely life by the seaside, it was about time to leave Olivert and move on to the next town.
When I contacted Rei, the golden dragon, via the hand mirrorโa magical communication deviceโhe mentioned that his duties as a divine beast were finally nearing completion.
As a golden dragon, he had been flying all over the vast continent, tirelessly inspecting for areas where magic essence had stagnated, causing a proliferation of monsters, or where land might have been contaminated.
Currently, he was diving into an advanced dungeon that seemed on the verge of triggering a rampaging stampede, thinning out the monster population as needed.
(So, Rei is going to deal with the demons behind the stampede, right? Thatโs a huge helpโฆ)
Feigning ignorance of their ties to the Evil Dragon, Rei was going to crush them. Honestly, I wished the proxy war between the creator god Kesaran Pasaran and the destructive god Evil Dragon would stop involving people from other worlds.
As a neutral divine beast, Rei technically couldnโt side with either faction. However, under the guise of โpreventing stampedes by reducing dungeon monsters,โ he had been significantly weakening the demonsโ forces for us.
My summoned hero cousins had been leveling up and growing stronger, but they couldnโt cover distant dungeons in faraway lands. Reiโs covert support had been invaluable.
โWhen we reunite, Iโll have to give Rei a proper thank-you.โ
He seemed to have taken a liking to Earth-origin seasonings and dishes, so I planned to prepare a feast for him. Iโd stocked up on seafood at Olivertโs market, and I wanted to serve him dishes like seafood bowls, sashimi, and sushi, which Sheera had already praised.
โI also managed to buy plenty of Olivertโs famous olive oil and oranges.โ
Sheera smiled happily beside me as I grinned.
โIndeed! Iโm excited about all the magic beast meat fed with olives and oranges that we got too!โ
โRight? I heard the boar meat, in particular, is phenomenal. I canโt wait to try it.โ
Magic beast meat was already delicious on its own. Would it taste as rich as the finest Iberico pork, which is fattened with acorns?
โI want to eat it right now, but Iโll hold back.โ
โYeah, itโs for Reiโs celebratory meal, so weโll save it.โ
โMeow.โ
The three of usโSheera, Ketsue, and Iโnodded in agreement.
Through diligent work and contributions to the commercial guild, we managed to acquire the rare magic beast meat harvested from the orchards. We also secured a large amount of premium olive oil and olives. Additionally, the guild prioritized our purchase of large fish caught offshore, as fresh seafood might become unavailable for a while.
(Though I had to sell some summoned goods to the guild to cover the costsโฆ)
I spent a substantial amount of gold coins but recouped the cost by selling items like honey, jam, and tea leaves. These high-quality luxury goods were welcomed by the guild, and the negotiations resulted in a satisfying price.
(I even made a small profit. Luxury goods are unbeatable!)
Feeling content with a heavier wallet, I turned to dismantling the camp where we had stayed for two weeks by the sea.
โKetsue, can you restore the poolโs enclosure?โ
โMeow.โ
While Ketsue worked on restoring the shallow terrain, I stored away the tiny house into the Item Box. Tarp, hammock, parasolโall packed up! I gave the area a final once-over to ensure nothing was left behind. Perfect.
โAlright, letโs head out.โ
โSure! Where are we going next?โ
โWell, our points are running a bit low, so Iโd like to earn more in a dungeon if possible.โ
I hadnโt intended to make any big purchases, but Iโd spent a fair amount on consumables, food, books, and games for entertainment. The points I had saved up were dwindling.
(Especially since I was roped into furnishing their portable mini-housesโฆ)
My cousins, who had obtained their portable houses, wanted to make their living spaces as comfortable as possible. I understood their desire, so I helped.
(Furnishing three individual bedrooms, plus a kitchen-dining area and a large living room, cost quite a bit of pointsโฆ)
That said, I did get a valuable item in return: a shoulder-style magic bag. It was made of soft caramel-colored leather, had significant storage capacity, and came with a time-stopping function to prevent items from deteriorating. Normally, such a magical item would cost a fortune, but it was dropped in an advanced dungeon, and my cousins generously gave it to me.
(I donโt need it since I have the Item Box skill, and Ketsue can use spatial magic, butโฆ)
I glanced at Sheera walking beside me. The straps of her large backpack dug into her slender shoulders. While I carried her larger camping gear, her pack still contained essential supplies in case we got separated: food, water, spices, a blanket, fire-starting tools, a knife, a small pot, spare clothes, towels, and personal items.
Sheera was naturally petite and slender, and while she had filled out slightly recently, she still seemed too delicate to carry such a heavy load.
The magic bag was perfect.
โSheera, Iโll lend you this bag. Letโs transfer your stuff into it.โ
โHuh? Wow, what a beautiful shoulder bag! I love it, but isnโt it too small?โ
โItโs fine.โ
I leaned in and whispered to her, โItโs a magic bag. You could fit the entire commercial guildโs building in it.โ
โWhaโ!?โ
Sheera froze, wide-eyed. Since it looked like sheโd need a moment to process, I started packing her things into the bag myself.
The magic bag allowed objects to defy physical constraints, so I could store them simply by touching them while thinking โstore.โ I transferred her entire backpack, along with the single-person tent and sleeping bag Iโd been carrying, into the bag. Its time-stopping function also meant food could be stored safely.
โLetโs see, ten freshly baked loaves of bread, thirty skewers of grilled meat from that amazing food stallโฆ Is that enough? Youโll probably sneak some bites, though.โ
I packed in soup, fruit, cookies, chocolate, and candyโall of Sheeraโs favorites.
โAlright, everythingโs in here.โ
Sheera finally snapped out of her daze and flailed in protest.
โTh-Thoma! I canโt! I canโt carry such an expensive item!โ
โBut itโs handy. And once you register your magic, only you can use it.โ
โDidnโt you say youโre just lending it to me!?โ
โOh, right. Iโm lending it to you. Itโll help us move faster, though.โ
After some hesitation, Sheera reluctantly accepted the bag with teary eyes.
โJust for a little while! Iโll give it back soon!โ
โYeah, make sure you do.โ
โUghโฆ I need to earn my own magic bag in a dungeonโฆโ
She clutched the bag like a treasure, still nervous about holding such a valuable item.