Chapter 12: Searching for the Giant Slime
At noon, within the dirty and chaotic stable, when Durin finished the final shot, the scene depicting the arrival in the adventurer's town was essentially completed.
"Although the lighting isn't ideal, both of your performances were excellent. Let's call it a day for now."
With Durin's announcement, Zat and Aya, who had become accustomed to switching between their acting and regular states, followed him out. Initially, they had thought Durin might actually make them sleep in the stable. To be honest, even the knight's lounge at the castle would be preferable to this dismal environment.
What they were most looking forward to, however, was what the Lord would treat them to for dinner. After all, they still remembered the delicious meals cooked by Winry back at Edward's castle, and coming to this bustling city of Nosrick heightened their anticipation.
Anticipating their curiosity, Durin flashed a prepared smile and had Winry, who was waiting outside, hand them a box filled with food. He said, "These are standard actor's boxed meals. From now on, any new actors who join us will also eat these. Rest assured, Winry personally prepared these in a kitchen she borrowed from a nearby household. The food prepared by those chefs isn't much better than this."
Initially a cost-saving measure considered by Winry, Durin found this practice quite agreeable once implemented. After all, it wasn't feasible to dine out with the actors every day. He planned to take everyone out for a meal once the film was completed, perhaps even throw a party. That would be more fitting.
So, Durin instructed Winry to prepare these boxed meals, similar to bento boxes, to distribute to everyone after filming. Of course, this was primarily for the main cast. If every extra received a boxed meal, Winry would likely be overwhelmed.
Unexpectedly, Zat and Aya received their boxed meals from Winry, and upon opening them, they found neatly packaged dishes that were still warm due to the sealed containers.
"This is delicious."
"Yeah, even though it's just ordinary food, it somehow tastes better when packaged like this."
Their comments brought a smile to Durin's face as he, too, sat on the ground and enjoyed his boxed meal. He then continued, "You've read the script and should know that we'll have new actors joining us next.
"Hmm, well, um, Lord Durin... Director, where do you plan to find these actors? I recall one is supposed to be a mage who can only use explosion magic once a day, and the other is a swordswoman with terrible skills but enjoys being abused. Honestly, I find this setup quite odd..."
Listening to Zat's musings while he ate, Durin simply smiled and replied, "I already have someone in mind for the former. Once she arrives, we can start filming right away. As for the latter, I plan to post a commission at the Adventurer's Guild. I won't set the bar too high; I just need a woman adventurer who fits the description and is obedient and resilient. After all, in this world where filmmaking is unheard of, having slightly lesser acting skills won't be an issue."
"Anyway, Director, what do we do before we find the actors?" Zat's question caught Aya's attention, who was also licking her box. Although they had read the script, as with the previous deletion of the Adventurer's Guild scene, it was ultimately up to Durin to decide what to film next.
Durin replied casually, "What's next? Honestly, the prop actors haven't been prepared yet, so I intend to wait until everyone is ready before filming."
"That works, but Director, how are we going to handle the giant frog mentioned in the script? I don't recall any creatures like that in this world's bestiary." Zat's inquiry brought up a crucial issue, causing Durin to nod in agreement. He understood that while this world was filled with wondrous creatures he had never heard of before his arrival, it lacked the giant frogs seen in "Konosuba."
After contemplating for a moment, Durin spoke slowly, "While there aren't any giant frogs, there are slimes. I remember seeing some oversized slimes in the monster compendium at the Mage Tower. I just don't know where they are sold."
"Slimes? We hardly have any wild monsters in our Southern Territory, so I've never seen a slime in my life," Zat remarked, causing Durin to furrow his brow. Realizing this was a problem that needed a solution, he pondered for a moment before replying, "I recall there are usually specialized monster merchants in towns. Slimes, being low-level and easy to care for, seem to be quite popular."
"Oh, I've seen them! They even sell silver-gray wolf cubs there! They're really cute!" Winry's confirmation validated Durin's suggestion. Evidently, this otherworld also had so-called pet shops, but due to its uniqueness, the creatures sold weren't your typical pets; they were relatively harmless monsters.
"Anyway, let's try our luck at the pet... monster shop. Who knows, we might actually find a rare giant slime there. Even if we don't, we can still ask around."
With Durin's decision, the group set off eagerly towards the town. Looking back, they hadn't had a moment's rest since they arrived to film, and now they finally had some time to explore the town called Nosrick.
...
As one of the largest towns in the Southern Territory, Nosrick boasted well-developed transportation and a variety of shops. The bustling streets dazzled with prosperity, and Winry and the others couldn't stop marveling at the sights.
However, Durin, who had seen the capital and witnessed the prosperity of another world, didn't feel as impressed. After calmly asking for directions, he led the group to a monster shop at the corner of the street.
According to passersby, the owner of this monster shop often travels around, possessing rich experience and knowledge. As long as it's a creature that exists in reality, he can provide some clues about it.
With a hint of anticipation, Durin opened the door of the monster shop and stepped inside. What greeted them was a scene resembling a zoo, with various monsters moving around freely in the room without any constraints or fences, making them wonder where they had stepped into.
Upon seeing customers enter, the shop owner immediately approached them and greeted, "Welcome to the monster shop. What can I help you with?"
The shop owner was a man in his twenties or thirties, although his gray hair made him appear somewhat aged, he still looked relatively young.
Just as Durin was about to say something, furry ears suddenly appeared behind the shop owner. Before anyone could express their surprise, a girl with animal ears and a tail dashed out from behind the shop owner.
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