Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 291

As I face Sara’s suspicions, we begin working out the idea for the booklet.

“Next, we need pictures. We need someone who can draw.”

“Why?”

“Because many of the farmers can’t read, right? The priest of the church may be able to read, but this is a matter that affects their livelihood, so they want to know the details. Depending on how much money is paid to the adventurers, taxes may increase the following year. If the priest can’t decide on this, I think the main people in the village will make the decision.”

“…That might be the case.”

In this world, the literacy rate among farmers is low. However, a lack of knowledge doesn’t imply a lack of intelligence. The farmers want to make their own decisions about their lives.

If that’s the case, we should create a system where information can be properly conveyed as much as possible. Only when there is consensus on the burden of the expenses will the adventurers who come to fulfill the requests be welcomed.

“But how do we even create illustrations? Is there anyone who can draw?” Sara asks, leaving me confused.

The level of drawing I am looking for isn’t particularly high. It would be sufficient to depict goblins or ogres standing upright, and I figure there must be someone around who can do at least that.

“Isn’t there someone at the Adventurers’ Guild who can draw if we request it?”

“You fool, there’s no way a wealthy person who can draw would be at the Adventurers’ Guild!” Sara’s denial leaves me feeling somewhat uneasy.

“Huh? You can’t draw, Sara? For example, something like this.”

I take a charcoal stick I have at hand and quickly sketch a goblin on a board. I’m not particularly skilled, but I can manage a rough outline.

Seeing that, Sara says, “Wow… Kenji is pretty impressive after all,” in an exaggerated manner.

I want her to praise me for devising the payment system instead, but it seems that my ability to create a visually clear illustration impresses her more.

“Could it be that there are few people who can draw?”

“I don’t know anyone who can.”

Thinking about it, that makes sense; in this world, writing instruments are expensive, and paper is even more costly. On top of that, there’s no art education, so unless one comes from a high social class, there are few opportunities to engage with art.

Moreover, the circumstances here are entirely different from my previous world, where people trained in drawing are common.

“This is an oversight…”

Even trying to create a simple booklet leads to one challenge after another.

That’s the nature of starting something new, but I can’t help but wish that sometimes things could progress smoothly without any issues.