Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: A Simple Method
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"Karen! You done over there?"
"No, I could use some help here..."
"Ah, Captain. Hello!"
It was a livelier morning than usual.
The guild house, which had felt spacious for its size with just a handful of people, had grown quite noisy now that more had joined.
Ian came down the stairs and spotted three people bustling about with cleaning.
Anne, Karen, and Seria. They were Tanya's friends, recently officially hired as members of the Ian Mercenary Corps' second party.
"Cleaning?"
"Yes. Tanya said the basement needed tidying..."
Normally, they left cleaning to the guild's regular maintenance staff, but certain spots like the basement warehouse—storing the mercenary corps' valuables—couldn't have outsiders poking around.
Tanya had handled it simply before, but now with more hands, she apparently couldn't just let it slide.
"Ah, Captain."
Tanya poked her head up from the stairs, spotted Ian, and hurried down before coming back up with something in hand.
"Captain. Here's that thing you asked for yesterday."
Tanya handed him a small wooden box.
It was the item Ian had asked her to prepare in advance yesterday.
He cracked it open slightly, and sure enough, the reagents and materials he'd mentioned were neatly packed inside.
"Yeah, this is it. Thanks."
"What's it suddenly for?"
Inside were the magic reagents they'd found in the Underground Sewer long ago.
They'd gathered them all, but with no one in the corps to use them, they'd just been taking up shelf space in storage.
Ian tucked the box away as he replied.
"Got someone to give them to."
Selling them all would fetch a tidy sum, but rare materials like these were often impossible to buy even with money—opportunities just didn't come around.
Of course, some hoarded for those reasons ended up rotting in storage until the game ended, and they weren't few.
Fortunately, this time luck had smiled, and someone useful had appeared.
"Wow..."
Mika, tagging along as Ian headed out, looked up at the inn with wide eyes.
A high-end inn tucked away a bit from the main shopping district.
She'd never had reason to come herself, so she'd only heard rumors—first time seeing it for real.
...If she had to compare, the guild house was probably pricier. Still, this felt far more luxurious since folks paid daily to stay here.
"People actually stay in places like this, huh."
"Outsiders with deep pockets don't have many options."
Ian figured such lodgings were a waste of coin too.
Far pricier than regular inns with little extra benefit, and no outpost bonuses like a proper base.
Of course, that was from running a mercenary corps; visitors from outside had few choices.
"Let's head in."
"C-Can we really go in?"
Mika hesitated awkwardly but followed Ian inside.
Ian stated his business to the counter staff.
"I have an appointment with Ms. Louise."
It was the lodging of the alchemist Louise, with whom they'd forged a slight connection during her rescue request last time.
"That lady must be loaded."
"Alchemists rake it in."
"Maybe I should've studied alchemy."
Mika muttered enviously as they climbed the stairs.
But... knowing more about alchemists would kill that notion quick.
Ian gave Mika the real scoop on alchemists.
"Alchemists make bank... but can't save it."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Alchemy devours money."
Alchemists overflowed with cash yet scraped every copper for research.
That's why Louise had skimped on mercenary fees or gathered materials herself, landing in that mess.
No matter how much they earned, it vanished endlessly—that was an alchemist's lot.
Staying in a fancy inn like this was half-forced.
Considering the value of what they carried, no regular inn's security would let them sleep soundly.
Ian knocked on Louise's door.
A slight rustle from inside, then the door cracked open as Louise peeked out.
"Wh-what is it?"
"Not here for more payment, so relax."
"Really...?"
The door eased open a tad more, Louise peeking out fully.
Checking if a guild staffer lurked behind Ian, no doubt.
"Phew. Come in."
After prolonged wariness, Louise finally opened the door, letting Ian and Mika enter.
Unlike a cheap inn room, hers was spacious with a table and chairs for guests.
Ian and Mika sat opposite her; Louise's gaze lingered on Mika.
"Oh. The mage girl from before. Thanks again."
"Ah, sure."
Louise recalled Mika's unusual barrier magic.
Too hectic then to chat, but quite intriguing.
"Barrier mages are rare... Mind talking sometime? Curious about your research."
"R-research?"
Why must mages research?
Mika's puffed-up pride as a 'proper mage' deflated instantly.
Sure. Later. If there's a chance.
Eyeing Louise warily, Mika mumbled a soulless dodge to escape.
"Anyway..."
Louise shifted to Ian after chatting briefly with Mika.
Time for the main point.
"If not for extra fees, Captain, what's up?"
"Curious how you'll operate in Labyrinth City going forward."
This reeks of investment or hiring.
Louise, veteran of such overtures, sensed it immediately.
Plenty approached alchemists assuming easy riches.
Ignoring how research gobbled funds bottomlessly.
Louise glanced at Ian slyly.
When picking investors, alchemists vetted if they'd freak over sunk costs.
"No bandwidth now—personal matters. Let's talk once settled."
First, open a shop in Labyrinth City, root in the city.
Fund research with proceeds, seek investment...
Plans derailed from the start.
She'd eyed a decent spot, but rescue costs gutted her capital.
What remained bought only a dingy outskirts shack by the walls.
Absurd to open shop there.
Street stall or work for someone else, for now.
"Can't be helped, then."
Ian caught her polite refusal.
He hadn't expected much—just testing waters.
They knew each other a bit; maybe she'd bite.
Unaffiliated NPCs like alchemists or smiths could join as supporters, but affinity needed raising first.
The standard way: grind their quests steadily.
...Time-consuming.
"Mika. That box."
"Ah, yes. Here."
Ian took the box from Mika and offered it to Louise, as if on cue.
"A gift."
"Oh, this is..."
Louise opened it, eyes widening at the materials inside.
Too substantial for a token gesture—serious alchemy stuff.
"You sure it's okay to just give these?"
"Picked 'em up by chance, no use for us. Better in your hands, Ms. Louise."
"Truly grateful. You're welcome anytime, Captain."
Catching an unexpected boon, Louise smiled genuinely at Ian.
With the goal chat done, nothing more to say.
Ian and Mika rose; the talk ended on a high note.
And the next day, Ian visited Louise again.
"A gift."
"Oh, again?"
And the day after.
"...This a gift too?"
"Yes."
The next day too...
"Um, Captain Ian? Hold on."
After yet another identical box, Louise finally grabbed Ian.
These weren't everyday shop wares—hard to even find.
Wondering at a non-alchemist hauling them repeatedly, Louise asked.
"Where do you keep getting these? None at the shops I checked..."
"We have extras in storage."
"More in your storeroom?"
...No alchemist could resist that.
In the end, Louise visited Ian's base, got a tour of the basement warehouse, and stared blankly at the shelves.
"......"
[Louise]'s affinity has become [Very Positive].
Recruited Alchemist [Louise] as a supporter.