Chapter 30: Since It's the First Day
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 30: Since It's the First Day
“Porridge and... half a loaf of rye bread...”
“Got it.”
Judging by her appearance, she wasn't in great shape. For an explorer’s dinner—the one meal that should be the most luxurious—ordering porridge for eight bronze coins and half a loaf of rye bread for three was a sorry sight.
She didn't say it out loud, but her entire body was screaming that she was broke and desperate.
Clink.
After receiving the eleven bronze coins from Tresha, I tucked them into my pocket. I headed to the kitchen, handed Auntie a silver coin, and picked up a tray of meat, cheese, salad, and soup before returning to the desk.
Sera, who had been watching from the side, gave me a bright smile, seemingly moved by my kindness. For some reason, it felt a bit chilling.
“Um, I-I didn't order this...”
“Just eat it. It’s on me.”
“I can’t accept something like—”
“Then I’m throwing it in the shitter. I can’t resell food once it’s been served.”
“A-Ah, no! I’ll eat it! Thank you...”
Despite the portion being quite large for a small woman to finish alone, the plates were cleared in an instant. I guess playing hard to get before digging in is a universal trait.
It reminded me of the way relatives act when elders try to give them pocket money. That one silver coin wasn't just for the food, though. She looked exhausted, so just in case, I had also secured a room for her.
The Mounted Goat Inn offered great value, priced at fifty bronze coins a night despite its excellent location.
“Once you’re done, get to work. Just go to the kitchen, grab the food, and bring it here.”
“Huh?”
“‘Huh?’ what?”
At my words, Tresha glanced around nervously before nodding. She immediately began stuffing her face again, so I gave her a look to tell her not to eat so fast.
In the kitchen, Sera and Auntie did most of the cooking. When I wasn't around, Sera often left the kitchen to serve the food.
When I was there, Sera and I split the task of bringing the food out. I’d help with any heavy lifting in the kitchen, but clearing the tables was almost entirely my job.
Having someone just to bring the food out to the lobby would make things much easier. After Tresha slowly finished her meal, I told her to go up to the second floor, pick any room to unpack, and then get to work bringing food to the lobby.
It was a simple task that anyone past the age of growing hair could do. Not that I was saying bald people couldn't do it.
* * *
“Good work, Sera.”
“Yeah. The guests stayed really late today.”
“Tell me about it. You’re quite popular, Sera.”
“Me—?”
Passing by a beaming Sera, I finished tidying the last table and called Tresha over. She had been standing awkwardly in a corner of the first-floor dining area, and I sat her down in front of the desk.
“Hmm.”
“Um, well...”
“Right. Let’s hear it. What’s the story?”
Auntie didn't seem to care much. She gave us a quick glance and headed to her room to get ready for bed. Sera sat beside me, listening quietly, but she seemed to be in 'judge mode' for some reason.
She had her arms crossed, resting them under her ample chest. It was a rather... aggressive posture.
It looked like fun, so I crossed my arms as well and sat back with my legs crossed.
“T-Thank you... The food was delicious...”
Her first words were an expression of gratitude. That’s a bonus point for manners.
“My party was badly hurt on the 4th Floor. Ant is unconscious, and while Rufina is awake, her right leg is broken...”
“Oh dear...”
The strict judge mode Sera was in vanished instantly. Her expression softened into one of pure sympathy. I wondered what she had been imagining to be so guarded in the first place.
Ant was likely the boy, and Rufina was probably the archer. I remembered hearing those names.
“S-So... I need to earn money. But I ended up with a curse-type skill...”
“What kind of skill did you get?”
“That’s...”
Tresha hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.
“The Wolf Attraction Skill...”
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
What came out of Tresha’s mouth was completely outside my expectations. Wolf Attraction Skill? Wolf? Attraction? Could those two words even coexist?
I consider myself a healthy male with a very open mind, but unfortunately, I don't have a positive view of feeling sexual arousal toward non-human species. As I said, I’m a man with a healthy mind.
“Wait, a skill like that actually exists?”
“Mm... I’ve heard there are skills that can alter one’s sexual preferences.”
Sera spoke up from beside me, rubbing her own arm. How tragic. It wasn't like becoming a cripple or going blind, but having your sexual orientation suddenly rewritten? I didn't know skills could do that.
‘Well, I suppose if there’s a skill that increases strength by eating shit, anything is possible.’
Since wolves are the first monsters you encounter in the labyrinth after kobolds, becoming attracted to them was essentially the same as being barred from entering the labyrinth.
“T-This is a skill suppressant potion I got from the appraisal office.”
“That’s the potion from the Sateria Appraisal Office.”
“Yes... I drank a sip just now to test its effectiveness...”
She said she had gone to the Monster Auction while on the potion to see if it worked. The Monster Auction is a place where live-captured monsters are traded. Aside from a few legal vendors, I knew most of them were illegal spots located in the Southeast.
“So, did it work?”
“Yes, it was effective for now. They said one sip lasts about a day.”
“Hmm, I see.”
“I won’t run into any direwolves unless I’m in the labyrinth, so I’m trying to save it.”
True. Where else would you see those wolves inside the city? Potion prices aren't cheap, so she had to be frugal.
“So. You can’t go to the labyrinth, so you can’t earn money, and all the money you had went toward medical bills and potions. Is that it?”
“Yes...”
“Then why exactly did you come looking for me?”
“I-It’s not like I specifically came looking for you...”
“Fine, let’s say that’s the case. You must have a plan, though.”
Tresha’s lips quivered a few times before she suddenly stood up from her chair and bowed her head deeply.
“P-Please take me to the labyrinth with you! I’m fine with being a porter! I’ll work hard to be useful!”
“Hmm.”
Sera, who had been sitting beside me, seemed to ponder with her eyes closed for a moment before grabbing Tresha’s shoulders and helping her stand straight.
“What’s your name?”
“Tresha... I don’t have a last name.”
“What about your parents? Or any acquaintances you can ask for help?”
“No. We... I mean, the two people I was in a party with and I came from a small village to the east...”
Apparently, a group of neighborhood kids had gathered some money and traveled to a larger city to catch a caravan here, hoping to make a name for themselves in the Labyrinth City.
Seriously, what were their parents doing while these kids were planning something so reckless?
“My parents told me to give it a shot and that they’d be rooting for me...”
“Good grief.”
“B-But they gave us a lot of support! We each left home with fifty silver coins...”
Weren't the parents a bit too open-minded? Well, at least they didn't just send them off irresponsibly. Seeing as they handed over that much money to support their children. But this was the result.
One unconscious, one with a broken leg, and the last one suddenly turned into a wolf-lover. I had no idea how to handle this.
“Where are your injured friends now?”
“Ant and Rufina are resting at the cathedral in the West. Rufina should be fully healed in about a week, but Ant...”
“You don't know when he’ll recover?”
“He’s unconscious, and his wounds were very deep...”
Fortunately, she said the medical bills were all settled. They didn't have much money, but since they were Brass Grade and young, the cathedral had taken good care of them. Still, it must have cost a fortune.
“And you have no money left?”
“I had to sell Ant’s armor to raise the funds...”
Well, it’s not like an unconscious guy needs metal armor.
Regardless, it was a difficult situation. Honestly, I wanted to enter the labyrinth alone from now on. I didn't see any merit in traveling with others. I could just sleep at the base.
“Please..! I’ll work hard!”
“Hmm...”
Then, a good idea struck me.
“Sera. The inn is busy, right? I think we could use another hand.”
“Hmm—that’s tough. We’re busy, but not so much that we can’t manage, and the issue is whether we can pay a salary comparable to other places.”
“Is the salary the problem?”
In front of us, Tresha was frantically looking back and forth between us, looking like a nervous wreck.
“What’s the average monthly salary for an inn employee?”
“It varies by inn, but for a place like this, it’s usually around forty silver coins.”
So if you eat three proper meals a day, you’re only left with ten silver coins. Considering clothes and other necessities, that’s a bit low.
“Sera. I’ll cover the salary. Please hire Tresha.”
“Look at these two, selling the land and the house while the owner’s away.”
Auntie, who had come out of her room at some point, was leaning against the wall, having heard the whole conversation. Of course, this was something I had to discuss with her.
“Auntie. Please just use her for one month. You have such a kind heart, after all.”
Auntie scratched her head and turned to look at Tresha.
“I-I’ll work hard! Please let me work!”
“Good grief, fine. I won’t charge for the room, so you just make sure she gets her wages.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve been making decent money lately.”
And so, with Auntie’s permission and the sympathetic Sera’s ready agreement, it was settled. With one more employee, my workload would finally decrease.
“And you, take that slop bucket over there and go dump it in the pit.”
“Yes, ma'am. Tresha, you heard her?”
“Huh? Ah, yes!”
As I gestured for Tresha to follow me, Sera grabbed her.
“Aven~? I’m going to show Tresha around the inn first. Okay?”
“Hey now.”
Wait, does the employer have to handle the slop?
“I-I’ll do it!”
“No. Go with Sera and get some rest.”
I’ll let it slide, since it’s her first day.