Meeting the Blacksmith
It had been about six months since I became a D-rank adventurer and started working as a porter for the two of them.
Mari and Heidi had completed countless requests in that time, and they had finally gathered all the points necessary for their A-rank promotion.
And that meant the time for us to part ways had finally arrived.
"We’re scheduled to take our promotion exam now. We’ll be quite busy after that, too... I suppose once we part ways here, we won't be able to see each other for a while."
"It’s a shame. I can't believe I'm saying goodbye to you two like this."
"Well, it’s not like we’re saying goodbye forever. If the opportunity arises later, we’ll be able to meet again. Hehe..."
Heidi let out a small laugh, as if foreseeing a future reunion.
But that was only for a moment; her expression crumpled in an instant, and she was on the verge of bursting into tears.
"*Sniff*..."
"Why are you suddenly like this?"
"But, if we part ways like this, I won't be able to taste Master's cock for a while. Lately, the joy of my life has been having sex with Master, so I really hate parting like this. Waaaaah!"
Good grief, just how much do they love my cock that they’re bursting into such sorrowful tears just because they’re becoming B-ranks?
Seemingly displeased by the sight, Mari, who was standing next to her, gave a blunt remark about Heidi’s attitude.
"Don't cry. It’s not like the world is going to end just because this guy is gone."
"But, if we part ways like this, I don't know when I'll see him again... Mari, are you really okay with parting with Master like this?"
"What’s there to be not okay about? I have you."
"Oh, oh?"
Heidi looked stunned for a moment at Mari’s words.
Mari gave her a sheepish look and offered her own form of comfort.
"In the first place, once this guy leaves, we’re just going back to how things were. Besides, I’ve learned a lot, so I don't feel particularly regretful... And since I have you, I don't think I’ll be lonely."
"Ma, Mari..."
Perhaps she felt her heart swell at Mari’s words.
Heidi soon grabbed both of Mari’s hands and poured out her voice, filled with emotion.
"Then, you’ll keep hanging out with me even while Chad-ssi is gone, right?"
"Of course. We decided to be together for the rest of our lives, didn't we?"
"Then, will you also keep trying to reach climax 12 times in a row with rich, slug-like yuri play, licking each other's pussies in bed? We'll do everything we can to bite and lick each other, right!?"
"Hey, watch your language! I mean, it’s not like I can’t do it, but..."
"Waaaah~ Mari is the best~!"
Heidi smiled brightly and hugged Mari’s body tightly.
Seeing Mari hug her back, even while looking troubled, it seemed she didn't dislike the acts with Heidi either.
That’s a relief. It seems their relationship will remain sticky even without me.
"Then I’ll be going now. I wish you both a successful A-rank promotion."
Just as I was about to leave, hoping for a future reunion with the two of them...
"Wait, hold on."
Mari stopped my footsteps for a moment, then approached me, showing signs of nervousness.
"Why? Do you have something to say..."
"Never mind that, just tilt your head this way."
"Huh? Like this?"
Mari reached out as my head lowered.
What followed was a kiss on my lips, and it held a simplicity different from the sticky sexual acts we had been doing until now.
Yes, it was an act filled with genuine affection, not just sexual desire.
"...*Hoo*."
After finishing the kiss, Mari pointed her finger at me and whispered as if to warn me.
"I’m saying this just in case... You know you’re my and Heidi’s lover, right?"
"Ye, yes. I know."
"If you say anything else when we meet later, I won't let it slide. Do you understand what I mean?"
Haha, is she worried I’ll forget them later?
Even after hanging out for six months, she’s still not being honest, but well, this is just like her, so I suppose it’s right not to mind.
"I got it. When we meet again, I’ll fuck you like a dog then, too."
"Hey, Heidi is like that, and you’re like that too, can’t you just speak nicely? Damn it, why did I ever..."
Hehe, she’s acting coy even though she likes it.
After finishing our goodbyes, the two of them distanced themselves from me and began their final farewell.
"Then we’ll be going now. I hope you successfully reach C-rank, Master~!"
"When we meet next time, come back as an even cooler man."
Yes, this would be a temporary parting with the two of them.
It was a shame, as the acts we shared until now were incredibly intense and sweet.
Nevertheless, I accepted the parting with the two of them and turned my back without hesitation.
Because I was certain that if we were alive, we would meet again someday, and that their feelings for me would remain the same.
"I wonder what kind of connections I'll have next."
Yes, new connections would exist even in places where they weren't.
Holding onto that anticipation, I headed straight to the Adventurer’s Guild to promote to C-rank.
Credit points accumulated over 6 months of acting as a porter for a B-rank duo have been verified.
Credit points accumulated over six months of acting as a porter for a B-rank duo.
It’s a job that would make most D-ranks collapse within a few days, but if you’ve been performing it continuously for six months, that much credit is bound to be given.
In other words, I could now prove to the guild that I had enough credit to be promoted to C-rank.
"Yes, your C-rank promotion procedure is complete. Congratulations, Chad-ssi. With this, you have proudly become a C-rank adventurer!"
Along with the counter staff’s congratulations, the C-rank notation was stamped on the license handed to me.
As I accepted it, I felt a fair amount of pride from deep within my heart.
They said that it’s only from C-rank that you can truly call yourself an adventurer in earnest.
In that sense, I could say I had finally taken the first step toward success, and the fact that I achieved it solely with my own hands was definitely something to boast about to others.
"Look at that. That rookie moved up to C-rank."
"No, his rank is similar to ours now, so it’d be better to call him a 'rookie' rather than a newcomer."
"He spent half a year as a porter for a B-rank party. *Tsk*, I have to acknowledge that."
Contrary to the atmosphere of being looked down upon when I first entered the guild, the adventurers now showed an atmosphere of acknowledging me.
Intuitive that I was doing well, I used that confidence to express my aspirations to the counter staff to start performing requests in earnest.
"Then I can take C-rank requests now, right? Could you recommend some suitable requests I can perform at C-rank?"
"Ah, that’s not difficult, but..."
The receptionist trailed off, scanning my body up and down.
Then, as if they had discovered something concerning, they asked me in a worried tone.
"Um, by any chance, Chad-ssi, do you not have proper equipment?"
"Huh? Equipment?"
"Well, from C-rank onwards, you’ll frequently be taking on dangerous requests like subjugations or escorts. As such, it’s essential to have equipment to protect your body or assist in attacks. Also, if possible, it would be good to learn how to handle mana."
Equipment and learning how to handle mana...
It was true that for the past six months, Heidi and Mari had handled all the combat, so there was no need for me to step in, and therefore I hadn't felt the necessity to get equipment.
But from now on, I had to be the subject, not someone assisting others. In that sense, getting equipment that suited me was a necessary task.
"So, you’re saying I should get equipment before performing requests in earnest? I understand. Then I’ll come back after I’ve gotten my equipment."
"Yes~ I hope you find some good equipment~"
After parting with the receptionist and leaving the guild, I took some time to review my memories and look for suitable equipment I could get in this city.
Let’s see, according to the explanation when I first arrived in this city, was the workshop district this way?
"Oh my~ Who is this~ Isn't it the gentleman I met before?"
Just as I reached the street where the workshops were located, a familiar voice called out to me, acting as if they knew me.
Turning my gaze, I was confronted by a woman with a relatively small build and a devious impression.
"Oh, you are..."
"Hehe, I’m just a lowly errand runner who makes a living helping people in trouble. We’ve met before, do you happen to remember?"
"Ah, well, I remember. You said your name was Mania, right?"
"Oh my~ It’s truly an honor that you remember my name~"
Yes, she was the woman who gave me directions and encouraged me to become an adventurer when I first arrived in Erandel.
In a sense, she was a benefactor to me, so the feeling I felt toward her upon meeting her again was what one would call goodwill.
"*Ku-hehe*, that aside, I heard the rumors. You were promoted to C-rank in less than a year of becoming an adventurer, right?"
"Oh, has it already spread that I’m C-rank?"
"Of course~ You might not be aware of it, but you’re quite famous among low-rank adventurers~ 'Chad, the rising rookie who suddenly appeared one day~!' They even say you’re a talent that Seiya, the leader of the Phalanx Expedition and an A-rank adventurer, has her eyes on, so as someone sensitive to news, I couldn't help but be interested, could I?"
"Hmm, well, that might be the case."
"Oh my, it’s truly a proud thing~ That someone I helped has grown this much~ I’m almost tearing up like a mother watching her child grow up *sob sob*~"
It was an exaggerated attitude, but she was clearly lifting me up and feeling a sense of accomplishment herself.
Finding that not entirely bad, I thought that she might have the information I needed, so I made a suggestion.
"Hmm, right. Since it’s come to this, I have a favor to ask you."
"Yes, yes~ As long as you provide compensation, I’ll do anything for you~"
The hands she held out in front of me were likely a gesture demanding compensation.
I took out the money pouch containing the money I had earned so far, took out one gold coin, and slipped it into her hand.
"Is this enough?"
"Oh my, sir~ You’ve given me so much money. Someone like me would be satisfied with just a few silver coins to put food on the table for the day~"
"No, well, I received a lot of help from you."
If it weren't for her, I might still be wandering around in this strange world.
Thinking that my heart would feel at ease if I paid a high price for the help she gave me to settle down, I proceeded to ask her for what I needed next.
"And what I want right now isn't something mediocre, but high-quality information. I need the best equipment I can get at my current level, so could you introduce me to a suitable workshop?"
"*Ho-ho*, the best workshop, you say? I know everything about this city, so I can recommend as many as you want~"
That’s a relief. Just as I was thinking that meeting this girl by chance might be good luck, she presented me with two options.
"Then, assuming you have a certain budget, the options can be narrowed down. A workshop that handles stable mass-produced goods, or a workshop that makes equipment with good performance, though it’s expensive and the conditions are strict. Which one do you prefer?"
"Stable mass-produced goods? That has a bit of a crappy image..."
"Oh my, isn't 'mass-produced' a general term for cost-effective products that are easy to make and have good performance? Since the most 'just right' things are the most appropriate, it can be said that they are perfect for people who are getting their equipment for the first time~"
Hmm, it’s true that products made in large corporate factories are better than handmade goods bought at a flea market.
But I also had the money I had earned, and above all, since I had a body armed with cheats, I had the greed to get the best equipment if I were to get any.
"Then, please take me to the place with the best equipment possible."
"Yes~ I’ll guide you right away~ Come, come, this way~"
Mania led the way, guiding me.
The place we arrived at following her was a very secluded spot even within the workshop district, and the place we reached at the end was a place that felt very eerie and messy, unlike the workshops I had in mind.
"Is this really a workshop? Not an abandoned house?"
"Oh my, sir~ Isn't it the case that masters are the ones who make a living in such hidden places?"
Is it like a famous restaurant located in an alleyway?
Well, I assumed she wouldn't lie to me, so I went inside, and I was confronted by the sound of metal being struck—*clang, clang*—echoing through the space.
And what I encountered at the end of that was a woman in a hood, presumably the master.
"Sherri-ssi~ Your friend Mania has brought a customer~"
"..."
The woman turned her gaze without a word. The tired look on her face told me she was quite the workaholic, but what caught my eye even more was her erotic attire visible below her face.
A jacket short enough to reveal her entire waist, and an outfit where a single piece of cloth covering her absurdly large breasts peeking through was everything.
"...Welcome. Customer."
I felt a reaction in my lower body as I accepted the greeting from her, who was nonchalantly greeting me while openly revealing such a violent body.
"Ah, yes. Hello, Sherri-ssi. Actually, I came here because I wanted to get some equipment..."
Ah, fuck. To think I’d find such an absurd treasure in a place this remote.
I wonder, is there a way to sweet-talk her and fuck her?