Chapter 27: Termination of Contract
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27: Termination of Contract
In the blink of an eye, a week has passed since I left Lukart.
To be honest, the first three days were a series of annoying incidents, but I’ve been so focused on doing quests with the Young Lady that the days have been enjoyable enough to make me forget all that.
When we returned triumphantly from our first quest carrying tiger pelts, the Dakuren Adventurer Guild was impressed by the size and quality of the leather. They bought the two smaller ones for 3 million Dalk each and the mother for 5 million Dalk.
Including the fangs and bones, we earned a total of 15 million Dalk in side income.
The quest reward itself was only 2 million Dalk, so the extras were worth far more than the job itself. This is because, unlike monsters, tiger pelts and their byproducts have many uses.
Of course, it would have been impossible to get such pristine goods if it weren’t for the Young Lady’s skinning skills.
“Hunting is a high-class hobby. Tending to the hides of hunted beasts is a basic refinement for nobility.”
It didn’t exactly look like a “noble lady’s refinement” to me, but since she insisted it was, I couldn’t really argue.
After pocketing 7.5 million Dalk each as “pocket money” on the very first day, we continued to carry out various minor quests.
Sometimes we went to clear out slimes clogging the sewers.
“It stinks—!!! I’m a noble, you know!!”
For a noble, the Young Lady is surprisingly tough.
Other times, we escorted merchant carriages to nearby cities.
“Alto, tell me a funny story.”
“Hmm, well, there was this one time a strange chill lingered in a village warehouse that was no longer in use…”
For a noble, she was very interested in the stories of commoners.
Leaving the merchant to sleep alone in the carriage, we would sit by the campfire and pass the time with trivial small talk.
Other times, we carried loads at the market.
“You’re strong, Alto. To think you can shoulder four sacks at once.”
“You too, Young Lady. You’re handling two with ease.”
“It’s rude to tell a lady she’s strong!”
On the days we carried cargo, people stared at us with fascination.
I guess seeing a man carrying heavy loads is a rare sight.
Good grief, I wonder when it became the norm for women to do all the rough work while men just laze around.
Well, most of our work was like that.
Looking back, it seems that first quest was actually the most difficult.
Looking at the quest list provided by the Adventurer Guild, it felt intentional.
It seemed they gave us the tiger for the first quest to satisfy the Young Lady’s desire for adventure, and from then on, they gave us simple, straightforward quests that weren’t dangerous for her but allowed me to learn the geography of Dakuren City.
It wasn’t bad.
In fact, I felt grateful because it seemed like they were being quite considerate.
However.
There is one thing on my mind.
I haven’t mentioned it until now, but there’s a woman who has been hovering around the Young Lady.
Judging by her black maid uniform, she seems to be a bodyguard sent by the Old Man, and she’s quite skilled.
I noticed her immediately, of course.
The Bertrand Unit specialized in covert operations and ambushes, so noticing her was second nature.
She’s been following us since the Young Lady and I started looking for a house.
She’s likely someone arranged by the Old Man and the Countess to ensure no harm comes to the successor of Hus.
It’s a natural precaution.
The Old Man did mention that there are times when men try to approach and seduce her.
I’ve kept those words in mind, so I usually go all the way to the Lord’s Castle to meet the Young Lady before we start our day together.
My reasoning is that even if I’m ugly, other men won’t approach her if she’s already with a man.
Perhaps because I’m a stranger, everyone has just been watching from a distance so far.
What?
You’re wondering if the people of Dakuren don’t recognize the Young Lady since she’s the Lord of Hus?
The Young Lady was raised strictly within the castle walls since she was a child. It was to protect noble children from the Demons.
Therefore, the people don’t know Airune Dakuren’s face.
Since she only recently started her activities as an adventurer, rumors seem to be spreading that there is a beauty of a different caliber in Dakuren.
Hmm, imagining the Young Lady’s beauty being the talk of other men makes me feel strangely unpleasant.
I’m probably just being sensitive.
Today, I left the house leisurely around midday.
It’s a rare day off.
Since we’ve been doing quests for over a week, we need some rest.
And today is a special day in its own way.
“We’ve been working too hard. Let’s go out into the city tomorrow and find somewhere with good food.”
“Somewhere with good food?”
“Yeah! We’re having a celebration for the founding of our party and a welcome party for your recruitment, Alto.”
The Young Lady smiled meaningfully.
“Just the two of us!”
“Just the two of us? Can’t the Old Man and the Countess join us?”
“It’s a party-level celebration. Of course it’s just the two of us.”
Just the two of us.
I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it, but I hated how my heart fluttered.
“Sleep in as much as you want and meet me at the plaza fountain around evening.”
“Understood.”
“See you tomorrow, Alto!”
“Rest well.”
Right, the Young Lady said to meet in the evening.
But I’m leaving the house now, at lunchtime.
A day off is also a day to catch up on delayed administration or household chores.
And for me, the most important task delayed by quests is the donation to the church orphanage.
Yes, now that I’ve come to Dakuren and decided to settle in Hus, I must sever all ties with Lukart.
This task is part of that process.
“Greetings, Shepherd.”
“Greetings, lamb of the world.”
Churches are everywhere.
It wasn’t hard to find one in Dakuren City.
As I stepped inside, a female pastor greeted me.
True to her calling, she had a gentle impression.
Though she was younger than I expected.
“What brings you here today?”
“My name is Alto, and I’ve recently settled here in Hus.”
“Ah, I heard the news from the Lord’s Castle. Welcome to Hus and Dakuren.”
“Thank you.”
At first, the church was a strangely calm place that put my mind at ease.
But when I was ostracized by Mirei’s party and the stares and whispers of the people reached my ears, I always wondered why the church didn’t help me, even though they surely heard it too.
I am grateful to the God who allowed me to survive the Final War, but I have nothing but disappointment for God’s shepherds.
At least, that was the case in Lukart.
“Actually, I had a donation contract with a church orphanage in Lukart. But since I’ve decided to settle in Hus, I would like to sign a donation contract with a church orphanage here in the Hus region.”
“That is truly wonderful news. However, if you sign a contract with an orphanage in Hus, your contract with the Lukart region orphanage will be automatically terminated. Of course, if you wish, you can support both the Lukart and Hus orphanages.”
“No. My funds aren’t exactly overflowing, so it would be difficult to support two places at once. I’m a man of Hus now, so I should help my fellow people of Hus.”
I wonder if the Young Lady would be happy to hear me say that.
I hope so.
“I understand your intentions, Mr. Alto. It’s embarrassing to admit, but unlike Lukart, Hus has few donors, and we are desperate for a helping hand.”
Embarrassing as it is, the same was true for Lukart.
Even if women work hard and earn a lot of money, they spend it all on seducing a few men or maintaining their relationships, so they have no leeway to donate.
Isn’t it ironic?
As far as I know, it’s mostly nobles who donate to maintain their social reputation.
Because of that, thanks to my consistent donations, Krima’s performance record within the church had piled up and was quite high.
“How much were you thinking for the donation?”
“3 million Dalk every month. Since I earned well this month, I’ll make it 5 million for now.”
“What?!”
The pastor’s eyes widened.
Unless you’re a noble, a donation of this size is rare.
Absurd, isn’t it?
The Demons are gone and the world is booming, but the gap between the rich and the poor is only widening in places unseen.
My regular donation is 3 million Dalk a month.
I get 5 million Dalk in national subsidies and 8 million Dalk in settlement subsidies.
2.5 million Dalk is more than enough for living expenses.
On top of that, I’m doing quests, so there’s unexpected income like the tiger hunt.
Out of a total of 13 million Dalk, if I subtract living expenses and donations, I’m left with 7.5 million Dalk.
From that, I use 5 million Dalk to pay off the principal of my debt, pay the interest from the remaining 2.5 million, and save the rest.
At this rate, I can pay off the 40 million Dalk loan in just eight months.
“Thank you so much! With this, we can give the children a special meal once a week, and if we’re careful, we can even get them new clothes every season.”
“Right now, circumstances only allow for 3 million Dalk, but in about a year, I should be able to do 5 million regularly.”
“5 million…! Ahem, I apologize. As a shepherd, I’ve shown far too much interest in material things.”
“Is the orphanage’s situation that bad?”
“To be honest… yes.”
Did I mention this already?
I lost my family and my village to Demons and monsters.
You know that well, don’t you?
That’s why you were born.
That’s why we had no future other than becoming soldiers.
The suffering of orphans is not someone else’s problem to me.
“Let’s write up the contract right away.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
O God, if You grant me my war veteran compensation and pension, I shall donate double this amount.
I didn’t know if He would listen or if my words would even reach Him, but I prayed anyway.
The pastor, who was preparing the contract, tilted her head.
“By the way, is there a priest you would like to designate to receive the performance stipend for these donations?”
The performance stipend.
It’s nothing major.
It’s a system where 10% of the donation is paid to a priest designated by the donor.
In Lukart, the priest I designated was, of course, Krima.
Krima used that as her personal pocket money.
In the early days of the party, she used it for the good of everyone, but after she met Gerend, she started using it to pay for a single meal for that guy.
If I donated 1.5 to 2 million Dalk, that’s at least 150,000 to 200,000 Dalk. To spend that on a single meal… just how expensive were the restaurants they went to?
“I don’t have one yet. But since I might need to designate one later, please set it aside for now.”
A priest is essential for a party.
They are a must for healing and buffs.
I’ll use the performance stipend as a card to recruit a priest later.
“Understood. I will keep it safely, on my faith, until a like-minded priest arrives.”
“Thank you.”
I skimmed through the contract and signed it without any issues.
The contract takes effect the moment it’s signed.
“Here is your copy.”
Once the church and the donor each take a copy of the contract, the procedure is over.
Simple, right?
That’s right.
Through this simple procedure, I’ve cut off the performance stipend that was going to Krima.
I feel bad for the orphans in Lukart, but…
I’m truly sorry.
But kids, didn’t you also jump on the rumors in Lukart and talk behind my back just because I’m ugly?
I’m human too.
I won’t remain a tame hunting dog forever.
In the first place, I was never tamed.