Chapter 204: Blessing (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 204: Blessing (4)
Missha had been kidnapped, and in the city too. Just hearing this made it sound like something big had happened, but I calmly awaited more details. If what she was saying was true, it was strange that Ainar had been sleeping peacefully in her room before I arrived.
"Kidnapped? Explain in more detail. What happened, and when did it happen?"
"It happened yesterday!"
The incident happened only a day ago. Apparently, Ainar and Missha had been on their way back from a simple meal out, but upon returning to the inn, they found beastmen in black clothing waiting for Missha.
"Ah! It sounded like they came from Missha's home!"
That meant they had been sent by the head of her family.
"...And?"
"What do you mean 'and'?! The beastmen whispered something to Missha and took her by force!"
Hmm, could you really call that by force? "Did Missha say anything to you?"
"She said she'd be back tonight so I just needed to spend today alone. Oh! She also told me to go greet you, Bjorn... but I was so worried that I couldn't sleep and ended up oversleeping!"
I couldn't help but laugh. Aside from the oversleeping part, Missha had even had time to give Ainar instructions before leaving, so how could this have been a kidnapping?
When I asked that, the answer I got in return was passionate. "As she said that, Missha looked like she really didn't want to go! If that's not kidnapping, what is?!"
Taking away someone who didn't want to go? That sounded like common barbarian logic—except, I was also one of those barbarians. "Okay, so it's true that Missha was kidnapped." I knew just how pointless it was to argue with a barbarian over whether something was a kidnapping or not.
"Right? I was so surprised I went to Aruru too, but I got mad because she acted like it was no big deal!"
"What did Raven say?"
"That I shouldn't do anything funny and to wait at home until you got back, Bjorn. That's why I haven't even reported it to the Public Peace Agency yet!"
Ok, that was a good move on Raven's part. It was best to leave a barbarian to a barbarian. And if that didn't work, it was best not to bother talking to one at all.
"So! What are you going to do, Bjorn!? Of course we're going to break in, right? Missha is our teammate!"
And do you know what will happen if we do that?
"Missha is also a warrior," I said bluntly. "You have to give her time to figure this out on her own."
"That's... I see!"
"She said she'll be back today, so if she's not back by tonight, I'll go looking for her."
"Okay!" When I explained the situation in a barbarian-like way, Ainar readily agreed without being stubborn.
"It's morning, are you hungry?"
"Of course I am hungry!"
First, I took Ainar out for breakfast. Then I listened to what had happened while I was away. There was nothing particularly notable, just repetitive days of training, eating, and going home. It seemed the usual meetings with Raven and Mr. Bear had been put on pause until my return.
"Oh, Missha also complimented you back then. She said that even if it doesn't seem like it, Bjorn is the team's heart so we can't get together without you!"
"Oh... I see." Embarrassment crept in from nowhere. Well, on the bright side, that was a hundred times better than trash-talking me behind my back... I changed the subject. "Did Missha give you money for food?"
"Oh, yeah, but I used it all up."
"...I'll leave you money, so use it to buy food until tonight."
"Are you leaving? Without waiting for Missha?"
"Staying home won't change anything. I need to do what I have to do. Missha would want that too."
After the meal, I deposited Ainar in her room and went out. My first stop was the Magic Tower.
"Oh, you're here? How are you feeling?"
"Thanks to the antidote from Mozlan, everything seems fine."
"That's good. You must be tired. Anyway, did you hear about Miss Karlstein?"
"Yes. I plan on checking it out for myself if she doesn't come back today, so don't worry."
"I wasn't worried to begin with. It's Miss Ainar who's acting weird. Why is she freaking out over Miss Karlstein going to her parents' house?"
I smiled ruefully but kept quiet. Unlike Raven, I knew the backstory surrounding Missha and her family, which was why I had no choice but to worry. "Anyway, I heard you couldn't divide the loot since I wasn't there. Let's meet up tomorrow."
"What if Miss Karlstein is late?"
"Then I will come back and let you know."
After that, I briefly asked about what had been going on with her lately, set up a time, and parted ways. The next stop was Mr. Bear's tavern.
"Oh, you're back at last. You must be tired."
"Did anything happen while I was gone?"
"Nothing in particular. But shouldn't I be asking you that? How was staying in Bifron?"
"It wasn't bad. It was a comfortable place to live." Just like with Raven, I exchanged brief updates with Mr. Bear and informed him of the place and time to meet.
"We can finally split that money," he said.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. You could have asked for your share first."
"No, those kinds of things have to be done officially in front of everyone to prevent conflict. Besides, it's not like you were off on vacation."
"Thanks for understanding. Then I will head out."
After leaving the tavern, I debated what to do. There was still a lot of time left until dinner, so how should I fill the time? After thinking it over for a while, I headed for the library. Not only was this the perfect place to kill time, but I had to report my survival to someone there.
"...Bjorn Yandel." As soon as I arrived at the library, Ragna stiffened.
"Long time no see," I said with a casual smirk.
I was about to explain why I hadn't shown up for the past twenty days, but before I could do that, Ragna spoke first. "I heard. Not only did you use a special ability in the city, but you violated the rules to enter the labyrinth and were exiled as a result."
Oh, so she knew. Well, judging by what was said at the Round Table, it sounded like it was common knowledge as much as it was a political issue.
"I am glad that you seem to have returned safely. And I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" Her apology didn't make sense in this context at all.
When I tilted my head, Ragna cautiously continued, "I inquired with the steward in case I could help you, but he said there was nothing I could do..."
"Oh... I see." Embarrassment crept in from nowhere. Well, on the bright side, that was a hundred times better than trash-talking me behind my back... I changed the subject. "Did Missha give you money for food?"
"Oh, yeah, but I used it all up."
"...I'll leave you money, so use it to buy food until tonight."
"Are you leaving? Without waiting for Missha?"
"Staying home won't change anything. I need to do what I have to do. Missha would want that too."
After the meal, I deposited Ainar in her room and went out. My first stop was the Magic Tower.
"Oh, you're here? How are you feeling?"
"Thanks to the antidote from Mozlan, everything seems fine."
"That's good. You must be tired. Anyway, did you hear about Miss Karlstein?"
"Yes. I plan on checking it out for myself if she doesn't come back today, so don't worry."
"I wasn't worried to begin with. It's Miss Ainar who's acting weird. Why is she freaking out over Miss Karlstein going to her parents' house?"
I smiled ruefully but kept quiet. Unlike Raven, I knew the backstory surrounding Missha and her family, which was why I had no choice but to worry. "Anyway, I heard you couldn't divide the loot since I wasn't there. Let's meet up tomorrow."
"What if Miss Karlstein is late?"
"Then I will come back and let you know."
After that, I briefly asked about what had been going on with her lately, set up a time, and parted ways. The next stop was Mr. Bear's tavern.
"Oh, you're back at last. You must be tired."
"Did anything happen while I was gone?"
"Nothing in particular. But shouldn't I be asking you that? How was staying in Bifron?"
"It wasn't bad. It was a comfortable place to live." Just like with Raven, I exchanged brief updates with Mr. Bear and informed him of the place and time to meet.
"We can finally split that money," he said.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. You could have asked for your share first."
"No, those kinds of things have to be done officially in front of everyone to prevent conflict. Besides, it's not like you were off on vacation."
"Thanks for understanding. Then I will head out."
After leaving the tavern, I debated what to do. There was still a lot of time left until dinner, so how should I fill the time? After thinking it over for a while, I headed for the library. Not only was this the perfect place to kill time, but I had to report my survival to someone there.
"...Bjorn Yandel." As soon as I arrived at the library, Ragna stiffened.
"Long time no see," I said with a casual smirk.
I was about to explain why I hadn't shown up for the past twenty days, but before I could do that, Ragna spoke first. "I heard. Not only did you use a special ability in the city, but you violated the rules to enter the labyrinth and were exiled as a result."
Oh, so she knew. Well, judging by what was said at the Round Table, it sounded like it was common knowledge as much as it was a political issue.
"I am glad that you seem to have returned safely. And I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" Her apology didn't make sense in this context at all.
When I tilted my head, Ragna cautiously continued, "I inquired with the steward in case I could help you, but he said there was nothing I could do..."
I still couldn't understand. Why was she apologizing and who was this steward? When I asked her, Ragna clammed up like she hadn't meant to say that. I didn't dig, either, because I figured there was no way she'd tell me about any of that, anyway.
Sounds like she's talking about her family situation...
My dormant curiosity about Ragna surged to the surface again. She was a wizard in her twenties who was at least rank five, with the stench of wealth emanating from her clothes and wand, and she had even just mentioned a steward. There were times I was unsure considering she was working as a librarian, but she was most definitely a noble.
That's a bit strange too.
I'd looked into it out of curiosity in the past. There was no noble family with the surname Peprok. So who was she?
"...Are you going to read?"
"Oh, yeah. I intend to."
Uncomfortable with my stare, Ragna changed the subject. And so I just headed in to read some books.
Well, I'm sure I'll get the chance to figure it out later.
It wasn't like she'd ever done anything to harm me. It wouldn't be good for an outsider to dig into someone else's family affairs when they didn't want to talk about it. Whoever she was, our current relationship wasn't bad.
Anyway, I didn't find the Complete Books series today, either.
Reading until the sky turned dark outside the window, I slowly cleaned up my spot and got up. After discovering one of the Complete Books by coincidence I continued looking for them on occasion, but I didn't find any this time, either.
"Are you leaving?"
"There is someone waiting for me."
"...I see."
After returning to the inn, I had dinner with Ainar and asked her what she had done that day.
"Today? I took a nap and visited the holy land because I was bored."
"Holy land?"
"It is fun to teach the young warriors. It makes me nostalgic for the old days too."
The way I see it, she's no different from the old days... Well, her combat power did rise tremendously.
"Let's visit together next time. Everyone wants to see you. It's already been twenty days."
"Okay, let's go together next time."
Since declaring that I would become the chief of the tribe, I had been visiting the holy land whenever I had time to provide early education, so I agreed without much hesitation. I needed to raise my approval rating in advance, after all.
"Haha, the young warriors will be delighted."
Since we were both barbarians, by the time that conversation was over, so were our meals. We didn't head back to our rooms and instead waited on the first floor, which doubled as a restaurant, because Missha wasn't back yet.
Did something really go wrong?
I grew more worried as the night grew darker, but thankfully Missha appeared about an hour later. In sharp contrast to her usual bright clothing, she was dressed in black. "Huh? Bjorn?"
"It's Missha! Missha is back!" Ainar ran straight to Missha and hugged her.
"Ah! Don't. I'm not in the mood for that!" Missha sighed and peeled Ainar off of her. Then she came down and sat in front of me. "...Sorrry. I was planning on waiting for you therrre."
I still couldn't understand. Why was she apologizing and who was this steward? When I asked her, Ragna clammed up like she hadn't meant to say that. I didn't dig, either, because I figured there was no way she'd tell me about any of that, anyway.
Sounds like she's talking about her family situation...
My dormant curiosity about Ragna surged to the surface again. She was a wizard in her twenties who was at least rank five, with the stench of wealth emanating from her clothes and wand, and she had even just mentioned a steward. There were times I was unsure considering she was working as a librarian, but she was most definitely a noble.
That's a bit strange too.
I'd looked into it out of curiosity in the past. There was no noble family with the surname Peprok. So who was she?
"...Are you going to read?"
"Oh, yeah. I intend to."
Uncomfortable with my stare, Ragna changed the subject. And so I just headed in to read some books.
Well, I'm sure I'll get the chance to figure it out later.
It wasn't like she'd ever done anything to harm me. It wouldn't be good for an outsider to dig into someone else's family affairs when they didn't want to talk about it. Whoever she was, our current relationship wasn't bad.
Anyway, I didn't find the Complete Books series today, either.
Reading until the sky turned dark outside the window, I slowly cleaned up my spot and got up. After discovering one of the Complete Books by coincidence I continued looking for them on occasion, but I didn't find any this time, either.
"Are you leaving?"
"There is someone waiting for me."
"...I see."
After returning to the inn, I had dinner with Ainar and asked her what she had done that day.
"Today? I took a nap and visited the holy land because I was bored."
"Holy land?"
"It is fun to teach the young warriors. It makes me nostalgic for the old days too."
The way I see it, she's no different from the old days... Well, her combat power did rise tremendously.
"Let's visit together next time. Everyone wants to see you. It's already been twenty days."
"Okay, let's go together next time."
Since declaring that I would become the chief of the tribe, I had been visiting the holy land whenever I had time to provide early education, so I agreed without much hesitation. I needed to raise my approval rating in advance, after all.
"Haha, the young warriors will be delighted."
Since we were both barbarians, by the time that conversation was over, so were our meals. We didn't head back to our rooms and instead waited on the first floor, which doubled as a restaurant, because Missha wasn't back yet.
Did something really go wrong?
I grew more worried as the night grew darker, but thankfully Missha appeared about an hour later. In sharp contrast to her usual bright clothing, she was dressed in black. "Huh? Bjorn?"
"It's Missha! Missha is back!" Ainar ran straight to Missha and hugged her.
"Ah! Don't. I'm not in the mood for that!" Missha sighed and peeled Ainar off of her. Then she came down and sat in front of me. "...Sorrry. I was planning on waiting for you therrre."
"It's fine. I'm not a child. Anyway, how did things go on your end? From what Ainar said, it sounds like something's happened."
"Oh, that..." Missha trailed off and glanced at Ainar. "Ainar, you go up and sleep."
"Eh? How come?"
"Hush."
"Fine! I'll go sleep!"
First, she sent Ainar up, and then we talked.
"So, why did your family call you?"
"Well... one of my brothers died so I had to go. After all, I am still a memberrr of the family."
"It was because of a funeral." Despite what I was worried about, it didn't seem like they had really taken her by force. However, one thing was suspicious. "How strange. At this point in time?" The labyrinth had closed weeks ago, so a funeral at this time meant that there must have been a fatal incident in the city.
"Don't worry, it's nothing strrrange. He was always sick. The priest had to be called in every day to trrreat him."
"So it's not the guy from the Lord of the Floor incident. Then who was it? Judging by your dark expression, was it the big brother who used to be nice to you?" I asked bluntly.
"...You prrrobably don't know him. I've never talked about him to you."
"Really?" That probably meant it was one of those guys who had bullied and ignored Missha. Then why did she look so gloomy? "Something other than the funeral must have happened, then."
"...How did you know?"
It was nothing special. If I said I could tell just by the look on her face, though, she'd probably get mad so I beat around the bush a little. "If it was just about the funeral, you wouldn't have sent Ainar off."
"Honestly, why arrre you so smart?"
"...Tell me. What happened?"
"Well..." Missha sighed and continued. "Father... No, that man wants me to brrring you home again."
Why couldn't everyone just leave me alone? The head of the Karlstein family wanted to see me again. I wondered if there was a new clue about the Ring of the Frost Spirit.
"Anyway, that's that. You don't have to go. I already put my foot down and turrrned him down."
Since Missha took care of it, I didn't think I'd have to worry about this issue anymore. Apparently, she told him to come visit me himself instead of ordering me to come to him. If there was no news, that would mean whatever he wanted wasn't a big deal.
If he really comes to find me... I'll hear him out then. It feels like there'll be trouble if I go over there myself.
So, that was that.
"Ahh, the more I think about it, the more it pisses me off. What the hell does that man think of me? Funerrral or not, I'm not listening to him anymore."
Afterward, I chatted with Missha, who was burning with the determination to become independent. I told her about the past twenty days before going to bed.
***
The next afternoon, we had our meeting.
"It's been a really long time since we all got together. How have you all been?" said Raven.
All the members of Team Apple Narak were gathered. The location was the three-story tavern where we had been holding meetings since the first day. The goal was to distribute the loot, which hadn't been paid out yet.
"It's fine. I'm not a child. Anyway, how did things go on your end? From what Ainar said, it sounds like something's happened."
"Oh, that..." Missha trailed off and glanced at Ainar. "Ainar, you go up and sleep."
"Eh? How come?"
"Hush."
"Fine! I'll go sleep!"
First, she sent Ainar up, and then we talked.
"So, why did your family call you?"
"Well... one of my brothers died so I had to go. After all, I am still a memberrr of the family."
"It was because of a funeral." Despite what I was worried about, it didn't seem like they had really taken her by force. However, one thing was suspicious. "How strange. At this point in time?" The labyrinth had closed weeks ago, so a funeral at this time meant that there must have been a fatal incident in the city.
"Don't worry, it's nothing strrrange. He was always sick. The priest had to be called in every day to trrreat him."
"So it's not the guy from the Lord of the Floor incident. Then who was it? Judging by your dark expression, was it the big brother who used to be nice to you?" I asked bluntly.
"...You prrrobably don't know him. I've never talked about him to you."
"Really?" That probably meant it was one of those guys who had bullied and ignored Missha. Then why did she look so gloomy? "Something other than the funeral must have happened, then."
"...How did you know?"
It was nothing special. If I said I could tell just by the look on her face, though, she'd probably get mad so I beat around the bush a little. "If it was just about the funeral, you wouldn't have sent Ainar off."
"Honestly, why arrre you so smart?"
"...Tell me. What happened?"
"Well..." Missha sighed and continued. "Father... No, that man wants me to brrring you home again."
Why couldn't everyone just leave me alone? The head of the Karlstein family wanted to see me again. I wondered if there was a new clue about the Ring of the Frost Spirit.
"Anyway, that's that. You don't have to go. I already put my foot down and turrrned him down."
Since Missha took care of it, I didn't think I'd have to worry about this issue anymore. Apparently, she told him to come visit me himself instead of ordering me to come to him. If there was no news, that would mean whatever he wanted wasn't a big deal.
If he really comes to find me... I'll hear him out then. It feels like there'll be trouble if I go over there myself.
So, that was that.
"Ahh, the more I think about it, the more it pisses me off. What the hell does that man think of me? Funerrral or not, I'm not listening to him anymore."
Afterward, I chatted with Missha, who was burning with the determination to become independent. I told her about the past twenty days before going to bed.
***
The next afternoon, we had our meeting.
"It's been a really long time since we all got together. How have you all been?" said Raven.
All the members of Team Apple Narak were gathered. The location was the three-story tavern where we had been holding meetings since the first day. The goal was to distribute the loot, which hadn't been paid out yet.
"I heard it yesterday, but I want to hear it one more time. What is the total income?"
"Including the Fox Flame Knot that sold a few days ago, it's 159 million stones."
"Is that including the cost of your labor?"
"Yes. I thought about it, but in the end, we killed everyone on that side. It seems funny to claim sole responsibility for the labor now. So the only thing I took out in advance was the cost of the Magic Vial."
Well, even if it weren't for that, the loot would have ended up in our hands after the battle. Still, I was surprised. Honestly, I thought she'd claim it all as hers. She'd gotten a bit softer these days, at least compared to when we first met.
"Anyway, I've compiled the details of the final settlement here. Please refer to this—it'll make things easier."
Reading through the document Raven had prepared with even the receipts attached, we began the official settlements. Mana stone income was evenly distributed. Even equipment and combat income were split equally. However, the herbs harvested in Doppelganger Forest were classified as special loot, so Raven took 40 percent. The potions were not sold and were instead classified as shared items. As the documents were organized in an easy-to-read format, the complicated payments went smoothly.
"Thirty million stones, huh?"
Aside from slight discrepancies, a huge sum of thirty million stones landed in each lap, our highest income ever. But now we had to start the repayment process.
"Now then, all that remains is the settlement for the loot we've kept. Actually, I have some spare time these days so I've organized these a bit too. As customary, the payment is set at about 70 percent of the average market price so it will be much cheaper than actually buying them." Raven spoke while looking at each one of us. "First, Miss Karlstein. The leather boots augmented with Acceleration and Adjustment magic are 2.1 million. The lithinum necklace with Cold Reinforcement is 2.7. That's a total of 4.8 million. But since your share is being subtracted here... You just have to pay 3.84 million stones."
"Ugh..."
"Miss Ainar's expandable backpack is 1.5 million... That's it. Just pay 1.2 million stones."
"Ugh."
"Mr. Urikfried's sub-space quiver is 2.1 million. The steel breastplate is 550,000... But why did you take the breastplate?"
"...I'm going to get an Adjustment spell placed on it and give it to Iradun."
"That's not a bad idea. Although it will be cumbersome to put it on him each time you summon him... Anyway, you can pay 2.12 million stones."
Aside from Raven, who did not take any personal loot, everyone placed their payment on the table. Then it was my long-awaited turn. How much would I have to cough up?
"And finally, Mr. Yandel. First, 3.1 million for the idium gaiters. Then 3.3 million for No. 8667: Outlaw of the Wilderness."
"Wait a minute, leave out Outlaw of the Wilderness. I intend to keep it as a team item, not personal loot."
"...A team item?"
"It might be useful against that guy on the fifth floor. It'll be a good idea to hold on to it for then."
"Hmm." Raven looked at me like an IRS employee looking at a tax evader. But in the end, she agreed. "That sounds reasonable. Although I feel like I'm getting the short stick here. Let's move on to the next one." Before I could even feel relieved about saving some money, Raven moved on to the final items, those which could be called the crown jewels of this settlement. "The Essence of the Manticore, and No. 2988: Mark of the Guardians. To start, the Manticore essence averages 50 million at auction, but the value of the Magic Vial was already subtracted, and the value was also calculated based on the official guild price."
"I heard it yesterday, but I want to hear it one more time. What is the total income?"
"Including the Fox Flame Knot that sold a few days ago, it's 159 million stones."
"Is that including the cost of your labor?"
"Yes. I thought about it, but in the end, we killed everyone on that side. It seems funny to claim sole responsibility for the labor now. So the only thing I took out in advance was the cost of the Magic Vial."
Well, even if it weren't for that, the loot would have ended up in our hands after the battle. Still, I was surprised. Honestly, I thought she'd claim it all as hers. She'd gotten a bit softer these days, at least compared to when we first met.
"Anyway, I've compiled the details of the final settlement here. Please refer to this—it'll make things easier."
Reading through the document Raven had prepared with even the receipts attached, we began the official settlements. Mana stone income was evenly distributed. Even equipment and combat income were split equally. However, the herbs harvested in Doppelganger Forest were classified as special loot, so Raven took 40 percent. The potions were not sold and were instead classified as shared items. As the documents were organized in an easy-to-read format, the complicated payments went smoothly.
"Thirty million stones, huh?"
Aside from slight discrepancies, a huge sum of thirty million stones landed in each lap, our highest income ever. But now we had to start the repayment process.
"Now then, all that remains is the settlement for the loot we've kept. Actually, I have some spare time these days so I've organized these a bit too. As customary, the payment is set at about 70 percent of the average market price so it will be much cheaper than actually buying them." Raven spoke while looking at each one of us. "First, Miss Karlstein. The leather boots augmented with Acceleration and Adjustment magic are 2.1 million. The lithinum necklace with Cold Reinforcement is 2.7. That's a total of 4.8 million. But since your share is being subtracted here... You just have to pay 3.84 million stones."
"Ugh..."
"Miss Ainar's expandable backpack is 1.5 million... That's it. Just pay 1.2 million stones."
"Ugh."
"Mr. Urikfried's sub-space quiver is 2.1 million. The steel breastplate is 550,000... But why did you take the breastplate?"
"...I'm going to get an Adjustment spell placed on it and give it to Iradun."
"That's not a bad idea. Although it will be cumbersome to put it on him each time you summon him... Anyway, you can pay 2.12 million stones."
Aside from Raven, who did not take any personal loot, everyone placed their payment on the table. Then it was my long-awaited turn. How much would I have to cough up?
"And finally, Mr. Yandel. First, 3.1 million for the idium gaiters. Then 3.3 million for No. 8667: Outlaw of the Wilderness."
"Wait a minute, leave out Outlaw of the Wilderness. I intend to keep it as a team item, not personal loot."
"...A team item?"
"It might be useful against that guy on the fifth floor. It'll be a good idea to hold on to it for then."
"Hmm." Raven looked at me like an IRS employee looking at a tax evader. But in the end, she agreed. "That sounds reasonable. Although I feel like I'm getting the short stick here. Let's move on to the next one." Before I could even feel relieved about saving some money, Raven moved on to the final items, those which could be called the crown jewels of this settlement. "The Essence of the Manticore, and No. 2988: Mark of the Guardians. To start, the Manticore essence averages 50 million at auction, but the value of the Magic Vial was already subtracted, and the value was also calculated based on the official guild price."
"So, what's the official price?"
"32 million stones."
Goddamn it. Then if I add a 30 percent discount here, as is customary, and subtract a fifth since I'll be receiving 20 percent back as my share after I pay for it...
"For the Manticore, you'll be paying 17.92 million stones."
That was still expensive, though. "...What about the Mark of the Guardians?"
"That's 52 million stones as per the average auction price."
That wasn't much different from the price in the game. Likewise, if I added a discount here, things came out to a final value of 29.12 million stones.
"And then if you add the idium gaiters to that, it's a total of 48,776,000 stones." Raven grinned and continued, "Have you saved up some money?"
I kept my mouth shut and looked at Ainar.
"Huh? Why are you looking at me all of a sudden?"
"Ainar, how much money did you borrow from me again?"
"A-Are you stealing my money...!?"
No, I'm just getting it back.
Indeed, this expedition brought in a record-breaking income. However, after paying for everything that needed to be paid for, even my savings so far weren't enough. Even if I included the money I lent to Ainar, the amount was too large to pay off all at once. Of course, that was no problem for me.
"Ainar, while you're paying back your money, lend me some more."
"Hmm? I was told teammates shouldn't give each other mon—"
"Oh, I'll pay you back."
"O-Okay...!"
"Missha, I'd like you to lend me some too."
"Geeeez, how much do you need?"
The thirteen million I lacked was made up for with loans from Ainar and Missha. As a result, I was in debt. When was I going to be able to pay this off? Should I be hoping to run into a plunderer in the labyrinth or something?
"I am rich now!"
Her depression from lending me money was short-lived. Ainar, whom Missha and I had been taking care of up until a few days ago because she had no wages, started spending her money like no tomorrow. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration. She did buy snacks generously, but because the prices were so cheap, it wasn't an expense that stood out.
"Bjorn, what should I do with this money?" asked Missha.
"Just hold on to it. You can get a new set of equipment once we're back."
"Okay."
"Oh! Me too! I want new gear too!"
"Be patient this month. Some items will be custom-made, and they won't be completed before the labyrinth opens."
Because of how much the payout had been delayed, I decided to put off spending until next month. Now that a big sum had come in, I planned to custom-order equipment that would get us to the seventh floor, even if that meant only getting one or two pieces of gear at a time. Of course, I couldn't tell her to spend all her money on that.
"Still, since you earned a lot, don't save all of it and use it where you want to. Isn't that why you earned it in the first place?"
"Huh? C-Can I do that?"
What did this kid think of me? Getting stronger was important, but I didn't intend to make her sacrifice her life for it. "Looks like there's something you want to do, then?"
"Yeah."
"What are you looking at me like that for? You're spending your own money."
"Well, it's not just that..." When I shot her a questioning look, Missha cautiously opened her mouth. "Can we move somewhere else?"
"...What?"
"Now that we're earrrning a lot of money, I was wondering if we can move somewhere better... I can't even cook here."
Hmm, no wonder she was studying our reactions like that. I thought it over for a while and agreed since this inn was starting to feel cramped. Besides, Missha's food tasted much better than the restaurant food here and was healthier to boot.
"Then let's look into where we can move soon. For now, we have to prepare for our next trip into the labyrinth."
"Okay!"
After that was our first normal day in a long time. It was a peaceful time. We gathered together to plan for the expedition, I met up with Rotmiller to receive my usual scouting lessons, which had been put on hold, and sometimes I visited the commercial district to see if there were any items to buy. As always, those days passed by like a bolt of lightning.
"If everyone is here, let's start heading over."
We met at Mr. Bear's tavern like last time.
[You have entered the Crystal Cave on the first floor.]
It was time to enter the labyrinth.
"So, what's the official price?"
"32 million stones."
Goddamn it. Then if I add a 30 percent discount here, as is customary, and subtract a fifth since I'll be receiving 20 percent back as my share after I pay for it...
"For the Manticore, you'll be paying 17.92 million stones."
That was still expensive, though. "...What about the Mark of the Guardians?"
"That's 52 million stones as per the average auction price."
That wasn't much different from the price in the game. Likewise, if I added a discount here, things came out to a final value of 29.12 million stones.
"And then if you add the idium gaiters to that, it's a total of 48,776,000 stones." Raven grinned and continued, "Have you saved up some money?"
I kept my mouth shut and looked at Ainar.
"Huh? Why are you looking at me all of a sudden?"
"Ainar, how much money did you borrow from me again?"
"A-Are you stealing my money...!?"
No, I'm just getting it back.
Indeed, this expedition brought in a record-breaking income. However, after paying for everything that needed to be paid for, even my savings so far weren't enough. Even if I included the money I lent to Ainar, the amount was too large to pay off all at once. Of course, that was no problem for me.
"Ainar, while you're paying back your money, lend me some more."
"Hmm? I was told teammates shouldn't give each other mon—"
"Oh, I'll pay you back."
"O-Okay...!"
"Missha, I'd like you to lend me some too."
"Geeeez, how much do you need?"
The thirteen million I lacked was made up for with loans from Ainar and Missha. As a result, I was in debt. When was I going to be able to pay this off? Should I be hoping to run into a plunderer in the labyrinth or something?
"I am rich now!"
Her depression from lending me money was short-lived. Ainar, whom Missha and I had been taking care of up until a few days ago because she had no wages, started spending her money like no tomorrow. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration. She did buy snacks generously, but because the prices were so cheap, it wasn't an expense that stood out.
"Bjorn, what should I do with this money?" asked Missha.
"Just hold on to it. You can get a new set of equipment once we're back."
"Okay."
"Oh! Me too! I want new gear too!"
"Be patient this month. Some items will be custom-made, and they won't be completed before the labyrinth opens."
Because of how much the payout had been delayed, I decided to put off spending until next month. Now that a big sum had come in, I planned to custom-order equipment that would get us to the seventh floor, even if that meant only getting one or two pieces of gear at a time. Of course, I couldn't tell her to spend all her money on that.
"Still, since you earned a lot, don't save all of it and use it where you want to. Isn't that why you earned it in the first place?"
"Huh? C-Can I do that?"
What did this kid think of me? Getting stronger was important, but I didn't intend to make her sacrifice her life for it. "Looks like there's something you want to do, then?"
"Yeah."
"What are you looking at me like that for? You're spending your own money."
"Well, it's not just that..." When I shot her a questioning look, Missha cautiously opened her mouth. "Can we move somewhere else?"
"...What?"
"Now that we're earrrning a lot of money, I was wondering if we can move somewhere better... I can't even cook here."
Hmm, no wonder she was studying our reactions like that. I thought it over for a while and agreed since this inn was starting to feel cramped. Besides, Missha's food tasted much better than the restaurant food here and was healthier to boot.
"Then let's look into where we can move soon. For now, we have to prepare for our next trip into the labyrinth."
"Okay!"
After that was our first normal day in a long time. It was a peaceful time. We gathered together to plan for the expedition, I met up with Rotmiller to receive my usual scouting lessons, which had been put on hold, and sometimes I visited the commercial district to see if there were any items to buy. As always, those days passed by like a bolt of lightning.
"If everyone is here, let's start heading over."
We met at Mr. Bear's tavern like last time.
[You have entered the Crystal Cave on the first floor.]
It was time to enter the labyrinth.