Basic Type, Please.
Thanks to Cache and Emily's collaboration, the Beauty Tower was busier than ever. Just as I was picturing a flower field in my head, dreaming of shaking these people's pockets dry like a fishing net from a double-crew trawler...
'...Damn it.'
I'd been summoned to the territory office yet again.
"I'm here because you said I hadn't registered my employees."
I slapped the sticky number ticket from the snail-like dispenser onto the counter like it was trash and spat out the words harshly, but Rachel, the territory office worker, just stared at me with her mechanical face as always.
"Currently, the only officially registered employee at the Beauty Tower is a woman named Cache. But according to recent reports, a woman named Emily has been helping out too?"
I had no clue who kept filing these reports. Whoever it was, they must be twisted snakes boiling with envy at my hospital's success.
"Emily is a patient at my hospital. She just volunteered to show off her treatment results at a demo or something."
"So Emily isn't an employee of the Beauty Tower?"
"Argh, yeah, that's what I've been saying! Who the hell keeps filing these pointless reports?"
Rachel didn't even glance up at my irritated outburst. She just started slashing red lines across the papers in front of her with her pen. Every time I saw it, those bold red strokes gave me this inexplicable disgust.
"It's fine if customers help out occasionally. But we got a tip that she helped for three straight days, so we had to check. It's our job to verify reports."
Rachel pushed up her cheap, slipping glasses and shot me a cold glare.
"And there's a report about an unregistered familiar too. A pet hatchling—not for sale—running around without a collar or muzzle. That true?"
"Yeah? What's the problem?"
"Registering a pet familiar costs 7 silver and 5 copper."
"Pardon?"
"If it's a slave instead of a pet familiar, it's just 3 silver in slave registration tax. But then you'd have to make sure it always wears a slave collar. No collar means fines. If you don't have one, we sell basic slave collars here..."
In this world, a familiar meant ambiguous creatures like dragons—mammal or reptile, who knew. But extra costs for this? I never saw it coming. What a damn nightmare.
"It's neither a pet familiar nor a slave."
I spat it out with a resolute expression, and one corner of Rachel's mouth curled up slyly.
"There are only two inevitabilities in this world."
"...Huh?"
"Death and taxes. Don't like it? Pay the fine."
Her words were so rude it made my blood boil. I silently recited the Heart Sutra in my head to suppress the beastly roar of rage building inside.
"If I have to pay, I will. But the dragon's one of our employees. Don't employees get exempt?"
"A familiar employee... Rare, but legally possible."
For a split second, Rachel's eyes gleamed wickedly.
"But you had an unregistered familiar doing work? Without even registering it?"
Shit, I'd backed myself into a corner in my panic. Her calm words carried an ominous vibe. Just as I was about to sputter some lame excuse, Rachel beat me to it.
"You're free to go. No additional fees."
"Whew, that's a relief. Thanks for—"
"Just pay the resident registration fee, resident tax, and so on. What's the hatchling's name?"
"......"
Resident registration was 3 gold. Time to compromise. The dragon's fees would come out of my pocket anyway.
"...Register it as a slave, please."
"Need a collar too?"
"Basic type. Cheapest one you've got."
* * *
"Wooow! Miner! It's my first time!"
"You like it?"
"Yeah! Yeah! My first necklace ever! Thaaank youuu~!"
'...Sorry.'
Rachel said slave collars were mostly formality and I could remove the chain. I bought the thinnest basic one, ditched the chain, and put it on the dragon's neck. Luckily, it seemed thrilled.
'Feeding and housing it is one thing, but paying taxes on top? That's just wrong.'
Thanks to Emily's promo event, sales had more than doubled. We still had plenty of samples and non-sale demos left. At this rate, I wouldn't sweat the territory office payments this month.
"Cache, you and the dragon did great today."
"Great? It was fun with all the customers buzzing around."
"Yeah! I had fun too! Got a present from Miner!"
Cache smiled at me warmly as she packed up the stall after closing. The dragon seemed blissfully clueless as ever.
"You worked hard the last three days, so how about we go out for dinner tonight? Emily said she's heading home, so just us."
"Sounds good. I'll wrap up quick."
"Miner! Why didn't you ask meee?"
You...? Because you're my slave.
"You live with me anyway, Dragon. We eat together all the time, so I didn't ask separately."
"Hehe, right?"
With the day's business wrapped by 7 p.m.—early for us—we headed to the main commercial district at the heart of the dungeon zone. It was midsummer, so the sky was still bright, and the streets teemed with people.
"Hey, Cache, where are we going?"
The dragon and I knew zilch about the area, so we just trailed her. But...
'This feels a bit iffy...'
It was the Beauty Tower's first team dinner, and I was treating. But nothing too pricey, or I'd be in trouble. I was on edge.
"Ah! Heading to the Frederik territory adventurers' guild."
"Adventurers' guild?"
"Yeah, I've lived around here forever, and honestly, there's no really good food spots. They have a cafeteria on the first floor of the guild. Food's decent there—the best value for portion size. Just past the plaza a bit more, and you'll see it."
'Cheap eats... Approved.'
It felt weird for a guy used to high-end dining to worry about prices. But humans adapt. Time to swallow my pride and tighten the belt.
"Almost there. Ah! There it is."
The main commercial plaza of the dungeon zone was lined with all sorts of shops. As we passed it and the territory office came into distant view, Cache pointed to a two-story log cabin.
People streamed in and out the thick wooden door nonstop. No idea what an adventurers' guild actually did, but business was booming, that was clear.
'Looks like the top spot around here.'
Eyeing it for business tips, I pulled the iron ring on the heavy wooden door.
Screeech—
"Kahaha! If I hadn't dodged, my hand would've been sliced clean off!"
Inside was total chaos.
"Drink up! Drink up! Ale incoming~ glug glug glug!"
"You bastard? Where you from? You know Peter from Benjo Village, punk?"
"...Oh, friends? Whoops, my bad..."
Way rowdier than the cafeteria I'd imagined—like a raucous tavern. It was so loud even chatting seemed impossible. I was about to suggest we bail when...
"Well, if it isn't Cache?"
"Long time no see, Guild Master!"
A woman in a crop top baring her midriff—perfect for the heat—approached us.
"You've gotten gorgeous since last time. Got a spot over there. Go sit."
"Gorgeous? You're the pretty one as always."
The massive space—easily 100 pyeong—looked packed with no seats. But the Guild Master grabbed Cache's hand and dragged her toward a table of rowdy, drunk guys riding high.
"Sorry for not recognizing you, big bro."
"Dude, me? We trained swords with Peter, hunted slimes together—"
"Drunk enough? Get out! Think this is a diner?"
The Guild Master slung her toned arms under her chest and barked. 'What the hell is this place?'
The vibe screamed imminent brawl. My anxiety spiked, but the guys staggered out familiarly.
"Who's this? New face."
"My hospital's director."
"Plastic surgeon Miner."
"Plastic... what? Director? Like a mage?"
"Not a mage—a doctor...?"
The Guild Master walked off mid-sentence. I was left stunned, like at a cranky grandma's diner, when Cache giggled at me.
"Folks here are rough around the edges. That's just her style. She's actually super kind. Didn't want you misunderstanding."
I nodded curtly and scanned the room. Boisterous laughs erupted everywhere, shouts flying. Total tavern mayhem, nothing more.
"Why call it an adventurers' guild? Looks just like a bar."
"'Cause adventurers gather here, duh."
"...?"
The Guild Master returned with three mugs and answered for her.
"See that bulletin board? It's full of quests. Pick one, hand it to me or staff, and go do it. Rewards paid here, and you can buy/sell dungeon monster parts too."
She set down two beers and a milk on our table. Now I noticed the board—people huddled like real estate shoppers eyeing prices.
"1 silver per person—3 silver upfront."
I handed over 3 silver, and she placed the drinks down. But...
"Uh... we didn't order these."
"Wanna get kicked out? Shut up and drink."
"Huh?"
She vanished behind the long bar counter without another word.
"Hehe, no ordering here. Pay 1 silver per person, and the Guild Master or staff bring whatever drinks or food."
"No ordering?"
I blurted in shock, and Cache smirked.
"Yup. She decides the menu. No line? Ask for more—they give freely. Unlimited for 1 silver a head."
Like a bizarre mashup of family buffet and cranky diner. That's when...
"Ugh! Bad luck walking in. Let's bounce!"
"Comes at mealtime, what a pain, tsk."
"Damn, that monster freak. Gives me chills just looking. Makes dungeon mobs look cute."
"Hey, up front! Hurry it up! Scared I'll catch something from that demon!"
Over half the packed guild erupted in curses and filed out.
'...Monster? Demon? Disease? What the hell?'
Everyone exiting shot grim glances at the quest board and shuffled out. The mass exodus made the floorboards creak nonstop.
"Ignore 'em. Freaking out over the grape cluster merc."
As I reeled, the Guild Master plunked a thick slab of meat on our table.
"Grape cluster... merc?"
"Yeah, that's what I call him. Won't give his name. Harmless despite the looks—no need to freak."
"Ah..."
Her curt explanation clicked. She meant the long-haired guy by the quest board.