35. A Troublesome Guy

"1st Grade?"

"Yes. They said that based on the test results alone, I could be considered close to that rank. But since I have zero adventurer experience and am a complete beginner, I was judged as 1st Grade."

"...That's much better than I thought? You only took the test. They told you that you're already at that level from the start. You have enough reason to be confident."

"Um... is that so?"

"That's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠how it is."

I ended up praising the boy who brought back much better results than I expected.

Well, if he's at that level, it's certainly impressive enough.

And that's just from the test?

It was beyond enough; it was an incredible level for a 1st-year student.

Though he himself didn't seem to have much confidence.

It was only natural, considering it hadn't been long since the 2nd semester of his 1st year started.

"You should be more confident. It really is amazing."

"If you say so, Nuna, then of course it must be true. But it's still different from real combat."

"Ah, well, that part is true."

It was inevitable that the results from a test would differ from the actual field.

Still, it was a fact that it was amazing.

There was no need to take back the praise.

"So what are you doing next? Are you going to take a quest and do something?"

"That's the plan for now. Everyone is going to do one together every Sunday... I think that's how it'll go. I'm not exactly sure what we'll have to do, though."

"Well... it'll work out. You'll do fine anyway. If it's a low-level quest, you'll probably be able to handle it without issues."

"I hope so."

I remembered him saying it had something to do with a family.

Indeed, Katrina's family... Valerance.

As far as I recalled, they were a Ducal family, so why would they make their daughter clear adventurer quests?

It felt like a rather troublesome story had gotten mixed in, but...

I didn't need to worry about it too much.

It wasn't anything else, and the nobles wouldn't do anything strange to their own daughter, and considering they asked Noah for help, they would take care of it themselves.

"Take this before you go to class."

"Coffee... are you sure it's okay to just give this to me? I feel bad every time I receive something."

"What's the big deal? It's just coffee. Just take it. I'm doing it because it's cute to see a kid working so hard."

"I'll work even harder from now on."

"Make sure to rest when you need to."

"Yes, Nuna. If you're tired from work, Nuna, please rest too. Just like how you help me with studying, I'll help you if any weirdos come to the convenience store, like we agreed."

I only tossed him a coffee.

And that was the answer I got.

The brat is trying to act all grown-up, but... he's still just a kid.

"What are you talking about, just study properly."

"...Yes."

"You have to be good at studying to pay attention to other things."

A student's duty is to study.

I just wanted him to do that well.

Even though the kid, who is 11 years younger than me, says things like that whenever he's bored, I just always wanted him to study well.

*

"Hey, Katrina."

"...No matter how much older you are, isn't it a bit too rude for a commoner to treat a noble like that?"

"We were already acting prickly toward each other the day we first met anyway. Isn't this normal?"

"...Tsk."

I started a conversation with the noble lady who had come to the convenience store.

Usually, Katrina was the one to speak first, but...

I had some questions, and even though she was a noble... she was ultimately much younger than me, so there was nothing to worry about.

"Why did you register for the Adventurer Guild?"

"...Did Noah tell you?"

"That's right. He told me the day before. That he suddenly registered for the Adventurer Guild."

"......."

Since Noah was our only common denominator, it was easy to deduce.

It was true that Noah had told me, and besides, there was no one else who would have told me.

"What did the Duchy make you do that a noble lady has to do ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that kind of work?"

"It's nothing special. Aside from attending the Academy, it's just to see if I'm developing gradually."

"Hmm...."

Is that so?

I had guessed as much.

But it was also true that it felt a little awkward somewhere.

Usually, in noble families, that kind of proof is something you do after becoming an adult.

I knew that because I had a friend who was a noble.

On top of that, considering she wasn't doing it alone and even asked a commoner classmate for help....

"Is that true?"

"......If it's not true, what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm just curious as an adult about what a kid is up to."

It felt like there was another reason.

It definitely felt like it.

"...It's not like that."

"Really? Well, that's a relief. Solving simple quests is fine. Noah or Iris? They'd be enough."

"...You seem to know quite a lot about adventurers."

"I spent quite a bit of time in that industry when I was young."

"...Really?"

"Then how do you think I opened this shop inside the Academy? I saved up a lot of money to barely manage it. I even borrowed a little money from a friend at first."

I probed her reaction while mentioning my history as an adventurer ever so slightly.

It seemed like there was another reason.

It felt like there was a pretty significant reason.

Since she wouldn't say it herself, I had no choice but to leave it at that.

But it didn't seem like it was just to solve a few simple quests.

I felt like the scale might be a little bigger, even if just slightly.

"I also explained ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the ranks to Noah."

"......."

"Of course, I don't work as an adventurer anymore, but until 4 years ago, I worked hard."

"...Is that so."

"Why? Do you need some separate advice?"

"Um... no. Not right now...."

"So you mean you might need it someday."

Looking at her reaction, it wasn't right now.

But it seemed like someday she would have to clear a quest with a pretty large scale.

Of course, she had to reach that level herself, so that's why it wasn't now.

"Tsk, you're sharp about weird things."

"Not as good as you nobles."

"It's fine for now. For the moment, at least."

"I see. Then, since you're in the convenience store bothering the owner, buy something."

"......Isn't this a time when there are no customers anyway?"

Just as Katrina said, it was a time when there were no customers.

The Academy classes were all over, too.

Noah was busy getting lessons from that old fart of a mentor again today.

"I don't know about that, you're in the shop. Buy something and go."

"......."

"If you're the Duke's daughter of Valerance, buying things in a convenience store is simple, right?"

There weren't any people, but...

That's that, and the purpose of a merchant is to make money, right?

"Buy some simple snacks."

"...Sigh. Fine. I'll buy three of these. That's enough, right?"

"Five? I help you out a lot, don't I, Young Lady?"

"......Tsk. Fine. It's ridiculous how your title changes just because I'm trying to buy a little more."

So, I made money today, too.

But helping with romance and various other things.

I do a lot, don't I?

Of course... Noah is quite dense and has a lot of foolish traits, so the results themselves were disappointing.

"Oh, right. How is it going with that guy, Noah?"

"......."

"Nothing yet?"

"...There are quite a lot of people around him. And we can't spend time together often."

"Hmm...."

"Iris is always by his side. She's there too."

"I see."

It was exactly as expected.

In the end, it's hard to beat the True Wife Potential of a childhood friend.

I was helping her in my own way, but there were parts that couldn't be helped.

"Hmm.... Well, it can't be helped. You have to be the one to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ask Noah to meet up often."

"......."

"You have to meet just the two of you and spend time alone to make any progress. Understand?"

"...That's obviously...."

"If you understood that, you should have told Noah when you registered for the Adventurer Guild. You should have said there was work you had to do just the two of you."

"Ah."

She was a truly pitiful young lady.

Of course, she's young.

So it can't be helped.

"Try to make time to be alone together. The best thing would be... a time when the boy can come visit the girl directly. That would be good, but that'll be difficult."

Because he's a guy who is too dense, if he's dense at all.

It would be better for the girl to take the initiative and call him.

"Understand?"

"......."

"Why?"

"It's nothing. More than that, Owner, you... how much did you do as an adventurer in the past?"

"Adventurer? I made it to Gold Rank."

"......Okay. I'll keep that in mind for now."

I was going to give her some better advice.

But the noble girl left after asking a few random questions.

It was a bit ridiculous....

"Hmm."

Anyway, it became quiet again.

It was comfortable.

Perhaps it's because lately, I've been helping Noah with his studies and giving the noble girl advice on her romance.

I quite liked these times when I could just do nothing.

After all, I had decided to live like this for a long time.

The reason I started the convenience store in the first place was because of my goal to live a life that wasn't too harsh or busy... and to rest comfortably.

Of course, apart from that.

I was slowly realizing that just having the goal of living comfortably wasn't enough in life, but?

"Yaaawn...."

It's evening now, and time to go back.

What should I do this evening?

Should I read a book before I fall asleep?

As I was thinking about this and that.

"Nuna. What are you doing?"

"Why did you come?"

"Ah, I was training with my master and now I'm heading back to the [Dormitory]. I wanted to see you before I went back."

"Ugh."

The annoying guy is back, again, and again, and again.