MTLNOVEL Volume 1 Chapter 74 - Shit! Your gaze is drawn in!
After collecting more Fluffy Grass, I made about 30 Defense Boosting Potions for now. Then, I decided to hunt skeletons to raise my level and rank.
I continued hunting skeletons and sat down in a dilapidated building to eat lunch just before noon.
“Boring…”
Today, since I’m Okita-kun and not Elenora-san, I’m not surrounded by people. While it’s good in its own way and lets me act freely, being alone is dull. Especially when the only enemies are skeletons. I’ve lost count of how many skeletons and high skeletons I’ve defeated.
“I never thought I’d miss Nanapon…”
Hunting invisible skeletons in a dark mine is tough. But even if I were defeating visible enemies in a well-lit area, I’d get bored being alone. Adventures are better when I can chat with Nanapon.
Moreover, the swords from skeletons are worth only 5,000 yen, so my motivation isn’t high. My level isn’t rising either.
In short, it’s boring.
“I’ve reached the point where I find 5,000 yen measly.”
I can earn 5,000 yen just by defeating skeletons like these. Ten of them make 50,000 yen, and defeating fifty would equal my salary when I was a working adult. It’s a huge profit. But I’ve reached the point where I consider that as just a by-product of leveling up.
While thinking that I should have become an adventurer sooner, I take out my lunchbox and open it. Inside are a few slices of yesterday’s pizza, and on top of them is a folded piece of paper.
I pick up the paper and read it.
“1”
It’s written in cute letters with a heart mark.
Eating the cold pizza, I think about how amazing a love-packed bento is.
“If Nanapon were here, I could have warmed it up.”
I could have warmed it with fire magic. Maybe I should try that next time?
I munch on the pizza, pleased with my brilliant idea.
After finishing my pizza, I get up to resume skeleton hunting when I see Mieshi-san approaching alone from the distance.
Alone? She looks to be alone. I can’t see Lin-san or the other three newbies.
Wondering what happened, I wait for Mieshi-san.
“Hey, have you had lunch?”
Mieshi-san greets me cheerfully.
“Yes, I just ate. Are you alone? What about Lin-san and the newcomers?”
“I left them with Lin to train. Okita-kun, do you have a moment?”
“Sure, what is it?”
What if it’s an invitation for a date?
“Do you want to join us?”
“Huh? Us? You mean your home?”
“Is that so sudden?”
“Kind of. Do you live alone?”
“…By ‘us,’ I don’t mean my home. Should I text Kaede?”
What!? She knows Kaede-chan’s contact info?
“I’m joking. You mean your party, right?”
Well, I did understand that. But a little expectation isn’t bad, right?
“Yes. So, what do you think?”
“Isn’t your party all women?”
“True. Actually, the members of my party were originally part of Satsuki-nee-san’s party.”
“Satsuki-san? Was Kaede-chan also there?”
I haven’t heard about this…
“You didn’t hear it from Satsuki-nee-san?”
“Not really… I’ve heard that she retired with Satsuki-san and then got a job at the guild.”
She got the job because she has the appraisal skill.
“Kaede wasn’t a combat type and had the appraisal skill. So she retired with Satsuki-nee-san. But others chose to continue being active. That’s when I, who was partnering with Lin at that time, was asked by Satsuki-nee-san to take over the party.”
“Ah… then why did you transfer from Ikebukuro?”
The whole party transferred?
“Yes… that’s why Satsuki-nee-san was angry. Now we can’t even face each other.”
“Was the reason for the transfer money?”
“Yes.”
That’s why people call her a money-grubber.
“Didn’t the members who were with Satsuki-san say anything?”
“There was discord. Some wanted to stick to obligations.”
“Were they convinced?”
“As you’ve said before, being an adventurer isn’t a long-term job. You have to earn while you can. I was headhunted by the current headquarters chief, and I’m getting quite a bit of money.”
So she’s the pet of the headquarters chief. Well, she’s inviting me to her party, so she would say that.
“And everyone was convinced?”
“Some even prostrated themselves to Satsuki-nee-san, and that’s when she gave in.”
That’s a terrible story.
“Interesting. Thanks to that, the Ikebukuro guild is quiet.”
I’m glad about that, though.
“It’s not because of us. It was like that from the start. The previous guild master was skimming off adventurers’ earnings, so they lost trust.”
That’s bad. Any guild would work since you can go to the frontier from anywhere. If that’s the case, you’d go to a trustworthy one. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have gone to the Ikebukuro guild.
“I see. I didn’t know.”
“I thought you’d have heard from Kaede or Satsuki-nee-san.”
“They didn’t tell me. Well, it must be hard to say.”
If they had told me, I might have transferred. Although I won’t because Kaede-chan is there and there’s also the matter with Elenora-san.
“So, will you join us?”
“Are you picking another fight with Satsuki-san? I’m still E-rank. Won’t she get angry if you poach me?”
“No, I won’t do that. Even if we’re from different branches, we can still form a party. You can get to the same place through the gate from anywhere. Some people even form parties between Hokkaido and Kyushu.”
When she puts it that way, it makes sense. It’s convenient for long-distance relationships, although it would be a frontier date.
“Hmm…”
What should I do? If I join her party, I won’t be bored like I was this morning. But I have things with Elenora-san, and I’m already paired with Nanapon.
Nah, I don’t think so.