MTLNOVEL Volume 1 Chapter 79 - Fun drinking party
After finishing my conversation with Satsuki-san, I left the branch manager’s office and returned to the reception desk.
“Ah, Senpai, your payment is complete.”
When I returned to the reception desk, Kaede-chan handed me the payment slip.
“Thank you. You worked hard today.”
“Yes, and now you’re D-rank!”
“Huh?”
“I haven’t reached 100 skeletons yet, right? It was around 30 today.”
“Ah… it’s the cumulative total so far. You’ve defeated some before, haven’t you?”
Ah, I see. The count includes previous kills, not just today’s.
“I get it. So, I’m D-rank now…”
“Yes, congratulations!”
Kaede-chan gives me a silent round of applause.
“Thanks. In that case, Nanapon can be returned to D-rank too.”
“Mmm, I’ll keep an eye on her for a bit longer. She seems like she might get ahead of herself.”
…What does she mean?
Is she indirectly saying that to me?
“Right, humility is important…”
“Senpai, what’s wrong?”
Kaede-chan peers into my face with a worried expression.
“Um, well… I’ll talk about it later.”
More people are starting to gather, and it would be rude to keep talking here.
“I see. Please wait a bit then. I’ll be done soon.”
I look at the clock as Kaede-chan says this. The time is past 4:45.
“Alright, I’ll go take a shower and change my clothes. I’ll wait for you outside.”
“Okay! See you later!”
I leave the reception desk where Kaede-chan is and head to the changing room. Unlike the morning, a few men are changing their clothes.
People do increase a bit in the evening…
I stop watching the men change, which is not particularly pleasant, take off my clothes, and shower. After finishing the shower, I put on my clothes and leave the changing room. When I glance at the reception desk, Kaede-chan is already gone.
I leave the guild and decide to wait for Kaede-chan outside while checking my smartphone.
Shimizu… Shimizu Rin…
I search for the name of Rin-san, whom I met today.
Ah, B-rank.
She’s much higher up.
She did seem strong.
I hope I wasn’t rude…
I continue to look up Yoshino-san’s party. As expected, they’re popular and there’s a lot of information. There’s even gossip like affairs with some male actor.
Speaking of which, Yoshino-san has a lot of trashy gossip… There’s even a rumor about her making an AV debut. I think I’ll ask her next time.
While I’m still looking at my phone, my shoulder is suddenly tapped. The person tapping my shoulder is, of course, Kaede-chan, now dressed not in her plain uniform but in an outfit that meets my preferences.
“Sorry for the wait. What were you looking at?”
“I was researching Yoshino-san.”
“Yoshino-san? Hmm…”
Ah, those are eyes of jealousy.
What a cute one.
“Let’s talk about that too. It’s cold, shall we go?”
“Sure! The usual place?”
The usual place is a private room in a bar near the guild.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
“Okay!”
Kaede-chan says this and links arms with me.
“Kaede-chan, you’re warm.”
“I know, right? Come on, let’s go.”
We walk arm-in-arm towards the bar. After walking for a few minutes, we arrive at the bar, are shown to a private room, order beer, and toast.
“Phew, that was tiring.”
I praise Kaede-chan while drinking my beer.
“You too, Senpai. It must’ve been hard for you today.”
“Kind of. Honestly, I’m tired of skeletons.”
“I know, right? Whether it’s the Kuuna Ruins or the Diana Mines, it’s all skeletons. I sometimes wonder if you and Nanapon are only submitting skeleton swords.”
We’re definitely skeleton hunters.
I don’t like it.
“But now that I’m D-rank, I don’t care anymore.”
“What will you do next?”
Kaede-chan asks while drinking her beer.
“Well, about that. I met Yoshino-san today at the Kuuna Ruins.”
“Really? She’s still there?”
“No, she was training newbies. Do you know Rin-san? Shimizu Rin.”
“I know her. She’s quite stern, right?”
Indeed, she’s stern.
She has black ponytail hair, and her posture and behavior were clean. Honestly, she feels more like a kendo girl than Elenoa-san, Yoshino-san, or even Satsuki-san.
“Exactly. She was there too.”
“Oh, so you were researching that?”
“Yes. I didn’t know Rin-san. She’s B-rank.”
I make an excuse that I only researched A-rank.
Because, there are a fair number of B-ranks.
“Well, you wouldn’t know. On the other hand, the fact that you know Yoshino-san makes you seem like a typical guy.”
Kaede-chan looks at me with squinted eyes.
“Well, those articles naturally catch my eye.”
“Hmm.”
Kaede-chan deliberately pouts.
“Anyway, she invited me to her party.”
“You, Senpai?”
“Yes, not Elenoa-san, but me.”
“Senpai is taking the initiative, huh?”
Kaede-chan starts to ponder.
“That’s why I consulted Satsuki-san earlier.”
“What did Satsuki-san say?”
“She said to do as I like. Even if Yoshino-san finds out, it can be resolved with money.”
“Ah, of course. They’re cousins after all.”
Really, it’s all about money.
“So, I thought I’d consult with you, Kaede-chan.”
“What are you thinking, Senpai?”
“I’m thinking it might be good. It’s not a formal party; it’s more like going together when our schedules align. She said she’d teach me a lot, and more importantly, I realized today that going solo is tough. Not in terms of danger, but it’s boring without someone to talk to.”
“Ah, Elenoa-san has Nanapon after all…”
Exactly.
If that brat didn’t dislike me, there would be no problem.
“But Elenoa-san will go with Nanapon, and Okita-kun, if the timing matches, might go with Yoshino-san. However, they are investigating Elenoa-san.”
“Right… Can I ask you one thing?”
Kaede-chan puts down her chopsticks.
“What is it?”
“Do you have ulterior motives?”
Kaede-chan looks at me seriously.
Ulterior motives…
She is indeed a person with terrifying charm magic, but…
“I don’t. And I don’t intend to get that involved. My main adventures are with Nanapon. This is just for those times when Nanapon isn’t available.”
“You sound like a playboy.”
…That’s true!
It sounds like if my main wife Nanapon isn’t available, I’ll go play with my mistress Yoshino-san!
“I don’t intend it that way.”
“I know. You’re fundamentally honest, so you can’t do such things.”
Is that a compliment?
Yes, it must be a compliment!
“Mmm, anyway, there’s no ulterior motive.”
“Then it should be fine, shouldn’t it? It’s not like you’re forming a permanent party. If you find you don’t get along or something feels off, just leave. That’s how everyone does it.”
That’s true.
One of the reasons I wanted to be an adventurer was the dryness of human relationships. I didn’t want to be stuck with a crappy boss.
“I guess I’ll consider it positively…”
“I think it’s good. Personally, I feel more at ease with that than you going solo.”
The one who prays for safety and waits would think that way…
“I see… Ah, by the way, do I seem arrogant?”
“Arrogant? You, Senpai? Hmm, not to me, but I know you have that side. Remember, I told you to fix your combative nature.”
“I taunted Yoshino-san today, who has Swordsmanship Level 4.”
“Really, please stop. You may be happy about being Level 6, but that’s the worst.”
I decide not to mention that I tripped her.
“Is that really bad?”
“Would you like it if I spoke rudely to the staff or ordered them around?”
I wouldn’t.
I don’t want to see such a Kaede-chan.
“I can use polite language, you know?”
“Of course, you should. You’re 26. Show some respect for others. Say, ‘Satsuki-san is amazing.'”
Kaede-chan demands a repeat after me.
“Satsuki-san is amazing.”
“Yoshino-san is a respectable A-rank.”
“Yoshino-san is a respectable A-rank.”
What is this?
“Kaede-chan is cute.”
“Kaede-chan is cute.”
That goes without saying.
“Good! Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Kaede-chan and I toast with our nearly empty mugs.
“Ah, it’s wonderful that tomorrow is a day off!”
“Right? Let’s drink, drink!”
“Yes! Let’s go to karaoke! Leave the hyping up to me, the master!”
Kaede-chan is a master of many things.
After that, Kaede-chan and I order more drinks and enjoy ourselves. Then, for the second round, we go to karaoke. I take a very drunk Kaede-chan home.