MTLNOVEL Chapter 23
[The sickly Cockatrice protests violently, “Kkko! Kkoook!”]
[A squirrel that has been hungry for three days shows its teeth in anger. “Krrr!”]
[A puppy, looking very glum after being neutered, gazes at you with a depressed expression. “Kking…”]
“Huh-huh~ Huh-huh~”
Ignoring the summoned monsters that were filing complaints.
Elise hummed, thinking of the “Conqueror,” was it called Ark? Ah, even the name has a wonderful ring to it… as she twirled her body.
She meticulously pushed in the ‘Fully-Packed’ and ‘Hefty’ ones into each area, following his instructions.
She also double-checked to see if there were any traps set up previously that she hadn’t been able to dismantle.
“Fuhuh, this should satisfy him, right?”
With a proud expression, Elise finished her setup and stretched.
Then, recalling the faces of the heroes she had encountered earlier.
“I was the biggest…!”
She vowed to win.
The puppy beastkin was the only one that might have put up a decent fight, but she was already overwhelmingly superior in terms of exposure.
Victory in femininity!
And with such devoted support.
Victory in ability!
“Hehehe, heh…!”
Elise was lost in happy contemplation about when she should pop out and dance the dance of obedience again.
If only her worth as a being was recognized by him.
Eventually, she would be able to stick around him for 24 hours.
If that happens.
“I will make you unable to live without me…!”
Elise ignited her ambitions.
* * *
“Wow, this is amazing.”
The corners of my mouth were rising uncontrollably.
The main theme on the 8th Floor, the Orc Village, opened up to a vast plain.
If it had proceeded normally without any gimmick changes.
I had a feeling I could have easily been surrounded if numerous orcs had rushed out.
However.
“Kkiik! Kkiiiiii──!”
“Grrk, grrk!”
The orcs, who were fuming and howling in anger.
Were stuck in a giant sinkhole, unable to escape, groaning.
Thanks to that.
“My arms hurt…!”
“Ehehe, I just need to keep dodging!”
Our brave heroes, Ari and Tynia, who had ranged attack capabilities, were the only ones suffering a bit.
It was truly a clean sweep, taking advantage of a glitch in the game!
This felt like the game was finally normalizing.
“By the way, Ark, do you trust that demon?”
“Huh, me? Of course not.”
One betrayal is eternal betrayal.
There is a saying that true betrayal is being hit on the back of the head again.
You couldn’t take a promise made with just a three-inch tongue at face value.
In this desolate modern society, one always has to be prepared for betrayal.
Elise, did you know that?
I liked you….
“Then, won’t you accept my surrender request?”
“Of course not.”
With this level of devotion, it should be accepted.
However.
“You’ll have to go to the 10th Floor, Zone 10.”
Creating an environment where betrayal is impossible is the best way.
… And even if I recruited them, it wouldn’t be particularly useful.
I mean, Elise’s performance is lacking….
There’s not really a reason to use her in the field….
That’s how distribution characters usually are.
Compared to characters intentionally designed to drain money from you like limited gacha characters or those with special skins, it’s natural that they are weak.
Tynia serves her role as a lacking magical damage dealer for now, but in the long run, she would be a second- or third-rate character.
As for Elise… maybe I’d think about using her in extreme battles.
She’ll probably just be displayed as a decorative demon in the Guild House.
Well, it would be nice if another purpose came up. Hehe…!
Thinking that, I suddenly looked at the necklace hanging around Tynia’s neck.
… Every time I see it, it looks like a dog collar.
“Yo-hena, does she have to wear that necklace all the time?”
“Well, if she roams around in the form of a demon, other heroes might find it strange, and, um, the dress is a bit…”
Tynia’s outfit is a bit revealing.
It’s a bit disappointing to enjoy just at the tower….
No!
I’m not an unscrupulous child lover!
Anyway.
Thanks to that necklace, Tynia could transform into a normal outfit when returning to the city.
Elise had a pretty aggressive outfit design too….
… So wouldn’t there be little meaning in her just being a decorative demon?
This time, I should subtly ask Ha-Rong to create a necklace that would allow her to wear clothes that match my tastes.
* * *
Starting from Zone 10 on the 7th Floor, the climbing of the tower for today came to an end at Zone 9 on the 8th Floor.
I easily gathered experience potions from the daily dungeon, returned to the Guild House, took a short nap, and then.
“Orc skull! Uhmm, 113 gold!”
“Thank you, little lady~”
“Ehehe.”
While observing the work attitude of the new night shift employee who was officially starting today, I diligently mixed cocktails.
… Time doesn’t wait for anyone.
Though it couldn’t match the frenzied popularity of the grand opening.
There’s still enough demand, and the revenue graph was still showing profits.
The biggest reason for the decline in sales was probably that the ‘drug effect’ had dissipated.
I bet the levels of my regular customers had already easily crossed 10, right?
Because of this.
“Ark, you’re not diluting this, are you? Lately, it seems odd.”
“Haha, no way.”
It got to the point where I had to deal with baseless slander like this.
… I didn’t dilute it.
I just adjusted the proportion of orange juice a bit.
Business should be honest.
But shouldn’t “fine adjustments” be made for a healthy balance?
The next level up for the Shop of All Things is the 10th floor.
Since Elise is opening the mid-level, if I rush to the 10th floor and break the nexus, I’ll have extra leeway for potion purchases.
Soon, I’ll develop cocktails made with low-level Potion of Growth and sell them at a slightly higher price, and then profits will normalize again.
“Hehe…”
I felt pleased.
“Still, the chicken breast salad hasn’t been served yet!”
“Sure, sure, it’ll be right up!”
Our party’s official wasteful inventory, orc breast meat, was starting to gain immense popularity as a side dish.
An efficient economy with nothing wasted!
“Ark… but this is a bit…”
“Shh. If Ari just closes her eyes and quietly passes over it, there won’t be any problem.”
Right?
The taste is the same; in fact, it’s even stickier.
The nutrients should be similar, too.
It’s just that our heroes are full of biases based on appearance and picky about their food. They eat the leg meat just fine.
There are no mandatory origin labeling systems.
No need for HACCP certification marks either.
Isn’t this world practically a paradise for food service providers?
“Aah.”
… Sitting in front of the grill with my hood up, grilling meat, the only downside was that I felt hot to death.
Yeah.
Everything was going well.
… Usually, it’s at times like this that problems arise.
Huh.
Crap.
What am I thinking about ‘did I jinx it’…!
Suddenly──
The next moment.
The door swung wide open, and Saha and the knights stormed in.
Oh no, it’s not a problem; it’s just a group of customers.
Oh, our blessed tank, please come in!
Of course, I couldn’t show it on the outside.
So I just thought to myself.
“Welcome, Saha! And your companions!”
I greeted them cheerfully.
But Saha’s expression didn’t look too good.
Did something difficult happen on patrol?
“We’ve come for a minor demographic check.”
“… Huh?”
…?
What kind of nonsense is this?
“Please show your identification.”
“Here!”
“Haha, we met at the meeting tavern before, right? Here it is.”
“…!”
What is this situation?
Are you serious? Is there even identification in this world? Why are you asking for it?
Desperately attempting to regain my composure, I forgot about the burning meat and surveyed the shop.
And in my sight.
A woman with purple hair was sneakily trying to slip out the back door.
Yeah.
Just run away…!
“Hey, stop for a moment.”
“Ugh…!”
Why aren’t you running away!
You should have just ignored it and escaped!
In the end, the purple-haired woman was caught by Saha.
“Aah, I’m still just eighteen…”
“Hm. I see. Don’t worry too much. According to city regulations, the fault lies with the owner for not checking IDs.”
She was released on a warning.
…?
Is this the kind of situation I experienced while working at a convenience store──
“Ark? Could you please accompany the knights for a moment?”
“… Huh?”
This is a joke, right?
* * *
“… It’s a public duty. I had no other choice, Your Excellency.”
“Y-yeah… it’s not Saha’s fault…”
As a result of my treatment.
Three days of business suspension.
… In reality, it would be a month, so compared to that, it’s a lighter sentence, but….
“B-but… what kind of law is that?”
I feel wronged!
So very wronged!
Once I normalize those heroes who don’t spend money!
“To tell the truth, there isn’t really a concept of minors in my hometown, the City of Flames… but in this city, the laws established by the Sweet Goddess are strictly enforced.”
Saha handed me a book.
[GAME INDUSTRY PROMOTION ACT]
“I don’t fully understand the meaning of the sacred text on the cover, but the content inside has been translated into the common language. Our knights’ code of conduct is also included, and there’s a clause about ‘confirming youth harmfulness.’”
“Grrr…”
I held onto the back of my neck and fell backward.
What the heck…!