Chapter 32: The Adventurers’ Inn

Chapter 32: The Adventurers' Inn

Part 1

After coming out from the Adventurers's Guild.

It has already become quite dark out.

Even though the sky is still a bit light, only the city is strangely dark.

I noticed that it was because the city is inside of a crater only a few seconds later.

There's a shadow cast over the city because of the high walls.

It will soon be pitch black.

"We should quickly find an inn."

Is what I suggested, but Eris was wearing a strange face.

"Wouldn't it be fine if we just camped outside of the city?"

"Well, don't say that. Don't you want to get a nice rest in the town?"

"Really?"

Ruijerd said that it didn't really matter either way.

More often than not we just leave it to Ruijerd to keep watch when camping out.

He can notice things approaching even when half-asleep.

I wake up hearing the sound of something exploding in the middle of the night and realize it's the sound of Ruijerd fighting monsters.

It's bad for my heart.

Well, the choice would be an inn.

I'm hungry as well.

I would like to buy something, but there's still some dried meat leftover from the other day.

In order to keep food expenses low, I guess we should restrain ourselves here?

Even though I say that, if our stomachs feel this unsatisfied, it makes me want to just eat until I'm full.

"Hey Rudeus, look!"

Eris said something sounding really excited.

What is it, where should I be looking?

The moment I thought that while raising my face, the inner wall of the crater was giving off light.

After the sun set, the light shows strongly.

"Amazing! This is amazing! This is the first time I've seen something like this!"

When the sun completely sets, the inner walls of the crater light up the entire city.

Almost like an amusement park when it lights up at night.

"Hmmm, this is certainly quite amazing."

Since I've always experienced living in places that are never completely dark out, I wasn't particularly moved by the sight.

However, I have to admit it was a rather luminous view.

Though, I wonder how it's shining.

"That is, magic light stone."

"Uh, you know about Raiden?!"

"Raiden? Who is that? I think some generation of Sword God had a name similar to that or something?"

Obviously the joke didn't get across.

Knowing that in this world there's no one who would get those sorts of jokes is a bit lonely.

"Excuse me. Among my acquaintances there's a person with a name similar to that. He's a fairly knowledgeable person, I made a bit of a mistake."

"I see."

My head was stroked gently.

It's an expression almost like trying to appease a young child remembering his dead father.

It's not like Raiden is my fathers name.

My fathers name is Paul.

He's not bad as a father, but he's pretty bad as a person.

"So, magic light stone is?"

"It's a variety of magic stone."

"What kind of effect does it have?"

"During the day it gathers energy from the sun and when it becomes dark it shines like that.

However, it doesn't shine even half as long as the daytime."

I see, Solar Charging.

I didn't see anything like this in Asura Kingdom.

It seems useful so they should use it more often.

"Since it shines so well during the night, shouldn't it be more commonly spread around places?"

"No, it is a relatively rare stone."

"Eh? Then, what is over there?"

There appears to be more than enough to light up the entire town here, but...

"During the Great Demon Emperor's rule it was gathered here, supposedly. Look."

Looking where Ruijerd was pointing I noticed a partially destroyed castle.

"It was gathered just to make that castle look beautiful."

"They thought of something amazing, huh?"

The image of the Great Demon Emperor-san floated into my mind.

Eris dressed in bondage fashion yelling out, "Light is a necessity in order make me appear more beautiful!"

"No one tries to steal it?"

"Generally, it's considered a taboo, I don't know the specifics."

Well, supposedly it's the first time Ruijerd has been able to enter the town after all.

It's shining at a relatively high point, unless you can fly it probably wouldn't be very easy to take.

"It was supposedly quite the selfish request at the time it happened. Now, as you can see it's proven quite useful."

"Surprisingly, it might have been gathered for the sake of the people in the end."

"Impossible. The Great Demon Emperor is famous for being quite lazy and selfish."

I see, Lazy and Selfish.

If they are still alive, I'd love to meet them.

It's surely a Succubus-like b*tch older sister type I'm sure.

"I guess this would be the case of, reality is stranger than fiction."

"Is that a saying from the human race?"

"Yes, it is. For example the Superd race are really a kind race after all, right?"

My head was stroked.

Having my head stroked at this age feels a bit odd.

Is what I was thinking, but after giving it more thought.

A mentally middle aged man in his 40s, having his head stroked by a man whose real age is 560 that sort of situation.

I don't really know?

Then, taking out a zero.

The situation would be a child with the age of 4 having their head stroked by a man with the age of 56.

Wouldn't that be a situation one could gently smile at?

"Hey! I want to see the castle!"

Eris pointed her finger at the partially destroyed Demon Castle of Darkness.

However, I reject that option.

"We can't today. Let's go find an inn."

"Why not?! Isn't it alright, just a bit?!"

Eris was swelling up her cheeks.

Seeing that I felt it might be fine for just a bit.

However, Ruijerd said it wouldn't be light for as long as the day.

It wouldn't be funny if by the time we arrived at the castle it stopped shining.

So...

"Recently, I've been feeling really tired. Let's go to an inn."

"Eh? Are you alright?"

Feeling tired.

That's right.

Travelling around to all these places I'm unfamiliar with is tiring, but my body also feels quite heavy lately.

It's not a problem to move around while fighting monsters, but it feels like I get tired faster than normal recently.

I wonder if it's anxiety?

"I'm alright. Just for a little bit."

"I see? Then, I'll be patient for a bit."

Patient.

Those words would have never come from the Eris of a little while ago.

Eris is properly growing up a bit.

Is what I was thinking while we were moving towards the inn.

Part 2

The Wolf Claw Inn.

One room.

One night. 5 stone coins.

The building is pretty decrepit, but it's a fairly decent price aimed at beginning adventurers.

If you pay 1 more stone coin it also includes breakfast and dinner.

Also, if a party of more than 2 adventurers is staying in a single room, meals are free.

Since it's aimed at beginners, there are a number of beds and the price is meant to be split evenly.

The entrance is a lobby combined with a bar.

There aren't a large number, but there's both counter seats and table seats.

Just as expected from an inn aimed at beginners, there was a table with three young adventurers seated.

Even though they are young, they should still be older than me, and about the same age as Eris.

All are young men.

They were staring at us rudely.

"What should we do?"

Ruijerd was waiting for my response.

It was a look asking if we should keep up with the act even here.

"Let's not do it here."

I thought about it for a bit then stopped.

"I don't want to have to worry about it at the place where I'm going to sleep."

I don't know how many nights we're going to have to stay the night here.

However, they are still children.

If the place we stay is the same, then they should realize Ruijerd is a good person from seeing his actions.

"Our party has three people. For now, we'll go three nights worth."

"Alright. What are you going to do for meals?"

The innkeeper is rather unsociable.

"We'll count on you for meals."

For now we paid the cost of three nights at the inn.

It's good that the price of food is nothing.

Left over was, 1 iron coin, 3 scrap iron coins, and 2 stone coins.

Converting it to stone coins, it would be, 132 stone coins.

"Ar...Are you guys beginners as well?"

While I was listening to the rules from the innkeeper, the newbies nearby called out to Eris.

The guy in the back.

His hair was white, well, you couldn't really call him bad looking.

I'll give him an above average.

The other two were... well, bishounen types I guess?

One was a rather strong built 4 armed boy, who looked like he was raised quite proudly. Another was a boy with a beak and feathers on his head.

Well, yeah.

I guess you couldn't really call them bishounen.

The type was quite different.

If the first guy was "normal", the remaining two would be "rough type" and "light type" I guess.

"W...We are as well. How about we have a meal together?"

Really, flirting?

These kids are getting in over their heads.

However, his voice is trembling a bit.

I can't say it's not humorous.

"We could discuss tricks when taking on jobs and such."

"Haaaa."

Eris sighed while looking away.

As expected of Eris-san!

Completely ignoring someone trying to flirt with you!

Well, I guess it would be because you can't understand the words as well.

"Hey, just a little bit is good. That little brother over there you can join as well."

"???"

I was about to go in to help her, when Eris started to move away from them.

I know that technique.

It's something Edona-san taught her in manners class.

[Methods to avoid nobles you don't want to interact with. Basics chapter!]

What are you going to do, boy?

A gentleman would fall back here.

"Don't ignore me."

The boy was not a gentleman.

Getting irritated he grabbed onto Eris hood and pulled it strongly.

Eris was getting pulled backwards, but she didn't move very far.

Her legs had been trained pretty well after all.

The boy didn't stop pulling as he was getting annoyed. (!)

Since he's an Adventurers he must be pretty proud of his strength.

[rippp]

The cheap hood made a bad sound and ripped.

"Eh?"

After hearing that sound, Eris looked at the ripped hood.

[crack]

What are we going to do from now on.

The things we need are, that's right, first is money.

Three nights in this room costs 6 stone coins.

Thanks to the service towards Adventurers it's 5 stone coins.

For the three of us, that is 15 stone coins a day.

We have to earn at least that much at the very least, if not more.

However, from what we saw on the jobs board, the rewards from F rank jobs are roughly 5 stone coins.

E rank jobs are all roughly 1 scrap iron coin.

If it's just one person, taking one F rank job per day, it will pay for the cost of the inn, as your rank goes up the rewards for jobs increase, and you save up money.

F and E rank jobs are fundamentally all jobs around the town, however, D rank and above the number of harvesting jobs increases.

Save up money from E rank jobs, buy equipment for yourself then go off to do a D rank job.

It's that sort of system. It's well made.

[One day worth of lunch costs. Including consumption costs, it will be around 20 stone coins. We have to take at least one job per day, and earn 10-15 stone coins. The current amount of money we have converted to stone coins is 132 coins.]

It won't even last two weeks.

It will disappear in the blink of an eye.

We won't last unless we take two or three jobs per day.

If we were to divide up the labor we should be able to do at least 20 stone coins per day.

However, if we were to let Ruijerd work on his own, his identity could be exposed.

Eris can't understand the language so it would be a pain for her to take on a job as well.

It's the quick tempered Eris after all.

She could get into a fight at the work place.

Even more so, if we work in different places, the amount of publicity Ruijerd gets won't increase.

If we rank up the problem of money will be solved.

If it's combat based jobs, Ruijerd and Eris are made for them.

We could quickly get onto the tracks.

On the other hand, the subjugation jobs are fundamentally C rank.

If we could get to D rank within two weeks, we could probably manage it.

However, it would be impossible to do that with one job per day.

I missed the chance if there was some way to take on multiple jobs at once, but...

It seemed like there was no method to jump up multiple ranks based on ability.

The only way to progress is to follow the straightforward path ahead.

Also, my condition hasn't been very good lately.

I think we'll be alright, but it is possible Eris or I could catch some illness that can't be healed with detoxification magic.

Moreover, we don't know in what situations or for what purposes we might need money.

We need to keep buying dyes to color Ruijerd's hair as well.

We can't just keep wearing the same clothes as we have been as well.

Though our clothes were originally pretty durable and I can clean them pretty quickly with magic as well.

Forcing the moisture in clothes to evaporate is simple after all.

However...

Using magic to clean clothes is causing quite a bit of damage to the cloth.

They could tear in the future.

I'd like to find a change of clothes sooner rather than later.

I'd like some soap as well.

Lately Eris and I have only been wiping ourselves down with hot water after all.

Life necessities are going to keep on appearing from here on out.

Money is here.

Should we go into debt?

If we look we could probably find a loan shark even in this city.

No, we should avoid going into debt as much as possible.

At the very least while we have no method to pay it back.

Might as well sell, "Arrogant Water Dragon King, Akuahatia" now?

No, that would be a final resort.

It's something Eris gave me for my birthday, not something I can so easily let go.

[I can't believe I'm having to worry about household expenses?]

It reminds me of my previous life when I would cheat my parents into giving me money.

It was a painful scene.

I don't ever want to remember it again.

It also reminds me of several years ago, when I asked Paul to pay for two peoples worth school expenses.

It seems I was a bit naive about money.

[Rather than reflecting back on that, go out and earn money]

What can we do to efficiently earn money.

Take jobs everyday.

No, rather than doing jobs, it might be better to go out and hunt monsters on the plains.

However, we can't spread the name of "Dead End" if we do that.

In order to spread the name of "Dead End" we need to raise our Adventurers rank up.

Surely, it will help out in the future as well.

The guild pays well for materials from monsters as well.

However, do we have the free time to do something like that?

Putting aside the matter with Ruijerd, first we need to save up money and build a foundation for our survival, right?

[My thoughts are going around in circles?]

Save up money, raise Ruijerd's fame.

The hard part is that we need to do both of them at the same time.

[It would be good if there was some sort of method to do it]

Unable to think of anything, I quietly fell asleep.

Part 5

Dreaming.

A white place.

A place with nothing.

And an obscene guy is standing there.

Simultaneously, I feel disgust rising up within me.

Again, I sigh.

What is it this time.

I ask the mosaic bastard while feeling irritated.

I'd prefer if you make this as short as possible.

"This time it's not complicated right? Since you were relying on Ruijerd, you made it to the town right?"

Certainly.

However, consider Ruijerd's personality.

Even if we had run away on the spot, he would have followed after and protected us.

"It seems you trust him quite a bit. Yet, why don't you trust me?"

You don't know why?

Even though you call yourself God?

"Well now, rather than that, it's the next advice."

Yes, Yes, I understand.

Let's end this as quickly as we can.

I don't like this sensation and I don't like hearing the mosaic bastards voice.

During Rudeus' dreams it had become thinner, this sensation of being a sheetty NEET that was his previous life that is.

If I'm going to be forced to listen to it in the end, I'd prefer if you just tell me it from the start.

"That's mean."

Either way, I'll just end up dancing in the palm of your hand anyways, right?

"That's not the case. How you move depends on you."

No need for pointless talk, quickly tell me and get this over with.

"Yes Yes. Rudeus take the job to search for a missing pet. If you do that your worries will be resolved."

Resolved. Resolved. Resolved.

My consciousness sunk while hearing that echo.

Part 6

Middle of the night.

I wake up.

I saw a bad dream.

Honestly, I wish I wouldn't see those visions.

He comes out with such a good timing.

There's no mistake he's an evil god.

A skilled evil god who is good at manipulating the weakness in people's hearts.

"Fuuu."

Sigh.

I look to the left.

Ruijerd is sleeping there.

Rather than on a bed, for some reason he's sleeping in a corner of the room holding his spear.

I look to the right.

Eris is awake.

Sitting on the bed while holding her knees, looking outside of the completely dark window.

I quietly get up and sit down next to her.

I look out the window.

There's only one moon in this world as well.

"Having trouble sleeping?"

"Yeah."

Eris nods while staring out the window.

"Hey, Rudeus."

"Yes?"

"Will we be able to return?"

A worried face.

"That is..."

I feel embarrassed about my own uncertainty.

I thought she wasn't thinking about it at all.

She is thinking about this situation as an Adventurers with no worries at all and just enjoying it is what I thought.

That's wrong.

She was worried as well.

However, she was acting so that I wouldn't find out about that.

She's got to be feeling stressed as well.

That's why she got into that fight.

I didn't realize it.

How can this be.

"We will be able to return."

I gently embrace her and she rests her head on my shoulder.

Eris hasn't taken a satisfactory bath in a few days.

It's a completely different scent than the one she used to give off.

However, it's not a bad scent.

Since it's not a bad scent, it seems like my kikanbou is going to go wild.

Patience!

Patience?!

Until we get home I'm the thickheaded type.

The situation is different from that time with Sylphy.

This time, I have a reason I have to be patient.

It's a flimsy reason, but I don't want to take advantage of her while she is feeling uneasy.

I don't want to do something so underhanded.

"Hey, Rudeus. Is it alright if I leave it to you?"

"It's okay to feel safe. I'll make sure we can return no matter what."

Ah, lady Eris is so cute when she is meek like this.

I understand old man Sauros' feelings.

This will make you want to spoil her.

Rather, what happened to the old man I wonder.

No.

Right now, it's better not to think about it.

"Let's give it our best. Eris you should go to sleep. It's going to get busy starting tomorrow."

I pat Eris on the head and return to my own bed.

I meet eyes with Ruijerd.

He overheard us it seems.

It's a bit embarrassing.

However, he closed his eyes soon after.

It seems he's going to pretend he didn't hear us.

Ah, he's a good person.

If it was Paul he would have gone straight into teasing us.

After all, it seems I can't just put off things about this person.

However, Paul, huh.

I wonder if everyone in Buina Village is doing well.

I wonder if Paul and Sylphy are worried.

I need to send a letter.

I don't know if it will make it there though?

[Even so, searching for a lost pet?]

I have no idea what that Hitogami is plotting, but this time only I'll just obey without thinking about it.

—

Thus, this is how our first day as Adventurers peacefully ended.