Chapter 24: Quest 12: Decide the Next Objective [Part 1]
Makoto sat across from Yuuka and Fene at a table in the dining hall.
Liv sat beside him, legs crossed.
“O~ne, t~wo, thr~ee, fo~ur, fi~veā¦ yup, thereās definitely five hundred A.”
Yuuka counted the silver coins out loud and smiled in satisfaction.
There were only five coins.
There was no need to say it out loud.
No, better not say anything.
She was just that kind of creature.
“ā¦”
Fene, meanwhile, remained silent.
She silently glared at Liv.
Occasionally, she shot Makoto a look that seemed faintly accusatory.
“So? What do you think?”
“Iām in favor. If we think about the future, weāll need a tank.”
“ā¦If itās Brotherās decision, Iām fine with it.”
Makoto sighed inwardly in relief.
He had worried they might object since their shares would decrease, but it seemed unnecessary.
Still, he would need to follow up with Fene, who looked openly dissatisfied.
“Is that it?”
“No. I want to talk about whatās next. Thanks to Liv, we can now take C-class requests.”
“If our situationās changed, then yeah, we should talk.”
Yuuka nodded.
“Liv, tell us about C-class requests.”
“Iām not great at explainingā¦”
Liv scratched her head.
“Well, first off, at C-class you can do caravan escort work. Not long-term, just short gigsātwo or three days.”
“No long-term escorts?”
“Those are B-class and up. And for long-term jobs, strength alone isnāt enough. Sometimes theyāll reject you.”
Makoto nodded.
Long-term work required cooperation with other teams.
In short, trust.
“Any short escort jobs up?”
“Yeah. Thereās one from Rogers Trading Company. Three days. Two hundred A per day. Not bad.”
“By the way,” Liv added,
“Injuries and meals are on you.”
“No workersā comp, huh.”
Makoto sighed quietly.
“Sherry, could you prepare lunches for one leg of the trip?”
“As long as you pay, Iāll make them.”
She sounded exasperated, but faintly pleased.
Maybe she was happy about the business.
“So, Iād like to take the Rogers request.”
“No objections.”
“No objections, ssu!”
“Liv?”
“Huh? Me too?”
Liv blinked in surprise.
“Youāre the strongest, Makoto. Why not just decide everything yourself?”
“What are we, wild animals?”
“Isnāt it normal for the strongest to decide?”
“No, itās not.”
“Guess thatās cultural differences.”
Liv likely grew up in a community where strength earned authority.
Hopefully not one full of constant power struggles.
“In battle, we wonāt have time to debate. But I want to aim for consensus when we can.”
“Got it. No objections from me.”
Makoto still felt uneasy, but her agreement was welcome.
“Is it too late to apply?”
“Nope. Receptionās open till evening.”
“Youāve got a good memory.”
“Itās my livelihood. I check carefully.”
Liv rubbed her nose shyly.
Makes sense.
Adventurers should monitor posted requests.
“The problem is departureās in three days.”
“So weāve got some time.”
Makoto leaned back, arms crossed.
Three optionsātake another job, explore a dungeon, or rest.
“We should earn more money instead of wasting time,” Yuuka said.
“I agree with Sis!”
“I wanna fight,” Liv said.
Hardworking bunch.
Makoto eliminated “rest” from the list.
“Liv, any other C-classā”
“Brother.”
Fene interrupted him.
“Fene, what other requests were there?”
“There was more herb gathering! Also sewer cleaning and pet searches!”
She answered brightly.
Apparently she had checked the board too.
“Herb gathering doesnāt pay much, and sewers areā¦”
Yuuka objected.
With four members, herb gathering wasnāt efficient.
“What about sewer cleaning?”
“Donāt even suggest that!” Yuuka snapped.
Well, for a teenage girl, sewer work might be rough.
“Sis, sewer cleaningās important work! We have to exterminate rats and cockroaches to protect the slimes!”
“Slimes?”
“Slimes live in the city sewers and purify the wastewater!”
Fene explained enthusiastically.
Makoto was impressed.
In Japan, microorganisms purified sewage.
That became widespread during the high-growth eraāhis parentsā generation.
If this world used slimes, its civilization was more advanced than it looked.
“And sometimes valuable things fall into the sewer.”
“Rejected.”
Yuukaās answer was cold.
“Iāve heard silver spoons canā”
“No.”
Feneās ears and tail drooped.
“Even if we found one, splitting it four ways wouldnāt mean much. But keep speaking up.”
“Y-Yes, ssu!”
Feneās ears perked again.
“Liv, any other C-class jobs?”
“If there were, I wouldnāt be recommending escort duty.”
“Then dungeon exploration it is.”
Hunting monsters in the forest was an option, but dungeons meant more encounters.
“Fene, Liv, any recommended dungeon?”
“Uhā¦ thatās sudden.”
“I wanna go to the Corpse Kingās Dungeon.”
“That one was cleared recently.”
“What?!”
Liv yelped.
Apparently that was the dungeon Makoto and Yuuka had cleared.
“Who cleared it?”
“No idea.”
“Damn, someone beat me to it.”
Liv clicked her tongue.
“You planned to clear it?”
“Yeah. Wouldāve boosted my reputation.”
She grinned.
“Alsoā¦ revenge.”
“You couldnāt clear it before?”
“A ghoul nearly killed me.”
“I see.”
“Iām stronger now. Gotta settle it.”
“You wouldnāt lose.”
“Hope not.”
She smiled bitterly.
“Fene, any decent dungeon?”
“How about the second-largestāThe No-Return Dungeon?”
“Whatās it like?”
Makoto felt uneasy about the name.
“There are rumors that party members sometimes disappear without anyone noticing.”
“Thatās ādecentā?” Yuuka frowned.
They had two high-level members, but as a team they were still rookies.
Could they handle a dungeon with ominous rumors?
“It has lots of unexplored areas, so we can earn by selling maps. And there are plenty of undead.”
“I see.”
Money made risk more tolerable.
“Iām fine with it. You?”
“Iām good.”
“Fine by me.”
“Then itās settled!”
Fene grinned.
“We go to the church, accept the request, and depart?”
“Wouldnāt we leave tomorrow?”
“Why?”
“I want to buy a new map.”
“Good point.”
Preparation didnāt eliminate risk, but it helped.
“Makoto, since weāre leaving tomorrow, spar with me?”
“About what?”
“Help me relieve some frustration.”
“No indecent acts right after meeting, ssu!”
Liv leaned forward, proudly displaying her ample chest.
Fene overreacted.
“You want to fight me, right?”
“You catch on quick!”
“Your face says it all.”
She wore a savage grin.
Expecting anything else wouldāve been strange.
“Some people donāt get it though.”
“No comment.”
Liv glanced across the table.
Fene was bright red.
Yuuka looked unimpressed.
“So how are we getting there?” Yuuka asked.
“Thereās a shared carriage to the dungeon!”
Fene answered eagerly.
“…A shared carriage.”
Yuuka frowned.
Understandable.
Taking public transport to a dungeon felt far from fantasy.
Would owning their own carriage make it feel different?