Chapter 1

### The Labyrinth City of Merharts

At the edge of this city, which spreads out from the labyrinth at its center, I was working as usual at the Eris Clinic.

"Wow, this wound wasn't properly treated, huh? It's starting to fester. We'll need a Dispoison spell too. That'll be 400 zennies with the Heal spell."

In front of me stood a girl with bright red hair that reached her shoulders. Her well-muscled body was dressed in a simple button-up shirt and short pants, giving her a boyish vibe.

Her left arm bore a wound that looked like it had been scratched by something sharp. However, despite the painful-looking injury, her responses were cheerful, and she didn't seem particularly concerned about it. For her, this level of injury was a daily occurrence. After all, she was an adventurer.

As I cast a "Healing Magic" spell on her arm, a faint light gathered at the wound, repairing it.

"Four hundred, huh? Shiki, can't you make it a bit cheaper? My equipment was damaged in the last exploration, and I'm short on money."

"No way. If I lower the treatment fees without permission, Eris will fire me for sure. This is the tough part of being a hired healer."

I, Sato Shiki, was originally a college student in modern Japan. One day, I suddenly found myself in this different world. I thought I had died after being stabbed by a knife-wielding thug, but I somehow ended up in this labyrinth city.

Whether it was related to my past in Japan, where I had made a small fortune as an antique dealer specializing in fakes and had founded a new religious movement focused on psychic healing, I had acquired the skills of appraisal and healing magic in this world. After a series of twists and turns, I started working at the Eris Clinic to make a living in this different world, and it had been three months since then.

"Come on, it'll be fine. No one will find out. Just for the Dispoison spell, please!"

Munyuri.

The red-haired girl pressed her newly healed arm close to her body. Her large chest, which was unimaginable given her boyish appearance, was pushed up significantly.

This is bad.

Really bad.

Her chest, hidden only by a button-up shirt without any maze-exploration equipment, was barely contained by the thin undergarments of this world, which lacked the unattractive wires for support. Her ample bosom jiggled softly.

"But, you know—"

Eris, the owner of this clinic.

When I first came to this different world and was looking for a place to work, I was drawn to her by the bursting bosom in her nun's habit, which I had seen by chance in the city. After stalking her a bit, I found this clinic and started working here.

However, to be honest, the environment wasn't great. The clinic was far from the city center's labyrinth, so there were few customers. To attract more, the clinic had to keep the treatment fees artificially low, which meant the clinic had little money and the pay was low. But since I was living in the clinic, the salary didn't really matter to me.

If I gave discounts at a clinic with such poor management, what would Eris say? Actually, she had already threatened to fire me multiple times if I did it again.

However, the adventurers who came to this far-off clinic were usually money-hungry, experienced veterans.

"Here, you can touch a little, okay?"

Faced with their superior negotiation skills, I was always powerless to resist and ended up giving discounts. It was all the fault of the gods who created such tempting fruits. Well, I was also to blame, having been revered as a god in some parts of Japan as the founder of a new religious movement.

"Can't help it. Then, 200 zennies for the Heal spell!"

"Thank you! Just a little, okay?"

The red-haired girl puffed out her chest, pushing her large bosom forward. When I looked at her face, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she turned her head away.

This is it.

This is it.

This bewitching gesture that makes men lose their heads.

This seductive purring voice.

She always does this.

Once you see it, you can't help but give a discount.

It's not that I'm weak-willed; it's that her skills are too good.

Then, I reached out my hand toward her chest—

"What are you doing?"

A voice as cold as absolute zero.

It echoed through the treatment room.

"Ah, I, I'm leaving now. Thank you for the treatment!"

Ah.

The boyish girl dashed away.

She's a true adventurer.

Her movements were impressive.

And I hadn't even touched her yet.

Not to mention, I hadn't received the treatment fee.

Pay up.

The reason she ran away was obvious.

At the entrance of the treatment room stood Eris, a blonde woman with hair reaching her waist. At eighteen, she was a tough girl who ran this clinic on her own. Her arms were crossed, pushing up her overly ample chest, and her glare was sharp enough to kill.

"Ah, hahaha."

Rule one of dealing with situations: laugh when you're in trouble.

"I told you, didn't I? Don't give discounts without permission. Many, many, many, many times."

It didn't work.

"Well, you see, it was, it was, the chest! It looked like it was injured, so I had to treat it, right? Right?"

Rule two of dealing with situations: there was a legitimate reason for it.

"Why did you need to touch it just to cast a healing spell? Besides, I saw you from the beginning."

It didn't work.

"I, I, I'm so sorry!!"

Rule three of dealing with situations: prostrate yourself.

It was a perfect prostration, executed with perfect form.

I rubbed my head against the floor, begging for forgiveness.

Even the easily angered Eris couldn't help but forgive such a pitiful sight.

"......I hired you because you insisted on working here, but no matter how many times I tell you, you don't listen. You constantly harass both me and the customers. And yet, you eat two servings. I've tolerated your healing skills, but I can't take it anymore. You're fired. Don't ever show your face here again."

Well, that's it.

Three strikes, and you're out.

I've been scolded many times before, but this level of anger was new.

I've never been told not to show my face here before.

"Sorry, I won't do it again. Your beautiful face will be ruined if you get so angry."

"Tch!!"

Ah, this is bad.

This is the real, angry Eris.

The immediate tongue-clicking and the look of disgust, as if she were looking at rotten garbage, clearly showed her genuine hatred toward me.

To be honest, it's scary.

Very scary.

I haven't seen Eris this scary since the incident where I accidentally saw her naked while she was bathing, slipped, and ended up groping her ample chest. That was definitely too much.

Five seconds before I was really fired.

My next words would determine my future.

Think.

Think of a comeback.

A line that would make Eris blush and say, "Wonderful, embrace me!"

"Here, this is your stuff. I've packed it up for you."

Time's up.

Eris threw a large burlap sack at me. Inside were a few sets of male nun's robes and a bank card. They were definitely mine.

She was very thorough.

"Um, Eris?"

"Like I said, you're fired. Get out."

And just like that, I was immediately kicked out of Eris's clinic and became an unemployed, homeless person in this different world.