Chapter 20

......Looking back, Elise had always been kind.

---For example, when she hired me.

"......There's nothing I can do. You were amazing with that heal just now...... Well, I look forward to working with you from now on."

Elise, with a troubled expression, still gave me a gentle smile despite my half-hearted, shameless negotiation, which was a mix of half-hearted sincerity and desperation for a job.

She took me in to work as a live-in, even though I was just a pitiful person trying to elicit sympathy.

At that time, Elise was as kind as a goddess.

---For example, the first time I harassed her.

"Was that on purpose just now? ...Be more careful, okay?"

When I touched her butt for the first time, pretending it was an accident, Elise forgave me with a smile.

At that time, Elise was still kind.

Her slightly bashful and innocent reaction excited me.

---For example, the nth time I harassed her.

"......There won't be a next time."

Her voice was cold.

But even so, Elise didn't kick me out.

While she started to give me death glares every time I harassed her, understanding my character, she would eventually forgive me after I got down on my knees and passionately explained the reasons for my actions and Elise's charm.

And the day before I was kicked out---

The door was slightly ajar, as if inviting me.

On the other side, the room with only a tiled floor, a bathtub, and a drain was probably a bathroom in the past.

However, due to a lack of funds, the expensive magic device for hot water had already been sold, and the structure was not set up for heating with firewood, making it no longer a proper bath.

It was just a space for a cold water bath.

And the faint sound of water I could hear from there.

My imagination ran wild, and I couldn't help but peek, which was a natural reaction for a man.

---On the other side of the door, Elise was taking a cold water bath, and there, a paradise awaited.

My rationality snapped, and I burst in, pretending it was an accident, and ended up groping her chest, which was almost inevitable.

"Are you really that eager to be kicked out......"

Elise, with a vein popping on her forehead and a look of anger that no girl should have, stared at me.

That was definitely too much... but Elise didn't turn me over to the guards.

I was kicked out only after I had saved up enough money to start over.

This was probably not a coincidence.

"Master......"

Yuel, looking up at me, seemed to be trying to convey something.

I understood without her saying it.

Even though we had only worked together as waitresses for a short time, Yuel had grown quite attached to Elise.

"Should we buy back Elise's clinic?"

"Y-Yes, Master!"

After thinking for a while, I came up with a few methods.

The first thing to do was to have Yuel work at the tavern to earn money so I could move around freely.

"Yuel, we need money to buy back Elise's clinic. I need you to work at that chronically understaffed tavern for a bit. I'll come to pick you up in the evening."

Let's get this done quickly.

---

"Stop him! Chase him! Make him regret cheating in our territory to the point of death!!"

"That guy seemed suspicious, but he really did it! Don't let him get away!"

"Damn it, why is he so fast! Hey, you guys, over there! Get ahead of him!"

And the result of trying to get it done quickly---I am now being chased.

To earn money, I went to a gambling den run by some scary people.

In this country, where gambling other than state-run is illegal, it's a pretty underground place.

I had heard that in a tavern on the outskirts of town, there was a gambling den on the second floor where many people played while hiding their faces and identities.

There, a gambling game similar to poker was being held.

It was a simple game where you had to guess whether the number on the card drawn from the deck was higher or lower than the card on the table.

Due to the payout rate, it was a game where the house would eventually win if played normally, but I had the handy appraisal skill.

And---as expected, I was caught by the magic device that detects the activation of analytical skills.

"Huff... huff..."

I couldn't stop running.

I had to keep escaping.

At the moment I paid the bet and was forced to choose between high or low, I activated my appraisal skill to check the top card of the deck---and a loud alarm rang throughout the place.

The dealer, who had detected some kind of magic device, turned his gaze toward me.

With a guilty conscience, I immediately jumped out of the second-floor window, bracing for injury.

I managed to escape from the place.

But I was still being chased by some scary people.

And it looked like I was about to be surrounded.

Even with constant short-distance sprints, I couldn't shake them off.

These thugs, despite being involved in illegal gambling, were quite well-trained.

Maybe it was just that I wasn't trained enough.

Thanks to the heal, my legs were still holding up, but my breathing was getting dangerous.

Oxygen deprivation couldn't be healed by magic.

"There he is! Over there!!"

Men dressed like thugs were running toward me from the front.

And they were still chasing me from behind.

This is bad, really bad.

It was a moment of weakness.

But even if I said it was a moment of weakness, they wouldn't forgive me like Elise did.

If I got caught, I would definitely face physical punishment.

I was running around alleys trying to shake them off, but there were too many of them.

They were about to catch up.

"Chase him! Chase him!!"

To avoid being cornered, I turned into a side street.

Is there something, anything?

While running, I searched my item box.

The feel of hard metal---a mace.

...No, I can't win in a fight, and I don't want to fight in the first place.

The feel of rough fabric---a blood-stained nun's habit.

...I forgot to throw it away.

And---a squishy feel.

This is it!

I turned the corner again and scattered what I had in my hand in the narrow alley.

---Yes, slime jelly.

The slime jelly I had been hoarding without selling.

There was enough to cover the narrow alley.

After running for a while, I heard screams and angry shouts from behind.

They must have slipped on the slime jelly.

I'm glad I had the slime jelly.

I turned into an alley to set up the slime jelly, then turned into another alley to set up more slime.

By scattering slime jelly while running through the city, I managed to shake them off.

It took a long time, but I finally escaped.

...But this was a failure.

Not only did I not earn any money, but I lost the entire five thousand zennies I bet.

And my slime jelly stock was significantly depleted.

I should have thought it through more. Why did I do something so reckless?

I must have been more anxious than I realized.

I still have time.

I have other ways to earn money.

Next time, it will be the real deal.

This time, I headed to the slave market.

It was an idea I had after seeing Yuel.

Yes, I could buy injured slaves, heal them, and sell them for a large profit.

It was a bit of a moral issue to engage in human trafficking purely for profit, so I had put it off, but I could choose the slaves I bought.

If I picked a random middle-aged man, my conscience wouldn't hurt too much.

A middle-aged man would probably be grateful just to be healed.

And when I got to the slave market---

"Slaves with injuries? We don't usually stock them."

"Injured slaves? We don't have any. We have a dedicated healer for minor injuries."

"Can you use Ex-Heal? Don't joke. There's no way a scrawny guy like you could be a high-ranking priest."

---My plan fell through.

After asking around the slave market, I found no slaves with major injuries.

It seems Yuel was a rare case.

Slave traders don't usually stock people with low initial value.

Slaves are expensive to maintain just by owning them.

It was a wasted trip.

I went to the gambling den, ran around, and came to the slave market, all for nothing.

I wasted a lot of time.

It was almost evening.

It was time to pick up Yuel.

With only six days left until the auction for Elise's clinic.

"Master!"

As soon as I entered the tavern, Yuel ran up to me.

She was dressed in a cute waitress outfit.

"Master, I earned a lot of money today! ...Um, to buy Elise's clinic, right? I want Elise to be happy. So..."

She handed me a bank card with several thousand zennies.

I had made her work here for a good reason, but after losing all my bet money through cheating at gambling, I felt quite guilty about taking it.

"Y-You keep it for now, Yuel."

But I wanted to respond to her feelings.

However, both methods I thought of today ended in failure.

What should I do tomorrow?

Should I explore the dungeon and look for treasure chests?

I heard that expensive magic devices are often found in treasure chests.

It would be the best way to get rich quick in the dungeon.

...But I've never seen a treasure chest in the dungeon before.

Finding one within a week seems unlikely.

But if not, what should I do...

"Hey Shiki, got a minute?"

As I was thinking, someone called out to me.

It was Gazer.

Looking next to him, I saw Eight.

Glancing at Gazer's hand, I noticed a slight trace of blood.

He probably needed healing.

"Gazer, what's up? A healing spell costs four hundred zennies, you know?"

"Ah, this is just a scratch, so it's fine. On the way here, I somehow stepped on some slime jelly and fell."

...I'm sorry.

"J-Just kidding, I wouldn't take money from you guys. Heal."

I'll make sure to collect it later.

"Thanks, that's great. But that's not what I came for. I'm here to collect on the favor you owe me for sending you to the surface last time."

"Favor?"

I remember agreeing to accompany them on the next dungeon exploration in exchange for the ride.

"That's right, Shiki. I want you to come with us to the dungeon tomorrow."

"Sure, but just slime hunting?"

"Well, yes---"

Honestly, I'd rather do slime hunting another time.

I want to aim for a big score.

But I can't refuse.

I owe them a favor and promised to go whenever they asked.

Besides, there's a small chance we might find a treasure chest while hunting slimes.

"---But we can handle it ourselves. It's not just slimes."

Eight said with a smirk.

Not just slimes, meaning...

"Huge Slimes."