Chapter 8

"Welcome back!"

"Oh, Onee-san. Welcome home."

"Mahh, I'm so tired! Thanks for the greeting!"

Holding a plastic bag with a can of beer, Onee-san Akki entered the room with high spirits.

This was the exclusive dormitory for association staff. It was a building reserved for receptionists, and it was where the two sisters, Akki and Maki, lived.

*Pshh*

"Ah, ah, ahhh. A beer after work is just the best!"

"Onee-san, weren't you supposed to be free today?"

"Yeah, that's right. Shouta-kun didn't come, and Daimon-san, the security guard, was slacking off and not around. Well, that's usual. I just read manga and took naps, so... I was really bored, so I played around by killing some slimes."

"Onee-san, at least do your job as a receptionist!"

"It's fine. No one ever comes to 'Unlucky Hole.' Didn't you see last month's adventurer usage chart? It's just Shouta-kun, right?"

"That's true, but..."

"Besides, my evaluation from headquarters is pretty high, so I can get away with being a bit lax. It's like that dungeon. A branch where staff disappears at night. Hahaha."

"Ugh. All of that is thanks to Shouta-san!"

The evaluation and salary of receptionists are calculated based on the predicted harvest of magic stones, which is estimated from the number of adventurers and the dungeon, and the quantity and quality of magic stones submitted by the assigned adventurers. Over the past ten years, the utilization methods of magic stones have been discovered, and they are now recognized as clean energy. For the association, purchasing magic stones is the most important item.

The only magic stones produced in 'Unlucky Hole' are the 'Tiny Magic Stones' dropped by slimes.

Due to the unpopularity of the dungeon, the predicted monthly magic stone yield was estimated to be low. However, the actual yield was different. Thanks to Shouta's 'Luck' and his abnormal number of kills, the monthly magic stone target was met in just one day.

Those abnormal magic stones were actually a byproduct of Shouta's insatiable curiosity, but from the outside, it was assumed that they were due to the guidance of Akki, who was almost exclusively taking care of him.

As a result, while Shouta was generally treated as the weakest adventurer, he was highly evaluated by some in the association.

"Right, Shouta-kun! I realized again while killing slimes that the drop rate of 'Tiny Magic Stones' is really low. Bringing back hundreds of them, Shouta-kun is really amazing. Thanks to him, my life is stable. By issuing the 'Letter of Introduction,' part of the appraisal money flows to us even if he performs well in other dungeons. It's really great! ...So, how was it when you actually met him?"

"...I think he's a good person. He lacks some common sense, but he has a good sense of right and wrong. I could tell that you didn't explain the dungeon at all."

Pulling out skill orbs carelessly, and only vaguely understanding the benefits and drawbacks of the 'Letter of Introduction' and the exclusive system. Maki looked at her sister with a cold eye, wondering what kind of explanation she had given.

"Ugh... ...Let's put that aside. I want to hear about today's performance."

"...Wow, it's not just amazing. Today, he apparently killed about 150 goblins in the first floor, and the number of 'Tiny Magic Stones' he obtained was 132. He even got nearly 30 'Iron Knives.' However, since 'Tiny Magic Stones' are the size of marbles, it's not a problem, but the knives take up space, so he apparently discarded about half of them."

"Wow, what a waste! From the association's perspective, 'Tiny Magic Stones' are more desirable, but in terms of unit price, 'Iron Knives' are more expensive. Shouta-kun didn't know that, did he?"

"That seems to be the case. He was a bit shocked when he received the appraisal money explanation... This time, it became clear that you didn't teach him properly, so from now on, I'll teach him thoroughly."

The purchase price of 'Tiny Magic Stones' is 200 yen each, but 'Iron Knives' cost 1500 yen each.

Weapons and items created using the power and skills of the dungeon, even if made of iron, have different performance from ordinary items. Therefore, it was natural for their prices to be high.

"Hmm, hmm? You're getting so involved, it's like you're the exclusive one. Are you going to volunteer to be Shouta-kun's exclusive?"

"Ah! This is because... the 'Letter of Introduction' designated an 'Exclusive Agent'... Ugh! Stop smirking! Besides, there are restrictions on double contracts, so it's difficult."

The 'Letter of Introduction' and the exclusive system, which receptionists use to 'mark' adventurers, have strict restrictions to prevent them from being issued indiscriminately. Double contracts are one of those restrictions.

"Hmm, let's get back to the topic. If Shouta-san can earn that much, it would be better to hire a 'porter,' but it's hard to find someone who meets the conditions... Besides, Shouta-san wasn't very enthusiastic about it."

"I understand. Shouta-kun has some peculiarities, so a regular 'porter' might get in the way."

"Also... here."

Maki handed a file she had taken out of her bag to her sister.

"What's this, a report?"

"It's about today's Shouta-san's performance and the things he said I could disclose. I thought you wouldn't believe it just by hearing it."

"Ooh, I'm curious. ...Wow."

Akki, who was getting tipsy from the alcohol, suddenly sobered up.

The content was that shocking.

"I thought he would do something big someday, but I didn't expect him to kill the problem child 'Hobgoblin' on the first floor on his first day. And all the items and drops he confirmed. I can only say 'impressive' about this."

"Moreover, Shouta-san said he wants to sell all of them through the association's auction. Can you believe it?"

"Whaaat!? I can understand not using the greatsword, but the 'Super Strength' skill is something that melee attackers would drool over. Putting it up for auction will definitely cause a commotion. Why isn't he using it himself... Oh, maybe he already has it?"

"No, that's not it. Shouta-san said he wanted to return the favor for the 'Letter of Introduction' and the care he received from Onee-san. So I explained the appraisal system and told him that just cashing in would be enough. Then he said he wanted to sell the 'Super Strength' skill..."

"Whaaat!?"

During the appraisal, 20% of the dungeon tax is deducted, with 75% of that going to the association and the remaining 25% added to the salary of the assigned receptionist.

For adventurers with a 'Letter of Introduction,' 50% of the dungeon tax goes to the association, 25% to the issuer of the 'Letter of Introduction,' and the remaining 25% to the assigned receptionist. The same ratio applies to auctions conducted through the association.

Therefore, receptionists issue 'Letters of Introduction' to promising adventurers to become their 'exclusive' and earn money. However, receptionists can only issue one 'Letter of Introduction' to one person, so they are cautious and rarely issue them.

Moreover, to enter an exclusive contract with an adventurer who already has a 'Letter of Introduction,' there are many troublesome restrictions, so adventurers with two or more exclusives are very rare.

"Shouta-kun is too kind. I'm happy about his feelings, but this is too much. 'Super Strength' is a big hit skill. If it's auctioned, it will fetch tens of millions. For 5% of the sales to go to us sisters... I can't even look you in the eye."

"I told him that the daily submissions are enough, but he wouldn't budge... So, to repay the favor, I want to support him in various ways."

"Right, I'll help too. First, we need to prioritize measures for his equipment. Then... I heard that there are several status-related experimental projects at the association headquarters. One of them was about 'Luck.' I'll tell Shouta-kun about it."

"The experiment that the higher the 'Luck,' the more likely a miraculous strike will occur. That's why I can understand the 'Hobgoblin' kill."

"Right. There were a few others, so I'll tell him about them within a few days."

The sisters nodded and immediately started operating their terminals to gather information.

"Oh, by the way, let's invite Shouta-kun to dinner next time. The pretext will be a celebration for the rare monster kill."

"Great idea, Onee-san."

To the readers,

If you found this work interesting and are curious about the continuation,

registering a bookmark or rating it with ★★★★★ would be a great encouragement.

Thank you!