Chapter 99

As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

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Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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The first dungeon for Sara and the others had ended safely, and they finally managed to come out of the dungeon.

"Yuta, it's getting dark. Are we going back to the inn?"

(Yeah, but I'll take everyone back to the inn first, then I'll go to the Adventurer's Guild, so please come with me.)

"Oh, since it's the first time we've completed a quest, why don't you take Sara and the others along? I don't think it will be too troublesome with the current state of the Adventurer's Guild in the morning, and I think they'll be happy to see the monsters they defeated turn into money."

Hmm, the other adventurers are just whispering from a distance, so it's not a big deal, but I feel like I'll get a lecture from Eltina. What should I do? But, seeing the money... it's important to confirm that we get the proper reward. Since it's our first quest, maybe I should take them along? It's a tough decision, but I'll check with them.

"Sara, Marco, Kika, we're going to the Adventurer's Guild to report the completion of our first quest. Do you want to come? But, as you might remember from the last time we went to the Adventurer's Guild, I'm not well-liked, so people will say mean things."

The three of them talked for a bit and then looked at me.

"We'll go. We've been called names in the slums, so a few insults are nothing."

"Master, Kika and I are fine. We're used to it." "I'm fine."

I don't want them to say such sad things with bright faces. Hmm, I was thinking of keeping them away from the Adventurer's Guild, but if I show them getting their first reward, maybe I should take them along.

"Is that so? If you're okay with it, let's go."

I didn't know what to say to their sad words, so I just let it go. I guess cool adults can say the right thing at the right time.

While I was thinking, we arrived at the Adventurer's Guild. I couldn't think of what to say, but I had a few ideas, none of which felt quite right.

* You don't need to get used to insults. I'll protect you.

Basically, the insults are directed at me. It's fundamentally wrong.

* I'll beat up everyone who says mean things, so don't worry.

I'll just end up losing my temper and causing a scene.

* I know it was tough. It's okay now. I'm here for you.

What will happen if I'm here?

* Sara and the others have grown stronger. Just beat up anyone who says mean things.

That might create a bunch of troublemakers.

* Let's be happy from now on.

It felt good for a moment, but I'm the one who makes them fight undead in the Land of Death and monsters in the dungeon... I'm the one causing them trouble. Also, it sounds like a proposal.

I feel like I'm close to the right answer, but I can't quite get there. It's frustrating. And while I was thinking, Tamamo was carrying Bell and had her on her shoulder. I didn't even notice.

"Master, aren't you going in?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm going in. Let's go."

For now, we need to report the completion of the quest. I'll think of a cool line before bed. When we entered the Adventurer's Guild, it was crowded with people returning before dinner. It's not a good time for us.

We ignored the others and lined up at Eltina's counter. The adventurer in front of me gave me a nasty look, but I ignored it.

I thought about lining up at another counter, but I don't need to increase the number of beautiful women who treat me coldly. It's a bit depressing.

No one lined up behind me. Everyone chose other lines, so this line kept getting shorter. Adventurers are supposed to be free-spirited, but they follow the guild's wishes closely. Oh, it's my turn.

"Hello, Eltina."

"What can I do for you?"

She's as cold as ever.

"I've completed a quest, so I need to go through the procedures. I have ten Ruffbirds, 210 herbs, and some magic stones. I haven't disassembled them yet, so should I bring them here?"

"For delivery quests, please take the items to the delivery area in the back and then line up here."

I see, that's the system. They didn't mention this in the beginner's training, but maybe it's common knowledge.

"Got it. Everyone, let's go to the delivery area. See you later, Eltina."

We headed to the delivery area, where we were met with more unfriendly looks as we lined up.

"What do you have?"

...A gruff old man asked. He's always like this. He treats everyone, including the adventurers in front of me and me, the same way. In a way, it's refreshing.

"Ten undismantled Ruffbirds and 210 herbs."

"Undismantled? Ah, you have a magic bag. Come this way."

He led us further back to a room with various materials.

"Put them here."

I placed the ten Ruffbirds where he indicated. He muttered that it was a pretty good bag. Will this information spread in the guild? Well, the one I'm using came from a treasure chest, so it's not a problem. The infinite capacity and time stop ones need to be handled more carefully.

"The herbs and magic stones are over here."

Bell and the others had worked hard to gather the herbs, and Sara and the others had worked hard to collect the magic stones. We placed them on the designated table. Since the herbs are 30 per quest, we'll have to do another one for the remainder.

"Alright. I'll check the items, so wait over there."

While we waited in a corner of the delivery area, Sara and the others chatted. The old man called us over and gave us a wooden ticket. This is the receipt. We lined up at Eltina's counter again and handed over the receipt.

"......I've confirmed the completion of five Ruffbird delivery quests and seven herb delivery quests. For the Ruffbirds, including the parts you don't usually take home and the disassembly fee, it's 220,000 elts. For the herbs, it's 35,000 elts. The magic stones are mostly F-rank, so it's 18,000 elts. The total is 273,000 elts."

That's a pretty good amount. Considering the risk involved, it seems fair. Well, the most profitable part of the Ruffbirds, the meat, was all brought back thanks to the magic bag. It must be tougher for those without a magic bag.

Sara and the others, who were listening, cheered. They look really happy. They must have struggled with money before, so it's a big deal for them to earn it on their own.

As Sylph said, it was a good idea to bring Sara and the others to the Adventurer's Guild. It will motivate them for future training.

"Got it. By the way, how many more quests do I need to complete to rank up?"

"To rank up to E-rank, you need to successfully complete 20 F-rank and E-rank quests."

So, I need eight more, and I'll rank up next time.

"Thank you."

I thanked her and left the Adventurer's Guild. The annoying looks disappeared as soon as we left.

"Yuta, the guild master was there. It seems that the nobles and merchants are pressuring him because they couldn't get the magic herbs and all-purpose herbs you delivered. The guild wants to keep it a secret who obtained the materials and is pushing to find the supplier quickly."

The guild master was there. I delivered a significant amount of herbs, but it seems some people couldn't get them. It's good that I'm causing trouble for the guild master as planned, but I hope he can find the supplier during our stay. Alright, let's head back to the inn.

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"Welcome back. Here's the key. What about dinner? Should I bring it to your room like yesterday?"

As soon as we entered the inn, Marsha asked. She usually starts with small talk, but she seems busy today.

"Yes, please bring four more portions like yesterday."

"Got it."

After parting ways with Marsha, we gathered in Sara's room. I feel relieved. Even though I know Sylph and the others will keep them safe, I was a bit nervous about taking Sara and the others to the dungeon.

I petted Bell and the others, who were playing around. They seem eager for dinner. They've really developed an appetite.

"Sara, Marco, Kika, how was your first dungeon?"

While petting Bell and the others, I asked Sara and the others about their first dungeon experience.

"It was tense, but I made new discoveries and learned a lot. With Fukuchan's help, I think I can act calmly as long as I stay focused. I'm just worried about encountering monsters that Fukuchan's powers don't affect."

Sara was nervous. She usually observes her surroundings and supports Marco and Kika, so I didn't notice.

"Sylph says that if we encounter tough enemies, it won't be easy to defeat them like before. We need to come up with strategies. How about you, Marco?"

"Master, this time it was okay, but maybe I should learn to use weapons?"

...That's a tough question.

"I can't teach you how to use weapons. Even if you could use them, I don't think you could attack stronger than Uri. The best thing is to be vigilant and avoid monsters you can't defeat. How about you, Kika?"

If you're vigilant, you can escape before the monsters notice you. There might be monsters that magic doesn't affect, so we need to think about that, but for now, it should be okay.

"I'm fine because I have Mamechan, but walking a lot was tiring."

Kika found walking tiring. We took breaks, but maybe we should take more frequent breaks from now on.

"Your stamina will improve as you level up, so it shouldn't be a problem soon."

Hmm, I thought they might get overconfident since it was pretty easy, but they're all serious.

"Well, we'll explore the dungeon in a similar way for a while, so try different things."

"Got it." "Got it." "Okay."

It seems they can handle the dungeon, so that's a relief.

"Next is the reward."

It's 273,000 elts. I divided it into three equal parts of 91,000 elts each and gave it to Sara, Marco, and Kika.

"This is your first reward as adventurers, so don't waste it."

They've struggled with money, so I don't think they'll waste it, but I should warn them just in case. ...But is it dangerous to give children so much money? 91,000 elts is a lot for elementary school kids... But with Fukuchan and the others around, they should be safe.

"Master, is it okay for us to take this? And with this distribution, there's no share for you, right?"

"You earned it, so it's okay to take it. I don't need a share. I was just behind you, and I have a lot of money from the Fire Dragon and other things."

It would hurt to take the reward from children who worked hard, even though I have enough money to be a billionaire. I could take it all to teach them about the harshness of society, but I'm not that materialistic. It's better for my peace of mind to not take any.

"But Master, you feed us, so we don't need money. Should we use this money for food?"

"No, I'll feed you, so you don't need to worry about that. If you don't have a use for it, save it. You'll need money when you grow up."

Marco tilted his head, confused. Kika also looked puzzled. I used to be overjoyed when I got pocket money as a kid, but they're not used to having money to spend freely.

"Master, as Marco said, we don't have a use for money right now. Can we use it for food and living expenses?"

After discussing it, we decided that I would keep the money for now to prevent them from wasting it. It's a bit embarrassing to be reminded of my own past when I used to spend my pocket money all in one day.

I'll save the money and give it to them when they need it or when they're ready to live on their own. I hope they'll be touched and say, "Thank you, Master," when I give it to them.

Thank you for reading.