Chapter 71

I'm standing at the classroom door, trying to figure out how much I'll have to pay, when the old man says,

"Well, this place doesn't have that many expensive drinks. Even if you drink until the place is empty, it'll be around 50,000 reais at most. Just consider it an investment and move on. The equipment you lost, considering your skills, was probably past its prime anyway. It's important to master one piece of equipment, but it's better to buy something that will last longer and is more suitable for you. Guys like you who grow fast tend to miss the right time to replace your gear, so be careful."

A large sum of money suddenly halved...

But the old man has a point. This way, I, and by extension, the "Apple House," will be less likely to be underestimated.

If that happens, it should make things a bit easier for me.

I liked that knife, but since it was originally meant for plant collection, it was inconvenient for disassembly, and I was thinking I wanted something with a bit more reach that could also be used as a sword.

"I understand. I'll consult with the weapon shop I favor."

◆

"By the way, why aren't you raising your rank? If you're short on money, taking higher-ranked quests would earn you more, right?"

"Huh? You figured out I don't want to raise my rank... There are two reasons. One, I wanted to experience a variety of low-ranked quests. Two, there are exaggerated rumors about me spreading around town, and I don't want to fuel them by breaking the usual rank-up procedures."

"I get that. I've been keeping an eye on you since I heard about you from Satowa. I told you to raise your rank just by pulling up a single herb, but you didn't. I thought you might have been taken in by the Knights when I heard you joined them temporarily... But you were letting the kids dissect the Rovarcher in the yard and deliberately avoiding quests, right?"

Huh? From the way he talks, is this old man an association staff member, and a pretty important one at that?

But... it's Satowa again... How loose-lipped is he...

"Ojiki, are you an association staff member? That Satowa guy seems to be spreading exaggerated rumors, and it's really bothering me. He said he wouldn't talk to anyone but the president."

"What, you didn't know? He's the president of the Explorers' Association."

The old man, who had been listening, said this with a calm face.

"Wh-What?! I mean, he doesn't look like such an important person at all! Can someone who can't even manage their own money be a president?!"

"Ha ha ha! Of course not! I just dump all the troublesome work on the excellent vice president and focus on the rough stuff!

Anyway, I've received detailed reports from Satowa. I'm the one who gave the order to raise your rank.

By the way, he also said that he talked about an interesting story in the bar, and a high-ranking noble came to gather information from Satowa and couldn't refuse! Ha ha ha! Ow!"

I couldn't help but hit Ojiki's bald head.

"Ojiki, you're the root of all this! Please, have mercy!"

Just then, a cart loaded with meat that smelled incredibly appetizing was brought in.

The piece of meat, as big as a rice bale, looked to weigh about 60 kg. Are these people really going to eat this with just four people?!

"It's done! The oval piece is the back meat, the round one is the tail, and the bone-in is the belly meat. Unfortunately, there's only a little cheek meat. Who wants it?"

"Of course, today it's Ren's treat, and Ren was the one who took down the queen. We've eaten it many times, so let Ren have it."

Damn. When he puts it like that, it's hard to complain...

"Alright. Kid, it's your first time, right? Do you want a bit of each?"

"Thank you."

While Mr. Pan was cutting the meat, Ojiki glared and continued.

"Well, I've seen enough of your potential, so I don't intend to force you to raise your rank. If you're at the 'Apple,' just tell Lind, and we can get in touch.

But your combat skills are already at a level where you could join a B-rank party without any problem. If you were a scout, you'd be in high demand even in an A-rank party. Strength isn't everything, but at the very least, you should have at least a C-rank. Otherwise, like the fight earlier, you'll run into various problems. The association also needs more people at higher ranks, so it's a waste to let you sit idle."

Ojiki wants me to raise my rank quickly.

Actually, over the past two months, I've completed quite a few low-level quests from F to D.

I formed a temporary party with Amour, Roy's brother, Al, and Coco, using them as a cover.

I'm currently E-rank, but I'm taking advantage of the fact that the condition for promotion to D-rank is to complete a D-rank equivalent quest either solo or as the leader of a party.

I was cornered by the old lady at the eastern branch with her "It's the rule" stance, so I made sure to check the promotion conditions and adjusted them so that even if Satowa tried to manipulate things, I wouldn't meet the conditions.

Well, I'm pretty satisfied now, and the inconvenience of not being able to do what I want due to lack of money is becoming more significant.

"Hmm, I think I could raise my rank to C-rank or so, but I don't want to start more rumors... Is there any good way to do it?"

"There is. It's not a well-known rule, but you can register as an explorer under a pseudonym if you have a valid reason. I'm the one who gives the permission, so if you register as 'Ren,' it won't cause a fuss. I'll also make sure that 'Ren' and 'Allen Rovene' aren't connected. It won't be perfect, but it should help."

Wow! That would be a great help. I've been trying to avoid showing my license to anyone except Saki, but it's been a hassle.

"Alright, I'll raise my rank to C-rank. What do I need to do?"

Ojiki grinned.

"I'll take care of the paperwork. Bring your license to the headquarters. I'll count today's Honey Ant nest extermination as a quest, so that will meet the promotion requirements.

Alright, enough of the serious talk! Let's eat and drink! Hey, you guys! This is a Rock Lizard steak cooked with the honey of the Honey Ant queen that Ren took down with his bow! Come and get it if you want some!"

At Ojiki's words, the other customers, who had been looking enviously, cheered.

◆

"Here, eat it while it's hot!"

The four types of steak that Mr. Pan had cut for me had a glossy sheen, like teriyaki.

I started with the ribeye, cut it with my knife, and put it in my mouth.

The taste was shocking.

It was the first time I was moved by the cuisine in this world.

The honey-cooked meat was not as sweet as I had imagined from the name.

The sauce, which Mr. Pan called a "secret recipe," was a deep brown and packed with a spicy blend of pepper, chili, and herbs, which was mellowed by the rich sweetness of the honey.

Rock Lizards are known to have tough meat, but rubbing them with Honey Ant honey before cooking apparently makes them incredibly tender.

The delicate texture and refined flavor of the ribeye, combined with the complex flavors of the sauce, melted in my mouth. The old man was eating this one non-stop.

The tail had almost no fat and was meaty, but it had a surprisingly soft texture. Saki seemed to prefer this one.

The friendbala, or the rib section, was a bit tough but had a lot of fat and the strongest umami flavor. Ojiki had taken about 10 kg of this on his plate.

The honey-cooked meat, with its concentrated umami, the spicy sauce, and the rich but not lingering sweetness of the honey, paired perfectly with the beer, which was strong but had a refreshing taste.

By the way, the cheek meat honey-cooked steak was saved for last.

According to Saki, it would cost at least 3,000 reais per plate in a top restaurant in the capital. I knew it was delicious when it was hot, but I'm a commoner who tends to save the best for last.

While I was enjoying the infinite combo of meat and beer, one of the explorers I had knocked out earlier came up to me.

"Hey, I'm C-rank explorer Belt. Not bad for a kid. By the way... Aren't you going to stop them?"

He was referring to the fight between the old man and Ojiki.

It seems the old man had kept it a secret from Ojiki that I had joined the "Apple," and they were now arguing about it.

"Because you told me to confirm it with my own eyes, I didn't want to have any preconceived notions, so I kept it a secret!"

"Then introduce us sooner! We wasted months!"

"I don't have time for that! If you need something, come to me!"

"Are you refusing?" "Bring it on!"

I shook my head immediately.

There's no way I'm getting involved in a fight between these monsters when I'm tired.

"There's no way I can stop the old man and Ojiki. Saki is ignoring them and drinking, so let's just leave them alone. Mmm, this is delicious! I can't get enough! It's amazing!"

"... Ha! You're going to be a big catch, kid."

Belt patted my shoulder and went back to his seat.

Just then, the old man, who had been thrown by Ojiki, landed and knocked over my plate with the cheek meat steak, which I had been saving.

The meat fell to the floor mercilessly.

"Aaaaaah!!!"

Hearing my scream, Ojiki glanced at me and said,

"What? Just because it fell. Blow on it and eat it!"

?!

In a country like Japan, where everyone is obsessed with hygiene, the idea of eating meat that fell on a floor where everyone walks around in muddy shoes, after blowing on it, was unthinkable!

I snapped.

"F-F-Fuck off, Baldy! Old man, let's take them down!"

The rest was a disaster.

Ojiki was a beast at fighting, and at first, the old man and I fought well together, but in the end, we were beaten to a pulp. When I realized I didn't have enough backup, I intentionally got a few others involved, and it turned into a massive brawl involving the whole bar.

Eventually, the master got angry, and it ended up as a drinking contest, which I lost. I had to pay for all the broken dishes and tables, and the 100,000 reais I had earned were gone.

Incidentally, I was promoted to B-rank.

It seems Ojiki didn't explain things properly, because when I went to the headquarters the next day to get my license, I was promoted to B-rank all at once.

I protested to the receptionist, but she stuck to the "It's the rule" stance and wouldn't listen.

I protested to Ojiki later, but he was hungover and said to not worry about the details, and didn't take me seriously at all.

He seems careless, but he's surprisingly shrewd, and this baldy...

I always end up being played by Ojiki...

Thank you all for your support! Thanks to you, I've reached 1,000 PVs a day!

I'm sorry, but I won't have much time, so I'll take a break for a day or two...

Next time, I plan to write about a terrifying letter from Allen's sister.