Chapter 6

In the evening, after the blacksmith had finished dismantling the materials, everything inside and outside the mansion was packed tightly into the four party members' pouches. It was unclear what was in whose pouch, but the initial healing potions for sale and some rare drop equipment that hadn't been sold were temporarily piled up in the hall.

Fortunately, the personal rooms hadn't been invaded, but two of the party members felt apologetic for letting Gaïus be fired without consulting them, while the other two were angry.

At that moment, the blacksmith appeared.

"Hey, I've finished dismantling. I'll take the materials. Oh, by the way, you need to take care of the Draconics twice a day, in the morning and evening. Make sure to do it before it gets dark."

"Old man... I don't understand, but this is a pretty rare drop... Do you know why it wasn't sold?"

The one who asked was Gurugan, who felt apologetic. Gurugan was dating Hanna, who was crossing her arms under her exposed chest, fuming.

"You wouldn't have been fired if you had tried to cash it out secretly! Packing it away in the house like that is just unbelievable!"

"I agree. It was a mistake to pay the severance."

The one who agreed was Ben, who was dating Liliacia. He was also angry, though it didn't show on his face; he was a man of justice who was strict about wrongdoing.

The blacksmith, who had appraised the remaining rare drop equipment with a sigh, emphasized, "This is a service, mind you," before examining each item.

He then sighed in exasperation.

"Of course, you can't use these as they are, so they were kept. If you had brought them with the same materials, I could have reforged them. But since you didn't, I kept them."

"Huh?! This looks like it's brand new and ready to use!"

In response to Hanna's hysterical rebuttal, the blacksmith looked at her with pity.

"I thought you guys didn't know anything... Ha, why did you fire Gaïus?"

"It's because he didn't rank up from the beginner class. The stat growth is completely different, but he refused to grow."

"But he went on adventures with us and did self-defense and support, right?"

"..."

Ben's answer left the blacksmith's question hanging, leaving no room for response. Indeed, Gaïus was so skilled at self-defense and support that there was no need to protect him. However, the future was uncertain.

"First, these rare drop items are all too fragile. They'll break after 2-3 uses. As I said earlier, if you bring them with the same materials, I can reforge them, or you can sell them to collectors who occasionally recruit. It's not that Gaïus deliberately didn't sell them or equip them."

"Ah, so there was a reason...!"

Hearing that Gaïus hadn't deliberately caused any harm, Liliacia felt relieved. Ben's cheek twitched; he didn't seem to find it amusing.

"Then, what about those beginner healing potions?"

"Ah, we don't use them anymore, so we were thinking of selling them..."

"Huh?"

The blacksmith was even more exasperated by Gurugan's answer, who regretted firing Gaïus.

If Gaïus had left them, it was probably because he had been the one to distribute the items for recovery. Yet, they hadn't even asked Gaïus about the potions they used.

The faces of the party members, who were used to being scolded, showed that they had said something wrong again.

"Since Gaïus was always there from the beginning and was an Item Master, you probably entrusted all the shopping and usage to him... Do you know about over-recovery?"

"A...!"

"What is it, Lili, did something come to mind?"

"Well, yes... I can use healing magic, and there are different levels: Heal, High Heal, and Extra Heal... Simply put, if you use Extra Heal on a cut that isn't fatal, the recovery effect is too strong, and you end up damaging your whole body after recovery. The principle is complicated, so I'll skip it, but if you use a high-level potion to recover from a low-level monster's attack, it can become fatal."

"That's right. The lady is a High Priest, so she knew, but you probably just took the potions Gaïus threw with his 'Throw' skill without checking or questioning. Both HP and MP need to be managed, and you need to use the right potion for the damage you've taken. You should have been told this when you bought them at the store."

"..."

"..."

No one could say anything. They had entrusted everything to Gaïus, the Item Master, and they had decided to fire him without consulting him.

"But, if that's the case, you could have told us!"

"Are you stupid? You, the Black Mage. As adventurers, you should have known these things yourself, not relied on others and then asked to be taught. Do you think anyone would expect you to not know the basic knowledge you should have learned when shopping at a store?"

Hanna also fell silent.

There was no obligation to provide more service than what they had been asked to do by the Crescent Claw. The blacksmith reminded them to take care of the Draconics and left.

In the awkward silence, it was tacitly agreed to leave the items they had intended to sell as they were.

◇◇◇

When the moon rose, Gaïus, who was making a fire next to the curled-up Schukl, was eating rabbit meat and fruits and nuts he had gathered from the forest, and was muttering to the half-asleep Schukl.

"I didn't want to leave the party, you know. Understand? But in the base, I could hear the sounds of people getting along every night... and even in the tents during camping! Ah! It's so frustrating!"

"Gu..."

"Besides, if there are two couples in a five-person party, don't I at least have the right to try to pick up someone? I mean... I do..."

Gaïus wasn't unattractive. However, Gurugan, with his luxurious armor with white and gold patterns, a long one-handed sword, and his blonde hair and blue eyes, was a classic handsome guy. Standing next to Hanna, with her black hair and slightly slanted red eyes, they made a good picture. Hanna was a well-endowed and well-figured woman.

Ben, equipped with heavy armor, a large shield, and a battle axe, was so tall that even Gaïus, a man, had to look up to him. He seemed cold and unapproachable, but he was a strong, just, and caring friend. His short brown hair and green eyes gave him a tough look, but once you traveled with him, you would know he was a kind person. As a front-line tank, it was natural for him to get along well with Liliacia, who buffed and healed. Liliacia, with her green, thick braids and round glasses, was a High Priest. She was shy and wore a lot of clothes, but her large chest was obvious. She was also cute. It was no wonder they were a couple. There was nothing to be done about it.

"But I supported everyone! At least let me scout one girl!"

Gaïus was a young man with plain black hair and gray eyes. He was healthy, but as an Item Master, his job was to observe the battle from the back and throw items. His magic bow and short swords were for self-defense or support, not for main firepower.

There was a reason he didn't rank up from the beginner Item Master.

Just as he thought this, Schukl lifted his head. There were footsteps approaching, but seeing that Schukl didn't sense any hostility, Gaïus continued tending to the fire.

The person who appeared was a female adventurer he knew, but not particularly well.

"Mr. Gaïus... You're here... I'm glad..."

"You're... the one who got separated from your party in the dungeon and came out with me. What was your name again...?"

"My name is Miria. Miria Riko. I've become a Magic Swordsman."

A Magic Swordsman is an advanced class, and it's one of the more difficult ones. It's a class given to those who have mastered basic magic as a Mage and at least five sword skills as a Swordsman. I think she used to be a Mage, over a year ago.

"What's up? You shouldn't have any business in this forest, right?"

"Ah, I do! ...!"

"Hmm?"

Miria was wearing a short chainmail and thin plate mail made of magic silver, with a sword and a spare staff on her back. From the quality of her equipment, her level was about the same as Gaïus. As a Magic Swordsman, she would be welcome in any party, as she was a class that specialized in strong close and mid-range attacks.

She was also cute. She was probably a bit younger than Gaïus, but they were around the same age. Her long silver hair was tied up high, and her amethyst eyes were large. Her skin, visible in places, was white, her cheeks were pink, and her lips were small and delicate, like a flower petal. She was a cute woman, and on top of that, she had a large chest and a curvy waist.

She fidgeted with her legs, then, across the fire from Gaïus, hesitated about how to say it, and finally spoke with determination.

"Will you form a party with me?!"

"Huh... Why?"

Gaïus's reaction was instinctive, but Miria was struggling to explain. From an outside perspective, Miria's actions were clearly showing that she had a crush on Gaïus, but Gaïus was completely oblivious.