Chapter 11

A few days later, Nod was troubled by something.

The matter at hand was the rock wolf extermination mission, which was part of the promotion request.

There were still no new promotion requests, and at the moment, the only way to become a Jade Rank adventurer was to accept this extermination mission. However, Nod found himself in a situation where he had to accept this heavy request alone.

“Not enough money?”

The day after Nod decided not to accept the rock wolf extermination mission, he learned about the problem at the Felis family estate in the noble district of the capital. Despite being an adventurer, Nod continued to live with the Felis family, as living alone would cost more money. With his equipment now complete, Nod no longer had any major expenses planned, and he was currently contributing most of his earnings as an adventurer to the Felis family.

After completing a quest at the adventurer's guild and receiving his reward, Nod returned home without spending his earnings at the tavern. He passed through the historic gate of the Felis family estate and entered the mansion, where the austere and sturdy interior welcomed him. Nod's room was on the second floor. As he was about to climb the wooden staircase to take off his armor and maintain his weapons, he was called by the elderly butler, Alec.

Alec said he had something to discuss, so Nod changed out of his armor into casual clothes and went to Alec, who was organizing the accounts at his desk. Alec had been serving the Felis family for many years, even before Nod was born, and he managed the household as the steward. He was responsible for paying the servants, purchasing daily necessities, and settling other debts.

When Nod spoke, Alec looked up from the accounts and turned to him, straightened his posture, and began to speak in a serious tone.

“Nod, as you may already know, the Felis family's finances are in a dire state.”

He then explained the reasons. Simply put, the expenses were too high compared to the income. The family had been blessed with many children over the past few years, and while they were still young and didn't consume as much as adults, the cumulative cost was significant. Lilia, the second daughter, also started attending a school for noble children this year to receive the education necessary for her future as a noble lady. Nod's decision to become an adventurer was partly due to the fact that the family couldn't afford the additional tuition for both him and his sister to attend military school.

“However, thanks to Lord Albiore's salary, the remittances from Lord Johan, Lady Hanna's contributions, and, of course, Nod's earnings, we have managed to breathe a sigh of relief.”

The Felis family had many children, but the older ones were relatively independent. Albiore, the eldest son, was already working as a squire and the heir to the Felis family. Johan, the second son, had married into another family and sent remittances. Hanna, the eldest daughter, worked as a maid for another noble family and contributed her earnings from embroidery. Nod, who had become an adventurer this year, started contributing his earnings to the family without wasting them (though he prioritized purchasing equipment when necessary). Thanks to these contributions, the Felis family managed to escape from a long-standing deficit (though they were still barely breaking even).

Additionally, the servants, including Alec, worked for lower wages than they deserved, which helped the family. As a result, the Felis family felt deeply indebted to them.

“However, we need a substantial amount of money by the middle of next month…”

Alec continued, explaining that the family had been covering the shortfall with loans, which was not uncommon among nobles, though it had a bad reputation. However, the Felis family's income as nobles was limited to their pension and service allowances, and they had no land or other assets. Therefore, they had no clear plan to repay their debts, and the lenders were mostly relatives and friends of the head of the Felis family, Albert. These debts remained unpaid, causing the family great distress.

In such a situation, when a significant amount of money was needed for essential payments, there were no lenders willing to lend more. The last resort was to pawn items from the house, but this had been done multiple times before, leaving few valuable items left. Pawning weapons and armor would mean the end of the Felis family as a warrior household, not just a matter of pride, but because they were expected to serve as a direct military force for the royal family. Without weapons and armor, they would be unable to fight effectively and would lose their status as nobles.

There were even more desperate measures, such as borrowing from loan sharks or high-ranking nobles with poor reputations, but the consequences of these actions were clear.

The only other option was to ask Johan, who had married into another noble family, for a loan. However, accepting a loan with no means of repayment would damage his new family's reputation, potentially leading to the loss of his position or even a divorce.

Other options included withholding servants' wages, borrowing from local residents, or using their position as guards to engage in illegal activities, but none of these were viable.

Now, with Nod, a Slate Rank adventurer, earning money, there was a possibility. Although being an adventurer was unstable, the rewards were substantial. Nod felt that with some effort, he could earn the amount Alec mentioned, which was a considerable sum.

Nod told Alec, “I'll see what I can do.” Alec sighed in relief and wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.

Nod knew that Alec respected the Felis family and cared for the children as if they were his own, or even more so. This request for financial help from Alec indicated the serious situation the family was in, and Nod took it very seriously.

The amount needed was challenging for a Slate Rank adventurer to earn within the given time. However, Nod had a way to earn more money, though the timing was both fortunate and unfortunate.

“Hmm…”

The method was to defeat the rock wolves, become a Jade Rank adventurer, and then take on a series of high-paying missions for Jade Rank adventurers.

“–Still, it's too risky, isn't it?”

Nod continued to ponder this in the adventurer's tavern.