Chapter 7

"What, what is this?"

"These are all goblin ears. About fifty of them."

The receptionist widened her eyes as she looked at the burlap sack I had placed down.

"Fifty?! You killed that many?!"

It seems unusual for a newcomer to kill fifty. If that's the case, maybe I should have brought them in gradually.

However, it's hard to imagine struggling so much with just goblins. Perhaps it's because I took on a large number of goblin hunts that no one else wanted to do.

I maintained my composure,

"Yes, I might have overdone it a bit... It was heavy and quite a hassle."

"That's understandable... Just to be sure, let me check. [Appraisal]"

The receptionist placed her hand on the burlap sack and used the [Appraisal] magic to examine its contents.

"Indeed, there are fifty... The guild is very grateful. The base reward is fifty dels, and the special reward for killing ten goblins is five times that... So, I'll give you a total of sixty dels."

"Thank you!"

"Hehe, we look forward to your next visit."

The receptionist seemed pleased as she said this. It appears she was genuinely happy that I had killed so many goblins.

I took the money and headed towards the table where Rune was waiting.

"Hey, Rudis! You killed fifty goblins?!"

The voice I heard this morning reached my ears again. It was the hunter, Eris.

I decided to respond tactfully.

"Yes, with Rune. But I got a bit too enthusiastic, and now my back... I might have a tough time tomorrow."

I made a gesture as if massaging my back.

"R-really? Even I only managed to kill three goblins on my first day. How did you do it?"

Not only Eris, but other adventurers had also overheard our conversation and gathered around.

I hunted them one by one! But for a newcomer, that would be impossible, so they were asking.

For them, even [Detection] might be a difficult magic.

"It's the same as hunting boars. I set up traps, and when the goblins fell into them, I killed them. Back home, we used to hunt like that."

"I see... But are goblins that stupid?"

"That's where... Rune and I acted as bait and successfully lured them."

"Wow! You guys are smart!"

Not just Eris, but the other adventurers were also impressed by this method.

"Hmph. For a hunter, you couldn't even think of that?"

A man in red armor, who had been egging on from the back, muttered this. He was a young man with long red hair.

Eris responded to the man.

"Shut up! Cassel!"

"Hmph, but it brings back memories... When I was a newcomer, I slaughtered goblins like a demon for the people."

The man called Cassel muttered this while drinking ale.

"What are you talking about? On your first day, you couldn't kill a single one and came back crying."

"Hey, I told you to keep that a secret, Eris!"

Cassel, who had been acting cool until now, suddenly became flustered.

Eris and the other adventurers laughed at this.

It wasn't out of malice. They seemed to have a good relationship.

I briefly introduced myself to Cassel and the other adventurers and returned to Rune.

"Alright, Rune. I got the reward! Sixty dels."

A drink like ale costs one del, and bread also costs one del. I don't drink alcohol. If we consider food expenses alone, we have enough for twenty days. Rune can maintain his body with just water, and I'm fine with simple food.

"Excellent, Master Rudis! Are you going to buy something?"

"Yeah. There are a few things..."

First, I want to learn about the world situation, so I need something that provides information on writing, maps, and demographics. I also need equipment for Rune and a temporary place to stay.

There are many things I want, but...

"It's late today. Let's just have something delicious to eat!"

"Yes, Master Rudis!"

Now that we're free adventurers, we can eat whatever we want. When I was an emperor, meals were predetermined, and when I was a peasant, I ate my mother's home-cooked meals. They were delicious, but we didn't have the freedom to choose.

This is our first reward. How can we not celebrate?

"Excuse me! Can we order some food?"

Rune and I satisfied our stomachs with meat, fruit, and warm soup.

That night, we stayed at the guild's inn.

The next day, Rune and I ventured into the streets of Elphen.

There were many shops, and street vendors were also noticeable. Some people were dressed differently from the townsfolk, indicating that merchants from distant lands were also present.

I counted the gold coins in the burlap sack again.

"We spent eight dels yesterday... But we still have fifty-two dels. Rune, is there anything you want?"

"I don't need anything! I'm satisfied just serving Master Rudis."

Rune said this with a beaming face.

It's nice, but making all the decisions myself is quite challenging.

I'll prioritize and buy what we need.

First, I spent ten dels on 'Introduction to Veste Script' and 'World Map' to study geography and writing.

Then, I bought a ten-del iron shield for Rune. When I handed it to him, Rune's eyes lit up with joy.

I had thirty dels left, but the only thing I really wanted was a house.

However, it's quite difficult to buy a house for thirty dels. I want to create a home for the blue slimes as soon as possible.

For me, having my familiars nearby allows me to gain more mana due to the effect of the Imperial Seal. Of course, just having familiars increases my mana, but being close to them doubles the amount.

Most importantly, it feels sad to be away from Rune, who is like a mother to me.

I hummed a tune while glancing at Rune, who was fondling the iron shield.

Rune didn't seem to notice my thoughts...

Putting that aside, is there a better plan? The guild's free lodging is sufficient if we only need a place to stay for the night.

However, if we keep changing rooms, we can't leave the slimes behind.

"...I have an idea! Rune, we might be able to call the slimes from the cave."

"Huh? Oh, the slimes."

Rune's response was indifferent. It seems she doesn't care about anything other than me.

I'm worried about those small slimes, who must be feeling so lonely.

"...Be more excited. It will increase my mana."

"Yes, of course! Are you going to buy a house?"

"No, it's difficult with our current funds... But I have a plan."

I took Rune back to the guild to negotiate the use of the inn.

"Ah, Mr. Rudis. What brings you here today?"

"Excuse me, it's about the inn."

"The inn? What about it?"

"Rune and I would like to rent a room for a month. We'll pay the rent."

"So, you want to use a room like a home? That's fine. The rent is on the house."

"Really? That's easy?"

"The rooms are vacant, and many people have similar requests."

The receptionist handed me two keys to a room in the inn.

"To be clear, you'll have to clean the room and bedding yourself. If you lose the key or any items, it will cost you five dels each."

"Understood, thank you!"

Surprisingly, the negotiation went smoothly.

If I had known, I could have brought the slimes earlier.

After that, Rune and I went to the cave to bring the slimes to the inn.