Chapter 5

"First, these are slimes and goblins, right? New adventurers usually earn their daily bread by defeating these monsters."

Dill leaned in and then moved away as he looked at the paper in Mies' hand, where two types of monsters were drawn, whose names he had at least heard before.

"Can I defeat them?"

"I think you can defeat as many as you want."

"Can I handle one or two at a time?"

"The goblins won't be a problem as long as you don't go near their dens, and slimes don't usually gather in groups, so I think you'll be fine."

As the name suggests, the amount earned for defeating one monster was minimal.

Slimes were worth two copper coins each, and goblins were worth three copper coins each.

Considering the cost of two meals a day and lodging, the price for defeating a few monsters wouldn't be enough to make ends meet.

"If you bring proof of the defeat, called a 'proof of kill,' the guild will buy it from you. For that, you'll need your guild card... Oh, I forgot to give you the temporary certificate."

Dill, who was thinking about how many monsters he would need to defeat to send money to Thor, took the light purple paper and examined it.

Thanks to the large, clear "temporary" label, it was easy for Dill to read, which he found very helpful.

He folded it carefully and put it in a pocket on his clothes.

"Once you can handle these two types of monsters and fight steadily, you'll be on your way to advancing your adventurer rank... But it doesn't seem like that will be a problem for you."

"I remember someone mentioning that."

He recalled that the man he defeated was definitely C-rank, but he didn't say it out loud.

He had heard the explanation that the ranks start from E and go up to D, C, B, A, and S, but he wasn't particularly interested in advancing.

He thought that if he could eat three meals a day, that would be ideal, but he had no ambition.

Earning a little daily bread, saving a bit, and occasionally sending money for Maril's meals would be perfect.

The old man tried to calculate how many monsters he would need to defeat, but he remembered that he hadn't even seen the prices in this town.

He needed to know how much lodging and meals cost and whether he could secure basic necessities.

He decided he needed to confirm these things first.

"Here, this is the herb distribution map. The price varies depending on the type..."

"Ah, I don't really plan to gather herbs, so you don't need to explain that."

"But if you don't complete gathering requests, your adventurer rank won't advance..."

"I don't have any ambition to advance. Besides, gathering is impossible; it would kill my back."

The skill "Optimization" optimizes his body's movements, but even with that, repeatedly bending and standing to gather would quickly ruin his back.

Fighting monsters, which he could take down with one hit after relaxing, was just right for his old bones.

"Even if you can't gather, you can serve the people of the town as an alternative, so please consider it."

"Alright, I'll think about it."

Dill didn't want to cause trouble by saying he wouldn't do it, so he agreed for now.

He felt a bit concerned that Mies seemed to idolize him, but he decided to just listen for now.

As he listened to the guild's rules, which boiled down to not doing anything too bad, he started to feel sleepy and began nodding his head.

The old man didn't have the stamina to listen to boring stories for long.

"......Is that clear, did you hear me?"

"......I heard, I heard, perfectly."

"Please don't lie, I can tell you were sleeping with your eyes open."

"Sorry, I was sound asleep. But I heard about half of it, so forgive me."

"Ha... With this attitude, I'm worried about your future."

"I'm an old man with not much time left, so there's no future to worry about."

After brushing it off, Dill checked Mies' condition. She seemed a bit stiff, but much better than before.

Ideally, he could stay longer to help her calm down, but Dill had many things to do.

"Then, I'll take my leave."

"Eh, are you leaving already?"

"I need to find a place to stay before it gets dark."

Mies visibly deflated.

He almost groaned, thinking that if he had a daughter, she might react like this.

"Don't worry, I'll come back tomorrow, okay?"

"Really? You have to come, it's a promise!"

Dill, seeing Mies perk up instantly, realized he had been tricked into giving his word.

Well, he had been outsmarted.

Feeling a bit dizzy from the rapid change in her expressions, Dill felt a bit relieved that things seemed to be okay.

He followed Mies down the stairs.

"Please come back, it's a promise!"

As he left the adventurer guild, Dill stroked his beard and looked up at the sky.

"Even at my age... I still can't understand girls."

He wondered if the fragile look on her face, which made him think he needed to do something, was an act.

He considered this but quickly decided it didn't matter.

A smile is the best, yeah.

Feeling a bit like he had been tricked by a fox, Dill still walked on with a smile.

"After registering as an adventurer, I need to find a place to stay and get some food."

Dill patted his pocket, which was quite empty after paying for the carriage ride, and started looking for an inn he could afford.