Chapter 7

Dil, after sleeping soundly and healing his body's fatigue, woke up quite early as usual.

Basically, old people wake up early.

He stretched his bent back as much as he could, went outside, and let the cold wind awaken his senses.

Before the cold air could start to torment his old body, he went back inside and put on his coat.

Perhaps the inn's morning wasn't that early, as Alice wasn't at the reception.

The sky, dyed blue, gradually turned yellow.

Feeling the warming air and colors, he decided to walk down the street towards the Adventurers' Guild.

Even though the sun hadn't fully risen, some shops had already started their business.

A groggy waitress could be seen from a bar that was likely open all day.

From a distance, the harsh and rigid sound of hammers striking iron could be heard, reminding him that he needed to resolve his equipment issues.

Though he would have to rely on it, he decided to ask Mies which shop was good.

Holding his rumbling stomach, Dil lowered his head to avoid seeing the stalls and increased his walking speed.

(He wanted to eat at a proper restaurant, not a stall with high prices.)

The old man, while moving his nose at the enticing smell of the sauce wafting through the air, resolved not to look at the stalls.

"Munch munch... Good morning, Mies."

"Ah, good morning, Dil. ...I don't think it's a good idea to talk while eating."

"Sorry, I couldn't resist."

Dil entered the guild while munching on a meat skewer he had bought for one silver coin.

Dil, who had been living a simple life of grains, vegetables, and occasionally dried meat, couldn't resist the stimulating smells that were absent in the countryside.

Additionally, a significant portion of his income was taken as taxes in kind, and since taxes were generally paid in kind, he had rarely used money.

Therefore, the silver object in his pouch seemed like a magical item that could be exchanged for anything he wanted.

To put it bluntly, he was an old man from the countryside who had succumbed to the temptations of the city and had a poor sense of money.

Even if he obtained a skill, his character and way of life didn't change suddenly.

After finishing his meal, which cost one silver coin for three skewers, a price he couldn't determine if it was high or low, Dil felt somewhat satisfied and put the garbage in his pocket.

"Is there any good job? Preferably a place not too far away where I can hunt a slime and a goblin each."

"Yes, I've found a few for you."

"Thanks, that helps. Also, I need an iron sword. Do you know any good blacksmiths?"

"Well... but good items are expensive, you know?"

"Right, as expected."

With only a shabby wooden sword, Dil couldn't tell how much he could fight.

Realizing his poor sense of money, he decided to earn enough silver coins to buy an iron sword in one day.

"How much does a decent sword cost?"

"Well... around five silver coins to one gold coin."

"...It's more expensive than I thought."

"Blacksmiths aren't in the charity business, you know."

Realizing it would be impossible in one day, Dil decided to estimate how many goblins he needed to kill to buy an iron sword.

Since one goblin is worth three copper coins, he would consider it in terms of goblins.

First, his daily expenses would be one silver coin for lodging and two more for meals, totaling four silver coins, or forty copper coins. This means he needed to kill at least thirteen goblins a day just to survive.

One gold coin is ten silver coins, or one hundred copper coins, which is equivalent to thirty-three goblins.

Even if he killed twenty goblins a day and avoided unnecessary spending, it would take about five days to save enough money. Considering other equipment and potions, he would need more.

"Wow... Being an adventurer is harder than I thought."

"Of course, what do you expect?"

Adventurers can make big money if they succeed, but if they don't, they will die soon.

Mies, as if advising, said that this was the nature of the business.

"Hmm... I wonder how everyone manages to survive."

"Hey, we're inside the guild building. You shouldn't say things like that."

"Sorry, it just slipped out."

"Even that is questionable."

Living as an adventurer without a stable living environment, like himself, seemed quite difficult.

Even if he saved on lodging and food, his daily expenses would exceed one silver coin.

This means he needed to kill at least four goblins a day.

Considering savings for injuries and illnesses, it didn't seem like a very profitable job.

"That's why becoming a caravan guard is the ideal retirement method for adventurers."

"Is it okay for a guild staff to say that?"

"There's no gag order on that. Adventurers who waver at the words of a guild staff usually don't succeed."

So, I probably won't succeed. Well, I don't really intend to.

Dil, while listening, felt more strongly that he could only hunt monsters casually, as he couldn't do guarding or gathering.

"So, where should I go today?"

"Ah, about that. Since it's your first time, I asked if you could join another party..."

"Hey, why is an old man here?"

"Move, we need to go hunt goblins today."

Dil let out a silent sigh and looked up at the ceiling.

From the voices behind him and the conversation, he could predict what was coming.

"Did I guess right?"

"......Yes, the two people behind you are the party members you will be working with today."

Turning around, he saw a red-haired boy and a girl with long lime-green hair tied with a string.

"Hey... Mies, you said today's introduction would be to strong people!"

"That's terrible, you tricked us!"

The old man, stroking his beard, looked at them with kind eyes.

At his age, he didn't mind being mocked.

I had my young days too.

Thinking about their rebellious attitudes, Dil nodded knowingly without saying anything.

The boys looked at him suspiciously, squinted, and sighed.