Chapter 9

After meeting up and taking a break, the three decided to have a meal.

Seeing Dill take out cold skewers from his backpack, the other two looked surprised.

"Street skewers are no good when they’re cold, why did you choose those?"

"They’re overpriced too, you know."

"Guess that’s true... I thought one silver coin was too much."

Dill’s lunch was the last of the skewers he had eaten in the morning. He had originally planned to save this for dinner, but from Kuri and Milchi’s comments, he realized that adventurers typically have three meals a day. So, he decided to eat it now.

The skewers, wrapped in leaves, were cold, with a pale layer of fat floating on top. They would probably taste better if reheated, but unfortunately, Dill had no talent for fire magic.

As he looked at the skewers with a dejected expression, a sense of melancholy hung over the old man’s back.

"Where should we buy our food?"

"Normally, you can go to a bakery and get the stuff they’re about to throw away cheap. Or you can get a pot of leftovers from the cafeteria, which isn’t tasty but will fill your stomach."

"But those really just fill your stomach; the taste is terrible..."

It seemed there were still many life hacks that Dill didn’t know. He would have to learn them gradually.

"There are plenty of ways to fill your stomach, like eating weeds or buying nearly rotten meat."

"Once you get sick, you have to buy medicine, so it’s cheaper to eat normally."

"Right, until you get used to it, it’s best to stick to proper leftovers or pot dishes."

"What are the two of you having for lunch?"

Kuri and Milchi took out what looked like stir-fried vegetables from their backpacks. Probably using the core parts of leafy vegetables, there were still some green parts, but the overall color was pale.

"At the cafeteria, they throw away the parts they can’t serve properly, so that’s what we aim for."

"Scavenging from garbage has a high yield, but we pay for it to avoid trouble."

The two explained that they usually buy and eat the parts others discard to save money.

If you try to scavenge for free, you might end up fighting with the slum dwellers or get kicked out by the guards. Dill nodded in agreement, understanding the advice to avoid free meals.

"How much does one meal cost you?"

"Um... about two copper coins?"

"If you try hard, you can keep it to one. But since you, Dill, don’t know which weeds are edible, it’s better to pay two coins."

"Two coins... compared to a silver coin for a skewer that barely fills your stomach, it’s quite cheap."

"Sure, those street stalls are for tourists, working men, or drunkards."

"True, there’s a certain demand, so it works. It shows that money is where it is."

"There are people like me who buy even without money."

"Haha, just think of it as a good lesson. When you become rich enough to buy a lot of things, you can laugh about it."

It seemed the two were cutting their meals to the minimum to save money for savings and better equipment. Moreover, it appeared that Milchi was the one handling the finances, and Kuri relied on her for financial matters.

Dill thought about sharing his own experience of regretting being dominated from the start, but it seemed the two weren’t in that kind of relationship yet, so he decided to hold back.

During the meal, they discussed their combat styles. Milchi, a mage, could cast a few spells strong enough to kill a goblin in one hit. Kuri, a pure warrior, claimed she could handle up to three goblins.

Dill explained that he was a swordsman, but the only weapon he had was a worn-out wooden sword from home. Unlike Kuri and Milchi, he wasn’t wearing any armor, making the difference in equipment quite significant.

Kuri had an iron sword at her waist and wore a leather armor with metal reinforcements. Her backpack contained emergency supplies and daily necessities.

Milchi wore a brown robe and carried a tapered staff for magic control, similar to Kuri, with a sturdy backpack.

In contrast, Dill had a worn-out wooden sword tied to his waist with a string, and he wore a simple linen outfit. His backpack had holes where small items could fall out, and he had a dirty pouch tied to his waist containing the last silver coin.

Looking at his appearance, Dill finally realized that his outfit was quite questionable. It seemed the two were quite kind to allow an old man dressed like this to accompany them.

If an old man said he was a swordsman but only had a wooden sword, most people would probably worry that he was senile. The fact that they still took care of him despite their complaints showed their kindness.

"Can you do it?"

Kuri’s tone was more confirming than skeptical, perhaps due to the race earlier, which seemed to have built some trust.

"Well, I don’t intend to be a burden. I’m starting to feel better."

"Great, let’s walk a bit more and get into the forest quickly. Goblins multiply fast, so it’s a good thing for adventurers. They’re a blessing."

"Villages have been destroyed because goblins were left unchecked, so I don’t think that’s a good way to put it."

"Sorry."

"It’s fine, I’m not angry."

"Since we’re done eating, let’s get going."

The three finished their meal and decided to start their goblin hunting in earnest.