Waiting for me at the store were a handsome man with an aristocratic and flamboyant appearance, and a beautiful woman who followed him like a secretary with a rugged atmosphere.

They were the very Dragon Slayer, Theodore Beaufort, and Maria, who had been sent from her parents' house to serve as his chaperone.

　Moreover, if you look closely, you can see that a group of people who looked like their attendants were waiting in front of the store.

　It was fortunate that it was the time of day when the number of customers slowed down.
　Or, did they take advantage of the timing of their visit?

''Hello, White Wolf-kun!　Glad to see you're thriving.
It's been a long time. I wasn't expecting you to come in person. What do you want to see me about?

　Theodore is a member of a famous noble family, and his financial resources are among the best of the A-ranked adventurers.

　It's a good thing that he's not the only one in town, because he's not the only one.

It's not that surprising, is it?　The road in front of the store is the only way to get to the Demon King's Castle Realm. I pass by this shop every chance I get.
'I know. The parties are so large, I often stand out.
''Haha. I just can't help but think about the collection and processing of dragon materials. As far as I'm concerned, as long as I can hunt comfortably, that's all that matters, but Maria is pestering me if I don't bring back the materials.

　When Theodore leaned forward and whispered that, Maria, the chaperone, deliberately cleared her throat.

　Although Maria is a follower of the Beaufort family, her sense of money is not noble, but rather she is a merchant who values things like profit and saving.

　If left unchecked, he spends money like hot water, and is the perfect person to keep an eye on Theodore, who doesn't want to make money from adventuring and hunting demons (dragons).

　On the other hand, he also has a tendency to change his eyes when large amounts of money are involved, but that doesn't seem to be the case at the moment.

From the way Maria seems unhappy about it, it doesn't sound like it's anything to do with business.
'I would severely protest against that criterion of judgement, but as you may have guessed, I have come to the conclusion. I am here today to make a request concerning Mr. Theodore's hobby.

　The girls of the employees watched the exchange between me and Theodore and the others with three different reactions.

　Erica, who has worked there for a reasonable amount of time, is nervous with her attitude when facing a large client.

　Leila, who was new to the company but also well versed in aristocratic society, was speechless with surprise, and Harriet, who was both new and only an ordinary person, was puzzled by the reactions of the two people.

　Incidentally, Noir and Alexia have retreated to the back of the room and are working on manufacturing their products, while Garnett is hiding from the public for fear that Theodore will find out who she is.

'A request? If you want to order weapons and armor, the only person who is here is Ms. Maria and ...... what the hell is going on?
''To tell you the truth. I'm going to take a closer look at the biology of the dragons in The Demon King's Castle Realm.

　Theodore began to explain the situation with an ease as if he was talking about his travel plans, happily.

''As you know, the 'Demon King's Castle Realm' is full of rocky mountains and it's quite a harsh environment for living beings to thrive. I don't even think it has enough concentration to survive on magic power alone. Nonetheless, no matter how much we hunt, it doesn't seem to run out at all.

　I see, this guy is certainly a unique perspective of Theodore.

　The only person in all of Westland who would hunt only dragons in one place for an extended period of time to the point where they could see that their habitat hadn't declined was Theodore, even if you looked all over Westland.

'There's a place in an even deeper realm that's like a dragon's utopia, and they're coming up from there!　Or are the dragons here magical creatures created by the legacy of an ancient magical civilization!　Or, deep in the rocky mountainous region, there is fertile land: ......!　It never ceases to intrigue you, don't you think?

　Listening to Theodore's narrative, I felt as if I were listening to a speech or something.

　It's a good thing that you're able to do this with your aristocratic upbringing.

If you ask me, it's strange and intriguing.
Right?
'But you're not talking about bringing it into our shop. I'll sell you as much equipment as you need, though.

　I tried to throw out a natural opinion, but Theodore didn't seem to mind at all as he continued to speak.

'Your skills are definitely useful for exploration. Repairing weapons and tools. The destruction of obstacles. Treating wounds. When it comes to exploring ancient ruins, they're all useful for analyzing, repairing, and neutralizing dungeon gimmicks!

　Theodore spread his arms out in an exaggerated manner and let his well-worn voice echo through the store.

'If you don't mind, would you care to accompany me on my quest?　And of course I'll pay you accordingly!

　Everyone's eyes turned to me at once.

　It's a direct scouting mission from an A-ranked adventurer who is also a nobleman.
　Moreover, it's a meaningful search to unlock the secrets of the Demon King's Castle Realm.

　Not only the amount of reward, but also the honor and reputation you'll gain when you succeed is undoubtedly top-notch.
　If it was me a decade ago, I would have jumped at the chance without a second thought.

　However, that was not the case for me now.

'It's a really tempting request, but I can't accept it.
May I ask why?
That's because I want to concentrate on running the store for the time being. The branch office is about to open, and we don't have the luxury of time to run an adventurer's business at the same time.
'Oh, yeah, right!　So this store is like a dragon hunt for me!　Well then, I guess I have no choice!

　Theodore seemed to be completely convinced for a unique reason.

'Yes, and .......'

　I glance in the direction where Garnett is hiding.
　Of course, no one - not even Garnett himself - will notice, casually.

...... I can't worry my relatives too much, you know.
That's right, Master Theodore. Why don't you stop worrying about your family and take care of yourself?
'Oops!　Maria, I promise not to tell you that.

　Theodore turned on his heel and headed toward the exit to escape Maria's gaze.

　Then he stopped in front of the door and turned his head towards us over his shoulder.

'If there was a place where I couldn't go on without your help, would you be able to help me then?
If there's room in the shop, I'll take it.
No!　Very reassuring!　Also, it's going to be a month (or so) before we start a long search, so just let me know if you change your mind!

　Theodore walks away in high spirits.
　Maria let out a sigh and gave a small shake of her head, taking out a sealed letter from her bag and placing it on the counter.

''Here's a list of the tools we think we'll need for the search. Please give me an estimate by next week. As always, formal orders will be placed afterwards: ......
Yes, of course. I'll see you later.

　Just after accepting the estimate as usual and watching Theodore's group walk away, Leila and the other girls who worked there spoke to me in a rush.

'Are you sure you're not from the Beaufort family!　What on earth is the connection!
That woman who comes here so often, is she really that great?
'Well, let's see, ...... what is the Beaufort family?'

　I understand the deviation, but at the same time, I can't deal with the questions being asked.

　For now, let's get the three of us settled in and then we'll deal with them in turn.