*

　Makoto was seated at a table in the dining room, facing Yuka and Fene.
　Next to her, Liv was sitting cross-legged next to her.

''I~chi, ni~san, sh~go~....Yeah, there's definitely 500A.

　Yuka counted the silver coins and smiled with satisfaction.
　I don't think there's any need to bother mentioning it since there are only five of them--.
　No, don't say it. She is that kind of creature.

''........''

　Fene is silent, to say the least. He is staring at Liv in silence.
　Sometimes the look he gives me is somewhat accusatory.

'So what do you think?'
I agree. If we're going to have a future, we need a shield.
I don't care what my brother decides.

　Makoto inwardly patted his chest.
　He was worried that they would oppose him because his share would be reduced, but it seems that his fears were unfounded.
　A follow-up would be necessary for Fene, who was obviously unhappy.

''Is that the end of the story?''
'No, I want to talk about what's to come. I've been able to get a request for a C-class thanks to Liv.
Surely, if things have changed, we need to talk.

　'Mm-hm,' said Yuka, nodding.

'Liv, tell me about the C-class request.
I'm not very good at explaining things.

　Liv scratched her head boringly.

'Ahh, first of all, when you get to C class, you'll be able to escort the troop merchants. But not for a long period of time, but for a short period of two or three days.''
Can't we get a long-term escort?
'You'll need to be a B class or higher for that one. But long term escorting is a lot more important than just strength, so you can get turned down.

　I see, Makoto nodded.
　It's true that if you're going to be a long-term escort, it's not just a matter of being strong, it's also a matter of being able to cooperate with other teams.
　The key is whether or not you can trust them.

''Have you ever been asked to be a short-term escort?''
Yeah, we got a call from Rogers' Merchant Association. It'll take three days, but they're paying 200A a day, so it's a good rate.

　By the way," Liv continues.

"You have to bring your own injuries and your own lunch.
I hope they don't have workers' comp insurance.

　Mako let out a small sigh.
　If he could take the job by name, would he be required to guarantee himself in case of injury or death?

'Shelly, can you ask for a one-way lunch?'
You pay me and I can send you a lunch.

　He has a tone of voice that says, "Good grief.
　He looks a little happy, so maybe he's just happy to make some money.

That's why I'd like to accept the request of the Rogers Firm.
No objections.
No objections.
Ribs?
"You too?

　When Makoto called out to him, Liv's eyes widened in surprise.

'Mako is the strongest, so why can't Mako make all the decisions?'
Are we a wild animal?
Don't you think it's usually the strongest person in the room who gets to make the decisions?
No, it's not normal.
It's all about cultural differences, isn't it?

　Maybe the libs grew up in a community where respect could be won if they were strong.
　I hope it's not a bleak community with many subversions.

'I don't think we can take it easy when we're fighting, but we want to be as unanimous as possible.
All right. I can't argue with that.

　I'm not sure I really know what I'm doing, but I'm glad you agree.

Is it too late for you?
'Oh?　The receptionist had until this evening, so we're good to go.
You remember it well.
It's a meal. I'm checking the details.

　Liv rubbed her nose in embarrassment.
　Certainly, since he was an adventurer for a living, he should check out what kind of requests were pasted out.

''The problem is that our departure is in three days~''
We have a little time to spare.

　Mako leaned back and crossed her arms.
　'You have three choices - take another commission, explore the dungeon, or feed your wits.

'I'd like to make some money instead of lingering around.
I'm with you on this one.
I wanna fight.

　All three of them are hard workers...and Mako removes Nourishing Wisdom from her options.

Liv, at your request...
"Brother.

　Fene interrupts Mako's words as if she wants to say something.

'Fene, what request did you have for me?'
We got a request to harvest medicinal herbs.　There were also sewer cleaning and pet searches!

　When Makoto asked, Fene said happily.
　After all, she was also confirming what kind of request she had.

''The job of collecting medicinal herbs isn't worth the money, and the sewer system is a bit of a stretch.

　It was Yuka who objected.
　Considering that the number of members has increased to four, gathering medicinal herbs is not a worthwhile task.

''What about cleaning the sewers?''
Oh, no, hey, you don't have to clean the sewer!

　I was just curious, but Yuka shouted out.
　Well, cleaning the sewers might be hard for a girl of her age.

'Miss, cleaning the sewers is a fine job. We have to get rid of the big rats and cockroaches to protect the slime.
"Slime?
There's slime in the city's sewage system, and it cleans the sewage.

　When Yuka nodded her head curiously, Fene explained happily.
　Heh~, said Makoto, letting out a breath of admiration.
　In Japan, microorganisms are used to purify sewage water.
　It must have been during the period of high economic growth - the generation of Makoto's parents - that this practice came into full swing.
　When you think about it, the civilization of this world seems quite advanced.

''And there's a lot of gold-eyed stuff down in the sewer.
Rejected.

　Fene said with a twinkle in her eye, but Yuka was cold-hearted itself.
　I can feel a strong will to never go into the sewer.

''Sometimes a silver spoon can fall out,''
No.

　Fene was emphatic, but Yuka's answer was no different.
　Swoon, his ears and tail droop weakly.

''Well, even if we pick up the silver spoon, if the four of us split it, we won't make much money. But you're going to have to be gung-ho with your opinions.
Yes, yes!

　When Mako called out to her, Fene nodded with a pin ear.

'Liv, what do you do for C-class?'
I wouldn't do a short escort mission if I had anything else.
That means we'll be exploring a dungeon.

　I suppose you could kill monsters in the forest, but dungeons seem to be easier to encircle with enemies.

Fene, Liv, do you have any suggestions for dungeons?
Hmm, I don't like it when you say that.
I wanna go to the Skeleton King's dungeon.
They took that part away from me the other day.
Seriously?

　Fene said, and Liv exclaimed in a supercilious voice.
　Apparently, the Wrecking King's dungeon was the dungeon that Makoto and Yuka had conquered.

''Who conquered it?''
I don't know.
Ah, they beat us to it.

　'Cheek,' said Liv, clicking her tongue.

'You were going to conquer the dungeon?
Yeah, that's something to look forward to.

　Liv grinned.

'Well, there's something to be said for revenge.
Because you couldn't capture it?
That's part of it, but the ghouls almost killed me.
Okay.
Yeah, I'm a lot stronger than I was back then. We need to knock down some ghouls and get some closure.
You can't beat Liv.
I hope so.

　Then Liv gave a wry smile.

'Fene, do you have an affordable dungeon?'
Right. How about the second largest dungeon...the Kaeruzu dungeon?
What kind of dungeon is this?

　Makoto asked Fene, feeling uneasy about the word 'non-return'.

'Where there's a rumor that the friends you were with have been gone for some time.
Is that affordable?

　Yuka gave him a quizzical look.
　I know the feeling.
　Even though there are two high-level adventurers, as a team we're as good as fledgling.
　It's impossible to erase the anxiety of whether it would be safe for such a group of us to take on a dungeon with an ominous rumor.

''There are a lot of unexplored areas, so we can earn money from map money. There are also many opportunities to run into the undead, so this is our target.
I see.

　When Fene explained why, Yuka nodded in a divine way.
　'If I can make money, I feel like I can push myself a little too hard.

''That's fine for me, but what about you guys?''
I think you're doing fine.
I don't mind.
Okay.

　Fene grinned.

'You mean like going to church, getting a request and then leaving?
Don't we have to leave tomorrow, bro?
Why?
I need to buy a new map.
Yeah, I see.

　Although it is said that if you are prepared, you will not have to worry, the worry often outweighs the preparation.
　But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared.

"Mako, if you leave tomorrow, will you come with me?
For what?
I was wondering if you'd be willing to come along for the ride to relieve your frustration.
You don't want to get your hands dirty on a new girl.

　As Liv leaned forward to flaunt her ample breasts, Fene reacted in what could be described as excess.

'You mean you want to fight me?'
You know what I'm talking about!
I can tell by the look on your face.

　A fierce smile sticks to Liv's face.
　It's strange to expect this to be a s*xual hand-me-down.

'Some of them don't seem to get it, though.
No comment.

　Liv looks down at the seats facing each other.
　Fene's face turns red and Yuka has a cold look on her face.

'By the way, how do you want to move on?'
There's a rickshaw to the dungeon!

　When Yuka offered the topic, Fene bit down with vigor.

''.........Rideshare.

　Yuka frowned.
　I know the feeling.
　Going to the dungeon in a rideshare carriage doesn't feel like a fantasy.
　If we had our own carriage, would we not have to feel this way?