After fighting hard on the first day, the lords and ladies return to their ships, while I come to the main street of the commercial city of Hafenfeld.

　I finally have only 55,000 bonds left in my possession, so I need to quickly sell the items I got in Le Monde Forest today.


　Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle!


　The sun had set, and the 10th star was beginning to twinkle in the sky.

　The countless lamps reflecting off the city's bricks were yellowish-orange in color, making it seem as if the entire city was on fire.

　On such an avenue, adventurous parties wearing armor and robes were coming and going.

　Everyone's eyes are gleaming as they try to get better equipment and sell the items they've got from their adventures.


　The really good shops are not found on the main street itself.

　I pass through the city's largest four-story "adventure shopping mall" and take a side street off the side of it into a narrow, tucked-in slope.

　I weaved my way through a cluster of brick buildings until I came to a deserted warehouse-like shop.


　The old wooden sign next to the door of the warehouse read

[Blacksmith of Lantis]

　And it was written in manly letters.


'Old man Lantis: ...... I hope you're well.

　This blacksmith shop was one that me and Cross used to look after when we were a party of two.

　We always sold the items we got from our adventures here, and we even ordered and had weapons made for us.

　The old man who owned the shop was a quiet and stubborn man who would drink sake instead of incapacitating liquor, even after his wife had run away from him, but he was a skilled blacksmith, and I think he paid us a lot of attention.


　Kang! Kung! Kung! Kung! ......

　And if you listen carefully in front of the warehouse, you can hear the high-pitched sound of tapping metal.

'Oh! You're doing it.

　Hmmm. Geez Lantis, I bet you'd be surprised to see me all of a sudden: ......

　With that thought in mind, I opened the battered and dented iron door for each person and went inside.

'Huh?'

　Kung! Kung! Kung! ......

　Inside the warehouse, a metal that had turned bright red from the heat of becoming so hot was being pounded.

　But the back was not Ji's.

　It was a woman's back.


''Hey, you got a minute?''

I'm not doing it now. Day before yesterday.

　When I called out to her, a gruff woman's voice bounced back.


　Kang! Kung! Kung! ......


　The woman doesn't even turn around and continues to swing her hammer sullenly.

　Turning to me is her flowing hair, roughly gathered in a chouche.

　Countless beads of sweat floating on the shoulders of the tank top.

　The grains broke down and flowed out like a waterfall, making the fabric of the navy-colored tank top stick to the skin tightly, and the shadows of the spine are emphasized like a statue every time the hammer is brought down.

　Oh dear. ......

"Hey, Liv! It's me!

Oh? ...... eh?!

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

It's a good thing that you have a face that doesn't change!　That's Eiga!

'Hahaha!　You're gonna get your ass kicked.

It's been a long time since I've seen you! Hahaha.

　We laughed at that, and we crashed our arms! And bumping into each other.

　Yes.

　This woman was an old friend of mine, because she was the only daughter of Lantis' old man.

"When were you in Hafenfeld?

　Liv asked as she wiped the sweat from her breasts with a towel.

　The fabric of the tank top was lodged with ▼-shaped sweat along the shape of her breasts.

'I just got here,'

Where's Cross?

Yeah, I'm not working with that guy anymore.

...... Okay. But the adventure continues, doesn't it?

Yeah. Cross is one of the most highly ranked adventurers in the world. Don't you know that?

I don't know much about the world, you know.

She's number eight.

'Heh. If Cross is so much better, Aega must be up there, right?

　Ugh .......

　Maybe it's because of the impressions I had at the time, but Liv is quick to make a quick decision like that.

'Well, that's not the point. Where's Ji-san? I don't see you, though.

Oh, ...... that's right. It was after you guys were gone from around here, right?

What?

'Dad, by the end of last year, you were already ......'

　When I followed her eyes as she said this and shifted them, I saw the tablets on the shelf.

　Eh? ...... Jeezy?

It was a sudden illness. It's a good thing he didn't suffer too long.

Well, seriously: ......

　I was at a bit of a loss for words with the sudden news.

...... I'm going to go make a cup of tea.

　She gently touched a hand to my shoulder, lifted her feminine ass up, stood up, made a cup of tea in the kitchen, and held it out to me on the tool-strewn table.

　Kotori......

That's why. I'm the proprietress of this blacksmith of Lantis now.

It's ...... that's most surprising. You've always said, 'Blacksmithing is a joke'.

　It's true, if you look at it with the eyes of a goddess, Liv also has the latent profession of a [blacksmith].

''Hahaha. I can't leave my father alone ...... while I'm thinking that he can't leave me alone and I'm completely late with my wife. There is nothing else to do but be a blacksmith.

　With that, Liv untied her hair, popped a cigarette in her mouth and lit it with an oil lighter.

　Clink! ...... Shvo!

　Until five years ago, I used to see some nobleman's children and others courting Liv.

　There were many adventurers who came to this blacksmith's shop just for her.

''But it's not too late for that, is it?

　I said, looking at Liv's face, which was still beautiful, although her skin showed some signs of fading.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for when you go to the store.

I'm sure you're still very attractive as a woman, even if you don't want to be a friend to me.

Haha, thanks for that. But I'm not as good as the young ones. Then I feel like I'm better suited to be beating this guy up than forcing him to go out to wife: ......

　Saying that, Liv glanced at the iron sword on the verge of being struck.

''More importantly, don't you have some business to attend to now that you're here?

　Oh, yeah.

Yeah. I'm trying to sell some of the items I picked up in Le Monde Woods. Do you still do metal shopping?

Keep it up! Let me see the stuff.

　Liv has a stylish way of replying that is typical of a blacksmith.

　So I brought the cart loaded with today's acquisition items into the warehouse.

I'm going to assess it, so wait a minute.

Yeah, please.

　Liv turned her chair around, turned her back to me again and began her assessment.

　She is leaning forward toward the item, the large buttocks on the round chair are covered with denim stitches that seem to stick to the chair.

　You'll be able to get a good idea of what you're looking for when you go to the store.

......

　I don't have it on hand, so I take the oil lighter and light a cigarette on my desk.

　Clink! ...... Shubo!


　Speaking of which, this oil lighter.

　It's the one my old man at Lantis used to use.

　It's so cool that I kept asking him for it, but he never gave it to me.

Hmm. It's for my daughter. I'll give it to my daughter, unless you're willing to give her one too.

　It reminds me of the joke the old man made about me, and I almost cry, but I'm a man, so I hold back.

　I've been trying to take my mind off of it and look around the warehouse, but the fact that the building is still the same as it was back then, even though the old man isn't there, has the opposite effect.

...... hmm?

　However, there was one unfamiliar sign that stopped me in my tracks.


≪''Apprentice Wanted''


Hey, Liv.

What?

Is this for real?

　When he said that and pointed to the sign for apprenticeship, Liv turned around with her back to look at it and opened her eyes.

''So!　It's ......... uh, my dad used to put it up before he died. I don't know. It's just a joke now. Ha-ha-ha.

　There's no way Ji, who had such high hopes for his daughter's talent, would recruit an apprentice from elsewhere.

　Liv's .......

　I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it.

　I'm sure you'll want someone to stay with you.

　Even if you put up a notice in a place like this, no one is going to come to .......

Mmm, what?

No. ......

　I hurriedly averted the gaze I had been casting at her.



　◇



'Come and get it. It's done!

　While I'm pondering with my cheekbones, I'm momentarily spooked by Liv's sudden loud voice.

　It's a good thing that the purchase of the items that we acquired in Le Monde Forest has been assessed.

It's a good thing I'm ...... clothed in this one and I'm thinking 220,000 bonds.

'Oh! It's getting pretty good.

　When I'm happy to hear that, Liv says, "Hmmm..." and is a bit proud of herself.

　The good thing about this shop is that even if it was worthless as an item, such as a rusty sword or titanium fittings, they would buy it as a raw metal material.

　This service was probably made possible by Lantis' geezer's skill in processing various metals, but it seems that his skills have been handed down to Liv.

Can I get you anything else?

Oh, and can you take a look at this ......?

　He said, and held out a green crystal from the territory.

"Oh, it's a magic ore. But I'm sure the monsters around here don't drop any magic ore.

I'll take a different route.

Yeah, it's a pretty pure magical mineral.

Yeah. So, for example, I was wondering if I could make an arrowhead with it.

...... What are you going to do about that?

'I think I'm going to fill it with magic and let it fly with the 'second use' of magic ore.

Hmm. You're thinking outside the box, aren't you?

　Saying that, Liv takes the magic ore in her hand.

''Well, I'll give it a shot anyway.''

Thank you. You're welcome.

　The woman smith gladly accepted this unusual order.

Well, well. Well, I'd better get going.

What?　You're leaving already?

Yeah. It's all done.

　I sit up, twisting my cigarette into an ashtray.

"Don't be so gloomy. Come on, have a drink. We can talk about it.

I'm sorry. I'm going home to bed.

　In hindsight, this may have been a little too indifferent.

　But I've been on an adventure all day today and I'm extremely tired. ......

　I grabbed the 220,000 bonds on my desk with a goof and left the seat.

'Bye,'

A little ...... bit!

　And then my girlfriend grabs my right hand from behind and stops me.

'What?'

You know. I'd rather stay here tonight than go home and sleep.

　I didn't know what that meant.

What?　Nothing, the boat is close enough for me to go home and sleep.

'Don't say that!　Just for one night. ......

　As soon as the woman smith said that, she forcefully pulled my hand and made me mug her laborious breasts.

　Zuzu ......

　The breasts of her slightly damp tank top are heavy and chunky, and the metal of her necklace flickers on her fingertips.

"Wha, oh, you ......?

　But when I'm only terribly confused, it depends and Liv raises an eyebrow and slides her hand out of my hand.

'Gosh, ...... sorry. Forget about that one.

　The proud woman smith looked away in shame.

　That makes me huff.

　Yes.

　When I think about it, I'm an old friend who finally came to the place where I was alone for a long time.

　He must have been really lonely in the past.

　It's a good thing that you're able to do that with your friend ...... to try to stop him from doing that to me.

　It's a bad idea to leave quickly because you're done with your business.

You know what, Liv? I can't stay the night because my friends are waiting for me. ......

I told you to forget about .......

Yeah. But let's just have a drink. We'll have a drink and talk about the old days. We'll talk about the old man's mourning.

　Then I popped this precious girl friend on the shoulder and laughed.

'Aega: ......'

Do you have a beer?

...... Yeah.

　Liv smiled sadly and ran to the cooker to get a beer.



　◇



　After Liv had fallen asleep.

　It was quite late in the evening when we returned, but Igarashi-san was waiting for us at the front of the boat.

'After the commission, ...... 270,000 cars (tails) came to 275,000 bonds.

　I had only 55,000 bonds left, so I asked Mr. Igarashi to exchange the remaining tails for bonds.

Thank you, Igarashi-san. Thank you, Igarashi-san.

...... but that still leaves 330,000 bonds left.

I'm fine! Because I sold the items I got today and made 220,000 bonds!

　That's a total of 550,000 bonds.

　This is enough to replenish the arrows, bullets, recovery pills, broken equipment, etc. that I spent in Le Monde's Forest today.

　Then the funds should be turned over again tomorrow to collect the items.

　As long as the adventure is on track ...... money is a crappy thing that will grow on its own.

　And that's when I thought that.


　Wahahahaha!


　I hear that kind of laughter happening on the ship.

'What?'

"ugh. ......

　Igarashi-san glared at me, so I hurriedly headed to the deck 《deck》.


　Doh! Wahahahaha! ...... phialar phialar ......


　Then, all my lords are all red-faced and frolicking with Janja.

''What the hell is this ......?''

　They turned on the faucet of the cask and drank the beer and guzzled it down.

　It's an exotic drink, but it seems to fit in nicely with the s*x.


　...... Oh yeah, I forgot about that.

　I've been told that after the first game, they were going to serve beer to all 150 people.

　You're saying that someone was smart enough to stock up on them?


　That time.

I'm sorry. I bow to the generosity of Lord Eiga, that I do.

　Just like that, Gitaro Bando approached me.

'But this is the best way to keep the morale of the fighters up, isn't it?

'Oh, oh ....... That's right.

　I managed to answer that, despite my sluggishness.

'But, Aigadono ......'

　This time, Saionji Kanako, behind her, asks, "Who is this woman?

　She is one of Gitaro Bando's subordinates, a suspicious woman who even covered her face with a red costume.

It's all well and good to entertain you with your largesse, but are you sure about the money? I know you have spent a lot of money on this expedition. ......

　She asks, holding her mouth hidden by the cloth.

'Ugh, that's ......'

　By the way.

　I don't really want to expose my weaknesses in front of these Okuga guys.

　It's important to make the lord of Okuga feel that he can rely on my support to get him to start building his own steamer.

　They will report what happened to their lords and .......

'Duh, duh ...... that's okay. I'm the first lord too, you know? I'm not so poor that I have to be stingy with this kind of money.

'Ha, I'm sorry. That's true. I am .......

　Saionji Kanako quickly dropped to one knee and bowed her head reverently.

''Then feel free to hand this one over.

What is this?

The bill for the liquor store.

'Oh, oh ....... Ahhhhhh... I'm so proud of myself when I see a bill.

　Thus, I receive the bill with as much leeway as possible.

Then I'm excused.

　And Gitaro Bando.


'Ugh, ugh. ......

　And I flipped the bill just in time after the Okuga clan left, but I didn't open my eyes.

　No, but .......

　It's only a beer, no matter how many people are in the party.

　I'm not going to have 550,000 bonds and not be able to pay ......, I said to myself, and I opened my eyes with a snap.

≪550,000 bond.

　And there it is.


　Oh, I can pay you!

　I can pay for it, but ......

What are we going to do tomorrow?

...... Dear Aega.

　Igarashi-san gently touched her finger to my shoulder as I was at my wits' end, but even she looked troubled by the dexterous look on her face as she lowered her eyebrows while glaring at me.


　Thus, my funds, which had 22 million bonds at the time of the dismissal of the brave party, have finally become 'zero'.