Night, the porch room.

　With the power of the vanadium, I was face to face with Ina alone in the perfect location for an evening drink, full moon and wind chimes.

　Ina looked at me with a much more serious look than her usual aloof expression and said, "I'm in the red.

'It's a deficit,'
Guffaw!

　The reality confronted by Ina.
　Even though it's something I knew, it's much more difficult for me to say it clearly like this.

No matter how you calculate it, no need to calculate, Ryota-san's balance is in the red. The balance is still there, but it's in the red anyway.
You don't need to do the math: ......

　It's as low a respectful tone as you can muster.

'Yes, I don't need to do the math. I'll be frank, you carry too much on your back.
Ugh!
'It's more difficult to list the things Lyota is carrying right now. All of those things are going to cost you money.
Um, .......
The bottom line is the rent for this vanadium dungeon.
Yeah, I know.

　That's a fact, for better or worse.
　In order to keep the Vanadium Dungeon away from other humans, I rented it out for a sum of 1.5 billion a year.

　Even though I've been able to earn money, 1.5 billion - and a yearly expenditure is not a light thing.

"After all, we'd be better off if we all shared it...
No, no.

　I said flatly.

'I know what you mean, Ena, but it's absolutely not allowed.'
Absolutely?

　You're going to push it that far?　He gave me a look.

'Yeah, absolutely. Vanadium trusts 'me'.

　I looked around the room to make sure no one else was in the room, then lowered my voice as I went.

'Dependent, is probably a better way to put it. It means something that I'm paying for everything.
But .......
'Vanadium doesn't talk, but being a kid like that, he's sensitive and perceptive. It's never good to find out that this money is being shared by everyone, not just me.
...... Okay, then I won't say that anymore. Totally. ......

　Ena smiled at that, as if it couldn't be helped.
　For now, I guess that means he agreed with me.

'I mean money. What about getting the gold out of Aulum?　I'm sure she'd be happy to serve you.
That's no good either.
Why?
Right now, I'm making the Aurum dungeon at nine o'clock, five o'clock, to fulfill Aurum's need to look outside.
'Yes, about two years now?　We do that, don't we?
'The only reason I'm able to do that without complaint about it is because I don't get any gold redemption from me. I used to get them in the beginning, but lately I've gotten them to stop dropping additional gold for drops.
Why?
'I'm sure Ena would know, but it's almost as if it's public knowledge of what the big adventurers have sold.
Yes, sir.

　Ena nodded.
　It's similar to the chieftain's list that once existed in the original world.

　The gold movement of the top tier adventurers, and the breakdown of the drops involved in it, is transparent at a tremendous level - or worse, disjointed.

I'm getting a lot of gold from Aurum, it could be that I'm leaving Aurum alone for the gold. That's what's going on right now at nine o'clock, five o'clock.
So it's hopeless.
'Yeah, that's why I'm earning Tellurium as my main source of income. If Tellurium ever joins us here in the future, we'll have to keep our main hunting grounds separate.
Totally. ......

　Ena sighed.
　But for some reason, her bitter smile looked more and more happy.

'Well, earn it then. My income and expenditure are downright red.''
Well, that's the best way. It's the end of the month and we don't have time until the next settlement or debit. We'll have to work overtime, even if only temporarily.
Leave that to us.
Do you want me to handle it?

　What do you mean?　I look at Ena with a "I'll pay you in advance.

"I'll pay you in advance. You must deliver this amount in one month's time. I'll pay you that amount in advance.

　Ena held out a sheet of paper, as if she had prepared it.
　On that paper was a list of goods to be dropped in my main battlefield, Tellurium.

　They were all in tons - no, ten tons, a hundred tons.

　That's the amount of money you could normally earn by hiding in a dungeon for 30 days.

'That's enough for about a month.
'Yes. With Lyota-san's credit, I can pay you in advance with this number of quotas. This is a legitimate business deal--a deal that benefits both parties since the 'golden tree' can be purchased on a steady basis.
Okay. Thanks, I'll take advantage of the feeling.
So, on a level playing field: ......

　Ena laughed again, a bitter smile that seemed to make her look happy.

'Well then, I'll pay a hundred million piro in advance to your account tomorrow.
Thank you.
I look forward to continuing to serve you.

　Ena said, skipping a wink and walking out of the curbside room.
　I've been blessed with a mate. ......

　I'll have to work hard to keep those friends from worrying about me.