20-018 Step Up? (5)

In the end, they didn't see any goblins or boars until they got back to town.

Toya wanted to hunt one more boar to increase the amount of dried meat, but there was still a lot of meat left.

He was reluctant to go hunting because Haruka told him to think of the trouble I would have to go through to cook it.

In the first place, it would be impossible to carry more meat than I could carry if I hunted another one.

So, on the way back, I collected only a small amount of medicinal plants and herbs that could be used for dried meat.

This was the time before evening.

At this time of night, the adventurer's guild is relatively empty.

The most crowded times are just after dawn, when the day laborers arrive, and just before sunset.

To be frank, it's a bit crowded during those times.

Basically, it's a good thing that they don't come in contact with us.

The adventurers who come during these hours are those who have gone out of town on a mission like us, but there are not many of them.

There is not much work for adventurers in this relatively peaceful area, and adventurers who have reached a certain level of maturity move to other cities in search of more money.

Thanks to this, we've been able to work at a leisurely pace, so I guess it wasn't a bad place to move to.

You're all right, Evil God!

Welcome back, Diora.

Welcome back, Haruka. Welcome back, Haruka, and welcome back to Nao and Toya.

I'm back.

I'm back.

At this time of day, Mr. Diora is usually sitting at the counter.

It's nice to have someone to talk to after work.

In this world, there is no such thing as a day off, so he goes to work every day unless he has a particular reason. If you don't work hard enough to earn that much money, you will have a hard time making a living.

For adventurers who are not day laborers, the more skilled you are, the more time off you get.

This is partly because the income per request is large, but it is also because many of the jobs are quite demanding, and it is hard to rest.

For example, an escort request.

While traveling, you will need to stay in the field and keep watch at night. Even if you take a nap, it is not hard to imagine how exhausting it would be if it continues for several days.

Therefore, it is only natural that your performance will be affected if you do not take a rest for at least a day or two after arriving in a city.

If you don't rest because of financial constraints, you will make mistakes, and in some cases, you will die.

This seems to be the reason why many middle-aged and older adventurers who can no longer take it easy retire or die.

Mr. Diora, this is for your information.

Thank you very much. It's my favorite time of the year.

"Thank you very much, it's the best time of the year..." He put his nose to the dindle fruit, inhaled and smiled.

"Mmm, it smells good. Now I have something to look forward to after dinner.

Diora carefully placed the dingdol in the bag she had given him.

But Haruka and the others are very good at gathering and hunting in the forest. Is it because they are elves?　If you have a magic bag, you can make more money.

His gaze was fixed on our bulging backpacks.

I haven't seen them around here before. Are they expensive?

It's expensive and rare. It takes an alchemist as well as a user of space-time magic to make one. Almost no one has the aptitude for it.

"I see. Then it must be difficult to make one.

No, there are only a few users of space-time magic, but it's not that difficult to make. I heard it's in the alchemy dictionary.

Hmm?　I knew it was expensive and rare, but wasn't it difficult to make?

In addition, there's something about the word ....... that bothers me.

What's an alchemy dictionary?

"Huh?　Don't you know?　It seems that every alchemist has one. It's something they make you buy when you join the Alchemists Society. ......?

"Oh, so it's not something you can get normally?

I'm sure you'll be able to find something to help you out.

No, not at all. Not at all.

What?

It seems that buying this is like paying a membership fee to the association, and they make you buy it even if you don't need it. But only an alchemist would need a book like this, right?　So what if the alchemist dies or something?

No need for it?

Yes. Unlike ordinary books, it's not something that ordinary people can read, and even if there is an alchemist in the family, they will have to buy a new one if they join the association. That's why they are sometimes sold cheaply at used bookstores.

"Oh, I see. Do you sell them?

It seems to sell a little, because people use it as a reference when they buy items. You can find them here, too. It's for adventurers to consult.

For example, when a demon with a special attack appears, they use it to check if there is an item to deal with it.

But this year, we were lucky to have Haruka and her team. Without someone to go and pick them, the information on where to pick them is meaningless.

It is Diora's secret pleasure to sell the information about the location to rookies who go to collect the fruits and get them to give them to her.

However, not all adventurers are at that level, and not all adventurers can climb the Dindol tree every year.

"Mr. Diora, is that an abuse of authority?

"Well, it's a legitimate transaction. "Well, it's a legitimate transaction, and it saved Halka from having to look for you.

I'm sure you're not the only one who has a problem with this.

Well, it's true that we don't have to scour the forest anymore.

Even if you gather information from other people, you still need to be paid.

Abuse of authority is a thing. "Abuse of authority is a thing, you know, like buying something at a discount because it's damaged or something.

"What?

Hearing this, Haruka's hand, which was about to take out the dindle to sell, stopped.

"Ah!　I'm not going to do that.　It's the right thing to do.　I'll buy it at a fair price.　It's true!

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.

Rather, there is nothing but suspicion.

"Are you sure?　Will you buy this properly?

"Of course!　But, well, let's see... ....... Some of them are still--

The standard purchase price for a dindle is between 100 and 300 rares.

Most of the Dindol I took were priced at 300 rare, but some were priced at 200 rare.

I'm not sure if the percentage of low prices is more than 5%.

I took a look at it myself, and it looks fine to eat with a few scratches. .......

In fact, that scratch is the problem. ......

It is true that they are bought at a fair price, but it is also true that the value of the fruit is reduced if it is damaged, so they are shared at a private price.

If you want to eat them right away, they are no problem at all, but if you want to dry them, the bruised parts are more likely to get damaged, so they are cheaper.

So, I'm not trying to be stingy with my purchases, okay?　It's just that not everyone understands that. ......

"Oh, I see.

It's a kind of Kramer.

I'm sure you're not the only one, but you're the only one who knows how to do it.

It's ......, but if you think about it, isn't the family price just a diversion?

"No, I'm buying it before it goes on the books, so no problem!

No problem!

--No, no, no, no. That's gray.

I'm sure he felt our eyes on him, but he shook his head.

No, no, really!　But if you want to consume it for yourself or your family, you are allowed to do so!　--implicitly.

Is it like an employee price?

Is there a concept of welfare in this harsh world, or are the rules simply too loose?

At the end of the interview, he quietly added something that bothered me, so I guess the latter is more likely.

Well, I don't mean to say that such things are necessarily wrong.

There are countries on earth where the salary system takes into account the tips given by customers, and there are countries where the salary is low in exchange for bribes or lodging.

I'm sure you'll be happy with the results. ....... I don't mind if Diora doesn't get fired.

It's a good thing I'm not the only one. It's one of the few perks you get.

Diora is fond of dildos, but their market price is too high for a receptionist's salary to buy them.

At the very least, it is more than she can easily afford as a luxury item, so in a sense, the Guild's damaged dirndls, which can be bought for less than half the market price, are her reward.

There are only a few female employees in this guild, so it's nice to have less competition!

Toya and I looked at each other and smiled.

Personally, I'm looking for a young, beautiful receptionist.

Diora is about 30 years old and looks cute, but young is -- oops, something gives me chills. Yes, Diora is perfectly fine, yes.

So it would be great if you could sell them all to me. ......

I'm sure you'll be glad you did.

Diora's eyes are on my backpack and Toya's, which are still bulging.

Incidentally, Toya's backpack is mostly full of meat, so Diora's gaze is a little off the mark.

The dingdol I picked up later is divided into mine and Haruka's backpacks and brought back.

It's not that I'm trying to be mean and sell fewer of them.　I've got an idea. ...... Diora, do you know how to make dried fruit out of dindol?

"Oh, you mean by yourself?　I think it's probably impossible, but ...... the process is a secret.

He looked at me as if to say, "If you're going to waste them like that, you should sell them." But I wanted to sell them at a higher price after processing them if possible, and I wanted to keep them for myself if they had a longer shelf life.

If it doesn't work out, we'll sell it.　If it works out, we'll share it with you.

"Oh, share?　I can't help it.

It's easy to understand her feelings as her cheeks loosened up while she said, "I can't help it.

But I don't know much about it either. I don't know much about it, but I've heard that all you have to do is wash them, remove the stems, and hang them out to dry.　There are some tips on the weather, temperature, and how to expose them to the sun, but that seems to be a secret.

Hmm, I guess that's the extent of it.

"Oh, but .......

In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.

"Hmm?　Can you tell me if there's something on your mind?

Yes. Just a few hints, that's all.

You could try trial and error, but since the fruit doesn't last very long, you can't try it again and again, no matter how much magic you use. Even the slightest clue is better than nothing.

At the urging of me and Haruka, Diora opened her mouth somewhat hesitantly.

I've seen them drying out once, and they were boiling some water,......, I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

I'm not sure if it has anything to do with hot water or ...... actually boiling it and then drying it?

I'm not sure if it's related to that or not.

I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

I see. Thank you. Thanks. That's a little helpful.

I'm glad to hear it. But please don't tell anyone about it.　I know people who know, but some people are pretty annoying. ......

I know what you mean. It's not easy being a receptionist. You have to deal with strange people.

Yeah!　You have to understand that it's not like that.

It's also a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

If you're complaining in a bar, it's probably not a good idea to agree to it in this place.

There are other adventurers nearby, not to mention my boss.

"You've always been very polite to us, Diora, so we're grateful. See?

Hey. We're beginners, and we're making a lot of money because of it.

I'm not sure what to make of this.

It's because of Haruka's light words.

I'm not sure what to say. I'm not sure what to say.

.......

I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.

I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but it's a good idea.

I'm sorry if I get angry.

For now, I'll leave you alone before Haruka says anything else.

Even though it's not a busy time of the day, it's probably not a good idea to be chatting too much while working.

I'll be going home soon, then. I'll see you tomorrow.

"Yes, I'll be waiting.

Diora bailed us out and we left the Adventurer's Guild.