114-104 It's troublesome again

I didn't think you'd go all the way up to rank four.

I thought it would be at least one rank higher, but you raised it to two.

After that, we returned to the counter on the first floor and received our guild cards with our ranks updated to four, along with the proceeds from the sale of magic stones.

We thought we were going to get rank 3 when they said they would raise our ranks, but we all got rank 4.

According to Diora, "There is no rank 3 adventurer who can destroy a nest of orcs with one party. Since we didn't go in and destroy them all at once, I think that's a bit of an overestimate, but I'm honestly happy that my rank has gone up.

"But rank doesn't really matter, does it?

Yes. No. It's just a quantification of the guild's trust in you. As expected, when you reach rank 7 or above, everyone respects you and your social status becomes quite high.

At rank 3, you're no longer a rookie, so you're no longer underestimated as an adventurer, but at rank 4, you're not as respected.

However, it's not easy to become one, so if you're an adventurer, they'll at least give you a glance.

For a party like ours, with so many women, it might be a good way to avoid some trouble.

But there's one more thing, you can enter dungeons from rank 4, so if you want to go to dungeons, it makes sense.

The one who added that was Yuki.

I'm not planning on going to dungeons at the moment, but I'd like to at least try it once, so considering that, is it a good thing that I became a rank 4?

But is there a dungeon nearby?

There aren't any nearby.

The towns famous for their dungeons are pretty far away. It's not like there aren't smaller dungeons.

Well, it'll be a while before we get there. You've built a house.

Well... It's a shame to leave your new house for a long time.

We left the guild and walked for a while, talking like this.

Suddenly, someone called out to me from behind.

"Mr. Shidou!

It was Yuki.

When Yuki turned around at the sound of a familiar voice, a man came running up to her.

I'm sorry I got a little excited the other day. May I have a word with you?

I looked at the man with a smile on my face and clapped my hands.

"Are you in the rocks?

Perhaps he was tired of being called smelly by the ladies the other day, but today Iwanaka had shaved off his beard.

However, he seems to have made a few mistakes in shaving, and the scars on his face are a little painful, and there are many unshaven areas.

It's hard to get a good shaving knife, and there is no mirror that can give him a clean shave, so in a way, it's unavoidable.

Yes. I was in a rush the other day and didn't get a chance to say hello. ......

What?　You clearly ignored me and Toya, right?

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

I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

I'm not sure what to say, but I'm sure you'll understand.

"Yes. I'll get right to the point. I have a suggestion, why don't we move to the south together and have a joint party with you guys?　From now on, there will be fewer requests in this city. With the work you're getting, it's going to be hard to make ends meet, you know?

With a good smile, he said something strange.

You failed to take in the women, so now you want to include us?

He changed his tone and attitude from hard-negotiation to soft-negotiation, but it doesn't make sense in this situation. He's already distrusted you.

Even his seemingly benign smile smells fishy.

"Huh, you ignored us last time, and now you want to join us?

"Right?　I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.

No, no, I was going to talk to you later.

Well, it wasn't like that, was it?

I know. Besides, our party is stable at five, so there's no point in adding more people.

We can do a good job with just the five of us.

Are you sure?　If we don't, we'll spend the rest of our lives doing trivial jobs in this town!

Iwanaka opened his mouth as if in a panic, but the premise was wrong in the first place. Why do they think they can get to the top? .......

I think it's a good idea if you can live a stable life.

And I don't think my job in this city is beneath me.

What?

Iwanaka looked surprised at Yuki and Natsuki's words, but most jobs are like that, aren't they?

It's not uncommon for Japanese salarymen to spend their entire lives working in the town where they got their job. The only difference is that you can travel easily thanks to the development of transportation, but unless you are a transferee, you don't change the town you live in very often.

If you can finish your life with a normal job in this dangerous world, you can be classified as a successful person in a sense.

In the first place, Iwanaka-kun and the others don't seem to be very strong, so there's no advantage to teaming up with us, right?

"Yes, we may be a little outmatched right now due to our initial skills, but the three of us actually all have experience doubling skills!

Iwanaka suddenly said, and we all looked at each other.

Is that the reason for your confidence?

Of course we were thinking, "All of them have that mine skill?　Seriously? However, Iwanaka seemed to have misunderstood something and smiled a little more comfortably.

The first time you use the experience doubling skill, you'll probably lose to the other transferees in skill level. But in the long run, you can certainly surpass them. If you plan ahead a bit, this is a skill you should take even if you have to push yourself.

Perhaps because we looked at each other, Iwanaka looked at us with an expression like, "You guys didn't get it anyway, did you? He looked at us with an expression like, "You guys didn't get it anyway, did you?

And I even have a [Skill Copy], you know?

--Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh!　Good luck, my facial muscles!

I hurriedly averted my gaze from Iwachu's smug face, as it might cause me to burst out laughing.

The ones who haven't changed their facial expressions are Haruka and Natsuki, who have always had somewhat of a poker face at school.

Yuki's cheeks are trembling, and Toya is holding his face in his hands, looking serious, but in reality, he's trying hard to swallow a laugh.

I'm sure that with the skill copy and experience doubling skills, you'll need at least 150 points, right?

It's a shame that this is the only way to use it,......, because the results in the rocks were good, so it's understandable that you have a lot of points.

It's a shame. We may be behind you for now, but in the future we will certainly (...) pull ahead of you. Yes, overwhelmingly (・・・・).

""........."

I'm the one who's going to be standing over you. You're walking in front of us now. But our steps are wider than yours, and it is already certain that we will overtake you.

Iwanaka, who was in his own world, didn't even seem to notice the subtle expressions on our faces.

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out. .......

I feel a little sorry for him when he's like this.

But then, as if he was pleased that we were listening in silence, he looked at us and smirked in a disgusting way.

But a leader needs to be able to use people. You may not be able to rise to the top, but you can be useful as my subordinates. If you don't join the party now, you'll regret it.　After we're strong, there'll be plenty of people to go around. Yes, even women.

--What the hell, you're talking down to me.

The little sympathy I felt for her was gone.

It seems that Toya was the same way, his expression changed from a dumbfounded grimace to a fierce smile, and he put his hand on his weapon.

"...... Huh?　So you're saying we should take care of it while we can?

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

His grades were good, but he was an idiot, wasn't he?

Before overtaking him, he said, "I'll overtake you sooner or later.

"Even if we're adventurers, the guards will catch us if we draw our weapons!

"Oh, yes. --By the way, you know what?　By the way, do you know that there are no items in this world that can check your criminal record?

You'll be able to find a lot more information on this subject in this article.

"Yes, yes. It's a shame there isn't an award or punishment box in your status to check when you enter the city.

"No, really. I bet they don't even know there's been a murder outside the city.

Maybe. By the way, deep in the woods, the bodies of demons disappear quickly, eaten by something.

In the event that you've got a lot of time, you'll be able to take a look at the web site and find out more about it. Then he slowly retreated and ran off with the words, "You'll regret this! and ran away.

It was quite a brilliant escape.

I admire his decisiveness and gracefulness in not sticking to the story. .......

"Well, they're the ones who'll regret it, aren't they?

That's right. I'm not sure what to make of that.　How dare they come together like that?

I'm not sure if the three of them have always been close, but I wonder if they migrated to the same place, or if they met in this city and formed a party. .......

They may have been brought together because of their similarities, but what are the odds of that?

I'm not sure what the odds are.　It could be that the people who took the experience doubling skills didn't have enough points left to take the other mine skills, and as a result they are still alive.

I'm not sure what to make of that.

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

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea. I'm sure you'll be able to find something that will help you. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a fan of your work. It's completely a bad choice.

"What a waste. He was better than me.

Oh, by the way, Toya didn't take the Double Experience, even though he doesn't have the Help.

It's only 50 points.　It's too risky when you don't even know where you'll end up. If you don't win the first battle, you're going to die, so you should be able to fight to some extent, normally.

I think Toya has 120 points?

If you want to get the double experience, you need to get the skills you need, such as combat skills, within 70 points at most.

In a way, it was fortunate that there were no points left to get [double experience] if he made a configuration that would allow him to survive.

"Even if you have [10x experience], it's pointless if you can't beat the first enemy that comes out, that's for sure.

Right?　There's too much luck involved, like conveniently encountering a small fish and successfully killing it to level up.

We made it to the town without any problems, but if we had appeared in the forest like Tommy did, it would have been very risky without any weapon skills.

In that light, perhaps Iwanaka and the others were reasonably lucky.

"What about Yuki didn't take it?

"Me?　Because I had a bad feeling about it. 120 points for a 10x growth rate is obviously too cheap.

Oh, I admire your intuition, but ......

You got the skill copy, right?

Forget about it~. It's useful now, isn't it~?

I hold Yuki's head as she attacks me with a pockmarked, pathetic face, and chuckle.

It's true that in terms of skills alone, you're currently the best among us. I'm sure that won't change in the future, and I can do everything in my own way.

We are a bit poor in dexterity.

But he was halfway there, wasn't he? I thought he was coming to make peace, but he was completely fighting with me. What did he want?

As if to change the subject, Yuki said, shrugging her shoulders in disgust, and Toya nodded widely.

"You know... You know, maybe he's just a naturally condescending guy who doesn't mean to pick a fight?

"No way, that can't be him.

I denied it, but Haruka shook her head.

You can't be sure. I've seen glimpses of it in him since he was in Japan. I don't think he's the type of person I'd want to be friends with.

I had little to do with him, but Haruka, who was an honor student, had many opportunities to get involved with Iwanaka, who was also a committee chairman.

Her evaluation based on this experience is that "we can't be friends".

As long as Haruka says so, it must be the same for us. Or rather, judging from the way he has been treating us so far, I can see that he is not in his right mind.

Probably because she came to another world and got a strong skill, she lost her grip. You should have realized by now that it's not such a good skill. ...... Well, in a way, it's convenient for us.

I don't know about the other two, but after what happened the other day, they're not in their right minds, are they?

Yes. It's a little tricky.

Fortunately, if they have the experience multiplier, I don't think they'll get any stronger than us, unless we skip training. ......

It's not just about simple strength,......, that's troublesome.

I think we're stronger than them at this point, but it's hard to be constantly vigilant . If you think about the possibility of being taken by surprise, you have to be 'okay with being stabbed with a knife' in order to stay alert. Moreover, the attack is not something s*xy like a love affair. It's just a thug.

I'm sure you're not going to attack me on the street, are you?

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

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. We'll be in trouble with you two.

"Don't worry about it. It's not that big of a hassle. It would be worse if you walked out alone and got attacked.

I know. If he'd just attacked me in an obvious way, I could take care of him.

"Oh, Toya, you're so extreme!

"Oh, you're so extreme!" I teased, and Toya looked a little disappointed.

"Well, didn't Nao think so too?

...... Well, I won't deny that I thought it would be refreshing to get a little hands-on.

Out of town, if possible.

I don't think you can fight back too hard in the city.

The problem is outside the town, but ...... we can make it deep in the forest. They won't be able to get in. And even if they do, they'll probably just disappear.

As expected of Natsuki, he was quite merciless.

The fact that she is smiling is even scarier.

...... By the way, is it man-made?

I'm not going to do anything until they do something, that's for sure.

I know, right? Hahaha.

I'm not going to do anything until they do something.

I'm not sure what to make of this.

This is a great way to get the most out of your time and money.

"..........

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to get the best out of it.

In the town of Laffan, there is a day laborer.

In the town of Laffan, there is an area where there is an inn for day laborers and low rank adventurers.

The room where the three of us were staying was in one of those inns that are a little better than the worst.

It was a small room with barely enough room for three bunk beds. The room was so small that people could barely pass each other in the little space that was left, let alone the furniture.

"Shit!

Iwanaka closed the door roughly and sat down on the bed with a thud, swearing as if to throw up.

I guess we don't need to hear the end of it.

Couldn't you have at least brought Shito with you?

Maeda and Tokuoka looked down at Iwanaka from their beds and opened their mouths in frustration.

Maeda, you go ahead and do it. How can you take out just one person out of five?

Iwanaka sprawled out on the bed and spat upwards.

I can't just drag him out of the city. I've finally found you, and it's not going well.

You can't just bring them into your room.

The three of them found Haruka and the others at the guild. I was hoping that I could lure one of the women out of the guild, but as you can see, the result was not good.

It's foolish to think that Iwanaka, who is not a very good talker, would be able to attract just one person who has a negative impression of him to their territory from the start, but if he could understand that, he wouldn't have acted that way from the start.

They also threatened to kill me if I messed with them.

What?　Shidou?

No, Kamiya and Nagai. Not directly, but... They said they can't crack down on crime outside the town.

That's true. In this world, there's no one outside the town, and if someone goes missing, they're just assumed to have fallen prey to a demon. They won't even be investigated.

It's the same for us. We'll just have to kidnap him outside the town. ......

Can we win?　Just the three of us?

Tokuoka and Maeda pondered over Iwanaka's words.

"We may be outnumbered by ......, but we have more experience, right?

I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.　But their skill level is higher than ours, isn't it?

Judging by their reaction, I'd say yes.

If we're going to kidnap them, we can't just kill them. A limb or two. ......

I don't like the idea of being missing a limb. I don't have that particular proclivity.

As far as Tokuoka and the other three know, Haruka and the others moved to the southern forest later than they did.

In other words, they have been doing simple jobs such as collecting herbs for a long time, and we believe they have little experience in combat, but even so, their high-level combat skills should not be underestimated.

If he was stronger, he could kill Kamiya and Nagai and make them ours.

"Tokuoka, you're getting 10 times the experience, right?　Hurry up and level up.

If I could, I would. This world doesn't have a clear level system, does it?　You can't even get skills from killing goblins.

You can't see experience or character level, so it's hard to understand.

To tell the truth, all three of us allocated so many points to experience doubling skills and qualities that we couldn't get any real combat skills and had a hard time killing even one goblin.

I still managed to kill a few goblins, but I didn't feel like I was getting any stronger by doing so.

We can't see your character level or skill level, can we?　We can only see your skill level. ....... I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

I'm sure you're not the only one. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.

...... What do you mean?

I'm not sure how this world works, so let's consider two patterns: character level system and skill level system.

Let's start with the former, the character level system.

It's like the classic RPG, Dragon Quest. We've just killed a goblin, but it's the weakest demon in the game. In Dragon Quest terms?

"Well, it's a slime.

Iwanaka nodded to Tokuoka, who answered immediately without even thinking.

Yes, sir. In Tokuoka's case, he has now killed several dozen slimes. Will my level go up?

I don't remember exactly, but I'm sure there are a few.　I don't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure it took me a few battles to level up.

Yes, it does. But only if you're level one.

Huh?

It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your money.

We've reached the age of maturity in this world. Is our level one?

...... Normally, it would be much higher.

Yes. Let's say it's about 10. In that case, can we raise our level by killing a few dozen slimes?

No, not really. Do I need hundreds, maybe even thousands?

Yes. Even if 1 experience is multiplied by 10, it's only 10. It's not much. Besides, if it's so easy to get stronger by killing dozens of goblins, what are the adventurers in this town who are middle-aged or older?

The town of Raffan has a certain amount of middle-aged and older adventurers, like the ones who were yelling at Tokuoka and the others.

The number of goblins they have killed is probably not in the hundreds, as they take the initiative in hunting them down when escorting them in the southern forest.

In spite of this, he is still living as a lumberjack guard in this city.

Iwanaka thinks that it is strange that they are still in this town if they can easily improve their level and become stronger.

Iwanaka's grades are good, so he can think about that, at least.

One more thing, the skill level system. You can see your skill level in your status. Since you can see the skill level in the status, I think this is more likely.

It is thought that the skill level will increase with the accumulation of experience through training, etc. ...... Tokuoka, how much sword training have you done since you came here?

"Ahhhh, not much.

Iwanaka nodded as Tokuoka scratched his head and replied.

That's right. How long does it take for a complete amateur to be able to cut a living thing?　Even if it takes about 10 months to become somewhat proficient, you'll still need to train for a full month.

I thought I could make a harem with 10 times the experience!　I'm not sure what to make of this.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's had a bad experience.

The training is ten times more efficient, so why don't you take it seriously?　If you have time to go out and buy women frequently...

"Idiot, you can do it once for less than a large silver coin.　There's no reason not to go!

As Tokuoka said, you can buy a street prostitute on a street corner around here for as little as the cost of one meal.

However, since they also make their money by making a lot of money, they will do it in the dark back alleys, on the ground, or if they are not good, they will do it standing up.

Street prostitutes are cheap, but they're dirty and their faces are ...... dark, so they're still good.

You're buying too much too often. You're buying too much too often. You need to put up with it for a few days and pay a little more.

"Why don't you guys at least go to a whorehouse?

Iwanaka sighed in exasperation, but Tokuoka looked at him and snickered as if he were an idiot.

Iwanaka sighed in disgust. How many times have you done it, Iwanaka?　You've only been there a few times and you're empty-handed.

"Ugh ......, that's true, but it's the same for you guys, isn't it?　If I had some money, I'd go out and buy a street whore.

d*mn. If you could have pulled Shidou, it would have solved the problem.

So the three of us share?　That's a hell of a lot better than some street whores.

Sorry to disturb you, Kamiya and Nagai.

Yeah. Without them, it's just the three of us. The numbers match. --Who do you want, Iwanaka?

I'd go with Azuma. He's always ranked ahead of me. He's been an eyesore. I want to make him squeal.

I'll go with Furumiya. I'll go with Furumiya. I can just imagine the distortion on his smug face ...... hehe.

So I'm Shidou?　Well, I don't mind little guys like that.

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, or if you just don't care.

"Well, the more time that passes, the better off we'll be. Let's just find the right opportunity.

"Yeah, I guess so.

The three of them looked at each other and smiled disgustedly.