CH 72

Did you decide on what you’re going to make? If there’s not enough kraken, I can get you more.」

Rofas-san came into the hut while grinning.

「Sorry, I haven’t decided. You see… I can’t make the dish I was thinking of because there’s no sugar.」

In order to make the sushi rice, you need both vinegar and sugar.

「Sugar… Okay, I got it. I can’t get you a large amount, but I might be able to get you a little.」

Rofas-san said and left. Then, he caught one of the soldiers and began talking to him.

That’s right, a soldier.

The army came to subjugate the giant kraken and the other monsters that appeared.

Stampedes are when a large amount of monsters come out from the dungeons. The army is dispatched to wipe out all of the monsters so that the towns won’t be in danger.

However, if there are no troops stationed nearby, then it’ll take a couple of days for them to arrive. That’s why adventurers are forced to take action until the soldiers get there. This time, the monsters came from the advanced level dungeons, so adventurers ranked D and above were sent. 

…Yes, I want to get to level 10 to be able to use magic, but…

I have no confidence in battling a monster that big.

I looked at the kraken and sighed again.

If I avoid getting to rank D, then… Or rather, can I even get to rank D? I started late too. I’m basically the same as a five-year-old.

Maybe, once I graduate from being an adventurer trainee and reach level 10… I’ll work at a place like a diner’s for adventurers. I should look for a job opening.

No, maybe I should ask Rofas-san to help me look.

Since it took the soldiers three days to arrive, Rofas-san and Bryce-kun took down the giant kraken. Despite being only level 10, Bryce-kun played a big role in the battle… I had thought that maybe  you didn’t have to be very strong to participate at level 10, but apparently Bryce-kun was an exception.

As an adventurer, he jumped ranks from F to D within a day… Although I didn’t understand exactly how amazing that was supposed to be.

Anyways, the soldiers arrived and had been wandering around the forest, doing a search-and-destroy operation to make sure the monsters don’t wander off to town.

「Like I said, I don’t have any sugar on me!」

「Yeah, so that’ll work. It’s sweet, isn’t it?」

「Even if it is, I’m not giving it to you!」

Rofas-san came back to the hut while pulling on the leather bag that the soldier had.

「Rofas-san! I told you before not to take people’s things forcefully, didn’t I?」

Geez.

This guy never grows up.

He probably thinks it’ll be fine if he pays.

「No, I’m not taking it, I’ll pay for it. I’ll buy more to give to you later too…【Contract: 1 candy. Will return ten times the amount.】」

Rofas-san looked awkward as he proposed the contract with the soldier he dragged over.

Well, I guess he’s reflected on his actions a bit, since I could see it in his face that he realized he had made a mistake.

What a good person Rofas-san is. He won’t get angry at me for things like, Women and children shouldn’t say their opinion in such an arrogant way!

I wonder if the soldier was in his mid-twenties. His skin was so pale, it was hard to imagine that he worked as a soldier.

He had light brown hair and eyes. He didn’t look exactly Western, but was more like a half between a Japanese person and a Westerner. The parts of his face weren’t super profound, but they weren’t completely flat either. Rather than having a western-looking face, the soldier’s face felt more intimate. 

The soldier spoke, but not to agree to the contract.

「Come on, Saga, please. Just this once.」

Rofas-san lowered his head.

So the soldier’s name is Saga.

「If you have the money to buy ten, then buy them yourself! Why are you trying to rob me of the one thing I was looking forward to during this dispatch! Do you know how tiring it is to lead the troops? I can’t do it unless I heal myself with something sweet.」

「Eh? Saga-san, you lead the troops…? You’re still so young, that’s amazing.」

「It’s not that amazing. Since there are many second and third sons from noble families in the army, they forced this position onto me because they needed a noble to take the position of a high-ranking officer.」

Eh?

「In fact, if nii-san didn’t run off to become an adventurer, he’d probably be the one wearing this uniform now.」

Huh?

「Nii-san?」

「Yeah, that’s right. Saga is my seventh younger brother.」

「S-seventh?!」

So Rofas-san is part of a big family, with many children…

「Nii-san, I’m the eighth brother. Please don’t get it wrong.」

「E-eighth? …How many siblings do you have…?」

I asked. Rofas-san looked at Saga-san.

「Fifteen including me?」

「No, right now there are sixteen, and the seventeenth sibling will be born soon.」

S-seventeen siblings… Enough to make two baseball teams in one family…

As I stood there in shock, Saga-san looked at me with a kind smile.

「Three of us are the legal wife’s children, four are from the mistress, and the rest are adopted.」

Legal wife, mistress, adopted…

My eyes felt like they were spinning.