Volume 13 - CH 9

We're trying to avoid being seen, and we're trying to leave in the carriage just as the sun is about to set.

Jouga suddenly screamed, and I thought it was PK, so I looked around impatiently.

But there was no sign of the enemy.

「No sign of the enemy! Clear!」

「I don't see anything either!」

Jamie and Lunette couldn't find any enemies either.

「What's the matter, Jouga?」

I'll ask the person who screamed.

「No, brother, it's the arena! I forgot! I've never passed the preliminary round at Grand Sword arena!」

Come to think of it, when this guy had the one-legged death flag before, he said that his dream was to win the arena.

「You. ......」

It's too late to remember when we're about to leave.

「No, I'm sorry. brother, I'll go there alone. I'll catch up with you in a week or so.」

「No, I owe that arena a bit of a debt, too. I'm sorry, Sarah, but can we postpone our departure?」

I don't like the idea of going back to home on a bet either.

「A week or so is fine. We're bored now that we've cleared the labyrinth anyway.」

「Sarah! We told the king we're leaving today, remember? We can't delay anymore.」

Jaime scolded Sarah.

「I don't think Kei-chan would be mad at us for that.」

「No, it's not the king. It's ......」

「It's the people in the castle, right. But we're not "Over the King". If anyone's going to be targeted, it's going to be Alec alone.」

Lunette took over Jamie's stunned words. Lunette is a wise-cracking member of Sarah's party, so it's not interesting to be told definitively that I'm the only one being targeted.

「Sarah, did you by any chance know that it's not that the Dark Dragon can't be defeated, but that the "Over the King" part is what make you trouble?」

I have a bad feeling about this, so I ask her.

At the ninth layer, Sarah had felt a premonition of death and finished exploring the labyrinth before we did.

「Hmmm, I'm too stupid to think of anything. Oh, man, you know how it is, Alec, fufu. It's just that we thought we were in trouble there, so we retreated.」

「I see.」

「Well, I think I'm okay now, so I think this is okay, right?」

「Wow, there it is, Sarah's seal of approval. It's coming out.」

Sierra didn't seem to be happy about it, but Jamie explained it to me, probably because ...... I looked dubious about it.

「She says it's okay, it's okay, so I go with her, and then she suddenly says, 【Oh, I knew it was bad】, and run away.」

It's good that she has a good intuition, but it's not good for your heart when she suddenly realizes that it's really dangerous.

「Well, no, that's just occasional. And I've never been out of line when I've said it's dangerous, so why not?」

「You're a laughing goddess of death.」

「I don't like it the way you say that.」

With her mouth agape, Sarah must have seen many deaths of others. She has seen her predictions come true.

「Well, I'll have to discuss it with my party and decide. If it doesn't work out, I'll assign someone else to guard us, so don't worry about it.」

I told her gently. It's completely up to our party, and it's our responsibility.

「No, no, Once I've accepted the job, I'll do my best to escort you, okay? It's not uncommon for a week or so to be delayed, you know! Right! Right!.」

「Wait, Sarah. You seem to be obsessed with Alec, but the request is for a carriage escort. If you change the content for your convinience, you'll take the penalty and the money for the extension.」

For a big, burly warrior, Jamie is rather detailed, isn't she?

「Yeah, yeah, I'll pay for it.」

「I told you, it's not worth it.」

「Oh, come on. I'll pay for it out of my own pocket.」

「Lunette, please scold her.」

「Hmm, if it's her pocket money, I can't scold her. I have no idea what's so good about this unfaithful, dirty old man.」

You say that, Lunette, but you also come to my room for a bath every week.

「Well~　He's very good at sex, he doesn't lie, and he was generous enough to pay me 10,000 extra gold for my last request. Oh, come to think of it, we had a promise, right? I'll lend you a hand next time.」

Promise, ....... I don't remember much about it, but if Sarah says so and lends me a hand herself, so be it. On the other hand, if you don't remember and you're asked to lend a hand, that's a big problem.　

「S-sex ......」

Sierra blushed and pressed her own cheeks with her hands.

We've been having steady sex since then, but she's still not very good at that kind of erotic conversation.

Next time, I'll use verbal abuse to get her to say it. Hihi.

「Sigh, I don't really like it. I'm out of this job.」

Jamie said, waving her hand up in the air wickedly.

「Hmm, too bad. Then I'll be your only escort. Yay, it's just you and me!」

「Wait, Sarah. I'll take it, too」

I grinned as Lunette said this, but she glared at me as if to tell me to shut up.

I don't think I've told my party mates about this, so I'll just keep my mouth shut about my friendship with Lunette. I think it's obvious that Sarah is grinning too.

「Hmm, I can't help it. I'll take it too then.」

Says Sierra.

「Then, when you leave, call me at the inn. I'll meet you there.」

「Yeah, okay, Jamie. I'll do that.」

It's not often that my party is separated by a quest, but Sarah's party seems to be unconcerned about it.

「So that's how it is. Nick, I'm sorry, but ......」

I said to the coachmen who were waiting for me there in silence.

「Yeah, it's postponed. Adventurers do this all the time. I'll see you in a week when the date is clearer.」

「I'm really sorry. Tell me what the cancellation fee is.」

「No, that's for them. I don't want my share.」

「I'm sorry Nick, but we're in business. I'll take one large copper.」

「I'll take that.」

「Me, too.」

Three of the seven gentlemen asked for a cancellation fee, which I agreed to. Well, a hundred gold is a small price to pay.

But if I keep cancelling, they'll never accept any work in my name.

「Next time, no cancellations. If something goes wrong, I'll pay you in full.」

「Full payment, as expected of an A-rank party. I was relieved to hear that. Well, I'll see you in a week. Boy, do your best to get through the preliminary round!」

「Thanks a lot, old man! But I'm not old enough to be a monk.」

Jouga's complaint was met with laughter from the other coachmen and everyone else, but from the perspective of that old coachmen, Jouga must be just like a child.

「Well, ......, then, you guys, get off.」

I had a hard time waking up the drunken troops and getting them to walk.

In the end, some of them couldn't help themselves, so I asked Nick to take us to the Dragon's Dwelling Tree Residence in his carriage, and I duly paid for it.

Some of the rooms at the inn were already occupied by new guests, but Ada got us another room.

As soon as she saw me, she said, "There's no more breakfast for you!" I was disappointed to hear that.