163 - Money
In addition to the main building, the estate had a large warehouse.
Beneath the ground, there were corridors and a facility that showed signs of research, and even something resembling a dungeon.
In such a place, Damian was frolicking.
"Nice! This is nice! This place is absolutely perfect for research! I'll put the large porters in the warehouse, and I'll conduct my research here to create the ideal woman!"
Damian, whose complexion was better than before, was spinning around in joy within the underground facility, his eyes sparkling.
Hearing this, the three maids immediately sprang into action.
"...Oh, there's dust in a place like this."
One traced the furniture with her fingertip, glancing repeatedly at Monica. Seeing this, Monica countered, her twin-tails swaying wildly.
"We just got back! This area had a low priority, so cleaning was put off! If you lot want to live here, you should at least help out, is what I say!"
Damian pushed up his glasses with his finger to adjust their position. It seemed they had slipped while he was frolicking.
"You may use it as long as it doesn't interfere with my work. Now, I want to bring in some tools, but it seems this facility has loading entrances in different locations. It wouldn't be bad to investigate various things. Ah, that's right."
Saying so, Damian told Maid Number Three, "Bring that out." Number Three produced a cylindrical object from the gap between her skirt and apron.
When the lid was opened, it made a pop sound. When the contents were taken out and spread across the desk, it was clear that they were blueprints.
I leaned in to look.
"Blueprints for what?"
Damian looked at Monica, who was glaring at Number One and Number Two.
"It's a request from her. In exchange for handing over redundant options, she asked me to design a golem. Specifically, a type that utilizes an automaton core. A core alone cannot regenerate, but if it's made into a golem, it's possible to create one with a will."
I turned back to Monica.
"You, is this what you were talking about before!"
Brushing up her twin-tails and placing her left hand on her hip, Monica struck a pose with her feet slightly apart.
"You can praise me, you know? No, praise me, you chicken. I prepared this for your sake."
However, Damian interjected.
"But various experiments are necessary. I have to prepare a prototype as well. I've constructed the theory and can build a prototype, but... I don't have the materials."
Apparently, he couldn't build it due to a lack of funds.
I looked at the humanoid golem in the blueprints. It was in the form of a woman wearing armor. The design was different from the golems Damian used.
"It's quite focused on being female... How much would one of these cost?"
Then, Damian looked at the ceiling and muttered to himself...
"Two thousand gold coins to set up the equipment. From there, building a prototype and repeating experiments... wouldn't it take three thousand to complete the first one? But after that, I think they could be mass-produced with five hundred gold coins each."
I burst out laughing.
"I don't have that kind of money. Or rather, considering the number of cores..."
Damian smiled.
"You'd better be prepared for tens of thousands of gold coins. Well, there are other problems too."
"Other problems?"
When I asked, Damian replied.
"Metal processing is an issue, but more than that, a large amount of rare metals will be used. Building it according to the design, verifying if there are problems, and then improving it... I'll also need craftsmen who can process those rare metals, and hiring such people costs money. Well, at the very least, the amount I mentioned is necessary."
No matter how you put it, it cost money. In other words, the amount Damian presented was the absolute minimum, and it was more likely that more would be needed.
Damian remained smiling.
"But it should be fine, right? It seems there are many skilled craftsmen here. The only problem is securing the money and such talent."
I replied.
"That's the hard part."
I felt as if I were about to collapse to my knees.
(Hundreds of thousands of gold coins... at that scale, it's impossible for me alone.)
Funding.
When it came to funding for adventurers, the general method was to take jobs from the guild.
When I visited the East Branch of the Adventurer's Guild for the first time in a while, the gazes of adventurers and staff gathered on me as I entered.
I had felt those gazes while walking through Beim.
But inside the building, it was even more intense.
As I walked to line up at the reception, a staff member called out to me.
It was Tanya-san.
"Riel-kun, a moment."
"Eh?"
As if being pulled by the arm, I was led away from the line and taken straight up the stairs to the third floor. I had never stepped foot above the second floor, which was usually used for meetings.
Taken to such a place, I saw an adventurer coming out of a room.
A tall woman with long, curly black hair that flipped outwards grinned when she saw me.
"What, the boy has already been summoned here? I thought he had more potential than Crate or Albano, but this is quite fast."
Tanya-san spoke to the woman... Marina-san.
"Is it a subjugation request again this time?"
Then, Marina-san replied.
"I have no interest in anything else. I want an opponent with more bite... Boy, I heard you're quite strong? That small girl with the exposed midriff was more my taste, but now I'm getting interested."
Saying so, Marina-san took a step toward me. Instinctively, I lowered my center of gravity and reached for my weapon.
The only reason I didn't draw it was that Tanya-san stepped between me and Marina-san. Pure bloodlust... feeling that, a cold sweat broke out.
Tanya-san spoke.
"You're playing too much. Private fighting within the guild is forbidden."
Marina-san laughed, placing a hand over her mouth.
"I'd prefer it if you didn't make such a scary face. But fighting you might not be bad... Well then, I'll go complete my request. See ya, boy."
As Marina-san departed, I watched the back of her black coat.
Inside the orb, the Fifth Generation evaluated Marina-san like this.
'They exist, don't they? Occasionally, there are those who are like beasts. Should I call them battle maniacs? Anyway, they're strong and off the charts.'
The Seventh Generation seemed to find such types unpleasant.
'Strong from birth. There are people who are different from those around them. Not through martial arts or such, but a type with a wild strength. Well, I was not fond of them.'
The Fourth Generation looked interested.
'...She's just like the First. Just strong, I suppose? There's no reason, but they're just strong people. From the perspective of someone with polished strength, they're a troublesome category.'
The Third Generation thought for a moment.
'I'd like to have one. Well, that sort doesn't care about money or loyalty, so it might be a bit difficult. More importantly, Riel.'
Being called, I turned back to Tanya-san.
She moved forward and beckoned me in front of a certain room.
"Riel-kun, this way."
Following her instructions, I headed toward that room, and Tanya-san entered. I followed her inside, and it was a calm room.
A table was placed in the center of the room, and the chairs were luxurious. Even drinks were prepared.
"...What kind of room is this?"
As I said while looking around the room, Tanya-san replied.
"It's a room for handling a portion of the adventurers. We handle reception here for adventurers who have stories they don't want overheard, as well as those with great skill. If you have acquaintances at the East Branch... other than Marina-san, it would be Alette-san."
Listening to Tanya-san's explanation, a portion of the adventurers—.
It seemed that adventurers recognized as having great skill were handled here. Apparently, one couldn't come here simply by being strong, but by clearing conditions set by the guild.
"...I've been recognized by the guild?"
"Rather than that, it's more like 'we can't afford not to recognize you.' It seems that in Zain, Rolfis, and Selva, several of Riel-kun's epithets are circulating. Was 'Holy Knight' the most common? There are many people here who want to make a name for themselves. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it becomes necessary to provide private room handling like this."
From inside the orb, the Third Generation seemed satisfied.
'I see. At the first-floor reception, there's always a possibility that someone is eavesdropping. This is a countermeasure for that.'
Satisfied, I sat in the chair. Tanya-san seemed ready to handle the reception right there.
With a slightly tired face, Tanya-san said to me.
"Normally, most adventurers never even come here. Even those with skill, many parties handle their reception on the first floor."
The Fourth Generation sounded convinced.
'In other words, it's also a measure to monitor those who stand out. Isn't that the "persons of interest" category? Lucky you, Riel.'
(Nothing about this is lucky!)
Tanya-san sat opposite me and took out some documents. Several requests were prepared there.
Looking at them, the amounts were different from before.
"I feel like these are different from the requests I often see on the first floor?"
I shifted my gaze from the documents back to Tanya-san. Tanya-san tilted her head slightly with a smile.
"We want excellent adventurers to handle requests with a corresponding level of difficulty. We have prepared amounts that match that."
In other words, requests with high difficulty, which would be hard for a large number of adventurers to achieve, were requested here. Looking at the contents, there were requests ranging from Griffon extermination to Dragon extermination.
Furthermore, they weren't just around Beim.
"Dispatches outside the Beim area as well?"
"That's correct. Many community-based guilds are often unable to respond when unexpected monsters appear. They seek support from other guilds. However, excellent adventurers aren't always free. Since Beim has many excellent adventurers, they send such requests here."
I put my hand on my chin and gazed at the documents. All of them were requests ranging from several dozen to several hundred gold coins.
"Even if I achieve these, the extermination requests for the labyrinth—"
"We'll prioritize those for you. However, since there's less danger than diving into a labyrinth, many adventurers prioritize these instead."
If it's several hundred gold coins, it's certainly more stable to choose this. An unknown labyrinth where you don't know what kind of place it is, and you don't know what kind of enemies are there.
Compared to challenging that, this is safer because the opponent is clear.
However, the successive heads expressed reluctance.
The Fourth Generation spoke.
'Considering the travel distance and the time taken for extermination, the efficiency is poor. Dragon extermination... is that in the north? Two weeks one way using a ship? It's a month to return. Even if they offer eight hundred gold coins for that...'
The Third Generation had the same opinion.
'Considering equipment and various things, isn't the actual profit less than half? It's not that it's bad, but using only this to earn funds is... completely insufficient.'
Dragon extermination—the opponent was a dragon, but a subspecies.
A nostalgic opponent. After all, it was a [Land Dragon] with large forelegs that couldn't fly, an opponent I fought in the First Generation's memory room.
If this were a dragon that could fly, the request fee would probably have been thousands of gold coins.
Tanya-san looked at me.
"The Land Dragon extermination, right? Does it interest you? It seems to have settled in the forest; it's an individual that repelled the knights. You'd make a name for yourself if you defeated it."
I looked at the documents.
"It does interest me. It's an opponent I've fought once before."
Then, Tanya-san had a puzzled expression.
"Before you became an adventurer? Land Dragons are a subspecies of dragon, and while they are easier to defeat... they are also monsters that have buried many adventurers and knights who thought so."
I took the documents and smiled.
"My ancestor defeated one alone. Well, I have memories of it, so I'll take it. Besides, I need money right now."
When I complained, Tanya-san said to me.
"Money... perhaps it can be solved quickly. Provided you achieve that request, of course."
I was curious, so I looked at Tanya-san.
"What do you mean?"
Tanya-san replied—.
"It seems you've forgotten. What this city is called. This is a capital of adventurers, but at the same time, it's a capital of merchants, Riel-kun."
Hearing that, the Fourth Generation spoke—.
'Hoh, supporting adventurers, is it? In Banseim, the lord might hire them, but merchants were more like bodyguards or exclusives. Based on the receptionist's words, it feels like they could provide a considerable amount.'
The Fifth Generation remembered something upon hearing that.
'Since there's a sea and many merchants own ships, there must be a fair number of merchants who set up large shops. If there's no lord, they can decide the taxes themselves. Well, the circumstances are different from Banseim.'
The Seventh Generation also sounded happy.
'They must have accumulated quite a bit. For the sake of the continent's peace, let us use a bit of those funds.'
The Third Generation summarized everyone's opinion.
'Let's have them make a forward investment. I forgot we were in a foreign land. That's right... if we don't have money, we can just borrow it from those who do!'
I thought.
(What is it? These people feel darker than usual.)
Tanya-san looked at the troubled me with a puzzled expression.
"What's wrong, Riel-kun?"
"Eh, um... Tanya-san, could I hear more about those circumstances in detail?"
――Shannon was looking at the blueprints Monica brought.
To be precise, she was looking at the paper that had a slightly mysterious reaction. A small amount of magic power was mixed into the ink, so Shannon could see the lines.
However, what they represented was meaningless to her.
Besides Shannon, Clara and Mei were looking at the blueprints placed on the table.
It was a rare combination, but the other members had gone shopping and wouldn't be back for a while.
Monica left the three of them alone and was cleaning the room.
Clara looked at the blueprints while gripping her glasses.
"Why is it in the form of a woman? If you want to make it look strong, an armored golem like Professor Damian's would be the best."
Mei looked uninterested.
"Humans often do things that can't be understood, isn't this one of those? Or maybe it's Damian's or Riel's taste?"
Eating a snack in her hand, Mei looked at the blueprints. She was dropping crumbs, and Monica approached to clean around Mei.
"Please don't spill. Besides, there's dirt on the blueprints... well, I made a copy, so it's not a problem."
Hearing the word "copy," Clara reacted with a twitch. But she returned her gaze to the blueprints.
Shannon asked Monica.
"Hey, why is it in the form of a girl?"
Then, Monica replied as if it were obvious.
"It's the core of my sister. Of course a girl's form is best. The equipment is unnecessarily elaborate, so it's armor like a dress. It costs so much money."
Clara asked normally.
"Eh? Couldn't you just cut that part out?"
Then—.
"Girls cost money. The chicken should work hard for at least that much. Well, if I explain various things, there's a meaning to the dress-type armor. Explaining that technology is a hassle... yes, I'll just explain it as: girls need to dress up!"
Shannon spoke her thoughts.
"Strange. By the way, how many of those sisters of yours are there?"
"I can give a few answers. In terms of manufacturing numbers... probably in the hundreds of thousands? If they're of the same system, it would be narrowed down to several thousand? Though the cores I have on hand are only these."
Monica took out a glowing cube on her palm. Several small cubic cubes were gathered to form a shape.
Shannon thought.
(Something's strange. More importantly, this is nice.)
Unable to understand, Shannon shook her head and gazed again at the blueprints where the lines appeared to glow――.