kscans

Chapter 9 - Everyone Has it Hard

I was happily drinking a beer while gazing at the bundles of cash totaling 2.75 million yen on the table.

"I did it! I’m rich all of a sudden!"

There had been a few problems, but I managed to sell the Healing Potions safely.

As I drank in high spirits, I heard my phone ring and took a look.

‘I’ll go. But you have to come to the guild, you know. You haven’t come at all. Let’s go adventuring, and then we can go for drinks afterward.’

It was Kaede-chan. I had just invited her for a meal, and she replied right away.

"That was fast..."

I heard that Kaede-chan turns her phone off during work because she works in customer service. So I thought her reply would come at night... Well, maybe she was on her break.

"Come to think of it, I haven’t been to the guild."

I went earlier, but that wasn’t me. That was the mysterious beauty, Eleanor Ocean-san.

"I need to level up, too, so I guess I’ll go..."

I operated my phone and typed a reply.

‘Okay, I’ll come tomorrow or the day after in the afternoon. Let me know if you’re off. I won’t go if you are.’

I wouldn’t say there’s no point in going if Kaede-chan isn’t there... but she’s my designated contact, and talking with her is fun, so I want to go when she’s there.

"I haven’t hung out with anyone or gone out to eat since graduating college."

Any time I did, it was for work. Come to think of it, I don’t even have any friends, let alone a girlfriend... No wonder I was about to fall into depression.

As I drank my beer with self-pity, my phone chimed. Ping kon. It must be Kaede-chan. There’s no one else.

‘Tomorrow and the day after are the weekend, so the guild and the bars will be crowded. Let’s make it Monday. I’m taking Tuesday off.’

Ah... it’s the weekend starting tomorrow. Being self-employed is amazing. I have no sense of what day of the week it is.

Anyway, I thought I never saw any Adventurers around, but it gets busy on weekends... I don’t really get how that works. I’ll ask Kaede-chan about it next time.

I typed another reply.

‘Monday it is, then. What about the restaurant? Should I make a reservation? A fancy place is fine, you know?’

I have money. Yes, 2.75 million yen!

‘It’s a Monday, so we won’t need a reservation. Let’s go to a place near the guild. I’ll take you.’

Near the guild... A favorite spot of hers, maybe?

‘Got it.’

‘Oh, and bring a change of clothes. It’s a normal izakaya, but I don’t want to see you in a tracksuit.’

Right, that’s true. If she hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten to bring a change of clothes and gone in my tracksuit. A tracksuit is not okay for a meal with a girl. That was close, that was close.

‘Of course I know that.’

‘Twenty seconds. I call your bluff.’

Don’t count the time.

‘I’ll be sure to bring them.’

After sending that, the replies stopped, and the read receipt didn’t appear. She probably went back to work.

I put my phone down and took a sip of beer.

Funnily enough, it didn’t taste as good as it did when I was messaging Kaede-chan. And that was despite having 2.75 million yen right in front of me...

◆◇◆

I had no plans for the weekend, so I spent it aimlessly, making more potions for no reason and browsing apartment listings, thinking maybe I should move. My meals during that time were almost all from the convenience store. I did think about going to a nice restaurant, but I decided to do that after Tuesday.

I didn’t want to eat anything that would surpass the meal I was going to have with Kaede-chan.

And so, just before noon on Monday, I got ready to leave. I was eating a cup of ramen for lunch and looking around my room. It was run-down, which couldn’t be helped, but it was also messy and dirty. That was because a huge number of potions were lying around everywhere.

"Hmm, I really made way too many..."

It feels like a waste to throw them away. Should I just drink them?

"Either way, there’s no way I can bring Kaede-chan back here."

No matter how drunk she got, one look at this room would sober her up in more ways than one. Not that I had any intention of doing something like that, though.

I finished my cup ramen, grabbed a bag with my change of clothes and the white bag for gathering materials, and set off. Then I took the train and headed for the guild.

When I arrived at the guild, I went to Kaede-chan’s reception counter.

"Hey there."

"Hello..."

I greeted Kaede-chan, but she gave a half-hearted reply and was staring intently at my bag.

"What’s wrong?"

"It’s nothing..."

I feel like Kaede-chan is looking at me with the kind of pity you’d show to a truly pathetic person.

"Hey, stop making that face."

"I’m sorry. Still, you really did come in a tracksuit."

Kaede-chan returned to normal, but she was still making fun of me.

"I brought a change of clothes."

"No, that’s not what I mean. It’s my fault for not explaining, but there are changing rooms and showers over there."

Kaede-chan pointed to two rooms. They were probably the men’s and women’s changing rooms.

Now that she mentioned it, of course there would be changing rooms. People need to wear armor or special clothing, and they get sweaty.

I had been leaving everything to Kaede-chan, so I hadn’t really looked around properly.

But a changing room... A women’s changing room...

A naughty thought popped into my head, but if I turned into a woman, I wouldn’t have any clothes to change into. I don’t even have any underwear. No, that won’t work.

I quickly gave up on the idea and placed the bag with my clothes on the reception counter.

"Hold this for me."

"Um, there are lockers in the changing room, you know..."

"Too much trouble."

I won’t say I don’t have any money. I have money! Yes, 2.7 million yen!

"Well, I suppose it’s fine... Are you going to Eden Forest again today?"

Kaede-chan placed my bag by her feet and asked about my destination.

"Yeah. I’ve only been twice, and I haven’t even encountered a Wolf yet. I think I could handle it easily, but it’s probably better to proceed step by step."

"...You’re right. I think it’s better to be cautious."

Kaede-chan made a slightly strange face.

"So I probably won’t earn much today."

"Well, that can’t be helped at first. You need to get used to it while leveling up."

There’s no need to skip ahead. I have money. There’s no reason to take risks when I’ve finally found a way to make a profit.

"Well then, I’ll head to the second floor and then go to the Frontier."

"The second floor? The weapon shop?"

"That’s right. I’m buying a katana."

Well, the 500,000 yen one should be fine for now.

"Wow... So you really did come into a large sum of money."

"I sure did! That’s why I’m treating you today!"

"Thank you very much. By the way, how did you get that money?"

Ho, how did I get it? ...This is bad. I hadn’t anticipated this question.

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

I fell silent.

"Haa... Did you win the lottery or something?"

That’s it!

"That’s it, that’s it."

"I see. Good for you."

Why is her voice so flat?

"By the way, what should I do with the short sword I left here? Can I sell it?"

"You can sell it. But it’s better to keep it as a spare. That’s what everyone does."

I see.

"Maybe I’ll go with two swords?"

"Wouldn’t that get in the way? It would be great if you had an Item Bag, though."

An Item Bag is a magical tool that can store more items than it appears. Even I knew about that.

"Those are expensive, right?"

"They’re extremely expensive, and they’re pretty much monopolized by corporations and high-rank Adventurers."

So it’s tough for the average person. In that case, I’ll just have them hold onto the short sword.

"Do they drop?"

"They do, but everyone sells them. They’re convenient, but they sell for an even higher price."

That’s the stuff dreams are made of.

"If I get one to drop, I’ll sell it. Let’s go to Hokkaido to eat crab."

"That sounds wonderful. Please do your best."

Kaede-chan smiled happily.

"Leave it to me."

"Then go find one."

Kaede-chan said as she handed me my Status Card.

"Roger. Oh, when do you get off?"

"I’m off at five today."

If she changes and all that, it should be the perfect time.

"Okay, I’ll be back around then. By the way, what are the hours here?"

"Basically 24 hours. Some people go on overnight expeditions, and it’s not just Adventurers who use it, the SDF does too."

I see.

"That sounds tough."

"It is. But there aren’t many customers at night, and I almost never work the night shift."

Almost... So she does sometimes. I’ve worked night shifts before, and they’re brutal. No wonder she wants to complain.

"Keep up the good work."

"You’re the one who needs to work hard, Senpai. Please get your annual income over 10 million yen."

Ten million yen... I can do that if I sell twenty potions. That’s easy. Alchemy really does make money...

I put my Status Card in my bag and went to the second floor to purchase the 500,000 yen katana. To be honest, it didn’t seem to be of very good quality for 500,000 yen, but apparently it was made of some unknown mineral, so I couldn’t really tell. Still, satisfied to have finally obtained a katana, I went to the Gate and headed for Eden Forest.

Alright, my third trip to the Frontier!