Chapter 112
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Upon arriving at the plaza before the dungeon, I decide to meet Seria first.
I haven’t told her yet about heading to Iris’s family home, and of course, I’ve kept the purpose hidden as well.
If I say it’s to lift the curse on Iris’s sister, she would learn that our goals align, and she wouldn’t have thought well if my real intention regarding “Commercial Recovery” was overlooked.
I shouldn’t need to worry that much, but it’s best to avoid any troubles.
Thinking this, as I approach the first aid tent where the Cleric is stationed, Seria, who is working today, notices me and runs over.
*Tap tap tap tap…*
It’s not shaking today.
It’s not that I’m looking at her with sexual intent due to the fun I had with Ferris all night; my interest in her body stems from a different reason.
That reason is her thick outerwear.
It’s getting cold enough that wearing it isn’t surprising, but… I find myself worried about Ms. Monoka’s orphanage.
In both my previous life and this one, recalling my childhood, I remember catching colds and having my health deteriorate.
In this world, the medical system isn’t as advanced as in my previous life, and considering history, it seems the probability of children dying from illness is high.
Even if healing magic can cure them right away, it would surely be an unnecessary expense, so it’s better to avoid it beforehand if possible.
Hmm… Should I perhaps send some winter gear that wouldn’t be out of place in this world as a donation?
While I contemplate that, Seria comes before me, smiling and speaking.
”Good morning! Mr. Koji♪”
”Good morning. Well, it’s not exactly an early hour.”
”That’s true. Oh, maybe…”
”Hmm?”
She seems to have noticed something, her face flushing as she leans closer, whispering softly in my ear.
”Um, were you having fun with someone last night?”
”Ah… well…”
There’s no need to hide it, but with Ferris as the other party, I can’t exactly go into detail.
By limiting a certain ability, she has become able to nullify abnormalities, making her strength similar to that of an average person.
If it became known to those who do not think favorably of her that Ferris has come to accept men… they may see that as a chance to target her if she is in action.
So, while I answered vaguely without revealing details, Seria did not press further but instead whispered this to me.
”Um… please feel free to use me casually, okay?♡”
”O… okay.”
She should have only experienced this once, yet her voice was already filled with enough allure.
Whether it was innate or not… she certainly knows how to handle herself.
I’ve regained my strength by drinking an energy drink, but since I was satisfied with Ferris, I still wasn’t feeling motivated.
When I told Seria that I would be heading to Iris’s family home, including the reason, she tilted her head slightly and asked.
”To Ms. Iris’s family home… am I included?”
”Yeah. Since I’ll be going as her fiancé, I want you to act as Iris’s attendant to emphasize that.”
If we’re going to break the curse on Iris’s sister, Seria’s presence is crucial, but it would be problematic if it became known that her funds were being consumed.
Therefore, I’ll position Seria as Iris’s attendant, claiming that the reason Iris’s sister can be cured is because of the “fake Ring of Binding” I prepared.
It seems that when used, the curse gets absorbed into the ring’s gem; however, since both parties must conceal their true identities, I will avoid direct meetings, and with Iris’s help, we will use curtains or fabric partitions to extend hands or feet, making it impossible for Iris’s sister to see the ring.
This way, it won’t be suspected that Seria broke the curse, and her ability shouldn’t be discovered.
When we leave this town, Seria will appear as a Cleric, and while there may be a possibility of records being examined, as long as her true ability remains unknown, it shouldn’t be thought that Seria is the one who broke the curse on Iris’s sister.
I planned to keep Seria ignorant of having Iris’s sister uncursed until just before our destination, intending to pretend that there just happened to be a cursed person once we arrived.
This way, I could hide the true purpose from Seria, which overlapped with Iris.
Seria makes a subtle face at my words.
”What’s wrong?”
”…You really are acting, right?”
Like Ms. Wendy, she seems to worry that I might actually marry Iris.
I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her closer.
*A soft squeeze, pull.*
”Eep!”
Since we were close while whispering, I ended up grabbing her waist, or rather half her bottom.
In that position, I whisper to Seria that there’s no such plan.
”You know I can’t replenish my magic without magic stones, right? So I’ll definitely return to this town where it’s easy to gather them, and once Iris’s business is done, she’ll remain at home, so we won’t actually get married.”
”Mmm… ah, yes. Now that you mention it…♡”
Seria looks relieved by my words or perhaps it’s the close physical contact that makes her gaze warm.
Not wanting to overstep, I release my grip on her bottom and break the physical closeness to mention Ms. Meria.
”I’ll be leaving Ms. Meria alone, but I’ve arranged for ‘Silver Orchid’ to keep an eye on her, so please let her know.”
”Ah, thank you for your consideration. I’ll let my mother know.”
Seemingly relieved by my words, she answers as we prepare to head to the church to arrange a long-term assignment.
Since I accompanied the person being assigned, everything went smoothly, and after completing the procedures, I part ways with Seria in the plaza before the dungeon.
”Well then, I’m off. I won’t be back for a couple of days, so if anything happens, let ‘Silver Orchid’ know.”
”Yes, take care.”
* * *
Having entered the dungeon, I decided to gather magic stones in the 2nd District to allocate them to Ms. Monoka’s orphanage.
At this time of year, prices tend to rise, and there seem to be quite a few adventurers wanting to earn some money in preparation.
While hunting monsters for a while, I detected a certain Lyle.
If I have gathered a certain amount of magic stones, it shows that I am among humans, so I try to avoid being seen using my Magic Armor that remains a secret.
So I tried to distance myself from that Lyle, but for some reason, that Lyle followed me.
The only thing I can detect is the magic stones, so it’s possible that someone from that Lyle confirmed my presence in the darkness.
Did they see that I was alone by the light of the torch?
Feeling cautious that they might be planning a robbery, I decided to wait in a room where no people or monsters had come before.
*Step, step, step, step…*
’…so… you know.’
’But… if that’s the case…’
”?”
Accompanied by footsteps, I hear voices engaged in conversation.
They speak in hushed tones, either wary of monsters or myself, so I can’t make out the content… It seems to be a mixture of men and women from that Lyle.
For now, I’ll pretend to be resting, and if they have business with me, I’ll see what it is.
The response that follows will depend on the conversation.
As I wait, that Lyle arrives, and we confirm each other’s presence in the light of our respective torches.
There appeared…
”Oh, um… isn’t that Ms. Kokol and the others?”
Yes, the ones following me were Ms. Kokol and Mr. Lyle from that Lyle.
I had only met as “Koji” once, and recalling that interaction, Ms. Kokol left a strong impression, so I mention her name.
Then… Ms. Kokol glanced around the room with a not-so-happy expression and spoke to Mr. Lyle and the others.
”Stay away from here.”
”A-Are you sure about that?”
”Just do it.”
I was on guard, thinking she might use a powerful magic with wide-ranging effects, but once Ms. Kokol confirmed that the men from Mr. Lyle had moved far enough away, she approached me without preparing any catalysts necessary for activating magic.
*Step*
”…”
She halted before me, falling silent for a while, casting suspicious glances and looking away.
It seemed she had inevitably followed me, so for now, I would simply ask her what she wanted.
”Um, is there something…?”
In response to my question, Ms. Kokol answered with visible reluctance.
”Well… remember how you helped my comrade who nearly died the other day? That’s the price.”
”Ah, that matter. You’re quite meticulous.”
Understanding her request, I relaxed a bit.
Of course, the Magic Armor covered my entire body, leaving only my mouth exposed to avoid muffled speech.
To that, Ms. Kokol replied.
”It’s because it would be troublesome if rumors spread that Lyle isn’t paying his debts. If it becomes known that you’re reject my payment, people will stop helping me.”
”Well, that’s…”
So she’s suggesting she should repay the treatment costs for the sake of future considerations.
In that case, I should get her repayment done quickly and return to monster hunting.
”Then…”
Just as I was about to get the payment, Ms. Kokol suddenly said something.
”Is, is one time enough?”
”Huh?”
What does that mean?
Seeing my puzzled expression, she corrected herself with a regretful look.
”Ugh… then, how about 2 times?”
”No, what are you talking about?”
”Of course, the treatment costs!”
”…Oh, you mean the number of payments?”
She likely wanted to ask for a split payment given the rising costs around this time.
Well, some people might be concerned if they can’t pay a lump sum, and Ms. Kokol seemed to be one of those types.
…Huh?
Then why did she ask “Is one time enough?” from the start?
As I wondered about this, she spoke a bit more firmly.
”Just to be clear, that’s for the total amount! Splitting it doesn’t mean you pay for 2 times!”
”Well, that’s obvious.”
If she pays twice for split payments, that would mean she pays a total of 4 payments… essentially doubling the original amount.
After my response, noticing my agreement, Ms. Kokol approached with a reluctant air.
Is she really that unwilling to pay?
From our side, the true ability of Seria has been revealed because of that incident, and it’s not just a matter of settling things──I’d even be willing to pay something.
However, I can’t say that, so I also can’t just pay out of pocket; even if I say I won’t speak of not paying the medical fees… they might not trust that.
Originally, ‘Koji’ is not looked upon favorably by Ms. Kokol as the man who took a woman from ‘Mose’.
In the end, I can’t really not accept the medical fees, so while it might hurt their wallet, if they can pay, I suppose I should make them pay.
As I think that…
”…!”
*Bam!*
She grabbed the hem of the flowing robe just like Seria and the other magicians, hesitated for a moment, but then lifted it quite high.
As a result, while Ms. Kokol’s underwear itself isn’t visible, the strings of the thong that would be hanging down from it are now appearing from both sides.
”Huh? No, what are you doing?”
Naturally, I was surprised by such unexpected behavior and decided to confirm her intentions.
With my question hanging in the air, Ms. Kokol, her face still red, twisted the hem of her robe into the belt that seemed to hold a bag containing catalysts for her waist.
”What do you mean… it’s obviously preparation for ‘s-s-something,’ right?”
”Huh?”
When I raised my voice at her response, it seemed Ms. Kokol took it strangely.
”W-what is it… Ha! Could it be?”
”?”
”Tch. You mean I should give you details… alright, I’ll say it. It’s about your… my…”
”No, that’s enough; that’s not what I meant.”
”Then what did you mean…? “
As I asked that with a puzzled expression, I explained the intent of my question to clarify my doubts.
”Probably, you’re intending to pay the medical fees with your body, right? I was curious why you chose such a means.”
”Ah… that’s because I’m not very financially comfortable right now. From what I saw, you paid about 60,000 Oar, right?”
”That’s just me paying on my own accord, though…”
”That won’t do. If you ask for healing from a Cleric hired by another Lyle inside the dungeon, that Lyle decides the healing cost. If that’s the case, the amount you offered for healing is valid, and if it spreads that you reneged on the payment, it’s likely you won’t get help in the future.”
”I have no intention of leaking that information…”
”It’s not just your case, but I might end up saying it accidentally. If that’s the case, better to pay up properly, right? That way, you won’t have to worry about claiming you didn’t pay for the healing.”
”That’s true, but…”
While not everything, I can understand Ms. Kokol’s explanation, so I ask her the reason for wanting to pay off in person.
”Well, it’s fine to pay, but couldn’t it be in another way?”
”If I want to finish payment in a short period, this is the quickest way. Apparently, if I were to earn the healing cost the same way, I’d have to deal with at least 5 people from what I’ve heard. So, since you helped me, it seems better to settle with just you.”
”I understand, but… from the look on your face, it seems you’re not keen on it, so there’s no need to push yourself to pay quickly.”
”If something similar happens before I finish my payment, I can’t lie if asked to confirm this matter. In that case… depending on the person, they might hesitate to cooperate or try to charge me more, putting me in debt.”
Apparently, there have been such cases before, which is why she wants to pay it off quickly.
If she’s capable of considering all this, I think they should hire a Cleric too, but being young, they seem to be operating under quite tight conditions.
Even if I suggest a job change, many people are trying to switch careers because they can’t earn as adventurers in this town, making it difficult.
With Ms. Kokol alone, she does have magic, so there may be employment opportunities, but that would cause difficulties for the other members.
It seems the best way to ensure they can operate safely is to accept Ms. Kokol’s payment here.
”It’s not like I’m losing out… well, I am losing the amount of gold spent back then.”
But I have 2 things to confirm.
”And I understand the situation, and that’s fine for me… but you don’t think highly of me, do you?”
Hearing that, she made a complicated face.
”Well… Mr. Mose helped me out, so if I’m the one who took a woman from him…”
”Is that really okay? To be with someone like me?”
”It’s not like I would be thrilled about it, but… I’m used to taking as women, so I think I could manage it.”
Ah, if she’s used to such actions, then it might not be too painful, I thought.
Who knows?
”It depends on compatibility, so I can’t say for sure… but if we’re doing it here, will it be alright afterward? This is a dungeon, you know?”
This is another thing I want to confirm.
Depending on the physical strength you use, you may get tired and will not be able to return to town safely.
So when I asked her that, Ms. Kokol responded with a reminder to me.
”How many times do you want to do it? It’s only twice? Maybe you’re not going to be able to walk anymore, right? Maybe.”
”It depends on the *content* but… well, I guess it’s okay if it’s about twice? “
Perhaps after receiving my words, she decided that she had agreed, pulling the string from the string pan and leaning against me.
”I’m not used to it, so please forgive me for that.”
Ms. Kokol gives her lips with her lips, and is so cute that she is attacked by a group of men on the street at night.
Her “inviting face”…I ended up receiving about *5 payments* in the end.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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