Episode 1: Exile
“Trao, you’re fired.”
In a room at our usual tavern, surrounded by my party members, our leader Rainer delivered the news.
Rainer, a tall warrior with neatly styled blue hair, usually had a friendly face, but today it was stern.
“What are you saying, Rainer? Is this some kind of joke?”
We had been through so much together, both good times and bad. I couldn’t believe he meant it.
“Joke? Let me be clear. We don’t need you anymore. You can’t use magic, and as a warrior, you’re below average. Your job as a merchant is just a burden!”
I was at a loss for words. That was something we had agreed not to mention.
The job of a merchant was an officially recognized adventurer role by the guild. However, hardly any adventurers registered as merchants.
As Rainer pointed out, merchants can’t use magic and are not as effective in combat as other frontline roles.
“Wait, Rainer! I admit that I’m not the best in a fight. But didn’t I rescue this party when we were financially struggling?”
The value of a merchant lies outside of combat.
Adventurers are generally muscle-brained and lack economic sense. Many spend their rewards recklessly, causing their adventures to stall.
There are countless tales of wasteful spending, such as the drunken adventurer who spent the reward for a successful mission on a night of drinking, or the adventurer who bought expensive equipment on the spur of the moment, only to have it go to waste and be of no use to him at all.
That’s where a merchant comes in. We re-evaluate their careless financial habits, balance their expenses and income, and guide the party to a stable and secure future, working behind the scenes.
“Yes, you did help us. When we were just starting out and spending money carelessly, you saved us. But we’ve reached our limit!”
“That’s right! We can’t do this anymore!”
The voice that echoed Rainer’s belonged to Ciel, the priest. She also had blue hair and a friendly face.
“Why are we always using second-hand equipment? We have plenty of money! We want new gear sometimes!”
“Well, since you’ll eventually outgrow old gear as you level up, there’s no need to buy new equipment. It’s a waste of money. The fact that you don’t need new gear means you have potential for growth, right?”
They always wanted new gear, but as adventurers, they’d quickly need higher-performance equipment. So, second-hand was sufficient and cost-effective.
“Even so, there’s a limit! I’m a woman! Why do I have to wear a man’s old priest robe?”
Ciel was just a bit shorter than me, which was tall for a woman. The man’s priest robe didn’t look bad on her.
“Well, because it was cheap?”
Ciel’s priest robe was a bargain obtained at a reasonable price, previously owned by a respectable older priest.
“No matter how much I wash it, I can’t get rid of the old man smell. Even if I get stronger, my peers tease me, saying, ‘Ciel, you smell like an senior priest!’ I can’t stand it anymore!”
Tears welled up in Ciel’s eyes.
“But we’re fighting for our lives. We get covered in monster blood all the time. Does it really matter?”
“This is why merchants are…”
The one who stood up with a sigh was Louise, the mage. Like Rainer and Ciel, she had blue hair and was of average height for a woman, a head shorter than me. She had a sharp face but was somewhat cute.
“Ciel’s situation is still better. What about my robe?”
Louise’s black robe was dyed with dragon’s blood, a top-tier item and the best gear in our party.
“That was lucky! A top-quality mage’s robe, a beautiful piece, at a bargain price, and the best result for a merchant? it even has a special enchantment!”
“Even if it’s stolen from a grave? This robe was burial attire for a great sage’s mummy! And that special enchantment is a self-destruct spell that turns everything around you into hell!”
Louise gripped her robe tightly.
I wished she wouldn’t do that. It would lower the resale value.
Really, what’s the difference between gear found in a dungeon and gear from a grave?
Nothing. So, there’s no reason to worry about it.
“My robe smells of death! In the last dungeon, ghouls swarmed around me thinking I was one of them! Do you think that’s okay?”
Louise was trembling with anger.
“Isn’t it? If they think you’re an ally, they won’t attack you. It’s like gaining a special resistance. Isn’t that lucky?”
I couldn’t understand why she was so angry. The death smell was a benefit, and it was the best robe performance-wise.
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“That’s the problem, Trao!”
The three of them spoke in unison.
“But if you hate it so much, we can replace it. There’s no need to fire me.”
If I got fired because of smelly equipment, I’d be a laughingstock.
“That’s not all, Trao.”
Rainer’s eyes glinted coldly.
“You’re embezzling the party’s money, aren’t you?”
“What?”
Honestly, I had too many ideas.
To be precise, I was investing the party’s money to make a profit and using it for various purposes. The principal amount was intact.
“You’ve been supporting the all-female party, Garnet, with our money, haven’t you?”
“That…”
It was true. But how did they know? My mouth went dry with tension.
“Garnet? They’re four years younger than us, right?”
Louise looked at me like I was something filthy.
“What have you been doing with those young girls?”
Ciel’s face showed clear disgust.
“It’s not like that! I did spend money on them, but—”
“What do you mean, Trao? You bought young girls with our money, didn’t you?”
Rainer spat the words out.
“…”
“You’re a merchant. You didn’t spend money on Garnet out of goodwill. You expected something in return, right? Especially from young girls.”
He was right. A merchant doesn’t spend money without expecting a return.
“Do you understand, Trao? You betrayed us in the worst way.”
I had to come up with an excuse, or I’d really be expelled from the party.
I was a merchant. I had always managed to talk my way out of any situation.
But now, their gazes felt like they were piercing me, and I couldn’t find the words.
“Leave the party’s money and go, Trao. I don’t want to see your face anymore.”
Rainer delivered the final blow.
“…I understand. I’ll leave.”
I had no choice but to say that. I couldn’t negotiate any concessions. I was a failure as a merchant.
I placed a bag of gold coins on the table.
But there was one thing I had to say.
“Rainer, it’s too soon to subdue the Demon King. Please reconsider.”
Subduing the Demon King is the ultimate goal for adventurers and the highest honor.
Currently, a powerful party called “Golden Fang” is calling on other top-ranked parties to join them in infiltrating the Demon King’s territory.
Three of the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings are away attacking other countries, making this the perfect opportunity to defeat the Demon King.
Our party, Blue Ring, has also been invited. As an S-rank party recognized by the Adventurers’ Guild, we had the capability.
However, the Demon King is in a different league. Even with only one Heavenly King remaining, the leader, the demon Majin Becker, is immensely powerful.
I believed we lacked the necessary information, strength, and money.
“That’s why we’re expelling you, Trao.”
Rainer smirked.
“You’re just a merchant. Even if your level increases, you don’t get much stronger. So you always think we lack the strength.”
“That’s not true, Rainer. As a merchant, I can objectively calculate and assess our situation. A merchant who can’t be objective is second-rate.”
I couldn’t let that slide. A merchant who can’t evaluate properly isn’t worth their salt.
“You were a second-rate merchant, Trao.”
Rainer coldly declared.
“Get out. We’ll manage without you.”
I could see in his eyes that nothing I said would change his mind. Ciel and Louise seemed to agree.
“Fine…”
With that, I left the tavern.
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