Chapter 8: After the Festival
The sleep that followed the battle fought to the limit was blissful.
In the depths of unconsciousness, the myriad fears, worries, and anxieties that had been swirling in his mind while awake melted away before taking form. It was so comfortable that he wished he could stay there forever. His unconscious mind pleaded to remain just a little longer, lamenting that it wouldn’t be so bad to stay here just a bit more.
Still, his consciousness steadily rose from the depths of the sea.
Why did he have to wake up?
Because, of course, there were things to be done.
As thoughts of the beloved scarlet glimmer and the sorrowful yet beautiful silver void flashed through his mind, consciousness surged.
“…”
Ur awoke.
He should have woken up, but everything was pitch black. He wondered if he was dreaming, but he could move his body. He considered whether it was night, but that didn’t seem to be the case either. What was this darkness then?
“Niitan!! Are you awake!?”
“Akane…”
Ur understood as he peeled Akane off his face. It was unclear why she was stuck to his face, but she flapped her limbs excitedly, thrilled that he was awake.
“Does anything hurt?”
“Nah, I’m fine… What about Shizuku?”
“Right next to you.”
As Akane said, Shizuku was sleeping peacefully in the bed next to him. Ur sighed with relief.
“Shizuku.”
He called softly. He thought it was fine if she didn’t wake up, but her eyes popped open immediately at his voice. Recognizing the now-awake Ur, she said,
“Thank…”
“Thank goodness you’re safe.”
She hugged him with surprising force, which his recovering body felt, but he accepted it as a sign of her relief and joy.
“Shizuku, you’re always so direct.”
“It’s because I’m so happy.”
He enjoyed the soft sensation against his abdomen for a moment before pulling away a bit. Feeling reassured in many ways, he finally noticed he was in a healing clinic.
“You’ve been asleep for three days.”
The familiar healer’s voice spoke up. It was the same woman who had treated Ur and Shizuku when they first arrived in this great sin city-state. Almost reflexively, Ur blurted out,
“I don’t have any money.”
“The treatment fees were deducted from your reward, so don’t worry.”
She seemed to know why they had been brought in and confirmed that the treatment was paid for. Unlike last time when Diz had covered it, this time it was out of their own pockets.
“…How much?”
“For the treatment of both of you, two gold coins.”
“Oh…”
A scream escaped him. The amount was far beyond what he had imagined. Even though they were nameless, it was shocking how much money had flown away, indicating how severe their injuries were.
“I insisted on using the premium healing potions.”
As Ur was speechless, Diz appeared. He had things he wanted to say and ask her, but the mention of those potions was something he couldn’t ignore.
“Premium healing potions?”
“The kind used by seasoned adventurers and the wealthy. It was quite an experience, wasn’t it?”
“Wasn’t there a cheaper way?”
“It would have taken about three months to fully recover. Would you have preferred that?”
He wouldn’t have. Ur didn’t have the luxury of time. Considering Akane’s situation, he couldn’t afford to lie around for three months. Diz’s judgment was spot-on.
“Alright, fine. Thank you, Diz, really… You saved us.”
“It’s funny how you thank me with such a pained expression.”
“Give me time to accept that money I’ve never even seen before disappeared while I was asleep. I’m grateful, really.”
Until just a month ago, he had been struggling with a few silver or even Bronze coins. Accepting that gold coins vanished while he slept was a hard pill to swallow.
“It looks like your heart will have more challenges ahead.”
“Why?”
“Here.”
She handed him a newspaper. The front page featured an article about the battle festival Ur had participated in, clearly stating his and Shizuku’s names as the champions.
It was at this moment that Ur truly understood they had won that battle.
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Adventurers’ Guild
Since participating in the training center, Ur and Shizuku had mostly stayed around the training facilities, rarely visiting the main guild hall.
But today, they made an exception to claim the bounty for defeating the gem golem.
“Here is the reward for defeating the gem golem.”
Before them lay a pile of gold coins. Ten in total. Enough to live for a year without working if they were frugal.
“…”
“Amazing.”
Ur was speechless, and Shizuku praised the sight cheerfully.
“Two gold coins will be deducted for the clinic treatment.”
The guild member casually removed two coins from the pile. Large gold coins, each inscribed with the sun god Zeuradia, casually vanished.
“And here are five more gold coins for participating in the festival.”
Next, five more coins were added,
“Plus one gold coin and twenty silver coins for the magic stones obtained during the gem golem’s defeat.”
“Time out.”
Ur had to take a break.
“My sense of money is getting overwhelmed…”
“Shall I rub your back?”
The sight was overwhelming for his recovering state. He had thought adventurers had a rough sense of money, but now he understood why. The amounts they spent and earned were vastly different from anything Ur had experienced before. It was no wonder their sense of money was distorted.
Living in this world from now on seemed daunting, but for now, he focused on the pile of coins before him.
A total of fourteen gold coins and twenty silver coins. This was their income from this endeavor.
“Is this a fair reward for risking our lives?”
“Most of your equipment was destroyed, so we need to replace it.”
“If we also get new gear for you, Shizuku, that reduces it further…”
It was a brutal cycle.
After surviving such a fierce battle, they had to use the reward to re-equip themselves for the next deadly mission. Ur reaffirmed that adventuring was a foolish profession.
“But, the most important issue remains.”
“Yes, our advancement as adventurers. How did we fare?”
The most crucial issue was their promotion. If they couldn’t advance to bronze rank, all their struggles and the deadly battle would be for nothing.
The guild member, unaware of their concerns, smiled warmly.
“Promotions are decided at the monthly adventurers’ guild meeting. The next one is in five days, so please wait until then.”
“Five more days of this uncertainty. How should we spend them?”
“Don’t worry, there’s plenty to do.”
A familiar voice spoke as a hand clapped on Ur’s shoulder. Turning around, he saw Glenn, looking unusually cheerful.
“Long time no see, master. What’s up?”
“Long time no see, disciple. Come on.”
“Wait, what?”
Without any explanation, Ur was grabbed by the scruff and dragged away.
“What are you doing all of a sudden?”
“Victorious adventurers have a duty.”
“Duty?”
As Ur tilted his head in confusion, Glenn answered while pulling him along.
“A celebration!”
Tavern “Mole’s Den” in the Sinful City-State of Greed
Located in the eastern district’s underground, this tavern was popular with male customers for its slightly risqué services from female staff. In one corner of this tavern, certain men had gathered. They were none other than the Red Ogres who had competed against Ur and his team in the recent battle festival.
“That woman! She really did us in!”
“She thinks she can look down on us!”
“We won’t let it end like this… She’ll pay!”
They were seething with anger. Naturally so. In a sense, they had been outplayed.
Their plan to exploit that girl, Shizuku, had backfired spectacularly. Not only had they been robbed of their money, but their intended bounty target had also been snatched away from them flawlessly. They had been completely played. They had danced to the tune of a girl much younger than themselves.
” ………… “
Amidst this, their leader, Orlok, remained silent. Of course, Orlok too harbored anger towards that girl, much like the rest of them. However, unlike the others, he wasn’t foolish enough not to understand that it was akin to barking in vain like a beaten dog.
They had tried to outsmart but ended up being outsmarted. They had tried to exploit ignorance but were instead exploited in return.
In essence, they had lost in this game of deception. He wasn’t a man who couldn’t comprehend that.
“Orlok! Is this really how it’s going to be?!”
But his comrades were restless. It wasn’t that they couldn’t grasp Orlok’s reasoning; it was ultimately an issue of emotions. They weren’t the brightest bunch, which usually made them easier to handle. However, this time, it had proven troublesome and precarious.
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