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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Hee hee, let’s go for a walk~”
Milia skillfully fastened a leash around Rue and tied it securely. Rue, consumed by the fear of an impending walk, thrashed about, but it was just a helpless tentacle that couldn’t even cast a single spell. As if giving up, Rue resignedly lifted its body, bound by the leash.
“Don’t go too far!”
“Okay~!”
“I-Is it, it okay to, to treat a, a grimoire, li-like that…?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
As far as I was concerned, there was no reason to stop Milia if she enjoyed it. Rue didn’t seem to hate it either, judging by its reaction.
“O-Only Johann would, would treat a, a grimoire, li-like that…”
“Is this a first?”
There’s no greater thrill for a gamer. It wasn’t like an achievement would pop up since this wasn’t a game.
I neatly arranged the dishes and turned my head to look at Elisa, who was fidgeting with her hands.
“Probably…?”
“So, what brings you here? I have to head out soon for work.”
“Ah, that is…”
Elisa squirmed and started stealing glances at me.
What was she trying to say? I waited for her answer with a slightly tense gaze. After about three minutes, Elisa, the most timid person in Yeomyeong-gwan, finally spoke.
“Th-There’s, a-an, an auction, ha-happening, in a, a few days… W-Would you, pe-perhaps, li-like to…”
“You want to go to the auction together? Why?”
“Th-That is…”
Elisa stuttered as she launched into a lengthy explanation. Her slow and convoluted explanation, though frustrating, could be summarized quite simply.
“You want to go to the auction because there’s something you want to buy, but you’re too scared to go alone?”
“Y-Yes…”
“Alright. I was planning to go anyway, so let’s go together.”
I was already planning to check if there were any useful magic tools or materials.
“R-Really?”
Elisa looked up at me with wide eyes, surprised by my immediate agreement. I reaffirmed my answer and stood up.
I had a lot to do today, so I had to move quickly.
“Then let’s leave right after dinner in three days.”
“Y-Yes! Thank you!”
“Johann.”
I turned my head at the sudden call of a beautiful voice. Karina was looking at me with a slightly worried expression.
“Wouldn’t the auction be dangerous?”
“She’ll stay close to me.”
“Maybe you should bring Renny as well?”
“Renny needs to protect you. I understand your concern, but being overprotective isn’t a good habit. We won’t be going alone, so don’t worry too much.”
“…Please be careful.”
Her concern was adorable.
I chuckled and replied.
“I’m the personification of safety obsession. I might be lacking in other areas, but I’m confident in my ability to stay safe.”
“…Okay.”
“W-We weren’t, go-going alone…?”
I turned to Elisa at the disappointed voice coming from behind me. She was looking at me with a gloomy expression, fidgeting even faster.
Did she really want to go with just the two of us?
“We have company.”
“I see… Okay…”
Elisa left the dining hall with slumped shoulders. I watched her go for a moment, then said goodbye to Karina and left the dining hall.
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“Whew, it’s hot… Can I get an orange juice here!”
Sif plopped down across from me, placing a thick stack of documents on the table. I chuckled at her gesture, which seemed to emphasize her hard work.
“That’s quite a lot.”
“You have no idea how much effort I put into gathering all this. And I spent a lot of money too…”
She looked up at me with an expectant gaze. Her eyes clearly said, “I worked hard, so give me a tip.”
I readily pulled out five gold coins from my pocket and handed them to her.
“Ooh, five gold coins! Thank you!”
“If you’re grateful, then you should work harder.”
“Will you give me a bigger tip if I do?”
“Depends on the results.”
“What, did you find a new sponsor?”
“Yes.”
Sif’s eyes sparkled at my answer. She seemed to be mistaking my new sponsor for her own. Considering she was basically a subcontractor, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Ooh, is he rich?”
“I don’t know about that.”
I didn’t know how much personal wealth Principal Merlin possessed. He was old, so he must have accumulated a considerable amount, but I doubted he would shower me with money. He must have earned a lot through various means, but he probably spent a considerable amount on his research.
“Well, he must be rich if you call him a sponsor… Ugh, I’m so tired.”
I looked at her face and noticed faint dark circles under her eyes. Come to think of it, she was wearing more makeup than usual today. The color of her neck and face didn’t quite match.
Was she taking care of her appearance now that she had some money? Should I buy some for the kids as well? I had no idea how to choose cosmetics, so I would need Sif’s help.
…Let’s finish the work first.
I couldn’t get sidetracked.
I spread out the papers Sif had gathered, each containing information about dungeons across the continent. There were about thirty dungeons in total, all of them unexplored. Sif had gathered information only on unexplored dungeons, as per my request, to make the most of our summer break.
There was no need to visit dungeons with known rewards.
Most of the already discovered dungeons in this world were ones I had cleared at least once in the game.
Even if I couldn’t remember the details, their names would trigger vague memories. And most of those dungeons had meager rewards.
If I wanted to find an item to lift Karina’s curse, it was better to explore hidden or unexplored sections of dungeons. The fact that I could keep all the rewards was a big plus.
Moreover…
… As if it had read my mind, a new mission had appeared.
There was no reason not to accept a mission that offered trait points.
“Johann, about the dungeons, are we going alone?”
“I’m thinking of recruiting a few people.”
“How many?”
“Remember the students who escaped the rift with us?”
“Those kids? They’re strong for their age, but why bother?”
Sif sipped her orange juice through a straw, her expression indifferent.
That’s a huge glass. Why is she drinking orange juice from a beer mug?
Should I order one too?
I called the waiter, ordered an orange juice, and continued the conversation.
“They’re useful. They’ll be valuable assets after they graduate.”
Of course, it was an excuse. I just wanted to train the protagonist and heroine couple to be strong enough to face future events. Having even one more combatant would broaden our tactical options.
I also didn’t want to do all the hard work myself.
The person in front of me wasn’t much use in combat. She was just a pack mule, a personal shopper, and an information gatherer… well, maybe not just that. She was a valuable worker who diligently handled support tasks.
I had to treat her well, I didn’t want to get backstabbed.
“Hmm~ You’re going to train them and use them, is that it?”
“Correct.”
“Then will I lose my job someday…?”
A flicker of anxiety crossed Sif’s face.
Was she worried about being fired someday? I decided to alleviate her concerns.
“Don’t worry too much. I value your abilities.”
“Hmph, it’s not easy to find a talent like me, you know?”
Her ears, which had been flattened, perked up at my praise.
It was adorable. Unable to express my amusement verbally, I sipped my orange juice through a straw. The tart sweetness was refreshing. The slightly sticky texture wasn’t bad.
Maybe bringing Elisa to the auction wasn’t a bad idea. She always had a gloomy expression, so I should at least give her something to look forward to.
Should I buy something for the others too?
…I was getting involved with more and more people, which meant more people to take care of.
Come to think of it, I was already connected to more than ten people.
Karina, Renny, Milia, Elisa, Sif, Lewis and Shuri, Perinne, Rue, and Principal Merlin.
I would become entangled with even more people in the future.
After all, to reach the unknown true ending, I had no choice but to expand my network.
My goal was to build a network strong enough to handle any situation.
“Johann, why are you spacing out all of a sudden?”
“…I have a lot on my mind.”
“Is it because you’re overwhelmed by all the dungeon information?”
“…You could say that.”
I couldn’t tell anyone about my worries.
Because no one would understand that this world was a game.
I selected a few papers from the pile and pushed the rest aside.
“Sif, I need you to gather more information on these dungeons. I’ll give you one gold coin for each valuable piece of information.”
“Really?!”
Sif slammed her hands on the table and stood up. I chuckled at her enthusiastic reaction, her tail and ears perked up as she leaned in towards me.
She was so simple.
“Yes. Gather as much as you can before the next auction.”
“Got it! You can count on me! I’ll scrape up every piece of information I can find!”
I sipped my half-finished orange juice, listening to Sif’s confident declaration.
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Thanks for the chapter!