Commission from the Guild
“… For now, want me to fix the needle trap? It’s just a little DP.”
“Yeah, please.”
I left Rokuko to repair the trap as I immersed myself in my thoughts.
… It probably broke during that first attack. When the blade golem broke, it went from being the important [Room Key] into a [Normal Iron Sword]. Then the mysterious dungeon power that made the needle traps strengthen dropped drastically because of them losing the ability to escape. They turned into [Objects that can be Destroyed], I guess.
Then they tried to forcibly break the iron needles with an iron sword, so the sword also cracked. That’s probably what happened.
“… I get the gist of it, but figuring this out is going to be annoying…”
“Mmm, what is?”
“Well, the blade golem is our featured product, but can it be used as a magic sword? Its performance seems questionable.”
If I think about this carefully and look at it from another direction, defending against attacks using a blade golem is the same thing as [Attacking] a golem in sword form.
So if the golem is injured, after that there’d be no difference between it and an ordinary [Iron Sword]. Even in the middle of combat.
… The blade golem’s weakness that’s been on my mind for a while now was this, huh?
Although it’s fine in my case because I can mend them, Meat and Ichika can’t. And since they’re serving as the vanguards in combat, their blade golems have a high chance of breaking.
… Looks like I’ll need to improve them somehow. Let’s think on it.
Ah, even if Uzoh and Muzoh put the magic sword they broke back into the pedestal, they won’t be able to manually release the blockade.
*
The next day, Uzoh and Muzoh still weren’t able to escape the test room. Their DP is delicious.
Then I saw someone appear on the map. Wonder if it’s a new guest?
“Owneeer! There’s a new gueeest~”
“Hmm? Isn’t she calling for Rokuko…?”
“Eh—, ah, r-right, I’m the owner! … S-see y-you later!”
“Wait, you’re going to go like that? … Haah, can’t be helped.”
She was obviously overanxious so I decided to follow her.
Or maybe I should say that I temporarily revived my absolute command over Rokuko. [Calm down.][Smile next to me.][Nod if I say: “What now, Owner?”][Shake your head if I say: “What do we do, Owner?”][If it’s anything else just nod and agree to the conversation.] I gave her those orders.
… It was to help cover up her anxiety, it couldn’t be helped. I forced her to calm down despite having such a short amount time. After all, the order authority is too strong.
When we went and saw Ichika who called us, the usual Receptionist-san from the guild was there… with a gargantuan rucksack on her back.
I wonder if something’s starting? Is she actually a pretty powerful person? She’s carrying that like it’s nothing.
… Her daily DP income is [80 DP], oi. The heck is this incredible person. Maybe she really is a big shot?
“This is the first time we’ve met, Owner-sama… Why is Kehma-sama here?”
“Well, I’m employed here. Please think of me as something similar to a secretary for now.”
“I see… I’d like to talk with Owner-sama for a moment.”
“What now, Owner?”
Rokuko nodded her head as commanded. Good, her movements are fine.
Well, here’s Receptionist-san’s story summed up:
– She was dispatched to make a guild branch office! The inn’s front area was vacant, she would build it there!
– She had a tent but would rent things like the toilet for a while! Food too!
– Ah, the guild would pay money! It’s the same amount as staying normally so it’s fine!
Well, that was a bit frank but that’s how it was.
It wasn’t a problem for her to stay at the inn at all. If there was a problem it’d be that the branch office would be set up between the inn’s front and the cave entrance, but I don’t really have a way to refuse either… I still don’t have anything using the land after all.
“Above all I’d like to receive your cooperation… By the way, how much is the cost of staying here?”
“… Fifty copper per night, meals are between a copper and a gold. Right now there isn’t a discount for staying a long time though. What do we do, Owner? … Ah, it’s no use huh. We still haven’t figured out the pricing for that yet.”
Let’s stick with the stance that you can only get that as a special thing.
“One gold coin is it? What kind of meal is it?”
“It’s a meal suitable for receiving an A-Rank adventurer as a guest. Ah, the details are shown on the price listings here.”
“… One copper coin for a G-Rank meal?”
“Since you usually need at least E-Rank to come to a normal dungeon, it’s assumed to be used for slaves. It’s just black bread… One above that is F-Rank for beginners, it’s two loafs of white bread. E-Rank’s is a bit of a novelty bread, an original of this inn. It’s a daily special though… As for D-Rank, it’s for adventurers who can earn a bit, white bread accompanied with a side dish. It even comes with dessert.”
I pointed to them as I explained so that she could see the prices… I wonder if explaining C-Rank is unnecessary?
Receptionist-san closed her eyes for a moment before responding.
“Then I’d like to ask for an E-Rank meal.”
“Alright. Feel free to let us know if you change your mind at any point.”
“Fifty copper coins… it’s a considerable price.”
“It’s due to the cost of shipping into the mountains… right, Owner?”
“Yeah.”
“… Well, that can’t be helped. Roads don’t come this deep into the mountains after all.”
Alright, so one silver coin a day.
“Right, the guild wanted to give a nominated commission to Kehma-sama, would you like to hear about it?”
“Hmm, I’m employed here right now though… what now, Owner?”
Let’s hear about it for now.
“The other day, the guild put out a commission for this dungeon… to find a new name for the [Ordinary Cave], it put out an investigation commission for it… The adventurers haven’t returned.”
Ah, Uzoh and Muzoh huh. They’re sleeping in the test room right now you know?
“C-Rank adventurers are assumed to be accustomed to capturing dungeons and knowing when it’s time to quit… so when they aren’t able to return, the guild assumes the dungeon has a considerably high difficulty.”
“… Hmm, and so?”
“Even though Kehma-sama has experience in investigating this dungeon and returning alive we can’t issue an investigation commission to you… So, if those adventurers who haven’t returned are still alive, we would like you to rescue them… Well, the possibility of them still being alive is low though.”
They’re definitely still living you know!? Ah, I can’t just go and say that right now.
“If you accept this commission… we will recognize you as a C-Rank adventurer to capture the [Ordinary Cave]. The Guild Head approved it.”
“Hoh, so only if I accept it, huh?”
It’d certainly be reckless for E-Ranks to enter if even C-Ranks were unable to make it back. So I guess it’s fine for them to recognize me as C-Rank with the condition of me being able to return alive?
I don’t have a reason to not accept it… Rather, we’re E-Rank if we don’t accept it, so there’s no way I wouldn’t.
“… The reward?”
“Investigation commissions are five silver coins, with additional rewards for useful information. As for things obtained in the dungeon, we don’t mind what is done with them but would like to be shown them for a moment. In the case you are able to successfully rescue them, there will be an additional five silver coins reward from the guild. Please discuss the reward with those concerned.”
There’s no way I wouldn’t accept it, but it looks like I can expect a pretty good reward. Uzoh and Muzoh are still alive too.
I don’t want the dungeon to be considered very difficult or nothing but strong adventurers will come here… besides, it’d be a bad omen if the inn’s first customers died after all.
“… I want to accept the commission, but that depends on the inn. What now, Owner?”
I decided to accept the commission.