Let’s Make a Deal

What should I do in a situation like this? Should I step in and try to mediate? No, that probably wouldn't work. I doubted a group of older adventurers would listen to a kid like me even if I did try to intervene.

In that case, should I just slip away quietly to stay out of trouble? It seemed like the safest bet, but the voices were coming from right in the middle of the path to the exit.

I strained my ears as I wavered, eventually catching the gist of their argument. It seemed they had discovered a treasure chest while exploring, but no one in their party possessed the [Lockpicking] or [Trap Disarming] skills. They were bickering over whether or not they should risk opening it. It didn't sound nearly as serious as I’d first feared.

If that’s all it is, there’s no reason to avoid them, I thought. I wanted to see a treasure chest myself. If anything, I might as well offer to open it for them.

With my mind made up, I walked toward the party. They had a light of their own, making them easy to spot in the gloom.

They noticed me almost immediately. Their shouting cut off abruptly as I approached.

"Excuse me!" I called out once I was close enough.

Standing before me was a trio of rookies—the same party I had seen earlier near the dungeon entrance. It was obvious they were new to this; they were all quite young, though still a bit older than me.

The group consisted of one boy and two girls. The boy looked like a warrior and even carried a shield, suggesting a defensive combat style. Of the girls, one appeared to be a swordsman, while the other wore a robe and carried a staff. She was definitely a mage.

"What do you want?" the boy asked, acting as their spokesman.

He seemed wary, but I couldn't blame him. I’d heard stories about "rogue adventurers" who made a living by attacking their peers and stealing their loot.

"I couldn't help but overhear," I said. "You found a treasure chest, right? If you don't mind, could I take a look? I have the [Lockpicking] skill, so I can open it for you if you'd like."

"Wait, really? Uh, give us a second to talk about it."

"Sure."

The party began whispering frantically among themselves. It was an understandable reaction. Anyone would be suspicious if a total stranger suddenly walked up and asked to see their treasure.

I probably wouldn't have made the offer if I had found even one chest during my own exploration today. But I hadn't seen any, so I figured this was my best shot at seeing one.

"...Alright, we've decided," the boy said, turning back to me. "We'll let you open the chest. We'll split the contents fifty-fifty between you and our party. Is that fair?"

Wait, really? I get a cut?

But then it clicked. They wanted the loot, but they lacked the technical skills to get it safely. I was providing a service, and they were paying me for it. I’d been so focused on just wanting to see the chest that I hadn't even considered being paid. And fifty percent? That was incredibly generous of them!

Still, if I was going to get a reward, I had something else in mind. This was the perfect opportunity.

"I don't need a share of the loot. Instead, would you let me join your party?"

"Huh?"

For some reason, my request caught them completely off guard. Did I say something weird?

"We’d appreciate the help, but... are you sure?" the boy asked. "We figured you were soloing for a reason."

I see. They had assumed I was a solo adventurer by choice. That explained why they were so surprised when I asked to join them. I wasn't sure why they’d made that assumption, though.

"It's not that. I just haven't been able to find anyone willing to take me in."

"Really?" the swordsman girl chimed in. "People with [Lockpicking] are usually in high demand. You should be getting scouted left and right. Haven't you been to the adventurer's tavern?"

So [Lockpicking] really was a top-tier skill. My instincts hadn't failed me! However, I couldn't imagine myself fitting in with any of the groups I'd seen at the tavern.

"I went there," I admitted, "but it was full of veterans. I didn't see any parties that looked like they’d want someone like me."

"Ah, I get it," the mage girl said, a look of realization dawning on her face. "You probably went to the veteran's tavern."

I froze. "Wait... there’s more than one?"

According to her, there were actually several adventurer's taverns in town. Apparently, they were unofficially categorized by the skill and experience level of their patrons. There wasn't a hard rule about it, but since people naturally looked for partners of similar strength, the taverns had eventually split into different tiers.

That made so much sense. I’d been wondering why there weren't any other rookie adventurers around. It turns out I had just been in the wrong place.

Ugh, how embarrassing...

They probably thought I was some arrogant kid trying to act tough by hanging out with the big shots.

Well, I couldn't do much about it now. It was my own fault for the way I’d asked for directions. I’d just asked "where is the adventurer's tavern?" to people on the street instead of asking Nina-san at the guild for specifics.

"So, what's the plan?" the boy asked with a wry smile, seeing me frozen in shock. "Do you want to head to a different tavern and look for a group there? With your skills, I'm sure you'd be welcomed anywhere."

I shook off my embarrassment. He was being kind, but there was no guarantee another group would be as friendly as this one. It was better to stick with the connection I’d just made.

"No," I said firmly. "If you'll have me, I'd rather join this party."

The boy gave me a wide, dependable grin. He still looked young, but he had a certain air of leadership about him.

"Then it's a deal! I'm Reidulc. Call me Rei."

"I'm Mil. Nice to meet ya!"

"I'm Sally. Looking forward to working with you."

"I'm Tort. The pleasure is mine!"

The tavern thing was a bit of a shock, but I’d finally managed to join a party, so it all worked out. We were close in age, and I had a feeling we were going to get along just fine.