After hearing Rei's explanation, Suchee looked delighted yet unable to fully trust him, harboring a trace of doubt.
Could she really receive a substantial reward just for doing dissection work?
...In reality, the reward from the Gigant Turtle dissection was less than what a Cobolt subjugation request paid.
But compared to dissecting Cobolts in the Slum District, the pay was clearly much higher.
At the same time, if she sold the Gigant Turtle meat to a butcher or other adventurers, obtaining even more money than the reward itself would not be difficult.
That said, this was all assuming she could resist the temptation of tasting the Gigant Turtle meat—a luxury ingredient.
"But I'm not an adventurer, you know? Can someone like me really do that?"
"Normally, it'd be impossible. But the Gigant Turtle dissection is a request I've personally taken on, so I can get them to bend the rules to some extent. ...Besides, at this rate, there's no telling how much we can get dissected before winter hits. The honest truth is they want to hire as many people skilled at dissection as possible. Actually, plenty of people participating in the Gigant Turtle dissection aren't adventurers but still have dissection skills."
Even including such people, there was still an overwhelming shortage of hands.
Given that, personnel from the Slum District who might have somewhat questionable backgrounds but would work diligently were more than welcome. Though...
"Just keep in mind, because you're from the Slum District, people will be watching you closely. And if anyone pulls something like stealing meat, I have no idea what will happen to them. Are you still fine with that?"
He pressed the point to make sure.
Within Gilm, there were many who were wary of people from the Slum District.
There were plenty of criminals in the Slum District, and they often caused trouble for ordinary citizens, so in a way, it was an unavoidable reality.
"Y-yeah, right. Yes. That can't be helped, I suppose. We know we cause all sorts of trouble for people. ...Hey, um, the Gigant Turtle dissection, was it? Can more people join in on that? From what I heard, the more hands the better, right? If so, I'd like to bring a few acquaintances along."
Rei wondered what to do about Suchee's request.
Having spoken directly with Suchee like this, he had a general grasp of her personality, and he was confident she wouldn't do anything underhanded.
But even if they were Suchee's acquaintances, as residents of the Slum District, there was no telling what kind of people they might be.
It was entirely possible that someone might get along well with Suchee but be a completely different person otherwise.
It wouldn't be strange at all for such a person to exist.
That said, the need for more hands was an undeniable fact.
Even those without dissection skills could carry dissected parts, wipe blades stained with blood and fat, prepare meals... there was a wide variety of odd jobs beyond that.
On top of that, because dissection was performed day and night in the Slum District, many residents were skilled at it.
For Rei, that was undeniably a welcome thing.
"Let's see... If anyone you bring from the Slum District causes any trouble—stealing dissected meat or materials, or stealing money or tools from Guild-hired workers—everyone, including you, will face harsh punishment together, and none of you will ever be hired for the Gigant Turtle dissection again. ...What's more, you might not be able to use shops on the main streets of Gilm, and strict restrictions will be placed on Guild-related services. If you're fine with all that, then you can bring others along."
What Rei laid out was extremely harsh.
He was saying that if even a single person Suchee brought tried to steal, everyone would suffer the consequences.
But Rei understood that if they were going to hire people from the Slum District, he couldn't feel at ease without that level of strictness.
Of course, the ones who wouldn't feel at ease weren't Rei himself, but rather those who would be working alongside the Slum District residents.
For the Guild's part, this Gigant Turtle dissection also served as a form of remuneration for Rei, so they would certainly listen to his opinions to some extent.
However, precisely because it was payment for Rei, there was no doubt they would strictly supervise to prevent anyone from stealing.
"Isn't that... a little too harsh?"
For Suchee as well, it was clearly an excessively severe set of terms. She said so with visible bewilderment.
But Rei showed no particular concern for Suchee's bewilderment as he spoke.
"Probably. Even I think it's pretty harsh saying it. But we're hiring Slum District residents who aren't adventurers or anything, so that level of strictness is necessary. Besides... if you only bring people you can trust, ones who wouldn't pull something like stealing, I don't think there'd be any problem, would there?"
"W-well, when you put it that way... I suppose so, but... still, there might be someone who gives in to temptation and does something like that."
"So just pick people who wouldn't think of doing that. Besides, it's not like you have to bring anyone. You alone would be fine."
"I'm happy you'd say that, but it's not that simple. Precisely because it's the Slum District, relationships with people matter a lot."
"I'm not saying you have to force it. It's just—you haven't had any combat training or anything like that, right? Taking on Cobolts in that state seems like nothing short of recklessness to me."
In truth, if Rei hadn't saved her, it was all too easy to imagine what would have happened to Suchee at the hands of those three Cobolts.
At worst, there was a high chance she could have been devoured and killed by them.
Thinking about it that way, the Gigant Turtle dissection job—where she wouldn't need to fight as long as she did dissection work—was something she should welcome.
"Alright. I'll try to get things moving once I get home, anyway. So, what do I need to do to accept this request? I mean, we can't exactly go to the Guild directly and ask them to let us take it, can we?"
"Right. Hmm... how do non-adventurers go about accepting requests, anyway?"
He muttered the latter half under his breath.
Regarding the Gigant Turtle dissection, the Guild had determined that adventurers alone would absolutely not be enough—partly due to the Cobolt attack situation—and had gathered a considerable number of former adventurers, butchers, and cooks who possessed dissection skills.
How such people had gone about accepting the request was something Rei didn't know, as he hadn't heard the details.
"For now, gather in front of the gate when the six o'clock morning bell rings tomorrow. I'll talk to a Guild Staff Member beforehand. ...Oh, and going back to what I mentioned earlier, it'd be helpful if you could casually gather information on Magic Items or skills that could control monsters, as well as anything about the Red Cloth."
When he had asked earlier, Suchee hadn't had any particular information to offer.
But if she knew what kind of information he wanted, then perhaps... and it was a genuine long shot, but there was a possibility she might be able to obtain the information he was looking for.
That was what Rei was thinking when he made the request.
(Well, the Red Cloth was said to have been made an example of in the Slum District, so there's no guarantee there's any new information. But regarding the matter of controlling Cobolts, there's a chance we might pick up some kind of lead.)
With that in mind, Rei took out a cloth pouch from his Misty Ring, flicked a Silver Coin with his finger, and handed it to Suchee.
"...What's this?"
"Information fee... no, it's funds for gathering information."
The amount was not particularly high by normal standards.
It was an amount an adventurer could easily earn.
But that was only if one were an adventurer. For a Slum District resident like Suchee, earning that much required considerable effort. ...In fact, there were even people who were born and died without ever laying eyes on a Silver Coin.
Considering that, Rei handing over a Silver Coin—even as funds for information—was an act Suchee found unbelievable.
"Are you sure, really?"
"Yeah. Just understand that's how much I want the information."
At Rei's words, Suchee took a small breath and nodded.
"Alright. I don't know how much information I'll be able to gather, but I'll do everything I possibly can."
"Please do. Just remember, what I want is genuine information. Or, even if it's questionable information, the kind where it's clearly understood as such. I don't need garbage information, got it?"
With resolve in her expression, Suchee nodded silently.
Seeing Suchee like that, Rei judged there was no need to press any further and changed the subject.
"Given tomorrow's matter, wouldn't it be better to head back to the Slum District rather than staying here? Without the ability to defeat Cobolts, staying here is suicidal."
"Ugh... that's..."
She looked around with a hint of reluctance.
For a Slum District resident, Cobolt subjugation likely seemed like an incredibly lucrative job.
(Though that's assuming they have the ability to beat Cobolts and the motivation to do it.)
Among those in the Slum District, former adventurers who had the ability to defeat Cobolts—unlike Suchee—were by no means rare.
Many adventurers came to Gilm, realized they couldn't make a living there, and headed for the Slum District instead, but even such adventurers possessed a certain level of ability.
Which was precisely why an incident like this one should have been a prime earning opportunity for those adventurers... but even with the ability, once their spirit was broken, there was nothing that could be done about it—that was the reality.
(I do hear a fair number of stories about adventurers whose spirits break, who become twisted and end up joining underworld organizations.)
In Rei's line of sight as he thought about this, Suchee, who had been deliberating what to do, eventually nodded and spoke.
"Alright. I'll head back to the Slum District."
Reluctantly... with a truly reluctant air, Suchee said so.
For Suchee, she had steeled herself for all sorts of things just to come here.
She had steeled herself with a grim resolve, thinking that it wouldn't be strange if she were devoured and killed by Cobolts.
In truth, if Rei hadn't stepped in, there was probably no mistaking that those three Cobolts would have killed her earlier.
Having come with that kind of resolve, the sense that it all felt somewhat unreal was also an undeniable fact.
"Please do. It'd be troublesome for me if a precious contact got killed by Cobolts too."
"I don't want to die holding a Silver Coin, either."
"Ah... right, yeah."
A Silver Coin was a far greater sum to Suchee than Rei had anticipated.
Had it been better to give Copper Coins as information funds instead? Rei wondered, but he certainly couldn't ask for the Silver Coin back now.
(Lately... my sense of money has gotten pretty numbed, I suppose.)
In reality, Rei often paid out Gold Coins or even Platinum Coins without a second thought.
Above all, the Magic Items Rei desired were extremely expensive and couldn't be purchased with mere Silver Coins.
Furthermore, the volume of treasure he could acquire through his bandit hunting—part hobby, part practical benefit—was substantial. ...Though there were also poor bandits who carried only a few Silver Coins' worth, of course.
Even when buying food, it wasn't uncommon for him to purchase an entire pot at a restaurant—such as buying a whole pot of soup—rather than a normal serving.
In terms of financial sense, Rei was now clearly far removed from that of an ordinary person.
That said, this wasn't limited to Rei alone; most adventurers tended to share the same inclination.
Fighting for their lives to earn rewards, drinking alcohol, embracing women, buying new equipment.
Keep that up, and of course one's spending habits would become reckless.
Not everyone was like that—there were those who saved up funds to live on after retiring from adventuring—but they were the exception.
"Alright then, I'm off. ...Thanks for everything."
Saying that, she gave a small bow, then—perhaps out of embarrassment—faintly flushed her cheeks before running off from the spot.
Rei saw Suchee off, then spoke to Set, who had been watching the surroundings vigilantly.
"Set, we should head to the next spot too. There's a chance we might have overlooked a Magic Item."
"Guruu?"
Really? Set purred, but for him, walking around this area with Rei was essentially like play, so he showed no sign of reluctance and purred happily.