The dungeon designation for the ruins where Rigne-san lived was officially revoked. This was because she had been recognized as a prior inhabitant. After submitting various pieces of evidence, her claim was approved. Rigne-san then transferred the site to the Demon Kingdom, turning it into a Demon Kingdom-managed property. She was subsequently appointed as the manager of the site. It was a bit of a roundabout process, but she said it was safer than keeping it as private property. Considering the safety of any would-be intruders, I had to agree.
Before Rigne-san left for the Village of the Great Tree, we had one final task: finding a buyer for the moss she cultivated. Apparently, a merchant used to travel all the way to the North Forest to buy it, but they’d stopped showing up around early summer for some reason. There weren't many places we could turn to, so I started by reaching out to the Goroun Company. If they turned us down, I planned to ask Uncle Beezel or Uncle Demon King to introduce me to a merchant. To my surprise, the Goroun Company accepted immediately. Since Rigne-san would handle the finer details herself, my part in the deal was done.
With that settled, I figured I'd head back to the Academy and resume my usual club activities. Not that there was much to do. It was winter, so there was no field work or hunting. While the snow wasn't as deep as it was back at the village and it wasn't quite cold enough to make me dread stepping outside, it still wasn't the right temperature for carpentry. I wondered if it was really okay for us to spend all our time just cooking and eating.
While I was mulling it over, Cokes dragged me into a tavern. It was a consolation party for the failed dungeon exploration. The mood wasn't actually that gloomy, though. The government had paid out a decent amount of reward money to everyone involved. The payout wasn't based on performance; it was split equally among everyone registered at the start of the expedition. Since you had to pay a fee to register and had no guarantee of a reward, it was basically a form of gambling that the state turned a blind eye to. I’d paid my registration fee, so I got my share too. It’s always better to have money than not, so I was happy. At the very least, I didn't have to worry about the bill tonight.
"Eh? You're leaving tomorrow?" I asked.
"Yeah. Since the dungeon was a bust, I’m taking a job guarding a caravan bound for Shashato City."
"I’ll be lonely without you here."
"Hahaha! I'll be back before summer. Until then, I’m leaving the defense of the Royal Capital in your hands."
"Don't put that kind of pressure on a simple Academy teacher," I replied. "If anything happens to the Guild, I’ll do what I can... quietly."
"That’s the spirit. I’m counting on you. Now, drink up!"
"I’d prefer something a bit higher quality if possible."
"Look at you, such a refined palate. What kind of young master are you supposed to be?"
"Just a teacher. By the way, once you get to Shashato City, stop by a shop called Maruura. The food is incredible."
"Hey, come on. Don't tell me things everyone already knows. You mean the place inside Big Roof Shashato, right?"
"Is it really that famous?"
"Of course it is! Rumor has it even the high nobility frequent the place."
"Huh."
"‘Huh’? That’s a pretty weak reaction. Oh, right, I forgot you were a noble too."
"Only in title. I’m just a villager from a village."
"How long are you going to keep that joke going?"
"I'm actually serious, though..."
The party was quite the success. Once I returned to the Academy, my days were filled with cooking, just as I’d expected. I felt like the number of people coming to eat my food had grown a bit too large lately. Also, it might be late to ask this, but is it really okay to hold military training on the Academy grounds? I was told not to worry about it, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.
About ten days later, Rigne-san arrived at the Academy. She was scheduled to head to the village with Uncle Beezel shortly after. I handed her the letter I’d written and asked her to deliver it for me.
"Umu, I shall see it delivered. Also, about that Goroun Company you introduced me to..."
"Was there a problem?" I asked.
"The transaction price for the moss is... strange."
"Strange? Did they try to lowball you?"
"Quite the opposite. They offered more than a hundred times what I used to get."
"A hundred times?!"
"Umu. I suspected you might have threatened them into it... but it seems that wasn't the case."
"I'd never do something like that."
I had to wonder if the previous merchant had been ripping her off even more than I’d imagined.
"Hmm. At any rate, I've come into an unexpected windfall. I'll pay you an information fee and a nuisance fee."
"The information fee is for the news about Big Sister Ria and the village, I assume? But what's the nuisance fee for?"
"For threatening and capturing you, of course."
"I thought we’d already made up over that."
"It is a matter of my own pride. Besides, one can never have too much gold. Take it."
"...Alright. Thank you."
I took the coin purse she offered. It was heavy. Peeking inside, I saw it was filled with gold coins. I couldn't even imagine how much the total sale had been.
"By the way," she added, "could you help me find some work I could do around here?" She handed me another gold coin.
"Work? You mean here? Aren't you going to live with Big Sister Ria in the village?"
"I am the manager of the ruins, after all. It wouldn't do to be away for too long. Besides, it’s far too late for me to show up now and start acting like some overbearing elder. My daughter would only end up hating me."
"Ahaha, I see. Well, how about being a teacher at the Academy?"
"Teaching isn't really in my nature."
"Then... how about being a military instructor for the units training nearby?"
"Not a bad idea, but I have no desire to actually join the army."
"I have a way around that," I said.
"You do?"
"Yeah. Leave it to me."
It wasn't anything strange. We would hire Rigne-san ourselves and then entrust her with the training of whoever needed it. Personally, I’d been feeling like I lacked strength lately, so having someone around who could whip me into shape would be a huge help.
"...Very well. I’ll leave the arrangements to you."
"Understood. I'll get the paperwork started. Where are you planning to stay?"
"Since I have the funds, I’ll rent a room at an inn in the Royal Capital."
"Got it. Let me know which one once you've settled in."
There was still some time before her departure, so I treated her to lunch.
"Since I’ll be staying here, I’ll need a house. I’m counting on you."
She handed me five more gold coins, telling me I could keep the change. I probably wouldn't be able to start on a house until spring, but I could at least get the administrative side moving. I wondered if it would be easier if I just enrolled Rigne-san as a student.
...Actually, that wasn't a bad idea at all. Let's go with that.
And so, Rigne-san was set to become an Academy student come spring.