"A dragon...?"
I muttered the words involuntarily as I went to greet the two of them.
After idling away some time between the labyrinth and the house, I had returned to the Pelmask Adventurer Guild. Roxanne arrived a short while later and informed me that a dragon had apparently appeared in Pelmask.
"Yes. It seems the coast was attacked early this morning. Unfortunately, by the time we entered the city, it had already been driven off."
I wasn't sure what was so unfortunate about that, but her news explained the restless atmosphere I had sensed in the guild earlier.
To think we had narrowly avoided such a terrifying event. So, dragons really did exist in this world. And not only did they exist, they actually attacked cities. I suppose that explained why every city needed massive walls.
Still, both girls were safely carrying the mirrors. Since they had accomplished their task despite the commotion, perhaps it wasn't actually that big of a deal?
"Is it common for dragons to attack?" I asked Sherry after we finished our final jump from Pelmask and stopped in the Quratar Labyrinth to recover my MP.
"To be precise, it was a Drive Dragon," Sherry explained. "Since Pelmask is an island, ordinary monsters don't attack from the outside. However, Drive Dragons can fly. I believe such sightings are fairly common."
"Common, you say?"
"In a place like Pelmask, many people likely possess anti-dragon equipment," Sherry replied matter-of-factly.
She was completely nonchalant about our near-miss with a dragon attack. Apparently, this wasn't an emergency situation. Just like when we were ambushed by thieves, the mention of a dragon didn't seem to rattle her at all.
Maybe it was like how people back in Japan wouldn't even look up from their phones for a magnitude three earthquake. This world was clearly much more terrifying than I had initially realized.
"I see."
"More importantly, I managed to sell the kohaku necklace for twenty-five gold coins."
The dragon was already relegated to "more importantly" status. It was a dragon! A dragon!
"Are Drive Dragons... weak, by any chance?"
"They are the strongest species of monster found outside of the labyrinths."
So they definitely weren't weak. Great.
These girls were on a completely different level. It was like they wouldn't even bat an eye at a magnitude five earthquake. They were living in a different reality.
"I-I see."
I accepted the gold coins from Sherry. With this, the gold coins now occupied two full rows in my Item Box. Since I also had several rows filled with pelts and other loot, my storage was starting to reach its limit.
Because the Item Box couldn't store different types of items in the same row, it was easy to run out of space. If it got any worse, I might have to keep the Cook job equipped at all times just to manage the inventory. That sounded like a massive headache. These kinds of storage systems were always a black hole—the more space you had, the more you used.
I didn't really need to keep multiple rows of silver coins or Rabbit Pelts, so I could probably optimize things if I tried.
"The kohaku necklace we sold to the workshop master’s wife seems to have been a very fine piece," Sherry continued. "She double-checked with me several times, asking if twenty-five gold coins was really a fair price."
I listened to her report while stowing the coins. I had estimated the market price for kohaku in Pelmask to be about five times that of Bode, but it seemed the actual value was even higher. Not knowing the exact market rates was starting to become a bit of a problem.
"Would something slightly cheaper have been okay? Well, it doesn't matter now. It’s not like we lost money on the deal."
"I told her it was a special discount as a token of our friendship. Since she got it for such a low price, she said she would recommend us to her acquaintances."
"Well done."
She was quite the negotiator.
"I also sold the small wooden box for ten silver coins. She had valued it at two hundred Nahl."
"As expected of you, Sherry."
"The raw kohaku sold for thirty-five silver coins. Additionally, I secured an agreement that if we need more in the future, they will sell us mirrors for twenty silver coins each."
She had sold a box we got for free and managed to lock in a price for future business. She was eloquent, sharp, and incredibly efficient.
"I knew leaving the negotiations to you was the right choice."
"Thank you very much."
Wait, was that it? Was the reason she hated brokers so much because they thought exactly like she did? Professional rivalry or sibling animosity—they were definitely birds of a feather.
At any rate, I finally had the last two mirrors. Once I delivered them to Gosler tomorrow and the morning after, my current stint as a mirror salesman would be over.
"There are only two mirror orders left. Once they're all delivered, I’d like to go to the Imperial Capital the day after tomorrow to look for a new party member. I have that letter of introduction from Alan in Vale to a merchant there, after all."
I laid out the plan during dinner. Between the sale of the fourteen mirrors, the profit from the necklace and raw kohaku, and the savings from our daily hunts, I had over forty gold coins on hand. That should be more than enough capital.
"So we will be gaining a new companion?" Roxanne asked.
"If I can find a good candidate, yes."
"I understand. Increasing our combat strength is a necessary step."
I successfully secured Roxanne’s approval. I had been stressing the need for more manpower every day, so it was hard for her to object now. That was a relief.
"Because of that, let's take tomorrow afternoon off from the labyrinth. It wouldn't be right to take a break immediately after a new member joins."
I offered them a "carrot" to go with the news. It was always best to alternate the carrot and the stick; too much of the stick just made life miserable.
"We get a day off?"
"Just like last time. Roxanne, what would you like to do? Sherry, I assume the library is fine for you?"
"Yes, if it is alright with you," Sherry replied with a nod.
The library was a given for her.
"I don't have any specific errands tomorrow either. Roxanne, if you want to go, we can enter the labyrinth together."
I addressed Roxanne, who seemed to be wavering. During our last break, she had mentioned wanting to go into the labyrinth to train. I had stopped her then because the idea of her going in alone was too worrying, but the situation was different now.
"Is that truly alright?"
"Well, I’ll be free too."
I didn't have anything better to do. We could go in together. Sightseeing, scouting, or gathering information—if I wanted to do something, I could just do it whenever. I didn't need to wait for a day off. The days off were for Roxanne and Sherry, not for me.
"In that case, I look forward to it."
"Got it. Oh, and could you cut my hair tomorrow? It’s grown far too long."
I had bought a mirror specifically with a haircut in mind, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. I figured I could at least ask for that much on our day off.
The next morning, we entered the labyrinth before sunrise as usual. I didn't want our reflexes to dull by slacking off too much. Of course, there were no breaks from my nightly duties either. Actually, if Sherry was going to the library, tonight might be a forced day of rest for her. I'd just have to have Roxanne pick up the slack.
After selling the mirror, eating breakfast, and letting Sherry do a bit of smithing, I handed each of them five silver coins. I also gave Sherry one gold coin as a deposit and saw her off to the library. Since they charged a flat fee until sunset, it was better to get there as early as possible.
When I got back to the house, I took a chair outside and let Roxanne cut my hair.
"I may not be very skilled at this..."
"It’s fine. As long as I end up with a hairstyle that doesn't make you hate me, I’ll be happy. If you’re the one who cuts it, you’ll have to take responsibility for how I look."
"T-That could never happen! I could never hate you, Master."
"Thank you. I’m in your hands, then."
In this world, most people cut their own hair or had family members do it, so hairstyles weren't a major point of concern. Since I hadn't cared about my hair back in Japan either, it mattered even less to me now.
Roxanne began to snip away. The scissors weren't as stylish or sharp as modern Japanese ones, but they were functional enough. They did the job.
"Master, how does this look?"
"Do I look any more handsome?"
"Master is always the best."
Hearing her say that so directly was a bit embarrassing. It felt like I’d practically forced the compliment out of her.
"E-Err. So, which labyrinth should we head to?"
"Since it’s just the two of us, a boss battle would be ideal," she answered immediately. "The Rapid Rabbit is fast and provides excellent training. The Vale Labyrinth would be best."
Specifying the Vale Labyrinth, huh? The Rapid Rabbit was the 9th-floor boss in Vale. In Quratar, it appeared on the 7th floor, which meant the Vale version was significantly tougher. It would certainly be good training, but I couldn't exactly say I was terrible at fighting it.
"...H-Hey, why don't we go shopping in the Imperial Capital instead?"
I really couldn't face that boss. She had made me challenge the 9th-floor boss room in Vale dozens of times already. I had fought that rabbit so many times I had lost count, and I didn't want to add to the tally today.
I saw my opening and took it.
"The Imperial Capital? Is that alright?"
It was more than alright. Compared to the infinite hell of killing the boss and immediately running back to the nearest waiting room to do it all over again, anything was better. Even if accompanying Roxanne while she shopped was its own kind of challenge.
"It’s fine."
"Yes! Thank you very much, Master."
"If you see anything you want, just let me know."
Since she agreed, I immediately used Warp to jump to the Imperial Capital before she could change her mind.
The two of us spent the day strolling through the capital. We went into shops we had never visited before, which served as a good way to gather information while we enjoyed ourselves.
"Hmm... I think this one would look good on you."
In a clothing shop, Roxanne held a shirt up to my chest, carefully considering the fit. It felt like a real date. Well, it was exactly that—a date. Just the two of us.
I knew that as our party grew, the bed would become cramped. I had wanted to look at furniture today, but the mood didn't feel right. It would be in poor taste to go shopping for a bed I’d be sharing with other women while on a date with Roxanne.
After picking out a shirt for me, Roxanne moved to the children's section and began browsing with a serious expression. She eventually held up a small outfit.
"This one is perfect."
It was for Sherry, then.
"Aren't you going to buy anything for yourself, Roxanne?"
"This shirt for you is three hundred Nahl, and this outfit is two hundred. That makes exactly five silver coins."
Five hundred Nahl for both. That was the entirety of the allowance I had given her today.
"Ah... well, since we’re buying for everyone, I’ll just pay for the clothes as a household expense."
"But then it wouldn't be a gift for Sherry," Roxanne insisted.
"I see."
"Besides, this is a gift from me."
Roxanne pointed to the shirt she had chosen for me.
If I bought clothes for Sherry, they would technically be my property because she was my slave. But if Roxanne bought them with her own money and gave them to Sherry, they would truly belong to Sherry. Likewise, instead of me buying my own clothes, Roxanne was using her own money to give me a present.
"Thank you. In that case, I’ll buy an outfit for you, Roxanne."
"Are you sure?"
"Pick whatever you like."
"Thank you very much!"
Since Roxanne was my slave for life according to her contract, she didn't seem to feel the need for her own assets the way Sherry did. She was perfectly happy with clothes that were technically my property.
After choosing something for Roxanne, I bought all three items together and we headed back out. Because my 30% discount had been applied, Roxanne’s allowance had technically been over-budgeted. I had taken her five silver coins, so I had actually come out ahead in the transaction. I’d have to make it up to her later.
Once we were back on the street, I reached out and took Roxanne’s hand, pulling her a little closer to my side.
"L-Let's try that shop next."
"...Yes."
Holding a girl’s hand in public in broad daylight was both exhilarating and a little embarrassing. So, this was what it felt like to be on a date.