"Don't you think it's lovely?"
"I think it suits her perfectly."
Roxanne and Sherry both seemed to approve of the choice.
"Since it will be worn by a member of the Cat-kin, I will let you have it for the special price of forty-five thousand Nahl. How does that sound?"
The price seemed fair enough.
"What do you think, Miria?"
"Um..."
When I spoke to her, she hesitated, clearly trying to be modest. However, her demeanor gave her away; she obviously liked it. I checked Sherry’s expression as well. Forty-five thousand was the same amount her own necklace had cost. She seemed perfectly fine with it.
"In that case, I'll take it."
"Thank you very much. Including the Raw Kohaku—and considering it will be worn by a fellow Cat-kin—let's make the total thirty-eight thousand, two hundred and twenty Nahl."
He was using the exact same line as before. His excuse for the thirty percent discount was identical to his explanation for the original price. I wondered if forty-five thousand was actually the fair market value, or if he had simply inflated the price beforehand, anticipating the discount. Still, compared to Roxanne’s or Sherry’s necklaces, it didn't look inferior.
I suppose it was fine.
"That's wonderful, Miria."
"Yes, desu."
"Here is the Raw Kohaku and the Taluem Small Box I promised."
I paid the merchant and received the items. Since I had provided the idea for the Taluem Small Box, he was giving it to me for free as agreed.
"Miria, keep the necklace on."
"Yes, desu. Thank you, desu."
Miria bowed her head. She looked genuinely happy, so it was worth the cost.
After securing Miria's "business" necklace, we warped from the Bode Adventurer Guild to the Zabil Labyrinth. My mood dipped slightly from the transit, but I hunted a few monsters to recover my MP. Using Zabil as a waypoint, we jumped further to Pelmask.
We emerged at the Pelmask Adventurer Guild.
"This is your first time in Pelmask, isn't it, Miria?"
Miria scanned her surroundings with intense curiosity. Her cat ears stood straight up, twitching with alertness. It was adorable.
"White, desu."
"You're right. The buildings are white and beautiful."
I placed a hand on her head, stroking her hair and lightly touching her ears.
"The sea, desu."
"Come to think of it, I believe they said Pelmask was an island city."
I wondered if she could hear the waves or smell the salt in the air. As expected of a Diver, her senses were tuned to the water. Or perhaps she just smelled the fish.
"××××××××××"
"Yes, desu."
Roxanne whispered something to Miria, seemingly to keep her focused. She probably told her we were here for mirrors, not seafood.
"I'll leave the shopping to you three."
"Understood."
"Leave it to us, Master."
"Yes, desu."
I sent them off. I returned to the Zabil Labyrinth alone to recover my MP. The MP consumption for the Warp spell definitely increased with the size of the party. Over short distances, it wasn't noticeable, but the trip to Pelmask made the difference obvious.
I had to plan the return journey carefully. Flying directly from Pelmask to our house in Quratar would likely leave me in a miserable state. I’d need to use a transit point. Since they were carrying mirrors, I wanted to avoid any chaotic skirmishes, so I might have to rely on a recovery potion.
I returned to Quratar to kill time. If I were going to use a recovery potion, it would have been best to head to the Quratar 13th Floor to restock Tonic Pills, but the thought of that place was still a bit too intimidating. Instead, I hunted the boss of the safe 3rd Floor, the Spice Spider. With Durandal, there was zero risk. The pepper it dropped was an essential ingredient for our meals.
I was sure there were better hunting grounds, but I didn't feel like pushing my luck. After passing enough time on the 3rd Floor, I warped back to Pelmask. When I arrived at the guild, the girls were already waiting.
"Sorry. Did I keep you waiting long?"
"No, we just arrived ourselves," Roxanne replied.
Each of them held one mirror. It seemed the mission was a success. We moved to the Zabil Labyrinth as a first step home.
"I'll use a potion to recover, then we'll head straight back. We have the mirrors, so no need to hunt."
"Understood."
I stopped Roxanne before she could start tracking prey. From Zabil, we jumped all the way back to the house in Quratar. My mood didn't drop nearly as much this time; using a waypoint was definitely the right call. It was well within the acceptable range of mental fatigue. I felt I'd done quite well for someone generally incompetent.
"The Raw Kohaku sold for the price we expected, and the mirrors were exactly what was promised," Sherry explained as she handed me the money after storing the mirrors in the Storage Room. I had given her the exact funds for the mirrors earlier, just in case the raw stones didn't sell.
"That's a relief. Though with you handling the negotiations, Sherry, I wasn't really worried."
"Also, we received orders for two more Kohaku necklaces."
"Two?"
That was excellent news. The profit margins on those necklaces were significant. If we could move two more, we’d be rolling in Nahl. I might not even need to worry about White Magic Crystals for a while.
"The Workshop Master's Wife wore her necklace to some kind of gathering. Apparently, it was the talk of the event."
She was a walking advertisement. That was the benefit of selling a high-quality item at a fair price; it naturally attracted more business.
"Just as planned."
I thought I saw Sherry give me a slightly skeptical look, but everything was going according to my design. A plan where the results justified the means.
"One order is from the wife of a former Council representative. Money is no object; she wants the absolute highest quality. She’s quite wealthy, so we can sell her a premium piece at a premium price. Based on what the Master's Wife said, she’ll likely pay around thirty-five gold coins."
Sherry had even scouted the budget. She really was remarkably capable.
"Understood."
"The other order is from a close friend of the Master's Wife. she wants one similar to the twenty-five gold coin piece we already sold. I believe we should prepare a necklace that is just a hair inferior to the one the Master's Wife bought."
"We're giving her a lesser one for the same price?"
"We told the Master's Wife she was getting a special deal. Besides, she wouldn't feel good if a friend had a piece of the exact same quality. A tiny bit inferior is perfect. It shouldn't be obvious, though."
I see. Social politics. As expected of Sherry.
"Finding something like that sounds difficult, though."
We had to stroke the ego of the person who referred us while still satisfying the new customer. It was a delicate balance.
"It will be fine. High-quality Kohaku necklaces are all unique. Colors and sizes vary naturally. We can explain away the differences however we like."
"I-I see."
Calculating Sherry was a force to be reckoned with. She was incredibly reliable.
We could pick up the new necklaces once we finished selling the mirrors. Some stock might vanish in the meantime, but new pieces would arrive. It would balance out. Plus, buying two at once would trigger the thirty percent discount.
We spent the rest of the day hunting before leaving the labyrinth. While shopping for groceries, we discussed dinner.
"Could Miria and I make Pot-au-feu tonight?" Roxanne asked.
"Sounds great."
"Then we won't need another soup. I'll make a stir-fry," Sherry added.
"Alright. I have something I want to try, so I'll make a dish as well."
Roxanne’s Pot-au-feu, with its tender meat and vegetables, was always delicious. This was the perfect time to try making the clear soup I’d been thinking about since we got the clam drops. I was sure it would work. Even if it failed, we had the Pot-au-feu broth to fall back on.
Back at the house, I started the clear soup. I boiled water and simmered the clams with nothing but salt. It was a simple Ushio-jiru. Normally, you'd use kelp for dashi, but I didn't have any on hand. I relied purely on the clams. I kept the heat low, making sure it didn't come to a rolling boil.
"Yeah, this is a success."
The flavor was clean and refreshing. Perhaps because the ingredients were magical drops, there was almost no scum to skim off. Since we lacked traditional soup bowls, I served it in cups.
"It's delicious, Master. I expected nothing less."
"I've never tasted anything quite like this."
"Clam delicious, desu."
The simple, salty broth was a hit.
"What do you think, Miria? I think it would be even better if we simmered some fish in here as well."
"Yes, desu. Delicious, desu."
She answered without waiting for Roxanne to translate. She was focused, her ears twitching with every word. I thought it might be great with a Whole Fish drop. I’d try that next.
The next morning, we reached the boss of the 16th floor before I had to head to the Duke's. We entered the Waiting Room.
"The boss of the Clamshell is the Oystershell," Sherry explained. "Its shell is much more rugged, which means its attack power is significantly higher than a normal Clamshell."
She provided the tactical briefing without me even having to ask. How reliable. I prepared Durandal and we entered the Boss Room. Smoke coalesced, and two monsters appeared: a Clamshell and an Oystershell. The latter was a size larger with a rough, craggy shell. It looked like it could deal a lot of damage.
Roxanne immediately engaged the Oystershell, with Sherry and Miria flanking it. I took on the Clamshell. I bypassed it and faced it from the opposite side to keep its water attacks pointed away from the girls. I drew its aggro with Durandal.
Since this was a Boss Battle, I had equipped my Fourth Job slot and was using Hero, Monk, and Warrior alongside Explorer. I still had the capacity to add Mage or Knight for defense if things got desperate. In that sense, I still had plenty of room to grow.
The goal was to earn experience and money efficiently. I didn't want to fight enemies so tough that I had to sacrifice my Bonus Point skills like experience boosts.
I unleashed a Rush on the Clamshell. Its shell snapped open, trying to bite me, but I backed away just in time. Roxanne could tell the difference between a water-spitting animation and a biting animation, but I still couldn't see it. I ended the Clamshell with a flurry of Rushes and joined the others.
Roxanne held the boss’s attention from the front, while the rest of us chipped away at its sides. The Oystershell tried to snap at her, but she dodged with a half-step and blocked the following charge with her shield. As long as she was in front, we were safe.
I struck the shell from behind during its recovery frames. Visualizing the skill, I drove Durandal home. The Oystershell shuddered and rolled over. Smoke erupted; it seemed I got the final blow again.
Statistically, I wouldn't always get the kill in a group fight. If the girls’ combined damage output reached a certain percentage of Durandal’s power, the odds would eventually level out. But for now, I was still the primary finisher.
The smoke cleared, leaving behind a Bolet. Bird feed. Well, it was an Oystershell, so I suppose that made sense.
"I was hoping for an Oyster," I muttered.
"Oysters, like clams, are rare drops. It's only natural we didn't get one," Sherry noted.
I should have equipped the Cook job. Even then, we’d need to run this floor dozens of times to get enough for everyone. We moved on to the 17th Floor.
"Sherry, what are we looking at for Halber’s 17th Floor?"
"Kettle Mermaids. They are proficient in water magic and can be quite dangerous. They also resist water attacks. Their weakness is earth magic, and they can inflict poison."
"So the same attributes as the Clamshell. Good. Roxanne, find us a group."
"Understood. There's a group nearby with Kettle Mermaids and Clamshells. It doesn't look too large. Is that alright?"
"Perfect. I trust your judgment, Roxanne."
"Thank you, Master."
She led us to a pair of monsters. I visualized a Sand Storm.
The Kettle Mermaid was a sorry excuse for a mermaid. It didn't have a beautiful face or a feminine form; instead, it had a long, puckered mouth that looked like a grotesque mask. It was more of a human-faced fish. It approached us with a weird, gliding motion. It was unsettling.
I bombarded it with earth magic. Both it and the Clamshell went down quickly, though the battle time was clearly getting longer as we climbed higher. We then fought a group with a Bitch Butterfly mixed in. Since it wasn't weak to earth, I used a Breeze Ball to ground it.
I tried out Meteor Crash as well. A Kettle Mermaid went down in a single hit, as did a Clamshell. The Bitch Butterfly survived, which confirmed that Meteor Crash functioned as both fire and earth magic—making it a perfect tool for these floors.
We spent the rest of the morning hunting on the 17th Floor. We didn't bother with the Bode 12th Floor yet; we needed tartar sauce for the fish fry, and we weren't ready for that quite yet. Miria seemed to understand the wait.
"Let's head to the Bode 12th Floor after breakfast," I promised.
"Yes, desu."
We also needed to clear the Quratar 16th Floor. I consulted the others, and they agreed we could handle it during the day. Miria was particularly motivated because the Quratar 17th Floor also featured the Marbrim.
"I'll go sell the mirror while you three handle breakfast," I said. It was better to go alone so the Duke wouldn't get any weird ideas about Roxanne.
I warped to Bode and delivered the mirror to his office.
"Are you alone today, Michio-dono?" the Duke asked.
"Yes."
"I-I was just curious, that's all! No ulterior motives!"
He was sweating. I might have accidentally glared at him with a bit too much hostility.
"I am a married man, after all. I have Cassia."
"Of course."
If he ever leered at Roxanne, I was definitely telling his wife. Gosler handed me the ten thousand Nahl, looking like a man who was very tired of his boss's antics.
After breakfast, I had Miria help me make mayonnaise. I used whole eggs this time.
"Miria, keep stirring this."
"I'll do it, desu."
Whipping mayonnaise by hand is grueling work. If it weren't so exhausting, I'd make it every day. Miria stirred the bowl with all her strength. After a while, her movements slowed, but she kept going—likely fueled by the promise of fish.
"Stir it well, or it won't taste right on the fish fry."
"Doing it, desu!"
"Think of how much it will bring out the flavor of a Whole Fish."
"Whipping, desu!"
Eventually, the sauce was ready. Miria looked spent. I suspected she wouldn't be asking for fish fry again for at least a few days.
After that, we entered the Quratar 16th Floor. It had been a while since we'd been here, so we did some warm-up laps. As I expected, this floor was a breeze with wind magic. Our gear was better now, even if our levels hadn't skyrocketed.
We followed the map through the labyrinth.
"This way, Master. There's a group of Bitch Butterflies and Flytraps ahead."
Flytraps weren't weak to wind, but since we were following a set path, we had to fight everything in our way. It was a reminder of how much I relied on Roxanne's ability to pick the "easy" groups in unmapped labyrinths.
"You really are indispensable, Roxanne."
"Eh? Oh... thank you, Master."
She looked a bit surprised, but she seemed happy.
The Quratar 16th Floor boss was the Madam Butterfly, just like the Halber 15th Floor. We defeated it easily. After the battle, I switched to my Fifth Job slot and equipped Cook before moving to the 17th Floor.
"Whole Fish, desu!"
Fortune smiled on us; the very first Marbrim dropped a Whole Fish. Miria beamed as she handed it to me. The 17th Floor was manageable, mostly requiring a mix of earth and wind magic.
The next day, I prepared the tartar sauce, breaded the fish, and fried it. The Whole Fish Fry was spectacular. The quality of the meat was miles ahead of standard fish.
"This is amazing."
"Delicious, desu."
The crispy breading shattered to reveal succulent fish that melted on the tongue. The tartar sauce added the perfect touch of acidity.
"It's wonderful, Master. We're so lucky to eat like this," Roxanne said.
"Roxanne is right," Sherry added.
"Happy, desu."
Miria seemed particularly satisfied, perhaps because of the effort she'd put into the mayonnaise.
"Next time, let's try putting a Whole Fish into that clam soup I made."
"Soup, desu?"
"Or we could just fry it again."
"Soup, desu!"
It seemed she really didn't want to whip any more mayonnaise. We savored the meal, the plates clearing faster than I could keep up with. Next time would be even better.