The price of an imagination.
The parts Dan wanted were the meat and offal, so most of the magic stones, bones, scales, and shells were unnecessary. Even for making broth, the quantity was overwhelming. Not wanting to waste them, I decided to take the leftovers home—maybe they’d come in handy for something.
For starters, I tried giving the magic stones to Ernst. When I silently handed him a magic stone—no, a magic boulder—his face turned pale, and he refused.
“Don’t just casually hand over something so valuable! Why is it so massive… what did you do!?”
“It was free! Don’t make it sound like I’m a troublemaker! I just hunted the best ingredients for the wedding feast! Besides, you can use this to build that massive flying magic device you always dreamed of!”
A jumbo jet-like craft meant to carry many people—it had been planned but never realized due to limitations in magic stone output.
“Grr…”
“If you make it, it’ll reduce the burden on pilots, right? And it’ll be convenient for carrying large groups of people, right?”
“Grr… grr…”
“Of course, I’ll expect something in return. Once it’s done, I’d like it to transport guests for my wedding.”
“… Fine.”
Ernst finally gave in. After examining the magic boulders, he selected three suitable ones for the flying magic device.
“That’s not much. How about a few more for research costs…”
“It’s plenty. Once it’s done, I’ll let you test-ride it.”
Ernst, who had shed his reclusive habits, had also overcome his social awkwardness. With his gentle smile and newfound confidence, he’d become quite popular—a handsome scientist in the making. Feeling proud of my friend’s growth, I left the magic institute.
I considered dumping the remaining materials on the Sage, but I decided to sell some to the guild instead. Weddings can be incredibly expensive, so I wanted to lighten the financial burden on my family. What a frugal, ideal bride I am! (Self-praise.)
The Adventurers’ Guild seemed unusually busy. It wasn’t an adventurer crowd causing the commotion; it was the incessant ringing of communication devices. Even the receptionists and Guildmaster were swamped. I was about to leave and come back later when the Guildmaster grabbed my shoulder.
“… May I have a word, Ojousama?”
“… Uh, sure?”
He ushered me into his office. I should’ve brought Geraldin-san with me, darn it.
“… Currently, across various nations, there’s been a series of incidents where monsters deemed untouchable or under surveillance have been disappearing.”
“……………”
That… could it possibly…
“Do you know anything about this?”
Too much, but I maintained my noble smile. This is the moment to don the mask of a refined lady, Rosarin!
“… I have no idea.”
“……………”
An awkward silence hung in the air.
“… Recently, the S-rank party Reckless Resolve encountered a certain monster.”
“Yes?”
“The monster was a Yamata no Beast King Ox-Chicken, believed to be the same species once defeated by the Hero Geraldin.”
“………Yes?”
“They didn’t engage it intentionally. They happened to be nearby on another quest when it attacked a village, leaving them no choice but to fight. Thanks to a certain hero who was also nearby, there were no casualties. However, they were on the verge of being overpowered.”
That certain hero… I wasn’t there, so there’s only one possible suspect.
“…………… Yes?”
“As Reckless Resolve tried to evacuate civilians, the monster suddenly vanished. They reportedly heard voices:
‘Huh? This monster’s already injured! Stealing a half-hunted target is bad manners!’
‘I can put it back, but a lot of people will probably die if I do.’
‘Wait! Don’t put it back!’
… Do you know anything about this?”
“Not at all!”
They have no proof, after all!
“The nearby hero said, ‘That’s definitely Rosarin-chan’s voice! She saved us!’”
“Rinka, you traitor!!”
“… Explain.”
Resigned, I explained the details to the Guildmaster.
“… I see. So you even took down threats we didn’t know existed.”
“Well, I didn’t anticipate causing such a fuss… I underestimated the impact. My apologies…”
“No, you prevented harm, so I owe you thanks as Guildmaster. Now, there’s one more matter concerning you.”
“… What?”
I hadn’t done anything else. I tilted my head in confusion.
“Your current rank is SSS. But with accomplishments surpassing even Hero Geraldin, who saved the world, there’s talk of creating a new rank above SSS for you.”
“I refuse.”
“… Hear me out.”
“Absolutely not!!”
I shook my head furiously, but the guild master pressed on relentlessly.
“… Given your latest accomplishments, your rank upgrade is inevitable. You’ll set a precedent with this new rank.”
“N-noooo!! Wait! Geraldin-san hunted with me! Jend and Jash, too!”
“Understood. Jash isn’t registered, but Jend will likely be promoted as well.”
“I’ll quit the Adventurers’ Guild!!”
“Please don’t. Your contributions to the guild are invaluable.”
“Then cancel the promotion!”
“… I’ll try, but if it’s impossible?”
Knowing the Guildmaster would keep his word but aware the higher-ups might not relent, I decided to compromise.
“… If Geraldin-san is promoted alongside me…”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. But you really are Rufus’s daughter—completely unpredictable.”
The Guildmaster chuckled, sharing stories of my father’s past antics. Same old Tousama, as always.
Though I was momentarily distracted, I couldn’t believe the hidden pitfalls of ingredient hunting!
I shifted gears and attempted to sell some materials, only to be told they’d be priced by current market value. Without much thought, I instructed the guild to send all proceeds to my family.
Later, an absurdly massive amount of money was delivered to my home—more than I’d ever seen. My brother summoned me.
“Explain!!”
“Yes, sir! Gladly!!”
And thus, a lively exchange ensued, as one might expect.
What do you think about this chapter?
