Everything Going Smoothly
As I walked through town, nobody whispered behind my back.
Well, of course. It’s all familiar faces here, people were the ones calling out to me instead.
I greeted people I knew as I made my way to the guild, then headed inside.
And sure enough, the usual brats who weren’t out working were hanging around.
“... Huh? Who’s that? Oh, it’s Eric from the magic tool shop.”
Looks like Jake the brat was off again today.
“Oh, yeah, it is Eric.”
“Hey, old man, give Angela back!”
“Mary’s been loud as hell every single morning. Do something about her!”
The brats laughed like they were having the time of their lives.
“Get to work.”
“There it is…”
“We are working.”
“We’re recharging our energy.”
Oh yeah?
Feels like you’re always here…
“Jake, got a minute?”
It hadn’t even been a day, but I walked over to him anyway.
“What? If it’s a lecture, forget it. I worked yesterday.”
Yeah, right.
“That’s not the point. More importantly, how’s Mary doing?”
“Mary? She’s loud as hell. Even if you complain, she just laughs it off. What is with her?”
Jake looked completely exasperated.
“That’s just how she is. I mean as an adventurer.”
“Haven’t seen her myself, but she’s probably fine, right? Sounds like she’s handling monsters just fine. Plus she can use magic, yeah? Then she’ll be okay.”
That’s pretty careless.
“You’re her senior as an adventurer. Keep an eye on her properly.”
“Ugh, you’re like a damn parent… If you’re that worried, slap a collar on her and keep her at home.”
“She’d just run off.”
“Sounds like a dog…”
She basically is.
“Just watch her. Got it?”
“Don’t glare at me like that, it’s scary… Well, not just Mary, adventurers are supposed to cooperate anyway, so yeah, I’ll keep an eye on her. But you better tell her not to do anything reckless. If she runs off deeper into the forest on her own, that’s on her.”
“I’ve already told her that. I’m counting on you.”
I gave his shoulder a couple of pats and headed for the reception desk.
“Overprotective much…”
“Then you should become an adventurer, Eric!”
“Even if he did, he’d just team up with Angela.”
“Hahaha!”
Noisy little punks.
Don’t start drinking in the middle of the day.
Shaking my head at how ridiculous they were, I made my way to Viola at the counter.
“Hello, Eric. Heading to the forest again today?”
I’m not Fullface Maskman right now.
“Like hell I am. I’ve got a request.”
“Oh? Really? What kind?”
That smile of hers… kinda irritating.
“I need thirty magic stones, D-rank or higher. Within a week.”
“A week… That should be doable, but it’s sudden.”
“I got a job from Arvin for the military. There are some guys back there with way too much free time, put them to work.”
I jerked my thumb behind me.
“Then you should go do it!”
“Or better yet, send your daughter. Wouldn’t that be free?”
“Angela’s around too, you know.”
Useless bunch.
“It’ll be fine. They do work properly when it counts.”
Viola gave a wry smile.
“I’m counting on it. How much?”
“Thirty thousand mild.”
Figured it’d be about that much. I paid the request fee.
“Confirmed. We’ll contact you once they’re gathered.”
“Thanks. So, how’s my daughter doing?”
“She’s doing great. Everyone says so, even if they complain. She’s cheerful and energetic, it really lifts the mood.”
That cheerfulness is her best trait, after all.
“Hmm… I see. She’s not causing trouble for Katrina or Shirley, is she?”
“They get along just fine. Honestly, she can get along with anyone, so there’s no problem. If anything, I’d like to see Angela working more.”
“She is working. She’s making lunch right now.”
“Oh? Has she finally become your wife? She’s a valuable mage, you know.”
It’s true there aren’t many mages.
The capable ones go to the big cities, and honestly, they don’t even need to be adventurers.
“We run a magic tool shop. Having a mage is just as valuable for us.”
“Well, if your shop goes under, it’d be a serious problem for this town.”
We’re the only magic tool shop here, after all.
“Exactly. Anyway, I’m counting on you.”
“Understood.”
With that done, I smacked Jake on the head and left the guild.
Then I headed home, and the three of us had lunch together.
“Mary, what did old man Jeff say?”
“‘Seriously… dropping this on me out of nowhere… why didn’t you say something sooner? Kids these days…’ that’s what he said.”
Oh, that was a pretty good impression.
“So he’s taking the order?”
“Yep. He said he’ll bring it over once it arrives.”
Good, good. Things are going smoothly.
“What about you tomorrow?”
“I’m going to the forest. I’ll get used to the shallower areas first, then gradually go deeper, I think.”
Careful approach. Not bad.
Should be fine.
“You can go play in the afternoon.”
“I’ll help out! The shop’s important too!”
… Oh.
That casual line hit me a little harder than I expected, but I kept a straight face.
And then, in the afternoon, the three of us kept working together.
“The magic stones will probably arrive first. Angela, prioritize processing those.”
“Got it. You’ll handle the parts, boss?”
Angela and I were discussing how to make the portable stoves.
“They’re a bit delicate. I might need your help, but I’ll handle most of it myself.”
“Honestly, will we make the deadline? Arvin said it’s fine if we don’t hit thirty exactly.”
“We might need to put in some overtime, but it should be fine. With jobs like this, delivering properly is what leads to the next one.”
That’s trust. And I’ve always kept that.
“Overtime, huh… I’ll help too.”
“No, Angela, you can just go home like usual.”
“That’s not how it works. I’m the assistant manager. I’m not just a helper or part-timer, you know?”
Well, yeah, but…
“We might end up working late.”
“My place is right there. It’s fine. Worst case, I’ll just stay over.”
I mean, I’d send her home anyway, and I’m not planning to work that late…
“Alright. I’m counting on you.”
“What about me?”
Mary piped up.
“You focus on being an adventurer. I’ve already put in a request for magic stones, so go gather as many as you can.”
“Alright! I’ll do my best!”
Yeah. Do your best.
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