“… For now, want me to fix the needle trap? It’s just a little DP.”
“Yeah, please.”
I left Rokuko to repair the trap as I immersed myself in my thoughts.
Then they tried to forcibly break the iron needles with an iron sword, so the sword also cracked. That’s probably what happened.
“… I get the gist of it, but figuring this out is going to be annoying…”
“Well, the blade golem is our featured product, but can it be used as a magic sword? Its performance seems questionable.”
If I think about this carefully and look at it from another direction, defending against attacks using a blade golem is the same thing as [Attacking] a golem in sword form.
So if the golem is injured, after that there’d be no difference between it and an ordinary [Iron Sword]. Even in the middle of combat.
… The blade golem’s weakness that’s been on my mind for a while now was this, huh?
Although it’s fine in my case because I can mend them, Meat and Ichika can’t. And since they’re serving as the vanguards in combat, their blade golems have a high chance of breaking.
… Looks like I’ll need to improve them somehow. Let’s think on it.
Ah, even if Uzoh and Muzoh put the magic sword they broke back into the pedestal, they won’t be able to manually release the blockade.
The next day, Uzoh and Muzoh still weren’t able to escape the test room. Their DP is delicious.
Then I saw someone appear on the map. Wonder if it’s a new guest?
“Owneeer! There’s a new gueeest~”
“Eh—, ah, r-right, I’m the owner! … S-see y-you later!”
“Wait, you’re going to go like that? … Haah, can’t be helped.”
She was obviously overanxious so I decided to follow her.
… It was to help cover up her anxiety, it couldn’t be helped. I forced her to calm down despite having such a short amount time. After all, the order authority is too strong.
When we went and saw Ichika who called us, the usual Receptionist-san from the guild was there… with a gargantuan rucksack on her back.
… Her daily DP income is [80 DP], oi. The heck is this incredible person. Maybe she really is a big shot?
“This is the first time we’ve met, Owner-sama… Why is Kehma-sama here?”
“I see… I’d like to talk with Owner-sama for a moment.”
“What now, Owner?”
Rokuko nodded her head as commanded. Good, her movements are fine.
Well, here’s Receptionist-san’s story summed up:
– She had a tent but would rent things like the toilet for a while! Food too!
– Ah, the guild would pay money! It’s the same amount as staying normally so it’s fine!
Well, that was a bit frank but that’s how it was.
It wasn’t a problem for her to stay at the inn at all. If there was a problem it’d be that the branch office would be set up between the inn’s front and the cave entrance, but I don’t really have a way to refuse either… I still don’t have anything using the land after all.
“Above all I’d like to receive your cooperation… By the way, how much is the cost of staying here?”
“… Fifty copper per night, meals are between a copper and a gold. Right now there isn’t a discount for staying a long time though. What do we do, Owner? … Ah, it’s no use huh. We still haven’t figured out the pricing for that yet.”
Let’s stick with the stance that you can only get that as a special thing.
“One gold coin is it? What kind of meal is it?”
“… One copper coin for a G-Rank meal?”
“Since you usually need at least E-Rank to come to a normal dungeon, it’s assumed to be used for slaves. It’s just black bread… One above that is F-Rank for beginners, it’s two loafs of white bread. E-Rank’s is a bit of a novelty bread, an original of this inn. It’s a daily special though… As for D-Rank, it’s for adventurers who can earn a bit, white bread accompanied with a side dish. It even comes with dessert.”
I pointed to them as I explained so that she could see the prices… I wonder if explaining C-Rank is unnecessary?
Receptionist-san closed her eyes for a moment before responding.
“Then I’d like to ask for an E-Rank meal.”
“Fifty copper coins… it’s a considerable price.”
“Yeah.”
“… Well, that can’t be helped. Roads don’t come this deep into the mountains after all.”
Alright, so one silver coin a day.
“Right, the guild wanted to give a nominated commission to Kehma-sama, would you like to hear about it?”
“Hmm, I’m employed here right now though… what now, Owner?”
Let’s hear about it for now.
“The other day, the guild put out a commission for this dungeon… to find a new name for the [Ordinary Cave], it put out an investigation commission for it… The adventurers haven’t returned.”
Ah, Uzoh and Muzoh huh. They’re sleeping in the test room right now you know?
“C-Rank adventurers are assumed to be accustomed to capturing dungeons and knowing when it’s time to quit… so when they aren’t able to return, the guild assumes the dungeon has a considerably high difficulty.”
“Even though Kehma-sama has experience in investigating this dungeon and returning alive we can’t issue an investigation commission to you… So, if those adventurers who haven’t returned are still alive, we would like you to rescue them… Well, the possibility of them still being alive is low though.”
They’re definitely still living you know!? Ah, I can’t just go and say that right now.
“If you accept this commission… we will recognize you as a C-Rank adventurer to capture the [Ordinary Cave]. The Guild Head approved it.”
“Hoh, so only if I accept it, huh?”
It’d certainly be reckless for E-Ranks to enter if even C-Ranks were unable to make it back. So I guess it’s fine for them to recognize me as C-Rank with the condition of me being able to return alive?
I don’t have a reason to not accept it… Rather, we’re E-Rank if we don’t accept it, so there’s no way I wouldn’t.
“… The reward?”
“Investigation commissions are five silver coins, with additional rewards for useful information. As for things obtained in the dungeon, we don’t mind what is done with them but would like to be shown them for a moment. In the case you are able to successfully rescue them, there will be an additional five silver coins reward from the guild. Please discuss the reward with those concerned.”
There’s no way I wouldn’t accept it, but it looks like I can expect a pretty good reward. Uzoh and Muzoh are still alive too.
I don’t want the dungeon to be considered very difficult or nothing but strong adventurers will come here… besides, it’d be a bad omen if the inn’s first customers died after all.
“… I want to accept the commission, but that depends on the inn. What now, Owner?”
I decided to accept the commission.