Episode 33

After finishing my final farming, I earned roughly around 15 silver. In the old days, I would have been thrilled to earn such a large amount… but after having burned through money in the gold range, I wasn’t as excited.

This was why, although there was once a time when I risked my life for 8 copper, I now treated copper as spare change.

“Growing up is quite sad.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“The more experience you gain, the more desensitized you become… In that sense, you’re an adult, Lydia.”

“…I don’t know what you mean, but it’s irritating.”

Lydia frowned deeply and began to pinch my cheek.

Streeetch-

“Ow, ow, ow!”

My cheek stretched out, bringing a numb pain to the surrounding area. Normally, I would have struggled to escape… but I couldn’t do that right now.

Jiggle jiggle.

Each time Lydia tormented my cheeks, a huge mass of flesh wobbled before my eyes. My goodness. Is it actually possible to have such a large size on someone with such a small body?

It was impressive even through casual clothes, but in bikini armor, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from its unrestrained movements.

Despite the pain in my cheek, I kept my eyes wide open to imprint this moment in my memory just a bit longer.

But perhaps my actions were odd. Lydia, who had been happily squishing me, loosened her grip.

“Did that hurt too much?”

“Ah, no. It’s nothing. But what did you mean when you said you received a report? I don’t think we caused any trouble.”

“You didn’t cause trouble. But it’s understandable that you were reported.”

“What?”

“Imagine all the thugs in the neighborhood roaming around as a group. It’s natural for ordinary civilians to feel uneasy.”

“Ah.”

That was true. A few thugs loitering around was something you could dismiss with a click of the tongue, but dozens gathered together was definitely cause for concern.

“I never imagined Jonah would be behind it.”

“I didn’t expect things to turn out this way either. Listen, Miss Lydia! Here’s what happened…”

This and that, copper and cuppa.

After hearing the overall situation, Lydia nodded.

“So, to summarize, you were trying to pickpocket but ended up ganking them?”

“It sounds odd when you put it that way, but yes! Isn’t that just terrible?!”

“Jonah… Don’t you have something called a heart? Even if the opponents are thugs, you were the one beating them up one-sidedly.”

“But as Miss Lydia said, they are thugs. What’s wrong with me, an orphan, taking back the money they extorted from orphans?”

“That’s…”

“I’m not bad. The bad ones are all the thugs of the labyrinth city who tormented the past me. Remember this for the quiz, alright?”

“……”

Lydia pondered my words with a perplexed expression. The last remark was a joke, but her lack of reaction made me a bit embarrassed.

I cleared my throat and changed the subject.

“Ahem! Anyway, where are we going now, Miss Lydia?”

“The guild. I was working on a different request, but just as I was about to leave after resolving it, they mentioned a report had come in and asked for help.”

“And there I was. This must be fate!”

“Stop talking nonsense. So, why were you there, Jonah?”

“Huh? Well, I was just pickpocketing a little…”

“You’re not short on money anymore. You earned 2 gold last time.”

“Um. Well, that’s not exactly the case.”

“…Don’t tell me you spent it all on gambling?!”

Lydia’s red eyes widened in shock. A sense of responsibility seemed to flash through her gaze.

I can’t leave things as they are. If I don’t properly teach this child, he’ll end up ruining his life…!

That seemed about right.

It was easy to read Lydia’s expression when she was so openly expressive, probably because she usually showed little to no emotion.

But if the situation went in that direction, it would be troublesome for me in many ways, so I took the initiative.

“I bought materials for a new weapon with those 2 gold! I got it for cheap due to various circumstances, but it still wasn’t easy.”

“…A new weapon?”

Lydia, true to her gear enthusiast nature, softened upon hearing that I had purchased materials for a weapon. I nodded vigorously.

“Exactly! I entrusted the crafting to Miss Eve from Eden. After that, I had no money left.”

“The owner of Eden… Trustworthiness aside, she didn’t seem like the most outstanding artisan.”

“Miss Eve isn’t an artisan. But she said she wouldn’t make it herself; she’d entrust it to the dwarves in the Workshop Union, so you can rest assured about that!”

“She has connections in the Workshop Union…? With those stubborn fools who make good items but can’t communicate well?”

Lydia seemed more surprised about her connections with the Workshop Union.

That was understandable. The dwarves of this world epitomized the stubborn craftsman stereotype we knew on Earth.

They made excellent items but were obstinate about their craft, often failing to meet delivery dates or specific requests.

If you asked for a regular steel sword, the delivery could be delayed by months if they got inspired while making it. Or if you wanted a spear made, they might decide a double-ended spear suited you better and make that instead.

They were a very stubborn race. Their mindset was that they didn’t craft items for others; they created items that others would use.

Of course, once a price was set for whatever item they made, it never changed, and the quality always exceeded expectations, so there hadn’t been any major issues.

That’s how the Workshop Union operated, absorbed in their own world…

Having the connections to make a personal request to such a place was indeed surprising.

For Eve, who had been influential in the labyrinth city(she hadn’t done that) even before the Workshop Union was formed, it wasn’t that surprising.

She shrugged her shoulders and spoke nonchalantly.

“Eve is an elf, after all. Given she looks younger than she is, it’s not strange for her to have various connections.”

“…Well. It’s not just money that elves accumulate over their long lives.”

Clearly, connections were also a form of power and wealth. After all, no one could live through this world alone.

Being able to receive Lydia’s labyrinth training, finding a safe place to sleep thanks to Ellie, and entrusting Eve with the unicorn’s horn were all due to connections.

“So, which weapon did you request, and with what material?”

“Um. Well, you see…”

I giggled and gestured, pressing my index finger against my upper lip.

“Shh. It’s a secret until it’s finished. But I’ll show you as soon as it’s done, so look forward to it!”

“…That really is irritating. Anyway, it’s good that you used the money to strengthen yourself.”

“…Just out of curiosity, what would you have done if I had really used it for gambling?”

“I would have crushed the gambling den.”

“What?”

“Or crushed Jonah’s arms and legs.”

“……”

Why were the options so violent?

Shivering, I resolved to myself never to let Lydia find out about my gacha ability.

Afterward, I collected the elixirs made from magic herbs and healing herbs I had left for refinement, drank them on the spot, and then returned to the Fairy and Silver Coin.

For reference, the elixir was only slightly more effective than the herbs alone… That could be due to a margin of error or the other medicinal ingredients used in the refinement process.

From now on, unless there was a specific use for the herb types, I might as well just consume them immediately.

After returning, we had dinner as usual with Ellie and engaged in some small talk.

Now, all that was left was to exchange greetings at the right time and head upstairs to rest. Since we were entering the labyrinth tomorrow, it was best to go to bed early. But…

No matter how calm I tried to appear, I couldn’t help but be drawn to Lydia’s chest. If this continued, I wouldn’t be able to sleep even if I went to bed.

So, I closed my eyes tightly and spoke up.

“Miss Lydia… Your new armor looks very nice!”

“Huh? Oh. Thank you. I see Jonah has noticed, too. It’s more comfortable to move in than before, durable, and comes with various resistances. It wasn’t easy to obtain, even for me. I had to get help from the guild.”

“Heh, hehe… I see. That’s impressive.”

The lower part was proper dress-style armor, but the upper part was almost like a bikini. I didn’t understand how it could be more durable.

But it’s a fantasy genre, so anything’s possible. What mattered now wasn’t that.

“Seeing you like this, I realized… Miss Lydia, you have a large chest.”

“Hehe. Right? I know.”

Lydia stood up, placed her hands on her waist, and straightened her upper body.

With a pose that seemed to emphasize her chest, a proud smile appeared on her lips.

After all, in the Pan Continent, praising a woman’s chest was no different from any other ordinary compliment about appearance.

Your eyelashes are long, your nails are pretty, your voice is nice, and your chest is large. All these compliments had a similar nuance.

“Cough cough. Miss Lydia. So, in that sense…”

I had often thrown myself at Ellie, trying to seduce her. In a world where the roles of men and women were reversed, such actions might have made me feel self-loathing; it wasn’t embarrassing.

But what I was about to do now was different. It might not be a big deal for Lydia due to the gender reversal, but for me, it was quite embarrassing to even mention.

But I had to do it. How could I miss such an opportunity…!

My heart raced as if it were broken, and my body temperature soared. Then, with a bit of hesitation and an even stronger resolution, I begged her in desperation.

“Miss Lydia!”

“…Huh? Is there something important?”

“Please let me touch your chest!”

“……?”

Lydia tilted her head, unable to comprehend what she had just heard. I shouted once more toward her.

“Please let me grope your chest…!”

Ellie, who had been listening from the side, dropped the cup she was holding.

Shatter.