We’re Not In That Kind Of Relationship

The next day, just as Irene had said, the Adventurers’ Guild issued a large-scale dungeon exploration request.

Included in it was information about the Kobold Plains, along with an added note instructing adventurers to refrain from entering the area where the wyverns were.

Assuming that the labyrinthization had entered a stable phase, they broadly commissioned the creation of dungeon maps.

Naturally, the results would be bought, but once several reports were cross-checked and confirmed, new purchases of information regarding that area would be refused.

In other words, the faster someone was, the more they could earn, and naturally many adventurers had begun preparing for large-scale exploration.

Every shop in the Fortress City was crowded with people replacing equipment and buying consumable supplies.

“So this is labyrinth demand, huh.”

“What’s that?”

“You can see demand has increased because the labyrinth appeared, right?”

“Doesn’t that just mean they usually slack off?”

“No, that’s… hmm, I wonder…”

Kikori found himself troubled, unable to completely deny it, but no matter how he argued, it did not seem like Orphe would be convinced.

“So, you’re buying something, right? What are you buying?”

“For now, pretty much everything… it all burned up.”

It was a pretty painful expense, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

For the time being, he felt like he might not need a cloak anymore.

When he wore this armor, it seemed to dull that sort of need somewhat.

“Ah, that stuff, right? Those dried fruits and nuts.”

“Well, something like that.”

Also, to begin with, he needed to buy a bag to carry his things in.

First the general store. Then the food shop, where he bought a waterskin of purification water and preserved rations.

It was only because he had managed to earn a good amount of money that he could afford to replace everything; if this had happened when he had first arrived in this city, he might have cried.

“No wonder humans increase in number. You divide up every single role.”

“Well, people differ in what they can do, after all.”

“That difference between individuals is way too huge.”

“Is it?”

“It is.”

As they walked along bickering, someone suddenly called out, “Hey.”

When he turned around, the people standing there were… a party of adventurers.

Honestly, he did not recognize them.

“So you really are traveling with a fairy…”

“I never thought something like that was possible.”

The companions of the man who had called out were whispering among themselves, and Kikori could tell Orphe was becoming visibly more irritated by the second.

“We’re the party Silver Sword. You, with us—”

“Ah, I refuse.”

The moment Kikori said that, he immediately turned on his heel.

“Wha— hey, fairy user!”

“We’re not in that kind of relationship. I can’t work with people who misunderstand something like that.”

As he said this, Kikori showed them the Defense Count’s pendant.

“What’s with that filthy pendant, you lit—”

Before he could finish, the man who seemed to be the leader silenced him with a backfist to the face.

“I see. My apologies.”

“No, it’s fine. Goodbye, then.”

The Defense Count’s pendant really did have power.

Thinking that, Kikori walked away, and into his ears came the words, “He just got lucky and now he’s getting full of himself…”

“Humans really are hopeless after all.”

At Orphe’s exasperated voice… not a single word of defense came to Kikori’s mind.