The next morning, I headed to the Baire Adventurer's Guild.
Roxanne was doing the laundry, and Seri was making breakfast.
Since Permask is on the other side of the Imperial Capital from Kulatar, it must be further east than Baire, which is already east of the Imperial Capital.
I want to fly east from Baire.
If I go east, the time will be earlier, so morning is good.
I compare the list of cities from the Imperial Capital to Permask, which Seri wrote down, with the notices on the wall of the Adventurer's Guild.
The Adventurer's Guild has resident adventurers who can teleport you to other places.
The basic price is two silver coins per person.
So, I came alone, without Roxanne or Seri, who can read.
The cities you can fly to from the Adventurer's Guild are posted on the wall.
It seems you can also make special requests or ask other adventurers, but that would cost more.
Since Permask is apparently far away, it might not be possible, and it might draw attention.
Since I don't need to rush, I can take it step by step.
Looking at the notices, I saw a city called Dohona.
It sounds familiar from yesterday.
"Can you take me to Dohona?"
I spoke to a female adventurer at the Baire Adventurer's Guild.
Next, I looked at the notices at the Dohona Adventurer's Guild.
I've never been here, so I don't know if this is really the Dohona Adventurer's Guild, but the resident adventurers wouldn't bring me to a strange place, so it must be Dohona.
According to Seri, the next city after Dohona is Dobro, but that name isn't listed.
None of the other city names on the list were there either.
"I want to go to Dobro, but this is the Dohona Adventurer's Guild, right?"
I asked a resident male adventurer.
"Yes, but Dobro is far."
"Is it far?"
"It's not a distance you can go for two silver coins. I've been there before, so I can take you, but it will cost eight silver coins."
It seems the notices only list nearby cities.
For other places, it's negotiable.
Eight silver coins would be the price of four transfers.
"Eight coins?"
"For two silver coins, the closest you can get to Dobro is the town of Shpoir. But even if you go to Shpoir, there's no guarantee you can fly to Dobro from there."
That makes sense.
But it feels like he's taking advantage of me.
Is this normal business practice in this world?
"If I can fly from Shpoir to Dobro, it will cost four silver coins."
"That's true. How about six coins?"
"Hmm..."
Indeed, if the MP consumption for field walking changes with distance, it wouldn't be easy to take someone to a far place.
If the MP is depleted, a fatigue recovery potion might be needed.
The extra charge isn't entirely unreasonable.
"Fine. I'll take you to Dobro for five silver coins. I can't go any lower."
As I hesitated, the man kept lowering the price.
There's a chance I can't fly from Shpoir to Dobro.
Five silver coins is acceptable.
"Then, I'll go to Dobro for five silver coins."
"Sure thing."
The man smiled.
If he were handsome, it might be different, but his smile is just creepy.
Damn.
He should have taken me for five silver coins from the start.
I still can't accept it.
When we arrived at the Dobro Adventurer's Guild, the man said, "A one-way trip to Dohona costs three silver coins," and tried to get customers before leaving.
No one stepped forward.
He's just greedy.
Serves him right.
By the way, it seems you can go from the Dobro Adventurer's Guild to Shpoir for two silver coins.
From Dobro to Dohona, it costs four silver coins with a transfer.
At three silver coins one-way, it's cheaper.
The man knew this.
Considering the hassle of transferring, five silver coins might not be unreasonable.
Five silver coins was the market price from the start, and the man was trying to overcharge me.
Eight silver coins was too much.
From the Dobro Adventurer's Guild, I went home.
The price negotiation wasted time, and I didn't want to keep Seri waiting for breakfast.
It seems Dobro is not a distance you can go for two silver coins, and I needed to confirm if I could return in one trip.
When I returned home from Dobro, my MP felt slightly depleted.
Not only field walking, but warping also seems to consume MP based on distance.
It doesn't feel like it decreased much, which might mean warping is more MP-efficient than field walking, or my MP capacity as a mage is higher, or other adventurers' MP consumption is similar to mine.
I don't have field walking, so I can't verify it.
If resident adventurers at the guild are busy, they might not have time to rest.
If their MP is depleted and they need recovery potions, it wouldn't be a viable business.
Two silver coins might not cover a very long distance.
The next morning, I went further before returning home.
My MP felt more depleted than yesterday.
In terms of the journey, I might have covered more than half.
It doesn't seem impossible to reach Permask.
After returning, I asked Seri to make leather boots.
Now, from yesterday, I have leather mittens, a leather hat, and leather boots, completing the set.
Seri's trust in the person who recommended the blacksmith seemed to decrease, but that's not my concern anymore.
"What will the blacksmith make next after the leather boots?"
"A club."
"A club?"
It's the weapon Seri currently uses.
Finally, Seri's skills have caught up.
Will she make a club with her skills?
"However, to make a club, you need boards dropped by Love Shrub."
"Boards?"
"Items left by monsters in higher levels."
I see. That's the catch.
As the blacksmith's skills improve, better equipment can be made.
That's good.
However, better equipment means using better materials.
There's a limit with cheap materials.
Better materials come from stronger monsters.
Items dropped by monsters are originally part of their bodies.
Weak monsters won't drop steel or orichalcum.
Monsters that drop orichalcum have parts made of orichalcum.
They are naturally strong.
"What should I do in this case? Should I buy them?"
"Well, until you can hunt Love Shrub, it's common to make and sell leather equipment."
"Is that how it works?"
"Buying materials reduces profit. Unless it's a request, there's no need to force it. There are still leather items you can make after the club, but I'm not sure if I can make them. Making lots of leather items is good practice and ultimately the same."
Like how making a dagger consumed more MP than a bracelet, more complex leather items will consume more MP than simpler ones.
Making many simple items will yield similar profits to making fewer complex ones.
Complex items are harder to make, so they might be slightly more expensive, but there's no need to push it.
"Got it. For now, I'll stick with leather mittens, a leather hat, and leather boots."
"Yes. Also, we are currently hunting on the 9th floor. If you prioritize the 9th floor, you can go to a dungeon where Mino appears on the 9th floor."
That's an option.
Hunting Mino on the 9th floor will help you get used to the 9th floor and gather materials, killing two birds with one stone.
"Hmm. I don't think I need to go that far."
Leather is a common drop from Mino, so it's not hard to gather.
The Slow Rabbits on the 9th floor of Baire's dungeon drop rabbit skins that sell for double, so it's efficient.
I don't really want to fight the boss, Rapid Rabbit, but I shouldn't run away from a challenge.
It's not good to be weak against certain monsters.
"Understood."
"By the way, are there any dungeons where monsters that drop boards appear on the 9th floor?"
"Well, Love Shrub appears from the 12th floor and above. Monsters from the 1st to 11th floors are the same in all dungeons. Monsters from the 12th to 22nd floors are also the same."
I see.
That's new information.
Cobolds, Mino, and Slow Rabbits appear between the 1st and 11th floors.
Indeed, that's the case in both Kulatar and Baire.
Love Shrub appears between the 12th and 22nd floors.
"Then, I might need to find a dungeon where Love Shrub appears on the 12th floor."
For now, I'll pause making the next equipment.
I don't need to make a large quantity that would change the market price.
For a while, I'll have Seri make leather equipment.
I cut the exploration short that afternoon.
Today is the tenth day since Seri came to my house.
It's the day the maid uniform is supposed to be ready.
"Are you coming home a bit early today? Are you going to take a bath?"
When I got home, Roxanne asked with hopeful eyes.
Yes, she definitely looked hopeful.
It's good that she likes the bath.
Unfortunately, it's not for the bath today.
"Sorry, it's not for the bath. I'm going to the Baire Merchant Guild."
"Merchant Guild? Are you getting new companions?"
She asked with less hopeful eyes.
Yes, I can see the difference.
Maybe it's just my perception.
"Unfortunately, not yet. I still don't have enough money. Of course, I plan to expand the party eventually. Strengthening our forces is natural. Both of you should be prepared for that."
"Yes, of course."
"Understood."
It's better to declare such things in advance.
It's good to remind them regularly.
Of course, the purpose of expanding the party is to strengthen our forces.
There are no other ulterior motives.
Just a little bit.
"The purpose is to strengthen our forces. I don't plan to bring in anyone who doesn't get along with Roxanne or Seri. You can be reassured about that."
"Yes."
Male slaves who might pose a risk to the two of them are out of the question.
I have no intention of including them in the party.
Old people are also out of the question.
For strengthening our forces, younger people are better.
And, if possible, I want members who can boost my motivation.
Morale is an important component of combat strength.
Young, beautiful women would be ideal.
My motivation is different.
From the single goal of strengthening our forces, this conclusion was reached.
It's a natural choice for the single goal of strengthening our forces.
To strengthen our forces, we should proceed according to this conclusion.
Given the goal of strengthening our forces, it's inevitable.
Yeah.
It's inevitable.
"Anyway, I have a different reason for going today. I'm going to pick up some clothes. And maybe a will. Is it okay to leave Roxanne's will as it is?"
"Yes, of course."
Roxanne nodded confidently.
If Roxanne is fine with it, that's good.
"Seri has also done a great job. I plan to have my will state that Seri will be freed if I die."
"I've only just started serving you, is that okay?"
"It's fine."
"Thank you."
There's a possibility of dying outside of combat, so there's little benefit in a shared fate.
If I state in my will that Seri will be freed after my death, there shouldn't be many disadvantages.
"Well, just because I state it in my will, it doesn't mean you'll suddenly stab me in bed while I'm sleeping."
"If the master is killed inside the house, the surviving slave will be the first to be suspected. If you want to do it, the dungeon would be better."
"Scary."
"No, of course I won't do it."
Seri said coldly.
In the dungeon, there's no need to worry about disposing of the body.
Claiming it was a monster attack might avoid much investigation.
Indeed, if you want to kill, the dungeon is the place.
However, Roxanne will also be there when entering the dungeon.
Seri can't be that reckless.
"I trust Seri."
"I'll do my best to deserve your trust. Is Roxanne's will also to be freed?"
"No."
"I won't be freed even if the master dies."
Roxanne stated herself.
It's better for her to say it.
If I say it, it might be perceived as coercion.
"Is that so?"
"It's my duty to protect the master. No matter what, I must protect the master with my life. There's no reason to be freed. When the master dies, it means I've failed my duty. It's only natural to follow. Besides, I don't want to live in a world without the master."
Hearing it again, it's a powerful argument.
It's appreciated, but...
"Um..."
"It's Roxanne's commitment. She strongly insists on it, but there's no need for Seri to follow suit. I might die from illness or an accident. I don't want to involve Seri in that."
The atmosphere is unpleasant.
It feels like she's expecting me to recruit special attack squad members.
It might be hard for me to say I want to be freed here.
So, I explained strongly.
Seri won't follow me in death.
"Is there no one who would inherit a slave?"
"No."
"Right. Then, I want my will to state that you will be freed."