Chapter 38 …
The role of scissors is to cut things.
But strangely enough, the name of this item was “Distortion.” I didn’t know why.
Anyway, I had to buy this item—and with it, I had to change Muriel’s fate.
There’s no price listed.
I turned to Milk and asked,
“Do you know how much this item costs?”
“Yes! Please wait just a moment!”
Milk took out the Scroll of Etiquette and unrolled it. After a brief pause, she spoke again.
“The currency given to customers is called ‘coins’! That means the price of this item is 80,000 coins!”
…What?
80,000 coins?!
Are you kidding me? Why is it so expensive?!
I jumped in disbelief. After asking Milk to wait for a moment, I summoned the status window and snapped at it.
Hey, you damn system! How am I supposed to gather 80,000 coins? Muriel will die while I’m grinding for coins!
My words got rough because I was so angry, but whatever… It was the system’s fault for not telling me the price in advance.
Perhaps acknowledging its mistake, the system quickly popped up a message.
Don’t worry!
You can exchange real money for coins!
…Exchange?
As I frowned slightly, the system hurriedly displayed the next message.
Go to the dungeon hub city and try selling crops and potions!
So basically, it was telling me to make money by doing business.
I swung my fist at the air.
So I have to grind again…!
Ding!
Quest Generated! ⟨Let’s Go to the Dungeon Hub City!⟩
You need money!
Go to the hub city where countless people gather and secure the necessary funds!
Earn 3,800 rubels (0/1)
Exchange 3,800 rubels into 83,600 coins (0/1)
Success Reward: 1,000 coins, 100 reputation
Failure Penalty: None
※ Caution: Many kinds of people gather in the dungeon hub city. Be careful not to encounter dangerous individuals!
As expected, the system tossed me a new quest. I knew it….
So 3,800 rubels equals 83,600 coins. I don’t know how they calculate it, but….
I let out a deep sigh. 3,800 rubels… It wasn’t an impossible amount. If I sold the potions I’d made so far, it should be doable.
First, I accepted the quest. Then I turned back to Milk and asked,
“Can I reserve this item? I absolutely have to buy it.”
“Yes, you can! The customer’s name is… Muriel, correct! I will make the reservation under Muriel’s name!”
Milk spread out the Scroll of Etiquette and scribbled something down. Then, in a friendly voice, she announced,
“Fate Distortion has been reserved under Muriel’s name! The reservation period is one month! If you do not purchase it within that time, the reservation will be canceled!”
That meant… I had one month to earn 3,800 rubels.
If business went well, it’d be easy—but if not….
…I’ll need to level up my alchemy skill.
There was no choice but to go to the Veratis Guild and squeeze out a contract fee—by becoming a guild-affiliated alchemist.
“Oh! Come to think of it, there’s something I need to give you!”
Milk perked up her ears and pop!—summoned something into the air.
It was a pure white card. She handed it to me and explained,
“This is our shop’s membership card! If you have it, you can enter freely whenever you want!”
“Oh… thanks.”
I quickly took the card. It was about the size of an ordinary credit card, with a golden key emblem engraved in the center.
As I lightly brushed the surface with my fingertips, Milk’s voice rang out again.
“Do you have any other instructions? Please feel free to tell me!”
“Hmm, no. I’ll be heading out now. Which way is the exit?”
“Please follow me!”
As I followed Milk, we soon arrived back at the place where it had all begun.
When I placed the card into the keyhole of the white arched door, the door glowed brightly and opened.
“Please come again, customer!”
Milk waved her front paw at me. The black jelly of her paw pads looked incredibly soft.
So cute… looks like it’d smell nice too….
I regretted not being able to pet the white puppy to my heart’s content, but shook off my lingering thoughts and stepped through the door.
The white-tinted view gradually returned to normal.
Blinking several times, I opened my eyes to see the familiar wooden floor of the room.
Am I back?
The moment I lifted my head with a wide smile, someone pulled me forcefully into their arms.
A refreshing scent rushed over me. I was startled for a moment, but relaxed when I recognized the familiar smell.
“Rician.”
“Muriel….”
Rician hugged me tightly, taking a deep breath. After hesitating for a moment, I gently patted his back.
“Sorry. Were you worried? I tried to come back quickly, but….”
“Waaah~! Masteeer~!!”
At that moment, a spirit suddenly jumped in and clung tightly to my shoulder. She cried so pitifully it seemed like she might flood the entire house with her tears.
“Nini, stop crying. You’re making the floor wet.”
“Waaah~! Master is such a T-type person!”
It was Ninabel, making full use of the MBTI I’d taught her.
I tried to pat the water-drop rice cake, but Rician was holding me so tightly that I could barely lift my arm.
Both of them… What was all this fuss just because I stepped away for a bit?
Anyone would think I’d gone missing and just came back.
I tapped Rician’s back lightly, like knocking on a door.
“Can you let go now? I’m starting to have trouble breathing.”
“…….”
“Rician? Hello?”
“……Haa.”
Rician let out a long, stifled breath and finally released me.
Only then could I see his face properly. …His eyes were red, as if he’d been crying.
I blinked blankly a few times and asked,
“…Did you cry?”
“I didn’t. I almost did, though.”
“No, I mean… was it really that bad….”
“Muriel, it’s been three days.”
“…What?”
I widened my eyes at the unexpected statement.
Three days? What was he talking about?
“That’s impossible. It felt like only about thirty minutes to me.”
“It’s true, Master! You didn’t come back for three whole days! Nini was so worried she thought she was going to dry up and die~! Waaah~!!”
…Hard as it was to believe, it seemed to be true. They weren’t the kind to lie about something like this.
“Three days….”
Murmuring helplessly, I walked over to the sofa and collapsed onto it.
Why didn’t that damn system warn me beforehand?
I glared at the empty air in disbelief, but no excuse came from the system.
Closing my eyes, I let out a long sigh.
Was the flow of time in that space different from reality?
If I had to guess… ten minutes there probably equaled one day in the real world.
That kind of thing does happen sometimes in dungeons.
For example… adventurers explore a dungeon for a day, only to return and find ten years have passed outside.
Still, I never thought I’d experience something like that myself.
Three days passing was unexpected, but thankfully it wasn’t three months or three years. If it had been, things would’ve gotten seriously bad.
I spoke sincerely to Rician and Ninabel.
“I didn’t realize that much time would pass. I’m sorry for making you worry.”
Rician stared straight at me with eyes that looked slightly unhinged and said,
“Next time, let’s go together. …I’ll follow you no matter what.”
“T-that… if possible.”
When I averted my gaze, Rician stepped closer, knelt on one knee, and looked up at me.
“I thought I was going crazy. I was terrified something might have happened to you.”
“No… it’d be a real problem if you went any crazier….”
“I agree. That’s why we must go together next time.”
If I refused here, he looked ready to pester me relentlessly until I gave in. That would be exhausting.
I didn’t even know if joint entry was possible, but for now, I nodded.
“Okay… let’s try to go together whenever possible….”
After that, I rubbed my eyes as if tired and let out a big yawn. I wasn’t actually exhausted, but I did want to rest.
Thankfully, Rician didn’t push the issue any further. Even the water-drop rice cake became unusually well-behaved.
Sipping the tea Rician brewed for me, I calmly explained our next plan to the two of them.
“I’m going to the dungeon hub city to do business.”
“Has the god given you a mission?”
“Uh… something like that. I need to earn 3,800 rubels within a month.”
“That’s not an impossible amount.”
“Right?”
That evening, we spent hours with our heads together, discussing what items to sell and at what prices.
Friday night passed just like that. There were 75 days left until D-day.
