bookpower Chapter 6
Chapter 6
chapter 6
chapter 6. magic stone exchange and encounter
after returning from the dungeon, i went to the dungeon information building.
this building is where most of the basic facilities are located, such as the magic stone exchange and equipment storage.
the first thing i wanted to do was to exchange magic stones for cash.
i went to the magic stone exchange counter and presented the eight kobold magic stones i had obtained to the staff member, who gave me a number tag.
then, i waited for a while.
after a few minutes of waiting, i was handed cash and a payment slip in place of the magic stones i had submitted.
“thank you for your patience. i will take 10% of the 3,200 yen purchase price of the magic stone as withholding tax, and give you 2,880 yen.”
the staff member placed two 1,000 yen bills and eight coins on a tray.
i put the money given to me in my wallet, bade the window clerk goodbye, and left the place.
i put the money in my wallet, bade the teller goodbye, and left the place. it’s an indescribable itch.
i’ve never had my part-time job paychecks and such go into my account, so this was the first time i’d ever had my hard-earned money handed over to me in cash.
i couldn’t help but feel my cheeks relax.
“but it’s 2,880 yen.”
i mumbled to myself, out of earshot of the staff.
i had been in the dungeon for about four hours, so i was paid roughly 720 yen per hour.
even after taking into account, this is my take-home pay, it’s still not enough to pay for the work i put my life on the line for.
i guess all the world is black.
however, there is hope for the future.
the kobolds on the first floor have a low magic stone exchange value, but the lower i go, the higher the magic stone exchange value of the monsters roaming around there becomes.
i look forward to the future.
“well, let’s get lunch.”
i’m hungry.
when i’m looking at the clock on the wall, the time was 1:30 in the afternoon.
it was a little past lunchtime.
after depositing my spear at the equipment storage counter, i left the general information building.
incidentally, the storage counter is very conscientious.
as long as i don’t leave an expensive item or a huge amount of equipment, there is no charge for storage.
this is the advantage of a publicly funded facility.
i pedaled my bicycle to a nearby noodle shop.
i had been to this area often, regardless of the dungeon, so i knew some of the nearby stores.
but then something unexpected happened.
“konnichiwa!”
a woman’s voice came from somewhere.
it was a voice i did not recognize.
i looked around and saw a young woman.
she was riding her bicycle a little distance away from me, smiling at me.
i didn’t recognize her face.
she looked about the same age as me: late teens or 20s.
she has black hair in a ponytail and is wearing a hoodie, pants, and sneakers.
her face and proportions are well-proportioned enough to be cute at first glance.
i looked around to make sure it wasn’t me, but i couldn’t see anyone else who looked like her partner.
“it’s you nii-san! you just came out of the dungeon general information building, didn’t you?”
the woman came up to me and stopped her bicycle.
i was convinced that she was speaking.
“let’s see, ...... yes. yes, i did come out of the general information building, but .......”
“right! oh, it’s nice to meet you. i am kodachi kazane. ─ ─ ah, nii-san is also a seeker, right?”
“yes, ah, well, ...... i am.”
“...... by any chance, did i bother you by calling you out?”
“no, no, it’s nothing like that.”
i was bewildered by the sudden approach of a beautiful woman, a stranger, and i was slack-jawed.
it was a stable communicative-distracted, negative gesture.
i don’t have any vivid talking skills that i can use in such a situation, and my mind couldn’t keep up with the suddenness of the situation.
however, the woman, kodachi kazane, seemed unconcerned about my ineptitude and was very friendly to me.
“um, may i ask your name, if you don’t mind?”
“uh, ah, let’s see... ...... musou daichi, it’s. it’s written as ‘there are six spears’, so six spears (musou).”
“wow, that’s a cool name. musou, are you out of the dungeon already today?”
“no, i was thinking of going out for lunch. i’m going to a ramen shop nearby.”
“you are going to have lunch now? i haven’t had lunch yet either. if you don’t mind, may i join you?”
“eh, ......? oh, yeah. if it’s okay with you, i’d be happy to.”
“good! i wanted to talk to someone in the same industry once.”
“that may not help you much, but.”
it was all i could do to answer kodachi-san, who kept coming at me.
this might be harder than dungeons and monsters.