Chapter 51: PersonnelSitting in Bernhard’s room with Rutina and my party.

  “Lady Rutina has just informed me that revealing Marcus’ job was a big mistake — a mistake of the punishable kind. Completely my fault, of course. Sorry about that. Our reasonable options are to ignore the warning or permit Marcus, plus one, to join Lady Rutina as an official Knight.”

  Sherry asks, “That second option sounds a bit suspicious.”

  “Yes, it appears to greatly favor Lady Rutina. But, unlike most vassals, Marcus and Theo will have us to defend them.”

  Everyone in the room gives me an odd look.

  Alina adds, “Lady Rutina would never, ever risk angering our David.”

  “Good point!”

  Rutina simply giggles and we all join in.

  “Best for me would be to reject the offer. Besides the personal connection, losing the guys weakens the party. On the other hand, the guys might actually benefit from going there and we could survive without them. Marcus, Theo, I will permit you to leave, if that is what you wish. I will also allow you to return ter.”

  They left the room. It barely took a minute for them to return — maybe they’d already discussed such a situation.

  In a full, confident voice, Marcus answers, “With Boss’ permission, Theo and I will accept Lady Rutina’s offer. Besides having me as a Knight, Theo is an experienced Explorer who has formal training in swordsmanship and is capable of training others.”

  “Wonderful! Of course, I’m sorry to break up your party, but I’m so happy to gain strong, dependable allies. Lord Moreau and I will work out the details. I’ll start scouting for wife candidates, though it may take a bit longer for Theo.”

  “Ahem, My Lady, that will not be necessary. You see, Theo and I are a couple and will remain together.”

  “Seriously? You two? Huh, I never would have guessed. Sorry to be indelicate, but does that mean you can be fully trusted around women?”

  I answered for them, “Yes, Lady Rutina, women are much safer with them than they are with me.”

  Everyone ughed at that comment. I didn’t really understand why.

  “Lord Moreau, we have a deal. Just please don’t use my enthusiasm against me when we negotiate.”

  “Don’t worry, your enthusiasm works in your favor.”

  “You’re even worse than me at this.”

  “Agreed. So, to the byrinth as usual?”

  “Gdly.”

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  Sherry described the new monster, Hat Bat, and I told Rutina that wind magic would be our best bet, as expected for a flying monster. We walked to the byrinth and Theo took us to the 18th floor. Curious, I saw that Rutina’s Mage job has reached level 17. Since she hasn’t spent that much time with us, it’s pretty clear that EXP gains are highly dependent on monster levels. This is good news since her magic power might be considered pusible just by working very, very hard.

  With the aid of the abbreviated map, we made good progress. When it was time for a break, the guys checked the surroundings using the new protocol and we walked out the normal way — still feels primitive not to warp. It was a bit chilly today so we went back to Bernhard’s room.

  Rutina spoke cheerfully, “With Marcus and Theo at my side, the family should allow me to join the official expeditions. Healers are often shared so we should get clearance for the lower floors almost immediately.”

  “That’s very good news and you really deserve it. Does that mean you won’t need to come with us anymore?”

  “Ideally, I’d like to do both. I need to learn to manage without you without completely losing your support. I know it’s a lot to ask, but will take what I can get. I’m not quite foolish enough to invite you to join my Order, so I won’t. Instead, I’ll simply confirm that you’ll always be welcome.”

  “Please teach this level of diplomacy to your uncle. Telling me that I’m welcome while speaking privately is so much better than shocking me with what sounded like a decree at a formal dinner.”

  “Did he really? I didn’t know that. Well, he is a duke after all. Typically, people jump when he orders them to. He and my father never agreed but father still pretended to accept everything uncle said.”

  “Having to deal with someone like me who didn’t grow up in that system must be bothersome.”

  “What do you mean? Weren’t there any nobles above your family?”

  “Um, no, actually. We have a king, but he lives very, very far away. [1] None of that matters anymore so let’s delve back into the byrinth.”

  The second half went just as smoothly as the first. It was honestly a bit boring to fight the same monsters as we did in Curatar’s Labyrinth. No skill crystals were found this time to compensate for the ck of freshness. We finished the floor and exited. Rolf was waiting since we went a bit te.

  “Lord Moreau, I can’t join next time, but could we meet at the castle around noon that day? I’d like to discuss the deal.”

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  Back home, Alina asked excitedly, “So, is this real or are we running away?”

  “Um, I guess that depends on the guys. I was serious though.”

  Marcus responded, “It’s great here and unlikely to be better there. Still, this sounds like an interesting opportunity.”

  “Theo, you know that it will take you much longer to become an Adventurer, right?”

  “I don’t mind. In fact, I may just keep the Explorer job. Adventurers seem to spend most of their time just taking the real party members from pce to pce. I’d rather be in the byrinths than just wait outside.”

  “Theo, tell Boss the other reason too.”

  “Um, I like children and since we won’t have any, I’d like to be there to help teach them.”

  “Well that sounds like a great pn then.”

  I wasn’t convinced that their willingness to follow Rutina wasn’t just to keep us out of trouble until Theo mentioned kids. It hadn’t occurred to me earlier, but it somehow made sense. I could see how happy he was to instruct me and Alina — I bet he’d be great teaching kids. It will be difficult to find such dependable vanguards who are also peaceful party members. I don’t want them to leave, but at least I’ll still have Alina and Sherry. Can I assume that? Of course, I can. Alina will stay long-term. Even if Sherry ends up leaving some day, it’s unlikely to be soon. Now that I think of it, how are my remaining party members doing, level-wise? Oh, looks like Alina has qualified for the Assassin job. [2]

  “Hey, Alina, ready to change jobs?”

  “Huh? Can I really? Yes, please!”

  [Click]

  “OK, all done. Go ahead and look at your card now.”

  “Yeah, let’s go try it out!”

  “Sure, right after dinner.”

  ────────────────────────

  To get used to not having the guys around, we left them at home. For safety, I decided on a low floor of Vale’s Labyrinth. Of course, I picked a floor without kobolds to keep Alina’s enthusiasm in check.

  It seems like Alina petrified more frequently, but it could just be observational bias. With Alina running around, leaving the vanguard to Sherry alone might not be enough on higher floors. As expected, we need at least one and probably two more people. It’s obviously my fault for being too nice, but I don’t mind helping a good noble like Rutina. Anyway, this could be good for me in the long run.

  A minor issue that I hadn’t considered is that I’ll have to store the drops. At least Sherry has an Item Box so we can share. Satisfied with the little test, I took us home.

  I’m too cheap to invest more enchantments on the guys, despite the fact that they’ll remain in the party nearly as long as they been with me so far — it’s only the halfway point. Time really flies in an alternate reality. Anyway, I’ll have to prioritize our survival without the guys. First will be to repce Theo’s Chant Interruption skill. Alina’s sword has another slot and she’s pretty damn fast. Nah, that can wait since the guys aren’t leaving that soon.

  Instead, I asked Sherry to make a Cord of Substitution. Good to have a spare avaible after selling one to Rutina. I certainly don’t pn on repossessing the guys’ Cords, at least not yet.

  ────────────────────────

  Day 55

  “Since it’s pretty likely that we’ll lose the guys to the elves, I want to drop by An’s shop to look for new party members. Even if we don’t need repcements yet, it’s good to get at least one person started. Who knows, Rutina might even try to get them early.”

  I took us to the sve merchant and we were immediately invited inside.

  “Good morning, Mr. Moreau. Welcome back. How can I help you?”

  “Hello, An. Marcus and Theo here will soon leave our party so I’m looking for one or two repcements.”

  “Ah, very good, Sir. Are you looking for male combat sves?”

  “Only if they can be unconditionally trusted around women. I need my current party members to feel safe and comfortable. Otherwise, I’ll consider any woman who can join our byrinth expeditions.”

  “I don’t currently have any men that I would want to guarantee and most of the women are intended for domestic duties. But, I just so happen to have a few who could function as both. Please wait here a moment while we get them ready.”

  As soon as An left, Alina teased, “Oh, so that’s why you’re letting the guys go so easily. Well, maybe you really are a human after all.”

  Of course not, though I’ll just pretend that the thought hadn’t crossed my mind.

  Soon, An returned and I followed him upstairs. Five women were lined up for inspection. Looking at the fifth, I simply froze. An said something so I nodded reflexively but heard nothing. I did my best to calm down and speak normally.

  “An, I would like to speak to them as a group and then pick one or two for further discussion.”

  He nodded so I began.

  “Hello, I am the leader of a party dedicated to byrinth subjugation. Your primary duty would be as a member of the vanguard. At this point, I just need to know if you would be willing and able to accept this role. For both our sakes, please answer honestly.”

  Three of the girls just looked down, one replied in the negative and the st said, “Yes, I would very much be interested in that.”

  “An?”

  Another nod and he left with the others. (How will I be able to avoid staring? I need to remain calm and objective but this is almost too much.)

  “Alright, let’s get into the details. My name is David Moreau. I’m a Mage and a freeman, not a noble. We are currently a party of five so we can take a new member immediately. Of course, we take the time to help you catch up to our level. Do you have any experience in the byrinths?”

  “Yes, Sir, though not a lot. I look forward to doing more.”

  “So, you won’t be disappointed that your domestic duties would be minimal?”

  “No, Sir. I am ready to do what’s needed of me.”

  “Good to hear. Do you have any questions?”

  “No questions, Sir, but I should inform you of a potential problem. I was sold to this sve shop, far from home, to escape the attention of a rival family. A few weeks ago, they discovered my location and have been causing trouble. I know that this may disqualify me from consideration but you said to be honest.”

  “I appreciate you telling me. Fortunately, we are a strong party and live in the countryside. No one is likely to find us and we will defend you as we would any party member.”

  “That is wonderful to hear, Sir. I would hate to be a burden.”

  ────────────────────────

  An came back a moment ter. The three of us went downstairs and I briefly introduced the candidate to the party. She was polite and even a bit shy until asked about combat where she appeared more than a little eager. Yeah, strictly domestic duties really wouldn’t be a good fit.

  An took her away so we could discuss in private, though it’s hard to imagine he isn’t listening.

  “So, what do you think?”

  Marcus shrugged and said, “She seems enthusiastic. She’ll do fine.”

  Theo added, “She moves well. Probably good with a short sword.”

  After a pause, Alina asks, “Is she, um, like Sherry?”

  “Alina?”

  “Approved.”

  “Sherry, what do you think?”

  “Seriously? You’re picking her?”

  “That’s the idea. Why not?”

  “How could she possibly fight with those gross deformities? How can she even keep her bance?”

  “Sherry, are you really asking me to disqualify her based on appearance?”

  “No, that’s not fair. I’m sorry, she’s fine.”

  An returns and the two of us walk to a smaller room to discuss business. I can’t openly negotiate the price of a person, especially not in front the ones I bought earlier. I hate being reminded of what this really is, even if I’m the only one bothered by it.

  “So, Mr. Moreau, is she to your liking?”

  “Yes, though I’m concerned about the cost reted to her appearance.”

  “Yes, that certainly is a factor.”

  “So, are there any less obvious issues?”

  “Oh, I see she told you. Of course, I was just getting to that. Her contract has special conditions which makes selling her at auction problematic. As a result, we’ve had some trouble finding suitable pcement. It must be someone who is capable of dealing with the challenges.”

  “I can do that. How much are you asking?”

  “In consideration of the special circumstances, I can go all the way down to 500,000 Nars. No lower.”

  “I accept and want to omit the on master’s death cuse.”

  “Very well, Sir. For your continued business, the total will be 350,210 Nars.”

  After the usual ceremony, I gained a new sve.

  “Welcome to the party, Roxanne.” [3]

  [Roxanne][Female, Age: 16][Beast Warrior: 6]

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  [1] David’s country of origin is a constitutional monarchy without nobility. So, technically, none are higher.[2] Alina’s progress through the Warrior job (days 41 to 54) is comparable to Miria’s in the LN (v9 c4 and v10 c2).[3] Roxanne appears much earlier in the LN (day 2). Her price is lower here due to the rival family’s interference and David acting less like a horny teen.