Volume 4 Chapter 13 Invalidation
On the way back home, Handless said,
"If you can't pay immediately upon returning home, the contract will be void. I'll send all of you back to that place, and depending on the situation, I might even kill you."
Seemingly quite dissatisfied with being forced to accept the request through negotiation, he grumbled. The fully armored figure assured us, "If you try that, we'll beat you up, so rest assured."
'...'
But we didn't have the luxury to engage in such banter. I lent my shoulder to Clay, who had lost a leg, while Ice and Sandra supported Toxy on both sides as we made our way home.
We were battered and bruised. Thanks to Ice immediately icing the injuries, they managed to stay alive. We were also exhausted from intense battles and stress.
And so, we pushed our weary bodies to make it back home. We laid Clay and Toxy in the living room and entrusted their care to Ice and Sandra.
"Um... sorry, but could you bring a brown bottle from my room for me?"
"Okay. I'll bring it right away. Wait here, Toxy."
"Haha... Sandra, you look so serious, it's the first time I've seen you like this..."
Following Toxy's instructions, Sandra dashed off. Toxy then began giving instructions to Ice.
Meanwhile, Clay and I were busy dealing with the payment.
"You can't just hand over the money in coins. I manage it by diversifying it into various securities."
"Hey, what do you mean by that?"
To Handless, who was getting annoyed, Clay nervously replied,
"Don't worry, please. If anything, it's worth more than five big gold coins... ---Wade-kun, bring it all for now. I'll explain..."
"Understood, leave it to me."
Following Clay's instructions, I went to the safe we shared and took out its contents.
When I returned, Alex was standing there with a furious expression, while Handless, who had been arrogant just moments ago, now looked dejected and forced a smile.
What's going on?
"Hey, Wade. What's all this about? Did a platinum adventurer break in and rob you?"
"N-no... I just came to pay the fee for the help I received."
"Oh? Looks like you weren't lying, huh? Right, Mudi-kun?"
"Yes, that's right... of course. Hehe..."
Handless bowed repeatedly, looking completely different from the tough guy he was just a moment ago.
"Well, never mind that. Wade, sit there. Philia, take a seat. Mudi, stay on the ground."
"Why me? I haven't done anything wrong this time!"
"We'll see if that's true."
Confused by the situation, I followed Alex's instructions and took a seat as Clay said, "I'll leave it to Alex-san, I'm going to rest..."
"Now, Wade. Tell me what happened."
"Um... we all went to the dungeon together. We fell into a trap with a treasure chest teleportation. It was probably around the 80th floor. I ended up in a tough spot, attacked by what seemed like the boss there, and just as we were about to be wiped out, we were saved by them and returned."
"I see... I can't believe Mudi would help someone so readily."
"Hey, Alex. Who's Mudi? Is it this person?"
As I looked at Handless, Alex nodded and said, "Yes, that's Handless, the platinum torch adventurer."
"...Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"It all started with a slip of the tongue. But his real name is indeed Mudi. He got called 'Handless' because his fighting style doesn't involve weapons, and before we knew it, that's what everyone called him."
"...Ugh"
Formerly Handless, now Mudi, reluctantly nodded.
"By the way, I'm Philia! Nice to meet you, Wade-chan!"
"Chan..."
Philia, now in full armor, introduced herself. Her name was quite cute.
"Alright, it's too hot, so I'll just take off my helmet."
Philia removed her round, thick helmet, revealing a youthful, girlish face underneath.
"..."
I had always wondered how she could move around in that armor. If I wore something like that, my movements would definitely be awkward.
Setting that thought aside, Alex steered the conversation back.
"Well, anyway, Wade, we've got the inside scoop. Mudi, you saved Wade's party from certain death under the guise of a request, right?"
"Yes! Of course! So, please stop pushing me further into debt..."
"You're not going to repay it anyway, you octopus."
Alex's kick pierces Mudi's face. But Mudi remains silent and prostrates himself.
"Please, please forgive me...!"
"Jeez, whatever. So, Wade. It seems like you're carrying quite a hefty security, what's the fee like for the rescue from below the 80th level? It must be quite a hefty expense. I'll front some of it for you."
"What!? Alex, are you serious!? That Alex!?"
"Hey, you're treating me like a money-grubber. I mean, I'm invested in those securities too. There are plenty of investments that only gain value when Clay manages them. If all of that goes to this idiot, I'll be at a loss too."
As Alex speaks, he averts his gaze. I can't help but feel that he's a really good older brother figure.
"I owe you one. Honestly, it was quite tough. Um, I believe it was, like, five big gold coins..."
"Five big gold coins!?"
Alex loses his temper and glares at Mudi. Mudi is now in a humble bowing position, rubbing his forehead on the ground.
"Please forgive me!"
"...I thought it was rare for me to see him so submissive even when dealing with me, but it seems like you've been quite harsh on my dear little brothers."
"Harsh...?" I look at Alex, who starts explaining in a grumpy tone.
"Listen, Wade. Everything has its price. For example, even in a life-threatening situation, there's a significant difference in the amount between a regular person lost in the forest and an adventurer in a deep dungeon."
"I see."
It's a discussion about the difference in difficulty even in life-threatening situations.
If someone is lost in the forest, a reward of one or two silver coins would be enough as a token of gratitude. But in the deep floors of a dungeon, where a strong party must struggle significantly, the amount increases substantially.
"So, the reward of five big gold coins is for a rescue from the deepest part of the dungeon, the 300th floor of the Karditsa Great Dungeon or even further from the Underworld. They probably just used the magic circle to return quickly."
"Yes, that's correct..."
"In that case, the reward of five big gold coins is invalid. At best, it's worth five gold coins."
"Hey! That's only a tenth! Please at least give us one big gold coin!"
"You idiot, don't underestimate me! That kind of reward is for barely making it to rescue the target! If I heard the story, it's like you made the injured carry the injured, right!?"
"I'm sorry! It was troublesome!"
Mudi raises his head to protest, but Alex scolds him and he once again rubs his forehead on the ground.
Feeling disheartened, I speak up.
"Um, sorry to interrupt, but if the negotiations drag on, can we postpone it for another day...? It's not just me, but everyone is extremely tired..."
After my plea, there is a brief silence, and eventually, the decision is made to disband for now.
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