Torquetum ⑤
Bid looked utterly exhausted.
Liv led her straight to the living room sofa.
We also moved to the living room with the tea set.
In the living room, there was a long black table and a white sofa.
“Nn… It’s just simple tea, but…”
Liv poured tea into a cup and placed it in front of Bid.
“Th-Thanks.”
Bid looked completely dejected. She reached for the cup, then stopped.
She cast her gaze downward. Hmm. The mood sure is heavy.
“Bid. What do you mean by disbanding?” Lupinus asked after taking a sip of her tea.
She’s the type who can cut right to the chase without reading the room in times like these.
“…After we returned, everyone was tired from various things, so we decided to take a break from activities for a while. We definitely needed the rest. The leader who was with Mr. Agaro was tired, and Crouton and Romomo, who got left behind and returned to the surface just the two of them, were the same. Me too.”
We also took about six days off after returning.
That much makes sense.
“Nn… That’s the same… everywhere…”
“At first, it was a four-day break. After that, we planned to do a few requests.”
“That’s rough.”
“…Hard work…”
“I think you could have rested a bit longer.”
“Actually, the only noble who was supporting us, ‘Zan Brave,’ went under for reasons I don’t really get, and we suddenly became poor.”
“You applied for base registration, didn’t you?”
If so, they should have received various benefits.
“We did, but most of it is gone due to payments.”
“Payments?”
“That’s right. We were putting the Subsidies towards that too. So we were covering living expenses with requests. That was enough to get by.”
“But your sponsor disappeared, and you couldn’t make those payments satisfactorily, which is why you became poor.”
“Nn… Paying that much money… What kind of payment…”
That’s what I’m curious about.
Bid picked up her cup and drank.
“This tastes good. It’s the kind of flavor I like.”
“It’s tea that Wof Compounded.”
“Wof-kun did? It’s delicious. The payment is—well, basically, the Party called ‘Zan Brave’ was inherited by the leader from the previous generation. He inherited the Party House too, but it was quite dilapidated and needed repairs. So we did the repairs, but the Repair Costs reached an outrageous amount.”
“So that’s the payment you mentioned.”
“Hmm. I see.”
“But the previous leader was originally supposed to pay for the repairs. That’s why the leader agreed to large-scale renovations. But the previous leader died suddenly before the repairs were finished, and the payment for those Repair Costs fell through.”
“Didn’t you sign a contract?”
“Indeed. For such a large sum of money, you’d normally sign a contract even with an acquaintance.”
“Nn… Even among close friends… there should be courtesy…”
Bid looked down at our sound arguments. Then she sighed deeply.
“You’re right… Normally, you would… You’d sign one…”
“You didn’t?”
“That’s quite helpless.”
“…Liv has… nothing to say…”
There’s really nothing one can say to that.
“Hmm. So, is that the reason for disbanding?”
“No, it’s not.”
“It isn’t?”
“It’s completely unrelated.”
Then what was all that talk just now?
We just heard about another Party leader’s screw-up.
“Nn… Bid… The reason for disbanding?”
“Marriage.”
“Huh?”
“For some reason, the members Crouton and Romomo decided to get married.”
“Well, that’s cause for celebration.”
“Oh my, that’s wonderful.”
“…Congratulations…”
“Well—normally, that’s how it is, right?”
“But that would be romance within the Party. Didn’t Zan Brave prohibit it?” Lupinus asked.
I hear romance within a Party causes various problems, so many places prohibit it.
In our case, it’s all girls, so for now, there’s nothing like that.
Bid gave a dry smile.
“Hahaha… We didn’t… ’cause we thought no one would ever get into anything like that… you know. Hahaha…”
“Well, I’ll be.”
“I can’t say anything.”
“Nn… So… why disband… Even if they marry… they can continue.”
Just as Liv says.
It might be difficult if they have children, but if they just got married, they should be able to continue.
“About that. Like I said earlier, it was initially four days off. Then, due to Crouton and Romomo’s circumstances, it became six days. When it became six days, they said it was inconvenient again, and it became eight days later. And then today, they suddenly announced they were getting married. Furthermore, they immediately followed up by saying they’d quit being Seekers after getting married. Apparently, Crouton is going to take over his family’s farm. And Romomo will too.”
“So it was today.”
“All we can say is we wish them happiness.”
“Nn…”
“But if that guy comes back, Zan Brave can continue with three members, can’t it?”
Zan Brave has a member who returned to their family home.
So, disbanding just because two members left seems too hasty.
Bid drained her cup.
“About that… The leader. He was in love with Romomo.”
“…Well, I’ll be.”
Ngh. I can’t say anything.
Lupinus also had a sour look on her face, and Liv made an ‘I give up’ gesture.
“So he got completely dejected, like ‘Ah, screw it all,’ and said we’re disbanding.”
“…Didn’t you try to stop him, Bid?”
“Honestly, I had my thoughts about it. But the leader just said, ‘I’m going to tell them,’ and left, so I had no choice but to ask Crouton and Romomo for the details. They started dating after returning from the anomaly subjugation. Then, in just eight days, they decided to get married. The biggest trigger was Crouton almost dying. He’d never been pushed that close to death before, so maybe ‘taking being a Seeker lightly’ is putting it badly, but things had been progressing smoothly, and it seems the fact that it’s dangerous work slipped his mind. It was the same for Romomo.”
“So feeling the danger of death made them decide to quit.”
“The fact that things had been going somewhat smoothly backfired, didn’t it?”
“…I kind of understand…”
“Yeah. Well, they’re cowards, but I don’t plan on blaming them.”
“No one can blame them.”
“Though I feel sorry for Aegis.”
“Nn…”
“So I think disbanding is unavoidable, but I suddenly got anxious. What should I do now? Suddenly, everything went dark in front of me, and I wanted to talk to someone, so I came to Torquetum…”
It feels like her signpost vanished, the path disappeared, and she came clinging to us for help.
“Hmm. In that case, Bid. Would you like to join Torquetum?”
“Eh? Me?”
“Ah, that’s what I was about to say! That’s not fair!”
“Nn… Liv was going… to say it too…”
“Fool. Anyone could have said it. How about it? I value your long-range suppressive power, and I know your personality well. Above all, you get along well with Liv. That black jacket you’re wearing. You got it from Liv, didn’t you?”
That thing Bid is wearing, called a jumper, was a gift from Liv.
When we did a joint request with Zan Brave before, her clothes got torn in an accident. Liv gave her that jacket then.
“Nn… The jumper is… a symbol of comradeship…”
“The jumper. It’s nice, and I treasure it… Hmmm. I appreciate Pachira’s invitation, but I think I’ll hold off on joining a Party for a while.”
“Hmm. I see.”
I thought there was a fifty-fifty chance she’d refuse.
Given that her Party just disbanded, I understand how she feels.
“I’ll go solo for a while.”
“Alright. If you run into any trouble, feel free to consult us.”
“Nn… Bid is a comrade…”
“We should help each other when we’re in trouble.”
“Everyone… Thank you…”
Tears welled up slightly in Bid’s eyes.
“Fool. Don’t cry.”
“I’m not crying!”
Bid rubbed her eyes vigorously. Good grief.
“Speaking of which, what will Aegis do?”
“The leader said he was going to tell them, so he probably went to report the disbandment to Mikka, who’s back home. He won’t be back for a while. His hometown is far from here. Maybe he intends to take a trip to heal his broken heart in that sense.”
“What about the Party House?”
“Who knows? Won’t the leader figure something out? Now that the Party’s disbanded and the base registration is gone, it’ll probably be put up for sale soon. It doesn’t concern me anymore.”
Well, that’s understandable, but Bid seems a little angry.
Suddenly, Lupinus got a thoughtful look on her face.
“—Bid. Is that Party House comfortable?”
“It’s comfortable. Not too big, not too small. Just the right size, and we put in some Legendary items when we repaired it.”
“What did you say?”
“What kind of Legendary items did you put in?”
“Umm, water comes out just by turning the faucet, and the kitchen is the latest Royal Capital style. I think it’s called a system kitchen, and the stove and stuff light up with just a switch. There’s also an oven, and a washing machine and refrigerator too. The bath is also a bathhouse style and spacious.”
“Nn… The height of luxury…”
“No wonder it cost a fortune.”
“…………Will the remaining Repair Costs be covered by the sale price?”
“That’s right-ssu. It’s the only way-ssu. Whether it’ll be enough is another matter, though-ssu.”
Lupinus. She’s been oddly proactive just now.
Well, I have a pretty good idea why.
“Pachira. Liv. What are your thoughts? I believe we should purchase it.”
“You… Just as I thought you’d say, aye.”
“Mm… Thought you’d say it…”
“What is it-ssu?”
“Pachira. Liv. That is acceptable, yes?”
Lupinus asks again. Hmm. There is one problem.
“It’s hard to say anything without knowing the price, aye.”
“Mm… That’s true…”
“In that case, Bid. I shall write a letter now. You know where Mikka’s hometown is, correct?”
“Yeah, I know it-ssu, but what’s this about-ssu?”
Bid tilts his head suspiciously.
Lupinus declared proudly.
“If it’s suitable, that Party House. We shall make it Torquetum’s base.”
“Wha— Are you serious-ssu?!”
“Of course. Is that acceptable? Both of you?”
Pachira and Liv exchanged glances, and Pachira offered a small, wry smile.
“If we apply for base status and can receive that support, aye.”
“…Minimum requirements…”
“Understood.”
“Ah, that’s right. There is one more thing, aye.”
“What is it?”
“Contacting our greatest supporter, aye.”
At that, Lupinus seemed to understand but made a sour face for just a moment.
It can’t be helped. Something this important must be reported.
“…Sigh, very well. I shall write a letter to them as well.”
It’s the leader’s duty, after all. Besides, it’s her family home, right?
“…Ho-Ren-So… Important…”
“Ho-Ren-So-ssu?”
“Mm… Report… Contact… Consult…”
“I see-ssu.”
“Hoh. Indeed, aye.”
Isn’t that a good phrase? Right, Lupinus?