Chapter 12: Contact from My Old Nest, and a Counterpunch ①
The next day, I was at the Explorer Association’s counter to exchange two days’ worth of magic stones for cash.
When I took the magic stones out of my bag and handed them to Yamada-san at the counter, she gave me an information sheet, guiding me to link my Explorer Card with my bank account.
“That would be more convenient, wouldn’t it?”
“Convenient, or rather… yes, well, I’ll explain later.”
Saying that, Yamada-san poured the magic stones I brought into a scale-like machine behind the counter.
However, only the magic stones from the Golden Scarab and the three Iwakage Fish (I caught all the fish with Otama-chan yesterday) were placed on a cushioned tray and taken to the back of the office space.
“Hmm…?”
Do they have a separate machine for those?
For the time being, I finished linking my Explorer information with my bank account on my smartphone.
After a short while, Yamada-san from the Explorer Association returned with an A4-sized paper.
“First, please take a look at this.”
“A Provisional Quotation… 698,000 yen?!”
An amount I’d never seen before was written there.
That’s about four months’ worth of my previous job’s monthly salary (including overtime).
“This is…?”
“This is the purchase price for the magic stones you brought in today. However, it’s not finalized.”
“And, by that you mean…?”
“For magic stones above a certain size, the Explorer Association auctions them widely to determine the purchase price. The magic stones Natsume-san brought are nearly perfect spheres and very versatile, so we might be able to buy them for a higher price than this estimate.”
“Seriously…?”
And this is just from two days of work.
What were all those days of being yelled at by my boss and bowing my head to clients even for…?
“By the way, the smaller magic stones—we call them ‘Pebble Magic Stones’ in the Explorer industry—their value is calculated mechanically by measuring their mana content. For the ones you brought today, they amount to 35,000 yen.”
“Ooh…”
Even without the rare ones, it’s a decent amount.
“It seems the quality of each magic stone has improved compared to the other day. This one, for example, is about the same size as a magic stone we previously bought for 40 yen, but this time its appraised value is 43 yen. Has there been any change within the dungeon?”
“No… well, sunflowers bloomed, the river’s water level changed… Ah, come to think of it…”
I told her about catching the Golden Scarab and obtaining the 【Item Drop Enhancement】 skill.
Yamada-san thought for a moment before speaking.
“I must confess my ignorance, I wasn’t aware of such a skill’s existence, but perhaps thanks to that skill, you’re able to turn them into magic stones without losing much of their mana content…”
“Huh…”
Her explanation was sort of understandable, sort of not, but it was helpful nonetheless.
Perhaps someone like Yamada-san, with experience exploring regular dungeons, might understand things about that Private Dungeon that I don’t.
“…Well, anyway, please wait a little while for the payment for this batch to be transferred. We’ll process it after the auction. Besides, this counter doesn’t have much cash on hand, so we appreciate your cooperation.”
With that, Yamada-san gave a bow.
“Understood. By the way, is Ms. Omogawa here today?”
“Ms. Omogawa is out on an investigation today. Did you need something from her?”
“Yes, actually, some of the larger magic stones I brought in today were thanks to her help. I was thinking of treating her to a meal if they sell for a good price.”
“Is that so? Hehe.”
Yamada-san chuckled, looking amused.
“Ms. Omogawa will be delighted to hear that. In that case, my responsibility becomes quite significant, doesn’t it? If I don’t manage to sell them for higher than the market rate, Ms. Omogawa might hold a grudge against me.”
“…? No, it’s not really to that extent…?”
“Well, please leave it to me,” Yamada-san said, handing me the provisional quotation once more.
☆★☆
“698,000 yen, huh…”
Back home, I was grinning as I gazed at the paper I received from the Association.
I’d probably have to put some of it into the household budget for living expenses, but I’d still have a good amount of freely usable money left over.
What should I buy…?
It’s a little scary, but I’d like to try operating as a regular Explorer at least once, so maybe I should get some equipment…
As I was lost in such daydreams.
Picon!
My smartphone’s notification sound went off.
“Is it a LINK message from Otama-chan?”
Full of expectation, I unlocked the screen.
“Geh…”
IYADA: You doing okay?
It was a message from Iyada, a colleague from my previous job.
We never really talked privately.
Since I couldn’t read his intentions, I held off on operating my phone to avoid marking it as “read,” when another message arrived.
IYADA: Where were those panels and plushies we use for the spring event again?
“Ugh…”
Don’t ask a former employee.
It wasn’t just Iyada; the guys at my old company never did any miscellaneous tasks that wouldn’t contribute to their own evaluations.
I was the one who ended up doing all of it, as if it were forced upon me.
Besides, I’m pretty sure I told them where the supplies were as needed…
I could just block his account without replying, but I was in a good mood thanks to the provisional quotation from the Explorer Association.
Oh well, I’ll just give him a straight answer.
Kouichi: They didn’t fit in the sales warehouse, so I put them in the warehouse with the stationery and stuff.
Seriously, what a pain.
A little later, another LINK message arrived from Iyada.
Picon!
IYADA: Thanks.
Picon!
(Image)
He even sent a pointless photo of the plushie.
Actually, the plushie wasn’t even in the center of the photo.
What was in the center of the photo was a certificate of commendation and a formal envelope with “Monetary Gift” written on it.
It was annoying, so I ignored it, but then another message came from Iyada.
IYADA: My bad, my bad, something extra got in the shot.
IYADA: My sales performance was good again this year, so I got the President’s Award at the end of the fiscal year.
IYADA: Thinking about what to eat with the 30,000 yen bonus. Premium yakiniku might be tough at my age lol.
IYADA: You should find a workplace where you can shine too. I’m sure there’s a place that needs even someone like you lol.
Ugh…
Not only does he ask a former employee a work-related question, but he also has to flex on me.
What a despicable human being.
Come to think of it, he bragged about the President’s Award last year too.
Back then, I remember grappling with complex emotions like “I don’t want to become like this guy” and “But I’m envious of the recognition from others and the 30,000 yen,” and I even shed a few tears alone.
“I really got to wondering what being a corporate drone was all about back then…”
But, this time.
I looked at the provisional quotation in my hand.
—698,000 yen.
“…He’s the one who started it, after all.”
It might be classless, but I took a photo of the provisional quotation with my smartphone.
Then, I sent the image to Iyada through the LINK chat screen.
“Will he even believe it…?”