Seeker 6

Test

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 (Rikusou)."

"Wow, that's a cool name. Rikusou, 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.