Kujonin Chapter 99

Kujonin
Author: Hanabokuro
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Riddle-san was boiling white flowers in a pot for monster warding in the bas.e.m.e.nt of Floura's government office.
The smell is strong, so Riddle-san was wearing a mask. When I approached him, he gestured to tell me to go to a room above.
Borrowing a room on the first floor of the government office, Riddle-san guided me there.
Jerry-san was told to watch the pot on the fire by Riddle-san. Previously he appeared to kind of person who wouldn't do such work, but, "He's now become someone who will take the initiative to do menial ch.o.r.es for even things like this," Riddle-san said happily.

"So, is the matter with the Earth Hero been cleaned up?"
While requesting tea from a government office employee that was in the hall, Riddle-san asked.
"Yes; what I can do is over for the time being. In the first place, I'm an exterminator, so there wasn't anything for me to do in the first place."
"You're not a simple exterminator. You saved the areas surrounding the desert, you saved the lake, and you're the trade merchant who made the Alliance's tollroads; I wouldn't be able to find someone like you the world over."
"No, no, I didn't actually make the tollroads."
"That's true. However, you thought of the idea, and even having the Central Government hiring the Earth Hero was thanks to Naoki-dono. I believe you are far from a normal trade merchant."
"I suppose. Well, I just did what I thought would be better. And so, what did you want to talk about today?"
It doesn't seem like the Earth Hero matter is the main issue.
"It's not something I wanted to talk about, this is for rewarding you the remuneration for the locusthopper extermination. Did you forget?"
That's right. We haven't been paid yet.
"That's true. We exterminated close to 100,000 locusthoppers then, so say that 1 locusthopper is 1 copper coin; calculating with that, it would be 1,000 gold coins."
Setting out some suitable calculations, I tried raising the price. If the reward's too cheap, I won't know what to tell Ayl and Velsa again.
"Hou, are you alright with that?"
Riddle-san reacted opposite how I expected.
"1,000 gold coins is good enough for you for exterminating the locusthoppers, establis.h.i.+ng an extermination method, subjugating large-sized monster beasts, and establis.h.i.+ng the construction of a campsite combined? Estimating conservatively, I believe 5,000 gold coins would not be enough."
"5- 5,000!? But if you do that, it will be more than the damages would have been, right…?"
"If you factor in the future damages that have been averted, I believe it's a suitable amount of money."
Is that how it is?
"That said, this country does not have the budget for that at the present. We also have to invest some budget into the tollways. And so, knighthood and jewels are a matter of course, and we intend to present things like weapons, magic books, and magic tools."
"Th,that much!? Hm?"
Huh? I feel like I overlooked something just now…
"Ah, I'm declining the knighthood."
"Muu, as expected. Could I hear you reasoning for the record?"
"Well, you know, if I took peerage, I'd belong to this country, right?"
"So you don't have the intention of living out your life being buried in this country?"
"Yeah, I still intend to travel around the world, after all."
"Right, I understand. We will withdraw the knighthood. I suppose the King wanted to meet Naoki-dono once."
"Really? Well, there's no connection between us, so please pardon me from that. As for weapons and magic books and the like, would it be alright if I decided together with my employees?"
"Of course. Are you also meeting with Margaret-san?"
"No, I believe my employees are intruding at Margaret-sama's mansion around this time."
"I wouldn't have believed that the exterminator in blue workclothes that I met in the bas.e.m.e.nt would be so influential to the Ruginia Alliance."
"I also never had the foresight to imagine this when I first arrived at Floura."
At that time, my goal was going to a brothel. I never did get to go, huh?
"How long will you be in Floura?"
"If the boat is done being repaired, then we intend to depart once our errands are done."
"I see. Once you've decided when to depart, let me know. We'll drink."
"Understood."
Making a promise to go drinking with Riddle-san before we depart, I left the government office.

Seth and Merumo called as I was on my way back to the inn.
Seth said a large amount of requests had piled up at the Merchant's Guild, and Merumo said that the Adventurer's Guild's Guild Master seems to have said that our employees need to come and take the exam to raise our ranks. It also seems that there are adventurers who want to have a match with me.
For now, I joined the newbies in front of the inn, and then a drunk Ayl called.
Somehow a banquet started, so get over here; is basically what's up.
I can tell it's going to turn into something troublesome, but I also have the letter from Alfred-san, so I dragged the newbies along and went.
The newbies were surprised by the largest mansion in Floura. It might be because the mansion was beautifully lit up with the light of magic stone lights. In a panic, they asked me to use Cleanup on them, so I did.
Opening the gate on my own initiative and entering with an, 'Excuse me~!" a humanified Black Dragon-san appeared with a bottle of wine and three cups, saying, "There's an intruder."
"This way. The banquet is held in the back."
Accepting a cup, I followed behind Black Dragon-san, and there was Red Dragon in dragon form, sleeping behind the mansion.
"What a slovenly guy. Well, he's young, so it can't be helped."
That's what Black Dragon-san said, but hasn't Red Dragon been living for several hundred years?
"Oh my, welcome. Naoki-kun. And these must be the newcomers who have been bullied by their seniors. Welcome, come on over."
So saying, Margaret-san guided us over to the open-air banquet.
Tables and chairs were lined up on the lawn, and a wealth of food was prepared on the tables.
"I said we weren't bullying them. It's teaching, proper teaching. That's what we're doing."
Seems like Ayl's already drunk. She came up and hugged me while stumbling, and I unintentionally caught her.
"…snore…"
She even fell asleep, just like that. As usual, that d.a.m.n Ayl smells good. I'm hungry, so I'm just going to toss her on the lawn and leave her.
"Newbies. You can step on her if you want."
" "N,no …" "
"It's fine. She won't remember it anyway."
I thought it would be better for their spirits if they could cleanse themselves of their daily resentment, but the newbies moved towards Red Dragon's side without stepping on her. Well, Ayl wouldn't die even if she was crushed under Red Dragon, I suppose.
I handed Alfred-san's letter to Margaret-san.
"This is from Alfred-san."
"Oh my, you met my younger brother? He has such a horrible look, doesn't he?"
"No no, he has a nice face, right? Although it's the kind you couldn't eat even if you boiled it or grilled it."
"Fufufufu-! Being unable to eat it even if it's boiled or grilled, isn't that fine? I'm also going to start saying that."
While laughing, Margaret-san received the letter and read it, nodding in a.s.sent.
During that time, I looked around at the area around the table. Seth and Merumo were listening to Black Dragon-san's stories, transporting the food they could see towards their mouths. But Velsa isn't here.
"Naoki-kun,about the tollroad remuneration for now."
"Ah, wait a minute, please. Where is Velsa right now?"
"Aah, right now she's with Granny … ah, here they come."
Velsa and Granny emerged from the mansion from where Margaret-san pointed her finger, carrying a large amount of books, and came this way.
"Ooh, Naoki. So you came."
"What's with those books?"
"See, we'll have time when we're on the s.h.i.+p, right? I asked if there weren't any good books, and there were this many interesting books here."
Velsa has the eyes of a scholar.
"Eh? Is it alright to take these books?"
I asked Margaret-san.
"Yes, both Granny and I have read them, after all. Take them if you'd like."
"Thank you very much."

After that, I discussed the remuneration for the tollroads, together with Velsa mixed in.
As the proposer of the Ruginia Alliance tollroad plan, it was suggested that we'd receive 3% of the earnings.
"Regarding earnings, would the fines be included?"
"The fines wouldn't be included."
"If that's the case, how about 10% of the full sum of the fines?"
"Fufufu, didn't Alfred think that plan up?"
Margaret-san smiled as she held the letter. It seems that the plan I had talked about was written in the letter.
"My apologies. I'm joking. Even if we're discussing the earnings, that's something for once the tollroads exist. At that time, we don't know where we'll be."
"Yes, and so we intend to pay through the Merchant's Guild."
Certainly, the Merchant's Guild acts as a bank, so I can receive a payment made from a Merchant's Guild in a different place.
"No, well it's also possible for us to do, so I was thinking it would be better to receive it now. What do you think, Velsa?"
If I'm targeted by a Spirit, it's possible that I'll die soon. It would be dangerous to carry money on hand when journeying by boat, but I have the item bag, so I feel like there won't be a problem.
"You only proposed the plan, right? Well, you also did the negotiations. There's also the trouble of Red Dragon and Black Dragon-san's meal payments, as well as the price of the books. Haven't we already received the remunerations?"
Ah, that's right. The dragons are big eaters, and the books are pretty expensive.
"Then, that's how it is."
"Is that fine?"
Margaret-san asked, surprised.
"Yeah, our treasurer said so, so it's fine."
Velsa just called herself out treasurer.
"How was it with Riddle-san?"
Velsa asked me.
"He said it was going to be jewels, weapons, and magic tools. I refused knighthood."
"What!?"」
Velsa said with sudden irritation.
"Well, I don't intend to join this country, so there's no need for a t.i.tle, right?"
"Isn't it fine to just sell the peerage!?"
Really, t.i.tles are things you can sell!? Eh, are they something that's fine to sell?
"Normally they're not something you can sell, I believe."
Margaret-san overheard us and said.
"Yeah, I thought so."
"Then it's just that my dad's the weird one?"
It seems that Velsa's father sold his t.i.tle.
"Wait a second, then there's no money, right?"
Velsa said, as if she just realized it.
"No, there's the remuneration from Margaret-san, right…"
"That's going to run out with the boat's repair fee, right? Furthermore, we have to get furniture together."
"Really!?"
Without money, we can't buy things for the journey, or food, or daily necessities.
"Is there a jeweler in Floura?"
"There isn't. I believe there should be some if you go to the Capital."
Margaret-san responded.
"Wait a second. Seth! You said there was a lot of work acc.u.mulated at the Merchant's Guild, didn't you?"
Seth, who was listening to Black Dragon's stories, called over.
"Yes, there were 45 cases of cleaning and extermination."
"Can there be so many…?"
"I advertised a lot in the city, after all."
Granny said, placing the books down and tapping her back.
"Then I'll try to sc.r.a.pe up the money from jobs tomorrow. If it's not enough, I'll run to the Capital."
"Roger."
"President!"
Merumo, who was listening to Black Dragon-san's stories together with Seth, called me.
"What?"
"What about the Adventurer's Guild?"
"Just leave something like that alone!"
"Is that fine?"
"If they're too persistent, just leave it to Ayl."
"Understood~"
When the discussions had ended, the banquet begain, and the sleeping Red Dragon and Ayl also woke up and we drank the night away.

The next morning, I woke up on Floura's beach with a cat monster stepping on me.
I don't have any memories of last night.
"Why am I here?"