Leading an adventurer's group—leading a party—was, fundamentally, a job full of worries.
If the group was large-scale, perhaps they could hire someone to manage things, but they couldn't entrust their money to someone they didn't trust.
In his private room, Rael looked over a list of consumables Monica had compiled from everyone and started making a purchase list.
"Let's see... this part can be covered by the party funds, so the problem is Aria. She's definitely one who needs to buy this stuff on her own. Actually, only Aria uses it anyway."
Aria was short on cash because they'd done a bulk equipment upgrade. He knew she'd been hitting the food stalls, but it had been within acceptable limits, so he'd left it alone.
If a member ended up in debt and couldn't manage their finances, it would affect the other members, so some degree of management was necessary.
Being a leader meant worrying not just about yourself, but also about the party. In other words, he had no time.
"Tomorrow I'll go shopping with Miranda, then it's Clara, and Aria..."
On top of that, there was the need to interact with his companions—and—
Watching him like this, Monica looked bored, clutching her twin tails in each hand, but he decided to ignore her.
She helped him with various things when she was nearby, but when she had free time, she'd sulk and make gestures to get his attention. Right now she was sitting on the floor, singing a sad song to try and distract him.
"...Monica, if we cover everything, the budget will—"
When he spoke to her, she shot to her feet, snapping her hands up crisply.
"Over budget. Specifically, by about ten gold coins! Since it's unclear how much we'll earn from the Dungeon, we can't make any further budget plans without expecting a deficit! Well, for Chicken's fortune, it's a pittance."
Even when taking on commissions, considering the effort involved in moving the party around, not every job was suitable, and making the party profitable was part of the leader's job.
"I'm prepared for a deficit, but getting used to that is..."
Even with more money coming in, it would never be enough, and he felt uneasy about his own lack of composure. Then, an advisory voice came from the Jewel.
It was the Fourth Generation, who was strong when it came to money matters.
'You seem troubled, Rael... but I don't think you need to constantly push yourself to the limit, you know.'
The moment I touched the Jewel, the Fourth Generation continued his explanation.
"You don't need to keep the entire party operating at all times. Send a moderate force into the Dungeon, and keep two or three members rested. During Rael's time off, there's no need to tackle the Dungeon at all. And depending on the situation, you can take just two or three members in. Right now, you've got enough people to make that work."
Our party's defining trait was that while we were few in number, each member boasted exceptional strength.
"Fighting with everyone at once is overkill the way things stand now. If you rotate people out regularly, you can conserve your fighting power. On top of that, it'll cut down on consumable usage."
There was a worry in the back of my mind—would everyone be able to gain experience equally? But the reality was, without money, nothing moved.
However—
(There's also the matter of Novem and Miranda. Rotating members and trying out different formations could be a good thing. Actually, aside from Novem and Miranda, there aren't any other people who don't get along, right?)
I figured this would be a good chance to test things out, and since this was Baim's first Dungeon subjugation, there'd be plenty of trial and error involved.
I turned my gaze to Monica.
"How's the mini-Porter for Clara coming along? Looks like it'll be done?"
Monica raised both palms upward and gave a shrug.
"Since we couldn't secure a workshop, it's going to be a very basic model. Think of it as a handcart with wheels and legs attached to a box. But one unit is already finished."
We had obtained detailed information about the Dungeon, but it simply wasn't spacious enough for a Porter to fit inside. Even if it could get in, it couldn't descend the stairs.
And according to Monica's calculations, it couldn't make the turns either.
(Fighting in tight quarters means a smaller team is the way to go.)
Originally, I'd planned to split the party in two and go in separately, but leaving only Shannon back at base felt risky too.
"...Monica, let everyone know that the Dungeon subjugation will be done on rotation. I'll draw up the schedule myself, so—"
As I spoke, the Fifth Generation offered advice from within the Jewel.
"...Consolidate your opinions. And don't make decisions on your own. You'll be able to use supplies again next time, so stock up on everything you need and inform everyone by today. Hold a meeting. Otherwise it'll come back to bite you later."
Thanks to the Seventh Generation's Skill, Box, I was able to preserve food and other supplies. The fact that our party carried so little luggage was thanks in large part to this convenient Skill of the Seventh Generation's.
I shook my head, and Monica was waiting for my words.
"——I stopped them. We'll buy what we need today. But as for taking turns to challenge, let's discuss it together. Let everyone know to gather by tonight."
Monica nodded, then:
"For a Chicken, that's the best you can do. Well, some people are out, so it won't be possible to get everyone together, but still."
When I thought of the people who were out, Miranda's face was the first to come to mind. After that came Novem, Eva, and then May.
May was looking around Baim, with Novem accompanying her as her guardian.
(Clara will just buy books and read for a while, Aria wouldn't go out this early in the morning, and Shannon... depends on Miranda, I guess.)
"I'll let them know when they get back. They should be back by tonight, so at that time... or actually, when you get back, should we head out to shop right away?"
When I said that, Monica blushed.
"I-It's not like I'm happy about going shopping with you or anything! I'll go let everyone know quickly, but it's not like I want to go shopping with you in a hurry, so don't get the wrong idea!"
She rattled off like that.
(Why does she always do this every single time?)
"Then I'll go alone—"
When I said that, Monica's face turned deadpan.
"I was lying. I'm ridiculously happy about it, so if you don't take me along, I'll nag you about it later. It'll get annoying, so I definitely think it would've been better to take me. Please take me along. I was looking forward to it, you know."
"No... you're already plenty annoying as it is."
And then, at that point, the Sixth Generation chimed in with advice.
'Rael, don't forget to greet the main party members for the Dungeon subjugation.'
(Ah, that too.)
A few days later.
I was wandering through a part of town I rarely visited, a drink in hand, while my companions were off busy with their own preparations and I was enjoying some downtime.
I had arranged for the narrow-eyed man to introduce me to Alette Baie, the one who would be commanding this Dungeon subjugation.
Of course, the narrow-eyed man wasn't someone I knew personally, but I had reached out through an intermediary to see if a meeting could be arranged.
If the other party said no, then naturally there would be no introduction. However, the fact that I had earned the Guild's recognition in such a short time apparently piqued her interest.
I was granted an audience, and so I found myself heading over.
(She could have just turned me down.)
The reason I thought that was because she had just finished completing a quest and returned. The leader herself had gone out to fulfill a commission, and here I was, having to show up and introduce myself the moment she got back.
When someone's looking to relax, having a guest drop by isn't exactly ideal.
At the same time, my own schedule was cutting it dangerously close.
I had informed the party members that we would be taking turns tackling the Dungeon, and I had gotten permission, but that opened up a whole can of worms — how would the rewards be handled? What about the party composition? Time off? All sorts of issues came up, and coordinating everyone's opinions was a headache.
(Good thing I listened to the Fifth Generation's advice.)
As I was thinking that, I arrived at the location of the building I was looking for.
The area was lined with estates and inn-like buildings, and a great many adventurers lived here.
Adventurers who could afford to live in places like this — rather than crashing at an inn or renting a small apartment — were likely among the successful ones.
A very small number lived outrageously extravagant lives, but it wasn't uncommon for entire parties to occupy entire buildings either.
"This is the place."
I approached the door and was about to knock when the peephole cover on the door suddenly slid open.
From beyond it, a pair of eyes stared at me — the eyes of a beast that had just spotted its prey. The violet irises looked faintly intimidating.
"Wh—!"
She must have sensed me approaching and responded before I could. It wasn't exactly the warmest reception.
I wish I'd had more time to prepare myself mentally.
As I was thinking that, before I could even open my mouth, the door was flung open.
"Huh, wh-what?"
The one who opened the door and stepped out was a woman with blonde hair cut in a bob that barely reached her shoulders. She looked to be in her early twenties, if that.
Then, stepping outside, she threw both arms wide—
"Welcome, handsome! Now, go ahead and leap right into my arms! Oh, and while you're at it, how about signing this document? Right now, you get me and my fortune along with it! Sure, I'm just the fourth daughter of a noble family, but I won't let you struggle financially! And besides, I'm still untouched—"
"I won't let you struggle!" she declared, throwing me a wink. She was beautiful, yet somehow gave off a slightly unfortunate impression. In her hand, she clutched a document with the word "marriage" printed on it.
From inside, her companions rushed to restrain her.
"Captain Alette! Please, stop going outside! We'll handle things from here, so please don't show yourself in public anymore! You're making us all embarrassed too!"
"Don't you dare stop me. Don't go interfering with my search for a husband! Even someone like me still dreams of a prince on a white horse. Inside, I'm a young girl! And by the way—"
"Enough already! Who cares if you're young at heart or barely within marrying age! Just get back inside... Actually, hold on—who are you?! Who let the captain out of her room?!"
The woman, now restrained by several men, flashed a brilliant smile.
"Nobody can tie me down. But with the chains of marriage—"
bound hand and foot—
"...that's how I'd like you to bind me."
Her companions said to me.
"...She's usually a splendid captain. Really."
I set the three bottles of sake I'd brought as gifts on the ground, then pressed both hands over my face.
"A woman I just met, tearing right into my heart..."
From inside the Jewel, the Third Generation's bored voice came.
"Hmph, don't think you can surpass our Lael that easily. Our Lael operates on a completely different level."
That was the Seventh Generation.
"The Kirin prodigy of House Walt isn't someone who can be surpassed by ordinary measures."
These guys were enjoying themselves. ...Absolutely the worst.
I understood instinctively.
This person was also a victim of the "after growth."
Her companions surrounded her in a panic and dragged her inside the building. I'd heard they were knights, and sure enough, there was a lot of uniformity in their attire.
In her place, a man came out, wearing a tired expression as he wiped away sweat, tidied his hair, and straightened his disheveled clothes before facing me.
"Ah, h-hello. You must be Lord Lael."
I filed away what I'd just witnessed and responded to the man as if nothing had happened.
"Yes. I'll be participating in the next Dungeon subjugation for the first time, so I thought I'd come introduce myself. Ah, this is a gift."
"...Thank you."
I couldn't tell whether his thanks were for the gift or for my pretending the earlier scene never happened.
All I knew was that today was not my day.
"Well, since this was just a brief introduction, I'll take my leave here."
"Ah, yes. Um, if possible..."
I understood what he was trying to say. So I simply nodded in silence.
"I didn't see anything. I didn't hear anything."
The man looked at me.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you."
That was what they said.
The Fourth Generation murmured softly.
"So it really did end up being just a meeting. I had prepared fine liquor as a souvenir, too."
The Sixth Generation spoke.
"Well, we did get to see the other party's embarrassing side, and the meeting itself — our main objective — is done. It's not all bad. If anything, this outcome is even sweeter."
The Third Generation chimed in.
"Perfect timing, I'd say. Next time you see her, why not ask if she always carries those documents around?"
The Fifth Generation said.
"So the marriage window has been extended. Though honestly, for a noble daughter to still be unmarried at that age, you'd start wondering if there's something wrong with the property."
The Seventh Generation added.
"There could be many reasons for poor timing. But she's the next Vice Commander, and clearly a person of real ability? I see... I think that could work out quite well."
The Sixth Generation agreed.
"I like it. Truly excellent. Now, the question is how to make use of her, though..."
The Successive Heads were hatching some sort of scheme.
(These guys are terrifying.)
Having "safely?" completed my greetings, I walked back from the residence of the adventurer party led by Alette Baille, looking around the surroundings as I went.
It wasn't unusual for successful adventurers to establish a base in Baim. Some owned mansion-like buildings, while other parties preferred functional structures like inns.
(If expenses keep rising, having a base somewhere would make things easier for me too. Even if I have Monica build all sorts of things, I'd need somewhere with proper storage and noise control.)
The current members were companions who had chosen to follow me. I could probably rent an apartment and house them there, but that still felt somehow inadequate.
(Maybe I should try to put on a bit of a show. Though of course, putting on a show requires money... This time around, I'll get to see what truly profitable Dungeon runs look like. I really need to start thinking about getting a house.)
As a leader, I found myself thinking about all sorts of things.
In times like these, I thought it would be easier to just act as one of the members. And at the same time—
(Novem, that girl has been speaking up less and less lately. Is she relying on me less, or…)
Before, she had gone out of her way to do all sorts of things for me, but since the incident with Ceres, I felt like a distance had grown between us.
I supposed she was being acknowledged and entrusted with responsibilities, but it still felt a little lonely.
(...Maybe I should sit down and have a proper talk with Novem. She's been acting on my behalf, after all.)
Somehow, I couldn't bring myself to press her on it — maybe because somewhere deep down, I was afraid of being disliked.
I wasn't the only one putting things off. The Successive Heads — the Third Generation, and especially the Fourth Generation — had been doing the same.
The other Successive Heads, too, had harbored doubts about Novem, who came from House Foxes, yet none of them had told me to confront her.
That was how deeply intertwined she had become with House Walt. They had treated her like a retainer, and perhaps none of them truly believed she would ever betray them.
(Come to think of it, House Foxes is a strange family. The First Generation said they originally came from next door, or something like that.)
The Second Generation had relied on them, and so had the Third, and the Fourth after that — to the point where people said House Foxes seemed loyal to House Walt rather than the royal family.
(Someday, I really need to have an honest conversation with her…)
On the way home, I felt uneasy no matter what, a nagging dread in my chest telling me there was something I shouldn't have heard.