Chapter 53: A Matter of Feelings 1

A Gold-rank adventurer had accepted the request.

When I told Henry at dinner after he woke up, he cried with joy again.

If the adventurer had only been Silver rank, Henry might still have worried a little.

Gold rank, however, was on an entirely different level.

Even Henry, who lived in the countryside, knew that much as common knowledge.

At that point, worrying would almost have been disrespectful.

Henry ate his fill at dinner and experienced an inn’s bath for the first time.

He also wore new nightclothes for the first time in ages and slept soundly with a peaceful expression.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Erik.”

The next morning, I was eating breakfast after completing my usual routine.

Henry woke a little later and sat at the same table.

“You’re leaving the capital today, aren’t you?”

“That’s my intention. There’d be little point in staying longer. I’ve seen that you’re doing well, and our request was properly accepted. I’m truly grateful to you, Erik.”

“No, I’m the one who received so much help from everyone when I lived in the village.”

I placed a burlap sack on the table.

“What’s this?”

“A donation for the village. Please use it to obtain food and anything else you need.”

The sack contained all the money I had outside my savings at the Adventurers’ Guild.

There were only a little over ten silver coins, and the rest were copper coins.

It wasn’t an enormous sum.

“A donation? You already paid for the request yesterday.”

“That’s true. But hasn’t the wyvern interfered with people’s work and made it difficult to secure food? I don’t want anyone in the village to starve to death.”

Henry fell into thought when he heard me.

“Accept it. Erik prepared that money because he wants to help the people who cared for him.”

“M-Ma’am?”

Amanda joined our conversation with those words.

“Erik has told me a little about his life in the village. He was able to grow into the boy he is today because of you kindhearted people. He prepared this because he wants to do something for those who helped him.”

“…You’re right. Erik, I’ll gratefully accept it.”

“Yes, please do. Tell the villagers that I’m doing well, but make sure those people don’t learn about it. And please don’t mention the money under any circumstances.”

“I understand. I’m not a fool either… I’m truly glad you’ve become an adventurer in the capital.”

Henry said that with a happy smile.

After we finished breakfast together, I accompanied him through the commercial district.

Once Henry had finished a certain amount of shopping, he took his luggage and departed the capital.

When I asked whether he wouldn’t take a carriage, he said that even with the additional luggage, he trusted his own legs more. Then he ran off and vanished.

“Henry will arrive safely.”

I prayed that Henry would safely reach the village after leaving the capital.

“Good morning, Reina.”

“Good morning, Erik. What happened with the man from your village yesterday?”

“He left the capital a short while ago. Spending a quiet day here seems to have restored his strength.”

After I told her that, Reina showed me the day’s requests.

“Oh, that’s right. I have good news for you, Erik. The area around the dungeon is finally returning to its former ecosystem, and people have begun seeing isolated slimes again.”

“Really!?”

“Yes, though their overall numbers seem to have fallen. Adventurers heading to the dungeon have been defeating them along the way.”

“That can’t be helped.”

There was nothing to be done about other adventurers hunting them.

Even so, I was genuinely happy that the ecosystem was recovering and I could hunt monsters again.

“Speaking of which, what is the dungeon like in the end?”

“It’s still under investigation, but it appears to be an excellent dungeon. The guild master has gone there several times under the pretext of investigating it.”

Ryan wasn’t the sort of person who could sit quietly and wait.

That was what I thought when I heard Reina’s explanation.

Although I could resume exploring the forest, I stayed with my plan and began the day with well-paying requests in the city.

At present, the only money I had left was the fifty silver coins deposited with the guild.

That was more than enough to live on for a while, so there was no need to hurry.

“It’s been some time, Hanna. I’ve accepted your request.”

My first request of the day came from the Stacia Trading Company.

It was at the building that contained the warehouse, but I wasn’t there to clean the warehouse itself.

They were apparently tidying and rearranging the office.

“I’m glad. I heard that you’ve been accepting many requests around the city lately, so I decided to submit one. It’s a tremendous help that you came, Erik.”

“Thank you for thinking so highly of me.”

I thanked Hanna.

When I entered the office, the people who recognized me greeted me happily.

After they explained the work again, I began helping them rearrange the office.