First Quest Completed?

Leaving Niku behind, I quietly slipped outside and walked toward the commercial district in search of a place to nap.

It wasn't far from the industrial district, but it was closer to the main street. There were food stalls too… Oh, right, I remember seeing stalls selling skewered grilled meat. Maybe I should buy some as a souvenir for Niku?

Since I did say I was going to gather information, I should probably investigate enough to have a decent excuse. Yeah, finding information about comfortable napping spots might be a good idea.

Still, there sure are a lot of different shops here. They even sell bread… yep, it looks rock hard. I remembered how the bandits' eyes lit up when they saw the melon bread.

Looks like you can buy about three loaves of the hard bread for two copper coins.

Come to think of it, even though I'm not inside the dungeon, I can still use the menu. Can I exchange DP out here?

If I could, it might be useful for completing quests… Ah, I can view the DP catalog, but I can't make exchanges. Too bad.

Well, it might be interesting to compare actual prices with their DP costs.

"… Wait, I was supposed to be looking for a napping spot."

I'd completely forgotten my original purpose and gotten caught up in gathering information instead.

How unlike me. I must have gotten too excited by the wonderful environment of this otherworld town that tickles a man's heart.

However, there are too many buildings around here, and I can't find anywhere suitable for a nap.

In cases like this, it's faster to give up searching on my own and just ask a local.

I immediately headed toward a shop that looked well-informed… Hmm, is that a greengrocer? Being a greengrocer, the products should be reasonably priced, making it perfect for the "buy something and get them to talk" strategy.

I looked for something particularly affordable, probably an apple… yeah, this has to be an apple. It's a bit smaller than the apples I know, but if melons exist in this world, then apples probably do too.

"Hey mister, how much for this?"

"That's three copper for two."

"Alright, I'll take them. Give me two… Ah, I don't have a bag. Mind if I eat one here?"

"Sure. I don't care if you eat here, but move aside a bit. Can't have you standing right in front of my shop blocking customers."

I handed three copper coins to the greengrocer and received the apples. Moving slightly to the side, I took a bite.

… Sour!

"Whoa… this is… pretty sour."

"Really? I think this year's apples are about the same as usual though?"

"Mm, no, I'm not complaining. It's just my first time eating apples from around here, so I was surprised. Don't glare at me like that. Guess this is normal for this area."

"Oh, is that so. You a traveler, lad?"

"Adventurer. Just arrived in this town today… Oh, there's sweetness hidden inside the sourness. Nice flavor."

"You get it, lad."

He'd shot me a glare when I said it was pretty sour, but he quickly let his guard down after my follow-up. Good sign.

It really is sour, but once you think of it as that kind of variety, it's actually not bad.

"Yeah, I've heard that sour apples go well with sugar. Seems like they'd be good for making sweets."

"Heh, you're pretty knowledgeable. But sugar's a luxury around here, so these apples alone are plenty sweet."

Heh, I stumbled onto some pretty good information. Maybe I should try making sugar with the dungeon? Adventurers might swarm to sugar like ants… No, even without the adventurer angle, it might be a good idea. I'll add that to my mental to-do list.

"Is that so? Oh right, do you happen to know any good spots for taking a nap?"

"Hahaha! You ask the funniest questions, lad! Let's see, for a nap, I'd say the park in the central district is your best bet?"

"Oh, there's a park? That sounds perfect for a nap."

"Yeah, but watch out for pickpockets while you're sleeping, alright? If you've got money to lose, spend it on my fruits instead!"

"Good point. I'll be careful. I'll buy something if I'm ever in the area again."

"Thanks for your business!"

Information gathering went pretty smoothly.

By the way, if I wanted to get apples through DP, it's listed in the food category as ten apples for 5 DP.

Though, the apples it would give me would probably be the sweet ones I'm familiar with, so it's not really a fair comparison… Actually, since I can choose hard bread from the bread assortment, maybe I can choose the type of apple too.

Well then, the central park… I wonder if there's a nice shady spot with just the right amount of sunlight?

I headed toward the park while munching on the other apple… Mm, yep, still sour.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

I managed to nap in the central park without any incidents.

Just in case, I'd ordered my Cloth Golem to fend off anyone who might disturb my nap, but apparently no one bothered me. Still, I slept really well. About two hours.

… Crap, I overslept. I hope Niku isn't mad.

As for information, I obtained two useful tidbits: "The apples around here are sour, and sugar is a luxury" and "The central park is perfect for napping." Well, I also came up with something I could try soon, so I should be able to save face.

I hurried back to the blacksmith who'd posted the toilet-cleaning quest, moving at a light jog.

Since there was no sign of anyone waiting outside, I quietly slipped into the toilet.

"Goshujin-sama, how did it go?"

"Yeah, I gathered the information properly. How about on your end?"

"I turned someone away once during the cleaning. They came back later, but it had been over an hour by then, so I told them we were done. I got their signature and waited for you, Goshujin-sama."

Ah, now that I think about it, I didn't tell her where to wait… Yeah, I'm really sorry.

"You didn't have to wait in the toilet, you know. You could've waited outside."

"I-I'm sorry. Are you going to punish me?"

Niku hung her head apologetically and fidgeted.

No, it was my fault for not telling you. Why would I punish you?

I patted Niku's head as gently as I could. Her soft hair felt pleasant to the touch. Her dog ears were soft too.

"Ahh…"

Niku looked bewildered at first, but after I kept petting her for a while, she started to smile shyly.

When I continued stroking her head, she must have been so moved that she hesitantly hugged my right arm. What is with this kid, she's too cute.

After properly rewarding Niku, I led her out of the toilet.

"… You done?"

The client called out to us as we emerged from the restroom.

"Hm? Yes, we're finished."

"I see… Little miss, if this guy kicks the bucket, come to me. I'll treat you right."

"No."

What's this old guy suddenly saying with such a serious face? That's what I thought, but Niku refused instantly.

… And for some reason he's glaring at me.

Did he really take a liking to you, Niku? What happened while I was napping?

"… I see. But you never know what might happen to an adventurer. Keep that in mind."

"Goshujin-sama, let's go."

"O-okay."

Meanwhile, Niku was completely ignoring him. Seriously, what happened?

But really, I'm a Dungeon Master who never knows when something might happen to me. I have no intention of dying, but the possibility is always there. All I can do is bring that possibility as close to zero as possible.

Well, maybe I should do a little groundwork for what happens after I die.

I decided to make one request of the client.

"… If I die and she ends up on the streets, would you mind helping her out if you feel like it?"

"Hmph, I'd help the little miss even without you asking… She's too good for the likes of you."

"Then I'm counting on you. Well, I don't plan on dying easily though."

The craftsman looked surprised, thought for a moment, then nodded. Just as I thought, he doesn't seem like a bad guy.

Like I told him, I have absolutely no intention of dying easily.

What am I doing, asking something like this of someone I just met, and a client at that? But somehow, I felt just a little bit relieved.

"… Am I… being thrown away…?"

Hearing our conversation, Niku looked like a pet being taken on a long car ride for the first time.

For now, I told her "What are you talking about? There's no way I'd throw you away" and ruffled her hair until she cheered up.