The day after confiding her secret, Tricia finally purchased that lovely property from Spin. Of course, she asked Spin to handle the renovations to turn it into a boarding house.
The contract was signed at the Commercial Guild. In Edinbia, any property purchase must be contracted through the Commercial Guild. Afterward, taxes are paid to the territory through this same guild.
"Please be aware that once you officially begin operating a boarding house, your taxes will change. Depending on the number of rooms, it will increase to roughly five to eight times your current rate," the official noted in a measured, bureaucratic tone.
"…Understood," Tricia replied, her voice soft and subdued.
(Ugh. Even in this new life, I can't escape taxes…)
They also recommended she join the Commercial Guild. Apparently, membership would lower her tax burden slightly. However, Tricia was shocked when she heard the entry fee.
"The registration fee is eight large silver coins, and the annual fee is five large silver coins!? Is everyone earning that much!?" Tricia exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Although Tricia was currently earning a stable income as a Resident Healer, she didn't know how long this stability would last. Recently, she had heard that Lord Edinbia was pushing for military training and had even hired a skilled mercenary group to deal with the volatile state of the dungeon.
"Joining the Merchant's Guild will also help build connections, and only shops registered with the Merchant's Guild are allowed to open stalls in the square during festivals," Spin explained with a practiced, trade-friendly smile.
"But I'd still have to pay a stall fee when I open, right?" Tricia asked, looking perplexed.
Spin gave a wry smile at Tricia, who was struggling to grasp the differences compared to the Adventurer's Guild.
"The Adventurer's Guild is only one large silver coin a year! Well, they do take two large silver coins for initial registration…" Spin added with a polite, informative air.
Many adventurers struggle to pay this initial cost. Very few aspiring adventurers have as much cushion in their pockets as Luke.
"The group sizes are different. The Adventurer's Guild is for individuals, but the Merchant's Guild is per storefront, right?" Luke interjected, his voice calm and grounded.
"Ugh… well, I guess that's true…" Tricia sighed, still adjusting to the logic of the guild systems.
To enter the Adventurer's Guild, one must pay two large silver coins per person initially. Without joining the guild, you aren't assigned a rank, and you cannot take on requests processed through the guild. That is why everyone works so hard to save up. Tricia and Eagle had been the same.
Tricia fiddled with the tag hanging around her neck. This served as her proof of identity. Whether this belonged to the person carrying it could be verified using special1 Magic tools.
On the small silver plate, her name and rank were etched in even smaller letters. A short while ago, her party members' names had been on the back, but now it was blank.
"The tags are different too, aren't they~? The Merchant's Guild is a large key, right?" Tricia asked, her tone shifting to a more curious, bubbly register.
"That's right," Spin confirmed with a gentle, professional nod.
"What about the Artisan's Guild?"
"It's different for everyone… everyone wants to show off their own specialty."
Spin's, it seemed, was a plate shaped like a house.
"You really don't waver, do you!" Tricia chirped.
"Ahaha! That's right. That's why I'm so happy right now," Spin laughed, his tone genuinely bright.
The first meeting was set for the day before the festival centered on Edinbia's Central Plaza. One week from now. Tricia had been in high demand lately. Starting tomorrow, she would be performing mobile healing services near the dungeon outside the West Gate for a while.
"Ugh! I want to start planning already!!!" Tricia cried out, her excitement practically vibrating in her voice.
"My room, the one with a good view of the sea," Luke suggested, his voice steady and calm as he inserted himself into the conversation.
Spin smiled at Luke as he interrupted the conversation without missing a beat.
"I will make sure to have various proposals ready by next week," Spin promised in his polite, reliable manner.
"Thank you! I'm really looking forward to it!" Tricia cheered.
"Me too!" Spin echoed.
With their excitement still running high, they headed toward the Adventurer's Guild.
"Ah~ I've never wanted to work this much before!" Tricia beamed.
"You're off-duty today, aren't you?" Luke asked, his tone flat and observant.
Luke had a firm grasp of Tricia's schedule.
"That's right. I'm going to (Reset) my armor for the first time in a while to get ready for tomorrow. I can do yours too if you like? Since I asked for the contract magic yesterday."
"I only did that because I was worried. Spin wouldn't have told anyone even without the contract magic," Luke replied, his voice firm but carrying a hint of underlying concern.
"Oh, don't be like that! I'm in a good mood!" Tricia insisted with a playful pout.
"…Fine, I'll bring it to your room later," Luke muttered, conceding with a reluctant but gentle cadence.
Seeing her in such high spirits, Luke seemed happy as well.
"Right! I'm going to earn as much as I can while I'm at it!!!" Tricia declared with renewed vigor.
Money was never enough to build the room Tricia envisioned. That was why she had decided to proactively take on jobs for a while to increase her budget as much as possible.
"Luke, you're heading into the dungeon tomorrow, right?"
She returned Luke's armor to its brand-new state and stared at it intently.
(What on earth is this thing made of…)
"Yeah. I had turned it down, but I decided to go," Luke answered, his voice dropping into a more serious, professional register.
"Can you get along with the mercenaries~?" Tricia asked, her tone light and slightly teased.
"Well, I'm an acquaintance of their commander…" Luke replied, keeping his tone guarded.
For about three days starting tomorrow, several of the mercenary group's core members would be exploring the dungeon. The goal was to accurately grasp the current situation and plan the large-scale exploration scheduled for a later date. One of them was said to have S-rank equivalent ability, and the other members were also A-class, so it was clear they were going in with high morale. Luke would be joining them.
"What kind of person is the commander?"
"He's the type of old guy who's hard to get one over on," Luke remarked with a dry, knowing laugh.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tricia asked, tilting her head.
It was expected that information about this exploration would leak, and that adventurers would flock to the dungeon hoping to snag some leftovers. Furthermore, it wasn't just adventurers; apparently, amateurs not registered with any guild were already swarming near the dungeon. They were dreaming of striking it rich, planning to leisurely explore after the strong ones had defeated the monsters.
"A truly efficient way to gather materials," Tricia noted, her voice tinged with a detached, clinical curiosity.
Tricia thought it was a method Anetta might like. Then, she quickly shook her head to drive the woman out of her mind.
"Well, you won't gain much experience just doing that, though," Luke added, a sharp, confident edge to his voice.
Luke grinned defiantly.
"Be careful," Tricia said, her tone softening with genuine worry.
"Who are you talking to!" Luke scoffed, though his expression remained fond.
He ruffled Tricia's hair, looking pleased.
Summary:
Tricia finalizes the purchase of her boarding house property through Spin and navigates the complexities of Merchant's Guild membership. She and Luke prepare for her upcoming mobile healing work and his mercenary-accompanied dungeon exploration. The scene concludes with a moment of mutual care as they head toward the guild.
Trivia:
Adventurer's Guild tags cost two large silver coins to register, while the Merchant's Guild is a per-storefront cost.
Guild tags can be verified for ownership using specific Magic tools.
The dungeon's volatility is being addressed by Lord Edinbia through military training and hiring mercenaries.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ A general term in this world for various enchanted items; here it refers to identity verification devices.
Notes:
• Tricia - A pragmatic C-Rank healer and orphan with shoulder-length dark hair and obsidian eyes, she hides her exceptional healing and rare item-restoring "Reset" skill to avoid exploitation. Abandoned by her party, she now lives in an infirmary tent in Edinbia, using past-life memories and a Japanese wish notebook to strategically build a passive income empire by opening a boarding house for low-rank adventurers.
• Spin - A young, enthusiastic architect at the Valentia Workshop who specializes in city walls but aspires to design residential homes.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school squad.
• Lord Edinbia - The authority figure overseeing the territory, currently focused on military training and dungeon security.
• R - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has successfully built a squad and added multiple girls, including M and A, into his group.
• M - A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's group.
• Luke - A silver-haired, blue-eyed S-rank adventurer, noble Marquis's son, and mercenary captain leading a dungeon expedition. Surly yet mischievously carefree for Tricia—his childhood friend and ally—he acts as her wealthy companion, manager, and protector, supporting her passive income empire. Pragmatic, observant, and dryly teasing, he balances overwhelming combat power with devoted, grounding support.
• Eagle - A B-rank adventurer with reddish-brown hair and bright, orange-tinted eyes, this swordsman grew up with Tricia in an orphanage, sharing her history of saving for a guild membership. Though gentle, he is easily swayed. Burdened by guilt after betraying Tricia—his long-time companion—for a relationship with Anetta, he acts stoic, though his past with Tricia causes him visible discomfort.
• Anetta - A blonde, manipulative sorcerer skilled in offensive and healing magic, once a member of Tricia and Eagle’s party, she exploited her charm to usurp Tricia’s role as Eagle’s romantic partner, causing Tricia’s expulsion. Known for her hostility toward Tricia and dismissive attitude toward fellow adventurers, she maintains quiet control over the group while appearing as a casual acquaintance in material-gathering contexts—her influence subtle but pervasive, her presence a nuisance masked as camaraderie.
• N - A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.