"So, have you given any thought to the rent?" Luke asked directly.
Tricia hesitated. "Um, well... I was thinking of changing the price based on the room..."
"Makes sense. The upper floors have a better view of the sea, after all."
Luke really liked the ocean.
"...How about two Large Silver Coins per month, at the lowest?" she said.
She offered the number just to test his reaction. She already knew he would complain.
That was the same price as the inn inside the Guild where she was staying. It was about one and a half times the cost of a normal adventurer's inn. There were cheaper places, but the sort of people who would choose those places would not rent a boarding house. Also, a boarding house was meant for long-term stays. Adventurers did not pay for rooms while they were inside a dungeon.
"Look... we've got this many Magic Tools installed, you know?" Luke said, his voice short and practical.
"But if all six rooms are full, that's at least one Gold Coin and two Large Silver Coins every month!" Tricia said nervously.
Ten Large Silver Coins made one Gold Coin. She could pay for her food with just one Large Silver Coin a month, as long as she did not get too fancy. And she would not have to pay for a room anymore. From now on, her only real expenses would be daily necessities and meals.
"You can't be sure every room will be full," Luke said flatly.
"I have to believe it...! I'm sure every room will have a waiting list!" she insisted.
"No, that price sounds like you're not very confident..."
Luke saw right through her.
"What if a party wants one room?" Luke asked.
"Only two people per room. I'm still unsure whether to raise the price a little or make them double rooms from the start," Tricia explained.
This boarding house was meant for adventurers who wanted a quiet daily life. Even if the rooms were large, she planned to set a limit on how many people could stay in each one.
"Oh, and no couples allowed."
Luke fell silent.
She definitely did not need anyone like Eagle and Anetta showing up.
"...Don't forget, you have to pay taxes, too," Luke reminded her.
"I thought maybe one Gold Coin a year for the six rooms and my own room?"
Spin had already checked the numbers with the Merchant's Guild. But if Tricia changed how she used the first floor, she would have to apply again.
At that, Luke looked her straight in the eyes and spoke the hard truth.
"What if you want new Magic Tools? You already have a mountain of them."
When he said that and glanced at her Wish List notebook, Tricia had nothing to say.
He was right.
Seeing her reaction, Luke sighed and offered some advice.
"Keep it around three Large Silver Coins... It's easy to lower the rent, but hard to raise it, right?"
"...That's true."
That had been close. Listening to other people's opinions really was important.
She had been so focused on the present that she had forgotten about the future. New Magic Tools were still being developed. There would surely be more to come. She would hate to want one and not be able to afford it.
She really was getting ahead of herself.
She had known that already, but it was even worse than she had thought.
"I have to save for my old age too!" she said suddenly.
"Pfft! What's that?! I've never heard an adventurer say that before," Luke laughed.
Earlier, Luke had been so worried about her future. Now he was smiling, and Tricia felt relieved.
"I could always save more money and build another boarding house."
"Oh! Look at you, a real business owner now," Luke teased.
"Hahaha! Someday, I'll be living the easy life!" she declared.
"The... easy life?"
"Oh, never mind. It means living comfortably without worrying about money!"
It was not even the kind of line she had used in her past life.
She laughed quietly to herself.
Luke shook his head, still smiling. "Aye, well, you've got time to figure it out. Just don't go broke before then."
Tricia nodded. That was good advice.
Summary:
Tricia attempts to set rent prices for her new boarding house while Luke offers grounded financial critique. Tricia's internal monologue reveals a mix of business ambition, lingering trauma from her past, and a humorous lack of typical adventurer foresight. They settle on a strategy that prioritizes Tricia's long-term comfort, though the final room layouts remain unresolved for over a month.
Trivia:
Tricia's lodging strategy relies on the fact that adventurers don't pay rent while in dungeons.
Spin is the individual who handles formal guild inquiries for Tricia.
Tricia's desire for a "boarding house" is specifically targeted at adventurers who prefer a quiet lifestyle.
Notes:
• Luke - A silver-haired, blue-eyed S-rank adventurer, noble Marquis's son, and mercenary captain who serves as Tricia’s protective, wealthy childhood friend and manager. While dryly teasing, pragmatic, and blunt about her budget and business ideas, this ocean-loving man devotedly guards her passive income empire with overwhelming combat power, financial advice, and a jealous streak.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• Tricia - Light‑haired, obsidian‑eyed C‑rank adventurer and orphan, she wears a silver chest tag. Once a lone healer‑strategist with foresight, instant‑heal scars, “Reset” item skill and basic wind magic, she now runs a boarding house in Edinbia for low‑rank adventurers. Pragmatic, anxious about finances, secretly despises her old party, yet builds passive‑income dreams.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle 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.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school squad.
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's group.
• 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.
• Anetta - Blonde, manipulative sorceress with a vanity‑driven charm, she wields offensive and healing magic. Arrogant and impulsive, she usurped Tricia’s place as Eagle’s lover, prompting Tricia’s exile. Dismissive of other adventurers, she subtly steers Eagle’s group while teasing and hostility toward Tricia, a former party member linked to past grievances.
• Eagle - Reddish‑brown hair, orange‑tinted eyes, and a scarred, handsome face mark a former B‑rank swordsman and ex‑leader who grew up with Tricia in an orphanage. Once her trusted companion, he betrayed her for Anetta, now bears guilt and loss of confidence; stoic yet visibly uneasy since Tricia left the party.
• Spin - Young architect with short brown hair and a practical coat, works at Valentia Workshop. He is sincere and diligent, raised by his grandmother. Serves as Tricia’s consultant and material sourcer, verifies tax figures for the boarding house with the Merchant’s Guild, and plans to meet her for business arrangements.
• K - A student from East Middle who followed N to National High School out of care, successfully remaining pure through N's protection until a misunderstanding involving Anonymous Student 0008 led to her capitulation.