It was late summer. It had been almost four months since Tricia first arrived in Edinbia.
"It's finally done! Well, actually, it's finally starting!" Tricia said with a bright smile.
"Oh! It's finally happenin', huh!" Luke replied in a casual voice.
This was the day the floor plans for the boarding house were finally done. They had worked on them in every free moment for the past month.
"I've decided! I've finally decided!" Tricia cheered, practically bouncing on her toes.
"That was faster than I expected," Luke noted. He sounded genuinely surprised.
"Right? Even Spin-san said so!"
Tricia had a notebook filled with years of wishes. The real challenge was just deciding which ones to use, and how much. Of course, all of that had to fit the tight budget.
"Ahh, what do I do! I just want it to be finished already!"
She felt restless and could not sit still. To burn off the nervous energy, she paced circles around the Guild's Healing room.
"Well, I've got good news, so I'd better get going."
"Ha-ha! Do your best out there, yeah?" Tricia cheered.
Luke was currently training with the local knights and mercenary groups. He was preparing for the new dungeon floor opening next month. It was known that the current dungeon boss had an ability. This ability made more monsters appear inside and made them stronger at the same time.
(So, it's a battle of pure numbers, then.)
The plan was simple. Use a large group to handle the regular monsters. The main strike team would take down the boss. Luke, naturally, was part of that main force. The number of Adventurers coming into this town, Edinbia, was increasing every day. Many were just looking for leftover scraps like last time. Others were waiting for the boss to fall and the new layer to open.
New layers usually meant new monsters and rare materials. For a while after they were found, such items sold for very high prices.
"Excuse me! I have three coming in!" Gelt shouted from the entrance.
Tricia stopped daydreaming and rushed to set up the beds in the Healing room.
"Todd!?"
"Ugh... Ah... Tri... cia...?" the large man groaned in pain.
"Uwaaaah..."
"Thank heavens... I'm saved... I'm saved!"
It was a party she knew well. They were the same Adventurers who had encouraged her back when she was kicked out. One man's arm was badly infected, and he was in terrible pain. The other was confused from poison. The third was not badly hurt, but he was clearly shaken by his friends' bad injuries.
Tricia moved quickly to clear the poisons. The large man, Todd, let out a shaky breath and pulled himself up from the bed. The other man, finally free from his pain, just lay there in a daze.
"As expected of Tricia! You saved our lives!" Todd grunted. His voice was getting stronger.
Tricia smiled as she finished treating the last member. He was covered in scratches and clearly in shock, but he seemed alright otherwise.
"I'm so sorry! It was my screw-up that caused all this..." the man muttered. He hung his head low.
"Don't worry about it! Anyone else would've had the same result!" Tricia said firmly.
"Aye, she's right, lad," the man still lying down added with a tired nod.
It was a good party. They truly looked out for each other.
"We're moving up to B-rank next month," Todd announced proudly.
"Wow! Congratulations!" Tricia beamed.
They had been working as C-ranks even longer than Tricia had. They had pushed each other to grow, improving their skills as true Adventurers. Tricia felt genuinely happy for them. And, if she was honest, just a tiny bit envious.
"I'm covering the cost of this heal as a celebration! I'll tell the Guild staffer."
"Are you sure!? That's a huge amount of money!?"
(I never properly thanked them for what they did back then.)
Even before Luke had come running for her, Adventurers like Todd had been looking out for her. They had been more furious at Eagle and the others than Tricia had been herself. She had put on a brave face at the time, but she was so overwhelmed. She hadn't been able to thank them properly, and it had bothered her ever since.
Tricia knew better than to make a habit of this. Throwing money around like that was a quick way to ruin herself. You needed the right person and the right reason.
"We got a bit carried away because we were hitting B-rank. Went a little too deep," Todd admitted. He made a pained face.
"But you made it back. That proves you've gained the skill to handle it," Tricia said gently.
Countless Adventurers went into those depths and never came out.
"There were so many dead slave porters..."
"Even knowing they're just slaves... it's not a sight I ever want to see again."
It seemed like the first time they had suffered such terrible injuries. The shock still hung over them.
After finishing her work at the Guild, Tricia headed to the Central Plaza. A regular market was being held. It featured all sorts of antiques and furniture.
(I really have to thank Spin-san for his workplace.)
He had agreed to let her store furniture in the Valentia Workshop's warehouse. She was collecting these items for the boarding house.
(They're going to build me a custom bed, but I'm going to find everything else right here!)
Most of what she needed should be available at the market.
"Whoa... Sofas are expensive, aren't they!?" Tricia gasped. She looked at a price tag.
"Well, these are mostly cast-offs from noble houses. They don't exactly appear on the market every day. I'd suggest grabbing one while you can," the merchant said. He leaned against his stall.
"Hmm..."
"But you're an Adventurer, right? Do you even have a use for a sofa?"
The shopkeeper could tell by Tricia's intense gaze that she was not just looking. But looking at her clothes, he could not help but doubt her.
"Say, do you have anything not out on display? I'm looking for something... you know, something you can actually lie down on."
"Yeah, we do. But it hasn't been repaired yet. So it won't be ready until the next market."
"I don't mind if it still needs repair! If you have a few, I'll buy them all at once. Can we work out a discount?"
The shopkeeper was still suspicious, but Tricia promised to pay in full upfront, so he didn't argue.
"The slave market's already over!" a passing Adventurer grumbled to his friend.
She heard the voices of passing Adventurers.
"The knights are heading out for a mission, so I guess slave porters are in high demand."
"Actually, there are still some left, I think."
"Ugh... that's to be expected... they're a mess. I doubt even a brothel would take them."
Usually, Tricia would look away. The morals of her previous life made it too painful to witness. But today, for some reason, she caught sight of them. And her eyes met one of theirs.
In short, Tricia bought the slave.
And then, she hurried off to have those finalized floor plans changed yet again.
Summary:
Tricia finalizes the floor plans for her new boarding house and reflects on her progress in Edinbia. She treats a familiar party of adventurers at the Guild, finding a moment of connection and professional validation. Finally, she visits the market for furniture, where a chance encounter with a slave leads to an impulsive, life-altering decision.
Trivia:
- Tricia has been in Edinbia for four months.
- The dungeon's current boss strengthens monsters and increases their spawn rate.
- Adventurers gather in Edinbia specifically waiting for boss-clearing events and new layers.
- Spin-san manages the Valentia Workshop.
- The slave market is currently fluctuating due to the knights' upcoming subjugation expedition.
Notes:
• Edinbia - The territory to which the soldiers belong.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school squad.
• 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.
• 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.
• Gelt - An official at the Adventurer’s Guild who manages the Infirmary, overseeing Tricia's resident status and healing contracts. Visibly stressed by the constant influx of patients and the unconventional behavior of adventurers, he struggles to maintain order amidst the chaos.
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's group.
• 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.