The Adventurer's Guild had recently posted an opening for a new healer. Ever since new floors had appeared in the dungeon, monster activity had increased, and a steady stream of injured adventurers had been pouring in.
"If possible, we would like you to start today," the guild receptionist said with a polite smile.
Tricia nodded at once.
"Luke! It's decided—I'm starting the full-time healer job today! And I can use the guild's lodging too!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement.
Luke had been worried about where she would stay. Edinbier had the sort of rough districts common to large cities, and one of them sat uncomfortably close to the adventurer quarter.
'Why don't you stay at the inn in the merchant district with me?' Luke suggested.
'Huh!? Do you have any idea how much that costs! My hard-earned savings would just vanish!' Tricia shot back.
'I'll cover the costs~ I was the one who invited you here after all,' Luke replied casually.
'I don't need your charity!'
'....'
The lodging inside the Adventurer's Guild was clean, secure, and surprisingly affordable. Naturally, it was popular, and empty rooms rarely stayed empty for long. The only reason a room had opened up for Tricia was because the guild was desperately short on healers.
"Then I'll stay here too," Luke declared.
"...You don't have to go out of your way just because I got kicked out and ended up on my own. I'm already grateful enough that you brought me here."
Luke had never brought up being expelled from his own party, and Tricia had deliberately avoided the subject as well.
Perhaps because she had spent so long on edge, every act of kindness had looked like pity to her. Accepting it had only made her feel smaller, so even when she thought she was accepting people's goodwill, she never truly had.
Yet after arriving in a new town and feeling genuine excitement for the first time in a while, she found herself able to accept those feelings honestly.
"Thanks. Sorry for taking so long to say it."
"Hm... It's nothing. I wanted to come here too, so it was really just convenient..." Luke muttered, looking away.
The reaction caught her off guard. For some reason, putting her gratitude into words felt more embarrassing than she had expected.
"But I'm staying here too!" Luke repeated.
"Why!?"
"Because there's a great public cafeteria nearby! Let's go later. My treat, to celebrate you striking out on your own!"
"Yay! Free food, here I come!"
"Funny. You didn't say 'I don't need your charity' this time."
"If it's a celebration, it would be rude not to accept, right?"
Pressing her palms together, she chanted, "Thank you, thank you."
"You sure can switch gears fast~"
The two of them burst out laughing.
The entrance to the adventurer-exclusive lodging was on the opposite side of the guild reception hall. It was available to adventurers of C-rank and above, and long-term residents received a discount. The rooms lacked private baths, but the facility had a communal one, which was more than enough to delight Tricia. Thanks to the memories of her previous life, she loved baths far more than most people in this world.
The room prepared for her was a single. It cost a little more, but she always chose single rooms whenever possible because she needed a place of her own where she could relax, and sleeping was difficult when she was constantly aware of someone else's presence.
"Well, it's not bad."
She took note of the room's layout for future reference. If her rental business ever became a reality, details like this might prove useful. There was not much to record, however—just a single bed, a small table, and a chair.
Even so, it was considerably nicer than most cheap inns. Several sword marks scarred the walls, but there was no mud, no dried monster blood, and no lingering grime. The sheets were clean as well.
"So the toilet is communal, huh~"
This world possessed highly advanced magic tools. Toilets similar to the ones from her previous life existed here too, although nobody knew exactly where the waste went. Some claimed it used an ultra-special teleportation magic, but no one could prove it. Because of that mystery, the devices sold for outrageous prices.
"But I really want a toilet in my room~"
And if possible, a bath as well.
What she was imagining was the one-room apartment from her previous life, but a rental with those features was unthinkable unless it catered to S-rank adventurers or nobility. Most ordinary homes did not even have them.
"If I keep talking like that, my budget's going to disappear in no time..."
Even so, her dreams kept growing.
Imagining was free, after all.
"I'll have to ask to see Luke's room later~"
S-rank adventurers received exceptional treatment. The guild staff had nearly panicked when they learned Luke actually intended to stay here.
Now then, time to earn some pocket money.
Although she called it pocket money, healer fees varied depending on the number of patients, the severity of injuries, and the treatment required. In some cases, the income could become quite substantial.
"Let's see... a minor laceration is... one silver coin!? That's amazing!"
Tricia stared at the price list the guild representative had handed her.
The rates were double the market average.
"But with prices like this... will people actually come?"
"Since the new floor appeared, the local lord has been subsidizing medical expenses for adventurers," the representative explained.
The subsidy existed less for the adventurers themselves and more to ensure healers stayed in town. In practice, adventurers paid only half the listed amount, which brought the cost in line with ordinary clinics.
"The guild handles overflow cases as well as severe injuries that the clinic near the West Gate cannot manage. Rest assured, lately you'll definitely see four or five patients a day."
Worried that another healer might quit, the representative hurried to reassure her.
"Heh~ A rich territory really is different."
(Subsidies, huh~! Well, this town lives off the dungeon, so they want to keep skilled adventurers healthy, right?)
Everyone knew that even a small cut could become dangerous if it became infected. Most adventurers made sure to receive treatment whenever possible. Magic potions were available, but they were bulky enough that few people carried large quantities.
"There are plenty of cheap places for adventurers to eat too, so I should be fine!"
The discounted rent for a resident healer came to seven large copper coins a day. A reasonably decent meal cost around two. As she recalculated her expenses, numbers began flying through her head.
(Guess alcohol is off the table for a while~)
Since ten large copper coins equaled one silver coin, she could cover her living costs with the earnings from a single treatment a day, even after service fees.
The guild currently employed four resident healers, including Tricia. Two were inside the dungeon most of the time, leaving her and one other healer to handle the workload. Apparently that remaining healer had been carrying everything alone until now, only to burn out under the relentless flow of patients.
(A black-hearted company...!?)
A dark memory briefly surfaced, but she immediately shook her head.
(The pay is good, and if I save enough, I might finally be able to buy that magic tool (the toilet)! It's not every day you can earn at least four silver coins a day!)
"We've had fewer healers coming to town lately, so this is a huge help," one guild employee said.
"There aren't many healers who can fight, after all. You do not last long in a place like this unless you're confident in your skills."
"Indeed... but healers are indispensable—not just to adventurers, but to the entire world!" the staff member declared passionately.
Summary:
Tricia successfully secures a job as a resident healer at the Adventurer's Guild, aided by Luke's support and a generous local subsidy. She settles into comfortable guild lodging and begins planning for her future independence while navigating her complex feelings about being helped. The story ends with her reflecting on the demands of her new position while looking forward to her financial goals.
Trivia:
The guild lodging is a premium, secure, and popular location, normally reserved for higher-ranked adventurers.
Tricia prefers single rooms to maintain her personal space, which is consistent with her desire for independence.
The town's subsidization of healer fees is a strategic move to maintain adventurer productivity rather than purely altruistic.
Tricia's internal conflicts regarding "charity" and "pity" highlight her psychological struggle with her previous party's treatment.
The high number of healers burning out indicates the harsh working conditions ("black-hearted company") common in this fantasy environment.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ The source text uses the Japanese character for 'town' (街) alongside the English words 'town/street' to emphasize the dual nature or setting of the location in the narrator's mind.
Notes:
• Tricia - The protagonist of the series. A pragmatic and resilient C-Rank healer who was recently cast out of her former party. Though she presents herself as an average adventurer, she secretly possesses exceptional healing expertise and the rare skill Reset, which can reverse physical damage. An orphan with dark hair and obsidian eyes, she carefully conceals her true abilities to avoid exploitation. Guided by memories of a past life, she has a deep appreciation for modern comforts and values her independence, privacy, and stability. Rather than dwelling on her dismissal, she is quietly relieved by it and now focuses her intelligence and planning skills on building a reliable source of passive income in Edimbia.
• Luke - A companion to Trisha who supports her efforts to build a passive income empire. He acts as a confidant and manager for her public persona. A highly skilled adventurer who acts as a mentor and companion to Trishia. He is observant, somewhat mischievous, and possesses financial independence that allows him to offer support, though he is mindful of her pride. An S-Rank adventurer and magic swordsman known for his overwhelming combat power and handsome appearance. He is a childhood friend of Tricia and acts as her protector and benefactor. An S-rank adventurer with silver hair and deep blue eyes who is an old acquaintance of Trisha. He is known for his combat prowess and his tendency to act carefree.