Vol 3 Chapter 16: We Need to Earn Some Money

Side: Fana

An unexpected turn of events has increased the number of party members.

The slightly cheeky former noble lady and Summoning Magician, Alice.

The all-purpose housekeeper and skilled informant, the polite maid and Ninja, Kaguya.

Having more combat power and a stronger party is certainly desirable, but I also have my concerns.

One of them is the mysterious woman Leia, who is suspected to be a monster and the one responsible for Alice’s father’s death.

I don’t dismiss revenge as a meaningless pursuit, nor am I unwilling to lend my strength.

“Mmgh… R-Rena… w-what is this!?”

Two concerns occupy my mind at the moment.

First, whether Leia is an opponent that even an S-Rank party like ours can handle.

Naturally, we wouldn’t lose to an average monster, but the strength of monsters varies widely—from slimes to dragons. Compatibility is also a factor to consider.

For example, Nina, who primarily uses daggers in close combat, struggles against enemies that attack from a distance with magic. On the other hand, Lena, who excels at magical attacks, is vulnerable to opponents who can disrupt magic.

Even Shin, with his overwhelming skills that allow him to defeat dragons, can be weak against female-type monsters.

We need to compensate for each other’s weaknesses and determine whether we can truly match her. But for now, there are too many unknowns.

“Ahhh, this feels so good♡ Shin’s part down here is so happy♡ Being pressed by my breasts while squeezed by my thighs♡ It’s twitching so much, and he’s crying tears of joy♡ Go on, hold onto me even tighter♡”

The second concern—money.

Being an adventurer pays well, but it also comes with significant expenses. There’s the cost of living, travel fees, equipment repairs, maintenance, and purchases. To minimize danger, we also need to restock items regularly. No matter how much money we have, it’s never enough.

Until now, we prioritized quests that aligned with Shin’s desire to help others or my goal of advancing the party’s rank, rather than purely profitable jobs.

As a result, we’re not poor, but we don’t have the resources to fully commit to searching for Alice’s enemy either. If our earnings drop during that time, we might even end up camping outdoors.

…Though Lena would probably be thrilled, saying something like, “I’d love to gaze at the romantic starry sky with Shin.”

“Ahhh! P-Please don’t pound like that! My thing is going crazy! Lena’s going to ruin meee!”

Anyway, money is essential.

To set clear goals for the future, it might be a good idea to subtly gather everyone’s thoughts.

Now then… what should I do?

“Shin…♡ It’s okay♡ Even if you break, I’ll stay by your side forever♡ I’ll protect you♡ Let’s feel good together, just the two of us♡ Forget all the hardships and drown in me♡”

“Lenaaa—I’m c-cumming♡ Ahhh! I-It’s coming ooout♡ Ahhh…♡”

For now…

“──Lena? How about letting Shin-san take a break for now?”

“Ehh? Already?”

My top priority is rescuing our party’s strongest member, who is utterly drained from Lena’s overly intense display of affection.

“Let’s take a break, okay? Besides──”

I lean close to Lena’s ear, who is practically draped over Shin-san like a predator about to devour its prey, and whisper:

“──If you really want to captivate a man, it’s important to have a balance of intensity and restraint. Pamper him, tease him, and stir his desires. That way, Shin-san’s attention will naturally turn even more toward you, don’t you think?”

Also, if she goes overboard and Shin-san truly breaks down, decides to quit being an adventurer, and changes his life path, it would be a disaster.

Lena, as a girl, occasionally shows glimpses of a dangerous talent for leading men astray in this way.

“I see… to make Shin’s feelings──fufu, fufufu♡ I got it! …Shin? You’re tired, right? I’ll let you off for now. But next time──I’ll make you wait♡ Until then, keep the memory of how good my body feels, okay?♡”

Her ability to immediately act on what I taught her is impressive. It’s hard to believe that this is the same girl who knew nothing about men just a short while ago.

“Ugh… Lenaaa… I love youuuu…♡”

“Sh-Shin…♡ What do I do? I don’t think I can wait──”

“──Lena. Control yourself.”

On our quest’s rest day, while Nina, Kaguya, and Alice were out, I spent the time thinking about this and watching Lena and Shin’s antics.

That night, in front of all the party members, I announced:

“──Our next quest will be… earning some money in a dungeon.”

…The decision was unanimous.