"It's the weapon! The second-gen great double blades [Orga] cost 120 million! I'm in massive debt!"
"..." To owe 120 million just like that... As expected of you, such an innocent little angel.
----------------------------------------
"Ais?"
"....." The blonde girl replied to his question with no expression.
"Have to go to the dungeon to make money."
"Your [Desperate] is an 'unbreakable' weapon, right? The maintenance costs are high? But they can't be that high, right? At most 5 million should be enough."
Lefiya timely whispered a reminder: "The sword lent to Miss Ais as a temporary replacement during maintenance was broken last week, it seems it was 40 million valis."
" ... "
The bread in Fron's mouth fell straight out, as he stared dumbfounded at the teary-eyed Tiona and the sorrowful Ais, completely stunned.
That replacement weapon Ais had used… it hadn't even lasted three days?
"Hmph, those detestable blacksmiths, they dare look down on us Loki Familia, even saying things about us being nothing but… legendary weapon-breakers!"
Loki Familia, the true "weapon killers."
No matter what weapon, once it was in their hands, it wouldn't last more than a few days before being sent back for repairs. Just their very presence carried an aura that made countless blacksmiths shiver.
Piecing together the cause and effect, Fron suddenly understood! And also realized why the Goibniu Familia disliked them so much.
So this was the reason!
"So that means, you guys have to head into the dungeon again."
Ais silently nodded, as if to confirm.
"What plans do you have next? Want to come with us?"
Tiona didn't forget to invite Fron, leaving such a big-time healer unused was clearly a waste.
Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since the expedition ended.
As an adventurer, to not have gone into the dungeon for such a long time was pretty disgraceful, and it didn't fit his nature either.
"Mm, sure. I happen to be tight on money lately too, so making some money sounds good."
"Fron is broke too? No way… but before, you, "
Speaking of this, the corner of his mouth twitched bitterly, face full of frustration.
"You think only your [Olga] broke? No, my [Short Sword No.4] and the [Aquamarine Staff] that Riveria gave me are both ruined too."
"During that time on the 51st floor, I overused magic, and that staff couldn't withstand my mana, it broke."
"As for the short sword…"
He shrugged. "At best, it was a third-tier weapon. You think that thing could cut through the black rhinoceros on the 51st floor?"
The weapons he had forged before were now completely mismatched with his current level.
One could only say he had grown too fast. Now he could fully use first-tier armaments, but… at a hefty cost.
Because of this, his savings had been drained, and he was just barely scraping by now.
"Well, if the equipment I sent out today sells, I could make a profit. But who knows when that'll happen."
Equipment worth tens of millions wasn't something that sold easily.
And no adventurers destroyed weapons as often as Loki Familia did. After all, for most, weapons were their lifeblood, and they took care of them.
"Heehee, with Fron joining, that makes four of us. Tione, are you coming?"
Tione ate her dinner elegantly, expression unchanged.
"No way, I'm staying home with the Captain!"
"..."
And then, Finn and Riveria appeared. "Tione, what are you all talking about?"
Fron was a little surprised, normally the three leaders didn't eat in the cafeteria.
"Why are you here?"
"Well, sometimes it's good to eat with everyone, otherwise it feels like we're growing distant."
"Captain~~"
"Finn, Finn, we're going to the dungeon tomorrow! You and Riveria want to come?"
"Going… to the dungeon?"
Hearing this proposal, Finn showed a bit of interest. Of course… the main reason was that the Familia was nearly bankrupt. Two failed expeditions in a row, though they recouped some costs, the profits were slim.
With a whole Familia's expenses, plus the astronomical guild management fees for top-class familias, it was overwhelming.
Not to mention, Finn's newly remade [Spear] still carried a debt of 110 million valis.
"Sure, I'll go with you all. Sometimes a trip into the dungeon with a few people is good, a change of pace, think of it as light work."
"..." As expected of a Level 6, he said terrifying things with a smile, so casually arrogant.
Fron thought, I wish I could act as cool as that too.
"Yay! With Finn and Riveria, that makes six of us!"
"Tiona, I'll go too!"
"But you just said you wouldn't, "
"Hm?"
『Sister's Death Glare』 activated. Damn love.
"So with Tione, we're a 7-man party now. And with Fron as the all-around rear guard, we're really reliable."
Yes, within his Familia, Fron's nickname was the "All-Around Rear Guard."
Single-target magic, wide-area annihilation magic, short chants, long chants, ultra-long chants, plus terrifying healing ability.
As long as Fron was fine, everyone could keep fighting.
"Don't call me that, Finn. You're making me embarrassed. Even if it's true, I prefer to stay low-key."
Everyone stared speechless at the young man's straight-faced but infuriating words, nearly choking.
...
As usual, on Northwest Avenue, or "Adventurer's Street", countless adventurers bustled endlessly.
Morning sunlight from the pure azure sky glinted off weapons and armor of all kinds.
On both sides of the main road, weapon shops, armor shops, item shops, taverns, all opened early, their signboards proudly displayed.
In the dim, damp alleys, shady merchants in black cloaks sometimes appeared, peddling potions with a smile to gullible rookies.
The dense crowd constantly bumped into each other, their shouts and curses filling the air.
It was 8 a.m., peak time for adventurers heading into the dungeon. Orario was as lively as ever.
Opposite the Guild Headquarters stood a luxurious white-stone building, its emblem of herbs and glowing orbs shining brightly.
Dian Cecht Clinic.
"Sorry to bother you again, Amid."
"It's been a while, Mr. Fron."
One could hardly tell that the two were actually close, close enough that he sometimes teased this beautiful, doll-like girl.
"Do you need potions this time?"
"Yes, 10 of each potion, and antidotes."
"Alright, please wait a moment."
"Amid, we'll take the same, but just healing potions."
"Understood, Miss Tione."
Since last night at dinner, they had agreed to head to the dungeon together today, so naturally, preparations had to be made.
Potions were a top priority in supplies. That's why they were here.
Amid moved quickly, and the group soon finished their transaction.
"Goodbye, Amid."
"May fortune favor your blade, Mr. Fron."
"I'll take your blessing!"
...
"Didn't expect it, you and Amid are quite close, huh?"
Tiona looked curiously at him, studying him nonstop.
"Well, this all depends on Amid's willingness."
"Hehehe, you two must be having an affair. Amid even handed over her one and only magic to you so easily…"
"?" A sharp gaze pierced over, Fron didn't even need to look to know who it belonged to.
He then righteously shot back at Tiona and Lefiya with a perfectly reasonable explanation.
"It was just a transaction. I paid Amid to heal me, so I naturally learned the basics of her spell work."
Lefiya looked at him with open disdain.
"'Scholar' or whatever, such a disgusting skill. Hmph!"
"Little Elf, are you talking about me? We're basically the same, you and I!"
In terms of verbal sparring, ten Lefiya's weren't enough against one Fron.
Sure enough, the girl's delicate face flushed red, puffing her cheeks as she glared at him, angry but unable to find a target, looking rather cute.