Chapter 42
Riss, Liss and the three girls they brought on duty eventually arrived at the next town over. They got off at a luxurious inn in which they separated into two rooms but the two succubi sisters had the three of them join a dinner that was arranged.
Edna:”This place is nice! Even as an S-class adventurer I couldn’t find things like this.”
Chrissy: “That’s because we couldn’t do the more dangerous jobs. That’s why the classes were redistributed. We were only able to do what was considered the A-class jobs up to this point.”
Riss: “Adventuring was that expensive?”
Chrissy: “It’s not the adventuring that’s expensive or that the jobs didn’t pay well, it’s all the other factors that go into it. You know we have to pay to repair equipment, and after that we have to rest and heal from injuries. Not everyone can afford a healer unless they’re constantly doing the most lucrative missions.”
Liss: “That’s only the case here in the Adventurer Capital where adventurers are not in short supply. Go to the outskirts and adventurers in A-class live in luxury.”
The three girls were surprised.
Edna:”What? Really?”
Riss:”It’s the first law of economics. Supply and demand. You stayed in this region where the Adventurer HQ where there are a much higher concentration of S, A and B class adventurers. Go to a back water place and simple jobs pay more because there are less people to do them.”
Liss: “Unless you go to the Empire that is, they don’t really have need of adventurers.”
Arwen: “See none of us knew that. I never went further than a specific point because I wanted to stay near Dhalia and the guild master. We always knew people here.”
Riss: “Women like to live in areas that are hustling and bustling, both of us know that. Didn’t you notice that the Adventure Capital has more female adventurers? If you go elsewhere there are more male adventurers to where it’s almost a 10 to 1 ratio. The male Adventurers only come here to visit because you all sleep with them for free.”
Arwen: “What? Really? Now that I think about it… it seems to be true… the female adventurers are always the regulars here.”
Chrissy:”Why do you know all this?”
Liss:”For merchants, details like this are important. In order to make money you have to know your customers. If you don’t know your customers then you can’t serve them properly.”
Edna:”Customers?”
Riss:”Correct. Everyone is a potential customer, and in order to serve them properly you must know them. Businesses no matter how big or small always make errors in not knowing who their customers are and lose money that way.”
The lesson reverberated through the three of them and more topics were taught as the sun went down and the moon rose above the mountains. Edna seemed to have learned the most.
Edna:”I really didn’t know business and making money involved so much…”
Liss: “Most people don’t, which is why not everyone can make money. A lot of people think those who control the businesses are not doing anything but they make a lot of decisions every day. Some make decisions that harm others, but we try to remain benevolent because more happy people means more customers in the future.”
Arwen, Chrissy and Edna felt like they learned something. Thinking back about their decision to be with Justin they now questioned themselves.
Arwen:”Riss, Liss, I want to know why you decided to make Justin your partner? For the three of us it was because he also had ideas of investing and other world knowledge we thought we could try to make money with.”
Edna: “He was good in bed too.”
Arwen:”Yeah… that too… but the both of you could have any man you want. You’re richer, and you know so much more than him and have a background in this world. Why would you be with him?”
Riss and Liss looked at each other before answering.
Riss:”Why this question?”
Arwen: “The three of us were hesitant on whether we would be with him and I know that Chrissy was the one who wanted to pursue him but after you proposed a joint environment of all five us us with the benefits, it just made it more attractive… I don’t get why you’re so good to him. Is it because he is your brother’s best friend?”
They were not even blood related to that boy so this made them wonder.
Liss:”It’s because we wanted too.”
Edna: “Wanted too?”
Liss:”If you think love is something that only happens at first sight, or that there has to be some special spark then you’re still too young. We are with him because we decided to love him.”
Riss:”Even in political marriages, if the two decide to love each other their lives become better. We simply decided to love and be with our brother’s best friend because we love our brother. It doesn’t hurt that he’s good in bed and is an amenable person.”
Liss:”Based on what Mom told us I doubt Roy would keep people around who are mean or nasty to others.”
The three girls remembered Roy’s first two friends who came with him but got banished away by Dhalia. Roy was friendly with them until they crossed the line.
Edna: “I see, but you’re willing to devote your lives to him just like that?”
Liss: “Unlike you three we have lived over a hundred years. We’ve seen humans be born, live and die. The orphanage we run has had children come in and newborns and then die as elderly.”
Riss: “Besides that, he looks similar to our brother and he’s cute in that way even if he isn’t that manly.”
—
In the morning after breakfast I had sensed the soldiers all reached their destination. It was time to hunt more goblins and we had more soldiers than yesterday despite the deaths. If we can have a net positive like this then we can build the army quickly.
The level one soldiers can only use basic equipment like a bow, a sword or a weak spear. They couldn’t use shields or anything else. Even the basic swords for the level two soldiers looked much sharper and stronger than the swords by the level ones.
Justin hopped in as well.
Justin:”Alright, let’s get it done today. There are three spots to hit?”
Roy:”Should be.”
We each took an avatar with Justin taking the level two shield and scimitar wielder. This time we had a few soldiers to back us up with the plan, we killed the goblins at the entrance, then flushed out the nest with smoke. When the champion came this time we shot several arrows at it while Justin jumped from behind and cut off it’s head, then we swept the interior of the nest killing the goblins.
We lost one soldier this way, but with the death of the champion there was several replacements. I sent one soldier in the direction of the next village where there might be goblins… well I sent two soldiers as I figured the more we hit a day the faster this army can grow.
Justin:”That was easy.”
Roy:”I’d imagine so. Goblins are low level enemies.”
Justin: “Let’s hit the other ones now.”
The second site we hit had no champion and fewer goblins and the third had only one champion as well. We were done quickly since we had a plan to kill the goblins and our soldier numbers had grown. One soldier uncontrolled by us could kill three goblins at a time without trouble, it’s the fourth one that tips the scales.
Knowing the limitations of each soldier was important.
When the day was I finally decided to make my own level two soldier avatar path.
Justin and I met in the mansion.
Roy:”We should be able to hit eight sites tomorrow. I’ve made more soldiers to scout this time. We also have enough points to get two more level twos so I’ll make mine and then we’ll have a second one for you incase something happens to your first one.”
Justin: “Sounds good to me.”
We reach back and I start to make an avatar. Or rather a soldier path. Except for the calvary which would cost 300 points, we decided to make a path of every soldier possible. There would be a healer path as well when we had more points, but honestly with how expendable soldiers were I’m not sure that would come up.
We’ll make magic users later if we start killing more than just goblins. A goblin champion wasn’t that strong and gave 200 points, I’m sure there were much more powerful monsters. Well I should ask mom about that tonight when she comes into my bed.
I formed the soldier with two swords, and added a bomb. It was just a basic level two bomb. The reason for the two swords is I always liked the idea of dual wielding. I always felt it was cool when someone comes up with two swords, but in reality using two swords in a sword fight doesn’t always give a better advantage unless the wielder had sufficient arm strength.
The cost was 200 points because of the explosive, and the recharge on the explosive use was once per hour. Not bad at all, though it’s not like the archers which were unlimited.
Justin:”That looks like an interesting one. So you’re more into offense? Most of the points was put into the bomb. What happens if you make a level two bomber?”
Roy: “They’ll have two bombs instead of one, and a recharge on one bomb is every half hour. They have to fight with their hands though. Regular bombers only cost one hundred points.”
The calvary troops also could be archers, swords men or something else. One weapon meant 300 points, adding a shield was twenty, and adding more than one weapon would be extra depending on the weapon. I think I was used to the prices.
Justin:”Let’s go check out the guild to see if there are other goblins around we can hit tomorrow. There seems to always be a lot of goblin jobs.”
I couldn’t wait to test it out tomorrow. I went to the guild and looked at more of the jobs. It was also to send more soldiers around. One job that caught my eye that dealt with goblins was on the C-rank board. It had a goblin warlord on it.
Dhalia was there and she spotted us so she came by.
Dhalia:”Darling? What are you and Justin doing here?”
Dhalia grabbed me and hugged me and then wouldn’t let go. It made me blush a little bit because there were people all around and some of them stared. I could feel their eyes but mom didn’t seem to care.
Xeneva at least only did it in private… but I didn’t want to make her upset. I’m sure mom knows about it all.
Roy:”Mom, we were just curious about some things so we came to look.”
Dhalia:”Oh? What are you curious about? You seem to be looking at the goblin quests.”
Roy:”Well, I was just wondering how strong a goblin champion was compared to the average adventurer.”
Dhalia:”Darling, first you have to promise never to go after goblins okay? Goblins might be weaker than you but they area always in numbers. A goblin Champion is something you can never match up too. Justin, this goes for you too since both of you are not the heroine.”
Justin:”Yes ma’am.”
Dhalia smiled at our acknowledgement.
Dhalia:”You’ve both been at the mansion all day just reading books?”
Justin:”Yes, and well we were studying goblins and noticed the different kinds of goblins and were wondering how strong the champion was.”
Dhalia: “The champion is a very weak monster among adventurers. With the re-ranking a group of three F-Rank Adventurers or one E rank adventurer should be able to kill one without difficulty. D and above would have no problems with it.”
Justin had a demoralized look on his face. I had one as well. It felt like our huge accomplishment of killing a champion using our extra lives was nothing. This was why those goblin subjugation quests were all F-rank. It made me wonder just how strong adventurers and others were.
How strong was Dhalia? Who made people cower in her presence? We were proud of doing the work of an ant?
No we can’t give up. Justin seemed to come back to his senses like I did and we nodded.
Justin: “So does that mean Edna, Chrissy and Arwen could easily kill one?”
Dhalia: “All three of them could do it without even paying attention.”
Roy:”Mom… how weak am I?”
Dhalia gave me a light kiss on the lips.
Dhalia: “Darling, you’re very weak which is why mommy will always take care of you for the rest of your life. Keep that pendant on you always.”
Mom tapped on my pendant then let go of me. I felt like if she wanted to hold me, all I could do was whistle in the wind. There really was absolutely nothing I could do.
Justin:”Those three girls could easily crush me.”
Roy:”If it makes you feel better, both Riss and Liss are probably much stronger than the three of them.”
Justin:”Let’s keep working on the soldiers. If we aren’t able to be as strong as them let’s at least overwhelm with numbers.”
I went up to another board, it was a bounty board where Adventurers could also capture bandits for a reward. There were only bounties at the D-rank and above, probably because E and F rankers were easily caught.
Roy:”Let’s just keep grinding for now.”
Justin:”Yeah. You’ll have to do some of it on your own unless you can set them to fight by themselves. When the girls come back I’m going to try and be nice and make sure I don’t accidentally offend them.”
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