Yeah, Yeah, Another World, Another World
To consult with everyone about the property that Rio, a staff member of the Adventurer’s Guild, had introduced them to, Nagano and Okuda returned temporarily to the inn. At the entrance of the inn, they ran into four others—Matsushita, Aoi, Osato, and Luciti—who were just about to head out for some food hopping.
They asked them to return to the inn’s dining hall to hear the story, where they explained everything that had happened earlier.
“I don’t really mind at all, so I don’t oppose it. The appeal of being able to use the bath at any time feels like a big plus,” Matsushita said.
On the other hand, Luciti’s opinion was slightly different.
“No matter where our base is, I don’t care. Unlike you all, I don’t sleep just because it’s night. In fact, being closer to a lively town that gets busier at night seems more fun,” she said, reflecting her vampiric nature.
And Aoi, who would likely feel the most resistance upon hearing about the red-light district, said:
“Like everyone else, if it becomes a more convenient base than now, I welcome it. But if there are a lot of ‘those kinds of shops’ right near the base, I might feel a bit uneasy. So before we go on this food walk, I’d like to take a quick look around the property.”
That’s how she responded.
As for Osato, she started saying, “I don’t care as long as there’s a roof over my head…” Hearing that, Matsushita began trembling, so they hurriedly cut the conversation short.
Overall, everyone seemed positive about the idea, so they gave Aoi the location of the property since she wanted to check it out beforehand. If there were any issues, they planned to inform the Adventurer’s Guild, where either themselves or Rio would be present.
With that, the matter of previewing the property was settled for now.
“Well, after this, we’ll head to the Adventurer’s Guild to talk to Hayato. Rocco ‘s the only one left, but he seems like the type who’d enjoy places like that anyway, so he probably won’t object.”
“He does seem like the type,” Matsushita agreed.
Rocco , huh…
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To discuss the red-light district base with Hayato, Nagano and Okuda went together once again to the North Adventurer’s Guild.
They approached a guild staff member who seemed available and asked where the Scout Class training session was being held. They were told it was taking place in a building called the Vocational Training Center, located across the street from the Adventurer’s Guild.
Following the directions, they entered the building across the street and saw several classroom-like rooms lined up inside, presumably where the training sessions were being held.
“Where exactly is the Scout training session being held?”
“There are similar rooms on the second floor too. Should we grab someone and ask?”
Looking around as they spoke, they spotted a man standing in the hallway with his arms crossed, gazing into one of the classrooms, so they decided to approach him.
“Excuse me, do you happen to know which classroom the Scout Class training session is being held in?”
The man turned around when addressed.
“Huh? Isn’t that you, Boss, and Misaki-neesan? What are you two doing here?”
The person they had addressed was none other than Rocco .
“Huh? Rocco ? What are you doing here?”
“I’m accompanying Hayato-kun.”
“Oh! Rocco was with him? Thank goodness. I was worried about leaving him alone. Truly, thank you so much. You’ve been a great help.”
“Nah, it’s nothing.”
His thoughtfulness was impressive, considering their initial awkward meeting.
“We were told by the Adventurer’s Guild earlier about a rental property that fits our needs, so we’ve been going around gathering everyone’s opinions on moving our base.”
Nagano conveniently omitted the part where Rocco was only being informed after the fact.
“Is that so? While accompanying Hayato-kun, I was also checking out the other training sessions to see if there’s any skill that might suit me.”
“Huh? You’re trying to learn a skill? Didn’t you swear to stick with me and make a living carrying luggage?”
“I don’t remember swearing anything. Well, seeing Hayato-kun’s scouting skills, Misaki-neesan’s close combat, and Aoi-chan’s long-range firepower made me think I should have a specialty of my own too.”
This was an emergency.
Lately, Nagano had been feeling uneasy about his role in the group, but having Rocco nearby—who similarly lacked special skills—had somehow kept him reassured.
If Rocco were to gain some kind of skill or solidify his position in the party, then Nagano would truly become the ‘guy who just carries extra luggage without any standout features!’
“I’ll get a skill too!”
“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
“Or I’ll sabotage Rocco ’s skill acquisition.”
“How could you say such a thing?”
It was then that Okuda chimed in with a suggestion.
“Why doesn’t Senpai take a look around later and see what training sessions are available?”
“Alright, I’ll do that. By the way, how much longer until Hayato-kun’s training ends?”
“They should be taking a lunch break soon, so let’s grab lunch together and hear what you have to say.”
A little while later, a bell rang, and a few people, including Hayato-kun, exited the classrooms. Apparently, today’s instructor wasn’t Olitz.
They called out to Hayato-kun and headed toward the Adventurer’s Guild cafeteria.
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While having lunch in the cafeteria, they explained the situation regarding the red-light district base.
“I don’t mind at all. It makes me happy to have my own room where I can store training equipment and practice what I’ve learned each day!”
“I don’t mind either. I love the red-light district.”
Okuda and Nagano locked eyes, silently communicating the unspoken thought: Ah, so he really does like the red-light district.
“If Aoi-chan doesn’t show up soon, we’ll assume there’s no problem and proceed with signing the contract immediately.”
“Then we’ll head back to the Vocational Training Center. See you later!”
“See ya!”
Hayato-kun and the others left the cafeteria.
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“Have you tried using catfish whiskers?”
“Not yet. There aren’t many branches or other materials left.”
“Do you think the old lady at the shop will sell us parts?”
As they chatted casually, Rio appeared in the cafeteria.
“Hello again, thank you earlier.”
“Hello.”
“Has everything been settled?”
“Um, has Aoi-chan come here today?”
“No, she hasn’t.”
“Then I guess it’s fine. We had agreed that if Aoi-chan found any issues with the property this morning during her visit, she would stop by the guild and inform either me or Rio.”
“After soaking those two in the bath, I immediately returned here to man the reception desk. I doubt Aoi-chan missed me.”
“So we were sold to that red-light district… I mean, we’d like to officially sign the contract for the property.”
“Senpai, what do you think of the ‘prostitute’ attribute?”
“In the meantime, while we wait for the food, I’ll go get the paperwork.”
With that, Rio dashed off to the reception counter.
“Senpai? About the prostitute attri—”
“Don’t call yourself a prostitute with that face!”
Even ignoring him didn’t work; he kept pressing the issue…
After a while, Rio returned.
“Alright, please review these documents and sign them.”
Rio slid the documents over to them. Nagano took out his sunglasses from his bag, replaced the magic activation bracelet, and began reviewing the papers.
“What’s with those black glasses?”
“They’re tools for reading documents.”
“…………”
“Hmm, let’s see… No strange restrictions here. Okay, I’ve confirmed everything. Now, I’ll sign here… Done. Here you go. Oh?”
When Nagano looked up from the documents to see Rio’s face, she was frowning deeply, looking at him as if he were something unbelievable.
“Haa, alright. The documents are fine. Now, put those black glasses away immediately. Right now.”
Seeing Rio’s serious expression, Nagano realized—this was a golden opportunity.
“Did I mess something up agai—”
“We’ll talk about the black glasses tomorrow. Do not take them out in front of anyone. Understood? Also, you can move in starting tomorrow. I’ve taken tomorrow off, so help me move your things from the dormitory. Got it? Let’s meet here at the guild tomorrow morning. I’ll give you the keys then. Understood?”
Once again, his perfect line was cut off.
He had succumbed to Rio’s overwhelming pressure.
“I’ll take these documents back to the reception desk, then. See you tomorrow.”
With that, Rio briskly walked out of the cafeteria.
“Shall we go?”
“Y-yeah.”
Together with Okuda, Nagano stood up and began walking out of the Adventurer’s Guild.
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