Lydia glared at us with a cold tone.
“I got excited because I was looking for the thief who stole my wallet.”
“Ah.”
Did she catch on?
I tried to sneak away subtly but failed.
“Yona! You didn’t, did you…!”
Elli, with her mouth agape, grabbed me by the scruff of the neck.
I flailed my limbs in the air and shook my head.
“No, Elli! Would I steal Lydia’s wallet, of all people?! Knowing I’d be dead if caught!”
“Yeah. You could definitely do it. Be honest. Did you impulsively snatch it after getting hurt by Lydia’s reaction?”
“Really, it wasn’t me! I might be a bit fearless, but I know my limits. Plus, do I look like the kind of guy who’d repay kindness with betrayal?”
“Umm. That’s…”
Elli hesitated for a moment, then turned to Lydia while still holding me up.
“So, what now? This kid and I have a connection, you see. I’m sorry, but without evidence, it’s hard to hand Yona over, Lydia.”
“…Evidence? I have it.”
Lydia, with an indifferent expression, took out a small amulet from her pocket.
A simple silver disk with a red gem embedded in it. However, something about it made Elli narrow her eyes.
“It’s an anti-theft amulet. Since it turned red, it’s clear that it wasn’t lost but stolen.”
“…Yeah. I found out when I went to report the theft to the guild.”
“But isn’t this a bit insufficient as proof?”
“I had a tracking spell on my wallet. When I asked Beni to check its location, it led here. It’s no coincidence.”
“A tight case.”
“A tight case indeed.”
Elli and Lydia’s gazes bore down on me.
As I tried to avert my eyes, Elli lifted me higher, forcing me to meet her gaze.
“Yona. It was fun while it lasted. Farewell.”
“Eh, Elli?!”
Smiling, Elli threw me into the air. Before my feet could touch the ground, Lydia caught me.
Lydia’s expressionless face was now up close. The strict and solemn look on her face involuntarily elicited a scream from me.
“Kyaaaak! Elli! You sold me out!”
“I told you not to steal Lydia’s wallet. I did my best!”
“But… but! I didn’t know she put a tracking spell on her wallet! Who does that?!”
Lydia answered my complaint, not Elli.
“Normally, no. But adventurers are an exception. We often carry our entire fortune with us… High-ranking adventurers like me take security seriously.”
“Crap…”
I never included such a setting!
Even now, considering exchanging all the money in Lydia’s purse for gacha tickets…
But it’s all spent. What would you do if you acted rashly now? It seemed better to just return it quietly.
“Here… I hardly used any. Can you spare my life, at least?”
“?”
Lydia tilted her head as if asking what I was talking about. Oh dear…
Of course, in this world, if you’re caught pickpocketing, you’d be beaten to a pulp, and in severe cases, they might even cut off your wrist. But.
“Are you really going to kill me?! But thanks to me, you were able to catch the boss! Eh, Elli…! Save me! Your husband candidate is about to die!”
“What are you talking about, Yonayona. We aren’t that close yet, are we?”
Elli coldly cuts ties with me. I was wrong. She really doesn’t plan to help.
Did I trust Elli too much? Essentially, she is kind, but that means she wouldn’t cover for me if she saw my actions as clearly wrong.
There was only one thing left to do. Beg Lydia with tears.
Forced tears blurred my vision as I prepared to speak with a trembling voice to evoke sympathy.
“Lydia!”
“…It’s a misunderstanding.”
Sighing softly, Lydia put me down.
She straightened my disheveled clothes and spoke.
“You’re Yona, right? Stealing my wallet was wrong. But it’s true I completed my request thanks to you.”
“So…?”
“We’re even, then. Let’s forget the emotional part and just talk about the loss and gain.”
Lydia continued, spreading out a finger.
“First, the head of the Twin Daggers Clan is worth 1 gold. Converting the guild merit and reputation to money, it’s about 30 silver.”
“The difference in bounty with or without the clan leader’s capture is bigger than I thought?”
“That’s to set an example.”
Makes sense. Most clans operate under the will of their leader, so it’s better to decisively take out one head than fuss over the minions.
1 gold and 30 silver, huh? That’s a significant amount. I thought the potion she used on me looked expensive, but considering this, I might even make a profit…
“The potion used for your hand was a medium-grade one, 50 silver. My daily rate as a high-ranking adventurer is at least 30 silver. The fee for the tracking spell request, 60 silver. Though you returned it, the amount you spent in the meantime…”
Lydia muttered, counting off on her fingers. With each count, the amounts soared, and my complexion probably paled in turn.
Naturally, 1 gold and 30 silver was far exceeded.
Glancing at Elli, hoping for some intervention, she just nodded, confirming it was all true.
It seems that’s the correct calculation. Why go to such lengths to catch me?!
While I stammered, Lydia concluded her calculations.
“…Roughly, it’s an 80 silver loss.”
“Uh, ‘roughly’ means the exact amount is different, right…?”
“Exactly, it’s 83 silver and 27 copper.”
“Let’s round it down to 80 silver for simplicity! Yes!”
My outcry was reflexive. So, that was the discounted amount…
Shivering in terror, Lydia placed a hand on my shoulder and asked in a low voice.
“80 silver. If you pay it back, I won’t pursue the matter further.”
“Uh, well, that’s…”
Where would I have that kind of money? Even if I did, it would have been blown on gachas long ago.
Seeing me hesitate, Lydia shook her head in resignation.
“…Don’t have it? Then I have no choice but to make you work it off.”
“Are you going to slice open my belly and sell my organs to the magic tower?!”
“…Illegal organ trade is a crime.”
“Then… gasp! You plan to do naughty things to me?! Like the red book hidden in the third drawer of Elli’s desk…!”
“…Not really.”
Elli, jumping up and down behind me, red-faced about how I knew about that, wasn’t the point right now.
Lydia denied it with a serious face. I looked at her carefully. Her expression was hard to read, a bit scary even, but fundamentally, she had a very neat appearance.
Oh…
I sprawled on the spot and exclaimed.
“Okay. If my
body is what you want, I have no choice!”
“That’s not it.”
“But remember! You might have my body, but you can’t have my heart…!”
“Stop the nonsense. I’ll make you stand up by force if you continue.”
“Yes.”
When she clenched her fist as if to hit me, I quickly got up.
Lydia, seemingly fed up with my sudden boldness, covered her forehead. She continued in a slightly weary voice.
“We’re going to the labyrinth. Yona, you’ll be my porter.”
“As a porter…?”
“Yes. You’ll work off your debt that way. If you need equipment, I can advance you some… but you’ll keep working as a porter until you pay it all back.”
“That is.”
A good deal. So good it’s suspicious.
I wasn’t unaware of porter work. Most of my remembered settings were related to the labyrinth. To make use of them, I’d eventually have to enter the labyrinth as an adventurer.
But the labyrinth is a place where, if you can survive, you can gain power, big or small. This applies to porters as well.
Thus, there are more people willing to enter the labyrinth as porters than one might think, and a not yet fully grown “eeh” like me would be low priority.
Well, if I looked, there would be parties willing to take me… but those are usually the shady ones.
They probably plan to use me as a porter and a portable dildo. And if things get dire, they’d throw me to the monsters and run.
Since there are quite a few real cases, one must be careful when choosing a party. Anything can happen in the labyrinth.
In that sense, Lydia is a trustworthy person.
She’s not someone I elaborately designed like Elli, but her reputation as “The Noble” speaks volumes about her character.
I’ve seen it myself. The way she was willing to give up her achievements and face consequences to save me.
…Wait? Am I the trash for pickpocketing such a person?
I vigorously shook my head to dispel the bewilderment. I’m not bad. It’s the world that’s bad.
“Okay. I’ll become Lydia’s porter and pay you back. But how deep do you plan to go? You know I’m a bit frail, so I might not handle the usual places you go.”
“Beni, my party member, is on break. I won’t go anywhere dangerous alone. Don’t worry about Yona.”
“That’s a relief.”
I sighed in relief, and Lydia nodded, satisfied. She then said with a faint smile.
“…Good. Then tomorrow morning, here. Do you need anything?”
“I’ll need a utility knife for porter work.”
“I have one. Anything else?”
“…Would you buy me armor or weapons?”
“If it’s the guild’s basic support for low-rank adventurers, certainly. But this too is a debt.”
“Lydia…!”
Looking up at her with eyes full of emotion, Lydia averted her gaze, seemingly overwhelmed.
“Misunderstanding, inconvenient. Normally, I would have handed you over to the guild for trial. But…”
“But?”
“You’re still young. You have talent. If there’s a chance for rehabilitation, it’s a knight’s duty to guide.”
Proudly saying so, Lydia left the tavern with a snort. I stared blankly at her back, then turned to Elli.
“Elli, did you know it would end up like this?”
“Roughly. Lydia isn’t emotional or cunning like others.”
“Ugh… Wait, you knew Lydia? Elli, you were a more incredible adventurer than I thought?”
“It’s nothing. I just helped her out a few times when she was just starting as an adventurer. Anyway, are you going to stay here like this? The labyrinth isn’t easy. It’d be better to start preparing now.”
“Ah, I don’t have anything to prepare with. I don’t have anything left.”
“Didn’t you say you rented a room with some money you saved up?”
“I was locked up for a few days, and they thought I was dead. They sold all my stuff and rented the room to someone else. I almost got beaten up when I complained. Well, I expected as much.”
So, my entire fortune is the new clothes I got from wiping out the Twin Daggers Clan and the 32 copper coins in the pocket.
I stole because I too needed to survive.
“…So you didn’t touch Lydia’s wallet just because you were angry?”
“Ahem.”
“It’s not a compliment.”
Elli clicked her tongue and took out another magic cigarette. I gently tugged at her empty sleeve.
“Elli, Elli.”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t have a place to stay.”
“Poor thing.”
“Not just a home, but no family, friends, power, or money either. All I have is this cute face, right?”
“……”
“Can you let me stay for just one night? In exchange, I’ll give you the right to do whatever you want with my face for today…!”
“I don’t need that! There’s an empty room upstairs; stay there. But it’s paid starting tomorrow, got it!”
“I love you, Elli! Will you marry me now?!”
“Debtors are a bit…”
Bummer.
