“My level has increased.”
I checked my status screen and grinned to myself.
We had entered the dungeon at level 10. After spending about a week camping and relentlessly hunting magical beasts and monsters, my level had skyrocketed to 48. My brother Haruto and our cousin Akimi had also leveled up to around 50, and they seemed satisfied with our progress so far.
I could only be grateful for the Hero’s privilege of leveling up so quickly.
“Honestly, I wish we could have pushed to a nice, clean level 50,” I muttered.
“Don’t push your luck. We’re running out of supplies. We can withdraw for now and dive back in later,” Akimi replied.
Akimi cast a glance at the knights and priests accompanying us.
Since we had Item Boxes, we wouldn’t run out of resources anytime soon. However, they only had limited-capacity magic bags. Apparently, their bags were already crammed full with just over a week’s worth of food and camping gear.
(We still have plenty of the supplies we got from Tohma -nii-san, but I don’t feel like sharing much.)
I could spare a few canned goods or instant noodles from the 100-yen shop, but convenience store goods were non-negotiable. Hot snacks, rice balls, bento boxes, and sandwiches—especially the patisserie-collab sweets—were off-limits.
We had found a safety zone and were taking a break. It happened to be snack time. From my Item Box, I took out a special treat.
“Hehe. Today’s snack is the ‘Enchanting Sachertorte,’ a chocolate dessert from a Belgian royal supplier’s collaboration with a convenience store!”
The mini cake was pricey for its size, but much cheaper than buying it at a high-end department store. I savored each bite, relishing the envious gazes of Haruto and Akimi.
Not to be outdone, Haruto pulled out a yakiniku bento from his Item Box. Using the heating function of his life magic, he warmed it up and began eating with gusto. The smell of grilled meat was tantalizing.
Akimi frowned slightly. Yeah, the smell of yakiniku was dangerous—it could stir anyone’s appetite.
Eventually, Akimi also retrieved a convenience store bento from his Item Box. His choice? Katsu curry. A countermeasure against the olfactory assault, perhaps.
The accompanying knights looked longingly at us, their expressions a mix of sadness and resignation.
“The Sachertorte was delicious. I’m satisfied,” I said with a smile.
“That yakiniku bento was amazing too! Next time, I want to try the gyūtan (beef tongue) bento,” Haruto exclaimed.
“One bento isn’t enough for you, Haruto ,” Akimi said dryly.
“It’s fine! I’ll finish with a cup of instant noodles,” Haruto retorted, unbothered.
Haruto ’s appetite never failed to amaze me. Though Akimi seemed slim and elegant, he could eat just as much, if not more. His flawless table manners made it less obvious, though.
“Ah, but convenience store bento is just too good. I don’t think I can go back to eating food from this world,” Haruto said with a sigh.
“True. Food made with Japanese seasonings and sauces is fine, but meals following recipes from this world are… challenging,” I agreed.
“The one exception is magical beast meat—it’s unbeatable,” Akimi pointed out.
“Oh, that’s right. The steaks and cutlets made from magical beast meat were incredible,” I recalled.
The fruits we’d picked near the Great Forest were also delicious. The ingredients here weren’t bad at all. It was the lack of proper seasonings that made castle meals hard to Tohma .
“Speaking of recipes, Akimi, you’ve been selling the ones you got from Tohma -nii-san to the castle, haven’t you?”
“Yes. We want to eat those dishes ourselves, after all. I could probably sell dessert recipes for even higher prices,” Akimi replied casually.
“You’d make a great merchant. It suits you more than being a sage,” I teased.
“I think so too,” Akimi responded without missing a beat. He wasn’t as endearing as my brother in moments like this.
Akimi’s eyesight had improved with his level. Though he no longer needed glasses, he still had the habit of touching the bridge of his nose, which was oddly endearing.
The conversation shifted to what we could sell next. Akimi mentioned he had already sold the methods for making paper and cultivating cotton for a hefty sum.
“That’s a gold coin worth 100 regular coins… and each regular coin is 10,000 yen, so that’s… one million yen?!” I exclaimed.
“And if they succeed, there’s a success fee—two more gold coins,” Akimi added.
“Three million yen in total?! I want to sell more!”
The discussion quickly spiraled into brainstorming more ways to earn money. From selling convenience store snacks and cosmetics to crafting tools, we all began plotting our next moves. Even as heroes, managing our limited resources was an adventure of its own.
And so, with our eyes on leveling up further and reuniting with Tohma -nii-san, we continued to forge ahead, determined to gain enough strength to protect what mattered most.
