When we returned to Shizunami Dormitory, Akizuki-san was waiting at the entrance.
“Welcome back! You two met outside… Oh, you seem to be getting along really well!”
“… Thanks to Fujiwara-kun, the investigation in this area has progressed.”
“Really? Tsukasa-kun, you’ll have to tell me later what kind of investigation you did.”
“W-Well, it’s not quite that. I found a place where a lot of Mahoroba Grass is growing.”
“Ahaha, I get it, I get it. You two look so close walking together that it makes me happy too… Oh?”
Akizuki-san noticed the cat on Nanami-san’s shoulder. This was a tense moment—whether she would outright refuse due to the no-animal rule or not.
“… Wait a minute? Did you find this cat behind the mountain?”
“Yes, it seems to have met the conditions for capture…”
“Wait, wait, that’s not it. Normally, a party of level 10 or higher would need to set traps or prepare extensively to capture a monster like this…”
“It was indeed quite fast. But, I managed with my skills.”
I felt that was about the extent of it, but I prepared to explain in detail if needed.
“… Anyway, if you managed to capture it, it won’t attack anymore, right?”
“Yes, it’s been very calm.”
“To keep it here, I need to check its health and such, so I’ll take care of it for now.”
“… Yes.”
“Nanami-san, you like cats, don’t you? Well, it does look cute like this…”
“Meow.”
When Akizuki-san offered her finger, the cat moved its front paws playfully—few people could resist such cuteness.
“… This time, I’ll leave it up to you how to handle this cat. I’ll take care of it while you’re away. Is that okay?”
“Yes, it seems like if I trust someone, this cat does too.”
“Hm, if you tame this cat, maybe Tsukasa-kun will also warm up to you.”
“… Fujiwara-kun is a human, not a cat.”
“Hahaha… Um, Akizuki-san, how should we handle the delivery for the request?”
“You didn’t manage to bring back the medicinal herbs, but is there anything else to deliver?”
“No, we actually gathered quite a lot. This is it.”
“… They’re small, but are these casino chips? Are you making fun of me?”
Knowing this reaction would likely occur, I decided to show Akizuki-san the “Restoration” skill.
“Since the volume increases significantly with Restoration, please stand back.”
“Restoration? Like freeze-drying? … Are you serious?”
I placed one chip on the ground and used Restoration. It instantly returned to its original medicinal herb state—seeing this, Akizuki-san’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“… Spatial magic… No, this is… Is this Fujiwara-kun’s skill?”
“Yes, I can compress and restore things. It should be the same as the original medicinal herb. What do you think?”
“Yes, this medicinal herb is usually boiled in a large cauldron to make an infusion. Since a lot is needed to get the effective components, even bringing back one is quite a task…”
Akizuki-san seemed to explain how much more difficult the task was than expected from the “herb gathering” request—she seemed quite shaken.
“There are about 19 of these medicinal herb chips here…”
“But they must be expensive, right? … Well, this isn’t the time for jokes. For the reward, 19 silver coins, plus a bonus of one gold coin. This is according to the official regulations.”
“Eh… Is it really okay to receive so much?”
“Normally, bringing back even one is more than enough, so this is fitting. It’s frustrating, but I lost this time.”
I wondered when this had become a competition and had several things to comment on, but if the reward was according to regulations, there was nothing more to say.
“The shed over there is the delivery location, so leave the medicinal herbs there. Even if it’s not a request, we always accept deliveries of certain items, so feel free to ask.”
“Is there a list of items that can be delivered?”
“There should be announcements on the student app… Even Amami Grass, which is said to be worthless, is in demand because it can be used as a sweetener.”
“I saw a lot of that growing everywhere… Could this mountain be a treasure trove?”
“There are many places on the academy grounds where such resources are distributed. This area is one of them.”
Using “Compression” makes handling delivery requests quite efficient—seems like a good way to earn some money.
“Akizuki-san, there’s also this ‘Amazing Medicinal Herb.’ Can this be delivered as well?”
“… Eh?”
“It feels somehow special. It’s a combination of two herbs.”
“Hmm, I see. It does seem to have a different quality…”
Akizuki-san appeared somewhat hesitant—no, she was clearly bewildered.
It seemed like she might interrogate me about what I did, but she seemed to swallow the words she was about to say, took a deep breath, and said,
“I can’t determine its value without seeing it first, so just deliver it for now. If it’s a good one, I’ll make sure to give a proper bonus later.”
“Understood. Well then, that’s all for the report.”
“Alright. Would you like to add something to the dinner menu right away?”
“Since my body is my capital, I’d prefer to have some meat if possible.”
Steak would be great, and so would a hamburger. Besides meat, I need to eat vegetables as well, but first and foremost, meat is essential. Muscles are necessary for carrying loads.
“You’re saying some pretty stoic things… Is it that the boy who dodged my technique is different?”
“W-Well, do I sound that odd… Nanami-san, what about you? Um, since it doesn’t divide evenly, 10 silver is for Nanami-san.”
“… All of it is Fujiwara-kun’s share. I don’t need any…”
“Tsukasa-kun, if you’re too generous, I might start liking you more, so please hold back.”
“Eh…”
“Of course, half of that is a joke. I’m really happy to see a promising new student.”
Akizuki-san seemed genuinely pleased and went into the house with a lively step.
“… Liking me more?”
“N-No, that was a joke. It’s just normal to divide the reward.”
“In that case, I’ll take one silver and add a dessert.”
Being considerate or something—anyway, dessert was a blind spot. I want to add a touch of sweetness to my efforts and enrich my daily life.
