01-20 · 011

Chapter 11: Business Partner?

The designated place was a private-room izakaya in a mixed-use building near the station. It wasn't a high-end establishment, but every seat was in a private room, making it perfect for confidential discussions.

"Here, Toru-kun!"

When I opened the door to the room the staff had guided me to, Rin Sakai was waving at me with a beaming smile. On the table were two empty highball glasses. Her cheeks were slightly flushed.

"Did I keep you waiting?"

"No, I just came too early. Sit down, sit down."

Still on my guard, I sat across from her. Rin pushed a menu toward me, looking up with doe eyes.

"What do you want to drink? The thick-cut beef tongue here is really good. Oh, and don't worry, it's my treat, not split, okay?"

"I can't stomach anything until I hear what you want."

When I said that, Rin pouted and said, "How cold," but then immediately erased the tipsiness from her eyes. The atmosphere shifted in an instant. This ability to switch gears was why she excelled as the party's external relations handler.

"Alright, I'll get straight to the point."

Rin clasped her hands on the table, her playful attitude from moments ago completely gone, and fixed me with a serious gaze.

"Your current method, frankly, is inefficient."

"Inefficient?"

"Yes. Excalibur, Aegis Shield. Your products are top-tier. But your selling method is terrible."

Rin took out her smartphone and displayed my D-Market page.

"First, you rely too much on a single auction site. Your customer base is limited to Japan."

"There were bids from overseas too."

"There were, but could you handle them? You ignored all the inquiries in English and Chinese, didn't you?"

She'd hit a sore spot. True, I'd found it too troublesome to use a translation app, so I'd ignored all non-Japanese messages.

"What a waste! Overseas wealthy individuals and collectors sometimes pay double the Japanese market price. If I act as an intermediary, I can negotiate directly with big buyers not only in English-speaking countries but also in Chinese-speaking regions. I can also help build your brand using social media."

Rin puffed out her chest with confidence. Now that I thought about it, she had always handled all of the party's negotiations and administrative work. Given how muscle-brained Goda and the others were, her practical skills had been exceptional.

"And the biggest problem is the haters."

"Haters?"

"Yes. You started earning too much too quickly, Toru-kun. All kinds of jealous people will inevitably start crawling out of the woodwork. They'll make a fuss, screaming 'fraud' or 'he's using cheats,' trying to ruin your credibility."

Rin's voice lowered slightly.

"Stupid people like Goda-kun who don't understand the value are one thing. The real problem is the dealers and resellers who do understand the value and try to trip you up. Can you handle people like that, Toru-kun?"

I was speechless. Just imagining it made my stomach turn. I just wanted to quietly appraise, repair, and sell. Dealing with online backlash and complaints was the last thing I wanted to do.

"That's where I come in. The troublesome negotiations, social media management, dealing with haters—I'll do it all."

Rin grinned widely and let the ice in her glass clink.

"In exchange, I'll take 20% of the profits… hmm, as a friend discount, let's say 15% as my margin. How about it? Not a bad deal, right?"

Fifteen percent. From my current sales, that was a huge amount, but considering the benefits she was offering, it was almost too cheap. She'd cover all the "social maneuvering" I lacked.

"Alright. I'm counting on you, Sakai."

When I nodded, Rin puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"Hey, we're going to be business partners, right? That 'Sakai' formal address is forbidden."

"Huh?"

"Call me Rin. We're in this together now. We can't build trust if you don't use my first name, can we?"

She leaned across the table, looking up at me with those doe eyes. This way of closing the distance was why she was called a little devil.

"O-Okay, Rin."

"Good!"

Rin smiled with satisfaction, then grew serious again.

"Now that we have a deal… Toru-kun, there's one more important thing to discuss."

"There's more?"

"Yes. Actually, this might be the main issue."

Rin lowered her voice and glanced around cautiously.

"We need a bodyguard."

"A bodyguard?"

"Yes. You're an appraiser, and I'm a healer. When it comes to combat ability, we're not much different from ordinary people, right?"

It was frustrating, but true. Even with the holy sword, I lacked the swordsmanship to wield it. Rin could use healing magic, but offensive magic wasn't her specialty.

"If our identities get exposed by accident, like what happened with me today… I'm sure you can imagine. Actually, today was pretty dangerous."

"Ugh."

Indeed, the look in Goda's eyes at the reunion had been dangerous. It wasn't just Goda. It wasn't hard to imagine what explorers desperate for money might do.

"But can we find a bodyguard we can trust? Even if we hire someone for money, they might betray us and attack us, right?"

"Exactly. That's why we need to get someone overwhelmingly superior who won't be swayed by money on our side."

Rin smiled fearlessly.

"You've made a connection recently, haven't you, Toru-kun?"

"A connection… you don't mean—"

"Yes, Seira Jinguji-sama."

I almost raised my voice. An S-Rank explorer, the Sword Saint Princess. The pinnacle of Japanese explorers. Hire her as a bodyguard? That was insane.

"It's impossible! She's on another level. There's no way she'd get involved in our business—"

"The possibility isn't zero. After all, she's been doing exceptionally well since she bought the sword from you, right? It's just my intuition, but I think she feels more than just transactional gratitude toward you. It's worth proposing."

"You… really think so?"

"Besides, what S-Rank explorers want most isn't money. It's 'the strongest equipment.' You're the only one who can provide that. Having her protect you would be beneficial for her too, I think."

It was true. Seira had said, "If you come across any more finds, give me priority." Maybe it was vanity, but if I died or got scooped up by another organization, that would be a loss for her… maybe.

"I'll handle the negotiations. You just need to stay cool and prepare the best products. See? A perfect plan, right?"

Rin winked mischievously. She was terrifying. Did she really think she could manipulate even an S-Rank? But if Seira had our back, our business would be rock solid. Neither Goda nor even the government would be able to touch us.

"Alright. I'll go along with your plan, Rin."

"Deal! Then, no time like the present. I'll try to get an appointment with Seira-sama tomorrow."

Rin clapped her hands, grabbed the check, and stood up.

"Well, I'd let you show off as a guy, but as promised, today is my treat!"

As she headed to the register, she paused and spoke over her shoulder.

"Oh, by the way… sorry about that potion money back then. It wasn't your fault they broke."

"Why bring that up now?"

"It wasn't fair, and it was bothering me. So, let's call it even now."

She smiled softly and quickly paid the bill.

As we left the restaurant, the night breeze felt pleasant. I looked at Rin's profile as she walked beside me. Calculating, opportunistic, yet somehow not unlikeable.

"Oh, right."

As we parted, I asked something that had been on my mind.

"What did you tell Goda and the others when you left? Wasn't there trouble?"

"Hmm? Oh, those guys?"

Rin laughed brightly.

"I didn't see them. Before I came here, I just left my resignation letter on the living room table in the shared house."

"Just left it…"

"It's fine. I wrote it clearly so they'd understand my feelings ♡"

Her relaxed smile didn't waver as she disappeared into the night streets.

◇

Meanwhile, at the ‘Brave Sword’ shared house…

Returned from their dungeon expedition, Goda and the others were furious. They had found nothing. Their equipment had deteriorated further, and they couldn't contact Rin, their healer.

"Damn it! Where the hell is Rin wandering off to! She's not answering her phone!"

Goda kicked open the living room door. Then he noticed a single sheet of stationery placed on the table.

"Huh? What's this?"

A cute pink envelope. Goda roughly tore it open and pulled out the contents. Written in fancy rounded characters was a simple message:

‘To the Leader and Tashiro-kun,

Due to personal circumstances, I am withdrawing from the party effective today.

Oh, I took my hair dryer and facial massager, so don't bother looking for them.

For future correspondence, please contact my lawyer ♡

From your former healer, Rin’

“…Huh?”

The stationery fluttered from Goda's hand.

"Y-You've got to be kidding meeee!!"

The man's scream echoed uselessly through the quiet residential district late at night.