ch181-ch200 · 196-ch196

Chapter 196: A Popular Girl

"Metal golems... copper, was it? I'd call that rare. It should be high-purity copper, worth far more than iron... though disposing of it will be tricky. Still, throwing it away would be a waste. Heave-ho. I see—so around one million yen per torso, I'd say?"

Incredible...

Kasumi-san, who joined us just past five, starts appraising the copper golems.

High-purity copper goes for over a thousand yen per kilo.

Just the torso alone weighs a ton, so she says one million yen apiece.

There are ten of them, so that's TEN million yen, you know?

Ahhhhh.

I left the arms and legs back on Floor 31.

Each one weighs over 100 kilos—ten golems' worth of limbs, 40 pieces in all, makes 4 tons. That's 4 million yen.

It's been over an hour, so they've already vanished...

And these torsos are considerably lighter, because Mia-san carved the limbs down to their roots.

What have you done, Mia-san!

"So all of this comes to ten million yen? Woohoo! We're rich~"

"No, hold on—you can tell it's a ton just by LIFTING it?!"

Aikawa hugs one of the toppled copper golems and nuzzles her cheek against it.

And Mia-san fires off a tsukkomi.

"It's an occupational habit, being able to tell weight. Lately the amount I can lift has shot up, so I've been testing how far I can go, that sort of thing. Counter work means weighing things a lot, so after lifting one-ton and two-ton objects a few times, my body just memorized it."

Sasa-Recep—.

She hasn't been able to work the counter lately, so apparently she was doing this sort of thing behind the scenes.

With her stats raised by the high-rank job, the synergy with 【Equipment Weight Reduction】 has deepened—these days she can lift up to three tons even of things that aren't equipment.

Even I can lift close to 150 kilos now, after all.

When Kasumi-san lifts a golem, the 【Equipment Weight Reduction】 effect must be reducing it to about a twentieth of the weight, I suppose?

But if she's hoisting three-ton objects up and down, you'd think she'd get all buffed up—yet Kasumi-san shows no sign of it.

Apparently stats-based enhancement doesn't put strain on the body, so maybe training your body inside the dungeon just doesn't work.

A plan to run and work out outside?

Of course not happening!

"Huh. Now that you mention it, yours started working on people too, right? What about mine? It evolved when I lifted Haruki, wasn't it? Hey, Haruki, let me practice on you too."

No, that's really not...

"Mm. No! ...No. If you want to practice, use me. Also, I think it's easier to get the knack with someone close to you. Mia-san, please ask Anego-san or your father."

Lifting a person puts you at a very close distance, after all.

Which means Kasumi-san had noticed that—or was consciously aware of it, doesn't it?

And yet she seemed to have practiced quite a few times?

Am I allowed to read into that?

"Why does Anego come up THERE? Just use Kasumi-san then. Fine, I'll practice on my mom... Hey, Natsuki. Were you listening? That's not convertible to cash, you know?"

Sensing danger, Mia-san tries to change the subject by turning to Aikawa.

Mia-san's family relations don't seem bad, but her dad just got naturally shunted aside.

But since skill practice can only happen inside the dungeon, her parents probably won't work out?

"Ehh? Why not? Ten million, you know, TEN MILLION yen!"

"Bringing in ten of THESE would make everyone suspicious! Ah—Kasumi-san, I'm moving this one's stuff over to my shop. No running water here, and it's inconvenient in all sorts of ways. Also, when she's not out adventuring, I'll have her work at my shop. That work for you?"

Aikawa is moving into the second floor of Mia-san's shop.

Actually, that move is happening right now, isn't it.

That place has a kitchen and a toilet, and she won't have to go outside in the middle of the night, so it's reassuring.

The rent gets docked from her wages...

But since Mia-san's the one paying her extra to cover it, it evens out to nothing.

Too good a person, it's a problem.

Orc General armor is apparently a hot-selling item for beginners, so I should bring in a big batch next time as thanks.

Soushi and Aikawa's sub-job acquisition is coming up too—maybe we'll do a farming loop.

As long as we don't go through the Association, there's no fear of it getting discovered, so isn't this good money?

"If Aikawa-san is fine with it, I have no objection... Aikawa-san, you may come to MY home too, you know? It's within walking distance from here, and the station's close, so school would be no inconvenience either."

"No, that would be a bit much... It's just temporary lodging until I can rent a room outside..."

Aikawa is shy around new people, you see.

She's like this with Souma-san too, isn't she.

Once she gets close, she has zero restraint, though...

"Mmm. You've gotten quite close to Mia-san, yet I still sense a wall with me. Oh! I know—on weekends I'll stay over at Mia-san's shop too, and the two of us will talk! That way we have an alibi for having gone to Floor 31, and those golems can be cashed in too! The rule will be one per trip home—but with Mia-san along, that makes two!"

"Two million! Mia-san! Can I stay over weekends?"

"Well, sure. Weekends were already set aside for shop-opening prep anyway... Kasumi-san, you shouldn't spoil her so much, you know?"

Ohh? A sleepover?

May I join?

Eh? It's for the alibi, so I'm not invited? Come onnn.

"Spoil her? I simply want to get closer to Aikawa-san. It's not fair that only Mia-san gets to. I want to hear about school life too."

Ah...

Could this be... a bribe?

Mia-san's topic change succeeded brilliantly, but now I'M in a pinch.

Aikawa... I can trust her, right?

No, just trusting her isn't enough.

I need to think up some bribery plan of my own...

But what's worth more than 2 million yen...