Chapter 23: Unfair, It’s Unfair

[The Cockatrice, on the verge of death due to illness, vehemently protests. “Cock! Cooock!”]

[The flying squirrel, hungry after three days of starvation, bares its teeth in anger. “Grrr!”]

[The dog, castrated and deeply sullen, looks at you with a depressed expression. “Nggg……”]

“Hmm~ Hmm~”

Ignoring the malicious complaints of the summoned monsters.

While humming, Ellis twisted her body, thinking, ‘The Conqueror,’ his name was Ark, right? 

Ah, even his name has such a cool ring to it………….

Following his instructions meticulously, she placed the ‘fully egged ones’ and the ‘sturdy ones’ in each area.

She double-checked to ensure there were no leftover traps from the last time that hadn’t been removed.

“Hehe, this should satisfy him, right?”

Ellis finished the setup with a proud expression and stretched.

Then, recalling the adventurers she had just encountered,

“I was the biggest……!”

She vowed to win.

The dog beastman was somewhat of a match, but she had already overwhelmingly surpassed them in terms of exposure.

Victory in the bitchiness department!

And with such devoted support.

Victory in the wife department!

“Huhuhu hehehe……!”

Ellis was lost in happy thoughts, wondering when she should pop out again and dance the dance of submission.

If he acknowledged her worth,

She could stick by his side for 24 hours.

And then.

“I’ll make him unable to live without me……………!”

Ellis burned with ambition.

* * *

“Wow, this is amazing.”

The corner of my mouth was rising uncontrollably.

The main theme of the 8th floor, the Orc Village, was an open plain.

If the mechanics hadn’t been altered and things had proceeded normally,

We could have easily been surrounded when the orcs swarmed out.

But.

“Kweeek! Kweeee!”

“Bye! Bye!”

The orcs, furious and howling,

Were stuck in a massive sinkhole, unable to get out.

Thanks to that.

“My arms hurt……!”

“Heehee, I just need to click-click!”

Only our ranged adventurers, Ari and Tina, had to work a bit harder.

It was a total breeze, a free win!

This is what normalizing the game feels like.

Now it finally feels like we’re playing a game.

“So, Ark, do you trust that demon?”

“Me? Of course not.”

Once a traitor, always a traitor.

They say true betrayal is striking from behind once more.

You can’t take promises made with a silver tongue at face value.

In this cold, modern society, one must always be prepared for betrayal.

Ellis, do you know?

I liked you………

“Then, will you not accept their surrender?”

“Of course not.”

With this level of sincerity, I should accept.

But.

“Let’s go up to the 10th floor, 10th area.”

It’s best to create an environment where betrayal is impossible.

……..And even if I recruit her, there’s not much use for her.

Well, Ellis, her performance is mediocre……………

There’s no real need for her in the field…….

Recruited characters are all like that.

Compared to the limited gacha characters designed to suck money or the characters with exclusive skins, they’re naturally weaker.

Tina is just filling the role of a magic damage dealer for now, but in the long run, she’s second or third tier.

Ellis……… Maybe I’ll use her in the total war events.

Or maybe I’ll just display her as a decorative demon in the guild house.

Well, if she becomes useful elsewhere, that’s good, muhuhu…………..!

Thinking that, I suddenly glanced at the necklace around Tina’s neck.

……..It looks like a dog collar every time I see it.

“Johanna, do you have to keep wearing that necklace all the time?”

“Well, if she stays in her demon form, other adventurers might find it strange, and, um, her clothes are a bit……………”

Tina’s outfit is a bit revealing.

It’s a bit too much to enjoy only in the tower…

No!

I’m not a heinous child lover!

Anyway.

Thanks to that necklace, Tina can return to the city in normal clothes.

Ellis’s outfit was also quite aggressive in design…………

……..Then, isn’t she pretty much useless as a decorative demon?

I should subtly ask Heron to make a necklace that lets me dress her in clothes that match my taste.

* * *

Starting from the 7th floor, 10th area, today’s tower climb ended at the 8th floor, 9th area.

After lightly gathering experience potions in the daily dungeon and returning to the guild house for a nap,

“Orc skull! Umm, 113 gold!”

“Thank you, little lady~”

“Hehehe.”

Observing the work attitude of the new night shift part-timer who started today, I diligently shook cocktails.

……..Flowers bloom and wither in ten days.

Though it doesn’t match the insane popularity of the initial opening,

There’s still enough demand to keep the profit graph in the black.

The biggest reason for the drop in sales is probably the fading ‘drug effect.’

Most regular customers have probably surpassed level 10 with ease.

So,

“Is this watered down? It’s been off lately.” Ark, ugh.

“Haha, no way.”

I even had to deal with baseless slander like this.

……..It’s not watered down.

I just slightly increased the proportion of orange juice.

Business should be honest.

But ‘minor numerical adjustments’ are necessary for healthy balance, right?

The next level-up for the general store is the 10th floor.

With Ellis handling the mid-open, if we quickly rush to the 10th floor and destroy the nexus, we’ll have more leeway to buy potions.

Soon, I’ll develop a cocktail using the Elixir of Minor Growth and sell it at a higher price to normalize profits again.

“Hoho…….”

I was pleased.

“The breast salad isn’t out yet!”

“Neine, I’m coming soon!”

Our party’s official malignant stock, orc chest meat, is starting to gain popularity as a side dish.

A frugal economic system where nothing goes to waste!

“Ark………… This is a bit……..”

“Shh. Just close your eyes and quietly eat it, Ari.

It’s the same taste, even chewier.

The nutrients are probably similar too.

No problems will arise.” If you eat it,

It’s just that our adventurers are biased based on appearance and picky. 

They eat thigh meat just fine.

There’s no mandatory origin labeling,

No need for HACCP certification.

Isn’t this world a paradise for restaurateurs?

“Ugh.”

……..Except for the fact that it’s sweltering sitting in front of the oven with a hood on, roasting meat, everything is going well.

Yes.

Everything is going well.

……..Usually, problems arise at times like this.

Gasp.

Damn.

I was thinking, ‘Have I won…………!’

Gulp

The next moment.

The door swung open, and Saha, along with a group of knights, entered in a rush.

Ah, it’s not a problem but a group of customers.

Oh, our precious tank, welcome!

Of course, I couldn’t show it outwardly.

Only thinking inwardly.

“Welcome, Saha! And comrades!”

I greeted them cheerfully.

But Saha’s expression wasn’t too good.

Did something tough happen during patrol?

“We’re here for an underage drinking crackdown.”

“……What?”

……?

What kind of nonsense is this?

“Please present your IDs.”

“Here!”

“Haha, we met at the meeting bar, right? Here.”

“……!”

What’s going on?

Wait, what, IDs in this world? Why are you even showing them?

I desperately tried to regain my composure, forgetting about the burning meat, and surveyed the entire store.

And in my sight.

A purple-haired woman sneaking out the back door.

Yes.

Just run……………!

“You there, please stop.”

“Ugh……!”

Why didn’t you run!

You should’ve just ignored them and fled!

In the end, the purple-haired woman was caught by Saha.

“Ah, I’m not eighteen yet…………….”

“Hmm. I see. Don’t worry too much. According to city law, the fault lies with the owner who didn’t check IDs.”

She was let off with a warning.

……?

This is like the situation I faced when working at a convenience store.

“Ark? Could you come with us to the knight’s station for a moment?”

“Me……?”

Are you kidding?

***

“……It’s official business. There’s no choice, Your Eminence.”

“R, right…….. It’s not Saha’s fault…………….”

The verdict.

Three-day suspension.

……..In reality, it would be a month, but compared to that, it’s a light sentence…………

“B, but…….. No, what kind of law is that?”

This is unfair!

It’s unfair! 

Normalizing adventurers who don’t spend money!

“To be honest, in my hometown, the City of Flames, there’s no concept of underage drinking… but in this city, the laws created by the Sweet Goddess are strictly enforced.”

Saha handed me a book.

[GAME INDUSTRY PROMOTION ACT]

“I don’t know the meaning of the sacred letters on the cover, but the contents are translated. It includes a code of conduct for our knights, with a clause on ‘harmfulness verification for youth.”

“Grrrr……..”

I grabbed the back of my neck and fell backward.

This is unfair……….!