BXBX NOVEL Chapter 22 — Purchase
Chapter 22: Purchase.
「Please, wait! I can’t possibly do that! I-I had no no intention of paying with my Body in the first place! High Heal is around 50,000 Zeni, is it not? I will surely repay that amount!」
Shaking her head vehemently, the adventurer clasps her giant tits to hide them. I guess that’s an unsavory proposition for her after all. I gave her the wrong idea apparently.
「Ahh, no, that’s not it! I didn’t mean it like that…」
My Eureka moment wasn’t about a way to legitimately fondle this adventurer’s huge tits without Yuel finding out.
What I thought up was a way to buy Eris’ hospital, in other words a way to make money. Adventurer-chan will indeed be using her body to pay me back for the treatment, but not in a sexual way. I was just thinking along those lines right before, so it unconsciously came out in a misleading way.
「Master! In that case, in that case I will…!」
Apparently Yuel misunderstood me too.
Sitting across from me, Yuel is squeezing my hands and gazing up into my eyes. …She’s blushing out of embarrassment and restlessly rubbing her thighs together.
What could she possibly think I’m planning to do?
I don’t want to think about it.
I notice a few people nearby glancing over this way. Saying something like that in the tavern, and with such a loud voice, seems to have grabbed their attention. These looks are…
My resounding solicitation for her to pay with her body after giving her medical treatment. This poor Adventurer-chan clutching her breasts and glaring at me. And young Yuel’s bashful attitude.
…Yep, these are definitely looks of disdain.
Oh crap.
「No! That was a figure of speech… I-I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just, rather than paying me with money, I’d like for you to help me in the labyrinth! Right, you can pay me back in the labyrinth!」
「…You want me to… help in the labyrinth?」
In any case I emphasize “labyrinth”. Since she’s an adventurer, that should make my intentions clear. I peek at Adventurer-chan’s face, and she seems convinced. At least I’ve cleared up the misunderstanding with her.
The glares from around the room have softened up too. They realize it was a misunderstanding. That was close. If a rumor got out that I demanded her body as payment for treatment, that would throw a wrench in my plans.
I turn back to Adventurer-chan. With those knockers back in my field of view, there’s a rising urge to tell her “I want you to ‘help’ me with those giant tits!” but I suppress it and continue.
「Yeah, the truth is…」
「I-I’ll, I’ll help you with it! Even if we’re in the labyrinth!」
…But apparently Yuel’s still under the wrong impression.
Yuel says that with a desperate expression, half on the verge of tears. She’s pleading with her eyes as she tugs on my shirt.
Just what exactly are you fine with doing, “even if we’re in the labyrinth”?
Listening to this conversation, what exactly are people going to think I’ll make adventurers do once we’re in there?
It’s probably not something I should think about. No, I don’t want to think about it.
Well, I’d better clear up her misunderstanding.
「That’s not it, Yuel. I can’t even remotely imagine what you meant by that, but I’m sure that’s not it.」
Right, there’s only one thing I want her to help with.
「The thing I want help with in the labyrinth is… Huge Slime subjugation.」
And then, three days later.
「Alright everyone, I’m counting on you!」
「「「YEAHHHHHHHHH!!」」」
We’re in the 7th floor’s boss room. The adventurers are lined up in a row in front of the Huge Slime, holding shields. There are eight of them, mostly members of the Giant Ant Victims Club. Not that such a club actually exists.
This turnout is the result of asking Eight, Geyser, and other customers of my treatment stall to introduce me to “injured adventurers who can’t afford treatment”.
The adventurers I’ve asked to cooperate with me this time are mostly novices.
In this labyrinth, the drops on the 7th floor are quite juicy for the amount of effort involved. Slimes are about as weak as the Fang Rabbits from the first floor, but the magic stones they drop are 7th-floor-level. Accordingly, a lot of adventurers want to hunt on the 7th floor.
But to get here, they have to make it through the 6th floor. And the 6th floor is home to Giant Ants. The terrifying Giant Ants that can easily ambush you and bite off your leg, even if you’re an experienced adventurer like Eight or running with all your might like me.
There are many inexperienced adventurers who, captivated by the promise of money, try to cross the 6th floor with insufficient ability. And then their legs become delicious treats for the Giant Ants.
However, having lost a leg, no small number of them are unable to continue working as adventurers.
A big hospital or a church would be able to heal them.
But even if they tried to borrow money, there’s hardly any place that would lend money to a novice adventurer. It’s not like adventuring is the only kind of physical labor available, but even if they can make enough to eke out a living, not many of them would be able to pay off their hospital bills promptly.
And that’s why, by seeking out adventurers like that over the past three days, I’ve finally put together a force capable of taking on the Huge Slime. The ones who’ve joined are mostly novice adventurers without much skill. It’s not like everyone’s ability is particularly high. If anything it’s low. But that’s not a problem. All I’m asking of them is to be a meat wall.
The scheme to get rich quick by hunting the Huge Slime has a bottleneck.
Huge Slime’s rare drop sells for the considerable sum of 200,000 Zeni. But to safely defeat the Huge Slime, quite a few people are necessary to make a meat wall capable of reliably stopping its massive body. And with every extra party member, each member’s share of the profits is reduced.
-That’s why I called upon these broke adventurers and offered to heal their injuries for free in exchange for spending a day hunting the boss with me.
I wouldn’t make it in time for the hospital auction if I accepted deferred payment for healing these penniless adventurers. So I’m having them pay me back right away using their physical bodies.
The adventurers, who have no way of saving up enough money to pay for treatment, will be happy just to have their problem resolved in a single day’s work. And I’ll be happy getting to monopolize all of the Huge Slime’s drops. It’s a win-win relationship.
The Huge Slime collides with the adventurers, making a huge thud.
Since there are so many tanks, there’s a bigger burden on the ones in the middle, and there will inevitably be injuries. The line will probably collapse if they take another hit in this condition.
「Area Heal!」
But as long as I’m here, I can put them right back into shape. As many times as it takes. And the pain only lasts a moment.
「「「Fireball!」」」
Plus, I was able to secure three wizards. After every collision, the defenseless Huge Slime gets blown apart by three spells.
Our clear time is much faster than when I came here with Geyser’s group. At this rate, I should be able to earn over a million Zeni over the course of a day.
Moreover, it’s pure profit. The Giant Ant Victims Club may no longer have any members, but it might be worth doing this again after some time has passed.
While I’m thinking it over, Yuel finishes off the diminished Huge Slime.
「Master! It’s a Slime Drop!」
I tenderly pet Yuel’s head when she runs over, and deposit the Slime Drop in my item box. First one down.
After that, we continue the Huge Slime hunt for an entire day.
Once I sell the drops, we return to the inn. The amount of money I have at my disposal now is 1,600,000 Zeni. Typically, it would be divided up between all the party members and further reduced by the cost of expensive potions, but there’s none of that this time. As a result, this huge pile of money is entirely mine.
And then, the next day, the hospital auction concludes.
I’ve placed the winning bid on Eris’ hospital.