Chapter 67: Things Money Can Buy 2
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Here, they are also posted on discord.
Join the discord! Here
[Han Se-ah's stream has begun!]
[Han Se-ah_Return of the absent teacher, Roland! ()]
Walking along a familiar path, I push open the guild's wooden door.
As I step in, a camera drone positioned at the entrance captures my entry.
My teammates are already gathered around a table, their eyes drawn toward me.
Their excited hand waves remind me of kids brimming with anticipation on a field trip day.
Or maybe a child thrilled at hearing Santa call their name?
"Roland!"
- Seeing Roland makes me so happy I could die!
- The owner of the stream is back!
- Thought he wouldn't come back.
- The stream isn't the same without him.
I've been following the stream and anticipated some reaction, but Han Se-ah's enthusiasm was more than I thought it'd be.
It takes even Grace by surprise.
Likely, Grace's mind is already brewing some dramatic tale of love and rivalry.
I respond to Han Se-ah's bright smile and wide-eyed surprise with a casual wave and settle down at the table.
"Good to see you all. Did you do your homework well?"
"We camped at the tower for 1 night and 2 days, resting in between to recuperate. We've made it through all fights unscathed, successfully conquering up to the 19th floor."
Han Se-ah's confident declaration gets approving nods from Grace and Irene.
Their repeated camping seems to have bolstered their confidence as adventurers.
Catching Kaiden's eye, I notice she's nodding too.
Although she joined last, Kaiden has the most hands-on experience.
I was curious about the party members from her perspective as the 'sword princess'.
"Kaiden, how do you think the others did?"
"Like I said yesterday, they had a bit of a tough time after the first night watch. But that's a small issue. If I had to mention anything, Irene can get a bit too tense when she's in the frontlines."
Irene looks taken aback but not upset.
Defending allies with a protective shield when you've got a vanguard is one thing.
Standing alone in front of a charging beast is quite another.
"It was scary, having to stand right in front of the monsters...."
"But that didn't interfere with your shield casting."
Irene blushes a bit at the attention, but Kaiden is quick to defend her.
It looks like Grace and Han Se-ah have not picked up any bad habits yet.
As for their combat skills, I can't see anything that needs to be pointed out right now.
Both Kaiden and I lack knowledge about archery and magic, so our evaluation is mostly on group combat tactics.
On that front, they always perform above average.
"It's reassuring to see everyone adjusting. If we're all set for camping tonight, let's aim for the 20th floor. Sound good?"
Following a quick review of the camping homework I gave them, the conversation flows into various combat dynamics.
We discuss the challenges of fighting in close quarters without a vanguard and the difference between a vanguard holding off a monster's charge versus blocking it alone with a protective shield.
The conversation takes a weird turn, somehow transforming into a praise session for me, emphasizing the critical role of a defensive vanguard.
-Your boot-licking skills are incredible for a streamer.
-[Chat has been deleted by the mod]
-Let's start praising Roland from now on.
Our party leaves the guild, heading towards the city gate.
"Roland, did you travel to the North for Kaiden's armor?"
"Yes, some materials required a senior adventurer, so I went there myself."
During the walk, we talked mostly about my recent journey to the North.
The party is only familiar with the city of adventurers, sparking curiosity about the kingdom's northern regions.
Grace, a country girl from the eastern part of the kingdom, and Irene, born and raised in a city temple, are unfamiliar with the distant land.
Han Se-ah is just as clueless about the North.
Despite numerous gamers leaving the city, few have successfully settled in the frigid, dangerous North.
Unless you make a lot of money or venture beyond the city and become a mercenary or wanderer, homelessness is a likely fate due to lack of funds.
In the North, being homeless means braving the cold and potentially freezing to death.
Warmer climates were easier to survive in; that's a harsh truth in this game.
While there aren't hunger or thirst bars like in survival games, enduring harsh conditions gradually deteriorates your health.
It's a lesson many gamers learn the hard way, often personally.
...Anyway, there are a lot of crazy people.
"So, Kaiden's armor is...?"
"We've gathered the materials; now we need a blacksmith who can repair it. Kaiden, do you have anyone in mind?"
"Yes, I was referred to a blacksmith by Rebecca."
Our conversation carries on as we navigate the adventurer-filled streets and cross the city gate.
The mage responsible for teleportation is starting to recognize us, only glancing briefly at our adventurer badges.
Stepping into the warm, sunlit plains, we ignore goblins and any monsters weaker than them.
They're now beneath our notice.
After all, why would a party on a quest to hunt orc hunters bother with weak goblins?
Disregarding any beast that doesn't attack, we continue towards the passage.
Occasionally, a horned wolf lurking on our path provides some loot and magic stones before vanishing.
['A viewer named Han Se-ah' donated 10,000 won!]
Can we see the armor? Show us the armor quickly.
"That magic armor, I'm curious, can I see it?"
"Yes. After all, I'll be wearing it once it's repaired. I plan to have it repaired when we get back. Would you like to see it then?"
Our party maintains a peaceful conversation, indifferent to a horned wolf leaping from the bushes.
Indeed, after slaying dozens of moss wolves, it'd be absurd to fear a horned one.
Despite the horned wolf being a named monster on the 10th floor with superior physical attributes, it lacks the moss wolf's stealth, enabled by moss-covered fur and shadowy hiding spots.
No reason to be caught off-guard unless you're adventuring without a proper scout, as some internet stories recount.
As we travel the plains and approach the forest's entrance, Grace turns to me.
"So, Roland, how was the North?"
"The cold beer was good."
"You traveled all the way just for a beer?"
"I also ate a lot of meat."
Grace, her eyes gleaming with curiosity about the North, strides over to me, followed by Irene.
In a world without internet, it seems they're very curious of my experience over there.
Perhaps, in a world where being a bard is a profession, this is a natural reaction.
However, for the viewers observing through the camera drone, it triggers a different kind of response.
-Irene sticking so close is just too adorable
-Forget the magic armor, tell us about the North
-So many jealous guys here
-I'll buy it right away if it's r19 from Roland's perspective
From the character quest, it's clear Grace has feelings for me.
Han Se-ah even made a blatant attempt to push us closer together.
Irene, with her striking beauty, is also drawing close, though only her face is visible on screen.
The idiom "holding a flower in each hand" seems rather fitting for the situation.
Grace, who freely expresses her affection, and Irene, who's gradually getting closer.
Given that many of the stream's viewers are male, it seems that their curiosity about my love life is outpacing interest in the mage Hanna's adventures.
In my previous world, many people were deeply into 'shipping' characters together, and the trend appears to be just as popular in this one.
A gallant, handsome paladin in a fantastical setting, a charming ranger, and a beautiful priestess.
The viewers flood the chat with their enthusiastic fantasies, steering the conversation in unexpected directions.
"Hmm, a harem for Roland, huh? Irene hasn't even been on a date yet. It's fun to watch, I might encourage it at some point. But it's a bit scary to push for it before her character quest appears."
['Irene is Irene, so Irene' donated 5,000 won]
If Irene goes on a date with Roland in casual clothes, ten thousand won.
"Ah, thank you for the mission. The username is a bit odd, but the mission is interesting."
Han Se-ah is having fun, leading viewers in the direction she wants.
There's a reason she's sometimes called the 'money collector' on the Internet.
She's skillfully profiting from other people's love affairs.
---
I picked up a new novel if anyone is interested! A trial novel for now but I really like it already. It's in the trials tab on the top navigation bar!
Uhmm this was supposed to be posted much earlier but uh sometimes elden ring calls...
1/5 Enjoy the chappy!
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