Lydia glared at me with a cold tone.
“I got excited finding the thief who stole my wallet.”
“Oh.”
Did she catch me?
I tried to sneak away but failed.
“Jonah! You didn’t…!”
Ellie grabbed me by the collar, mouth agape.
I flailed my limbs in mid-air, shaking my head.
“No way, Ellie! Why would I steal Lydia’s wallet of all people?! I’d be dead if I got caught!”
“Yeah, you might. Honestly, just tell me. Did you get hurt by Lydia’s reaction and impulsively steal it?”
“Seriously, no! I may be a bit reckless, but I know where to lie down and stretch out, okay?! Do I look like the type to repay kindness with treachery?”
“Hmm. Well…”
Ellie, still holding me up, turned to Lydia.
“She says she didn’t do it, you know? And this kid’s got a prior acquaintance with me. Sorry, but I can’t hand Jonah over without any proof, Lydia.”
“…Proof? I have some.”
Lydia tilted her head with a dull expression and pulled a tiny amulet from her pocket.
It was an ordinary silver disc with a red jewel set in it. But for some reason, Ellie’s eyes narrowed.
“It’s an anti-theft amulet. Since it turned red, it’s clear someone stole it, not just misplaced it.”
“…Yeah. I reported it to the Guild after learning.”
“But this isn’t enough proof, right?”
“I placed a tracking spell on my wallet. When I asked Benny to confirm its location, it pointed right here. No coincidence.”
“Solid evidence.”
“Absolutely solid.”
Ellie and Lydia directed piercing gazes at me.
As I subtly tried to avert my eyes, Ellie lifted me high, forcing our gazes to meet.
“Jonah. It’s been fun until now. Take care.”
“Uh, Ellie?!”
With a cheerful smile, Ellie tossed me. Before my feet could touch the floor, Lydia caught me.
Lydia’s expressionless face was now dangerously close. The severity of it triggered an involuntary scream from me.
“Kyaaa! Ellie! You sold me out!”
“I told you, who would steal Lydia’s wallet? I did my best!”
“Well, fair enough… but I didn’t think she’d put a tracking spell on her wallet! Does everyone really go that far?!”
Responding to my injustice was not Ellie but Lydia.
“Normally, no. But adventurers are an exception. It’s quite common to carry your entire fortune… and high-ranking adventurers like me take security seriously.”
“Ugh…”
I had never put that much thought into this setting!
Even now, I debated whether I should exchange all of Lydia’s money for gacha tickets, but… considering I already spent it all, I felt it best just to return it.
“Here… I hardly used it, so can you at least spare my life?”
“?”
Lydia tilted her head as if confused. Goodness…
It’s true this world punishes thieves harshly, sometimes even severing hands. But…
“Are you really planning to kill me?! Thanks to me, you managed to catch the boss! Uh, Ellie…! Save me! Your husband candidate is about to die!”
“What are you talking about, Jonah? We’re not even that close, are we?”
Ellie coldly cut me off. I was wrong. She was clearly not inclined to help me.
Had I placed too much trust in Ellie? She might generally be kind, but she could just see this as an obvious mistake and chose not to defend me.
In the end, there was only one way left. I had to plead with Lydia while crying.
Tears welling up in my eyes blurred my vision. As I prepared to speak in a trembling voice to elicit sympathy, I opened my mouth.
“Lydia…”
“…What?”
With a small sigh, Lydia set me back down on the floor.
She tidied my disheveled clothes and spoke.
“Your name is Jonah, right? Clearly, stealing my wallet was wrong. But it’s also true that I completed the request thanks to you.”
“So…?”
“Since we’ve both helped each other, let’s call it even. Forget the emotional stuff and just look at the facts.”
Lydia held up a finger and continued.
“First, 1 gold for the clan leader’s head. About 30 silver converting guild contributions and credibility into cash.”
“The difference in compensation for capturing the clan leader is surprisingly large, huh?”
“It has to be an example.”
True. Most clans run according to the leader’s will, so it’s better to secure the head than a bunch of minions.
Speaking of which, 1 gold and 30 silver is quite a large sum. While the potion I used seemed pricey, considering this, I might even end up making a profit…
“The advanced potion I used for healing cost 50 silver. A high-ranking adventurer like me earns at least 30 silver a day. The tracking spell request fee was 60 silver. Even if I got it back, the amount Jonah spent in between…”
Lydia muttered calmly, extending a finger one by one. The amounts leaped with each count, and my complexion got paler with each.
It’s obvious that 1 gold and 30 silver had already been surpassed.
When I glanced at Ellie, she nodded repeatedly, seemingly in agreement with everything Lydia said.
So it must indeed amount to this much once accurately calculated. Why is she going this far to pin me down?!
As I sat there stammering, Lydia wrapped up her calculations.
“…Roughly speaking, you owe me 80 silver.”
“Uh, roughly means that the exact amount could be different…?”
“Exact is 83 silver and 27 copper, actually.”
“Let’s round it to 80 silver for convenience! Yes!”
That response sprang out instinctively. She had generously discounted the amount…
As I trembled, Lydia placed a hand on my shoulder and asked in a low voice.
“80 silver. If you pay it back, I won’t press the matter any further.”
“Uh, um… well…”
Where would I get that kind of money? Even if I had it, I would’ve blown it all on gacha.
Seeing me hesitating, Lydia shook her head.
“…No money? Then I’ll have to collect through other means.”
“Are you planning to cut my belly open and sell my organs to the Mage Tower?!”
“…Illegal organ trafficking is a crime.”
“Then… gasp! You’re planning to do dirty things to me?! Just like the red book hidden in the third drawer of Ellie’s desk?!”
“…Not at all.”
From behind, Ellie was jumping up and down, blushing bright red, asking how I knew that. But that wasn’t the point.
Lydia outright denied it. I looked closely at her face. Though she had a minimal change in expression, she was quite a pristine beauty.
Oh…
I flopped on the ground and shouted.
“Fine! If my body is the goal, then there’s nothing I can do!”
“Not at all.”
“But remember this! You may be able to do as you please with my body, but my soul is a different matter!”
“Stop with the nonsense. If you keep this up, I’ll forcibly make you stand.”
“Okay.”
With her fist clenched as if about to hit me, I quickly got back on my feet.
Lydia rubbed her forehead as if she were overwhelmed by my audacity. She then spoke in a tired voice.
“I’m going to the Labyrinth. Jonah will be my porter.”
“You mean I’m being used as a porter…?”
“Yeah. You’ll repay me with your earnings. I can lend you the necessary equipment as an advance. …But until you repay it all, you’re still a porter.”
“That’s…”
It’s a good offer. So good, in fact, that it raises suspicion.
It’s not as if I haven’t considered being a porter. Most of the memories I have are related to the Labyrinth, right? To utilize this, I eventually need to become an adventurer and enter the Labyrinth.
However, the Labyrinth is a place where anyone can gain strength if they can return alive, big or small. Porters are no exception.
Because of that, many aspire to enter the Labyrinth as porters, and someone like me, inexperienced, would naturally be pushed down the priority list.
Well, if I look for it, there might be a party willing to take me, but they usually have dubious backgrounds.
They might just want to use me as a porter and disposable deal, ditching me in front of monsters when things get rough.
There are quite a few actual cases like that, so one needs to choose their party carefully. Anything can happen in the Labyrinth.
In that sense, Lydia is someone I can trust.
She may not be the one I crafted with a lot of effort like Ellie, but her excellent character is well-known, at least enough to be called noble.
I’ve seen it in action firsthand: how she was willing to risk her own achievements and leave future repercussions just to save me.
…Wait a second? Am I the trash who pickpocketed the wallet of such a person?
I shook my head vigorously to dispel my confusion. I’m not bad. The bad one is the world.
“Okay. I’ll be the porter for Lydia. But how deep are we going? As you know, I’m a bit frail and can’t handle the places you usually go.”
“My party member Benny is on break right now. I won’t go to dangerous places alone. Don’t worry about Jonah.”
“Thank goodness.”
As I let out a sigh of relief, Lydia nodded in satisfaction. With a faint smile, she said,
“…Alright. Then tomorrow morning, here. Do you need anything?”
“I need a dagger for handling packages.”
“I have that. Anything else?”
“…Could you possibly buy me some armor or weapons?”
“If it’s for a support mission for the Guild’s low-grade adventurers, I can do that. Of course, it’s still a debt.”
“Lydia…!”
Looking up at her with watery eyes, Lydia seemed a bit uncomfortable and avoided my gaze.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. Normally, I’d just turn you into the Guild and let them take care of it. But…”
“But…?”
“Jonah is still young. You have talent. If there’s a chance for rehabilitation, it’s the knight’s duty to guide you.”
Proudly saying this, she huffed and left the shop. I stared blankly at her retreating figure and turned to Ellie.
“Ellie. Did you know this would happen?”
“Kind of. Unlike others, Lydia isn’t emotional or cunning.”
“Ugh… No, more importantly, do you know Lydia?! You must be quite an amazing adventurer, Ellie!”
“It’s no big deal. I’ve just helped Lydia a few times when she first became an adventurer. By the way, can we just stand around here? The Labyrinth is no walk in the park. You should start preparing now.”
“Well, I have nothing right now. There’s nothing to prepare.”
“You just said you managed to save some money and rented a lodging, right?”
“I was locked up for a few days, and when I returned, they thought I was dead and sold all my things. They rented my room to someone else! I almost got beaten when I tried to complain. Well, I expected that, though.”
Thanks to that, all I have left are the new clothes recovered from the clan Lydia had wiped out and the 32 copper in that pocket.
I wasn’t merely a thief for survival, you see.
“…So you didn’t steal Lydia’s wallet just because you were angry?”
“Ahem.”
“That’s not a compliment.”
Ellie clicked her tongue as she pulled out another Mana Herb. Gently tugging at her empty sleeve, I asked.
“Ellie Ellie.”
“Yeah?”
“I have nowhere to sleep.”
“Oh dear. How pitiful.”
“I don’t just lack a home, but also family, friends, strength, and money. The only thing I have left is this cute face.”
“……”
“Can you let me stay for one night? In exchange, I’ll give you the right to do whatever you want with my face for today…!”
“I don’t need that! I’ll keep a room empty upstairs, but remember it’ll be pay-per-night from tomorrow!”
“I love you, Ellie! So will you marry me?!”
“A debt collector is a no-go…”
Too bad.
