CHAPTER 262: SIMPLE LIFE, BIG WALLET ( 262 )

Morning.

The sun peeked gently over the rooftops of the dwarven town, casting a warm glow across the cobbled streets.

And right there, in the middle of it all—Hazuki lay sprawled out on the road next to the park entrance, snoring loudly, one arm draped over his chest.

A soft breeze rustled his hair.

Dwarves passed by.

Most barely gave him a glance.

A group of dwarven girls walking past covered their mouths, giggling.

"Is that the human from last night?"

"Aye. Same one. He’s been there since before dawn."

"He’s kinda cute."

Nearby, two dwarven guards strolled by, armor clinking.

They looked down, smiled faintly, and kept walking.

"He’s still alive, so no trouble."

"Eh. Let ’im be."

A few elder dwarves sitting on a bench shook their heads and chuckled softly.

"This human’s weird, eh?"

"Yah! First time seen a human this... settled."

Around them, the town moved as normal.

One dwarf pushed a cart of ingots.

Another smith hammered away in the forge.

A child ran by with a sweet bun in his mouth.

Merchants reopened stalls. Bakers kneaded fresh dough. Someone was already slicing more Nickin fruit for mid-morning snacks.

And right there, in the heart of it all, Hazuki snored on.

Snap!

"Mm?" Hazuki’s eyes blinked open lazily at the sharp sound—barely registering it through the fog of a night full of booze and meat.

He sat up slowly.

Yawned.

Then looked around with the kind of squint that said he wasn’t sure if it was still night.

Scratched his butt lazily.

In the corner of his vision, he noticed a few dwarven girls giggling near a stall, pointing his way with amused grins.

Hazuki blinked at them.

Then turned away without a word.

Zero shame.

He stood up with a long, slow stretch, bones cracking in sequence as he reached his arms overhead and twisted his back.

His stomach growled faintly.

Then his brain kicked in.

"...Hmm?"

He glanced around.

"...Where’s Ridan?"

He looked left.

Then up to the sky.

Nothing.

No floating spirit, no smug grin, no dumb voice shouting about boobs.

Hazuki frowned a little and scratched his head.

Then glanced at his sword, leaning just beside the bench.

Still there. Still faintly glowing.

"...Whatever," Hazuki muttered. "It’s not like he can go far. Sword’s still here."

With a groggy sigh, he picked it up, slung it lazily over his shoulder, and shuffled toward the sound of sizzling food nearby.

Hazuki checked his coin pouch.

Empty.

He stared into the cloth bag.

"...Oh. Right. I treated everyone last night."

He blinked slowly, then shrugged.

"Well... it was fun."

His stomach rumbled again.

"...Alright. Now, where’s the adventurer guild... or a bank?"

He slowly wandered over to a nearby dwarf who was arranging some crates outside his stall.

"Hello."

The dwarf turned, squinting under his thick eyebrows. "Ah! Human lad! Had a gud sleep on th’ street, did ye?"

Hazuki scratched his stomach lazily. "Kinda. Uh... is there an adventurer guild or a bank around here?"

The dwarf set down his crate and crossed his arms, a smirk forming beneath his bushy mustache.

"Aye, aye. There’s a small adventurer guild nearb’." He scratched his beard with one hand. "As fer bank... ye’ll need ta head to th’ capital city, boy. Ain’t got one in this wee town."

Hazuki yawned. "Okay, so where’s the guild?"

The dwarf grinned wider.

"Right, listen close now. Go straight from ’ere, aye? Then when ye reach tha’ buildin’ there—" he pointed vaguely to the right, "turn left."

Hazuki nodded.

"Then, once ye spot another buildin’—turn left again."

"...Uh huh."

"After tha’, ye’ll see a third buildin’—guess what? Turn left."

Hazuki blinked. "...Seriously?"

"Aye! And once ye turn one more time... ye’ll be facin’ me again—" the dwarf laughed, slapping his thigh, "and th’ adventurer guild’ll be right in front o’ ye the whole time!"

Hazuki slowly looked past him.

A small stone building stood about ten steps away, with a rusted sign that clearly said Adventurer Guild in big, bold letters.

He stared at it.

Then looked back at the dwarf.

"...Really?"

The dwarf grinned wider. "Gotta keep ye humans sharp, eh? Welcome to dwarven humor, lad!"

Hazuki sighed. "Dwarves are dangerous people."

"Hey! Drink tonight again, eh?" the dwarf from earlier called out with a chuckle.

"We’ll see," Hazuki mumbled with a lazy shrug, turning toward the small stone building ahead.

He walked up to the door, pushed it open, and stepped inside.

The dwarven adventurer guild.

It was a small space—simple wooden floors, a few quest boards pinned with papers, and a short hallway leading to the back. A couple of dwarves lounged at the tables nearby, nursing hangovers or sorting through gear.

At the front counter sat two receptionist girls.

One was slender, with tidy hair tied in a bun and a small, warm smile. Her dwarf features were gentle, and her accent barely noticeable.

"Ah... welcome, human," she said politely, standing up with her hands neatly folded.

The other?

Loud, cheerful, and speaking like a forge was stuck in her throat.

"Oi, human!" she called out with a wide grin. "How’s yer day, eh? Did ye survive yer own party or what?!"

Hazuki blinked at them both.

Then slowly walked forward.

"...Yeah. Barely."

The loud one laughed, elbowing the other girl lightly. "Told ye he’d crawl in here like a crushed crab!"

"Please don’t compare me to seafood," Hazuki muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"You want to do a quest?" the polite dwarf girl asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Ah, no..." Hazuki waved his hand lazily. "I just want to withdraw some money."

"Okay. May I see your adventurer card?"

"Right... here."

Hazuki reached into his pouch and handed over his adventurer plate.

The polite girl took it, gave it a glance—and suddenly froze.

Her eyes slowly widened.

"B+ rank!?!"

The loud girl leaned over the counter. "B+?! Wait wait—flip it, flip it!"

The polite girl turned the card over, her fingers trembling slightly as she looked at the glowing numbers on the back—displayed clearly through the guild’s mana-inscribed plate.

"More than a hundred gold...!?" she gasped.

Even the loud one stared now.

"Holy beard of the mountain—what did ye do, rob a dragon!?!"

Hazuki blinked. "Hmm? That’s not a lot, right?"

They both stared at him like he’d just told them water wasn’t wet.

Hazuki yawned. "Anyway, I just need to withdraw some silver. About... fifty silver coins and seventy copper."

"R-Right away!!" the polite girl jumped into action, carefully placing the adventurer plate onto a glowing crystal orb embedded in the counter. Mana lines flared gently as the orb synced with the account.

The plate glowed softly.

Withdrawal Approved.

She quickly counted out the coins, placing them into a pouch and sliding it over the counter with both hands.

"Here you are! Fifty silver and seventy copper!"

Hazuki nodded, taking it calmly.

"Thanks. I’ll probably do a quest later or something."

( End Of Chapter )