Good Money Making

Alone in the room after Ricardo left.

Olivia sat on the bed, blankly staring out the window.

"Hmm."

The sunlight was intense.

The sand glistening.

It was silent. There was no Ricardo to chat noisily, nor the annoying Ricardo who would call her a pig.

On days like these, the best thing to do was lie in bed and sleep, but Olivia had been woken up by Ricardo, ruining her chance for a nap.

-Chirp chirp…

"Haah…"

Olivia stretched and leaned against the window.

"I'm bored. I'm hungry."

Whenever Ricardo went out to work, she would end up alone in the mansion like this. Like a house dog gazing out the window to check if anyone was coming or going, and then dozing off when sleepy. That was her routine.

She could call a maid to play with, but she didn't want to.

It was awkward since they weren't close. Maybe everyone disliked her? She had this strange delusion that she didn't really want to talk to anyone when Ricardo was not around.

'It's bothersome.'

The person who understood her best was definitely Ricardo. A true butler who would feed her when she was hungry and knew exactly what she wanted to eat.

Olivia found this Ricardo convenient.

She had her pride, but her butler was competent.

A capable butler who had served her for 13 years despite her troublesome nature. She thought it would be hard to find a butler like Ricardo anywhere across the continent.

She knew herself.

How much of a handful she was.

Her personality had become unpredictable from birth. Even the dog she had raised for ten years liked Ricardo more, despite the amount of treats she gave it.

Olivia was good at self-reflection. Rather than 'haha-hehe,' she preferred 'shit!' It was more endearing to her.

Fakeness was far from Olivia's nature.

Ricardo sugar-coated her personality by calling her 'frank,' but she knew it was not really a compliment. Still, it was pleasant to hear, so she didn't tell him to stop.

She had tried to change her personality before.

She even bought a book on kind words and studied it.

-'100 Ways to Change Yourself?' My lady, why are you looking at such a boring book?

-Because I want to give up on it.

-Good thinking.

When that didn't work, she tried hiring a governess.

-My lady, this is the new governess.

-She looks like she has a bad personality.

-Excuse me?

-Leave.

She even tried meditation.

-My lady?

-Snooore…

-A good deep sleep.

But still, her prickly character wasn't easily fixed.

She wanted to speak kindly to people.

Especially to Ricardo.

She felt pathetic for always getting angry and demanding toward the person who took care of her and said bad things to him. Furthermore, the reason he had gone to earn money was all because of her mistakes.

She had wanted to set up a job for him that would let him live comfortably for life, but she had messed everything up.

Was it then wrong to fall in love?

Or was it the Academy that was mistaken?

Or was she the one at fault?

Where did it all go wrong?

No, it was all her fault.

After waking up in the morning for the first time in ages, she had had many thoughts.

Especially after the strange dream last time. Since seeing that too-vivid hallucination, she began to reflect on herself more.

Thinking she would have been dead if it weren't for Ricardo, she spent a lot of time looking back at her past.

"My head hurts."

Maybe she and the butler couldn't live together forever.

Ricardo would someday have to get married.

And she would have to live in bed forever.

"I feel depressed."

Thinking of such a gloomy future made her feel down.

At times like these, she wished Ricardo would suddenly open the door and comfort her. His everyday foolish smile was nice to see, and she felt at ease with Ricardo.

Now, without Ricardo, she couldn't see what her future would be.

"A benefactor… perhaps."

What was the nature of her relationship with Ricardo? Their relationship as employer and employee lay in ruins.

Olivia just hoped that Ricardo didn't hate her.

Lost in thought, Olivia looked out the window.

The guards were diligently patrolling.

The birds were busily chirping.

The children were actively playing.

Everyone was busy in their places.

Olivia felt even worse about her useless self.

It was then.

She saw a kid, a hat pulled down low, carrying red paint, skulking around. It was bothersome—the way the kid darted around as if intending to make mischief.

'A thief?'

The movements were too suspicious for a mere painter. Olivia stared intently.

Even though there was nothing to steal in the house.The initial instance of this chapter being available happened at N0v3l.Bj'n.

Still, the idea of someone taking something was really annoying.

Olivia tightly gripped the bell to call a maid and kept her eyes on the child.

Thunk. The child stood by the house's wall, picking up a brush.

Seeing this, Olivia took a deep breath. Then, without filter, she yelled out.

"Hey you little shit!!!"

Upon reflection, she realized she wasn't unemployed.

She was diligently guarding the house.

Seeing the kid run away, Olivia felt a bit better.

"Hehehe."

***

After checking the address on the business card and walking for about 30 minutes, I could easily find my destination.

"Is this the right place?"

I was pleasantly surprised that it was closer than I thought, but then fell into contemplation at the unexpected sight before me.

"This is strange."

Hanna had definitely said this.

-Our family operates a small order of knights; if you come, you'll be able to make some pocket money.

-Really?

-The green tea. It was too bland. You're in need of 'money,' correct?

Her eye for detail, discerning the house's financial situation from just a cup of green tea. Truly noble, right? Thanks to her, I got a good part-time job recommendation.

But while she said it was an order of knights.

On my way here, I had envisioned a knightly order in impressive armor.

Because that's what ordinary orders of knights looked like.

The duties of a knightly order included slaying monsters that appeared in their own territories or resolving issues requested by outside families.

But this was not a knightly order.

[Adventurers' Guild 'Popo']

"Huh?"

Already informed, Hanna was waving at me from afar.

"Over here!"

Buzzing. Hanna waved her hand.

Hanna lived up to expectations in her familiar attire.

Brown leather pants with boots, a typical adventurer's outfit.

I was quite annoyed.

I walked towards her quickly, and in a hushed voice that others couldn't hear, I whispered.

"Didn't you say it was a knightly order?"

"Yes. A knightly order."

Hanna proudly presented her party.

A tiny dwarf,

An elf wielding a bow,

A healer in a nun's habit—was not the party in question, it was just her by herself, standing alone.

This is a knightly order?

Despite seeming like a reasonable person, she now appeared to have a serious headache. Are you sure this is fine?

"It's the knightly order I operate."

"What?"

"Well… it's just me. But since I'm a knight, it counts as a knightly order, right?"

A multitude of question marks arose in my mind, but Hanna didn't mind them. She seemed rather pleased that I had come so quickly.

She took my hand and led me inside the guild.

"You can earn pocket money and hide your identity too."

"Is that what being an adventurer is?"

"Yes."

Hanna smiled awkwardly.

Was I swindled?

It felt like I was conned by a child, but she said that once I heard her out, I might change my mind. I nodded.

"I may look like this, but I'm actually a B-rank adventurer."

"B-ranked or not, it seems you've lied to me."

Hanna brushed off my opinion lightly and went straight to the point, knowing what I was most curious about.

"Do you know how much I earned during a one-week vacation break?"

Hanna held up a single finger.

"10 gold?"

My voice raised involuntarily.

Indeed, 10 gold was a substantial amount of money. A commoner's monthly living cost was around 30 gold, so it was a sufficient paycheck for a short-term job.

However, there was no denying the inherent danger. Jobs stained with blood were far from safe.

That's why I avoided adventuring and rather had worked as a laborer on construction sites instead.

'Making money on your own, that's impressive.'

I had thought she was a noble out of touch with the ways of the world, but she seemed to have more common sense than I expected. My internal admiration for her rose.

Still, I had to refuse.

It was too dangerous.

I thought of a polite way to reject her offer without hurting her feelings.

Instead of risking blood on my hands for just 10 gold, it would be better to work on a construction site.

And besides, adventuring took up too much time.

Hunting missions mean you have to climb mountains for a day to three days just to find monsters. With my duty to serve the lady, it was impossible for me.

Hanna's eyes widened.

She flapped her hands, clearly disgusted.

"No way? Who would want such a tiny amount."

"What?"

"100 gold."

I nearly called her 'sister' out of shock. Quite a frightening woman to make me almost refer to a younger person as 'sister.'

Despite my loud assumption, my eyes opened widely. After a long time, it felt like I was seeing the light.

I earnestly wished she would elaborate further.

Hanna let out a small chuckle, "Pfft," upon seeing my expression.

"If you only take on big jobs, quite a bit of money comes in. And since I work alone, there's no need to split it with anyone."

"Aren't all the high-earning quests already taken?"

Hanna showed me her silver badge.

"I'm B-ranked."

"Ah…"

"Difficult jobs can be primarily chosen by higher-ranked adventurers. Sometimes I get personal commissions too."

While looking at her bright smile, I cursed my past. Why hadn't I known about such a sweet side-job?

Memories of being a bricklayer at a construction site filled my eyes with tears. Why hadn't the novel informed me about the lucrative job of being an adventurer?

Perhaps because it's a romantic fantasy full of dreams and hope. They didn't want to promote a violent and unethical job.

Hanna held my hand with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. But you wouldn't come if I didn't say it that way."

That's true.

I would've immediately refused if she'd just asked me to go on an adventure together. I didn't know much about being an adventurer, and it seemed laughable that a noble lady would do adventuring work, let alone on her own.

But what puzzled me was.

"Why are you asking me?"

After all that transpired at the mansion, it didn't seem like it left a good impression.

From our first meeting, where I crushed a senior's face, to serving as the villainess's conversation partner, I had several embarrassing incidents, and it seemed odd that she nonchalantly invited me.

So, before starting the job, I asked.

"I don't think what happened at our mansion would be considered good memories."

One can never be too cautious; for all I knew, she could be setting a trap to torment me over past grudges.

Hanna looked down.

"Um… that's true."

She stared pensively at my hand.

"You were the first one I've seen use aura like that."

"What?"

"I've never seen a young person use aura, and to adjust the power of aura so finely was also a first for me. My father can't even do that. He only knows how to smash things."

Thanks to the Limit Break skill.

I chose not to say it.

Hanna continued with a small smile.

"I don't adventure just for money. I was wondering if I could grow more."

"Is that so?"

That was her point.

If you want to earn a lot of money, you have to take on dangerous tasks, and she preferred the verified skill of working with me over mediocre comrades.

She also wished to improve her own abilities.

That was the main reason.

Hanna bowed respectfully.

Her demeanor differed significantly from the one I had seen at the mansion.

"That's why I asked you."

I looked at her and said.

"Are skills enough?"

"What?"

"If priority is given to skills over money, is that enough?"

If the answer was yes, I could give her the response she was looking for.

I asked out of goodwill, but Hanna's face showed cracks.

She must have assumed I was dismissing her for overlooking money. Just as she was about to tell me not to underestimate her,

Before she could misunderstand me further, I blurted out a more materialistic answer.

"Then let's do 8:2."

"What?"

Hanna's startled response.

"The split, I mean."

"What are you…!"

"However. In four weeks, I will have made you capable of defeating Michail."

I was the one who had raised Michail and the supporting male leads. In ways they didn't know about.

***

Michail grew stronger through stimulation.

That's what the novel described.

-Michail, as a child, happened to encounter a goblin in the mountains and faced the threat of death. In that moment, with a burning stimulus in his heart, Michail awakened his talent for swordsmanship.

That must have been how it was written in the novel.

And it probably would have been written like this in the Affinity Quest as well.

[Q. Michail Needs Stimulation

Michail, whose skills were developing rapidly, had no worthy opponents left and started becoming complacent.

Provoke Michail in front of everyone.

Defeat Michail in an unknown location (1/1)

Lose to Michail in a 'counter-duel' (1/1)

Rewards: All stats +5, Swordsmanship Lv. 4

Michail's reward: Swordsmanship Lv. 3

If failed: All stats –10 decrease]

I am confident that I can make anyone grow faster than anyone else, provided I am aware of the quest involving them.

Instead of swinging my sword aimlessly, I have seen with my own eyes that by providing stimulation alongside the keywords given by a quest, they can grow faster even without rewards.

That's what Ruin did. He grew insanely fast when given a little pressure.

Ruin grew from defeat, Michail from stimulation. The female protagonist had quests related to harassment.

The quests which appeared were fresh due to their perverse tastes, but one thing was certain about their effect.

I diligently carried out the quests. I couldn't pass on freebies.

By the later parts of the novel, the protagonists were meant to grow into a saint, a hero, and a great magician saving the world, so growing them early wasn't a bad thing.

I tormented the protagonists with fervor. To them, I must have seemed like a relentless brawler, but to me, I considered it moving towards world peace. Isn't that moving? Or is it not?

Ultimately, people can grow if you touch upon what they lack.

They can break through walls that had stalled them and even experience the miracle of reaching new heights instantly.

It's like those martial arts novels.

Even the main character, after being obliterated by the villain, would go 'Hmm… Was I an idiot?' and after secluded training, would gain enlightenment and reach the realms of Sword Master or Sword Saint.

That's the kind of feeling an Affinity Quest gives.

Like how it feels incredibly relieving to scratch an unreachable itch, providing what they were unaware of lacking or needed stimulation helps fix their deficiencies, allowing them to grow stronger quickly. That was the power of the Affinity Quests I had.

-A quest has occurred.

It's been a while since I've heard the notification sound.

It felt like a year since I last saw it.

[Q. The Short-Lived Fate of the Unfortunate Extra 'Hanna'

Ignored by her father and the servants, she always resented her pathetic talent.

She is thirsty for praise.

With the new semester just around the corner, Hanna takes on a quest above her level to improve quickly and gets killed by an 'Elite Orc Swordsman'.

If only there were continuous praise, she could have realized her power and not just surpassed becoming a Knight Commander but even aim for the position of the empire's greatest swordsman.

(!) Please help her become strong on her own.

Give her ego-boosting praise. (0/10)

Achieve an 'Affinity of 40' or higher. [Affinity: -10]

Defeat the 'Elite Orc Swordsman'. (0/1)

Rewards: Swordsmanship Lv. 6, Strength +3 increase

Hanna: Swordsmanship Lv. 4, Beginner Aura (C)

If failed: Histania Hanna dies.]

'I have to do it.'

It wasn't just the money that prompted me to propose this. It was the part that she was going to die that moved my heart. Even though I loved money and hated being bothered, I wasn't cruel enough to ignore the future of someone's death.

Of course, the money was the biggest reason.

I wanted to help her.

I didn't know much about her past, but I could tell from the brief text that she hadn't had an easy life.

Histania Hanna.

She wasn't a character that appeared in the novel. They said because she died.

That made me feel even worse.

Unaware of my conflicted feelings, Hanna looked at me as if I were ridiculous.

"What did you say? What are you going to do for me?"

It seemed unbelievable that I would help her beat the strongest second-year student. Perhaps she was overcome with disbelief.

By the look on her face, that didn't seem to be the case.

"How am I supposed to beat senior Michail?"

Hanna chuckled bitterly.

It seems she mistook my offer as a joke. I reassured her with sincerity.

"It's possible."

Michail has not yet awakened his aura, so there is still time before he does.

Michail awakens his aura in the second semester, during the episode where the female protagonist is kidnapped. That's when he becomes a monster.

Until then, Michail is just a student slightly better at swordplay.

It's enough to compete with swords.

With a bit of luck, you could even win.

Of course, Michail is already an exceptional swordsman with innate talent and combative sense, but before awakening his aura, he's easier to deal with.

Once Michail awakens his aura, he becomes a monster.

That was the gist of what I meant. Michail without an awakened aura is definitely worth challenging.

If you think of him as just a student who's a bit better with swords, you can move one step closer.

Right now, Michail's swordsmanship is around level 3. Once Hanna reaches level 4, the birth of a saint will be witnessed.

Hanna, oblivious to my thoughts, gave me a look of pity.

She was dumbfounded.

"Excuse me, butler."

"Yes?"

Hanna, with an incredulous look, as if seeing an invasive species disrupting the ecosystem, telling me what do I know.

"Are you aware of a joke that even our first years wouldn't say?"

"What is it?"

"It's saying that they would beat senior Michail"

"Ah, ha!"

As I snickered insidiously, a crinkle formed on Hanna's expression. She didn't like that I laughed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"It's just humorous."

She sighed…

Before her mood soured further, I asked her why.

"Back then, they smashed heads without care for who was a senior and who wasn't."

"That was because you had senior Michail in your grade year."

"Even so, I confronted Michail."

Hanna suddenly became silent.

It was as if she was looking at a real madman.

As the conversation seemed to go nowhere, with Hanna mumbling to herself that Michail is so strong, I let out a small laugh.

"So what about it?"

"What?"

"Do you think Michail is stronger than me?"

I asked her a fundamental question.

Hanna twitched her eyebrows.

Upon reflection, it seemed to make sense.

At some point, her gaze fixed on my sword.

If I were to fight Michail now…

I'm confident I can finish him quicker than Ruin did.

I teased Hanna with a grave voice.

"Do you think Michail could subdue Ruin like I did?"

No response.

Hanna bit her lips tightly, looking at my confident eyes. Maybe she thought Michail would probably lose to me. I probed her once more.

"Have you ever thought… there's no way I can beat this person when you looked at Michail?"

"Yes."

I preempted her response.

"Probably not. You must have thought that you'd like to become like Michail. Because it seemed within reach."

Hanna seemed struck by a sudden revelation, having never even thought of challenging him.

The straightforward words left Hanna at a loss for words.

Hanna murmured to herself.

"Can I beat Michail, senior?"

She shook her head from side to side, chastising herself for being presumptuous.

As a final nail, I scanned the surroundings. There was no one in sight.

I reached out to Hanna. The red aura, just like I had seen before, rose like a heat haze.

"Do you not believe it?"

Hanna couldn't take her eyes off of it.

The red aura seemed to reignite a passion that had been extinguished.

"Even if you don't do it, it couldn't be worse, right? If it doesn't work, just think you've been scammed."

"No. But it's something impossible, isn't it? How could I possibly think of defeating Michail, senior…"

"If you don't try, wouldn't that be regretful? As a swordsman, it's quite embarrassing to give up without even trying."

Hanna pondered deeply.

I gently pressed the seizure button that everyone reacts to.

"Are you scared?"

I want her to become my source of income.

***

"Amazing, Miss Hanna!"

Hanna looked at me with a blush on her face.

Apparently, being loudly praised by me loud enough for all the monsters in the mountains to hear was embarrassing for her.

This made me want to tease her even more.

"Wow! To have caught one already—could this be a record time?"

"No…!"

It's been seven days now.

She decided to play along with my words, thinking she had nothing to lose.

But she added one more condition.

-"Let's make it fifty-fifty. But how about this?"

-"What's that?"

-"Well, if by some chance I manage to beat senior Michail at the school ranking tournament after the school reopens, I will give you all the allowance I receive."

-"Really?"

-"Yes, ten thousand gold a month. That's what I get. But if I lose, then you need to grant me a wish."

Upon hearing her proposal, I thought to myself that I had struck gold.

It's not like she will be at a loss.

After all, she would gain the title and confidence of having defeated Michail.

However, it seems she still doesn't trust me all that much.

She hasn't yet gained remarkable strength or been taught great swordsmanship techniques.

So far, my wallet has been more precious.

Of course, I didn't forget to give praise.

Hanna has been faithfully handing over half of her earnings to me.

As I slay an approaching orc's head, I shout.

"Wow! Ten gold!"

The falling head of the orc.

I felt my wallet getting healthier.

After having filled it with shillings for a while, I felt good thinking that I could fill it with golden coins for the first time in a while.

One gold per orc head.

Ten so far.

If I just work hard, I'll quickly reach a hundred gold.

Hanna shook her head in disbelief as she watched me dissect orc heads like a madman.

I smiled faintly at her.

"Oh…! Now you've caught two! Incredible."

"Ah, yeah."

"Just try to catch three more."

Hanna counts the orc heads she's caught. They're exactly five times less than the number I've caught.

Driven by an unnecessary sense of rivalry, she swings her sword even more fiercely.

'She's working hard.'

That's how she encountered the Elite Orc.

I thought to myself, looking at her. She was a woman truly serious about swordsmanship. I thought she disliked swordsmanship when I first saw her Affinity window.

But she loved swordsmanship more than anyone.

That's the feeling.

Like someone who had studied hard but was disappointed by not achieving the grades expected and thus hated even talking about their academic performance.

Her sword didn't rely on luck.

Was it due to consistent practice or something else? She seemed impeccable in the mental aspect.

But there appeared to be gaps in her technical abilities.

As the number of orc heads diminished, I gathered strength at my fingertips.

A red aura enveloped the tip of my sword like a heat haze.

With a resounding boom, the red sword energy lashed out, and I brushed my sword off upon confirming the orc that ran in the distance had fallen.

She looked at me bewilderedly.

"How is that possible?"

Hanna, who was hydrating with water.

She had long since spat out the water she had been holding in her mouth.

I looked at her with an expression as if it was effortless and told her.

"I did it, so it worked."

"You're insane."

She saw me as a monster.

Hanna fell to the ground with a thud.

She seemed to be exhausted.

I quietly sat down next to her.

"You've worked hard."

"You've worked harder."

"I know."

The sun was setting.

It was about time for the lady to start heading back.

I spoke gently, ensuring she could hear me.

"Today, there was a lot of tension in your shoulders."

"Is that so? I thought I had relaxed quite a bit."

Hanna nodded slightly.

She didn't argue.

"Your lower body movements are too big."

"That's because my lower body is big…"

I nodded quietly.

She is indeed broad-hipped.

"Don't get any weird ideas."

"I'm not."

I continued to give her more feedback.

Her waist was too stiff.

Her movements were too straightforward. Especially.

"You seem to be trying too hard to imitate Michail."

"Still… Is that so? You're impressive."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I have an eye for detail."

Excessive modesty can be offensive to others. I elevated myself since I knew I was good at what I did.

[Hanna's affinity has increased by +1.]

I've raised her Affinity quite a bit in a week.

I felt proud of the results of my efforts.

The cool breeze caressed my hair. Indeed, the wind at quitting time is refreshingly pleasant.

Of course, Hanna's eyes were red with fatigue, but I was fine, so it's all good.

It's almost time to leave.

I should buy some chocolate on the way home. The lady has been singing about it for a week, and it's scary to think I might reincarnate into chocolate, so I should bring some.

To wrap up the day, I spoke to Hanna.

The words will surely be more helpful to her than any mediocre feedback.

I carefully placed my hand on her head as she lay sprawled on the ground.

"Well done."

"Huh?"

Hanna opened her eyes wide in surprise.

"You did really well today. I'm praising you."

"Why are you telling that to me…"

Praise was what she was thirsty for.

I didn't know much about how Hanna had lived until now. Whether she was ignored or lived happily, I didn't want to know and didn't know either.

What I did know was that Hanna's expression upon hearing praise was incredibly awkward.

With an unsure look on her face about what expression to make, Hanna looked up at me.

It seemed that she was not used to receiving praise after all.

Hanna looked at me with a strange expression.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Do you dislike my hand?"

"No, it feels good, actually."

"I haven't washed my hand since I pulled out the orc's tooth…"

"Ah…!"

"I'm kidding."

Hanna grinned.

It seems she enjoys the commoners' jests.

As Hanna springs to her feet with a shout, her rascally nature is evident

"What's the butler's name?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious. I don't think we've formally introduced ourselves yet."

Right.

I nodded my head slightly and bowed courteously.

"My name is Ricardo."

"Oh… That's an impressive name."

"I know."

Hanna, with light steps, collected orc teeth.

I watched her affection meter as she worked, taking time out to avoid getting lazy.

[Histania Hanna Lv. 28]

[Occupation: Royal Academy Student]

[Affinity: 11]

[Favorite conversation topic: Compliments about swordsmanship]

[Least favorite conversation topic: School re-opening]

Like any college student caught up in the same worries, Hanna's affinity window looked promising.

It was clear she would grow fast.