Published at 26th of December 2025 7:37 am

Chapter 424: If Theyre Penniless, Theyre a Nuisance, but if They Have Money, Theyre a Client.

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Alright, weve arrived! This is the town of Niihana.

Wow!

At the end of the corridor stood a sturdy metal gate. After going through procedures with what seemed to be guards, we passed through to find a massive town, almost entirely made of stone. Tia exclaimed in awe at the sight, and Anemo began to explain with a slightly proud tone.

How do you like it? This town of Niihana is the largest in this area. Impressive, isnt it?

Yes, very much! Is this town carved out of the dungeon?

Thats right. The dungeon walls regenerate if left alone, so we use a special solution to block the flow of magic and prevent regeneration, maintaining the space. The stones used in the towns construction are the same. If the magic is completely drained, the dungeon absorbs them, so we rebuild about every twenty years.

Wow, that sounds tough So, does that mean there are no historical buildings?

Not necessarily. Important structures or those easier to repaint than rebuild are maintained regularly. For example, the building in the center of town hasnt changed for ages. Though, ordinary people cant enter it because it houses many of the towns core functions.

I see.

By now, it was clear that Tia lacked common knowledge about this world. Thus, her questions werent seen as odd, and Anemo patiently explained everything. This was honestly helpful, as my own memories were somewhat vague.

Alright, lets head to the Explorers Guild office first! They might be able to identify you two there.

Got it. Lets go, Ed.

Yeah.

Tia, excited by the novelty, pulled me along as we followed Anemo. The stone ground, almost entirely flat, was easy to walk on, and various shops lined the streets. Unlike most towns, there were hardly any merchant stalls here.

This was because wood was extremely precious. It was difficult to make simple stalls out of stone or metal, so it made more sense to set up proper shops.

There really isnt any wood or grass But then, what about clothes? And paper?

Well, there are aquatic plants and algae that grow in water sources. These are processed into fibers for cloth and paper. As for wood Ive never seen it myself, but have you, Tia-san?

Uh, um, maybe?

Really? Then you must be from a very wealthy background, Tia-san.

Hahaha By the way, there are quite a few small people like you, Anemo! Are they all from the same race?

Tia, flustered, changed the subject, and Anemo, though raising an eyebrow, didnt press further and went along with the new topic.

Yes, about 3,000 people live in this town, with about 30% being Dwarves like me, and the rest are Humans like you two.

Is that a lot?

Ive never thought about it, but its probably normal. Every town has jobs like wall repainting, so Dwarves are everywhere.

Dwarves, as they are known, are small but strong and skilled with their hands. Despite her appearance, Anemo is 26 years old.

Humans, on the other hand, are just ordinary people. Theres not much more to explain about them.

Additionally, theres also the fishmen, the Otsujin tribe, who are suited for underwater tasks, but there are very few of them. I think there are only about twenty of them in this town. They can move directly through the waterways that run through the dungeons, so they come here for work.

Wow, three races working together.

Exactly! And here we are.

As we chatted, we quickly arrived at the Explorers Guild building. In other worlds, it might have looked like a temple, but in this world, where everything was made of stone, this was the standard architectural style.

Ordinary houses were mostly plain, square boxes. Wealthy people might have added carvings, but since buildings were rebuilt every 20 years, few bothered with elaborate decorations but that was beside the point.

Hello!

Anemo rang the doorbell and entered the building, heading straight for the counter. There, a receptionist was waiting. Anemo pulled out a stone pedestal from under the counter, stood on it, and spoke to the receptionist.

Im Anemo Alice, a second-class explorer. I found two unidentified individuals during my exploration and brought them here.

Anemo-sama, may I see your explorers ID Yes, confirmed. And these unidentified individuals are?

These two. Their recent memories are hazy, and they might have been pushed out from a distant towns collapse Come closer, you two!

Called by Anemo, we approached the front of the counter. The receptionist asked us a few questions and checked some records, but her expression wasnt promising.

Im sorry, but there are no reports of missing persons that match your descriptions.

I see

Anemo looked troubled, and it was like we were deceiving them well, we were actually deceiving them. But there was no other choice.

What should we do? You dont have anywhere to go, do you?

Haha, thats right. But we do have this.

I took a gold coin from my bag and placed it on the counter. Anemo and the receptionist stared at it in shock.

No way Is this a lost gold coin? Is it real?

The condition is excellent. Where did you find this?

If I could answer that, we wouldnt be in this situation. So, is it valuable?

Of course! This one coin could lets see, cover about ten days of lodging with meals at a nice inn.

Is that expensive?

Tia tilted her head at Anemos appraisal. Ten days worth of living expenses for one gold coin seemed like not much compared to its real value. Anemo, noticing Tias reaction, handed the coin back to me with a wry smile.

I understand how you feel, but lost coins are treated as art pieces, not currency. So, general buyback prices are like this. If you auctioned a bunch or negotiated directly with collectors, youd get much more.

Thats not something we can do.

Yeah. We dont have any memories, so we wouldnt know any collectors But its valuable, right? Anemo, can we negotiate?

Huh?

Anemo tilted her head, and I took out more gold coins from my bag. A small pile of gold sat in my open palm.

Can we hire you with this? For a month, at least We need guidance to become proper explorers. After that, we can either end the contract or extend it, depending on mutual agreement. What do you say, Anemo?

Despite my starting a negotiation, Anemos gaze was fixed on the gold in my hand. When I moved my hand, her head followed It was amusing, but not the point.

Hey, Anemo? About my offer

I accept!

Anemo grabbed my hand, filled with gold coins, firmly.

I, Anemo Alice, a junior second-class explorer, will guide you! Quickly, lets make a formal contract before someone else takes this job!

Uh, sure. Nice to meet you.

Despite the rushed agreement, it seemed we had successfully formed a bond with another hero.

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