How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 13

16. Let’s Become a Mercenary (2)

“Relly! Show our guest to their room! End of the second floor! Everything’s cleaned up, right?”

“Yes! Of course!”

A girl around my age popped her head out from inside the shop and answered.

A daughter? Or a hired worker?

In any case, she’s also an extra.

She answered cheerfully.

“I finished cleaning up this morning after the guest who stayed last night left.”

“Good! Then take him there!”

The girl named Relly cheerfully replied, “Yes!” and hurried towards me.

“Please come this way.”

She led the way, climbing the stairs ahead of me.

The room we finally arrived at was located at the very end of the second-floor hallway.

Pushing open the slightly creaky door, I saw the inside of the room I would be staying in.

‘Simple…’

Like most inn rooms, it had a bed, a simple small table, and a dresser for luggage.

At least the bed looks better than the one at Aileen’s house.

But what impressed me the most was the lock on the door.

It was just a metal bar hooked onto a latch, but still.

“…Wow, you can lock the door.”

Ah, so this is what a lock is.

I’m strangely moved.

After all, Aileen’s house was an open house where anyone could just walk in, even through the front door.

“A lockable door, this is a wonderful inn.”

“Sir? You’re quite the comedian. Hehehe.”

The girl named Relly just laughed off my admiration.

Well, I’m being serious here.

After that, she informed me of some simple precautions for using the inn.

“I recommend closing the windows at night, no matter what. And when you go out during the day, be sure to take your valuables with you. We are not responsible for any losses. If you cause trouble, we’ll call the soldiers.”

“I understand.”

Of course.

I wouldn’t act so carelessly even without being warned.

“By the way, is the meal an extra charge?”

“Yes. You have to pay separately.”

Well, it’s common not to include the cost of meals in the lodging fee.

“Ah! But I recommend eating here!”

“Recommend? Oh ho~ Are you confident?”

“Hehe, our inn is quite confident in its food.”

Oh ho? Is this young lady perhaps confident in her cooking?

“The owner makes it!”

The inn owner makes it!

Whatever. I don’t care who makes it as long as it tastes good.

Besides, I have a picky palate.

The only joy I had while working was secretly ordering food at night from the company. Hehehe.

Don’t underestimate the nation of late-night snacks, young lady!

…Well, the dinner I had here was just average.

I’ll just eat out starting tomorrow.

* * *

After unpacking, I immediately collapsed on the bed.

I’ve reached my limit.

“I’m tiiiiired……”

A groan like a zombie escaped my throat.

I’m completely exhausted.

I was acting like I was fine so I wouldn’t be looked down on, but there’s a limit to that.

I actually almost dozed off standing up several times.

After all, I was riding a horse, which I’m not used to, and camping out every night.

And because I was anxious, I barely got any sleep.

So, it’s no wonder I’m exhausted.

I want to close my eyes right away, but resting will have to wait.

I need to think about tomorrow’s work now.

‘I’ve safely arrived in the city for now. Fortunately, the scene is just as I expected.’

It doesn’t seem like I’ve been caught up in any major incidents, and it’s relatively peaceful.

‘Now I need to start earning money in earnest here.’

A means to earn money here.

I took out a wooden bottle from my luggage.

A potion I made from time to time in the village.

‘Nymph’s Healing Water.’

This little guy will be my first source of income.

“But there’s something I need to do before that.”

Establishing a minimum framework and settling down here is the priority.

What should I do for that?

I recalled what the protagonist did first in the original story.

“I should go to the Mercenary Guild first.”

A classic move.

I have to go to the Mercenary Guild.

* * *

The next day.

After noon, I went to the Mercenary Guild in the outer city.

It wasn’t hard to find.

Everyone I asked knew its location.

No one failed to recognize it.

Because the largest building was the first thing you’d see upon arrival.

The emblem engraved on the sign hanging from the building’s roof was sure to catch your eye as well.

“A red hawk snatching a blue dragon.”

There are many Mercenary Guilds throughout the continent, but that’s the only emblem of a Mercenary Guild you’ll see within the Selvas Kingdom.

That’s the Merden Mercenary Guild.

Now, let’s become a mercenary here.

That’s why I came to this city.

As soon as I entered the guild building, I saw groups of mercenaries loitering around, even though it was still daytime.

They were either waiting for a request or just killing time because they had nothing to do.

Some of them turned their gazes towards me.

I ignored them, pretending not to notice, and headed to the reception desk.

The guild receptionist smiled and welcomed me.

“Welcome~ What can I help you with?”

“I’d like to join this guild.”

“You wish to join our Merden Mercenary Guild?”

She asks again, just to be sure.

Apparently, there are fools who come here without knowing.

“That’s right. Or are there any restrictions on joining?”

If it’s like the original story, there shouldn’t be any major restrictions.

If anything, it’s just being able to do your part, at least?

“No. Our guild always welcomes those who come with a goal.”

The receptionist said readily.

Because those who don’t belong will be filtered out anyway.

First, I showed my identification plate to confirm my identity.

“Aileen, is it? Then please fill out this form first.”

“I can’t read, so I’d appreciate it if you could do it for me.”

Most mercenaries are illiterate anyway.

The receptionist seemed to have expected that as well.

As proof, she still hadn’t given me the pen.

The receptionist obediently filled out the form as she called out the items.

The things to write down aren’t anything special.

Place of birth, age, things like that.

And separately, there’s just a section to write down any special notes.

“Do you have any special skills to describe?”

What they’re asking is this.

Are you skilled in swordsmanship, or can you use magic, or do you have any unique abilities?

There’s no need to hide it.

It’s convenient to reveal it a little.

“I can do a little of this.”

I reached out and pretended to move, summoning Undine and Sprite [water and light spirits].

The two spirits summoned a little lightning and a few water droplets.

The lightning reacted to the water droplets, crackling and scattering with a flash!

A light prank using electricity and water.

“Oh my?”

The receptionist looked back and forth between the two spirits and the prank they caused, then clapped her hands together.

“Indeed. Spiritism, I see.”

She doesn’t seem surprised.

Well, the Mercenary Guild is a place where all sorts of eccentric people gather.

She wouldn’t be able to do her job if she was surprised by spirits.

“If you have mastered spiritism, you can be rated as B-rank according to the regulations.”

“That’s great!”

That’s what I was aiming for.

It’s natural for those with magic, spirits, or unique abilities to be treated well.

As far as I know, if you register normally, you’ll get a D-rank at best, or a C-rank if you’re lucky.

B-rank is the highest rank that a lower-level mercenary can receive.

‘And being B-rank will serve as proof of a certain level of credibility.’

The reason I want to join the guild is to borrow a name to be trusted.

Their reputation is by no means small.

Just belonging to them can ensure a certain level of identity.

‘Having a mercenary badge makes it easier to trade with merchants.’

Mercenaries don’t always do rough work.

Some mercenaries make a living primarily through trade.

Of course, they are the ones who directly sell rare materials or goods they have obtained themselves.

That’s what I want.

Trust.

I just want a mercenary badge for that.

“First of all, it has been determined that there are no problems. However, I don’t know if you know this, but…”

“To be officially approved for membership, I need to provide minimal proof, right?”

“Yes. It’s nothing special. Just show that you are capable of at least minimal activity.”

There are sometimes guys who only register their names to get a mercenary badge.

To prevent such a situation, they want to confirm whether you have the skills to show at least minimal performance.

“You just need to complete any three of the requests here.”

She said that and showed me the list of relevant requests.

I can’t read, so I have to check what she reads and remember it.

“Do I choose from these?”

“Yes. You can repeat the same request three times.”

“It’s surprisingly lenient.”

“Because we’re only testing for a minimum level of will. This request is also a selection of only the simplest requests.”

“If you can’t even do that, you’re not qualified.”

“Hehe. That’s right.”

She doesn’t deny it.

The requests seem to be quite diverse, from monster subjugation requests to material gathering requests.

What should I do?

‘I don’t want to go far. Material gathering requests might take several days if I’m unlucky.’

The standard here is to do the closest and easiest one.

Let’s just meet the minimum requirements.

Even when I play games, I don’t aim for completion because trophies are a hassle.

“I’ll do this one. Definitely…”

“The sewer cleaning request, you mean?”

“Yes. Definitely that one.”

Sewer cleaning request.

There is a huge sewage facility built under the city.

A facility for treating sewage and various other waste.

Naturally, such places tend to become havens for weak and dirty monsters.

The guild constantly receives requests from the territory to deal with monsters in the sewers.

That’s sewer cleaning.

“It’s also the most frequently requested task by those who register as mercenaries for the first time.”

It’s a fairly popular request among lower-level mercenaries.

Since it’s a request from the territory, the money is guaranteed, and the monsters that appear aren’t that great.

In addition, monsters constantly appear due to the environment, so it’s truly a request where small amounts of money keep coming in.

It’s said to feed beginner mercenaries to some extent.

‘The sewers are popular… It’s hard to make a living in a dirty way.’

It feels like a truly dirty world, which makes me bitter.

“Will you do it?”

“Yes. I’ll do that.”

Thus, my first commemorative request would start in a smelly sewer.

* * *

First, I asked the receptionist for information on what was needed or what precautions to take.

“You’re not going to withhold any warnings, are you?”

“Of course, I’ll tell you~ First of all, here are the types of monsters that appear in this sewer.”

The receptionist happily and somewhat excitedly gave me the information.

Is she actually the type who likes to explain things?

It seems that there are many idiots among the lower-level mercenaries who neglect this obvious thing.

Anyway, thanks to her, I was able to get enough information.

“First of all, you need a weapon and emergency food for any eventuality… and equipment suitable for the sewer.”

It’s said that it’s good to bring emergency drinking water and food.

Water, in particular, is essential.

Undine can produce water, but my mana is not yet sufficient, so it’s better to bring it separately.

Since it’s better to secure equipment first, I headed straight to the market.

Items that mercenaries might look for are openly sold in shops and stalls.

I went around a few of them and bought old clothes, thick boots, gloves, and a cloth to cover my face.

This is because I need clothes that don’t matter if they get smelly and shoes that won’t let water in.

I also need a cloth to wipe the dirty weapons and a cloth to cover my nose and mouth.

“And what’s left… a torch or a lantern.”

Since the sewer is underground, no light enters.

It’s said that it’s impossible to even walk properly without a way to illuminate the area.

However, I was a little hesitant to buy a means to secure visibility right away.

‘Lanterns are quite expensive, and there’s a limit to the number of torches I can carry.’

Even cheap lanterns cost seven silver coins.

And when I touched it directly, I felt uneasy.

It’s difficult to use this.