Lazy Dungeon Master

The First Commission Completion?

I, who had quietly left without Meat, went walking towards the commercial district looking for a place to take a nap.

Though it wasn’t very far from the industrial district, it was near the main street. It had stalls too… Oh, now that I think about it there were stalls with grilled meat skewers. Maybe I should buy a present for Meat?

Since I said that I would go and gather information, it’d probably be better to investigate a little bit as an excuse. That’s right, it might be a good place to gather information while taking a comfortable nap.

However, looks like there’s various kinds of shops. They even sell bread… yep, seems hard. I remember the bandits all having their eyes set on the melon bread.

Looks like you can buy about three loafs of the hard bread for two copper.

Which reminds me, I can use the menu even though I’m not in the dungeon. I wonder if I can spend DP?

Maybe I could use it to deal with commissions… ah, though I can look through the DP catalog, looks like I can’t buy anything. Unfortunate.

Well, it might be interesting to compare the actual price of things with their DP cost.

“… Wait, I was looking for a place to take a nap.”

I strayed from my original goal and started gathering information.

Seems like the fantastical environment floating through this alternate world’s town ticked my instincts as a man.

However, there’s a lot of buildings. I can’t find a place to head to for a nap.

Giving up finding a place by myself, I decided asking a local about it would be faster.

I immediately went into what looked like a well-informed shop to get information… hmm, is this a greengrocer? The greengrocer even looks like it sold things at an affordable price, the “Listen for a bit after buying this” tactic seemed just right here.

I want a particularly affordable one, probably an apple… yep, it’s an apple. Though it was slightly smaller than the apples I know, there’s also melons in this world, so there’s probably apples.

“Hey, old man, how much for this?”

“Ah, that’s three copper coins for two.”

“Then I’ll buy ’em. Two… ah, no bag, where’s a good place to eat these?”

“Ah. I don’t care where you eat it, but stay a bit away. Standing in front of the shop would be a hindrance to business after all.”

I passed three copper coins to the greengrocer old man and took the apples. I moved a bit to the side and sank my teeth into an apple.

… Sour!

“Wow… this is… pretty sour.”

“Is that so? Though I think that’s usual for this year’s apples?”

“Mm, no, I’m not calling you stingy, it’s just the first time I’ve eaten an apple here and was surprised. Don’t scowl at me. I’m not from here.”

“Ah, so that’s it. You a traveler, lad?”

“Adventurer. I just came to this town today… Oh, there’s a sweetness inside the sour, it’s a good taste.”

“I get it lad.”

When I said it was pretty sour he scowled at me, but immediately let up his vigilance. Felt good.

It really is sour, but it’s not that bad eating it while thinking it’s that kind of thing.

“Yeah, I’ve heard sour apples go well with sugar, turning into something like a pastry.”

“Heeh, knowledgeable huh. Though since sugar is valuable around here, this apple alone is plenty sweet.”

Heeh, I obtained pretty good information by chance… Should I make sugar with the dungeon? Adventurers would be attracted to the sugar like ants… no, it’d probably be fine even if adventurers didn’t do that. I’ll make a mental note of that.

“That so? Right, can you tell me if you know about a good place to take a nap or something?”

“Hahaha! You’re interesting to listen to lad! Let’s see, if you want to take a nap, I think the park in the central district would be good?”

“Oh, so there’s a park. That sounds like a good place for a nap.”

“Ah, but watch out for people getting too close to your wallet while you sleep yeah? You should buy fruits from me if you have money inside it!”

“Yeah, I’ll be careful. I’ll buy from you again if I’m ever in the neighborhood.”

“Thanks for your patronage!”

Information gathering was going quite pleasantly.

By the way, if I wanted to take an apple out with DP, it was listen in the food category as ten apples for 5 DP.

Then again, the apples that come out would probably be the sweet apples that I’m used to instead of these… no, since I can choose hard bread in the bread assortment, I could probably choose the kind of apple too.

Well, central part huh… I wonder if there’s a sunny place with just enough shade?

I bit into the other apple and headed to the park… Hmm, yep, this is sour.

*

I was able to nap in the central park without anything happening.

Though I ordered the clothes golem to repel people that might try to obstruct my nap just in case, it looks like that didn’t happen this time. But I slept quite well, about two hours.

… Crap, I slept too long. I wonder if Meat is angry.

As for information, I only obtained two things. “Apples here are sour, sugar is valuable” and “The central park is great for a nap”. Well even though I immediately had an idea, I might have to face my honor.

I rushed to the blacksmith where the commission to clean the restroom was in a bit of a run.

Since I didn’t make an appearance of leaving, I secretly entered the restroom.

“Goshujin-sama, you’re back?”

“Yeah, I gathered enough information. How was it here?”

“I turned him away just one time. Though he came again after that, I said we were done since it had been an hour. I got his signature and was waiting for Goshujin-sama.”

Ah, now that I think about it I didn’t say where to wait… yep, I’m really sorry.

“You didn’t have to wait in the toilet and could have been on a table or something you know?”

“S-sorry. Will you punish me?”

Meat apologized while hanging her head down and fidgeting.

No, I didn’t say you did something bad so why would I punish you?

I patted Meat’s head as gently as possible. Her soft hair was pleasant to the touch. Her dog ears were soft.

“Ahh…”

Meat made a blank look, making me somewhat shy after a short time of continuing to stroke her.

Was she overcome with emotion from being stroked? She followed along while hugging my right arm even though she usually restrained herself. What a cute child.

I lead Meat out of the restroom to show her her reward.

“… Are you finished?”

I was talking to the client after leaving the restroom.

“Hmm? Yeah. It’s finished.”

“That so… little miss, come to me when this guy, I won’t be as bad.”

“Don’t want to.”

What is this old guy talking about so suddenly with a serious face? Though I thought that, Meat refused him immediately.

… He’s glaring at me for some reason though.

Aren’t you liked a lot, Meat? Just what happened while I took that nap?

“… I see. However, you don’t know what it means to be an adventurer. Keep that it mind.”

“Goshujin-sama, let’s go.”

“O-okay.”

Meanwhile, Meat wasn’t completely ignored anymore. Seriously, what happened.

But really, I don’t know what it means to be a Dungeon Master. Though I don’t want to die, there is always a possibility of dying. I can just bring the possibility as close to nothing as I can.

Well, I might need to lay a bit of groundwork in case I die.

I decided to ask the client something.

“… If I die and she’s put out on the streets, if you want to, could you come along and help her?”

“Hmph, I’d help the little miss even if you didn’t say anything… she’s too good a child for someone like you.”

“Then I’ll entrust it to you. Well, I don’t plan on dropping dead so easily.”

The old artisan had a surprised look on and nodded after thinking for a moment. As I thought, looks like he isn’t a bad guy.

Though I called him old, he doesn’t seem like he’ll be kicking the bucket anytime soon.

I just met him and was asking something of a client in addition, but I felt a bit relieved.

“… Am I, being, thrown away…?”

Hearing such a conversation, Meat looked like she had just watched her pet be run over by a car.

“What are you saying, I’m not going to throw you away.”

For now, it looked like she improved after I tousled her hair since she looked lively.