Show Me Your Stats!

Moreover, this estate has few knights and even fewer soldiers. The military is a group that constantly consumes money, so in such a poor estate, it’s impossible to maintain a large army.

The biggest issue is that staying here does not seem to offer any financial gain. If Ayra cannot manage anything else, she thought she might resort to hunting beasts in the Dalum Gorge and selling them to somehow gather the 300 Cell she needs. With two days already wasted in this precious week, time was running out.

She firmly said to the two of them, who were desperately trying to dissuade her:

"And frankly, if you can't handle killing ten Lamam at once, then you'd just be a burden if you came along."

Only after those words did they seem to remember that Ayra was a mage. Jinas looked at Ayra for the first time with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

[Hess Lu Jinas’s favorability has increased by 2.]

Current Favorability: 6

Ayra was a bit surprised by this notification. Wow, Jinas's favorability toward her is already 6—amazing. This young steward liked her three times more than Janus, who claimed to be her lover... Meanwhile, Bloom, still deeply concerned, continued to desperately try to stop her. The difference between the steward with a favorability of 6 and the knight commander with a favorability of 78 was evident here.

"Still, you shouldn't go. The Dalum Gorge is a place that requires someone familiar with the path. It's always covered in snow, making it dangerous."

It was concerning that it was cold enough to always have snow in this season. However, even so, bringing along soldiers or knights would surely just be a hassle. Unless she made a sign of the cross while casting magic, they would probably flee in fear, or she'd have to protect them when fighting the beasts...

In that moment, a rather good idea flashed in Ayra’s mind.

"I know a pretty skilled mercenary who has lived here for ten years and knows the area like the back of their hand."

She added quickly, as if to preemptively answer the two who were about to ask her how she would afford to hire such a skilled mercenary:

"He’ll probably come along for a cheap price."

❄

"Janus!"

Ayra burst into the mercenary office, shouting. For a moment, a silence fell in the previously noisy office. Janus, holding a large wooden cup in his hand, looked around and asked, "Hmm?" as he turned to face Ayra.

[Target Janus Rehzedet, navigation has ended! :D]

Swiping away the lively notification from the stone, Ayra approached Janus. The mercenaries looked at them with curiosity, while Janus, holding the cup filled with alcohol, asked:

"Would you like a drink?"

"I need a favor."

"Hmm, I don’t know what it is, but not now, maybe next time."

Having been in the middle of enjoying himself, Janus refused before Ayra could even speak, setting the cup down and wrapping his arm around her waist. Then, with a puzzled expression, he looked up at her.

"What are you all bundled up for?"

His hand, which had been around her waist, lifted the thick robe. Beneath it was a long undergarment that covered her calves, and another layer of undergarment beneath that... and finally, thick, waterproof leather boots. Ayra stared at Janus with a red gaze and asked:

"How much does it cost to hire you for a day?"

"It depends, on the situation. What’s going on?"

"Let's talk about it somewhere else first..."

Ayra tried to pull on Janus’s arm, but it didn't budge. Instead, he tugged her over and sat her down beside him, then gestured for the mercenaries to clear out, almost like swatting away flies.

"Get lost. I need to have a private conversation with my lover."

"We haven’t even had a proper drink yet."

"Just get a different room, then."

"Wow, your lover’s quite the beauty..."

The mercenaries muttered and grumbled, but like obedient dogs, they left the area and gathered in a far corner, whispering among themselves and casting curious glances at the two of them. Janus popped a roasted bean into his mouth and offered one to Ayra as well.

Ayra chewed it out of courtesy, and when Janus tried to speak, she became irritated by him feeding her continuously and spat the bean out, then asked:

"Have you ever passed through the Dalum Gorge?"

Janus, who had been faking a disappointed expression, raised an eyebrow. His gaze shifted back to Ayra’s bundled clothing.

"Dalum Gorge? Aha, no wonder your outfit is so unusual today. I’ve passed through there a few times. Why do you ask?"

"I need to go to the lord’s castle, but I’ve never been there, so I need a guide."

Janus laughed, amused, and then made a long sound, as if he found the idea annoying or bothersome. But then, after flicking off the bean shells from his clothes, he readily stood up.

The mercenary office was warm, so Janus wiped the slight sweat from his forehead with his hand. Ayra’s eyes widened. How many lovers must he have had to act so casually affectionate like that, doing things that didn’t even seem fitting?

"Alright, since you're my lover, I’ll give you a discount. Given your outfit, we’ll leave right now, right?"

At his words, Ayra ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ smiled brightly and followed him quickly, not wanting to risk him backing out. She had never hired a mercenary before, so she wasn’t sure how much it would cost, but given her situation, it would be great if it was free...

While casually walking, Janus pulled a small pouch from his coat and tossed it onto the counter.

"Nadal, for the drinks."

"Oh! Thanks, Janus. Have a good trip!"

Nadal, smiling widely, waved Ayra off as she left the now somewhat livelier mercenary office. Ayra instinctively checked Janus’s stat window.

<Janus Rehzedet>

HP: ???

MP: ???

Physical Attack: ???

Magical Attack: ???

Favorability: 2♡

'If I could just check his HP or Physical Attack...'

Struggling with the temptation, Ayra checked her quest window once more.

<Quest!>

[Let’s unlock other stat categories.]

*Accumulate Stat Window Active Time (11:59:53/12 hours)

*Check Two Stat Windows Simultaneously (100/100)

*Check Three Stat Windows Simultaneously (30/30)

Reward: Unlock 1 Stat of the User’s Choice

He was deliberately holding off completing the last minute. Each stat would have specific uses, and she didn’t know what issues the merchant might have, so she was keeping it for now. He was doing his best to resist the desire to check one of Janus's stats.

Taking Janus to Dalum Gorge had several reasons, but the main one was here. Ayra wanted to directly confirm, through actual numbers, the vague and ambiguous fear she had felt from Janus the day of the earthquake.

'We can't pass through Dalum Gorge without encountering at least one beast.'

If she saw Janus fighting one of the beasts, she’d be able to measure his strength. And depending on how strong he was, Ayra would adjust how she interacted with him in the future. Lost in thought, Ayra bit her lip.

‘I don’t feel good about this.’

Of course, it was only natural that she felt uneasy since the estate was on the brink of collapse, but there was an odd sense of something being missed, a lingering feeling. Perhaps it was a subconscious warning her Blooming Magic was sending.

"So, what's the discount for lovers?"

"Hmm, let me think about it."

Hearing the unsettling answer, Ayra headed toward the stable where the horses were kept. The horses here were slower than the southern breeds but were large and had an impressively fluffy coat. Without much thought, Ayra handed Janus the reins of one of the horses, then turned her head.

"Are we really just going like this?"

Since Ayra had arrived, the temperature in Solar had dropped drastically, and now her breath came out visibly when she spoke. Still, Janus had nothing but a plain tunic and an old sword.

"Yep, this is how we’re going."

Janus stroked the horse’s mane, and Ayra wondered if it was an affectionate gesture or just a reflex. The horse, surprisingly docile under his touch, was calm enough that Ayra briefly grabbed the mane before almost getting bitten. She quickly shook her head.

"You’ve been through Dalum Gorge more than once, right? I heard it’s a snowy mountain."

"A snowy mountain? Sounds refreshing and nice."

Janus then effortlessly jumped onto the horse.

Ayra carefully placed her foot in the stirrup, then awkwardly climbed onto the horse’s back. She had ridden a few times before, but it was always difficult. Thinking she might need a blanket if she felt like freezing to death, she urged the horse forward.

A moment later, the two horses passed through the castle gates, which had withstood the collapsed walls, and disappeared into the distance.