Chapter 17 - Vtuber Extorted by Company; CEO Justified His Action Regarding Underperforming Employee, So He Could Afford New Yachts.
"I'm F-rank though? Isn't an F-rank adventurer like me supposed to be sitting in the city at a time like this?"
"Because of the emergency and your achievement, we'll promote you to C rank. That should be enough to qualify you to join urgent deployments as support."
Parita frowned. She wasn't interested in going with them because she didn't see any reason to. She had a temporary shelter, a good source of income, a year's worth of food, and power to protect herself.
"I don't want to. Count me out!" Parita firmly declined.
Unfortunately, Lupus was prepared. "If you refuse to participate, the governor could accuse you of heresy for practicing odd magic in town."
Parita frowned. It was illogical to blackmail her because she hadn't done anything that could be considered heresy, except for the monster meat incident. Also, there didn't appear to be a connection between joining the expedition and being a heretic.
Lupus elaborated. "C-rank adventurers are exempt from both heresy trials and trivial criminal charges. Additionally, participating in a critical mission like this one makes you eligible to take a B-rank exam in the capital. A B-rank license ensures that you can't be pushed around by low-ranking nobles because you'll have the same status as a knight."
"I see, but I'm not interested."
Lupus' stern expression turned dark. He warned her. "The governor of Diddease Town is a despicable womanizer. Soon, he will learn about you, and he might target you because of your toilet nickname. He can easily mobilize local troops, arrest you, bring you to his mansion, and then accuse you of all sorts of crimes."
"…Okay. What dafuq?" Parita rubbed her temples. She felt her IQ degrade. "And being C-rank helps?"
"C-rank adventurers who can defeat Hungers are considered noble candidates. Those from knight or baron families usually try to win our favor so that they can recruit us to their households. Some can become instructors for their soldiers. A few adventurers go as far as becoming a son-in-law or daughter-in-law of a noble, and I'm not talking about the B-rankers or someone of higher ranks yet, kiddo."
"…So, if I have a C-rank license, the governor, or whoever it is, won't touch me?"
"They might try, but they'll be super sneaky because you can always go to another town and snitch on them. All the governors and nobles around here would jump at the chance to use your plea to expand their forces and conquer this city."
Parita was enlightened. Though she wasn't well-versed in the political world, she got the gist of it.
"Can I just send words to the other town lords before that happens? I mean, can we take the initiative?"
"You get the death penalty if you falsely accuse a noble. He hasn't done anything to you yet. You still gotta testify to get him hanged, and you've got nothing to back it up."
"And where are those neighbor nobles?"
"…You're still a nobody here. Even if you can solo the Hungers, you are still an F-rank. You have no voice."
"Then, make me a C-rank!"
"Help us first. We're not a charity."
"…This is blackmail." Parita grumbled that Lupus had, in a way, blackmailed her.
"We simply clarify facts and provide guidance to our guild members. Whether you cooperate or not, it is your choice. So, what's it gonna be? Will you help us defeat the Hungers and protect the city, or will you walk away even though you have the strength to fight them?"
The iconic Spider-Man quote came to her mind. She cooperated, but not without some compensation.
"Aside from the C-rank license, what about the bounties? How much can I get for defeating one monster?"
"If you kill a hunger and bring back its head, we'll give you 1,000 gold coins per head. That's the standard bounty."
"What about a lion with many eyes and human limbs? What is its bounty?"
"…A lion?" Lupus and Rubella's faces turned white. "W-Where did you see it?! I-Isn't that the Starve?!"
"Hungers, Starves, whatever hungry monsters they are, give me the number. How much per head?"
Rubella's jaw dropped while Lupus broke a sweat. The latter inhaled deeply and explained with a solemn tone.
"By the laws laid by the Founding Empress Aviana, anybody who defeats a Starve may join the noble peerage. If you kill that lion and bring its head to us, we'll escort you to the capital with proof, and the emperor will bestow you the title of baroness."
Parita was unsatisfied. She turned around to leave. "I don't want to become a noble."
"So, if you're a noble, you get a big house, a city, a castle, or even a whole region. You can tax your people and also get paid for existing."
Parita calmly turned around and smiled. "Where're the Hungers at?!"
"…"
* * *
After getting Parita's cooperation, Rubella escorted her to the main barracks, east of town.
Beyond the east gate lay the restricted military zone, where the governor of Diddease Town mustered his soldiers. This location served as a gathering spot for the adventurers chosen to fight the Hungers.
When Parita and Rubella arrived, the governor's team and the adventurer team were checking their gear and belongings one last time as they would depart the following morning. Among the crowd, Sparrow's team was already there.
Sparrow spotted Parita and was taken aback. She didn't expect to see the girl there. Additionally, Parita's close-fitting clothes resembled the outfits of female scouts in the adventurer groups, who preferred stylish, lightweight armor. Anybody could mistake Parita for a scout.
Parrot rushed over. She grinned and sized up Parita, who wore similar clothes to hers.
"Kestrel? What are you doing here? Hey, are you wearing my clothes?"
Parita teased Parrot. "Are you sure? It's very tight around my chest and very loose around my waist."
"Hohoh? Are you taunting me?" Parrot coiled her arm around Parita's shoulder. She then whispered. "Actually, you might be wearing Dodo's old clothes. She's our party's scout."
"…I thought you were the scout."
Parita sized up Parrot and frowned. Parrot carried a longbow, a long staff, and two short swords, but she wore the clothes of a scout.
Parrot noticed Parita's shifting eyes and understood what she was thinking. Parrot snickered and pointed at her weapons. "Curious?"
"What class are you?"
"An advanced class, a magic huntress. I'm good at offensive magic and bows."
"…And what about the swords?"
"For emergencies, obviously. Only idiots stick to their typical weapons and gear. Good adventurers value practicality over stereotypes. See my clothes? I'm a hybrid magic class, but I'm wearing a scout set for mobility."
"…"
Parita glanced at the elf-girl team. Some of them were still in their disguised appearance, hiding their elf ears and traits.
Among them, a person in heavy armor from head to toe, Caladrius, had a backpack with magic wands and a medic armband. Goldfinch, despite her appearance, resembled a white priest from RPGs, yet she carried a mace, a longbow, and a long sword. The third girl, Catbird, who was said to be the real scout, had the same clothes as Parrot's, but she carried a metal tower shield and three longswords on her back. It was only Sparrow who looked the part of a shield knight.
Rubella, who had been standing next to Parita, let out a deep sigh. "Don't copy them, Miss Kestrel. Their weird setup works because they have been working together for decades. For a solo adventure, you'll need to choose armor and weapons that fit your combat approach and are practical. For example, if you often take hits, you should wear heavy armor. When you choose mobility instead of a face-to-face fight, you might find that light clothes or leather armor are more appropriate."
"…I know."
Rubella sized up Parita and asked. "I've been wishing to ask, but how do you usually fight? I've never seen you walking around with a weapon."
"…Bare hands?"
"…"
"To be honest, I was planning to get myself a few kitchen knives, but you took me here unprepared. If I had known I would be camping or joining a Boy Scouts camp, I would have packed some clothes and tools."
Rubella facepalmed while Parrot wheezed.
"Hyahaha! Rubella, you messed up. This airhead is worse than us!"
Rubella grumbled. "Is she staying at your house?"
"Yup! She's our housekeeper."
"…No wonder. Anyway, I'm handing her over to you. Get her equipped and see you tomorrow."
"Wait, are you serious?! F-rankers can't join an expedition!"
"C-rank now. Also, she has the guildmaster's permission."
"…"
Parrot and her team stared at Parita. Their faces showed reactions ranging from surprise to shock.
Sparrow sighed, giving up pursuing the topic. She patted Parita's head. "We're a six-person team now. Is that alright with you?"
Rubella grinned. "Thank you for your understanding."
"…Hah."
Meanwhile, Parita observed everybody's interactions. She puckered her lips, for her opinion didn't matter there.
Still, Parita couldn't help but make a request. "Say, is there any clothing store that sells clocks, ponchos, or sleeping bags? Oh, tampons, bug repellents, and sunscreen too, just in case."
"…"