"How... how on earth is there this much...?"
In the plaza, Lili stared, dumbfounded, at the money pouch that was nearly half her own height—a pouch she had returned to retrieve after wandering around when Sushang called her back.
Although she had seen adventurers who could rake in the coin, and had even witnessed instances where they made a massive profit in one go, those were almost always full parties.
It usually took an arduous, grueling battle to achieve a haul of this magnitude.
But the two of them? They had only been adventuring in the Dungeon for less than eight hours, and yet...!
Just how much money could be in there?
Thirty thousand? Fifty thousand? No, could it even be a hundred thousand!?
And that wasn't even counting the materials!
"I must admit, I didn't expect to earn this much. So this is what a Monster Party is like," Furina remarked, a wave of astonishment washing over her after counting the loot.
She had suspected the harvest would be impressive when she was picking up the magic stones, but this was something else.
The two had been resting in the plaza since they emerged.
After all, one had expended a great deal of mental and physical energy, while the other—wanting to test the range of Sushang's perception—had intentionally remained behind and moved about the area.
"One hundred and thirty thousand Valis in total." As the one who had handled the exchange, Sushang didn't keep them in suspense and stated the amount directly. "I didn't expect this much either. I was originally going to just deposit it, but we hadn't clearly divided the spoils yet."
"Indeed, splitting the gains on the spot is the best way to avoid any potential trouble."
Furina looked at Lili. "Does that sound alright to you?"
Sushang had gone to handle the money exchange alone, and Lili had stayed behind.
While both Furina and Sushang could guess at the little scheme the supporter might have been nursing, they still felt it was only right to ask if she had any doubts about Sushang's intention to hold the money beforehand.
"I trust Lady Furina and Lady Sushang."
Lili spoke with sincerity.
She really did mean it.
Although they had only been adventuring together for one day, her natural talent for reading people and her years of experience dealing with all sorts of characters allowed her to see right through the nature of these two.
One was deeply devoted to justice and order; the other was frank, straightforward, and relatively easygoing about everything.
The possibility of these two trying to pull a fast one on her was virtually nonexistent.
Besides, it wouldn't have been strange if they hadn't given her a single coin; that was the reality for 99% of the adventurers Lili had encountered.
As for the other 1%, they would usually only toss her a few scraps.
After all, under normal circumstances, a supporter's "rental fee" was agreed upon from the very beginning.
People like Lady Sushang and Lady Furina, who were willing to give her 20% of the take... such things simply didn't exist.
Even if this 20% was intended to repay those she had stolen from...
At the thought, Lili pursed her lips and suddenly spoke up. "Um... Lady Furina, Lili will write down the list of 'victims' for you. Could the matter of the 'compensation' be handled without Lili having to show her face?"
"I suppose that could be arranged, but why?"
Thinking of Sushang's demeanor, Furina had an inkling of the reason, but she asked nonetheless.
"...After all, it was Lili who stole their things. I truly don't have the face to stand before them!" She was lying... but not entirely.
Lili did feel a lingering guilt toward a small handful of adventurers—even though she had always left them with enough tools to survive before robbing them. But those adventurers made up only 1%, or perhaps even less, of the people she had crossed in her life.
For the vast majority of adventurers, she felt not a shred of shame; she only felt a sense of thrill.
Being forced to deliver money to those types was, for her, even more painful than being beaten.
Looking at the downcast head of the Pallum girl, Furina pondered for a moment before replying, "Very well, let's do it that way."
In her eyes, that list was now more than just a roll of "victims"; it was very likely a list of "offenders." Most of the people on that list were liable to be held accountable by the law.
But that was a matter for another day.
Much like the current state of Lili, there was no such thing as law in Orario. Forget laws—there wasn't even a prison. Talking about legal systems in a place like this was entirely nonsensical.
But that wouldn't last. In the not-too-distant future, she would bring order and rules to this city, and when that time came, these individuals would be the very people she needed to keep a close eye on.
Pursuing accountability for past deeds would only cause a backlash, leading to even greater resistance, rejection, and perhaps even the collapse of the order she had only just established.
There was too much to do in the future. Furina sighed inwardly and pushed the topic from her mind for the time being.
In any case, it was time to divide the money.
Furina and Sushang took eighty percent between them, receiving 52,000 Valis each, while Lili received 26,000 Valis.
However, because Lili still carried a mountain of debt, she ultimately ended up with 13,000 Valis in hand.
"Thirteen thousand Valis..." Lili swallowed hard, clutching the pouch. This wasn't an amount easily come by. While it wasn't a fortune, this was just what she had earned from doing odds and ends in a single day.
Not to mention that as Lady Sushang and Lady Furina went to deeper floors, the speed of their earnings would skyrocket.
If she kept up this pace... even without stealing, she would be able to leave her Familia soon!
Perhaps... I won't ever have to... again.
As these thoughts raced through her mind, Lili couldn't suppress her rising excitement and her anticipation for the future.
Sushang and Furina were also very satisfied with the day's harvest, especially knowing that after updating their stats today, they could venture even deeper into the Dungeon tomorrow.
The three of them, all in high spirits, parted ways at sunset and returned to their respective homes.
Although the two had split the money in half, neither Sushang nor Furina had any intention of hoarding it. One hundred thousand Valis was already enough for them to secure an independent residence in Orario.
They couldn't be too picky about the size, of course, but having their own base of operations was of the utmost importance right now.
Whether it was training or meditation, the ambient noise in the current environment was preventing them from reaching their peak potential, and that was far from ideal in the long run.
They didn't need to worry about spending all their money the moment it hit their pockets. Unlike other adventurers, they didn't need to stress over the costs of potions or gear maintenance—Furina's Enchant-Type Magic could restore their condition, and their weapons could eventually transition perfectly into blades of Edge of Taixuan.
Therefore, they wouldn't have any extra expenses. Besides, this wasn't a monthly paycheck; they could earn next month's rent the very next day.
Thinking of the grand undertaking she had planned for the future, Furina, now having moved into a new home, became even more diligent in her meditation and training.
Already proactive in her conquest of the Dungeon, she became even more driven.
However...
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
Looking at her status sheet, Furina's hands trembled, and her eyes shimmered with a hint of anxiety.
Her level... was stuck.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL