If this place was in danger, Haruki would do everything he could to help her.

"The thing is, the branch manager of the Sapporo store has gone missing. At first, it was thought that she ran away because the store was doing badly, but upon inspecting her IC Card history, it was discovered that she had gone into Chikaho."

A record was automatically kept every time an Adventurer went through the ticket barrier with their card.

Through this, they were able to see who had yet to come out of the dungeon.

That being said, there was nothing that could actually be done.

They didn't know where in the dungeon the person was located.

"How long has she been in there?"

"About 5 days."

Akane had changed around that time as well.

So there it was. She must have been very worried about this manager.

"…Aren't you going to go and help her?"

Akane probably had an Adventurer's license.

And her level was quite high.

Haruki felt that Akane would have an easier time than him when it came to exploring the dungeon.

However, Akane shook her head.

"I have to tend to this store. I run this place. I'm the manager here, you know? I can't just close the store for several days because my coworker went missing."

She wanted to go and help her, but her position did not allow it.

"Well, you can just go on your day off."

"Have you ever seen me take a day off?"

"…No. Now that I think about it."

Was this place opened all year round?

Woah. This was one of those super black companies…

"Uh, are you serious? You're joking, right?"

"Yes. But in a place like this, what is the difference between work and rest?"

"I see."

The truth was that Akane only ever had anything to do when Haruki visited.

So even if she came to work every day, she only did about an hour of actual work.

"So…Air. If I put up a quest, will you accept it?"

"It depends on the contents."

"Of course. I want you to find the branch manager. The location is 'Chikaho.' Somewhere near the 8th floor."

"Why do think it's the 8th floor?"

"There was a request from the weapons and armor factory for some Silver Wolf materials. It seems like she entered the dungeon in order to meet the deadline. And Silver Wolves appear in the 6th and 8th floors of Chihako. So she should be somewhere near that area."

"I see. And what is the time limit? I can't just search for her until I find her. There may not even be bones left."

"…"

Akane's frowned at Haruki's suggestion.

However, it was better to consider the worst-case scenario. It would help her be prepared for it if it did happen.

After all, if this person hadn't returned for 5 days, it was very likely that she was already dead.

Turning your eyes away from reality and putting up a quest was good and all, but you couldn't complain when the results were not what you expected.

It was like those customers who went to designers thinking that a rock can turn into a diamond if they were put in the hands of a professional.

Professionals weren't wizards.

No matter how much you tried, a rock would just be a pretty rock at best.

Likewise, when accepting a quest, you had to let the client know that a terrible conclusion was also possible, or it could cause trouble later on.

'You said you would find her! Why can't you do it! I'll sue you!!' they would say angrily.

I said I would search, but I didn't say I would find them. Such explanations would only make matters worse.

Such were the possibilities.

As an Adventurer, Haruki was still a newcomer. But his previous job had given him a good understanding of contracts and requests.

Haruki didn't think of Akane as a bad customer. But the more important the missing person was to the client, the harder it became to control your emotions.

And so Haruki felt it was necessary to talk about such a cruel future.

Perhaps Akane understood his intentions because her chest moved as if she were swallowing something.

"…I understand. How about one month?"

"That's very long. Why?"

"She is carrying a magic bag. I think she would have been prepared to survive even if she got lost."

"I see…"

Haruki thought about it before opening his mouth again.

"Sorry. I don't want to leave this place for a whole month, so I can't accept it."

"Why!? We were clearly heading towards an agreement just now!!"

Akane was very angry.

Perhaps the anger had overtaken her other emotions because she was returning to her old spirited self.

"Look, there is a reason why I don't want to leave."

If he left the house for a whole month, Rhea would surely die.

Unfortunately, Haruki cared much more about Rhea than the life of someone he didn't even know.

"Adventurers are so selfis.h.!.+ They all talk about saving others and saving j.a.pan, but they won't lift a finger to help a lost Adventurer. You're all just talk, aren't you!?"

"It would be one thing if the person was right in front of me. But this person is in Chikaho. Why am I being blamed for not traveling all of the ways there to save someone? If you want to save her, ask the Adventurers in Sapporo."