The group looked at Milo, the stranger who joined them at the table. The freckled young man was blushing the whole time, awkwardly eating and drinking, but otherwise didn't know what to do with his hands.

"You must be wondering why I got you to come with us," Finn said, and Milo nodded.

"Well, I'm also wondering why you approached me in the first place."

"..."

Realizing that this was his chance to speak his part, Milo gathered courage. "I failed the exam this time…"

"And?"

"Well, I…you mentioned that one didn't have to be an adventurer to live well, while also remaining a decent person. You mentioned…that you can hire me."

"It depends on what you want to do and what you're good at, which might not be the same thing," he said. "So what do you like doing? And what do you want to do?"

"What?"

What kind of employer asks the employee what they want to do?

Finn chuckled. "I'm serious. Answer as truthfully as you could."

"I…my usual job is delivery. I deliver food from the bakery, from the butcher, and so on."

"Do you enjoy it?"

"I'm not sure," he said. "I just needed money. My sister is young and weak and—"

"So becoming an adventurer with your skills was the answer?"

Everyone knew that being an adventurer was a dangerous job. What was he doing taking that?

As for mercenaries, poor people would need sponsors as there was a lot of upfront payment going on in there. The passing rate was much higher, but not everyone could afford to apply.

"I'll only take low-level missions!"

Finn thought for a while, wondering what job could fit. At the same time, Milo was awakened, so it'd be a waste to throw him to normal jobs.

"Well, then, you can be my logistics officer here."

"What?"

Although thousands of gold was great, he had to have a sustainable source of gold. The customers were great, but he had a feeling that the more he upgraded, the more expensive things in the Hearth Market and the system would be.

"I'll get you to buy stuff for me, or deliver it. You can time your trips to groups heading to my place. The flow should be fairly consistent. I assume there'd be a large group trip there every one or two weeks."

The certainty in his tone made everyone else stare at him.

"So sure?" Marcus asked, though more of curiosity than cynicism.

His inn wasn't easy to find. Even they, who had been there before, took several wrong turns. If they hadn't found the little pathways they made some hundred meters or so from the inn, who knew how many more hours they'd have taken to find it?

For people who didn't know where it was, especially to those who did not even know it existed, then it was nearly impossible to find.

Finn grinned. "Well, I kind of have a deal with the Guild now."

"Oh?"

"Let's just say…my customer flow will be pretty consistent," he said, being vague on purpose. And this naturally earned him a rough ruffling of his red hair, courtesy of Marcus.

"STOP BEING A TEASE."

Finn cleared his throat. He told the group some details, making them sparkle, and Marcus and the others decided it was a great excuse to party harder.

He ordered several large mugs of the alcohol here, though it'd take a significant amount for toughened people to be satisfyingly groggy.

He also instructed Milo on what to expect working for him. For example, he'd be importing things like cloth and other items he could not create in the Inn. Ranran was a seamstress, but there was a limit to what she could do without bolts of cloth.

Finn also referred him to Leez, who would be able to get them things for lower costs.

Leez, who had been eating deliciously, looked at Milo and approached him. The young man blushed hard at their proximity, and she found it super adorable. Since they'd be dealing with each other a lot, it was good to develop friendship!

Milo was young, but he was sincere; he was sure that partnering with Leez would be able to help him grow professionally.

Anyway, the group happily ate and drank, not caring whether they'd feel groggy the next day.

…

The next morning, Finn woke up in his bed with a bad headache, and he lay down again.

He woke up again in the afternoon. He agreed that they'd go to the marketplace to go around today, which was something he had been looking forward to, but that could wait until later.

He stood up and looked at the spherical egg over a soft cushion, placed on the nightstand. "Hey sis. Good morn…good afternoon," he said. "I'll just buy stuff for our Inn and then we'll head home."

He brought her with him, though. He was afraid someone heard he had money (which were all in his space), and he was scared someone would break into his room because they didn't see him bringing cash.

Amusingly, his friends from the Traniel adventurer team, plus Leez were there, hanging around the dining area of the tavern. They were all coming with him.

He couldn't help but give them a look. "Don't you guys have anything better to do?" he asked, crossing his arms, but he had a smile on his face.

"Nahh…" they said. "We can rest for a few more weeks without going hungry. Thanks to you."

They probably made a lot of money during the previous excursion, so they didn't have to take jobs for a while.

He smiled. This was how it should be. Work-life balance, yo! Hey, he felt a little proud for contributing.

He fondly patted the egg on his bag with a smile, knowing a lot of the purchases would be focused on making their lives easier, and his little sister's by extension. Now he only hoped she woke up soon to enjoy what he was preparing.

Shopping spree, here he comes!

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