Once Lucas finished arranging Lorie and Aura's lessons, he had his own business to take care of.
He packed the materials he'd collected, said a few words to Jeanne and the girls, then headed out in plain clothes with an umbrella, making his way toward Tsubaki's workshop.
District Seven.
A lush avenue lined with tall trees.
The rain still hadn't let up. The streets were a little emptier than usual, but far from deserted.
People still had to make a living, after all. And as for adventurers, weather hardly mattered to those delving into the Dungeon.
An hour later…
Lucas stepped once more into his partner's workshop, moving with the ease of someone who'd come here often.
"Tsubaki, you busy?"
He shook the water from his umbrella at the entrance, greeting her casually.
"You're here? This time… never mind. It's not like you'd bring anything good."
Tsubaki had looked excited for a moment, but immediately came to her senses. Lucas, a Lv.1 nobody, couldn't possibly haul in rare finds every day. Getting that anti-magic material last time had already been absurdly good luck.
Not that such priceless material meant much to her. With her skill, turning a treasure into a weapon was routine work, hardly something to fuss over.
Lucas's mouth twitched.
"Sorry for being such a disappointing Lv.1."
"Hey now, everyone starts at Lv.1. Your future's bright, very bright," she said, waving him off with forced cheer.
Lucas didn't bother arguing. He simply reached into his pack and unloaded everything neatly onto her worktable.
"Here. Mind appraising these?"
"Oh? Killer Ant Carapaces? Don't tell me you actually went deeper? Did the sun start rising from the west today?"
Tsubaki's brows shot up as she eyed the materials, then gave him a look of pure disbelief.
She knew exactly what kind of person Lucas was. As she put it once, he was the type of adventurer who did everything possible to avoid actual danger.
Lucas rubbed the bridge of his nose, embarrassed.
"People grow, you know. I'm no exception. What's so shocking about that?"
Tsubaki gave him a long, meaningful look before dropping the matter and turning to inspect the materials carefully.
---
"These are good. Well-preserved, clean damage, no rot. Market price plus ten percent… thirty-four thousand… I'll round up and give you thirty-eight. How's that?"
After estimating the value, she offered him a fair number.
Of course, she hadn't included the Blue Papilio Wing. Lucas still needed those for potion-making.
"Fine by me. You Hephaestus Familia folks really are loaded. If I handed these to the Guild, they'd give me thirty thousand at best."
Lucas scoffed at the thought, remembering certain unpleasant incidents.
Tsubaki burst out laughing.
"You mean Royman, that fat hog? Exploiting adventurers is an old tradition of his. Who in Orario hasn't suffered under him? Even Finn, that tiny captain of the Loki Familia, nearly got fleeced when he first arrived. I remember Loki storming up to Guild Headquarters and cursing at Ouranos for a full hour. Everyone in Orario was talking about it back then."
That was new to Lucas. He leaned forward.
"Tell me more."
Tsubaki had been in Orario for over a decade. She'd witnessed countless major events.
Like the time seven years ago when the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia mobilized everything they had to challenge two of the Three Great Quests.
Or when those same two pillars of Orario were nearly annihilated by the One-Eyed Black Dragon, forcing the Loki Familia and Freya Familia to work together to drive the monster away.
With stories like these, conversation flowed easily. Before they knew it, nearly half the day had passed.
Lucas checked his pocket watch, then stood reluctantly.
"Time's running. I still need to stop by Dian Cecht's pharmacy, Tsubaki."
"Go on then. If you get more good materials, bring them to me first," she called as he walked to the door.
"Will do."
With the weapon materials sold, Lucas opened his umbrella again and headed through the rain toward the Dian Cecht Pharmacy.
He still had a pair of pristine Blue Papilio Wing—shot down cleanly with his bow. The quality was perfect.
Even someone as sly as Airmid wouldn't be able to lowball him this time.
Rain pattered relentlessly on the umbrella. Lucas walked with steady steps, right hand holding the handle, left hand tucked in his pocket, enjoying the quiet rhythm of the city. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Unlike most people, bright sunny days did nothing for him. Rain and snow suited him far more.
Maybe it was simply his nature. He could handle solitude, even prefer it, and found little comfort in noise or crowds.
Which made him stand out in a city as lively as Orario.
Passing through the commercial district, he slowed to a stop in front of a food stall.
"Boss, two Bacon Cheese Black Pepper Potato Balls. Extra spicy. No need to wrap them, I'll eat here."
"Got it! That's one hundred forty Valis."
With the hot snack in hand, Lucas stepped under the eaves of a nearby shop and began eating as the rain fell around him.
"Hey, kid, grab a stool! What're you standing there for?"
A stall owner next to him waved toward an empty seat.
"I'm good, sir. I like the view from here," Lucas replied with a smile.
The man raised a brow.
"What's there to like in this gloomy rain? Business is already rough these days. When it rains like this… ugh."
He let out a deep sigh.
Business getting worse? Lucas blinked, surprised. When he'd last visited the free market, he hadn't noticed anything off.
"How come?" he asked.
That was all the invitation the man needed. He launched straight into his grievances.
"Years back, everything was fine. Orario's prices were high, sure, but the place was stable. Plenty of adventurers, plenty of travelers, so business was good. But ever since those two big Familias collapsed, this city hasn't felt right."
"We all know the maniacs from Evilus are getting more reckless by the day. And the big spenders, the ones who used to buy a lot? They're disappearing. Look around—this whole district's been a mess. Food prices dropped three times this month alone."
"Know how much rice and wheat cost now? Practically doubled. Even potatoes jumped fifty percent. And we're not big merchant companies. We can't absorb risk like they can. Running a little stall in Orario… it's harder than ever."
"If we go bankrupt, at least we can try again someday. But if Evilus attacks and we get caught in it, we might not live long enough to rebuild. Every day feels like walking on thin ice. Who knows when it'll end."
Lucas listened quietly, thoughtful.
This was the reality of Orario.
The fear looming over ordinary citizens.
The instability that Evilus created every few days.
In an atmosphere like this, how could anyone run a business in peace?
Everyone was waiting for the day Orario returned to normal.
"Hopefully this dark period ends soon."