Level Down 51 (Patreon)

Volume 2 Chapter 9 - Outing with Matilda

RAW

Shortly after 1 o'clock in the afternoon, Allen was waiting at the back entrance of the Adventurers’ Guild where guild employees go in and out, and Matilda finally came.

Instead of the uniform worn by the Adventurers’ Guild’s internal workers such as receptionists, Matilda was wearing a calm brown pleated dress with a cute waist ribbon and a small bag slung over her shoulder, and Allen couldn't help but gasp at the sight of her casual outfit.

“I made you wait. I'm sorry, Allen. ...Allen?” (Matilda)

“O-ou.” (Allen)

“Isn’t that where you’re supposed to say ‘Don’t worry, I just arrived here’? Well, this one is so like Allen though.” (Matilda)

As Matilda said that and laughed, Allen smiled back while getting panicked inside.

(Crap. Even though I was used to seeing her in the Guild, Matilda looks ridiculously beautiful. Come to think of it, how long has it been since I've seen Matilda in casual clothes?) (Allen)

Allen thought about that, trying to escape reality, but even when he searched his memory, he couldn't immediately recall it.

Seeing Allen like that, Matilda tilted her head to the side with a little bit of mysterious look on her face, but she quickly regained her composure and started walking while calling out to Allen.

“Then let's go. I think it's probably open at this time.” (Matilda)

“Understood. Wait, where are we going?” (Allen)

“A restaurant I recommend. It's popular among the female employees of the Adventurers’ Guild, so I can guarantee the taste.” (Matilda)

“Heeh, I guess that kind of talk would happen when you work indoors.” (Allen)

As Matilda started walking, Allen walked next to her. When Matilda then nonchalantly brought up some Guild talk, Allen, who had been out of sorts, regained some of his composure.

The two of them continued to walk while they got excited talking about common topics such as about the Adventurers’ Guild and badmouthing the Guildmaster, and then they stepped into a shop with a calm atmosphere just one street down from the main street.

Allen was a little daunted by the chic structure of the restaurant, which was clearly of a different rank than ‘the’ diner he normally frequents.

However, Matilda took a seat without seemingly bothered about anything, so Allen covered up his feelings somehow and sat down across from her, pretending to be natural.

“As promised, you can order whatever you want. I recommend the daily lunch special.” (Matilda)

“Then, I’ll go with that.” (Allen)

“Are you sure? There should be some pretty expensive menu items here. Look, they even have a charge boar steak, you know?” (Matilda)

In contrast to Allen, whose cheeks twitched when he glanced at the menu and saw that the prices were more than twice those of the diner he usually went to, Matilda was laughing as she spoke to Allen in a teasing tone.

In the end, the two ordered the daily lunch special, and they were delivered shortly after.

Soup, salad, bread, and the main course, meat, were arranged in a well-balanced manner, and from the looks of it, Allen could tell it was going to be delicious, which made Allen's throat growl.

“Ah, you can get more bread for free. Well, I said that, but there’s going to be a limit though.” (Matilda)

“Understood, I'll take two or three.” (Allen)

“I guess the option of not getting more doesn’t exist for you. Well, that's fine. Let's eat.” (Matilda)

After a short prayer before the meal, the two began eating. At first, Allen was a little overwhelmed by the atmosphere, but once he felt how delicious the food was, he got used to it, and was able to naturally exchange conversation.

It was obvious to those around them what kind of relationship those two have from the way they happily exchange conversation, but Allen was completely unaware of it.

That was due to his prejudice that there was no way he could be the target of a beautiful woman like Matilda in the first place.

“Heeh, so the level-up trap has calmed down a bit.” (Allen)

“Yes. We're still fully reserved, but there isn't as much enthusiasm as there was in the beginning. To begin with, he spread it too much all at once, that greedy Guildmaster.” (Matilda)

Saying that, Matilda stabbed the fork into her meat as Allen pacified her.

Allen knew that Matilda was so busy at one point that she had dark circles in her eyes, so he could fully understand her feelings.

“The employee in charge of monitoring and explaining is saying that it's easier now because there are so many repeaters, you know.” (Matilda)

“Aah, that sure is a tough job. It’s easier to take them to the dungeon and then stomp on slimes.” (Allen)

Allen said that with a weary look on his face.

What Allen used to do when he was a guild employee was to take people who’s going to use the level-up trap to the dungeon.

After that, the guild employee who was on standby for monitoring and explaining duties will take over, but from Allen's point of view, the job they’re doing that is explaining the way to do it every time and intently monitoring them to make sure nothing strange happens is like a penance.

“Unlike on the road where you take them into the dungeon, there’s only slime inside the dungeon, so it’s safe, and since the work is still technically inside the dungeon, they get hazard pay and a higher salary, so it’s popular with some people.” (Matilda)

“Is that how it is? By the way, what happened to my successor?” (Allen)

“It seems that Joseph-san is going to retire from being an adventurer and is applying, so they are making arrangements.” (Matilda)

“Heeh, Joseph the Greatshield is finally retiring, huh. Well, that old man that’s like a walking seriousness might be the right guy for the job.” (Allen)

Allen brought the food to his mouth, feeling a little relieved inside.

Allen was concerned about the guild employee who would manage the Slime Dungeon as his successor.

It was a place that a normal adventurer would never go to, and Allen could definitely say from experience that unless one was a skilled scout, they wouldn't be able to find that hidden passage.

However, he thought that it might be dangerous if his successor was a former adventurer scout.

That said, Allen thought that that possibility was low. It's true that being an employee of the Adventurers’ Guild could be said to be a stable job, but a scout who's capable enough to discover that hidden passage would be in great demand in other jobs that have much higher salary than being a guild employee, such as being a guard at a large mansion.

With their keen eye for alertness, detection, and surveillance, scouts were the best security personnel, and some even go on to work in noble houses, depending on their skills.

As for Joseph the Greatshield who came up when they talked about his successor, he was a 46-year-old iron class adventurer who wields a greatshield. He was the oldest human adventurer in Lilac City, and Allen had also been in his care many times.

His personality was serious and gentle, but was a bit clumsy, and was someone who focused all his attention on his job of protecting his friends using a large shield, and while he did it perfectly, he was not good at anything else, a typical professional adventurer.

Well, there were quite a few adventurers like that, and adventurers like Allen who could do everything averagely were the ones in the minority though.

(It should be fine if it’s old man Joseph. His job is to defeat slimes, so he might not even go to the boss room.) (Allen)

As he was thinking of that, Allen swallowed the bread he had been chewing, enjoyed the aftertaste, and then, feeling a little hesitant, asked the clerk for a second helping of bread.

.

.

.

After finishing the meal and expressing his gratitude for her treat, Allen was walking towards their destination with Matilda.

Without hesitation, Matilda headed west in the direction of Allen's house, and just as the slum was about to come into view, Matilda stopped.

Right in front of a place that was very familiar to Allen.

“The orphanage?” (Allen)

“That's right. Ah, just in time. Excuse me, I’m Matilda who bought the bed yesterday. I came to pick it up.” (Matilda)

When Matilda spotted a man coming out of the orphanage, she immediately called out to him. As Allen watched the man who had been called out to, the director of this orphanage, approaching them, he became vaguely aware of what was to come.

“Ah, so it's Matilda-san. I've been waiting for you. Oh, I believe that person over there is Allen-san. Thank you for repairing the orphanage before.” (Director)

“It’s been a while, Director.” (Allen)

“You all have been a big help to us. Since that time, Nick-san has been caring for us too, he comes over to check on us from time to time.” (Director)

“So that’s how it is.” (Allen)

Seeing Allen being dragged along by the Director's polite tone, Matilda secretly smiled.

As for Allen, he couldn't help but imagine his best friend doing this without saying a word to him, bringing toys for the children while saying ‘I’m just passing by, that’s all,’ and his face almost broke into a smile.

“Ah, that's right, the bed. It's ready inside.” (Director)

Saying that, the Director led the two into the orphanage, and when they arrived, they saw a bed that looked very familiar to Allen.

That's no wonder, after all this was something Allen had made to put Iseria, who had passed out, to sleep in, and had donated it to the orphanage the day before yesterday as Nella.

(No, I did tell them that they can do what they like with it. Aah, but I guess it’s better for the orphanage if they sell it instead of using it themselves?) (Allen)

Allen had never thought that Matilda would buy the bed he had made and that he would have to carry it himself, and he smiled bitterly at the thought.

────

Previous | Next