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Though we called it a return trip, it wasn’t anything that special. Rather, since we knew we could return to Stollar this very day, all of us including Temuru were feeling quite carefree.

Maxwell, the central person in this, spoke as we reached a place with no people around.

“There should be no problem here. I will use the spell at once.”
“O-Okay. Please do as you see fit.”

Temuru seemed nervous, as expected, but that was natural.

He was talking to Maxwell, who was several echelons above him, and he was also burdening him with merchandise packed to bursting, so it would be hard not to be nervous.

Portal Gate consumed far more magic power depending on its size and duration. This time, there was a need to teleport two carriages and one horseman, so the load on Maxwell was quite big.

But given how vast this old man’s magic power was, it probably fell within the margin of error.

Just in case, we cramped Mark’s group inside a carriage too so we could pass the gate as fast as possible, and stood in line.

However, Temuru’s carriage was already packed, so they ended up in ours…

“Hey, Mark, it’s cramped.”
“I mean, I can’t help it…”
“Kya, who was it, who touched my bu… I mean, err…”
“Oh? Whoever touched Finia just now, I hope you’re prepared.”
“Ugh, wait, Nicole, that’s a false accusation!”

It was Tony who replied, so looks like it was him. Sorry, but you have to face the punishment for touching her. Maybe it’s time for some roasted mushroom punishment after so long.

At any rate, we somehow managed to fit together despite all the pulling and pushing, and prepared for the opening of the gate.

Maxwell ignored us and had already opened the Gate.

“Come now, hurry up and pass through. A gate this large is a little hard on me too.”
“I don’t think you’re having any problems.”

Maxwell who had come down from the one-person carriage activated the spell and guided the carriages.

Since many people were going to pass now, he had extended the gate’s duration. He needed to stay back and teleport last to cancel it. If he left the gate be, someone might get rolled up in it.

Our carriage was the first to pass through, and Stollar greeted us on the other side. We didn’t teleport inside the city because he probably judged a sudden appearance of a carriage there could lead to an incident.

Following us, Temuru’s carriage followed and appeared behind us. Then came Cloud’s horse, and finally Maxwell appeared and closed the gate.

“W-We’re really in Stollar.”
“Of course we are, how rude.”
“Ah no, I wasn’t doubting you or anything! It’s just that, hearing and actually experiencing it feels different.”

His first ever teleportation had confused Temuru and he spoke disorderly. Maxwell knew he didn’t mean anything bad, so he did not press any further. Then we returned to our respective posts and headed towards Stollar.

The gate guards already knew our faces, so the inspection ended quickly. Maxwell was known far and wide, so they didn’t even look at his ID. Once we passed through the gates, we stopped the carriages at a plaza nearby, after which Temuru turned to us and declared.

“This finishes the guarding mission. Good work everyone!”
“Yeah!”
“Good work!”

Mark’s group and Michelle responded to Temuru in kind. Having finished their long expedition, their voices were somehow full with a sense of accomplishment.

“I was supposed to pay you with cash, so I will have the Adventurer’s Guild prepare the reward.”
“Thanks!”

This was because Mark’s group wanted to be paid in cash. Using deposits via the registration card would be easier, but there were stores that did not accept such payments.

They wanted to buy new equipment this time. When it came to equipment, there were cases where the registration cards would not be applicable for payment, given that Adventurer’s Guild and Smith Guild were different organizations.

In such cases, there was a need to prepare cash to pay with.

“I have to pay an additional reward to Nicole’s group, so I shall pay it all at once.”
“Thank you.”

The additional reward was for the merchandise that we carried with our carriage for him. Unfortunately for Mark’s group, the carriage belonged to us, so that additional reward would only go to us. They were fine with that too.

“Okay, we’re expecting money, so how about we kick up the early party!”
“Mark, this is why you never manage to save up.”
“I’m also telling him that all the time…”
“Ohh, will you treat me? Will you treat me?”
“Sure!”
“Then how about you treat this teacher too?”
“No problem. Anyone can come!”

Tony had given up as always, given his worldly-wise man personality. Michelle and Tricia planned to ride on Mark’s proposal.

Just so you know, Mark. Michelle would eat up half of your reward money, you know?

“We’re standing out here, so I also agree that we should move on.”
“You have a point. Then I’ll go greet Gadius. Cloud you follow Michelle and keep her reins in check.”
“I’m not confident I can do that…”
“If you don’t keep your eyes on her, she might get taken to someone’s home.”
“Right, I’ll keep an eye.”

Michelle still had a childish side to her, so she was defenseless in many aspects. When it comes to a party, I bet there would be alcohol served, so someone needed to watch her.

Meanwhile, I needed to join up with Gadius and Maxwell and discuss things. I also needed to talk about the fact that Finia found out about it with her present too. I needed to tell Gadius about Kufar’s confinement too.

“Well, if there was one fortunate thing with Finia finding it out, it was that there is one less person I have to be careful around in this city.”
“If you get that careless again, people will just keep finding it out.”
“I was surprised at first, but Lord Reid is someone very important to me. I can’t hate you for it, and it only made me happier.”
“Ugh, that still stings a bit… But still, I guess there’s just Michelle and Cloud who I have to be careful around in this city. Maybe I can relax a bit more?”
“There is also that Donovan lad. I do not know what to do with you…”

We didn’t meet up with Mark’s group all that often, and the work was coming to us through Gadius as well. Thanks to that, while I had some surface-level acquaintances, my friends were only Michelle and Cloud.

With other familiar people, there was no fear of them finding out that I was Reid even if I revealed some faults. Michelle and Cloud were the only ones who could realize it, but I guess that includes Donovan too, who became the lord here.

“Well, Donovan isn’t showing his face here all that much, so it should be fine. That aside, let’s go hit it off over a booze too!”
“Lady Nicole, you should watch your speech… Also, you are weak with alcohol, right?”

Finia gave me an indifferent warning as I let my guard down.

I didn’t go down with a gulp like in my younger days, but I was still weak enough to get knocked out even with a cup of spirits.

I could somehow handle it if it was a cup of ale or wine I guess.

“Well, as a punishment for worrying me, I will have you treat me this time.”
“H-Hey, that’s not fair!”

Treating a dwarf like Gadius and a heavy drinker Maxwell would make all my profits go away.

Finia held her mouth and started laughing, apparently finding my teary expression amusing. She refrained from bursting into loud laughter, probably restraining herself due to her servant position.

At any rate, it seemed that my wallet was facing a crisis just like Mark’s group.