Explored Bank's first floor for an hour, finding one room with a fixed monster spawning a treasure chest. Unlike the boss room, it's crowded with parties queuing.
"Five minutes per run. We're fourth," I note.
"Chest items aren't great but guaranteed sellables. More efficient than random drops," Ilmera says.
The door's plaque reads "Armory." Chests yield weapons or armor—daggers (5 copper) if unlucky, chainmail (3 gold) if rare. Usually, it's short swords or leather armor (around 5 silver). Profitable with volume: a six-man party earning 1 gold per person needs 12 runs. A party exiting holds small shields (4 silver). Unspoken rule—no chatting in line, respecting privacy in the labyrinth.
"Our turn. Let's go," I say.
"Yes, Reinhardt-sama."
After 20 minutes, we enter. Golems go first, drawing glances—adventurers never miss intel. Six goblins spawn, screeching threats.
"Golems, multi-enemy fight! Three pin them down, one defends. Keep them away!"
Golems act instantly, confirming orders. I forgot to swap axes for balanced weapons, but they crush the goblins. Drops: two high potions. A plain wooden chest appears, no lock.
"Pretty basic," I say, poking it with kakkara—safe.
Opening it reveals a dagger.
"Dagger. A miss," Ilmera says.
"Yeah, lowest value. Two rare drops from monsters, but my gift doesn't affect chests. Lesson learned."
Pitying glances from the next party sting as we leave. "Ilmera, no more Armory. We focus on boss hunting—100 Wood Golem kills for 10 wooden rings."
"As you wish, Reinhardt-sama," she says warmly, easing my frustration.
Back at the boss room, it's empty. Three goblin fights en route yield more rare drops—my gift doesn't work on chests. Dexter Knights moved on. The door's handle turns—nobody's inside.
"Ready for more testing?" I ask.
Ilmera raises her staff in agreement. We start our 31st boss kill.
"Sixty kills total. Every tenth drops a wooden ring. 100's too much today—focus is shot," I say.
Golem control's improving; I can summon two iron golems or six bronze. Ilmera suggests stopping.
"Let's end for today. Tomorrow onward."
Day two's haul: my level hit 12, Ilmera's 26. Sixty bosses for one level each—slow. Drops: 6 wooden rings, 8 wooden bracelets, 14 wooden shields from 60 Wood Golems; 11 potions, 15 high potions from 52 goblins; 1 dagger from the chest.
"Keep four bracelets. Sell shields, potions, dagger," I say, prioritizing funds as household head. School limits grinding time, so earn now.
"Four bracelets enough? No spares?" Ilmera asks, showing her bracelet and ring—poor design.
"We'll get more tomorrow. They're durable. Hide the rings outside—guild'll question them since we're only on floor one."
Secret's safer until we confirm consecutive kill bonuses. Ilmera nods, sleeve down.
Exiting Bank, it's still bright—past 3 p.m. The guard hut's gruff knight is absent. At the guild outpost, parties linger, so we wait to avoid showing rare drops. When clear, I hit the buyback counter—same stern man.
"Item buyback, please."
"Yesterday's customer. Rare drops first," he says, mindful of prying eyes.
"Sorry. First, 15 high potions, 4 wooden bracelets."
"You hit the first-floor boss. I'll take those," he says, stashing them under the counter.
"Next, 11 potions, 1 dagger, 14 wooden shields."
He's shocked again. "Impressive. Potions: 11 at 5 copper—5 silver, 5 copper. High potions: 15 at 5 silver—7 gold, 5 silver. Shields: 14 at 5 silver—7 gold. Bracelets: 4 at 1 gold, 5 silver—6 gold. Dagger: 5 copper. Total: 21 gold, 5 copper."
Coins are neatly stacked. "Thank you. See you again."
"Likewise."
His gruff look belies polite speech—guild standard. At the reception, I update my card. Three levels today, but tomorrow's grind may yield one. I'll farm rings for three more days, 11 left before school.
Guild Outpost
"Powell, those kids, right? Promising rookies. He's a kid but jumped three levels today," receptionist Milinda reports.
"Level 9 to 12 is fast. They're boss-farming Wood Golems on floor one. Four bracelets, 14 shields—likely 8+ bracelets used. Normal odds mean 50–70 kills," Powell says.
"That many…" Milinda's eyes widen.
"Not after rare gear—they're efficient for gold and EXP. Smart mage kid. He'll farm to level 15 on floor one. Boss rooms respawn one Wood Golem per entry. His four bronze golems can't lose, and control practice beats random spawns."
"Impressive kid. Unlike those noble brats leeching EXP with B-rank guild hires—leveling without skill," Powell scoffs.
"Customer," Milinda warns.
"Ahem, welcome!" Powell shifts.
"Your sales talk's creepy," Milinda teases, running off.
Powell flips her off—guild protocol forces his tone. He'll report Break Free's potential, ensuring they're shielded from trouble. They need a thief for stability, but raw talent like theirs is rare. Spotting diamonds in the rough beats overtrained veterans.
Return Carriage
I pick a quieter carriage line—parties with women or well-dressed members. Morning's pushy recruiters were draining; I want peace. We board the second carriage first, with a tidy 30s male quartet in half-plate and a mixed 20s six-person group. A robed mage—young woman, under level 20—eyes us. My uncontrolled mana leaks, surprising her. She whispers to a warrior woman beside her, likely about us. I feign sleep, arms crossed; Ilmera dozes on me. The carriage rumbles.
"Hey, young mage. Chat with big sis?" the warrior woman says halfway to the capital.
"We're tired," I deflect.
"Don't be so guarded. My sister's curious about you."
"Sorry, I have a partner," I say, dodging.
"Not like that! Young mages are rare. Same class, hard to meet, so…"
She seems genuine, flustered.