Chapter 115 - 112: The Fantastic Four

Chapter 115: Chapter 112: The Fantastic Four

After a tense and exciting round of bidding, the ownership of the Leather Armor was settled.

Mirana finally obtained this High Level Equipment for the "friendship price" of 16 gold coins, and her coin purse was once again completely emptied.

"16 gold, the captain gets half, which is 8 gold."

"The three of us get 2 gold and 7 silver each."

With her head lowered, Bai Ya, who also served as the accountant, divided the coins into four piles, a look of disbelief in her eyes.

After all, this was only the first day of their adventure.

Including the 5 Silver Coins she’d just been given, she had already made 3 gold and 2 silver!

’I didn’t even do anything, and I almost caused huge trouble...’

Biting her lip, Bai Ya felt a growing sense of guilt. She felt uneasy taking money she hadn’t properly earned.

Furen felt much the same, secretly resolving to work hard to prove his worth in the future.

Only Lu Wei was gleefully counting the coins in his hand, his face beaming with joy.

’9 gold and 5 silver... if we sell off all this Equipment and these Weapons, we can probably split another five or six gold.’

’That adds up to 15 gold... Holy cow, this is so much better than killing goblins!’

’No wonder there are so many volunteer patrols in town!’

’Wiping out just one group of criminals is this profitable. Can we get some more bandits in the future!’

’It feels like we could just pack up and go home now...’

Putting the shimmering gold and glittering silver coins into his pouch, Lu Wei was in high spirits. He hadn’t expected to meet his "KPI" for this adventure on the very first day.

At least the final payment for the construction team was now covered.

There were still thirteen days left. He should be able to get a few more gold coins one way or another.

By then, he’d have about enough money to buy his second and third Professional Skill Books.

Although the Leather Armor went to Mirana...

Huh?

At that thought, Lu Wei suddenly remembered something and immediately turned to look at Mirana.

She was carefully wiping her new Leather Armor with a leaf, the 3 gold and 2 silver she had just been allotted sitting beside her.

Sensing Lu Wei’s gaze, she raised her head and casually handed the money over.

"Here."

’Heh, she knows the deal.’

"Good."

Lu Wei accepted the money with a satisfied nod, then explained to a confused Furen and Bai Ya,

"Mirana and I agreed long ago. On this adventure, all her earnings go to me, but all the quest points go to her."

"Oh, I see."

Furen and Bai Ya nodded, not thinking much of it.

They also failed to realize that the so-called "temporary teammate" was actually one of Lu Wei’s schemes.

’Knowing that I get half and the others split the other half, if I count Mirana as a teammate participating in the loot distribution, then I get an extra share of the profits!’

This was the meticulous calculation of a Crafty Merchant!

’Maybe I should get a pet in the future. That way, I can claim another share.’

Tucking the newly acquired 3 gold and 2 silver into his coin pouch, Lu Wei continued to scheme.

...

...

After the meeting and dividing the spoils, the afternoon passed just like that.

The rain outside had finally lessened, but it hadn’t stopped yet.

Even if it stopped, they definitely wouldn’t be able to travel today.

Besides, Bai Ya and Furen’s clothes were still damp, so they needed to stay by the fire to keep warm.

If they got sick, it would be an added expense, even with medicine on hand.

So, Lu Wei decided they would rest in the cave tonight and leave tomorrow after the rain stopped.

With the decision made, the four of them began to prepare dinner.

Half of the forest python remained, but they had finished all the crisp vines at lunch.

Luckily, that stuff grew everywhere in the forest, so Lu Wei and Mirana planned to go out and gather some more. Furen and Bai Ya, who didn’t have any outerwear, stayed behind in the cave to prepare the snake meat.

"So why did you want this Leather Armor so much?"

After they left the lair, Lu Wei finally couldn’t resist asking, "While [Tenacity] is powerful, it’s not like you’d get to use it often, right?"

"Why wouldn’t I?"

Mirana glanced at him. "Ejection Magic, Magic Missile, Binding Magic, even the skill on that Sword of yours—aren’t they all physical effects?"

"That may be true, but hardly anyone in Heitai Town knows those Skills."

Lu Wei said with a confused look, "And that’s not to mention the monsters in the forest. Aside from a few rare mutants, there are barely any creatures of medium intelligence."

"So what? Are you planning to stay in Heitai Town and Gelan Forest for the rest of your life?"

Mirana looked even more bewildered, stumping him with a single counter-question.

’Holy shit, is she really that forward-thinking?’

Lu Wei stared at Mirana in surprise. He never would have thought she was preparing for the distant "future."

After a moment, he shrugged and offered his own opinion.

"Even if we go somewhere else, that’s a problem for later."

"I’m not one for long-term plans. I take things one step at a time... two at most."

"Anyway, no one knows what will happen in the future. You can plan for ages and things might not go your way, so it’s better to just deal with problems when they arise."

"...Oh."

Mirana’s response was a little slow. She nodded, saying nothing more about Lu Wei’s shortsightedness. She simply drew her Dagger and silently cut a crisp vine coiled around a tree trunk.

It seemed the topic was closed.

’As long as you don’t think you got a raw deal, that’s fine by me,’ Lu Wei thought, and he ran off to a nearby thicket to look for mushrooms.

But five minutes later, when he returned with a few large parasol mushrooms, Mirana, who was standing there waiting for him, suddenly added—

"Actually, long-term plans aren’t for determining the future, but for determining the present."

"..."

???

’What the hell are you even talking about???’

...

...

Lu Wei didn’t pay any mind to Mirana’s last cryptic remark.

He only knew that the Mushroom Squad now had one more philosopher.

The Good-Luck Philosopher, the Transmigrator Crafty Merchant, the Rich-Kid Storyteller, and the Foolish Kitchen Maid.

What a truly bizarre... and even surreal combination.

But I had to admit, the mushroom soup Bai Ya made was truly delicious.

BUBBLE BUBBLE~

An hour later, thanks to those few large parasol mushrooms, Lu Wei finally got to drink mushroom soup again.

The rich aroma filled the cave, dispelling the damp cold of the rainy night.

Furen also finally found the chance to ask how Lu Wei had made those bandits "kneel in Confession."

Since the other three had already witnessed the effects of his gravity field, and now that he had a new ace up his sleeve with [Light-guided Arrow], Lu Wei no longer held back and told them about [Force Field].

This left Furen utterly shocked; he nearly jumped to his feet.

"That’s incredible!!"

"Is it because of that black gem? You mean it’s not Obsidian?"

"Gods! The skill’s power feels like it could rival something from a Rare Level piece of Equipment!"

Furen gaped in astonishment.

Little did he know that Confession was indeed a Rare Level piece of Equipment, and one of the most expensive ones at that.

Meanwhile, Bai Ya clutched her wooden bowl with both hands, her face a picture of regret.

"What a pity."

"It’s a shame it’s an Equipment skill. Otherwise, I could use Imitation on it."

"..."

The bonfire blazed, like the heart of the small cavern, casting the four of their long shadows onto the rock walls to dance and sway with the flickering light.

The loot, the fire, and the delicious food finally dispelled the last trace of gloom from the bandit encounter, which vanished along with the sound of the rain as it tapered off.

Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, Lu Wei, Furen, and Bai Ya all turned to look at Mirana in perfect, unspoken agreement.

Clearly, their "perfect day" was still missing something.

"I’ll go make a table out of rocks!" Furen spoke first, after a moment.

"Then I’ll go prepare snacks!" Bai Ya followed right after.

"I’ll stay here!" Lu Wei said shamelessly.

"...Alright."

Setting down the Leather Armor, Mirana shook her head with a resigned sigh.

"I’ll get the cards."