Nada Volume 2, Chapter 2

Episode 2 – The Noble

The connection between nobles and adventurers has always been deep.

Back when there were no merchants who would buy Calvaon, adventurers used to sell it directly to nobles who managed their territories. Calvaon, a resource produced by monsters, had better energy efficiency than firewood or charcoal, burned hotter, never rusted or got damp, and provided stable firepower in any conditions—so it had been treasured since ancient times.

Of course, it was used not only for daily chores or as fuel to heat the household, but also to forge weapons—when burned, it reached higher temperatures than firewood, and its ease of ignition made it very convenient.

For nobles, having a large amount of Calvaon was not only an asset but a means to advance territorial development.

It allowed them to improve the standard of living and win the favor of the populace, fund new ventures such as weapon production, or serve as fuel to clear forests.

Since ancient times, nobles have desired adventurers—especially talented ones.

Even today, many noble families send their second or third sons, and sometimes their second or third daughters, to become adventurers. Naturally, the parents often provide massive support so they can succeed. If those children show promise as adventurers, hiring them is far easier than hiring random outsiders.

Of course, even aside from that, excellent adventurers are always in demand.

Nada thought about all this as he made his way to the location the noble had designated.

He knew full well that the bond between nobles and adventurers was not a shallow one.

Even Iris, one of his acquaintances, was a noble. If he remembered correctly, the Scarlet family she came from traditionally produced adventurers from among the house’s siblings—it was customary. That alone told him just how many nobles desired reliable adventurers. And the Scarlet family was a great noble house with numerous adventurers under them.

Nada recalled one of Iris’s past complaints about how every time she returned home, her mother would nag her to “bring back a talented adventurer,” and how annoying that was. He still found the expression she had made back then hilarious, and as he reminisced, he arrived at his destination.

It was the noble district.

Located not in the student city but at the center of Inferno, near both Toro and Tohe, the noble district was lined with large mansions—a place ordinary people would never dare approach. But excellent adventurers were sometimes invited to parties hosted in these mansions.

Among them, the place Nad sought was somewhat smaller than the surrounding houses, with a narrower garden. Nada had heard before that, in Inferno, the size of a noble mansion was proportional to the power of the family. So the noble who had summoned him likely did not wield great influence. Even so, a noble was still a noble. Beyond the large metal gate lay a garden filled with roses, and beyond that, a mansion far bigger than Nada’s own dwelling.

This was the residence of the Spinossissima family, the ones who had summoned Nada.

Standing before the mansion, Nada immediately rang the bell.

A maid who had presumably been tending the garden earlier approached. She was a woman in a maid uniform, her black hair tied neatly at the back, and wearing glasses—she struck Nada as an intellectual type.

“Thank you for waiting, and I apologize. How may I help you today?”

Standing before the gate, she gave him a polite bow and spoke in a calm tone.

“My name is Nada. I came because I received this—”

Nada handed her the letter bearing the Spinossissima family crest through the gate.

The maid promptly replied, “If you’ll excuse me, please wait here for a moment,” and hurried back to the mansion.

Within minutes, she returned alone and opened the gate for Nada.

He passed through the garden, roses of many colors lining the path. Their fragrance soothed his nerves a little. He couldn’t deny he was somewhat tense.

This wasn’t the first time he’d entered a noble’s estate. Back when he belonged to Aghiya, he had attended parties thrown by their patron, along with Iris and the other members of that time. But he had never discussed future expeditions with a noble nor had a personal audience like this one.

Inside the mansion, under the gaze of a massive chandelier above him, he was led by the maid to a reception room.

It was on the second floor, overlooking the rose garden through large windows. Not a large room, just two sofas facing each other.

The maid informed him that the head of the household would arrive shortly, asked him to wait, served him tea, and departed.

Nada added one spoonful of sugar to adjust the flavor, took a sip of the hot tea—

And a few minutes later, the door he had entered through was knocked upon.

“Sorry to keep you waiting—”

The voice that spoke was surprisingly high.

It was high. Like a child’s—specifically, a little girl’s voice that hadn’t even gone through puberty yet.

And the person who entered was indeed young.

She looked to be about twelve years old. Her long black hair was braided, and her small, delicate lips gave her a charming appearance. She wore a blue dress. With all its intricate embroidery, multiple-layered stitching, and lace, even an uneducated man like Nada could tell at a glance that it was an expensive piece. And despite being accompanied by an elderly butler behind her, the straight-backed, imperious posture she carried was unmistakably that of nobility—exactly the kind Nada knew.

As she sat on the sofa opposite him, the butler took his place behind her. He wore a monocle, his face lined with age, and his hair streaked with white.

Nada looked at the noble girl and the butler, and despite knowing her attitude was pure arrogance, he cautiously opened his mouth.

“So, where’s your father?”

“He is not here. The one speaking with you today is I.”

She replied calmly, maintaining her impeccable posture.

Nada slowly leaned forward, clasping his hands as he subtly pressed his presence on the girl, feeling conflicted that his first direct audience with a noble turned out to be a child.

Perhaps, he thought, this was the father’s way of training his daughter in noble decorum by having her negotiate with an adventurer like him.

“So? What do you want from me this time?”

Since he came as a guest, Nada strengthened his tone so as not to show weakness.

“Before that, let us first introduce ourselves. I am Kanon. The only daughter of the Spinossissima family.”

Despite his pressure, the girl didn’t flinch in the slightest and declared herself with dignified composure.

“I’m Nada. Just Nada.”

“Mm. I have already heard your name.”

Kanon’s expression brightened slightly upon hearing it.

Feeling something off about her reaction, Nada decided to cut straight to the point.

“Right, so why did you call me here?”

He assumed the Spinossissima family wanted to recruit him into their house party or hire him as part of a new team.

Nada did not possess brilliant talent as an adventurer, but he did have a brilliant record.

He had entered the Academy, and within only three years, he was recruited into Aghiya, one of the most prestigious student parties. While in Aghiya, despite being only in his third year, he broke through the 50th floor under Iris’s leadership. He was also part of the team when Iris reached the 70th floor—one of her legendary achievements—slayed a dragon, and returned to the surface with the fastest record ever. And while Iris’s accomplishments were many, Nada had contributed to several of them.

And of course, there was the recent gargoyle.

According to what Dan later told him, the story of Nada practically soloing a gargoyle had spread—not just among the students, but even among adventurers tackling Toro and Tohe. The rumor, however, carried unpleasant embellishments, giving Nada a net negative reputation.

Still, it was likely that some noble, misunderstanding the rumors and his achievements, had summoned him.

“Mm. I desire you.”

Kanon spoke with a captivating smile, despite her youth.

There it is, Nada thought. Exactly what he expected.

“And in what sense do you ‘desire’ me?”

Thanks to that expectation, he could ask without hesitation.

“Mm. I want you to form a contract with me.”

“A contract?”

Nada tilted his head.

Did one need a contract to form a party with someone? Perhaps it was about how to divide dungeon rewards? He truly had no idea.

“I wish to become your patron. That is why I want you to enter into an exclusive contract with me—”

Nada was familiar with exclusive contracts.

Nobles wanted a stable supply of Calvaon, but the Calvaon provided by adventurers wasn’t always reliable. Sometimes, stray monsters suddenly appeared in a dungeon and made exploration difficult for lower-rank adventurers. Sometimes internal shifts in the dungeon made entry impossible, and sometimes injuries reduced the supply.

Whenever that happened, the market price of Calvaon tended to skyrocket.

That was why nobles sought adventurers—

Specifically, adventurers who would contract with them.

Depending on the terms, a contracted adventurer and their patron would fix the price based on the quantity and grade of Calvaon delivered. This came with many advantages on both sides.

The noble gained a stable supply, and the adventurer gained a stable income.

Sure, there were times when the market rate was higher than what the noble paid.

But there were also many times when too many adventurers brought in Calvaon at once, driving the price down and hurting the adventurers instead.

Which was why many adventurers wanted these contracts—stable income made it easier to plan for new weapons, repairs, and future exploration.

Depending on the agreement, the noble might also provide equipment repairs or new gear, at the cost of slightly lowering the buy price for Calvaon. The adventurer no longer had to manage their own gear expenses, and overall, they tended to end up saving money, even with the reduced rate.

A contract with benefits on both sides.

But if the adventurer lacked skill, the arrangement quickly fell apart. Beginners were easily injured or sick, and nobles gained nothing by hiring someone who would soon be useless.

For Nada, this deal was incredibly attractive.

Right now, he couldn’t even form a proper party, let alone find a patron.

He’d mostly been solo since becoming an adventurer, but for survival and efficiency, working with others was undeniably better. If those teammates had gifts or strong abilities, dungeon-crawling became even smoother.

Having a patron also gave him a massive advantage when trying to join a party.

If someone was willing to take on someone like him—someone who kept drawing the short straw—then he’d gladly accept.

“Alright. I don’t mind—”

His answer was already decided.

“Oh! Truly?! I’m so glad!”

Kanon leaned over the table with an excited expression.

“But listen— I’ve got no party. No companions. I’m diving solo right now. Is that still fine?”

“Of course. I’m well aware of your… dark rumors. But based on your past achievements, I have no doubts about your ability.”

It seemed Kanon had no objections to the contract, and Nada felt relieved.

“Then naturally, we should discuss the amount of Calvaon and the associated fees. You’ve got some terms prepared, too, right?”

At his words, Kanon signaled to the butler behind her, who brought over a stack of documents.

Inside were charts of rough buying prices for various dungeon materials, the monthly amount of Calvaon they wanted him to supply, and more. As expected, Calvaon demand was higher in winter than in summer—the prices were stable overall, but small fluctuations appeared between months.

But something else caught Nada’s eye.

“Hey… This price here—it’s barely any different from what the academy pays.”

He pointed at the most important line: the Calvaon buy-rate.

It was almost the same as the academy’s stable price—in fact, a bit cheaper.

“I know. In exchange for accepting that condition, I’ve prepared a counteroffer.”

Kanon’s expression didn’t shift at all.

If anything, she looked like she had been waiting for him to notice.

“…Let’s hear it.”

With a tinge of unease, he asked.

“—Your engagement to me is the compensation. Well? Surely you find this fresh, lovely body irresistible?”

Kanon stood from her seat, chest thrust forward, declaring it boldly.

She was extremely confident in the deal she proposed.

“Try again in ten years—”

Nada cut her down immediately.

“W-what?!”

She clearly hadn’t expected that response; her face crumpled into a very age-appropriate look of panic.

Watching her, Nada sighed quietly.

And in that moment, he realized—

He was the one who had drawn the short straw after all.

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