An Adventurer Mom, Who Awakened [Housewife] Skill Through a Login Bonus, Is Making the Most of Her Adventurer Life With the Weekly Flyers She Gets! - Chapter 28

That day, Kachua went to the nursery at the usual time to pick up Barbara but there were no children in sight.

Today was the nursery’s field trip but apparently the children were returning later than scheduled.

“We’re very sorry. They should be back in about thirty minutes.”

The teacher explained to the mothers who had come to pick up their kids.

Hearing that, Kachua thought to herself,

“Thirty minutes, huh? Maybe I’ll go get some shopping done first.”

The nursery was conveniently located near the marketplace.

Apparently, many other moms had the same idea. While at the market, Kachua was called out to by a familiar face.

“Kachua-san!”

“Oh, Grace-san! Good afternoon.”

Grace was a fellow parent with a child attending the same nursery, and also a work acquaintance.

Kachua had worked as a porter a few times in the party Grace belonged to.

“Good afternoon. Are you out shopping too, Kachua-san?”

Like Kachua, Grace was holding ingredients for dinner and seemed to be in the middle of shopping.

“Yes, I just finished.”

“I’m heading back to the nursery now. Want to walk together?”

“Sure.”

Though they were colleagues, Grace was about four years older than Kachua and a seasoned veteran adventurer.

She was once a member of a top-tier team that had ranked among the top five in the Adventurer’s Guild of the labyrinth city Loa.

The team had since fallen back to C-rank, but they had apparently been A-rank back in the day.

Grace had taken a liking to Kachua and had been regularly requesting her ever since she started porter work—one of her most valued clients.

To Kachua, she was a highly respected senior, so even talking with her made her a little nervous.

“Kachua-san, how have you been? You haven’t taken on porter jobs lately, have you?”

“That’s right. I’ve been busy with my own team lately. I’m sorry I’ve been out of touch.”

“No need to apologize. Of course your own team comes first. But if you ever have time, do help out with ours again, okay?”

“Yes, definitely!”

Just before reaching the nursery, they passed in front of a restaurant where a street stall was set up, selling lemonade.

“Oh, lemonade. Looks good. Want to have some, Kachua-san?”

A cup of lemonade was 300 gold.

“Sounds great. Let me grab my money…”

As Kachua fished out coins from her wallet, Grace quickly stepped up and bought two cups.

“Here you go, Kachua-san.”

She handed one over.

“Ah, thank you so much. Let me pay you back now.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Besides, I got it a bit cheaper—thanks to this.”

Grace then showed Kachua a card.

“What’s that?”

“A tool shop card.”

“A tool shop card?”

“You’ve never seen one? If you shop a certain number of times or spend enough at one of the guild-approved tool shops, they give you this card. It’s kind of a reward for regulars. Haven’t you and your team gotten one yet?”

“No, this is my first time seeing it.”

The two of them headed toward the nursery’s playground, but Barbara and the others still hadn’t arrived by school carriage.

So Kachua and Grace decided to wait for the children while sipping their lemonade in the shade of a tree.

“How long have you and your team been together, Kachua-san?”

“Hmm, about five months now.”

“Ah, then maybe just a little longer? I think you’ll be able to get this card soon.”

Grace smiled and held out the card again for her to see.

“Is it okay if I take a look?”

“Of course, go ahead.”

Since it was a rare chance, Kachua accepted and examined the card.

It was a sturdy card made of metal.

The entire back side was covered in notes and a list of useful benefits.

“Oh, it says you get a 5% increase in buyback value at the tool shop. That’s amazing.”

“Right? It’s a pretty sweet deal. You and your team should aim for it too. If I remember correctly, you get the first Bronze Card after making 100 purchases or sales at a tool shop. That one gives a 2% increase in buyback value.”

“Wow, that’s a great deal!”

“Isn’t it? My card’s Platinum, so not only do I get a 5% boost to buyback prices, I also get 10% off when buying items.”

“Whoa, that’s amazing!”

“Right? Once you have a Platinum Card, it’s not just tool shops—you also get 10% off at affiliated stores. That’s why I got that lemonade just now a little cheaper.”

“That’s incredible.”

Kachua couldn’t help blurting that out, and Grace chuckled.

“Fufu. Stick with adventuring long enough, and there are actually some fun perks like this. Keep at it, okay?”

“Yes! I’m really looking forward to it now.”

“But…”

Grace’s eyes drifted off into the distance, her voice shifting into something softer—tinged with melancholy.

“There were a lot of hardships too. You know my team once reached A-rank, right, Kachua-san?”

“Yes.”

Kachua hadn’t heard much about the details, but she knew Grace’s adventurer rank was over 70.

She was the kind of high-ranker who wasn’t supposed to be lingering on the lower floors at all.

“We used to be all fired up too, saying we’d reach the top of the Loa Dungeon someday… but eventually, you start to realize something.”

“Realize…?”

“That’s right. Not just us—most parties eventually hit a wall. The faster teams hit it around the 40th floor. That’s when they give up on going any further.”

By the time a team reaches around the 40th floor, adventurer levels typically rise to between 50 and 60.

While the adventurers themselves grow stronger, leveling up gets slower and harder and meanwhile, the monsters keep getting even stronger, often far outpacing the party’s growth.

One floor at a time, they climb higher and higher—but the top floor is number one thousand.

Reaching it is nothing short of a fantasy.

It’s around the 40th floor that reality starts to crush that dream.

“We made it to the 100th floor… but that’s where we broke.”

“Grace-san…”

Beyond that point, only those with truly unshakable resolve can press on.

Currently, the only teams exploring above the 100th floor are all high-caliber, A-rank and above.

“Well, I’m honestly glad we were able to retreat before anyone got hurt. And thanks to that, we’re making a decent living now, doing safer explorations in the lower floors.”

“…………”

Kachua didn’t know what to say.

Would there come a day when her own team couldn’t move forward anymore…?

“You’re in the best part of it all right now. Just be careful not to get hurt and have fun while it lasts.”

Grace said it with a smile.

Kachua smiled back.

“You’re right. That’s still a long way off.”

“Exactly. No need to stress. And the upper floors—there’s all kinds of rare and fun stuff to see up there. I once met a dwarf, you know.”

“What?!”

Dwarves?

If she remembered right, the Ring of the New Moon that Og was searching for could only be made by dwarves.

Kachua leaned in, unable to hide her interest at the unexpected bit of information.

“D-dwarves, you said?”

“Yep. Dwarves. Pretty rare in this country, right? I ran into them a few times inside the dungeon. Sounds like they use entrances we don’t even know about.”

Dwarves were a demi-human race known for their strength and dexterity. They possessed advanced blacksmithing and crafting skills.

If it was them, it wouldn’t be surprising if they had built their own secret passages in and out.

“And apparently, having this card increases your chances of meeting a dwarf. Tool shops and dwarves are said to be partnered.”

“Really?!”

Kachua had stumbled upon a vital lead in the most unexpected of places.

I have to tell everyone! she thought excitedly.