You know how that pharmacist is goin to use that potion, dont you?

Obviously Ive taken into account that my handmade potion would be used on family and friends without ever being sold.

Sword laughed at my response, Dont make it sound like its somethin made by some village child. In a certain sense, its more amazin than special-grade, isnt it? It can completely regrow bones, cant it?

Sure can, butwhat if we ask whether its really going to be a part of your own body? Its going to be a bone made out of magic elements, you know? I wouldnt be able to put my faith into it. Do you know how babies are made?

For the most part, yeah. But if youre goin to doubt that part, itll immediately turn into a question why people are alive, no?

Correct. Thats why we should limit its use. In short, Id like you to not consider it as Regrowth, but rather as Replacement of a missing, natural body part through magic elements. For this reason you cant really describe it as amazing.

Well, if you say so. He caressed my head. On another note, if you claim that your handmade potion is obviously goin to be used on family and friends, youve made handmade potions for me as well, havent you?

Itd be much better to not rely on them, you know? Rather, youll get careless if you have the option, wont you? Youll believe that everything will get healed as long as you drink the potion, right?

You think Im such a careless bloke? Just think bout it. I wouldnt be alive right now if I was so careless.

I guess he got a point there.

I took them out.

Oh, these are mine?

Let me tell you in advance. Those are potions exclusive to you.

Sword looked at me with a stupefied look, Haah?

These are healing potions with your bodys information registered, so Im telling you to not use them on anyone else.

Sword froze.

Waaaaaaaiiit!? J-J-J-J-ust when did you do somethin so scary!?

Shut it! Its better to compensate for the loss with your own cell tissue, isnt it!? Its much easier for your body to get accustomed to them! After all, its going to have the same genetic information!!

Once again a bundle of incomprehensible, technical words

Thats how these things are called! Probably! By chance it might work, regardless of whether its made out of magic elements or something else altogether, but youd also hate it if I tried it on you and it didnt work as intended, right!? Safety comes first, and if its based on the same cell information, it should become mostly identical to the rest of your body! I shouted.

In response, Sword ruffled my hair and accepted the potions.

Good grief, just what am I goin to do with you? But alright, these are exclusively for me then.

Ive also given some to Ryoku. Either way, now youve got some as well. Dont make any mistakes, okay?

Sword grinned broadly, Dont worry. Aint like Id let anyone drink special-grade potions except for you.

Just what is that guy blathering!?

Dont make me take any of them either!! It wouldnt be funny at all if I ended up becoming a guy!!

What should I do if I suddenly grew out a dick!? Sword is guffawing, but its not funny at all, for heavens sake!!

After stifling the laughter and putting away the potions, he looked at me with an apologetic expression, Somehow Im only receivin stuff from you.

Since he suddenly brought it up, I replied with a sullen look, Its the other way around. Arent you paying for almost everything?

No matter where we go and what we do, Sword pays for all of it. I know that itd hurt his pride if he made a small child pay for things, but it troubles me.

I do get your wish of wantin to be equal, but you see, theres no way I could make you pay for stuff. Its a matter of honor for me.

Ive been letting you pay without saying anything because Im well aware of that. Since I let you pay for things even though I have my own thoughts on the matter, I want you to accept what I give you without any complaints, even if you have your own thoughts about it.

Yeah, yeah.

Shrugging it off, he swiftly put his arm around my neck.

What is it?

I like that part of you. Any ordinary Joe would have told me to cough up the dough since Im rich as S-Rank anyway, you know?

Well, I can understand that notion. Its the same feeling, or maybe I should call it weirdness, when a boss invites his subordinates out for drinks and then asks them to split the costs or when men and women pay evenly during a mixer.

Well, thats all well and good. It follows the principle of getting treated in your young years, and then, in exchange, treating the young when youve grown old.

No? Also, how bout not treatin me like an old man on the fly?

He strangled my neck.

I-Idontwant toowe youIwantto pay myselfrather thanfeelinginferiorPeopleshouldbeequal.

Though it might be a way of thinking that doesnt exist in this world. The difference in standing, the disparity between men and women, and the disparity of wealth are so striking over here. Thats the very reason why I dislike this world.

Im a woman, and I only have the money I cheated out of that man. But, I dont want to bend my knee to some ruler either. Thats why I dont want to always feel inferior to Sword while being around him.

At last Sword relaxed his hold on me.

That somehow sounds like an interestin concept. Was it like that in the other world?

As a concept, yeah. It was normal for men and women to be equal, social status to play no role, and being able to eat and wash your body every day even as a poor person. Though I should add that Im talking about the country my otherworld self was born in. In this world, noble women are political tools of their familys patriarchs, commoners are disposable tools for nobles, and commoner women basically have no rights to speak of, correct?

I want to be equal to Sword while holding up my head high without having to bend my knee to some absolute authority. You might call it a boring insistence on my own pride. But, I will firmly keep that attitude for the sake of standing next to Sword and succeeding as an adventurer.

Guessing my feelings on the matter, Sword caressed my head.

Dont worry. Gender disparity or difference in social status doesnt exist for adventurers. However, a distinction by rank is part of the show.

Thats no problem. Such concept is called Ability-ism in the other world. Anyway, as I had thought, adventurer is truly my calling.

Sword laughed, You sure happy-go-lucky bout this. Other adventurers dont think bout it like that. Its just that theyre ill-suited for other work. Adventurer is a job chosen by those with no money who hate havin to lower their head, gettin abused, or bein pushed round.

That in itself is alright, though.

Suddenly I tried asking him something that popped up in my mind, How was it for you?

The instant I asked, Sword froze. Kinda like he thought I wouldnt ask.

Me? Your askin bout me, huh? I wonder. I feel like I had some dreams and hopes in the beginnin. But, those got crushed and trampled underfoot somewhere along the way, and before I realized, I had become an S-Rank.

Thats just like a song Ive heard somewhere.

Well, its not like I had any particular dreams and hopes before landing here. I wont start preaching something like Lets go on a big adventure to find the big treasure the pirate king hid away before getting captured and executed!, you know?

Sword exploded into laughter.

He finds it hilarious without actually understanding the meaning?

Did you become an adventurer in the past while harboring such exaggerated dreams and hopes? Or does such a legend possibly exist?

When I asked him with a tinge of admiration, he roared, As if! Are you sayin that for real? I really dont get you, girl.

He was flabbergasted, but I think this would be an objective for adventuring thats very easy to understand, and itd be the very definition of what it means to have a dream.

Sword placed a hand on his jaw, brooding.

Hmm Lets seeseein how Ive finally obtained you as my partner and since were talkin bout having dreams, how about we head to the dungeon in the capital, the Kingdoms most challengin dungeon which no one beat so far, and clear it with just the two of us? Sword suggested, seemingly having come up with it on the fly.

Still, a dungeon, huh? Well, it does have something of a dreamI think?

Youre right, I suppose thats a reasonable dream to have.

Only reasonable!?

I mean, an adventurers dream isnt about exploring known dungeons, but finding new ones, isnt it? And isnt it about discovering the riches and treasures hidden in such unexplored dungeons?

At very least its got to be about exploring the toughest and biggest dungeon on this planet!

In that case, we might as well aim for the top dungeon in the world, no?

That would be the castle of the demon king country. Sword told me.

Heeh.

Okay, I see. So the Sir Dungeon Core is His Majesty the Demon King, huh? That definitely makes it worthwhile to capture the dungeon.

Sword rolled his eyes.

Thats the least an adventurers dream should entail, no? Discovering new monsters or finding untrodden continents; those things are the core of adventuring.

Yeah, I got it now. Ive fully understood that your idea of adventurers and the reality of adventurers got absolutely nothin to do with each other. Sword nodded as if having come to some kind of conclusion on his own.

Why?