﻿\setgamedatatitle("Orphis_02")

\text("Orphis")
That's expensive!
\endtext

\text("Shopkeeper")
Eek!?
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
No matter how you look at it, that's way too much!
\endtext

\text("Shopkeeper")
P-please, have mercy... I have to make a living too, you
know.
\endtext

\text
When I couldn't help but raise my voice, the tall, skinny,
bald shopkeeper flinched in fear.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
This is ridiculous! Just the other day, it was only five
silver coins each!
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
So why did it suddenly jump up to one gold coin!?
\endtext

\text("Shopkeeper")
L-like I said, because of the sudden tax hikes, prices have
been going up like crazy lately!

\endtext

\text
The shopkeeper's face was clearly showing how annoyed he
was.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Ugh... seriously, what a pain.
\endtext

\text
Reluctantly, I placed a gold coin in front of the shopkeeper
and picked up the jerky in exchange.
\endtext

\text("Shopkeeper")
Th-thank you for your business.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Haaaah...
\endtext

\text
After leaving the food stall and walking for a bit, I sat
down on a stone bench.

\endtext

\text
It was right in the shade of a tree, with a refreshing
breeze blowing through.
\endtext

\text
It was the perfect spot to cool my overheated head.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
What a mess...
\endtext

\text
Stuffing the jerky into my backpack, I couldn't help but
grumble.
\endtext

\text
Just like the shopkeeper said, lately, sudden tax hikes have
lowered wages while prices have shot up.

\endtext

\text
All because the authorities are obsessed with ramping up
military spending.
\endtext

\text
By the way, one gold coin is worth ten silver coins.

\endtext

\text
In other words, this jerky has doubled in price in just a
few days.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Military spending is something you're supposed to prepare
for all the time anyway... seriously.
\endtext

\text
Most likely, the taxes squeezed from commoners have just
gone to fund the nobles' luxurious lifestyles.
\endtext

\text
If they spend it, money does circulate through society, so
that's not all bad, I guess.
\endtext

\text
But if it ends up putting all the burden on commoners when
it really matters, that's just completely backwards.

\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(Still, with prices rising like this, I'm sure I'm not the
only one who's fed up.)
\endtext

\text
In fact, even that old man at the food stall seemed to be
struggling.
\endtext

\text
Looking around at this area lined with daily goods stalls,
there were noticeably fewer people than usual.
\endtext

\text
Everyone's wallets are tight, so they're trying to cut back
on spending.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(At this rate, the city will collapse from within before the
Demon Lord's army even attacks.)

\endtext

\text
Whether they're doing it on purpose or not, the Demon Lord's
army is basically forcing us into a siege without even
surrounding the city.
\endtext

\text
It's common knowledge that you can't win a siege with no
hope of reinforcements.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(Sigh... this is just unbearable.)
\endtext

\text
That last job, the one to hunt the wolves. Half the reward I
got from that was wiped out in no time thanks to the rising
prices.
\endtext

\text
I'd like to take on a new job, but there are reasons I can't
just go all out right now.
\endtext

\text
Still, if I don't do something, I'm just going to keep
getting poorer like this.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Well then... I've bought what I needed, so I guess I'll head
back.
\endtext

\text
I adjusted my pack on my back and left the area.

\endtext

\text
………………
\endtext

\text
…………
\endtext

\text
……
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
I'm home.
\endtext

\text("？？？")
Mama!
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
I'm home, Marlt. Were you a good girl?
\endtext

\text("Marlt")
Yeah! I was a good boy! Ehehe!
\endtext

\text
This is my son, Marlt. He's the child I had with my late
husband.
\endtext

\text
The reason I started this crazy adventurer life was to
provide for him.

\endtext

\text("Marlt")
Oh, your stuff!
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
It's heavy, you know? Can you carry it?
\endtext

\text("Marlt")
It's okay! I'm a boy!
\endtext

\text
Saying that, Marlt reached out his hands, so I carefully
handed him the pack.
\endtext

\text
He wobbled for a moment, but with his face turning bright
red, Marlt managed to hold on and toddled off with it.

\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Thank you, Marlt.
\endtext

\text("Marlt")
Because I'm a boy! I have to protect Mama!

\endtext

\text
Even though he was huffing and puffing, Marlt answered
energetically.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Ah, you can just leave it over there. Mama will take care of
the rest.
\endtext

\text("Marlt")
Okay! Unn... there!
\endtext

\text
After I said that, Marlt set the pack down by the stove.

\endtext

\text("Marlt")
Anything else? Is there anything else I can help you with,
Mama?
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
No, nothing... Go on, why don't you read your book over
there?
\endtext

\text("Marlt")
Okay!
\endtext

\text
When I said that, Marlt toddled over to the bookshelf.

\endtext

\text
He took out his favorite storybook, sat down in a chair, and
started reading.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Hehe.
\endtext

\text
Watching him like that, I started sorting through the things
I bought.
\endtext

\text
The place we're staying at is what's called a cheap inn.

\endtext

\text
It's a long-term lodging for adventurers and traveling
merchants, where you pay a low fee that covers both the room
and firewood.
\endtext

\text
In exchange, you have to cook and clean your own room.

\endtext

\text
The reason I went out shopping at the market was because I
needed to cook for myself.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(Having a kid and not even owning a house... What a life
I've ended up with, honestly.)

\endtext

\text
As I sorted through our things, I couldn't help but think
that with a bit of self-mockery.
\endtext

\text
Back when my husband the adventurer was alive, we had a
house, and I was a housewife.
\endtext

\text
But one day, my husband never came home, and with no income,
I had to sell our house while holding baby Marlt in my arms.

\endtext

\text
After that, I bounced from job to job... and before I knew
it, I'd become an adventurer just like my husband.
\endtext

\text
These days, if a woman wants to earn as much as a man, her
only real options are to sell herself or become an
adventurer.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(That said, I'm about to run out of travel money. Isn't
there some decent job out there?)
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(Guess I have no choice but to take that one after all.)
\endtext

\text
The words of the guild master from before flashed through my
mind.
\endtext

\text
The Demon Lord's army. The massive bounty on the head of
their boss.
\endtext

\text
If I could just get my hands on that, I could leave this
cheap inn behind and buy a new house.
\endtext

\text
If it went well, I might never have to work again for the
rest of my life.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(If that happened, maybe I could finally spend some real
time with Marlt, instead of always leaving him lonely.)

\endtext

\text
When I finished sorting our things and turned around, I saw
Marlt had fallen asleep in his chair, still holding his
picture book.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Hey now, if you sleep there you'll catch a cold.

\endtext

\text
I picked Marlt up and carried him to the bed.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(For this child's future too, I guess I have no choice but
to take that job.)
\endtext

\text
I laid Marlt down on the bed, and as I gazed at his sleeping
face, I made up my mind to take that dangerous path.

\endtext