Re:Birth: A Slow Burn LitRPG Mage Regressor

"...What?"

"I said, I'm putting together a team, and I think you might be exactly what we're looking for. Are you looking for a better job?" Adom repeated, still leaning on the counter.

The girl stared at him like he'd suggested they should juggle the oranges while riding unicycles. She glanced at his relaxed posture, then at Sam who was trying very hard to look anywhere else.

Adom smiled, eyebrows rising slowly, then falling, then rising again in what he probably thought was a convincing manner.

"Please stop doing that with your eyebrows," the girl said flatly.

"That was my attempt to convince you," Adom said. "Is it working?"

"No."

"Adom," Sam muttered, tugging at his friend's sleeve. "Maybe we should-"

"What if I did it again?" Adom's eyebrows began their dance once more.

"Then I'll have to charge you for the entertainment," the girl said, making a show of reaching for her notebook. "Let's see... eyebrow gymnastics... that'll be two silvers per movement."

Oh? She has a sense of humor. Adom thought.

Sam was now actively trying to drag Adom away. "I am so sorry about this. He's usually more... well, no, he's actually exactly like this. But we should go. Now."

"Wait," Adom resisted Sam's pulling. "I haven't even told her about the porter position yet."

"Porter?" The girl's hand paused over her notebook. "You're recruiting for a dungeon team?"

"Yes!" Sam said, momentarily forgetting his embarrassment. "We need-"

"No." She went back to arranging oranges.

"But-" Adom started.

"No."

"You haven't even-"

"Still no."

"The pay is-"

"Is it better than dying in a dungeon? Because that's what happens to porters. They die. Usually first." She picked up a bruised orange, examined it, set it aside. "I like being alive. It's a habit I've developed."

Adom didn't know this girl personally, but he knew the type - practical, direct, someone who calculated everything down to the last copper. The kind who wouldn't be swayed by charm or excitement, but by solid numbers and clear benefits.

"Five gold coins per day," he said suddenly. "Through the seventh day. All gear and food provided. Plus five percent of the loot."

The orange she was examining slipped from her fingers. She caught it before it hit the counter, but her eyes had sharpened, really looking at him for the first time.

Got your attention now, Adom thought.

"You're serious?" she asked.

"Of course."

By his estimate, she made maybe two silvers a day here - decent pay for market work, but nothing spectacular. His offer would net her more in a week than she'd make in three months at this stall. And if the dive went well, that five percent could be significant.

"You're kids," she said flatly. "And this is for the adventurer exam. Which means you're novices."

Sam flinched.

"Ten gold per day," she countered. "Ten percent of loot. And I want it in writing."

"Six gold, six percent," Adom replied without hesitation. "And of course it'll be in writing. We have guild-approved contracts."

"Nine gold, nine percent. And I want healing covered too, not just basic supplies."

"Seven gold, seven percent. Full coverage on healing, supplies, and any specialized equipment you need for the porter role."

She tapped her fingers on the counter. "Eight gold, eight percent, plus a bonus if we clear the dungeon in under five days."

"Seven and a half gold, seven percent, with a two-gold bonus per day saved under seven days," Adom countered. "And we'll throw in porter certification training at the guild - that's usually two gold just for the classes."

The girl's eyes narrowed slightly. She was doing the math in her head - Adom could practically see the numbers spinning behind her eyes.

"The certification stays valid even if I decide not to continue with your team after the exam?"

"Yes."

"And the payment starts from today? Including training days?"

Look at this little....

"Payment starts from dungeon entry," Adom corrected. "Training days aren't included."

She snorted. "So you want me to train for free?"

"Uh...we're all training for free," Sam pointed out. "That's what being an exam-taker means."

"You're students. I'm giving up a paying job."

"And you'll make more in seven days than you do in three months here," Adom said. "Plus certification, which opens up better positions even if you decide not to stick with dungeon diving."

She looked between them, then at her employer who was pretending not to listen.

"Five silver per training day," she countered. "To cover basic living expenses until we enter."

"Two silver."

"Four."

"Three silver, and we'll cover lunch during training days."

She did that thing again - the mental math happening visibly behind her eyes. Three silver was still probably more than she made here, and free lunch meant one less expense...

She drummed her fingers on the counter once more, then pulled out her notebook and started writing. "Seven and a half gold per day, starting from dungeon entry. Seven percent of all loot, distributed after guild assessment. Two gold bonus per day if we complete before the seven-day mark. Full coverage of equipment, supplies, and healing. Porter certification included."

The girl turned her notebook around. "Sign here if those terms are correct."

"That's... not actually a legal contract," Sam pointed out.

"No," she agreed. "But it's proof of verbal agreement until we sign the guild papers. I assume you have those ready?"

"We do," Adom said. "At our meeting room in the guild hall."

"Good." She turned to the heavyset woman who was still pretending not to listen from behind the crates. "I quit."

"You what?" the woman sputtered.

"I quit. Here's my record book, everything's balanced through this morning. My pay can wait until tomorrow - I know you'll need time to verify the numbers."

She turned back to Adom and Sam. "Lead the way. And stop doing that thing with your eyebrows please."

"What's your name, at least?" Adom asked as they walked toward the guild.

"Cassandra."

"I'm Adom."

"I know."

"And this is Sam," Adom said, gesturing to his friend.

Sam waved. "Hope we get along in the days to come."

Cassandra waved back, a small motion that somehow managed to be both polite and reserved. "I hope so too. It would be awkward to die while not getting along."

The guild was quieter now, most exam-takers either in training or out searching for teams like they had been. The contracts were standard issue - porter certification requirements, payment terms, team responsibilities. Cassandra read every line carefully, occasionally making notes in her book.

The individual porter test was surprisingly quick. Basic inventory management, dispute resolution scenarios, resource allocation under pressure. She passed easily, probably could have done it in her sleep.

"Well," Cassandra said after they'd all signed the final papers. "I guess we're stuck with each other now."

"I suppose we are," Adom agreed, also standing.

They looked at each other for a moment, measuring. Employer and employee? Teammates? Some weird mix of both? The relationship wasn't quite defined yet, wouldn't be until they were actually in the dungeon, trusting each other with their lives.

She extended her hand first. Market-worker's hands, Adom noticed as he took it. Callused from crates and barrels, probably, but clean and precise in their movement.

Sam's handshake with her was briefer, more nervous. He was still processing everything that had happened since morning. From buying oranges to having a full team - well, almost full team. Still needed that tank.

"First team meeting is in three days," Adom said. "We'll send the details through the guild messenger."

Cassandra simply nodded, gathered her things - notebook, pen, copies of the contracts - and left.

The room felt different without her. Emptier.

Sam waited until he was absolutely sure she was gone. He'd been visibly holding this question in for hours, trying to be professional, trying not to worry. But now...

"So..." he started, then stopped. Started again. "Look, I tried not to ask earlier, because you usually have your reasons for things, but..." He took a breath. "Where exactly are you going to get all this gold from? Because that's... that's a lot of money, Adom. Like, a lot lot."

Adom hesitated. The question he'd been dreading since making the offer. He looked at Sam. His best friend, the guy who'd stuck with him through everything, who never asked too many questions about certain things that probably needed questioning.

Maybe it was time.

"Sam."

"Yeah?"

"Follow me."

The cave wasn't exactly a secret. Not really. People stumbled upon treasure sometimes - rare, but not unheard of. Sam would probably accept that explanation without pushing too hard. And having someone else know... well, it would take some weight off. Just in case something happened again. Just in case Sam needed to do something with this information.

Better to have someone know. Someone he trusted.

"Where are we going?" Sam asked as they left the guild.

"To see about some gold."

*****

"Holy fuc-"

"Language."

"Holy shit." Sam wandered deeper into the cave, his torch light dancing across mountains of coins, jewelry, and precious artifacts. "You're rich!"

"That's exactly what I said when I found all this."

"No, like, you're extremely rich. Little-nation kind of rich!" Sam picked up a golden chalice, studied it, then carefully set it back down. "How did you even... when did you..."

Adom leaned against a relatively treasure-free section of wall. "Remember that day I missed training? When I said I was going hunting?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I did go hunting. Just... ended up finding something different." He gestured at the vast collection. "Stumbled right into it while tracking a... deer."

Sam was barely listening, still taking in the scope of it all. "This isn't just random treasure," he said, picking up what looked like a ceremonial dagger. "This is... organized. Catalogued."

"Yeah." Adom kept his voice carefully neutral. "Someone stored all this here. A long time ago, probably."

"And just... left it?"

Adom shrugged. "Maybe they died. Maybe they forgot about it. Maybe they're coming back for it someday."

Sam put the dagger down and turned to his friend. "And you haven't told anyone?"

"Just you. Now. And Bob. Bob knows."

"Bob?" Sam frowned. "How did Bob know?"

"Met him here, actually. He was trapped in the cave."

Sam's eyes went wide. "You found... a leprechaun... trapped in a cave full of gold."

"Okay. I see what you are implying. That's stereotypical."

"But he was in it."

Adom chuckled. "I'll tell him you said that when he gets back from his travels."

"His travels?"

"Yeah, something about visiting his cousin in the northern forests. Said he needed a break from all the 'humans giving him a headache.'" Adom's impression of Bob's accent was terrible. "Should be back in a few weeks."

"Huh." Sam picked up another coin, then set it down carefully. "So what's the plan? Besides paying our porter an absolutely ridiculous salary?"

"First?" Adom straightened up. "We get some of this gold out. We can talk about the rest later."