A labor force of humans is difficult

I feel movement and wake up. With a gentle expression, they look at me. Their skin seems lustrous, not showing any signs of fatigue from caring for someone. They smile like a saint and speak.

"Good morning, Hiro. Thank you yesterday. It was embarrassing... but still, it's unfair."

"That's how it is. Did you enjoy yourself?"

"I did... you idiot..."

After changing clothes, I head to the dining hall. Breakfast was prepared, but it felt unusually extravagant. When I look at the innkeeper, they give me a sly smile and nod. They're truly skilled.

"It's so luxurious in the morning."

"They must be blessing our stay."

"Hmm. If this continues, it might become a problem."

"Get fat?"

"You idiot."

I was hit. Since the payment is already settled, I leave the inn. As I'm about to leave, the innkeeper comes out to see me off. I approach and whisper.

"Perfect. Thank you."

"No need to thank us. We're glad you enjoyed it. Please come again soon."

It's a good inn. Professionals are indeed like this.

We return to Ast's house while chatting. I was hit several times along the way. When I enter, both of them are already awake and moving around. Hmmm. The atmosphere feels different. Oh, they were saying it would be nice to have some alone time for a change. Young as always, Teisha.

I had heard from the alchemist guild during my village rounds that medical house calls cost 10,000 per day. It's quite expensive, but considering it's a professional making house calls and providing treatment, I suppose it makes sense.

In the kitchen, I quietly hand Teisha a piece of cloth with 50,000 wares wrapped inside.

"Oh? No, this is too much."

"But I had medical house calls and you've been taking care of me."

There was some resistance, but she eventually accepted it.

As I head back to the room, Riz follows me in. She sits on a chair and gestures for me to sit on the bed. "I have something to say." Her expression is serious.

"I want to become an adventurer too. I don't like being left behind like last time. Let me stay by your side." She clenches her fists, pulls them to her chest, and makes a determined face. She's cute.

"Is that so?" I smile but inwardly groan.

Honestly, can she be trusted? Yes. Can she be relied upon? Probably, depending on the training. But...

This kid is hard to dissuade.

Her aptitude is 'Raw Strength,' so she'd be suited for front-line combat. But 'Raw Strength' covers muscle strength, right? What about her bones? Could they break if hit by something hard?

<Answer: The magic of 'Super Strength' absorbs the impact from muscles to bones.>

As the Sage said, it should be fine. But why doesn't she have 'Magic'?

<Answer: Active 'Magic' and passive 'Super Strength' use different paths and qualities of magic. They don't interfere with each other.>

So that's how it is. But she has no combat experience. She barely uses her small axe, which was given to her for emergencies.

And should I send my wife to the front lines? Can I allow her to get hurt?

If she were a ranged attacker, there would still be issues. Her shortbow lacks penetration power. It's fine against birds, foxes, goblins, or humans, but not against boars or bears with thick hides and fat layers.

Switching to a longbow for longer range isn't straightforward either. Even though it's the same type of bow, the usage is entirely different, requiring significant time to master.

She's essentially a pure hunter.

Her aptitude suggests she should go heavy on armor, using shields and bludgeoning weapons or long spears/halberds. Adding weight increases performance with 'Super Strength.' Heavy armor and shields are manageable with 'Super Strength,' and she can handle bludgeons too. Whatever she does will require learning from scratch, but that's manageable. Plus, the added weight helps improve her 'Super Strength' proficiency. It's a three-for-one deal.

As for why bludgeons? Using an axe is difficult. A small axe used for chopping firewood isn't the same as a large one used by lumberjacks. Properly aligning the blade is tough even for experienced users. She might land hits, but precise strikes are rare for beginners.

The real issue is money.

In our 7th-level party, the front-liner is just Deed's Cuirass. Even Arielle only has leather armor. Basically, heavy armor is expensive.

This is tough. Honestly, I thought she'd stay home while I'm in town and take care of things here. She doesn't seem suited for adventuring.

But considering her recent mistake, I can understand her desire to be with me. I get it. Sigh.

"Front or back line?"

"Either is fine."

"Do you want to use an axe?"

"No, I don't mind. It was just given to me for self-defense."

"How about a shield and bludgeon on the front line?"

I ask half-heartedly.

"If that's better, I'll try my best."

She makes that determined face again. She's cute.

Heavy armor can wait. Shields are important. Earlier, when the party topic came up, I asked the Sage about it. People in this world are affected by skill tree structures too. In other words, those who use small shields get bonuses when moving to medium or large ones.

But what about bows? Bows are expensive. Arrows aren't free either. For soldiers, the state provides them, but for individuals, it's a heavy burden. Hunting is different because the value of the prey justifies the cost. Recovering arrows isn't straightforward; they're rarely in reusable condition. Tips bend, fletchings get damaged. I don't know the exact rates, but reuse is low. Repairs are necessary.

Historically, think of Zhuge Liang at Red Cliffs. They used soft straw dummies to practice on and combined available materials creatively. Especially with magic users like me around, front line is the only option.

No choice then. Start with goblins and see if she can even kill them.

Ah, life is unpredictable.