"Klein gave 5,000 Berries as a reward."
"Cattleya gave a reward of 20,000 Berries."
"King Arthur gave a reward of one thousand Berries."
…
The screen was filled with rewards, and the little girl Rika went from being covered in cold sweats of fear to being full of excitement. However, what made Ren a bit disappointed was the lack of progress on the third task.
"This is frustrating. I still can't get any favorability after doing all this? How can I gain some favorability? It doesn't really have to be a romantic relationship, right?"
"He's still a child. Would I really have to wait years for that?"
Ren felt a bit disheartened, but he still handed Rika over to Ririka, who was running towards him with a worried look, all while keeping a warm smile on his face.
"Mom, mom, that was so cool and exciting! Rika was brave!" Rika opened her arms, eager to hug Ririka. Even before she reached her mother, she was shouting excitedly, her voice slightly stuttering with excitement.
"Yes, yes, Rika was very brave. Rika is amazing!" Ririka responded repeatedly, her face beaming with a smile, though tears glistened in her eyes. When Rika reached her, Ririka hugged her tightly.
"Ren, thank you!" After a moment, Ririka looked at Ren with gratitude. Despite the danger, she knew this experience would help her daughter grow.
At the very least, she would learn to be brave. In this world, where pirates and the navy ran rampant, bravery was a quality that could make life a bit easier.
Being thanked so sincerely, Ren, who had other motivations, felt a bit embarrassed. "Haha, well, don't blame me for taking the initiative."
After chatting with Ririka a bit more, Ren turned and walked toward the lieutenant still lying on the ground, a smile on his face. "Lieutenant, I wonder if you brought the one million berries this time?"
"..." The lieutenant, trembling all over, stammered, "I... I'll go get it again."
"Yes!" Ren nodded with a kind smile. "Lieutenant, let's not have another mishap. We don't like eating squid. Also, it shouldn't take as long as last time, right? It should be more than one million this time, right?"
"Yeah." The lieutenant nodded hurriedly. "I'll go look again, carefully this time. It definitely won't be one million."
"Good, there's still time."
"Yes, yes, there's still time. This time, I'll run. I'll definitely run faster than before."
"Then go ahead! Be careful not to trip." Ren stood up, no longer paying attention to the lieutenant, and turned to face the group of dumbfounded soldiers by the tavern.
"Thank you for your concern, sir. Thank you for your concern." The lieutenant scrambled up, avoiding Ren's gaze. Though his steps were unsteady, he ran off in a panic.
Despite Ren's friendly smile and tone, the lieutenant knew it was only because there was a little girl present. He had witnessed Ren's ruthlessness and arrogance firsthand. Ren wouldn't waste time convincing you—if he could, he would overpower you first.
"Brother, do you think that bad guy will bring back another weirdo?" Rika looked back at the lieutenant, who was running in a funny manner. Her tone was excited, and her flushed face seemed eager to see Ren fight another fish-man.
"Maybe, maybe not, but it doesn't matter. Either I'll take the money, or take Rika to teach the bad guys a lesson." Ren chuckled, doting on little Rika.
"Yeah!" Rika nodded excitedly. "Brother, that bad guy ran like a scared dog."
"..." Ren.
——
"Host, are you really going for the Loli Development Plan?"
"Childhood friends turned lovers. Our host really knows the tropes."
"Host, how did you learn Finger Gun? Is there some sort of system mall where we can tip you, and you redeem abilities?"
"Yes, yes, Host, spill the beans on the Finger Gun. Teach us too!"
…
"Finger Gun is similar to Tai Chi. It's easy to learn, but tough to master. However, everyone can train their bodies well. If you build a good foundation, you might even be able to beat someone you couldn't before." Ren laughed softly as he explained in the live broadcast. "As for the system mall, this clunky live-stream system hasn't granted me that yet. As for how I use Finger Gun, well, take your best guess."
"Host, stop teasing! Be careful, or I'll curse you."
"The Host time-traveled and was trained by a legendary master, obviously!"
"Not only can he use Finger Gun, but his strength, speed, and agility are insane! He can even walk on water. Clearly, he's the legendary master himself!"
"I'm officially envious. I've decided to stop tipping him so I can save my own money!"
…
Ren chuckled at the comments in the live broadcast and walked up to a group of navy officers. His expression immediately turned cold. "Clean up the mess in the tavern, and be quick about it."
"Yes, sir!"
"Right away!"
The soldiers, who had just squeezed out of the tavern, rushed back in, terrified that Ren would strike them again if they moved too slowly.
"Brother, they broke so many things and wasted food. We should make them pay!" Rika shouted angrily.
"Yes, we'll make them pay. Once they've cleaned up, we'll settle the score with them." Ren comforted her softly. His voice was gentle, but the navy officers went pale as they overheard him. They knew "settling the score" would mean more than just paying for the damages.
Perhaps because he had no backup, or maybe out of sheer terror, the lieutenant was quick this time. Not long after the tavern was cleaned, he returned, panting and carrying two large bags of Berries.
"Sir... two million Berries."
Ren nodded and turned to Ririka with a small smile. "Sister Ririka,"—he still found the title awkward since Rika called him "brother"—"please take these two million Berries."
"This..." Ririka looked at the two large bags of money, hesitating to take them.
"Part of this money is compensation for the tavern's damages. You still need to run the place. The rest is just for safekeeping. I don't exactly have a safe place to keep it at the base." Ren understood her hesitation and reassured her with a smile.
Before Ririka could respond, a loud voice echoed from outside the door as three figures stepped in.
"Helmeppo!"