The Underground City where the Kruels live…… They have a tradition of passing down the names of parents and grandparents from generation to generation, and the strong familial bonds within the Kruels create a strong sense of camaraderie…… When Anne returned from the party, the entire union and their families gathered to welcome her.

Understandably, many of them believed that Anne had been invited to a noble’s party, so they had brought out their best accessories for her to wear, lending her the finest items.

[Welcome back, Anne-san. How was the party?]

[I’m back…… It was incredible. Truly, it was unbelievable.]

[Heehhh…… My grandfather mentioned that when he was once invited to a Baron’s party, it wasn’t anything overly extravagant. I guess it varies depending on rank?]

[……Yes. I realized how naive my assumptions had been. There are people in the world who possess authority akin to that of the heavens, far beyond my common sense……]

[U- Umm, Union Leader? Are you okay?]

She spoke with the two members of her flying board team, Black Muscat, who were the first to approach her, but the two could clearly see that Anne was somewhat tired.

Well, they think it was understandable. As one of them mentioned, for commoners like them, being invited to a Baron’s party was already extremely rare; a gathering of individuals far surpassing that level was beyond anything they could even imagine.

[Well, I was overwhelmed from start to finish…… But I did gain something great from there. It’s great news for everyone here too.]

[Oh? Could it be that we got a job request from one of the nobles?]

[That’d be fantastic. Lately, we’ve only been getting small jobs……]

As Anne spoke with a brightened expression, not only the two of them but also the gathered members of the union looked visibly happier.

Originally, the union members, as well as Anne, had hoped that attending a noble’s party might lead to some work opportunities. Seeing Anne’s expression, they guessed that she had secured a good job, and they were thrilled.

[Not just a good job! I got us an exclusive contract offer from Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company!]

[ [ ………………… ] ]

[……Eh? A- Arehh?]

Right after, the surrounding sounds vanished. The lively atmosphere seemed to drop to sub-zero in an instant, and Anne, looking bewildered, noticed one of those in front of her raising his voice.

[Someone! It seems Anne is more tired than expected, so prepare a place for her to rest!!!]

[My place is nearby, so let’s have her rest there…… Just in case, call a doctor, and prepare some relaxing drinks……]

[Eh? No, that’s not……]

[Oi, you, didn’t you know some first aid?]

[I do, but that’s only for injuries. Mental stuff is……]

[N- No, it’s not like she’s gone crazy……]

[Hey, you! Anne-chan is tired, so bring something sweet!]

[Ou! Errr, what was young Anne’s favorite snack again……]

Now, the silence turned into a flurry of anxious movement. They had assumed that Anne must have been so mentally exhausted from the noble’s party that she was spouting nonsense.

However, that was also understandable. Coming back from a party and claiming to have received an exclusive contract offer from one of the world’s top magic tool companies wouldn’t be something people could believe right away.

[E- Ehhh, wait, everyone! It’s not a lie, I really did……]

[Union Leader, please calm down. That was probably something you experienced in a dream!]

[Right, or you’ve completely been duped! There’s no way that could be true……]

[Ah, errrr, umm…… Ahh, r- right! There’s that!!! I got this at the party!!!]

To stop the growing belief that she’d either lost her mind or been scammed, Anne triumphantly held up the prize——— a magic box———– she’d won at the bingo game.

Thereupon, the surrounding reactions shifted once again. The Kruels, who excel at mining, have members with top-tier skills. These people would never mistake the authenticity of a black magic crystal held up in front of them.

[……Eh? A- Anne-san…… That’s over 90% pure…… and at that size…… That’d be worth more than 20 white gold coins……]

[Y- You got that!? Something that valuable? T- Then, did you really……]

[I was telling the truth! The party was a hundred times more amazing than everyone here can imagine! It was all thanks to Kaito-san, who introduced me to Tre-sama, the Special Advisor for Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company’s magic crystal division, and I even got her business card!]

Seeing the business card that Anne held up, the gathered members finally understood that what she was saying was neither a joke nor a scam. Silence fell over them once more.

And then, after a moment, a thunderous cheer erupted.

[T- That’s amazing, Anne-san! This work is on a whole new level compared to what we’ve done before!]

[M- Maybe we can even expect a good salary…… Finally, we can replace those old mining tools……]

Seeing the union members now brimming with excitement as they spoke to her, Anne smiled wryly as she explained the details of the exclusive contract with Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company.

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [The whole union sent Anne off to the party, and then she comes back saying she got an exclusive contract with the world’s top company…… Yeah, of course they’d think she’d gone crazy……]