A City With a Dungeon

After parting from Radha, I headed to one of the areas under the direct control of the royal family, where a large dungeon exists and I was told that’s where my assassination targets this time are staying.

Although, Radha should be watching me from somewhere. There is no guarantee that the information I received from Radha is accurate, but even if Radha falsified it to be convenient for herself, I have no intention to check it in detail.

There should be one more contact, so I don’t think that Radha would be able to do any major falsification, and in the first place she shouldn’t be so foolish as to do a falsification that can be found out just from several days of investigation.

And then most of all, if the information is convenient for Radha, Radha too will take action in accordance with it. As the result I’ll be able to predict Radha’s action.

I purchased salt and spices that I will need in my travel, and bought chemical ingredients that I’m lacking from multiple alchemist shops and stalls. I’m also taking the chance to buy one cloak that was created from monster material.

The protector that was made from monster material is just like the boots and hand guard that I received from master. It can regenerate small damage using the wearer’s magic power and water moisture in the air. The degree of regeneration is affected by the monster’s rank, so I can’t expect much effect from the cloak that was created from the material of low ranked monster, even so apparently it protected the wearer from heat and cold far better compared to normal cloth or leather.

.

「Gelf, sell me a comparatively cheap cloak.」

「……You are the only customer in my shop who ever asked me to sell a cheap thing without care of the design.」

Two days after my encounter with Feld’s group, I visited the dwarf’s armor shop once more.

I waited for two days to avoid meeting Feld’s group once more. A part of me also wanted to meet again with Feld but, I wanted to avoid getting involved with the noble boys who looked at me strangely.

「Well, okay. I’ll choose something with the appropriate price, just – for – yo – u.」

Gelf winked his eye so heavily it felt like I could hear the sound of his eyelashes snapping. I nodded quietly and pinched the leather skirt that he lent me in the place of my equipments.

「Is my equipments’ repair finished? I want to change into them if possible.」

「You, aren’t perturbed at all aren’t you……. I have finished repairing your equipment but, you don’t like what I lent you? It’s not made from monster leather but I didn’t cut any corner when making it you know?」

Gelf sighed for some reason. I shook my head to him.

「No, it’s thin and light and comfortable to wear. It also made the gazes on me increased somewhat but, it also doesn’t really matter if I warp my head with my shawl.」

「In the end you covered your hair with ash again eh……. If you are applying illusion, it will only make you stand out unnecessarily if you do more than applying it lightly just to cover your hair’s glossiness you know?」

「I see, I’ll try it.」

「And, why do you want to change?」

「Hm? Isn’t this just a substitute until my equipment’s repair is finished?」

I was confused why it was necessary for me to have a total makeover just for repairing my boots and hand protector, but did Gelf plan to hand over this whole set of equipment to me?

Even though I’m someone who Galbas introduced to him, he shouldn’t need to be so dutiful to go that far for me. Then Gelf taught me why he has been so good to me.

「I’m creating equipment in order to wear cute equipment you know-. But, I can’t wear them well with my slightly chubby body-! That’s why, I have been searching for a cute girl to wear them in place all this time-!」

「……Got it.」

I understand the words but, I don’t understand the meaning. To be honest, I can’t understand that passion but, it must be something important for Gelf. Even in that woman’s “knowledge”, the category of cuteness is too vast that I don’t really get it but, I think that if it’s Gelf’s creation then it then there won’t be any problem with its functionality.

Then I should at least pay the fee but, just like Galbas, Gelf will only accept one gold coin. Just that much should only cover the price for the cloak though.

「You can pay me when you have grown. Just accept them for now. Come here again later okay? There are still a lot of things that I want you to wear.」

「……Thank you.」

In the end I only returned the substitute boots and I equipped the boots and hand protector that has been repaired. Both the boots and the hand protector has become more comfortable to equip. It’s like they are different things than before. With this I’ll be able to move freely even in the dungeon.

At the same time, I asked a certain gimmick to be placed at the inner part of the hand protector.

……Hmm. It looks like I can use this.

「……Now then.」

I left Gelf’s shop. The tall palace that can be seen at the far distance from the capital’s street entered my sight.

I wonder if Elena is there? Is she fighting the force inside the palace that is trying to make use of her by her lonesome?

Elena promised that she will become my ally just once no matter who is it I’m facing. But, it’s still not the time for that. Because I’m still not strong enough to be able to kill her 『enemy』.

Besides, I’m not planning to rely on her just for something like this.

See you……Elena. I’ll go meet you when I become strong.

.

According to the information from the assassin guild, that town of Erd where the large scale dungeon is located is an area under the direct control of the royal family, but apparently the one managing it is Count Lester whose territory is adjacent to it. Although that’s not the full reason, the influence of sorcerer guild and adventurer guild in that town is strong. It seems that the town has a different atmosphere from a normal town.

The time needed to travel from this capital to that place will take around four days using carriage that passed through some inn towns. I don’t need a carriage just from such distance, so I chose to use a route that cut through inside a forest. It’ll also serve as a test of whether I can hide myself from Radha’s monitoring.

I left the capital and at the midnight of the first day, I was feeling a subtle discomfort from my back, but it disappeared after I kept running inside the forest, so perhaps I was able to shake off Radha there.

As expected it was a good choice to purchase a cloak made from monster material. With this no matter how excellent Radha’s Search ability is, I’m able to deceive her to some degree using the magic power covering myself.

Like that I arrived at the town of Erd where the dungeon is located. Just as rumored, it’s different from normal town due to the vitality that is flooding the place.

Because there is a big dungeon here, the main industry here is creating things using monster material, but the biggest reason of the vitality is because there are a lot of adventurer and sorcerer here, and there are a lot of shops here to serve them. If it’s here then I won’t really stand out even if I act somewhat strangely, and unlike the capital, even if I cause a ruckus here it will be harder for it to become a problem.

First I bought cheap food like boiled vegetable from the town’s stall. I asked where the location of the adventurer guild is and headed there. The dungeon is the center of the city. A high wall was built around its entrance where several soldiers controlled the flow of people coming in and out while watching so that no monster will come out.

It seems like it’s dangerous to have a dungeon inside the town, but from the start this town was forming from a settlement around a discovered dungeon, so it seems there are no normal residents around there. The adventurer guild is also near the dungeon and it’s bigger than any other guilds that I had seen until now except the one at the capital.

I arrived at the guild at afternoon. It’s a time where there is generally few adventurers but, when I opened the door and entered inside, I can still see more than ten adventurers. Perhaps because of the local trait that this place has a lot of adventurer, nobody paid attention just from someone coming in or out, but the people of certain senior age frowned slightly when a child like me visited.

It’s not rare at the countryside for children to become adventurer. They have reason where they can’t live unless they do so, so they became adventurer in order to live, desperately learned skill in order to earn money, and then they died due to their skill composition that has bad balance.

But, the adults here frowned not because they pitied the children who got such fate. It’s because they felt displeased that a kid like me stepped into a large scale dungeon that is a battlefield for veteran adventurers.

「…………」

Guessing from the presence that I sensed from them, I think they are around rank 3 but, I’m feeling puzzled that people who are said to be mid-level adventurer can’t measure someone’s true strength from their presence and footwork. The female thief who kidnapped Elena was still better than them in that respect, but perhaps this is just how things are with rank 3 whose fighting experience is mainly against monster…….

I completely ignored that complicated atmosphere and headed toward the guild’s receptionist. I chose a staff who looked friendly and addressed him.

「How many adventurer parties can be requested to show around inside the dungeon?」

When I announced that I’m looking for a party who can guide me to a deep floor, the friendly looking uncle told me amicably.

「This dungeon is famous, so you can make request for a guide until the lower floor but, it will be difficult to find a guide until the deep floor. I think even rank 3 party will do if it’s until floor 10, how about it?」

「Is it impossible to go until even deeper?」

「That will be difficult unless you hire a rank 4 party. Currently there are three rank 4 parties in this town but, whether they will accept the request or not will depend on the negotiation.」

Most of the adventurers in this area came here not to do request but to dive into the dungeon.

Dungeon contained『treasure』 that stimulated human’s desire. Anyone who discover it can possibly even strike it rich in a single night, but something like that only appeared once every several years, so the majority of adventurers are earning their daily wage by harvesting monster material and magic stone.

This dungeon is famous because it’s a dungeon where beast demihuman like goblin and orc appear frequently.

Other than powerful treasure, in some cases dungeon also produced metal weapon and the like. The beast demihuman who lived in dungeon sometimes found those weapons and took them into their possession, so the adventurers can obtain them as extra earning.

But, the danger level of a monster with weapon will shot up. This dungeon is recognized as a dangerous place but with good pay, so the guild can’t act as intermediary for a guide to dive into the deep floor.

For the time being I asked the staff about the request’s market price, and the names of the parties that might accept such request. One of the parties that the staff mentioned is the Mercenary of Dawn that is my target this time. From the staff I confirmed that their plan of returning next time will be two days later.

Two days later huh……in that case Radha will catch up and resume her watch over me. The timing will be just right. While I’m thinking that I’ll check the inside of the dungeon before that, I noticed a presence following me from the guild.

Is it rank 2 adventurer that listened to my conversation at the guild and came to offer their service to me? Or perhaps it might be someone who underestimated me as a child and wanted to attack me.

Either way it will be annoying. If it’s just someone offering, this dungeon will also be the first time for me, so I might take up the offer to show me around the low floor, but what should I do if it’s an attack…….

I felt two weak presences. Also……there is one really strong presence.

I left the main street where the guild is located and continued walking toward the back alley where there isn’t anybody.

I don’t know where I can find an area with nobody around but, regardless of the intention that these people might have, they will surely call out to me when I reach a place that is convenient for them.

.

「Yoo, “ash covered”. You want a guide for the dungeon right? We will take it up.」

A pair of adventurers who looked to be at their earlier twenty called out to me in a dark alley. Even so, I believed that I had reduced the amount of ash on my hair after Gelf’s warning but, I’m called like that again even here.

「You can just pay us with all the money you bring with you. Well, even if you refuse we’re still going to drag you to the dungeon after this though.」

「…………」

I see, it seemed they came both for making an offer and attacking. But, can they give any tour guide when the two of them only has around 100 combat strength? Such trivial though floated in my mind.

But, where did the other strong presence went to?

「Oi, don’t keep quiet. Speak up, ash covered-」

The man irritated me while I’m searching for the presence. I reached out toward him.

「Annoying.」

I took a step forward while hitting the man’s jaw with my palm. The fifteen cm arrow that shot out from the gimmick installed inside the protector pierced the man’s jaw until his brain.

「……Eh?」

The other man let out a dumbfounded voice seeing his friend suddenly falling. Right in that instant, I jumped back to get away from that man.

「────!」

The next moment, the man’s whole body is enveloped in burning flame.

「……As I thought, you’re strong.」

The man couldn’t even scream with how strong the firepower is and crumbled. A lighthearted voice of a girl came from behind him.

「Hey, how about I show you around inside the dungeon?」