Chapter 42: Rowene Dungeon(2)

The village of Rowena wasn’t large. A typical rural farming village. But even this small village was a metropolis compared to the pioneer village of Asha.

Adding to the usual population were adventurers drawn by the dungeon, merchants catering to them, and soldiers dispatched to maintain order. The influx of visitors had transformed the village.

They had set up a sprawling tent city in a large clearing outside Rowena. Avalli had been listening to the storyteller in the center of this clearing, having stopped for a snack and gotten sidetracked.

“Is East Polis like this? You’ve been there, right?”
“East Polis is bigger. More people too.”
“Really?”

Avalli’s eyes widened, and Hans nodded.

“Yeah. It’s been a few years, so I don’t remember clearly, but…”

Avalli was impressed. Even Rowena and this tent city seemed like a bustling town by modern standards. To think there was a place even larger…

‘Maybe the lack of entertainment is just an Asha thing.’

Avalli revised her assessment of this world as she bit into a warm, freshly baked loaf of bread. Soon, they reached the tent where Lucy was waiting.

“You’re late.”

Lucy, arms crossed, said in a displeased tone.

“How long were you planning to make me wait? You got distracted again, didn’t you, Avalli?”
“Heehee, no, Teacher. It wasn’t me.”
“Avalli insisted on listening to the storyteller.”
“Hey, Hans! We were supposed to keep that a secret.”

Avalli glared at Hans—

“Honestly, Avalli, it’s not his fault.”

—who just scratched his head at Lucy’s scolding.

“Sorry. I’ll come straight back next time.”
“That’s what you always say… Anyway, let’s eat.”

Since arriving and setting up their tent on the outskirts of the tent city, Lucy had rarely ventured out. Rowena wasn’t far from East Polis, and she wanted to minimize her exposure, in case anyone was still looking for her.

“Any useful information today?”
“No. We visited the Halfling magic stone artisan, but he looked completely different from what you described.”
“…Unusual races tend to gather whenever a new dungeon appears.”
“I was really surprised when I saw them for the first time.”

Hans and Lucy exchanged glances at Avalli’s comment.

“You were being rude.”
“Yes. They let it slide because you’re a child. If you were older, it would have turned into a fight.”
“…I’m reflecting on my actions.”

It had happened shortly after they arrived in Rowena. Dwarves, beastmen, elves, Halflings… Avalli, seeing these fantasy races for the first time, had stared unabashedly.

A beastman adventurer from a nearby tent had confronted her, and Avalli, in her surprise, blurted out, “It talks!”, which, to beastmen, was a grave insult. The beastman, fur bristling, had been about to attack when Lucy and Hans frantically apologized, barely managing to defuse the situation.

“They were still amazing! Hans, wasn’t it your first time seeing them too?”
“It was, but… I wasn’t as surprised as you.”

Hans replied nonchalantly, and Avalli pondered the difference in their perceptions. Hans, born into this world, couldn’t possibly have the same reaction as Avalli, who came from a world where humans were the only intelligent species.

“Teacher, that beastman’s party still hasn’t returned.”
“They’re probably still in the dungeon. Dungeons are a great opportunity for adventurers to strike it rich.”
“Because they can get magic stones?”

Lucy nodded.

“It’s not usually that dangerous, unless you’re going to the deeper levels. Or if you’re part of an elite team trying to defeat the dungeon core.”
“Oh, speaking of deeper levels, I heard something interesting today!”

Avalli recounted the story she had heard from the storyteller, about a knight who had been mind-controlled by a mysterious monster and attacked his comrades. Lucy’s expression darkened as the story progressed.

“…I see. No wonder they’re having trouble clearing the dungeon.”
“Is it a problem if they can’t clear it?”
“Of course it is. Don’t be silly.”

Hans interjected, scolding Avalli.

“If they don’t destroy the dungeon core, monsters will keep appearing. That’s why they send knights.”
“But with so many people here, wouldn’t it be alright? It seems like the monsters aren’t leaving the dungeon.”
“One dungeon is manageable. But what if they ignore it and more appear?”

“Ah.”

That would complicate things. If they treated a dungeon like a goose that laid golden eggs and just left it alone… they might end up buried under those golden eggs.

“You’re surprisingly knowledgeable, Hans.”

Lucy looked at Hans with a hint of admiration. She had assumed he was all brawn, focused only on his sword training, but he seemed to be quite well-informed.

“I used to read a lot. I was sick for a long time, so I was cooped up at home.”
“But you’re so healthy now.”
“It’s a mystery to me too. Teacher… I mean, the Chief said it might be a Gift.”
“A Gift. That makes sense.”

Lucy nodded, then sighed.

“Anyway, the fact that we haven’t found Gail after searching this much… means he must be inside the dungeon.”
“Are we going in, then?”

Avalli’s eyes lit up, but Lucy shook her head.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t go into a dungeon with two children.”
“But we’re almost as tall as you, Teacher.”
“Why are we even talking about height?”

She glared at Avalli, who had become increasingly impudent lately, and continued.

“We could get permission from the Adventurers’ Guild easily enough. The test is simple.”

But that would cause a commotion. The abilities of these two, still just children, would be revealed. Hans’s case would be manageable, just a talented young swordsman with a ‘Gift’. But Avalli…

‘…I don’t even want to think about it.’

She had promised a worried Arsene that she would be discreet. She had already pushed her luck by coming this far, from the Halfling village to Rowena; she couldn’t risk any more exposure.

“It would have been great to find Gail, but… if he’s inside the dungeon, it can’t be helped. Let’s just go back. We can look for him again when we hear that the dungeon has been cleared.”
“Alright, Teacher!”

Avalli, though disappointed, agreed readily. She had been curious about dungeons, but she wouldn’t disobey her teacher.

Despite her teasing, Avalli respected Lucy. She cherished the connections she had made in this world.

“Shall we pack up, then?”

Lucy nodded at Hans’s suggestion.

“Yes. The tent belongs to the guild anyway, so let’s just grab our things and—”

—leave. She was about to say, when her face fell. She had just made eye contact with a blond, handsome man waving at them from afar.

The man, surrounded by a gaggle of admiring girls, was—

“Hey, Lucy!”

—Gish, her classmate from the Magic Tower, a once close friend, and now the person she least wanted to see.

“Lucy Ignis!”
“…Oh.”

Gish.
Gish Gramon.

He was hurrying towards them, a wide, dazzling smile on his face. He reached their tent in moments, pulled back the flap, and beamed.

“Fancy meeting you here! Lucy, do you know how worried I’ve been? Where have you been all this time, without a word?”
“…Things happened.”
“Things? What kind of things…? No, never mind. Even between close friends, there are some things best left unsaid.”

Gish nodded to himself, as if satisfied with his own explanation.

“You must have needed magic stones. That’s the only reason you’d come all the way to Rowena.”
“Magic stones…? Ah, yes. That’s right. Magic stones. They’re in short supply lately.”
“I knew it! And who are these young people?”
“…Kids from the village where I’m staying.”
“Ah, aspiring adventurers! A child’s dream is a precious thing. Wonderful!”

Gish chuckled loudly. Avalli found him annoying, but since he seemed to be Lucy’s acquaintance, she remained silent.

“—W…Wait a minute, Senior Gish!”

A black-haired girl, out of breath, caught up to Gish.

“Who did you see to make you rush off like that, all by your—”

The girl, who seemed to be around Avalli and Hans’s age, noticed Lucy inside the tent and—

”—Well, well, if it isn’t Senior Lucy? I thought you had left the Tower.”

—her eyes lit up with a predatory glint, like a snake spotting its prey. And Lucy, like a frog facing its natural enemy, froze.

Observing the scene was an apex predator.

‘…What’s her deal?’

Avalli thought, looking back and forth between the two girls with a curious expression.