Chapter 41: Rowene Dungeon(1)

A-rank adventurers were considered veterans anywhere on the continent. While ranked below formal knights, they were far from being disregarded. In fact, knights often listened carefully to their opinions.

Especially when it came to dungeon exploration, adventurers were the true experts.

“…The lower levels look awfully dangerous.”

The middle-aged adventurer frowned, looking down the passage.

“Too dangerous even for our current strength?”
“It’s not impossible, but… the casualties would be heavy. We’ve secured a route through the fifth floor, so I recommend returning to the surface.”
“My mission is to clear this dungeon and eliminate the threat as quickly as possible.”
“I understand. But there’s no guarantee that the next level is the last. We need to regroup and resupply.”

The knight, clad in silver armor bearing a dragon emblem, considered this for a moment.

“…Very well. I’ll defer to the expert’s opinion.”

He reluctantly agreed to retreat. Though they didn’t show it, the soldiers around him looked relieved. They had survived another day. Just as their tension eased—

[——— ■ ■ ■ —]

A strange sound echoed from the passage below. As his mind began to cloud, the adventurer quickly cut his hand with his dagger. The sharp pain brought him back to his senses.

“Everyone, slap the person next to you! It’s a mental attack!”

He yelled, and several of the staggering soldiers snapped out of their daze. Following the adventurer’s instructions, they slapped their comrades.

“Ouch! …What?”
“Stay alert!”
“Use the pain to resist! I don’t care if he’s your superior, just hit him! Ouch! Are you crazy?!”

Thanks to their quick reaction, none of the soldiers seemed to be under the enemy’s control. The adventurer sighed in relief and turned to the knight.
“We need to retreat. It’s too dangerous—”

—to stay.

He couldn’t finish his sentence. He couldn’t even speak.

His head was falling. His vision shifted abruptly downwards. As the blood drained from his body, his thoughts became fragmented.

“Gaaaaaaaaah—!”
“Sir Selenis, snap out of it— Ugh—!”
“R…Run! It’s mind control!”

The last thing the adventurer saw, his vision fading, was the gleaming silver armor, stained crimson with the blood of his comrades.

“So, the Rowena Dungeon, whose progress has been slower than expected, is now a land of milk and honey! Anyone who wants to enter the dungeon, head to the Adventurers’ Guild! All you need to do is register. Oh, and the guild is in the largest tent on the south side. Three stars emblem, you know the one.”

The storyteller, after his dramatic tale, launched into an advertisement.

“If it’s so great, why don’t you go?!” ,“You’re telling us to enter the dungeon after what we just heard?” ,“Kern’s party was wiped out except for one person!”

The audience jeered, but the storyteller just shrugged and continued.

“That’s why it’s a golden opportunity. The nearby cities were expecting a flood of magic stones from the dungeon, but thanks to that crazy knight, the supply dried up completely over the winter. Even low-grade stones are worth their weight in gold now. Are you going to miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance?”
“…He’s not wrong.”
“They said they’re only exploring the deeper levels, so the first four floors should be safe, right?”
“Don’t underestimate it. The monsters appearing there are unusual; that’s why they dispatched a knight in the first place.”
“And that knight has gone insane.”

The adventurers’ murmuring grew louder. The storyteller, who was likely being paid by the Adventurers’ Guild, raised his voice, and it was starting to become annoying.

It seemed unlikely she would get any useful information here. Avalli shrugged and nudged the boy beside her.

“Shall we go, Hans?”
“Yeah. I can’t even understand what he’s saying anymore.”

Hans nodded and began pushing his way through the crowd. He effortlessly created a path, despite the large, burly adventurers surrounding them.

“Hey, don’t shove—”
“What’s with this kid’s strength—”

He wasn’t just pushing; he was shoving people aside with brute force. No one in the crowd could withstand Hans’s abnormal strength.

‘He’s growing so fast.’

Hans had grown considerably since the beginning of winter. He was almost as tall as an adult.

Avalli had also grown a little, but her growth spurt was nearing its end.

She would stop growing once she was about three centimeters taller than Lucy.

[Trait: Blessed Body]
[Your body is blessed. Your growth in all areas related to physical prowess will be steep.]
[300% bonus to physical ability growth]
[+20 bonus to Stamina, Strength, and Agility]
[Your body will not age from its ‘peak condition’.]

The phrase ‘peak condition’ had been vague, but after examining her Gifts in her inner world, she had a better understanding.

‘What even is peak condition?’

It was far younger than what Avalli considered ‘peak condition.’ Perhaps it was due to the game developers’ nationality, a country with a… concerningly high percentage of people with an affinity for young children.

She had tried to alter it, but modifying existing Gifts was almost impossible.

“Sigh…”

The thought made Avalli sigh. Hans, noticing her sigh, turned to her with a concerned expression.

“Are you tired?”
“No, not really.”
“Be honest. I can carry you on my back.”
“…Thanks, but I’m fine.”

No matter how much she looked like a girl, inside, she was still a man in his twenties. She wouldn’t be caught dead riding on the back of a younger boy.

“Let’s hurry. Teacher’s waiting.”
“Is it tomorrow? That we’re entering?”
“Yes.”

Avalli nodded and walked ahead of Hans, who quickly caught up and matched her pace. She felt a twinge of annoyance, but… the thought of tomorrow’s adventure made her heart pound with excitement.

‘A dungeon…’

What a thrilling word.

Three days earlier, in the Halfling village.
Lucy, who had come with Avalli to have the magic stone processed, received shocking news.

“…Gail is missing?”
“Something like that.”

The dark-haired Halfling replied nonchalantly, taking a drag from his pipe.

“How did that happen?”
“I don’t know. He said he was going to gather materials for magic stones and hasn’t been back for two months.”
“Did he say when he’d return?”
“How would I know? Any other questions? If you’re not hiring me for a job, then get lost.”

The Halfling waved his hand dismissively. Lucy disliked his attitude, but she forced herself to speak politely.

“Is there any other artisan in this village who can work with magic stones?”
“…Nope. Why are you bothering me when there are plenty of other smiths?”

The Halfling shifted into a more comfortable position, turning his back to Lucy. His blatant rudeness made Lucy’s old temper flare, but—

“Do Halflings like tobacco?”

Avalli, who had been standing quietly beside Lucy, spoke up. The Halfling flinched at the word ‘tobacco’, then sat up abruptly.

“Wouldn’t be able to live without it.”
“Then are you interested in this?”

Lucy rummaged through her bag and took out a small wooden container. It contained the high-quality tobacco leaves Sylvain had given her as a gift.

“Is… Is that the source of that intoxicating aroma…?”

The Halfling’s eyes were already half-glazed, even before the container was opened. The other Halflings nearby were also watching their conversation intently.

“But you’ll listen to what my teacher has to say, right?”
“…A…Alright. Just let me have a whiff of that tobacco—”
“I’ll give you some as a gift if you have any useful information. And that goes for everyone else too! If you know anything about Gail’s whereabouts, please tell my teacher!”

At Avalli’s words, the Halflings, who had been watching from a distance, swarmed Lucy like zombies.

“I don’t know exactly where Gail went, but—”
“I know! He said he was going to East Polis!”
“Don’t lie. Why would he go to East Polis to gather magic stones? He must have gone to the new dungeon—”

The Halflings started vying with each other to share their information with Lucy.

“W…Wait a minute! One at a time!”

While Lucy tried to calm the Halflings, Avalli slipped away from the commotion and sat down next to Hans, who had been observing the scene. Arsene had asked Hans to escort Lucy and Avalli, which is why he was with them on this trip.

“…Avalli.”

Hans, a worried look on his face, spoke cautiously.

“Yes, Hans?”
“Do… you smoke?”
“No.”

Smoking was a taboo for minors.

“Then why do you have tobacco…?”
“It’s a se~cret.”

Hans frowned at her evasive answer, and Avalli giggled, covering her mouth. Perhaps it was because she was finally outside the village, but she was unusually playful today.