The next morning, we made our way to the Adventurers’ Guild in Flocia.
Apparently, word of the Warrior Corps’ advance had already gone out yesterday. By the time our carriage arrived, a crowd had gathered in the square before the guild.
Under the clear blue sky, there must have been at least three hundred people. Truly, adventurers from all across Flocia had come together. The guild building itself couldn’t contain them all.
“Let’s go.”
Felix-san led the way as we stepped down from the carriage.
Looking out from the steps, it became clear just how diverse adventurers could be. Stocky axe-wielders, slender swordsmen, magicians gripping staffs—each of their weapons glinted in the spring sunlight.
Their eyes swept over us like appraisal. Every single one of us wore a cloak bearing a pair of crow—the unmistakable symbol of the Raven Warrior Corps.
Just to be sure, I checked my Bewildering Hat.
We are heading toward the podium set up near the guild entrance. Amid the crowd, I spotted a flash of blonde hair.
It’s Nils-san.
Our eyes met, and we nodded to one another in silent confirmation.
Felix-san climbed the podium, while Mia-san and I fell into line with the other members of the Warrior Corps, standing in a single row below.
“Good morning, everyone.”
Felix-san’s voice carried clearly across the square.
A warm breeze seemed to follow his words, as though even the wind encouraged him. Bolstered by that, he continued.
“My name is Felix, an adventurer of the Raven Warrior Corps. Today, I’ve called you all here because we have a request. In short—this is a mission for adventurers.”
There was no tremor in his voice, no hint of hesitation. Resoluteness—it was present in Felix-san, and in Pauline-san, who had authorized this operation. Both of them had made their resolve clear.
“There is a hidden section in the Flocia dungeon that has not yet been mapped. It was discovered just the night before last.”
The crowd remained silent. The dungeon had been off-limits even yesterday, and the previous night had already been a commotion. It was no surprise that many suspected something unusual had occurred.
“It is a vast, unexplored area spanning the dungeon. Just how large it is, we cannot yet say. We request all of you to assist in its exploration and to support the mission.”
At Felix-san’s signal, the Warrior Corps moved.
A wooden board, at least three meters wide, was raised next to him. It displayed the dungeon’s layout as recorded by the guild, with the newly discovered hidden section marked. Though aside from the fourth layer, most of the details remained unknown.
“But—”
Felix-san tapped his staff against the podium.
“We are not the first humans to enter this unexplored section.”
For the first time, a murmur ran through the crowd.
“There are those who have made the dungeon their base, abducting people and hoarding stolen goods. Let us call them slave traders, for they traffic in humans.”
Felix-san paused, letting his words sink in.
“This mission is not only an exploration of the dungeon—it is also a rescue operation. Within the hidden section are those taken by river bandits, and those illegally bought and sold as slaves, trapped and waiting to be freed.”
In the hidden area that served as the slave traders’ base, kidnapped individuals were imprisoned. River bandits’ interrogations had already confirmed this.
There is a reason Felix-san sought the cooperation of so many adventurers. The area to be explored is vast, and any captives found would have to be escorted safely back outside. Rescuing people who could not fight from a high-difficulty dungeon recommended for level thirty adventurers—this was no small task.
“Quiet, please!”
Felix-san tapped his staff against the podium, silencing the murmuring crowd.
“For most of you, it will be enough to enter the dungeon as usual and hunt monsters. That, in itself, will serve as the escape route for the rescue operations.”
He paused for a moment, then continued.
“Those confident in their abilities will join the Warrior Corps to explore the hidden area and rescue the victims. At least five parties will be needed to cooperate.”
Felix-san emphasized the number, spreading his hands wide as he spoke.
His eyes scanned the crowd. The adventurers’ initial unease seemed to settle.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Felix-san went on to explain the details of the rewards, and how any artifacts discovered in the hidden section would be distributed.
“I believe the will to protect people—from monsters, from the dungeon—is the same. Please, lend us your cooperation!”
His speech came to an end.
Polite applause crackled through the square.
From the crowd, a man began to step forward. Even as the adventurers’ gazes followed him, his demeanor remained unshaken. He pushed his belly forward and parted the crowd with an air of arrogance.
A smirk played on his lips.
His hat, encrusted with gold and jewels, glittered under the sun. A robe of garish red, designed to make his already huge frame appear even bigger, made him stick out among the adventurers.
“Splendid, splendid.”
He drawled. He looked to be around fifty years old.
Who is he?
His voice had a viscous, unpleasant quality, the kind that makes you instinctively wary.
“It’s quite moving. I’m sure some people will be fooled.”
There was an odd sense of authority about him. The heat that had been building among the crowd vanished, leaving the square in an eerie silence.
The man stepped directly in front of Felix-san.
“That’s the head of the Waterways Bureau, isn’t it?”
Mia-san whispered to me.
“He’s one of those we suspected. He wouldn’t be able to operate so openly unless he had connections with the slave traders’ warships, river bandits, or whoever controls the water transportation around here.”
I swallowed hard. The attention Felix-san had gathered now belonged entirely to the head of the Waterways Bureau.
The man pointed a thick finger toward the Warrior Corps.
“Raven Warriors! You say so, but aren’t you just planning to monopolize the power of the dungeon for yourselves?”
Felix-san narrowed his eyes on the podium, then opened his mouth to speak.
“Hoh?”
“I know of it. In the mining city of Alvis, the Raven Warrior corps monopolized the dungeon’s secrets! In fact, other adventurers haven’t even set foot in Alvis’s unexplored sections.”
It was true. We had kept the greatest secret of the Alvis dungeon hidden. After all, it was the existence of the tiny kingdom of Alfheim. That’s not something to reveal lightly.
The atmosphere began to shift. Many of the adventurers whispered to one another. The excitement that had been building now morphed into doubt.
“I would like to hear more,”
The Bureau Chief swayed his robe as he spoke.
“You’ve gathered all these adventurers, yet most of them won’t even be allowed into the hidden section. Is it your intention to monopolize the secrets and artifacts?”
“That is not the case. The reason is—”
Felix-san remained calm.
We already knew the operation in advance. Even some of the Flocia adventurers had been briefed since last night. It was, in other words, a matter of careful groundwork.
“We want those entering the hidden section to be highly skilled and already familiar with the Flocia dungeon. Naturally, this limits the number of participants. Furthermore, to move freely within the hidden section, one needs the magical keys. Only a limited number of these keys have been obtained, which is why participation must be restricted—”
The Bureau Chief didn’t even let him finish. His voice rose, commanding and sharp.
“In the world message, the word hero was mentioned! Do you intend to monopolize power worthy of a hero for yourselves!?”
“Nonsense.”
“Is that really so? In Alvis, you did exactly that, didn’t you? I’ve also heard the western dungeon of the royal capital was sealed off—”
Rapid-fire accusations, like a relentless barrage of whispers.
Mia-san frowned.
“…Strange. I never thought he’d have that kind of nerve.”
I felt it too—there’s a peculiar sensation seeing him. We were facing a human, yet it was the same uneasy premonition I feel confronting a monster.
“I’ll double the Warrior Corps’ reward for investigating the dungeon!”
He spread his arms wide, turning to face the gathered adventurers.
“And now, what do you say? Shall we be the ones to uncover the dungeon’s secrets? That is, if you don’t want to be outdone by the Warrior Corps.”
Even within the visible crowd, a few heads tilted upward to look at him.
Of course, I knew without a doubt that the Warrior Corps’ investigation was the right approach. We had to rescue the people trapped in the hidden area. We had no intention of monopolizing the dungeon’s power.
Yet the head of the waterways Bureau provoked the adventurers. Not with truth, but with emotion and greed!
“Artifacts, magic stones, whatever you find in the hidden section—I will buy them from you at prices exceeding even the guild appraisal, on top of any rewards!”
I could clearly see the change in some of the adventurer’s expression. The word hero had echoed across the public message. Yet the desire for power, the drive to obtain something… in the end, it all came down to this.
“Damn it. I should’ve restrained him from the start.”
Mia-san looked ready to throw her axe right then and there, wrapping the man in chains before anyone could stop her. The Warrior Corps instinctively held her back.
“Please, stop!”
“Hey… can’t we just capture him?”
“He’s a major sponsor of the Flocia Adventurers’ Guild, and a prominent figure in the city.”
Mia-san clicked her tongue in frustration. She ran a hand through her bright red hair and narrowed her eyes like a cat watching its prey.
“…But this is getting stranger and stranger. That old man—he’s openly antagonizing the Guild. What is he planning next?”
Felix-san seemed to share the same unease. From his position on the stage, his gaze carried both confusion and caution. One hand rested behind his back, seemingly signaling something to the Warrior Corps.
『…Hn?』
The gold coin trembled.
“Solana?”
『Yes. Though faint, there’s a troubling aura. Something akin to a monster…』
The man spoke again, his words slicing through the murmurs of the crowd.
“Recall the Blood-Red Sunset. There are even rumors that the Raven Warrior Corps suffered heavy losses there.”
The spotlight had clearly shifted to the other side. Murmurs spread through the crowd. The infamous “Blood-Red Sunset” in the western capital was well known even here in Flocia.
I knew now that it had been the battle where Ymir had awakened. To the general public, it was remembered as a catastrophe—an overwhelming horde of monsters appeared, claiming the lives of countless adventurers.
“Isn’t that ridiculous? Why should we obey such people?”
His sharp eyes swept over us.
“Won’t we be beaten to a pulp again this time? Kuku… There’s no point in helping the weak.”
Felix-san opened his mouth, clearly about to respond. But several adventurers raised their voices, attempting to restrain him.
“I’ll take the lead! You stay quiet!”
The words echoed in the crowd, and my arm twitched involuntarily at the tension.
『That’s fine, Rion.』
Thor’s voice came from the gold coin.
『That’s not the tremble of fear. It’s the tremble of a man before battle.』
Hearing him mention the fight where Father had died, my chest burned with heat. I lifted my chin and forced my voice out.
“Hey!”
The sound that came out was so loud, it barely felt like my own. I hastily clamped my hand over my mouth. Yet the attention I’d drawn couldn’t be undone.
At least, I’d stand tall. It would be far worse to regret staying silent.
“What was that?”
“Who spoke?”
I removed the Bewildering Hat. In the dungeon, I’d have to take it off anyway. There was no point hiding my presence from the slave traders anymore.
The heat burning in my chest felt like the surge I got when invoking the Blessing of the Thunder God—the will of the War God.
“…I don’t think it’s meaningless.”
The bureau chief glared down at me.
“Protecting people by slaying monsters—that’s the most important thing for an adventurer!”
Looking him in the eye directly, he was even stranger than I expected. That sly smile seemed like a mask carelessly plastered on. He looked down on me, yet at the same time, it felt like he was assessing me—scrutinizing me with an almost uncanny precision.
A chill crawled up my spine. Determined not to falter, I raised my voice.
“An adventurer doesn’t abandon those in need just to chase power!”
I locked eyes with him, refusing to look away.
“And you are?”
“I’m a member of the Raven Warrior Corps. My father died in what you call the Blood-Red Sunset.”
“…Kiki. I see. So it’s you.”
He muttered through clenched teeth.
“I know what you’re saying, but you’re putting the adventurers here in incredible danger, a pointless danger at that. Are you prepared to involve them, little hero”
He leaned in close, the smell of blood and sweat hitting me. I instinctively recoiled, but several hands intervened between us.
One was Mia-san’s. The others—three more—were adventurers I didn’t even know.
“I’m with the Warrior Corps!”
I shouted, determination burning in my chest.
Once one voice shouted, others quickly joined in.
“Yeah!”
“To protect people from monsters, huh?”
“Well, coming from a child, I suppose…”
Among the crowd gathering, Nils-san was there too. Our eyes met, and he gave a small, wry smile—part exasperation, part approval, probably both at once.
The man suddenly returned to his impassive expression and snorted, glancing between me and Nils-san.
“Hmph.”
With that, he spun on his heel and vanished into the crowd. The Warrior Corps tried to follow, but despite his bulky frame, he moved with astonishing speed, weaving through people like a shadow.
“Those willing to take the request, please line up here!”
Felix-san raised his hand.
The adventurers who had gathered began moving toward the Warrior Corps. With that, preparations seemed complete. Soon, we would board the ship and head for the dungeon.
◆◆◆
Some time later, at the harbor, I spotted one of the adventurers who had raised their voice earlier. He is huge, like a gray grizzly bear, and he carried a stone hammer on his back. Our eyes met, and he slowly made his way toward me. Scratching his head a little, as if embarrassed, he spoke, his voice quiet but sincere,
“…Back during the Blood-Red Sunset, I heard that the adventurer who saved people back then died. You lot were there too huh――well, I guess it’s fate.”
A warm wind blew across the lake.
Something made me ask a question, a hunch urging me on,
“…Could I ask the name of that adventurer?”
He looked momentarily surprised, then he broke into a broad grin,
“His name is Rutger.”
My father fought with integrity, and I’m sure that memory remains in the hearts of other adventurers as well.
I realized again—nothing he did was meaningless. There would always be people to carry on those feelings.
A proud, wry smile escaped me. I might never match him… but I felt proud just thinking about it.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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