Arc 22: If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
「Then, this is the rest of the fee for the dragon materials」
I open the heavy bag that Rerisha-san has offered, and check the contents. There are 100 king gold coin in roughly 12 bags with a total of 1200 king gold coins. There is no way to compare this with the currency from my original world, but from my experience so far I can conclude that a king gold coin is roughly about 10,000,000 yen, all in all totaling 12 billion yen. UhhaUhha.
King gold coins, as a side note, are seldom being used aside from transactions between countries or large merchants since it's a very grave matter to loose them.
Furthermore, this portion only includes the dragons that have attacked Brunhild. The other 350 dragons that have been defeated in Drachen Island are still being kept inside [Storage].
I've stopped myself from selling the materials even though it might've been fine to sell everything simply because different problems will occur if I release too much. The guild might also make a lot of profits with those materials. Therefore, let's sell them in small quantities since it looks like the guild won't be circulating those materials around the world all at once.
「That event became quite a rumor around the world. It says that Brunhild's Knight Order won an overwhelming victory against a swarm of dragons」
「Isn't it hard to believe just by listening to the story?」
「That's right. Even I who was on site can't believe it. However, I have no doubt that the strength of the knight order is being circulated. Won't the countries that want to strangely interfere with this country decrease due to what has happened? 」
Well, I'm thankful if that's the case. I'm already fed up to again deal with a country like Yuuron. There are still some people from Yuuron who are claiming that the great invasion was a scheme by Brunhild even now. They're screaming that [Brunhild should admit and pay for their crimes] thus demanding the reparations. Of course I don't plan on paying though.
It's being officially stated that I'm the one who assassinated the new Heavenly Emperor. Yuuron is in a state of anarchy since people who called themselves the new Heavenly Emperors by proclaiming that [I'm actually the illegitimate child of the Heavenly Emperor] had come one after the other. The country is dying out quite fast and it seems that it's no longer functioning properly as a country.
Other countries will usually help in that case, but no one is willing to associate with them due to their past actions and to their diplomacy that's filled with lies thus far. Oh well, they are paying for their mistakes, it's not like I care.
I put the money inside [Storage], and leave the guild. I can pay out the bonus to everyone with this. How much should I give each person? Let's be generous with a bang this time, okay?
I then arrived in front of the dungeon transition gates as I was thinking about that. I call out to Tsubaki-san's subordinate Toppa-san"Spy" who is putting out his stall as usual. (TN: Toppa is an archaic word for ninja)
「Hey」
「Oh. Customer, I have a bargain today」
Oh? Did something happen? I listen to the stories while crouching down and pick up the goods that have been placed there.
「Several people have turned up dead」
「...Really? Well, It is unavoidable as long as one is an adventurer, isn't it? Were they killed by magic beasts?」
「That's how it looks like from the outside. They didn't return after they went there. I'm thinking that they might have taken an unreasonable action without considering their own power since they were all low ranked adventurers」
Did they get cocky and went down to lower floors against their better judgment? It's a wise idea to return when you are able to judge that a little stronger opponent has come out since one's life is a priority.
「However, there is just one thing that's strange. It looked like those adventurers were certainly dead, but no belongings were found other than their guild cards」
「Belongings? Even if slimes melt the flesh, not even things like swords or armors were found?」
「Eh. Well, it may sound strange but there are guys like hyenas among adventurers...」
Does that mean there are those who scavenge the weapons, armors, and the personal belongings of the deceased? That in itself is not praised, but it isn't a particularly bad thing.
It's considered as an adventurer's etiquette to hand a dead adventurer's equipment over to the guild for them to pass those to the friends and families of the dead in case those items are found. However, it's not necessary to obey that rule since it's just etiquette after all.
There's this story wherein a certain adventurer has used a large sum of money to get a pretty expensive armor that doesn't suit his strength. That adventurer was so happy that he bragged about the armor at every opportunity he could find. Several days later, his corpse was discovered in a dungeon without the expensive armor on his body.
Then, was he stripped away of the expensive armor by another adventurer who found him after he had been killed by a monster of that dungeon? Or was he killed by another adventurer who had his eyes on that armor? The truth remains in the dark.
Well for this case, it doesn't look like they had been targeted because they didn't seem to have any expensive equipment or tools in particular.
「How many have died so far?」
「Ten guild cards have been found and nothing else」
Did 10 people die? My mood got a little heavy. I guess it would be wise to create a safe zone that can't be attacked by monsters of the dungeon or a transfer formation to the surface even if it's only on the early floors where beginners loiter around.
I bid farewell to Toppa-san "Spy", and head towards the transition gates.
A few youngsters are paying the fee of one copper coin with ten copper coins to the clerk when I arrive at the transition gate of [Amaterasu]. Could it be that they're about 12 to 13 years of age? They are a four-person party consisting of two boys and two girls.
One boy has a short spear and scale armor as his equipment while the other one has a short bow and leather armor.
The equipment of the girls is an iron sword and leather armor for one girl and a beginner's wand and a robe for the other. They indeed give off the feeling of novice adventurers.
The four people excitedly pass through the transition gate of Amaterasu and vanish to the dungeon of the island.
I become a little worried about those children because of the story I've previously heard.
…Shall I go chase after them? No-No, stalking is no good. If there was a special school for adventurers, it could teach them various things like knowledge or skills.
…No, it might unexpectedly be a good idea. We can just hire retired adventurers as teachers.
However, can I manage this school? I'm not so sure about the idea of taking an enrollment fee though. Will I have them pay after graduation? At the very least, we will know what request they will be receiving and how much they will have earned by then using the guild card if we are able to secure the cooperation of the guild.
Should I consult this with Rerisha-san? We might receive some other good ideas.
「Huh? Touya?」
Rin, who brought Pola along, is there when I turned around after having been called. She has her black parasol open along with the usual black gothic loli clothes.
「Rin? Why are you in a place like this?」
「Just a little shopping and peeking at the same time. I thought that there might've been some bargains here. What about you?」
「Ah.... I was thinking of remodeling the dungeon a little. I was wondering if having a safety zone where people could take a break would be convenient」
「Hee~ That sounds interesting. Is it alright if I tag along?」
Rin takes my arm without waiting for a reply. Mu-u. Rin has been aggressively approaching me since then. Has she really been serious about wanting to marry me?
It's somewhat embarrassing because her appearance is almost the same as with Yumina and the rest, therefore, we might look like an elder brother and a younger sister from a bystander's point of view.
We briskly came to the reception desk of the [Amaterasu] transition gate. Rin takes out one copper from her pocket, and passes it to the receptionist and then writes her name on a notebook that has been prepared there.
A person can still transfer by paying the entrance fee and writing their name even if that person doesn't register on the Adventurer's Guild. The name is being written in the entry to know when the said person came in and came out. Of course, having the guild card can instantly finish the registration.
However, I've also written my name and have paid one copper coin. My card is gold so it stands out, doesn't it?… I have used [Takeda Shingen] as my name since there's no specific rule stating that I must write my real name. It's also fine to use [Takeda Shingen] again when I come back.
The light of the dazzling sun shines brightly once we pass through the transition gate. It's quite warm here at this time when compared to Brunhild in midwinter.
I restlessly look around, but I can't see the rookie adventurers from before. I wonder if they have already entered the dungeon.
We enter the dungeon along with Pola. Inside it, Rin folds her parasol and activates [Light].
「How about going down to the 3rd underground floor for now?」
If I'm not mistaken, [Amaterasu] dungeon should've been captured until the sixth underground floor. I open the map and head to the stairs leading to the second underground floor.
「... Why do you know all the maps for this dungeon?」
「I don't know what to say even if you ask me that. I also have nothing else to say」
Rim mutters in amazement while looking at the projected map in the air. I also didn't think I would end up knowing about it.
We arrive directly at the stairs without struggling and descend to the second underground floor. I defeat the magic beasts and monsters that we occasionally meet, and we descend to the third underground floor in a similar fashion. Nevertheless, it took some time to a certain degree.
「I would like to make a safe zone here where anyone can take a break. I wonder, is there a location that convenient?…」
We search for a suitable place while looking at the map projected in the air. I also have it display the adventurers on the map just in case. They can also be a hindrance during the search.
「Isn't this area good? Its distance is also about the same from the other set of stairs, a reasonable place」
The place where Rin points at is quite a wide location wherein even a few parties can take a rest. There are detour routes too and it's a place where anyone won't be troubled even if they don't go through here. I guess this area here is good.
We move forward in the dungeon while defeating magic beasts. The enemies that appear are annoying. I'm at the point where I want an item similar to a holy water in games that repel monsters.
We eventually arrive at our destination and begin searching the vicinity. It doesn't look like there's a trap or a hidden door in particular.
I then use [Program] and [Enchant] without delay to make sure that this room will prevent magic beasts and monsters from entering. Furthermore, I will write letters on the wall. They are just the typical 'Please feel at ease and take a rest in this room because no magic beasts or monsters can enter in here'.
I'll sign it too just in case because I'll be troubled if they think it's a trap.
「Brunhild Dukedom Sovereign King, Mochizuki Touya... it says」
I hope this makes them feel safe though. Come to think of it, we didn't see those rookies. Oh well. They are beginners anyway. Are they walking around the first floor?
I remember their faces, so shall I search for them for a little bit? Ummm, display the adventurers in blue while the adventurers I saw in front of the transition gate in green…
Oya. It is surprising. Did they make it down to the second underground floor? Furthermore, they are not just four people. There are three other adventurers. Did those three bring them to the second floor?
Huh? This looks strange. Those movements... Are they fighting monsters?
「Are they that inexperienced to struggle with seven people?」
「At least those four felt like complete amateurs. They felt like boys and girls that have just come from the countryside.」
Maybe they aren't weak, rather, there are just a lot of opponents, I think? Even Kobolds or Goblins are pretty dangerous if they attack in numbers more than ten.
Let me see, show the indication for magic beasts and monsters… and. Huh?
There is nothing? No, they are properly being displayed on the other parts of the map. Then this means....
「What does that mean?」
「... Those four are being attacked by the other three adventurers」
What a situation.