Ch.34After All, if It’s Fantasy, You’ve Got to Explore a Dungeon at Least Once, Right?

# Adventurer.

A name given to mercenaries with mediocre strength, ambiguous allegiance, and blurred ethical standards.

Not soldiers since they don’t belong to the military, not even knights since they don’t belong to any knightly order.

The Empire tolerated these misfits, who could become dissidents at any moment, because the Empire’s own power was insufficient to maintain public order.

It would be no exaggeration to say that half the Imperial army was stationed on the northern front, while the remaining half was mostly deployed to guard the borders and the capital.

As a result, there was a severe shortage of forces available to respond to occasional disturbances within Imperial territory.

The Empire was training reserve knights through institutions like Remnant Academy to address internal security issues.

However, these knights were few in number, and deploying them for minor security matters would be overkill.

Therefore, the Empire affiliated these “adventurers” with guilds under Imperial management, granting them autonomy in exchange for handling minor security issues.

In other words, they were subcontractors of subcontractors to the Imperial Knights.

Though glorified with the title of adventurer, they were essentially mercenaries whose abilities peaked at apprentice knight or lowest-ranking knight level.

—-

“I think this request should be suitable for now.”

After arriving at the guild and speaking with the receptionist for a while, Nigel returned with a C-rank mercenary badge and a request form.

Without sufficient achievements and credibility, C-rank was the highest grade available.

“Let me see… Dungeon subjugation discovered in Hebel Forest? Where is Hebel?”

“It’s a baronial territory about two days by carriage from the capital. I heard they discovered what appears to be a dungeon while clearing the forest.”

“A dungeon… Since it’s subjugation rather than investigation, I’m guessing they’ve already encountered problems during their initial survey.”

I read the request form carefully.

Dungeon Subjugation in Hebel Territory.

Client: Baron of Hebel.

Recommended Rank: B3

Request Details: Investigate the underground dungeon in the western forest and eliminate all hostile entities.

Special Notes: One knight from the baronial territory died during investigation. Troll confirmed. Presumed to be a small dungeon.

Compensation: 2 gold coins advance payment, additional rewards per eliminated entity. All dungeon by-products belong to the Hebel baronial family.

“A troll? I’m not sure how strong they are. Strong enough to kill a knight?”

“Even among knights, there can be significant differences in skill. A knight of the lowest caliber could indeed be killed by a troll.”

That means I probably won’t have any trouble with it.

Indeed, if the monster were strong enough to defeat me, they wouldn’t be requesting help from the Adventurer Guild but would dispatch proper forces from the knightly orders.

“What does this B3 mean?”

“B-rank mercenary. It means it’s recommended to be undertaken by at least three knight-level individuals.”

“Then as a C-rank, am I not allowed to accept this request alone?”

If it were me, I’d ignore a C-rank rookie trying to take on a request that requires three B-ranks.

“I’ve vouched for you, so there’s no problem. I don’t intend to help you, but they don’t know that.”

Nigel lightly tapped his chest.

Indeed, with the tenth sword of Lord Ludwig von Landenburg here, we might actually be overqualified.

“Alright, let’s go with this. So, what do I need to prepare now?”

“Typical adventurers would gather suitable companions and prepare camping equipment… but in our case, a guide should be sufficient.”

“A guide?”

Aren’t those the types who always hide something? Whether it’s their strength or malice.

“Someone who prepares supplies, guides us to the dungeon, creates maps, carries luggage… someone who handles such miscellaneous tasks. Not particularly strong in combat.”

Basically a porter and scout combined.

Someone who attaches themselves to strong parties to get scraps of the rewards.

“I see… in that case, I’d prefer a female guide.”

This definitely needs to be a woman.

A male porter? That’s as harmful to women as a black exchange student—a natural disaster.

“Yes, I’ll look into it. Since it’s a small dungeon with trolls, two days should be plenty, so it shouldn’t be difficult.”

If he’s willing to delegate even this much, couldn’t he just help me in the dungeon too?

It seems he’s willing to resolve most inconvenient and troublesome matters, but wants me to gain combat experience on my own.

It seems Lord Ludwig wants me to become stronger.

For what purpose?

I can’t tell yet.

At least as long as he expects something from me, he’ll continue to support me from behind.

While Nigel spoke with the receptionist about arranging a guide, I spent time looking around the guild interior, exhaling smoke.

Perhaps because it was an awkward time—neither morning nor afternoon—there weren’t many people around.

Still, being the headquarters located in the capital, the building itself was quite spacious and clean.

The interior reminded me of a small bank.

Five receptionists sat in a row at counters along one wall, shuffling through documents, and right next to them hung a bulletin board covered with request forms.

Inside the building were five or six tables with chairs and an old sofa.

Three or four adventurers sat on chairs, either chatting among themselves or occasionally glancing in my direction.

No one came over to pick a fight about why a Ka’har was here.

In fact, when I stared back at them, they hurriedly turned their heads away, which was amusing.

Perhaps it was because I arrived in an obviously luxurious carriage, accompanied by a skilled-looking female knight.

I had expected some thoughtless fools to confront me, but they seemed to have enough sense and judgment.

Well, those without such awareness probably wouldn’t last long as adventurers, dying early on some mission.

Nigel returned with a woman after finishing his conversation.

“Lord Haschal, I’ve brought a guide. This is Miss Minea. Miss Minea, this is Lord Haschal.”

“Um… hello? I’m Minea, a D-rank adventurer.”

She appeared to be in her late twenties.

With her timid expression and the way she kept glancing at me nervously, she didn’t seem particularly reliable, but…

Well, as long as she does her job properly. I didn’t expect anything beyond guidance from the beginning.

“I’m Haschal. Nice to meet you.”

I extended my hand lightly. Her hand trembled as she shook mine.

Do I look that scary? Even people who don’t know my identity seem to tremble when they see me.

When I look at my reflection in water or mirrors, my eyes look a bit fierce, but I don’t think my appearance is that frightening.

After exchanging greetings, we gathered our equipment and boarded the carriage.

Since Minea volunteered to drive the carriage, I sat inside with Nigel.

It could be dangerous if we were suddenly attacked while she was driving.

Still, she looked like she might burst into tears if forced to stay inside the carriage alone with me, so I just agreed.

“Well then, during our journey, I’ll share what I know about dungeons and monsters during the day, and we’ll continue sword training in the evenings. Now that Ka’har are accepted in the Empire, there shouldn’t be major issues with being seen.”

As the carriage departed, Nigel, sitting across from me, explained our schedule.

I’d miss at least five days of lectures, but Nigel’s instruction seemed better than the watered-down lectures at the academy anyway.

—-

First day afternoon.

“There are four main points to be cautious about in dungeons: maintaining visibility, traps, ambushes, and keeping track of your position. The scout’s responsibility is crucial.”

I received basic precautions necessary for dungeon exploration.

Usually, parties recruit specialized scouts to handle these issues, but in my case, with my exceptionally keen senses, I should be able to manage somewhat on my own.

First day evening.

I practiced swordsmanship with Nigel. Minea busily prepared dinner and our sleeping arrangements nearby.

“Your instinct-based fighting style is extremely powerful. However, instinct is just instinct—once someone becomes familiar with it, it actually becomes easier to counter.”

He pointed out the flaws in my fighting style.

While the initial ferocity and power might be overwhelming, once an opponent becomes accustomed to it, the same situations trigger the same responses, making it easy to predict.

Essentially, I need to be able to replicate the movements my body showed then while maintaining a clear mental state…

…which doesn’t seem easy.

“Start by surrendering to instinct while maintaining minimal rationality… though that’s not something we can practice in sparring right now.”

Of course, that might lead to another rampage here. Nigel seemed to sense this and chose an alternative approach.

“For now, we should focus on improving your current combat style that doesn’t rely on instinct. As the gap between the two styles narrows, controlling your instincts will likely become more manageable.”

For now, I just noted the issue and spent the night sparring with Nigel to refine my swordsmanship.

With each swing of the sword, drawing out this body’s strength became increasingly familiar.

Second day morning.

“Trolls are monsters with gray skin and stand about 2-3 meters tall. Befitting their size, they possess much greater strength than humans—”

Nigel paused mid-sentence and glanced at me.

“—than ordinary humans.”

…So my strength is at least troll-level?

“They have excellent recovery abilities but cannot replenish lost blood, so the common approach is to make them bleed profusely or burn them. Also, they greatly fear lightning, so having a mage makes dealing with them much easier.”

“So basically, I should avoid getting hit while slashing them until they become anemic?”

“…Yes. That would work.”

Simple enough.

“Occasionally, ogres appear in troll territories… but there isn’t much difference. Just think of them as monsters with slightly better physical abilities than trolls, but weaker recovery.”

“Isn’t your explanation too simplistic?”

“With your skills, Lord Haschal, it would be harder for you to lose to ogres or trolls. Unlike werebeasts, these are species that have declined significantly compared to the past.”

True, such creatures were always just early-stage mobs.

They were weak enemies compared to werebeasts, magical beasts, or other non-human races.

In the evening, like yesterday, I trained in swordsmanship by sparring with Nigel.

Rather than the technique-focused Imperial swordsmanship I usually practiced, we focused on methods relying on strength and speed for fighting non-human opponents.

The next morning, we arrived at Hebel territory.

—-

First, we visited the lord’s castle to inform them we had come in response to the request submitted to the Adventurer Guild.

The castle steward initially seemed unimpressed upon hearing that C-rank adventurers had arrived, but became quite respectful after seeing us in person.

Yes, the combination of a Ka’har and a female knight must be unusual.

He didn’t seem to know exactly who I was, but he visibly relaxed, apparently finding us trustworthy just from our appearance.

We received a brief explanation about the dungeon from the steward.

It was about two hours away from here, a small-scale ruin that appeared to be an underground structure, with only five or six trolls wandering inside.

The territory’s knight lost his life due to a coordinated attack by the trolls.

“Six trolls. If they all attack at once, it could be somewhat dangerous. It would be better to defeat them one by one if possible.”

Nigel calmly remarked.

—-

The dungeon entrance resembled a sinkhole.

The area was clearly being developed, with trees uprooted and soil excavated to reveal the dark earth beneath. In the middle was a black hole about 3 meters in diameter that extended deep into the ground.

It must reach quite deep, as even my eyes couldn’t clearly see the bottom.

Indeed, with this setup, it would be difficult to escape, making it hard to deploy large numbers.

That’s why they were looking for someone who could clear the dungeon with a small elite force.

Around the hole was a makeshift fence made of wooden posts tied with rope, and a rope ladder hung down into the hole.

Probably installed by the soldiers standing guard beside the hole.

Suddenly, a feeling of unease and suspicion flashed through my mind.

What if, after we go down, they cut the rope ladder and leave us completely isolated?

…No, that’s overthinking it.

The lord doesn’t even know who we are, so he has no reason to harbor ill will or do such a thing.

And if something like that really happened, I could just climb up by digging my fingers into the wall.

After having our request form verified by the soldiers, we climbed down the rope ladder.

The ladder creaked as it swayed in the wind.

The rising wind carried the smell of rotten soil and damp moisture.