Chapter 24: You’re really so damn careful

Even when I was working as part of a hero’s party in that other world, I never had porters.  

But here, it seems I’ve ended up with porters—mages, no less—for a D-rank dungeon.  

And not just one, but two of them!  

Sure, back when I was slaughtering demons, there was no way to protect porters, so I didn’t have any.  

But isn’t this a bit too luxurious by comparison?  

[The Goddess sets off celebratory fireworks, saying this must be the harem party the Hero kept singing about.]  

A harem, huh? It’s more like a 2:2 male-to-female ratio.  

Wait, no—maybe it’s even better since the gender balance is even.  

In group dates or meetups, don’t they usually aim for equal numbers anyway?  

Yeah, this might actually be a good thing.  

If it were just me, I might end up awkwardly tiptoeing around the porters (mages).  

But if Imir and I split the responsibilities, we could tackle the dungeon in a cheerful, harmonious atmosphere.  

At some point, my brain started shifting gears, feeling less like I was gathering herbs and more like I was going on a date.  

It was a strange realization, but since I’d already agreed to go, it seemed best to just enjoy it without stressing out.  

Alright, let’s switch to fun mode.  

Whether it’s a harem party or whatever, I’ll prepare thoroughly so we can all come back safe and sound.  

A D-rank dungeon’s strongest foes would be orcs at best, so what’s there to worry about?  

Still, being meticulous never hurts.  

Let’s even plan for the off chance we get lost.  

[The Goddess looks at the Hero with a proud expression.]  

I packed my adventure backpack with more enthusiasm than I’d ever put into packing for a trip the night before.

Before I knew it, the promised Saturday had arrived.  

It was time to gather at the D-rank dungeon that had appeared in front of Ichon Station in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.  

***

“Ahh, this is my chance.”  

Sephine Alabard, who had always been too nervous to even speak properly, was now burning with enthusiasm.  

She’d been frustrated by constantly missing opportunities during class group activities,  

and now this external outing felt like a gift from the heavens.  

“Uh, I helped with that, you know?”  

“Ooh, Maho-men!”  

To be precise, it was Maho, the girl sitting next to her, who had helped,but since Maho was practically heaven-sent, Sephine figured it didn’t matter.  

Fueled by dopamine and endorphins, she genuinely believed that.  

Of course, she wasn’t entirely free of worries.  

“…Will this be okay?”  

Sephine Alabard fidgeted with the lightweight helmet covering her ivory hair, a concerned look on her face.  

She’d only ever worn magic hats before—never a helmet like this.  

And it wasn’t just the helmet; she was fully decked out in armor, top to bottom.  

Even though it was lightweight gear made of special materials, with a helmet, greaves, and gauntlets, she couldn’t help but wonder,Isn’t this a bit much?  

She’d wanted to dress stylishly and attractively, but by her standards, this was the kind of heavy armor you’d wear to a battlefield.  

To put it bluntly… it looked tacky.  

Not that it was worse than turning into a goblin herself, of course.  

Still, she worried she might look like a coward who’d wrapped herself in steel out of fear of dying.  

“Nah, I don’t think so. Actually, serious people probably appreciate someone who prepares thoroughly before a dungeon, right?”  

“R-Really?”  

“Besides, your style’s fine. Wearing full armor like that makes you look like a Valkyrie.”  

At that, Sephine clutched her chest.  

A Valkyrie was practically a term for the world’s greatest warriors.  

Even knowing it was flattery, it still made her feel good.  

Though honestly, Maho fits the Valkyrie image more than I do.  

Despite being a mage too, Maho had a great figure, and her pink hair was strikingly vibrant.  

…It kind of felt like Maho was the prettier one here.  

The more she thought about it, the more it felt like she had a formidable rival by her side.  

Ugh, am I a little chubby?  

Maybe she should go on a diet.  

Wearing tight-fitting clothes after always sticking to loose ones made her chest feel constricted.  

“…Hmm.”  

As Sephine fiddled with her breastplate, a sudden question popped into her mind, and she glanced at Maho.  

“What about you? Aren’t you interested?”  

“Interested in what? Yuseong?”  

“…Uh, yeah.”  

“I don’t really want to date him, but I am interested.”  

“Interested how?”  

Did she mean she wasn’t looking to date but wanted some shameless physical fling instead?  

Sephine’s eyes trembled, but Maho responded coolly, her gaze icy.  

“No, don’t get weird ideas. I just meant his skills are supposed to be impressive.”  

“…Ohh.”  

“I like strong people.”  

“…?”  

What?

What does she mean by ‘like’?  

Sephine was a bit confused, but asking further felt like it might make her seem nosy, so she decided to keep her mouth shut.  

The opportunity was here—she just had to muster the courage and do her best from now on.  

Just as she steeled herself, she spotted Shin Yuseong and Imir approaching from a distance, carrying the rental gear from the Hunter Association.  

Imir, with his androgynous looks and shorter stature, probably had his own fans, but—  

Cough!  

Shin Yuseong, clad in lightweight armor just like her, was so devastatingly charming that Imir didn’t even register in her eyes.  

Sephine clutched the breastplate over her pounding heart, unable to tear her gaze away from Yuseong.  

Only after realizing that staring like this might be bad for her heart did she finally manage to look away.  

Ichon Station, Exit 2.  

A portal emitting a blue glow stood near the Yongsan Children’s Garden.  

She’d seen it online, but seeing it up close in person was a first.  

It was a little fascinating—she couldn’t help but wonder how the gods of this world had “coded” something like this into existence.  

I really haven’t gotten out much, huh.  

With dungeons popping up in every neighborhood, you’d think she’d have encountered a portal like this at least once.  

But since she only ever went between home and school, the most she’d ventured out was to the convenience store or to grab a meal.  

Going to the Hunter Association or a dungeon was an incredibly rare event for her.  

***

[The Goddess looks at the Hero with pride, finally seeing him leave the house.]  

It’s like a mom watching her son who only plays games in his room all day.  

[The Goddess nods, saying it’s not an entirely wrong feeling.]  

Oh, so that’s how it was.  

Had the Goddess been harboring a motherly wish to see her “son” get married or something?  

Finally grasping Her grand intentions, I clasped my hands in prayer and focused on the party members around me.  

Sephine, Maho, Imir.  

Three of them.  

Joking around with the Goddess was fun, no doubt, but keeping a light heart on the battlefield wasn’t my style.  

They could laugh and enjoy themselves, but since I was leading, I had to stay sharp—at least for my own sake.  

If even one of these three got hurt, I’d be furious with myself.  

Being alone was certainly more carefree, but I needed to learn how to fit into this world.  

I couldn’t just fill my party with burly, muscle-bound old dudes like in the other world’s hero party.  

[The Goddess blesses the Hero with a smiling face.]  

“Let’s go.”  

“Yep!”  

Forcing myself to rein in my excitement over this long-dreamed-of mixed-gender party, I stepped into the dungeon.  

As I passed through the portal, I let myself float in the brief sensation of weightlessness.  

Soon, my vision shifted.  

Gone were the towering skyscrapers and honking cars of the city.  

Instead, I found myself in a narrow, dark passage.  

Looking up, I saw water droplets dripping from stalactites.  

I’d known this was coming, but it definitely wasn’t a spot suited for a picnic or a date.  

“I’ll take the front. The mages will stay in the middle, and Imir will bring up the rear.  

Unless enemies come from behind, we’ll maintain this formation.”  

“Yep!”  

“Understood.”  

“Okay.”  

Sephine quickly took her place behind me, while Maho, with her pink hair, followed with an oddly bright expression.  

Imir silently scanned the surroundings, jotting something down in a notebook.  

Seriously? Writing a report right from the start?  

Fighting monsters was one thing, but that looked like no easy task either.  

Once I confirmed the whole party had entered the cave, I moved forward, carefully observing the environment.  

There was only one main path, but I also checked for smaller tunnels where minor monsters might pass through.  

If I missed one, a monster could pop out later and hurt someone in the back.  

“This way.”  

I was already sensing the entire cave with my mana, but I proceeded with utmost caution, preparing for the possibility of an elite monster ambush.  

[The Hero cautiously explores the cave.]  

After about ten minutes of painstaking progress, the Goddess couldn’t help but let slip a crude remark as she watched the Hero.  

“He’s being ridiculously careful.”  

She’d stayed quiet since the Hero was taking things seriously, but was this really the same guy who’d casually sliced through dragons?  

Sure, his power had been restricted for the sake of the world’s order, causality, and balance,  

but he’d once boasted near-divine combat prowess.  

Even now, he could probably take down most monsters—  wasn’t he being a little too humble?  

He knows this is just an orc den, right, Hero?  

Anyone watching might think he was creeping through the Demon King’s castle.  

He could probably beat an orc champion, yet here he was, acting so cautious.  

Sure, that attitude was why he’d managed to wipe out demons and devils in the first place, but watching the same overly careful scene drag on made her sigh involuntarily.  

If you’re gonna have a mixed party, at least hold hands or sneak a kiss or something! Right?  

“Next time, I’ll send him somewhere softer and fluffier,”  the Goddess resolved to herself.  

Just then, as she made that decision,  a monster finally appeared before the party traversing the cave.