episode_0016

“Hello, I’m from the Clan of Moonlight’s Serenade.” “I’m affiliated with the Light’s Essence…”

Honestly, I was feeling a bit regretful.

From Lucia and Vulcan’s reactions, as well as the reactions of those around me, I had expected things to get somewhat troublesome.

I could sense annoyance in their eyes, but—

I didn’t think they’d swarm me this fast.

How many was this now?

Even after politely turning them away, there were still those who clung stubbornly.

This is already getting tiresome.

I let out a deep sigh.

But this was my own doing. After all, I had tested things out just because it looked interesting and Lucia remained unharmed.

I only tried it out as an experiment.

It felt unfair.

Yet no one acknowledged my grievances.

Well, blaming others wouldn’t change anything. What’s done is done. Now, I just had to clean up the mess as best as I could…

Is that even possible?

I didn’t know.

Still, this place was vast enough that I could probably hide somehow.

By the middle of it all, I grew too weary to deal with people and resorted to hiding using the pinnacle of a thief’s stealth.

—Huh? Y-you there? Where did you go?

Luciel looked around in confusion. I ignored him and moved on.

He’d find his way back to me eventually.

Luciel’s soulstone is near me, after all.

Even if he strayed too far, he’d reappear by my side at some point.

Given that strange setup, there was no issue.

Once I escaped the crowd, I spotted the dungeon portal opening in the distance.

And from it, countless humans poured out.

…The dungeon.

A steady stream of people emerged.

There were all sorts—mostly humans, but occasionally orcs and beastfolk appeared as well.

However, no elves were in sight.

Were they considered public enemies or something?

They said we’d depart tomorrow, right?

I slipped away to an open area provided by the inn.

It was quiet, so I figured I’d swing my sword around a bit before leaving.

[Skill: Swordsmanship level has increased.]

Swinging my sword was genuinely fun.

The next day.

Erme made quick preparations for our departure to the dungeon.

Even if we left early, we’d arrive at the same time, but she wanted to avoid the crowds.

The reason? Me.

When we arrived at the adventurer’s guild, Teresa and Glasses were already there.

“Ah, the star of the show has arrived.” “Hey.”

Glasses adjusted his glasses and made a weird remark, while Teresa greeted us with her usual blank expression.

“Sigh, thanks for coming early, everyone.” “Whoa, our party leader can make that kind of face too.” “Well, yesterday was a bit… troublesome.”

Erme dodged the topic and took a seat.

“By the way, didn’t you say you were going to recruit a new party member yesterday?” “I’m working on it. This time, it’s a priest.” “A priest? Isn’t that tough?” “Priests… exhausting.”

Glasses and Teresa shook their heads as they spoke.

Their exhaustion didn’t seem to be about recruitment but something else.

Is it because they’re hard to please?

That made sense.

Priests were said to be extremely rare here.

“Well, priests are technically part of the so-called nobility, so they can be difficult.” “Mages are easier. They take pride in their magic, so if you just stroke their ego a little, they’ll perform well.” “But priests are heavily influenced by their innate gifts… They’re kind of coddled from birth.”

Listening to Glasses and Erme’s explanation, I pondered.

So, in other words—

If I compare it to my past life’s party dynamics, it’s like healers and buffers acting like spoiled nobles.

Still, since lives were at stake, it might be different.

No, actually—

If they’re holding lives as collateral, that might explain it.

But if Erme was the one bringing the priest, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

Erme seemed quite capable. That was to be expected, though.

She has the makings of a Sword Hero, after all.

She’d handle it well.

“But there’s a major downside.” “A downside? Ugh, I’m already dreading this.”

Teresa leaned on my shoulder, looking like she had a headache.

Glasses beside her wore a similar expression.

“Still, since it’s the lower floors, maybe we can manage on our own? Like, with an orc shaman or something.” “Those guys look rough, but they’re nice. Vitality spells, healing spells—all good.” “That’s not the issue. The problem is that he’s a severe alcoholic and chain smoker.” “Ah.”

Teresa’s expression said, That’s not so bad.

Glasses next to her seemed to agree.

Aren’t those two habits even worse?

Cigarette smoke could attract monsters, and alcohol could impair judgment, leading to mistakes.

But judging by Glasses and Teresa’s reactions, they seemed to think it was manageable.

Just what kind of image do priests have in this world?

It was almost terrifying.

“Anyway, we still need to explore the dungeon. Should we look for a swordsman nearby? We came early, so there should be some diligent people around.” “If they can pull their weight, I’m in.” “Same. A reliable vanguard is always good. But a rearguard wouldn’t be bad either, right?” “A rearguard?”

Erme glanced at me, as if asking for my opinion.

Is it because I can do both vanguard and rearguard?

I didn’t mind either role, so I nodded. Seeing this, Erme’s expression brightened.

This was making me feel like some kind of leader.

She’s putting in so much effort, but I’m not really contributing much.

The leader role really suited her. Just as I was about to sit back and wait—

A shadow loomed over me.

Judging by its size, it was massive.

I looked up to see Vulcan grinning widely.

“Kid, what’re you doing here?” “Waiting.” “Oh? For who?”

When I pointed in one direction, Vulcan followed my gaze.

Erme was talking to another party.

“Hoh? Didn’t you brats just come out of the dungeon the other day?” “That’s right.” “And you’re already heading back in? Ambitious little things.”

Vulcan let out a satisfied laugh.

He seemed to be misunderstanding something about us.

Does it matter?

No, it might even be for the best.

Teresa stared blankly at Vulcan, while Glasses trembled nervously.

“V-Vulcan, sir?” “The Sword King Vulcan… Is it really him?”

Glasses stuttered as he spoke Vulcan’s name.

Teresa pinched her own cheek to check if she was dreaming.

“Kid, this old man’s got quite the reputation, you know.” “Just how infamous is he for Glasses to be shaking like that?” “Glasses? Ah, you mean that guy. Hmm, my infamy, huh…”

Vulcan began counting on his large fingers.

“There was that prince from the neighboring kingdom who acted up, so I punched him in the face. Then there were those imperial guards who got cocky, so I beat them up too…”

He listed a few more minor incidents.

Seriously?

No wonder Glasses was trembling in fear.

But was that even allowed? Adventurers were respected, but—

Isn’t that going too far?

As if reading my thoughts, Vulcan smirked and said,

“Sorry, kid, but only someone at my level can get away with that. If you build up these muscles, maybe you can too.”

He flexed subtly, as if inviting me to train with him.

I’d rather not go that far.

I was more suited for speed anyway.

Since my first swordsmanship technique was Dark Moon, agility suited me better than raw strength.

While we were chatting, Glasses suddenly shook his head and spoke up.

“N-no, Yuseong. I respect him.”

Respect? Vulcan?

…Well, I guess that made sense.

Objectively, Vulcan was an outstanding adventurer.

His behavior was just… unbecoming of his age.

“Kahahaha! Hear that, kid? This old man’s got quite the reputation.” “…Tch.” “Tch? Did this brat just click his tongue at me?”

Vulcan looked at me in disbelief.

I hadn’t clicked my tongue—it was just my inner thoughts leaking out.

After a bit more small talk, Erme approached us.

“I’ve asked around, but everyone’s already paired up. With our current numbers, forming a party is…”

Erme’s gaze shifted to Vulcan.

Vulcan’s eyes flickered briefly before he stroked his chin and looked at me.

“…What kind of talent pool is this? The vanguard and rearguard don’t quite match, but for the lower dungeon floors, it shouldn’t matter much.” “Must be fate.” “You all seem capable enough.”

Vulcan’s eyes lingered on me and Erme before shifting to Glasses and Teresa.

The two of them tensed up slightly.

“Those two aren’t bad either. If they work hard, they could become top-tier adventurers.” “…!” “Thank you!”

At Vulcan’s praise, the two beamed and bowed deeply.

Vulcan stopped them with a wave.

“No need for thanks. I just acknowledged your potential.”

With that, he handed me a box.

“Take it.” “What is it?” “Why the suspicious look? It’s a tool for your training.” “A training tool?”

Why are you giving this to me?

“The more strong adventurers there are, the better. Whether you like it or not, you represent us.”

So this was an investment for the distant future?

Investing in those with clear talent.

So that one day, they could represent the adventurer’s guild.

If that was the case, then it made sense.

Instead of joining a clan, this was a way to strengthen the guild itself.

“So, we’re sticking with four again?” “One more would be nice, but…”

Erme glanced at me briefly before nodding.

“Let’s just go. People are starting to gather.”

Indeed, more and more eyes were turning toward me.

“Is that the guy?” “…The Level 1 adventurer who destroyed the training dummy?” “A Level 1 broke the dummy? How in the—?!”

I pulled my hood low and used the pinnacle of a thief’s stealth to minimize my presence.

“What kind of skill is that?” “Basic rearguard technique.” “…You’re a rearguard?”

Vulcan looked baffled.

I tilted my head slightly.

“I’m a thief, so…?” “Why are you a thief? Normally, you’d be a vanguard—ah.”

Vulcan glanced at me and the rest of the party before nodding in understanding.

“No wonder this party’s composition is so weird. If you handle the rearguard, it kinda works.” “I also use a bow.” “You can’t possibly—wait, you can use a bow too?”

Vulcan looked utterly bewildered.

Was it really that shocking that I was a thief?

“Well, I’ll gratefully accept the gift.” “Nah, it’s heavy, so take it later. I’ll leave it with Hilda.” “Hilda?” “The woman who guided you at the training ground yesterday.” “Ah, her.” “Now get going. It’s almost time to head into the dungeon.” “See you later.” “Later? We’ll meet again in a few days.” “That’s dungeon time. Well, until next time.”

It wasn’t a particularly meaningful farewell, so we set off for the dungeon.

An endlessly dark space.

The air felt damp, and faint light seeped in from somewhere.

“Everyone feeling alright?” “Fine. Condition’s perfect.” “Same here.” “No issues.”

After Glasses, Teresa, and I answered, Erme nudged me from behind.

“Let’s go.” “…Shouldn’t you be leading?” “Thieves usually scout ahead.” “Then let’s move.”

We ventured deeper into the dungeon.