episode_0040

I had momentarily forgotten about it because I had only been clearing the Black Star Dungeon.

But the Red Star Dungeon is also incredibly dangerous.

Even mercenaries are extremely cautious when exploring a new dungeon.

Nevertheless, the fact that casualties occur in the Red Star Dungeon means that a challenging pattern emerges at least once.

Extreme power.

Insane reaction speed.

If these two are combined, it is possible to defeat the Red Star Dungeon alone.

“Alright. Go, Mijeong.”

“······Huh?”

I wonder if Mijeong will meet all those conditions.

I’m quite looking forward to it.

With a gentle push, Mijeong’s back, a bewildered look returns to me.

What are you looking at?

Move forward.

That way, you’ll know how strong you are.

“You’re not scared, are you?”

“······Scared. No, I’m not.”

Mijeong tightly grips Blin’s wooden club (enhanced +1) and moves forward.

It’s clear to anyone that she’s scared.

Her pupils are shaking.

Her hands and feet are trembling.

Strange.

It seems like she didn’t get scared even when Fenrir bared its teeth and rushed at her.

After moving forward for about five minutes, we soon reached a room full of orcs.

Is this the weak point of their characteristics?

[Characteristic: Weak Point]

[You can see the weaknesses of monsters. It is effective against all types of monsters.]

Upon closer inspection, the orcs’ heads and chests are marked in red.

The markings disappear when focus is released.

I already know the orcs’ weaknesses, so it’s not necessary, but it might come in handy later.

Especially when fighting the Four Kings.

“Whoa?”

“······Hmph.”

Mijeong, facing the orc horde, stops in her tracks.

I am ready to jump out and help at any moment, watching from behind a rock.

However, the orcs just glance at Mijeong briefly before turning their backs again.

They show no signs of hostility.

As expected, the judgment lies with the monsters.

Unless a specific trigger is activated or an attack is initiated, monsters won’t attack Mijeong first.

I already confirmed that during the battle with Velfegor.

When facing a slightly tougher dungeon, Mijeong could be used as a surprise attack.

Will she be effective against the final boss?

I suddenly imagine giving Mijeong a tremendous weapon and her launching a confirmed first strike against the final boss.

Of course, it’s just a thought.

If the final boss Dracon has intelligence, it won’t be that easy.

“······Hoo.”

As Mijeong touches the ring on my right hand, light emanates from the gem.

And then, in that instant.

A red glow flashes in Mijeong’s eyes.

Her small body shoots up into the sky in an instant.

“Kwak!”

Thud!

As the wooden club strikes, the orc’s head crumples like a soft rice cake.

It’s unbelievable power coming from that small frame.

The orcs who detected the anomaly and immediately attacked Mijeong after one of them fell…

“Kwuk!”

“Kkaak!”

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Their clubs only cut through the air.

Mijeong, moving at a speed that overwhelms the orcs’ visual acuity, swiftly shatters their skulls.

It may seem like the orcs are slow, but in reality, they are not.

With their huge bodies, tough skin, and strength, they are as agile as humans.

No wonder dungeons with orcs always have a five-star difficulty rating.

Even seasoned mercenaries need at least five people to aggro and take down an orc.

One orc is already a formidable opponent, but taking down multiple orcs single-handedly is evidence that the combat power exceeds that of mercenaries.

“······I got them.”

Standing atop the corpses of the orc horde, Mijeong raises her V in triumph.

She used to tremble in fear, but now she looks completely relaxed.

I never thought she would be this strong.

I thought she would just handle the annoying small fries in my place.

But it seems the story is different now.

Maybe I can trust her to watch my back.

So, the key question is whether I can trust that vampire kid······.

“······Yujin. Well done.”

“You did great, buddy.”

I can trust her.

If it weren’t for Mijeong, I wouldn’t have been able to avoid a gruesome fate in the underground dungeon of König.

“What’s this?”

It’s been about a month since I left Basel.

It feels like not much time has passed, but returning, I see a strange sight welcoming us.

Instead of the crumbling workshop sign, there’s a new shining sign in its place.

People are bustling inside and outside.

It’s so confusing whether this is a gemstone workshop or a café trending on social media.

Everyone in line is carrying a large safe or box.

With knights and slaves escorting them, it seems like each of them has come to entrust the highest quality gemstones.

It really seems like the best gemstones from all over the continent are gathered here······?

What could have happened to my little gemstone workshop in just one month?

Surely, I should feel happy if my exclusive gemstone artisan has become famous, but for some reason, I feel a bitter sweetness.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re cutting in! Go back, go back!”

“Yes! We’ve been waiting for 8 hours!”

“Commoners. You’ve come to the wrong place. This line leads to the exclusive reception counter for Tei the gemstone artisan. If it’s not a top-quality gemstone, go to the regular counter.”

As soon as I try to go inside, shouts erupt from all around.

It seems like they’ve been waiting for a long time.

I feel a little sorry.

“I’m sorry. I stood in the wrong line.”

“Right. Don’t loiter in strange places, go where you belong······.”

“Tei!”

“Huh? Investor?!”

Calling out to Tei as he passes by, he turns around and his eyes widen when he sees me.

Seemingly surprised, Tei blushes and turns away, fixing his bangs in the mirror.

Then, he looks back at me and gestures for me to come inside.

“Come in, investor! Did you bring gemstones?”

“Oh, yes.”

“To the customers waiting for reception, I’m really sorry! Production might be delayed by a day! Please keep that in mind!”

“What is this······!”

Escorted by workshop staff, I pass through the bewildered faces and enter inside.

Everyone seems angry, but what can they do?

If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have discovered Tei first.

If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even know Tei’s name for the next six months.

“Wow. It’s bustling in here.”

As I enter, I see a wide workshop filled with almost every tool imaginable.

Finally, Tei seems to be getting the recognition he deserves, and I feel proud.

“Hehehe, investor! It’s been so long!”

“······.”

“Hmm?”

As soon as I disappear from view, Tei rushes towards me with open arms.

But at some point, she stops in front of me, facing Mijeong.

“What, what is this?”

“······Slave.”

Finally, Tei’s gaze turns towards me.

Her expression seems slightly disappointed.

She must not have expected me to have a slave.

“Oh, no. Investor!”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not as clean as you think I am.”

“No matter what, playing with a child like that in a slave play is a bit too much…”

“What did you say? I didn’t hear you well.”

“It’s nothing…”

Tei, whispering in a mouse-like voice, soon closes his mouth tightly.

In his eyes filled with resentment and disdain towards me, there seems to be a hint of disappointment.

Jealousy seems to be mixed in as well.

What context is this coming from…?

“Alright. I should quickly entrust the task and leave. The public sentiment outside is getting worse.”

“Hehe. It’s okay. When the investors come, the waiting list gets longer. How many tasks will you entrust this time?”

“Two. I’ll bring them as soon as they’re ready next time. If I bring them all at once and the waiting list gets too long, there might be a riot.”

“T-then you’ll come often? Hehe…”

He seems happy again.

The workshop has changed a lot, but Tei remains the same.

Even after a month, how much could a person change?

Still, he remains the same as he did when he was an apprentice blacksmith, covered in old work clothes with dirt on his face, which I find endearing.

“You seem very busy, so take a break now. I won’t set a deadline, so how about taking a leisurely break for about three days while working?”

“That won’t do! There are many waiting customers!”

“Right. That’s true.”

“Ugh.”

He seems to have a strong work ethic as a dwarf.

Feeling touched, I unknowingly pat Tei’s head roughly.

With his rough and thick hair, it seems like Tei won’t go bald anytime soon.

“Ugh.”

As I continued to pat him because it felt subtly nice, Mijung, who was beside me, bit my finger.

I almost forgot why I came here.

I withdraw my hand and place the worn-out leather pouch on the table.

Soon, Tei also changes into a serious craftsman’s gaze and focuses on the pouch.

“I’ll entrust this and…”

“Wow! Where do you get these? The design structure is so beautiful!”

When I take out a gemstone from inside, Tei’s face lights up.

It’s a magic stone obtained from the Black Star Dungeon in Kueren.

He seems happy to see a magic stone from a dungeon, as he has only dealt with naturally occurring magic stones so far.

Even though they are both high-quality magic stones, there is a huge difference in quality between them.

“And the other one is this.”

“Huh…?”

And the moment I open the second pouch.

A sinister light emanates from inside, engulfing the entire workshop.

It’s a magic stone made by condensing the magic of Belphagor into one place.

Or at least, I think it’s a magic stone.

I brought it thinking it was a high-quality magic stone, but Tei’s expression seems uneasy.

“Investor, I’m not trying to show off, but thanks to you, I’ve been able to see a lot of high-quality magic stones in the past month. But I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“Is there a problem?”

“N-no, there’s no problem, but I’ve never worked with a gemstone that produces such high magical capacity and efficiency. Maybe if I try to process it, it might not turn out well…”

So this is the best gemstone he’s seen so far.

“Oh. Start working on it right away.”

“Are you sure? I might ruin it. Maybe it’s better to just leave it as it is…”

“That’s why I’m telling you to start working on it right away. I’m in a hurry.”

“Ugh!”

He’s taken aback.

While I’m fuming and my lips are pouting.

Tei seems to be on the verge of tears as if he’s about to cry tears of joy.

Is he that happy?