episode_0034

adventurer.

It is a name for professional warriors with mediocre military power, a vague sense of belonging, and a vague sense of ethics.

Since he is not part of the military, he is not a soldier, and he is not a member of the Knights Templar, so he is not even a knight.

The reason why the empire tolerated these heretics who could become subversive at any moment was because the empire had limitations in maintaining public order with its own power.

It is no exaggeration to say that half of the imperial army is on the northern front, and the other half is mostly mobilized to defend the border and the capital.

Therefore, there was a severe lack of power to respond to the occasional unrest that occurred within the empire’s territory.

The empire also trained prospective knights through Remnant Academy and other institutions to cope with security issues within the empire.

However, these forces were not large in number, and it was almost too much force to deploy even minor security issues.

Therefore, the empire made these ‘adventurers’ belong to guilds managed by the empire, and instead of guaranteeing their autonomy, they were entrusted with minor security issues.

So to speak, it could be said to be a subcontract of the Imperial Knights.

They were just put on a good note and called adventurers, but in reality, they were only services limited to semi-knights or the lowest level knights at best.

—-

“I think this level of request will be okay.”

Nigel arrived at the guild, talked to the receptionist for a while, and then brought a C-rank mercenary badge and a request form.

Unless sufficient performance and creditworthiness are proven, the highest grade that can be provided is C level.

“Please give it to me…Defeating the dungeon discovered in Hebel’s Forest? Where is Hebel?”

“The Barony is a two-day carriage ride from the islands. It was said that while exploring a new forest this time, an underground building suspected to be a dungeon was discovered.”

“It’s a dungeon… subjugation rather than investigation means that something went wrong during the investigation.”

I read the request carefully.

Defeating a dungeon discovered in Hebel Territory.

Client: Baron Hebel.

Recommended grade: B3

Request Content: Investigate the forest and underground dungeon to the west of the territory and subdue all hostile entities that appear.

Special note: One knight belonging to the Barony died during the investigation. Troll check. Estimated to be a small dungeon.

Reward: 2 gold as advance fee, additional compensation per subjugation object. All dungeon by-products belong to Baron Hevel.

“Troll? I’m not sure how strong it is. Is it to the point where the knight dies?”

“Even among the same knights, there is a fairly large gap in their skills. If you are at the lowest level, you may be killed by a troll.”

That means there’s very little chance I’ll get hurt.

Well, if the monster was so strong that I couldn’t defeat it, the Knights would have dispatched proper troops rather than asking the Adventurer’s Guild.

“What does this B3 mean?”

“B-class mercenary. In other words, it is recommended that three or more knight-level people gather together to perform the exercise.”

“Then, as a C-ranker, I can’t accept the request on my own?”

Even if it were me, I would just ignore it if a C-rank rookie offered to do a request that required three B-ranks.

“I guaranteed it, so there is no problem. I have no intention of helping you, but only they don’t know about it.”

Nigel patted his chest lightly.

Well, Marquis Ludwig’s tenth sword is here. Rather, it would be excessive power.

“Okay, let’s do this. So, what should I prepare now?”

“Ordinary adventurers would prepare suitable partners and tools to sleep in the open, but in our case, a guide would be enough.”

“Guide?”

Aren’t those guys always hiding something? Whether hiding power or malice.

“These are the people who prepare supplies, guide people to dungeons, draw up maps, move luggage, and other such chores. Although the force is not great.”

In short, he is a porter and searcher.

Stick to a strong party and get the piece of cake.

“Aha…then a female guide would be good.”

This must be accepted as a woman.

A male porter is like a natural disaster that is as harmful to a woman as a black student studying abroad.

“Yes. Let’s find out. If you’re a troll in a small dungeon, two days would be enough at most, so it shouldn’t be difficult.”

If it’s okay to delegate this part, I think it’s okay to just help out in the dungeon as well.

I will solve most of the inconvenient and cumbersome issues, but in return, just accumulate combat experience.

It seems that Marquis Ludwig wants me to become stronger.

For what?

I don’t know that yet, though.

At least he will continue to have my back as long as he expects something from me.

I spent some time looking around the inside of the guild, exhaling smoke while Nigel talked to the receptionist about finding directions.

There weren’t that many people, perhaps because it was neither breakfast nor lunch time.

Still, the building itself was quite spacious and clean, perhaps because it was the headquarters building located in an institution.

The inside reminded me of a small bank.

Five receptionists were sitting side by side at the reception desk on one side of the wall, going through documents, and on the wall right next to them was a bulletin board with request forms attached.

Inside the building, there are five or six tables, chairs, and old sofas.

Four or five adventurers were sitting on chairs, talking among themselves or glancing in my direction.

No one bothered to argue about why Ka`har was here.

On the contrary, it was funny to see him quickly turn his head when I glared at him.

I guess it’s because he came in a luxurious carriage and was accompanied by a talented-looking female knight.

I thought of them as idiots who would attack them without hesitation, but surprisingly, they were people with good sense and judgment.

Actually, if they were those tactless people, they would die early instead of doing the adventurer thing properly.

After finishing the story, Nigel returned with a woman.

“Hashall. I brought a guide. My name is Miss Minea. Miss Minea, this is Hashal.”

“Uh…hello…? This is Minea, a D-class adventurer.”

It was a woman who appeared to be in her late 20s.

The way he glanced at me with a timid expression didn’t seem particularly trustworthy… .

Well, I guess I just have to do my job well.

From the beginning, I didn’t expect anything other than directions.

“Hashallda. Please take care of me.”

I lightly held out my hand. The hands shaking hands were shaking.

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

When I looked at the reflection on the water or in the mirror, the eyes were a bit fierce, but it didn’t look that scary.

After saying hello appropriately, I took my weapons and got into the carriage.

Minea volunteered to drive the carriage, so she and Nigel rode inside the carriage.

It would be dangerous if we were suddenly attacked.

Still, he looked like he would cry if I let him stay in the carriage alone with me, so I just agreed.

“Well, while we’re on our way, I’ll tell you what I know about dungeons and monsters during the day, and continue sword sparring in the evening. Now that Kahar has been accepted into the empire, there won’t be a big problem if he shows himself.”

As the carriage departed, Nigel sat across from me and explained the future schedule.

hmm. I won’t be able to attend lectures for at least five days, but Nigel’s classes seem to be better than those at the Academy, which is in a downwardly standardized state.

—-

First afternoon.

“There are four main things to watch out for in dungeons. These are visibility, traps, surprise attacks, and location awareness. The responsibility of the reconnaissance officer is enormous.”

I was given simple instructions for exploring dungeons.

Usually, this is solved by recruiting people who specialize in reconnaissance, but in my case, since my senses are extremely good, I think I can handle it to some extent alone.

The first evening.

I trained swordsmanship with Nigel. Minea diligently prepared dinner and bed next to her.

“The fighting method itself, relying on instinct, was very powerful. However, instinct is just an instinct after all, and once you get used to it, it becomes easier to deal with it.”

I was pointed out a problem with my fighting style.

At first, you may be taken aback by its aggressiveness and aggressiveness, but once you get used to it, it is said to be easy to detect because the same reaction will eventually come back to the same situation.

In the end, it means that I should be able to perform the movements that my body showed at that time, even with a normal mental state…

…I don’t think it will be easy.

“You can start by relying on your instincts and maintaining a minimum of reason…but I don’t think it’s something worth sparring with right now.”

That’s right, because then it’s going to get really crazy here again.

Nigel must have sensed that fact as well and chose the next best option.

“First, we need to start by raising the level of our current fighting style that does not rely on instinct. As the gap between the two approaches narrows, you will probably become more adept at controlling your instincts.”

I decided to just figure out the problem for now, and spent the night sparring with Nigel and honing my sword skills.

Every time I swung the sword, I became more and more accustomed to properly drawing out the power of this body.

the next morning

“Trolls are gray-skinned monsters about 2 to 3 meters tall. Befitting its size, it is much stronger than a human-”

Nigel stopped speaking and glanced at me.

“-Possesses much stronger strength than ordinary humans.”

…So my strength is at least that of a troll?

“It has excellent recovery power, but it cannot replenish the blood it shed, so the common response is to kill it by causing it to bleed a lot or by burning it with fire. Also, I’m quite afraid of lightning, so if there’s a wizard, it’s very easy to deal with.”

“All you have to do is avoid getting hit and tear it to pieces until you become anemic, right?”

“…Yes. You can do that.”

It’s simple.

“Sometimes, ogres appear together in the troll area… but in this case, there is no big difference. Just think of it as a monster with stronger physical abilities than a troll, but weaker recovery.”

“Isn’t the explanation too vague?”

“It is more difficult to be attacked by Hashal’s skills or to be attacked by a troll. Unlike the beastmen, these are a race that has fallen dramatically compared to the past.”

Well, from the beginning, those things were at best a minor mob in the beginning.

Because they were weak enemies, nothing compared to beastmen, monsters, and other races.

In the evening, just like yesterday, I sparred with Nigel and practiced swordsmanship.

Instead of using the technique-oriented imperial swordsmanship that he usually practiced, he relied on strength and speed to fight non-human enemies.

The next morning, we arrived at Hebel Estate.

—-

First, he went to the lord’s castle and told them that he had come to receive a request from the adventurer’s guild.

The castle’s butler had a sour attitude when he heard that it was a C-class adventurer who had come to visit, but after seeing us in person, he became quite polite.

Yes, a combination of a Ka`har and a female knight would not be common.

Although he didn’t seem to know who I was, he seemed visibly trustworthy and seemed visibly relieved.

I was able to hear a brief explanation about the dungeon from the butler.

It is about two hours away from here, and it is said that only five or six trolls were wandering around the small ruins that appeared to be underground ruins.

It was said that the reason the knight of the territory lost his life was because of the trolls’ concerted attack.

“Six trolls. It might be a bit dangerous if they attack all at once. It is best to aim for individual defeats if possible.”

Nigel calmly recited a word.

—-

The entrance to the dungeon looked similar to a sinkhole.

It must have been in the midst of clearing, as the trees were pulled out and the soil was dug up, exposing the deep inside, and there was a black hole about 3 meters in diameter connected to the ground.

The hole was so deep that I couldn’t even see the bottom with my own eyes.

Indeed, it would have been difficult to invest a large number of people because it would have been difficult to escape in this way.

So, I was looking for a few elite people to clean up the dungeon.

There was a makeshift fence made of rope tied to wooden poles around the hole, and a rope ladder pointing down was hung next to the hole.

It was probably installed by soldiers standing next to the hole and watching.

Suddenly, a feeling of doubt similar to anxiety passed through my mind.

After we go down, if they cut that rope ladder or something, won’t we be left completely stranded?

…No, that would be overthinking.

The lord doesn’t know who we are, so he probably doesn’t have any grudges against us, so there’s no reason for him to do something like that.

And if something like that really happens, all you have to do is stick your fingers into the wall and climb up.

After receiving the lord’s request from the soldiers, go down the rope ladder.

The rope ladder swayed and creaked in the wind.

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