Chapter 19 : "The Dungeon Town of Zanidea"

I entered the general store.

It seemed like an adventurer's town, with ropes, bags, backpacks, hammers, and water bottles neatly displayed. Most of them were second-hand goods.

Oh.

Despite being torn in various places and in terrible condition, there was a child-sized robe.

"Sir, how much is this?"

Upon asking, the man sitting behind the counter stared at me as if assessing the item.

"It's five silver coins."

"What!?"

Roughly equivalent to 50,000 yen!?

Did he mistake me for some young lady!?

"No way. Old man, where do you get five silver coins for this rag? Are you trying to pick a fight?"

"That's a fair price here."

"Five copper coins."

I slammed two copper coins on the counter with force. Roughly 500 yen.

"No, even that is—"

"Are you trying to pick a fight?"

After a brief standoff, the man averted his gaze.

"... Fine, that's okay."

I won!

I did it.

Now that you've underestimated me first, it's your fault.

I got the robe and immediately put it on. Despite being tattered, it was good enough. At least now I can conceal my hair and clothes.

The smell, though... It's quite dusty.

As I walked outside, I spotted a food stall. Skewers of meat were grilling over charcoal.

A sign read, 'Specialty Dungeon Lizard Grilled Meat.'

"Hey, old man. When dungeon enemies are defeated, they disappear, right? Why is there meat if they disappear?"

"This is a drop item."

"Drop item?"

"Yeah. Occasionally, they drop when you defeat monsters. It's delicious."

"How much?"

"Two copper coins."

This is probably a fair price.

"Do you have change for a silver coin?"

"Yeah. Here you go."

"Then, I'll take one."

"Sure thing! Change is nine copper coins and eight small copper coins!"

I received the change along with the meat skewer.

It was good.

I finally ate the first skewer I bought. It was voluminous, taking me some time to finish. I disposed of the skewer in a trash bin.

This world is unexpectedly clean.

Thanks to the slime's waste disposal system, the town wasn't overflowing with waste.

Ah.

As I finished eating, a beastman who seemed to have returned from the dungeon passed by with bloodied legs. Four companions accompanied him with worried expressions.

I hope he's okay.

I followed them, and they entered a building labeled 'Clinic.'

A sign at the entrance read, 'Water Mage Present. Healing Magic, one use for one silver coin.'

After a while, the injured beastman exited energetically.

Wow.

Healing magic is amazing.

But...

I could do this business too, easily.

One silver coin for just a heal. However, doing it without permission might cause trouble.

Alright!

Let's work part-time for just one day.

If I can heal about ten people and get five silver coins, that would be enough.

It's more than enough.

A new customer arrived. An adventurer with a shoulder injury stumbled into the 'Clinic.'

Let's observe for a while.

After some time, I used 'Invisibility' and entered the building.

Inside, it looked like a hospital with a reception, waiting room, and treatment room.

A young girl in her mid-teens, wearing a white robe, was earnestly chanting a spell with a furrowed brow.

"Sil Ilmeshia Sol Aquas. Appear. Purify. Purification."

A blue light emanated from the girl's hands, enveloping the adventurer's injured shoulder. As the light subsided, the wound seemed to have improved somewhat.

"...Thank you. I feel much better now."

"It's not perfect yet. May I apply it once more?"

"Yeah, I have the money. Heal me until I'm completely better."

The girl in the robe then cast the healing magic again, fully restoring the adventurer's shoulder.

"Phew, I appreciate it. Thank you so much."

"No, this is my job."

Bowing repeatedly, the adventurer left the treatment room. After seeing him off with a smile, the robed girl sat down on a chair as if exhausted.

"Olivia, are you okay?"

Concerned, an older woman approached and handed her a glass of water.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit of chest tightness."

"Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

"I can't help it. I'm the only one here today. If someone dies because I slacked off, it would be sad."

"I wonder when Olivia slacked off."

The older woman chuckled.

Magic does seem to take a toll on the body... Olivia, despite being young, is working hard.

Somehow... yeah.

I feel like it's incredibly disrespectful to casually join in and go, "Heal! Heal! Heal!"

...The part-time job plan is canceled.

I left the building.

For now, let's float around.

Float, float.

While floating, the day turned into evening.

Hmm.

I wondered what to do tonight, and then I found an inn.

It was a worn-out inn called the "Door of Good Fortune Inn."

I decided to stay there.

After all, the sign said it's two copper coins for one night.

Other inns charge about four copper coins.

It's half price.

Although the man at the counter looked at me suspiciously, when I handed over the money, I could rent a room normally.

They also include dinner and breakfast, so I promptly had dinner.

Stir-fried dungeon mushrooms and rabbit meat.

Hard bread.

A salt soup with vegetables.

Plus a glass of water.

In terms of taste, it was subtle. The meat had a lingering smell, and the soup tasted only of salt. However, it was enough to fill my stomach.

After the meal, I went to sleep immediately.

The room was small, but the futon and bed were reasonably clean.

I was tired from moving around a lot today.

Fortunately, there was no response from the enemy detection.

I slept soundly.

I woke up when someone knocked on the door.

"Hey, guest, the sun's already up. Get ready to depart."

"Ah, yes."

I got up unsteadily and went downstairs.

Unfortunately, breakfast time had already ended, but the man at the counter gave me hard bread and water, so I accepted.

"Bread and water, thanks. Well, then."

"See you."

I was sent off abruptly, and I left the inn.

Today is another beautiful day.

First, let's go check out the entrance to the dungeon.

I left the town and floated along the mountain path.

On the way, I found a young man.

Equipped with a sword and shield, reinforced leather armor made of iron, and carrying a backpack, he was heading towards the dungeon alone.

Is he planning to go in alone? His equipment is splendid, but can he solo it?

...Well, whatever.

I don't want to get involved and don't want to worry about it.

I overtook the young man and continued ahead.

I reached a plaza.

Many adventurers were present.

It seems like this is the place.

At the back of the plaza, a dark cave entrance was visible in the rocky wall.

There was a door with an attached iron fence at the entrance, and armed soldiers were managing the entry and exit of adventurers.

Whether it's a dangerous place or not, there were soldiers around.

"Portable rations, anyone interested?"

"Potions available!"

People were selling things on the side.

Observing, a party of adventurers came out of the cave.

Listening to their conversation with the soldiers, it seemed they collected plenty of magic stones without injuries—a great success. The young man carrying a heavy backpack seemed pleased.

Next, another party that seemed to have earned a fair amount came out, and they were planning to have a lively celebration tonight.

However, not everyone succeeds, as the following party that emerged had severe injuries, and they couldn't collect many magic stones. They lamented their major loss.

Some parties were entering.

Most parties consisted of 4 to 6 members, and there was even a group of 12.

Maybe there's something like a boss battle.

The young man also arrived.

The young man's name is Kyle.

"Give it up already and work in town, Kyle. The dungeon is too much for you. Stop worrying your sister."

"Shut up! I'm going to become a top-tier adventurer!"

"Equipping yourself with gear using your sister's hard-earned money? Learn something from your sister—"

"Shut up! Get out of my way!"

Kyle, despite being stopped by a soldier who seemed to know him, forcefully entered. I hope he doesn't die. Well, he probably will with that attitude. Even if I were to stop and inquire this time, all I'd achieve by being his guardian is his inevitable death in the next adventure. I don't want to become his guardian in the first place. ...Let's not worry about it.

Now.

What should I do?

I came to take a look, but should I enter just a bit?

First, let's cancel 'Transparency' and check my equipment.

Spirit's clothes.

Robe and a short sword.

Large bag.

Yeah.

Surprisingly lightweight. I have a feeling that showing my adventurer card won't get me inside; it's too minimal. Let's not go with the pendant either; it would be way too exaggerated.

Ah, I got it.

I can just make myself invisible, slip through, and observe secretly.

But first, I need to decide on my soul slots.

If it's like a game, then swapping soul slots in the dungeon isn't possible. I need to think carefully and set them accordingly. This is a first-time exploration, so let's focus on reconnaissance. Safety first rather than combat. Well, there might be fights too. After all, it's a dungeon. I'm in a dilemma.

Silver magic, white magic, and black magic.

Decided.

Silver magic has the magic 'Exit,' which allows me to return to the dungeon entrance. With this and white magic, I should be able to handle unexpected situations.

Light magic is available in both white and black, so no issue there.

Black magic is for emergencies in battle. I thought about using 'Astral Ruler' with the small sword technique, which I personally consider the strongest for solo, but I decided against it this time.

Preparation complete.

Now, let's enter the dungeon. Even if that Kyle guy is in trouble, I'll absolutely ignore him! It's his own fault! Well, I might help out on rare occasions, but really only then.

I will not become his guardian. Absolutely not.

I disappeared and slipped through the fence, then entered the dungeon.

The feeling upon entering was exactly like an "area change."

The world went dark like during loading.

Eventually, my vision opened up.

"Wow..."

It was a natural-looking cavernous plaza, seemingly formed by rocks. Visibility was excellent, and there was no need for light. The entire space appeared to be faintly glowing. It had a soft greenish hue, and breathing felt normal. Tzere was a gentle warmth, as if touched by spring sunlight. Moss on the walls sparkled. It was fantastical.

The cave turned into a passage, gently curving and extending deeper.

Looking back, there was a black wall.

Entering the black wall, the world went dark again, and I returned to the outside plaza.

And the eyes of a soldier met mine.

"Huh. You?"

"Ah."

Hastily, I reentered the dungeon. It seems that 'Transparency' is lifted when entering the area. I should be careful.

"Well then, let's start by ensuring safety."

First, 'Transparency.'

Alright.

My body turned into a ghostly form.

However, I shouldn't let my guard down.

Even in this state, there might be enemies that react to me.

And so, I confirmed.

Touching the wall.

Hmm.

It seems that phasing through walls is impossible in the dungeon.

I could feel the texture of the wall.

The rules seem to be different from the outside world.

Let's tighten our focus and proceed.

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