Chapter 13: Towards Oz – 01
“Indeed, traveling on foot is the way to truly experience the journey. While the carriage is comfortable, it makes one sluggish and, frankly, bored.”
Since leaving the Royal Capital, Lady Shizuna seemed to be in high spirits. As we walked along the highway, she cheerfully admired the unchanging rural scenery and engaged in lively conversation with the other women in our party.
We were currently making our way towards the Oz Country. The border with Oz is said to lie south of the Barius Viscounty, which meant we would be heading straight south from the Royal Capital.
In other words, we would first travel to the city of Barbadoza in Count Lautrec’s territory, then proceed to Bartran, followed by Euron, the capital of the Barius Viscounty, and finally to Tolson. For me, this meant retracing the route I had taken since arriving in this world.
It would take seven days to reach Barbadoza, but so far, on this sixth day, we had encountered no issues. Camping was quite comfortable thanks to my Item Box, Freinir’s Barrier, and Lady Shizuna’s Spirit Summoning, which provided us with a clay golem for security. Although our group had grown to six, making the tent a bit cramped, it was a minor inconvenience.
A slight problem arose on the evening of the sixth day while we were having dinner in front of the tent.
Lady Shizuna, who was usually full of chatter, turned to me and said, “Say, Soushi-dono, there are several dungeons around Barbadoza where we will arrive tomorrow, correct? I would like to explore a few of them, if you could assist me.”
“Well… our mission is to safely escort you to the Oz Country, so I can’t really take you to a dangerous place like a dungeon,” I replied.
“Can’t you make an exception? I am a budding adventurer myself, and I would like to explore as many dungeons as possible while I am still in this country.”
“I understand your feelings, but…”
“Thanks to you, my skill level has increased, and I am eager to test just how strong I have become. I really want to ask for your help.”
For the past six days since leaving the Royal Capital, we had been training at the end of each day, and Lady Shizuna had joined us, which had visibly improved her skill level. I could understand her desire to test herself.
However, considering that Lady Shizuna was still regarded as a guest of the royal family, entering a dungeon was out of the question.
As I furrowed my brow, Lady Shizuna leaned in closer, her beautiful, traditional Japanese face suddenly invading my personal space, causing me to instinctively lean back.
“Actually, when I left home, I boldly declared that I would become a great adventurer. If I return as an E-Rank, it would be quite embarrassing.”
“Is that so?”
“Furthermore, if I were to return in my current state, my mother would likely turn me away at the gate. I would be seen as a foolish daughter who caused trouble in a neighboring country after boasting so much.”
“Is that really the case?”
“Indeed. Thus, I would be a homeless, solo adventurer. An E-Rank girl traveling alone… how sad, how lonely.”
“Uh…”
Lady Shizuna struck a pose that clearly seemed like a fake cry, glancing at me with watery eyes. This was unexpected… Come to think of it, Zeal from the Fortuner party had mentioned that Lady Shizuna was quite the tomboy. I hadn’t anticipated this.
As I looked to my companions for help, I noticed Freinir, Larni, and Sfenia all staring intently at me. Only Mariane averted her gaze, perhaps due to guild protocol preventing her from intervening.
“Soushi-sama, could you please consider Lady Shizuna’s request?” Freinir asked.
“If it’s a C-Class dungeon, it should be safer for us than a regular highway. Besides, we need to fight occasionally to avoid getting rusty,” Larni added.
“As comrades with a shared goal, I believe we should support Lady Shizuna’s desire to grow stronger,” Sfenia chimed in.
“Wait… what?”
I was momentarily speechless at the unexpected betrayal (or perhaps support?) from the three who I thought would help me. No, that wasn’t it; Lady Shizuna must have been charming them over the past six days for this moment. I was about to learn the strength of someone with high communication skills.
As I stood there dumbfounded, Mariane quietly remarked, “Soushi-san, this might be an opportunity to test the effects of that skill.”
“Huh… oh, that skill…”
“The skill” she referred to was likely my Vessel of the Commander skill, which was believed to increase the number of people allowed in a boss room. With Lady Shizuna present, it could indeed be tested.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I swear on the spirits to keep your secrets. You may use me for this test, if you wish. Right, Soushi-dono? Please, I beg you!” Lady Shizuna said, bringing her hands together and bowing her head.
That pose felt somewhat Japanese, making it awkward for me to refuse as a former Japanese person. The intensity of the three gazes on me indicated that this was clearly Lady Shizuna’s strategic victory.
“…Very well. However, you must absolutely follow my instructions,” I stipulated.
“Of course. I will obey the orders of our leader, Soushi-dono. I look forward to it,” she replied.
As Lady Shizuna began high-fiving Freinir and the others, I felt the weight of leadership once again.
Upon arriving in Barbadoza, we first visited Count Lautrec, as per the King’s orders.
The purpose was simply to confirm our safety, allowing the Count to inform the King of our safe arrival.
Thus, our meeting with the Count was brief, and we were directed to an inn he recommended for the night.
I had informed the Count that we would stay in Barbadoza for about three days, considering Lady Shizuna’s fatigue. The underlying reason for our stay—exploring dungeons—was, of course, kept a secret.
Meanwhile, Mariane did not accompany us to the Count’s residence, opting instead to gather information at the Adventurers’ Guild. The benefit of having dedicated staff allowed us to manage both tasks simultaneously.
“It seems that the ‘Demon’ has appeared between Barbadoza and Bartran. It was reportedly defeated by a hunting party centered around the Dawn’s Thunder,” Mariane reported during dinner.
Lady Shizuna looked puzzled. “What is this ‘Demon’? Is it different from regular monsters?”
“Indeed. We fought one previously; it was a grotesque creature that seemed to be a patchwork of human body parts. We refer to it as a ‘Demon’ because it resembles what the Arshuram Church describes as such,” I explained.
Lady Shizuna widened her eyes slightly. “I have never seen such a monster. It is different from the giant monster we encountered on our way from the Elf Village, correct?”
“That was a golem, but the ‘Demon’ has a significantly different appearance. Unlike regular monsters, it does not resemble animals.”
“Hmm… I am curious to see it, but the fact that a hunting party was formed suggests it is quite strong, yes?”
“The one we fought was equivalent to B-Rank.”
“Is that so?”
As Lady Shizuna expressed her admiration, Larni interjected, “Hey, Soushi, did you discuss this with the King?”
“Not at all. There was no mention of the Wandering Dungeon or the Sacred Beast.”
“Does that mean the information has reached the King? Is he choosing not to act?” Larni pondered.
“No, they are likely still in the process of verifying the information. The central authority receives a vast amount of data. They won’t act until they have corroborated the same information from multiple sources,” I replied.
“Wow, it sounds tough for the King too. By the way, I think the Beastman tribe’s chief mentioned something similar,” Larni added.
I refrained from probing further, as she had yet to disclose her connection to the chief.
“Soushi-sama, how do you plan to navigate the dungeons tomorrow?” Sfenia asked.
“We’ll tackle the F and E dungeons. We’ve already cleared them once,” I replied.
“Right. The D-Class dungeon has ten floors, and we haven’t cleared that yet, so it should be exciting,” Sfenia noted.
“There are treasure chests too. Ideally, I want to clear both in one day. Lady Shizuna, we need to move quickly, so please prepare yourself.”
As I responded to Freinir while confirming with Lady Shizuna, she looked a bit surprised.
“We’re going to visit two places in one day? And to clear ten floors in a single day… that sounds quite intense.”
“Indeed. We’ll also train in the morning and evening.”
“Ah, so that’s the secret to the strength of ‘Soul’s Guidance.’ I understand; I said I would follow the leader, so I shall comply with humility.”
It seemed that Lady Shizuna was genuinely motivated. After all, she had expressed a desire to enter a dungeon herself. If she were to hesitate at this level, it would be unacceptable… though perhaps that was a rather harsh thought.