Chapter 13: Towards Oz – 06
The next day, we successfully conquered the F and E-Class Dungeons as planned. It seemed that Larni’s level as the God of Plague had increased, resulting in a rise in the number of weaker monsters appearing. However, in a low-class dungeon, this posed no problem at all.
Since everyone except Lady Shizuna had already cleared the dungeon, she was the only one to gain new Skills. She acquired Paralysis Resistance, Earth Elemental Magic, and Stability, allowing both her and her Spirit to power up smoothly.
By the time we returned to town, it was already evening.
I headed straight to the inn, while Mariane made her way to the guild. Although I didn’t expect anything significant to happen at the inn, I instructed Freinir, Larni, and Sfenia, who were staying behind, to keep an eye on Lady Shizuna.
Mariane and I had to report the situation regarding the adventurer from the Mecalinan Country to the viscount and the guild master, respectively. They were likely already aware of it, but it was important to confirm the details.
Having made an appointment earlier in the morning, I was ushered directly into the viscount’s office.
“Ah, Soushi, do you have any information for me?” the viscount greeted, his tone becoming casual as soon as we were alone.
“Yes, I believe you might already be aware, but I wanted to confirm. Yesterday, at the guild, a man believed to be an adventurer from Mecalinan was linking the issue of the Undead to the Oz Country. It appeared he was trying to spread rumors and incite public sentiment, so I thought it best to report this to you.”
“Hmm… Please, have a seat. I’d like to hear more details about the situation.”
“Of course. When I visited the guild yesterday—”
I recounted everything I had seen and heard the previous day.
After listening intently, the viscount furrowed his brow and murmured, “Hmm…”
“What led you to believe that this man is from Mecalinan?”
“Larni, one of our party members, has a keen nose. She sensed the same odor as that of the adventurer who previously tried to deceive Lady Shizuna. While we don’t have physical evidence, her instincts are usually reliable.”
“That makes sense. After all, there’s no official record of an adventurer’s origin.”
“The problem is, if this suspicion is true, it would imply that Mecalinan is using adventurers as operatives in connection with Lady Shizuna’s case. Is such behavior tolerated?”
“Certainly not. The Adventurers’ Guild has strict regulations against such actions. However, Mecalinan is… well…”
“Is there something more?”
“There are rumors that they are involving the guild itself.”
The viscount’s expression turned bitter as he spoke.
“If that’s true, the Adventurers’ Guild cannot simply ignore it.”
“True, but unless someone can prove it, it might as well not exist. If it were about embezzlement, we could gather evidence, but there’s no tangible proof that adventurers are acting as operatives.”
“I see…”
This was indeed a delicate issue. If mishandled, it could lead to discussions of corruption within the guild itself.
“However, while it was always a possibility that Mecalinan might use adventurers as operatives, this is the first time we’ve seen any concrete actions. They could be infiltrating other territories as well, making this valuable information.”
“Then it was worth my time to speak with you, my lord.”
With that, the viscount decided that the guild would take some form of joint action. However, if Mecalinan was indeed trying to stir discord between this country and Oz, they wouldn’t limit their schemes to just this nation. It seemed we would need to remain vigilant even after entering Oz.
The following day, we delved into a D-Class Dungeon with fifteen floors. This was the same dungeon where we had become Dragon Slayers.
It took us about seven hours to reach the lowest level, only pausing for a single rest. On the fifth and tenth floors, we found treasure chests; the fifth contained a Minotaur, the usual boss, and yielded a Gold Fragment, while the tenth floor had the Rare Boss, the Metal Gigant Tortoise, which dropped an Elixir.
It appeared that even in a dungeon we had previously cleared, the rarity of treasure chests remained intact when it came to Rare Bosses. When I pointed this out, Mariane replied, “That has been reported, but it’s not common for a single party to verify it through Soul’s Guidance.”
It seemed that this was also noted in the guide, albeit in small print.
“More surprising is that we obtained an Elixir twice in a D-Rank Dungeon. If we got one here last time as well, this dungeon might have some special properties.”
“If it turns out to be a dungeon where Elixirs are easily obtained, it could lead to quite the commotion.”
“Indeed. However, since there’s no obligation to report on acquired items, we can’t check the records for this.”
“Perhaps we should enter a few more times ourselves, if we have the time.”
“I would certainly appreciate that, if possible.”
While I agreed, I couldn’t help but feel that it might lead to being tasked with investigating all the dungeons for Rare Treasure Chests.
As for the fifteenth floor, the usual boss was the Small Dragon. Although it was a weak foe by now, I couldn’t take it lightly. Freinir and Sfenia used magic to disable its wings while I countered its breath attack, allowing Lady Shizuna to deliver the finishing blow.
“I don’t feel like I actually defeated it,” she remarked.
“That’s to be expected. Once your skills catch up to ours, you’ll be able to contribute to taking down foes as well,” I reassured her.
“Are you suggesting you want to invite me to your party?” she asked, a hint of mischief in her tone.
“Not in that sense…”
Just as I was about to clarify, I caught sight of Larni giving me a thumbs-up. No, that wasn’t what I meant at all!
“Well, there might be some truth to that, but let’s just say that was a figure of speech.”
I managed to deflect the conversation.
Lady Shizuna acquired the Acrobatics Skill, which also applied to her Spirit. The sight of the rock golem moving with newfound agility was quite comical, and Freinir was thoroughly delighted by it.
The next day was designated as a shopping and rest day. While we were out, we learned that Lady Shizuna had been promoted to D-Rank, prompting us to celebrate with a slightly more lavish lunch.
The following day, we set off for Tolson. It was a two-day journey, but we planned to run and arrive by that evening.
We stayed in Tolson for three days, conquering two F-Class Dungeons and one D-Rank Dungeon. Lady Shizuna gained the Skills Hallucination Resistance, Cold Resistance, and Impact Absorption, with the latter likely contributing to her Spirit’s defensive capabilities.
When we visited the guild and greeted the receptionist, Kisara, she remarked, “Oh? Soushi, you look remarkably younger!” It seemed my rejuvenation had occurred recently. Defeating higher-tier monsters must indeed affect one’s physical age.
After taking a day to rest, we finally departed Tolson, heading towards the border.
It was said to take about three days to reach the border, but since there was no diplomatic relationship with the neighboring country, the roads were poorly maintained. In fact, there were no fortifications at the border; only a mountain range separated the two nations.
“I’m not very knowledgeable about these matters, but it’s unusual for there to be no fortifications at the border, is it?” I asked Mariane as we walked along the barely visible dirt path.
“That’s certainly not normal. The non-interference between Vermilian and Oz, along with the mountain range between them, contributes to this situation.”
“There could be monsters in the mountains as well. Even if they tried to cross with a military force, they would likely suffer casualties.”
“Exactly. Oz is a small nation, so Vermilian doesn’t feel the need to be overly cautious.”
“Oz has never considered external expeditions. Their military shouldn’t be weak, but they are too busy fending off Mecalinan’s pressure.”
As Shizuna sighed, Larni responded, “Is Mecalinan making moves against Oz as well?”
“They mainly engage in show-of-force actions along the border. Occasionally, they intrude into our territory and abduct citizens, acting like bandits.”
“Wow… I can’t believe you all tolerate that.”
“They have superior military strength. Oz wants to avoid a full-scale confrontation.”
Hearing this, it seemed Mecalinan was more troublesome than I had anticipated. If Vermilian and Oz could establish a solid treaty, it might serve as a deterrent, but such matters between nations rarely go smoothly.