Chapter 17: The Long Road to the Imperial Capital – 06
The safety zone was occupied by another party camping, aside from “Soul’s Guidance.”
Naturally, only A-Rank parties could enter the A-Class Dungeon, and even in the Royal Capital, A-Rank parties were not particularly numerous. Moreover, following the recent attack by the “Demon,” high-ranking parties had been dispatched for investigations and defense requests, leaving very few parties willing to enter the dungeon.
As we savored the exquisite grilled meat from the Titanoboa, a young man who appeared to be the leader of the other party approached us. He had short red hair and a serious demeanor.
“Excuse me, I am Craig, the leader of the A-Rank party ‘Phantom.’ You must be ‘Soul’s Guidance,’ correct?”
“Yes, that’s right. I’m Soushi, the leader. Nice to meet you.”
“Ah, nice to meet you too. Although, I must admit, I already know about you. The battle at the castle gate was quite something.”
With that, the young man sat down near me.
“Oh, so you were stationed at the castle gate during that time. I thought it might be unnecessary, but I ended up intervening.”
Glancing over, I noticed his party consisted of three men and two women. Like Craig, they all exuded an aura of seasoned adventurers.
“We were also quite troubled by that large creature. However, I’m surprised you managed to face it head-on. Our shield-bearer said it took five A-Rank shields to barely hold it off…”
“Thanks to acquiring a powerful shield and having some favorable Skills, I had comrades who could deliver the finishing blow.”
“Ah, that finishing blow afterward was impressive indeed. It was refreshing to see a single strike take off its head.”
At that, Craig flashed a grin. He then looked around at the members of “Soul’s Guidance” before turning back to me.
“But seeing you all up close, it’s truly remarkable… And that naginata user over there, isn’t she one of ‘Supreme Radiance’?”
“Yes, they are indeed my proud companions. And Sakurahime was indeed a member of ‘Supreme Radiance.’ It seems they have disbanded, and by chance, she has joined us.”
“Chance, huh? You might know this, but there are those who compare ‘Soul’s Guidance’ and ‘Supreme Radiance.’ Ever since the church proclaimed the ‘Adventurers of Salvation,’ there have been discussions about which party is more deserving of that title.”
“Ah… We’re not that grand, really. We’re just traveling freely.”
“These days, there are few adventurers who travel freely. Plus, if your name keeps popping up here and there, it’s bound to stir up rumors.”
As Craig mentioned, it was true that many adventurers primarily operated within their local regions. The parties I had encountered, like “Ginrin,” “Fortuner,” and “Dawn’s Thunder,” were all local adventurers. The only exception was “Drunken Tiger,” led by Karma.
“On top of that, your lady over there, Freinir, is said to be the next Saint, right? And with the daughter of the Beastman chief and a High Elf in your ranks… With such members, it’s no wonder.”
“Well… I suppose that’s true. I’m aware that I’m the most unremarkable one among us.”
“Haha, Soushi, you’re quite the amusing person. I’m glad the next ‘Adventurers of Salvation’ are you all. By the way, how deep do you plan to delve into this dungeon?”
“We aim for the lowest level. Since it hasn’t been cleared yet, we intend to proceed with caution.”
At my words, Craig’s eyes widened.
“Is that true? I feel like you all could manage the challenge… But please, be careful. With the recent Undead disturbances and the ‘Demon,’ things have been quite strange lately. I have a feeling something could happen to ‘Soul’s Guidance.'”
“Of course, we intend to return together. How deep are you planning to go?”
“We were planning to go down to the 20th floor, but if ‘Soul’s Guidance’ is going all the way, we’ll retreat at the 15th floor. We were originally just aiming to thin out the monsters. If you’re going down, we won’t be needed.”
“Thinning out” refers to regularly hunting monsters to prevent them from overflowing in the dungeon. I see, so in an A-Class Dungeon, it’s necessary to consciously engage in “thinning out.”
“By the way, Soushi, I have a favor to ask. You were preparing the bath earlier, right? Could you lend it to us as well? Of course, we’ll show our gratitude. The women in our party were too scared to ask directly.”
Suddenly, Craig clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture.
Such interactions are unique to adventurers. Understanding the burdens of being a leader, I readily agreed and allowed not just the women but the entire party of “Soul’s Guidance” to enjoy our signature bath.
By the way, regarding this camping bath, there was talk that the merchant Mr. Toronto was so impressed that he would prototype a lightweight bathing tub for adventurers. When I relayed this to Craig, he said, “As soon as we exit the dungeon, I’ll be sure to hear more about it,” so perhaps they might become our first customers.