Chapter 17: The Long Road to the Imperial Capital – 23
In the city of Gashera, there was one Dungeon each of E, D, and B class.
Starting from the day after the dragon slaying, we took a break and spent four days exploring all of them. We cleared both the E and D class Dungeons in a single day, while we stayed overnight for the B class.
For the E and D classes, everyone either acquired new resistance Skills or leveled up their existing ones.
In the B class Dungeon, I leveled up my “Provoke” Skill, Freinir leveled up her “Impact Absorption,” Larni leveled up her “Penetration,” Sfenia leveled up her “Sure Hit,” Mariane leveled up her “Vitality Surge,” Shizuna leveled up her “Iron Wall,” Karma acquired the advanced Skill “Persistence,” and Sakurahime leveled up her “Sword Acceleration.”
Several Rare Bosses appeared as well, but the treasure chests mainly contained materials like “Orichalcum Ingots,” and unfortunately, we did not obtain any new items.
Miss Dorozitte also participated as an observer during our Dungeon explorations.
“It was a Dungeon conquest that shattered all my common sense. I feel like I’ve come to understand just how powerful ‘Soul’s Guidance’ truly is. And I now see why the assets held by the Guild rival the annual budget of regional territories,” she remarked elegantly while sipping fruit water in the inn’s dining hall, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to be with ‘Soul’s Guidance.’
“I’m aware that our party is completely different from the norm. After all, the first boss I encountered in an F-Rank Dungeon was a Rare Boss,” she added with a hint of pride.
“Ha ha, that’s truly unbelievable. And you weren’t even in a party at that time, were you?” I asked, intrigued.
“Indeed, I defeated it alone. Thanks to the Skill ‘Excitement,'” she replied with a smile.
“That Skill is quite rare, too. By the way, where is ‘Soul’s Guidance’ headed next?” I inquired.
“We’re heading to Zanzagir Territory, Sakurahime’s homeland. After that, we’ll stop by the Dwarven village to procure weapons before making our way to the Imperial Capital,” she explained.
“That sounds like it will take over a month. I’ll inform the Imperial Court that the dragon will arrive around that time,” I said.
“Thank you for that.”
“There will be a martial arts tournament in the Imperial Capital in three months, so you must arrive before then,” Miss Dorozitte said with a meaningful smile, prompting several members to react.
Larni and Karma seemed eager to participate. Freinir, Sfenia, and Shizuna were staring at me, perhaps curious about whether I would join.
“Well, I’m interested in the tournament itself, but I don’t plan on participating…” I began.
“There’s no way you’re not going to participate, Souji,” Larni interrupted.
“Absolutely not,” Karma chimed in.
“That’s right,” Shizuna added, nodding in agreement.
Freinir and Sfenia joined in, saying, “I believe Souji-sama’s strength must be shared with everyone.”
“A martial arts tournament without Souji-san would hold no meaning. You absolutely must participate!” they insisted.
While Mariane and Sakurahime silently nodded in agreement, only Geshura remained indifferent. Perhaps she didn’t fully understand what a “martial arts tournament” entailed; it seemed that the Kin of Twilight didn’t have much of a sense of gathering for such events.
“I’m not really fond of tournaments,” I admitted.
After all, during the dragon battle, I had come off as a boastful old man to outsiders, and if I participated in a martial arts tournament, I feared I would become a completely embarrassing old man.
That said, I understood that as someone referred to as a “Hero,” it wouldn’t be acceptable to avoid such events… but I felt I could resist a little.
“Given that expression, I take it you understand you can’t avoid it?” Miss Dorozitte said with a knowing chuckle, her Grand Master’s gaze piercing through my thoughts.
“…I’ve heard that Her Highness the Imperial Princess will also be participating, and I think it would be problematic for a drifter to disrupt the tournament,” I replied cautiously.
“Fufufu, how peculiar to worry about such things. In fact, half of the participants in martial arts tournaments are drifters, so there’s no issue at all. Moreover, it’s precisely because Princess Marishielle will be participating that Souji-san’s presence becomes necessary,” she explained.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked, intrigued.
“If the Kin of Twilight were to attack and a great battle were to ensue, it would be essential for the citizens of the Empire to be aware of just how formidable Souji-san is. If someone were to defeat Princess Marishielle, who is often hailed as the strongest in the Empire, it would significantly boost morale. Of course, that would be a different story if Souji-san chose not to engage in battle,” she added, her gaze fixed on me, clearly probing for my true intentions.
“I’m aware of my own strength and have no intention of fleeing from a battle that concerns the survival of others. Well, considering I possess the ‘Divine Fortune’ Skill, I suppose I’ll be involved whether I like it or not,” I replied, attempting to sound resolute.
Seemingly satisfied with my answer, Miss Dorozitte smiled brightly.
“Fufufu, I’m relieved to hear that. I knew you weren’t the type to run away. Now, with that settled, I’ll inform the tournament organizers that you’ll be participating. The Adventurers’ Guild is also involved in the tournament’s organization.”
“Oh, I’ll be participating too,” Larni declared.
“I’ll join as well,” Karma added.
As expected, both Larni and Karma stepped forward to announce their participation.
“Great! I’ll register all three of us from ‘Soul’s Guidance.’ Both of you undoubtedly possess the strength to rank highly in the tournament, so I’m really looking forward to it,” Miss Dorozitte said enthusiastically.
“Yay! By the way, Miss Dorozitte, who exactly is this Marishielle, the strongest in the Empire?” Larni asked, her curiosity piqued.
The other members seemed interested as well. Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t shared any details about Princess Marishielle with them. I had avoided it, knowing I would surely be teased.
“Princess Marishielle is the younger sister of the Emperor. She is an exceptionally skilled adventurer who has traveled through Dungeons across the Empire to hone her abilities. Afterward, she has achieved remarkable feats, including defeating multiple members of the Kin of Twilight,” Miss Dorozitte explained.
“Wow, I had no idea someone like that existed. It seems the Kingdom doesn’t get many rumors about the Empire,” Larni remarked.
“By the way, how old is Princess Marishielle? Is she married?” Sfenia asked, her curiosity evident.
As soon as she asked, a tense silence seemed to fall over the room.
“I’ve heard she’s 19 years old. It seems she doesn’t have a partner yet, likely due to her high status and the fact that she’s gained too much renown as an adventurer, making it difficult to find a suitable match,” Miss Dorozitte replied.
As she spoke, several members turned their gazes toward me. I could guess what they were implying, but reacting now would only lead to trouble.
“If Souji-san participates, it might indeed stir things up in a different way,” Sfenia said, her words laden with meaning, but I maintained my silence.
Announcement: “Old Man in Another World: The Strongest” is Getting a Manga Adaptation!
As mentioned in the “Recent Updates,” the manga adaptation of “Old Man in Another World: The Strongest” has been confirmed. Further details will be announced soon, so please look forward to it!