Chapter 4: To a New Town – 08
The next morning, after finishing my usual training outside the town, I headed straight for the F-Class Dungeon.
The F-Class Dungeon in Maneji was the Great Rock Dungeon, located in the midst of the grasslands, and it was almost identical to the one in Tolson.
The wandering monsters were the same as well: Goblins, Rock Lizards, and Boar Wolves, with the boss being a Bear Wolf, just like before.
Of course, I cleared it without any issues in about two hours, but it felt like this dungeon was slightly easier than the one in Tolson.
That aside, the new Skill I acquired was called “Hallucination Resistance.” According to the guide, there are many types of resistance skills, which implies that there are numerous monsters capable of inflicting bad statuses. It seems that even low-rarity skills should be steadily acquired.
As I exited the dungeon, I noticed a party of boys and girls making quite a commotion.
Upon closer inspection, I saw that the girl I had seen at the guild yesterday was being spoken to by her party members.
Ah, so she managed to form a party… I thought with a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived as the boy who appeared to be the leader raised his voice in frustration.
“Look, just saying you’re scared or that you can’t do it isn’t going to solve anything! We were all told to become adventurers out of the blue, just like you! Instead of whining, why don’t you try hitting a Goblin first?!”
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…”
“Seriously, it’s tough for us too. If you’re not going to do anything, just go home already. See ya!”
With that, the boy spat out his words and walked into the dungeon, leaving the girl with her head down.
She remained there for a while, and I hesitated to approach her, but when I noticed her softly sobbing, I couldn’t just leave her be.
“Let’s head back to town for now. I’ll escort you.”
“…Huh? Oh, from yesterday…”
When I spoke to her, she turned her red-rimmed eyes toward me, hastily wiping away her tears and nodding.
“I’m sorry, thank you for your help.”
“Then let’s go together. You won’t suddenly become capable of things you can’t do, so it’s better not to worry too much.”
Even as I said that, it seemed like this girl had quite a wall to climb if she wanted to make it as an adventurer.
Having spoken to her, it felt only natural to look after her… but then again, I realized that no girl would want to rely on an old man.
If I were to say I’d take care of her, the guild staff would probably treat it as a suspicious case.
After returning to the guild and completing my purchases, I decided to mention the earlier incident to one of the male staff members.
The young man frowned slightly and said, “Hmm, I thought it would be a good opportunity for her to form a party.”
He glanced over at the girl, who was shrinking into herself, muttering, “I’m sorry…”
Well, it seemed the guild had done its part, but it didn’t look like the situation would resolve itself.
Reluctantly, I proposed my idea to the male staff member.
“Would it be possible for me to form a party with her for a while?”
“Excuse me? Ah, you’re Soushi, right?”
The staff member looked at me with a puzzled expression. I couldn’t blame him; it was indeed suspicious for an old man to say he would look after a beautiful girl.
“I’m E-Rank, so I believe I can guide her until she gets used to the F-Class Dungeon. After that, she can join another party if needed. What do you think?”
“Well, if that’s the case, there shouldn’t be any problem… No, as long as both adventurers agree to form a party, the guild has no objections.”
“Understood.”
I left the staff member, who seemed to have more to say, and turned to the girl.
“How about it? I can teach you until you can fight decently in the dungeon.”
“Yes, um… what?”
The girl’s eyes widened as she looked at me, but she quickly bowed and said, “Thank you very much.”
Though she had no other options, her decision was quite swift. She had been crying just moments ago, but perhaps she had a resilient personality.
“That’s settled then. I look forward to working with you.”
I announced this and left the bewildered male staff member behind, stepping outside the guild with the girl.
Her name was Freinir.
In this country, it seemed that the length of a name indicated the social standing of the family one was born into. Just like “Anatoria the Crimson,” Freinir also appeared to come from a good family, judging by her appearance.
However, she seemed reluctant to discuss her background. I understood that feeling well enough, so I decided not to pry.
She had the minimum equipment, but there were various items she lacked, so I bought those for her. Afterward, we returned to the inn.
After securing an additional room for Freinir, we sat together in the dining area for a meal when she hesitantly asked me, “Um… why are you helping me, Soushi-sama?”
“I don’t have any particular reason. It’s just normal for me to help others.”
“Normal… Is that the teaching of the Arshuram Religion?”
“Arshuram Religion?”
“You don’t know about it?”
“Oh, I’m not very familiar with such things.”
Now that I thought about it, there were church-like buildings in both Tolson and Euron, as well as here in Maneji. It was only natural that there would be some form of religion in this world, but I hadn’t had the luxury to expand my knowledge in just over a month since arriving here.
“The Arshuram Religion aims to live rightly under the teachings of the supreme deity, Arshuram. Do you believe in a different god, Soushi-sama?”
“Well, something like that. I suppose I am trying to help you in accordance with those teachings.”
Upon hearing this, Freinir seemed to understand. It appeared she relied on the Arshuram Religion to some extent, so if someone’s actions were rooted in that faith, it would make sense to her.
“I can understand that. I’m sorry for doubting your goodwill, Soushi-sama.”
“No, it’s important to clarify things you don’t understand. Oh, by the way, I’ll be teaching you various combat techniques from now on, but training will be tough, so be prepared. We’ll need to do plenty of training before entering the dungeon. As long as you’re in my party, there won’t be any breaks.”
“Yes, I understand. I’ll do my best to respond to your goodwill, Soushi-sama.”
Yeah, this girl definitely seems to come from a good background. With that comes certain vulnerabilities, so I might need to teach her about those as well in due time.