“Dungeon?”
I thought I’d misheard, but Aria seemed serious about heading to a dungeon. And taking me with her.
“I’m still recovering from my illness, you know?”
“You’re better than before, aren’t you?”
Well, it’s certainly easier than when I had All-Attribute. I wasn’t aware of it myself, but Aria says I’ve been eating more.
Oh no… what if I get fat?
The color of my skin has improved considerably, and while it’s a small price to pay for losing All-Attribute and dropping to level 5, I suppose I should be grateful.
“What’s the reason for going to the dungeon?”
And then, I ask the most important question. I have a vague idea, but Aria states the outrageous reason as if it were nothing.
“To get a dungeon’s Gift.”
“…Are you serious?”
I suspected as much, but to think we’re planning to conquer a dungeon with just us…
“It’s not just us. Nero’s coming too.”
“Oh, is that so?”
As if responding to Aria’s words, a growl could be heard from her shadow.
Even so, it’s still reckless. I’ve challenged dungeons since I was a child, but there’s a limit to what I can do alone, and I’ve only managed to clear part of one.
Well, I suppose it can’t be helped. I’ll indulge you until you’re satisfied.
When I went to say goodbye to Serejula, who had taken care of me, she waved her hand dismissively and sent me off.
“I’m too old to think about reducing my attributes now, but if it’s too much, don’t push yourself and run away with your tail between your legs… you reckless disciple.”
“…Yes. I’ll do that.”
Everyone’s so kind.
And so, I left the forest with Aria and Kitty.
We headed through the forest towards the town in the Seyles Barony. Not only me, but Aria was also hiding her face with a hood, as there might be someone who recognizes her.
If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better not to go to town? But Aria said she was planning to arrange a carriage, considering my condition.
“You still look pale. I need you to recover before we get to the dungeon, or I’ll be in trouble.”
“In the first place, which dungeon are you planning to go to?”
The dungeon on the remote island in the Fuder Dukedom where I obtained my Gift is nearby, but you can only meet a Spirit once in each dungeon.
There’s also a Large-Scale Dungeon in the Rakston Dukedom, but it’s quite a long journey, and it’s a high-difficulty dungeon that has never been conquered, where Sub-Dragonkind appear. I heard that even the Royal Family has given up on conquering it.
In mid-level or lower dungeons, you can clear them, but there are no Spirits. Could there be a new dungeon where a Spirit has been born?
As I asked this while eating a proper meal for the first time in a while at a cheap stall in town, Aria told me while also eating a vegetable stew.
“We’re heading to the Large-Scale Dungeon managed by the Count Leicester Estate.”
“…Are you serious?”
I couldn’t help but mutter the same words again, and this time when I put my hand on Aria’s forehead, the black cat on her shoulder tapped my hand with its tail. …So even illusions have a sense of touch.
The reason I was diving into that dungeon was because it was the easiest of the Large-Scale Dungeons owned by the state.
That’s why the former Crown Prince and his party conquered that dungeon. Only a few years have passed since then, so there are still few Monsters, and the difficulty may have decreased.
But—
“I think there are still many people there who remember my face, though?”
I had been based in that place since I was a child, so my face is known both on the surface and behind the scenes.
If I’m found, I think it would damage Aria’s reputation, as she’s known as a famous Adventurer, let alone what would happen to me.
“That’s why I need you to recover a little more, or I’ll be in trouble. Here.”
“…………”
Aria said this and handed me a copper water bottle filled with a pungent-smelling medicine, and I grimaced as I swallowed it, even though I had finally had a decent meal.
“…There’s also a rumor that the Spirit of that dungeon isn’t very friendly to people.”
Or rather, you should say they don’t understand people. That’s why Amor and Nasanitaru gained such power because their wishes were misinterpreted.
“You’ve cleared it three times, right? Negotiate well. You just need to focus on healing your body. You can use my wish too.”
“I wonder what I should do…”
I used slightly spiteful words because I was forced to drink bitter medicine, and Aria glared at me with just her eyes.
“I’ll get really angry.”
“I can’t bear to have more bitter medicine added.”
Aria’s impulsive actions are probably the result of her thinking things through logically in her own way, but because she doesn’t talk much, those around her get swept up in it.
That’s what I was thinking as we traveled to the Royal Capital.
We could get there faster by taking dangerous routes, but if we choose a road that a carriage can safely travel, it seems to take more than three weeks. Bandits don’t appear on proper highways, so it’s boring.
It would be nice if I could read a book, but my assets are frozen. As expected, you can’t withdraw money that a dead person left with the Adventurer’s Guild.
If I could get back to my hidden base, I think there would be something left, but in that case, it’s painful that I’m forbidden from using Soulthorn.
I had a few large gold coins in my Shadow Storage along with my clothes, but everything inside had disappeared.
Is it because I died once…? I thought it was just expanding space, but it might be something close to Spatial Transfer.
It’s a scary thought, but I have no choice but to think it’s better than it exploding inside my stomach.
That’s why I’m penniless right now. My clothes and travel are all up to Aria, and I’ve borrowed about ten gold coins, but I can’t waste them. So the only thing I can do to kill time is to write in this blank book.
Bypassing the Royal Capital to the south, we arrive at the town with the dungeon, which doesn’t evoke any particular emotions in me.
The management is still the Count Leicester Estate, but according to Aria, my mother, who lost her entire family, was sent back to her parents’ home, and a distant branch family became the new Count Leicester.
I don’t really care, but I can’t read forbidden books anymore. But since I remember most of them, I’ll turn them into books and spread them around someday.
“I’m going to the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“…Okay.”
It’s a pain to point out everything, but what is she planning to do?
As we entered, many eyes were drawn to us by the Adventurers in the Guild, probably because they could tell we were two young women, even though we were wearing cloaks.
“What can I do for you?”
Aria, who had deliberately gone to the reception desk where an old man was, took off her hood there, and the old man blinked.
“Oh, long time no see. Do you remember me?”
“Of course. Do you remember me?”
“There aren’t many young people here, you know. Are you diving into the dungeon again after a long time?”
Apparently, this old man knows Aria, and he had a kind face, as if a relative’s child had visited him after a long time.
“Yeah. I’m going to dive into the dungeon for a long time, so I want you to register the guy behind me as an Adventurer.”
“Long term, huh…? I understand about registering that person as an Adventurer. There’s a rank test, but…”
“That’s supposed to be done at the Guild in the Royal Capital. For now…”
There, Aria glanced at me, so I created ice on the spot and placed it on the counter, and the receptionist looked surprised.
“Ice… are you a Magician?”
But… seeing my ability to produce ice without chanting, the old man seemed to remember something, and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“…Is this your first time here?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Then, could you take off your hood and show me your face?”
I don’t remember, but… he might have met “me” before.
It’s okay to show my face, but what should I do? I glanced at Aria again, and when she nodded, I gave up and took off my hood.
At worst… I’ll have Aria kill me.
“This is… excuse me. It seems I was mistaken…”
The old man, who saw my face, wiped the sweat from his forehead and lowered his head.
“Aria…?”
When I looked at Aria, wondering what was going on, she silently pointed behind me.
There, the Adventurers were staring at me with blank faces, and one of them muttered.
“Amazing… it’s like Snow.”
He might have come from somewhere far to the north.
My black hair had turned almost silver-white, and my earthy skin had also turned white. Not only that, but my face had also changed a lot due to improved blood circulation.
“So, young lady. What name would you like?”
Hearing the old man speak as if he were addressing a young lady instead of an Adventurer, Aria smiled slightly and opened her mouth.
“…Snow…”