Chapter 15: Encounter 02
The next day at noon, the carriage arrived at the capital of Oz, Gal-Oz.
We headed straight to the luxurious inn where we had previously stayed. Thanks to the High Priestess’s arrangements, we could use that inn for the duration of our stay in Oz.
That afternoon, I decided to rest at the inn. While I entertained Freinir, who clung to me tightly, Shizuna returned from the Great Spirit Shrine, the governing body of Oz.
“The High Priestess wishes to hold the award ceremony in five days. Is there any problem with that?”
“I have no issues, but is the High Priestess alright? The city’s reconstruction hasn’t progressed much, has it?”
“Surprisingly, it’s not as bad as you think. Most of the rubble has been cleared away thanks to you, Soushi. The restoration of the destroyed city is proceeding smoothly.”
“I see, the removal of the debris is indeed significant. I want to head to the Inner Elf Village soon, so the quicker, the better. But before that, we need to explore the C-Class Dungeon here.”
At my words, Larni, who had been lying down, perked up with her tail raised.
“Oh, I can’t wait to go to the dungeon with everyone! The C-Class has twenty floors, right? Do you think we can clear it in two days?”
“It would be quite a strenuous march, but it’s not impossible. The C-Class dungeon in Marquis Lagantz’s territory had fifteen floors, and we cleared it in a day.”
“Does that mean you can clear it faster alone, Soushi?”
“With just me, there are fewer weak monsters. It also helped that the monsters were well-suited to my abilities.”
“I see, so it turns out I’m not needed for that, huh?”
“Honestly, it feels lacking without you, Larni. I’ve gotten used to having you around.”
“That sounds like quite the desensitization!”
Larni laughed happily despite her serious tone. In truth, her “God of Plague” skill is essential for “Soul’s Guidance.” It’s incredibly useful for both gaining strength and earning money.
“Oh, speaking of dungeons, I found a perfect staff for Frei in a treasure chest in the Marquis’s dungeon.”
I retrieved the “Saint’s Prayer” from my Item Box, which I had obtained in a B-Class dungeon, and handed it to Freinir.
Freinir finally released my arm and began to admire the staff, which radiated a silver glow, holding it with both hands.
“Thank you, Soushi-sama. This staff… I can feel its incredible power. It’s also very beautiful…”
“Wow, what a stunning staff! And is that an angel at the tip? It feels just right for Frei!”
Larni jumped up to look at the staff, and Sfenia, Mariane, and Shizuna approached as well.
Mariane squinted at it, likely performing an appraisal.
“‘Saint’s Prayer’… It’s a named weapon. Moreover, it possesses multiple magical effects: ‘Holy Attribute Magic +2,’ ‘Life Attribute Magic +2,’ ‘Holy Aura +2,’ and ‘Life Force +2.’ It’s a national treasure-level item.”
“That’s quite impressive. To think that such a thing could be easily obtained by you, Soushi, is both fascinating and terrifying.”
Shizuna remarked with admiration, while Freinir looked at me with concern.
“Soushi-sama, I’m very grateful, but is it truly alright for me to receive something so extraordinary?”
“Of course. The moment I obtained it, I thought it was meant for you. It would be a problem if you didn’t take it.”
“Soushi-sama… Yes, I’m so happy. I will cherish it.”
Freinir blushed as she hugged the staff tightly. It seemed she truly liked it, just as I had hoped.
“Well, I have my Mithril Sword, so I’m fine, but I wouldn’t mind getting a new accessory or something.”
“I’ve grown unsatisfied with both my bow and short staff, so I want to upgrade to something more powerful soon.”
“Speaking of which, it might be time to replace my short sword as well.”
“I received the Staff of Might recently, so I’ll save the fun of upgrading for after my rank increases.”
While I understood what the other four wanted, acquiring items like these was purely a matter of luck.
That said, I wanted to be mindful of any feelings of unfairness, and I would need to make full use of “Plunder” to actively acquire items in the future.
The next day, we headed to the Adventurers’ Guild first.
We needed to report in detail about the “Otherworld” and what had happened in Mecalinan.
However, once I conveyed the necessary information to Mariane and the Guild Master of the Oz branch, I would be free to go. Mariane would remain at the guild to report to the Grand Master, while we ventured into the city to stock up on supplies.
The food was, of course, for our expedition into the C-Class Dungeon the next day. We planned for a one-night strenuous march but decided to buy enough provisions for three nights just in case.
On our way back to the inn, Larni suddenly turned to me as if recalling something.
“Oh, by the way, Karma mentioned she was grateful for your help. She said she had never seen a man as strong as you, Soushi.”
Karma was the leader of the B-Class party “Drunken Tiger,” a blonde beastwoman.
“Now that you mention it, she wasn’t at the guild. Did Karma and the others leave Oz?”
“Yeah, I think it was the day before yesterday. After they got word that you were returning, they headed back to the Kingdom of Vermillion.”
“I see. They were a strong party as well. I hope we can meet again somewhere.”
“Actually, it seems that the other three, besides Karma, want to return to their homeland soon. After fighting that ‘Demon,’ everyone got worried.”
“Oh… I can understand why they would be concerned if such a thing appeared. Is the beastman village alright?”
“If it comes to that, they can all escape together, so it should be fine. There are still some adventurers around, after all.”
“I see.”
As we chatted, the next day arrived.
We headed to the C-Class Dungeon with our full party.
For me, it had been over ten days since we had adventured together, but just walking alongside everyone made me feel like I had returned to where I belonged.
Thinking about it, the news of Karma’s party disbanding felt quite painful.
The entrance to the C-Class Dungeon in the capital Gal-Oz was a solitary hole leading underground, nestled in the middle of a grassy plain. As we descended the slope, the earthen walls of the labyrinth welcomed us.
“It’s so reassuring to have you here, Soushi-sama. I received this staff, and I’ll do my best to be even more helpful than before.”
Freinir, who still clung to me while sleeping at night, was reliable in the dungeon.
“Having you around really makes me feel empowered.”
“I feel lighter too. I can sense my concentration increasing, and your strength, Soushi, is truly remarkable.”
Larni and Sfenia’s cheerful words were echoed by Shizuna and Mariane.
“I thought I had become stronger, but it seems a lot of it is thanks to you, Soushi. I might need to keep that in mind constantly.”
“Indeed. I also feel like the effect of ‘Vessel of the Commander’ has strengthened. Could it be that my skill level has increased?”
“Who knows? I don’t feel any different, but if the enhancement effect has increased, it’s possible that my level has gone up. I did lead several parties in Mecalinan, so that might have contributed.”
As I answered, Larni suddenly had an idea.
“Then why not try to recruit new members again? The ‘Vessel of the Commander’ allows you to add more companions as your level increases, right?”
“Only if there are people willing to join the party. But it can’t just be anyone…”
Even if I were to recruit new members, the minimum requirement would be that they could keep up with the demanding nature of “Soul’s Guidance,” which emphasizes not sparing effort to grow stronger.
Additionally, it was crucial that they wouldn’t cause trouble in a party filled with beautiful women. Considering that, it didn’t seem easy to find new companions.
“I feel like you could easily find someone like that, Soushi. But for now, I think we should focus on the dungeon today.”
While I agreed with Shizuna’s first point, her latter statement was spot on. First, we needed to regain our party combat instincts in this C-Class Dungeon.