Volume 5 Chapter 8 Dungeon (nest Of Insect Poison)
Night.
Elk talked about today's events in the common room with the dorm mates (except Merry, who seemed to be already asleep).
Then, Sophia said.
"Is it Adventurer Bob? He is one of the top A-rank adventurers and very strong."
"Is he strong?"
"Yes. Among the A-rank adventurers who came to the academy today, he is the strongest."
Sophia smiled brightly, and Elk nodded, saying, "I see."
Gambo and Fine also had a similar 'mock battle' with Elk at the training ground.
Elk asked Sophia.
"Um, Miss Sophia. Mister Bob was wearing a ring, and a monster came out of it."
"Oh, that's a Monster Box. It's a ring that can capture low-level monsters. Of course, there are limits to its capacity."
"A Monster Box..."
"There are also Weapon Boxes and Item Boxes. It's one of the 'Storage Rings' given to adventurers. You should get one before entering the dungeon too."
"Oh, that's great!"
"Hehe. But, the level 1 ring only has the capacity of a small bag, so be careful when putting things in it."
"...Level?"
Storage Rings.
They can store specific items like tools, weapons, and materials.
The ring has an expansion feature, and the storage amount is determined by its level, just like skills. To level up, you need to pay a 'Ring Craftsman' to upgrade it.
"By the way, I have one too. Look."
Sophia took out a necklace from her chest, and a ring was hanging from it.
"It's also a proof of being an adventurer, so please take care of it when you get one."
"Yes!"
Elk and Fine replied cheerfully.
Gambo and Yato seemed to know but weren't particularly interested.
Nickes spoke to Emma.
"Emmy, we in the commerce department can't get a ring, but we can get a 'merchant seal.' It's a personal seal that we can stamp on our own products."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. The famous merchant guilds have their guild leader's 'merchant seal' stamped on them. If you see the seal, you can tell which merchant guild and which merchant it belongs to right away. If you want to be a designer or run a clothing store, you need to take care of your seal. Once you decide on a design, you can't change it for life."
" gulp..."
Emma was nervous.
Nickes, on the other hand, seemed really happy.
"Alright, I'm going back to my room to check my gear. We have a dungeon tomorrow."
"Gambo, you look excited."
"Hmph. Not being excited about a dungeon is impossible. See ya!"
Gambo went back to his room.
Then, Fine stood up.
"I'm going to take a bath!! Emma, let's go!!"
"Huh, m-me too?"
"Yeah. It's boring alone. Yato won't join me, and Merry is already asleep."
"O-okay. If it's alright with you."
"Yay! I love Emma!!"
The two of them playfully headed back to the room.
Yato quietly stood up.
"I'm leaving too."
"Yeah, you're looking forward to the dungeon."
"I'm not a kid. I'm just sleepy... good night."
Yato smiled a little and waved lightly as she headed to the girls' dorm.
A different kind of goodbye. Somehow, Yato seemed to be enjoying it too.
Elk thought.
"By the way, I should have asked about Kaya. Since she's from Yamato, I thought she might know her."
"Elk."
"Oh, yes?"
Sophia said with a serious face.
"Even though you're with high-ranking adventurers, you never know what might happen in a dungeon. Don't let your guard down."
"...Yes!"
"Now, you should rest for today. Taking care of your health is also part of being an adventurer."
"Yes! Miss Sophia, good night!"
Elk went back to his room.
In the lounge, there was Sophia... and then Mamma appeared, holding a steaming mug from the kitchen.
"You're doing well, teacher."
"Well, I am a teacher. Though, I'm more of a supervising teacher."
"Hehe. That's true."
Mamma handed the mug to Sophia and smiled brightly.
* * *
The next day.
After having breakfast, changing into his combat outfit, and checking his gear... Elk left the dorm.
The meeting place was the east entrance of Galatine Royal Academy. He arrived 5 minutes early, but everyone was already there.
Elk was the last to arrive, which made Janet angry.
"You're late!!"
"I-I'm sorry. But I was here before the time..."
"The rule is to arrive ten minutes early!! You're wasting our precious time."
"──Okay, okay, calm down."
"Yes♪."
When Elwood held Janet back, she quickly calmed down.
Bob laughed, "Hahaha," Soara stared blankly at the sky, and Kaya stayed silent, not caring.
Bob said to Elk.
"Well, we just got here early. Don't worry about it... But if you were late, I would have left you behind. If you can't keep time, you can't keep anything. Well, that's my theory. Now, let me hand this out to everyone."
Bob hands out "Storage Rings" to everyone.
They are rings with white stones set in them. Elk copies Sophia and threads his onto a chain he got from Gambo, wearing it around his neck.
Elwood puts one on his right hand, and the size adjusts automatically.
"Is it enchanted...?"
"The expansion level is obviously 1. If you pay the ring craftsman, you can upgrade it. After that, you can do whatever you like."
"Okay. Um, what about the monster box that the teacher has?"
"If you go to the ring craftsman, they have various things. Well, the prices are high, though... Oh, and the ring craftsman can be difficult, so even if you pay, they might not budge. Be careful, okay?"
The last words mean, 'Even if you're a Crown Prince, it can be tough if they don't like you.' Of course, Elwood knows this and isn't naive enough to think he can use his status to get around it.
Janet, wearing her ring, asks a question.
"Where is the dungeon?"
"It's in the forest, 7km (4.3 miles) east of the Galatinne Kingdom... It's called the 'Nest of Insect Poison.' It's a maze-type dungeon where insect-type monsters live. By the way, the 'treasure' here hasn't been found yet."
"Treasures! Hmm, my heart is racing!"
"Hahaha. You're really pumped up. Alright, let's go."
Bob leads the way, followed by Elwood, with Janet next to him and Kaya behind.
When Elk starts walking, Soara follows him.
"...Yawn."
"...Are you sleepy?"
"Yeah. I'm full."
"Oh, I see."
Baggy pajamas that look like combat gear. She doesn't have any real weapons.
Soara. She was also a mystery.
Elk asks Soara.
"Hey, can you... fight?"
"Yeah."
"But you don't have any weapons... Do you fight with skills?"
"...Yeah."
Soara hesitated a little.
Elk thought it might be rude to ask more deeply, so he ended the conversation.
What kind of place is the 'Insect Dungeon' we are heading to?
"Insects, huh... I don't really like or dislike them, but I hate the gross ones."
He muttered and stretched widely.
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