"Van-sama!"
"Oh, Ortho! It's been a while!"
Unusually, Ortho and the others had all gathered at the Lord's mansion. As always, Ortho was strong, and Pruliel was adorable. The rest of the group was the same, but for some reason, Kusara was in an extremely worn-out state.
"Uh... Kusara, why do you look like that? Did you two have a fight...?"
"...Not at all," Kusara replied, his exhaustion evident. I looked at Ortho, who returned a troubled smile.
"Well, we ran into some trouble in the dungeon..."
"Huh?"
At the sudden report, I tilted my head in confusion, and Espada, who had been listening from behind, stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"...Was it a deadly trap or a powerful magic beast?"
Espada murmured, and Ortho nodded deeply in response.
"Both, actually. We ended up on a ridiculously difficult floor... It's so hard that some adventurers are staying at the base camp near the dungeon and hunting mountain beasts instead. Right now, only three parties are actively trying to clear the dungeon. Well, the mountain beasts are rare, so it makes sense to hunt them for a more reliable income."
The latter part sounded almost like a complaint. Ortho sighed as he said this, and Kusara nodded repeatedly beside him.
"Yeah, that's the truth. We should have just hunted mountain beasts instead. Leave that dungeon to the legendary adventurers."
Kusara spoke in a slightly jaded tone. Pruliel, probably aware of the situation, gave a bitter smile beside him.
"Did Kusara get caught in a trap alone?"
I guessed, but Kusara vigorously shook his head.
"No, no! I'm still a scout, you know! I wouldn't fall into a trap like that! It's all because this idiot leader found treasure and tried to rush things...! He made me open a treasure chest that had a heavy trap because we were facing magic beasts, and then fire started shooting out, arrows were flying...!"
Kusara flailed his arms angrily to express his frustration. Ortho laughed, giving him a thumbs-up.
"No, I trusted you, Kusara! I knew you'd manage to disarm the trap and get the treasure inside. That's why you're Kusara, after all!"
"You damn idiot leader! Don't fool me!"
Kusara shouted angrily, nearly in tears, at Ortho’s clumsy attempt to smooth things over. It must have been terrifying—if fire was bursting out and arrows were flying, who wouldn't be scared?
"...By the way, what did you find in that treasure chest?"
Curious, I asked, and Ortho happily placed a huge reddish metal chunk on the table.
"Orichalcum! And not just an ore... It’s an ingot!"
"Seriously? An ingot, not ore?"
"Pretty impressive, right? I don't think even the royal family has anything like this."
Ortho puffed out his chest proudly as he spoke. Indeed, when refining orichalcum from ore, it shrinks to one-fifth or one-tenth of its original size. This, however, was a highly refined, pure ingot.
"...How much would this be worth?"
I muttered, and Orte raised one finger and opened his mouth.
"Ten platinum coins."
At his words, I sensed a shift in Espada’s expression, his brow furrowing. But he said nothing. Seeing this, I could almost guess what he was thinking.
"...That can't be the right price. A treasure like that, the royal family doesn't even own one. By the way, the king of the Dwarf Kingdom would probably give anything to get his hands on it. I bet he would pay one hundred or two hundred platinum coins for it. Maybe even a thousand platinum coins."
When I answered, Ortho glanced sideways at Pruliel and the others. Pruliel gave a soft smile and nodded. After confirming that, Ortho turned back to face me.
"...Well, as adventurers, we can't really gauge its true value. Honestly, I thought I might have underestimated it, but if you, Van-sama, are willing to help clear the dungeon, I'll sell it for just ten platinum coins."
Ortho grinned mischievously.
"Wow, this is really scary, but I still want that orichalcum."
I responded, playing along with Ortho's playful tone. Espada nodded quietly and spoke.
"I think it's a good idea to help with the dungeon clearing, provided that Van-sama is kept safe. If the dungeon is cleared, even better items might appear. Moreover, if more adventurers come hearing the rumors, Ceat Village will surely prosper."
At these words, Kusara, for some reason, nodded with teary eyes.
"Exactly! Just think of it as helping me!"
"Right, right. Help Kusara, think of it that way."
"...Although this idiot leader might die from triggering a trap, Van-sama won't die."
"Hey!"
Kusara seemed to be holding a grudge. Listening to their fun banter for the first time in a while, I smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, that's right. Alright, I'll help a little."
About fifteen minutes after we arrived at the dungeon, I immediately regretted it.
"Why are we walking through a place full of holes like this?"
"Huh?"
The tunnel, exposed rock on all sides, had stone tiles on the floor, but there were unnaturally large holes everywhere. They were big enough for a person to fall into, and the bottoms of the holes were so deep that I couldn’t see them.
"We're deliberately triggering the traps to expose the pits," Kusara said while jumping over one of the traps. Once again, I was reminded of how low the adventurers’ safety awareness was.
"Van-sama, would you like to use some wood blocks?"
"Please."
Nodding at Kamshin’s suggestion, Arv and Lou hurriedly brought over wood blocks.
"Hahaha! Dungeons are so interesting! It’s a great opportunity for training!"
By the way, Dee, like Kusara, was leaping over the pits while swinging his greatsword and hunting magic beasts one after another. This time, to ensure everything went smoothly, many of Ceat Village’s knights, including the mechanical bow unit, were participating in the dungeon clearing.
While only Kusara could act as a scout, there was no problem with the fighting, and I was confident I could handle the traps.
"Van-sama! This waterfall is troublesome! There’s so much water coming down, and magic beasts are attacking from above and the lake!"
"I’ll fill it in."
"Van-sama! This single bridge is dangerous! Please be careful crossing it!"
"I’ll build a bridge."
"Van-sama! There are arrows flying from the ceiling and walls around here. They’re hidden so cleverly, it’s difficult to figure out which ones to avoid."
"I’ll rebuild the ceiling and walls."
In this manner, the dungeon clearing progressed without much danger.
"It’s not so hard, is it?"
Kamshin made a remark, almost too casual, given the smooth progress. At that, Ortho and the others slumped their shoulders in defeat.
"Yeah, there’s no way a dungeon clearing should be this easy."
"Our struggles... what were they for?"
"I was the one who suffered the most."
As Ortho and the others complained, I disabled the traps in the current floor of the dungeon and spoke up.
"Alright! We’ve helped you all the way to the promised place! Now, we’ve been in the dungeon for three days, so it’s time to head back!"
Upon hearing that, the knights from Ceat Village cheered with joy. Ortho and the others begged for just a little more, but a promise was a promise. Now, what should I make with that orichalcum?
I skipped my way back to Ceat Village, thinking about it.
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