Chapter 40

Thus, it was decided that Thor and the other two would tackle the goblin cave.

However, the story doesn’t end there.

Just as Thor was about to turn away, a deliberately loud voice came from behind him.

"Wow, so you’re the hidden hero of this town. I’ve been wanting to meet you, so this is perfect."

The speaker was the red-haired woman who had been causing a commotion at the counter. Thor turned around and took a closer look at her.

She was over fifteen but under twenty-five years old. She had a strikingly beautiful face, and the air around her clearly indicated that she was well aware of her beauty.

She wore a loose white blouse, tight leather shorts, and spotless long leather boots. The sword hanging from her waist seemed to be quite slender. From the way her muscles were built on her wrists, she appeared to be a skilled user.

She seemed to have money and some skill, and was the type to assert herself strongly. Moreover, she looked like an adventurer, but there was no plate hanging from her neck. Thor, judging that she would only cause trouble, cut the conversation short.

"That talk from earlier was a lie. Sorry."

"Huh, really?"

"Miss, that’s probably a lie too."

"Huh, really? Which one is it?"

The one who whispered in his ear was the tauric man standing behind him. He was somewhat short but had broad shoulders, and his arms and neck, visible through the gaps in his black armor, were incredibly thick. His face still retained a hint of childishness, but from the thickness of the horn on his forehead, he was likely around twenty years old.

The red-haired woman, frowning at the man’s advice, glared at Thor. Despite her beauty, even such a face had a certain charm.

"Well, that’s fine. I just wanted to see what kind of face a man who throws away the chance for fame would have."

"Then, is that all?"

"Not yet. I heard you’re going to challenge the dungeon. Then, let’s have a contest. Who will defeat the master of the labyrinth first—"

"That’s impossible, Miss. It seems to be a small dungeon, so it’s probably done in turns."

"Oh, I see… Well, then I’ll let you go first."

"Thank you, I appreciate it. Can I go now?"

"Wait, Miss. That way, a third party might win. Besides, we haven’t even registered as adventurers yet, so we don’t have the right to challenge it."

The underground labyrinth, filled with miasma, would attract many monsters if a large group entered. Therefore, it was a rule to limit the number of parties. In the case of a small-scale dungeon like the goblin cave, it was customary to take turns, with a set number of days to aim for its conquest.

"What a dilemma. Do something, Gordan."

"Yes, then perhaps we should try to negotiate more, I mean, argue more?"

"That’s a good idea. I’ll see you again, humble hero."

The red-haired woman elegantly bowed and headed back to the counter. Thor, sending a sympathetic glance to the receptionist Enna, whose face was twisted, walked over to the bench where Yuril was sitting and sat down next to her. Mew, who had been lent Yuril’s soft-looking lap, was drooling and sleeping soundly.

Just then, Sora returned from the counter.

"Here, landlord. I mean, Yuril. I got the adventurer’s card."

"Oh, thank you."

"The black frame makes it look quite mature."

Yuril, who had been handed the black-framed plate, examined it closely. Her gray eyes held a complex color that others could not fathom.

After a moment, Thor apologized.

"I’m sorry, Yuril. It turned out like this."

"No, don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault, Thor."

Gently stroking Thor’s cheek, Yuril’s silver hair swayed as she smiled. Thor, nodding slightly at her, expressed his feelings sincerely.

"I’ll conquer the goblin cave quickly and catch up, so please wait a little longer."

"Yes, I may seem impatient, but I can be patient. I’ll wait for you to enjoy it."

The next day, Thor and the other two headed to the goblin cave. A little later, ten miners followed.

One of the characteristics of dungeons is that various minerals can be extracted from the walls of the labyrinth. This is said to be due to the underground resources being pushed up to the surface as the dungeon forms deep underground.

However, even if it’s by chance, the yield is quite high. Therefore, recent research suggests that it might serve as bait to invite people into the dungeon.

The miners working inside the cave have no way to defend themselves against monsters. Therefore, it’s necessary for adventurers to enter beforehand and clear the monsters from the areas planned for mining.

However, the dungeon is constantly filled with miasma, which causes monsters to be repeatedly spawned in a short time. In the case of the goblin cave, hobgoblins start patrolling again after about two hours. The miners were supposed to stop working and come out before that time.

While the miners were inside, Thor and the others had nothing to do. They wanted to start tackling the second floor, but unexpected situations could lead to a retreat, which could endanger the miners. Therefore, combat inside the dungeon during mining was prohibited.

In front of Thor and the others, who were on break, the miners were busy going in and out of the cave. Iron and copper ores, already transported out, were piling up next to the cave. For some reason, Mew was also playing with a small pile of stones mixed in with the miners.

After confirming that Sora’s magic power had returned, Thor stood up. The mining operation was supposed to continue for another hour. However, there were still things to do even without entering the cave.

"Alright, let’s go clean up the surrounding monsters."

"Okay, Mew is going!"

"M, let’s go? Thor."

"Yes, we’ll wipe them all out. And if possible, find some boars."

"Got it, boars! Leave it all to Mew."

The day’s results were forty-five hobgoblins, twenty-two goblins, and one armored boar.

The armored boar was quickly defeated thanks to Thor, who was accustomed to using an iron sword, and Sora, who had become more effective with the <Reversal> skill. This allowed Mew to successfully advance to the bronze rank.

The boar meat was cut up and entrusted to the miners for transport. While the ores could be left overnight, the boars would be eaten by the goblins if left unattended. Monsters don’t distinguish between fresh and dead meat.

"The first day went smoothly. Alright, we have fourteen days left. Let’s stay focused."

"Okay, I’ll do my best."

"Mew will do his best too! Thor."