Chapter 7

"……And then, what did you do?"

In the reception room of the Adventurers' Guild.

Tanis was telling Row everything as if confessing to the Earth Mother Goddess.

"We returned to the surface with a heavy heart. When we got there, that guy was waiting in the lobby of the dungeon fortress, looking completely calm. He said, 'Hey, you're late...' That guy—Doran—was alive!"

The other members of "Leisure Labyrinth" fell into panic rather than joy.

After confirming each other's safety, questions began to pour out.

Did they defeat the hideous demon?

Or did they escape?

How did he return to the surface without Sherpa?

And even before us.

The girl's answer was that she had been saved by the rumored skeleton knight at the last moment and returned via a shortcut on the 22nd underground floor.

Row nodded.

"The rumored skeleton knight—this is probably an adventurer named Doku. The Adventurers' Guild entrusts shallow floor quests to him, and it seems he happened to pass by 'The Light Graveyard.'"

"Really? Do you know him!"

Surprised, Tanis stood up involuntarily.

"Actually, I would like to meet him and thank him directly."

"He has his reasons for not wanting to interact with other adventurers. I will convey your gratitude."

"Ah, I see."

With that, there was nothing he could do but back down. Tanis sat down weakly.

Nook, the head of the Adventurers' Guild, who was sitting next to Row, put his hand on his forehead as if he had realized something and shook his head.

"But," Row consoled Tanis.

"It seems you had a very difficult experience as the party leader this time."

"Difficult... I don't know what to say."

Tanis wore a troubled expression. He took a deep breath and confessed as if expelling the darkness.

"I abandoned my comrades."

To save ourselves.

Row responded matter-of-factly.

"That's the job of a leader."

"Huh?"

"Facing the end together with your comrades sounds beautiful, but in a life-or-death situation where a total wipeout is inevitable, you must make the choice that allows as many as possible to survive. As a leader, you are the only one who can do this, and to protect the other members as well."

"..."

Perhaps he wanted someone to say this to him. Tanis bowed his head and bit his lip.

"The Sherpa who accompanied 'Leisure Labyrinth' this time has a wife and children. As a colleague, I thank you for your decision."

"Y-Yes."

Tanis, with tears in his eyes, and Row, nodding with a compassionate smile, were watched by Nook with a complex expression, as if he was desperately trying to hide that he had inadvertently been part of a fraud.

"Regarding the adventurer who calls herself 'Dragon'—"

Row asked about the treatment of the girl, which had been the starting point for the party consultation.

"In fact, I thought that expulsion from 'Leisure Labyrinth' was inevitable, so I introduced her to a certain raiding group."

"Is that so?"

When a party dissolves or members leave, various problems arise. Even if they part ways amicably, many are emotionally hurt and affected in their future adventurer life.

But if there are other offers, the shock can be lessened.

"I'm sorry for causing trouble."

"No, no!"

Row bowed, and Tanis waved his hands in a flustered manner.

"Rather, I was relieved."

At the miraculous reunion, the red-haired girl made a shocking statement.

"Something like, 'There's a clan that makes me stronger, so I'm going there.'"

Recalling the scene, Tanis smiled wryly.

"Of course, it caused a big commotion. People got angry, and we tried to calm her down. We decided to change the location and talk."

But, thinking back, it might have been the best outcome, Tanis said.

"We had the burden of having abandoned her, and that feeling would never have gone away. Plus, Doran seemed frustrated and dissatisfied with 'Leisure Labyrinth' for not achieving his goals. I think the time would come when we would part ways anyway."

The only thing that worried him was the mysterious raiding group that had recruited the girl.

A name he had never heard of, with almost no track record.

Moreover, a raiding group was suspicious in itself.

Could such an organization, with a base and personnel outside the party, even exist?

"But if it's an introduction from you, Row, I'm reassured."

"Yes, please leave it to me. And—"

Along with casually accepting, Row made a further proposal.

"Not as a replacement, but—"

The role of a party consultant is multifaceted.

From hearing out the party to proposing solutions, examining party strategies, and mediating new members.

"I have an adventurer I would like to introduce to 'Leisure Labyrinth.'"

"Huh..."

Honestly, Tanis was not enthusiastic.

"Leisure Labyrinth" was at a crossroads. They needed to strengthen their bonds and rebuild their party strategy.

He also thought they needed a break.

"He is a mage."

"..."

Tanis, who was about to refuse due to a lack of mental capacity to welcome a new member, reconsidered.

A mage capable of powerful offensive magic was a rare and essential class for high-level adventurers and deep dungeon exploration.

Row pressed on.

"I think he is the necessary person to solve the problems you are facing now."

"Problems?"

"To regain the confidence you have lost, you must overcome the source of that loss."

"..."

"Yes, defeat the floor boss known as the 'Gatekeeper'—the hideous demon. Preferably as soon as possible."

The fixed floor boss would reappear in about half a month.

For Tanis, it was the literal source of his abandonment of his comrades out of fear.

He would eventually have to face it, but for now, he wanted to forget.

Surely his comrades felt the same way.

Tanis, who was starting to accept the idea of running away, felt as if he had been slapped in the face.

—No.

They owed gratitude to the red-haired girl.

Regardless of her motives, her actions had saved all of Tanis's comrades.

And she was gone.

Would they have the same courage in the same situation next time?

Facing his cowardly heart, Tanis, a devout follower of the Earth Mother Goddess, wondered if this situation was a divine test.

The Earth Mother Goddess gives adventurers trials and the weapons to overcome them.

And now, both were presented before him.

"I understand. I will meet him. No, please let me meet him!"

Row nodded strongly at Tanis, who had regained his fighting spirit.

"Actually, the mage was also hurt by an incident in the dungeon and is losing confidence. But I believe that with your group, you can empathize with each other's feelings, set a solid goal, and walk the difficult path together. I have high hopes for you."

"Y-Yes!"

Nook, who had been watching the two, had a face that suggested he needed to do something about this self-made fraudster, but he was so moved that he didn't notice as he shook hands with Row.

---

Fine distilled liquor was poured into two glasses from an artistic bottle.

"Hey, Row. Join me."

"…I will."

Knowing that if he refused, a long-winded lecture would follow, Row took the glass obediently.

The adventurer guild leader, who had recently increased his alcohol intake, took a sip and sighed deeply before confirming with Row.

"So? He is suitable, right?"

Row had started the consultant business at the Adventurers' Guild to find members for "Dawn's Sheath" and to boost the strength of other adventurer parties to reach the 80th floor of the Infinite Dungeon.

In essence, this young man with a ponytail was stirring up the people around him—Nook included—to save a single woman.

He knew Row was a man who did not hesitate to use any means to achieve his goals, but his action was truly formidable.

"When I first met him, I felt a bit unsatisfied, but I look forward to the future."

"After all, he has overcome the brink of death."

Row did not say that it was due to someone's setup.

If he confirmed it, he would be caught between his duty as the guild leader and his conscience.

Ignoring Nook's feelings, Row explained lightly.

"Adding a mage will expand the party's strategy. After raising a few levels, acquiring beneficial gifts, and streamlining unnecessary members, 'Leisure Labyrinth' might be useful in a few years."

It was a long road ahead.

"For that, we must have high hopes for Tanis."

In the end, Row was only aligning his pieces.

In the future, he would listen to the troubles of people like Tanis, give advice, sometimes provide trials, and reorganize members to gather promising pieces.

Nook, who presented his criticism but did not oppose, knew that Row's actions would ultimately contribute to the revitalization of the Adventurers' Guild.

—Guild reform.

Several policies proposed by Row and implemented under Nook's name were already bearing fruit.

Nook filled his glass with wine.

"Anyway, regardless of 'Leisure Labyrinth'—"

The conversation shifted to the red-haired girl who had joined "Dawn's Sheath."

"Regarding the female adventurer—"

"Have you made contact?"

"Yes."

The red-haired girl, whose identity and real name were unknown.

But when registering as an adventurer, identification is required.

To affiliate a minor adventurer with "Dawn's Sheath," parental consent was necessary, so Row had asked Nook to make contact.

"Their response was to let her do as she pleases. They said they will not be aware even if she loses her life."

"What a ridiculous person."

—You too.

Nook did not say it out loud but added.

"Aristocrats are a special breed."

"Well, it's convenient for us."

"However, they also said to take care of the maid."

"Maid? A watchdog?"

"Who knows."

Not wanting to get involved in any more trouble, Nook dismissed it.

"Haha, you're the one who took on the trouble. Figure it out yourself."

He drank to satisfy his small sense of revenge.

Row folded his arms and pondered, but it seemed he was considering ways to get financial support from a well-connected noble.

"Hey, Row?"

If so, the negotiator would naturally be Nook, who had a certain status.

"Don't do anything unnecessary. Please—don't do it!"

At forty-two, a former member of a hero party, now the top of the kingdom's Adventurers' Guild and a priest of the Earth Mother Goddess, the stern-faced man sincerely pleaded with the young man in his early twenties.