Chapter 37

"Second, why do you know the unexplored dungeon's information in such detail?"

Sylvia's question hit my weak spot critically.

"......Ah......"

I was at a loss for words.

What should I do? Should I make an excuse, or should I reveal it? What should I do?

"I had a hunch from the moment we met. There must be some reason, right?"

That's right. There is a reason. A reason that can't be explained in a few words, a reason that's hard to believe.

Sensing the serious atmosphere Sylvia exuded, Eko and Yuki also turned their gazes towards me. Even though they knew it wasn't "my fault," it felt like I was being blamed, and I couldn't settle down. The fact that I felt this way must mean that somewhere in my heart, I had a guilty conscience. Should I just come clean then?

No. It's better not to.

My situation far exceeds their understanding. What goes beyond understanding is "scary." Therefore, I shouldn't tell them. I shouldn't ruin the relationship we've built so far. If I do, I'll lose the top spot.

Then, as if she knew or didn't know about my dilemma, Sylvia opened her mouth with a stern expression.

"......I trust you. If you feel like talking, I'd like to hear it. I'll accept any truth."

I thought she was strong—honestly, I did.

The courage to face the truth that might shatter her trust, the resolve to stick to her beliefs, the integrity of never lying, the unwavering core that never wavers. Sylvia has all of that.

A pure, honest, and clear heart, strong and right, that I can never imitate, should never imitate.

"Sylvia"

That's why—

"I'm sorry, but I won't reveal my secret to anyone."

—I ran away.

Acknowledging the secret and declaring that I would never reveal it. A one-sided decision, leaning on Sylvia's strength.

But you know, if I don't run away here, I'm not me. If I don't run away here, I can't be the top-ranked me from back then.

"I won't say I'll tell you someday. I will never, ever, reveal it to anyone... I'm sorry."

I bowed my head. I wished for this to be the end of the matter and for us to return to our usual daily routine.

After a brief silence, Sylvia laughed softly and said with a loving expression.

"I don't mind at all. But... if you ever feel down, you can always take back your words."

Sylvia Virginia.

...She's a good woman. I truly thought so.

* * *

After Master returned to his room, the three of us held a secret meeting.

The topic was "What is Master's secret?" However—

"To be honest, I don't really care."

I spoke my mind.

Yes, it doesn't matter to me what secret Master has. It seems Eko feels the same way, nodding in agreement.

"Well, I think so too, but it's a bit concerning, isn't it?"

Sylvia said with a playful smile.

Well... indeed.

"But isn't it inappropriate to pry into Master's secret?"

"Hmm. I've been wondering, Yuki, aren't you a free person now? Why do you still call Second 'Master'?"

Oh, this person is quite perceptive.

"I promised to take care of Master's daily needs."

"Hmm? Taking care of daily needs, like a maid?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Hmm, but isn't it strange? Does a maid get a starting salary of 20 million CL?"

"That's my reward as a blacksmith. What's it to you?"

Moreover, I've already used most of that 20 million CL to buy a 'Superior Maid Outfit.' Master is going to buy a magnificent mansion in the capital, so I'll debut in my maid outfit then. Otherwise, I don't know what this fake female knight would say. By the way, the Superior Maid Outfit, worth its price, was quite high-performance. However, it's a mystery why such a high-end item was made for a mere maid.

"Can you be both a maid and a blacksmith?"

"Yes, I can manage both perfectly."

Sylvia fell silent with a "grr" expression. Fufu, I won.

"I want to be a maid too!"

Eko raised her hand decisively. But I can't allow that.

"No way."

"Aww..."

It's my identity, so I won't give it up easily.

"Anyway, let's get back to guessing Master's secret."

As I said, Sylvia, who had been crossing her arms, opened her mouth.

"Right. I think Second might be a spy from another country."

Impressive guess. If that's the case, it makes sense why he knows so much about dungeons and why he can't reveal his true identity to us.

"I accidentally mentioned some confidential information earlier, so I had to deny it strongly."

"But... if he's a spy, why is he the top-ranked?"

"Oh, right..."

Let's rethink this.

We groaned and brainstormed various ideas.

"Could he be an alien? Or a psychic?"

"Someone from the future!"

"Maybe from another world..."

While making such impossible guesses, our night wore on.

* * *

Five hours west from the town of Peho, as the dense vegetation thinned and the earthy smell grew stronger, the blacksmith town of 'Badgold' appeared in the mountains.

"Alright, let's secure a distributor for the mithril alloy at the blacksmith guild and then dive into Prolin right away."

I urged Sevenstear to the blacksmith guild, eager to dive into the Prolin dungeon, which I hadn't visited in a while.

"Second, why are you in such a hurry?"

Sylvia, who had finally caught up, asked from a bit behind.

"Among the B-rank dungeons, Prolin is my favorite!"

"That's not a reason!"

"You'll see!"

I laughed and rushed to the blacksmith guild.

* * *

One hour later.

We were still at the blacksmith guild.

There were plenty of potential buyers, but none of them would take the deal. Everywhere I went, they said, "No way, you can't possibly supply mithril alloy consistently."

"Well, that's to be expected."

Yuki muttered. Indeed, if someone I didn't know came to me and said, "I'll start supplying mithril alloy tomorrow," I wouldn't believe them either.

"What do you think we should do?"

I asked Yuki without shame.

"I think it would be best to gain a reputation by clearing the Prolin dungeon on a grand scale. If you show your strength, you'll likely gain their trust."

"Does that mean we have to join the adventurer's guild?"

"Yes, that's the way."

Ugh... I really don't want to. I have nothing but bad memories of the adventurer's guild from my previous life.

"Is there any other way?"

"I can't think of any."

"What about Sylvia and Eko?"

"Don't know."

"Don't know."

They both don't know.

"What if we clear the dungeon without joining the adventurer's guild?"

"It would be even more troublesome."

"True..."

It's better to pretend to be obedient and say, "He's our ace! We have high hopes for him!" than to clear the dungeon without revealing my identity and have the adventurer's guild say, "Who is he? We can't ignore him!"

Of course, this is assuming the adventurer's guild is "normal." Most of the time, they're not. If we clear the dungeon without registering, who knows what they'll do. They might stalk us, spread rumors to the blacksmith guild to interfere, pressure our clients, or even send assassins. If it's the "Mevion Adventurer's Guild" I know, it's a very real possibility.

"...I guess there's no choice. Let's go to the adventurer's guild after checking into an inn."

I gave up, shoulders slumped, and headed to the inn.

* * *

"I'd like to register."

"A, a, a, right! This way, please!"

The receptionist was unusually friendly. I felt the benefits of having an ultra-attractive avatar at such times.

I filled out the registration forms and handed them to the receptionist. We registered as a team. The team name is 'Fastest,' and there are four members, including me.

I declined the basic explanations and received the guild cards for the number of people. They serve as identification for adventurers and a pass for the guild. Both the team and individual ranks on the guild cards are F. The ranks range from F to A.

"Would you like a guide for new adventurers or information about various workshops?"

"No, thank you."

"O, okay... The total cost for four people and team registration is 140,000 CL."

"......Okay."

I paid with gold coins and left the reception area.

I was getting increasingly annoyed. I could tell.

Various reasons were piling up. I was frustrated by the delay in going to Prolin, by the people who refused to buy mithril alloy, by the situation that forced me to register with the adventurer's guild, by the fact that I was F-rank, and by the guild's blatant money-making.

"Hey, hey! Skinny guy, you've got a dark elf with you!"

...And now, I'm being hassled by some weird guy. That's why I hate it.

"Newbie, right? I'll educate you. It's called a beginner's lesson. You should be grateful, right?"

The bearded, large man got in my face and tried to intimidate me. Behind him were three other shady characters. They seemed to think they could beat me and were already thinking about the "fun" after winning, licking their lips.

Snap.

I heard a sound in my head.

"You know, I've been wondering. Why do people like you hassle others?"

"What?"

"Probably because you think it's a lucky break to see a weak guy with a pretty girl. You think you can easily extort them under the guise of 'newbie education.' That's why there's always one guy in a group who thinks he's cool and acts like a bully."

"What? Are you picking a fight, you?"

"Not really. Well, not exactly. You're a repeat offender, right? I don't think you're bad, but I do think the adventurer's guild is bad for letting people like you run wild. Teachers should take care of bad students and give them a proper warning, right?"

"......"

When I looked around, everyone, including adventurers and guild staff, avoided eye contact. If there were a knight like Sylvia, it would be different, but usually, "out of sight, out of mind." But with so many people here and no one stopping it, aren't you all complicit?

"Is 'newbie education' some kind of code? Are you all in on it? Hey, you guys—"

"Don't ignore me!"

"Got it, got it, you're so noisy. Come on, attack me. I can't defend myself, right?"

"Damn you!!"

The large man, his face red with anger, threw a big punch.

Unfortunately, he was full of openings... I could kill him at any time.

"No!"

—In the next moment, Eko stepped between me and the large man.

The large man's fist hit Eko's head with a thud.

"Ah, Ow..."

His right hand seemed to be broken, and he staggered back. Eko didn't budge. The difference in STR and VIT was too great.

"Damn! What... What the hell!?"

The three lackeys behind him moved to help—suddenly, they collapsed to the floor, confused.

"I tied them up just in case, Master."

I remembered Yuki had the [Puppetry] skill. As expected of a top-notch assassin who served a duchess, she had tied them up without showing any signs.

"Hey, I have no job to do now."

Sylvia, who had her hand on her bow, complained. What did she plan to do with a bow in such a confined space? She was muttering something like, "I practiced the Flame Wolf Bow Kick for this moment..." It would be unrefined to point out that a bow doesn't make sense in this situation.

"Thank you. Let's go."

I thanked everyone and left the guild, feeling the gazes of many people on my back.

...

After walking a bit, I realized.

My legs were shaking.

Was I afraid of the large man?

No, I was afraid of myself.

If I had let my frustration get the better of me and fought... I might have ended up in a "massacre."

This isn't a game. I realized I still hadn't fully grasped that. If I kill someone, it's not "PK" but "murder." I know this in my head, but the game mindset still lingers.

Becoming the perfect number one in this different world might be, in a sense, difficult.

"Let's rest for today."

I told the three and locked myself in the inn room.

...I'm not good at this. I couldn't stop shaking after killing the thief.

In the future, I should avoid unnecessary interactions. It's scary when I'm in a bad mood.

I lay on the bed, thinking about these things, and let my consciousness drift away.

Thank you for reading.