Chapter 48

**Bonus Chapter**

In the town of Badegold, at a tavern frequented by adventurers near the Adventurer's Guild, a conversation was taking place.

"Have you heard? That rumor."

"Huh? Which one?"

"‘Proki’."

"Ah! I’ve heard, I’ve heard. That’s crazy stuff."

A well-built man asked, and a man with a bowl cut eagerly joined in.

"Isn’t the master of that place called the ‘Devil’s Keeper’?"

"It’s more than that. They’re a group of four who hold the record for the fastest A-rank achievement in the kingdom, the first team to solo-clear the Prolin Dungeon, and their skills are even endorsed by Sherry Lumberjack. The Adventurer, Merchant, and Blacksmith Guilds are so intimidated that they don’t even dare to mess with them."

"Come on, that’s impossible."

"Not only that, but Proki. They’re practically monsters."

"…Hey, I don’t actually know much about this Proki. I get that they’re amazing for clearing Prolin, but…"

"Seriously? Proki stands for ‘Prolin Freak’."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"Apparently, they do at least five laps every day."

"Wow, they’re insane! Their heads must be messed up…"

"Several adventurers have even died trying to imitate them."

"Idiots. It’s not that easy to make a profit."

"Even for us, clearing C-rank dungeons is nerve-wracking every time, and they do B-rank dungeons multiple times a day… It’s mind-blowing."

"Exactly."

They laughed heartily. Both men were seasoned B-rank adventurers, on the verge of reaching A-rank.

"There are just some people in this world who are on a different level."

"Like the title fighters?"

"Exactly. The four from Proki will likely step onto that stage soon."

"Hah, no way! I’ve been to the title fights three times, and it’s not that easy."

"Oh, right, you…"

"Huh?"

"Weren’t you a fan of that cute one? The elf girl with the bow, you know…"

"Shut up! No, I just wanted to see the pinnacle of archery!"

"You’re so obvious, you fool!"

"Stop it, I said!"

The drinking session turned into a scuffle, and the men’s night continued…

***

"Welcome back, my lady."

At the Lumberjack family’s mansion, Sherry, who had just returned from Badegold, was greeted by the butler, Forrest.

"I’ll be leaving again soon."

"…Understood."

Sherry waved her hand dismissively, as if to say, "There were no issues, so just leave it," and began her preparations.

What preparations? For dungeon clearing.

On the day she was confronted by Sera, Sherry had decided to flee the town, but in reality, she had stayed in Badegold for a few days.

For what? Needless to say, for "stalking."

She had been analyzing everything about Second.

And today, she had her answer.

"What I lack is knowledge, training, and experience."

What Second had that she didn’t. Conversely, if she had those, she could catch up to Second.

"But it’s dangerous, isn’t it?"

The earth elemental spirit, Terra, voiced her concern as Sherry methodically prepared for the dungeon.

"Generally, it’s considered dangerous. But I realized something from watching him. Danger is, in a sense, the result of ignorance."

"Ignorance, you say?"

"Yes. By comprehensively understanding all possible dangers in the dungeon and ingraining the appropriate responses, thorough risk management becomes possible. There’s no way to fail."

"…Is that really possible?"

"It’s not just possible; since he can do it, I must be able to as well!"

Sherry finished her preparations and left the mansion.

Her destination was the Adventurer's Guild in the commercial city of Renyado.

When Sherry entered, the adventurers buzzed with excitement. She was already quite famous in Badegold, but in her hometown of Renyado, she was a celebrity known to everyone.

"Hmph, not a bad feeling."

"Hehehe~"

Sherry’s mutter. Hearing it, Terra sensed her "change" and smiled happily.

Previously, she would have shouted, "Be quiet!" at the noise from the adventurers. Now, she barely noticed it, only snorting quietly. Terra believed that Sherry, having seen someone far superior to herself, had gained a sense of ease.

"Hey, can you gather some experienced adventurers who know about the Glutam Dungeon? I have some questions."

"Y-Yes! Please give me a moment!"

"Sure. Can you gather them by tomorrow morning?"

"Understood!"

Sherry informed the receptionist and booked a room at a nearby inn. It wasn’t particularly luxurious, just a simple room with a bed, a desk, and a chair.

On the desk was a map of the C-rank dungeon, Glutam, which she had somehow obtained. She stared at it, deep in thought.

"Hehe, hehehe~"

Terra grew increasingly delighted at the changes in her master.

"What is it, Terra? You’re creepy."

"No, no. Master, choosing a C-rank dungeon, gathering information from adventurers, and even booking a room at an inn… I’m just so happy!"

"Shut up! What’s so bad about it!?"

"No, no. Please, keep it up."

Booking a room at an inn, relying on adventurers, and choosing a dungeon appropriate for her level—these were things the old Sherry would never have done.

For example, she would have said, "There’s no point in going to a C-rank dungeon!" "Relying on low-level adventurers is humiliating!" "Make me wait? Summon them immediately!" "Why would I stay in such a cheap inn!"—that’s how she used to be.

But in this short time, she had changed so much.

She was that desperate. She had discarded her pride, which she once held so dear, to catch up to Second.

And once she let go of that pride, she realized it was actually trivial.

It was a significant growth. As someone who had been with Sherry since she was a child, like an older sister, Terra couldn’t help but be overjoyed by this growth.

"Hehehe~"

"…Sigh, do as you please…"

Terra’s smile and Sherry’s resignation. Thus, their dungeon-clearing life began.

What happened to them afterward is another story. But one thing is certain: they grew even more.

***

In the commercial city of Renyado, at a tavern frequented by adventurers near the Adventurer's Guild, a conversation was taking place.

"Have you heard? That rumor."

"Which one? There are many."

"‘Gluen’."

"Ah! Sure, sure. Lady Sherry."

"Right, Lady Sherry. She’s amazing!"

"Rumor has it she used to do one lap every day, but today, she finally started doing three laps a day."

"Yeah. Young, beautiful, a genius spirit mage, a baroness, and now, the Glutam Angel! She’s unbeatable!"

"…Ah, by the way, you…"

"No, no, I’m not a stalker or anything. I just admire her skills as a spirit mage… Wait, why are you so knowledgeable about this?"

"Uh! No, I just dabble in spirit magic?"

"Liar! You’re a swordsman!"

"You’re an axeman!"

"Shut up! What’s wrong with being a stalker?"

"Ah, you admitted it! You admitted it! You stalker!"

"Hey! You’re one too, right!?"

"No, I’m more of a fan of Lady Terra!"

"That’s even worse!"

…The men’s night continued.

Thank you for reading.

The next chapter is "Chapter 5: The Dark Wolf."