Chapter 76

"Second, aren't you worried about leaving the capital for three days during such a difficult time?"

On the way to the commercial city of Renyado, Sylvia asked me with a worried look on her face.

Indeed, I also had some concerns about leaving the capital. There was the possibility that Biside's life could be targeted, or that the prime minister might do something while I was away. The list of worries was endless. But...

"According to Winfield, it's a 'grilled appearance.'"

"Hmm?"

"Grilled appearance?"

Echo tilted her head in confusion.

"It means being stripped of all your fangs and claws, and having your body roasted whole. The longer time passes, the more the heat spreads, and the more the suffering increases. You can't even fight back because you have no weapons."

"So, Winfield thinks he's trying to make us impatient, and when we can't take the heat anymore and foolishly jump out, he'll pounce and eat us, right?"

"Exactly. So, just relax and take a break."

"The strategist sees everything, doesn't he? I can't match him."

Echo, who didn't quite understand, asked, "Is it delicious?" I rolled my eyes and immediately replied, "No, it's not." To an outsider, it might sound silly, but Echo found it hilarious, so I was satisfied.

...

And so, after a whole day, we somehow managed to pass the time and arrived in Renyado.

Upon arrival, the three of us plus the entire First Court Magician Corps decided to check into our lodging first. It was a high-end, large inn that we had reserved exclusively three days in advance, almost by force, using the names of the Second Prince and Lord Lumberjack.

"What is this inn...?"

Cherry looked up at the obviously expensive inn with a blank expression.

"It's an introduction from the lord. Isn't it nice?"

"Hmm. So, what do you intend to show us the inn where you're staying? Is it to spite us?"

"Huh? You're staying here too, you know?"

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

After a moment of silence, as if trying to understand what I meant, Cherry's eyes widened, and she approached me.

"Did you really book rooms for 200 people here!?"

"No, it's reserved exclusively."

"Got it...!"

She gasped, her voice cracking.

Zephyr, the captain, who had been listening to our conversation, approached us with a waddle.

"Hey, brat! There's no budget for this! Do you know how much it costs!"

"I told you to leave everything to me, didn't I?"

"There's such a thing as common sense!!"

Oh, I'm in trouble.

"Second, this isn't good."

Sylvia whispered in my ear. I immediately understood what she meant.

The members of the corps, who were waiting in formation behind us, looked "worn out" as they watched Cherry's shock and the captain's anger. Of course, they would feel that way. After a long day of travel, just when they thought they could finally rest, this happened. It was enough to make anyone upset. We were supposed to start the Glutam Dungeon early tomorrow, and morale was already low.

"Hey, everyone, listen up!"

I suddenly had an idea and stepped in front of the formation, raising my voice. It was a brilliant plan to boost their morale and gain some goodwill, a two-for-one deal.

"I'll pay for the stay here! Eat, drink, play, and soak in the hot springs as much as you like!"

As soon as I declared this, everyone erupted in cheers. Applause and whistles filled the air. They didn't even break formation, which was impressive.

If they could be this happy with a little money, it made me feel good too. I learned that money earned easily should be spent freely.

"But don't drink too much today. If even one of you is hungover tomorrow, I'll kill you myself, not the monsters."

I added a touch of humor, and it went over well. Everyone's spirits were high, and their laughter threshold was low. It was a good day.

"Brat, are you sure... is this really okay?"

"It's too late now, we already made the reservation. There's no other choice."

"Is that so?"

"Come on, Captain, just relax and enjoy it. Don't worry, this level of expense won't hurt me."

"...Ha, that's a good attitude."

Zephyr nodded and bowed slightly, then led the members into the inn with a smile that looked like a weight had been lifted. His steps even seemed to skip. He was overly cheerful now.

"Hey, what's wrong? You can come in too, Cherry."

"Such blatant goodwill. That's why I dislike nouveau riche."

"Yeah, I suddenly became rich, so I don't know how to use money properly."

"...Hmph, is that so?"

Cherry turned away and followed the captain and the others.

As I watched her leave, looking annoyed, Sylvia approached with Echo, who was dozing on her back.

"That doll-like girl, she reminds me of someone."

"Really?"

"Yes. Who was it... hmm, who was it?"

"Who?"

"...Don't you think she looks like someone?"

"Who?"

In the end, Sylvia couldn't remember who it was, no matter how much she tried.

She reminds me of someone... Cherry's sharp tongue and cold demeanor are somewhat like Yuki's. Her build is somewhat like Echo's. But since Sylvia couldn't remember, it's probably not one of these two people.

Well, whatever. Let's focus on food, drinks, and the hot springs. We should enjoy this high-end inn while we can. I walked into the inn with a proud look, as if to say, "I'm the one who paid for all this!"

...

The next day.

Before the sky had fully brightened, over 200 members of the First Court Magician Corps, plus the three of us, gathered at the C-class dungeon, "Glutam."

Glutam is known as the "Illusion Dungeon." It's also called the "Mushroom Dungeon" or the "GangguMari Dungeon," which are pretty self-explanatory. The monsters that appear are either poisonous mushroom-like creatures or zombies that spread spores from their heads. It's a dungeon that seems deliberately designed to be bizarre.

In reality, this dungeon is incredibly easy. As long as you have the right countermeasures for illusions, it's one of the easiest dungeons out there.

All the monsters use "Illusion Magic." If you get hit by it, you'll see illusions for about 10 seconds, making it difficult to act. During this time, the monsters will launch a full attack.

There are two countermeasures: avoid "Illusion Magic" or eat a "banana."

You might laugh and say, "What are you talking about?" but it's true. Eating a banana makes you immune to "Illusion Magic" for an hour. I don't know why it's bananas, but that's just how it is.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

When I explained this to the court magicians, Cherry, as usual, was the one to express her disbelief. It was the expected reaction.

"Illusion Magic is countered by bananas, it's common knowledge."

"Common knowledge? Only in your strange mind, I think."

It seems they didn't know. In this world, it appears that the knowledge of how to counter illusions hasn't spread.

There are hints, though. In Renyado, there's an NPC who randomly recommends bananas, and the local store sells an unusually large number of bananas.

Despite this, the knowledge hasn't spread. Maybe the NPC came to his senses, or the store changed its business strategy. After all, they wouldn't be able to sell so many bananas. Most people wouldn't eat bananas just because a stranger recommended them.

In other words, the "game-specific quirks" of this world have been adjusted to be more realistic. Things that were unrealistic have been made more reasonable. It's an interesting change. After becoming the best, it might be fun to explore these changes.

"Anyway, as long as you eat a banana every hour, Illusion Magic won't be a problem. If you stick to this, the Glutam monsters will be like minions."

I took 2000 bananas from my inventory and distributed 10 to each person. This should last them 10 hours.

"By the way, Second, your inventory seems to hold an abnormal amount of items, doesn't it?"

Sylvia, who was bored, suddenly asked this.

"Probably 60 times more than a normal person's."

"Sixty...! That's amazing!"

If everyone in this world is free-to-play, I've maxed out my inventory expansion, making it 60 times larger. It cost a pretty penny, but it was worth it. This is a sub-character, but that's precisely why I did it. This Second was originally a "storage character," so having a large inventory was essential.

By the time I finished distributing the bananas, I had thought about this.

"Split into groups and enter the dungeon in order. I'll wait at the boss's location. Sylvia and Echo, please patrol the dungeon."

"Understood."

"Got it!"

This time, we'll clear the dungeon in groups of 10. The monsters on the way are no match for 10 court magicians as long as they eat bananas. However, I'm still worried about the boss, so I'll stay at the boss's spawn point and "reskill" continuously.

In case of an emergency, I've asked Sylvia and Echo to patrol the dungeon. However, patrolling doesn't mean just wandering around. They'll use their unique combination of ultra-speed to clear the dungeon multiple times, a unique patrolling method.

"Let's start."

As I clapped my hands, the first group entered the dungeon. Thus, the First Court Magician Corps' Glutam Dungeon run began.

...

"Here, Group 16. Oh, it's your fourth lap. Great job. You're in the lead so far."

As I stamped their card, the girls in Group 16 cheered.

This is the end of the Glutam Dungeon, a dome-shaped cavern where the boss appears. However, since it only spawns every 15 minutes, it's currently empty.

Getting a stamp from me counts as one lap. The group with the most laps at the end will receive a prize. Therefore, everyone rushes to the next lap after a short break.

"By the way, Second, can we keep these cards as souvenirs when we're done?"

Airi, from Group 16, asked this as she left. Her group is a group of 10 girls, and they're very close, but they're also very efficient, as evidenced by their leading position.

I replied, "Sure, feel free to keep them," and the girls in Group 16 squealed with delight. I heard words like "rock-paper-scissors" and "auction," but the boss was about to spawn, so I ignored it.

"By the way, it's a one-shot kill."

The Glutam boss, "Magical Fungus," is a large, poisonous mushroom monster that uses "Illusion Magic" and poison attacks... but it's weak to fire. With my current stats, it's a one-hit kill with "Fire Attribute: Third Form."

"Bye-bye."

As the Magical Fungus emerged from the ground and roared, "Grrr!" I cast "Fire Attribute: Third Form," which critically hit its abdomen. A dazzling rainbow flash and a burst of flames enveloped it, and the mushroom was dead before it could react.

A murmur of surprise rose from the entrance of the cavern.

A girl approached, leading a group.

"Stamp, please."

It was Cherry. Why is she so grumpy? Probably because her group, Group 4, isn't in the lead.

"Here, Group 4. Fourth lap. You're in second place right now."

"I know. Give it back quickly."

"Hey, why so grumpy? Relax."

"It's none of your business!"

What's with her...

Cherry snatched the card from me and walked away, leaving her group behind. Her group members followed her with troubled and tired expressions.

I don't know why she's so irritated, but leaving her like this won't end well. I contacted Sylvia via team chat just in case.

...Oh no, something's going to happen. This is so troublesome.

I've been in this situation before. Who was it...?

...

Annoying man.

At first, I thought he was just a talkative guy who got the job through the Second Prince's connections.

But, to my frustration, he's genuinely skilled.

What he says sounds crazy, but it's probably right.

That's what bothers me the most.

His unconventional methods, his carefree attitude, his confidence—none of it sits well with me.

It feels like all my efforts, my life, have been negated.

I just can't stand it.

If it weren't for him, I could have been like that.

I could have been the best in magic.

He shattered my pride.

Not only that, but he also shattered the discipline, the atmosphere, and the common sense around me.

When I see his annoyingly handsome face, I get so frustrated, and my heart races.

I can't control my emotions anymore.

It was the same yesterday.

He made me and the captain look like the bad guys, improving his own image.

He just paid a little of his excess money.

The inn was wonderful. The food, the hot springs, and the rooms were all great.

But with my personality, I couldn't enjoy it as his favor.

I'm the ace of the First Court Magicians. I can afford a high-end inn like this on my own.

I decided to pay for myself.

I became a top court magician through my own efforts.

That's how it should be, and it has to be that way.

It has to be my own strength, not his. It has to be...

Thank you for reading.