Chapter 40

Three days after the talk with the Guild Master of Adventurers.

Early in the morning, Leonis and Lord Raz, along with someone I had never seen before, came to my house.

"Good morning, Crane. Are you ready?"

"Good morning. I've prepared as much as I can. I'm just doing a final check on the food and supplies."

I bought a large amount of freshly baked bread today (I had ordered it in advance from the nearby bakery, so there's quite a lot), packed it into a homemade box, and put it into a magic bag. I also packed vegetables and meat separately... if we don't overeat, it should last about two weeks. I have about three days' worth of food for each of us, but it's easier to store if we keep it together.

By the way, we plan to spend five days in the dungeon.

The knights from the capital are expected to arrive tomorrow and stay for three days. So, if we spend five days in the dungeon starting today, we should be able to avoid them. However, there's a possibility of an extension.

"Yeah... we'd be in trouble if we ran out of food. It seems you've thought it through. Are Naga and the others carrying their own supplies separately?"

"...Yeah."

"Nice to meet you. And who's that guy?"

My brother was friendly to Leonis but was intimidating the other person.

I wonder why? I don't think he's shy around people. I tilted my head, and Naga was doing the same.

"This is Fol, our scout. He's also one of my subordinates."

"I'm Fol. Nice to meet you."

He seems suspicious.

A scout... yeah. His smile is really suspicious. Also, his polite language is a bit off and bothersome. He seems more like someone who works in the underworld.

"A scout, huh... Is he the same guy who's been watching us recently, or am I just imagining it?"

"Hehe... I'm sorry. I didn't think we were close enough for you to notice."

So, someone was watching us. My brother didn't tell us because he didn't want to worry us, I guess. He must have seen the person clearly... he has incredible eyesight. He could see from a distance where no one else could... but if this person was watching us, he must have good eyesight too.

"In town, it might be different, but outside the town, the view is clear. Why were you watching us? We don't want to team up with someone we can't trust."

"Ah, sorry. Foreigners are a target for surveillance... can you forgive us for our job?"

Lord Raz glanced at me, but... no, my brother has more say in this. He's the party leader, so we need to convince him... I sent a look to Leonis.

Leonis scratched his head, sighing.

Well, if anyone can mediate, it's Leonis... I feel bad, but...

"Ha... What do you think, Leonis?"

"Consider it for your safety. Raz and I can handle traps in the dungeon, but you guys can't. Without a scout, it might be tough. He seems suspicious, but he's skilled. I haven't worked with him, but you can learn from him. Crane, try to pick up his movements and learn to do it yourself to some extent."

Yeah, that makes sense.

But, now that I know Lord Raz doesn't trust us, is it safe to go to the dungeon with this group?

Naga frowned. Yeah... I'm worried before we even leave.

"Wow, you don't trust my subordinate?"

"Lord Raz. I understand we need a scout, but why were we being watched when we have a contract with you?"

"I told them to watch foreigners, not you specifically. But, your abilities might be a threat, so I guess they were watching you. I didn't give that specific order, though."

"I see. Then, Fol, we'll be working together in the dungeon. Can we trust you?"

"Yes, of course."

We stared at each other... but his eyes are closed, so I can't tell if our gazes met. However, something feels familiar. Also, my <Intuition> doesn't sense any danger.

He's probably Lord Raz's bodyguard... or something. Since Lord Raz is important, it makes sense to have a bodyguard.

"...Brother, Naga. It's fine. At least, he won't betray Lord Raz, so he won't harm us."

"Why?"

"Because I don't sense any danger... and when I first met Lord Raz, it was much more dangerous... I didn't notice, but you were there, right? As a bodyguard..."

"Huh... Hehe... Yes, that's correct. Without Lord Raz's order, I won't try to harm you."

He's laughing happily, but... yeah...

I don't know why, but I feel like I shouldn't trust him... but, it should be fine.

The only evidence is that he won't betray Lord Raz... and Leonis probably finds it troublesome. He wouldn't try to harm us just to show his face.

"Crane... is it okay?"

"Naga, is it not okay?"

"...If you say so, it's fine."

"Let's trust Crane."

They both seemed to agree.

I looked at Lord Raz again, and he shrugged, signaling Fol to step back.

Well, we all have our reasons, but we don't need to be best friends... we set off with some lingering doubts.

"Leonis, I'm sorry for the trouble, but please take care of us."

"Sure. We'll manage. On the way to the dungeon, I'll explain things... but, you guys haven't formed a party before, right?"

"Well, we've only ventured close to town... we've practiced by sparring with each other, but we haven't fought monsters together as a party of three."

"I see. Do you have your roles decided?"

Roles... yeah.

Hmm. If I say we have our roles decided, we do, but...

"...I'll be the tank. You'll be the healer. Stay back."

"I'll be the attacker. Naga has high base attack power."

Yeah, that's safe. But, I'm the healer, which is fine... but what does "stay back" mean? Do you want me to stay in the back?

"Hmm? Do you prefer to be in the back, Crane?"

Leonis looked at me curiously.

Well, I prefer solo play, so I think being in the middle or front is fine.

Actually, I was surprised by the "stay back" comment.

"Until you get used to it, staying back will make Naga feel more secure. His defense is a bit low, so I'm worried."

"Hmm... I see. For the dungeon, I'll be the tank. Naga will be the secondary tank. Granos will be the physical attacker... this party needs someone to stop the monsters' movements and act as a wall. Raz will be the magic attacker. He'll cast spells from the back, but I'll put him in the middle. Crane will be the healer in the back. Fol will be the scout, and for combat, he'll be in the middle to back, watching the rear."

"Yes, I understand."

My brother also suggested I stay in the back, so I ended up there.

But, I think Lord Raz can stay in the back... I think they're over-worried.

"Ah, next, on the way to the dungeon, you three should lead."

"Um, why?"

"The dungeon has traps, so a scout is necessary. But, on the way there, there are no traps. There might be surprise attacks from monsters, but it's good practice. The recommended level for the dungeon is around 20, so you shouldn't die if you defend yourselves. If it gets dangerous, we'll help. Focus on defense, and counter-attack if possible. If you can't handle it, we'll take care of it."

Hmm.

Leonis... I don't think he's basing it on my level.

My attack power is indeed low, but I think the two of them can handle it easily...

At least, they're twice as strong as me, even though they're half my level. I clearly realized the difference between combat and production roles.

"Also, if you can get the <Scout> ability, it will be useful in the future. Try to be aware of your surroundings. If you have <Observation>, use it to see the whole area."

"Use <Observation> to check for any abnormalities?"

"I couldn't get it, so I don't know."

"Right. That's the general idea."

"Ah, Crane. If you can, focus your magic power in your eyes. Since you specialize in magic, you might be able to see far."

"Got it..."

The monsters on the way are quickly spotted by my brother, so we proceed without any surprise attacks.

When it comes to monsters, if I stay back, the two of them take them down easily, so I started moving forward. If they fight alone, I won't gain any experience!

They're worried about my low defense, but as long as I avoid attacks, it's not a problem. I avoid when I can, and use my shield to block when I can't, then attack. We don't struggle, so we take them down quickly.

I think the two of them are more dangerous because they don't guard properly... yeah. My brother avoids, and Naga doesn't take any damage.

Lord Raz and Fol are mostly just following. They're also watching the rear, but there don't seem to be any problems.

Leonis watches the combat and gives advice... mostly to me. He also comments on Naga's guarding, but since he's not the tank now, he can attack.

Naga's fighting style is similar to Leonis's... "If you don't have to worry about the back, I fight like that too." As a tank, he needs to be more aware of the back.

The difference in STR is quite noticeable.

The unpaved road is difficult to walk on. We're heading towards the mountains to the east, following the direction Leonis gave us while being cautious of monsters.

The path seems to have been created by adventurers, so monsters appear normally, and the road is quite uneven, but it's better than nothing.

We have a simple map, but there are no landmarks, so I'm worried we might get lost. The enemies on the way were weaker than expected. When it gets dangerous, the two of them cover me, so the combat was quite easy.

Before entering the dungeon, I realized...

As I already knew, I'm not good at physical attacks or defense. My abilities are low. Supporting with production is probably my role. When I team up with my brother and Naga, I just get in the way.