Chapter 48

After making a brief appearance and gathering information at the adventurer guild in the city of Lakolina, Lucie and I headed to the "Dream Hole" that had appeared deep in the forest near the city.

As expected, a rainbow vortex was swirling on a large cliff face.

"Well, let's go. We need to gather some ore."

"Y-Yes!"

Lucie steeled herself at my words.

【"Centipede Mine": Recommended Level: 60】

As soon as we entered, a message echoed in our heads.

The interior was like a cave, with a large hollow space extending endlessly. Magic stone lamps were installed at regular intervals along the walls.

"Like with the 'Angel's Toy Box' before, the recommended level is quite high..."

Lucie walked cautiously, looking uneasy.

"The recommended level is just a guideline set by the 'Dream Master.' The monsters you encounter along the way will generally be much lower in level."

In "Magic World," to level up, you need to hunt monsters that are higher in level than yourself; otherwise, it doesn't make much sense. Especially at our current low levels, it's common to challenge "Dream Holes" with much higher recommended levels.

Our first goal this time is to collect black steel equipment.

Black steel equipment is made from a metal called black steel, which is relatively easy to drop and has a decent value. Additionally, black steel is easy to process, so if you collect a large amount and take it to a blacksmith, you can have it crafted into your preferred weapon.

Given our current levels and Lucie's "Angel of Happiness" ability to boost luck by 700%, there's no better place than this "Centipede Mine" to gather equipment.

"Don't worry. The main monsters that appear here, the Smiles, have simple movements and their attacks aren't that heavy. As long as they don't appear in large numbers, accidents are unlikely to happen."

A Smile is a rock-like monster that reliably drops black steel equipment, making it our target this time.

"I always think, Elma, you really know a lot, whether it's about classes or 'Dream Holes'..."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah... I learned a lot from my family when I was a child."

"Oh... I see. I'm sorry... It's not a pleasant memory, is it?"

"No, don't worry about it. Thanks to you, I was able to part ways with the Edvane family cleanly. I'm not hung up on it anymore."

...Of course, I can't explain that my knowledge from my past life is somehow useful and things are going well. I don't even fully understand it myself. It's an absurd story, and I, the main character, don't grasp the full picture.

"Still, the nobles really have a lot of information... But if you were as knowledgeable as Elma, you could probably be a great success as a guild advisor, giving advice on adventurer skills and such!"

After saying that, Lucie's face turned pale.

"If that happened, I'd become unnecessary...! Let's keep adventuring a bit longer, Elma! Okay? I'll work hard!"

"...I've heard stories from people who actually did that."

"Really, there are people who do it?"

Indeed, class advisors existed, but not in this world. They were in "Magic World."

Several players offered advice on character builds, considering the performance of skills, ease of use, market prices for weapons and skill books, conditions of various "Dream Holes" and events, and the situation with major guilds. They called themselves class advisors.

However, even with careful planning, failures can still happen. Fine adjustments due to updates are only known to those who actually use the class regularly. When you consider the class and the character build, the number of people who can stand at the top is limited. Player skills vary greatly, and there are limits to providing consistently accurate information. Moreover, if something goes wrong, the class advisor might be blamed.

As a result, most class advisors end up being hated by many players and eventually retire. The grudges in this world are far more serious than those in "Magic World."

When I was with the Edvane family, I heard a story about an adventurer who was killed by a noble because of advice on skill books.

I was cautious about giving advice on Lucie's character build because I knew this kind of thing could happen. Even if I was confident in my information, I had to ensure there were no gaps in understanding or differences in perception, and that there was no room for the other person's strategy to change in the future. It's not something you can casually handle for dozens of people.

"Um, Elma, have you ever thought about becoming a class advisor...?"

"No, I definitely won't do it."

I said this firmly.

"Oh, I see. Hehe, I feel a bit relieved. ...Elma, your face looks a bit scary, you know?"

"Sorry, it's just a bad memory. Anyway, here comes our target."

A thumping sound came from ahead. At the end of the passage, a roughly one-meter-diameter, bumpy, spherical rock appeared. On the surface of the rock, a full smile was visible.

――――――――――――――――――――

Monster: Smile

Lv: 45

HP: 60/60

MP: 45/45

――――――――――――――――――――

"Right away, a [Lv: 45]...! Elma! That rock face is the same level as Maris! Essentially, the next head of the family!"

"Calm down, Lucie. Calling it Maris might get us in trouble."

Of course, we won't be forced into a close battle like last time. We chose this "Centipede Mine" because we have a solid chance of winning.

"Let's take it down quickly and get it to drop its items."