Chapter 27

Today's second update

* A little revision.

In the large-scale dungeon expedition, Ririsia and I were given the task of transporting supplies.

So, at noon, we set out from the capital and headed east.

I pulled the cart loaded with supplies, and Ririsia pushed from behind.

Normally, a cart like this would be pulled by an ox or a donkey, but since all the livestock were being used, we had to transport it by hand.

There were other adventurers also transporting supplies.

The road was fairly flat.

There were only two hills along the way, so we could proceed leisurely.

After about an hour, as we approached the eastern mountain range,

At the foot of the third hill, a large encampment had been set up.

At the bottom of the hill was the entrance to the dungeon.

The encampment was surrounded by tents, with supplies gathered in one place and guards posted. Numerous tents and cooking areas were also set up for camping.

It was estimated that there were over a thousand knights and adventurers combined.

Watching them, both the adventurers and the knights seemed to be in high spirits.

Well, it's not every day that such a large group attempts to conquer a dungeon.

I could understand their excitement over this unprecedented situation.

As we transported the cart, one of the knights called out to us.

"Thank you for your hard work. Please take the supplies to the third tent."

"Sure thing."

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and headed to the designated location.

The knights helped us unload the supplies into the large tent.

Then we returned the way we came.

The return trip was quick and light.

Since we had time, I let Ririsia ride on the cart.

She blushed and said apologetically,

"Me, a slave, getting to ride so comfortably... Master, shouldn't we switch?"

"I command you to reject that. Enjoy the ride."

"Fe... Fe..."

Ririsia's face turned bright red, but she looked happy as she gazed at the scenery.

After that, we transported the cart to the top of the hill.

The view suddenly opened up.

The green fields and farmlands stretched out, and a winding road leading all the way to the capital could be seen in the distance.

As we approached the downhill slope, I suddenly remembered a game the village children used to play.

I started down the slope and jumped onto the cart.

Ririsia, who had been lying down leisurely, clung to me.

"Fe!? Master, what are you doing!?"

"Let's go!"

I held Ririsia with one arm to protect her.

The cart rattled and rolled down the hill at a rapid pace.

Next to me, Ririsia clung to me while letting out cute screams.

"Yaaah! -- Master, it's dangerous!"

"Ahaha! It's okay! I'll protect you!"

"Master -- Kyaa!"

The cart raced down at high speed. At the bottom of the hill, it veered off the road and plunged into the grass.

Ririsia and I, still holding each other, were thrown into the air.

We rolled down the hill, pushing the green grass aside.

Neither of us was hurt, and as we caught our breath, we couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Ririsia, her cheeks flushed, tried to suppress her smile and put on a forced angry face.

"Master, that was dangerous!"

"Hehe, but it was fun."

"Master -- Hehe"

The laughter we couldn't hold back made Ririsia and me hug and laugh together.

The childish game was unexpectedly very enjoyable.

...Maybe it's because I hardly had a childhood, which makes it even more so.

After a while, we lay on our backs side by side.

White clouds drifted across the blue sky. A bright butterfly floated in the wind.

The world seemed vivid and colorful.

"The sky, the clouds, and the fields are all beautiful."

"Yes... Everything I see is beautiful."

Ririsia smiled up at the sky in my arms.

This irreplaceable warmth and softness.

The trivial time spent with Ririsia was incredibly precious.

I realized what had made the world so vivid.

"...I see, I've been living in a gray world all this time."

"Master?"

"Enjoying a walk in the city and finding trivial games fun, it's all because Ririsia is by my side. Thank you."

"Master... I feel the same way."

Ririsia rubbed her cheek against mine happily.

I stroked her soft silver hair and said,

"Let's try to reclaim the time we were supposed to spend together."

"Yes, Master!"

We lay on the grass for a while, gazing at the same blue sky.

Then, the adventurers came, and the cart was in the way, so we hurriedly moved it and headed back to the capital.

◇ ◇ ◇

After that, we returned to the capital with the empty cart.

We loaded supplies at a warehouse near the castle and transported them again.

Today, we made two round trips.

Since it's the first day, there are many supplies for setting up the camp and building walls, so from tomorrow, we'll only make one trip every other day.

We headed east on the peaceful road in the afternoon.

We arrived at the encampment without incident and unloaded the supplies into the tent.

Then, I heard voices arguing from somewhere far away.

Looking closely, I could see a small figure with golden hair shining in the sunlight on the other side of the tents.

--It must be Marius.

I casually looked at the party he was leading.

There was a female court magician, a squint-eyed female priest, and a woman with orange hair who was very alluring.

Wasn't she the female thief I saw at the slave market?

I couldn't tell from a distance, but I had a feeling it was her.

To think he would buy an unconditional slave for 6 million just to participate in the dungeon expedition.

It's not like only heroes can conquer the dungeon; he could go to other places.

It would be more beneficial for the people to go and deal with the chimeras in the ancient castle or the giant apes that ravage the fields.

Well, it doesn't matter to me.

--And then.

I was suddenly called from behind a building.

"Excuse me, but..."

"?" (I and Ririsia)

I and Ririsia were startled.

We hadn't sensed his presence at all.

Looking at him, a thin, unassuming man stood there. His black hair was messy, and he looked thin and lacked energy.

He gave off an aura of lack of motivation.

However, he introduced himself as Edgar, an A-rank adventurer and thief, in the meeting room.

Edgar scratched his head casually and said,

"Sorry to bother you. You're Alec, right?"

"I get what you're saying. Even if you invite me to your party, I won't join."

"Hehe, that's a shame. But that's fine for now. Do you know Marius?"

"...We're not on good terms."

"Is that so..."

"Is there something you want to ask?"

"Right now, they're arguing over the slave he brought... What kind of person is Marius?"

"He looks good, is polite, and is friendly despite being a noble. But in reality, he belittles others and schemes behind the scenes to gain money and fame."

"Ah, I see. Is he strong?"

"Well, he passed the hero's practical exam without cheating, so he probably has the minimum strength required to be a hero."

"But he doesn't seem very strong to me."

"I'm not that strong either. Heroes are just like that."

I'm incompetent and fail missions all the time.

Edgar, who had been hiding his gentle eyes behind his black hair, looked surprised.

"What are you saying? I could probably beat Marius, but I don't know how to beat Alec."

"Really? If you could sneak up on me like you did just now, you could easily hit my fatal skills."

"Yeah, I can imagine where you'd hit, but it wouldn't be fatal, and I can't imagine you being on the ground."

"Why?"

Ririsia, standing next to me, shook her silver hair and said,

"Maybe it's because Master's holy wave energy is overwhelmingly vast. Minor injuries would be healed by the leaking holy wave energy."

"Is that so..."

I remember the female priest in the hero party saying, "It's easy because I'm always with Alec."

Edgar nodded.

"In my imagination, even if you cut his carotid artery, he wouldn't die. I really don't know how to beat him."

"That's how strong I am."

"Really. If Alec were a hero, I'd understand, but not Marius... I guess a lot has happened."

I pulled Ririsia's slender shoulder closer.

"Well, being fired as a hero allowed me to meet my beloved Ririsia. Now I can live as I please."

"Master..."

Ririsia blushed and leaned closer. Her soft silver hair was adorable.

Edgar, with wide eyes, shrugged his shoulders.

"That's passionate. Well, if that's the case, it doesn't matter what happens to Marius."

"What will happen?"

"Well, that female thief slave, Mephil, is a really dangerous person. She targets men and makes them lose their status, honor, and wealth, then discards them. She's a real viper."

Edgar glanced at Marius and his group.

I could only shrug my shoulders.

"Even if she's dangerous, since Marius has a slave contract with her, he should be safe, right?"

"I hope so... By the way, she looks young but is actually over 70."

"Really? I thought she was in her early twenties. Maybe she has elven blood... But it doesn't matter to me. Good luck with the expedition, Edgar."

"Thanks. I have a bad feeling, but I hope I can protect the members."

Edgar looked at the dungeon entrance with a worried expression. His eyes, hidden behind his black hair, were stern.

He seems to be a very capable leader and adventurer.

He may look unmotivated, but he cares about his surroundings.

I thought I might as well give him a little advice.

"Hey, Edgar. This dungeon apparently has at least two cores."

"Really!? I've never heard that before!"

"One of them is a golem. I don't know about the others."

"Golem! ...If that's true, our party needs to bring spare equipment. We're not very strong... I'll go back! Thanks!"

Edgar ran off like the wind.

Watching him disappear, I couldn't help but mutter,

"You believe my words just like that..."

"Master can't lie."

Ririsia smiled in my arms and rubbed her face against mine like a cat, which was adorable.

I stroked her head and replied,

"Let's go back."

"Okay."

On the other side, Marius was still arguing.

"Those aren't slaves bought by the hero! They were sent by my family!"

He was desperately trying to defend himself, looking quite pathetic.

--It doesn't matter to me.

Ririsia and I quickly pushed the cart and went back.

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Next update in the evening or at night

→ 28. My Way of Conquering the Dungeon