Chapter 6

The noble of the Holfaart Kingdom, if traced back, was originally an adventurer.

Therefore, being an adventurer is a respectable profession managed by the country, and the nobles also become adventurers, following the example of their ancestors.

At the academy, everyone, regardless of class, registers as an adventurer at the Adventurer's Guild as part of a valuable lesson to understand the hardships of their ancestors.

Well, for whatever reason, being an adventurer is a way for the children of nobles without money to earn pocket money. It is a popular class at the academy, and many students earn money as adventurers during holidays and long breaks.

My father and my older brother apparently earned quite a lot as adventurers.

Thinking about how that money was spent on tea parties and other social expenses with girls makes me feel quite sad.

I don't lack money, but the word "dungeon" still makes me excited.

In the world of a dating game, it's one of the things that piques my interest.

--- That's what it was supposed to be.

Mid-May.

The day when the first-year students become adventurers and challenge the dungeon in the capital. I was troubled by the sense of being out of place as I looked around.

"Daniel and Raymond ran away when their friends were in trouble. Well, I would run away too if I were in the same situation. I would run away too!"

Next to me, dressed in typical adventurer gear, stood Olivia, who was also dressed in typical adventurer gear. She looked apologetic.

"I-I'm sorry. Angelica insisted that I participate."

I looked at the troubled Olivia.

No, I know that complaining to this person won't change anything.

On the day of the dungeon challenge.

I was assigned to an incredibly noble group.

A tall, smart-looking man with blue hair and eyes was dressed in gear that prioritized fashion over protection, with no idea how to defend himself.

He had only one sword at his waist.

He is a target character, a serious front-line swordsman—no, a swordsman in the game. The son of the Holy Knight of the Holfaart Kingdom, [Chris Fia Arclight].

A court noble. The eldest son of a baron who rose to his position with just one sword.

On the other hand, a muscular man with red hair standing up and wearing a sleeveless top was carrying a spear.

He is a rough man who prefers practicality over training in swordsmanship and has defeated many monsters in the dungeon before entering the academy.

A target character. A bold front-line fighter, and his family is a baron of a feudal lord.

He wears a sleeveless top but is a rich kid.

His red hair and tanned skin do not look like a young noble at all.

His name is [Greg Fow Sevarg].

In the game, he and Chris were supposed to not get along, but I think there was a friendship event in the middle. It wasn't necessary to complete the game, but it made things easier later on if you did.

[Julius Rafa Holfaart]

[Zirk Fia Marmoria]

[Brad Fow Field]

[Chris Fia Arclight]

[Greg Fow Sevarg]

These five are the target characters—the five who will be the protagonist's partners.

In the game, I used to remember them in the order of black, green, purple, blue, and red from the top, which is a nostalgic memory.

Originally, there should have been one more, [Kyle], an elf boy. Kyle is a slave that the protagonist buys—a dedicated servant.

He is a convenient character who takes care of daily chores and increases affection, and supports in battle with magic.

He is supposed to be a cute younger brother, but to me, he just felt like the protagonist's servant.

Incidentally, in Holfaart, the middle name Rafa indicates royal lineage, Fia indicates court nobility, and Fow indicates feudal lord nobility.

The five were gathered, and their skilled followers surrounded them.

I and Olivia were mixed in among them.

One reason is the interest of the five.

Olivia is a scholarship student, and I am a distinguished adventurer... from the academy's perspective, they probably want me to guard the crown prince in the dungeon.

Using knights and soldiers brought from home is considered unsophisticated, and the surroundings would think it was using the power of the family. However, if there is someone of the same age with outstanding achievements, like me, it seems that just acting together is a reason.

I don't understand it well, but it seems that the academy wants to solve problems with students rather than bringing in strong knights and soldiers on their own.

The academy's intentions and Angelica's recommendation, among other things, led to this result.

By the way... the place we are about to enter is a beginner's dungeon.

It's too overprotective to have so many guards.

The prince also seemed to be bothered by it, looking a bit displeased. I remember the protagonist saying he didn't like such things.

Looking around, I saw Angelica, the prince's fiancée, in this group. In this regard, it's equal for both men and women.

It is decided that both men and women will enter the dungeon.

The group consists of about thirty people.

It seems like a lot, but this time it's more like a tour of the dungeon. This number should be fine.

"Still, I was called but no one has spoken to me."

As I looked around, Olivia seemed anxious.

"Should I speak to them?"

"I don't know. If we overstep, we might be seen as pushy, so it might be better to follow instructions."

Honestly, I'm curious about who among these people will end up with the protagonist, but I don't want to get involved, so I want to keep my distance.

The teacher began explaining to everyone.

"Please form groups. This time, you will return when you reach the second floor of the dungeon. Do not go any further."

Even if we form groups, we will move with nearly thirty people.

To protect the prince and others from injury, we were placed in the front group. Well, that's not a problem.

However, a problem arose during the group formation.

"Know your place!"

Angelica's angry voice echoed in the dungeon.

Everyone turned to see Angelica standing in front of Marie.

The teacher, young and dealing with a duke's daughter, was flustered.

From the looks of it, there was a dispute during the group formation.

Marie moved behind the prince.

"Angelica, that's enough."

The prince, who was protecting Marie, responded.

"Prince, are you going to allow this person's whims?"

Marie, behind the prince, bowed her head. She was holding the prince's sleeve with her fingers, making a cute gesture, but it was strangely irritating.

"Prince, I... I just thought it would be nice to be with you. If it's a bother, you can say no."

Angelica lashed out at Marie with a voice like a bark.

"Don't get too full of yourself! There's a difference in status between you and the prince. I've been lenient so far, but if you keep this attitude—"

Angelica often had an image of being angry.

It's the same in the game. She is a character often compared to an instant water heater. Well, she is the antagonist noble lady, the protagonist's rival.

She was probably imagined as a short-tempered woman who flaunts her beauty and her family's power.

However, this scene... the one being protected is supposed to be Olivia, who is standing next to me. Olivia is just panicking, saying things like "W-What's going to happen!?"

...She looks strangely cute. Very different from Marie.

I tried to think about how this happened, but there is only one reason.

"Is there something wrong with that Marie girl?"

Olivia thought about it for a moment at my words.

"Come to think of it, the bullying has gotten worse recently. I heard that she is from a poor viscount's family."

A viscount's family is larger than a baron's, but some families have debts or no land that matches their title, and there are many examples of small territories now.

As we talked, the others were also siding with Angelica.

"It's impossible to get so close to the prince in front of his fiancée."

"She was also friendly with other boys, right?"

"Unbelievable."

From the reactions of the surroundings, it seemed that Marie was seen as someone who had taken the protagonist's position. When I tried to talk to Olivia, she said—

"Enough!"

The prince shouted, and the surrounding students fell silent.

Angelica looked surprised.

"Prince?"

Zirk, who usually seems gentle, stepped forward to protect the prince. Standing in front of Angelica, he extended his right hand to shield the prince and Marie.

"Angelica, please don't cause the prince any more trouble."

"Trouble? Are you saying I'm causing trouble? I'm thinking of the prince—"

Greg, who had been looking bored, with his spear on his shoulder and his eyes narrowed, interjected.

"That attitude is the problem. Don't bring outside relationships into the academy. It's annoying to watch."

With the words of the heir of a powerful noble, the surroundings couldn't respond, and the prince was talking to the teacher.

"I'm sorry. We will team up with Marie here. Please form the rest of the groups as you see fit."

The teacher nodded repeatedly in a fluster.

"Y-Yes!"

Angelica was dumbfounded, but I didn't miss the smug smile on Marie's face in the midst of everyone.

◇

The dungeon in the capital, to put it simply, feels like an abandoned mine.

Wide corridors are equipped with wooden pillars and beams at regular intervals.

Occasionally, minerals emerge from the walls, and these are the treasures of the dungeon. Treasure chests also appear mysteriously, but the cause is unknown.

It's probably for game reasons.

There's no point in thinking too deeply about it.

Olivia was extracting a mineral embedded in the wall.

The mineral she found was iron or something. To begin with, it's strange that refined iron would appear.

"Hehe, I found it."

Olivia looked happy, but when she wiped the sweat off her face while absorbed, dirt got on her nose and made her look dirty.

"Congratulations. This is definitely worth a hundred dia."

I took the heavy metal and put it in the storage.

The currency units are [dia] and [dil].

One thousand dil equals one dia.

Gold and silver coins exist, but paper money and coins are more common, so you don't see them much.

Occasionally, high-quality gold coins that come out of treasure chests are intricately crafted and are worth between 1,500 and 2,000 dia each.

Olivia looked around.

"What's wrong?"

"No, I was just wondering... why do these phenomena occur in the dungeon? I've heard about treasure chests, and it all seems strange."

It might be a bad idea to have such doubts.

After all, it's a treasure trove of materials and funds that have supported the kingdom.

"Strange, isn't it? Well, let's move on."

"W-Wait! Don't you find it strange, Leon?"

I sighed.

"Not really."

Olivia looked disappointed.

"Leon is so cold."

We've gotten quite close, but... unfortunately, she is a commoner. When she is recognized as a saint, she will be out of reach.

Since I can't marry such a person, our relationship will remain as friends.

It's really a shame.

If Olivia were a noble's daughter, I would have confessed. Not for some sweet reason like