Chapter 5

After walking all day from the town of Mahariji, I managed to slip through the city gate of the neighboring town just before sunset.

This town of Geets, like Mahariji, is a town that thrives on dungeon resources. Therefore, many high-rank adventurers (cute) can be seen on the streets, and the commercial areas around the city gates are dominated by weapon shops and pharmacies.

For me, who is not very experienced in traveling, it was fortunate to arrive at a town similar to Mahariji first. The culture and customs are probably the same, and the abundance of equipment is soothing to the soul.

"Then, let's head to the dungeon right away!"

Jujyu, perched on my shoulder, patted my cheek while saying this, but I can't go to the dungeon right away.

"No way. Before going to the dungeon, I have to stop by the Adventurer's Guild hall."

"Why not! That's so unfair! You heretic!"

"No, I don't deserve to be called that. Besides, it's a rule, so there's no choice."

Adventurers from other places must first go through the procedures at the local guild hall.

Even hunting monsters involves hunting rights. If you hunt monsters without permission from the local guild or sell materials without going through the guild, it's considered poaching.

Therefore, materials from monsters must be submitted through the local adventurer's guild, where fees and taxes are deducted from the rewards.

Especially for dungeons, which are treasure troves of resources, you need a permit issued by the guild just to enter. Otherwise, other towns might steal their resources.

"Hmm, it sounds troublesome."

"Well, it's just a bit of paperwork, and after that, the guild will take care of the rest. It's not that difficult."

I walked through the town with a wry smile. It was just around quitting time, and the streets were bustling with people. I carefully moved along the edges to avoid bumping into others.

"By the way... can you get into the cloak soon? You're, to put it mildly, really noticeable."

A grown man walking with a doll on his shoulder, and even talking to it, would naturally attract strange looks. In fact, I was currently being whispered about a lot.

In other words, it was incredibly embarrassing.

If I entered the Adventurer's Guild hall like this, I can only imagine what they would say. Just thinking about it was terrifying. That's why I've been asking Jujyu to get into the cloak, but she stubbornly refused.

"No way! I want to see the scenery!"

"..."

Because Jujyu wanted to see the scenery, my mental state was being worn down bit by bit.

Since there was no choice, I decided to enter the hall as is.

I opened the door and went inside.

It was evening, so there weren't many people, but the density of the gazes that fell on me the moment I entered was still intense. My spirit was being ground down.

The moment I appeared with Jujyu on my shoulder, the hall fell silent for a moment—then, laughter erupted like a dam breaking.

"Hey, hey! This isn't a place for doll play, you know?"

Just as I was trying to sneak to the reception, an adventurer uncle approached me. His face clearly said, "I'm going to tease you with all my might!"

Yeah, I immediately got into trouble.

If it came to a fight, I would definitely lose. I couldn't draw Blood Licker Maru, so I was just a lowly G-rank adventurer.

On the other hand, the uncle was probably at least a C-rank level in terms of equipment, making him a senior. Adventurers value hierarchy, so I had to be humble.

The only way to get through this was to prostrate myself. I'm not good at fighting, but I'm an expert at prostrating. This kind of trouble would be easily resolved with a prostration.

Just as I was about to bend my knees, the uncle reached out his hand toward Jujyu. He seemed to want to take Jujyu from me and tease her.

However, that was a bad move.

"Hey, don't touch me with your dirty hands."

"Huh?"

Jujyu slapped the uncle's hand away.

The uncle, who didn't expect the doll to move, froze. The adventurers who had been teasing me also fell silent. In contrast, Jujyu remained completely calm.

"Ugh, your hands were all sweaty and gross..."

"Um, please don't rub them on my face."

"Ah, and they smell too! Unbelievable! I can't take it anymore! Nolua, draw Blood Licker Maru!"

"Sweaty hands alone don't justify a mass slaughter."

I sighed. Then, I bowed to the still frozen uncle and headed to the reception.

...Yeah, let's pretend nothing happened. Okay?

"Um, I'm from outside the town. Can I do the procedures?"

"Y-Yes."

Perhaps because she had seen the whole sequence of events, the receptionist's face was tense. Her gaze was clearly directed at Jujyu.

Well, it would be impossible to ignore it.

Feeling a sense of fatigue from standing out so quickly, I submitted my adventurer card.

The adventurer card is like a combination of a business card and a job badge, which can be used as an ID across regions within the country. All information, including the adventurer rank, is written on the card, so showing the card completes the procedures.

"Ah, and I'd like a permit to enter the northern dungeon."

"Yes, a permit. Do you plan to join a party?"

The receptionist asked with a smile, but I could sense a hidden thought behind it: "A G-rank like you should just carry the luggage, kid." Maybe I was overthinking it.

"Um, no. I want to try entering alone first."

"Alone?"

The receptionist frowned.

Well, adventurers are considered apprentices up to E-rank, and their main job is to assist other parties. It's not recommended for apprentices to enter dungeons alone, especially in dungeons with high death rates, which gives a bad impression.

Therefore, getting a permit for a solo adventurer is difficult.

"However, it's an unexplored S-rank dungeon... With these stats, it's dangerous. If you encounter a monster, you won't even be able to run away."

"No, I just want to check it out a bit before joining a party. If it's too difficult, it would be hard to carry luggage too."

"True, that makes sense... Alright."

Reluctantly, she agreed to issue the permit.

I sighed in relief, thinking I had managed to get through it.

"Hey, hey, this guy is G-rank! He's saying he wants to enter the dungeon!"

The adventurer uncle from earlier approached me again.

Perhaps seeking revenge for what Jujyu said earlier.

I wish he would go after Jujyu instead of me.

"Ugh, he's back... I'll give him a good talking to!"

"Um, can you not talk for a while?"

If Jujyu talks, it will only make things worse.

I forced a smile and turned to face the uncle.

"Um, I know it's beyond my capabilities, but I just want to check it out a bit... Ah, I'll prostrate myself."

I'll be humble and try to get through this.

This time, my prostration will be explosive...!

Just as I was about to kneel.

"Jujyu Punch!"

"Oof!?"

Suddenly, Jujyu punched the uncle in the stomach.

The punch had more power than I could imagine from a doll's body, and the uncle was sent flying, spinning through the air until he hit the wall. He knocked over tables and people, and finally hit the wall with a thud—

"...Kyuu~"

He fainted with an unnecessarily cute sound.

"......Huh?"

The hall fell silent again. In the silence, Jujyu, who had finished clapping her hands, turned around with a smug look.

"Hehe, how was that?"

"No, how was that... Why did you punch him?"

"I was told not to talk, but not to punch!"

"Well, you were talking too. You even called out the move name."

"Too bad! The move name just barely didn't count as talking!"

"No, that's not the point..."

I slumped my shoulders.

My peaceful adventurer life is now as scattered as dust in the wind.

Well, it's too late to worry about peace now...

"Um, the permit is ready."

"...Thank you."

I took the permit and left the hall as if I were fleeing.

Yeah... I'll head to the dungeon quickly and get the cursed equipment.

Thank you for the bookmarks and evaluations! I was surprised to see the evaluations double!