Chapter 8

※2019/03/06 Revised to change only the last development.

After obtaining the compass eye, I was greeted by a large number of adventurers when I transferred to the entrance of the dungeon.

Due to the time difference inside the dungeon, it seemed that it was already morning. The sun had long since risen, and it was time for the adventurers to start their work.

Among the adventurers who stared at me in astonishment, one adventurer cautiously stepped forward. I recognized him from somewhere... Oh, right. He was the one who bothered me yesterday.

"Hey, you. Did you clear the dungeon?"

"Um..."

"Yes! I cleared it!"

For some reason, Jujyu answered before me, puffing out her chest as if it were her own achievement.

"No way... Even a group of A-rank adventurers couldn't clear it... Was there a shortcut somewhere?"

"No, I don't think so."

"What was the boss?"

"It was a Queen Spider."

"Queen Spider!? Don't joke around! That's a regular S-rank monster!"

"Well, what can I say..."

Since I cleared it, there's nothing I can do about it. Honestly, I don't even feel like I cleared it. I just sent a shockwave from outside the boss room, and I didn't even fight the Queen Spider. I think I only saw it for about five seconds. I can't even remember its face now.

"Oh, right. I have the Queen Spider's carapace."

I had brought some materials from the Queen Spider for cashing out. However, most of its body had disappeared, so the materials I obtained were minimal. The only carapace I managed to get was a mess and probably couldn't be cashed out properly. This might also be due to my luck being zero.

"This hardness... is it real...? But... how could a carapace be harder than mithril...?"

"I just cut it."

"But it looks more like it was crushed..."

The uncle's face twitched as he took a step back. The surrounding adventurers also kept their distance from me, looking somewhat frightened.

It was somewhat comical and amusing to see the tough adventurers cowering from a G-rank adventurer. I'm not that scary, though.

"Haha, this is too funny! This is the funniest thing I've seen this year!"

Jujyu was holding her stomach, laughing loudly.

Yeah, it's not that funny.

Anyway, this should prevent me from being bothered in the future. I don't want to stand out, but peace is more important.

"Well, I'm going now. Um, good luck with your exploration."

"O-Okay."

I bowed to the surrounding adventurers and returned to the town of Geits.

*

I wanted to eat and sleep as soon as possible, but I decided to report the dungeon exploration results to the guild first.

The dungeon is an asset of this town, so I can't just take resources and leave. I have to report what I did in the dungeon, such as how many floors I reached, what I collected, and how many monsters I hunted. If I don't report in detail, there might be a fine. Well, the fine is just a slight reduction in the reward.

"Ah, um... Are you the new recruit?"

When I went to the guild reception, the receptionist greeted me with a somewhat lazy smile. A 100% receptionist smile is probably expensive, especially for a G-rank kid.

"Yes, I'm Noroa, who came from Mahaliji yesterday."

"And I'm Jujyu, his pet!"

"Good, energetic introduction. But, let's 'stay' for a moment."

"Noroa... Ah, that's right. What happened to your left eye?"

The receptionist immediately showed interest in the compass eye.

Well, if someone's left eye suddenly turned gold, it would be suspicious. And with a compass-like pattern in the pupil, it would be even more suspicious.

However, I don't want to tell her it's a cursed equipment. If I wear cursed equipment, I'll be treated like a sore spot, and it's illegal to intentionally wear cursed equipment. I don't want to be pursued.

Let's just bluff for now.

"Um, I changed my image yesterday."

"But, didn't you go to the dungeon yesterday?"

"I changed my image in the dungeon."

"Why...?"

"Well, I wanted some thrill with the image change."

"I see..."

The receptionist's smile was forced, but she didn't pursue it further. I managed to dodge the question.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're back alive."

"Yes. I want to report the dungeon results."

"Report? If you just peeked at the entrance, you don't need to report."

"No, I... cleared the dungeon."

"...Huh?"

The receptionist froze with her lazy smile.

"Um... Is this a G-rank joke?"

"No, I really cleared it."

"Again. It's an unexplored S-rank dungeon. It's impossible for a G-rank to clear it, let alone in one night. Even S-rank adventurers can't do that."

The receptionist doesn't seem to believe me. This is troublesome; I need to report accurately. I don't want to be fined because they don't believe me.

"Noroa, show her that!"

"What 'that'?"

"Well, what could it be? ① Bribe, ② Sexy pose, ③..."

"Stop making it a quiz."

"You're no fun."

"So, what's the answer?"

"A magic stone."

"Oh."

This is a surprisingly normal suggestion from Jujyu. Indeed, a magic stone is proof that I defeated a monster. I had forgotten about it since I've never hunted monsters before.

I quickly rummaged through my cloth bag and placed the magic stone I brought for cashing out on the reception desk. It was quite large, despite being chipped. It was a typical S-rank monster magic stone, and it made a loud sound when I placed it.

"Um, what is this?"

The receptionist's eyes widened at the suddenly appearing large magic stone.

"It's the Queen Spider's magic stone."

"Q-Queen Spider?"

"Yes, the dungeon's boss."

"Wait... Are you serious? But, this size... It's really...?"

"Just appraise it."

"R-Right."

The receptionist hurriedly went to the back. There must be a magic stone appraiser in the guild. Since it was morning, the appraisal was done quickly. The receptionist returned in a hurry.

"I-I'm sorry! It's real!"

The receptionist bowed hastily, and the entire guild's attention focused on me. It was a busy time, with many adventurers gathered at the request board. The sudden attention made me uncomfortable.

"If the Queen Spider's magic stone is real... You really cleared the dungeon?"

The adventurers murmured. For a dungeon city, clearing a dungeon is a big event. Before I knew it, every move I made was the center of attention in the guild.

"Well, I kind of cleared it by chance?"

"Such a light-hearted... And you said you changed your image in the dungeon?"

"Yeah, I cleared it while changing my image."

"Is changing your image the 'side job'...?"

"Well, 90% of it was cleared by me. Noroa was just changing his image."

"That's a lie."

"Um, did you just steal the magic stone? I don't think you could steal from someone capable of clearing the dungeon..."

The receptionist still seems skeptical. However, I don't have solid proof that I cleared it. This is troublesome... What should I do?

"---What he says is true."

Suddenly, a man appeared... Who is he? I don't know him.

"Who is he? Your friend? Quite a greasy friend."

"Of course not. I choose my friends carefully."

Wait... Oh, right. It's the guy who bothered me yesterday. And I just met him a little while ago. He has a generic face, so I forgot quickly.

"Ah, you...! Ah, um... New recruit, right?"

The receptionist also forgot. Poor her.

"I'm Mersen, a B-rank adventurer!"

"Wow. But, what do you mean it's not a lie?"

The receptionist casually brushed it off. By the way, this guy is B-rank.

"I saw him come out of the teleportation array alone."

"Really?!"

"Yeah, there are plenty of others who saw it too."

The adventurers behind the man nodded in unison.

"Moreover, he came out alone. After a while, no one else came out. Besides, none of the adventurers in this town can reach the deepest floor."

"That means..."

"He solo cleared an unexplored S-rank dungeon."

"Such... unprecedented..."

The receptionist was in a daze, her mouth half-open.

Indeed, solo clearing a dungeon is unheard of. Adventurers usually form parties, and there's almost no benefit to working alone.

But why is this guy helping me? His attitude is completely different from before, which is creepy. I glanced at him, and he suddenly took a step back.

"Hey, listen. What happened yesterday is water under the bridge! So, don't... crush me!"

"Ah, okay."

I see, he's afraid of revenge. I didn't plan to take revenge, but it's nice to see yesterday's trouble come in handy. Life is unpredictable.

"Jujyu, he's still using informal language. Should I crush him?"

"Ah! Don't crush me!"

"I won't."

"Anyway..."

The receptionist clapped her hands.

"Since you solo cleared an S-rank dungeon, you need to be promoted. I think you're definitely S-rank after solo defeating a Queen Spider..."

"Wait, S-rank?"

Promoting from G-rank to S-rank is too much to grasp. S-rank is a level of strength where there are only a few in the entire world. Is it okay to give such a rank to a young upstart?

But, I see... Adventurer ranks are basically based on combat power. In most cases, the rank of monsters you can defeat alone determines your adventurer rank. In other words, an adventurer rank is a proof that "I can defeat a rank X monster alone." It's similar to a medal, as you get a title for defeating a monster.

"Once we confirm the dungeon clearance, we'll immediately send a communication to the capital to start the S-rank promotion process. It will probably take a week to update your card."

"Okay."

The S-rank promotion seems to be a done deal.

I just wanted cursed equipment, but it turned into a big deal.

*

One week after clearing the S-rank dungeon.

The town of Geits was still buzzing about me. After all, in a dungeon city, clearing a dungeon is a big event, especially with so many unprecedented elements. Solo clearing an unexplored S-rank dungeon and promoting from G-rank to S-rank are both firsts in history. It's no wonder it's a topic of conversation.

"Ugh... I just wanted cursed equipment..."

I absentmindedly stirred my soup. Despite the luxurious meal from my temporary income, I couldn't taste it. I'm not that calm with all the attention from the dining hall.

It feels like a big deal, as if it's someone else's story. After all, I was just a G-rank a short while ago, and being called an S-rank is hard to believe. It feels like an excessive promotion.

"What should I do now..."

"Fork seems strong, doesn't it?"

"Ah, yeah. It does."

"I'm going to do a Fork Tornado now! Watch carefully!"

"Okay."

"Whoa! Fork, Tornado!"

"Wow, that's impressive."

Jujyu is swinging forks on the table, oblivious to my worries. I envy her lack of worries.

"Ha..."

"Is something wrong? Do you dislike the Fork Tornado?"

"No, I don't have any particular feelings about the Fork Tornado."

"Then, what is it? Your only worry is the Fork Tornado, right?"

"That's not true. I want to live peacefully, and I want to get married to equipment..."

"Isn't that related to the Fork Tornado?"

"Let's move away from the Fork Tornado."

The conversation isn't progressing. What is a Fork Tornado anyway?

"Anyway, Jujyu. Should we leave this town? There's nothing left to do here."

The promotion process is complete, and I've checked all the weapon shops in town. There's no reason to stay.

Mostly, I'm eager to get new equipment. My body is itching to equip something.

"Sure. We've conquered all the B-grade cuisine in this town. Let's go to the next town."

"Thanks for the quick decision."

"Where should we go next?"

I pointed to my left eye with the compass eye.

"Using this compass eye, we can find the direction of cursed equipment, right?"

"That's true, but... Is it safe?"

Indeed, Jujyu's concern is valid.

The compass eye can show the direction of the item you're looking for, but the trade-off is that you will die if you don't find it within seven days. Therefore, you shouldn't use it to search for something whose location you don't know. If the item is far away, you're doomed from the start.

However, if used correctly, the trade-off is manageable.

"I'll start with a small range, like 'within 100 meters.'"

I'll start with a small range and gradually expand it. If there's nothing in the range, the compass eye won't react. This method is safe and can also show the approximate distance.

As I gradually expanded the range, the compass eye reacted when I said, "Show the direction of un-equipped cursed equipment in the town of Geits." The needle, which had been wobbling, suddenly pointed "up."

"Up...?"

The second floor of this dining hall? No, it would have reacted sooner if it were.

"What is it..."

I stepped out of the dining hall, and the street was noisy.

Everyone was looking up, pointing and shouting. I followed their gaze...

"What!?"

I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought I was the only one seeing a hallucination, but the other townspeople were also seeing "it."

So, it's real...

"Is that... a dragon?"

A dragon was flying over the town of Geits, its large wings spread gracefully, and its pure white scales shimmering.

However, I've never heard of dragons living in this area. They should live in warmer regions to the south.

The problem is that the compass eye's needle is pointing directly at the dragon.

I was confused for a moment but quickly realized.

Some dragons have a habit of collecting treasures. They decorate their nests with beautiful things like gold and silver to attract females.

So, if the compass eye is pointing at the dragon, it means...

The dragon's treasure includes cursed equipment.

"Noroa, this is bad! If the dragon has cursed equipment..."

"I have to catch up with the dragon within seven days or die."

The dragon was already flying away from the town. It didn't seem to have any business here.

I didn't expect the compass eye to react to a dragon just passing over the town. I guess the town's airspace is part of the town, but this timing is too bad. It must be due to my luck being zero.

I didn't expect the trade-off to be this severe.

"Ah, whatever!"

I scratched my head and started chasing the dragon.