Chapter 10

In a luxurious and large inn that could be mistaken for a noble's mansion in one corner of the town of Voltana,

In the middle of the night, in a place where only nobles and high-ranking merchants could usually enter, a young girl was repeatedly bowing to a tall man.

"Mr. Allen! Thank you so much for today! I'll do my best to be useful from now on!"

Each time she bowed, the large, white, glossy robe she wore swayed.

"No, no, Miss Reen, your growth is remarkable. I'm relieved to see that my judgment was correct. I've never seen an adventurer reach level 15 in just a couple of days!"

"It's all thanks to you, Mr. Allen! I didn't do anything..."

The young priestess called Reen looked extremely apologetic and fidgeted.

In response, Allen spoke gently.

"This result is due to your exceptional talent and hard work. We are comrades. We will not hesitate to cooperate. Let's go deeper into the dungeon tomorrow."

When Allen said this, Reen's large eyes sparkled.

"Yes! I'll do my best!"

"That's the spirit. It's late today, so take a good rest and prepare for tomorrow."

"Yes! Excuse me!"

Reen bowed deeply and hurried out of the room.

After watching her leave, another woman entered the room a little while later.

"Hello, Elise, is something the matter?"

One of Allen's party members, Elise, is a paladin, a role that serves as a tank.

Like Reen, she is a rare existence with a level cap of 80 and is also an S-rank adventurer like Allen.

Her impenetrable defense with her large shield blocks all attacks from monsters, stabilizing the party's battles.

However, now that she was in the inn, she had taken off her armor and was dressed in a white shirt and a long skirt, looking like a beautiful woman with long red hair, completely unrelated to the bloody world she usually inhabits.

Elise sat on the sofa in the room, crossed her arms, and closed her eyes.

"The king has contacted us again. He's asking how the search for the 'Key' is going."

"Ah, the king is really impatient, even though we are working hard."

Sitting in a chair with an ornate backrest, like one found in a noble's mansion, Allen chuckled and muttered.

There was a reason why Allen's S-rank adventurer party was in the town of Voltana.

But it wasn't just to slay monsters, as the town's adventurers were rumored.

It was a direct request from King Cretea, who ruled this land.

The request was to search for the 'Key,' which was said to exist somewhere in the deepest level of the dungeons scattered throughout Cretea.

What exactly the 'Key' was and what it was used for was not revealed to Allen and his party.

However, there was a reason why they accepted such a request.

The reward offered was a title and a fief.

It was an unprecedented reward that no amount of money earned as an adventurer could ever match.

(But it's a strange story...)

Allen thought again.

If the king suddenly offered such a reward to adventurers, the other nobles of Cretea would not remain silent.

This means that the 'Key' must have enough value to suppress them.

(The 'Key' must have some use and bring benefits far greater than a title or a fief.)

If that's the case, it would be more profitable to take it directly rather than a title.

That's what Allen thought.

"So, how long do you plan to pamper that girl?"

"Don't rush, Elise. There are very few adventurers who can handle the lower-level monsters besides us. There's no need to rush."

Allen's party had never had a healer, a party member specializing in recovery, before.

They had managed without one.

But the dungeons around Voltana were different.

Compared to other dungeons, there were an unusually large number of monsters.

The closer they got to the lower levels, the more monsters there were, as if they were blocking intruders.

The labyrinth was wider and more complex than they had expected.

As a result, they had to return halfway through their exploration because their potions ran out due to prolonged battles.

To solve this problem, Allen decided to look for a healer.

However, it was not easy to find a healer with the ability to match Allen's party.

It was by chance that he found Reen, who had a high level cap and possessed three priest skills, at the adventurer's guild.

When Allen negotiated, Reen readily followed him.

Thus, they changed their strategy to help her level up and explore steadily.

In fact, Allen was not in a hurry at all.

The reason was that most of the adventurers currently in Voltana could not even reach the middle levels of the dungeon, let alone the lower levels.

"But if we wait for that girl to grow, the search for the 'Key' will be delayed. Balthazar's party might find it first."

It seemed that the king had given the same mission to multiple S-rank adventurer parties, including Allen's. Balthazar's party was also summoned by the king.

"There's no point in having just one. Besides, it's fine as long as it ends up in our hands in the end."

According to the story told by the King of Cretea, there are three keys in the kingdom's territory.

Indeed, as Elise said, Balthazar is an S-rank adventurer like Allen and a troublesome opponent who has also received the king's order.

However, Allen had no intention of losing to them.

Balthazar's party probably doesn't have a healer, so they can't go very deep.

Furthermore, due to their notorious reputation, no one in Voltana would want to join their party.

"Any new information?"

"Nothing so far. Balthazar's party is heading west, and the 'Emerald Labyrinth' in the east is still untouched. The adventurer's guild was in a panic yesterday because middle-level monsters appeared in the upper levels."

"If they are panicking over just middle-level monsters, they won't be able to reach the lower levels."

"It seems there are no such adventurers for now."

This was also what Allen had expected.

(No matter what, I will be the one to get everything in the end.)

Thinking this, Allen gazed at the night town visible outside the window.