Upon arriving in Cartaftus, we immediately packed our bags and set off.
The Guild had instructed us to rendezvous with adventurers who had already advanced to the region, and for the meeting point, we headed to a shop that local adventurers seldom used, not the local Guild branch.
It wasn't a particularly commendable way to operate if we were truly wary of the local adventurers.
After all, if Baim was involved, it wouldn't be strange for information to reach the Cartaftus royal palace.
Larl possessed a skill that allowed him to manipulate women at will—or rather, a charm skill. Because of that, it was better to think of women simply as potential enemies.
Cartaftus looked no different from my previous visit, but when I used my Skills—Map and Search—I could confirm several red indicators in the surrounding area.
As we walked through the orderly streets, we reviewed our plans for the day.
"For today, we'll proceed directly to the designated shop. After confirming the information there, we'll decide on our next steps."
After informing "everyone," I took the lead and walked forward.
From behind, Erhard seemed to sense something off about the lightness of our baggage but found my Skill, 'Box,' quite convenient.
"You can even use a Skill like that? It's really handy, isn't it? Stowing away everyone's luggage and all."
I spoke in a volume that could be easily overheard around us.
"Ahaha, it consumes a lot of magic power, so I can't use it much. Thanks to that, I can't really use magic as the main focus in a party."
There were multiple responses in the vicinity listening in. It seemed we weren't the only ones gathering information.
Erhard looked at his companions.
"Hey, shouldn't someone learn a support-type Skill or something?"
At that, his companions shook their heads.
"If we could choose what to learn, would it be such a struggle? Still, support types are good, aren't they? Honestly, I'd be happy if just an enhancement type manifested."
Damian shrugged while walking. The sight of him escorting three Maids was drawing attention from those around us.
"Why not think about it more in terms of party composition? It's not just about wanting a skill because you're jealous. It's important to consider what you personally want and what role you'd fill in the party."
I thought it was unusual for Damian to be giving advice, and the Maids were all smiles.
"Our Master seems to be having so much fun."
"This trip has generated so much data, it's wonderful."
"Permanent archive material, for certain."
As usual, I had no idea what they were talking about. Still, there was no doubt that Damian was enjoying this sea voyage as well.
Maxim was also speaking to Erhard and the others.
"It's said that Skills are influenced by the deepest wishes in your heart. That's how it was for me — what manifested was a backline, magic-related type. There was a time when I admired simple enhancement types too, but now I'm glad I got the Skill I did."
Erhard stood with his arms crossed, lost in thought.
"That's the thing — my Skill manifested really early on, so I honestly don't know much about it."
Damian looked at Erhard while resting his staff on his shoulder.
"There are people like that every now and then. People whose Skill just seems to fit them perfectly. Or rather, people who happen to have great compatibility with that particular Skill."
I was giving advice about Skills.
"Well, just imagine the kind of person you want to become and keep training as you have, and you'll get there. Once you do, all that's left is to hone your Skill."
Erhard's companions looked at us with envy.
"Everyone who has a Skill always says stuff like that. We'd appreciate something a bit more concrete, you know."
Erhard turned to his envious companion.
"That's exactly what I'm telling you! You just have to train while wishing to become stronger, and it'll come to you!"
Maxim placed his left hand on his forehead.
"...If it were that easy to understand, nobody would have to struggle."
I said:
"You should try going to the Guild or the library and look into what kinds of Skills there are — it helps to imagine the Skills you want. It should be... pretty effective."
Imagining things is important. Learning a Skill means your body gains the form needed to use that Skill.
Once you learn one, your body transforms into one that can use the Skill. Fundamentally, you can't remove it later or add another one on top.
As we talked, we arrived at the shop I'd planned on. A cluster of red responses was concentrated there, with a few more scattered at a short distance away.
When we reached the front of the shop, I took a deep breath.
"...Let's go in."
With that, I steeled myself and stepped inside.
――Meanwhile, the separate unit that had set up a base near the Dungeon.
There, Miranda, who had ventured into the surrounding forest, had brought Eva along.
Eva knew the forest better, so Miranda could get advice on where to set traps.
However, among the adventurers they were planning to ambush this time, there were — naturally — elves as well.
"That should do it."
Once Miranda set the trap, Eva tilted her head at the sight.
"That kind of trap will be found in no time. Even I, a Bard, would notice it — and if there's an elf who's been hunting in the forest, they'd see through it in an instant."
Eva didn't hide the fact that there were elves more experienced in the forest than she was. After all, her clan was one that had abandoned the forest to keep traveling. Compared to elves who hailed from the forest, she knew she was clearly lacking in skill.
Miranda responded to that.
"That's the whole point. It's telling them 'there's a trap here.' More importantly, the problem is that this area is all forest."
It was terrain where the Valkyries couldn't fight well. Damian had said that with enough experience, they could adapt to some degree.
But even so, compared to the adventurers who had been building up experience all this time, they were clearly still lacking.
Eva looked around as she walked.
"There were so many Monsters here too, so it must've been rough with the preparations running behind. I wonder which is tougher — us or Lail's group?"
Lail's side had fewer numbers. But with their own group being so much larger, Miranda understood that the enemy would match them accordingly.
"In terms of pure numbers, our side might have it harder."
Based on the intelligence they'd gathered, there was one mercenary group of roughly five hundred. Then one Dungeon-specialist adventurer party of about a hundred. Beyond that, several parties of a few dozen each.
And the one they needed to watch out for above all else was Marina. People tended to think of her as an oddball solo adventurer, but that only underscored how much power she actually wielded.
She was one of those rare, monstrous adventurers — powerful enough to single-handedly wipe out an entire incompetent party.
The fact that Marina, an adventurer from the Eastern Branch, had become a person of concern prompted a sigh from Miranda.
"Seriously, Lail sure doesn't hold back with her requests."
Lail's assignment. It was an extremely high-difficulty task.
Eva watched Miranda with a curious expression.
"Did you say something?"
"Just talking to myself. We're moving on. There are still traps that need to be set up today no matter what."
With Eva leading the way, Miranda pressed deeper into the forest.
——What had gathered was seven hundred and fifty people. And with the solo adventurer Marina included, the total came to seven hundred and fifty-one.
Most of them were rear-support specialists, so actually storming the remnants of Lail's party — the ones left behind while the main group tackled the Dungeon — would involve at most around two hundred combatants.
As if preparing for war itself, the mercenary group had pitched tents and were welcoming in other adventurers.
Dungeon-specialist adventurers had also assembled, lending the whole affair the feel of a small army.
Moreover, these were accomplished adventurers even by Baim standards. Though their demeanor was somewhat loose, a sharp edge lurked beneath the surface.
Marina sat atop a stack of wooden crates in the middle of this gathering. Tall, with unkempt black hair that, despite its disheveled state, still held a certain luster.
Her toned arms were on full display, sleeves rolled up. A bottle of liquor was clamped in one hand, which she kept raising to her lips as she listened to the raucous chaos around her.
She wasn't the type who preferred being alone. She didn't mind being surrounded by all this commotion, either.
But—
"Oh man, no way I'm sleeping tonight with all this energy in the air."
She'd been working with Baim since she was young. Her first registration had been at the Eastern Branch, and since transferring elsewhere sounded like a hassle, she'd just kept working out of the Eastern Branch all this time.
She'd been invited to join a party more times than she could count, and she'd even tried joining one once or twice. But it never worked out for Marina.
She loved combat. Generation after generation, the Skills passed down through her family had grown Marina's lineage ever more accustomed to Skills, until they had evolved into something entirely unique.
Perhaps because of that, she had become extraordinarily battle-hungry, and there was simply no adventurer capable of handling or making use of a Marina like her.
Being battle-hungry alone wouldn't have been a problem, but there were several other issues on top of that. Marina's wild—some might say feral—instinct flatly refused to submit to anyone weaker than herself.
She raised the bottle to her lips once more. Liquor dribbled from the corner of her mouth, but she merely wiped it with her left hand, not caring in the slightest. With her left hand she snatched up a piece of meat from the snacks sitting atop the wooden crates and tore into it.
A voice called out to her in the midst of all this.
It belonged to the captain of a mercenary company and the leader of an adventurer party.
"Yo, Marina! Always going all out, aren't you?"
Marina had been with Baim a long time and had even participated in a war as an adventurer. As a result, she had a great many acquaintances among mercenary companies and fellow adventurers.
If you were competent, they had no shortage of reasons to come calling.
Even Marina, who was hopeless with people, managed just fine.
The mercenary company captain was a cheerful sort. The leader of the Dungeon-specialist adventurer party, by contrast, was a gloomy one. Dark in demeanor and sparing with words.
"It's been a while. Have you given any more thought to that offer?"
Marina gazed up at the night sky.
"That offer, huh. No matter how many times you ask, it's no use. I'm better off on my own. Tell you what—beat me in a fight and try making me follow you?"
The leader shook his head at Marina's provocative gaze. The mercenary captain volleyed Marina's joke right back with one of his own.
"Give me a break. I only pin down women I'm interested in."
Marina snorted derisively.
"How rich, coming from a man who assaults women on the battlefield."
The captain leered with a crude grin.
"That's war for you. It's a blast. Once you try it, you'll be hooked."
Given that they'd been assigned to carry out the assault, the Southern Branch had clearly chosen someone with the skill to back it up and the ruthlessness to make an example of the target.
"That kid is really hated, huh. I figured he'd be the type to navigate things more smoothly… Oh well."
Then the leader spoke.
"Starting today, we'll be probing the opposition's defenses. You'll be assigned to ambush a high-priority target — are you prepared?"
The Guild had obtained intelligence that Laiel was commanding a Kirin. And they'd concluded that, possibly, a young girl was disguising herself as the Kirin — or the Kirin was the one in disguise.
That girl was May.
And Marina, one of the most formidable fighters among the adventurers, was going to be pitted against her.
"She's my prey. Don't even think about stealing her. If you try to cut in… I'll kill you."
Marina's gaze was dead serious, but neither man flinched. That alone was proof of how much experience they'd accumulated.
At the same time, though, Marina had her own worries.
These two think this is going to be easy. I just hope they don't get caught off guard.
The captain spoke up.
"Scary stuff. Anyway, I won't lay a finger on your target. I'll take the rest, though. Hey, the leader here understands that too, right?"
The leader kept his eyes averted from the captain.
"That's fine. We have business at the other Dungeon they found. When you only use managed Dungeons as your base of operations, you can't help but want to challenge the Innermost Chamber. If we can get the treasure from the Innermost Chamber, then the only thing we're interested in here is the reward."
By only tackling managed Dungeons, you couldn't obtain the treasure that could only be found in the Innermost Chamber. That was one of the biggest grievances adventurers had. When they heard there was an opportunity to resolve that, they jumped at the deal.
What they wanted didn't overlap. That was why they could cooperate.
Marina looked up at the sky.
"Well, if it's almost time... three more days or so?"
At those words, the captain grinned.
"Close. It's two days from now. The elf we sent on reconnaissance figured out they're not used to the woods. They've been setting traps, sure, but a bunch without their commander are easy pickings."
The Guild considered the absence of Ryael, their commander, to be a significant blow to the party's combat strength. That wasn't wrong.
"This is gonna be fun. There are a lot of beautiful women, so the young ones on our side are all fired up."
At the captain's grin, Marina averted her gaze—.
"Is that so? Well, just make sure your feet don't get swept out from under you. My commission is to take down that girl. I won't do anything beyond that."
——The tavern in Kartafus.
The adventurers who had come to Kartafus ahead of Baim had already made contact with Ryael's group.
They explained that there were strong leads on the Queen's location and fed Ryael's group false information.
And it was a spot that was extremely convenient for them to carry out their work.
A young adventurer spoke to the man who was their leader.
"Hey, Leader, are we just gonna head back once we take her out? From what I've gathered, the Queen is in the castle's underground prison. And apparently, if someone seriously rescues her, he's saying he'll make them his son-in-law or something."
It was a drinking occasion. The middle-aged man who was the leader laughed at the young adventurer.
"You fool, you're dreaming way too big. That's probably just a joke to get people to help. Besides, the noble life is boring. Royalty even more so. Study up on how the world works, would you?"
The young adventurer pouted.
"Come on. It's fine to dream, isn't it?"
The leader said.
"But hey, saving someone and earning fame and rewards sounds great. If anyone ever asks you to marry into their family, I'll put in a good word for you."
The young adventurer heard this and poured sake into the leader's empty cup.
From a short distance away, a brown-haired, unshaven man had been eavesdropping on their conversation. He sipped his drink slowly while listening in on the chatter around him.
After a while, he called over the staff, asked for the bill, left the money on the table, and stood up from his seat.
The leader noticed something off about the man and signaled to his companions with a glance.
Two of them stood up and headed out of the tavern, but the staff didn't chase after them — the bill had already been paid.
After a short while, the two adventurers returned. One of them headed toward the staff.
One approached the leader's seat. The leader spoke up.
"How'd it go?"
"He went straight into a residential house. I listened in on the conversation inside — it was just a married couple who'd had a fight and stormed out. I did confirm with the staff to be safe."
At that moment, the adventurer who had gone to speak with the staff came back.
"Apparently the staff has seen him a few times before. They say he doesn't drink much, but they've spotted him at the tavern several times over the years."
The leader felt relieved upon hearing that.
"Good, then. Thanks for the trouble."
With that, the two adventurers moved to a seat a short distance away.
Rauno let out a sigh of relief and thanked his childhood friend.
"Sorry about that, Dingo."
"Geez, if you're going to come back, at least let me know! I had things to prepare too!"
Rauno let out a wry smile and slumped into a chair in the house, sighing deeply.
"Really, never thought I'd be doing this kind of work back in my hometown."
At that, Dingo—the man with the camp manner—went to prepare tea for Rauno. From the back of the room, Dingo's wife emerged. She was the one who'd had that deceptive conversation to fool the adventurer.
"Ms. Vandelfia showed up out of the blue asking for such a strange favor, so it was a real surprise."
Watching his smiling wife, Rauno gave a wry smile of his own.
"I dropped that family name. Stop using it. Rauno is fine."
The wife shrugged.
"Geez... Still, it's beyond me how you can just pop out with conversations like that when I'm the one who doesn't even drink."
When Dingo said that, his wife covered her mouth with her hand.
"A woman is a woman from the moment she's born. Something like this is only natural."
Rauno laughed, seeing that his childhood friend and fellow knight, Dingo, was completely henpecked by his wife.
And he thought.
(Really, it's been a while since I've come back home and look at this...)
And what came to mind was his conversation with Innis. Rauno had come to Cartafus accompanying Raier and the others—