The culprit had been executed. Count Minits declared that the string of suspicious incidents would not happen again, and the cloud of suspicion that had gripped the town of Surmey finally lifted.
Having already seen most of the town, I was wondering what to do next when I noticed a commotion at the guild.
"Did something happen?"
I asked the adventurer party I'd spoken to when I first arrived in Surmey.
"Oh, it's you. Apparently monsters have been pouring out of the Mithril Dungeon here. Anyone ranked Mithril or above has been forcibly called in. We're Gold rank — we'd just get in the way, so we're sitting this one out."
Ah, so I have to fight too.
"Man, the great Orichalcum folks must have it rough. But you don't really give off that vibe yourself. Like, that whole powerhouse aura thing is kind of… missing."
How rude.
I briefly considered using Intimidation on them, but Intimidation and the aura of a powerhouse were probably different things anyway, so it would've been pointless.
Well, I'm sure they were just teasing.
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"I appreciate you all gathering here. As you are probably aware, this town's Mithril-ranked dungeon has a well-known problem — while the enemies inside are Mithril rank, the treasure chests drop at best Iron-ranked loot. As a result, virtually no one bothers to explore it."
I was gathered in the guild's large hall alongside the other Mithril-ranked and above adventurers.
Given their high ranks, most of them were at least one or two tiers older than me.
But after hearing the explanation, I could certainly see why no one went in. What a terrible dungeon.
"We would ideally like regular expeditions to keep the monsters thinned out and prevent a stampede, but we cannot force anyone to take on a dungeon that offers no real incentive."
Gilmas swept his gaze across everyone before continuing.
"However, a stampede is an entirely different matter. I am dispatching all of you as an advance party to enter the dungeon."
I hoped that just gathering information would be enough.
"For now, only a handful of monsters have spilled out, but depending on how the situation develops, we may need to request reinforcements from the Count or even the Guild Headquarters in the Royal Capital."
"Gilmas, I'm fine with scouting it out, but I might just go ahead and stop the stampede myself."
The one who spoke was a young, hot-blooded-looking adventurer.
"Is that so, Eric? If you can manage that, it would certainly be welcome…"
"Forget that, Gilmas — why is this weakling even here?! He's just dead weight!"
A stranger I'd never met jabbed a sharp finger straight at me.
Then came the unpleasant sensation of looking up at someone who was looking down on me.
Yes — Intimidation.
Eric, the green-haired young adventurer, was shaking from my Intimidation, teeth chattering against each other.
"That man has been certified as Orichalcum rank in the Raging Kingdom. There is no issue."
"………"
Gilmas explained, half exasperated.
But Eric, still trembling under my Intimidation, somehow managed to keep talking after a while.
"Hah… the Raging… Kingdom… can I really… count on that?! I can't feel… any powerhouse aura… from him at all!"
The fact that he could string sentences together while fighting the trembling showed some real backbone, I thought for a split second — but the content was just awful.
Was my Intimidation too weak?
"Enough, Eric. And Alan — release your Intimidation as well. You're adventurers. Prove your strength in this stampede, not through pointless squabbling within the guild."
Prove my strength in the stampede, huh?
I released my Intimidation.
"So that's Eric — the one with the rapid growth. He shot up to Mithril in no time flat and is closing in on Orichalcum. He'll probably try to make a name for himself in this stampede and push straight for Orichalcum, but he's rushing things."
A veteran-looking adventurer murmured under his breath.
Hm, rapid growth, huh…
"Hmph, jealous, are we, seniors? You're scared I'll catch up! And you too, Gilmas — letting someone like this participate just makes the Surmey Guild look bad!"