Lizel isn't usually a morning person.
However, if he gets enough sleep, he can wake up even in the early morning or at dawn.
As the sky, still bearing the colors of night, began to brighten, Lizel woke up and slowly sat up.
Thanks to the lack of magic power, his body felt a little sluggish from sleeping like a log, but his head was clear.
Gil was sleeping in the bed next to him.
This was the first time Gil wasn't already ready when Lizel woke up.
Thinking that perhaps Gil had gone out somewhere after Lizel fell asleep last night and had gone to bed late, he quietly got out of bed.
Seeing Gil's upper body still uncovered, making him look cold, Lizel gently pulled the blanket back over him.
As expected, Gil woke up from the movement.
"...You're up early for you."
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?"
"I usually wake up around this time."
"Please go back to sleep. You had quite a fight yesterday."
"No,"
Shaking his head at Lizel's suggestion to go back to sleep, Gil sat up.
Seeing his well-trained upper body revealed, Lizel smiled wryly, thinking that he had just covered him with the blanket, and began to get dressed.
Even though it was a big fight, Gil had come out unscathed against the underground dragon, so Lizel didn't force him to rest.
While they both got ready, they started talking about how today was the day they would head home.
"It's too early, isn't it, to go to Judge's house?"
"He said he'd be leaving around noon, so I'm sure his grandfather said something about having lunch together."
"It's wonderful that they're so close."
Lizel had never met Judge's grandfather, but from what Gil had told him, he seemed to dote on his grandson quite a bit.
Thinking that he probably wanted to spend as much time as possible with him on their last day together, he smiled.
Judge had asked him to come pick him up before noon, but he thought it might be better to go after lunch, so he put on a loose-fitting jacket.
He wondered if, as an adventurer, he shouldn't wear something more form-fitting and easy to move in, like GIl, but since he wore similar clothes in his original world, it wasn't particularly uncomfortable.
"We have some time, so shall we go to the guild?"
Updating the guild's dungeon map has its advantages.
It contributes to the requirements for advancing to the next rank, and there's also a considerable reward.
The reward is proportional to the amount and usefulness of the information, but since Lizel discovered a hidden room and the existence of an underground dragon, which could be considered a secret boss, the reward wouldn't be cheap.
It's not mandatory, but most adventurers bring new information to the guild.
This was Lizel's second time at the guild in Marcade.
In the royal capital of Parteda, he was already a familiar sight, so he didn't attract attention at the guild, but here, he still drew stares.
Even more so with Gil by his side. Especially since they had just been involved in a big fight a few days ago.
Even though the sun had only just risen, the guild was already filled with many adventurers stopping by to accept quests.
"Is the update done at the support counter?"
"I don't know."
Gil himself had never updated a map before. Since I don't need to rely on maps, I wouldn't know if I've discovered a new path or not, and even if I did, I wouldn't bother going to tell anyone.
Lizel approached the support counter, where a group was purchasing maps, with a wry smile.
The support counter, as its name suggests, provides all kinds of support for adventurers, from selling maps and lending out monster and plant encyclopedias to recommending accommodations for adventurers.
Thinking that this was the right place since they sold maps, he lined up, and one of the adventurers in the party ahead of him flinched in surprise. It was unclear whether the surprise was directed at Gil or Lizel.
After seeing off the adventurers who left unusually quickly after finishing their business, it was Lizel's turn.
"Good morning, how may I help you?"
"Yes, good morning."
Unusually for the rough-and-tumble guild, a female staff member greeted him with a cheerful smile. It was a face he hadn't seen when he came to buy a map the other day.
Perhaps they had fulfilled the wishes of the adventurers who wanted to be served by a young woman.
They wouldn't leave a young woman alone in a place like this without a reason, so she probably possessed strong self-defense abilities like Studd.
When Lizel smiled, the woman blinked her eyes and beamed with a bright smile. Apparently, not many adventurers returned her greetings.
"I'd like to request a map update."
"Yes! Which dungeon?"
"The Crystal Ruins."
"Eh!?"
Matching the staff member's surprise, the adventurers within earshot also murmured.
"That dungeon is old; it's been thoroughly explored, and there haven't been any updates for years!"
"I found something."
"You found something...!"
The staff member nodded in admiration at Lizel's smile.
At that moment, a man shouted, "Wait a minute!" The young man with a sturdy build approached, glaring at Lizel.
"Trying to impress Layla, huh? I think spreading false information is a risky move."
"Is that your name?"
"Ah, yes!"
"That's a lovely name."
"Whoa, thank you!"
"Don't try to hit on her already!"
Lizel wasn't actually trying to hit on her. It was just a polite exchange, a habit he'd picked up in aristocratic society, and Layla herself probably only took it as a simple compliment.
However, the man didn't seem to think so.
To Gil, both Lizel, who was smiling and giving compliments, and Layla, who was happily receiving them, honestly looked more like a grandfather and granddaughter. He'd probably get scolded if he said that to Lizel, though.
The man, whose affection for Layla was obvious without even asking, stood proudly facing Lizel, perhaps wanting to show off in front of her.
"There's no way a wimpy guy like you could bring back new information from the Crystal Ruins!"
"Meaning?"
"M-meaning? Meaning... show me the evidence!"
Gil saw Lizel smiling, looking somewhat amused.
He seemed happy about the fact that he was being confronted in a normal way, not about anything related to Gil. The fact that he looked like an adventurer enough to be challenged like this was a welcome fact for Lizel, who was acting like an adventurer but wasn't being treated as one.
However, from Gil's perspective, the man was simply too preoccupied with love and romance to notice Lizel's unusual nature, but he wouldn't spoil Lizel's enjoyment.
"Do you need proof to update the map?"
"No! Even if someone lied, they'd get caught anyway, and lying would completely ruin their reputation with the guild, so nobody would even think of faking anything. Therefore, no proof is needed!"
The man's eyebrows furrowed at Layla's emphatic assertion.
At the same time, his resentment towards Lizel intensified. It was completely misplaced anger.
"I don't really need you to believe me,"
"So you admit it's a hoax then?"
"No, as far as we're concerned, our business is finished as long as the guild believes us."
The man was speechless at Lizel's nonchalant reply.
Normally, if another adventurer doubted them, they would at least argue back. They wouldn't want strange rumors spreading.
But for Lizel, strange rumors were nothing new, and since the map update was truthful, any accusations of lying would be quickly cleared up.
However, he was only in Marcade until today. Leaving behind a bad reputation at the end would be awkward.
"Well, since we happen to have something that could serve as proof, shall we show it?"
"Huh!?"
The man, apparently not expecting Lizel to actually produce proof, exclaimed in surprise.
That was understandable; normally, the only proof for a map update would be taking someone to the new location.
Lizel, smiling mischievously at the surprised man and the surrounding crowd who were now paying attention, pulled out a book.
When he held it up to show the cover, gasps of admiration and astonishment rose from the crowd.
A strategy guide. Very few adventurers had ever actually seen one, and for everyone present, it was their first time seeing one in person.
"Were you satisfied?"
"B-But... that's a new one..."
"It was a hidden room. Unfortunately, I already took the treasure chest."
The mention of a hidden room sparked excitement among those present, but Lizel's added words quickly quelled it.
Unlike the treasure chests randomly placed throughout the labyrinth, the treasure chests fixed in hidden rooms, like the one at the lowest level upon the first successful exploration, are a "first come, first served" situation and never reappear.
Even if other adventurers enter the hidden room in the future, the treasure chest that was on the altar will never reappear.
"But, there was a super rare monster that only appears there, so it might be worth going in."
"W-Wait a minute!"
"It's okay, I won't say anything more."
Lizel smiled and closed his mouth as Layla hurriedly interrupted.
The guild wouldn't want a decrease in map purchases. However, if the information about the hidden room and the rare monster that Lizel mentioned spread, the number of people seeking maps would surely increase.
That's why Layla intervened at this precise moment, to prevent Lizel from leaking any more information and causing a decrease in map purchases.
Leaving the speechless, frozen man as he was, Lizel opened his strategy guide.
"It's here, but should I also talk about the traps and mechanisms?"
"Either way is fine! If you tell us, the reward money will increase."
"Then..."
"Ah, wait a minute! Silencer, silencer..."
Since this wasn't information that could be leaked to those around them, Layla rummaged under the table and pulled out a magic item.
It was a magic item that prevented sound from leaking out within a one-meter radius. This was something that existed in Lizel's world as well, so he wasn't particularly surprised.
In fact, Lizel's family owned several of the kind used by nobles that could cover an entire room. Layla, Lizel, and Gil were enveloped in a thin membrane of light.
Beyond the membrane, a man who seemed to have restarted was shouting something, but it was probably something like "Don't come near her." Apparently, even as adventurers, they couldn't interfere with the guild's duties.
"Continue, please!"
"Well, first of all, this part, which was previously perceived as a wall, was actually destructible."
"Oh, a destructible labyrinth! That's a blind spot!"
"Gil kicked it down... Gil, can a normal person kick that down?"
"Well, probably. It's like kicking down the wall of a brick house."
"But you can't do that!?"
Leila blurted out. Even adventurers have things they can and can't do.
While Lizel was wondering if Gil had ever kicked down a house wall, Layla added "Requires hammer?" to the hidden room section of the map she had neatly copied.
The two of them were exceptions; normal adventurers don't have bags with spatial magic, so a hammer would be a terrible burden if it were necessary.
"Then, further on, there was a small room with an altar, and a teleportation magic circle on the floor."
"I see, you used that magic circle to teleport to the deep-level room you showed me earlier!"
"More like, we fell."
"Fell!?"
"The moment the magic circle activated, the entire floor disappeared, and we fell down a crystal shaft about two meters wide for... probably a little over a minute. The magic circle seemed to be for returning."
Layla was dumbfounded, and Lizel prompted her by tapping the table with his finger.
"So, you were alright!?"
"Did I look like I wasn't alright?"
"Can you see it?[1]"
"I can't see anything!"
He laughed at Layla, who seemed confused despite diligently taking notes.
From the outside, it looked like they were having fun, and when Gil glanced to the side, he saw a man loudly shouting something in frustration and tearing at his hair.
Neither Lizel nor Layla noticed, so from the perspective of those around them, the scene was rather pathetic.
Even as GIl thought to himself that it was almost funny, Lizel's explanation continued without stopping.
"The thing waiting at the bottom was an underground dragon, so while falling, fire breath came flying at me, and there was nowhere to escape!"
"Heyyyyyyyy!"
Layla slammed her fist on the table and stood up abruptly.
Without noticing Lizel's surprised exclamation, she clutched her head and vented her overwhelming feelings from the bottom of her stomach.
"Falling several kilometers, with an underground dragon waiting at the bottom, and then being attacked by fire breath with nowhere to escape during the fall?! That's too cruel!!"
Her shouted voice echoed throughout the guild, stopping everyone's movements.
Having finished her heartfelt outburst and feeling relieved, Layla finally seemed to notice the strange atmosphere in the room, breathing heavily.
As she looked around the now silent guild, Lizel smiled faintly and pointed to the table.
There, lying on its side, was the deactivated silencer, which had fallen over when Layla slammed her fist on the table.
Smiling at Layla, who had a "Oh no, I messed up" expression on her face, Lizel put away the strategy guide he had been using.
"If you can somehow survive the fall that would shatter your entire body, the breath attack midway through, and the underground dragon itself, then conquering it is possible."
With the hand that had just put away the book, Lizel took out a single scale.
The scale, as large as Lizel's face, demonstrated the immense size of the underground dragon, and its shimmering jade color indicated that it was a top-tier material.
He glanced at the man who was staring at him blankly beside him and smiled.
"Evidence, do you believe me?"
"Ah, yes."
He was now using polite language. With his blood drained from his head, he looked at Lizel and the others again.
The man, who looked undeniably refined, was clearly not the kind of person you should pick a fight with.
He didn't know why he was an adventurer, but facing him made him feel like he should kneel; he was so aristocratic.
And the person next to him—could that be "Single-Stroke"?
The black clothing covering his entire body, his piercing gaze, and the uniquely shaped greatsword were just as the rumors described. Although he wasn't showing any interest now, anyone who opposed him would surely lose their life.
The man turned pale, and those around him clasped their hands together in prayer.
Ignoring this, Lizel offered the scale she was holding to Layla.
Layla cautiously took the scale, as if it were a fragile object, and looked up at the smiling Lizel.
"Let's submit this as evidence, just in case. It seems some people don't believe us."
"Eh, but, a dragon of this size and color... ten gold coins would easily fly away!"
"The dragon was very large, so we brought back plenty, it's alright,"
Lizel added, mentioning Gil. In fact, Lizel had tried to help before the dragon was decomposed by magic, but he couldn't do anything at all. The scales, which were densely packed like armor, were so hard that it was impossible to peel them off or even insert a finger into the gaps.
He could only watch in admiration as Gil easily tore them off one by one.
And although they were able to return to the altar room using the magic circle that appeared when the dragon disappeared, Lizel laughed, saying he hadn't expected it to be a one-way trip in that direction.
"But ten gold coins for one scale, and you can get a large quantity of them by defeating one of these creatures, so it's a very efficient way to earn money."
"You'd get bored fighting the same guy over and over again, though."
"Is that so?"
Gil nodded at the puzzled Lizel. Watching the two of them, those around them shook their heads with serious expressions, thinking that wasn't the real problem.
Certainly, if they could defeat it, it would be considered a great success, even a super success, for an adventurer.
However, fighting a subterranean dragon in a closed room would be a battle where even a party of six S-rank adventurers would barely manage to win, or perhaps not at all. Considering the size of the scales Lizel showed them, the opponent would be quite large, and even that party would be in danger of being wiped out.
Before that, simply falling several kilometers would likely kill them.
Even if they had all the necessary magic tools and methods, it might barely be possible, but they would still die the moment the dragon's breath attack came.
What kind of people were these two, who had returned from such a situation unscathed and on their first attempt?
They could only sympathize with the man who had likely picked a fight with them, and no one would believe that their party rank was D.
In fact, when Layla received Lizel's guild card to check the map update, she rolled her eyes when she saw that it was E-rank.
Lizel, who had his guild card returned with Layla's eyes still rolled back, was understandably bewildered by this unprecedented situation.
"Um, are you alright?"
"Huh!"
Layla, who had twitched and regained her normal gaze, nodded repeatedly.
"Um, I think you should be able to go through the rank-up procedures now!"
"I just got promoted. It hasn't even been two months since I became an adventurer, and E-rank is appropriate for me."
"But, but! I feel like I wouldn't be able to complain if I got caught for fraud or something!"
"No way."
Lizel laughed, unaware of the surrounding chaos.
The adventurers who heard "E-rank" were all rolling their eyes. New adventurers who had just joined the guild were screaming at the sight.
"Besides, there's someone who might get sulky if I raise my rank without permission."
"Huh?"
"No, well, thank you very much."
Lizel was referring to Studd.
Previously, when Studd was busy, he had gone to the reception desk where an employee was idly dozing off. Studd, expressionless, kicked the employee off the chair and sat down as if nothing had happened.
Incidentally, the employee who was kicked off looked completely bewildered, but we'll skip that part.
Even now, talking to an employee other than Studd, it's easy to imagine that Studd would calmly express his displeasure if he found out.
Since it's the Marcade Labyrinth, it's unavoidable that the procedures need to be done in Marcade.
Lizel, after thanking them and turning to leave, involuntarily stopped.
It was understandable, given that all the surrounding adventurers were rolling their eyes at him. The scene was so horrific that Gil sighed and urged Lizel to leave. He figured that everyone would probably return to normal once Lizel was gone.
With Layla's scream of "Heeeeeek!" echoing behind them—Layla had finally noticed the surrounding chaos—the two left the guild.
"But maybe it would be better to raise my rank quickly?"
"Huh?"
Gil asked back, genuinely surprised by Lizel's muttered remark as they walked out of the guild.
As his previous words suggested, he wasn't the type of man to be obsessed with rank, nor did he care about what others thought of him.
Lizel glanced up at Gil, who was looking down at him, wondering what was suddenly wrong, and then opened his mouth, deep in thought.
"It wouldn't look good if your party member was only E-rank, would it?"
"I don't care."
"I don't care what anyone says about me, but it's a problem if your achievements are doubted because of me."
"Idiot."
Gil dismissed him easily, utterly astonished.
For Gil, just like Lizel, the opinions of others held no value. He simply continued to slay monsters with the sole purpose of becoming stronger, and becoming an adventurer was merely a convenient way to earn money in the process.
He didn't care if his reputation declined, even if it was Lizel's fault.
"Whether you're S-rank or F-rank, a king or a criminal, it doesn't matter. I would still be right here beside you."
"Please, let's avoid the 'criminal' part."
Lizel smiled, even as he retorted sharply.
A trustworthy person who won't betray you no matter what is precious. It's not something you can find just by looking for it.
"Well then, let's have breakfast and then head to Judge's house while doing some last-minute sightseeing."
"Okay."
Agreeing with Lizel, who continued walking as if nothing had changed, Gil glanced behind him.
Several adventurers, who had apparently already heard about the exchange at the guild, were watching them.
Among them, those who felt hostile were probably after the dragon scales that Lizel supposedly possessed. Gil scorned their clumsy scheme, thinking they believed they could easily manipulate Lizel but not Gil, and slowly curled his lips into a smirk. Why would someone like that think they could control a person like him, someone who is absolutely uncontrollable no matter what methods are used?
He subtly placed his hand on his sword, sending a glance in the direction from which he felt hostility. The fact that he felt it meant they felt it too.
"Is the waterproofing on all those posters done with magic?"
"Probably."
As Gil narrowed his eyes, casually replying to Lizel, the people who had been planning to attack Lizel when he was alone froze.
A cold sweat broke out, and they felt a sense of impending doom, but their bodies were rooted to the spot, unable to flee.
By the time they realized it was killing intent, they had already resigned themselves to death, and their bodies began to tremble involuntarily.
Just as they felt they were about to faint from the increasingly intense killing intent, a calm voice reached their ears, dispelling the tension.
"Gil."
With that single word, the killing intent vanished.
Lizel turned around, looking curiously at Gil, who was a few steps behind him, but then his gaze shifted behind Gil.
His calm gaze fell upon the man who was barely standing, trembling.
The man watched, bewildered, as his lips formed a smile, and his well-formed index finger briefly pressed against them.
"Since we're on vacation, please let us enjoy ourselves."
Judging the man's unconscious nod as acceptance, Lizel nodded contentedly.
As he walked away with a bewildered-looking Gil, the thought of trying to seize another opportunity never crossed their minds again.
Whether it was Gil's doing or Lizel's, the man himself never understood until the very end. After finishing their risotto, Lizel, impressed by Gil's carnivorous appetite for eating meat so early in the morning, and Gil, thinking that Lizel would get hungry again soon, were walking towards Judge's house, peeking into interesting shops along the way.
Judge's family is one of the leading merchant families in the commercial nation of Marcade.
Moreover, they are a long-established family that played a part in Marcade's development, originally building their fortune through the trading business.
Since Judge's grandfather used those connections to start a tool shop and achieved success in the royal capital of Parteda, they seem to have diversified beyond purely trading.
One of the shops on the street lined with famous Marcade shops is where Judge is currently staying.
The main family residence is apparently located in a more convenient location for transporting goods, but this seems to be where his grandfather is based, and the address Judge gave them certainly points to this location.
It's like a larger version of Judge's tool shop in Parteda.
While the one in Parteda is manageable by Judge alone, this one employs several shop assistants.
Upon entering the shop, several voices called out, "Welcome!" Their customer service training seemed thorough.
"This is quite something... Ah, but in terms of quality, Judge's shop is probably better."
"It's the difference in clientele."
"True."
Judge's shop deals in high-quality and practical goods for adventurers. Because of the high quality, people from other professions also frequent the shop.
However, this shop has many tourists, and the goods are diverse and reasonably priced.
The size of the shops is completely different, but in terms of sales, they might be similar, or Judge's shop might even be more profitable. That's why he's so proud of it.
He must be his grandson, I suppose.
While looking for a seemingly unoccupied shop assistant to ask for help, one of the assistants suddenly looked at Lizel and Gil.
The middle-aged man, who seemed to be the most responsible person in the shop, observed the two discreetly before approaching them.
"Are you perhaps sir Lizel and sir Gil?"
"Yes, have you heard from Judge?"
"Yes, I've been instructed to guide you if you arrived. This way, please."
They were led to the back of the shop by the shop assistant.
Apparently, the second floor was the storage area for goods, and the third floor was the living quarters.
Climbing the stairs, which resembled those of a noble's mansion, Lizel looked up at the shop assistant leading the way.
"You recognized us well."
"Because you were exactly as Judge described."
"By the way, what did he say?"
"He said, 'A pair of people, one who looks like a noble and smiles gently, and the other a strong-looking person wearing all black clothes.'"
The shop assistant, who said this with a chuckle, must have known Judge for a long time.
He spoke fondly, adding that Judge seemed to be doing well, like a parent would.
Lizel looked down at Gil, who was climbing the stairs behind him. Gil, who had previously complained about how conspicuous his all-black clothes were, had a displeased expression.
Lizel laughed and tried to offer some reassurance, thinking he should be happy to have been complimented on looking strong.
"I think it's less conspicuous than full armor."
"Shut up."
Unfortunately, that reassurance didn't have any effect.
After climbing the stairs, there was another door. Beyond that was presumably the living space.
When the shop assistant knocked a few times, they heard the sound of quick footsteps from behind the door. The door creaked open with a small sound, and Judge, who seemed to be in a hurry, poked his head out.
"Lizel, Gil, I'm sorry... I was actually planning to wait downstairs...!"
"That's alright."
"You're the client, so you should act more important."
"N-no, I wouldn't do that..."
His appearance, without his monocle, was clearly his private self.
His fluffy, chestnut-colored long hair was untied and spread out, making him resemble a timid lion due to his size.
"Did we arrive too early?"
"N-no! Well, my grandfather prepared a lot of souvenirs for us, and..."
"Judge! Here, take this too!"
"No, that's enough already...!"
Apparently, he was being held up by his grandfather, unable to even finish his departure preparations.
An old man with some strange magical item appeared from the back of the house and called out to Judge.
His gaze fixed on Lizel, then on Gil, and he stopped moving.
Gil frowned in annoyance and subtly averted his gaze, but it was probably too late.
"Gil! I heard about you from Judge, but you haven't changed at all!"
"Quiet."
As the old man approached with heavy steps, Lizel's head gradually tilted upwards.
He was tall, befitting Judge's grandfather. Even with age, his back wasn't bent at all; he was probably the same height as Judge, or perhaps even taller.
His chestnut-colored curly hair was streaked with gray, but it wasn't thinning, and his energetic, youthful atmosphere made it believable if someone said he was Judge's father instead of his grandfather.
His gaze was firmly fixed on the greatsword Gil wore at his waist.
"Since I'm the one who chose it for you, it's only natural that you're using it. Even though it has the blessings of indestructibility, unblemished quality, and no need for sharpening, I trust you haven't neglected its maintenance, have you?"
"Of course not!"
"Then that's good! And you are...?"
"I'm Lizel. I apologize for taking up Judge's time on the first day of this visit."
"Hmm, I was going to complain, but you apologized first."
With a sharp gaze, he looked down at Lizel, who was smiling, while Judge was flustered, trying to protect Lizel.
If he judged Lizel to be a threat to Judge, he would mercilessly separate them, even if Judge cried.
Despite the light tone, the gaze was heavy, but Lizel calmly brushed it off.
He knew that trying to deceive such an excellent merchant would only lead to being seen through. Since he had no ulterior motives regarding Judge, he should just act as he always did.
"Judge, you're going home after lunch, right? Shall we meet again around that time?"
"No...! When I told my grandfather about you and Gil, he said he wanted to talk to you... Could you have lunch with us?"
"It would be an honor."
Judge smiled brightly, and Lizel smiled back, then looked at Judge's grandfather again.
He grinned at Lizel, who calmly accomplished something difficult even though he knew he should just act as usual.
He extended his hand, and he shook it. His large hand, befitting his height, firmly enveloped Lizel's not-so-small hand.
"He's surprisingly bold for his appearance. It seems my grandson is indebted to someone. My names Insigh."
"I'm the one who's indebted to him, actually. I've been helped a lot by Judge's shop."
"Speaking of which, you're an adventurer, aren't you? You don't look like one."
Insigh said this quite frankly, causing Lizel to give a wry smile, while Judge exclaimed, "Grandpa!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Author Misaki Note:
The first named female character is Layla, an energetic girl (in her teens: a close-combat fighter).
Incidentally, she doesn't think anything of the man who approached her. She's quite talkative. There are no plans for her to reappear.
[1] Translation Note: kindof confused on this exchange but since I don't know what they're talking about here I'm leaving it as is for now as something to come back to.