Eminira
We arrived. My first dungeon.
It's far from the domain capital, and though it seems you can get here in half a day on horseback, since I’m with them, it took us a full day. Recently, I’ve been riding a horse on my own. While I’m on horseback, Atre stays in a front-carry pouch, and once we take a break, he runs around the area.
Today, we’ll be staying overnight in Eminira, the town closest to the dungeon.
Because of its proximity to the dungeon, Eminira is lined with blacksmiths and precious metal workshops. It’s also bustling with taverns, shops, and lodgings for adventurers who come for the dungeon, and merchants who come to buy swords and precious metals. It’s the second largest city after the domain capital, with a population of 80,000.
Starting tomorrow, we’ll be entering the dungeon for a planned two-night, three-day expedition. In preparation, I’m staying quiet in my room at the inn. Naturally, Atre and Ripka are with me.
The next morning, at the city gate, Captain Kyle’s 32 knights, plus Brother Gerald and me, totaling 34 people, boarded three wagons and set out for the dungeon. The horses we rode here on are apparently being left in the city.
These wagons go back and forth between the dungeon and the town, and on the return trip they carry people coming back from the dungeon. Since the road to the dungeon is well-maintained, the ride wasn’t too bumpy.
Captain Kyle was riding with us, so I secretly asked him,
"Captain Kyle, did the notes on your tablet have the same things written as your team members?"
"Yes." he replied, looking displeased. Maybe something was written that he didn’t want me to see.
"Hey, you must have something else on there, don't you? You made a weird face.” I pressed him.
“No, there’s nothing else.” he replied.
Since he wouldn’t tell me, I asked, “Meyer, do you know?”
He just smiled and said, “I can’t say.”
They’re definitely hiding something.
I told them, “Fine, I’ll just ask Father,” and finally Captain Kyle reluctantly told me.
It said: [Title: One Who Rescued the World Tree and the Alraune], written after the magic power section.
I don’t think that’s something worth hiding—after all, it’s the truth. But Captain Kyle felt that since he was only acting on my instructions, it doesn’t feel like he did the saving, so the title feels too grand for him.
I wanted to dig deeper, but just then Meyer said we had arrived, so I couldn’t press the issue.
We got off the wagons in front of two buildings at the foot of the mountain where the Eminira Dungeon is located—one was the Adventurers’ Guild, and the other was a combination inn and dining hall.
Apparently, unless you register at the Adventurers’ Guild, you can’t enter the dungeon. You also need to present the medal you get from the Guild at the dungeon entrance.
Eminira Dungeon is a mining-type dungeon that yields mineral resources. It’s the largest dungeon in the country, and up to the 24th floor has already been conquered. No one has reached the final level yet.
The lower levels yield iron and copper; from the 12th floor you can get steel, silver, and gold; and from the 21st floor, precious gems like emeralds, sapphires, rubies, diamonds, and mithril can be mined.
This dungeon supports adventurers of all ranks, and the floors you can enter depend on your rank.
G-rank can go up to the 2nd floor, F-rank up to the 4th, E-rank up to the 8th, D-rank up to the 13th, and so on.
I’m G-rank, but since all the knights accompanying me are B-rank or above, I’m allowed up to the 11th floor.
By the way, even if I become F-rank, I’d still be limited to the 11th floor. If I make it to E-rank, I can go up to the 15th floor with companions.
Our group is splitting into two: one that will accompany me and Brother Gerald to the lower levels, and another that will go to the 21st floor.
That’s because mithril can only be found starting from the boss room on the 22nd floor.
Floors up to the 20th can be skipped once conquered, but from the 21st onward, each trip must be made step by step.
While waiting at the Adventurers’ Guild to complete the registration, someone called out, “Reinhardt!”
When I turned around, I saw Canal running toward me. Behind him, five adults were also coming our way.
“Huh? Canal and the Golden Wings? What are you doing here?”
Canal explained that after doing round-trip escort duties to Shinana Village and helping with goblin and orc subjugation in the village forest, the Golden Wings asked him what he wanted as a reward. So, he said he wanted to go to a dungeon, and they brought him here.
“Because you said you were going to the dungeon, Reinhardt. I thought, ‘I want to go too.’ Never thought it’d be on the same day though.”
“… Umm, Mr. Salem, would it be possible for me to join your group? Would it be too much trouble for you with me and Canal?”
“No, it’s fine. We’re only going to the lower floors this time. But your escorts are with you, so do you mean all of you?”
“It was just a spur-of-the-moment idea. Let me go talk to them.” I said and headed over to Captain Kyle.
I explained to him that Canal’s group, the B-rank Golden Wings, would be heading to the lower levels of the dungeon. If I joined them, we could reduce the number of knights needed to guard me and Brother Gerald, allowing more of them to head to the upper levels. Plus, I added, besides collecting mithril, the knights would probably be working on leveling up too.
He asked if they were trustworthy, so I told him that they were the same adventurers who had practiced together with Commander Arcland under Father’s approval.
Captain Kyle considered it, and then Brother Gerald chimed in:
“I think Hardt’s idea is a good one. We want to bring back as much mithril as possible, and the fewer trips to the dungeon, the better. Besides, the Golden Wings know Hardt, and I’ve been to the 17th floor a few times myself—it’ll be fine.”
“Understood. Let’s form a group with four knights, Young master Gerald, and Young master Reinhardt.” Captain Kyle said.
And so, our team for the lower levels was decided: Me, Brother Gerald, Atre, Ripka, four knights, Canal, and the Golden Wings members.
What do you think about this chapter?
