Arelion marched straight into the Adventurer's Guild.
Head high. Steps confident.
In his hands—seven neatly folded quest papers.
He stopped in front of the reception desk and placed them down one by one, carefully, proudly.
"All completed," he said.
The receptionist looked down.
One paper.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Her expression… didn't change.
Not widened eyes.Not shock.Not even a dramatic pause.
Just a quiet blink.
Arelion felt something crack inside his chest.
Inner thought:…That's it? No 'wow'? No 'impossible'? Not even a gasp?
"…Is something wrong?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
The receptionist shook her head. "No. Just confirming."
Confirming.
That word hurt more than it should have.
Arelion sighed inwardly. His excitement deflated like a balloon stabbed by reality.
Still, he leaned closer. "Ah—by the way. Can adventurers sell resources here?"
"Yes," she replied. "Directly to the guild."
Arelion's mood instantly recovered.
"Oh? Great."
He placed everything on the counter.
Herbs. Ores. Processed materials. Items that very clearly did not look like beginner loot.
The receptionist froze.
"…These," she said slowly, "where did you obtain them?"
"Oh," Arelion replied lightly. "Just… gratitude from the villagers. Hahaha."
The laugh was suspicious.
The answer even more so.
The receptionist stared at him for a long second.
Then she sighed.
"…I'll calculate the value."
Several minutes later—
Clink.
A heavy pouch landed on the counter.
A lot heavier than expected.
Arelion's eyes widened slightly.
Inner thought:Oh. That's… more than I thought.
"Additionally," the receptionist continued, "your completed quests qualify you for a rank promotion."
She slid two new cards across the desk.
"Rank E."
Arelion nodded, satisfied. From F to E—reasonable. Clean. Proper.
Iris, standing beside him, yawned. Her Rank A card remained unchanged.
"Figures," she said. "Quests like that don't mean much to me."
Outside the guild, sunlight greeted them.
Arelion tossed the coin pouch lightly—and Iris snatched it midair with frightening speed.
"Oh?" she said cheerfully. "For me?"
"Yes," Arelion replied. "You'll spend it on beer anyway."
Iris grinned. "Correct."
She hugged the pouch like a treasure chest.
Inner thought:A beer maniac. Absolutely hopeless.
They ate first. A lot.
Then, while walking, Arelion spoke casually, "I heard something interesting."
Both Elayne and Iris glanced at him.
"There's an old dungeon near the hills. Abandoned. Full of treasure, supposedly."
Iris shrugged. "Sounds boring."
"There's alcohol inside," Arelion added.
"…Lead the way."
Elayne sighed quietly.
They walked while eating.
Iris stuffed her face shamelessly.
Arelion chewed bread as they moved.
Elayne suddenly leaned closer and whispered, "Your Majesty… eating while walking is improper."
Arelion glanced sideways. "You're doing it too."
"I am merely a knight."
"You're the knight commander."
"…You are the king."
They stared at each other.
Then—
Without realizing it—
They stopped.
In front of them stood stone ruins half-swallowed by moss.
A dark entrance yawned open.
The air was cold.
Silent.
Iris finally looked up from her food. "…Oh. We're here already?"
Arelion smiled faintly.
Inner thought:An abandoned dungeon. Untouched value.
This was exactly his kind of place.