The Everyday Life of an Incompetent Crown Prince

18: My First Ally

The name for an adventurer (Adbel) changes depending on the number of people they’re working with.

One person is a loner (solo).

Two people are allies (partners).

Three or more people are a group (party).

Someone who primarily acts alone is called a solo adventurer (solo runner).

Those who always form alliances or groups have “fixed” added to the beginning, but if they don’t, they’re also called temporary allies or temporary groups.

There are also guild allies (guild partners) and guild groups (guild parties), which are made up of members of an organized alliance (guild) as a large group.

As a special case, a group formed by multiple loners, allies, or groups is called a raid.

In addition, allies or groups that don’t belong to a guild are called wild.

So this time, Neil and I are what would be called temporary allies. Neil himself apparently has a semi-permanent wild fixed party that he teams up with when it’s convenient. He must have just been free.

The closest dungeon to this city was about an hour’s walk away.

There were guards standing at the entrance. They check to make sure that people like thieves don’t sneak in and hunt the monsters on the upper floors, or ambush and trap adventurers or soldiers (soldia) who come in.

In other words, basically only adventurers, soldiers, or their porters are allowed in. It makes sense, I suppose.

“By the way, is this your first time in a dungeon, Jas?”

“Yeah. I’m kind of excited to see what it’s like.”

“hahahaha. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

“I’m counting on you.”

We said that and went in, but the monsters on the first ten floors were incredibly weak. I didn’t even have to try, I just swung my sword around and they died. Part of the reason was that Neil used his sense of smell to find the enemies, skillfully draw them in, and defeat them, or find traps and avoid them, but this was ridiculous.

“They’re weak.”

“No, you’re just stronger than I expected.”

“No, it’s weak.”

We continued walking at a steady pace.

“Well, the real deal starts from the eleventh floor. Up to here, the danger level is 2 to 3, but from now on, it’s said to be 3 and above. It seems that it takes about a week for a seven-person group of third-class strength to reach the twentieth floor.”

“Yeah…”

It’s probably because of the strength of the enemies and the number of traps, but it also means that the floor is that much wider. It’s not surprising that we’ll have to take breaks, but it’s a fourteen-day round trip. On the way back, we’ll have less food and recovery potions, so it could take even longer if we’re not careful.

“What was the shortest time to reach the deepest part of the forty-second floor that has been confirmed… the thirty-fifth floor?”

“Ah. I think it was a coalition of three alliances, with three groups. Four fifth-class, eleven fourth-class, and six third-class. It took about three weeks to arrive. It seems that it hadn’t been fully explored yet. I apologize if I’m using adventurer ranks instead of strength ranks.”

“Hmm.”

“Everyone was exhausted when they arrived, and they had exceeded the scheduled number of days, so they were short on food for the return trip. Apparently, they hunted down magical beasts and somehow managed.”

“That’s pretty tough.”

“Yeah. That’s why the difficulty level of this dungeon, as certified by the brokerage, is 4 and above. There’s less danger, but it’s simply difficult to reach the bottom floor.”

Hearing this, I decided in my heart that I would go as far as I could the next time I had time. This would be a good way to level up. What worries me is my mental strength, which is essential for my basic fighting, so I’ll need to improve other areas besides my level.

Wait a minute.

“Hey, what are your plans for today?”

“Hmm? Ah. I hadn’t decided. I was planning on a day trip, but I got into a good pace.”

“What if you wanted to go home today?”

“It depends on what time you mean by today, but if you want to be back by eight o’clock when it gets dark, you’ll have to go at a slightly faster pace without any breaks. Fourteen or fifteen floors would be the limit.”

“Let’s go back after two more floors.”

“Huh? Well, I’m fine with it. But it’s your first time, too.”

My pace of leveling up is also bad when there are others around. I didn’t want to play around here until late at night for no reason. If I’m going to sleep, I want to sleep in my bed.

“Let’s get this over with.”

“Oh? Okay…”

Neil started walking as well, with a slightly bewildered response to me, who had started walking briskly in a place where there were supposed to be traps.

*

“Well, let’s toast to your graduation from your first dungeon exploration.”

“Cheers.”

We clinked our wooden mugs and took a sip. The taste was rough and cheap, and the only saving grace was that it was cold. I thought to myself what a disgusting drink this was, and I finished it in one gulp. I didn’t t mind the slight burning sensation in my stomach.

“Oh, you’re a good drinker. Miss, another ale.”

I don’t need it. I held back from saying that. I was learning that this was the kind of thing you said in places like this.

There were others around us who were drinking at an even faster pace, so it would have been strange not to drink.

“So, how was it? Your first quest?”

“Hmm. It was okay.”

“You’re definitely going to be a great adventurer. You and I are both third-class. Normally, it would take a day or two to get to the tenth floor with a temporary partner like that.”

“Really?”

“Well, this time, I was used to it, and I was there to find and disarm the traps. But you were stronger than I expected. Are you really a beginner?”

Neil, who was already on his third drink, laughed with a look of amusement. Was he probing me a little because he was suspicious of my strength and my connection to Jarnall?

I raised my index finger.

“For example, there’s someone who doesn’t even know the word ‘magic.’ But he’s been using magic all along. Even though he doesn’t know that magic exists.

If he comes to a land where magic is recognized as magic, and he gets an incredible score on an ability test, he’ll probably get an invitation from a superior who wants his power, even though he’s supposed to be a beginner in that land . If he accepts and gains the proper knowledge of magic, he’ll probably become a great magician.”

“I see.”

In short, the title “novice adventurer” is unreliable.

I along with Neal, who kept guzzling down his drink, but I didn’t get drunk. I created something called [Return Jade] during yesterday’s hunt, and I’m constantly detoxifying, so I can’t get drunk. By the way, I heard that alcohol is a liquid used for disinfection, but it’s poison. Is it a case of fighting poison with poison?

“By the way, do you know, Jas?”

“What?”

When I replied in imitation, Neal grinned.

“Lately, things have been moving around a lot.”

“Oh, I’ve heard something about it.”

Is it already out in the open? Or do adventurers need to be sensitive to the flow of things? Either way, the fact that an adventurer knows about it means that my brother’s first battle is just around the corner. It’s a delicate feeling.

“Are you going to participate?”

“No, I’m not. I’m not interested.”

Aside from being a soldier, the main profession that goes to war is a mercenary.

However, there are times when adventurers participate due to circumstances, money, or honor. If they do well, they may catch the eye of a noble or knight, and then they may be hired. Even if they receive a letter of commendation, it will be evaluated at the referral office.

Well, since it’s a job that involves killing people, most of the time it’s just the skill level that goes up.

“What about Neal?”

“I’m not going either. I’m an adventurer for a living. Not to kill people.”

“Well, that’s about it.”

Unlike us, who were having such a conversation, a little further away, people who were clearly mercenaries were laughing loudly about how they were going to make a lot of money.

“Those are the guys from the ‘Grieg Mercenary Corps’, a league that mainly focuses on mercenary work.”

“Huh. They look rough, but a league, huh?”

A league is an armed group that has been granted the authority to be recognized by the state. People with a history of theft or crime – well, I don’t know for sure – or people with a bad reputation will not be certified. That’s what I’m wondering about.

“Oh. But the leader (guild master) of that group, Grieg, was originally a well-known mercenary. And the guild members also don’t have any criminal records to speak of. Well, they may be a bit rough around the edges, but they haven’t caused any overt problems.”

“Overt?”

“Well, bullying the weak is one thing, but fights between adventurers and mercenaries aren’t crimes. As long as they don’t bother anyone around them.”

“Oh, I see.”

As expected of a country that respects the strong. It means that the loser is at fault.

“So, for example, if he and I were to fight here right now?”

“It would be bad because it would cause trouble for the referral office.”

“What about outside?”

“If it doesn’t bother the general public, it’s fine.”

“Even if I kill him?”

“Ah… You’re pretty, but you’re pretty radical.”

“Just because a magical beast is beautiful doesn’t mean it’s kind.”

Whether he liked my answer or not, Neal laughed out loud and lowered his voice.

“If you dispose of the body properly, it won’t be a crime, even if people see it.”

His eyes gleamed sharply. I thought to myself, “He’s definitely done this to a few people.”

“That’s good to know. This is on me.”

“Whew. Jas, you’re a smart guy. Miss!”

Neal, who had suddenly become cheerful, ordered expensive dishes and now wine, and started making a lot of noise.

Well, I’m not in a bad mood, so I might as well try to get some information out of him.