Episode 7.3

"Sorry! Forgive me! Truly I am."

Lecan was brought to the Guard Station, in the same room as last time.

Doug bowed his head after he took a seat.

"I don't recall doing anything that warrants your apologies."

"No, well! You were treated like a suspicious individual back then. A guy with not enough prudence decided on that. And that guy was me. My bad!"

"Fumu. I don't really get it, explain how you came to that conclusion."

"It started with old man Braba. He's a mage who was relatively famous in the past, and lately he's been going in the dungeon to earn pocket money for his grandchildren. That old man Braba caught sight of you. On the stairway down on the third floor. Heard you were paying respect to the magic beasts you defeated and the dungeon itself. Old man Braba had a serious look during his testimony. That person was not the usual run-off-the-mill, he said."

That reminds Lecan, he did feel like he saw an old man when he was heading down on the third floor.

"And also, a particular rumor was spread a while after you went in the dungeon. That there were tons of dead magic beasts with their magic gems intact laying around on shallow floors. And that turned out to be true. Thanks to that, huge crowds were formed on shallow floors for several days."

Last time, Lecan was eager to get down to deeper floors. He had no interest in magic gems on those shallow floors, while taking them out was too much trouble, hence he went on without bothering with the dead bodies.

"I also heard from John and Solis. Ah, guess you're not familiar with their names. It's the young swordsman and female mage pair. John's father was someone who earned distinguished services in the war, owed the guy some debts myself. John told me. The two of them would have died were the Black Clothed Overlord didn't come to their rescue. Moreover, you even shared a red potion to cure the wound on Solis's face, didn't you. And that's not all. You even taught John the way of dungeons. He was truly grateful for that."

"I never teach anything. You got the wrong person."

"Wrong person? Hahahaha. Bet I am. If there's another person like you around that is. Hahahahahaha."

Captain Doug seemed to find it funny somehow as he laughed out loud, he bent forward over the table and beat Lecan's shoulder repeteadly.

"John was deeply remorseful. You've got to bring potions into dungeon with you no matter how pricey they are. Both of them almost paid it with their lives just cause they didn't pay heed to something so obvious, and even if they had survived, Solis would have shouldered a scar her entire life. Of course it would be no problem if they didn't encounter a large individual by chance. But a dungeon is a place where anything can happen anytime. You profoundly taught him that, the boy told me."

There's no doubt that they've got it mistaken at some point. But trying to clear the misunderstanding would take time. Lecan couldn't wait to go in the dungeon any longer.

"Good for him. I'll be on my way now."

"Ah, hold on a bit. The town lord's been informed of your arrival here. Someone from the knights should be here any time."

"I've got no business with the lord's knights."

"Don't say that. Those big shots have heard about how you sold lotsa stuff from the mid and deep parts of the dungeon here. They want to express their thank in person."

"Don't need it."

Lecan stood up as he said that, but then he recalled something that bothered him.

"Doug."

<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than Sousetsuka.com you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>

"Ou, what is it."

"Feels like potions' market prices are kinda high. That'd limit people who can afford them. Also, considering what you just said, do stuff from middle part of the dungeon and below rarely show up in the market?"

Captain Doug had a pained look on his face.

"Would be nice if those potions could go down to a price where farmers, workers and the city populace could afford. But that can't be done."

"Why"

"It's cause adventurers buy them. Potions are indispensable if you want to explore a dungeon. Moreover, adventurers are a highly profitable field of work. As such, they will stock up potions before going in a dungeon regardless of price. Then they obtain treasures and earn money. Which they use to buy potions and better equipment. Adventurers with money to spare would scramble for dungeon stuff from mid and deeper floors. The rest of those stuff circulate to auctions and become the possession of noblemen and the wealthy. If potions' market price fell, adventurers would buy up every last bit. There are some adventurers who are willing sell potions precisely because the market prices are high, as a result, some people other than adventurers are able to buy those potions."

Now that he mentions it, Lecan himself will stop at nothing to get his hand on nice swords and protectors no matter how much they cost. His current equipment is the terminus of that creed.

"Come to think of it, I know a merchant at Vouka Town, I hear stuff from dungeons rarely circulate in the market there."

"Yeah we ain't selling any to Vouka. You know about the current circumstances... no, I guess not. You see, the father of Crimus Ulban, the Vouka town lord, was the first who got in touch with dungeon administrators during the time the dungeon was first discovered here, and was being bought from the discoverer by the royalty. But he was declined. And then the father of Gaionis Douga-sama took the position as a dungeon administrator and was conferred the Earldom peerage. More than 30 years have passed since then, and even though the family heads have changed, these two towns are still not in good terms."

"So that was the case."

"That's right. Just so you know, the amounts of yearly tax paid to the royal family, and the tax for the earl's treasury come out as eye-popping numbers. The earl gotta earn all that money no matter what. However, adventurers who managed to get to floor 20 left this town."

"Captain!"

A soldier rushed in and reported something to Captain Doug.

"And you brought them to the First Reception Room, huh? Alright."

"I see that you've got a guest. I'm going to the dungeon."

"Now now, hang on. Keep me company for a bit more. The town lord's second son, Henjit-sama's here. Said he wanted to see you. Good grief. Who woulda thought the second son would come in person. Would rather the knights under him than the second son himself, geez."