194-176 Return Report

On the day we returned home from the dungeon, we finished our bath and dinner in a few words and went to bed early.

It was the first time in a long time that I didn't need to take any precautions, so I slept like a baby and woke up the next day near noon.

When I woke up, Haruka and Natsuki hadn't gotten up yet, and even Yuki and Toya had just gotten up a little while ago.

They spent the rest of the day sluggishly, and it wasn't until the next day that they started to move normally.

Although they didn't say it out loud, all of them must have been under a certain amount of stress.

When you think about it, going into a dungeon with a party of people you don't know well is quite a risk.

If it was between us, "getting attacked" would be a joke, but in a normal situation, or in a trapped situation like that, .......

Well, I don't plan to bring in any new members, so it's none of my business.

So, what are your plans for today?

Let's go to the guild first. I'm sure you're all wondering about that pendant.　And I haven't seen Diora for a while, so she might be worried.

"Oh, that's right. Diora would be worried if she hadn't heard from you for over a month after you said you were going to the dungeon.

About forty days?

It is highly possible that he is worried about you because you told him that you were going to explore the dungeon with the report of its discovery.

If you think about it, you should at least show your face.

Incidentally, it is said that reporting the discovery of a dungeon itself is 'recommended but not obligatory'.

The reason why it is not compulsory is that it is difficult to confirm that it is a dungeon, and there are various problems involved, such as the manpower problem of the guild.

I don't understand it.

After that, we'll dismantle it, right?　We've got a lot of them.

The downside is that it's not very profitable.

Most of the demons I killed in the dungeon were thrown directly into my magic bag.

I have a simple demolition shed in my yard that I built with earth magic a while ago, and there's a compost bin nearby, so there's no reason to dismantle them in a place that's difficult to work with.

The only exception is Pickau, who was dismantled for eating.

The only exception is the Pickau, who was dismantled for eating. So, let's go to the survival report and appraisal request.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

"Haruka-san!　And everyone!　You're safe, aren't you?

I'm not sure what to make of this.

As soon as we entered the guild, he jumped out from the counter and hugged Haruka, who was in the front.

Ugh, I'm in pain. ......

"Oh, I'm sorry. But I was really worried about you.　Are you okay?

I'm not sure what to say, but I'm sure you'll be able to understand what I mean.

We had a few problems, but we're fine, as you can see.

"Thanks in part to our advance preparations, though. You can never be too careful in a dungeon.

The reason we were able to explore with a relatively relaxed mind was because of the cots and food we had prepared in advance.

If we hadn't been prepared, we probably wouldn't have died, but the situation would have been quite dire.

"What happened?

I briefly explained what had happened in the dungeon to Diora, who asked with concern.

Well, there wasn't any big event, we just couldn't turn back and it took us a long time to return.

Still, Diora listened to our story with a nod, perhaps curious that there were no dungeons in the area.

It's a dungeon, you can't be too careful even if the enemies are weak. But it looks like a difficult dungeon to handle.

"Is it?

Yes. Normally, we would announce the dungeon when we find it, but most of the adventurers in this town can't reach it. If they run into an ogre on the way, they'll be wiped out.

"That's what happens when you're an adventurer guarding a lumberjack.

Toya nodded at Diora's words.

In order to get to the dungeon, you have to go further than the place where they cut down the trees.

It would be a bit difficult for an adventurer who deals with goblins and the like.

And for adventurers who can get to the dungeons, the monsters in the dungeons are too inefficient. Isn't that true for you too, Haruka?

Well, considering the time it took, it's not very profitable.

The enemies that appear in the first and second levels of the dungeon are weak, the purchase price of magic stones is low, and the materials obtained are delicate.

It's true that there's no reason to go to the dungeon at all.

However, in our case, we want Pickau's marbled meat, so we'll probably continue to go hunting without regard for profit.

In addition, when you enter the second level, you're suddenly locked in. An ordinary adventurer would probably be dead.　The other thing to consider is whether or not the trap will work again and again.

If it's a dungeon, it's probably not.

If it's a dungeon, it's probably back to normal, but if it's still there, it's impossible to get to the second level.

If it's a dungeon, it's probably back to normal, but if it's still there, it's impossible to go to the second level, and we won't be able to get marbled meat.

If there were more treasure chests, it would be better, but it took a long time - two months in total?　It took me that long to find three chests. And two of them are pretty cheap, aren't they?

"Yes, sir. They are an iron sword and a potion, so even if you put them together, they won't be worth more than ten gold coins.

In the event that you've got a lot of money to spend, you'll be able to get a lot more than that.

In addition to the family heirloom sword, the skeleton knight's sword was made of white iron and would cost no less than 50 gold coins to buy.

Some adventurers may want to go to the dungeon if such a thing has fallen, but we've been all over the dungeon, and the chances of finding more are pretty slim.

So unless you find something amazing, the only people who will go into the dungeons will be adventurers like Haruka and the others who like things.

What do you mean "picky"? ...... We only chose dungeons because we don't like the heat.

"Adventurers like you, Haruka, if you don't like the heat, you take a vacation, usually. You're making enough money, aren't you?　It's not like we're adventurers who are starving.

While the rookies have to work almost without a break to make ends meet, the high-ranked adventurers seem to be leading a more comfortable life.

I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing.

If I had to pick a good point, I would say that there is a magic circle for returning home. It's a pretty big place, so it's convenient to have it.

"That's true. I was worried when I entered the magic circle, but now that I know how it works, I can use it without worry. That dungeon is huge.

Even if you have a map, it will take you a few days to get past the second level.

You can't earn money on the first and second levels, so even if there are places to earn money on the third level and beyond, you'll need at least a week's worth of expedition.

Even those of us who are known for our love of things can't bring ourselves to go there except during the hot summer months.

If the dungeon is really lucrative, I'll set up a transfer device.

Can you do that?

It's not that easy, is it?　It would cost a lot of money.

According to Diora, there are times when space-time wizards and alchemists are mobilized to create a transfer device that will take you to a specific level of the dungeon.

However, since it is necessary to call in rare space-time wizards, and the installation and maintenance costs are quite high, it seems that such devices are not installed unless the dungeon is very profitable.

Well, that's not really a problem in Rafan. The location of the dungeon is bad, and the enemies and treasure chests are not very good. There's no advantage to diving them, and since there's no advantage, they won't be maintained. In some cases, dungeons can contribute to the development of a town, but in this case, ......".

Are you saying we should just leave it?

I think so. The dungeon will probably not even be announced.

Newly discovered dungeons are generally perceived as a great risk, but also a dream of getting rich.

Furthermore, dungeons that are not under the control of the Adventurer's Guild can be entered regardless of rank, so even low-ranked adventurers may have a chance.

Normally, it would be suicide to enter a dungeon with such a rank, but dreamy adventurers tend to focus only on getting rich and turn away from the risks.

If a poorly informed and unskilled adventurer goes into a dungeon, he is likely to die before he even reaches it.

So that dungeon will probably be left alone and only be mentioned in the adventurer's guild report. That dungeon - well, we need to name it. Shall we all name it?　We're the first to discover it.

"Huh?　The abandoned mine was already known, right?

Yes. Yes, it was known as an abandoned mine. But it was you who discovered it as a dungeon. What does it matter?　It's not used very often.

The naming rights of the dungeon will be given some consideration to the first discoverer.

Since adventurers don't get any benefit from reporting dungeons to the guild, this seems to be recognized as a kind of reward.

It's an honor because it leaves your name behind, but ...... it's not really relevant to us.

We want to make a name for ourselves so that we are not underestimated, but not so much that we want to go down in history.

--No, in this dungeon, it doesn't matter either way.

What do you think?

I don't know. ......

The majority of us felt that it didn't matter, but some of us thought it was a good idea, so we discussed it lightly.

"Well, I'll see you at the dungeon in the summer.

It was decided in a very matter-of-fact way.

"Was it cool at ......?

Yes. Yes, it was cool enough for me to be well equipped to fight at this time of year. And that's what we went to the dungeon for, in our case.

You can find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier.

It really is probably only used for reports.

I understand. I'll put the documents together then. And the appraisal of the ...... pendant?

Yes. You'll take care of it, won't you?

It may take some time, is that okay?

Since there are no dungeons nearby, there are few requests for appraisals in Raffan, and if it is an advanced item, it will take time.

I'm sorry. How much do I owe you?

Let's see, Haruka's rank is 5, so it's 1 ...... gold coin.

Does it depend on your rank?

Yes. To be honest, most of the time we end up in the red, so the guild doesn't want to waste money on appraisals.

To my question, Diora told me with a wry smile, rank 3 and below is worth 10 gold coins, rank 4 is worth 3 gold coins, rank 5 and 6 is worth 1 gold coin. Rank 7 and above is a flat rate of 5 large silver coins.

To put it in simple terms, it seems to say, "What low ranks bring in is worthless.

It is useless to appraise such items at a loss. This is the guild's way of telling you not to bring it in.

The reason why there is a flat rate for rank 7 and above is because at that level, the items are only worth about 5 large silver coins or a fraction of a coin, so there is no point in charging too little.

Even though it's a service for adventurers, it seems to have been thought out.

"I see. --About this pendant...

"Oh!　It's more beautiful than I expected. The jewel is also large. ......

When Haruka took the pendant out of the magic bag and showed it to Diora, Diora looked a little surprised and took it.

Can you sell it for a lot?

"Yes. It will be worth a lot of money as an ordinary accessory. Besides that, there are some other benefits. ...... Wait a minute.

Ms. Diora went back into the counter and came back with a thin, palm-sized box-like object.

It's a little dusty since it's rarely used.

Diora wiped the black metal box with a handkerchief and drew a double circle on it.

Please place the pendant in the center of this circle.

Yes.

Haruka did as she was told, placed the pendant and waited for a moment, then the circle glowed dimly.

What is this?

This is a simple way to judge a magic tool. If it's just an ordinary accessory, it's a waste of money and time. If it glows like this, there's a good chance it's at least some sort of magical tool.

We had sensed the magical power and judged it to be more than just jewelry, but as expected, the Adventurers Guild had the tools to judge.

As Diora had said, she had no use for it.

It's very useful. So you'll take care of the appraisal?

"Yes. I'll take care of it.

However, it is said that the result of the appraisal can range from a few days at the earliest to a few months at the latest.

It's a pity that I can't do a quick appraisal, but I have no other choice.

Hmm, it would be nice if the [Appraisal] skill was a little more useful.