CH 184

Episode 184 – Entry Conditions

I had been so sure that I would immediately hear words of acceptance that when I had heard what Ahmed had said, I was flabbergasted.

“EH?! Why’s that? Eliza, you wanted to adventure with Lewin so much, so wh—” (Smash)

“Shut up, Smash. I promised to let him join the [Azure Alliance] when he became strong enough to repay the favor. But right now, I don’t think Lewin is strong enough.” (Ahmed)

“No, you won’t really know until you actually see for yourself. Personally, I want to be in a party with Lewin too, and the quickest way to see his true abilities would be to just go with him down to the Dungeon.” (Dion)

“Why would I have to go so far as to do that? I’m not going to let Lewin in until he can show that he’s capable. That’s final.” (Ahmed)

Once I got my thoughts together, I was able to calm down and regain my composure.

“Smash-san, Dion-san, thanks for speaking up for me. However… I was the one who put forth the promise with Ahmed-san to get stronger and repay the favor to her, and I myself can understand that what she said just now is correct.” (Lewin)

When I said that, Smash and Dion both scratched their heads, seemingly unconvinced, while Ahmed’s expression became reluctant.

“But I’m not giving up on joining the [Azure Alliance]. I think that right now, the best way for me to get even stronger than I am now is to join the [Azure Alliance]. So… Ahmed-san, how can I convince you that my skills are good enough to let me join the party?” (Lewin)

When I asked Ahmed this, her expression took a turn, becoming even more bitter as she contemplated deeply. If she were to demand something unreasonable at this point, then I would have no choice but to give up for now. But given her attitude at the moment, she… shouldn’t be saying anything reckless at this point…

“…..Hmm, let’s see. If you can catch up to the layer we’re at in the Dungeon, I can allow you to join.” (Ahmed)

“Eliza! That’s just way too crazy—” (Smash)

“Ahmed-san. Are you sure about that condition? If I can catch up to the same layer as the [Azure Alliance], then I’ll accepted as a member?” (Lewin)

Smash was about to argue with her, but I cut him off, verifying Ahmed’s condition. It was certainly a tough condition, but it wasn’t impossible. I wanted to be as clear as possible in showing that I had really gotten stronger.

“Yeah. If you can catch up, we’ll let you join. But the party limit must be the same as ours, only 3 people. That’s to make sure that you can’t get carried up to that point.” (Ahmed)

“Okay, I understand. I’ll do my best to catch up with you… just wait and see!” (Lewin)

“My apologies, Lewin-kun. I thought for sure that Ahmed-san would immediately give permission for you to join the party…” (Dion)

“Yeah, for real. Eliza has her stubborn parts about her after all. I thought that normally, she would have let you into the party right away.” (Smash)

“I’m fine. It’s not something you two need to apologize for! If anything… I think this is for the better. It’s an easy way to show my ability, and I’m not used to the Dungeon yet. Joining out of the blue would make me drag you guys down for sure,” I said, flashing a reassuring smile to the apologetic pair.

“Still, I would have liked to party with you right now though.” (Dion)

“I’m already satisfied just hearing that from you, Dion-san. I’ll catch up to your layer soon! Just wait and see!” (Lewin)

They might look a bit scary on the outside, but… in the end, they were kind people. I could still vividly recall the time they helped me in Grezesta. Although Ahmed-san’s words had seemed harsh, I could tell from the nuances in her words and actions that she was doing this in consideration of me. I knew that fundamentally, nothing had changed between us.

I had to catch up to the [Azure Alliance] as soon as possible so that I could adventure alongside them. Now that I had made up my mind, I decided to go find Tobias-san from the Laudungeon Company to seek advice from him about clearing the Dungeon.