"Three monsters appear from the third floor, right?"
"No. I've heard they appear from the fourth floor."
"Then, four monsters won't appear on the fourth floor, will they?"
"Four monsters appear from the eighth floor, they say."
After confirming Roxanne's fighting style on the second and third floors, we moved to the fourth floor.
After taking down a group of two Minos and one Kobold with three spells, I asked Roxanne.
We had already confirmed that the Firestorm only affects the monsters.
"So, five monsters from the sixteenth floor, then?"
"You understand well. That's correct."
I was unexpectedly impressed.
If two monsters appear on the second floor, three on the fourth, and four on the eighth, then five would appear from the sixteenth floor.
The next group Roxanne led me to was one Mino and one Kobold.
First, I burned the Kobold LV4 with a Fireball.
"Roxanne, try handling the Mino."
I sent Roxanne to confirm.
Roxanne had no trouble dealing with Needlewood LV2 and Needlewood LV3 on the second and third floors.
How well she could fight against the Mino LV4, which is like a bull with its front and back blocked, was the question.
Roxanne brandished her scimitar and charged.
A light strike from the front. She easily dodged the swinging horn and landed another hit.
After adding another strike, she nimbly turned and avoided the Mino's attack.
What kind of bullfighter are you?
She seemed perfect even against one monster on the fourth floor.
While Roxanne was handling the monsters, I prepared Durandal.
I advanced from the left and struck the Mino's side.
I defeated the Mino and recovered my MP.
"It seems there's no problem on the fourth floor."
"But, the number. Can you handle three?"
"Yes. Two is no problem at all. If surrounded by three, I might receive an attack."
That was the kind of response I got.
If I were surrounded by three Minos, I'd panic.
"Are you not afraid of the horns?"
"Looking closely, there's no problem."
"Y-You can dodge them well, right?"
"When the horns swing, they make a 'whoosh' sound. If you pull your body back and dodge, you'll be fine."
"...I see."
Roxanne is the type who can't teach others.
She's a natural, I guess.
"Basically, if the horns are on the head and they try to use force, they either charge or swing, which makes their intentions clear from the start. It's like they're telling you to dodge."
That's what Roxanne said.
Just hearing the words, it might seem that way.
No, no. I shouldn't be fooled.
Only Roxanne can do that.
Well, worrying about the future is pointless.
There's no problem on the fourth floor since it can be resolved with three spells.
Even if we go higher and the vanguard has to handle three monsters while I cast spells, Roxanne said she can handle two, so I'll have to do my best with one.
After hunting a bit on the fourth floor, we returned to the wall of the Adventurer's Guild.
Staying in the dungeon all the time isn't good.
In the dungeon, you're always under tension.
It's necessary to change your mood from time to time.
When we finished hunting, the magic crystal had turned blue.
Roxanne's magic crystal had turned purple.
It seems that if you don't finish off the monsters, magic power doesn't accumulate.
The purple magic crystal was when I borrowed it, not when Roxanne had it.
If you have multiple magic crystals, will magic power accumulate in all of them?
According to Roxanne, of course, there's no such easy deal.
However, it might be different if you have the Crystalization Promotion skill.
As an experiment, I put two magic crystals in my backpack.
The black magic crystal Roxanne lent me turned purple after defeating nine monsters.
Two of them were defeated by Durandal without the Crystalization Promotion skill.
The accumulated magic power is seven monsters × thirty-two times + two monsters.
Since it takes the magic power of a hundred monsters to turn the magic crystal purple, having two magic crystals means the accumulated magic power is exactly half.
It seems there's no such easy deal after all.
When I returned the purple magic crystal, Roxanne was surprised that it had turned purple without hunting a hundred monsters.
I told Roxanne that Kobolds don't taste good, so we didn't fight many.
Roxanne is really useful.
The Adventurer's Guild seemed busier than usual.
Was it because of the end-of-day announcement?
There was a line at the buyback counter.
A person selling had placed four or five branches and one leaf on a plate.
They must have worked hard on the first floor of the dungeon.
Even if the number is small.
"Can't you buy leaves?"
I whispered to Roxanne.
Leaves are supposed to be eighty nars, so even if you can't get a thirty percent discount, buying them at double the price and selling ten antidote pills at a thirty percent markup would yield a profit of 165 nars per leaf.
"The leaf trade is the guild's profit. I think it's better not to do it."
Roxanne answered in a whisper.
Indeed. If you infringe on the guild's rights, you don't know what kind of retaliation you might face.
I'll give up on making money this way.
It was a whisper, so no one should have heard it.
Still, there are a lot of people today.
Several parties had already returned from the guild's wall.
Another party came out.
This time, it was a duo.
"Koolatar, is there anyone for a one-way trip?"
The first man to come out announced.
Oh. An adventurer from Koolatar.
This is convenient.
I thought about party formation and removed Roxanne from the party.
"I'll be right back."
"Yes."
Roxanne seemed to understand immediately.
She might have just followed my order, but she looked like she understood.
I hope she doesn't run away while I'm gone.
If she disappears just by looking away for a moment, she would have already run away.
We can't be together all the time.
I paid a silver coin and was taken to Koolatar.
I checked the sun's position and returned immediately.
Roxanne... was there.
She was waiting for me.
"I'm back. Shall we go to Koolatar?"
"Yes. I'll accompany you."
We formed a party, checked the sun's position in Vale, and warped to the Koolatar Adventurer's Guild.
It was before 3 PM, around 2:10 PM in Vale.
There should be about three hours until evening.
Koolatar is also in the daytime, but I don't know the direction or the time difference.
The Koolatar Adventurer's Guild was about one size larger than the Vale town guild.
It can't compare to the capital's guild.
There are only three buyback counters.
It's bigger than the single Vale guild, but I thought it would be even bigger in a larger town.
"Hmm. Is this it?"
"Koolatar is a town centered around the dungeon and explorers, so the Explorer's Guild is more developed and larger."
Roxanne explained.
She must have heard my muttered comment.
"Is that so? Have you been to Koolatar?"
"Yes. I came once to observe the dungeon. Most people who want to enter the dungeon visit at least once."
"Then, shall we go to the dungeon once?"
"As you wish. It's over there."
Roxanne pointed without hesitation.
"Can you tell which way is north?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know."
"How did you know the direction of the dungeon, then?"
Ah, by smell.
"The town of Koolatar is built around the dungeon. The dungeon is in the center, and the roads extend radially from there."
It's not by smell.
Looking at it, the buildings on one side of the road gradually become sparse.
On the other side, the buildings are densely packed.
I see. That's the center of the town.
We started walking towards the center of the town.
Still, Koolatar's town is smaller than the capital.
It's more prosperous than Vale, I guess.
Near the center, several shops had opened their first-floor walls for business.
There was a fish shop and a bakery, and beyond them was a hardware store.
This is the first time I've seen a shop open for business other than a stall since coming to this world.
It's just a normal shop.
The form of the store isn't that complicated, I guess.
Beyond the hardware store, the road led to a roundabout with a small hill in the center.
The entrance to the dungeon.
Several roads extend from the center of the town, and there were a few shops on both sides of each road.
"Is that the dungeon?"
"Yes. The building directly in front of the entrance, across the road, is the knight's outpost, and the large building on the opposite side of the entrance is the Explorer's Guild."
The black wall of the dungeon entrance is slightly visible to the right.
On the opposite side, a large building of about five or six floors stands between the two roads extending from the center.
The reddish-brown brick building is quite imposing.
I see, that's why the Explorer's Guild is well-developed.
The first-floor door is open, and several people are coming and going.
There's also a line at the knight's outpost.
"What's the line for?"
"To enter the Koolatar dungeon, you have to pay. It's 100 nars per person per entry."
They charge an entry fee.
It's like a tourist attraction.
"If there's a fee, it's better to enter when we have more time. Do you know how to rent a house?"
"There's a caretaker. If you ask at any shop, they'll tell you."
"Hmm."
I'll go into this hardware store.
As I was about to enter the hardware store, Roxanne pulled my arm.
"But, Master?"
"Hm?"
"Can't we use your magic to enter?"
She whispered.
I see.
If we use Warp, we can go directly into the dungeon, so once we're in, we won't have to pay each time.
Nagoya-ya, you're quite devious.
I want to untie my belt and let it spin.
I entered the hardware store.
There were pots, scissors, shovels, and other metal products I couldn't identify.
There were also padlocks.
Weapons are at the weapon shop. Shovels and spades are treated as farming tools, I guess.
"Welcome."
A woman in her late middle age came out.
37 years old, Merchant LV44.
Her level seems a bit high.
"I'm looking for a place to live around here. Where is the caretaker?"
"That's great. The caretaker for District 6 is here."
She answered before I finished.
This is the caretaker. Lucky.
"District 6?"
"The town is divided into six districts by the six roads extending from the center. The district with the Explorer's Guild is District 1, and the others are numbered clockwise. This is District 6."
"I see."
The most prominent location facing the dungeon is in each district.
Since this store is in the most prominent location in District 6, it might be appropriate for the caretaker.
"Are you an explorer?"
"Yes."
"What kind of property are you looking for?"
That's a tough question.
"Tell me what kind of properties are available. I'm looking for a place that costs about 40,000 nars a year, with no other specific conditions."
"Will you be living with two people?"
"For now, but in the future—"
"I see. You're an explorer."
The woman took over before I finished.
She seems to be a talkative person.
Explorers can form parties of up to six people for the dungeon.
Many explorers live with their party members.
The woman glanced at Roxanne, then looked at my face with a suggestive smile.
She seemed to have realized that Roxanne is a slave.
Then she stared at Roxanne as if evaluating her.
I don't know why she realized Roxanne is a slave, but that face says she knows.
Is this what a caretaker is supposed to be?
Or, as the slave merchant told me, many people who enter the dungeon have slaves as party members.
"...Um"
"You have a good girl. Do you prefer a place close to the dungeon?"
Ignoring Roxanne, who was about to say something, the woman spoke to me.
"I don't have any particular preference."
Rental prices are probably higher closer to the dungeon.
Being close to the dungeon also means being close to the center of the town.
However, in my case, I can use Warp to go to the dungeon.
If I need to go to the bustling area in the center of the town, I can just go to the wall of the Adventurer's Guild.
There's no reason to live close to the dungeon.
In fact, it might be more advantageous to live farther away, where the rent is cheaper.
"If you're not an adventurer, there's a good deal on a house, how about it?"
"Is it not suitable for adventurers?"
"The previous tenant covered everything with shielding cement, so it's not very convenient."
I don't understand.
"You can't use Field Walk to move through walls made with shielding cement, so it's not very convenient for adventurers."
I glanced at Roxanne for help, and she explained.
Roxanne, you're really useful.
Moreover, she subtly covered for me so that it wouldn't be obvious that I didn't know about shielding cement.
I see.
Adventurers probably live far from the dungeon.
They can use Field Walk to move around, so there's no reason to live in a high-rent area.
However, the house is unusable because it's covered with shielding cement.
"Can I see it once?"
The only way to know if Warp works is to try it.
"Sure. I'll prepare."
The woman went to the back of the store.
After a while, she came back and led us back towards the Adventurer's Guild.
It might be premature to rent a house.
It's better to learn more about this world or seriously consider the future.
I might need to check for earthquakes, volcanoes, tropical storms, and other natural disasters.
"What's the climate like around here?"
"It's a good place. It's cool in summer, and it doesn't snow much in winter."
"How much rain does it get?"
Roxanne is trying to get information from the woman, but that's not enough.
However, I don't have many options.
Right now, it's either Koolatar or the capital.
There might be other places where I can live without problems, but if it takes months to investigate and think about it, it might be cheaper to rent a place.
Unless this place is terrible, it's not worth regretting if there's a better town.
The caretaker woman led Roxanne and me down the road.
Koolatar's town has tall buildings only in the center, and it becomes a residential area as you move out.
Two-story houses are lined up with some space between them.
It feels like the outskirts of a rural area.
As we walked further, there were more empty lots and fields than houses, and a man greeted the woman.
40 years old, Villager LV53, huh?
An unprecedented high-level villager.
He looks tough and strong, but is he really strong, or am I just influenced by his level?
"That's my husband."
The woman said after a brief conversation with the man.
"He looks very strong."
"This town doesn't have a wall. It's built around the dungeon, so a wall has no meaning. Monsters can appear anywhere in the town. They're weak, though. People who are afraid of monsters can't live here. My husband and I enter the dungeon every three days without fail."
According to Roxanne, monsters not only appear in the dungeon but also nearby.
Like the Slow Rabbits in the forest behind the first village and the Gum Slimes we encountered while traveling by carriage.
Cities are surrounded by walls to protect against such monsters.
In Koolatar, since the dungeon is in the center of the town, it wouldn't make sense to surround the town with a wall.
It's a terrifying town when you think about it.
Living in such a town, this couple must be well-trained.
That's why the husband is a Villager LV53.
I can just use Durandal, but I wonder if Roxanne will be okay.
"Is it okay to live in a town where monsters appear?"
"There's no problem at all."
That was a silly question.
"My husband is a blacksmith in that shed. The items we sell are made by my husband."
"Blacksmith?"
"Yes."
"Blacksmith, as in a job?"
If he's a blacksmith, maybe I can learn how to get the job.
"Only dwarves can be blacksmiths."
"Really?"
"He has a small smelter in the shed and casts items. This is a job that anyone can do with the right skills, regardless of race. Blacksmiths, on the other hand, are a