Chapter 157: First Steps into Yavik City
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“We’re almost there. You can even see the massive entrance to their Adventurer’s Guild.”
Will wasn’t exaggerating.
Even though the carriage was still about a kiloter outside the city, the towering five-story building with “Adventurer’s Guild” prominently displayed was already visible.
As everyone knew, the better the guild building, the more prosperous the dungeon exploration business in that area.
And it also ant that the Hysterm family was making the most money there.
Seeing this sight filled Will with a sense of pride and joy. Even though he wasn’t the heir to the family, it was still technically his family’s property, so why not enjoy the mont?
“Their seared steak is pretty good. I tried it three years ago when I was freelancing, but now that it’s so popular, getting a seat might be tough.”
Shuna stood up, gazing at the Adventurer’s Guild in Yavik City.
“If you were here a few years ago, that ans…”
“Three years ago, this was where the famous ice-elent dungeon ‘Snow Abyss’ appeared.”
Shuna’s gaze turned nostalgic as she recalled so old mories.
The Snow Abyss dungeon had left a deep impression on her, both good and bad.
“And the current dungeon here is also ice-elent, right?”
“Moonlit Ice Extre, yeah, that’s the one.”
Shuna didn’t even need to think before saying the na—despite it being a bit of a mouthful.
“Looks like another place with a ‘dungeon colony,’ huh?”
Will pondered for a mont before using the term.
“Hmm? That’s a description I’ve never heard before.”
“Well… uh…”
Will hesitated, wondering how to explain this term—which wasn’t exactly his invention—to people who hadn’t yet reached the scientific understanding of microbiology.
“It’s like this: in a forest, mushrooms grow in certain spots year after year. That’s because there’s a fungal network underground that forms a colony in that area.”
“Oh…”
Shuna seed to be listening intently.
Not only was she paying close attention, but her expression also suggested she was genuinely thinking it over.
“I think I get it. You’re using that term to describe areas where new dungeons consistently appear. That’s pretty interesting.”
Will wasn’t sure if Shuna fully understood, but her response showed she had grasped the gist of it.
“Right? Right!”
“And mushrooms have their true body underground, just like dungeons. Makes sense.”
“Huh? I hadn’t even thought of that connection.”
“But this way of describing it… it almost makes dungeons seem like the external manifestations of sothing deeper, like they’re a resource that can be harvested repeatedly.”
“What?!”
From the way Shuna spoke, it seed she was diving into a philosophical exploration of the purpose and nature of dungeons.
“You’re overthinking it. Dungeons aren’t like that!”
“Alright, alright. Oh, we’re here.”
As they talked, the carriage slowed to a stop near the Adventurer’s Guild.
The keyword here was “near.”
This Adventurer’s Guild was far busier than the one in Novice Town, which was essentially a “starter village.”
The streets here were much wider, yet they were packed with people. The entrance to the guild itself had a long line of adventurers waiting to get in.
No wonder they needed a five-story building—anything smaller wouldn’t accommodate this many people.
“Wow…”
Even though Will had prepared himself, he hadn’t expected it to be this crowded.
“Shuna, I think your steak plans are probably out the window.”
“What? Doesn’t the young master of the Hysterm family have so strings he can pull to skip the line?”
“I… I’m technically on a ‘free-range’ outing from my family, so no, I don’t.”
As Will spoke, he suddenly heard the sound of galloping hooves behind him.
…A carriage? At this ti? How did it even get through?
Before he could process it, Shuna grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him into her arms and spinning him around protectively.
“Shu… Shuna?”
“Sheesh, so people really don’t follow the rules.”
A luxurious, aristocratic carriage sped past them, its design adorned with an unmistakable emblem of a blue rose missing one petal.
“Oh, it’s the royal family. No wonder they’re ignoring the rules—after all, they’re the ones who make them.”
Shuna had a clear view of the carriage.
Her tone suggested she wasn’t particularly fond of the royal family.
“Can’t they watch where they’re going?!”
“Exactly! With so many people around, didn’t they see the signs saying no carriages allowed?”
“Ah, it’s so hot even though it’s almost autumn. It’s nothing like the estate I stayed at before.”
From the carriage stepped a noblewoman who appeared to be in her thirties. She looked like she had been living a very comfortable life, her figure slightly out of shape.
Thanks to Treya’s frequent royal family trivia sessions (or perhaps Will’s own training of Treya), Will imdiately recognized her.
This was Grand Princess Julie, significantly older than Treya. From what Will rembered, she had married into a neighboring kingdom and theoretically no longer had any claim to the throne.
It was strange. Why was she back now, and why here?
And why was she using a royal carriage? It was as if…
As if there was so reason she had been summoned back.
“Can these people move aside? I heard this dungeon is a great sumr retreat, so I took a little detour to rest here. I’m absolutely exhausted.”
She waved her fan dramatically, her deanor spoiled and entitled.
“A… sumr retreat…?”
Will was stunned by the term.
Sure…
An “ice-elent” dungeon could indeed be considered a sumr retreat.
But…
Were dungeons really ant for tourism?
Will glanced around at the adventurers nearby. Judging by their gear, many of them didn’t seem to be here to clear the dungeon. It made more sense if they were here for a sumr vacation.
“I guess it’s not that surprising, considering…”
Shuna picked up a flyer from sowhere.
“Look, this is how Yavik City advertises itself.”
The flyer prominently displayed:
“Absolutely Safe!
Super Cool Experience!
Breathtaking Night Views!
The first ten floors of Moonlit Ice Extre await you!”
“Uh… this…”
“And they even offer personalized luxury vacation packages. If the photos are really from the dungeon, it does look like a beautiful place to escape the heat.”
Shuna showed the flyer to Will before folding it back up to examine it herself.
anwhile, the grand princess, looking thoroughly annoyed, stepped out of her carriage.
No…
Judging by the way the staff slamd the carriage door shut, she might have been kicked out.
“They’re telling the front is fully booked and I can’t go in?!”
“And according to the Adventurer’s Guild rules, no cutting in line?!”
“Hmph, these dungeon commoners are getting too bold. They wouldn’t have dared to act like this in front of the royal family before!”
Will watched as the grand princess, visibly frustrated, stord off.
Her carriage disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, leaving just as dramatically.
However…
The direction they headed in seed to be toward the capital.
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