—
“Ugh… so… so hot…”
To be honest, Will hadn’t really felt “hot” these past few days.
Even though it was sumr, the train carriage had been quite cool, and the sea breeze in Surtes Town was refreshing.
But…
As they moved further inland, the heat beca noticeably more oppressive.
This was probably the last stretch of sumr’s heat. Once the season shifted and the gentle rains began, things would feel much more comfortable.
“Maybe it’s because… because of what that grand princess said. I wasn’t feeling hot before, but now I can’t stop noticing it.”
Will suddenly felt sothing cool against his cheek.
He turned to see Shuna holding a glass of water, its surface frosted and chilled, pressed against his face.
“How’s that? Feeling cooler?”
“Did you use ice magic to chill the water?”
The glass was so cold that it was fogged with condensation, and a thin layer of ice floated on the surface of the water.
Although Will knew this level of magic was trivial for Shuna, it was rare for soone to go to such lengths just to chill a drink.
“Yup. You looked like you were overheating, so I made a special glass. Plus, I like my water extra cold.”
“Ah, refreshing! Thanks!”
The two of them were currently…
Sitting under the shade of an outdoor umbrella at a beverage stand in Yavik City.
It was already their third day in the city.
As for why they were sitting here…
They hadn’t been able to get entry tickets to the dungeon from the Adventurer’s Guild!
Yavik City was incredibly popular—one of the hottest spots in the region. The lines outside the Adventurer’s Guild stretched endlessly.
After waiting an entire day to get inside…
They discovered that the “keys” for starting at the 50th floor were restricted to A-rank and above adventurer teams. anwhile, the “keys” for starting at the 40th floor were fully booked. According to the guild, if they wanted to reserve a spot, they’d have to wait about two weeks.
And…
The dungeon known as “Moonlit Ice Extre” had already been explored up to the 60th floor. Without a key to directly access the 51st floor, the only option was to start from the first floor and climb up.
Of course…
They could try finding a high-level adventurer team willing to start at the 50th floor and tag along.
But there was a problem…
Will was the “team leader,” which ant…
He couldn’t join another team unless he disbanded his own.
“I don’t get it. Why is the 40th floor only open to teams with A-rank or S-rank mbers, yet it’s still so crowded?”
“Maybe… they don’t want this dungeon to be cleared too quickly?”
Will offered a bold theory.
“Huh? What do you an?”
“Look, the first ten floors of the dungeon are already a huge sumr business opportunity, drawing in tons of people. If I’m not mistaken, since there aren’t many ice-elent dungeons around, the middle floors—around the 20th to 30th—are also a source of sumr cooling products.”
“Hmm…”
Shuna crossed her arms, mulling over Will’s words.
“That makes sense. After all, your family… no, the Adventurer’s Guild, isn’t exactly ‘pure’ anymore. They’re… rchants embedded in every aspect of our lives.”
“Exactly. By restricting access—likely hinting to A-rank and S-rank teams not to clear the dungeon, and not even giving B1-rank teams a chance—they’re reducing the likelihood of the dungeon being fully cleared.”
—Just like how Novice Town’s Green Wild Maze was deliberately turned into a “starter village” dungeon, with deeper levels off-limits.
It was like…
A protection policy for the dungeon.
However, Will felt this topic was too big. Even in the original story, at least before his death, the serialization hadn’t delved into the chanisms behind this.
He shifted the conversation:
“But anyway, with just the two of us, we probably can’t handle the 60th floor, right?”
“Hmm, three years ago, neither the dungeon nor I could handle the 60th floor…”
Shuna casually sipped her iced water, her gaze fixed on the entrance to “Moonlit Ice Extre.”
The entrances to dungeons varied depending on their level—though Will, having read the original story, knew that dungeon rulers would secretly upgrade their entrances at night as they gained more resources.
“But now, the 60th floor isn’t nearly as challenging as it was three years ago. Oh, and Moonlit Ice Extre doesn’t compare to Snow Abyss either.”
“So you’re saying you’re confident we can clear it?”
“We could hire so extra help. Look, there are plenty of freelance adventurers around. Little~ master~ that shouldn’t be hard for you, right?”
“Uh… well, actually…”
Will’s “wallet” was technically in Eir’s hands.
But he could withdraw so of his “savings” from the Adventurer’s Guild bank—strictly speaking, “Young Master Will’s savings,” which he had accumulated from the gold coins his father had given him as apology gifts over the years.
With just the two of them, hiring a few rcenaries to fill out the team wouldn’t be a problem.
Clink.
While Will was lost in thought, Shuna lightly clinked her glass against his.
Even though they were drinking water—ever since Will discovered how easily Shuna got drunk, he had forbidden her from drinking alcohol!
“No need to rush. I rember you have materials for making a staff, right? Let’s focus on crafting that first.”
“Good point. But… since we’re not heading back for now…”
Will tilted his head.
For a brief mont, he considered calling the three mbers back in Novice Town to join him in tackling “Moonlit Ice Extre.”
But…
The original story had always stated that “Morning Star recruited the black-haired logistics expert Hugh within its first month.”
That tiline was drawing closer.
In the original story, “one month” was a vague concept—not an exact number of days. Being close to a month, say within a week, still fit the description of “around one month” or “within a month.”
In other words, soone joining two or three days earlier could still count as joining within a month!
The closer it got, the less Will dared to let those three leave.
It wasn’t that he was obsessed with following fate—after all, he hadn’t exactly been sticking to the script lately. It was just…
Will felt that leaving the dark, overly powerful protagonist outside of his controlled “fate” was a terrifying prospect.
Who knew what horrors “fate” might unleash to steer the story back on track?
“I’ll write a letter to my old teammates later. This ti, I won’t use the Adventurer’s Guild—it’ll take longer, but that’s fine.”
“Oh? I thought you’d call them here. Guess you just can’t give up our little two-person life~?”
Faced with Shuna’s teasing remark…
Will adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting the light.
“They have more important tasks, ones that affect all of our fates.”
“That serious?”
“Anyway, since we can’t get a spot in the queue for now, we can take a two-pronged approach. We’ll start clearing from the first floor, and we’ll also monitor the guild’s queue daily.”
“Sounds good.”
Shuna seed pleased, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed.
She looked up at the clear blue sky.
“We can take our ti exploring the first few floors.”
tln : i guess i can’t bla him for keep sticking to original tiline.
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