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Chapter 8

“Mr. Yukihisa, how amazing of you to be able to come all the way here without a gas mask for the poisonous gas.”

I’m troubled about whether I should tell her about my mystery of a specialty to poison.

Even Arleaf—a seeming normal person—is wearing a mask.

‘It would be all right to honestly tell her that you have a high resistance to poison, would it not? It is not as if she is doubting you in any way. If you were to act questionable about it, then you would be suspicious.’

... well, he’s got a point.

With Veno’s words of advice, I spoke with a nonchalant look on my face.

“Well, kinda, yeah. After receiving your help, I rested up in the village. Regained my senses and got my memory back too. Then I came out here on a job.”

“Oh, is that right? Pardon me if I am prying, but what kind of work are you out here for?”

Arleaf eyes me and my outfit up.

I look more or less like an adventurer.

Still, I don’t know the limits of the concealment effect of the armor.

“Ah, I was fulfilling a request for some moss that grows around here. I’m all done now though.”

“I see.”

“Ms. Arleaf... you’re gathering herbs in a dungeon?”

“That’s right. Though it may be a dungeon, the first floor is relatively safe. You just have to be careful about the miasma is all.”

Relatively safe, huh?

If that’s the case, I’m a little interested.

“Perhaps you’ve only exited the dungeon because your basket is full? As thanks for helping me out earlier, let me carry it for you. Then you can continue picking herbs no problem.”

“Eh? No, I can’t do that to you. It wouldn’t be right.”

“No, no. You nursed me back to health after all. Please let me thank you. Plus, I’m kinda interested in going in anyway.”

“But... Mr. Yukihisa, how about your own belongings? And your clothes are still wet, right?”

“Ah, I know storage magic, so that’s where all my stuff is. Yeah, I’m still a little damp but I’m fine.”

Sensing this, Veno produced in my hand the fungus picked I had picked just now.

And right after, made it disappear in an instant.

And then, maybe because of the poison, soaking in the nice and warm swamp felt great.

I still feel the lingering recovery effect of Poison Absorption (Weak).

“You are a strong adventurer, aren’t you, Mr. Yukihisa?”

It feels like I can’t tell her that I’m just some guy from an alternate universe on his first adventure.

At least I don’t think I’m a lower level than Arleaf.

And while it kinda makes me feel guilty, but I can’t be too careful. You never know when or where the people after me are going to show up.

“And with that, exploring a dungeon is an essential part to an adventure. It would really help me out of you could guide me on what’s safe and what’s not.”

“Understood. Well then, let us head into the dungeon once again.”

Mmm. Arleaf is a nice girl, eh?

She smiles at me with a dazzling smile.

Though she still has her gas mask on.

That gas mask... she looks like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

‘Hmm, aye... it is a rather interesting tale of adventure.’

I ignore Veno as he watches the anime in my head.

Following her guidance, we headed into the cave... into the dungeon.

The entrance looks like a natural cave, but once inside, it’s paved with stone.

“It’s this way.”

“Mm.”

I don’t feel the presence of any monsters.

Veno, too, feels nothing from his point of view.

Then, right after we entered the cave a little... what is that? Something like a rundown altar.

The ceiling is rather tall and there’s light shining in from somewhere.

Somehow or other, it is quite divine.

“There was originally a village here and this dungeon... it seems like they used this as a church at the time. In the end, something happened and led to this village being deserted. Then an infamous monster of ages past occupied a nearby dungeon... and due to an expansion, it seems like one of the entrances became connected.”

“Every dungeon has a history, eh?”

“They say the reason why the first floor of this dungeon is sparsely populated with monsters is thanks to this altar here. The second floor and beyond is connected with another dungeon so it is more typical of what you would find...”

Though the religion has died out, passers-by are still protected from the threat of monsters...

“Then, let us continue in. In the far end is where herbs flourish.”

“Ah, ahh.”

With Arleaf guiding, we enter deeper into the stone-built dungeon.

This glowing fungus grows all over the cave, creating a usable light source and making the inside of this dungeon rather bright.

Then, while Arleaf and I are in the dungeon, Veno calls out.

‘... no choice but to use that altar.’

Hmm, what’s that?

‘Ah, remember how we conversed about churches and baptism earlier? The truth is that humans—you, with a high enough level, can change into a higher job but must go to a church.’

Oh! A way to get stronger, hey?

... hmm? So, is something dangerous about that?

‘Churches have many connections. Criminals are obviously forbidden to use their services.’

Ah, so to be careful is what you’re saying?

But is it somehow relevant to me?

‘That is to say, some people, like ones who were Forced Possession Summoned and with a bounty on their head, would have a sword hanging over his head. He would reveal their location to his pursuers in an instant.”

Yikes... so I can only survive by this first job of mine.

Isn’t that going to be pretty tough?

‘Of course, there are many loopholes to pass through, so it would not be quite so difficult. There has always been this sort of under-the-table methods over the ages. It may be deplorable, but no choice but to do it this way.’

So that means the altar just now is one of those loopholes?

‘Ah, while I feel that that decayed altar has no spiritual connections of any sort, I feel that it does have some residual power. If used well, it should be able to draw power out forth from you. I also know the way to do it, so no reason not to.’

Gotcha. Then when the time comes, we can see if it works.

Arleaf is here right now anyway.

‘That is fine. However, you are not able to advance in jobs yet.’

Alright... I’ll keep it in mind.

Advance jobs by using a church’s altar. But beware that regular altars would be dangerous.

“Mr. Yukihisa?”

“Hmm? Something the matter?”

“Oh, no, it just seemed like you were staring off into the distance. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, all good.”

“Are you sure? Ah, we are just about there.”

With Arleaf leading, we encountered a corner where plants and mold grow, looking much like the Sea of Corruption.

Ooh, the place is lit up by Veno’s pinging, indicating which plants can be harvested.

My field of vision became fairly messy.

“Quite the spectacular place, eh?”

“Isn’t it? There is so much that flourishes here that it is almost puts me in a bind.”

Mother Nature is amazing.

“This time, I am trying to bring home some mielleman and ang’eld, as well as hilmasche.”

“Gotcha.”

“Do you know what they are?”

“Yeah, more or less.”

Veno? You know what they are, right?

‘If I have not mistaken their names, it should be these.’

What now shows up in my field of vision is only what Arleaf designated to get.

Quite the handy search function.

“Alrighty then, let’s get picking. We can’t take too much, so I should pick within bounds, right?”

“Yes. Ah, there are toxic plants and fungi growing that are dangerous even if you touch them, so please be careful about those.”

“I know. Don’t worry.”

As per her instructions, I’ll be harvesting the two medicinal herbs and the fungus, hilmasche—without picking them clean.

Then, I store away Arleaf’s basket.

It seems like the leaves growing beside me are mielleman and I only want the bark of ang’eld.

Hilmasche is a bit simpler; it can be plucked as is.

Veno’s assistance is rather helpful.

“Oh, you got so much already. Any more than this, I can’t use, and I wouldn’t like to put it to waste either.”

Following Arleaf’s instruction, I stop harvesting.

“This much good?”

“That will be more than enough. The sun is about to set, so let us return to somewhere safe.”

“’kay.”

With that, we wrap up our exploration of that cave of a dungeon and return to the village.

Ah, we also didn’t encounter any dangerous monsters on our way home.

That’s probably thanks to Arleaf and her monster-warding incense though.

It works kinda like insect repellent, I think. According to Veno, it makes quite the awful stench though.

Hmm?

“Hey, wouldn’t we get back quicker with this shortcut here?”

It’s my second time on this path so I have a grasp on which direction the village is.

From what it shows in the map in my head, Arleaf is deliberately avoiding this path of the fork in the road.

“Over there is the turf of a fiendish monster... people who are trying to get to the swamp or go back to the village generally avoid that path.”

“Hmm...”

“But you are definitely correct in that it is a shortcut.”

I guess you could say that Arleaf finds that path too dangerous for herself.

I think if someone were to routinely defeat that monster, it wouldn’t be a problem.

It’s relatively closer to the village, isn’t it?

‘Perhaps it is... the route of seasonally migrating monsters. It is probable that no matter how many you defeat, they still come back.’

Ah... kinda like how ants have a fixed route.

As well, there probably are monsters who have a symbiotic relationship with the system, so we shouldn’t needlessly hunt them all.

With Veno’s example, there may even be monsters that humans cannot defeat that go through that path.

Well, in that case, nothing we can do about it.

It’s a bit a detour, but it’s good that we don’t need to have any unnecessary battles.

We arrived back at the village.

“Umm... where should I bring all of this to? Back to your home?”

“Yes, it’s this way.”

“Mm... Ah, isn’t this the same place where my request says to deliver to?”

I confirm with Arleaf on the delivery location.

It seems like somehow, it’s the same shop so we arrive at the apothecary.

Inside the store... it feels like innumerable shelves and cabinets line the store.

This is an apothecary?

There are mortars and pestles lying around, so it seems like it’s the real deal.

There are even test tubes and flasks. If it’s a fantasy setting, you might even say it’s like an alchemist’s lab.

“Ah, is that you, Arleaf? Welcome home.”

A man seeming like the shop’s apothecary comes out to greet her.

From what I can see... he’s a man in his late-30s. Perhaps a bit stately?

He tilts his head, like he’s asking who I am.

Possibly, it’s Arleaf’s parent? He gives off an impression that he dresses younger than he is.

“We’ve gathered quite a lot today, Father.”

“That right? Thanks.”

Ah, as I thought, it’s her father.

“Having said that...”

Arleaf’s father looks over here mid-sentence.

She skillfully drops off her basket in front of me, as if she’s done this a thousand times.

“Mm.”

It seems that way, so I don’t offer to lend a hand.

Veno reads the mood perfectly and makes the harvested plants appear in the basket.

“Whoa...!”

After making that surprised sound, I was looked at with What the hell, dude? eyes.

Well, yeah, it would be suspect if my daughter suddenly came home with a guy who was a total stranger.

“Ms. Arleaf helped me out a lot, but all I could do was carry her belongings for her.”

“Hmm...”

It feels like her father glared at me with a sharp look.

He’s vigilant because Arleaf is all chummy with a questionable adventurer of an acquaintance.

Hey, Arleaf is beautiful girl after all and she’s probably very popular with the boys.

I guess I should respond in a way so that I won’t look too weird.