Claire tried her best to hide her surprise during our walk, but she couldn't endure it for more than a few minutes.
She didn't have nearly as many questions as Licia, but her eyes darted around just as much. Whenever someone looked her way for more than a moment, she'd narrow her eyes back. Even mundane things like passing cars and people glued to their screens got that same look from her.
Eventually, we reached the crosswalk where Licia almost got herself run over.
Claire hesitated to take the first step, only for a car to speed by and force her to retreat.
I reached toward Claire, but before I could explain, Licia had already grabbed her hand, and together, the two safely reached the other side.
Seeing their smug smiles after making it across without my help made me chuckle. Especially once Licia stole my lecture, occasionally glancing my way to confirm her words.
Claire: "This is not like any human kingdom I've ever seen. Are you sure you guys are really human?"
Licia seemed happy she'd finally find someone who shared her opinion, silently nodding beside Claire.
As the minority between us, and with no idea what a "human kingdom" looked like in their world, there wasn't much I could argue.
Still, I did my best to prove Earth wasn't filled with a race pretending to be human, and between jokes and serious explanations, we reached the Dungeon Gate.
Claire: "It's almost funny. Of everything I saw today, this is the one thing I recognize."
She lifted her eyebrows for a second, but I didn't find much surprise or excitement in her voice.
Licia: "I know, right!?"
Almost the complete inverse, Licia's eyes were practically gleaming when staring at the otherworldly doors.
Licia: "Since they live so differently outside of the Dungeon, it's a bit unsettling, but... Even inside it, there are a few differences."
She lifted a finger, entering the explanation mode she seemed to enjoy so much.
Claire: "...Really?"
Suspicious of her words, Claire looked at me for confirmation.
Seeing my drooping shoulders, she looked back at Licia for the lesson.
Licia: "Yeah. Their Dungeon doesn't connect to other worlds."
This time, Claire's eyes widened by reflex.
She quickly regained her composure, though.
Claire: "That's... There are only monsters inside, then?"
Licia: "Hm, not quite. There are resources, too. But outside of that, yeah. Only monsters and adventurers from this world."
She looked incredibly confident, even though it hadn't been long since Licia had been summoned.
Not that I could point that out, of course...
Miwen: "I'm not sure how much being in the military translates to being an adventurer in your world, but... I need you to be careful, alright? You never know what's lurking in the next corner."
Licia and I had already cleaned this floor, and this was considered an "Easy Dungeon", so I didn't expect someone with her background to struggle too much.
However, overconfidence and failure often went hand in hand.
Claire: "Hmph..."
She looked away, making me think she was going to dismiss my advice, but...
Claire: "I suppose it can't be helped. With my current level, I might need your help. But this is only temporary, you hear me? Just you wait. Soon enough, I'll have you dropping your jaw."
Starting as almost whispers, the volume of her voice grew with her confidence.
By the end, she had her head raised high, staring down at the gate.
Miwen: "...If you're not feeling confident, we can turn back-"
I knew she had already made her decision.
But seeing that defiant look on her face, I couldn't help but tease her a little.
Claire: "Fufufu. While I'll admit knights escorted me on lower floors so I could quickly gain levels, I'm not totally inexperienced with Dungeons. Especially the challenging ones."
She tossed her knife into the air, catching it by the handle as it spun back down, as if it proved her words.
Licia raised her brows at that, but I was more interested in something else.
Miwen: "Oh, so you guys also do Dungeon escorts?"
Earth had a similar system, but it was a little ineffective and unpopular.
High and top-tier adventurers already made enough from "safe" raids, so taking someone inexperienced with them was mostly a liability.
While some Gifts benefited a lot or even needed a "jumpstart" to work properly, the prices were too high, and without the real, in-ground experience, most of those who used escorts didn't make it too far as adventurers.
Claire: "Well, at least that's common ground."
Hearing how Dungeon Escorts worked on Earth brought a slight smile to her face.
Claire: "I guess it's too much to ask in any world. Risking your life to babysit someone... If it were cheap, it'd be dodgy."
I nodded my head, only to find Licia also nodding hers beside me.
As the only true veteran adventurer between us, she seemed to have some experience on the other side of the issue, and she clearly didn't enjoy it much either.
Licia: "I only did it once. And I promised, never again..."
She shook her head dejectedly.
Licia: "Well... I guess now's different."
I hadn't stopped to think about it that way, but she had a point. Reduced level or not, she was a huge boost to our party.
Calling it babysitting would be a stretch, though.
Miwen: "Alright. Let's see how we do."
Interested in how Claire fought, I allowed her and Licia to take the lead while I covered their backs.
Her Gift, [The Last Flame Knight of Abdure], gave her a few starting skills at birth, such as [Fire Magic], [Fire Sword Arts], [Swordsmanship], [Abdure's Blessing], [Increased Firepower], and [Mana Control].
Even though the knife didn't benefit from [Swordsmanship] and [Fire Swords Arts] as much as a proper sword, her own experience made up for it.
Her style was more refined than Licia's quick thinking and improvisation, always returning to a specific stance after each attack to connect the next, creating an explosive, almost beautiful flow.
She struggled a little with the knife's reach, but other than that... She wasn't that much behind Licia at all.
And yet, from what she'd told me, her Gift's true power came from its "growth curve".
With each level up, Claire would supposedly gain a corresponding number of "Sparks of Abdure," which she could spend to raise the level of any skill she already possessed.
Usually, the cost to raise a skill level with Sparks would be the same as levelling through level-up points, but fire-related skills cost fewer Sparks.
While she couldn't use these sparks to obtain new skills or strengthen her stats, it was a complete cheat. She was basically levelling up twice every time.
Licia's Gift also seemed to strengthen itself after certain level milestones, updating the power corrections and mana reductions applied to her [Ice Magic], so I guess we all had in common.
Though putting [Gacha Kingdom Building] on the same tier as their Gifts almost sounded like a joke. Theirs were clearly combat-oriented, while mine was the definition of disoriented.
Still, after a few minutes of walking through the narrow, cave-like corridors of the Dungeon, Claire made a comment that drew my attention.
Claire: "Hm? That was fast."
She stood still for a second, her eyes darting through thin air.
Licia: "Did something happen?"
With sword in hand, Licia retreated a few steps her way, the two of us watching Claire's surroundings.
Claire: "Yeah... I got to level 2. Should we go deeper, or do you guys wanna fight this floor's boss?"
It was a good thing, so she shrugged it off just like that, but I wasn't so convinced.
Miwen: "Does your Gift also boost your experience gain?"
Claire: "That'd be ridiculous."
Right.
But something wasn't adding up.
We had faced fewer than a dozen slimes and around the same number of goblins.
When I was with Roy and Sam, I had to kill many, many more monsters to get my level-up.
Experience was shared according to contribution, so even though Licia was letting Claire kill most of the monsters, she shouldn't be getting the same amount as if she were going solo.
Yet, the pace felt that quick.
Licia: "Hm... So maybe I wasn't imagining it..."
She brought a hand to her chin, staring into the distance.
Miwen: "Do you know what's going on here?"
Licia: "I'm not sure... Let me watch it a little more."
Claire didn't seem too happy about being studied.
But being ignored was even worse.
Claire: "Heeey? That's all great, but this is hardly the place to ponder."
She waved her hand in front of Licia's eyes.
Smiling warmly, Licia readied her sword.
Then, Claire moved over next to me, trying the same strategy.
Claire: "Are you not gonna pay attention to me?"
She kept leaning into my view.
Miwen: "Someone's needy."
Claire: "Hmph. I'm not, though? I just want to fight the boss-"
She covered her mouth, but it was too late.
Her true intentions had already escaped.
Miwen: "I think it might be dangerous since you are still at level 2..."
Claire: "Don't mess with me. Do you really think I'd lose?"
She turned her head, flicking her hair aside.
With a hand on her hip, she raised her chin, her foot tapping impatiently against the ground.
Miwen: "Well..."
Every reaction of hers only made me want to tease her more.
Despite that, it wasn't entirely a joke.
She was as strong as Licia, but with the pace we were on, facing the floor boss with just the three of us felt like more risk than reward.
Licia: "Hm..."
She tugged my shirt, and I leaned closer.
Licia: "I think you're worrying too much. We can fight the floor boss."
After whispering into my ears, she flashed a thumbs-up, her lips curled into a confident smile.
In their own ways, the two seemed more than happy to challenge the boss, and while I still had my doubts...
I trusted Licia's judgment.
Outnumbered two to one, I agreed with an exasperated sigh.
Miwen: "The floor boss it is then."
We weren't far from the nearest boss room, so I changed places with Claire, taking the lead with Licia.
I wanted to save her energy as much as possible since she was at a lower level, but I had underestimated just how strong a single level up would make her.
Some of it was thanks to her own experience, but her Gift clearly helped too.
Even when she was outnumbered, most monsters only got to attack her once before meeting their ends. She made it seem like everything before was just a warm-up.
Miwen: "There'll be four goblins in the room with the boss. I think that'd be too much for you to handle alone, right?"
Claire sat on the floor, facing the boss room door while catching her breath.
Meanwhile, Licia and I stood guard over her surroundings, discussing our strategy.
Claire "Hmph. I could kill the boss while you two fight the goblins..."
I was about to dismiss her idea, but Licia was faster.
Licia: "No... I think Miwen should fight it."
I tilted my head.
While I agreed that one of us should face the boss, she was probably the better choice.
Miwen: "...Really?"
Licia: "Yeah. I helped you last time, but I think real battle experience would be good for you."
She nodded to herself, fully convinced of her words.
I glanced at the door and then back to the two of them, only to find Claire quietly agreeing.
Claire: "You're actually better than what I'd expect, given your story, but... I guess you could use a challenge."
Licia: "See? You're better than you think."
That was probably because I had more experience fighting people than monsters.
The principles were similar, so some of it carried over, but…
Monsters lacked the emotion and thinking of humans.
It was hard for me to read and predict them.
Miwen: "I do want to become a better adventurer, so... Alright. Let's go."
With our formation decided, we stepped inside the room.
The door behind us closed, and candles lit up, illuminating the dark corridor.
Wasting no time, Claire and Licia drew the attention of the goblins, with Licia even getting a good hit on one of them.
Meanwhile, I stood face to face with the Goblin Lord.
I had a slight advantage in pure stats, but the reach of his sword made up for it.
While keeping my distance, I dodged the swings coming my way, hoping he'd tire himself enough to give me a window to counterattack.
Despite the wide swings, his guard was never lowered.
Just gripping the dagger's hilt was enough to draw its attention, and I only got a few light cuts on him.
Before long, the monster instinctively understood that I had to close the distance to strike it, so it started waiting more between attacks.
However, I hesitated.
Its eyes were cold and sharp, just like its sword.
Facing it made my heart scream "danger", clouding my better judgment of our battle.
While I didn't fear the monster, my mind had to convince my body.
More often than not, I found myself flinching, wasting a decisive second.
Sensing an opportunity, the monster jumped, forcing me to step away.
It was an all-or-nothing attempt that left its back exposed.
But in that moment, I understood what Licia and Claire saw in me.
I was being passive to the point of sabotaging myself.
It wasn't a mistake as evident as Roy's, which only made it worse.
While caution was good, I had locked myself into a fighting style that didn't allow flexibility.
I could've taken the goblin right there.
It was the perfect opportunity.
But instead, I took a step back.
After a deep breath, I ran forward, putting myself in the range of his sword.
Realizing even a moment of hesitation would be fatal, my body stopped resisting my mind, the two finally working together.
I watched carefully as the goblin lifted his sword.
It fell a second later, but it was already too late.
His motion was too slow, and I slashed one of the monster's arms.
It wasn't enough to disarm it, but as it staggered to the side, I continued the pursuit.
I swung the dagger from above, and the monster's survival instinct kicked in.
Instead of sacrificing his arm for a decisive blow or trying to deflect my blade, the Goblin Lord simply protected itself, our blades colliding.
Strength was the stat I had improved the most, and as such, he couldn't fight me off.
Still trying desperately to survive, the monster didn't think of anything else.
As someone who struggled a little with it, that was precisely what I was counting on.
With his arm cut and his attention drawn to the blade above his skull, the goblin was powerless to stop my fist.
After a strong punch to its stomach, the monster lost all of its air and strength.
Naturally, my blade reached its neck, a jet of blood spraying the hall's pillars.
The monster let one final shriek, its body and sword falling to the ground.
Licia turned out to be right.
I was stronger than I was giving myself credit for, and ironically, my caution was giving them too many opportunities, hurting my chances more than helping them.
I grabbed the core and the sword that the Goblin Lord dropped.
Since I was already getting used to the dagger and there wasn't much difference in stats, I decided to stick with it for a little while.
Besides, I wanted to see how well Claire would do with a proper sword.
Licia: "Good job. Feel like you've improved?"
I found the two already waiting for me, sitting beside the corpses of the monsters they killed.
Miwen: "Well... I guess I learned to apply more pressure and... Dunno. Got better control over my survival instincts?"
Licia: "It seemed that way to me."
As I thought, they were done pretty early and spent all their time watching me.
I couldn't blame much since I was basically doing the same with Claire, and even did the same with Licia when I first brought her into the Dungeon.
It was a little embarrassing, though...
Claire: "Isn't it thrilling? Keep learning new tricks, and you'll be unbeatable!"
She got overexcited for a moment and leaned on my arm, laughing like we were long-time buddies.
While I couldn't match her enthusiasm, I chuckled seeing her overcorrect, jumping away and clearing her throat.
Claire: "Ahem! Before I forget... I got another level up."
Miwen: "Huh?"
That was fast.
Insanely fast.
Even though we had killed a few monsters on our way to the boss room after she got to level two, without killing the boss herself, another level up should've been impossible.
Claire: "Strange, isn't it? I also thought it was way too quick."
She didn't sound too concerned.
Or rather, she was a bit more interested in feeling the sword I had just given her.
Licia: "I think so too. Usually, you'd have needed to solo every monster we faced today to get to level 3."
Claire: "Yeah, it'd make sense if I were alone, but..."
Seeing Licia nod at her, Claire blinked a few times.
She then brought a hand to her chin, a slight hint of confusion in her eyes.
Claire: "Oh. Oh... I get it!"
Her eyes widened, a wide grin plastered over her face.
Meanwhile, I stared at the two of them, still unsure what they were thinking.
Licia: "I know it's not mine. And you know it's not yours, too, so..."
Claire: "Yeah, that leaves just this guy's..."
They were most definitely talking about their Gifts.
However, there wasn't anything written in [Gacha Kingdom Building]'s description that hinted at faster level-up for citizens either.
Claire: "Hmm? Someone's still behind?"
Miwen: "Yeah? You two are being all secretive about it..."
I was happy to see them getting along, but I still wanted an answer.
Of course, Claire paid back my teasing before saying anything, but after the two were satisfied...
Claire: "Since Licia and you have reached the level cap for this floor, you're not getting any experience, even when you contribute to the fights, right?"
Miwen: "Sure. But that doesn't mean you get it. Experience doesn't just transfer to the next target. It just gets wasted when we're already at the cap."
An escort's job would be much easier if that were the case.
Licia: "True, but that's what makes it harder for you to notice. Since our experience is not getting higher, we have no way to confirm how much each kill is giving us."
She got closer, leaning into my arms just like Claire had done.
Claire did the same from the other side, sandwiching me between them.
The two were enjoying giving me a lecture, one with her index finger raised, the other nodding her head as if it were obvious.
Claire: "Exactly! If you two weren't at the level cap, you'd have noticed that, even when you only contribute a little to the battle, you gain the full experience... As if you had killed the monster alone."
Both had their arms crossed, a smile on her face.
Licia: "And that is because..."
They looked at each other for a brief moment before fixing their eyes on me.
Licia & Claire: "...We are killing it alone."
They kept poking my cheeks, as if it would help me understand.
And eventually, I did...
Miwen: "It's because you were summoned by my Gift, right?"
The two probably thought about how our lives were linked much more than I did, so of course, they realized it first.
And since Roy and Sam's contributions probably diluted this effect, I didn't realize Licia was also gaining levels at a strange pace.
But thinking about it, yeah...
It made sense.
Licia: "Uh-huh. We are linked through your Gift, so when we kill a monster, it's basically you killing them through your own ability... So you're the one killing everything alone. Technically."
Claire: "What's more, because we are part of your Gift, we receive the same experience you do when you kill something. Which means... The three of us get the full experience of a battle, even without contributing to it."
It was even more absurd than sharing the experience. We were basically multiplying it.
They were extensions of my Gift, and my Gift was an extension of me, so... The three of us counted as the same being.
Miwen: "It might be hard to prove, but... It makes sense."
It'd explain a lot, at least.
Claire: "Eh!? It's an amazing power!"
Licia: "Hm... It's a little depressing that I'm not recognized as... Well, being myself, but... I also think it's incredible."
She held her own arm, wearing a soft, slightly forced smile on her face.
Claire also seemed to realize it a second later, and her enthusiasm faded a little.
We stood with our backs against the wall for a second, just thinking in silence.
It was an amazing power.
But it had a sour taste.
Claire: "...Gifts and Dungeons are blessings from the Gods. Since they share the same origin, it stands to reason that they'd treat us equally."
She broke the silence, still staring at the ground.
Claire: "Don't let it get to you. I think you are as alive as can be."
Licia: "I know..."
I felt Licia resting her head against my arm.
Claire was in a unique position that allowed her to sympathize better with Licia, but...
There was something I could still do.
So, I landed a hand on their heads, softly patting them.
It didn't matter that we were counted as the same being.
In that moment, it was our choice to stay together.
Miwen: "I think we've done enough for today, so let's head home and have dinner, alright?"
After a couple of seconds, or maybe a minute, they seemed to have calmed down enough.
Licia: "Sounds nice to me."
I wanted to do more for them, but for the time being, the best I could do was a few snacks to lift the mood on our way home.
The loot wasn't anything worthwhile, we only got $8, but...
Raising Claire's level and discovering more about her was well worth it.
There was always danger involved given how powerful every level-up made her, but... Seeing how she treated Licia, my fears faded.
She was a good girl.
One I was glad to have with us.