The day Izparut and the others left, a torrential rainstorm fell.
Kanzaki Rei lay on the bed for the entire day.
It was the first time since arriving in this world that he had allowed himself to become so completely unmotivated.
He didn't read.
He didn't practice spells…
He simply lay there.
No one saw him.
And no one knew what he had been thinking about during that day.
The next morning, the rain had passed and the sky cleared.
Rei bought a newspaper from a street vendor who specialized in selling rumors and information.
"World Shock"
Shocking Event: Tier 7 Dungeon — Valley of the God-Burial Stele — Subjugation Operation Officially Begins
The Valley of the God-Burial Stele, discovered last November, has had its seal lifted today. The subjugation force has begun its assault!
…
The Valley of the God-Burial Stele…
Was it really that famous?
So they had truly gone to challenge a Tier 7 dungeon.
After lying in bed all day yesterday, Rei had finally sorted out his thoughts.
If Izparut and the others were heading out to conquer a dungeon, he couldn't just sit around doing nothing.
In a world where supernatural power existed, strength was the greatest form of security.
Continuing to explore the world was something he would inevitably have to face.
The next day, Rei went to the Adventurers' Guild.
"Yo! Little Rei!"
"Long time no see around here, little Rei!"
"Hey little Rei, want a drink?"
The adventurers greeted him with the same warmth as always.
The emptiness inside Rei's heart filled just a little.
It was proof that he had, to some extent, already integrated into this world.
As for their invitations to drink, Rei responded with an awkward smile and politely declined.
"Sherry."
He had grown a little taller over the past few days. Standing on his tiptoes, he could barely reach the counter now.
"I'd like to post a commission."
Sherry looked down at the small Rei standing beneath the counter.
"Post a commission?"
Before long, Rei's request was pinned to the guild's public board.
[Protection Commission — Seeking members from different roles: Healer, Defender, Gatherer — Protect client while exploring a Tier 2 dungeon.]
Commission Reward: 20 silver per dungeon run
Additional Requirement: Defender must possess the combat technique — Shared Damage Distribution
The results were far better than Rei had expected.
He sat in the guild hall reading while waiting.
Before long, several adventurers approached him.
"Little Rei, right?"
"I'm a Level 2 Healer. Name's Katie."
"I saw the commission you posted."
Rei looked at the girl beside him.
She looked about eighteen. Black hair tied into a somewhat severe bun, freckles scattered across her face. Her appearance was average.
Rei closed his book and asked,
"What kinds of injuries can you treat?"
The calmness in the child's voice didn't match his apparent age.
Katie couldn't help but pause for a moment.
But she quickly answered.
"I can temporarily reduce the effects of severe injuries, block pain for a short time, and lessen how injuries affect someone during combat."
"Minor or moderate wounds take about a day to fully heal."
"But I can perform emergency treatment on severe injuries so they no longer threaten someone's life."
So her main role was mitigating injuries during combat.
But the most dangerous moments were usually during battle itself.
Ensuring the fight could continue was the most critical factor.
As for injuries afterward, there would always be time to treat them slowly.
Rei nodded.
"Alright. You'll do."
Not everyone was like Kumironi.
Rei already had a good idea of what a Level 2 healer's capabilities looked like.
Soon after, they recruited a Defender as well.
He was a fat man wearing full plate armor.
Just by looking at him… he was clearly very tanky.
And as Rei had requested, he possessed the combat technique Shared Damage Distribution, a skill that allowed him to absorb part of the damage Rei received.
The final recruit was a warrior who also worked as a gatherer.
Level 2 Warrior.
Level 2 Gatherer.
But he only asked for the pay of a single role.
That was an unexpected bonus.
Since he wasn't asking for additional compensation, Rei had no objection to the extra Level 2 Warrior class.
Rei walked back to the counter.
"Sherry, I'd like a Tier 2 dungeon commission."
Sherry murmured thoughtfully.
"Hmm…"
"It's Harvest Month right now. Everyone's enthusiasm for taking quests is high."
"There aren't many Tier 2 dungeon commissions left."
As she spoke, she slid two quest sheets toward him.
One was [Forest of the Serpents]
The other was [Aberrant Spider Cavern]
After reading the detailed information about both dungeons…
Rei chose [Forest of the Serpents].
"This one. Forest of the Serpents… please."
Sherry stamped the document and returned the commission slip to him.
As she handed it over, she added with a worried tone,
"Little Rei, try not to worry too much about Izparut and the others. They're strong. They'll come back."
Rei looked up at her.
Sherry gave him a warm smile.
Rei smiled back.
"Thank you."
He accepted the commission.
Then he waved to the teammates he had just assembled.
"We've got the quest. Let's head out."
They traveled in a Dracorn Carriage.
This dracorn had been brought back by Akase two days earlier.
He had said it was meant to be Rei's mount.
It even came with a carriage attached.
The day he received the mount, Rei had been genuinely happy.
After all—
Who wouldn't want a cool personal mount?
It also improved Rei's opinion of Akase slightly.
At least now he wasn't just the idiot who drank himself senseless at celebration banquets.
They had decided on the departure date long ago.
But they only told him right before leaving.
Were they afraid he would make a scene?
Well… if he were a normal child, he probably would have.
Unfortunately for them, his soul belonged to an adult.
After hearing their perfectly reasonable explanations, there was no room for childish stubbornness.
That was one of the inconveniences of being an adult.
You couldn't demand things the way children could.
"Um…"
While Rei was lost in thought, the warrior-gatherer inside the carriage raised his hand.
Come to think of it, gatherers were almost always warriors as their main class.
Rei asked in his youthful voice,
"Yes? What is it?"
"May I ask something…"
"You probably have the strength to clear a dungeon solo, right? So why did you choose to recruit teammates?"
You?
Seeing a man who looked about twenty years older than him addressing him with such politeness felt strange.
Even if his soul was roughly the same age.
But physically, he was still a child.
Rei paused briefly before answering with a smile.
"You don't need to address me so formally, uncle. Just call me Rei."
"I simply don't want any accidents. But why do you ask?"
Izparut had said before:
Exploring a dungeon alone versus with teammates were two completely different things.
Open attacks could be avoided.
Hidden dangers were far harder to guard against.
Rei remained polite with these temporary teammates.
Honestly, there was nothing wrong with acting like a kid.
After all—
A child could eventually become an adult.
But an adult could never turn back into a child.
The man scratched his head awkwardly and laughed.
"Haha… I just thought that if I had strength like yours, Rei, I'd definitely run dungeons solo."
"I'd keep all the loot for myself."
"At most… I'd bring along an extra gatherer."
Rei examined the warrior carefully.
A face full of stubble.
Shifty eyes.
His equipment looked worn and poorly maintained.
"I see," Rei replied calmly.
"But I don't like risks. I'd rather have a few people protecting me."
So he really was somewhat famous.
In Rane Town, people had already begun categorizing him as one of the "strong adventurers."
Even though no one had actually seen him fight.
Yet this man had already assumed he possessed the strength to solo a dungeon.
Perhaps it was because of the celebration banquet earlier—
Akase had definitely hyped him up quite a bit.
"Then why did you older brothers and sisters choose to join my team?"
"It's Harvest Month right now. Twenty silver per run is clearly below the normal earnings, isn't it?"
Rei asked curiously in his childish voice.
His appearance looked completely harmless.
Come to think of it, he rarely spoke with anyone besides Izparut.
This was a good opportunity to interact with locals and better understand the world.
After all—
Knowledge gained from books alone always felt shallow.
"Because… it's safe," the healer said while hugging her wooden staff.
"Safe?"
"Because you're strong. I think following you is safe."
Oh.
So that was the reason.
Compared to risking their lives exploring dungeons, following a strong adventurer for a guaranteed twenty silver wasn't a bad choice.
The fat Defender nodded as well.
"Y-yeah… I think the same."
The bearded warrior also nodded in agreement.
Oh?
So the man who had just said he would solo dungeons if he were strong—
Was now choosing to follow someone stronger for a fixed salary?
His words and actions didn't match at all.
Was this the norm among adventurers?
Rei silently stored that observation away.
The dungeon location wasn't far away.
The dracorn moved extremely fast.
After all, it was a mount personally selected by Izparut's team.
Nothing unusual happened during the journey.
They traveled along a wide, well-maintained road.
The wilderness around Rane Town had been thoroughly cleared.
Most monster nests had already been eradicated.
In less than half an hour—
They arrived at their destination.
An ancient, shadowy forest.