Receptionists Don’t Fight, Only Negotiate – Part 06
Their explanation went as follows:
The Adventurers Guild aimed to steer clear of international conflicts and had foreseen the actions of the nobility and the military.
The guild’s primary objective was to swiftly conclude the survey of the dungeon. An international dispute would take a long time to resolve, potentially preventing them from exploring the dungeon.
In such a scenario, the guild decided to temporarily become a common enemy for both nations. Since Lake Tseng-Ti was located in a remote region, it would take at least six months—three if they expedited it—for the government to reclaim the dungeon if they wanted to. This was more than enough time for the guild to complete the survey and come up with plenty of excuses.
Like: “We had no other choice. An armed conflict could put the lives of many residents in danger, and we wanted to prevent that.”
To sum it up, the guild was planning a swift investigation followed by a swift withdrawal. In the absence of imminent threats like a monster outbreak, the idea was to let the two nations handle their dispute on their own afterwards.
“Plus, the best time to get the most treasures is right after the dungeon’s discovery,” said Freya. She had just completed setting up the long-distance magic communication device, Linga Quill Pen, in the assembly hall. “For the Adventurers Guild, obtaining treasures guarantees profits. Sending a huge party like Scorching Goblet was likely a move to ensure gains and bring the spoils back to the headquarters.”
“I see, that’s quite the strategy,” Hikaru remarked, genuinely impressed.
Provoking the two commanders was a bold but effective move. A potential issue was resentment from Ponsonia or Vireocean, but if the guild promptly abandoned the dungeon, hostilities would divert towards the other nation, and any grudges against the Adventurers Guild would be forgotten. At that point, the guild would act as a neutral entity, mediating between the nations by providing accurate dungeon information.
“I’m not a fan of this approach, but Angela asked me to play along,” Freya went on, hinting at a clandestine meeting with Angela behind Hikaru’s back.
The intentional delay in the Vireocean party’s arrival was part of the plan. Freya kept the commanders occupied and drove away the soldiers, while Zappa and the team incited the adventurers. This explained the hesitation in Freya’s response when Hikaru mentioned Angela’s tardiness.
“I need to send a report to the guild with Angela. You two can take it easy.”
“Oh no, we’ll do our jobs,” Hikaru said.
“What?! Y-You can’t go into the dungeon!”
“Not that. You’re supposed to be surveying the dungeon, right? I’ll just gather information about the settlement and the surrounding area. Our job is to escort you, but the sooner you finish, the sooner we can go home.”
“Don’t you want to explore the dungeon?”
“Hmm, not really. I just want to go back home as soon as possible.”
Freya wore a puzzled look. Unless there was a compelling reason, Hikaru had no desire to venture into the dungeon. A serious attempt to clear it would be extremely dangerous, even for him.
“We’ll leave the survey inside to Scorching Goblet,” Hikaru said. “We’ll see you later.”
Hikaru left the assembly hall with Paula. He saw Angela talking to a member of Scorching Goblet. They were likely preparing to enter the dungeon.
“Lord Hikaru, what did you mean by surveying the dungeon?” Paula asked.
“Let’s see… For now, let’s take a look at the dungeon. I don’t plan to enter, but we can’t conduct a survey without even seeing it once.”
The dungeon, about a ten-minute walk from the hamlet, buzzed with adventurers and merchants conducting various businesses.
Now that’s the business spirit.
The entrance stood where the lake peeked through a sparse grove of trees. A hill appeared out of nowhere, and there was a hollow opening in the middle of it.
“Hmm…”
Had this appeared a long time ago, the nearby settlers wouldn’t have missed it. It must have manifested suddenly. If the trigger for that was the great pit that they had ventured into and unsealed…
“Thinking about it won’t change anything.”
“What’s wrong, Lord Hikaru?”
“Nothing. Let’s head back to the settlement for now.”
As Hikaru turned on his heel, he saw a member of Scorching Goblet, the same guy who caused trouble at the border town’s tavern.
“Out of the way. What’s a low-rank adventurer like you doing standing around here?”
Dressed in what appeared to be pricey plate mail and armed with swords at their waists, about five adventurers, accompanied by support members carrying their luggage, stood before Hikaru. Skaer was among them.
“I don’t know why Zappa invited an amateur like you to the party, but don’t get the wrong idea. Even if he gave his approval, there’s zero chance of you joining us.”
Zappa’s invitation to Hikaru’s party was clearly a shock to them, resulting in frequent hostile glares.
Skaer, having noticed Hikaru’s disinterest in Zappa and Scorching Goblet, had not spoken to him since their conversation at the well. For them, Zappa was a peerless figure.
“I wasn’t really planning to join anyway,” Hikaru said.
“I said don’t get the wrong idea! You need to at least be as good as a Rank C adventurer to get in!”
There’s no talking to this guy, Hikaru thought. Wanting to avoid further trouble, he attempted to step aside.
“Lord Hikaru is an extraordinary individual, and his greatness can’t be measured by mere adventurer rank!” Paula said, clenching her fists. “Even if you beg to join his party, I won’t allow it!”
Wait, Paula?
“Huh? Why would we join a party led by such a pathetic kid?!”
“Once you learned about Lord Hikaru’s numerous accomplishments, you’d bow before him.”
“Th-This girl’s crazy. Let’s go.”
Weirded out, the adventurers distanced themselves from Paula, making sure to take the long way around before entering the dungeon.
“…”
“They seem to have finally recognized your greatness.”
“Yeah, about that… Eh, whatever…”
Silver Face was the one working in the shadows, not Hikaru. Hikaru the adventurer was currently at the lowest rank and had not been taking much commissions lately.
I should tell her to stop calling me Lord Hikaru in public.
Dungeons can be broadly categorized into two kinds based on their structure and nature.
First is a dungeon created by a Dungeon Master, where creatures entering serve as nourishment for its growth. Dungeon Masters can also generate pseudo-monsters.
The second kind is similar to natural caves or ruins, further divided into three types. The first type is the natural cave, where monsters might reside, but house no treasures. However, in rare instances, infamous thieves might hide their loot inside. Next is the monsters’ den, home to many monsters, attracting Monster Hunters and Plant Hunters in search of materials. Places like a dragon’s den, where dragons hoard gems, are the stuff of adventurers’ dreams but fraught with danger. The last type is the artificial dungeon. It could either be a massive building or underground labyrinth created for varied purposes, often filled with traps to deter intruders. If left untouched for years, monsters settle in, heightening the risk.
As these dungeons frequently conceal valuable treasures, many adventurers risk their lives exploring them.
Returning to the lakeside settlement with Paula, Hikaru learned from the locals that the dungeon had spontaneously appeared. There were jade stones scattered inside. Attempts to take them were thwarted by monsters—half-man, half-fish creatures with purple scales—and they barely escaped with their lives.
“We’re better suited to a life of fishing,” one settler lamented, perhaps feeling robbed as adventurers took over the dungeon.
Further inquiry revealed the residents were clueless about why such a dungeon emerged near their settlement.
“Did naturally-spawning monsters settle in after being left alone for a long period of time? But still…”
What was bothering Hikaru was that if the dungeon’s appearance was triggered by the great pit in the Theocracy of Bios, evil energy had to be involved somehow.
And the cave was clearly a dungeon. The interior faintly glowed, hinting at either a monsters’ den or an artificial dungeon.
Since the settlers had no records, memories, or clue of such a structure being built, it might be safe to assume it was a monsters’ den. But what about the evil energy? Do monsters inherently possess some form of it?
I don’t have a lot to go on.
“Lord Hikaru, what could that be?”
Paula pointed to a small stone monument near the pier, surrounded by neatly cut stone pillars. Standing at only about a meter tall, it wasn’t very conspicuous, but it exuded an unusual aura in this quaint hamlet.
“It’s well-maintained.”
The area around the monument and the pillars were clean, and the monument itself had been polished. The engraved characters, though worn, were still legible.
“In Lake Tseng-TI, there lived a mermaid.
A mermaid unable to live on land fell in love with a person living there.
Her fellow mermaids ridiculed her impossible love.
But neither the mermaid nor the person gave up.
The mermaid gained the ability to transform into a human.
And then, she lived on land forever.”
It wasn’t a poem or historical account, but a narrative style reminiscent of an old tale.
“This is an ancient legend passed down around this lake.”
A voice came from behind Hikaru. He turned around to find the hamlet’s elderly representative standing there.
“Though we’re just a fishing community, this legend attracts a few couples every year.”
“Because of this legend? What do you mean?”
“Well, um… It’s a love story between a human and a mermaid. Lovers troubled by differences in race or status come here. The problem is… Oh, no, it’s nothing.”
“Problem?”
Hikaru wondered what the elderly man refrained from saying.
“What seems to be the issue? It might not look like it, but we’re here to survey the dungeon on behalf of the guild. If there’s something you wish to keep confidential, we can ensure discretion. Could you please provide accurate information?”
“Hmm.” The old man hesitated but eventually spoke. “The problem is that, on occasion, some couples commit double suicide.”
“Double suicide?”
The story etched on the stone monument wasn’t one of tragic love, but one of hope. That if you don’t give up, your dreams will come true. Would actual distressed couples just give up?
While in Japan, Hikaru never felt the concept of class differences, in this world, it was almost unheard of for a noble and a commoner to marry.
“So rather than overcoming the harsh reality, they choose to swear eternal love and end their lives?”
“That’s right. You’re wise for a young adventurer.”
“Not really. Is the monument being maintained for the lovers who visit here?”
“Yes, but…”
“But? What’s the matter?”
The old man was wearing a frown. Hikaru’s Instinct hinted that there was more to this story.
“Could you share what you know? We’ll protect the honor of this place.”
“You adventurers came to survey the dungeon, didn’t you? Not this settlement.”
“Yes. But we need information about the nearby settlement. Since many adventurers might visit in the future, it might be premature to establish a guild branch, but we want to know if there are inns or such.”
“Hmm…” The old man gazed at the lake grimly. “Actually, the original legend that has been passed down is different from what’s written there.”
“Different?”
“Perhaps it’s the blueness of the lake. Too many lovers who heard the true legend chose to end their lives. To give them as much hope as possible, I omitted the awful parts and engraved it on the monument.”
“Please tell us about those awful parts.”
“…”
The old man stared silently at the lake for a while.
The wind blowing from the lakeside was bitterly cold, chilling their bodies to the core.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
Rule Breaker (Light Novel)
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 70 hours
Wait MC an earthling didnt get the little mermaid-esque story?