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Chapter 8

There Are Also Many Things You Can Come To Understand Because You’re Alone.

 

「What a perfect day for exploring, don’t you think?」

 

「The weather doesn’t matter since we’re going inside a dungeon.」

 

「This guy is really… Going home in the rain after being tired all day is the worst, you know?」

 

And so, I took Sybilla with me to the south of the village while having this kind of banter.

 

I was thinking of getting some armor next after buying weapons, but Sybilla stopped me there.

 

『Are you going to change that outfit? I don’t think you need to though.』

 

『Why? Wouldn’t it be better to change it since I’ll be able to move more freely?』

 

Right now, I’m wearing a white cloth robe decorated with gold embroidery.

This was something that everyone in the party decided to buy after I bestowed the job of a 【Saint】.

 

『From what I see, the robe you’re wearing is made out of a lightweight and durable material, and it also has magic resistance, I think it’s a good piece of equipment. I think it’s safer if you keep wearing that than changing into a cheap easy-to-move armor.』

 

『You think so?』

 

It’s true that this robe is more expensive, but I can’t imagine swinging my sword in this outfit.

When I told her this, she snickered at me instead.

 

『What’s wrong with a person wearing a robe using a sword?』

 

『But you wear light armor yourself though?』

 

『I don’t have the same robe as you so I have to make do with this. If the robe is better, I’ll wear the robe; if the staff is stronger, I’ll throw away my sword and hit my enemies with the staff while throwing some kicks with my boots; if there’s a magic tool that can cast a stronger spell, I will use that instead using my magic, you know?』

 

I had my doubts at first, but after listening to her logic, she does have a point.

……I see, I guess I was still stuck with an old mindset when it comes to this stuff.

Swords or staffs, armor or robes, choosing which equipment to use should have nothing to do with the job one has.

Of course, there are aspects such as a 【Swordsman】 is more suited to wield a sword, but in the end, you should choose the one that will give you the best results in the end regardless of this aspect.

 

I’m once again impressed by this girl, Sybilla’s flexible way of thinking.

……Though I won’t say it out loud since she will surely get carried away.

 

「Hmm? What’s this what’s this? You must be thinking that I’m cool just now, don’t you? What, did you finally fall for me hmm~~~ Ouch! Hey, that hurts!」

 

I dropped a karate chop onto her head with no hesitation and quickly walked ahead.

See? I didn’t even say anything and she’s already like this.

 

「Ah, hey, wait! Would it hurt you to be nicer to a girl!?」

 

But this part of her that made me feel like I don’t have to be reserved around her is what I appreciate the most.

 

I look at the mountains to the south while putting my hands on my head to block out the sunlight from the clear sky above.

 

「So that’s where that bat bastard from yesterday came from. Look, we can even see it from here.」

 

When I looked in the direction Sybilla was pointing, I could see that some of the trees on the mountain had been heavily cut down.

And there was a large hole in the center of the bald slope.

 

「So I dungeon really appeared here, huh…」

 

「You were born here, weren’t you? Does something like this never happen before?」

 

「I don’t know. At the very least, at the time I was born, the village has been relatively peaceful.」

 

That might be the reason why the village can’t react in time to the sudden appearance of a dungeon.

And since it’s just appeared, no one would be willing to come all the way from the city to explore an unknown dungeon.

 

Usually, a dungeon needs to be investigated beforehand to determine its danger level.

If the danger level is not yet determined, it’s naturally perceived as highly dangerous.

It’s only natural to assume the worst when dealing with something that’s unknown.

 

And while the danger is one of the reasons to avoid it, the other problem is that there’s a high chance that 『it’s a dungeon with no treasure』.

 

In other words, it’s a pattern where you buy supplies, set up camp, explore the dungeon, and eventually return without getting anything of value whatsoever.

So, unless one has a lot of money to spare, no one would go to an unsurveyed dungeon.

And there are lots of dungeons in this world.

 

When a new dungeon appears, the nearby large guild will first put up an exploration request to investigate the contents of the dungeon and give a reward upon completion.

In that way, the contents of the dungeon will be clear and it will be safer to explore.

 

And the only guild in this village is a small, quiet one managed by that guy who looks like he has nothing to do all the time.

 

「We have no information at all about this dungeon. The only thing we know is that the housewife managing the bean field was poisoned by one of the monsters. For the rest, we’ll have to figure it out on our own.」

 

「Hee~ my arms are trembling with excitement already.」

 

「Aren’t you scared at all?」

 

Those words can only be described as reckless.

This clearly relaxed attitude when facing an unknown dungeon.

It’s true that her level isn’t that low, but it’s naive if she thinks she can be so carefree when you’re exploring an unknown dungeon at level 8.

 

I was quite surprised when I heard Sybilla’s response to my question.

 

「What are you saying? There’s no way I’m not scared.」

 

「…..Really?」

 

「Of course, I’m scared. Even in the easiest dungeon, if you die, it’s over for you, and we don’t even know what kind of traps are lying in wait inside. Especially since we’re exploring an unknown dungeon today, it’s even more scary.」

 

After adding that she’s relieved because she has a Healer with her today, Sybilla took out a small shield hidden in the back of her jacket and walked into the dungeon.

 

Come to think of it, I had always been going into dungeons with a powerful party all this time.

The strength of the vanguards and the excellence of their jobs are undoubtedly among the best in the world, and unless the enemy outnumbered us, their attacks rarely reach me.

 

However, Sybilla has always been going solo as a mage.

I should have noticed it when Sybilla, who’s supposed to be a rearguard, was carrying a melee weapon, but she had made it this far without having any comrades. There should’ve been lots of people who would invite her to their party with her looks alone. But I can easily imagine her turning them all down.

 

Sybilla has been fighting alone for all this time.

I guess that’s why she has a different perception of danger from everyone else, and in that sense, she’s more senior and experienced than me in this party.

And when I realized that, I was once again convinced that I was also alone now.

 

She’s a cheeky and bossy girl.

She’s also a strange girl with an unknown background, but I understand something about her after talking to her for this little while we’ve been together.

 

Maybe this girl isn’t a bad person after all.

She has wisdom, knowledge, and experience.

That’s why I’ll give her credit when it’s due, and scold her when she does or says something absurd.

 

「……I’ll be counting on you from now on, Solo-senpai.」

 

I whispered to Sybilla’s back and followed right after her.