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Chapter 269 part 1

The five dragonkin who entered Caravis Tower were Liu Yu, Vaje, Klaubord, Winchant, and Freala, the daughter of Fyola.

They belonged to the intelligent or ancient dragon species, known for their formidable fighting abilities, unmatched by any explorer except Dreissen and his joyful band of companions.

Although the younger members of the dragon species, excluding Liu Yu and Vaje, were unaware of the true identities of Dreissen, Quinn, and their companions, they recognized them as belonging to a higher dragon species. As a result, they treated them and their delightful companions with an attitude filled with respect.

Even they raised their eyebrows somewhat at Jirgu’s presence, addressing Draisen so familiarly. However, they took a stance of quietly observing, apparently deciding there was no need to make a fuss.

「The Dragonians, they are explorers too?」

「No, their purpose here is more about tower sightseeing. Depending on their own wishes, they may have the option to become explorers, but sightseeing is the main purpose this time」

「So you are their guides, then. What luxury guides」

Dreissen and the others were the most renowned explorers at the time and were considered among the strongest in the explorer community. To Jirgu, them working as guides felt like a waste of talent.

Partly because Jirgu unconsciously wished that explorers as amazing as Dreissen would be involved in heroic battles against tremendous monsters or achieve incredible feats like rescuing hundreds or thousands of lives or deeds beyond Jirgu’s imagination.

「You and I are not so different in our ranks as explorers. You have two stars, we have three」

The stars system Dreissen just talked about indicated an explorer’s rank, awarded by the explorer management office based on past achievements, combat ability, and background.

When managing the Caravis Tower, the leaders of the Barony of Berne introduced a ranking system using stars, taking reference from the ranking and hierarchical systems present in existing mercenary guilds and adventurer guilds.

The 「One Star」 was given to the newcomers who had just officially become explorers. Jirgu’s 「Two Stars」 was awarded to those who achieved results surpassing specific standards after that and could sustain their lives as explorers.

Since the explorer system had just commenced, even Dreissen’s group, with the most accomplishments and the highest abilities, settled at Three Stars out of a maximum of Seven.
「What are you saying? Truthfully speaking, all of you would legitimately settle at the Seven Stars rating! If the explorer system had taken shape earlier instead of the current fumbling state, evaluations would have come down much faster.」

「Haha, you seem to have quite an embellished image of us. Well, being admired by the young feels nice. At the very least, let’s strive not to disappoint you」

「I can’t even imagine you guys making such blunders!」

「You wouldn’t know. Countless unexplored regions remain in this tower, and some 「thing」 that could trip us up may lie within.

We may end up falling into situations thinking 「this was supposed to be a safe place」 or wondering 「why such a thing is here」.

The key is always staying prepared to recover from such peril. We are also taking various measures to prepare for emergencies. If you are going to be an Explorer for a long time, Jirgu, do not neglect to be prepared」

「Yes, sir!」

Dreissen, reflecting on it, thought 「I’ve become preachy, haven’t I?」. Yet, in reality, the internal affairs of Caravis Tower had already been settled through joint investigations with the gods. Any entities or technologies that might be beyond the control of the Dragon Succubus managing the tower had already been handled.

Presently, within Caravis Tower, the team with the greatest force and strongest combat capabilities was Lilyeltiel’s.

Since even they could handle the Tower’s obstacles, there’s no reason why entities of a higher rank like Dreissen and the others couldn’t take them down.

Moreover, they were aware of the internal structure of Caravis Tower.

Unaware of this, Jirgu was greatly appreciative of Dreissen’s advice, though it evoked a sense of guilt in Dreissen.

The conversation shifted to Vite, Jirgu’s supporter. Jirgu appeared a bit uncomfortable, expressing his struggles with the responsibilities of becoming a full-fledged explorer. Dreissen sympathized with him, understanding the challenges that both Vite and Jirgu might be facing in their sensitive adolescent phases.

「Oh right, your supporter, is she good?」

「You mean Vite? Haha, because I’m still so inexperienced, I’m always getting complaints from her. But even so, I understand in my head that all those things are necessary for me to keep moving forward as a proper explorer」
Feeling sympathetically towards Jirgu, who made a somewhat awkward face, Dreissen thought she must have been a tough partner for a boy of that age.

Judging by their ages from their appearances, Vite and Jirgu both resembled sensitive youngsters experiencing the overlap of puberty and a rebellious phase.

Suppose they are thrown into a place where they rely solely on their capabilities to survive and face each other almost all day, until their gears mesh, they will likely clash. And deep down, their uneasy thoughts will probably accumulate.

「Just because an argument is logical does not mean it will be accepted. How it is presented and the atmosphere at the time have an enormous influence.

Especially between you and that girl, with both of you being at a sensitive age. If you were just spending time together temporarily, it wouldn’t matter if you kept hiding your true feelings. However, if you want to stand shoulder to shoulder with her going forward, it would be good to reveal your true feelings sooner rather than later before too much builds up inside.」

Although it was typical advice, Dreissen’s resonated deeply with Jirgu, who held him in high esteem, impacting him more significantly than if it had come from someone else.

Without a single word of opposition, he just brightened up and nodded in return.

The Barony of Bern is rural, but Jirgu, a naive boy from an even more rural area, has yet to learn the art of doubting others.

Although the Dragons Succubus of Inraen were unlikely to deceive Jirgu, there were other explorers and non-explorers who might not be as kind to the innocent boy.

「I wish this child didn’t have to go through any painful situations」. This feeling reminded Dreissen of his feelings when he first met Selina. He felt reassured with Vite as Jirgu’s supporter but was uncertain about what might happen after Vite’s departure.

「Vite, how long are you going to keep silent? It’s not like you to be shy」

Vite usually introduced herself in a forthright manner. Jirgu noticed Vite’s uncharacteristic silence. He made a curious face and turned behind to look at her.

Jirgu was perplexed by the sight of Vite, a girl with significantly greater combat skills and intelligence than himself, who had been standing frozen for quite a while as she saw Dreissen and his companions. This left Jirgu filled with questions.

「Really Vite, what’s going on?」

Jirgu, in apparent puzzlement, shook her shoulder. Vite snapped out of her daze, but to onlookers, she was clearly flustered and began panicking. Just seeing her in this state, she looked like a girl her age.

「I-…I’m not sure what to say. W-…well, even I’d be surprised to see the famous Dreissens in Inraen, wouldn’t I?」

「Really? I thought you wouldn’t mind because it’s not unusual for the Dragon Succubus to meet the Dreissens. Ah, that’s right, you have only just been born, so it’s no wonder you haven’t seen them before.」

「Y-…yeah, yeah! Haha, quite sharp for you. That’s why I got all flustered and panicked! Haha, how embarrassing to show you my weak side! A-…ahahha!」

Her reaction, which seemed like an admission of suspicion, was unusual, and Jirgu found it amusing. However, Dreissen, aware of the true reason behind Vite’s demeanor, chuckled, realizing that Jirgu was the only one unaware of the truth.

「Haha, we’ve become quite famous it seems. It’s Vite right?」

「Haha, yesh. It’sh Vitellael but Vite for short.」

Having been born as a Dragon Succubus, to Vite, Dreissen and his origin were the reason for her birth, and it wouldn’t be wrong to call him her father.

Because Vite herself was a being who should be in the realm of the gods, when she saw the real Dreissen, she clearly understood the difference in their status as high-level beings. It was no wonder that Vite was even more tense.

「While the things forming this tower are old, Dragon Succubus and explorers like you are a cherished breath of fresh air. I would like to wish you all the best in the Tower.」

「Yessss, I will do my best!」

「It’s good to keep that motivation high. Don’t overdo it, though.」

Seeing Vite’s eager demeanor as if flames were rising from her entire body, Dreissen realized that the new generation of Dragon Succubus apparently needed proper mental preparation when facing the likes of Renniea and Chrono Maze.

Because, like the Renniea, the Dragon Succubus were somewhat blindly loyal toward Dreissen and his origin.

「Well, we have to escort the transport team to the construction site. Enough waiting around, we’ll go now!」