The Floor Boss on the Twentieth Floor

The next morning.

After breakfast, Felicia and I headed to Count Belgrant's estate.

We'd spent the past three days in the forest. After that, even walking along a paved road felt much easier.

When we reached the gates of the count's estate and gave our names, we were immediately let inside.

"Allen Valdis-sama and Felicia Roth-sama, correct? We've been expecting you."

We were shown to the reception room we'd visited before.

Count Belgrant was waiting inside.

"I'm glad you could come. First, thank you for your hard work investigating the forest over the past three days."

"Thank you."

"Thank you."

"Please, have a seat. Now, tell me about the forest."

We sat down in the chairs across from him.

A simple map of the area south of Belgrant was spread out on the table.

"I've received a brief report from the guild. You found a river, I hear."

"Yes. It flows through the forest. It's a few meters wide, and the water was quite clear."

"How much water was flowing through it?"

"At least in the area we saw, the flow was steady."

The count marked the map.

"What was the terrain like?"

"There are so many trees that it's hard to tell as you walk, but the land itself is relatively flat."

"There were no large valleys or steep slopes in the area we surveyed, either."

"Then it should be suitable for development."

"The land itself, yes. However..."

"The monsters."

"Yes."

I explained the monsters we'd encountered over the three days.

Thorn Plants and Vine Walkers.

Forest Boars.

And a Tyrant Bear.

"There was even a Tyrant Bear?"

"We killed one. But we also found several sets of similarly large tracks in another area."

The count's expression changed slightly.

"Several?"

"I don't think we should assume there was only one."

"I see."

I also pointed out on the map the place where we'd found a large number of monsters on the third day.

"There were quite a few Thorn Plants and Vine Walkers here. We also saw Forest Boars."

"Did you defeat them?"

"No."

The count looked at me.

"May I ask why?"

"This was a survey, after all. We decided it was better to record their location and numbers and bring that information back than to see how many we could defeat between the two of us."

The count studied the map for a while, then nodded.

"I think that was the right decision."

"Thank you."

"I heard you fought in the war, but it seems you're more than just skilled fighters."

The count lightly tapped the area on the map where the monsters had gathered.

"Before development begins, it seems we'll need to send a hunting party into this area, at the very least."

"I agree. It would be dangerous to send in lumberjacks and workers before reducing the number of monsters."

"Cutting down the trees will be a considerable undertaking in itself."

"There were a lot of thick trees. After cutting them down, they'd have to dig out the roots and level the ground, too."

"So it'll take money and manpower."

"Yes. But it's close to Belgrant, and there's water. If they can develop it, I think they'd be able to use a large area of land."

The count leaned back in his chair.

"That's enough."

"What?"

"We've learned enough to make this request worthwhile. You've given me nearly all the information I wanted from people who'd actually walked through the forest."

The count looked at Felicia and me.

"You both did an excellent job investigating it. Thank you."

"It's our job, sir."

"Even so. We'll likely issue monster extermination requests through the Adventurers' Guild as needed from now on."

"We'll discuss how to proceed with development separately."

It seemed our work was done.

"I've already notified the guild that you've completed the request. You can collect your reward there."

"Understood."

We stood up.

Before we left the room, the count called out to us once more.

"Allen, Felicia."

We both turned around.

"You've been a great help—not just with this, but with the war, too. As the lord of Belgrant, I thank you."

Before we'd gone off to war, we'd been among the many adventurers the count had gathered.

Now he was calling us by name and entrusting us with work.

"Thank you."

We bowed, then left the count's estate.

◇

We headed straight to the Adventurers' Guild.

The morning reception area was crowded, but the receptionist we'd seen before noticed us.

"Welcome back. Have you finished reporting to the count?"

"We just finished."

"We've received official confirmation that you've completed the quest, too."

The receptionist took out some papers.

"The Belgrant household's forest survey request is complete. The reward is eight hundred thousand jenny."

"Thank you."

That meant four hundred thousand jenny each.

At the same time, a display appeared in my vision.

【Quest completion confirmed】

【You acquired 100P】

【Your balance: 465P】

【Total P Acquired: 42,575P】

"We got a hundred P."

I quietly told Felicia beside me.

"So we get P for surveys, too."

"It seems completing a quest is all it takes."

I closed the display.

The receptionist took out another sheet of paper.

"Also, we've finished appraising the monsters you brought in yesterday."

"All of them?"

"The staff in charge of butchering them worked hard from first thing this morning."

She gave a slightly tired smile.

"It took a while since there were so many, but because you brought back most of them whole, we were able to put a price on parts that would normally be discarded."

"Does it really make that much of a difference?"

"Quite a bit. Most adventurers only bring back the tusks and hides from Forest Boars, for example."

The receptionist looked at the appraisal sheet.

"The total comes to one million three hundred and sixty thousand jenny."

"One million three hundred and sixty thousand..."

Felicia checked the amount.

Split between us, that was six hundred and eighty thousand each.

Together with the quest reward, we'd each earned one million and eighty thousand jenny today.

"Having Storage changes the way we sell materials, too."

"If you keep bringing back whole monsters, please take them straight to the butchering area."

"Understood."

"It would cause quite a commotion if you brought them out in front of the reception desk."

"I understand that, too."

I remembered the butchering area yesterday. If we'd laid everything out in front of the reception desk, we might have blocked the guild entrance.

"Then that's one million and eighty thousand jenny for each of you. What would you like to do with the money?"

"Please put mine in the guild bank, as usual."

"Mine, too, please."

"Certainly."

The Adventurers' Guild in Belgrant had a guild bank where adventurers could deposit their earnings.

Since there was no need to carry around a large sum of money, I deposited it there whenever I came into a sizable amount.

The receptionist began processing our deposits.

As I watched, I found myself thinking about how much money I'd earned so far.

Fifteen million jenny in war rewards. I'd also saved money before that, and I'd earned one million and forty thousand jenny the day we went to the fifteenth floor.

And today, one million and eighty thousand.

I couldn't say exactly how much I had after paying for the inn and equipment.

Even so, including what I'd deposited in the guild bank, I probably had close to twenty million jenny by now.

"..."

Thinking about it made me feel a little strange.

When I'd first become an adventurer, even ten thousand jenny had seemed like a lot of money.

Even when I bought my Steel Sword, I'd checked the price—nearly a hundred thousand—over and over.

When I saw that the Flamefang Sword cost 1,280,000 jenny, I thought it was unbelievably expensive.

Now I had close to twenty million.

Of course, I wasn't carrying it all around with me.

I kept everything I didn't need in the guild bank.

Even so, it was still money I'd earned myself.

"I've finished processing everything."

"Oh, thank you."

"Is something wrong?"

Felicia looked at me.

"I was just thinking about how much money I've earned so far."

"It's quite a lot, isn't it?"

"More than I expected."

I left the reception desk after answering.

Money was meant to be spent. That didn't mean I was going to buy things I didn't need.

But there was something I could buy now.

"Felicia-san."

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go look at equipment?"

Felicia quickened her pace a little.

"We can finally go."

"We'd planned to before heading into the forest, after all."

We'd meant to shop for equipment three days ago. It looked like we'd finally get the chance.

◇

We headed to the main street.

It was the high-end weapons and armor shop we'd visited once before.

Swords and armor were displayed one by one behind the large glass windows, and a uniformed employee stood near the entrance.

The last time I'd come here, just looking at the price tags had made me feel like I didn't belong in the store.

I opened the door.

"Welcome."

The employee bowed.

The swords we'd seen before were displayed nearby.

【Silver Sword　2,450,000 jenny】

【Thunder Crystal Sword　5,800,000 jenny】

Farther inside, a single black sword stood on its own display stand.

【Black Dragon Sword　12,800,000 jenny】

"...Twelve million eight hundred thousand."

Felicia seemed to remember the same thing I did.

"When we came here before, we said you could buy a house with that much, didn't we?"

"We did."

I looked at the price again.

Twelve million eight hundred thousand.

It was still a staggering amount.

But one thing was different from before.

It was no longer completely out of my reach.

Of course, I wasn't planning to replace my Flamefang Sword right away.

But if we were going to delve as far as the twentieth floor, I wanted an expert to tell me whether it was still right for me.

"Are you looking for a weapon?"

The employee came over.

"I'd like to look at armor. But before that, could you check whether it's all right for me to keep using this sword?"

"May I take a look?"

"Of course."

I handed over the Flamefang Sword.

The employee drew the blade partway from its sheath and narrowed their eyes.

"A Flamefang Sword."

"You know it?"

"Of course. It's made with the fangs and magic stone of a Fire Lizard, isn't it?"

The employee examined the blade, then the magic stone in the hilt.

"You've used it quite a bit, but there isn't any serious damage."

"I used it in the war, too."

"I see."

The employee looked at me.

"I don't think there's any need to replace it just yet."

"The swords in this shop are more expensive, aren't they?"

"A higher price doesn't necessarily mean it's the right sword for you."

The employee handed the Flamefang Sword back to me.

"If you're used to it, you'd be better off keeping it for now."

"If you can control mana, you can draw out the Flamefang Sword's full potential."

The way I gathered flames around the blade with Mana Control had helped me in the fight against the Sword Saint, too.

This sword was still good enough.

"Thank you. Then I'd like to look at armor."

"What are you currently wearing?"

I showed them the leather armor I had on.

The employee nodded right away.

"I see. Please wait a moment."

The employee disappeared into the back, then returned a little while later with a piece of armor.

It was made of dark gray leather, almost black, with thin metal plates built into the chest and shoulders.

【Blacksteel Lizard Light Armor　1,480,000 jenny】

"One million four hundred and eighty thousand..."

Before, I would have ruled it out as soon as I saw the price.

"Blacksteel Lizard?"

"It's a large monster with tough scales. The scales are worked thin and sewn into the leather."

"It's not as heavy as metal armor, but it's much more durable than ordinary leather armor."

I picked it up.

It was lighter than I'd expected.

"Would you like to try it on?"

"Please."

I changed in the back.

I adjusted the straps to fit my body, then moved my arms around.

I tried lowering my stance and stepping forward, too.

It didn't get in my way.

These days, I usually fought by making use of my speed.

I didn't want heavy armor to slow me down, but this seemed like it would suit me.

I went back to the employee.

"What do you think?"

"It's very easy to move in."

"It's a little heavier than what you've been wearing, but it doesn't seem like enough to cause a problem."

One million four hundred and eighty thousand jenny.

It cost more than the Flamefang Sword.

Even so, I was planning to go deeper than the fifteenth floor now.

I'd even fought the Sword Saint on the battlefield.

There was no reason to keep wearing the same old armor.

"I'll take it."

"Thank you."

Beside me, Felicia was comparing several staffs.

"Did you find something?"

"This one caught my eye."

She pointed to a staff.

It was a little shorter than the one she was currently using. A small blue magic stone was set into the tip of its pale wood.

【Silverwood Staff　860,000 jenny】

"Eight hundred and sixty thousand?"

"They say it's easier to channel mana through than my current staff."

The employee continued explaining.

"Silverwood is a type of wood that conducts mana well."

"It won't suddenly make your spells much stronger, but it's well suited to channeling mana quickly."

Felicia gripped the staff.

She seemed to channel mana into its tip, and the blue magic stone glowed faintly.

"...It's easier."

"You can tell?"

"It feels like there's less resistance when I move mana through it than with my current staff."

Since learning Mana Control, Felicia had become more precise in the way she handled mana.

It might suit her current fighting style, which relied on rapid fire, compression, and improving her accuracy.

"I'll take it."

Felicia had made her choice, too.

"What about the Black Wolf Leather Armor?"

"It's still in perfectly good condition. I have a knife, too, so I'll keep the armor I have."

The Black Wolf Leather Armor she'd bought before was still new.

There was no need to replace it just for the sake of it.

We paid for our purchases.

I got the Blacksteel Lizard Light Armor, and Felicia got the Silverwood Staff.

When we left the shop, it was a little past noon.

"We spent quite a bit."

Felicia looked at her new staff.

"Mine alone cost one million four hundred and eighty thousand."

"You would have agonized over it a lot more before, wouldn't you?"

"Without a doubt."

Even now, one million four hundred and eighty thousand was a lot of money.

But I didn't think armor for delving beyond the fifteenth floor was a waste of money.

"What should we do next?"

Felicia asked.

The forest survey was over. We'd upgraded our equipment, too.

That made it clear where I wanted to go next.

"How about we head back to the dungeon?"

"How far?"

"As B-Rank adventurers, we can go as far as the twentieth floor, right?"

Last time, we'd made it to the fifteenth floor.

We still hadn't seen anything beyond the sixteenth.

"Are we going straight to the twentieth floor?"

"We'll start at the sixteenth and see how things go. If it's too much, we'll turn back along the way."

"Then I'm in favor."

"We have Storage, too, so we can take a few days to explore if we need to."

"We can bring all our camping gear with us, too."

Going into the forest had even let me acquire Storage. We were ready to delve deeper than before.

"Then we'll start tomorrow."

"Yes."

Since we had time, we decided to check the quests today.

◇

We returned to the Adventurers' Guild.

When we headed for the B-Rank quest board, there were more people than usual.

"I wonder if something's going on."

"Let's take a look."

As we approached, we saw several adventurers looking at a quest form.

"The twentieth floor, huh..."

"Sounds like it just showed up."

"I'm not going. It's not worth the risk."

I heard them say.

Once the adventurer in front of us moved away, I could see the quest form.

【Urgent Subjugation Request】

【Subjugate the Mithril Golem】

【Target: Belgrant Western Dungeon, Twentieth Floor】

【Requirement: B-Rank or higher】

【Reward: 1,200,000 jenny】

"A Mithril Golem..."

The moment I saw the name, I remembered the tenth floor.

The Iron Golem.

Back then, my Steel Sword had nearly broken in the fight.

After we defeated it, a teleportation stone appeared that let us travel directly to the tenth floor.

"This is..."

Felicia seemed to have thought of the same thing.

"It's the floor boss, isn't it?"

"Let's ask."

We took the quest form to the reception desk.

The receptionist we'd seen before looked it over.

"Oh, that one."

"Did this request just come in today?"

"Yes. This morning, a B-Rank party exploring the twentieth floor reported it."

"So a floor boss has appeared."

"That's right."

The receptionist looked at the quest form.

"Just like the Iron Golem on the tenth floor, the floor boss on the twentieth floor doesn't appear all the time."

"Once it's defeated, it disappears, and no one knows when it will appear again."

So it was the same after all.

"Is the Mithril Golem strong?"

"It's the floor boss on the twentieth floor."

The receptionist's expression grew a little more serious.

"At the very least, don't go in expecting it to be like the monsters on the fifteenth floor or below."

"If you decide you can't defeat it, you can turn back without fighting."

I looked at the quest form.

We'd struggled quite a bit against the floor boss on the tenth floor.

But things were different now.

I had the Flamefang Sword, Mana Control, and Swordmaster now.

Our equipment had improved, and Felicia had grown stronger, too.

And we were B-Rank adventurers.

I looked at Felicia.

"Shall we try going to the twentieth floor?"

"Yes."

I placed the quest form on the counter.

"We'll take this."

The receptionist looked at us once before picking up the quest form.

"Understood. But if you think it's too dangerous, be sure to come back."

"Yes."

Our goal starting tomorrow was the twentieth floor.

Total P Acquired: 42,575P