Chapter 61
Having finished collecting all the boss drops, I had to admit that this rare boss lived up to its name.
Even its regular boss drops included some good items.
In particular, I got lucky and picked up the rare alchemy material 〈Emperor Goblin's Crown〉. That's going to Hanna.
Hanna was happy about it, too.
We didn't do any boss runs this time.
Though the days were getting longer, it was already past four o'clock.
I also had plans with Estelle and the others, and I wanted to set up the guild.
So, much as I hated to leave, we decided to head back.
"Sorry, Hanna. You didn't get a proof of clearing the dungeon."
"No, it's okay!"
Only those who defeat the boss receive a proof of clearing the dungeon. You don't get one if you're incapacitated along the way or if you're a party member who didn't participate in the boss fight.
In other words, Hanna had cleared the Intermediate Beginner Dungeon, but she hadn't received a proof.
Normally, that would be disappointing, but Hanna didn't seem to mind much. She said she'd made it this far with me doing everything for her.
Well, we were planning to come back, so I thought I'd bring Hanna along next time.
Since Hanna didn't seem bothered, I attached the proof for clearing 〈Wild Herb Grassland Dungeon〉, an Intermediate Beginner Dungeon, to the chest of my 〈Sky Armor〉.
That brought my total to four proofs.
Three proofs from Lower Beginner Dungeons, and one from an Intermediate Beginner Dungeon.
Four proofs gleaming on my chest. Not bad, huh?
"Yeah, it looks cool, Zephyrus-kun."
"Thanks."
Hanna liked it too.
I straightened myself up a little and used 'Aura Heal' to fully restore my HP.
"Phew. Good work today."
"You too~"
We exchanged words of appreciation, then stepped onto the pink-glowing teleportation circle.
After a brief floating sensation, the scenery changed, and we returned to the First Dungeon.
A stir.
"Huh? What?"
The moment we returned, the upperclassmen there began to murmur, and everyone around us turned to look.
Startled, Hanna shrank back, flustered, then hid behind me.
"Ah, this is probably why."
I pointed at the proof for 〈Wild Herb Grassland Dungeon〉 so Hanna, hiding behind me, could see it.
The commotion around us grew louder.
"Hey, isn't that guy...?"
"Didn't he just come out of 〈Grassland〉? Wait, he's a first-year, right?"
"Look at his chest—he's got a proof on!"
"Seriously?!"
"It took me three months to clear 〈Grassland〉..."
"That's about how long it takes all the guys still wandering around the First Dungeon."
"Damn, even the underclassmen are passing us now!"
"Wait, wait, the kid behind 【Hero】-kun doesn't have a proof!"
"Then does that mean 【Hero】 beat the boss solo?"
"Is 【Hero】 really that strong?!"
When I listened closely, I could hear people around us saying things like that.
If we stayed here, things were liable to get troublesome.
"Hanna, let's go. Don't be scared—stand up straight and act confident."
"B-but..."
"Where'd the tough Hanna from inside the dungeon go?"
"I-I'm not tough. I'm delicate."
Her stats were delicate, sure.
If I pointed that out, we'd have another problem on our hands, so I ended the conversation there.
I set off with my chest held high, swaggering along. People kept staring, but no one came over to talk to us.
Hanna followed behind me, holding onto my armor. She was still scared, but she came along.
"There were so many male upperclassmen. I was scared..."
The moment we left the First Dungeon, Hanna let out a sigh of relief.
By the way, the upperclassmen still wandering around the First Dungeon were the sort of people who'd fallen behind. In games, it's a familiar trope for the male students to be loser extras. And, while we're at it, it's also a familiar trope for girls to become heroines. Unfortunately, I hadn't seen any girls around.
Still, it must've been scary for a little girl like Hanna to suddenly draw everyone's attention in a place full of guys.
I gently patted Hanna's head to comfort her. ...She had surprisingly thick hair. It felt soft and fluffy.
"Th-thank you."
"Y-yeah."
Hanna blushed slightly and looked up at me, making me a little flustered.
When I took my hand away, she let out a lonely little "Ah," and it tugged at my heartstrings.
Hanna, when did you learn that kind of trick?
After walking for a few minutes, we arrived at a certain place.
The sign on the room read 〈Guild Application Desk〉.
"There you are!"
"Oh, Lord Zephyrus. Good afternoon."
Inside, I found the princess standing tall, with Estelle bowing beside her.
"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?"
"You're late! You've got some nerve making me wait."
"Lady Rana, we haven't even been waiting five minutes."
The princess was as self-important as ever, but her face was shining with a bright smile.
Estelle, who was gently chiding her, wore a wry smile too, but the atmosphere was warm.
It seemed they had both been looking forward to today.
"Yesterday, you seemed a little noncommittal, so let me ask again. You're joining my guild, right, Your Highness?"
"I'll join, since I have no choice! Besides, 【Hero】 leading while 【Saintess】 supports him is a tried-and-true combination."
The princess declared it with an inexplicable air of authority. I couldn't make out the second part; she'd said it too quietly. What was she talking about?
Well, I'd confirmed what I wanted to know, so I was about to introduce Hanna behind me when I spotted Shiera farther inside.
I asked the princess and the others to wait a moment, then headed over to Shiera, who was frozen in place, staring at me.
"Hey. How's it going?"
"Well, thanks to you, I think they've more or less accepted me. I'm grateful."
"That's good."
Her manner of speaking was as usual, but she seemed nervous and wouldn't move, so I took Shiera by the hand and led her over to everyone else.
"Ah, wait. Your hand..."
"It's your fault for just standing there, Shiera."
"But... Hey, could it be that Princess Rana and Knight Estelle are...?"
"You know each other? They're guild members. I invited them yesterday after you left, Shiera."
"...You're really unreasonable, you know that?"
That's rude. I'm acting well within the bounds of 〈Dan-Katsu〉 common sense, aren't I?