And so, for some strange reason, I was going to the Beginner’s Dungeon with a pickaxe and a sewing needle .
For starters, I bought a collar from the Adventurers Guild first .
Incidentally, a pickaxe was considered to be a type of sword . Before I became an Apprentice Spearman, I raised my Apprentice Swordsman level too so I had the Equip Sword skill . If I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t even be able to swing the pickaxe properly .
“- – Hn?”
While walking down the main street, I saw an unusual girl and inadvertently looked back .
A young girl with white hair and dog ears – – no, wolf ears .
(White Wolf Race huh? … If she’s with Master Mathias then that means she is a slave . )
The Demon Lord has already been dead for 10 years .
The discrimination towards the White Wolf Race had pretty much diminished . During the war with the Demon Race, the White Wolf Race was split into two factions . One faction fought together with the Demon Lord while the other fought alongside the Hero .
After the war, the lucky White Wolf Races on the Demon Lord side became slaves . The unlucky ones were executed . Among the ones that fell into slavery, apart from those who were released by their master’s compassion, a great majority of them were never released from slavery until death .
(At least I hope she was bought by a good master . )
As I didn’t have the leeway to buy a slave .
“Garrison, what’s wrong?”
After walking quite far ahead, Jofre turned back and shouted loudly .
I found it troublesome to reply so I slowly walked to chase up to Jofre and Elize .
“I just find it amazing that you guys can be so carefree . ”
I complained with a tired voice .
“Oh, thank you, Garrison . ”
“Thanks, Garrison . ”
Idiots who can’t understand sarcasm .
There was a Vigilante group man standing guard at the entrance to the Beginner’s Dungeon so I just lightly bowed towards him .
Then, we arrived at the first floor of the Beginner’s Dungeon .
“Our levels are still low . I would want to raise our levels by at least 1 before we encounter the goblin king . ”
I said as I turned back – – and there was no one there .
“ … Ha?”
It has only been about 3 minutes since we entered the labyrinth . Why are they already lost?
For starters, I quickly left the labyrinth and asked the Vigilante man if Jofre and Elize left the labyrinth . He said that Jofre and Elize definitely entered the labyrinth with me and they had not left .
If that’s the case, it meant that they took the left path instead of the right path at the very first fork when going down the stairs . Or perhaps they found a hidden passage and went down that path . Of course, for the first floor which has been investigated thoroughly, the probability of a hidden passage was astronomically small . A passage like that might be possible from the 5th floor onwards .
Having requested that they are held in the guardroom if Jofre and Elize returned, I proceeded in the direction I assumed they went towards .
However, I quickly came upon a junction .
Those two would never use reasoning for their consideration on which path to take . Even if they did, they were the type to take the path that was the exact opposite of that reasoning .
I might as well abandon them, I thought to myself .
– – No, if I am to abandon them, I will not be at ease until I ascertain their death with my own eyes!
If I leave them behind thinking that they died and they came back alive a week later, they definitely would have caused some kind of problem and I would be forced to clean up after their mess .
I desperately looked for Jofre and Elize .
That was when I saw –
“A kobold!”
A dog-like monster that runs on two feet and was slightly smaller than humans . They are deemed a low-level monster but apart from combat professions, they are threatening monsters to Commoners . Their agility was higher than an ordinary Commoner so escaping it would be difficult if it started chasing . Even as an Apprentice Spearman, there was a high chance that it would catch up to me if I showed my back and ran .
Since that’s the case, there’s only one option . The first to move wins!
I checked my own neck to make sure I had the collar on .
The weapons held by Kobolds were mostly tree branches and fallen rocks . Also, their agility was high but that doesn’t mean that their evasion ability was superior so in a one-versus-one with a sword or a pickaxe like I was holding in hand, there was no chance of losing . Even if they resorted to biting, Kobolds only bite the arms, shoulder and neck . With the collar to protect my neck, I won’t be killed instantly so as long as I remained calm, I won’t lose even if I lost the initiative .
For that reason, it was commonplace for people to buy collars like me when going into labyrinths with numerous Kobolds .
I heaved the pickaxe up and swung it down on the head of the approaching Kobold .
The sensation of crushing the skull was transmitted to my hands through the handle – – I could not get used to that feeling no matter how many times it happens but it also came with a sense of relieve . That sensation was definite proof of killing a monster .
“My level … didn’t rise . ”
Level ups don’t happen so easily .
I knew that but I wanted to quickly become stronger .
The Kobold corpse and its blood that splattered on me disappeared and all that was left was a small purple magic stone at my feet .
I placed the magic stone in my tanned leather bag .
The fact that the Kobold was there meant that Jofre and Elize did not take that path . I can’t imagine them slipping past a passage with a Kobold there – – I thought to myself when I suddenly heard footsteps approaching me from ahead .
Was that perhaps Kofre and Elize? I thought but I was wrong .
“Hn? Ah, Norn-chan . ”
She was a girl with blue short hair and brown skin . I met her multiple times in the labyrinth .
“You’re alone?”
“Yes, it’s training for the Vigilante group . ”
“Oh right, Norn-chan entered the Vigilante group . ”
The Vigilante group desired strength . Apprentice Swordsman and Apprentice Spearman can raise levels just by doing practice swings but it was more efficient to defeat monsters . For that sake, the Vigilante group would patrol the labyrinth once every three days and level up at the same time .
Incidentally, first-year recruits of the Vigilante group are sent to search for enemies in the labyrinth as training and only receive half their salary . Although their regular task which was to guard the labyrinth does not change .
“Garrison-san too, it’s rare to see you alone . Jofre-san and Elize-san came to the labyrinth too . ”
“You saw them!?”
“Yes, they were chatting as they went down the stairs leading to the second floor . ”
“Really!? Thanks!”
I thanked her and quickly sprinted off .
Those idiots, why are they going to the second floor?