Five days after we left Jayman and the others, we finally arrived at the dungeon city.

　Dungeon City Seigen, a city that has prospered rapidly since the discovery of the dungeon twenty years ago. It has a population of approximately 160,000, of which 50,000 are guild members.
　Since adventurers are always involved in the development of the dungeon city, the top adventurers have a strong voice and are even respected. Weak adventurers, on the other hand, are sometimes ridiculed, even by children, and Seigen is no exception.

　The city is surrounded by a wall, with one entrance and exit, one for north, south, east and west. There are gatekeepers at the entrances and exits, standing around the clock.　

　I came to the south gate. Around the gate, there were nearly 100 people waiting to enter the city.
　Waiting like this would take quite a while. However, the adventurers had a trick up their sleeves. It was.

Excuse me. Mr. Gatekeeper, this is the Adventurer's Guild's card.

''I'll check ... C-rank adventurer Temma, that's correct. Over here.

　People around me criticized me for skipping my turn at the beginning, but the moment I said the gatekeeper was ranked C, they stopped saying anything. Instead, they cheered.

　The secret trick in the dungeon city is that adventurers with a C-rank or higher will be given priority in the procedure. This could only happen in a dungeon city where adventurers were of high status.
　The procedure is just a simple question about your background and what kind of requests you've completed so far.

　Once those confirmations are complete, you will be given an expired citizenship. This is a procedure to make adventurers pay instead of taxes, and it requires 10,000G in six months. If they can't pay it, they will be expelled from the city, and if they are too vicious, they will be dropped into slavery.

　The 10,000G must be paid at the time of entry, but those who can't pay it will be forced to borrow money from the guild. The debt has a low interest rate, but no one has ever done such a thing, because if you try to step on it, you could turn all the guilds on the continent against you.
　By the way, such a system only applies to adventurers.

　I paid 10,000 G on the spot and got a certificate.

'Welcome to the dungeon city of Seigen!

　With those words, I stepped into the dungeon city for the first time in my life.

　The structure of the city of Seigen is similar to the Place de l'Etoile in Paris in the previous world.
　There's a dungeon entrance in the center of the city, and the streets radiate out from there, and the city is about 30 kilometers in size at its widest point, which is quite a large area for a city.

　The north side of the city is home to many wealthy people, the south side is home to many commoners, the west side is unsafe due to slums, and the east side is home to many workshops and their related people. Even the high end shops are clustered in the northern part of the city.
　And in the center near the dungeon, the headquarters of the Knights, shops for adventurers, inns, and eateries are clustered together.

　I decided to go to the entrance of the dungeon first.
　The entrance of the dungeon is surrounded by a high wall, and there are no large buildings in the 500 meters or so around the wall.

''Well, if it caves in, we'll be in big trouble.

　A cave-in has happened in small dungeons, although there have been a few instances of it.
　However, it is often said that when the dungeon is this big, the dungeon itself is like a single demon.
　The reason for this is that the magical energy emitted by the monsters and adventurers inside the dungeon is stored, and the dungeon core is used to strengthen and regenerate the dungeon with this magical energy. Thanks to this, the larger the dungeon, the sturdier it is.
　Many scholars have been trying to figure out how it works for a long time, but no one has ever arrived at the truth of it.

'Maybe we should ask the gods about it some time.

　I approached the entrance, thinking about using a backdoor trick.

　I could easily enter the wall surrounding the entrance by showing my guild card.
　The first thing I see when I enter is a building that surrounds the rock pile that would be the entrance.

　And around it, there are those who are recruiting temporary parties, those who are trying to submit requests directly, and those who use recovery magic for a fee to ply their trade... What catches my attention is the large number of children.

　I asked one of my colleagues nearby about it.

Oh, you've never been in a dungeon before and those are the kids from the slums who are hired to carry the luggage. Not unusual in dungeons.

　I thanked him and gave him a silver coin in exchange for the information fee.

"Thank you!

　With that, the man headed for the exit. The kids were about to gather around when they saw that I had paid the guy, but they entered the building earlier than that.
　Apparently, those kids are not allowed to enter the building by rule.

　The inside of the building was rather simple.
　There is a large bulletin board with requests and warnings pasted on it, five receptionists to get into the dungeon, and other than that, there is a resting place and an advice desk.

　I asked at the consultation counter how to use this dungeon.　

　First of all, they made me pay the registration fee of 1000G.
　Next, they made me sign a registration form that stated that I was basically on my own inside the dungeon, that I had to declare if I was going to challenge it with a party of more than 10 people, and that I had to take as much responsibility as possible for the children I hired outside.
　And then they recommended a particular item.

'What is this?'

Here are the warp cards you can use in this dungeon.

　Simply put, it seems to be an item with a save function. In the dungeon. It seems that there are spaces that are connected to the outside of the dungeon in one-way traffic here and there, and in the past, no matter how far into the dungeon you went, if you made a mistake and entered the space, you would go outside and have to start over from scratch.
　However, after this item was developed, the location of the space can be recorded, and it's no longer a one-way street...it's just like the Everywhere 0a.
　There are no rules for warp points in a dungeon, sometimes there are multiple warp points on a single level, and sometimes not at all. Moreover, it seems that if you use a warp zone in the dungeon, you always return to the entrance warp zone, and if you want to go to another warp zone from inside the dungeon, you have to go back to the entrance one once and then use the entrance warp thorn again.

'But wouldn't that make some people go downstairs for fun?

　The answer to this question is that it is possible, but if you do, other adventurers will criticize you and ostracize you. Moreover, it is said that only such adventurers are eager to go beyond their abilities, and there is no end to the number of those who die as a result.

　The warp card cost 100,000 G, a rather high price, but it was a price I didn't mind right now, so I bought it.
　The warp card was enchanted to prevent theft, so that only the person who registered the card can use it.
　As a precaution on the other usage, they said that you can only go to places that you can remember.

　After that, he looked at the bulletin board and other things before heading to the guild.

　The guild is located about 500 meters straight from the doorway of the wall, the building was more than twice the size of Gunjo City.
　We decided to go inside and gather information...

"This is no place for kids! Get the hell out of here!

　I got involved early. The other guy seemed to be quite drunk.
　I didn't want to deal with a drunk, so I ignored him.

'Do you think this kid is listening to me, a C-rank, and you can't listen to me!

　I started to fuss about it.

'It was a C-grade? I thought you were a D-ranked person with no work to do, since you're drunk at this hour!

　I shouted, as if I was also surprised. I could hear laughter all around me; I was being dignified with a C grade and even the kids were making fun of me.

'You little bastard!'

　The man tried to set up the hatchet he carried on his hip.

It's not safe.

　And faster than the man could raise his hand, I held the knife to his throat.

'Please don't move. If your hand goes crazy or something, you'll be in a lot of trouble... you, though.

　The man didn't seem to understand what had happened at first, but when he moved slightly, the pain of the knife's light touch on his throat seemed to bring him to grips with the situation.

'If you understand, take your hand off the axe. Otherwise you'll end up with a knife in your throat.

　At my words, the man held up his hands.

'It's all right if you know. Let's be careful not to drink too much.

　I said, and headed for the counter.
　Most of the adventurers didn't seem to understand what had happened then, though. Some of them didn't seem surprised. Rather, I noticed that they were looking at me with a look that said it was only natural to be able to do that.

''Excuse me. I'd like to get some information on the dungeon.''

''Yes, that's the information on the dungeon. We can only release the map up to the tenth level, and the rest will be examples of demon appearances, etc.

　From the first floor to the 10th floor, the demons are the same, with many goblins, slimes and skeletons, and only the occasional orc.
　From the 11th floor onwards, the number of insect-shaped demons increases, and more and more people form a party. Many insect-shaped demons are stubborn and are not suitable for eating, but their materials are popular for use in weapons and armor.
　From around the 20th floor, most of the C-ranked demons became C-ranked demons, and that's as far as the information went.
　This doesn't mean that they are stingy, it's just that the appearance of demons is not consistent from the 20th floor onwards, so rather than making poor decisions, it's more of a sense of danger, which in turn increases the survival rate.
　As for the map, it's said that it's limited to the 10th floor, which is relatively safe, due to complaints from adventurers and the fact that some of them would be reckless if they taught it too much.
　When I told the receptionist about Shiroumaru and the others and tried to get something to prove I was a member of the family, I was told that I wouldn't need it in this city.
　Finally, we left the guild to get recommendations for the inn and restaurant around here.

　As expected, or rather, when I left the guild, a few men followed me. Apparently, they seemed to be my C-ranked friends from earlier.
　I walked into the back alleyway to invite the men to join me....

Hey, she's not here! Where the hell did you hide!

　I disappeared. Technically, I just flew onto the roof with my flying magic, but the guys who thought I was just a little strong kid didn't consider the possibility that I was floating in the air.
　While the men were searching around, I moved across the roof to the inn I had been told about in the guild.

''Excuse me. It's been fully booked for the past few days...''

　First shot ... a dud. Well, that was to be expected. Next!

'I'm sorry. All the rooms have just been filled.

　Second shot ...............a dud. I guess it was a touch difference but next time I'll try it!

There won't be any openings for a while from today.

　Third shot a dud. It's about to get ugly ... next time!

Oh, my little darling! My room is available if you want to stay in my room!

　Fourth shot ... avoid! I don't want to share a room with a faggot! I mean, why are you introducing me to this place! Next! Next!

I'm sorry, but this is a ladies-only room.

　Fifth shot ..................dud. ........so why is this place in the mix! Next time I'll be the last one but God no, that one's useless.

I'm sorry. You'll have to look elsewhere.

　Last ... it's over ... hah, I don't know where ...

　All the lodgings we were told were no good... although there were a couple of strange places in the mix.

　Worst-case scenario, I'll take the carriage out to sleep in a vacant lot somewhere... I'm sure I'll get into unnecessary trouble, but as I was thinking about it

Ow!

　With a light jolt to my back, I heard a pretty voice and, a little later, a rattle, and the sound of something rolling around.
　I turned around in a hurry to see a girl a little younger than me and some wood lying around.

'Are you okay?'

　When I reached out to him.

'I'm sorry! It was my carelessness that caused me to bump into him!

　Somehow, he looks like he's half frightened. I reached out to him again.

...are you angry?

　I asked her, and she reached out to me fearfully.

　I grabbed her hand and got her up, being careful not to frighten the girl.

'I won't be mad at you for this. Besides, I stopped to think about it, too.

　As he says this, he picks up the wood lying around.

'I'm sorry! I'll pick it up too!

　But I had almost finished picking it up, so all I had to do was re-bind it.

''Huh~ I'm sorry.......for causing you so much trouble.......''

　The girl was depressed, but as I handed her the bundled wood, she seemed to get used to it, albeit slowly.

'Well, take care of yourself, then.

　As soon as he said that and started walking in the opposite direction from the girl.

I got it! That kid!

　And the vindictive men found me. It's a pain in the ass, I thought as I turned around.

Get out of the way! Get out of my way!
Yikes!

　Just then, the men had just pushed the girl from earlier.

''You were good just now.....gbo!

　Before the man who pushed the girl away could say anything, my left fist plunged into his abdomen.

'What the hell, gasp!

　The man's companion next to me had a right uppercut.

'What the hell are you doing?' was my line! You violate a girl you don't care about, and then you can't play games with her!

　At my blackmail, even those who were around to watch the whole thing were blaming me.

　There were two other men's companions, both of whom were confused by the pressure from their surroundings and tried to run away... but...

If you guys are going to talk about being full-fledged adventurers, you're going to have to take the blame for this one!

　He was thrown off by a large, muscular man who appeared behind the men.

''Oi, that's an A-ranked djinn. He's a Jin Jade.
Yeah, the one that's rumored to be moving up to an S rating in a little while.

　I hear those voices coming from around me.

His name...Jin Jade.
Age...32
Race... human race.
Title: honorary associate baron and leading adventurer.

HP... 25,000.
MP...10,000.

Muscle strength...A+.
Defensive Power...A+
Speed...B+
Magical power...C+.
Mental capacity... b-.
Growth Potential...B
Luck...B+.

　If you only look at his abilities, he's even better than his father. He's a guy who looks like he's playing the vanguard, just like that.
　I left them in charge of that guy, Jin, and ran to the girl who was pushed away.

It's all right now. You're hurt ... you've scraped your knee. Now hold still for a moment.

　Saying that, he held his hand over the girl's knee and cast a recovery spell. The girl was frightened at first, but she seemed to calm down as she watched the magic close the wound.

'Thank you. I'm fine now.

'No, I'm sorry too. Those guys seem to have been after me, so it's like I've gotten you into this whole thing I'm really sorry.

　The girl smiled at those words and...
Hi!
　I was about to hang up, but when I saw the djinn coming behind me, I started freaking out again.

'Miss, boy, what do we do with these guys?'

　
　The men hanging in the air seem to be unconscious, their limbs are dalang, and they are swaying every time the djinn moves.

　I blocked the girl's gaze with the palm of my hand.

Please throw it out of the way and leave it somewhere else. The boy is scared.

Oh, okay.

　Jin said, then turned to the alleyway.

That's it!

　He threw them both down. Then he flapped his hands.

And these two?

　I pointed to the two men who were still in agony.
　I silently approached them, casting a recovery spell until I could talk.

Apologize first.

　He told this in a low voice to the man who had pushed him away.

'I'm sorry ... forgive me ...'　

　And he turns to me and says.

Who the hell told you to apologize to me? You owe her an apology.

　He pointed to the girl and let her correct him.

'I'm sorry...'
More care!

I'm sorry, I'm sorry...
It's not heartfelt!

Heeeee! I'm sorry! I will not do this again! Please forgive me!

　And then I let him say it.

Here's what you're going to do about it.

　I asked the girl. The girl was stunned, so

I won't forgive you.

　And I tell the guy.

'Forgive me! Please! Please! Please!

　And he rubbed his head on the ground as if he were on his knees.

'Mo, that's enough! I've had my injuries healed and I'm not in pain anywhere!

　The girl started to say in a hurry

'It's good that you've been forgiven. No, you can't do that to a civilian... and that's not to raise your hand unprovoked to a child... so be careful in the future... if there's a next time.

　And only at the end did he add, so that only the man in a blur could hear.

'Oh, and don't forget to take your friends home with you, please.

　With that, the man disappeared toward his companions in the alleyway, dragging his companion, who was lying beside him in fright.

'Let me apologize to you, too. I'm sorry, girl.'

　Jin must have thought he was smiling, but the girl's reaction to seeing his face was

Huh!

　I hid behind me.
　Jin seemed to be quite depressed when he saw that.

''Bu-ho!''
"Pfft!

　Then I heard two laughing sounds coming from the crowd.

'What's so funny! Menas, Garratt!

　Jin must have known who it was that was holding back his laughter. He called out his name to the crowd.

'No, because, you know what? What can I say about that face... well...''
You have a very bad look on your face. It's just like you've found your prey, isn't it?

　That's it, and the woman agrees with the man next to her.

His name... is Menace.
Age...28
Race... human race.
Title: Top-notch adventurer.

HP... 15,000.
MP...14,000.

Muscle strength...B
Defensive Power... B-
Speed...A+
Magical power...B+.
Mental capacity... b-.
Growth potential...B-
Luck...C+.

His name... is Garratt.
Age...30
Race...Beastmen (wolves)
Title: Top-notch adventurer.

HP... 21,000.
MP...10,000.

Strength...A-
Defensive Power... B-
Speed...
Magical power...
Mental capacity...
Growth Potential...B
Luck...B+.

　They have the power to be first class. They probably have a party. I saw them in the guild just now I mean, they weren't surprised by my strength. But then again...

'You were in the guild just now. But wasn't there one more person?

　With those words, the three of them interrupted their conversation and turned serious.


I knew you weren't just a guy.
Well, of course.

　Apparently, these three men knew about me. I don't know where they found out about me, but I guess I should be wary.