To avoid catching a chill in the night breeze, I sipped some tea while spending a little time with Elle.
Since meeting Elle and Sheena, some time had passed, but we hadn’t engaged much in casual conversation. Most of our talks revolved around quest details or combat strategies.
Perhaps that’s why chatting about everyday topics with Elle felt so refreshing now.
After briefly sharing our experiences as adventurers, Elle tilted her teacup slightly, sipping from it.
“So, that means you’re not originally from Ford either, Ike?”
“Yeah, my hometown is a bit south of here—about a 20-day journey by carriage. I worked as an adventurer there for a while, but once I gained enough skills, I decided to move here.”
“Sounds a lot like Sheena and me. We might’ve left home earlier than you did, though. We wandered from town to town before eventually settling in Ford.”
It seems they’ve only been in Ford for about six months.
Curious, I decided to ask something that had been on my mind.
“By the way, I was surprised to see you driving a carriage. Did you learn out of necessity while traveling from town to town?”
“No, actually. Sheena and I had the carriage from the moment we left home.”
“Oh, I see.”
Owning a carriage as a fledgling adventurer isn’t exactly common. Could they have received substantial support from their family when starting out?
I wondered about this but decided it would be too intrusive to pry further.
After a bit more light conversation, we returned to our tents to rest for the next day. Whether it was the warm tea or the light exercise, I managed to sleep soundly until morning.
As the sun’s rays illuminated the sky, we finalized our preparations.
That’s when a group of adventurers emerged from the entrance of the Tria Labyrinth. It was a seven-member party that had apparently entered the labyrinth a few days earlier.
Other adventurers, about to begin their own exploration, quickly surrounded them to gather any useful information.
Since the Tria Labyrinth was a newly discovered dungeon, any details were valuable.
However, adventurers who return from a dungeon rarely give away their hard-earned intel freely. It’s customary to negotiate some kind of exchange.
Yet the leader of the returning group, a man who seemed exhausted, said something unexpected.
“This might not be a dungeon after all.”
The adventurers around him started buzzing with confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“There are monsters and magic stones inside, aren’t there?”
“This doesn’t match what we’ve heard!”
The leader continued, addressing the puzzled crowd.
“I figured most of you would be wondering, so let me explain.
Our party spent three days reaching the lowest floor of the dungeon.
But at the bottom, there were no boss monsters, no rewards—nothing.”
“Is that even possible? Maybe you overlooked something?”
“We thought the same, so we scoured every corner of the floor. But we found nothing.
That’s why we gave up and came back.
You might end up wasting your time too, but... well, good luck.”
The man, visibly worn out, left with his party. Their defeated demeanor left an impression on everyone watching.
“Well, what do you think?” I asked the five other members of our group who had been listening alongside me.
While the earlier conversation made some adventurers hesitant, no one in our group was deterred.
“We’ll be fine!”
“Yeah, we’ll crush anything in our way.”
“Of course, my master and I can achieve the impossible when we work together!”
“Exactly. Besides, there’s always the chance they missed something.”
“This is our chance. Let’s be the first to clear it.”
Unanimous agreement.
It wasn’t surprising, but hearing their confidence was reassuring.
“Alright, I feel the same way. Let’s do this!”
“Yes!” “Yeah!” “Of course!” “Understood!” “Got it!”
With our determination firmly set, we began our conquest of the Tria Labyrinth.