After a few days of resting, my right shoulder was finally healed. I woke up early in the morning because today I would go to Mila to see if she was done engraving my throwing knives.

Going to the tavern next door because I was starving, so I got something to eat. After eating, I went straight to Kinwall’s shop to pick up my new throwing knives.

Opening the door to his shop, I greeted him, and he went to the back of the store to get them.

They were exactly like my old ones. I thanked him and went to Mila’s bookstore.

Knocking the door and telling her it was me, she let me in like always but looked slightly tired.

“So, how is the engraving going?”

I asked her about it, wondering how much progress she made.

“It was a lot of work, but I did all 4 of them.”

Upstairs in her workshop, she led me to one of her workbenches that had my knives laid out.

“Go ahead and try them.”

I picked one up, examined it, and threw it onto a wooden plank for me to throw at that Mila had set up beforehand.

Hitting dead center on the plank, it sparks with electricity and leaves some electrical burn marks like last time.

Pulling it off the board, I looked at it and gave it to Mila to look at.

From looking at it, I saw the magical circles were intact for the most part, just some slight wear to the magical circles.

I asked Mila how it was, wondering how many times they would last given that they have mithril in them.

“They are in decent condition; I think they can hold up another 2 more times before they stop working.”

“I see, so 3 is the likely limit.”

“I think so. Are you going to use them in a dungeon?”

“Yeah. Also, can you engrave these knives as well?”

I place the new throwing knives, including the new holsters they came with, onto the workbench with the engraved throwing knives next to it.

“I got new knives. Remember the person who makes my weapons? Apparently, he set up shop in Acton recently, and I asked him to make me some more. They also have Mythril in them.”

Mila was shocked by my new throwing knife and asked who exactly my blacksmith friend really was.

I can’t blame her because it sounds ridiculous that I would be able to afford them in the first place.

“Again, he prefers that I don’t tell people his name, but he doesn’t mind bringing people to his shop if you like.”

“Yes, I would love to meet him.”

“Tomorrow then, since I’m going diving today to test these knives out.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow.”

Leaving Mila’s bookstore, I headed for the adventurer guild so I could enter into a quest.

On the way, I encounter Alex’s party.

“Hi.”

Greeting them, I turn to face Lucia and try apologizing to her, but she just humphs and turns away from me like I don’t exist.

Seeing Lucia turn her head away from my attempted apology, Alex said with a wry smile.

“Don’t worry too much.”

Then he asks.

“So, you’re going to the adventurer guild quite late, and how's your right shoulder?”

“It healed fine, and I had some things to do before going to the adventurer guild. How about you? You’re going to the adventurer guild a bit late too.”

Alec turned to look at Alice, and she responded, saying that they went to the hospital to visit her personal guards.

“So, how are they, by the way?”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Fine, all of them are recovering.”

“That's good to hear. What did you talk about, anything I should know?”

“Yes, we discussed that I should stay with Alex and everyone else for the time being instead of being guarded by the city guards, while a messenger is sent back to my family estate to inform the rest of my knights and allies about my situation.”

“I see, are you going back anytime soon?”

“I’m afraid not; it’s still dangerous for me to go back home, so I’m staying with Alex for the foreseeable future.”

“Then are you going to register to the adventurer guild and join his party?”

Alice nodded yes, she said.

“Yes, and we’re going into the dungeon to fight some monsters.”

She had a determined voice, and I could feel her will to get stronger as she said it.

“What are you going to be doing today if you don’t mind me asking?”

Alex asked what I was going to do, and I said that I wanted to try out some new weapons inside the dungeon.

Maria, stepping into the conversation, suggested.

“Since we’re all going to the dungeon, why don’t we go together?”

I looked at her and said.

“Yeah, I’m fine with it.”

Hearing what Maria had said and my answer, for some reason Alex's legs began shaking, looking like he just saw his life flash before his eyes and was rethinking his life’s decisions.

It wasn’t just Alex but Wendy as well, who was acting the same as Alex.

We walked together to the adventurer guild; however, Alex and Wendy were trying to make excuses to leave and not go to the dungeon for today, but Maria and Chelsie would remind them that they were helping Alice train and that they were needed.

At the adventurer guild, like last time, I went in first, and then came in Alex and everyone else, causing a lot of chatter in the building.

Alice was wearing a scarf to hide her face, which honestly I’m kind of envious of; she just needed a scarf to hide her identity.

I had to dye my hair and make myself look like a boy, but she didn’t need to do all that, especially her blonde hair didn’t really need hiding because blonde hair is quite common except for the shade, but not really noticeable.

Unlike last time, people were also wondering who was the girl in the scarf in their group.

“Wait, is that a new member?”

“You got to be kidding me; he got another.”

“Why can’t he save some for the rest of us?”

Let's just say a lot of the guys were giving the death stare to Alex more than usual.

I entered into a quest at a random receptionist while Alex went to Iris’s counter since Iris knew who Alice was.

I waited outside for a while till Alice and Alex’s party came out after finishing her registrations.

We walk together to the dungeon. I show the guards my adventurer card and everyone in Alex’s party does the same except for Alice, who shows her temporary wooden tag.

Going in, Alex and Wendy seemed adamant that I did not fight, acting exactly the same with that desperate look when I was with Wendy and Rain after hunting some horn rabbits. I asked why not, and Alex said in a panic tone.

“You shouldn’t be fighting because umm… Alice should get some umm… practical fighting experience, and umm… why don’t you try out your new weapons on stronger monsters than these weaklings?”

I turned to look at Wendy, who was vigorously nodding yes, agreeing to Alex’s reasoning repeatedly. Then I looked at everyone else who didn’t really have a problem with what Alex suggested, mostly for Alice to get some experience fighting, except for Lucia, who gave me the silent treatment.

“Oh, I see.”

I was disappointed, but this was for Alice to get stronger.

Going down the floors in the first stratum, Alice was in the vanguard, fighting the monsters, while I stayed back.

She was doing well but occasionally made some basic mistakes, but Alex, Wendy, and Chelsie were there to cover for her.

It wasn’t just that; they were advising her on how to deal with the monsters, telling her what she was doing wrong, and teaching her how to work in a team.

Maria, next to me, was shouting out some encouragement at her and was giving her some stamina potions as we progressed down the floors because she didn’t have much stamina like I did before I ran away, due to her noble upbringing.

Eventually, we reached the 10th-floor boss room, which Lucia just barged inside for some reason. Everyone was confused by her actions, but we went in anyway.

The Latrodec spider spawned like the countless times I fought it. Lucia's hair glows a much more vibrant, fiery red color than the last time I saw her use her magic to fight the Latrodec spider.

She cast her fireball spell much faster and burned much brighter in intensity than before, which surprised me. Has she been training for the last few days?

Once the Latrodec spider finished spawning and the black thin layer started peeling off, she fired her fireball at it, which the Latrodec spider didn’t stand a chance with the explosion being much more destructive than what I saw last time.

I covered my face with my arm because of how big and strong the shock wave was.

Once the spell was over, Lucia, for some reason, looked back at me and turned her head away, like she was ignoring me with the silent treatment again. However, I did notice she looked a bit smug at my reaction.

Going to the second stratum, Chelsie suggested that Alice take a break from fighting because the second stratum’s monsters are quite dangerous for Alice, who just became an adventurer today, and in addition, so she doesn’t overexert herself for tomorrow's dive.

However, it did not stop Alice from learning because she was looking at Alex, Wendy, Chelsie, and Lucia fighting together closely.

It left Alex and Wendy to be the vanguards of the party. I really wanted to join in, specifically Alex and Wendy, and fight with them, but they did not want me to do so for some reason. I guess I’m an outsider at their party and would break their synergy if I did, maybe.

Going back, Alice watches Chelsie shooting arrows with pinpoint accuracy, covering Alex’s and Wendy’s backs. Lucia was casting her magic, using spells to deal with the groups of monsters coming at us. Maria was throwing some bottles of potions at the monsters to inflict status ailments and giving some health potions to whoever was injured.

We continued going down the floors; eventually, we were on the 18th floor, with Alice watching them to learn what she could from them fighting.

However, we eventually stumbled into new monsters that were giving Alex and Wendy some difficulties, no, make it a lot of difficulties.