We walked down to the 19th floor, and I saw that it was relatively similar to the previous floors.

The only thing different was a new monster we encountered, which were these owl monsters called bloodowls. Bloodowls have red feathers and red eyes, but they are mainly called blood owls because they have this strong iron smell to them similar to blood.

They were quite a nuisance to deal with if you didn’t have anyone with range options like Chelsie, Lucia, and me with my throwing knives and spikes.

After wandering around some paths and fighting monsters for a while, we eventually saw a clearing with wooden walls surrounding a couple of buildings.

We gazed at it; everyone was wow seeing the buildings and how people were able to build settlements inside a dungeon.

There was an open gate with nobody guarding it when I went in. I guess the people staying inside the village don’t need protection since they are seasoned adventurers.

Speaking of the season adventurers, they looked tough and grizzled, with an aura of intimidation as they were sizing us up.

They mostly look at us, wondering why children are in the 2nd stratum. Most of them, who looked to be the more seasoned and veteran adventurers, didn’t seem to recognize us and wondered who we even were.

I’m guessing it’s because they practically live inside the dungeon, so they haven’t gotten out and heard any news above ground.

However, the weaker-looking season adventurers did recognize us and did what they usually did and bore holes into Alex with their eyes of resentment.

“Oh god, why did it have to be him?”

“Why is he here?”

“That bastard.”

Fortunately, it was only the guys who did it, and the women looking at us didn’t have any interest, especially Alex, only glancing in mild curiosity.

We found some makeshift benches made out of logs and sat at them for a while.

I wasn’t really too tired and told everyone I wanted to look around. Surprisingly, Alice and Maria wanted to come with me because they also wanted to look around.

We looked around the village; Alice and Maria looked like tourists in a new city. They asked me questions about the village because I was the one who suggested coming here, and I knew quite a bit about the village from the Dradevow dungeon book, and I was giving them bits of trivia like a tour guide.

“So Nyx, how did they manage to build these buildings in a dungeon?”

Maria asked me that question, to which I answered.

“They're made from the trees on this floor.”

“In this floor?”

I replied with a yes, and surprisingly, the second stratum was one of those strata where you could interact with it, with people being able to cut down the trees.

Additionally, I began to further explain that people built this village on the 19th floor because of the lake for 2 reasons. One of them was for the next stratum where it was going to be a desert, and the second, which was the more important reason, was that monsters would not approach or spawn near the lake.

The book I read didn’t have a reason for why it happens either, just saying unknown, yet to be determined.

Thinking about it, if this was from a game, I’m guessing that the lake is a host to a secret boss, but that is just speculation.

We first went to look at the market on the main road going around the village. I told them that compared to normal villages, they didn’t have any buildings for shopping since we were in a dungeon because most of the buildings were owned by high-ranking adventurers who practically lived in the dungeon. Instead, street vendors were showing off their goods on blankets lying on the ground.

The vendors mostly sold preserved food and potions, while some sold weapons and armor.

Maria commented on how high the prices were, which I told her.

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“Since we were in a dungeon, it makes sense that the prices were exorbitant.”

Exorbitant is an understatement because they were 5 times the prices you see above ground, which were already high enough.

“Yeah, I can see that's why they charge so much.”

Alice, who was watching us talk, asked.

“Is it really so much?”

I said yeah, that it was a lot. I’m guessing she was asking because she doesn’t have any sense of money and is trying to figure it out since she is a noble now living as an adventurer.

“Speaking of which, Maria.”

Turning to face Maria again.

“You could make a lot of money doing business here.”

“Really? How?”

“Well, not a lot of alchemists are adventurers, and even fewer come to the deeper floors, so your skills are really valuable here.”

“I see. I’ll keep it in mind.”

After seeing the market, we went to the lake, which was an amazing sight to see. The water in the lake was completely drinkable and clear, almost mirror-like, where you could see the artificial sky of the dungeon.

I told them that, and Maria and Alice wowed again after seeing the lake, Maria asked how I knew so much about the village.

“How did you know so much about the dungeon?”

“Oh, it’s from a book I bought about the Dradevow dungeon.”

“Huh?! Wait, what exactly does it look like?!”

For some reason, Maria looked really interested in hearing my response.

“Well, it’s a plain brown color book that is quite thick.”

“Does it have anything on the cover or not?”

Thinking about it, I told her no since there was nothing distinguishing about the book. For some reason, it didn’t have a title, which I didn’t give too much thought to when I got it.

“No way, you actually have one.”

“Have what?”

“The book you got is really rare; how did you manage to get your hands on that book? I’ve been looking for that book for a while now.”

“I got it from a bookstore that Iris recommended, called the Ash Thorn bookstore. But is it really that rare, and what do you need that book for?”

“I want one because it has information on herbs and other materials for alchemy inside this dungeon, and yes, they are really rare; only a few are made each year.”

“I can lend it to you and take you to the bookstore too, if you want.”

Maria looked really gleeful when I said it.

“That would be really great, and thank you.”

After seeing mostly everything in the village, we went back to Alex and everyone else, where we started moving back to the surface.

At the guild, I enter first and am followed by Alex’s party, which causes a stir as usual.

I waited in Iris’s line, which was my usual counter to go to. She processed the shards I collected, but after she was done, she asked me to come upstairs with her.

Confused, I ask.

“Is there a reason for me to come upstairs with you?”

“You’ll see it when we get there; don’t worry, it’s something good.”

Iris called someone to cover for her for a bit, and I followed Iris upstairs and into a room.

Entering the room, Iris said.

“I know that you don’t like having attention on yourself, so I reserved this room for your promotion to C rank, so congratulations.”

“Oh, that is the reason. Thank you for that.”

Hearing the reason, I was getting the feeling that there was more to this for some reason.

Iris pulled out a familiar magical tool from a drawer and placed it on the table, the same one that Emma used to promote me. I took out my adventurer card and gave it to Iris for her to use on the magical tool.

My card, which glows a greyish iron color, turns into a more metallic silver color.

Giving back my card, I could see my rank had changed to a C rank and my card was now a silver color.

After looking at my card, I put it back and thanked Iris again for making my promotion private.

When I was about to leave, a feeling that there was more to this started to pop up in my head again, which was proven right when Iris said.

“If you don’t mind, can I ask you something?”

Yep, my feelings were right. She did this to ask me to do something for her. Since she helps me out quite a lot, I guess I don’t mind paying back a favor.

Stopping, I turn back and reply.

“Yes, what is it?”

Relieved seeing me stop and hearing her out, Iris asks.

“Could you come by tomorrow? There are people who want to meet with you.”

Hearing that people wanted to meet with me, I grew suspicious of who they were because just who would want to meet with me, especially since I’m run away noble?

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing malicious or anything. Remember how you found the pendent that belonged to one of the noble girls in their adventuring party?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, they wanted to meet with you and thank you in person.”

“Why in person and why now? I thought they might have left by now.”

Iris sighs and shrugs her shoulder, looking tired, and answers.

“I guess they want to thank you since they are quite persistent about it and have been asking me insistently for the last few weeks, especially for the last few days now.”

Nobles, huh… I’m paying back Iris for her help, so I guess I could do it. The noble girls don’t seem to be bad people if they are this persistent in reaching out to me to thank me.

“Fine, I don’t mind, but could you make it in the afternoon? I’m quite busy tomorrow morning.”

“Sure thing.”

Leaving the room and then the adventure guild, I went back to my inn to rest for the day.