Chapter 5 : Dungeon and Elvaria

I walk into the guild, still carrying Elvaria in my arms. She squirms a bit, her face flushed red with embarrassment. The murmurs around us intensify, so I gently put her down before heading to the counter. She avoids my gaze, clearly still feeling flustered.

"Madam, we've completed the goblin quest, ranked D," I say calmly.

The receptionist, visibly surprised, widens her eyes. "Excuse me, but… you're saying you've already completed the quest?!" she exclaims, leaning forward slightly.

I can feel Elvaria straightening up behind me, trying to regain some composure. "Bet that surprised you, huh?" she says with a confident smile, though I can still sense a bit of nervousness in her voice.

I glance back at her, slightly surprised by her boldness. "If I remember correctly, we're supposed to receive a promotion, right? Elvaria as well," I add, turning back to the receptionist, trying to keep control of the situation.

After a brief pause, the receptionist quickly regains her professional composure. "Yes, of course. Congratulations, Aley and Elvaria, you are now promoted to rank D!"

Suddenly, all eyes in the room turn toward us. The adventurers scattered around the guild, usually loud and unruly, are now whispering among themselves. Their astonishment is palpable.

"…That's the couple from yesterday… already promoted?" murmurs someone at a nearby table. The word "couple" makes me pause slightly, but I don't react. I guess the events of yesterday have already fueled some rumors.

Another adventurer, sitting further away, whispers to his companion, "…They just beat the fastest promotion record, second only to the hero Valentin…"

The name "Valentin" catches my attention. This world occasionally summons heroes, though I'm not one of them. Even so, my arrival in this world is still shrouded in mystery. Rumors about Elvaria and me are sure to spread now.

The receptionist, resuming her formal demeanor, interrupts us. "Can you prove you've hunted the three goblins requested in the quest?"

I'm about to respond, but Elvaria steps forward, taking the lead. She approaches the counter with a small smile. "Of course we can prove it." She places a worn-out cloth bag on the table. It looks like it could tear apart with just a bit of movement.

"Take a look inside," she says proudly, a glint in her eyes. The receptionist cautiously opens the bag and finds 12 goblin ears inside. I hold back a grimace. While I was focused on defeating the goblins, it seems Elvaria had been methodically cutting off their ears. I hadn't even noticed.

"Oh my goodness! You hunted six? That's twice the number required for the quest, and in record time!" exclaims the receptionist, clearly impressed.

Elvaria frowns slightly at the remark. "No, not six. Me and my… spou—" She clears her throat, her cheeks briefly reddening. "Me and my partner Aley hunted ten goblins in total. You should've seen him; he sent four flying with a single punch!" She gives me a knowing look, but I can't help but wonder what she was about to say before correcting herself. "Spouse," really? What is she trying to imply?

I look at her for a moment, still intrigued by her past. She's becoming more and more of a mystery, one I feel compelled to unravel. And as things progress, I get the feeling I've been dragged into something far more complex than I initially thought.

The receptionist, still in shock, glances between Elvaria and me. "This is incredible… I've never seen beginners this talented. What is the name of your group?"

"Novus Orbis!" Elvaria proudly declares, raising her voice and placing her fist over her chest, a triumphant look on her face. She's so proud that I can't help but smile slightly. There's something endearing about her determination.

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The receptionist nods, impressed. "Very well, Novus Orbis… In that case, I have an official request for you. A rank D dungeon has recently appeared. Would you be willing to investigate it? Of course, you'll be rewarded," she says, placing a small sack of silver coins on the counter.

Elvaria, too enthusiastic to wait for my response, suddenly grabs my arm. "We'll accept, of course!" she says, flashing me a wide smile.

I'm caught off guard by her eagerness, but I don't resist. "Our guild will handle it," I reply somewhat awkwardly, my gaze shifting slightly. In truth, I would've accepted anyway. A dungeon means more opportunities to train and discover my abilities. Still, she could've consulted me before answering. I sigh.

Elvaria looks at me with her big emerald eyes and, in an excited tone, says, "See, Aley? We're an unbeatable duo! I have a feeling we're going to become a legendary team."

I look at her for a moment, touched by her enthusiasm. "Yeah… I guess we make a good team," I say, smiling slightly. But deep down, I wonder what the future really holds for us.

Elvaria Ofcroft:

My name is Elvaria Ofcroft. Currently, I'm in a party with Aley Vrodwil, an adventurer who helped me return to the capital after I lost my identity card. There are things I hide from him, despite his kindness. For example, he doesn't know this, but on the night we stayed at the inn, when I saw him get off the bed to sleep on the floor, I waited... I waited for him to fall asleep so I could sneak out of the room. I went to a church that stays open at night, retrieved a marriage certificate, and wrote both our names on it. You might think I'm selfish or troublesome, but I have my reasons.

When I was little, my mother lost all her honor. Yet, she was a heroine... a real one. She wasn’t like those heroes summoned from another world. My mother gained her strength by herself, through hard work. She would often tell me stories of her epic battles against dragons and other mythical creatures. She was incredibly powerful, my role model, my idol. My father was a member of my mother’s adventurer party. He always told me that if I ever met a trustworthy adventurer, I should do everything to keep him by my side. And for me, Aley is that man.

Aley appeared out of nowhere, but I didn’t sense any malice from him. I knew because before my mother died, she gave me a special power—an enchanted eye that allows me to sense the intentions of others. This eye lets me detect any bad intentions in people. But there’s something even more important that you need to know. I must tell you about this man and the events that shaped my life.

The heroine Ophelia Ofcroft, also known as the 'Sword Princess' or 'Knight Princess' due to her beauty and noble strength, was one of the kingdom’s pillars. That day, my father stayed at the manor my mother had acquired for us after being granted nobility by the king in recognition of her heroic deeds. Meanwhile, my mother was summoned to the capital to train a hero summoned from another world. The capital of Iveralmn isn’t as beautiful as it seems. Behind the golden and silver walls of the castle hides a dark secret—they summon humans from other worlds in large numbers.

These people, never having used magic in their original worlds, stored mana in their bodies, making them incredibly powerful once summoned. The kingdom used them for war and conquest. The hero my mother was tasked to train was no exception. Even though she opposed the idea of war, she agreed to train him to save him from an unnecessary death. She did it with all her heart... sincerely. But that night, my mother never returned.

The next day, my father went to the castle. He didn’t return until late that night, completely drunk and visibly devastated. He knelt before me and said these words:

‘Your mother is dead. During training, the hero she was teaching was too powerful. He cut her body into pieces… Apparently, he has a skill called "Sage’s Slash." He couldn’t control his attacks.’

My father broke down in tears. And with him, I also began to cry. I was only 12 years old.

Four years later, where everything began for me, we still lived in our manor, outside the capital’s walls. It was just me and my father, taking care of the estate. But he could see that this life didn’t suit me. One day, he came to me and said:

‘Elvaria, my daughter… Since your mother’s death, you’ve shut yourself away here. You haven’t even had a chance to meet any boys. You live only for the manor and the estate. But your mother gave you her powers. Use them. Find someone you can trust, someone to whom you can entrust your heart. When you find him, go on adventures with him. Travel across the continents, discover Aqualida, the continent with the S-rank underwater dungeon that has never been conquered. Or explore Verdesable, the desert continent with the largest dungeon, the S-rank pyramid that stretches toward the sky. There’s so much to see in this world. So go. Take your sword, your armor, find the man you will love, and explore this world by his side. Do not betray him, and he will not betray you. The magical eye your mother gave you will allow you to judge people… you won’t be mistaken.’

That’s when I met Aley, at the gates of the kingdom. And for the first time, I fell in love.