New chapter of Let’s Create a Dungeon is out! (2/4 chapters)
Chapter 51
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(POV switch – Dan)
It had been a long time since I’d had such an easy and rewarding request.
After reporting the completed quest to the guild and receiving the reward, I sat down on a nearby chair. The quest was to escort a merchant. From Mustang, directly governed by Baron Fas, to here, the adventurer town Andal, approximately three days.
Normally, we would encounter a few monsters, but perhaps due to luck, I didn’t come across a single one. In the end, I just walked near the carriage and kept watch. And yet, I received this reward. Perhaps my luck, which had been waning recently, has started to improve.
When it comes to “War Axe Dan”, there was no adventurer in Mustang who didn’t know the name. Level 115. Adventurer career of 20 years. Age was 35, and although I was starting to feel the signs of aging, I was still in my prime.
Furthermore, I possessed the fixed skill (Unique Skill) called “Perception”. Humans usually did not have fixed skills (Unique Skills), but there were rare cases where someone was born with one. Whether powerful or useless, what skill one had was random.
My “Perception” skill was, to be frank, on the weaker side. It only reacted to targets within the range of my sight, and only if they were of equal strength or stronger. Even though the range was within sight, I had to clearly recognize the target, and even if “Perception” reacted, I couldn’t tell whether the target was equal to me or stronger. However, it was because of this fixed skill (Unique Skill) that I had been able to survive and become stronger.
At first, I thought “Perception” was useless. In fact, it was harmful. People expected me to have some kind of great power due to my fixed skill (Unique Skill), and once they learned about “Perception”, they quickly gave up on me. I realized the value of “Perception” when I became a mid-tier adventurer. The number of adventurers who didn’t trigger my “Perception” increased.
Only top-tier adventurers triggered it. No one of my rank was detected by “Perception”. This meant that I was stronger than adventurers of my rank. But the only difference between me and those adventurers was “Perception”. That was when I finally realized the value of “Perception”. If “Perception” reacts to someone, I couldn’t help but pay attention to them. I used to quickly look away, but little by little, I began to learn. From those stronger than me, I learned their walking styles, weight shifts, how they held and drew their weapons. Techniques, which were more important than skills.
After that, I focused on every move of those whom “Perception” reacted to. When I worked with them on quests and battles, I would always watch from the corner of my eye. I kept learning and stealing techniques. How to erase one’s presence, how the movements of the eyes change in different terrains like plains and forests, and even if the weapon was different, I thought I could apply those lessons to sword swings, spear thrusts, and so on.
Before I knew it, “Perception” no longer reacted to anyone, and I became the strongest adventurer in Mustang. Well, that was a story from a few months ago.
—
One day, a pair of adventurers came to Mustang. It was rare for wandering adventurers to come. Even in guilds, due to local customs, most adventurers settle in one region. But the rarity continued. This pair was a beautiful woman in a robe, holding a staff. It was a very clear sign of a magician. However, what caught my attention more than these elements was the fact that “Perception” reacted to both of them. Both of them.
If they were of equal strength or greater, this meant that both female magicians were over level 100. Magicians over level 100 were usually sought after by various employers, but the fact that they came from somewhere else suggested either they had turned down offers or there was something seriously wrong with them that prevented them from getting hired.
But I didn’t think about that. Since it had been a long time since “Detection” had reacted to anyone, I decided to quietly observe them. Their walking style, vigilance toward their surroundings, the subtle positioning and distance between them, every one of these elements was first-class compared to anything I had seen before. At that moment, I thought it would be a learning experience.
The next day, I lost my title as the strongest in Mustang. The reason was simple. That pair of magicians. Both of them were level 130 veterans. I could tell without fighting. I couldn’t even win against one of them. I didn’t particularly care about the title of the strongest in Mustang, so I didn’t think much of it. But that was my mistake.
In one request, I went to a monster’s habitat to obtain its fur, only to find nothing but the charred remains of the targeted monster. I couldn’t even get any fur. When I went deeper into a cave to obtain a rare medicinal herb, the entire field of herbs was frozen over, and even when I broke the ice to get the herbs, they were completely unusable. It seemed like someone was intentionally sabotaging me.
At that time, the guild master called for me. I thought it was due to my recent string of failed quests, but what came out of the guild master’s mouth was that pair of magicians. They were known in the guild as “Top Killers”.
Their method was simple, they would find the strongest adventurer in a region, disguise themselves as wandering adventurers, and then take the title of the strongest. If the target tried to make a fuss, they would crush them with magic, steal their belongings, and then drive them out of town. What was worse was that they would vanish without a word, leaving no trace behind.
They were troublesome individuals, but since they completed their quests properly and didn’t break any rules, the guild couldn’t do anything to punish them. Apparently, they even sabotaged those who did nothing, like me. I was told that one of them specialized in fire, while the other in water. In other words, the scorched remains of my target monster and the freezing of the herbs in the cave were probably the work of that pair.
The guild master then proposed that I leave Mustang until that pair left. There was a request for a bodyguard duty to Andal, and he suggested I take it. I had been to Andal a few times, and bodyguard duties were something I was accustomed to. The only issue was the Demon King born in the Great Forest of Owa.
This Demon King was newly born, and although the guild sent an extermination team, they were all wiped out, so there was no information available. If I encountered it, the chances of being killed were high. But since I hadn’t heard anything about the Demon King’s activities yet, it might not be an active threat. I weighed the chances of the pair leaving against the possibility of the Demon King starting to move and chose to go to Andal.
—
Coming to Andal was the right choice. A bodyguard mission with no combat, an exceptional reward, and the birth of the Demon King in the Great Forest of Owa had reduced the number of adventurers coming to Andal, so merchants were lowering their prices in an attempt to sell more. It was clear that my luck had taken a sharp turn for the better.
Just as I was in a good mood, the guild door opened. In came a female swordsman. She was dressed in minimal armor that wouldn’t hinder her movements, with a quality sword at her waist, and her long hair was neatly tied up so it wouldn’t get in the way. And to my surprise, “Perception” reacted to her. I wanted to shout, “This is a joke, right?”
Adventurers over level 100 weren’t that common. There were usually only about five in a single territory. Of course, there were about four people in the territory of Baron Fas, including myself, who were over level 100. Adding the two magicians and this female swordsman would have made the number excessive.
Even though I was flustered, I naturally observed out of habit. The movement of her center of gravity was without waste, her axis unwavering, and her gaze fixed solely on the reception counter, never once shifting to her surroundings. Just from that, I knew. That female swordsman was far stronger than me, and far stronger than the two mages.
She approached the reception, took out an envelope from her bag, and handed it over. Was it the delivery of an official guild document? Or did she come to make a request? The old woman at the reception said something to her, then put the envelope away. In response, the female swordsman displayed a confused demeanor.
Ah, I get it. That receptionist, whether it’s because of bad hearing or a bad head, hardly listens to what anyone says.
Even though I reported finishing my quest, she misunderstood and thought I wanted to accept a request.
After a while, the female swordsman seemed to give up and left the reception. A man, who seemed to have been waiting, approached her. Was he trying to hit on her? Moreover, two other men, presumably her companions, went around behind the female swordsman.
Were they idiots? Didn’t they realize the disparity in strength? Even without “Perception” like mine, they should have felt a hint of her skill, such as how her sword didn’t move even while walking. It seemed the female swordsman had no interest in the men and tried to walk away, only to have her shoulder grabbed by one of them. They should have stopped. For their own sake. I inhaled, thinking that a loud shout would scatter them, but I couldn’t exhale.
Someone entered. I hadn’t even seen them yet. But “Perception” reacted. Furthermore, my instincts and reason also reacted. I shouldn’t look at the person who entered. Just recognizing that someone had entered brought a crushing pressure. If I hadn’t inhaled, I might have screamed or exhaled all at once.
The men must have looked at the person who entered. They quickly averted their gazes and trembled, returning to their nearby seats. I slowly exhaled the breath I had taken in and slowly turned my face toward the person who entered. Both reason and instinct screamed that I shouldn’t look. I wanted to obey them, but what moved me now was the surging fear. I couldn’t help but turn my head. There stood a battle-hardened warrior. A height that could look down on everything, eyes that pierced through everything they looked at, and one eye was sealed as if it had been slashed long ago. A body that had been trained like a mountain, with old scars scattered across it.
Was there such a person in the Empire?
“Alice, what’s wrong?” (Nobunaga)
A deep voice. It was as if the voice itself had power, a heavy voice.
“Nobutsuna-san, it’s already over.” (Alice)
“I see.” (Nobunaga)
And with just that, Nobutsuna turned to leave the guild. He looked around the entire guild, then looked at all the adventurers in the room. It was the kind of fear that would freeze someone in place. If he glared at you, no one would be able to move. When he turned his gaze toward me, he stared at me longer than anyone else, observing me, before finally saying…
“Hm, I see.” (Nobunaga)
And with just that, he left the guild. Alice followed after him. After Nobutsuna left, I was finally released from the tension. I was drenched in cold sweat. I wanted to go to the inn immediately. However, if I left right away, I might run into him, so I decided to wait a little. During that time, I pondered Nobutsuna’s reaction toward me. His sharp eyes, as if he had found prey, and the meaning behind his final words.
Now that I think about it, I’ve heard terrifying stories about the former Sword Saint. Could it be…?
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