Book 3: Chapter 54 (1/2)

“Alright, Vur,” Tafel said. “Now that we have their cooperation, what’s the first thing you want to find out about the dungeon?”

“Is there anything tasty inside?” Vur asked, resting his chin on his two front paws. He blinked at the two guards with large eyes like a puppy staring at a ball.

“No! That’s not it!” Tafel said before the two guards could respond. “It’s the danger level! You have to figure out how dangerous the dungeon is before you enter! There are some dungeons that won’t let you out until you fully clear them. Many adventurers have lost their lives that way.”

“But these guys are still alive, right?” Vur asked. “Doesn’t that just prove how easy it’ll be to conquer the dungeon?”

“…We’re being called weak,” one of the knights said.

The other knight nodded. “Compared to a dragon, he’s not wrong. I wonder how strong she is though.” The knight’s gaze flitted onto Tafel. “She’s scolding a dragon.”

“Vur’s got a point, you know?” Alice asked. “I doubt there’s any dungeon that can force Vur to fall into dire straits.”

“That’s not true,” Tafel said, placing her hands on her hips. “Vur’s home is a white-ranked dungeon. He would definitely lose if he entered and had to fight his parents along with Grimmy, Prika, Leila, and Nova.”

“But those people made it out alive,” Alice gestured towards the knights. “Isn’t Vur’s point valid?”

Tafel snorted. “That doesn’t mean we can waltz right in without care. Before adventure, equipment, and money, the most valuable thing an adventurer has is her life. Safety first; an adventurer is always prepared.” She placed her hands on her hips and glared at the guards. “This dungeon should’ve had some kind of lights near the entrance that indicated the quality of mana inside. What happened to that?”

The three men exchanged glances. “Do you remember anything about that?”

“No. What about you?”

“Could she be talking about the glowing crystals?”

“Yes,” Tafel said. “Glowing crystals are a good indicator. What happened to them and what color were they?”

“Well, we sold ‘em off a long time ago,” the half-naked man said. “As for their color…. A faint yellow? White? If you go to the jeweler, I’m sure you’ll find some of ‘em.”

“They’ll lose their glow if taken away from the dungeon for too long,” Tafel said, shaking her head. “A faint yellow or white. Either the highest-difficulty dungeon or the lowest difficulty.”

“Wow, your initial investigation was so fruitful, wow,” Alice said.

“I wasn’t done yet,” Tafel said, narrowing her eyes at her diminutive companion. “You’re supposed to be a guild master! Why are you so lax when it comes to safety?”