Chapter – 8

“Mage Aman. Why don’t we start from the very beginning.”

After the disaster that was the incident with Seibel, they had decided to reconvene in Stella’s room at the Adventurer’s Guild, where Stella had apparently elected to pretend the entire thing never happened and act as though they were meeting for the first time.

“My name is Stella Crestel, and this is my team.”

“Arvel.”

The Garud gave a simple nod of acknowledgement.

“Mina.”

The healer waved enthusiastically, her smile bright enough to illuminate the entire room.

“Hi. It’s nice to meet you. Sorry about what happened earlier. That really wasn’t our intention.”

Stella coughed into her fist.

“Yes. Dreadfully sorry about that. I should have listened to Arvel from the beginning.”

Aman raised an eyebrow.

When both Stella and Arvel remained silent, Mina immediately seized the opportunity to elaborate.

“Oh, come on. It’s not really a secret. We can tell him.”

Turning toward Aman, she continued.

“Arvel here knows a bit of mind magic. He said he got a bad feeling from that Seibel fellow. Most of the time his feelings turn out wrong though, so we usually just ignore him.”

Aman wasn’t particularly surprised.

Mind magic was one of the most difficult Arcane Arts to master, rivaled only by fields like Divination. Even trained mages often spent decades becoming proficient in it, and from what Aman could tell, Arvel belonged to the Rogue class rather than being a dedicated mage.

The Garud himself seemed to disagree with Aman’s assessment.

“I apologize for my incompetence.” He lowered his head slightly. “I am only skilled enough to glean the surface thoughts of common beasts. Once a target possesses a sufficiently developed mind, accurately discerning intentions becomes much more difficult.”

“It’s fine,” Aman quickly reassured him. “I understand. Besides, no real harm was done.”

Well, no real harm had been done to him. The public humiliation of Seibel was an entirely different matter.

Not that Aman particularly minded. In fact, if he were being completely honest with himself, watching his childhood bully get threatened with summary execution had been surprisingly satisfying.

Deciding not to mention that particular detail, Aman moved on to the more important topic.

“So, why were you looking for me?”

This time Stella answered directly.

“We heard rumors regarding a potential new dungeon discovered within the Emerald Forest. After arriving in Brendon, I learned those rumors were true. I was looking for you both to confirm the reports and to ask if you would guide my team to the entrance.”

Aman stared.

What were the chances?

The very people he had planned on hiring to escort him back to the dungeon had apparently come looking to hire him for the exact same reason.

It felt like the gods were having a good laugh at his expense.

Before accepting such a fortunate coincidence, however, there was one very important question he wanted answered.

“How exactly did you find out about the dungeon?”

To his surprise, Stella actually looked embarrassed.

Mina, naturally, answered for her.

“Our little Stella doesn’t like relying on family connections, but she couldn’t resist this time.”

“Mina.”

The healer ignored her completely.

“The Brislin Tower actually sent their original report to her grandfather before forwarding it to the capital. Stella happened to eavesdrop on the conversation and got curious.”

“I did not eavesdrop.”

“You absolutely did.”

“I was walking past.”

“You stopped outside the door for twenty minutes.”

Aman watched the exchange with amusement.

Apparently even terrifying adventurers had embarrassing moments.

Once the argument died down, he returned his attention to Stella.

“Why though?” Aman asked.

He genuinely wanted to know. The woman had traveled all the way from Brislin to investigate rumors of a newly discovered dungeon before the official authorities had even confirmed its existence. That seemed like a lot of effort to go through for what was, at the time, little more than hearsay.

Stella simply shrugged.

“I had nothing better to do.”

Aman blinked.

“The silver mines are too far away for a casual visit. The Dungeon of Aros is even farther. Most of my usual escorts are busy, and there aren’t any worthwhile commissions near Brislin at the moment.”

She folded her arms.

“So I came here instead.”

Despite receiving a perfectly reasonable explanation, Aman still couldn’t decide whether Stella was incredibly confident or completely insane.

Perhaps both.

Whatever the case, her decision was proving extremely beneficial for him.

“Very well. I agree to guide your team to the dungeon.”

Stella immediately straightened.

“But I have a condition of my own.”

She nodded as though she had expected as much.

“Of course. As long as it is within my capabilities and not illegal, I agree.”

For a brief moment, Aman suddenly understood how Professor Oak must have felt when he had assigned him his own quest.

Looking at those ignorant yet hopeful eyes felt strangely similar to staring into a mirror.

“Oh, it’s nothing difficult. Just a pleasant walk through a forest.”

Aman smiled.

“After you’re finished with your delve, I need your team to help escort an appraiser from the capital through the dungeon.”

Arvel nodded immediately.

Mina simply looked excited at the prospect of another adventure and started enthusiastically discussing their future expedition. She quickly moved on to explaining how their entire situation was clearly fate and not a coincidence.

Stella, meanwhile, developed a noticeably sour expression.

She was the only one in the room who fully understood what Aman had just asked of them.

An appraiser wasn’t an adventurer.

An appraiser was a royal official.

Which meant that for the duration of the inspection, they wouldn’t be exploring a dungeon.

They would be working.

There would be no rushing ahead to discover secrets, no exciting battles and no thrill of charting unknown territory.

Instead, they would spend days escorting an important noncombatant while he meticulously documented every path, creature and environmental feature of the dungeon.

It would involve maps. Measurements. Reports. Paperwork.

Lots and lots of paperwork.

Stella suddenly looked like someone had personally informed her that fun itself had been outlawed.

Aman, meanwhile, found himself smiling for the first time since entering the room.

---

After they had hashed out all the details and even signed a formal contract, the group decided to go their separate ways and meet at the town gates early the next morning.

Despite all the positive memories Aman had made inside the dungeon, he was in no hurry to return so soon. Unfortunately, postponing the trip until the appraiser arrived wasn’t an option for one very important reason.

Seibel.

Aman had no desire to spend several days trapped inside a dungeon with the man while also escorting a royal appraiser. After some discussion, they settled on a compromise. Tomorrow’s trip would be a quick introduction to Viridian Forest for Stella and her team. Once the appraiser arrived, they would return for a proper dungeon delve.

This way, Stella got to keep her promise, her team would become familiar with the dungeon and its Pokémon, and Aman would be rid of Seibel’s company as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, Aman hadn’t accounted for encountering another headache the moment he returned home.

“I wanna go. Please, please, please. Take me with you.”

Sarai was currently clinging to his arm like her life depended on it and refusing to listen to a single word of reason.

“It’s a dungeon, Sarai. Not a picnic spot. It’s dangerous. You can’t just go there because you feel like it.”

“But you did.”

There was her brilliant counterargument.

Honestly, the girl was sixteen years old and still behaved like she was six.

“That was an official task from the Capital and Master Aenul. And even then, I nearly died several times.”

“Please. You’ve already been there once, so you’re familiar with it. If anything happens, you can swoop in and save me like a knight. You’re a big strong mage. You’ll protect little me, won’t you?”

Sarai’s eyes widened innocently as she unknowingly employed a devastating technique.

Baby Doll Eyes.

It was highly effective.

Aman could feel his resistance crumbling by the minute, so he simply closed his eyes.

Seeing the attack fail, Sarai huffed.

“Oh, come on. Even that weakling Seibel is going with you. If he can survive inside the dungeon, I certainly can.”

Realizing the argument was getting nowhere, Aman looked around for reinforcements.

Uncle Malrick was out of the question.

Sarai had her father wrapped firmly around her finger. If Aman struggled to say no to her, the Guard Captain was even worse.

More importantly, the man firmly believed in learning through experience. There was no chance he would stop Sarai from visiting the dungeon if she truly wanted to go. If anything, he would probably consider it a valuable life lesson.

Aunt Mil, however, might have helped.

Aman looked around the room for the familiar bark-skinned woman but found no sign of her.

He sighed.

Of course.

Why endure an entire day of Sarai’s whining when she could leave the difficult job to Aman instead?

He seriously regretted ever establishing himself as the responsible one between the two of them.

Despite several flawless arguments and even an attempt at emotional blackmail, Sarai remained completely unmoved. Left with no other options, Aman resorted to his final weapon.

Making things up.

“We can’t take you to the dungeon. Our party is already full.”

Sarai narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“It is?”

“Yes. There’s Stella and her team, me and Seibel. That’s five people. You know that’s the maximum size for an adventuring party.”

Technically true.

It was also complete nonsense.

The limit existed purely for convenience and party coordination, not because of any actual laws.

Thankfully, Sarai only knew the very basics of adventurer regulations.

“Really?”

“Really.”

Aman nodded with all the confidence of a man who hadn’t just invented a rule on the spot.

“So you see, it’s not that I don’t want to take you. I literally can’t.”

To ensure Sarai didn’t start searching for loopholes, which was absolutely something she would do, Aman quickly offered a compromise.

“How about this? You let me go this time and when the appraiser arrives, we can all go together. Seibel won’t be coming on that trip, so you can take his spot.”

“And what about the appraiser?”

Aman froze.

“What about him?”

“Won’t he be taking the fifth spot?”

Right. Aman had forgotten about that.

He hated how Sarai could switch from whiny child to competent mage with alarming speed.

Forced to improvise, he immediately doubled down on the lie.

“W-Well, the appraiser is a noncombatant. He doesn’t count.”

Sarai stared at him for several long seconds.

Aman stared back.

Eventually, she reached a decision.

“Fiiiiine.”

She deliberately stretched out the word before finally releasing his arm. Then, before Aman could react, she plopped herself onto his lap and made herself comfortable.

“You can go alone this time. But you have to take me next time. Promise.”

Sarai then turned her head upward from where it rested against his chest and narrowed her eyes at him.

“Or else.”

To emphasize the threat, she activated [Nature Manipulation].

Aman immediately felt the chair beneath him sprout several uncomfortable protrusions.

“Yes, yes. I promise. Now stop that. It hurts.”

Sarai giggled.

The chair reluctantly returned to normal.

Honestly, Aman was more than satisfied with the arrangement himself.

Without Seibel there to annoy him and with the second trip focused on protection duty rather than any actual adventuring, he felt perfectly comfortable bringing Sarai along.

Not that she needed much protection, as she had just demonstrated.

It was more for his own peace of mind than anything else.

With the argument finally settled, Aman wrapped an arm around Sarai’s waist and leaned back in his chair.

Finally.

Some peace.

A minute later, Sarai heard the faint sound of snoring.

She looked up.

Aman was asleep.

Apparently, after surviving a dungeon, delivering a report and negotiating with adventurers, it was spending an entire afternoon arguing with a stubborn half-druid that had drained the last remnants of his energy.

Sarai poked his cheek.

Nothing.

She poked it again.

Still nothing.

Shrugging, she settled more comfortably against his chest and closed her own eyes.

By the time Aunt Mil decided it was safe to emerge from hiding and start preparing dinner, the argument had long since ended.

Instead, she found the two of them peacefully asleep in the chair.

The sight immediately softened her expression.

Rather than waking them, she quietly draped a blanket over the pair and tiptoed toward the kitchen. Dinner could wait a little longer.

---

The next morning, Stella and the rest of her team found Aman waiting for them at the town gates, a pained expression on his face as he massaged his legs.

“Are you alright, Mage Aman?” Stella asked as the group approached him.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Something just fell asleep on my legs last night.”

Stella blinked.

“You mean your legs fell asleep?”

“No. I meant exactly what I said.”

Aman replied with a completely straight face.

Stella looked even more confused.

Mina, meanwhile, simply giggled and extended a hand toward him. Mana flowed from her fingers into Aman’s body as she used [Life Manipulation] to quickly soothe the remaining aches in his legs.

“Thanks,” Aman said with a grateful nod before glancing around the group.

“So, where’s the freeloader? He didn’t come with you?”

Instead of answering, Arvel simply pointed a wing down the road.

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Aman squinted and finally spotted Seibel making his way toward them.

Very slowly.

The reason quickly became obvious.

The man was wearing an entire suit of armor.

By the time Seibel finally reached them, Aman could clearly see the mana coursing through the metal from the small red gem embedded in the breastplate.

A beast core. Powering a fully enchanted suit of armor.

Ah.

The perks of having wealthy parents.

“Good morning,” Seibel wheezed out. “I-I’m sorry for being late.”

Stella didn’t even bother acknowledging the greeting. She simply turned her head away.

Mina’s reaction was somehow even worse.

For the first time since Aman had met her, the cheerful healer was wearing a distinctly cold expression.

She pointed toward the group’s bags.

“Pick those up and follow us.”

Seibel visibly flinched.

“We aren’t here to be friends. We’re simply fulfilling our end of the agreement.”

Without waiting for a response, she immediately turned around.

Her smile returned the moment her attention shifted back to Aman.

“So, something fell asleep on your legs?”

She leaned forward with a mischievous grin.

“What exactly were you doing last night? Huh? Something naughty?”

Mina wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Aman stared at her. Mina stared back.

The healer somehow managed to look both innocent and incredibly suspicious at the same time.

Behind them, Seibel’s face darkened as he reluctantly added several more bags to his already burdened shoulders and began following the group.

Arvel kept a close eye on him while simultaneously watching the surrounding forest.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aman noticed Seibel glaring at him.

The man’s eyes practically burned with jealousy and resentment as Mina continued chatting with Aman, occasionally joined by Stella and even Arvel.

Whenever Seibel attempted to contribute to the conversation, however, he was either ignored entirely or met with a look that quickly convinced him to remain silent.

It was honestly impressive.

Aman hadn’t realized people could collectively exclude someone with such efficiency.

The experience taught him a valuable lesson.

Never get on these people’s bad side.

He felt a little bad for Seibel. Only a little, though.

The man had brought this entirely upon himself.

---

While Aman would have loved to reach the dungeon before nightfall and spend another night in the comfort of Professor Oak’s wonderful bed, reality had other plans.

More specifically, reality had Seibel.

The man was already slow enough while wearing his metal armor. Once the weight of four additional bags was added to his burden, their pace became comparable to Aman’s first journey through the forest despite having three experienced adventurers accompanying them.

By the time night fell, Aman estimated they had covered barely half the distance to Viridian Forest.

With no chance of reaching the dungeon that day, the group decided to make camp for the night.

Stella, being a noble scion, possessed an enchanted tent of her own. The structure looked fairly ordinary from the outside, but Aman had long since learned not to trust appearances where magic was concerned.

The group quickly began setting up camp.

Or rather, everyone except Seibel.

The merchant’s son had been assigned the important task of carrying things, and Stella apparently intended to get every bit of value from that arrangement.

While Seibel was occupied with the arduous task of gathering sticks and starting a fire without magic, the rest of them prepared camp.

Once everything was ready, Stella casually informed Aman that he would be sharing their tent.

Aman immediately tried to refuse.

Not because he objected to the arrangement itself, but because sharing a room with two young women, one of whom was a noble, felt wildly inappropriate.

Mina immediately pointed at Arvel.

“He’s a man too.”

Aman opened his mouth. Then closed it again.

That was admittedly a good point.

Seeing her advantage, Mina immediately grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the tent before he could come up with another excuse.

The moment Aman stepped inside, any remaining resistance vanished.

The tent was enormous.

What had appeared to be a simple traveling shelter from the outside contained enough space to rival the room they had rented at the Adventurer’s Guild.

There were proper beds. The temperature was perfect. The air smelled fresh.

There was even magical lighting attached to the ceiling.

Aman instantly abandoned all notions of decorum.

Decorum was temporary. Comfort was eternal.

Meanwhile, Seibel was left outside with his own considerably less impressive tent.

The difference between noble wealth and merchant wealth had never been more apparent.

After a quick dinner consisting mostly of travel rations, the group settled down for the night.

Aman and Arvel claimed the beds on the left side of the tent while Stella and Mina occupied the right.

When Aman asked how that arrangement had been decided, Mina simply looked at him like he had asked the most obvious question in the world.

“Because a girl is always right.”

Aman had absolutely no response to such flawless logic. Neither, apparently, did anyone else.

…

When Aman woke up early the next morning, he found Stella already awake and looking distinctly annoyed as she prepared breakfast.

The reason became apparent soon enough.

As soon as the unwanted member of their party emerged from his tent, Stella was already waiting for him.

“You.”

She pointed directly at Seibel.

“Take off the armor, put it in your bag and walk faster. We already wasted an entire day because of you. I refuse to waste another.”

Stella folded her arms.

“We are reaching the dungeon today, even if it means leaving you behind.”

Considering Stella had barely spoken a dozen words to him yesterday, it was understandable that Seibel needed a moment to gather his wits and formulate a response.