After a tense silence, a surge of a damp, earthy odor wafted through the air as the sealed entrance to the dungeon finally creaked open, echoing ominously in the enclosed space.
"The dungeon's letting us out… let's move!" Ren shouted, immediately taking the lead.
Reiji, still trying to process why his skill had activated, snapped back to reality and followed, with Sel at his side. Once outside, he stopped in surprise—Sel and Ren were already standing there… waiting.
This was what Sel meant earlier when she spoke of her "insurance." She had created clones—perfect replicas of herself and Ren, who had accompanied Reiji into the dungeon. The real Sel and Ren had remained outside the entire time, keeping watch to ensure the plan went smoothly and no outside interference occurred.
And it worked.
"That was way too close…" Reiji exhaled, still catching his breath.
Sel raised her hand; in response, the clones—identical copies of herself and Ren—dissolved into glowing particles, revealing that only the real three of them remained.
"When you first suggested this plan, I thought it was going to fall apart," Ren admitted. "But I was wrong."
"Well, I am a goddess, after all," Sel replied casually.
A beat of dead silence followed.
"Huh?" Ren blinked, confused.
Panic flared in Reiji's mind. Crap.
He quickly jumped in, trying to cover for Sel's slip. "Ah, don't mind her. Sel loves to call herself that. She's one heck of a narcissist. Always comparing herself to other girls and talking up how flawless she is. You know what they say—like a peacock admiring its own feathers, right? Can you really blame her though?"
He kept rambling. Sel, catching on, started nodding in agreement—even though she clearly wasn't listening to a word Reiji was saying.
Ren laughed awkwardly. "It's fine, I get it. Having confidence in yourself is good... I guess."
Both Reiji and Sel sighed in relief. Crisis averted.
"But seriously," Ren continued, face turning grim. "What the hell was that about back there?"
"Yeah," Reiji added. "Sel, you were right. It was a trap. But why go through all that trouble for a bunch of newbie adventurers? We're not exactly high-priority targets."
Sel rubbed her temples, her frustration evident as she tried to piece things together. "Exactly." Sel's voice carried a hint of exasperation. "Why waste so many resources on rookies like us? It just doesn't add up."
"...I've got a theory," Ren said hesitantly, "but I don't know if it really connects."
"Let's hear it," Reiji replied.
"I think… Kael might be involved. Think about it, you two had a scene at the guild. Then, when I was at the castle, it felt like Kael was deliberately stalling me—it felt like he was buying time."
He sighed, his eyes briefly glancing towards the castle in the distance.
"Or maybe that's just Kael being Kael," Ren said. His voice held an uncertainty that lingered, as if he was hesitant to voice his thoughts. His gaze drifted back to Reiji and Sel, a fleeting shadow crossing his expression. "But he knows how much stronger he is than I am. So why provoke a fight when he knows he'd win?"
"True…" Reiji nodded. "And I've only just met the guy, but he doesn't strike me as someone who'd rely on shady tactics. He seems more like the 'solve it with fists' type, not someone who hires people to do his dirty work."
'Right now, it's best we don't tell the hero the full truth. If the Guild Master really is involved, it's better we figure out more before dragging others in…' Sel thought.
"Yeah…" Sel said. "If we're assuming Kael's involved, then he's the only one who could've coordinated something like this."
"Wait, really?" Reiji asked, eyebrows raised. "You seriously think Kael's behind this?"
"It's possible," Sel replied with a shrug. "But for now, let's call this a win. We got out alive. That's okay... for now."
"If you say so…" Reiji muttered.
"I agree, let's head back. We've had enough excitement for one day," Ren said with a smile.
They returned to the Kingdom of Grimholde as if nothing had happened—quiet, composed, and carrying the weight of a secret. Going to report the success of their first mission.
But the kingdom was already buzzing. The bustling streets of Grimholde were alive with activity, the chatter of townsfolk mingling with the scents of street food and the vibrant colors of market stalls. Gossip echoed off the stone walls of the castle. Word had spread like wildfire: the impossible dungeon had been cleared. And not just by anyone, but by two new adventurers.
Praise followed, but so did doubt. Gossip festered in the cracks of admiration.
Ren's thoughts churned as he walked. He had heard the hard words of people before, whispers of disdain and envy. Why did they always see the achievements of others as easy, when they'd never tried it themselves? Jealousy, he thought bitterly. They were always quick to judge, savoring their petty satisfaction at someone else's expense. If they couldn't bask in the glory of success, why should others? These were a type Ren was all too familiar with.
Adventurer 1: "Tch. They only managed it 'cause they had the Hero with them. If I had him, I'd have cleared it too."
Adventurer 2: "They're just cowards who rode the Hero's coattails."
Ren, walking just behind Reiji and Sel, hearing these whispers, couldn't take it anymore. His eyes narrowed.
He turned, voice sharp and cold.
"You two—if half your skill matched your mouths, maybe you wouldn't piss yourselves before even entering that dungeon."
The crowd fell quiet.
Ren raised his voice, eyes scanning the gathering faces.
I did follow these two into the dungeon. That's true. But I never raised my sword to help them finish their mission. I was there because, like you all, I thought they'd fail. I meant to stop them, drag them back.
But I saw something else. They fought. They thought ahead. They endured. Everything you think was me—that was them. Reiji and Sel are stronger than most of you, not just in body, but in spirit. So if you have nothing but lies, shut your damn mouths.
A silence followed. Not an awkward type of silence, but that of complete shock.
Eyes shifted. Whispers floated through the tension.
"Did he just… praise them?"
"The Hero acknowledged them?"
"Is he serious…?"
Words like these could be heard from almost every part of the crowd.
Reiji leaned toward Sel, whispering, "Did… something go wrong? Why are they suddenly so quiet?"
'And Ren really overexaggerated what happened,' Reiji thought to himself.
Sel smirked. "I wouldn't say something went wrong…"
Before she could finish, the crowd erupted.
Cheers, applause, voices rising in excitement.
"The Hero vouched for them!"
"He saw their strength himself!"
"We were wrong… they're not rookies—they're legit!"
Reiji blinked, lost in a sea of sudden celebration. "Huh? What's happening?"
He was used to confusion. But this?
This was new.
"What's really going on…?" Reiji asked, glancing at Sel.
Before she could answer, a man in the crowd standing close to Reiji leaned in and said,
"Having the Hero vouch for you is a big deal—huge, even. He doesn't do that often. Anyone he endorses is destined for greatness."
He paused before adding, "Only one other person has had that kind of support here in Grimholde... and that was Kael." The man paused before continuing to speak, "Though, to be fair, Ren never really vouched for him."
Reiji blinked. "Wait—Ren didn't vouch for Kael?"
The man just shrugged it off. "Don't worry about that right now. You should be celebrating your first successful mission."
Still confused, Reiji nodded. "Yeah... I guess you're right."
He turned back to Sel, brushing off the lingering questions for now, while Sel, after overhearing the exchange, grew more serious. Her expression shifted, her eyes narrowing, as she mentally tucked that detail away for later analysis.
"Sel, Ren!" Reiji called out suddenly, shaking off the tension. "Let's go submit the quest and officially finish our first mission!"
"Yeah, sure," Sel said, walking over.
Ren, however, stepped past both of them with a deliberate pace. "You two go ahead without me. I need to report what happened to the king," he said. As he spoke, his eyes flickered momentarily towards Sel, his expression unreadable, hinting at an underlying tension that neither Reiji nor Sel could fully understand.
"Alright, see you later then," Reiji replied.
Sel and Reiji headed to the guild alone and submitted their mission report successfully. For completing the dungeon request, they received 200 gold coins—an impressive sum which they both used to book 10 extra nights at the inn.
Some days had passed, and the news about the new adventurers had died down a little. Sel and Reiji were taking a walk.
"We could probably buy a house with this," Sel mused as they walked down the street.
"Wait, seriously?" Reiji asked, surprised. "We should! It'd be way cheaper than staying at an inn every night."
"You're not wrong," Sel replied, but her tone shifted. "But think about it—we've been attacked every night since returning from that mission. Getting a permanent place would just make us easier to find, like sitting ducks."
HEY, STOP RIGHT THERE....
Who was it with the loud voice?..
It was Kael, and he isn't looking happy.
"Oh crap... what now?" Reiji said, looking at Kael.