“It’s completely dark now.”
“Ah, but we should still have time to stop by the Adventurer Guild.”
We disembarked from the private Hero’s carriage and entered the city. Milika would be taking care of the thoroughly soiled tent. I also had a feeling the dragon we rode on gave us a squinty-eyed look, but I’d rather forget about that.
“The Ruanko Theocracy is a religious city. Don’t be surprised by how different it is from other guilds.”
Nina, seemingly satisfied and in a post-battle haze, was walking with renewed vigor. Her cheerful mood was evident in her step. Honestly, I was scared, but it wasn’t that bad.
“What religion is prominent in this church city?”
“Various ones. Thirteen religions, I believe, came together to form this city.”
“That many! My own family, the Count Avac Family, was apparently devout followers of the Pure Saint teaching. Personally, I’m closer to irreligious, though.”
“My family’s religion is diverse because my grandmother was a Free Thinker. As for myself, I suppose I have more faith in the country than any religion.”
“There are Adventurer Parties that are unified by the same religion, right? Mine wasn’t, though.”
The Adventurer Guild building was indeed a church-like structure, predominantly white. Upon entering, it felt even more like a church, and surprisingly, there were more adventurers who were clerics than front-line fighters.
“The Hero reception is over there. Let’s get some information about dungeons and inns.”
As we approached the welcoming, spacious, yet empty Hero Exclusive Reception, a beautiful, well-endowed cleric blocked our path, holding a light purple crystal.
“My apologies. Could you please place your hand over this?”
She held the crystal out to us as if to present it. It was beautiful, unlike the ones found in ordinary Adventurer Guilds, and seemed far more expensive.
“If this is recruitment, I refuse.”
“No, I’m looking for someone. Please!”
“If you’re looking for a follower, please try elsewhere.”
“That’s not it! Please! My life depends on this!”
“…Is that sufficient?”
She waved her hand over the crystal dismissively. Just as I was about to head to the Adventurer Reception, the crystal reacted with a dazzling light. The surprised cleric and I were both taken aback.
“It’s you! I’ve been looking for you!”
“I told you, if this is recruitment…”
“Please, marry me!”
Nina’s face contorted in a “what the?!” expression. Even the Steel Berserker would react that way to such an outlandish proposal.
“Hey, receptionist, can you do something about this person?”
“Just hear me out, just hear me out!”
“I’m sorry, but I already have a partner. A wonderful man.”
Blushing, I entered the reception, thinking the matter was settled.
“Welcome to the Ruanko Adventurer Guild, Hero!”
“First, tell me about the characteristics of the dungeons here.”
“Yes, this place is famous for its labyrinthine dungeons, among the best on the Movermas Continent. The dungeons themselves move like intricate clockwork mechanisms. The estimated depth goes down to about one hundred and twenty floors underground, but that’s all we know.”
“You mean the number of floors can change?”
“Yes, that’s why the enemies can suddenly become stronger or weaker as you descend.”
Just hearing about it sounded incredibly troublesome.
“Is mapping done?”
“It’s pointless, as the routes change frequently even within the same floor.”
“I see. Anything else noteworthy?”
“This so-called ‘Clockwork Dungeon’ is also famous for its abundance of treasure chests. In terms of quantity, it’s the best on the continent.”
“Is that why it’s so popular?”
It seemed like the perfect dungeon for a quick fortune.
“However, be careful as there are many traps as well. We have paralysis, poison, tear gas, sleep, and even aphrodisiac traps.”
Hmm, the last one is something Nina often falls prey to, quite literally.
“Understood. I’ll deal with the rest once I’m down there. Changing the subject, do you have any recommendations for inns?”
“Do you have any particular religious preferences?”
“Does religion play a role even in that? No, I don’t have any preferences.”
“Could I see your Adventurer Card?”
“Ah, my apologies. Is this sufficient?”
She scanned the information displayed by holding the card to a crystal.
“Ms. Nina, you are twenty-three, so you qualify for the under-twenty-five discount at some inns.”
“No, I don’t need it to be cheaper. In fact, I’d prefer a nice inn where a man and a woman can stay together, even if it’s a bit more expensive.”
“I see. In that case, there’s an inn operated by the Church of Universal Fraternality that…”
Nina is the same age as Ric (Older Sister)! To be so respected by the Knights at just twenty-three… She joined the Knights quite young, and I know she has a dependable and reliable side.
“Thank you for your trouble. I’ll check in then. I’ll ask about quests tomorrow.”
“I appreciate it. Please rest and recover well.”
We bowed to the receptionist and left.
“Was your purpose for coming here the Clockwork Dungeon?”
“That’s part of it, but also shopping and a meeting.”
“…Excuse me, but… will you marry me…”
The cleric with the purple crystal had followed us. I knew she was problematic. We continued our conversation, trying to avoid her.
“You mentioned a meeting. Are you acquainted with them?”
“Yes, they were someone from a party that frequently visited Ailee. You’ll know what kind of person they are when you meet them.”
“Please, just… just hear me out.”
She was insistent, but we both knew giving in would be a mistake.
“Are you planning to poach them?”
“That would be impossible. They’re married, and their husband is a member of the party, a swordsman who is the central figure.”
“…Please, help me. If you don’t marry me, I… my life…”
I wonder if it’s okay to go directly to the inn like this. She probably won’t follow us inside, though.
“Since this is a church city, it would be nice to have a cleric join our party.”
“Personality is as important as abilities. Do you know about the compatibility between clerics and mages?”
“Um, p-please listen to… me…”
“Ah, yes. The combination of a cleric and a mage is said to determine the party’s strength.”
“A mage with low stamina relies heavily on how much care the cleric provides to assist them. A headstrong cleric wouldn’t work well.”
In my previous party, the Deles Flyers, the coordination between Cleric Frau and Mage Mijuki was outstanding. Frau’s meticulous defense of Mijuki, who had run out of magic power, until she recovered was remarkable.
“There are actually quite a few mages here.”
“Oh? Then it’s possible to search for both, isn’t it?”
“…Please… just… hear me out…”
“However, finding a compatible pair of a cleric and a mage on the first try is impossible.”
“There was someone amazing on the Milishitan Continent. Twins; the older brother was a cleric, and the younger brother was a mage. Their coordination was perfect.”
They were classmates at the academy. Those twins, though they didn’t get along well, had perfect synergy without any need for signals. It was mysterious.
“Still, there’s a way to solve both problems at once.”
“What is it? Oh, could it be—”
“A Sage. They can use both the potent healing and defense magic of a cleric, and the attack magic of a mage, along with their own unique spells.”
“It’s a rare class, second only to Heroes, right?”
“Indeed. However, their numbers are fewer than Heroes. In this church city, female mages are apparently called Saints and are revered.”
The inn is in sight. Is that it? It looks quite luxurious, like a palace.
“A Saint, huh? I doubt someone like that would be interested in dungeon raiding.”
“Probably not. They seem to make a fortune just by using special skills on the surface. They probably don’t need to force themselves to level up.”
“…Excuse me, but… I am that Saint…”
…What?!
Nina and I exchanged glances, then looked back at our stalker.
“Finally, you’re looking at me… I am Clarice, a Saint of the Church of the Goddess. Umm, sister, please, will you marry… will you marry me!”
