Chapter 215
(215) Side Story Garrison’s Adventure Diary 2
Translator: Tseirp
And so, for some strange reason, I was going to the Beginner’s Dungeon with a pickaxe and a sewing needle.
For starters, I bought a collar from the Adventurers Guild first.
Incidentally, a pickaxe was considered to be a type of sword. Before I became an Apprentice Spearman, I raised my Apprentice Swordsman level too so I had the Equip Sword skill. If I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t even be able to swing the pickaxe properly.
“- – Hn?”
While walking down the main street, I saw an unusual girl and inadvertently looked back.
A young girl with white hair and dog ears – – no, wolf ears.
(White Wolf Race huh? … If she’s with Master Mathias then that means she is a slave.)
The Demon Lord has already been dead for 10 years.
The discrimination towards the White Wolf Race had pretty much diminished. During the war with the Demon Race, the White Wolf Race was split into two factions. One faction fought together with the Demon Lord while the other fought alongside the Hero.
After the war, the lucky White Wolf Races on the Demon Lord side became slaves. The unlucky ones were executed. Among the ones that fell into slavery, apart from those who were released by their master’s compa.s.sion, a great majority of them were never released from slavery until death.
(At least I hope she was bought by a
good master.)
As I didn’t have the leeway to buy a slave.
“Garrison, what’s wrong?”
After walking quite far ahead, Jofre turned back and shouted loudly.
I found it troublesome to reply so I slowly walked to chase up to Jofre and Elize.
“I just find it amazing that you guys can be so carefree.”
I complained with a tired voice.
“Oh, thank you, Garrison.”
“Thanks, Garrison.”
Idiots who can’t understand sarcasm.
There was a Vigilante group man standing guard at the entrance to the Beginner’s Dungeon so I just lightly bowed towards him.
Then, we arrived at the first floor of the Beginner’s Dungeon.
“Our levels are still low. I would want to raise our levels by at least 1 before we encounter the goblin king.”
I said as I turned back – – and there was no one there.
“ … Ha?”
It has only been about 3 minutes since we entered the labyrinth. Why are they already lost?
For starters, I quickly left the labyrinth and asked the Vigilante man if Jofre and Elize left the labyrinth. He said that Jofre and Elize definitely entered the labyrinth with me and they had not left.
If that’s the case, it meant that they took the left path instead of the right path at the very first fork when going down the stairs. Or perhaps they found a hidden pa.s.sage and went down that path. Of course, for the first floor which has been investigated thoroughly, the probability of a
a hidden pa.s.sage was astronomically small. A pa.s.sage like that might be possible from the 5th floor onwards.
Having requested that they are held in the guardroom if Jofre and Elize returned, I proceeded in the direction I a.s.sumed they went towards.
However, I quickly came upon a junction.
Those two would never use reasoning for their consideration on which path to take. Even if they did, they were the type to take the path that was the exact opposite of that reasoning.
I might as well abandon them, I thought to myself.
– – No, if I am to abandon them, I will not be at ease until I ascertain their death with my own eyes!
If I leave them behind thinking that they died and they came back alive a week later, they definitely would have caused some kind of problem and I would be forced to clean up after their mess.
I desperately looked for Jofre and Elize.
That was when I saw –
“A kobold!”
A dog-like monster that runs on two feet and was slightly smaller than humans. They are deemed a low-level monster but apart from combat professions, they are threatening monsters to Commoners. Their agility was higher than an ordinary Commoner so escaping it would be difficult if it started chasing. Even as an Apprentice Spearman, there was a high chance that it would catch up to me if I showed my back and ran.
Since that’s the case, there’s
case, there’s only one option. The first to move wins!
I checked my own neck to make sure I had the collar on.
The weapons held by Kobolds were mostly tree branches and fallen rocks. Also, their agility was high but that doesn’t mean that their evasion ability was superior so in a one-versus-one with a sword or a pickaxe like I was holding in hand, there was no chance of losing. Even if they resorted to biting, Kobolds only bite the arms, shoulder and neck. With the collar to protect my neck, I won’t be killed instantly so as long as I remained calm, I won’t lose even if I lost the initiative.
For that reason, it was commonplace for people to buy collars like me when going into labyrinths with numerous Kobolds.
I heaved the pickaxe up and swung it down on the head of the approaching Kobold.
The sensation of crushing the skull was transmitted to my hands through the handle – – I could not get used to that feeling no matter how many times it happens but it also came with a sense of relieve. That sensation was definite proof of killing a monster.
“My level … didn’t rise.”
Level ups don’t happen so easily.
I knew that but I wanted to quickly become stronger.
The Kobold corpse and its blood that splattered on me disappeared and all that was left was a small purple magic stone at my feet.
Iat my feet.
I placed the magic stone in my tanned leather bag.
The fact that the Kobold was there meant that Jofre and Elize did not take that path. I can’t imagine them slipping past a pa.s.sage with a Kobold there – – I thought to myself when I suddenly heard footsteps approaching me from ahead.
Was that perhaps Kofre and Elize? I thought but I was wrong.
“Hn? Ah, Norn-chan.”
She was a girl with blue short hair and brown skin. I met her multiple times in the labyrinth.
“You’re alone?”
“Yes, it’s training for the Vigilante group.”
“Oh right, Norn-chan entered the Vigilante group.”
The Vigilante group desired strength. Apprentice Swordsman and Apprentice Spearman can raise levels just by doing practice swings but it was more efficient to defeat monsters. For that sake, the Vigilante group would patrol the labyrinth once every three days and level up at the same time.
Incidentally, first-year recruits of the Vigilante group are sent to search for enemies in the labyrinth as training and only receive half their salary. Although their regular task which was to guard the labyrinth does not change.
“Garrison-san too, it’s rare to see you alone. Jofre-san and Elize-san came to the labyrinth too.”
“You saw them!?”
“Yes, they were chatting as they went down the stairs leading to the second floor.”
“Really!? Thanks!”
I thanked her and quickly sprinted off.
Those idiots, why are they going to the second floor?
Have they not noticed that I’m not there!?