The Way to Absolute Dungeon Administration – There Is No Reason To Meet With the Opponent! - Volume 02 Chapter 22: A Rookie Adventurer?

Volume 02 Chapter 22: A Rookie Adventurer?

Side: Raya

Right now, we’re in the town of Kiris, gathering information and supplies for what lies ahead.

“Yuki, can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear.”

“Scheduled report. We arrived in Kiris as planned. We’ve secured lodging and are collecting information individually.”

“Got it. By the way, no one’s caught on to Kiyu, right?”

“If they had, I wouldn’t say ‘as planned.’”

“Fair point. Alright, I’ll handle the adventurer registration. Kiyu’s good, but he can’t quite control his strength—good or bad.”

“Please do. If Kiyu’s power gets exposed, it’ll cause all sorts of problems. We’re saying we’re protecting and looking after him, but he’ll still draw attention. How’s it going on your end?”

“Oh, that’s… a long story. I’ll fill you in when I get there.”

The Call cuts off.

Man, that’s a handy skill.

“How’d it go?”

“Yuki’s taking point on gathering intel himself.”

“I see. We’re relying on him so much.”

Lulua-sama’s shoulders slump weakly.

I get it, but dwelling on your own powerlessness isn’t healthy.

“Lulua-sama, there’s no reason to feel down. I’m an adventurer, but I can’t do everything alone. Neither can Yuki. That’s why he’s out there, bowing his head to secure cooperation. You should have more confidence in yourself.”

“Is that… so?”

“What matters is how you move forward. Adventurers like us will drink muddy water or eat rotten meat to survive. If you can’t, you die. That’s the reality.”

“Are you saying now’s one of those times?”

“Who knows? I can’t judge someone else’s life-or-death stakes. But let me ask: did you rise to Saintess without anyone’s help?”

“No, of course not. I’m here because of countless people’s support.”

“It’s the same thing. Yuki, me, we’re just part of that crowd. And honestly, Yuki’s one of the good ones. He doesn’t raise false hopes, and if he succeeds, he claims his share. Straightforward, right?”

“You’re right. Why do I feel so inferior to Yuki-san…?”

Because his abilities are on a whole different level, that’s why.

Unless you’ve been completely crushed by him like we have, that feeling’s normal.

She still thinks she’s got something over him, somewhere deep down.

I do too, but it’s not out of rivalry or inferiority…

“Hey, you’re overthinking weird stuff again. I told you, you’re not me. Do things your way, Lulua. I’ll cover you if you’re about to die. If you do die, that’s that.”

Kiyu’s body, now with Yuki inside, casually joins our conversation.

It’s easy to tell when Yuki takes over, which is helpful for us.

“Here.”

Yuki suddenly tosses coins to us.

Lulua-sama and I catch them.

“Just normal copper coins?”

“Yeah.”

“Keep those on you for now. How and when to use them is up to you.”

“What does that mean?”

Lulua-sama asks, puzzled by his words.

“Let’s see. Kovil, wake up.”

Yuki rouses Kovil, who was sleeping in a blanket.

Kovil stands out too much to walk around town, so we had her hide in our luggage.

It’s inconvenient, sure, but she seems to understand and stayed quiet.

Unlike my first impression, she’s the type who thinks things through.

“Hm…? Oh, Kiyu, food?”

“Sorry, it’s Yuki inside. Here, try some of Kiris’s famous Doll skewers.”

“Yay, thanks!!”

“And this. Keep it on you. It’s like a lucky charm.”

“Munch munch, what’s this? Just a copper coin. What do I do with it?”

“Use it however you want. A trump card in battle, buying a snack, giving it to a beggar—your call.”

“Hmm. But it’s a gift from Yuki, right? I’ll treasure it and keep it.”

“Do what you like. That’s the point, Lulua. Got it?”

Yuki turns to Lulua-sama, who’d asked the question.

“Uh, so think for myself?”

“Exactly. Use it to blind an enemy by throwing it, make noise to distract, or treasure it like Kovil. It’s a handy item for emergencies. Money doesn’t have to be spent as money. Especially you, Lulua, standing in the most dangerous spot. I recommend keeping non-weapons as tools for survival.”

“…I understand.”

Lulua-sama stares at the copper coin with a serious expression.

“Raya, you’ve got tricks up your sleeve too, right?”

“Of course. Thinking I’m useless without my spear is amateur-level. I’ve trained with secondary weapons. Not as good as you, though.”

As we chat, Mauve and Curse return from gathering intel.

“Hey, everyone’s here. We got some good info.”

“Same here, plenty to share.”

Both Mauve and Curse have info, huh?

That means Litea’s already spreading all sorts of rumors.

Yuki seems to think so too, grinning ear to ear.

“Oh, lots of info floating around, huh? Can’t wait to hear it.”

“…You’re Yuki, aren’t you?”

“Obviously. Kiyu doesn’t talk like that.”

“Got me there. Alright, let’s hear from Mauve first.”

Yuki prompts Mauve.

“Right. So, little miss Lulua’s supposedly died on her way back to Litea, attacked by monsters. Her body was too mangled to look at, so they cremated it on the spot. The proof of her death? One surviving guard delivered her personal belongings. And the monster attack’s being pinned on the Demon King. Pretty much riding the narrative you set up, Yuki.”

“How boringly predictable. Where’s this supposed death supposed to have happened? Bet there’s a village nearby.”

“How’d you know? Yeah, it’s near a village just off the path from Kiris to Litea’s territory.”

“Simple. To sell Lulua’s death, you need witnesses. Someone to shout, ‘This body’s Lulua-sama!’ Doesn’t matter if it’s true—people believe it if Litea’s soldiers say so. But if it’s just the hardliners reporting a death…”

I cut in, piecing together Yuki’s point to confirm my understanding.

“It’s not enough to convince Lulua’s faction or others, right? So they dressed up someone to look like Lulua-sama, staged her death in a populated place like a village, and made people believe it.”

“Exactly. No matter how much rival factions doubt, the public will think Lulua’s dead. So even if the real Lulua returns…”

“She’d be dismissed as a fake.”

“Ugh, what’s that!? That makes me so mad!! Lulua’s right here, alive!!”

Kovil, listening in, clings to Lulua.

It’s a girl thing, I guess. Our group’s unusually guy-heavy, so they must bond like that.

“Well, lucky for us, the hardliners’ uprising hasn’t been long. If it’d been a month, things would’ve gotten messy. They haven’t fully taken control of Litea yet.”

Curse joins the conversation.

“But we’re still at a disadvantage, aren’t we?”

“Sure are. They’re basically ready to seal the deal. Their plan’s practically succeeded. It’s just a matter of time for them.”

“The key is how to spread and make people believe Lulua-sama’s alive, then break into Litea’s core…”

“Let’s hear your info, Curse, then we’ll refine the plan. Anything else, Mauve?”

Yuki checks with Mauve for anything missed.

“That’s the gist. Oh, in Litea’s capital, Alshutel… right? Lulua’s successor is apparently grieving hard, refusing to accept her death.”

“Hmm. Lulua, what’s this Alshutel like?”

“Well, she’s passionate and straightforward, for better or worse. She lacks experience, so I worry she might be swayed by those around her.”

“If Lulua, who’s been swayed herself, says so, it’s probably true.”

“Ugh.”

“No change from what Selaria said, and Alshutel’s info seems solid. Alright, Curse, what’s your intel?”

Curse, prompted, has a suspiciously amused look.

This guy’s cooked up something weird.

“The big picture’s the same as Mauve’s. But I got details on Alshutel. She’s heading to the village where Lulua supposedly died, under the pretense of checking her belongings. For the hardliners, it’s their final blow—show her a fake and make her believe it’s over.”

“Pfft…”

“Heh…”

Yuki and Curse lock eyes, chuckling.

“If she’d holed up deep in Litea’s capital, it’d be a pain…”

“Exactly. Conveniently, she’s coming to us…”

“They’ve got checkpoints, right? They don’t expect Lulua to be alive and sneaking in.”

“Of course. We’re still in Rocheur, but the hardliners probably think if Lulua’s alive, she’d be caught at a checkpoint or still in Rocheur. The village is four days by fast horse from here. Alshutel left Litea about ten days ago. Normally, she’d reach the village first. So the hardliners think she’ll arrive, confirm Lulua’s death, and that’s that. They’re completely off guard.”

“Yeah. And we’ve got a handy vehicle, don’t we?”

“Yep, a ridiculously fast one…”

“Pfft…”

“Heh…”

Oh no. This is bad.

The two brainiacs of our group are scheming something wicked.

This won’t end lightly.

Lulua and Kovil are trembling, clinging to each other, spooked by their creepy vibe.

“What’s the script?”

“Well, that village is known around here as a training ground for rookie adventurers—the monsters nearby are low-level.”

“Oh, I know a rookie adventurer.”

“So do I.”

“Then heading to that village to train a rookie wouldn’t look suspicious, right?”

“Exactly. Let’s take a guild quest to make it official. Proper procedure’s best.”

“Yeah, paperwork’s important.”

They stand up and head for the door.

“Oh, Raya or Mauve, one of you come along. Curse alone isn’t enough for a veteran adventurer’s endorsement.”

“Uh, alright, I’ll go.”

Mauve stands and follows Yuki and Curse.

A while later, Yuki returns as a registered adventurer.

As Curse planned, he’d taken a quest for that village.

But Mauve’s face looks grim.

“I’m never getting into politics. That was the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen…”

When asked what happened, it was Yuki and Curse’s exchange at the guild counter.

The story itself wasn’t an issue, but the fact it was Yuki and Curse was.

Mauve’s recount goes like this:

“Sorry, I’d like to register this kid as an adventurer.”

“Yes. Oh, isn’t that Curse-san!? Mauve-san too!? Where’s Raya-san?”

“Nah, Raya’s chilling at the inn.”

“Oh, good. You guys are from Gartz, right? I heard about the war with Rocheur…”

“Well, we made it out okay. Sorry, but can you register him?”

“Oh, my bad. Please fill this out.”

“Sure.”

“Wow, nice handwriting. Curse-san, who’s this kid?”

“…A victim of that war. We saved him, and he got attached. Seems to have some talent, so we brought him here.”

“…That must’ve been tough, kid.”

“…No, Curse-san and the others saved me. I want to get strong and help people in trouble like me, like they did.”

“Such a serious kid these days. But don’t overdo it. Listen to Curse-san and the others, and live well. That’ll lead to your wish, I think.”

“Thank you so much!!”

Mauve says he stopped listening around there.

…Yeah, gives me chills.

Especially you, Yuki. That’s way too different from your usual self.