A dungeon has been born in the territory capital of Riana.

Well, in reality, it had existed for quite some time, but as of today, the first day of the second month of autumn, it is officially recognized.

A remarkably easy date to remember.

Since we’ve declared that the dungeon opened at midnight, even if someone noticed the earthquake or any related phenomena at the moment of its creation, we can more or less brush it off… probably.

◇

Now then… Early this morning, those challenging the dungeon, led by Liesel, gathered in the entrance hall.

Not only them but also close associates like Seriana and Elena, the estate’s staff, and even the entire Knight Order were present.

It was practically a send-off ceremony.

The gathered individuals listened intently to Liesel’s address.

Midway through, Yusef joined in, delivering an inspiring speech of sorts.

Something about fulfilling a centuries-old aspiration… Expanding the kingdom’s domain eastward is supposedly an imperative for our allied nations, but honestly, I couldn’t care less.

While they were caught up in the excitement, we busied ourselves with our own preparations.

“…Are you awake?”

“I’m fine…”

In response to Alec’s exasperated tone, I answered in a crisp, firm voice.

My mind is already awake… My body will follow soon.

No problem at all!

As I continued to space out for a bit, the speech seemed to reach its conclusion, and the doors swung open.

Liesel took the lead, and the group set off in a procession.

There were no fanfares, but cheers erupted, making for quite the spectacle.

From here, we would travel by carriage to the Adventurer’s Guild where the dungeon awaited, under the escort of the First Unit.

We could have taken the underground passage directly, but as the ruling lord, this was a bit of a demonstration for the residents.

Whether anyone would actually bother getting up early to witness it, though, was another matter…

“Alright. Let’s go, too.”

At Alec’s words, Zighart and Luban gave brief responses.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“…Mmm.”

Naturally, we weren’t swept up in the fervor like the others, so there was no sense of tension among us.

Since this was a party organized by the lord, everyone except me was dressed in proper gear, but mentally, it felt more like a casual stroll.

Easy stuff!

Until we arrived at the dungeon, I decided to treat it as idle time.

Drifting along, I latched onto Alec’s shoulder.

“…Hm?”

Just before we left the mansion, I caught sight of Zighart receiving something from Fiora.

Well, that in itself wasn’t strange, but… he had glanced at me while doing so.

What was that about?

“Sera, we’re over here.”

“Oh, okay.”

Liesel and the others boarded the front carriage, while we took the one behind them.

◇

“Sera, take this.”

As we descended the slope from the mansion, Zighart pulled out a small green tablet from a pouch and handed it to me.

It was the item Fiora had entrusted him with earlier.

“What’s this?”

A motion sickness pill?

I don’t get motion sickness, though.

“It’s a stimulant from the lady of the house, to keep you awake. I know you can function even in your current state, but you’ll be appearing in public. Make sure to chew it, don’t just swallow it.”

“I see…”

So it was Seriana’s idea.

Even though the carriage’s interior wasn’t visible from the outside, we would be walking in the open once we arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild.

I took a quick sniff before putting it in my mouth—a refreshing, mint-like scent.

It smelled more like a ramune candy than medicine.

“Alright then, bottoms up.”

Popping it into my mouth, the initial taste was just as expected.

Then came a gradual but sharp sourness… and then—

“Ngah!?”

◇

“Oh my, Sera. Are you awake now?”

Upon arriving at the Adventurer’s Guild, the first thing Liesel said when he saw me step down from the carriage was that.

It seemed he had been waiting for us rather than heading straight inside.

“Totally wide awake!”

Did I really look that sleepy?

That pill, though… It was something else.

Even without chewing, it melted immediately like a sublingual tablet, releasing its full force at once.

Bitter, sour, and downright nasty…

Rather than waking me up, it nearly knocked me out all over again.

Fortunately, the effect lasted only a brief moment, and the taste vanished quickly.

In the end, the sheer shock jolted me awake more effectively than any energy drink or caffeine.

“That’s good to hear. It would be a shame if you weren’t alert with all these people gathered.”

By “all these people,” he meant the onlookers.

Even in the short walk from the carriage stop to the entrance, a crowd had gathered to watch.

I recognized some adventurers, guild merchants, and local townsfolk.

There were even some apprentice kids among them.

I see… This really was a big event.

Given all this anticipation, it wouldn’t do for me to be floating around half-asleep.

The rest of Seriana’s group wore their usual, practical dungeon exploration outfits, prioritizing mobility, while Liesel’s group had opted for more extravagant attire.

Compared to Alec and the others, who wore plain black leather armor, Liesel’s team gleamed in their flashy metal gear.

Sure, they looked impressive… but I wasn’t so sure about functionality.

Liesel waved at the gathered spectators with a bright smile.

Was he some kind of idol?

I guess this was all part of his duties as a lord—charisma and public engagement.

Being a ruler really seemed like a tough job.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Sera ・【Hideout】+1 【Prayer】 【Mira’s Blessing】 【Wind’s Mantle】 ・【Floating Orb】+1 【Shadow Sword】 【Scarlet Bee Needle】 【Fairy’s Eye】 【Dragon’s Lung】 【Amber Sword】 【Danrem’s Thread】 【Serpent’s Tail】 【Ankle Bracelet】 【Amber Shield】 【Purple Wings】 ・15 cards

Seriana ・【Area Identification】・【】・28 cards

Elena ・【】・【Green Fang】 【Amber Sword】 ・4 cards

Alec ・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】 【Fierce Horned Trumpet】 ・8 cards