A week had passed since the dungeon was opened to the public.

I hadn’t gone near the dungeon during that time, but from what I heard, there had been injuries, though fortunately, no fatalities.

Additionally, Alec and some of the most skilled members of the Second Unit were stationed inside the dungeon, hunting while remaining on standby so they could rush to aid if necessary—but so far, they hadn’t been needed.

There had been minor scuffles between adventurers, but those were just the usual tavern brawls after they returned to the city.

That much was within acceptable limits.

Today, I was running errands for Liesel, which required me to visit both the Knight Order’s training grounds just outside the city and the Adventurer’s Guild.

Alec was in the dungeon, and Teresa was stationed at the Knight Order’s headquarters because of that, so as the vice-captain of the Second Unit, the duties had fallen to me.

I had to take care of administrative work sometimes too.

Well then, first up—the training grounds!

◇

The training grounds also doubled as an outpost for soldiers who patrolled outer hunting zones like the First Forest.

Aside from monitoring the activities of the Second Unit, they also kept an eye on adventurers around the capital. Overall, it seemed that most had adapted well to the harsh conditions, though about one person died every two or three days.

The death rate was gradually declining, likely due to experience, but it wasn’t reaching zero.

By now, people knew the risks, and the fatalities weren’t due to carelessness but rather simple lack of skill.

Whether that was a good thing or not, I couldn’t say, but as a method of filtering out those unprepared to challenge the dungeon, it was certainly effective.

“…Hmm, I see.”

I nodded as I listened to the report from the squad leader at the outpost.

He was a veteran adventurer who had originally operated in this city before joining the Second Unit.

Since he was well-known among both the townspeople and adventurers, he naturally ended up taking the role of squad leader.

That sort of thing was still rather loosely structured in our unit.

Even so, we had reliable individuals who could lead others when needed, so we weren’t to be underestimated.

His way of speaking was a bit rough, making him unfit to appear before high-ranking officials, but he was a dependable guy.

“Any other issues?”

“Hmm… Well, I suppose there is one. Some adventurers aren’t disposing of corpses properly. There are those who kill whatever they encounter before reaching their intended prey and then just leave the bodies behind. We collect them when we receive reports, but… I get why they do it, though the local hunters aren’t happy about it. More importantly, if any of those corpses turn undead, it’ll be a real problem. I’d like something done about that.”

It seemed that some visiting adventurers had poor manners since they weren’t locals.

Still, as unfortunate as it was for the patrols dealing with the mess, at least it hadn’t escalated to violent altercations.

“Yeah, that’s definitely a problem. Got it—I’ll inform the boss.”

“Good. I’m counting on you.”

“Anything else?”

“Uh… nope, nothing major. The new recruits are attending training seriously, and this winter’s gear is more abundant than last year’s. Oh, and the distribution of potions has increased. Everything’s good.”

He listed off a few things, but overall, it seemed like everything was going smoothly.

The Second Unit primarily focused on fighting monsters, meaning they also worked outside the city’s walls.

Compared to the First Unit, which handled city and road security, our workload was heavier, but we were given better compensation in return.

It sounded like things were running well on that front too.

And the training of young adventurer apprentices was going well as well.

“Alright… then no issues here.”

I wrote down my notes and marked the area as cleared.

“Sorry for taking up your time while you were working. Thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it. Give my regards to the captain and commander.”

“Will do.”

After exchanging farewells, I left the outpost and returned to the city.

“…Hmm. Looks like it might rain soon.”

Thick, dark clouds loomed in the western sky.

The timing was a little uncertain, but it usually started raining around this time of year.

Maybe today would be the day.

I should hurry and finish my business at the Adventurer’s Guild.

◇

“Whoa—!?”

And there it was.

After receiving a report from the guild’s branch manager, I was about to head back to the mansion.

There was a passage connecting the guild’s basement to the mansion, but to use it, I’d have to pass through the hall with the dungeon entrance.

The passage was hidden behind the counter and out of view, but since the guild was crowded, I figured it would be better not to use it.

That was a mistake.

It wasn’t raining when I left the guild, but just as I reached the mansion’s entrance, the downpour began—not with a few light drops but a sudden torrential shower.

Even from the city, I could hear people rushing for cover.

“Better hurry… Oh?”

As I moved toward the back entrance, I noticed a window on the second floor opening—Liesel’s office.

Someone inside was waving at me.

I was already a little wet, but that was my way in!

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

Sera・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind Cloak】・【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