“Yo!”

In the lobby before the dungeon entrance on the second basement floor of the Adventurer’s Guild in Riana Territory’s capital.

The area, designed uniquely for Riana’s Adventurer’s Guild, had a touch of a small café, with tea being served at the counter. As always, it was packed with adventurers either returning from or preparing to enter the dungeon.

Since it was still early morning, many were looking to form temporary exploration parties, sizing each other up.

Among them, a man spotted a familiar face in the crowd of adventurers and deliberately called out in a loud voice to draw attention.

“Oh? You guys finally made it, huh?”

Seated at a table in the lobby, the man looked momentarily surprised at the voice’s owner before quickly raising a hand in response.

“Yeah! Well, we met the requirements a while ago… but we couldn’t move because of the rainy season.”

The man shrugged as he answered.

“Hunting grounds around here were too crowded. So, did you head north or south to take down some prey?”

“Yeah. Around the northern mines… Apparently, the adventurers who had claimed that area were recruited elsewhere, so the town appreciated our help.”

The man recalled the situation in the field as he spoke.

To obtain an annual dungeon exploration permit in Riana, adventurers had to pay two holy coins.

This requirement was expected to change in a few years, but for a dungeon in a newly developed territory, the fee was relatively low.

However, there was also another requirement—adventurers had to complete a certain number of exploration requests in the magic region that stretched across the eastern part of Riana Territory.

Based on difficulty levels set independently by the local Adventurer’s Guild, completing a designated number of tasks would fulfill this condition.

The magic region covered the entire eastern expanse of the territory, but with limited hunting grounds near towns and villages, many adventurers found themselves stuck.

The man passionately recounted how he overcame this hurdle before shifting the conversation to the dungeon itself.

“So? How’s the dungeon looking?”

“Not bad. You probably heard beforehand—visibility in the shallows is poor, and you can’t afford to let your guard down… but the other adventurers and the Knight Order stationed on the floors are high-level. So far, no one’s died. And I don’t plan on dying either. At least, the shallows aren’t much different from other dungeons.”

“Hmm… Sounds like it’s easy to earn money, but it’s also pretty well-supported.”

The lobby even had a designated area where Knights and healers stood by, ready for emergency rescues.

While upper floors were a different story, the shallows seemed almost overly protected. The man glanced around the lobby and commented on it.

“It’s our policy. If adventurers start dying left and right, it’s a problem.”

“Whoa!?”

A sudden reply came from behind, making him jump.

Spinning around in surprise, he saw a girl in a maid outfit floating in the air, holding a tray.

“Yo, Vice-Captain Sera.”

“Hey. Want something to drink?”

“I’ll pass. What about you?”

Unlike him, who was still shaken, the other man spoke as if this was completely normal.

“Oh… No, I’m good too.”

“Alright.”

With that brief response, the girl floated away, heading deeper inside.

As she moved, he caught a glimpse of something beneath her—she was sitting on something.

It was only then that he realized who she was.

“Is that… the ‘Serpent Princess’?”

“Not officially, but yeah… Don’t mess with her, seriously. She’ll kill you for real.”

His companion’s tone shifted from casual to deadly serious.

The “Serpent Princess.”

She was the exclusive adventurer of the lord’s wife, blessed with numerous gifts and divine protections. Not only that, but she had contracts with multiple familiars.

She was known to be acquainted with many nobles, and rumors even suggested she had met the queen.

It was unlikely that anyone would try to provoke such a person, but even so, his friend’s warning made him wonder just how dangerous she truly was.

“Uh… yeah, I wouldn’t lay a hand on a kid, but… is she really that dangerous?”

He still couldn’t understand why someone like her was playing the role of a tavern waitress.

From his perspective, she gave off no intimidating presence whatsoever—so much so that even rookie adventurers seemed more formidable.

Even now, she was clearing empty tables, her back completely exposed and full of openings.

“Well, you’ll figure it out soon enough if you stay in the capital… Anyway, since you’re here, I assume you’re heading in today?”

His companion asked while resting a hand on the sword leaning against his chair.

“…Hm? Oh, of course. I’m not just here to show my face.”

That strange encounter had thrown him off for a moment, but the reason he came all the way to this remote place was to challenge the dungeon.

Remembering that, his earlier lax expression vanished completely.

“Shall we go?”

“Yeah!”

With a short exchange, they grabbed their swords, stood up, and walked toward the passage leading into the dungeon.

————————————————————————————————————————————————

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