First Quest & How The Hero Party Is Doing

――The next morning.

――The second day of pleasant cohabitation with the vampire.

Last night we stayed one night at an inn in the royal capital, then headed to the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Hey Sid—since we have 6,000,000 G, wouldn’t it have been fine to stay at a better inn?”

“I lived in a farming village until I was five, and after the village was burned down I lived as a slave, so I don’t know how to do luxury. Even yesterday’s inn was plenty luxurious for me.”

When I was a slave under the Hero party, I slept in the stables.

I remembered those bastards who wouldn’t give their slaves a decent life yet complained “smelly, smelly,” and it made me angry.

“The bigger the grudge, the greater the pleasure of revenge.”

I took it positively as we arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Oh, Mr. Sid! Good morning!”

The receptionist Emily greeted me with a smile.

“What can I help you with today?”

“I intend to take on a quest. I’ll take a look at the notice board.”

Adventurers have two main sources of income.

Either sell Magic Stones recovered from monsters, or complete quests requested of adventurers to receive rewards.

My ultimate goal is revenge against Sylvan and the others, but to do that I need to become stronger.

Defeat monsters to level up, and also earn money.

Three birds with one stone.

“I’ll take this one.”

‘Ho… Goblin hunting, huh. Considering your level, isn’t that a bit petty?’

“There are several things I want to try.”

＊＊＊

Using a shared coach from the royal capital, we arrived at a forest near a nearby village said to be troubled by goblins.

“Apparently goblins living in this forest have been ravaging the crops and causing trouble.”

The forest was dense, branches and leaves hiding things, making it dim even in daylight.

“Exactly the sort of environment goblins would like.”

“Even so, we haven’t seen a single one yet.”

I thought that—but as they say, speak of the devil.

I spotted three goblins ahead.

“…No, that’s not right.”

“Seems like it.”

We’re surrounded.

Not just ahead, but on the flanks, behind, and up in the trees.

Their number easily exceeded ten.

“Looks like they lured us deep into the forest.”

“Goblins are weak monsters, but they’re not stupid—if anything, in terms of cunning they might be top-class.”

“Gyagya!”

“Gyagyagyagya!”

“Gehi! Gehi!”

“Gihigihi!”

All the goblins were armed with clubs, stone spears, and throwing stones, and they all attacked at once—!

――But.

“――Scatter them.”

――My shadow spreads wide, and Shadows emerge crawling out from it.

“Bulgaaaaaaa!!”

A one-eyed Minotaur with a battle axe—

“Guluoooo!!”

An orc with a greatsword—

“Gigyah――――!!”

A Gargoyle with stone claws—

“Gigyahhhhh!?!?!?”

――They ravaged the goblins.

“The shadow expansion range is about five meters around. Manifestation speed isn’t bad either. It can respond to a goblin ambush without issue.”

“Sid! Don’t let your guard down!”

――Zah!

“Gogya!!”

A survivor hiding under a goblin corpse thrust a stone spear, aiming at my back.

“—I know.”

――Slash!

I dodged the spear thrust and beheaded the goblin with my knife.

“Oh, you noticed. Well done—though it was none of my business.”

“I’ve been doing life-or-death scouting the whole time. I can read a goblin’s murderous intent.”

＊＊＊

――Meanwhile.

――The Hero party led by the Second Prince Sylvan.

“Gyagya–!!”

“Woah!? Goblins!? Where the hell did they come from!?”

The Hero party, having lost Sid, continued delving into the S-Rank Dungeon 【 Crimson Night Moon 】 with four members: Heavy Knight Garen, Mage Lilium, Assassin Ruru, and Hero Sylvan.

“Die, damn you!”

――Squelch!

“Hah, hah, don’t let these trash mobs slow you down, you piece of garbage! Die! Die!”

――Dungeon Basement Level 1.

A goblin hiding in the corridor’s shadow ambushed Garen.

Garen wasn’t weak enough to die from a goblin ambush, so he countered immediately and crushed the goblin’s skull with one blow, though his thick arm was injured and bleeding.

“To be this useless on the first floor. It’s disgraceful for someone of the Royal Palace Knights, Garen.”

“Sorry, Sylvan, I just let my guard down.”

“Pfft~ ❤ Garen is such a loser ❤ Falling behind over goblins ❤”

“Wha—!? What did you say, Lilium? You got a problem!?”

“Kya ❤ Scary~ ❤ Sylvan, help me ❤”

Lilium laughed as she hid behind Sylvan.

“…God, what a sickening mood.”

The price for leaving scouting entirely to Sid was showing.

Their ability to locate enemies on their own had atrophied.

Moreover, Garen was carrying the four people’s gear, forcing him to move slower than usual.

“Seriously, Lilium, you—carry some of the gear! Why do I have to carry everything!?”

“Nope, it’s heavy ❤”

“Then Ruru!”

“……”

The dark-skinned Assassin Ruru elegantly ignored Garen’s words.

Even though they were comrades, they couldn’t make royalty like Sylvan carry the bags, so Garen reluctantly hoisted them back on.

“Listen, Garen, since Sid’s gone, could you stop taking your irritations out on me? It’s literally annoying ❤”

“Wha—!? That’s on you too! Don’t provoke me, you little bitch!”

“Both of you, cut it out. We’re comrades; don’t fight inside the dungeon.”

This party was full of people with terrible personalities, and are emotionally immature, who could only relieve their bad moods by attacking others.

Up until now Sid had been the receptacle for their frustrations, but with Sid dead (or so they believed), the Hero party’s atmosphere was the worst.

“Seriously, this is disgusting! Sylvan, hurry up and get a new slave!”

Having lost Sid and with the gears of fate thrown off, the Hero party, oblivious to it, pressed deeper into the dungeon.