Things That Have Nothing To Do With Sid

――The royal capital.

――Adventurer’s Guild.

“Sigh…”

“Emily, you’re spacing out again.”

“You’ve been like that a lot lately, huh~”

Emily, the receptionist working at the Adventurer’s Guild, looked absent-minded despite being on duty.

In front of her was a wanted poster with a bounty of 10 million G.

“Sigh…”

“Hey, that’s the wanted poster for the Prince-killing Shikai Tribe, right? Think she’s after the money?”

“No. That Shikai Tribe member was Emily’s favorite.”

“Some people like bad boys sometimes, but that’s on another level… He’s a murderer, right? Not just a little bad—he’s outright evil.”

“Well, he’s certainly handsome, I guess.”

It was midday.

Adventurers were already out on dungeon clears and quests, and since it was a relatively slow time, the other receptionists were enjoying some chit-chat.

――Bang!

As if to shatter that mellow atmosphere, the Guild’s doors were thrown open roughly.

There stood a Seeker-class adventurer, battered and bruised.

“Wh-what’s up with those wounds!?”

“You’re the one who went to investigate the newly opened dungeon this morning, right…?”

“Gasp… The d-dungeon—”

The Seeker collapsed against the counter but summoned the strength to begin reporting.

“Whaaaat!?!?!”

Hearing from him the unprecedented news of a massive dungeon collapse, the receptionists all cried out in shock.

＊＊＊

――Elsewhere, in the commercial city of Ardion.

“Rin, is it good?”

“Yes! It’s really delicious!”

The day after clearing the A-Rank Dungeon 【Black Wing Hall】 and turning a Gryphon into a Shadow.

To reward Rin, who was probably tired from her first dungeon clear, I bought a cake topped with whipped cream and we ate it together in our inn room.

Ekarraat also emerged from the shadows and was scarfing down cake.

This chick doesn’t even work and has no shame…

“Still, it’s noisy outside. Is there a festival or something?”

Contrary to yesterday, even though we were indoors, the commotion outside could be heard clearly.

I slipped through the ceiling with Vanargand and surveyed the situation from the roof.

A large number of wagons were moving down the main street, heading toward the west gate—the direction of the royal capital.

The passengers looked to be adventurers, and the ones escorting them seemed to be the soldiers who guard Ardion.

“Ekarraat—something’s off about the town. Find out why.”

“I’m busy eating cake right now though…”

“A mass of adventurers and soldiers are moving toward the royal capital, like they’re fleeing Ardion. I have a bad feeling.”

“If the soldiers are leaving the city, that’s convenient for us, right?”

If the location of the royal murderer (me) had been discovered and Ardion’s adventurers and soldiers were surrounding the inn we’re in, we’d have to escape immediately.

But conversely, the adventurers and soldiers who could be our enemies were leaving the city.

If that’s called convenient, then it’s true.

“Even so. You can’t be too careful.”

“Really, what a rough master for a Vampire Princess to have—if I went all out I’d be stronger, you know? A little more respect or something…”

“I don’t have any respect for a Vampire Princess with whipped cream all over her mouth.”

Ekarraat reluctantly closed both eyes and stopped moving as if to concentrate.

She was using her Sagacious Eye—the ability to jack into the sight and hearing of creatures like mice, bats, and flies.

“Seems like it’s turned into a bigger problem than I thought.”

――Three minutes later.

Ekarraat opened her crimson eyes.

Given that she gathered info in just three minutes, it must be quite a commotion.

“The cluster of dungeons near the royal capital are all collapsing without exception.”

“…Is that even possible…?”

“There’s no precedent.”

“What are the chances?”

“If you say a magical device that forcibly causes dungeon collapse exists—then it does. But there’s no fool who would use such devices on a large number of dungeons to trigger collapses.”

The total number of dungeons in the royal capital amounts to dozens.

If all of them collapsed and the monsters inside spilled out, it would be nothing less than a natural disaster.

An unprecedented, unparalleled crisis for the royal capital.

The sheer number of monsters overflowing onto the surface would be a hellscape.

“Did Ardion’s adventurers head toward the royal capital to answer a call for aid?”

But it took two weeks even for Dark Horse that doesn’t need food or rest to run from the royal capital to here.

If they were wagons carrying large numbers of adventurers, even rushing, they’d arrive in about a month.

If they tried to hold out behind the royal capital’s walls, would that be enough time?

No――even if reinforcements from Ardion arrived in time, could they really turn the tide?

“Well, it’s none of our concern. Rather convenient. The royal knights and the Order of the Stigmata (Knights of the Stigmata) will be forced to pour all resources into defending the capital. We should use that gap to push forward as far as possible.”

“……..”

Ekarraat’s words were correct.

There’s no reason for me to save the royal capital from its crisis.

The capital is already in a pinch, surrounded by monsters; if a major criminal showed up there it would only cause further chaos.

Besides, at that royal capital are professionals who kill monsters—the Order of the Stigmata (Knights of the Stigmata)—and the S-rank adventurer, humanity’s strongest, Almugard Eldorado.

Even with heavy losses, the royal capital likely won’t be wiped out.

“Phew, using my ability’s tiring. Time to replenish calories with cake.”

Ekarraat gorged on more cake.

“……..”

In the meantime—I continued to ponder.

There were hardly any pleasant memories of that place.

My hometown was burned, I was brought in as a slave, and spent my childhood displayed in abysmal conditions.

Even after being bought by a Hero party, I was treated terribly and was ultimately abandoned and killed.

Even after awakening as a 《Shadow Necromancer》, I was evicted from the mansion I bought with a fortune.

Serves them right—that’s how I felt.

But—not everyone had been unkind to me.

Emily from the Adventurer’s Guild, who treated me kindly since my slavery days.

Almugard, humanity’s strongest, who intervened twice when the Hero party gave me trouble.

Florence, a sister of the Holy Church, who did not harbor hatred toward the Shikai Tribe.

It was a hateful place, but saying there was absolutely no salvation would be a lie.

“From clearing [Tobiyokuden] the other day, I realized that now that I’m in the triple digits, I’ve hit a ceiling.”

“Oh?”

“Kaine, who I fought before, is at a higher level than me; I need to get stronger. But to raise my level any further would require dedicating years to dungeon farming.”

“…So what are you getting at?”

“A huge amount of Experience is converging on the royal capital. I can’t pass up a bonus chance to level up.”

“Hmph, still not straightforward as always—you hypocrite.”

Ekarraat chewed the last bite with a ‘what a bother’ expression.

I looked at the table.

I noticed that while I was lost in thought, my slice of cake had been eaten as well.

“Hey.”

“That’s the fee for the Sagacious Eye.”

How cheeky…