Episode 9

The reason Van and Atri were acting separately from the Freak Trading Company was to search for a treatment for Masfelt—Van’s grandfather.

Masfelt’s decline had started about half a year ago. At first, they assumed it was age-related, and he kept training Van, but his condition worsened day by day. Now he could barely move, living bedridden.

Van, of course, took action. He had town doctors examine Masfelt, sought help from clergy of the Maria Church, and bought large quantities of medicine. Through the Freak Trading Company’s connections, he even appealed to a renowned healing-magic user—yet Masfelt never recovered.

“All living beings eventually die. That is the rule of this world.”

“What is that supposed to mean…? Grandpa is Dad’s father, right? How can you give up that easily?”

The one saying it was Elzen Freak—Van’s father and head of the Freak Trading Company, and also the very person who had brought Atri out of her isolated village.

Seeing Elzen’s lack of cooperation, Van decided he would save Masfelt himself. With help from Atri—his childhood friend—Van set out on a journey.

“Maria Church clergy couldn’t do it. Healing magic didn’t work either… I thought the Apothecaries Association might.”

“Even the doctor couldn’t identify the illness. No matter how much we amateurs explain, it’s impossible.”

“…But we can’t just give up.”

Van and Atri. Van, Masfelt’s grandson—Masfelt the famed sword saint—skilled in swordsmanship himself. Atri, hiding talent that rivaled professional mages.

Even with special gifts, to the wider world they were only two youths among many: not nobles, not knights, not mages—just employees of the Freak Trading Company.

Countless people suffered from illness across the world. From the Apothecaries Association’s perspective, there was no reason to prioritize Van and Atri.

“A lot of people helped because Grandpa was famous as a sword saint. If we start moving now, it won’t change much.”

“I know. But waiting and doing nothing won’t solve anything.”

Van had learned his powerlessness and sought strength. He faced the sword more seriously than ever, aiming for greater heights—because he believed there were realities that power could change.

But what about now? Masfelt—his teacher, his grandfather, his precious family—suffered from illness, and Van could do nothing. All he could do was speak to him. That reality tormented Van.

“…What Tret-san said. It’s not realistic, but I think there’s a chance.”

“Yeah… what that old man said.”

The “old man” Van referred to was Tret, one of the Freak Trading Company staff—someone Van had known since childhood.

“Unexplored dungeons sometimes yield unknown materials, magic tools, and old-era technology… that’s what he said.”

“It’s like grabbing at clouds… but you hate waiting, don’t you?”

“Atri… yeah. There’s still a possibility! Next, we’re going to that unexplored dungeon!”

Van’s energy returned as he rallied himself. The gloom from moments ago had blown away.

“…But where is that unexplored dungeon?”

“…Right.”

Van’s expression clouded again. Even after growing older, his emotional swings were still easy to read. Watching him, Atri sighed.

“An unexplored dungeon, huh? Hey—you two, mind if I butt in?”

The one who spoke to them was a red-haired young man about their age, his hair the color of a blazing flame.

“I see… so that’s why you’re after an unexplored dungeon.”

“Sorry. I made you misunderstand…”

On a shared carriage bound for the royal capital, the three traveled toward Spirito.

“Nah, it’s fine. I’m the one who eavesdropped. But looking for information in the capital isn’t a bad idea.”

“True, there are a lot of people there… As expected of a B-rank adventurer.”

The red-haired young man speaking with Van—Feluart—was a B-rank adventurer.

“Cut it out. Rank isn’t everything.”

“…Yeah. Even if someone’s rank is high—”

The reason Feluart had spoken up was because he’d heard the words “unexplored dungeon” in their conversation.

“Whatever your reasons, the goal’s the same, right? I want to challenge an unexplored dungeon. You want what you can get from it. So let’s go together.”

“Yeah, that helps. It’s dangerous with just the two of us.”

Atri sat a short distance away. Either uninterested or simply herself, she was dozing off.

“Van and Atri, huh… I’m happy. It’s been a while since I partied up with people my age.”

“Are you a solo adventurer, Feluart? I always figured adventurers formed parties.”

“There are as many styles as there are adventurers. The strong prefer solitude.”

“He was… alone too.”

Feluart spoke smugly, but he was clearly waiting to be teased. An awkward mood drifted in.

“Hey, hey—this isn’t the time to get sentimental when nothing’s even started yet.”

“You’re right. …Alright, we’re almost at the capital. If you’re coming with us, I’ll need your help to the end.”

“—Yeah. Of course.”

Anseli Forest, a vast, dense woodland region within the Lagias Domain. Zeke (Hiroto) visited it for the first time in five years.

(No sign of people at all.)

When the unexplored dungeon in the Lagias Domain had been discovered, temporary buildings had once been set up near the entrance for the survey. Now they were gone.

All that remained was a “No Entry” sign at the dungeon entrance—no guards, not a single watcher. A pitiful response.

(In a way, maybe this is fine. Nobody comes here to begin with.)

First of all, it was the Lagias Domain. People avoided it on principle. Rumors circulated that simply entering would get you detained—some even claimed the next lord of Lagias would come to kill you.

(This is where I first met Glanz—one of the main characters…)

Chronologically, the discovery of the provisional Lagias Dungeon aligned with the story’s intended events.

After hearing from Fool, Zeke had volunteered for the dungeon survey himself.

As a result, Markus and Keat—who were supposed to die—along with the entire survey team, survived. And Glanz never ended up cursing his own powerlessness. He still retired, but the emotional outcome was different.

(I nearly died myself, too.)

Those who were meant to die had lived on, and continued living ordinary lives. That wasn’t limited to Glanz’s team: it extended to the Knight Order regimental commander Brink, the people of Apion, the royal capital’s citizens, and even those involved in the entrance exam.

Because Hiroto acted to survive, the story began to change. Looking back, maybe the divergence from the original had been there from the beginning—starting with saving Fonsell (Luke), who had been suffering from illness.

(If I hadn’t been here, would they all have walked different paths?)

In the story as written, the protagonist, the heroine, and Fonsell were childhood friends, and Van’s group had been introduced as Ciel’s escort. —There was no place for a villain.

His choices affected who lived and who died. Was that truly right? Even if he tried not to think about it, the thought surfaced at unexpected moments.

(But that doesn’t mean Zeke should die “as the story intended.” —My choice wasn’t wrong.)

He grew strong to survive. He kept devising strategies not to die. No matter whose body he’d possessed, that mindset wouldn’t have changed.

(I fight only for myself. …Ha. That’s starting to sound like some villain, isn’t it?)

His dry laugh reached no one’s ears.

(I’ll rest for now and come back. The protagonists shouldn’t be here for a while… probably.)

Zeke (Hiroto) vanished like the wind.

The Adventurers Association Headquarters in the royal capital was nothing like regional branches. In Spirito, everything was different: the building’s scale, the variety of requests, the number of adventurers—everything.

“Ridiculous… the capital’s Adventurers Association is huge.”

“Too many people. I’m getting dizzy.”

Spirito was one of the continent’s greatest cities. With that many people came that many requests, and the place overflowed with crowds.

“If this is enough to rattle you, you won’t survive in the capital. …Though I don’t actually work here. Anyway, let’s start at the counter.”

Guided by Feluart, the three headed to reception. They asked staff for information on unexplored dungeons, but—

“Ah… again? Listen. An adventurer must steadily build proper achievements. Trying to raise your rank by taking shortcuts is out of the question.”

“A-adventurer rank? No, we’re asking about unexplored dungeons—”

“There are always people like you. Youngsters who demand special dungeons, or insist on taking requests beyond them.”

A young receptionist with glasses explained with a sigh.

Low-rank adventurers pursuing jobs beyond their ability to climb ranks quickly—it had always been a problem, but in recent years it had gotten worse.

“That’s not it. We just want information—”

“If I tell you, you’ll go, won’t you? Your motivations are obvious.”

They wouldn’t listen. Faced with the receptionist’s firm, unyielding stance, Van faltered.

“…Feluart, what do we do?”

“Don’t give up, Van. You can still do this.”

“…Easy for you to say.”

Van desperately searched for a counter. Feluart’s earlier behavior suggested he couldn’t be relied on. Atri was quiet by nature and wouldn’t help. And Van wasn’t good with words. It was a dead end.

“…Hey. Are you—Van?”

Still, Van was the story’s protagonist: the one who tied people together through chance and connection. The encounter from two years ago would become a new breakthrough.

A girl he had come to know in the capital through strange coincidence.

They had fought side by side, and more than that, she had brought Van a crucial meeting.

It was Eris—his reunion after two years.

In a lively restaurant, four young men and women sat together. Brown, white, red, and pink—a colorful group of youths. It was eye-catching, but in this world it was ordinary.

“Two years, huh—You got taller.”

“Obviously. Everyone grows.”

Nodding as she took in Van’s growth was Eris Larc, a capital-born girl. Her father served as a regimental commander in the Knight Order.

“Still, I’m surprised. I never expected to run into you at the Adventurers Association.”

“That’s… complicated. What about you, Eris?”

“Heh. Because I’m an adventurer!”

She spoke proudly and produced a metal card showing an adventurer’s rank. It read: D-rank.

“!? You became an adventurer? And you’re D—… D-rank?”

“What’s with that lukewarm reaction…?”

“I mean—Feluart is about our age and he’s B-rank. So… you know.”

“Hmm? Yeah, true.”

From Van and Feluart’s attitude, an unspoken “isn’t that kind of low?” vibe drifted over. Seeing it, Eris muttered that they were amateurs.

“You… you were adventuring outside the royal capital—actually, outside the Kingdom of Diabalet—weren’t you?”

“…Why do you think that?”

“Because it’s famous. The royal capital’s Adventurers Association became the hardest place in the country to rank up.”

Up to a certain level, promotion standards were left to each branch. The royal capital was no exception.

“After the incident two years ago, headquarters here reformed. Proper ranking, proper rank-ups, and raising the quality of each adventurer.”

The attack on the royal capital had caused massive damage. Knights, mages, and a handful of outstanding adventurers had saved many citizens—but there were still heavy losses, and people said selfish adventurers had been part of the cause.

“Adventurers who only had rank. Adventurers who got the wrong idea. Pride bigger than their ability. The capital was overflowing with them—I saw a lot.”

Eris frowned, her expression bitter.

“After the incident—no, maybe it was an excuse—unnecessary adventurers were purged.”

Many had their qualifications revoked for breach of trust. Those with ranks that didn’t match their ability were demoted. Promotion standards grew stricter.

“People remember bad things more than good. So to regain trust, the royal capital’s Adventurers Association had to change.”

Adventurers transferring from other branches now had to take an aptitude test before accepting requests. Their rank would be assigned based on the results. Eris explained that the highest active rank in the capital was currently C-rank—except for a few special cases.

“There’s one A-rank outlier, though. His mouth and attitude are outliers too—he’s the worst.”

“…That guy again.”

Despite her words, Eris sounded oddly pleased. That was why she missed the change in Van’s expression.

“Anyway, that’s the deal. That’s how I knew you weren’t a kingdom adventurer. Everyone knows the story.”

“Got it. That makes sense.”

Satisfied, Eris nodded.

“But you guys are lucky! Because I’ve got information about an unexplored dungeon!”

“—Seriously!? You really are amazing!”

“Obviously.”

Eris nodded again, pleased.

“Apparently, the person holding the dungeon information is someone called ‘the Sage.’ I heard it from someone who used to be their subordinate, so it’s reliable.”

“Yes! …If you believe and don’t give up, the road doesn’t end. Did you hear that, Atri—why are you asleep!?”

Atri was slumped forward, dozing off. The restaurant was loud, yet she remained unbothered.

“She’s a strange one… Anyway, I’ve promised to go hear the details from that person. You really are lucky.”

“…So you’re challenging the dungeon too? Then come with us.”

“? What are you talking about? I’m just going to hear the story.”

Eris rejected Feluart’s question as if it were obvious. He stared blankly.

“…You’re not? I thought you’d gather info because you were going in.”

“You’re an idiot. Just being ‘unexplored’ means it’s full of danger. Only the real thing gets to challenge that.”

Eris explained she was only going to listen for educational purposes. She hadn’t forgotten the brush with death two years ago, and she had no intention of throwing away the life that had been saved.

“That’s fine. …Eris, I want you to introduce us to this Sage. After that, I’ll handle the talking.”

This choice would become another turning point of fate.