Chapter 4

Thanks to having a dagger held straight to my throat out of nowhere, my back was completely drenched in cold sweat.

Still, let’s think positively and consider that I cleared a dangerous event that was bound to happen eventually.

When I let out a long sigh, my body finally began to tremble with residual fear.
Looking thoroughly apologetic, Gina pulled out a clean cloth and wiped me down.

“My lord, this is all because of my—”

“It’s fine.”

Gina apologized repeatedly while wiping my brow.

“Actually, I had a dream. In it, I saw myself dying a miserable death. It felt so vivid and terrifying.”

Since she already knew Rasta could be pathetic, I spoke with a frightened expression.

“I will protect you with my very life, my lord.”

Gina declared with a sharp, determined look.

There was no falsehood in those words; no matter what path Rasta walked, she would follow him—and ultimately ruin herself trying to protect him.

My top priority was saving my own skin, but I hoped she could be saved as well.

“Yeah. If we’re going to do this, why don’t we both get stronger? It’ll be a lot easier for you to protect me if I’m strong too, right?”

“That is true, but…”

Gina looked troubled.

It seemed her desire to keep me out of danger was clashing with the realistic thought that being somewhat stronger would make things easier to manage.

“I don’t want to die, so I want to get stronger, step by step. First, I’d like to enter a suitable dungeon.”

“…Understood.”

When I reiterated my reluctance to die, Gina gave a reluctant response.
Since she didn’t want to die either, she would surely cooperate.

“I will protect you, my lord.”

With a fierce look on her face, she was overflowing with determination.

“Yeah, I’m counting on you.”

Hearing that, Gina nodded with an enthusiastic expression.

“So, do you know of any suitable dungeons?”

The imperial dungeons I knew of were basically designed for high-level players.
That was because players could only enter imperial dungeons from the mid-game onward.

Of course, there had to be lower-level ones meant for grinding that simply hadn’t appeared in the original story.

“How about the Shoisa Cave to the north of the Imperial Capital? It is a dungeon that can be entered even at level one.”

Gina suggested.

“Sounds good, let’s go with that.”

If it was safe starting at level one, even I should be able to manage somehow.

“By the way, what level am I?”

I figured I was level one, but not knowing my own status was a problem too.

“Please try using this.”

Gina handed me a blue brooch, and I touched it out of curiosity.
A reading popped up: “Level 1, Mage.”

“It’s a measurement brooch.”

I was impressed, realizing this was a setting that hadn’t been in the original game.

“What about you, Gina?”

When I asked, she touched it herself, and the display read: “Level 15, Rogue.”

It seemed she was already quite strong.