* * *
After I finished reading the entire letter, the old man’s face was soaked wet.
His eyes were so swollen now that he couldn’t even shoot me a sharp look anymore.
“He’s my one and only precious son. He left the village harboring the grand dream of becoming a merchant. I thought I’d be grateful just to know whether he was alive or dead, and then after ten years, a letter came. But it was in characters I couldn’t read, so I asked for help here and there, but no one….”
I was puzzled.
Why had that son sent a letter he couldn’t even read?
Because all languages appeared translated into Korean in my eyes, I couldn’t tell how the characters in the letter differed from those used by the villagers.
Hmm, perhaps he had hired someone to write it for him.
Anyway, this automatic translation feature was quite useful.
“You said you need a Holy Stone Compass?”
The old man, whose opinion of me had risen considerably, asked in a fairly gentle voice. A slightly curt tone still remained, but that seemed to be just his nature.
“Yes!”
For now, I carefully tucked the silver coin worth 1,000 eon he had given me as the errand fee into my pocket.
A thousand eon just for reading a letter. A total win.
“It’s true that we’re out of stock. But normally, newly made items should have been delivered around this time—they just haven’t come in yet.”
“Hmm… then by any chance, do you have purification stones and low-grade healing potions?”
I asked, thinking I’d at least secure a fallback… but the old man shook his head.
“I have some purification stones, but the potions are also out of stock.”
Ahh… Was my plan to fill the reward room going to scatter into dust like this….
My strength drained, and my shoulders slumped.
When goods were piled up even outside the general store, why was it that only the items I was looking for were missing…
‘How long would it take to stock new items? More importantly, Ruadis approved the plan on the premise that I would prepare these three items….’
It was my fault for not having a Plan B.
Just then, an idea flashed through my mind.
Wait. If they’re newly made items, how about visiting the person who makes the Holy Stone Compass?
“Could you tell me where they’re delivered from? By any chance, are they in another village?”
“No. They live in this village. Hmm, and the apothecary lives next door too, so you can ask them together.”
That’s right! I could just go to the source! Since there’d be no middleman’s commission, if I was lucky, couldn’t I buy them cheaper?
* * *
“I don’t have the core materials to make a Holy Stone Compass.”
“I can’t make potions right now because I haven’t been able to gather the herbs.”
But at the workshop I found through the general store owner’s introduction, I heard even sadder news.
A shortage of materials.
Come to think of it, the materials both craftsmen were looking for were all things that had been written on the notes on the square’s bulletin board.
The cause was that a very strong monster had been spotted recently in the place where they gathered materials, so they were too afraid to go.
“A strong monster… did you actually see it?”
“I saw a silhouette from afar. I was so scared I just ran away.”
It’s hard to get close when there’s a monster. Of course, absolutely.
I suddenly felt a surge of emotion.
There was Ragner, once called a hero, in this village!
He was ready to mercilessly defeat our powerless employees, so why was he leaving a strong monster wandering near the village alone!?
“If the gathering problem isn’t solved… crafting is impossible.”
“I suppose so.”
I stroked my chin.
Should I ask Ragner to subdue it? Would that be too shameless?
More importantly, Ruadis had told me to keep my distance from Ragner….
Ah! How about asking Ruadis instead?
Then a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
The villagers pay for even small errands. If I asked for a monster subjugation request, wouldn’t I have to pay too?
A strong monster would probably require a lot of money.
“By any chance, have you asked an adventurer in the village to subdue that monster? For example, Ragner…?”
“I did ask.”
What, so the request was already made but not completed?
“But they say the monster hides the moment Ragner appears. Other adventurers… tried to face it and suffered serious injuries from the difference in skill.”
Just how strong was this monster….
“Ragner said the monster doesn’t seem to have any intention of attacking the village, so he decided to wait and see for the time being. Thanks to that, the gathering keeps getting postponed.”
“They say it doesn’t show aggression unless provoked from our side… but even so, I’m too scared.”
“I completely understand that feeling.”
What on earth was the monster blocking the gathering?
Thinking of the forest reminded me of the monster that had given me its business card last time—could it be that one?
In any case, it wasn’t an aggressor monster.
I thought deeply.
Many games often feature this kind of quest.
For example, a quest to secretly gather materials while avoiding a dangerous monster.
It was a quest that taught survival skills without combat—moving stealthily while avoiding a powerful enemy that could kill you with a single brush, and quickly slipping past while it turned its back.
So should I try it?
No! I’m not a game character—I’m an ordinary person.
Therefore… I would not rashly decide alone, but consult the wise Ruadis.
* * *
“That’s a big problem. Even if we don’t provide them from the dungeon, compasses and potions are essential items for adventurers. There are probably quite a few other things besides those two that can’t be crafted due to missing materials.”
I told Ruadis, who had been waiting at the restaurant, everything that had happened, leaving nothing out.
“But if it hides the moment Ragner appears… does that mean it’s intelligent enough to avoid strong opponents?”
Fortunately, Ruadis took this seriously.
“Huh? But is this also the first time you’re hearing about it, Instructor Ruadis?”
“I’ve been an instructor for so long that my skills have rusted considerably. So I deliberately don’t take on those kinds of requests. I’m also busy with training ground work. After refusing a few times, it seems they’ve stopped coming to me altogether.”
Her rusted skills were at that level…?
I recalled the sight of Ruadis demolishing our dungeon.
Then how strong must she have been in her prime?
“Would you like to… go take a look?”
The place where materials could be gathered was the eastern forest.
Ruadis stared at me silently for a long while. She seemed to be debating whether it was all right to take me along.
“Come to think of it, you’re quite friendly with monsters.”
“Please don’t misunderstand it that way. I’m only close with my dungeon’s employees.”
I’m scared of monsters too.
“Normally, it’s rare for high-ranking monsters to escape outside a demon realm. As you know, this place is protected by a barrier, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“In truth, only weak monsters can enter inside the barrier.”
I imagined small anchovies slipping through a fishing net.
So there had been a separate reason why only low-ranking monsters applied to our dungeon.
“The stronger the monster, the greater the backlash from the barrier, and the more damage it suffers. Even if it forced its way in, it would have been considerably weakened. And yet, even in that state, it’s strong enough to defeat all the adventurers….”
“That does sound strange.”
Just then, Ruadis smirked and said casually.
“How about you try asking that monster?”
Pardon? Casually communicate with a strange monster?
“I’m not a monster interpreter, and I’m not friendly with all monsters!”
I gripped the rectangular plate inside my clothes tightly.
Brownie had said it. With this, monsters would recognize that I was the dungeon’s manager.
So they wouldn’t attack rashly, but….
Wait… then perhaps… scouting is also possible?
A strong monster was exactly the talent our dungeon needed!
She said only weak monsters could break through the barrier, so if a strong monster was already inside the barrier and hadn’t been weakened, it was like a pumpkin rolling right into my lap!
Not that I needed another reason, but the employees had been pressing me about when I would get them a first-floor boss.
Every floor of a dungeon must have a floor master—a boss.
In company terms, it was like asking me to hire a team leader.
‘It would certainly be easier to have someone to manage the field staff and serve as a focal point. I’m a non-combatant, after all.’
Yes, that’s right! A dungeon without a boss! That’s absurd!
Now I finally understood why Brownie had burst out laughing when I asked if the Demon King was the dungeon boss.
It was like asking the CEO if he was the team leader.
After narrowing my brows in thought, I lifted my head resolutely.
“But…! I think I can at least give it a try.”
“You’re not going to side with that monster and attack our village, are you?”
“What kind of terrifying thing are you saying!?”
“I’m joking.”
Ruadis burst into laughter and pointed toward the eastern side of the village.
“Then let’s take a day off from dungeon lessons today. While we’re at it, let’s go check on that lost high-ranking monster.”
If our employees found out today was a day off, they’d probably be thrilled.
Regardless of their resolve to train hard, they’d been groaning every night after getting beaten by Ruadis these past few days.
