Golden Experience

“So this is Hugelcup. And that over there is Hugelcup Castle… I see. It’s as majestic as the royal castle.”

“I prefer this one. It’s like you can feel the history. The castle in the capital just feels suspicious, all flashy looks but no substance.”

“Yeah… Anyway, let’s go to the Mercenary Guild for now.”

Yōichi’s party usually roamed the outskirts of Aural, tackling dungeons and completing quests from the frontier residents. However, with the start of the Third Official Event, they decided to temporarily move to the capital.

In the previous event, the Hiers Kingdom fell, and a coup occurred here in Aural. While it’s not certain that something will happen in this event, if it does, the capital would likely suffer the most significant damage.

Arriving in the capital, Yoichi and his companion heard the voices raised by the priests. It seems a new enemy of humanity has emerged in Tore Forest within the former Hiers Kingdom’s territory.

Yoichi immediately stopped a priest preaching on the street and asked him for more details.

“Tore Forest… Where exactly is that in the former Hiers territory?”

“Well, in terms of the Old Hiers kingdom’s territory, it would be in the northeast, near the Wells Kingdom.”

“The Seventh Calamity…? Oh, a new calamity, I see. Certainly, with the birth of a new calamity, we might need some term for it. Let me report this matter to the Archbishop. Anyway, as for a major invasion, there are no signs of such at the moment. The angel forces attack even the monsters without hesitation, so they might not have the luxury to bother humanity with such a large-scale invasion.”

Considering the events of the previous event, where the calamity born in Hiers quickly destroyed the kingdom, Yoichi couldn’t imagine the new event boss doing nothing and staying hidden. They would undoubtedly take some action.

The question was, where would the impact be most significant?

The calamity born in Hiers during the last event swiftly annihilated the kingdom. Although Wayne and Yoichi managed to temporarily defeat it with their combined efforts, it quickly resurrected, and ultimately, the Hiers Kingdom disappeared overnight. Perhaps that was a predetermined and fated event.

For example, if a calamity were to be born in another country this time, there was a possibility that it could also destroy that country. With only six countries on the continent, if each was destroyed in every event, humanity would be wiped out in no time. They wouldn’t likely follow such a scenario.

This made the purpose of causing a calamity in the former Hiers territory clearer. Considering Hiers had already perished as a nation, there wouldn’t be an immediate tragedy of another nation’s downfall. If an attack were to happen, it would likely be from within the former Hiers territory, directly affecting the nearby towns.

Yoichi and his friends were players active in Aural, and they had a strong attachment to this country. To protect Aural, they decided to relocate their base to a city near the former Hiers territory, defending the town from the angelic event monsters while keeping an eye on the movements of the calamity.

And so, Yoichi and Monkey Dive Sasuke arrived at the city of Hugelcup.

This city was said to be located in the center of the continent, with a grand castle towering at the center. Although the history of the castle was unknown, it looked even more ancient and related to ancient civilizations than the royal castles of various countries, at least that’s what NPC guides had rumored.

“Is this the Mercenary Guild? Thanks, you’ve been a great help. Can I pay in gold coins?”

“If you’re gonna give me gold coins for something like this, I might lose the motivation to work seriously from tomorrow. Rather than paying for a random guide like me, use that money to buy better clothes.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Yoichi thanked the NPC man once again and parted ways.

“…Yeah, you’re definitely not planning to buy clothes, huh?”

“What are you talking about? Didn’t he talk about your clothes just now?”

Yoichi responded to Sasuke with an exasperated expression.

Sasuke’s outfit consisted of tight, black tights-like clothing, looking visibly cold.

According to him, the rational attire he wears is designed to minimize the hit surface area to the extreme by fitting tightly to the body. Additionally, he has reduced the weight to the limit to not hinder his agility. The all-black attire is said to reduce visibility, but if one only operates at night, maybe then it might make sense. However, if one is active during the day, a gray color might be more suitable.

Moreover, in front of Yoichi’s [True Eyes], the color of the clothes doesn’t matter; he can’t hide regardless.

Yoichi, with the experience points gained from the previous event and the early stages of the current event, obtained the support skill [True True Eyes] for his [True Eyes]. It is a passive skill that enhances the effects of [True Eyes], allowing him to see the intensity of life force in different parts of the target’s body when [True Eyes] is activated.

This seems to represent the percentage of LP reduction when taking damage, and if an attack hits a dense area, it can deal more damage. In other words, it allows him to perceive weaknesses that can trigger critical hits, making it a very useful skill for Yoichi, who primarily uses point attacks with a bow.

Since there was no information about this skill on social media, he hasn’t shared it with anyone other than Sasuke.

Perhaps due to the high strength and activity of the Knight Order, the Mercenary Guild in the Aural Kingdom seems overall less popular or, negatively speaking, less trendy compared to other countries. However, the Mercenary Guild in Hugelcup appears even less lively than the one in the Aural Kingdom’s capital.

Well, it’s not just less lively; as they found out upon entering, it’s daytime, and despite the regular angel attacks, there’s no one here except them. Although not directly adjacent to the demon territory, it’s unusual for a city of this size.

“Sorry. It seems quite quiet here. Maybe today the place is reserved for someone?”

“Oh, no, it’s not that… Welcome to the Hugelcup branch of the Mercenary Guild. I’m the branch manager, Kōsaka.”

The one behind the counter was indeed the branch manager. Yoichi was surprised since he had expected a dedicated receptionist.

Certainly, in this game world, physical abilities due to gender differences can be ignored as long as you can earn experience points. The same goes for cognitive and mental abilities, especially with NPCs.

However, time lived in the game world becomes crucial. For a human to become a branch manager at this age is no small feat; it requires a growth rate comparable to that of players.

Moreover, she was remarkably attractive and had an uncommon name in this world, Kōsaka.

“…Are you a player, by any chance?”

“Ple…? Oh, you mean foreigner. Hehe~, no, I’m not. I get that a lot. Do I really look that beautiful? Hehe~.”

In the Aural Kingdom, there’s a trend of calling players “foreigners”. It might be considered a form of flattery since players mostly opt to have beautiful appearances. She’s saying she’s not a player.

“My apologies. So, is there any particular reason why this place is so deserted? With the angel attacks happening, there should be more mercenaries around, shouldn’t there?”

“Oh, about that. Here in Hugelcup, we are running a business of purchasing the item that is dropped by angels, the gem called [Pure Heart]. The headquarters for this purchase are in the Knight Order’s outpost. They’ve recently opened it and even started running a makeshift tavern-like place. So most mercenaries have been concentrating there lately.”

While the purchase of angel-drop items was also done in the capital, it seems that this city might be the origin of the initiative, judging by the scale of the purchase. This is likely a policy to promote angel subjugation. Similar actions have been heard in Hiers from the merchant guild.

However, the Knight Order, being strict in perception, running a tavern themselves is quite a flexible move.

“─Hugelcup’s lord, huh. That’s the one, the knight who stood by the queen’s side during the new queen’s enthronement ceremony. This lord is said to be the de-facto mastermind behind the coup. Truly a cunning hero in times of chaos.”

“Hehe.”

The branch manager, Kōsaka, dismissed Sasuke’s words with a laugh.

While “cunning hero” might not be an entirely complimentary term, her not admonishing or disagreeing with it suggests that the branch manager has some thoughts on the matter. As seen, with so many customers taken away, it might be inevitable.

“Well, that’s the situation. If you want to meet other mercenaries or foreigners, it’s better if you go to the Knight Order’s outpost.”

“No, it’s not like that. I just thought of operating in this city for a while, so I dropped by. If there are any requests piling up, I might take them?”

“Um, yes. There are requests from the city residents, but knights often take them as part of their duties. We, as a guild, get a commission once the request passes through us, so it doesn’t matter who completes it. However, lately, the residents wonder if it’s necessary to go through the guild. They sometimes directly petition the lord. In such cases, the informant, in this case, the requester, even receives a reward.”

Thanks to this, our business has been booming, the branch manager sighed. It seems to be a tough situation, unable to hire even a receptionist. Originally, they could consider retreating, but apparently, there is financial assistance from the lord, and if she can get money without working much, she’s willing to make an effort. Well, she’s not putting in much effort, though.

Speaking of the lord, despite Sasuke’s complaints, Yoichi thought about it. After the coup, various cities, including the capital, have rapidly developed social security and infrastructure, positively modernizing.

In a society where the royal family and nobility directly rule over the people, such changes usually don’t happen. This is because the ones who provide the money are the ruling nobles, and they wouldn’t do such things without any benefit. However, the fact that this change has been made without a single complaint means that there is likely a tempting bait hanging or something that makes them want to protect it even if they have to spend money.

It’s certain that the change in power from the former king to the new queen is the cause, and if the mastermind behind it is the lord of Hugelcup, it should be related to dealing with the nobles.

In other words, this lord is a key character for the past, and especially the future development of the Aural Kingdom.

This incident is likely just a part of that.

“Well, if there’s nothing to do, sorry, but we don’t have any business with the guild either…”

“Is that so… Ah! Right! There’s something I wanted to ask you! Please wait a moment.”

The branch manager went into the back and after a while returned with what seemed to be some documents. There was a sense that she went upstairs, so maybe she went to her office or a similar room.

“This is a quest that came from the headquarters the other day. If I post it there, the knights take it away, so I kept it stored.”

“Is it bad if the knights take it?”

“Well, it’s not written in the quest order, but the memo that came with it says, ‘Make sure to include someone who can handle the [Inventory] in the recipients.’ So…”

In other words, it’s a player-exclusive quest. It’s the first time such a thing has come up. Or rather, is it okay to leak this information to Yoichi and the others? But pointing it out and making a fuss would be troublesome, so they decided to keep silent.

“I see. Fortunately, we are players… and we can handle the [Inventory]. If you don’t mind, we’ll take that quest.”

*

“Why the heck did we take on a quest like this?”

“You didn’t oppose it either.”

Several hours later, Yoichi and Sasuke were underground.

Even in this world, there were sewers. However, they were not the typical underground tunnels one might imagine. Most were ordinary gutters dug along the streets.

But Hugelcup city was different.

There existed a vast and intricate underground channel, somewhat like a sewer but made of stone. Yoichi and Sasuke found themselves inside this underground channel.

The quest they accepted involved exploring this underground passage, with a specific focus on searching for hidden rooms.

“It’s amazing, though. This is like over-the-top technology. Who built this, and for what purpose?”

“At least it’s not for sewage.”

Although it was made of stone, this underground passage wasn’t used as a sewer. While the dampness of infiltrated sewage wet the ceiling and walls, it didn’t accumulate significantly on the floor.

Perhaps, in the past, this passage served as a sewer, but currently, it was an unknown place, untouched for a long time.

The duo traversed the dark passage, occasionally shooting down murky slime creatures. Equipped with gas masks provided by the guild, they were prepared for the foul smell and potential hazards.

“Complaining about the quest? This is the first time I’ve heard of taking damage just by going to a location.”

“You should’ve said something before accepting it.”

The gas masks, despite their appearance, didn’t seem to structurally protect against toxic substances but rather worked as magical items. The provided equipment also included items to cure diseases and poisons, making the exploration more manageable.

As they progressed, they encountered an increasing frequency of dripping sewage from the ceiling, indicating their proximity to the city.

“However, how did the Mercenary Guild know about this place? Earlier, I felt a bit suspicious about the lord of this city, but now it’s undoubtedly the Mercenary Guild.”

“That branch manager seemed unaware of this place. It must be instructions from the headquarters.”

“That makes it even stranger.”

The entrance to this underground passage was not within the city. It was located outside, a bit away. A crumbling stone wall covered in weeds hid a staircase beneath, and the surrounding area, once paved with stone, hinted at the remains of a building that had been destroyed and forgotten over time.

Further up the stairs, there were scattered rotten wood-like objects. These must have been part of a cover for the stairs. Moreover, the fact that the ones who destroyed the building were not aware of the existence of these stairs suggested that whoever concealed them and those who destroyed the building were separate entities.

The stairs and, consequently, the underground passage and its hidden nature were known to the Mercenary Guild, but not even the destroyers were aware.

“Sometimes, the Mercenary Guild seems to get information unusually fast. At first, it was fine since it’s a game, and there wasn’t much discomfort. But as we progress through the game, realizing that everything except the scenarios is NPC-dependent and left entirely to the locals, the Mercenary Guild starts to look conspicuously out of place.”

“Completely hands-off might not be feasible, and there needs to be some organization for player support. In a solo RPG where the scenario is predetermined, it might work even if left entirely to automation. But if it’s not the case, it’s not that simple to just leave players stranded.”

“And that’s the Mercenary Guild? Besides, it feels odd; they’re either manipulated by NPC lords or something is mismatched. Even that branch manager looks like an NPC.”

Certainly, they didn’t feel like they were controlled by a human player, but that didn’t mean they weren’t characters with close ties to the administration.

Yoichi had sensed an otherworldly atmosphere from that branch manager.

Generally, if one is living a life rooted in a particular place, it’s unlikely to receive the treatment of getting a salary without doing any work and still manage to get along with the people around. For example, the resident who guided Yoichi refused the gold coin he offered. It was because of their dedication to labor and pride in their occupation. Unless that resident was exceptionally kind and sincere, the general residents of this city seemed to work diligently with their feet firmly on the ground. Living solely on subsidies from the lord in such a local community is not something to proudly declare.

“I agree with the idea that the Mercenary Guild is an organization operated by the administration. Items like these gas masks are not something such a run-down organization could provide. In fact, rather than sending such items along with the quest, it would be better for us to investigate on our own. There’s no need to rely on untrustworthy mercenaries.”

“Yeah. Besides, the quest details are strange. Searching for hidden rooms? The term ‘hidden room’ implies that it’s hidden. Why make a request for it assuming its existence? If you know it’s there, go check on your own.”

Absolutely.

However, if the Mercenary Guild, in other words, the administration, intended this as a quest they wanted players to undertake, refusing was not an option. It was evident that this was related to some event. Although the Angelic Descent seemed suspicious in terms of timing, being underground is somewhat different. Perhaps it was originally a quest related to a different event, but since there hadn’t been players visiting the Mercenary Guild recently, Yoichi and Sasuke happened to accept it at this timing.

“That Seventh Calamity, if I remember correctly, was born in some forest in the Old Hiers territory and had been headed almost straight to the royal capital.”

“That’s right.”

“In the end, it settled in the Old Hiers royal capital. It probably didn’t know where any other towns were originally. It was likely just aiming west rather than specifically for the royal capital, at first.”

“Maybe.”

“This Hugelcup is to the west of the Hiers royal capital. It might be related to that.”

“…”

It’s not entirely implausible. If that were the case, there might be a danger equivalent to the Seventh Calamity. Even with some confidence in their abilities, dealing with it would be overwhelming for just Yoichi and Sasuke.

“Say something.”

“Right.”

In total darkness underground, the only sounds were the small dripping of sewage and occasional slithering noises of dirty slimes. Once both fell silent, the surroundings were dominated by silence.

Even in complete darkness, thanks to the [Enhanced Touch] skill they possessed, they could perceive their surroundings. Acquiring this skill allowed them to feel the flow of air on their skin. Additionally, if they also had the [Enhanced Hearing] skill, they could roughly grasp the shapes and positions of surrounding objects through echoes, air vibrations, and wind currents. In enclosed spaces like this, even if they closed their eyes, they could move without hindrance.

Of course, it wasn’t something an ordinary human could naturally do. Adjusting the acquired information to be effectively utilized as visual information required system support. Beast-type races could acquire skills like [Night Vision] or [Dark Vision], but humans couldn’t. Instead, skills like these allowed them to perform similar actions.

Therefore, the two were well aware of the surrounding situation, albeit being vague and colorless. However, to continue perceiving the surroundings, it was easier if there were some sounds echoing.

“Hey.”

“Hm? Ah.”

Since they were exploring with this perception, if the path ahead was a dead-end, for example, they could sense it before turning. This was the case ahead.

However, Sasuke called out not because of that.

It was undoubtedly a dead-end. However, despite that, he felt a slight flow of air from that direction.

“I see, this must be the hidden room. But can you find it just by exploring like this?”

“I wonder. For types that use light to explore, turning on a light or using something like [Dark Vision] would probably be necessary, but…”

True. But now that they had noticed, there was no choice but to proceed.

On the face of it, it is probably no different than just another dead end. If you can read the slightest air flow as a discomfort, you will be able to detect it, but it requires a very high level of banditry skill. A dual-job type pair of archer and scout, which is common among mercenaries, would not be able to spot this on the first sight unless they were very highly ranked.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this myself, but I think our builds are quite special, or rather, they have a rather weird structure. We specialize in perception and stealth.”

“I’m not sure whether it’s weird or not, but I’d definitely say it’s uncommon.”

It’s quickest if you attack before they notice you and finish them off with a single blow.

By specializing in only those areas necessary to achieve this and putting their experience to work, Yoichi and Sasuke were able to consistently hunt even superior monsters with only two people.

Of course, this was only possible because of the skill of the two players. Not just anyone can copy the way they do things.

“We finally realized that this was for more advanced players, or maybe we came too early.”

“…That might be true.”

But what has come must come.

We can only count ourselves lucky that the death penalties have been eased during the event.

“…It’s just a hidden door, and there doesn’t seem to be any particular key or anything like that.”

“Alright, then open it.”

“Here we go… 3, 2…”

*

《Key Quest has progressed》

《Unlocking Artifact [Redire Praeteritum]》

《Event AI, please proceed with the scenario following the prescribed procedure》

《An unexpected error has occurred》

《The event area is under a player’s control》

《Responsibility leaders of each section, please discuss the response》

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