The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology

When I heard that the Guild Master had summoned me, the blood drained from my face.

"It's alright. He just wants to talk, that's all," said the guild staff member with a smile as she led us to the top floor.

I'm sorry, Elen.

What if I'm expelled from the adventurers' guild as punishment for causing that big fight? What if I'm arrested? What if Elen gets in trouble because of joint responsibility? What if word gets back to my family, ruining my reputation, and my parents are held responsible, causing Lilith and Rina to end up on the streets, and then... and then... Oh no, oh no, oh no!

"Guild Master, I've brought them," announced the staff member.

"Hmm, let them in," came the reply.

The room was like a reception area, with two large sofas and a low table in the middle. The Guild Master sat on the far sofa, with a sharp-looking woman beside him who seemed to be his secretary.

Feeling like I was being glared at, I involuntarily straightened my back.

"Don't be so tense. Come on, have a seat," urged the staff member who had brought us.

Elen and I sat down on the sofa. The staff member quickly placed tea in front of us and left the room.

After watching the door close, the Guild Master began to speak.

"Young ones, what are your names?"

"...I'm Ruruk."

"Um, Elenora."

"Well then, Ruruk. Could you tell me about what happened, in your own words?"

"Y-Yes. Elen and I have just become adventurers..."

I explained as objectively as possible that I was a G-rank adventurer, that we came to this town to raise our adventurer rank, that we had arrived at noon today and were thinking of taking a quest if we had time, and then what happened in front of the quest board.

If I could have, I would have blamed those rough adventurers, but thinking that a self-serving account would leave a bad impression, I tried to give an explanation that was as free of subjectivity as possible.

The Guild Master, who had been listening silently, grunted softly when I finished and said:

"Hmm... your account is just like a record. Why do you speak in such a manner?"

"That's because I believe facts should be separated from emotions."

"Even if that puts you at a disadvantage?"

"Yes. If I'm put at a disadvantage for stating the facts without emotion, then it means my personal judgment was wrong."

It was a lie. I do think I was wrong for resorting to violence.

But I couldn't admit that in front of Elen. If I admitted it here, Elen would blame herself again.

"Your personal judgment, you say?"

"Yes. This wasn't about our party, it was a fight I picked with them."

Good, I've said the bare minimum.

By making the cause of that big brawl my personal matter, at least Elen wouldn't be punished. It was a big deal that I could implicitly convey that to the Guild Master.

Now it's up to him to decide, but—

"Fa ha ha ha! To think someone so young could be so cunning!" The Guild Master laughed, slapping his knee.

"You said your name was Ruruk?"

"Y-Yes."

"There's no need to be so guarded. Truth be told, I've already heard most of the story from others. I know it wasn't you who broke the rules first, but those outsiders."

"No, I was definitely the first to use physical force."

"But they were the first to use verbal abuse, weren't they?"

The Guild Master snorted.

"Ruruk, do you think verbal violence goes unpunished? Those shameful acts of mocking, insulting, and abusing the characteristics of other races, directed at children who should be protected, no less. Are you saying we shouldn't hold them accountable for such barbaric behavior just because you admit your own mistake?"

"No. That's absolutely unforgivable."

"Indeed. So here's what I think. Those outsiders were the first to break the law. You simply took up their challenge to protect your companion. Now, as Guild Master, who do you think I should hold responsible for this disturbance?"

"...But they say it takes two to fight. If you don't punish me for resorting to violence, won't it reflect poorly on the Guild..."

"Ruruk is not bad! Ruruk is absolutely not bad!"

Elen, unable to contain herself any longer, shouted out.

I was surprised by her uncharacteristic outburst, but the Guild Master laughed heartily again.

"That's right! Those words are the best proof of all. How could we, as a Guild, justify blaming someone who stood up to the strong on behalf of a comrade subjected to unreasonable discrimination? Ruruk, do you think the adults of this country have become that corrupt?"

"...No, I don't think so."

"Good. Then let me say it again, Ruruk. You will not be held responsible. If you regret striking first, then next time you encounter a similar situation, try to endure it. If you find you can't do that, then you should carefully reconsider what you think 'responsibility' means."

"What it means?"

"Yes. For your age, you seem capable of exceptional thinking, but from my perspective, your way of thinking seems to be overly concerned with the views of others. To me, it sounds like your idea of 'responsibility' is something imposed by others."

...Ah, I see.

I suddenly understand.

When I was in Japan, whenever a problem occurred, I always saw scenes of people being forced to take responsibility by others, rather than taking responsibility themselves.

Politicians, celebrities, educators... they couldn't decide their own responsibilities. They were always swayed by social trends, others' opinions, and unrelated scoldings.

I had been unconsciously watching that all along, and even after coming to this world, I was still being dragged down by those unreasonable values.

It's certainly a waste to have such rigid thinking in this fantasy world.

"...I understand now. Thank you, Guild Master."

"Good. If a weight has been lifted from your shoulders, then that's all that matters."

The Guild Master smiled slightly.

As we talked, his words were quite logical. As expected of the Guild Master of the country of reasoning. I feel ashamed for thinking he might be all brawn and no brain just because of his intimidating muscular appearance.

"That's all I have to say. Ruruk, I look forward to your future achievements."

"Yes. Thank you for your time."

"Mm."

With a final bow, Elen and I left the room.

After watching the two leave, the Guild Master muttered softly to himself.

"Hmm... a boy with unique talent as a mystic arts user, and a sheep-folk girl with the qualities of a Demon Lord... What an interesting combination. I look forward to their future."

The Guild Master closed his appraisal skill while smiling happily.

What's more, this muscular old man was actually a holy magic user skilled in recovery magic.

 □　□　□　□　□

Elen and I descended to the first floor of the Adventurers' Guild and sat down in some nearby empty chairs.

We were understandably tired and didn't feel like looking for a quest right away. Just as I was thinking about heading back to the inn after catching our breath, some unfamiliar men called out to us.

"Hey kid, you were pretty cool back there!"

"Yeah, yeah! You don't need to hold back against those bastards!"

"They deserve hell."

Looking closer, I realized they were the guys who had been the first to start punching those outsiders during the big brawl. They seemed to be in quite a good mood, roughly patting my head as if they had blown off some steam by fighting to their heart's content.

"You're pretty strong for such a little guy. Wanna join our party?"

"Yeah, yeah! Both of you, come dungeon diving with us!"

"The dungeon is heaven."

"Hey, you idiots! Don't bother the kids! Instead of drinking cheap booze all the time, go earn some money!"

A barmaid from the tavern yelled at the three men. She was walking towards us, breathing heavily through her nose.

"Oh crap, it's Miss Iso! She'll kick our asses! Let's scram!"

"Yeah, you're right! See you later, kid and missy!"

"Let's meet in heaven!"

"Honestly... Are you two alright? Those guys aren't bad people, but they're so carefree they end up causing trouble all the time."

The young barmaid glared at the backs of the three men leaving the guild, arms crossed. She was a strong-willed beauty with a great figure. For some reason, though, she was clearly wearing steel-toed boots – the kind known as safety shoes. Getting kicked in the rear by those would definitely hurt.

"Thank you. But earlier, those men actually helped us... I should treat them to a drink next time we meet."

"Is that so? Well, that's admirable of you, but it's troublesome to get involved with drunks."

"Then I'll stick to non-alcoholic drinks."

"As if those guys would drink anything but alcohol. Well, they're usually here at night, so come anytime if you want to see them. But make sure you say no if anything feels wrong, okay?"

"Yes, thank you very much."

I thanked her sincerely, understanding that she was speaking out of genuine concern. As the young barmaid retreated back to the tavern, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind. I turned around to find Roze standing there.

"Ruruk, that was quite a performance. Your physical skills have improved too, haven't they?"

"Master... were you watching?"

"From the very beginning, of course. Though I was watching Elenora more than you."

Oh, right, that's how it was.

It seemed a bit overprotective that she had followed us all the way to the guild, but considering what just happened, maybe not so much.

"So, you're not taking any quests today?"

"No. I think Elen is tired too, so we were planning to take it easy."

"Take it easy? Sure, let's take it easy."

"Thank you very m—"

"We'll take it easy hunting monsters in the dungeon."

Huh?

I had fully intended to rest, but Roze was grinning as if to say there was no way she would allow such a thing.

The dungeon located in the underground labyrinth at the center of the royal capital of the Stoania Kingdom is vast.

It's said to be the deepest dungeon on land in the world, with 108 floors currently confirmed. About 70 years ago, an adventurer party reached the 108th floor but abandoned their exploration due to its sheer size, and this record has not been broken since.

Various types of people come to the dungeon. This includes different races in the literal sense, as well as people with different purposes.

The most common visitors are undoubtedly adventurers. The dungeon is filled with countless monsters, and their meat and materials are bought and sold at high prices, especially the rarer ones, so there are always quite a few people delving into the dungeon.

The neighboring kingdom of Mataisa also imports many valuable monster materials. It's well known that food is the main export from Mataisa, with its vast and fertile lands, while monster materials from Stoania, teeming with high-level monsters, are the main trade goods.

The next most common visitors are merchants. Numerous stalls line the area around the dungeon, selling food, medicine, weapons, tools, and all sorts of other goods. All kinds of merchants have set up shop here, creating a chaotic grand market. There are even some fraudulent merchants among them, and the Adventurers' Guild warns adventurers to be cautious of scams and shoddy goods.

The third most common visitors are those looking for day labor. Magical item boxes are valuable items costing over 1000 gold coins, and very few people own them. As a result, quite a few people can be seen looking for employers to work as porters, carrying or guarding materials and treasures obtained from the dungeon.

Additionally, guild staff, guards, and doctors can be found staying in the plaza in front of the dungeon or in the shallow areas up to the 10th floor.

Incidentally, it's said that over 30% of Stoania's citizens make their living from dungeon-related work. Including those indirectly involved, half of the population benefits from it. This is why other countries jokingly refer to Stoania as the "Dungeon Kingdom."

The management of dungeon entry and exit is entrusted to the Adventurers' Guild, and there's a dedicated reception desk near the entrance. Of course, one can enter without going through reception, but it seems a guild card must be presented when selling materials.

The guild card itself records information about the floors explored and floor bosses defeated, so it appears that stealing materials would be discovered.

"G-rank adventurer, Ruruk."

"Elenora. G-rank."

"I'm a civilian porter."

We lined up at the reception and presented our guild cards.

The receptionist looked a bit dubious, perhaps wondering why two children had an adult porter with them, but she seemed to decide there was no problem and proceeded to record our information. The civilian was given a rental guild card for workers.

Little did she know that the porter was actually the strongest among us.

The receptionist smiled as she looked at the entry and exit records on the cards.

"This is your first time in the dungeon, isn't it? I need to give a simple explanation to first-time adventurers, so listen carefully, okay? Make sure you remember this."

"Yes."

"Mm."

The receptionist spoke gently, as if admonishing children. We nodded obediently, like the children we appeared to be. How cute.

"The dungeon is like a maze. The entrance is down those big stairs over there. It starts from the first underground floor, and currently 108 floors have been confirmed. The maze begins once you go down the stairs, and the exit is the next set of stairs, so you'll recognize it right away. You should proceed through the maze, avoiding monsters and traps, to reach the next floor. This is the basic path for progressing through the dungeon. Do you understand so far?"

"Yes."

"Mm."

What a simple labyrinth structure.

"Next are the rules inside the dungeon. You'll probably meet other adventurers along the way. Make sure to exchange information with them, like if a path is a dead end or if another way is correct. It's also okay to cooperate with everyone to advance efficiently. However, even if you have trouble with other adventurers, never fight. It's dangerous, and if you do bad things when no one is watching, very strong monsters will appear. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Mm."

"And one more thing. Since you're children, you can probably go normally up to about the 5th underground floor, but don't go any further than that by yourselves. Can you promise me that?"

"Um, why is that?"

"Because E-rank monsters start appearing from the 6th floor. It's still too dangerous for children your age, so even if you do go further, run away immediately if you encounter a monster. Also, there are no patrolling guild staff beyond the 6th floor, and bad adults are there too. You might get tricked, have your things stolen, or in the worst case, even get killed. Okay? Of course, it's dangerous even up to the 5th floor, but anyway, children should only go up to the 5th floor. Remember this well."

"Yes! I understand!"

Hoho, I see.

So, only F-rank and below monsters appear up to the 5th floor.

I responded energetically like a novice adventurer and made a promise with the receptionist.

...Of course, I had no intention of keeping it. Or rather, I probably wouldn't be allowed to keep it.

Look, there's a guardian snickering behind us.

"That's all for the explanation. The rest you'll have to see, judge, and confirm for yourself. That's what being an adventurer is about."

"Thank you very much."

"You're welcome. Do you have any more questions?"

"Well... I see there are two entrances over there. What's the difference?"

I pointed at the large passageway that led to the stairs, and the smaller passageway next to it.

Adventurers were coming and going from both.

The receptionist smiled and said,

"The larger one is the normal entrance, and the smaller one is a passageway with a teleportation device. But it'll be a while before you can use it."

"There's a teleportation device?"

I can't believe there actually is one.

"Yes. It's a bit complicated, but there are teleportation devices at the entrance and every 10 floors of the dungeon. If you hold your guild card up to the teleportation device, it can record the location information on your guild card. That terminal is connected to the entrance terminal, so you can teleport whenever you want. And once the location information is recorded, it stays saved, so even if you leave once, you can continue exploring from where you left off. Understand?"

It's like a save point!

What a convenient dungeon...

As I was looking at her with sparkling eyes, impressed, she continued,

"All large dungeons have this system. When you grow up and go to other dungeons, you'll see the same thing."

"I see. But if there are such convenient teleportation devices, why aren't they widespread?"

"Well, the ones made by dungeons don't work anywhere else. Dungeons only form in places where three things overlap: a major ley line, a mana pool, and a major ore vein. The teleportation devices won't function properly without such a strong field, and they're spontaneously generated by the dungeon itself. So they don't work away from the dungeon, and they're too complex to replicate."

The receptionist picked up on my muttering and explained.

There was so much I didn't know. She's quite knowledgeable and well-informed.

Come to think of it, the dungeon in my home territory of Muuteru was fairly small, so maybe that's why I had never heard about teleportation devices. I should have researched more thoroughly.

"Any more questions?"

"Ah, no. Thank you for explaining so much."

"You're welcome. Well then, off you go. Oh, you probably won't be able to tell time inside the dungeon, but if you ask the patrolling guild staff, they'll let you know. Try not to stay out too late."

"Okay!"

Ruruk responded energetically and headed towards the entrance.

Roze, walking beside him, said in a low voice,

"Don't steal the teleportation device."

"Master, what do you take me for?"

I struck an indignant pose.

To be honest, I really want one. I'd love to take it home and study its structure and magical formulas. I want to tinker with it to my heart's content. ...Well, the receptionist didn't mention it, but I'm sure stealing one would be a serious crime.

With these thoughts in mind, we entered the dungeon.