Mnotia's Den

 "Hey! You there, maid!" As I drifted from the guild toward the noble district where the mansion was, I was suddenly called out to. Thanks to various events, people are somewhat aware of who I am now. That I’m someone from the Müller family too. Which is why, in this town, there shouldn’t be anyone who speaks to me in that tone… That said, I’m probably the only maid wandering around here, so it’s unlikely they’ve mistaken me for someone else. Puzzled, I turned around—and there were the kids from the guild. Well, “kids,” but they’re actually pretty big... Still, compared to adults, even with the height, they’re clearly still slender. And yet, just like I heard at the guild, their equipment fits them perfectly. Looking at them closely again, I can tell right away. Since I started frequenting the Adventurer’s Guild, I’ve seen many adventurers. Even if they maintained their gear, there were always scratches, dents, or stains. In contrast, theirs were too clean. I don...

 "Ah... well, it's not a big deal or anything." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Anyway, listen." "In early spring, nobles from other countries come to attend the academy. They bring knights, mercenaries, and adventurers as their escorts. Merchants follow in their wake, too. The bigger the group, the less likely it is for bandits to target them. And if a group of nobles is nearby, it's even more discouraging for would-be attackers." Ohh, I see. Now that he mentions it, Seriana has been going out daily, attending parties with various nobles from different countries. "And here's the thing. Once those mercenaries and adventurers escorting them arrive in the royal capital, their job is done. After that, they head into the dungeons in the capital to make some quick coin… Happens every year." He muttered this while looking up at the ceiling. What's with him? I could tell he was fed up with it, though… "Our countr...

 It’s already mid-February, and spring is approaching fast. The weather is pleasantly warm. Many trade caravans from foreign countries are coming in, and the streets are bustling with people, filling the royal capital with energy. In previous years around this time, I’d be too busy dealing with new children entering the orphanage or sorting things out for those who had left, and never had the leisure to feel the change of seasons—but it’s quite nice. The recent issue with the Undead has settled down, and I’ve started diving into the dungeon again. Not just Holy Coins, but my cash on hand has been steadily increasing too. I can now freely move around the city using the 【Floating Orb】, so maybe it’s time to try checking out some street stalls? Humming a little tune, I entered the guild in high spirits. Maybe I’m a bit too relaxed, but today isn’t about exploring—just a simple errand. It’s okay once in a while. "What the hell!?" "I have a proper permit, don’t I!?...

 Ahh— "Here." Munch munch. "Here’s some tea." Gulp gulp. ...... "Here." As soon as I swallowed, another piece of pie pierced on a fork was offered, so I obediently took it into my mouth. After unexpectedly running into Seriana at the training grounds, the trial of the 【Scarlet Bee Needle】 was brought to a close. Seriana went off somewhere with the old men, but since it was around lunchtime, I was taken to the academy’s cafeteria. Maybe it was because I tried to run away at that moment, but now I’m restrained on Elena’s lap. Since we’re inside the royal palace grounds, I guess I can’t just move around however I want, so it can’t be helped. "Oh? Doesn’t it suit your taste?" Elena asked, noticing that I was eating a little slower. "No, it’s delicious." It really is. As expected from an academy attended by nobles, even I—who know the taste of Japan—think it’s tasty. I think it’s some kind of berry fruit, but the sourness of...

 "You're noisy, you know…" Unlike the territorial schools, this is a noble academy. It's not simply a place for studying; it's also where you learn social skills and manners. Running around or shouting loudly is absolutely forbidden. If the instructor in charge finds out, they'll surely scold you. And yet, the boys have been making quite a racket for a while now. From what I catch without really trying, it seems someone has come to the training grounds… "I wonder who’s come?" "The training grounds, right? I haven’t heard that any knights from other countries have arrived, so maybe it’s someone from the central army?" Though the girls aren’t making a fuss, they seem curious too. "Milady." Elena hurriedly approached. She normally wouldn’t come into the classroom unless it was something serious… but what’s with that look on her face? I can tell she’s troubled… “Lord-sama and Sera are at the training grounds.” …Ah. “No...

 "Yah!" With a shout full of spirit, I swung my foot with all my strength, smashing the target made of earth. Quite a powerful strike. "“Oooooh!?”" Heh. The cheers from the gallery feel good. They’re old men who, just like the old man, have passed down the headship to their children and are stationed in the royal capital instead. They hold noble titles not only through their families but personally as well, quite high-ranking folks, but basically, they’re retired gentlemen starving for some excitement. Ever since I started smashing the targets, they've been making a fuss every time. This target is created by the mages stationed at the training grounds using magic. Apparently, they are all the same size and strength. There are a few others attacking the targets besides me, but at best they just chip them—they haven’t been able to smash them completely. "One more time, please." I ask the mage to repair the target. Maybe because I’ve asked m...

"Ho!" Kick. "Ha!" Kick! "Ta!" Just keep kicking! "Yah!" With a sharp swing, I snapped my leg up to head height. Since I’ve gotten a young body again, the results of my daily stretching routine are showing. Every time I throw a kick, the 【Scarlet Bee Needle】 wrapped around my right foot sparks red with a crackling sound. It feels a bit superpowered. The crackling along the arc of the high kick looks cool too. Should I give this technique a name or something? It’s already been 10 days since the “Actually I was the undead" incident. When I asked Alec, it seems that adventurers have come to know about me to some extent through “Lagiola’s Fang” and the guild. Because of that, it settled on the possibility that the undead mistook me for someone else. Still, in case there really were undead lurking, leaving it alone would only cause more damage, so they’re currently investigating the shallows and the entire upper layer just to be sa...

I looked over the boots here and there, but they were all red. If I had to say, the sole part was a brown close to black—but probably not the right one. They'd gone out of their way to color-code them, so that must mean something... "What are you doing?" I was searching for the black one, but maybe I looked suspicious. "Yeah. There’s a red one, but I was wondering where the black one is." "Black? ...Ah." That was all it took for Seriana to understand. She stood up from the sofa and came over. I can’t tell while wearing them, but maybe there’s something visible from a distance? She came right up to me, grabbed the hem of my clothes, pulled it straight up, and started patting my leg. "⁉" Why does this woman have no hesitation flipping up someone else's clothes…? "You're wearing it, aren’t you?" Following her gaze, I saw she was looking at my right leg. I was wearing the boots, but... "Huh?" Since the ...

 "...What is this?" I picked up the floating string, stared at it for a while, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. Confused, I frowned. Seeing that, Seriana and the others came closer and peeked over. "It says it's a 【Scarlet Bee Needle】. ...It's a string, right?" It's a string, isn’t it? About 20 centimeters long, with red and black stripes. ...A friendship bracelet? "I'm going to release it for now. Hand it over." She said that as she reached her hand out. Now that I think about it, ownership technically belongs to Seriana, so I handed it to her. Hmm… 10 Holy Coins… After taking the 【Scarlet Bee Needle】, she pulled and fiddled with it for a bit, then moved from the desk to the sofa in the sitting area to begin the release. Sitting next to her, I watched as her hand holding the 【Scarlet Bee Needle】 began to glow. 【Green Fang】 turned into a knife, and 【Red Shield】 transformed into something cool—so this one should also chang...

 "Sera, stay away from dungeons until the undead situation has settled down. I know it's not your fault, but if this kind of thing keeps happening, it'll be a problem. You feel the same, don't you?" Yeah, that's true. It can't be helped, so I’ll behave for now. "Okay!" "Good. Now then, let's talk about the expedition. You mentioned you needed one more card—how did that go?" Although I ran into some unexpected trouble on the way back, I did manage to secure it. "Hehehe! I got the last card!" "Impressive. The holy statue is right here, so go ahead and use it." Behind the old man’s desk sits a small holy statue, the same kind I have. Zelkis’ mansion had a chapel, but it seems the royal capital’s mansion doesn’t. "I'll go get the one I left in my room." Saying that, I leave the office and head to the room I was given. I've stashed the Holy Coins and various other things in the 【Hideout】,...

"I understand." Looking down at the men prostrating themselves on the floor of the old man's office, Seriana said that. "Sera, come over here." "Okay okay… wait, whoa!?" As she approached, they scrutinized her closely. Then they grabbed her cheeks, twisted her shoulders, and lifted her hem. They seemed to want to see where she was injured, but thanks to the effect of 【Prayer】 used in the treatment, not even a scar remained. "It looks like there are no scars… So? What are you going to do?" Turning to face them, she glared at the guild executive who had accompanied them. Apparently, he's the head of the department that mediates disputes between adventurers within the royal capital. He had quite the intimidating appearance, but she paid it no mind whatsoever. At 14, to have such presence… yeah, she’s definitely something special. "Yes. Combat between humans within a dungeon is considered a crime. Additionally, since the Clan Master was ...

 After I started diving into the royal capital dungeon alone, the first thing I prioritized was deciding on a hunting ground. Just before the shallows were the Giant Centipedes. Deeper inside, while it was possible to defeat the enemies, their numbers were too great, and solo hunting there was a bit too dangerous. I wandered around thinking there really weren’t any good spots… until I found it—one of the outermost passageways that connected to the upper layers. It was a slightly open area, and the monsters that appeared there were massive bulls, about the size of a small elephant. I saw other adventurers fighting them. They were few in number, but strong and fast. While they lacked agility, they had enough stamina to match their massive size—formidable opponents indeed. Since it was a roundabout route to the upper layers, it didn’t seem popular, and there were hardly any people around. Perfect for me. So, I started frequenting the place for a while. The pace was slower due...

 "Do you have something you want to ask?" Did she notice my puzzled expression? This is a good opportunity. Might as well ask. "Is it really something that needs to be kept secret?" "Ah, yes. It’s something you should know. The Great Forest Alliance isn’t at war with the Western Nations—specifically the Empire and the United Kingdom—but their relations are far from friendly." ...The Western Nations? But to the east, the only countries are the ones in the Great Forest Alliance. "...So that means basically most of the continent, right? Why?" "There are hardly any monsters left in the West, aside from the ones in dungeons. Do you understand what that means?" "...Ah!" Peace is nice and all, but that also means fewer ways to earn Holy Coins. And since dungeons still exist, maintaining them must require Holy Coins... "Do you get it now? According to the Alliance agreement, Holy Coins cannot be taken outside the coun...