Gather Divine Coins and Gacha! - Chapter 151

The waiting area in front of the underground dungeon.

It's usually a noisy place where adventurers gather for pre-dungeon meetings, but today, it's remarkably quiet.

Of course, it’s not that there are no adventurers around.

About 30 adventurers are holding their meetings, but they are all speaking in hushed tones out of respect for Seriana and Elena.

It's not like they have to be quiet, but somehow, that's just how it is. If I were in their shoes, I might do the same.

"Serra, come down here."

Seriana calls out to me, as I’ve been awkwardly staying upstairs. These two don't seem bothered at all. Do they have nerves of steel or something?

"Is Alex here yet...?"

I reluctantly head down, but the awkwardness doesn't go away. Just as I'm grumbling, there’s a commotion near the stairs.

"He's here."

"Oh? Really?"

Looking over, I see Alex coming down and getting surrounded by the adventurers. At a glance, many of them look young, so they might be rookies. An adventurer from their hometown who made a name for himself in the capital and earned a title—he's a bit of a hero.

"Should we call him?"

It's lively, but what should we do? I’ll leave it to Seriana's judgment.

"It's fine. Let's wait."

Is this a service of some kind? She's pretty tolerant about these things.

…She is tolerant, but there’s a limit. If this drags on for 20 minutes, it’ll be a problem.

Though Seriana is tapping her fingers with her arms crossed, the speed is increasing. Given her position, she can't easily interrupt. I guess I have to step in.

"Alex!"

I float closer, calling out loudly to get his attention. Alex stops talking and looks our way, spotting Seriana too.

"Sorry, but I’ve kept them waiting. I’ll be going now."

He tells the surrounding adventurers and makes his way to us, looking a bit flustered. He probably realizes he talked for too long.

"…"

"Sorry. I'm late."

Under our combined gazes, Alex lowers his head.

"Well… it's fine. I expect you to make up for it. Let's go."

Seriana and Elena stand and head toward the dungeon. We follow them.

"It's unusual, isn't it? For him to be so chatty?"

I ask, feeling curious. The Alex I know is usually quite reserved. He's not shy and can speak in front of others when needed, but it’s unusual for him to be so talkative, especially when Seriana is waiting.

"Yeah… well, there were a lot of young ones, right? Recently, there have been casualties, and I wanted to share what I could while I was here. I've also been asked to provide guidance whenever possible."

"Oh…"

It was a more serious reason than I expected.

"Didn't the lady understand that? That's why she didn't stop him."

"Maybe…"

I think it's 50/50. Her irritation seemed genuine.

"Well… we'll make up for it with our work down below."

He chuckles and quickens his pace to catch up with the two.

◇

"We're going to rush through to the upper levels. Serra, switch with me and take the floating orb. I'll carry you. From above, I'll guide us through the route with fewer monsters. Alex, you handle all the fighting. Elena, you take care of the cores. We're going to be quick."

So Seriana will be navigating.

Alex has it tough… I see his face tense up a bit. Elena laughs at the sight. She seems pretty relaxed… well, goblins aren't much of a threat, it’s just a tough job.

Yeah… this is definitely a punishment for chatting.

"Okay, here you go."

Since I’m barefoot, I sit on Alex’s shoulder and hand the floating orb to Seriana. Seems like there won't be much for me to do in the shallows…

"Do you need this too?"

I point to my ear. The Fairy Eye can be used alongside Seriana's skills. It might not be necessary for goblins, but more information is always helpful.

"…No, it's not needed. You keep it. Let's go!"

Seriana, carrying me, gives the order to move out.