Herom Castle!
As the Kingdom had a position in the borderland, it was a castle bustling with Merchants dealing in entrepot trade. As a result of the users who were buying had wagons and goods. It was so disorderly it reminded him of the marketplace at dawn.
There were users who struck out at the prices as they bargained, and Merchants who weren't going to cut down even a single penny were even having a fierce fight.
“Why, no matter how money-grubbing a Merchant ya are, how can ya do this? How can ya buy the wares that are like my own children that I created at the end of so much suffering with that price?”
“Look, elder. Please calm down for now and listen to my explanation. The current market prices of wares…”
“Market prices! What did ya say the wares I made were like? Is there even a wee scratch somewhere? Or are ya saying the quality of this ruby is low?”
A small Dwarf was in hysterics. Of course, the Dwarf's true identity was Weed!
He became an obstinate Dwarf to the novice Merchants and was striking up the prices.
He sold crafted jewel ware accessories and sculptures, and even the Dwarves' gifts. To be honest, when he sold the gifts he had received at the farewell ceremony, he felt a small prick of his conscience.
'Even so, the market nowadays has changed. For the gifts I don't need, I can just think of them as receiving a gift certificate.'
Gifts from the heart!
He had received the hearts of the gift-givers and thought that was good enough, and was selling them with overcharged prices to his heart's content.
Since they were goods being sold by a Dwarf the credibility was high and the quality was good too, but because he insisted on the high prices, transactions weren't made quickly.
“Ugh, when is he coming.”
“It's getting too late… Should we just give up and go by ourselves?”
“We can't. 'Cause if there's even 1 person missing from the group we won't get points.”
Beneath the old tree by Nekan Castle, a party of people were waiting for someone.
A party composed of two Identifiers, a Thief, Enchanter, Elemental Magician, and Ranger!
Hegel set the shield he had cleaned to a sparkling shine on the ground.
“It's getting late. Though I pulled out Kudram's Shield for a change.”
Kudram's Shield.
A kite shield that could cover the whole body, it had a defense of over 70, and had the effect of blocking charges with its ponderous weight. Choe Sang Jun had borrowed the armor and shield from his older brother, who was a member of the Black Lions' Guild.
When Enchanter Rumi saw the shield, she said with a curious face, “Sang Jun, no Hegel, who enchanted that shield for you?”
“The best magic user in Haven Kingdom, Perrier-nim did it. He's the Enchanter of Black Lions' Guild.”
“Ah, that famous person did…”
The party members' gazes were bent toward Kudram's Shield.
Even inside Nekan Castle, the attention was focused on Hegel, who was attired in outstanding equipment.
In the Versailles Continent, generally it was possible to show a person's might with equipment. A Swordsman's attack power could become the strength to support the whole party, and they could also be the root of enemy pulverization.
If you looked at the outstanding Swordsman, being envious was a given.
“Must be nice, Hegel.”
“It's really enviable equipment. The armor isn't a normal item either, right?”
“You guys wouldn't know 'bout it even if I told you, 'cause it's the Snake's Bantis Armor Set. The boots and pauldrons, and helmet are a set item.”
“I've never heard about the Bantis Armor.”
“Of course not, though it's not a famous item, no! It's an armor that's so rare that only the people who know use it, so it's less well known. However its performance is more outstanding than Norman's weapons.”
“It's better than Norman's weapons?”
“The comparison in itself is impossible.”
When Hegel was boasting about the equipment, the Elemental Magician Selsia's eyes gleamed.
“With equipment like that, there's really no need to wait.”
“Hm?”
“Won't I be doing most of the hunting anyways? Then let's just go between us.”
“But if hyung doesn't come, we won't be able to get a proper grade…”
“We can go first and start exploring first, can't we meet up later?”
“Should we?”
Hegel had a tempted expression. He was also eager to hurry and try out the equipment he'd borrowed from his older brother.
Swordsman Bella also opened her mouth.
“There's not much a Sculptor can do in an exploration anyways. So even if he isn't there in the beginning, it shouldn't stand out too much.”
With even Bella's approval, Hegel made up his mind.
“Alright. Then let's go between us.”
“But what's the dungeon you decided to explore?”
The ones who had researched the information about dungeons and had made the choice were Hegel and Nide.
Nide gave the answer to that question.
“It's not far. If you pass Plain's Red Territory, a forest of dried up trees comes up; the entrance is there.”
“Is it a famous dungeon?”
“No, the only people to have discovered it is probably us.”
“Really?”
Hegel widely broadened his shoulders.
“Yep. It's a location that Nide and I found by investigating the booklets of the Kingdom's library. Though of course, Nide was the one who discovered the booklet.”
“Do you mean it's a dungeon that hasn't been opened before yet?”
“We'll prolly be the first.”
If they discovered a hidden dungeon, not only fame would rise, but they would receive 2 times the experience.
“Even if there's a trap, Nide can deactivate it, and I can take responsibility for the fighting.”
Enchanter Rumi looked worried at the talk of the hidden dungeon.
“What about Weed oppa? If it's a hidden dungeon, shouldn't we wait and go together?”
“Will that be necessary? We can just hide the booklet with the dungeon info in this old tree and go. Let's just have him look at the booklet and approximately find his way to the area 'round the entrance.”
“But since he can't fight, he might not be able to come.”
“He shouldn't be that bad. Then he wouldn't have been able to travel all the way to Thor Kingdom. Then let's hurry and go.”
Hegel dug in the ground and hid the book.
— You have thrown away Gildras' Strange Story Booklet.
They finished their preparations at a simple supply stand and left for the Plain's Red Territory.
With the sale of the wares in Herom Castle, penny pincher Weed had made 35,000 gold!
“The stagecoach leaving for Dale Kingdom departs the day after.”
“What's the travel fee?”
“7 Gold.”
Although he had planned to ride there by transport stagecoach, not only did he have to wait, but the price was expensive too.
'This won't do.'
Weed left Herom Castle and went into the rarely visited forest.
The beginner's forest where small animals like birds and squirrels lived!
Chik chik.
The squirrels, which had been picking up and eating acorns, gathered in the area around Weed. Though they were close, they didn't think of coming down from atop the neighboring trees.
If he was a Human, they wouldn't even have come near. Because Dwarves had the attribute of not enjoying killing, they had come this close.
If he was an Elf, they might have even come and rubbed their faces on him. It was because the Elves, who had an affinity with nature's beings, were a race that were welcome anywhere.