Chapter 7: Charlotte and a Verbal Promise◇

I glanced at Master for confirmation, then gestured for the man to take a seat at one of the tables in the shop.

To my mild surprise, he accepted without resistance and dropped himself onto the chair with a heavy thud.

I sat down across from him, taking a moment to observe his demeanor more carefully.

He made no effort to hide his displeasure. Still, it didn’t look like he meant to say he wouldn’t forgive me—it was more like he was simply angry.

I think there’s still room for discussion. Or maybe that’s just what I want to believe.

Honestly, I’m scared. Under the table, I rub my thighs together.

"Um, first of all… thank you."

"That’s sudden. What exactly are you thanking me for?"

"For saving me yesterday, and again just now…"

"If that’s all, don’t worry about it. I only did it for my own benefit."

Don’t worry about it because you did it for your own benefit?

What a pompous jerk. He could at least just accept the thanks honestly.

In that case, the next thing I should do is explain myself.

"I didn’t have a choice, you know. I was carrying a lot of stuff, and if I didn’t cash it in quickly it would’ve been stolen."

"That doesn’t matter. What I care about is that you ignored me."

"Ignored…?"

Did I ignore him? I can’t remember.

Could it be he called out to me? I was so focused on what was ahead, I hadn’t heard a thing.

The black-haired swordsman deepened the crease in his brow.

"…I told you to give me your contact. To make sure you kept your promise."

"Um, I’m sorry. I really didn’t hear you at the time. —Promise?"

He let out a long sigh. The exasperation on his face was obvious.

"'I’ll do anything'—those were your words, weren’t they?"

His voice made the entire shop stir.

I felt the gazes of all the eating and drinking patrons shift toward our table at once.

"You weren’t actually planning to pretend you never said that, were you?"

His sword gave a sharp chink as he shifted it.

I flailed my hands in front of me in a frantic denial.

"No no no, that’s not what I meant! Not at all!"

"So you won’t go back on your words?"

"I won’t, I won’t! You saved me, after all. Um… what exactly do you want me to do?"

I asked the question while instinctively covering myself with my arms, earning an openly disgusted look from him.

The way his expressions kept shifting more than I expected… maybe he’s surprisingly expressive?

Though so far, it’s all just shades of displeasure.

"Don’t pull that disgusting act. Nobody’s interested in your body."
"Wha—!?"

I was left speechless.

Sure, maybe it’s just my overconfidence, but being told to my face that I’m not even attractive to him—that hurts my pride.

Is that really something you say when you’ve got such a pretty girl right in front of you?

Is he impotent? He’s impotent, isn’t he?

A few of the customers were giving him a "is this guy for real?" look.

But he ignored their stares and went on speaking.

"…I’m far too ignorant about this town, about the dungeon."

That much, I already knew from going into the dungeon with him yesterday.

Ignorant and reckless. At this rate, he definitely wouldn’t live long.

Dungeons aren’t so forgiving that strength alone can keep you alive.

"But I have a goal. I can’t just give up on going into the dungeon."

His black eyes, sharp as a hunter’s, narrowed.

And as the prey in that gaze, I couldn’t help but stiffen.

"While I’m operating in this town, you’ll assist me. That’s the price for saving you yesterday."

"Specifically?"

"Dungeon-related information, necessary dealings, and maybe other tasks I’ll think of later."

"…That’s all you want?"

After a pause, the words slipped out before I could stop them.

The man exhaled. It didn’t feel intimidating—rather, it felt like he was deliberately giving me space, even easing the tension a little.

"Is that unsatisfactory? Compared to a life, it’s a cheap price, isn’t it?"

"No, it’s not that!"

It’s just… far too cheap.

I’d braced myself for something much worse. Like having to help with a murder, or provide a body for him to test his blade on.

This was so mild it almost felt suspicious.

No, maybe to this man, it really was important. Judging by his overbearing attitude, he probably can’t negotiate normally with anyone.

I’ll probably get stuck with errands too… shopping for him at the shop, maybe.

Sensing my unease, he gave another small sigh before continuing.

"Relax. I don’t expect that much from a little girl like you. I just thought someone working here might pick up useful information now and then."

"Well, I guess… if you put it that way, I do know a fair bit…"

"If you have something to say, then say it."

"N-nothing at all."

Honestly, among those who aren’t part of any organization, I’d say I hold a fair amount of information.

But the only reason I’ve been left alone until now is because I’m me. Because I can’t do anything with it, it’s useless in my hands.

But if this man gets hold of it? He might draw the attention of every group in town at once.

If I cared about self-preservation, I’d just feed him vague, harmless tidbits.

Would that be enough to satisfy him? His instincts seemed sharp. He’d probably force me to spill what I was hiding.

"…Not feeling motivated? Then how about this."

Whatever he read from my silence, the man made an additional offer. He leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and extended his left hand toward me.

"Same as yesterday. I’ll protect you. You can keep whatever junk we pick up in the dungeon. I’ll only take a share for myself."

This is a tempting offer.
I wouldn’t have to worry about balancing messy human relationships, and I could profit in relative safety.

With this man, I wouldn’t need to resort to the kind of aggressive touches or flirtatious hints I’ve had to use before.

Since romance wasn’t part of the deal, there would be no needless trouble. Ours could stay a relationship of pure profit.

Given his strength, he could probably take on most opponents. There aren’t many people who can project such sheer pressure.

For my safety, having him guard me would cover the martial side of things.

It was dangerous, but the returns would be worth it.

"…A share, you said? A share of what?"

I decided to ask about the one part that bothered me.

If he hadn’t cared at all about magic stones or other valuables, then what was it he wanted?

"I seek the Dungeon’s Treasure."

Again, the shop stirred with noise.

There wasn’t a soul here who didn’t understand the weight of those words.

Everyone had heard of it at some point. Everyone had dreamed of it, only to eventually abandon the dream. That was the Dungeon’s Treasure.

"Hey, what’s this Dungeon’s Treasure supposed to be?"

"What, the man they call Nick the Conqueror of Dungeons doesn’t know?"

"…Stop calling me that."

Nick, finally shaken out of his shock, asked the patron beside him about the treasure.

"The Dungeon’s Treasure… it’s said to lie deep within some dungeon. Supposedly the very thing that causes dungeons to exist in the first place."

Yes. That was what the Dungeon’s Treasure meant—the root of all dungeons. You could call it the very origin of their existence.

No one knew what it was. No one even knew if it truly existed.

It was nothing more than a legend, said to exist somewhere.

"…Are you serious?"

"I am. To accomplish what I must, I’ll need something of that magnitude."

—I had misunderstood.

Yesterday, I thought this man was merely a seeker of the path. But that was wrong. You could tell just by looking into his eyes.

These were not the eyes of someone prepared to die for the sake of his goal.

They were the eyes of a warrior who lived each moment beside death, who had accepted it as his constant companion.

Not someone whose end was near—someone who had chosen to walk with death always.

What had made him that way?

I swallowed, the sound loud in my own ears.

"Your name."

"Hm?"

"Would you… tell me your name?"

It wasn’t that I planned to carve it on a gravestone. Nor that I’d grasped some deeper truth.

It was just—someone with this much resolve disappearing without accomplishing anything, without even being remembered, seemed unbearably lonely.

Dying forgotten by everyone… there’s nothing lonelier than that.

At the very least, in this town, I could be the one to remember.

Whatever he took from my request, the man tilted his head upward, thought for a moment, and then slowly spoke.

"…Riven. Call me that from now on."

"Then, Riven-san… as your first bit of advice, I suggest you stop talking about the Dungeon’s Treasure in public."

"…I see. A fair warning. Seems you’ve said it a little too late, though."

The stares from around us were now like a bed of needles.

Some looked at him with suspicion, others with disdain, others as though they were watching a madman.

And all of that stemmed from the legend.

They said that whoever obtained the Dungeon’s Treasure would gain control over all dungeons.

For adventurers who risked their lives daily to earn their bread in the dungeons, that was no laughing matter.

Of course, everyone dreamed of it once. But everyone gave it up. That’s how it went.

The people, the atmosphere, the very environment—they would not allow anyone to keep dreaming.

That was the kind of town this was.

"If you’re going to dive into dungeons, it’s best to make as few enemies as possible. Wouldn’t you agree?"

"Reasonable. But if anyone gets in my way, I’ll eliminate them. What others think has nothing to do with me."

Riven unleashed his pressure on the room. Even I, no fighter, could feel the sharp air prickling my skin.

It was his way of saying: These words are meant for you all to hear.

The way he’d behaved at the dungeon gate yesterday had been the same.

This man seemed almost to seek out enemies on purpose.

No, there was no way I’d be able to keep up with him for long.

This town wasn’t kind enough to let anyone survive alone. If brute force could solve everything, someone would have unified it long ago.

I sighed. He raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

"Anyway, if you plan to go into the dungeon here, you should become an adventurer first."

"…And what does becoming an adventurer entail?"

"Plenty. I’ll guide you and explain as we go."

I called out to Master, letting him know I’d be stepping out for a while.

With a wave of his hand, he gave his consent. The busiest hours had passed, and from here the crowd would thin. My absence wouldn’t cause any trouble.

"All right, let’s go."

"Wait. At least tell me where we’re going."

At the door, I turned back, flashing a friendly smile at the customers before facing Riven again.

"To the dungeon’s governing body. Commonly called the Guild."