Chapter 351: A Partnership

Before long, the lunch Arthur and Alice had ordered was served.

Alice picked up her knife and fork, eating slowly. Unlike the adventurers at the table, she had a tiny appetite—she’d only ordered a child-sized portion.

“Brother, this is so delicious~!”

“Is it? If you like it, should we come here often?”

“I’d rather not...”

“Hm? Why?”

Arthur looked at her in confusion.

“Because then you’d have to go into dungeons more often, right? I don’t want you risking yourself just for this.”

“Alice...”

“Ugh—! She’s so cute!”

Eileen clutched her chest and leaned back, then suddenly straightened up and leaned toward Arthur.

“Hey, Arthur—will you let me have Alice as my little sister?”

“Ah? Well...”

Arthur looked troubled.

Instead, Alice tilted her head up innocently and said to Eileen:

“Sister Eileen, why do you need Brother’s permission? Can’t I just be your little sister anyway?”

“Ugh—”

Eileen clutched her chest and leaned back again.

“This kid is way too unfair...”

After Eileen was completely smitten by Alice, Hulim Heyerar asked Arthur:

“Arthur, why are you two in Bongisto? It’s so far from the Empire, isn’t it?”

“Because Bongisto has the most dungeons in the world,” Arthur replied. “Some of them are Sealed Dungeons—you know Alice’s condition...”

“I see. Bongisto really is the most likely place to find what you need.”

Hulim understood at once: Arthur had come for the city’s countless dungeons.

“Speaking of which, Arthur,” Lucien said suddenly.

“Have you taken any quests lately?”

“Quests?”

Arthur nodded.

“I just took an expedition mission—helping a town transport cargo back to Bongisto. I’ll be gone a few days, but it’s not until next week. Why do you ask?”

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“Next week, huh...”

Lucien thought for a moment, then said:

“Our party is delving a Rank B Dungeon tomorrow. Wanna come? We’ll be back in a day or two—won’t interfere with your mission.”

“Really? Is that allowed?”

Arthur gaped.

He was still a Rank C Adventurer, so he couldn’t enter a Rank B Dungeon on his own—but with Lucien (a Rank B adventurer) leading the team, he could.

Rank B Dungeons were far more dangerous than Rank C ones, but their rewards were vastly greater. A typical haul from a Rank B Dungeon could let a High-Rank Adventurer live comfortably for a month or two; a lucky big find could cover a year or two of expenses. That was one key reason High-Rank Adventurers lived far better than ordinary ones.

“Of course. You’ve teamed up with us before—having a reliable fighter like you will make the delve easier,” Lucien smiled.

“Then... thank you so much, Lucien!”

“You’re welcome!”

Lucien then turned to Hulim:

“Hulim, wanna join us too?”

“Me?”

“Yep. Any adventurer coming to Bongisto delves dungeons. You’re new—gathering dungeon intel alone would take ages. We’ve already prepped thoroughly for this one. What do you say?”

“Also, we’d love a strong ally like you. We’ll split the loot by adventurer rules, fair and square.”

Hulim thought it over. She’d delved many dungeons—even some Rank A ones, though most were ruin dungeons, not monster dens.

“Sure. It’s been months since I last delved a dungeon anyway.”

“Great! It’s settled, then. We’ll meet at the city gate square tomorrow morning.”

After lunch at the Golden Pavilion Tavern, Hulim bid a temporary farewell to Arthur, Alice, and the Silver Party, then headed to the guild-designated inn: Chongs Inn.

The inn was elegant and immaculate, its walls adorned with valuable paintings and stone carvings—undoubtedly a high-end establishment.

“Are you Miss Hulim Heyerar?”

Before Hulim could take out the guild’s postcard, a front desk clerk greeted her.

“You knew I’d be coming?”

Hulim asked, confused.

“Yes, Miss Heyerar. The guild notified us in advance,” the clerk replied politely.

“We’ve prepared a room for you. You can inspect it—we’ll switch it if you’re unsatisfied.”

Typical of a high-end inn: they’d gathered her details before she arrived, so check-in was seamless.

“Thank you. Lead the way.”

“Right this way, please.”

The clerk led Hulim to her room. Even at a glance, she could tell the layout was on par with a noble’s quarters—spacious, with a large balcony overlooking a garden full of rare flowers.

“This one’s fine. No need to switch.”

“Very good. Here’s your room key.”

Hulim took the key, then asked casually:

“Does this inn only host High-Rank Adventurers?”

“Not exclusively. We also have merchant guild members and nobles staying here—but non-High-Rank guests pay much more.”

“I see...”

Wealthy guests could afford it, and the inn had no reason to refuse. The extra charge was likely a “hidden security fee” from having so many powerful High-Rank Adventurers around.

“Is there anything else I can assist you with?”

“No, thank you.”

“Very well. We offer 24/7 dining—just notify the kitchen if you need anything. We also provide discount vouchers for Bongisto establishments like the Golden Pavilion Tavern; you can use them for discounts there.”

“Vouchers for the Golden Pavilion? Give me fourteen, please.”

She didn’t know when the trial would start, so she planned for a week: breakfast at the inn, two meals out a day—fourteen vouchers total. That should be enough for now.

“F-Fourteen...?”

The clerk’s mouth twitched slightly, then he replied:

“Of course. Someone will bring them to your room shortly.”

After settling in at Chongs Inn, Hulim spent the afternoon exploring Bongisto to get her bearings, then visited the Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters to check the quest board.

Unlike branch guilds, most headquarters quests were dungeon-related; the rest were expedition aid missions—not monster-hunting, but actual support for local regions. These missions were mostly for High-Rank Adventurers—unsurprising, given the headquarters’ concentration of strong fighters.

After browsing the quests, Hulim looked up toward a direction upstairs.

“......”

Was it just her imagination?

By evening, Hulim left the headquarters and headed for the Golden Pavilion. What she didn’t know was that a gaze followed her as she departed.

Meanwhile, in a top-floor room of the headquarters, a figure turned away from the window.

“Rank A at fourteen...?”

A smile tugged at their lips.

“Truly more extraordinary than I expected~.”