11. Lockpicking Showtime

Even though we were still inside the dungeon, it was time for introductions.

Rei was a defensive vanguard who held the Divine Protection of the Job God: Knight. His role was to draw the enemy's attention and soak up damage with his shield. Of course, I assumed he’d take a swing himself if the opportunity arose. His gear was built on a base of leather armor, but the metal reinforcements made it look incredibly sturdy. He looked like he could take a direct hit from a Goblin Bat without flinching.

Mil was a more aggressive vanguard. His protection was Swordsman. He seemed like the type to overwhelm opponents with a flurry of strikes rather than relying on the power of a single blow. The sword he carried looked a bit slender, but its craftsmanship was so magnificent that comparing it to my knife would have been an insult.

Sally, who had the quintessential mage look, took up the rear. As I expected, her protection was Divine Protection of the Mage. While she used Magic Scrolls, she had apparently already mastered several spells on her own. They were mostly attack magic. To be honest, using high-tier spells on mere Goblins felt like total overkill.

Looking at the three of them, their equipment was far too high-quality. I had a feeling it was well beyond what a typical Rookie Adventurer could afford. Given their ages and how they’d acted before entering the dungeon, they were definitely rookies, but maybe they were the children of wealthy families?

By the way, my own protection, Dungeon Explorer, seemed to be quite rare. They were genuinely surprised by it. Apparently, people with the Thief or Scout protections usually handled the lockpicking and trap disarming duties.

Thief...

So it wasn't a protection specifically for criminals? I mentally apologized to all the Thieves out there for the misunderstanding.

Also, when I mentioned that I could use <Clean>, the girls were thrilled. As expected, it really is a must-have utility. Apparently, Sally had tried using scrolls several times to learn it herself, but she hadn't been able to master it yet.

Now then, with the brief introductions out of the way, it was finally time for the main event: opening the Treasure Chest. The chest was relatively large and heavy. Apparently, they were always like that, regardless of what was inside. Even a chest containing nothing but a single scroll supposedly felt so heavy that even a strongman would struggle to haul it. It was thanks to that quirk that adventurers with the Lockpicking Skill like me were so highly valued.

"Alright, I'm going to open it now. This is my first time dealing with a real Treasure Chest, so please stay back—especially from the front. It’s dangerous."

"Whoa, hold on, are you serious? Is it really that risky?"

"I told you, didn't I?" Sally chided. "It’s reckless to try and open one without the proper skills."

"She’s right," Mil added. "I'm just glad we ran into you, Tort-kun."

"Alright, alright, I get it..." Rei muttered, looking suitably chastened.

Apparently, Rei had been insisting on trying to force the Treasure Chest open without the [Lockpicking] skill, and the other two had been forced to hold him back.

"I’ve heard there aren't many fatal traps on the lower floors of this dungeon," I said, "but you can still get hit with poison needles or paralysis gas. Opening one without preparation is asking for trouble."

I understood the urge to crack it open immediately, but I had to drive the point home. It would be too tragic to get wiped out right in front of a hard-earned Treasure Chest. It was times like these that required the most caution.

Having talked a big game to Rei, I had to be extra careful myself. I laid out my Antidote and Paralysis-Curing Pill where I could grab them in an instant.

I carefully inspected the exterior of the chest for anything suspicious. If there was a thin thread stretched across a gap, it was a dead giveaway for a trap. Fortunately, I didn't see anything like that this time.

Sometimes Treasure Chests were protected by magical traps. In those cases, I’d have to use Mana Detection to find them, but that was currently beyond my abilities. I’d heard that those kinds of traps weren't used in this dungeon, so I felt relatively safe on that front.

Since there were no traps on the outside, that left the interior. Traps were most commonly hidden around the keyhole.

I made sure not to carelessly peer directly into the keyhole. There were traps that could sense movement and fire a needle into your eye. Terrifying.

First, I waved my hand over the keyhole. Once I was sure there was no reaction, I peeked inside.

Ah, yeah. This is the type that fires if you fiddle with the lock the wrong way. Based on the internal structure... yeah, I could definitely disarm this.

It looked like a standard trap designed to fire a poison needle straight forward. If I just stood to the side while opening it, I could probably ignore the trap entirely, but...

My identification wasn't guaranteed to be perfect, and more importantly, I needed the practice. I decided to go ahead and properly disarm it.

I pulled out my "secret lockpicking tool."

It wasn't actually anything that fancy—just a wire-like Picking Tool. It didn't have any magical functions, so in the end, everything relied on my own dexterity.

That said, a lock of this level was a piece of cake. I really had to thank the instructors for that [Lockpicking] lecture.

With a satisfying click, the lock gave way. I double-checked that the others were a safe distance away and then lifted the lid from the side.

Phew...

No trap triggered. It was a poison needle, just as I’d suspected. I quickly neutralized the trigger mechanism and removed the trap itself.

"It's safe now!" I called out.

Once I was sure it was clear, I waved my companions over. It was a hard-won Treasure Chest, after all; the joy should be shared. I’d caught a glimpse of the contents, but I’d done my best to avoid looking properly until everyone was there.

"Whoa, that’s impressive..." Rei said, sounding stunned. "I couldn't really tell what you were doing, but I can see that’s no simple trick."

"Truly!" Sally agreed. "I am so glad we didn't let Rei touch it."

"No kidding. That's a poison needle, isn't it? Man, that was close."

"I said I was sorry! Give me a break..."

Wait, am I actually being praised right now?

I got to enjoy the thrill of lockpicking and get complimented on top of it?

Dungeon Explorer really was my calling!

"Thanks! But come on, it’s a Treasure Chest! Let's see what's inside!"

"Yeah, you're right!"

Now then, what was waiting for me inside my very first dungeon chest?