Chapter 19: Townsperson A Shifts the Plan to the Second Stage

Knock, knock.

I rapped the knocker on the door of the Lulu Store. After a moment, the voice of an old woman drifted out from within.

"Who is it?"

"I’d like to order the recommended special," I said. "Delivery address: the stomach of a Black Dragon."

Click.

The lock turned, and I slipped inside the shop as the door swung open.

"Welcome. Oh, it’s you. It’s been a while, boy. What are you looking for today?"

"I’m here to sell," I replied.

"You’re saying you’ve finally gotten your hands on something valuable enough for my shelves?"

"Yeah. These."

I held out three small vials of Elf Honey.

"These are... quite high-quality. Fresh, by any chance?"

"I happened to acquire them through a certain connection. How much will you give me for them?"

"Heh. Not bad. How does two million Cent for the lot sound?"

The old shopkeeper held up two fingers as she spoke.

"Fine. That works for me."

It sold for far more than I had expected. For reference, my Appraisal had turned up the following:

Name: Elf Honey Description: Precious honey obtainable only within the Elven Village. Highly nutritious; consumption provides benefits to beauty, health, and longevity. Also used as a raw ingredient for various Secret Elixirs. Grade: Rare Price: 300,000 Cent

I had five vials in total. Since the honey supposedly boosted health and longevity, I had decided to give one to my mother as a gift and keep another as a luxury condiment for when I was out camping.

"Can you get any more of this?" the woman asked.

"It’ll be difficult to get more immediately, but I’ll bring them to you if I do."

"Please. This hasn't circulated on the market for decades. Whether it's a hundred bottles or two hundred, I’ll buy everything you can bring me."

"Understood. I'll keep that in mind. By the way... do you have any Magic Bags in stock?"

A Magic Bag was an item that used mana to store far more than its external dimensions suggested. Since the original game featured a standard player inventory, these items never appeared in the scenario, but I’d learned of their existence after hearing a senior adventurer at the Adventurer's Guild bragging about one.

"Not a chance. What kind of capacity were you looking for anyway?"

"I’d be happy with something that could fit the contents of this room."

"Hahaha! Those don't just 'circulate.' Even if one did turn up, the price tag would be enough to buy a whole country."

"I see."

I guess I was being a bit too greedy.

"Well, if you're just looking for something that fits a rucksack's worth of gear into a small pouch, those show up for about five hundred thousand every now and then. Stop by and check in once in a while."

"Understood. I'll do that."

With that exchange concluded, I stepped out of the Lulu Store.

It was time. My Scenario Destruction Plan had completed its first stage, and I was ready to move on to the second.

I had already obtained all the necessary skills, and I finally had a solid lead on the funds required for my school tuition. That left only one thing: I needed the raw power necessary to win the inevitable duel.

In other words, my next move was a level-grind.

To raise my level, I needed to train rigorously and defeat enemies. Those "enemies" didn't necessarily have to be monsters—humans counted too—but I had no intention of becoming a criminal just for the sake of XP.

Thus, I decided to return to my roots as an adventurer and go on a monster hunt.

My destination was Stresen Village. There was a Goblin Labyrinth nearby. In the original otome game, this area served as the second battle segment and was treated as the player's first taste of actual combat.

However, even though it was a "Labyrinth," my goal wasn't to conquer the thing. The objective was simply to cull the Goblins that sporadically raided the village. There was no need to force my way to the bottom.

Back when I played the game, I actually ended up with a Game Over because I didn't realize that traversing the entire dungeon was unnecessary. I had just charged straight in and gotten my party wiped out.

In this world, a Labyrinth was a dreadfully inconvenient phenomenon that spat out an infinite supply of monsters. When the population inside grew too large, they would overflow into the surrounding area and go on a rampage. Hence, periodic thinning was required.

At the deepest level of a Labyrinth, there was a boss room, and beyond that lay the Labyrinth Core. Touching the core would teleport you back to the surface. That was about the extent of the lore provided by the game. I had heard some terrifying rumors from senior adventurers about the corpses of fallen comrades vanishing inside the Labyrinth before they could be recovered, but that might have just been the monsters eating them. It was hard to say.

There were also rumors that destroying the Labyrinth Core would "kill" the dungeon itself, but as far as historical records went, no one had ever succeeded in breaking one. If you hit it, you were teleported away. If you blasted it with magic, the spell itself was warped to the surface.

Besides, since monsters were technically a resource as much as they were a nuisance, the powers that be didn't seem particularly interested in destroying them anyway.

I headed to the Guild and officially accepted the request to exterminate the Goblins in Stresen.

"Ho, young Allen. Finally making your Goblin-slaying debut, are you? Keep your wits about you out there."

"I will, Master. I’m off!"

As I gave my mentor a determined nod, another senior adventurer called out to me.

"Hey, kid! Don't you go dying on us!"

"I know, I know. I'll run the moment things look dangerous."

The man who spoke was a bit of a deadbeat who spent every morning drinking at the Guild tavern. I appreciated the concern, but I really wished he’d get a job.

"Allen-kun, you're finally going on your first real hunt... You're growing from a boy into a man right before my eyes. I’m so proud, but it's a little lonely too. My heart is so conflicted!"

"Monica-sa—mghpph!"

I was suddenly cut off by Monica’s signature "hug attack," my face buried deep into her voluminous chest. In the past, she used to just pull me straight in, but now that I’d grown, I had to stoop a bit to fit into the same position.

I really have gotten taller.

"You absolutely must not overdo it, okay? Do you understand?"

I understood. I really did, and I had no intention of being reckless, but I really wished she’d give me a break with the physical intimacy.

I am a teenage boy, after all...

Once I finally managed to extricate myself from Monica’s grasp, I returned home to break the news to my mother.

When she learned I would be staying in Stresen Village for a while, she was—predictably—worried sick. She pulled me into a gentle embrace and whispered for me to be careful.

Unlike Monica’s, this hug was warm, quiet, and filled with maternal kindness.

Just you wait, Mom. I’m going to protect you from the Scenario. I'll protect you, no matter what.