Before returning to the inn, I found myself thinking back on the day's events.
Between yesterday and today, the number of monsters in the dungeon had roughly halved.
Yesterday, we had the bonus income from magic stones.
"It's probably because the monsters had built up over time, which increased the number carrying magic stones..."
We had subjugated those monsters.
That was why we were able to get our hands on so many of them.
Otherwise, finding nearly fifty yesterday and zero today made no sense at all.
"Haa..."
In front of Philia and the others, I had managed to keep my spirits up.
Once I was alone, however, today's exploration weighed heavily enough on me to draw a deep sigh.
"...Could there be adventurers who specifically target and kill only the monsters carrying magic stones?"
The thought crossed my mind.
Hating the idea of going back to the inn with that lingering frustration, I turned around and headed back to the Adventurer's Guild to ask Reina-san.
"There are adventurers like that, yes."
"...I had a feeling."
"Finding magic stones even on the upper floors makes for good earnings on its own, after all. Weren't yesterday's magic stones mostly from monsters you fought far away from the stairs?"
"That's true. There were a few along the path to the stairs, but for the most part, they were the ones roaming farther out."
Today, we had stuck strictly to the route on the map.
Because of that, rather than hunting monsters that had been left alone, we had essentially spent our expedition trailing in someone else's wake.
"As I thought, is it tough starting out in the afternoon?"
"It is. It's a difficult time window. If you really want to earn money in the dungeon, it's best to explore from morning till night, but... you have your training schedule, don't you, Erik-kun?"
I nodded at Reina-san's words.
Earning decent money required a full day, but doing that meant sacrificing my training.
"Why not try discussing it with Olivia-san? Training is important, but I think spending time with your party is necessary too. You did go through all the trouble of making it official, after all."
"...You're right. I'll consult Olivia-san tomorrow. Thank you very much."
With that, I thanked Reina-san and left the Adventurer's Guild.
After heading back to the inn, I maintained my equipment.
Once that was finished, I ate dinner, took a bath, and went straight to bed, falling asleep almost immediately.
The next morning, I woke up shortly before the morning bell.
I did my laundry, returned to my room, and hung the clothes up to dry.
Then, picking up my wooden sword, I stepped out into the backyard once more.
"Come to think of it, I went to sleep last night without checking my status."
Just as I was preparing for my morning training, I suddenly remembered that I hadn't checked a single thing before going to bed.
So, I pulled up my status and log screen to take a look.
◇
Monster subjugated.
Gained 1 EXP.
100/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Leveled up.
0/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Monster subjugated.
Gained 1 EXP.
56/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Swordsmanship].
Gained 1 EXP.
48/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Physical Enhancement].
Gained 1 EXP.
100/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Leveled up.
0/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Physical Enhancement].
Gained 1 EXP.
12/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Parallel Thinking].
Gained 1 EXP.
26/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Mana Control].
Gained 1 EXP.
18/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Earth Magic].
Gained 1 EXP.
56/100 to next level.
◇
✤
Name: Erik
Age: 10
Level: 10
Strength: 20
Mana: 21
Stamina: 19
Agility: 19
Dexterity: 19
Skills:
[Swordsmanship: 4] [Physical Enhancement: 4] [Cleaning: 8]
[Earth Magic: 2] [Parallel Thinking: 5] [Mana Control: 4]
[Appraisal: 2]
Special Skill:
[Fixed EXP]
Divine Protection:
——
✤
"I did manage to defeat over a hundred of them, but I haven't earned all that much skill EXP..."
Yesterday, there were barely any monsters to fight.
Naturally, that meant I couldn't rack up much experience.
"Well, I suppose this is what's normal... No, [Fixed EXP] isn't normal in the first place, is it?"
Muttering wryly to myself, I practiced my [Swordsmanship] until Amanda-san came by.
Doing my best to put yesterday out of my mind, I threw myself into training.
◇
Trained [Swordsmanship].
Gained 1 EXP.
56/100 to next level.
◇
After eating breakfast, I checked the screen while changing in my room.
I had trained for about an hour, but barely gained any EXP.
"I thought I was focusing, but I guess my head wasn't really in it..."
Musing over the screen, I finished dressing and left the inn.
Before long, I arrived at the Adventurer's Guild.
After greeting Reina-san, I made my way toward the room.
As I reached the door, voices drifted out from inside.
When I opened the door and stepped in, Olivia-san and Harold-san were there together.