Having made it safely back to the inn, I stepped inside and let out a deep breath.
"Erik? Are you alright? Did something happen?"
Amanda-san, who was standing behind the front desk, had seen me rush through the door.
She looked at me with open concern as she asked.
"Well, I felt like someone was watching me, so I took the long way around. They followed me for a bit, but I managed to shake them off."
"Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"
"I'm fine. I noticed their gaze right away and took action, so I didn't get hurt or anything."
Hearing my explanation, Amanda-san seemed genuinely relieved.
Afterward, I took care of my gear and sat down for dinner.
Truth be told, after what had just happened, I didn't have much of an appetite.
My nerves were still on edge, but skipping meals would only wear down my stamina, so I forced myself to eat.
Then, after taking a bath, I returned to my room and sank into a chair.
"The way it felt, whoever was watching definitely seemed to be targeting me... Damn it. Instead of leaving everything to Garm, I really should have picked up a skill like [Presence Detection] for situations like this."
Brooding over my regrets, I turned my thoughts toward tomorrow.
"...I don't know who they are, but for now, I should go to the Adventurer's Guild first thing in the morning and consult them."
With that decided, I pulled up my status screen to check my progress and put the unsettling incident out of my mind.
◇
Monster defeated.
1 EXP acquired.
100/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Level increased.
0/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Monster defeated.
1 EXP acquired.
97/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Swordsmanship].
1 EXP acquired.
26/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Parallel Thinking].
1 EXP acquired.
53/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Mana Control].
1 EXP acquired.
47/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained mana.
1 EXP acquired.
41/100 to stat increase.
◇
◇
Trained [Earth Magic].
1 EXP acquired.
19/100 to next level.
◇
◇
Trained [Shield Technique].
1 EXP acquired.
36/100 to next level.
◇
✤
Name: Erik
Age: 10
Level: 12
Strength: 22
Mana: 24
Stamina: 21
Agility: 21
Dexterity: 21
Skills:
[Swordsmanship: 5] [Physical Enhancement: 4] [Cleaning: 8]
[Earth Magic: 3] [Parallel Thinking: 6] [Mana Control: 5]
[Appraisal: 3] [Shield Technique: 1]
Special Skill:
[Fixed EXP]
Divine Protection:
——
✤
Whenever we went into the dungeon, we took down at least a hundred monsters.
That alone was enough to raise my level.
When we had talked about our statuses before, I'd asked the others about their levels too.
It turned out that defeating a hundred weak monsters wasn't nearly enough to level up Philia and the rest.
I hadn't asked for the exact numbers, but they had mentioned being somewhere above level 10.
"...At this rate, a gap might start opening between my level and theirs, but that problem should solve itself once we delve into the lower floors."
No matter how strong a monster I defeated, the EXP I gained was always 1.
Philia and the others didn't have that restriction, so if they brought down a powerful foe, they might even gain a level in a single fight.
Checking my status helped ease my lingering unease, and before long, I lay down on the bed and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, I woke to the chiming of the morning bell.
"Up at the usual time, huh..."
I thought I had turned in early, but I had still ended up sleeping in.
My sleep had probably been shallow because of everything that had happened yesterday.
Shaking off the grogginess, I gathered my laundry and headed out to the backyard, where Amanda-san happened to be preparing to do her own wash.
I helped her with the laundry, hung mine in my room before breakfast, changed into fresh clothes, and headed down to the dining room.
After finishing my meal, I went to settle my lodging fees for the first time in a while.
"Amanda-san, there's something I wanted to ask. If I pay for lodging with meals included but end up missing a meal, is there any kind of penalty?"
"There's no penalty. If there are extra portions, we just give larger servings to the other guests or eat them ourselves. Just don't ask for a refund or expect extra nights to make up for what you skipped."
"I see. So as long as I let you know in advance, the inn won't really lose out on anything?"
"Right, that would actually be a big help. Wait, Erik... are you going to be away for a few days?"
When Amanda-san asked, I explained our party's plan to camp overnight in the dungeon.
"Ah, so that's why you were asking."
"Yeah, exactly. The dates aren't set yet, so I suppose I could just pay day by day, but I figured paying for several days in advance would make things easier for you too."
"True enough. Having to balance the ledger every single day is a hassle, so this is much easier. But are you sure? You'll be losing a bit of money, Erik."
"I don't mind. Keeping my room secured is what matters most. Once we finalize the dates for the dungeon trip, I'll let you know right away."
With that settled, I paid in advance for another ten days of room and board.
Leaving the inn behind, I set off for the Adventurer's Guild.
With yesterday's encounter still fresh in my mind, I walked at a brisker pace than usual.
I reached the guild safely without any trouble, stepped inside the building, and headed straight for Reina-san's counter.
"Reina-san, good morning!"
"Ah, Erik-kun. Good morning. Do you have a moment before your training?"
When I greeted her, Reina-san answered with an uncharacteristically serious tone.
Sensing that she needed to speak with me in private, I followed as she led me into a consultation room.
And there, waiting inside, was one of the last people I ever expected to see again.
My second older brother was standing right before my eyes.