Dark Fantasy Guide for the Summoner - Chapter 43

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 43.
The Royal Capital III
My eyes opened early. Reflexively, I checked the pocket watch I’d left on the nightstand.
09:19
Nearly ten hours of sleep. I’d expected to toss and turn, but instead I’d slept deeply without waking once.
‘Maybe it’s the bed.’
When I sleep that long, usually my head feels heavy, but now there was no trace of that.
‘My stress level must’ve reset nearly to baseline.’
I rose from the bedding, washed quickly, and left the inn.
I’d arranged to meet Kazen and Cria at one in the afternoon. I still had time, so I planned to wander the city alone until then.
Of course, I’d already decided where to go yesterday.
“The hardware shop, you say? It’s probably over there. No, not that one. See that fountain? Head right from there.”
“‘The Dark Elf’s Whisper’? That place went under ages ago. Must be three years now?”
“There are five watch shops in this area. But if you ask me, Robertson’s got the steadiest hand of them all. His eyes have been getting foggy lately, so he says he’ll be visiting regularly before the presbyopia really sets in.”
I confirmed the locations of shops scattered across the city, corrected errors in my memory, and committed the new placements to mind.
“Hmm. An old pocket watch, this is. Replacing the cracked glass and the inner dial should do the trick.”
“How much would that cost?”
“Around twenty thousand Seed?”
“……Just give me something else instead. As long as it works, I don’t mind if it’s secondhand.”
“How about this one? Similar model to yours.”
“How much?”
“Three thousand Seed.”
Timepieces are so delicate that sometimes buying new is cheaper than repairing.
Still, I sold the old pocket watch—which still worked—for three hundred Seed, and picked up a few comfortable outfits to wear around the city.
“That comes to nine thousand five hundred Seed total.”
“…….”
My carefully saved money was evaporating fast.
But I couldn’t walk around the city in combat gear, so there was no other choice.
“Chicken skewers! We’ve got a special house sauce—absolutely delicious! You won’t find this flavor anywhere else! Only five hundred Seed each!”
After buying clothes, I picked up a skewer from a vendor’s stall.
It didn’t look particularly appetizing, but the change from my clothing purchase came to exactly that amount.
“Thank you!”
I sat on a nearby bench with the skewer in my mouth and watched the street.
“…….”
The scenery of Oreval, the royal capital. The city’s density was definitely much denser than it had felt in the game.
‘Of course it would be.’
No matter how realistic a game claims to be, if the maps were made to scale with actual cities, players would crucify the developers.
It would take more than a day just to walk from one end of the city to the other.
‘I’d need a week to see everything in detail.’
So I decided to save a thorough exploration of the city for later.
After finishing the skewer, I tossed the stick in a trash bin and muttered to myself.
“‘Special house sauce,’ my ass.”
It was just soy sauce.
* * *
I returned to the inn.
I sat down in the first-floor restaurant and pre-ordered food. Just in case—I included meals for Kazen and Cria too.
‘Cheapest option for now.’
My purse wasn’t exactly flush at the moment.
What I had left from the forest, plus what I’d received from the Guild yesterday, came to around sixty thousand Seed. After paying for lodging and clothes, my remaining funds were…….
‘About forty-four thousand Seed.’
And just now, the meal cost another three thousand Seed.
‘Should’ve gone for a cheaper inn.’
The thought crossed my mind, but I shook it off immediately.
Those places have terrible hygiene, and the food’s dubious. Never mind chewing through it—I could catch something nasty.
“Your meal is ready.”
What I’d chosen was a budget-friendly set: bread, stew, and sausage.
The fresh, warm bread and generously filled stew were quite good. The sausage had a slight off-odor to it, though.
About halfway through one piece of bread, Kazen and Cria appeared.
“Ah……! Kaindel!”
A familiar face I hadn’t seen in a while. Kazen came hurrying over and sat down across from me, his face suddenly bright.
“I’ve heard the rough outline from Cria. You’ve been through quite an ordeal. I’m grateful, truly — and at the same time, I apologize…….”
I swallowed the bread I’d been chewing and spoke.
“Pick one — apologize or thank me. Not both.”
“Then I apologize.”
“……Sit down for now. You must be hungry. Let’s talk over a meal.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Right.”
The two siblings settled into the chairs across from me. They’d apparently skipped breakfast too — the food I’d ordered vanished like mist before eyes.
Halfway through the meal, Cria spoke up with surprise in her voice.
“Kazen actually eats this kind of thing now.”
“Ha ha…….”
I watched Kazen laugh awkwardly and couldn’t help but ask.
“This kind of thing?”
“Right. Kazen’s always been picky — he couldn’t stomach tavern food like this.”
“N-no, it wasn’t that bad. I just didn’t have much appetite.”
“…….”
Well, even the most refined palate turns to dust after a month of rolling around in a forest.
I took a sip of water with a slight smile, when Kazen suddenly cleared his throat and fixed me with a serious expression.
“……Anyway, Kaindel. I know this is sudden, but there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Would you be willing to form a party with us?”
I found myself momentarily speechless. Sensing my reaction, Kazen quickly continued.
“N-of course, we’re both woefully inadequate as Delvers. Even from this last expedition — the truth is, neither of us even managed to pull half our weight.”
“…….”
“With your abilities and resourcefulness, I’m certain you could find far superior companions. So we’d leave all decisions to you — reward distribution, party guidelines, everything.”
“Mm.”
I glanced over and saw Cria nodding emphatically, her expression tinged with something close to desperation.
“…….”
To be honest, this was the very thing I’d been about to bring up myself, so matters seemed to be falling into place effortlessly.
“All right. Then for reward distribution, I’m thinking eight to one to one. Does that work?”
“Yes!”
“Great!”
Quick agreement. These two are exactly the type you can fleece without a second thought.
‘Of course, even at this rate they’ll come out ahead.’
With their current capabilities, they’d have trouble finding a decent party elsewhere, and…….
Just the single share I give them would earn far more than they would in most normal parties.
“Then I suppose we should divide up the reward from this expedition.”
“Ah. Please, let’s start the distribution from the next expedition. This one’s fine.”
“……You sure about that?”
“Absolutely. We’re not exactly strapped for cash at the moment.”
Well, then.
As I’ve said before, my own funds aren’t exactly abundant either, so I gracefully accepted their kindness.
These two don’t look financially pressed by any measure I can see.
“That’s a relief…….”
“……Indeed.”
Both of them let out sighs of relief. Looking closer, I could see cold sweat on their brows.
They’d been anxious about rejection, but in truth, these two held considerable strategic value for me.
‘At minimum, they’re not the backstabbing type.’
Compared to the risk of betrayal, current capability is hardly the pressing concern.
“But Kaindel — was that expedition really your first time?”
“How many times do I have to say yes?”
“Ha ha. My apologies. It’s just hard to believe, that’s all……. So where did you learn about Delver physiology and the party system?”
“Books. And listening in. Working as a writer, you pick up all sorts of things.”
“I see…….”
The atmosphere had softened considerably, and trivial conversation continued to flow.
Frankly, navigating everyday talk like this didn’t come naturally to me, but every bit of it served to raise Trust Level.
“By the way.”
I asked what I was most curious about, waiting for a natural moment and keeping my tone casual.
“What’s your reason for becoming Delvers? From the way you carry yourselves, you two look like you come from a family that wants for nothing.”
“Ah…….”
The two of them fell silent, their expressions growing awkward.
‘Hmm. Not yet, then.’
Both their Trust Levels were approaching sixty, yet this reluctance to speak suggested they harbored secrets too delicate to share easily.
I brought the cup to my lips and spoke.
“If it’s difficult to say—”
“We wish to discover a First.”
I nearly choked on my drink.
“A First?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re talking about the rarest, most valuable material that can be found in the forest?”
“More than that—it must be groundbreaking and practical as well.”
In other words…
“Your goal is to become a Grancruell?”
Grancruell.
When a Delver belonging to the kingdom achieves outstanding results, the royal court bestows a medal, and the highest rank among them is called by that name.
The greatest honor a Delver could possibly attain.
‘According to the lore, there are fewer than ten Grancruells in existence.’
Kazen nodded, his expression subdued.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
I leaned back against the chair and turned it over in my mind.
‘Their Reputation Score would need to reach at least thirty thousand.’
That’s an unfathomable distance from where we stand now. Even if I committed entirely to raising the Reputation Score, it would take years in game time.
‘But…’
Oddly enough, it aligns with my own objectives.
I too want to secure as high a Reputation as possible before reaching the second or third year.
‘That’s precisely when the revolution happens in the Delver world.’
The existing order collapses entirely—what’s known as the Great Upheaval event.
“…”
I lifted my head and saw Kazen and Cria staring at me with hardened faces. They looked as though they’d steeled themselves for something, though I couldn’t quite discern their true feelings.
So I simply spoke with honesty.
“Is there a time limit?”
“Pardon?”
“Do you need to achieve it within a certain number of years, or something like that?”
“Ah… w-well, there’s nothing like that specifically.”
“Then let’s set it at three years for now.”
Kazen asked with a bewildered expression.
“Three years?”
“There’ll be fluctuations depending on how our expeditions go, but at our current level, if we rush faster than that, we’ll collapse. So, three years.”
When the Great Upheaval event occurs—whether in year two or year three—is random. If we’re unlucky, it could happen sooner; if we’re lucky, later.
Even so, we mustn’t rush. Given our current situation and growth pace, three years is the most realistic timeframe.
“…”
Kazen closed his mouth and shook his head.
Had I been too harsh? Or did three years simply feel like too long?
‘But didn’t you just say there was no time limit?’
Just as a flicker of bewilderment crossed my mind, Kazen looked up. His eyes were slightly bloodshot.
‘What’s this?’
Before I could respond, Kazen spoke.
“You’re not mocking us.”
“What do you mean?”
“When we’ve told others this goal, they all laughed. They said there’s no way peons like us could ever discover a First or become a Grancruell. But you… you’re the first person who hasn’t.”
A message window appeared.
[Your companion, Kazen’s Trust Level has increased.]
[Your companion, Cria’s Trust Level has increased.]
So I hadn’t stumbled into a trap after all.
I simply nodded, having nothing more to add. Kazen rubbed his eyes roughly, then spoke with renewed determination.
“Kaindel. Please, give us any orders you wish from now on. We will obey whatever you command. Ah—when do we depart for the next expedition?”
Enthusiasm is good, but excess becomes counterproductive.
I shook my head.
“Don’t be so hasty. There’s much to prepare before the next expedition.”

The train heading to the Forest of Eternity runs exactly once a month. Under normal circumstances, anyway.
‘Since we came back a little over two weeks ago…….’
Similarly, less than two weeks remain before the next departure.
The timeline is tight enough that I’m considering postponing the forest expedition another month—there’s plenty to prepare before the next dive anyway.
Of course, depending on our finances, we might have no choice but to push forward regardless.
“For now, let’s rest for a few days…… Cria, clear your schedule for Tuesday.”
“Tuesday? I don’t have a problem with it, but why……?”
“I need to visit the Magic Tower.”
This cursed trait that’s latched onto you, Spell Runaway.
I need to get rid of that wretched thing as soon as possible.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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