The Tale of A Man Who Believed That His Reincarnation Had Granted Him A Japanese Sword And The Greatest Battle Sense, Only To Have The God Finally Inform Him "Huh, I Didn't Give You Any Combat Sense… That's Scary…" - Episode 35

I defeated the necromancer and returned with Alice, Leo, and Feodora, carrying the necromancer’s head as proof of our victory.

We then reported the completion of the quest at the Adventurers’ Guild.

By the way, Alice had told me that any evidence proving the target had been defeated would suffice, but to me, there was only one obvious choice—the head. Before Alice could pick something else, I had already tossed the necromancer’s head into a burlap sack.

Of course, to prevent bl00d from leaking from the severed neck, Alice used fire magic to cauterize the wound. I also stuffed cotton inside the sack to stop any fluids from leaking out of the eyes, nose, or mouth. When we handed it over at the guild, Kate, the receptionist, nearly fainted when the head popped out of the bag to say “hello.”

“I thought if I followed Enri, I’d learn the secret to becoming strong easily…”

“Too bad, Leo. In the end, hard work is the only way.”

After reporting the quest, I returned to Leo and Feodora. Feeling guilty for forcing her way into the party, Feodora apologized and insisted that Leo and she take the entire reward. Then, looking completely drained, Leo left with Feodora, separating from our party.

Life after defeating the necromancer was incredibly peaceful. There were no strange monsters appearing in town. My days were spent playing with the triplets, studying letters, or learning horseback riding from Jin and Rito.

Even after the necromancer quest, I continued teaming up with Alice and taking on several more quests.

“Enri! When fighting slimes, physical attacks like slashes don’t work at all! Use fire magic instead! Lead them this way—”

“Alice! I just sliced the slime clean in half, and it stopped moving!”

“Can you not completely disprove existing strategies with brute force?”

We took on a quest to defeat a swarm of slimes—something beginner adventurers usually handle.

“A High Skeleton?! It shouldn’t be appearing in this area! There’s too many for us to handle—we should retreat!”

“Alice! So, skeletons also stop moving when you behead them. That’s interesting.”

“Why did you eliminate over 300 high-level skeletons in five minutes?!”

On our way back from gathering medicinal herbs, we stumbled upon a battlefield ruin and ended up cutting down a bunch of armored skeletons.

“Enri, be careful! Our target is the Terror Ant! That insect’s carapace can deflect even steel swords!”

“Alice! If you push the blade in with enough force before it gets deflected, you can cut it just fine!”

“I thought so. At this point, I’m more surprised at myself for no longer being surprised by your actions.”

Together with Alice, I wiped out an entire nest of giant army ants known as Terror Ants, which feed on bones.

As we completed more quests, I was approached more frequently at the Adventurers’ Guild. Every time I took on a quest, newcomers like Leo and Feodora would join in. Most of them were also trying to recruit me into their clans, much like persistent salespeople.

However, every single adventurer who joined my party left immediately after the quest ended. None of them ever returned.

They would mutter things like, “It’s pointless to compare,” “Is that guy even human?” and “Damn you, Goddess,” before staring at me in disbelief—twice, sometimes three times.

In the end, Alice was the only one still willing to team up with me in Redinbara’s Adventurers’ Guild. She said, “If you were in the capital’s guild, I’m sure there’d be people who wouldn’t lose heart just by looking at you…”

I had initially hoped that by fighting more spell-casting enemies like the necromancer from our first quest together, I could figure out how to counter Rito’s magic.

But after a week, the guild’s quest board was completely empty of extermination quests. When I asked Kate about it, she gave me a tearful look and said, “There’s too much demand… You’re doing too much…”

Two weeks after the necromancer hunt, Alice invited me to lunch, saying she had something important to discuss.

Following her lead, we walked through Redinbara’s forest district and arrived at a popular, reasonably priced restaurant favored by adventurers.

“Here it is, Enri! This place is popular among adventurers in Redinbara. The owner used to be an adventurer, so if you show your guild card, you get a 10% discount on everything!”

Alice pushed open the restaurant’s glass door, and we stepped inside. The place had a casual atmosphere, similar to a family restaurant.

Inside, adventurers in heavy armor were having meals before their quests, while families with children dined together in a lively, cheerful setting. A waiter led us to a four-person booth, where Alice carefully removed her cape, folded it neatly, and placed it beside her.

“We’ve been completing quests at a fast pace, so I’ve earned quite a bit of money. Today, it’s my treat! Eat as much as you want!”

After placing her witch’s hat on top of her folded cape, Alice handed me the menu.

“Oh! You’re treating me? Yay! I love free meals!”

I called the waiter and randomly ordered soup, salad, and a meat dish. As I turned to Alice, she looked at me with a serious expression, her usually cute, youthful face now firm with resolve.

“After completing so many quests together, I understand now—Enri, you are incredibly strong. That’s why I have a request… I want you to explore a dangerous dungeon with me.”

She waved her hands apologetically. “If you decline, that’s totally fine! I know there’s not much time before the swordsmanship tournament finals…”

“My father was an adventurer,” Alice continued. “He disappeared after failing a certain quest… Our family fell apart after that. The quest was to retrieve a relic from the deepest part of a certain dungeon.”

“Wait… That dangerous dungeon you mentioned—is it the one where your father went missing?”

As dishes arrived one after another, I asked my question. Alice lowered her gaze before nodding slowly.

“I stayed in Redinbara to watch over the dungeon, preventing more casualties, and to find someone strong enough to reach the deepest level with me.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched her chest. “I can’t move forward like this… I regret not being able to find my father and lay him to rest with our ancestors. If I reach the bottom, I know I’ll find him…”

Her rabbit-like red eyes overflowed with tears. I was moved by her sincerity—I wanted to help. But I had to ask how long it would take.

“Alice, how long would dungeon exploration take?”

“‘The Stone Chamber of Shoshi’ is completely uncharted. If we proceed carefully, it could take two months.”

Two months? That’s tough. I’ve already spent two weeks in Redinbara. Missing the tournament finals is not an option—Lyla would be beyond furious. Utsuho might even throw a knife at me with a smile.

“…However, if we destroy the dungeon and take the shortest route, we can finish in five days, round trip.”

“…Can we really just destroy the dungeon?”

“Technically, no. Absolutely not. The guild would confiscate your guild card and fine you heavily.”

“But…” Alice hesitated before continuing.

“‘The Stone Chamber of Shoshi’ is tied to the ancient ruler, the Grand Witch Angelica. The relic inside is said to be connected to her magic. It must be destroyed, or someone might try to obtain her power.”

Her eyes burned with determination.

“I want to reach the deepest level, destroy the relic, find my father’s remains, and bring an end to everything.”

After thinking for a while, I nodded.

“Alright, Alice. For you and your father, I’ll enter the dungeon with you.”

“Enri…! Thank you. But please keep this a secret from the guild!”

She wiped her tears and playfully put a finger to her lips.

A dungeon adventure, huh? That’s exactly what being an adventurer is about. But maybe we should bring one more skilled fighter along to lighten Alice’s burden…