Chapter 166.2: Preparations Complete (Part 2)
「If you keep going for around five minutes you'll reach an inn named Folk's Peace. I heard that a large group of adventurers that was staying there departed to the lower levels of the dungeon, so I'm sure there's plenty of free space now.」
The inn's shopkeeper added, as if he had just remembered, and gave Mira the name of one specific inn. But the shopkeeper was not the best actor, so Mira asked him 「Are you friends with the owner?」 and the shopkeeper gave an awkward smile as he answered 「It's my father's inn.」
「Well, I'm going to be around so I might as well check it out then.」
Mira grinned and left that inn, while the shopkeeper said 「Make sure you grow up into a good woman!」 behind her in a good mood.
The day Mira arrived at Gran Rings, an inn's shopkeeper directed her to a slightly expensive inn, Folk's Peace, where she spent the night. While she was there she asked the owner what he thought of his son's acting skills, and successfully obtained a discount. Her room cost 30,000 Rils, and the food for another 30,000 Rils.
Then the next day.
「I guess I'll head to the Union first.」
It was just a little past the busiest time in the morning. Mira enjoyed her discounted breakfast, and after downing a glass of Lemonade au Lait, she thanked the owner and left the inn.
Probably due to the size of the city, there were still plenty of people walking around. Except that there were less adventurers compared to before, since they preferred to leave early to secure the best hunting spots. The only ones who remained in the city were those with a high enough rank that they could continue deeper into the dungeon.
Mira felt the refreshing morning breeze as she casually walked along the streets paved with white stone. There was a sense of exotic history there. She looked around, her heart racing once again seeing that fantastical scenery, and she entered the Union.
「Hello, I'm Mira, I started the paperwork to be assigned a higher rank yesterday, is that complete yet?」
Mira found the same receptionist she saw the day before, and spoke to her, quickly delving into the main topic. She smiled and answered 「Yes, it's done,」 as she returned the updated adventurer license.
Once she had it back, Mira requested a pass to enter the lowest floor of the Ancient Underground City.
The Ancient Underground City was a rather peculiar dungeon, where each floor would gradually become more difficult. Because of that, the floors were sectioned off, and seven passes were needed to reach the lowest one.
Requesting one pass cost 3000 Rils, and all seven together 20,000 Rils.
(Just hold tight, Soul Howl, I'm coming for you!)
Mira put her adventurer's license and her entry passes into her case, then put that in her waist pouch. Her goal was almost at arms' reach, so she left the Union in high spirits.
Mira left in as a majestic stride as when she entered, and everyone there began talking the moment she left, wondering if that had actually been the Spirit Queen.
After that journalist-looking man annoyed Mira and she left, the men in the Union quickly started discussing various theories and guesses. They were still talking when a certain woman visited the Union. She wore men's clothes, and had a well-known emblem on her back, depicting a scarlet bell.
The guild Écarlate Carillon, a large group with a vast information network, and more importantly, their leader Sero had played a key role when defeating Chimera Clauzen, together with various other members.
Everyone swarmed around her asking questions. They wanted to know what kind of person the woman with the Spirit King's Divine Protection was, who had taken part in the final battle against Chimera Clauzen.
「Ahh, Fricca mentioned her yesterday during our regular meeting. She's called Mira, and looks like a really cute little angel.」
The Spirit Queen. There had been a lot of rumors and embellished stories, but the account from someone who had access to those present had far more credibility. Not to mention that Fricca was known for adoring anything cute, so if she was the one talking about Mira, then it was even more likely that the Spirit Queen was a cute girl, instead of a gorgeous lady.
Then they remembered what had just happened.
When that girl came to pick up her updated license, she had loudly called herself Mira, which was the same name Fricca said, meaning everything pointed at that girl being the Spirit Queen.
「Oh my god...」
One of the men fell on his knees while staring blankly at the ceiling, followed by more of them. They had all thought the Spirit Queen was a reality defying beauty.
But a considerable number of them did not look disappointed.
「Still, she was really cute, the Spirit Queen.」
「So that was her... yeah, she was really cute.」
While the rumors had been quite misleading, they still felt the Spirit Queen had been really charming in her own way, so they were satisfied with that.
「Now, it should be to the east, if memory serves. Pegasus, let's go.」
Mira gave the order, and Pegasus took to the air in a good mood.
After leaving the Union, passing by a multitude of adventurers at the entrance, Mira had gone to the Union's parking lot, where she summoned Pegasus. Once she was in the air, she glanced at the city, some of the morning haze still remaining in the air.
From there, she noticed that there was a spot with carriages arriving and departing behind the Union building. There were many carriages stationed there too, and adventurers would come out from the Union and board them, heading in all sorts of directions.
The Ancient Underground City dungeon was very large. It was vast enough that it covered the same area visible to Mira on the air, just underground. Gran Rings was built right on top of the dungeon.
Because of its size, there were multiple entrances for the first floor.
The entrance on the north of Gran Rings led to an area with mostly beast type monsters, the one on the southern side led to undead monsters, the western to insect ones, and eastern had magic beings, as well as being the closest area to the stairs leading to the second floor.
The adventurers would head to the area they preferred most, and take carriages that took them there from the Union.
The income produced by adventurers was considerable for the city, so there were plenty of roads built specifically for them. Thanks to that, the carriages could travel at high speeds, with the trip to the entrances taking less than one hour.
But flying there was still faster.
She headed out of Gran Rings, passing over multiple carriages and leaving them behind until she finally arrived at the entrance she wanted. There were multiple groups of adventurers gathered nearby, who had probably left way earlier than Mira, discussing their strategies before entering the dungeon.
「Though well, it seems like things are thriving over here.」
After sending Pegasus away, Mira observed the surroundings for a bit.
There were grass plains far into the distance, with a few trees speckled about, as well as a handful of rocks that had rolled there from somewhere. Whenever there was a breeze, the grass swayed, as if it was breathing.
The entrance stood amidst all that greenery, looking rather different from how it did in the game.
There were countless shops open around it now.
「There's quite a markup, but it could be useful for emergency supplies.」
Mira glanced at the lineup offered there, being impressed by the above-average selection of items.
There were also healing shacks where saints would offer treatment, blacksmiths that focused on repairing gear, and various merchants who bought the loot brought by adventurers.
It was almost like a small village. But no matter how much she looked around, there were no inns or places offering lodging.
Mira was curious about that, so while she bought a set of cutlery she forgot to buy earlier, she asked the vendor about it.
The answer was that sometimes monsters and beasts would spawn around there. So it was not the safest place to spend the night at.
Mira asked what the vendors did when those appeared then, and apparently all the vendors held a pass for the first floor of the dungeon, where they would flee and wait out the monsters on the surface. The enemies in the dungeon's first floor were usually far weaker than those that spawned on the surface.
「Ohh, things are getting loud over there.」
While Mira was busy taking in the scenery or talking to vendors, the carriages she had surpassed flying there arrived one after the other.
Those adventurers that just arrived seemed to be aiming for floors beneath the second one, being equipped with considerably powerful gear.
There were all sorts of people amongst them, and they slowly formed groups and discussed various things. That much was necessary to enter the dungeon as a group, but Mira was going solo, so she could head in whenever she wanted.
(Well, time to go then.)
Mira had everything she needed ready, and the longer she waited the more people would gather around there, so she walked away from the crowds and silently entered the tunnel bore into the grasslands.