Published: January 15, 2026
“Lord Van—”
“Ah, Ort! It’s been a while!”
For once, Ort and the others all appeared together at the lord’s manor. As usual, Ort was strong, and Pluriel was adorable. The other companions were the same, but for some reason, Kusala looked absolutely battered.
“Uh, Kusala, why do you look so beaten up? Did you have a fight with your spouse or something...?”
“...Not at all,” Kusala replied, full of exhaustion.
I smiled wryly at Ort, who gave me a troubled smile in return.
“Well, there was a problem in the dungeon...”
“Huh?”
As I tilted my head at the sudden report, Espada, who was listening behind us, put a hand to his chin and muttered.
“...A problem in the dungeon, huh? Probably some deadly trap or a powerful demonic beast, I assume.”
He murmured that, and Ort nodded deeply.
“Both, actually. We ended up on a ridiculous floor... The difficulty is so high that some adventurers are staying at the base outside the dungeon, hunting mountain demonic beasts instead. Right now, only three parties are actually delving into the dungeon to clear it. Well, the mountain demonic beasts are often rare species, so if you want to make a living, that’s probably more reliable.”
The latter half sounded more like a complaint. Ort sighed and muttered that, and Kusala nodded repeatedly.
“No, it’s true. It’s definitely better to quietly hunt demonic beasts in the mountains. Let’s leave that dungeon to legendary adventurers.”
Kusala said this with a slightly bitter tone. She must know the situation well. Pluriel gave a wry smile beside the sulking Kusala.
“Could it be that only Kusala got caught in a trap?”
I guessed, but Kusala quickly shook her head from side to side.
“No, I’m a scout, after all. I don’t get caught in traps. It’s that stupid leader who found treasure and pushed us too hard...! And then, because we had to face demonic beasts, he told us to hurriedly open a treasure chest that was heavily trapped, and fire burst out, arrows shot out...!”
Kusala waved her arms in frustration. Ort laughed and gave a thumbs-up.
“Hey, I trusted Kusala could do it. She disarmed the treasure chest’s traps and got what was inside. As expected of Kusala!”
“You idiot leader! I’m not falling for that!”
Kusala yelled angrily, almost in tears, at Ort’s poor consolation. It must have been really scary. Well, fire and flying arrows would certainly be terrifying.
“...By the way, what came out of that treasure chest?”
Curious, I asked, and Ort happily placed something on the table. It was an absurdly large chunk of reddish metal.
“Orichalcum! And it’s not ore—it’s an ingot.”
“Amazing, right? Even the Wang family probably doesn’t have this.”
Ort puffed up proudly. Indeed, refining Orichalcum from ore usually reduces it to a fifth or even a tenth in size. But this was already a refined, high-purity chunk.
“...I wonder how much this is worth in terms of money?”
I muttered that, and Ort raised a finger and spoke.
“Ten platinum coins.”
At that, I sensed Espada furrow his brow. But he said nothing. Judging by his demeanor, I could guess something.
“...That can’t be right. Something even the Wang family lacks. By the way, the king of the Dwarf nation is desperate to get his hands on it. He’d probably buy it for a hundred or two hundred platinum coins. Maybe even a thousand.”
I said that, and Ort glanced sideways at Pluriel. She smiled softly and nodded. Confirming that, Ort turned back to me.
“...Well, us adventurers can’t really gauge its value. For now, I thought the price might be a little low, but if Lord Van helps with clearing the dungeon, I’ll sell it for ten platinum coins.”
He said this with a mischievous smile.
“Wow, that’s scary, but I do want that Orichalcum.”
Riding on Ort’s kindness, I answered. Then, Espada nodded quietly and spoke.
“If Lord Van ensures safety, I think it’s good to lend a hand in clearing the dungeon. If the dungeon’s cleared, we might get even better items. Also, if more adventurers hear the rumors and come, Seato village will prosper even more.”