Chapter 16: Three Will Come (3)

“It seems like the range is quite wide, what are you going to do?”

“Well, at the end of the day, that just means we don't have to step on that part, right?”

Disarming it would take time, so she would just avoid it, open the chest, and come back.

That was Evie's choice.

“I was thinking that would be the best way too.”

Time was one thing, but the risk of failing to disarm and setting it off couldn't be ignored.

Of course, considering Evie's Dexterity stat and the rogue class's passive that helps with [Finesse] checks, traps in a low-level dungeon like this could be easily disarmed as long as she didn't roll a 1, but, ‘It just has to pop up once in a while, this thing.’

She couldn't roll two dice like me, so no matter how high the bonus, she couldn't completely shake off the 1 in 6 chance of failure.

I mean, it even popped up when I rolled two dice twice.

Don't ask me how I know.

That being the case, unless the trap was completely blocking the only path forward, just avoiding it was the best option in a situation like this.

“Hoo──”

Evie, who stretched once, strode forward, ──and with a leap, she kicked off the ground and jumped diagonally.

Then, as if walking on the wall, she took a few steps before kicking off again with force and using the rebound to leap forward.

And in the blink of an eye, she had landed gracefully in front of the chest.

The trap, of course, did not activate.

Because she hadn't stepped on the floor near the trap even once.

“Ooh.”

I'm not sure what it's called in this world, but from my perspective, it was an excellent parkour move.

As I, impressed by her feat, gave a light applause, Rine, who was watching me, also started to clap her hands in a deadpan seal-like manner.

“What's with her?”

Seeing this, Evie, though her words suggested otherwise, didn't seem to be in a bad mood as she scratched the back of her head and, not wanting to get caught being embarrassed, quickly turned her back.

Then she immediately crouched in front of the chest and reached into the small pouch on her waist to rummage around and take something out.

It was a 「Lockpicking Tool」.

--

Difficulty 13

--

Since the difficulty was lower than Evie's initial Dexterity stat of 14, this time it was a guaranteed success as long as the dice didn't roll a 1.

And as expected.

--

⚅ (6)

Great Success

--

No sooner had she inserted the awl-like tools into the keyhole, “Opened it.”

A click! was heard, and Evie soon got up, dusting off her knees.

Creak, the chest opened with the sound of old hinges.

Evie put the tools back into her pouch and looked down into the chest, “Hmm?”

And suddenly tilted her head.

“Why? What's in it?”

“No, just a little money and… what's this? A potion?”

Evie sloshed the potion bottle she had picked up from the chest.

Judging by the shape of the bottle and the color of its contents, it was a common-grade health potion.

“And… a bow, and a few arrows?”

“A bow? What kind of bow?”

“Just, a wooden bow?”

“Let me see.”

Evie immediately took the bow out of the chest and tossed it to me.

--

「Reinforced Shortbow」 (Uncommon)

Effect - Hit/Damage Roll +1

--

As Evie had said, it wasn't a weapon that strayed far from being 'just a wooden bow'.

It was more like a weapon that had been enhanced just one step further.

“…Is this it?”

Perhaps because the first treasure chest of the first dungeon was the reward from a Mimic, Evie seemed somewhat disappointed.

It couldn't be helped.

Compared to the Mimic, it was bound to be meager.

Especially since it was a chest from an early-game dungeon.

It wasn't a 'dud', but it was hard to see it as a 'win' either, so she probably wouldn't be satisfied with the majority of treasure chests like this anymore.

But, this was a sufficient gain.

“Evie, you know how to shoot a bow, right?”

In that we had obtained a useful item at a very opportune time.

“Huh? Well, roughly.”

“Then you use this.”

I tossed the 「Reinforced Shortbow」 back to Evie, and Evie instinctively caught the shortbow that flew towards her.

The bow was a Dexterity-based weapon, perfectly suited for Evie with her high Dexterity stat.

Furthermore, Evie was a dark elf half-breed.

Just as elves are naturally gifted, it meant that Evie also had a talent for the bow.

“Evie, a bow suits you better than a sword.”

Is what I meant.

“…What?”

“Just kidding. A sword suits you well too.”

“What kind of bullshit is that all of a sudden?”

With a class like rogue and a race like half-elf, the bow was a weapon that went well with Evie in many ways.

That's why there were many players who had her use a bow as her main weapon instead of a dagger, so Evie's build was generally divided into 'dagger rogue' and 'bow rogue'.

“Keep it. It will definitely be helpful when we fight the boss.”

We would be fighting the boss soon, and it might be a bit tough with only close-range attacks from a dagger.

But now that she could also attack from a distance, a much smoother clear would be possible.

It really came out at a good time.

“…Even if you hadn't spouted that weird nonsense, I was going to take it anyway.”

After saying this, Evie slung the bow in her hand over her back and immediately took the quiver from the chest and attached it to her waist as well.

* * *

Crackle, crackle.

As the burning firewood slid down at an angle, small embers scattered in all directions as if jumping.

I watched that scene silently for a while.

Muttering things like 'It's burning well' to myself.

Most dungeons had at least one 'rest area' like this, literally a place to rest, hidden away.

And since the setting was that they were secret hideouts prepared by adventurers who had come to the dungeon before, the lower the level of the dungeon, the more rest areas there were.

Because it meant that people could come and go that frequently.

Well, later on, even in places where it seemed impossible for people to have come before, there was somehow always one prepared, but let's just chalk that up to gameplay convenience.

In fact, there were a total of three hidden rest areas in the 「Drunkard's Tomb」, and this was the one installed right in front of the boss room.

In other words, if you left here and walked a little, you would open the door and come face to face with the boss of this dungeon── the 「Drunkard's Specter」.

This was the last chance to regroup before then.

Specifically, to restore Rine's circles.

In fact, there were many ways to restore health without having to rest like this.

There were potions, and (though none of us were dedicated healers yet) there were healing skills.

But for restoring the circles, which were the mages' concept of ammunition, there was no other way but to take the time to rest like this.

Currently, at level 3, Rine's total number of circles was nine.

And on the way here, Rine had used a 2nd Circle 「Fireball」 twice, and a 1st Circle 「Water Bomb」 and 「Lightning Bolt」 once each, consuming a total of six circles.

Therefore, for a quick and full rest, I had been silent for the past few minutes so that Rine could focus on recovering her mana, but…

“….”

It seemed Evie was strangely uncomfortable with the silence.

Evie, who was sitting cross-legged and constantly shaking her legs and wiggling her feet, “Hey.”

Finally broke the silence as if she couldn't stand it anymore.

“Rine, was it?”

To Rine, who was sitting hunched over with her knees drawn up, gazing quietly at the burning campfire.

But Rine just kept staring intently at the campfire and showed no reaction to Evie.

“Is it true that you were a slave and that guy set you free?”

Until she heard this question from Evie.

“Or are you still being worked like one now?”

“Master would never do such a thing.”

Rine answered firmly, in the strongest tone she had used since meeting Evie.

“Rine……”

As for me, upon hearing that explanation (?), I could only cover my face and hang my head.

“Master, despite being able to make me his slave, instead nullified the contract and gave me my freedom. Not only that, he has never looked down on me or abused me for being a slave, but has always treated me kindly and respected my autonomy.”

Anyone who heard that would think it was something a completely brainwashed slave would say with a blank look in their eyes….

“Uh…”

In fact, looking at Evie's disgusted expression, it seemed she had taken it that way without a doubt.

“When I was in a difficult situation wearing a piece of cloth that wasn't even clothes, I asked him to please choose clothes for me, but he just watched me silently for a long time.”

“……”

Then she turned her head and started staring at me.

It was the look of someone genuinely seeing a piece of trash.

I mean… what she's saying, it's all true, but….

“…Are you really okay? Do you… need help?”

“You ask a strange question. Ever since I was taken in by Master, I have always been more than okay.”

I couldn't even begin to figure out where to start picking that apart, so I just sat there in frustration, and suddenly Rine turned to look at me.

She must have thought she had given a perfect explanation (?).

If not, she wouldn't have given me a slight nod as if to say 'just trust me'.

“……Hey.”

“……If I say I'm really not, will you believe me?”

After the misunderstanding was somehow cleared up… no, honestly, I don't know if it was really cleared up, but anyway, since that topic was no longer mentioned, I decided to try again what I had originally intended to do here.

Checking the party members' stats.

And to get to the point, it was possible.

Just like in the game, I could not only check my own but also my companions' status windows directly.

But there was no need for me to assign them myself.

Because both of them already had their stats and skills invested.

There was a 'auto-leveling mode' in the game's options.

It was a function that automatically invested stats and skills upon leveling up, excluding or including your own character, for beginners who didn't know anything yet or players who didn't want to bother with stat distribution, and perhaps it was a similar system.

--

Eastwood

Lv.3

Race : Elf

Class : Mage

STR 04

DEX 05

INT 16

MEN 12

CHA 06

--

--

Evelyn

Lv.3

Race : Half-elf

Class : Rogue

STR 08

DEX 14

INT 06

MEN 05

CHA 10

--

This was the current stat situation of the two that I had checked.

The trait section was currently locked, just like in the game.

It seemed that the system where you could see it after building a certain amount of affinity or depending on the progress of a companion's personal quest was the same now.

Of course, the fact that the traits were already working properly even if they weren't visible was also the same.

As you could see from the fact that Rine's 'Charm Immunity', one of the perks included in her 「Amnesiac Archmage」 trait, worked properly, and that Evie's 「Keen Senses」 was displayed as '???' but added the correct bonus value.

But, I could check the skill windows of the two right now.

--

[Class Skill]

(1st Circle)

Gale

Magic Arrow

Water Bomb

Rock Shield

Lightning Bolt

Fireball

(2nd Circle)

Frost Blade

[Unique Skill]

Delayed Casting

Precision Aim

???

--

In Rine's case, it seemed she had learned 「Magic Arrow」 and 「Precision Aim」 at level 2, and 「Frost Blade」 at level 3 when she could learn 2nd Circle magic.

In Rine's case, it's more of a concept of remembering what she had already learned.

The fact that she had raised her Intelligence stat both times, and that I would have definitely invested them that way myself, meant I had no complaints at all.

Not bad, this 'auto-leveling mode'.

--

[Class Skill]

Feint Attack

Backstab

Hit and Run

[Unique Skill]

Sleight of Hand

???

--

And in Evie's case, unlike the mage Rine or the quasi-mage me, she had fewer skill options from the start, but they were distributed without any complaints as well.

“Hmm.”

Now that I had checked the status windows of the two, there was really only one thing left to do here.

“Hey. That boss, is he strong?”

And right on cue, Evie, who couldn't stand the silence again, broke the ice.

“He's on the strong side, I guess.”

“Ugh.”

Evie, who frowned at my answer, soon glanced at me out of the corner of her eye before carefully asking again.

“…Is there any easy way to beat him?”

The moment I heard that long-awaited question, I felt the corners of my mouth rise on their own.

With that, I confidently declared.

“Of course there is.”

“Oh?”

“A way to beat him without getting a single scratch on your body.”

“Ooh── Hey.”

“Rine. Evie.”

“Hey. Wait, hey.”

“Listen carefully to what I'm about to say.”

Now, it was time to plan the strategy for the boss fight.