novelraw Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Chapter 7: Huh? Pouting Mine is the Crown Prince?
The Spring of Life.
This was a Divine Miracle bestowed by the Goddess! Legend has it that in order to protect the adventurers who bravely ventured into dungeons, the Goddess created a spring on every floor. The spring water glimmered with a blue radiance, capable not only of restoring vitality but also of replenishing Magic Power and Holy Power to a certain degree. However, the moment the water left the spring's source, it would turn into ordinary water within minutes and could not be carried away in glass bottles. Because of the spring's presence, no monsters would appear in the surrounding area, making it a safe place to rest without worry.
When Aernis and Fred arrived at the Spring of Life, they were surprised to find three other parties already gathered there. Two of them were B-rank parties from Bedrock Town — they should have been exploring areas below the Tenth Floor and had no reason in theory to be on such a shallow floor. The remaining party looked somewhat familiar, and after confirming the roster, it was indeed the Grey Hawk Party.
"Hero Fred? What are you doing down here, you?"
The leader of one of the B-rank parties walked over. He was a stocky young man with a scar across his face, wearing Chain Mail with a shield strapped to his back. His Class was the warrior-line advanced Class "Shield Warrior" — a tank-type Class capable of using "Taunt"-type Skills, making him a vital presence in any party.
Though tanks rarely served as party leaders — he was probably an exception.
"Doniel, long time no see," Fred bumped fists with him. "Aernis and I came down to find someone. A certain lord put up 10 gold coins and asked me to locate the Grey Hawk Party."
"There," Doniel pointed with a large hand. "That'd be them over there. Three dead, and now there's only the mage left, and…… well, how to put it? Loosely speaking, a bowwoman, I suppose."
"Loosely speaking?" Fred looked toward the innermost camp. Two young girls sat by a fire, maintaining a politely distant social gap between them. The red-haired girl was strikingly beautiful, her air of noble privilege completely impossible to conceal. The black-haired girl behind her, on the other hand, looked…… well, how to put it? She gave off a lifeless, sunken sort of feeling. Fred activated the Hero's Talent Skill "Eye of Truth" and took a glance, and immediately understood what Doniel had meant.
"Farmer?" he said under his breath. "Could she be……"
"That's right — that's the lord's youngest daughter," Doniel lowered his voice as well. "The laughingstock of the Count's household. Three years ago during the Class Trait Test she somehow ended up with the Farmer Class — the Count treats it as a stain on the family name."
"What a pity. Poor kid."
Fred offered his sympathies, though not abundantly so. Because while Class had a strong element of randomness to it, it was not entirely beyond one's control. Nobles cultivated knowledge and Skills through systematic education, and after mastering a particular discipline, higher-tier Classes were more likely to appear. For instance, an ordinary person with a strong constitution who had received basic combat training would in all likelihood obtain either the "Warrior" or "Soldier" Class as their base — while those who systematically studied swordsmanship, spearmanship, or shield tactics could obtain the advanced Classes of "Swordsman," "Spearman," and "Shield Warrior." Only the top-tier Classes such as "Hero," "Holy Maiden," and "Demon King" remained without any discernible pattern thus far.
It was difficult to imagine that a highborn noble girl carefully cultivated by the Count's household would end up with the Farmer Class — something that, in the eyes of the nobility, was enough to reduce a person to a laughingstock.
"That child didn't come to the dungeon just to……"
"In all likelihood, she's after the Class Reset Card — that mythical-grade item."
Though the two men spoke in very low voices, Lilu's hearing was sharp, and she caught every word. She began to feel grateful that she had received a top-tier Class — at least the Goddess hadn't completely buried her alive. Was this perhaps what the ancient saying meant by 'of the Great Way's fifty, Heaven deploys forty-nine, yet man may still escape through the one remaining'? Even so, her whole body felt utterly drained of strength right now, the sensation much like running a high fever.
"Lilu, drink this — you'll feel better."
Cool water flowed down her throat. Lilu felt the weakness in her body recede a little. She slowly opened her eyes to find Aernis's smiling face before her. The Barbarian Tribe female warrior's arms were built entirely of muscle, which dug in a little uncomfortably — but Lilu accepted her warmth without reservation all the same. It would have been even better if those two large masses weren't taking turns pressing down on her.
How can someone built entirely of muscle still have a chest that size — this defies all reason!
After resting for about ten minutes, as the Holy Power within her gradually recovered, Lilu finally pushed herself up from the blanket. A flush still lingered on her face, and her moist-rimmed eyes looked as though she had just been crying, making her appear even more endearing than usual.
"Aernis, thank you."
"Don't mention it," Aernis patted her head. "But you should keep your eye on the one who just went to talk to Fred — that red-haired girl. Her name is Maria. She's the Count's illegitimate daughter born from his mistress, holds the Class of 'Mage,' and is the apple of the Count's eye. That girl is absolutely nothing like the gentle, fragile image she puts on — she's the type to stab people in the back with a smile on her face. Be very careful not to let her run circles around you."
Lilu was stunned. So this world had scheming two-faced types as well.
"Young Master Fred, it has been quite some time since we last met — please forgive my long silence," Maria began her performance. "I am Maria, the second daughter of the Count's household. Do you still remember me?"
"My apologies — I don't." Fred smiled.
The fragrance of this vintage green tea was so thick it was practically spilling over — and so Fred deflected every piece of tea artistry being sent his way using the simplest possible method, shutting down the other party's approach in a single sentence.
Lilu couldn't help but silently give him a thumbs up. When it came to dealing with scheming types, Fred was genuinely a professional.
"Um, that is……" Maria was visibly flustered. Her rank as a schemer was not yet particularly high, and on top of that things had always gone smoothly for her before — being shut down cold by Fred like this left her momentarily at a complete loss.
"Miss Maria, I have accepted a commission from His Lordship the Count, and have come to escort you all out." Fred kept his smile. "Now then, let us all return to the surface together."
"But," Maria immediately launched back into her act, "if we give up just like this, my sister won't be able to get the Class Reset Card — and if she remains a Farmer forever, Father will be heartbroken."
At these words, everyone present turned their gaze toward the gloomy girl with expressions of surprise — among which were more than a few flickers of mockery. Because the nobility held a grip on wealth and educational resources, and had nearly monopolized all high-tier Classes before the Adventurers' Guild opened its affiliated schools, ordinary adventurers harbored deep resentment toward the aristocracy.
And now, the eldest daughter of a Count's household had turned out to be a Farmer — nothing could have been more satisfying.
"Miss Maria," Fred said with gravity, "is it truly appropriate to broadcast your sister's deepest shame aloud in front of everyone like this? You are 15 years old — an adult — and you have received an elite education, so you possess the capacity to distinguish right from wrong. For you to say something like that leads me to conclude that your character is flawed. It appears the Count's household still has much to learn when it comes to upbringing. I need not tell you how this will be perceived if it reaches noble circles, do I?"
Lilu: Holy crap! Taking on a schemer head-on — worthy of a Hero!
At this point in time, Lilu had no idea where Fred got the confidence to push back so directly. She would not learn until much later that Fred was in fact the Empire's Third Imperial Prince. After obtaining the Hero Class, he had been held in great esteem by the Emperor, who intended to name him Crown Prince. But considering the state of the Empire and the governing abilities of the First Prince, Fred decisively declined the Emperor's decree, shouldered his sword, mounted his horse in the dead of night, and rode all the way to the borderlands — where he took up life as an adventurer.