- Epilogue -

9 Years Later…

A young adventurer and his cute elven companion walks through the bustling city of Aurelion, he heard tell of how it grew to be the capital of the continent. Mostly due to the process of elimination however, following the great collapse.

Walking through the marketplace he couldn’t help but feel like it was different from your standard capital city. Though the buzz of the market place was standard. Droves of citizens crowd around a stall for a book. Something you wouldn’t think would stand out but it did to him.

The cute white haired elf fidgets and steals glances at the hero.

“Haah… ” the hero sighs, "Alright then, go on then, Mabel,”

“Yay~” she cheers, “-Ah.”

The hero stops her just before she sets off, “But only 5 gold! You got it?!”

“Y-yes!” she stutters, “I get it already! Fine!”

She totters over to the crowd excitedly.

“You there! Young man!” a voice calls out to him.

“Huh?” the hero looks to the voice, “Are you referring to me?!”

“Of course!” the young woman smiles, “Would you like the sample of Amata’s miracle juice?~”

“Wow… That naming is definitely interesting… ahaha,” the hero starts, “I don’t know if I want to try anyone’s “miracle” juice to be honest.”

“Ohh trust me there’s nothing like it!” the woman insists, “You must try it!”

“Alright, alright!” he concedes only if to appease the incessant offers,

…

“(W-Wait?!... This is just a coke?!)” He thinks,

“Alright! I’m back!” The elf companion returns with her ears wiggling and a book in tow!

“I’ll take it!” the hero shouts, “One hundred gold’s worth of it!”

“Yay~” the young woman cheers,

“...” The elf looks at the boy with murderous eyes.

“Ah. Mabel… I can explain… ”

“Ouch!”

……

The hero and elf were called upon to the palace, where the guard there sized them up.

“So you're Arthur and Mabel, yes?”

The brown haired knight with basic starter equipment puffs up his chest to look bigger. Mabel with her short white hair and modest mage’s robes and satchel kick rocks at her feet.

“Y-Yes sir!” the boy shouts eagerly,

“Very well, come on in, then.”

The two entered its grand hall. There they were met with a tired and frustrated magistrate who assigned them the task.

Immediately they set off on the days long journey.

“Wow… ”the hero says, throwing a cloth ball at the ceiling of his room at the inn. “To think we’re on such an important task already!”

“Hmm?...” The elf replies not looking up from her book, “Is it though?”

“How could it not be?! We’re being set off to find the missing king and queen?!” he insists, “We’ll be famous!”

“Ah. I forget, you’re not from around here…” the elf continues nonchalantly, “The king and queen go missing often, they’ve got a serious wanderlust. It happens every other week really, we won’t get much if any renown from this at all…”

“Wh- I thought the reward was a bit low…”

With a sour puss the pair make it to the Black Serpent’s mountain.

There the hero was amazed with how many demons there were in the market place. They shuffle in standard commerce and revelry amongst humans. The entire city resides in the mountain, a marvel of engineering. There a dwarf bumps into the boy.

“Ach! Watch it!” the stout dwarf yells, “Ah my cake!”

“S-Sorry sir!” the hero apologizes,

“Where are you going to in such a hurry anyways!” he barks,

“We have an order from the Aurelion m-magistrate! We’re very sorry!” Mabel apologizes showing the assignment,

“Ah. You’re going to the castle. Well follow me then, I’m heading the same way too,” He smiles, “My wife works there!”

…

“Hm…” The angry blue oni taps her foot, “Is there a reason my cake looks like you’ve been eloping?”

“S-Sorry my dear!” he pleads, “I-I was in a hurry!”

“Uhuh…” She says, before glancing at the young pair,

“You two, head on in. The idiot couple is in there now." the oni thumbs behind her,

“Y-Yes ma’am! ” They rush in past the scary maid,

As they enter they hear arguing inside,

“NOo no no!!” A shrill voice wails, “Make him more-! Larger bigger muscles!”

There they find the monarch and monarch-esse arguing with what appears to be a manga artist.

“That’s ridiculous!” he shouts back at them, “Go away already! If you care so much, draw it yourself!”

The manga artist then notices the young adventurers,

“Look! Your escort is here!” he points to the pair, “Get going!”

“B-but! Your drawings are shooo goood!!~ People just make fun of mine!!!~” she cries,

“Babe… All that you create are masterpieces,” the king holds her chin to him,

“Ohhh DAVEEE!!~” She squeals, “That’s why no one can capture your brilliance!”

“AAGHH!! YOU’RE GIVING ME A MIGRAINE! LEAVE ALREADY!” the mangaka was fed up with the couple, “ELAINE! Where are my backgrounds!”

“R-Right away sir!” the meek assistant yelps,

……

The adventurers take the cooing couple back to Aurelion for their meager salary; barely a week’s worth of expenses. All the while enduring their incessant baby talk that they would perform for each other. The experience turns off the adventurers to city requests.

In lieu of career opportunities the pair decides to wander the countryside for a while.

“Ahh this is awful!” Arthur laments, “ We’re still poor and unknown! This is not how I wanted things to go at all!”

“Be grateful we got any work period!” the elf closes her book,

“Ah, you finished that one?”

“Yup.” the elf answers, “Let’s stop by the nearby town, I want to see if they’ve got any more in the series,”

“You really like this series eh?” he says surprised “What’s it called anyways,”

“Mhm, I do!~” the girl beams, ”I know it’s not your thing so I won’t even bother,”

“Tch, stingy!” he complains,

In the humble town the hero leans against a church after pilfering a few wafers.

“Hungry, are we?” the nun says besides him,

“Ach! Sorry!” he cries, “I didn’t mean to!”

“It’s fine…” the old nun took a long drag on her pipe, “It’s for the people anyways.. Coming on hard times?”

“Yeah.. You could say that. Here comes half of it,” he concedes pointing at the elf who rushed over with a new book, “We need money…”

“Ah!” the girl trips on her face. Spilling the contents of her satchel to the ground.

“Ara…” The nun comes over to help pick up the books off the ground.

Arthur also pitches in.

The nun notices the title of one in particular. It reads:

Life as a Dungeon Lord’s Assistant

“Well, ever considered dungeon crawling?” she suggest,

“Mmmm I don’t really like the dark and damp if I’m honest…” he thinks, “But it might be a good place to start right?”

The elf nods her head in agreement.

“Yeah it’s good money I heard.” the nun adds,

“Excellent!” the hero cheers excitedly, “Is there a dungeon nearby?!”

“Well… there is one actually…” She trails off,

“Really? In this small hovel?” Mabel asks curiously,”Ah-, no offense…”

“Mhm…” She nods with a soft smile, “I must warn you though…”

“It’s quite difficult.”