Small Steps

The walk back was rather uneventful. Some adventurers and miners were heading to the east of the city while merchants and workers were preparing business for the mid-day rush of housekeepers and innkeepers coming to buy supplies.

Once she was finally back at the inn, the first thing she noticed was how deserted it was. Aside from Lucina keeping company with an otherwise lonely Rionara, there was no one else in the main hall.

“I’m back.”

The knight spoke up once she stepped inside the establishment which prompted Rionara to perk up with a smile.

“Welcome back, Pris.”

Priscilla walked closer to the two and glanced at her lap with an inquisitive raised eyebrow.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, Miss Lucina is teaching me how to read.”

The receptionist had a warm smile on her face.

“I’m not doing much, I’m just reading the story itself.”

“Yup, but at least now I know what these words mean.”

Rionara replied. Priscilla held her own chin as she nodded, seemingly appreciating the gesture.

“Well now…” Lucina closed the red colored cover book and left it on the table as she stood up. “I need to buy some groceries for the week. I’ll be heading off.”

“Thank you for taking care of Rionara.” Priscilla bowed slightly. “Oh, don’t forget your book.”

“Ah, I was planning to leave it to you two.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ve read it plenty of times.” She traced her fingers across the cover with a tinge of nostalgia showing across her face. “I even have its entire story memorized. Besides, it would be more helpful for someone learning how to read than leaving it to gather dust back in my room.”

Priscilla nodded and bowed once again.

“Thank you very much.”

Rionara quickly stood up and did the same.

“Thank you, Lucina.”

“You two are very welcome.”

She turned around and gave a small wave as she left the inn. Now with only the two young women left in the main hall—Priscilla pulled the coin sack she had acquired from the bounty and placed it on the table.

Rionara glanced curiously at the sound of clinking metal.

“Are those coins?”

“Yes, for capturing the man that attacked me.”

The knight sat down and started to count them. Seeing how it was a lot of coins, Rionara stepped closer and asked.

“Can I help?”

Although a bit surprised, Priscilla smiled and answered with a nod.

“Sure.”

After splitting the sack’s content in half, they both started to tally the reward. The idle chatter from outside and the quiet sound of work coming from the kitchen made Rionara feel strangely at home. Not that she had another place she could call it one. At least, not that she remembered.

But just sticking to Priscilla’s side and doing whatever needed to be done felt warm. She was content with that life.

“Twenty four… twenty five…” The young woman glanced at the knight as she finished her stack. “I counted twenty five.”

“So fifty silver coins in total.” Priscilla held her chin for a while—lost in thought. “Rio, is there anything you’d want?”

“Huh? No, not really, why do you ask?”

“Well…” She untied her own coin pouch and pocketed the twenty five silver coins she had counted and then placed the other half back in the sack that it originally came from. “Here, this is yours.”

“Huh? N-no I couldn’t possibly…”

“Think of it as a responsibility of your own.” She placed the coin sack on the table in front of her. “My father did the same for me when I was a teenager. Spend it or save it, the choice is up to you.”

Her blue eyes eventually stopped at the sack of coins in front of her.

Never once in her life she had been given something. To her it was either acquiring from charity or stealing. Neither of which brought any pride to her heart which made her clench her hands in front of her body.

There was something about being given responsibility for an aspect of her life for the first time. It filled her heart with joy and wonder but also a genuine sensation of pride.

She turned to the knight with a pensive and uncertain expression as she asked quietly.

“C-could we… could we pay Geralt a visit…?”

Priscilla flashed a quiet smile as she nodded.

“Yes, we can.”

With quiet shuffling of chairs and coins, the two of them exited the inn. Priscilla had a relaxed posture with her left arm resting on the bell guard of her sheathed rapier while Rionara walked closely on her right side—she carried the sack of coins with both hands that could barely cover it entirely.

The streets were mostly quiet, by now only a few housekeepers were around doing their groceries and most of the adventurers already were off to their duties either in the region or inside the dungeon.

The way to the blacksmith shop was thankfully unmemorable, but at the same time it worried Priscilla that she did not see a single guard patrolling while they were walking. In front of the shop, Rionara looked up at the door that had a wooden sign written ‘closed’ hanging from it, but she didn’t know what it meant.

“Pris, there’s something on the door.”

“Here it’s written that it’s closed.”

Upon hearing those words, the knight immediately noticed her shoulders slump from disappointment.

“Closed…?”

“Well… today is the Day of Radiance, so it makes sense to be closed.”

“What is that?”

“It’s a day for resting.” Despite saying those words, Priscilla reached for the door knob and gave it a turn. “But some people still work even during it.”

“Really?”

“Yes and I believe our friend Geralt is one of those people.”

Upon noticing it wasn’t locked, she opened the door. A familiar bell rang from inside the shop. After Priscilla stepped to the side, Rionara followed closely behind her.

“Can’t ya read the damn sign? We’re-” Geralt’s annoyed voice came from the back of the shop until he stepped behind the counter and saw both women standing by the closed door. “Oh, ye shoulda warned me ye needed smithin’ services Lass.” He leaned his right arm on the counter. “What can ol’ Geralt do fer ye?”

“Not for me, Geralt.” Priscilla gently tapped behind Rionara’s back and pushed her forward. “She’s your customer this time.”

“Eh?”

Rionara shyly stepped forward. It wasn’t the first time she stepped foot inside that shop and yet it felt different. Before she just wore rags and was there for the warmth the forge would provide her. But now she was holding a sack of coins to make her first ever purchase.

“I-I… I…”

“Calm down youn’ un’. Ol’ Geralt ain’t goin’ anywhere.” He put both hands on the counter and gently leaned forward. “Watcha lookin fer?”

Rionara stopped and took one very deep breath, pulling enough air to puff her chest before letting it all out with a long sigh. As her fingers dug into the sack of coins, she placed it on top of the counter and started to speak, albeit with hesitation still present in her tone.

“I… I want a weapon like Priscilla’s. What can I get with twenty five silvers?”

Upon hearing it the knight flinched.

“Wait, like my rapier?”

Geralt scratched the underside of his chin and tilted his head slightly.

“Those sort o’ blades ain’t really my specialty, young un’. But if ye want to train swordplay, I might ‘ave sumthin’ else ye might like.” He reached for one of the barrels on the side of the counter and pulled a black colored leather sheath from it. “A rogue fellow paid me to smith one o’ these, but he never returned from dungeon delvin’. I can sell these fer five silver fer ye.”

Although clearly excited before, they both could see a slight disappointment in Rionara’s face as her eyes drooped a bit, prompting Priscilla to step in.

“Maybe, instead of an actual blade, why don’t you train with a wooden replica instead? Even back in the Academy we would use wooden swords to train to avoid injuring ourselves.”

Interest instantly sparked back in her eyes as she turned to the knight.

“Really?”

“Yes. A good swordswoman is one that has her limbs intact during training after all.”

While Rionara’s enthusiasm brought joy to Priscilla’s heart, it also left her wondering what it was that the young woman was seeing in her to make her want a similar weapon.

“T-then…” Rionara looked around the shop but didn’t see any wooden weapons. “Do you happen to have one, Sir Geralt?”

“Hmm… I don’t craft wooden weapons but I can do sumthin’ fer lil’ missy if ye give me a day.”

“Thank you!” Her excitement was clear in her voice as she smiled warmly. “Ah, do you have chainmail?”

“Chainmail? Fer ye?”

“Mhm.”

“Not fer yer size but ol’ Geralt can snippet some bits an’ pieces together fer ye as well.”

“How much would that cost?”

“‘Bout ten silver pieces. ‘Em links are a bit tricky to work with.”

Rionara took one step back and reached for her chin as she became lost in thought. Her eyes glanced around the room and noticed how there were many weapons and armor of varying sizes laying around which prompted her to ask.

“Sir Geralt… do you make custom tools?”

“Tools? What kind?”

“A one handed flint and steel for example.”

“Flint an’ steel? Ye can buy those in the guild.”

“No, no, I want a one handed flint and steel. One that I can strike with one hand.”

“Eh… like sum kind of tongs?” He pulled a smithing pair of tongs from behind the counter. “But ye want a flint an’ steel on each side?”

“Yes! That.”

Priscilla found the request strange and felt like she needed to step forward and ask.

“Rio, why a one handed flint and steel?”

“Ah… I… I want to show you something but I need that tool for it.”

“Show me?”

“Yes, it’s about magic.”

“You can just tell me.”

“I…” Rionara averted her gaze as she started to fiddle with her hands. “I wanted to show you instead, if possible.”

The knight closed her eyes for a brief moment and unconsciously smiled. After opening them, she kneeled to meet Rionara’s height and placed one hand softly on her shoulder.

“Alright. I’ll wait for it.”

A smile started to curl on the young woman’s face as she nodded.

“Mhm.”

On the other side of the counter, Geralt placed the tongs back behind the counter and leaned forward to ask Rionara.

“Aight, young un’. One wooden blade, chainmail and ye flint an’ steel, izzat all?”

“Yes, that’s all I need.”

“That’ll be twelve silvers.”

“Twelve?” Priscilla asked in a confused tone. “Are you not charging too little?”

“Nay, nay. Two silvers fer the flint an’ steel is fair enough.”

“No, but what about the practice sword?”

“Oh that? It’s on the house.”

Priscilla knew better than to judge someone like him for his rough exterior, but choosing not to charge for a service just made Geralt stand in more than a better light in her eyes. That statement made Rionara smile and bow politely shortly afterwards.

“Thank you so much, Mister Geralt!”

“Ah, ye welcome youn’ un’.”

As they wrapped up their transaction, Priscilla stepped closer to the counter and spoke in a hushed voice.

“Geralt, do you know if the dungeon is open today?”

“Eh? Are ye lookin’ to sneak in or sumthin’?”

“I’m just curious.”

He glanced at the door and noticed there was no one close to it, but even then he decided to speak quietly.

“Dungeon’s never closed, not even on Radiance. ‘Em guards keep a tight security ‘round the place, tis hard to get materials as it is.”

“I see… incidentally, where is its entrance?”

Geralt gave her a side glance as if he knew exactly where she wanted to get at, but didn’t inquire any further. Instead he just answered.

“Ye head east through the main street. Ye might wanna avoid goin’ with ‘em crowd o’ adventurers. If they catch ye without permission to go in, they’ll rough ye up badly.”

She nodded slowly a few times.

“Thank you, Geralt.”

“It ain’t nothin’.”

Rionara picked her coin pouch and counted twelve coins and left them on the counter. Seeing this, Priscilla asked.

“Rio? Why are you leaving them there?”

“Ah, aren’t I supposed to pay for it?”

That made the knight chuckle for a bit.

“Only when you receive what you asked for. Although… I suppose it’s fine since it’s Geralt.”

The blacksmith flashed a smug smile.

“Aye, ‘preciate it the trust, youn’ un’.” He then slid the coins back towards her. “But ye shouldn’t pay others ‘til they give ye proper service or goods.”

“Ah.” Rionara bowed slightly. “Thank you for letting me know.”

“Ye welcome.”

Seeing the young woman satisfied made Priscilla shift her weight and place her left arm on the guard of her rapier before saying her goodbyes.

“We’ll see you tomorrow then, Geralt.”

“Aye, I’ll ‘ave yer things ready fer ‘morrow.”

The knight raised her right hand and waved while Rionara bowed again before following Priscilla through the doorway.

After closing the door behind them, they were both left in the quiet central square. A few people were walking around but most merchants were closing up shop since it was nearing lunch hour.

‘Maybe I should at least take a look at the dungeon entrance.’

Priscilla’s eyes veered off to Rionara, who was unaware of her gaze.

“Rio.” She spoke out loud. “Would you like to go back to the inn or will you go with me to take a peek at the dungeon?”

“Huh?” The young woman glanced upwards with a confused expression. “I’ll go wherever you go.”

Priscilla chuckled to herself while shifting her left hand underneath her guard—holding the scabbard.

“Alright then, let’s get going.”

“Mhm.”

They both started to walk to the eastern side of the city.

Arivaul’s dungeon was one of many that appeared across the Arcadian continent. The promises of riches, glory and fame—the lull of becoming an adventurer known far and wide. Men and women followed those steps into these dungeons, palaces full of treasures and dangers in equal measure.

Along their measured steps, the street began to grow wider as they approached the eastern district. Unlike the noble district to the north and the slums to the south, the place they were heading towards was devoid of any houses or shops, in fact, the buildings slowly became more and more dilapidated the further they went from the city center.

Rodents and other small insects could be seen amongst the rubble, either foraging for food or seeking shelter amidst the fallen buildings.

Looking further east, Priscilla noticed a tall dark rectangular monolith in the distance surrounded by guards. There were about eight of them, all wearing full plate armor and holding halberds. Two were on each side of the monument while the other six were resting under the shade of an improvised tent set up against the side of the ancient brickwork.

Aside from the guards, there were some other adventurers sitting on the ground or on the rubble around the perimeter set by the guards as if waiting for their turn to head inside the dungeon.

The two young women were about to enter the vicinity of the monolith but one of the six guards noticed them and started to head their way with halberd in hand.

“Halt.” He shouted from across the yard as he approached. “What is your business here?”

Priscilla stepped forward and bowed her head slightly while explaining.

“I came here to learn what the dungeon looks like.”

“Huh?” The guard’s eyes veered to the plate hanging from the knight’s neck. “A copper adventurer?” He narrowed his eyes before flinching back. “Wait… I know you- you’re the woman who apprehended the Black Assassin!”

Looking closely, the man before her was the same she had encountered earlier near the barracks. Namely the older man that mentioned the former Arcadian Queen. Priscilla smiled awkwardly as she responded.

“Ah… yes, that would be me.”

“Well… I doubt someone like you would cause trouble.” He stepped to the side, opening a path for her. “Just don’t enter the dungeon since you don’t have a writ of passage. You and your kid can look around though.”

“Thank you.”

Rionara stepped forward as well and bowed while also thanking the guard.

“Thank you!”

Seeing the small framed woman perform such a cute bow brought a smile to the guard’s face as he returned to the shade under the tent. After sharing a relieved glance of relief, both of them started to slowly walk towards the monolith.

The adventurers around were equipped for both exploration and battle. Heavy armor, pickaxes, lanterns, bags of food and gourd canteens filled with water were the basics that every group had covered. Some of the said groups had mages in them, they didn’t carry any heavy luggage but they were equipped to the brim with extra pouches and satchels for potions and medicine.

‘So this is what an adventurer group looks like…’

Priscilla observed them with an attentive gaze, unlike the Arcadian army, there was far more variety in a small band of adventurers. Given the unknown dangers of the dungeon below, it was a smarter move to have a bit of everything in a group’s arsenal.

Upon feeling a tug on the left side of her jacket, Priscilla turned to Rionara—who was looking at her with curiosity in her eyes.

“Pris. Is this the place you wanted to go?”

“Yes.”

“But… why? It looks like a very gloomy place.”

“My father should be in there, somewhere.”

“Your dad? Why would he come to a place like this…?”

“That is the same question I ask myself.” Her eyes veered up to the top of the monolith. The dark structure emitted a faint aura that made the knight feel uneasy. “No human should ever step foot inside a dungeon like this…”

“Bold words for an adventurer.” An unfamiliar female voice came directly behind Priscilla which made her take a quick step forward and turn around with her left hand on the scabbard. “Woah there, hello, Miss Duelist.”

The person that had invaded the knight’s personal space was a blonde haired elf woman. She wore a kettle helmet tied to her chin with a makeshift leather strap, white gambeson, puffy brown trousers and leather straps wrapped around her feet for shoes. Her dark green eyes had a certain mischief to them.

“Elaine, you know it’s bad manners to eavesdrop on others.”

A fully armored knight approached behind the elf while reproaching her, from his build and tone of voice, Priscilla knew exactly who it was. Her arms relaxed as she moved her right hand away from the hilt of her weapon while straightening her back.

“Sir Reinhardt, is this your companion?”

Rionara rushed behind Priscilla and stared at the elf from behind the knight’s legs. Seeing all of that unfold, Reinhardt removed his helmet before apologizing.

“Yes, I’m sorry for her lack of control.” He bowed and while also staring at his companion. “Come on Elaine, don’t you have anything to say?”

The elf raised both her hands behind her head and tilted her body to the side while averting her eyes and with a subtle voice, said.

“Sorry.”

He sighed before straightening his back and turning his full attention to Priscilla.

“But I must ask, what are you doing here? I thought you’d be hunting more bounties.”

“Ah… I just came here to sate my curiosity.” She glanced at the monument behind her before turning back to him. “I never seen a dungeon before, you see.”

“Makes sense.” He crossed his arms. “This dungeon has been very profitable as of late. You would do well to raise your rank to reap the rewards of exploring it.”

“Thank you for your advice.” Priscilla placed her right hand across her body before bowing slightly. “Now, since we both got what we came here for, we should get going.” She glanced at Rionara that was still behind her. “Let’s go, Rio.”

“Mhm…”

Reinhardt bowed once again before saying his goodbyes.

“Farewell, Miss Priscilla.”

Elaine on the other hand just waved both hands towards them with a faint smile on her face.

“Ciao!”

After watching them leave—Elaine glanced at Reinhardt and asked.

“Is that the woman you were talking about yesterday?”

“Yes. Any thoughts?”

“She isn’t just your run of the mill adventurer.” She reached for her own throat—massaging it with each finger as if feeling for something that wasn’t there. “I’m sure she could have almost beheaded me with her first swing if she meant to draw steel.”

“You say almost—does that mean you could win?”

“Maybe. If I get the drop on her.” She raised both her hands and interlocked her fingers behind her head with a carefree smile on her face. “But she would be a handful.”

“Like Lady Phoebe?”

“Haha! No, not like her. But she is definitely someone to watch out for.”

“I see…” Reinhardt looked at the spellfencer’s back from over his shoulder. “Priscilla Avellion, huh…?”

One of the guards under the tent pulled out a pocket watch from his belt and checked the time before standing up.

“It’s time.”

Upon hearing those words, the two guards in front of the monolith started to change posts with the ones resting. Once the new guards were ready, he started to shout.

“Get ready! We’ll open the doors!”

The myriad of adventurers resting on their bags started to gather their things and stand up. Reinhardt reached for the bag he was carrying and grabbed a bow and a quiver that was beside it before handing them over to Elaine.

“Well…” He sighed as he put on his helmet again. “Let’s go.”

“Aye.”

After grabbing his sword and shield he and the elf entered the line of adventurers to head into the dungeon.

After returning to the central square, Priscilla was feeling a bit drained as she reached for her eyes and massaged both of them. Seeing the knight do that made Rionara ask.

“Pris, are you okay?”

“Hm?” She opened her eyes and smiled faintly. “Yeah, just a bit tired.”

She was feeling a bit out of sorts after being close to the dungeon. It was like her strength was sapped away from her body. It was a different kind of exhaustion.

“Should we head back to the inn?”

Seeing her look with a worried expression made Priscilla involuntarily smile before straightening her back.

“No, it’s fine. I just need a breather.” She glanced at the few merchants around the central square before returning her gaze to Rionara. “Let’s walk around for a bit.”

“Mhm.”

They walked slowly and close to each other. Rionara still held the coin pouch under her poncho with both hands as she walked. Her azure eyes kept jumping from blanket to blanket as goods were sprawled before her like offerings.

They were mostly accessories for civilians or trinkets for children as the more hardened adventurer clientele or brow-sweating farm workers were away at that time of the day.

“Wow…” She muttered under her breath as she noticed quite a few different things. Bracelets, necklaces, rings and earrings of different materials, shapes and sizes. “They are beautiful.”

“Thank you, young lady.” The bearded merchant selling the goods smiled at Rionara. He wore a simple washed white robe and a cap of the same color. Strangely, the blanket underneath his goods was of far higher quality than his own clothes. “Feel free to try them out if you want.”

“C-can I?”

The man nodded. Rionara crouched with the coin sack on her lap as she browsed the jewelry. There was a variety of different metals composing the goods, but silver and a few gold ones stood out the rest with the presence of precious gems like garnets, tourmalines and a variety of different colored quartz embellishing their appearance.

Rionara took a silver garnet bracelet and put it around her wrist. The jewelry itself looked pretty but it was far too big for her and it would simply slide off her limb if she angled her arm downwards.

She looked at the merchant with a sad look on her face.

“D-do you have anything smaller?”

“Sorry, young lady, I don’t.”

He replied apologetically.

“Aw…”

“You can make it into a necklace if you want.” Priscilla kneeled down and glanced at the man briefly. “Do you sell strings as well?”

“I do have some cord…” He reached for the sack beside him and took out a length of braided hemp string. “I’ll throw in some for free if you purchase any of these.”

Rionara’s eyes started to sparkle as she picked up the same bracelet again.

“I-I want this one, how much is it?”

“This one is five silvers. Eight if you buy the pair.”

“The pair?”

“Yes, I made these two from the same garnet.” He showed the other bracelet that had a strikingly similar gem embedded into its center. “Here.”

He passed it onto Rionara’s hand and after she stared at both of them for a while, she lifted her head and spoke while mustering all confidence she could.

“I-I’ll get both of them, then.”

“Alright then.” As the man was setting a length of cord aside, Rionara grabbed eight silver coins from her pouch and handed it to him. “Thank you very much, young lady. Here’s your cord and bracelets.”

After being given the goods, the young woman stood up and bowed.

“Thank you!”

“Thank you, sir.”

Priscilla offered him her thanks before standing up as well. They left the merchant and started to head back towards the inn. On the way, Rionara was fiddling with the jewelry she bought while also fidgeting uneasily. Upon noticing her behavior, the knight spoke up.

“Is something wrong?”

“Huh?” Rionara flinched and looked at her with widened eyes. “Ah, no, not really. I…” She blinked a few times while averting her gaze as her arm extended outwards. “I just wanted to give you this.”

She offered Priscilla the bracelet. That made the knight hesitate for a moment before gently placing her hand on top of hers.

“You didn’t have to buy it for me.”

“N-no, it’s… it’s something I wanted to do.”

Priscilla closed her eyes and chuckled to herself before accepting the gift.

“Thank you, Rio.” After grabbing both the cord and bracelet, she fashioned the gift into a necklace and wore it on her neck before putting it underneath her chainmail. “I’d like to wear it on my wrist but it might get in the way if I were to draw my sword.”

She placed her hand on top of where the bracelet was and smiled quietly. Seeing Priscilla satisfied also made Rionara smile.

“Hehe… I should be the one thanking you, Pris.”

After Priscilla helped her with making the bracelet into a necklace, they both made their way inside the inn. The main hall was still empty with the exception of Gerolt resting in the far corner with a wooden tankard filled halfway with ale.

“Ah, welcome back.” He said while not even moving from his laid back position. “How was your little outing?”

“Good.” Priscilla answered shortly while looking around. “Where is Karla?”

“Oh, she went to buy groceries for dinner rush.”

“I see…”

The knight sat by the table next to Gerolt’s while Rionara went over to the man to show off her new bracelet fashioned into a necklace.

“Gerolt, look!” She puffed her chest and lifted the jewelry. “I bought this!”

“Oh? Good work, Lass. Did your mom give you some allowance?”

That sentence made Priscilla avert her gaze, flustered. But not in a particularly good way. Deep down only she knew how old Rionara was, which made it sting a bit bittersweetly.

“I’m not her mother…”

She mumbled to herself. Rionara tilted her head at him while asking.

“Allowance? What is that?”

“Erm… it’s like sparing a few coins for a child to learn how to use money properly. You see, back when me and Karla lived in Astera we-”

“We used to take care of children.” Gerolt’s explanation was cut short by a somewhat irritated Karla. She walked in the establishment with two large hemp sacks in each arm. “Lord Vladimir used to teach the children math and how to use money correctly.”

“Lord Vladimir?”

Rionara glanced at the knight, which prompted her to clear her throat before answering.

“He’s the mayor of Astera. It’s a city near the eastern coast. It takes a few days on foot to reach it.”

“Ah… I see. So this mayor helps children?”

“You could say that.” Karla settled the bags on top of the table closest to the kitchen. “Gerolt, help me put these in the pantry.”

The man took a deep breath, finished up his drink and stood up.

“Aye.”

Rionara glanced at Gerolt and Karla before speaking up.

“I-I’ll help too.”

“Oh?” Karla was carrying two sizable cabbages on each hand as she turned slightly around with a surprised expression while addressing the young woman that was half her size. “What a reliable girl you are.”

“Hehe.”

With a bright smile on her face, Rionara followed behind Gerolt while helping the couple to bring the many groceries to the back of the kitchen.

Priscilla watched it all unfold with a quiet smile. Though beneath her serene expression there was a lingering sensation of worry as she recalled the strange presence she felt near the dungeon monolith.

It felt ancient, something buried under the crust of the earth that was supposed to remain there until the end of times. Deep down she knew it was only a matter of time until she had to descend that abominable place.

She closed her eyes and started to wonder. How far down did that dungeon go? Why would her father willingly go there? Was she truly capable of tackling this alone? Her skills were undeniable, but there was only so much one person could accomplish alone.

She brought her closed right fist to her face—pressing the knuckles of her index and middle finger between her eyes to apply pressure. She needed to find a way to go into the dungeon, but from what she’d seen, sneaking past the guards wouldn’t be easy.

“I need to find a way…”

“A way for what?”

The sudden female voice coming from her left made her lift her head with wide open eyes. Lucina was standing just a few meters from her table with a similar hemp sack filled with groceries.

“Oh… Miss Lucina.” Priscilla’s tense shoulders relaxed alongside the readied left hand that hovered above the hilt of her sheathed rapier. “I was just thinking how I would explore the dungeon. I saw some parties of adventurers but no one was going by themselves.”

“They are advised to not go alone.” The receptionist approached the knight’s table and left the hemp sack on top of it before taking the seat across from her. “Dungeons are dangerous after all.”

“How dangerous? I heard stories of monsters lurking beneath but if it’s the usual kobold or two, I don’t see how a properly geared adventurer would fail to defeat them.”

“Oh, it’s not just monsters. Traps and ambushes await within, some reports even mentioned entire rooms being used to trap large groups of people before unleashing monsters upon them. And not just one or two—but an entire horde.”

“That seems… a bit too clever for mindless monsters…”

Lucina nodded in agreement as she continued.

“Some even say the dungeon itself is alive. That it grows for every fallen adventurer inside its depths. Well… not that we know if it’s true—nobody ever set foot past the fourth floor.”

“Fourth floor?”

“Yes, every floor has a powerful monster guarding the staircase leading to the next floor. Floors one through three have been cleared thanks to the adventurer’s efforts, but the fourth floor is guarded by a bull-man.”

“Wait… so it’s a demi-human?”

“No, no, it looks very similar to their demonic counterpart but they cannot be reasoned with. It killed one of the best group of adventurers we had. Ever since then—no adventurer under the rank of silver is allowed to go fight it.”

“Is it that powerful?”

“I’m afraid so—the reports mentioned the bodies were found in an… unrecognizable state.”

“I see…”

Priscilla knew how good of a fighter her father was, but the way Lucina spoke put her on edge. Personally, she knew little of demi-humans—only seeing the occasional demon or goatfolk that came as envoys from the demon realm and the usual myriad of races that lived in the Arcadian capital. However, she knew bullfolk were known for their strength and short temperament, if that was anything to go by, she knew it was going to be a handful to deal with a similar foe.

“Ah, but you shouldn’t have to worry about it.” Lucina said with a calming tone. “No adventurer is allowed to go past the third floor, so you shouldn’t even come close to seeing it, let alone fight it.”

“That’s reassuring…” Priscilla put her hands on the table and leaned slightly forward as she locked eyes with the receptionist. “Miss Lucina.”

She raised an eyebrow while maintaining the friendly expression on her face as she tilted her head slightly.

“Yes?”

“Do you know anything about an adventurer known as the ‘Red Baron’?”

Upon hearing those words, the receptionist’s eyes widened with a spark of joy.

“Why, yes. Everyone in the guild knows about him. A gallant spearman clad in red—he was the trailblazer we owe our thanks to. Without him, the guild wouldn’t even exist.”

“Did you know him?”

“Not personally, unfortunately.” Lucina shook her head with disappointment. “He left long before I became a receptionist here.”

“I see…”

Priscilla’s eyes glanced downwards at her own hands.

‘So my father didn’t use his name…’ From the conversation she had just now, it was clear the people of Arivaul knew the red spearman by his moniker ‘Red Baron’ as opposed to his real name: ‘Marcus Avellion’. ‘That being the case… she wouldn’t know if he came here or not… unless…’

“Sorry about the questions but are there any silver ranked adventurers here?”

“Um… it’s not like I could tell you, Miss Priscilla. Guild’s policy, you see.”

“Oh…” The knight’s hands tightened ever so slightly, enough to fight the building anxiety but not to the point that Lucina could perceive it. “But let’s say hypothetically, if there was, would they be able to access the fourth floor?”

“In terms of skill?” Priscilla nodded which made the receptionist reach for her chin as she was lost in thought. “Maybe? Floors one through three are accessible to iron ranked adventurers so it wouldn’t be terribly hard for a silver plate adventurer to explore the fourth floor, but not by themselves of course. That floor is largely unexplored—there aren’t even maps of it. The first team sent there found the staircase leading below from sheer luck.”

Priscilla nodded a few times as she took a deep breath.

“I understand it better now, thank you.”

“Are you planning to go to that floor?”

“Huh? No, I was just curious. I’m here to improve my skills—not die a pointless death.”

Were the knight’s words, but she knew there would be a point in time where she would eventually go down there. She leaned back against the chair and clasped her hands together on top of her lap.

From the corner of her eye, Priscilla spied a few customers coming into the establishment. Some were farmers and others were builders coming for lunch from their respective jobs. They settled on the tables around the two women while waiting for someone to come to take their orders.

One of the farmers glanced at the knight’s table and his eyes narrowed upon seeing her.

“Hey, isn’t that the adventurer the other guys were talking about?”

He whispered to his colleague that was beside him which in turn, looked at her as well.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, she matches the description alright. Blondie with red eyes. Rapier at her hip.”

“She’s very pretty.”

One of them was perked up trying to take a better look at her but one of the older farmers elbowed the younger one in the ribs.

“Shut your trap boy. She’s too good for you.”

“Ow, hey!”

Forceful footsteps came from behind Priscilla and as she turned her head around she noticed Karla lumbering towards the rowdy men only to give them a stern warning as she flicked her wooden club around.

The inn was starting to become more lively and as more patrons started to come into the establishment, more and more eyes started to land on Priscilla with recognition.

“Blond hair and red eyes…”

“Wow, she really exists.”

“A noble turned adventurer?”

“You wish you had seen her handle Geralt’s hammers, that was a sight to behold.”

“Hey I was there too.”

The chit chat was becoming intense, not a single table wasn't commenting on her exploits which made the knight feel awkward.

‘I’m not used to this sort of attention…’

She sighed and rolled her eyes. At that moment she felt a tug on the right side of her jacket and as she looked to the direction it came from, Rionara was standing there with a wide smile on her face.

“Pris, sure is famous.”

“Haha, not that I want to.” She ruffled the young woman’s hair before looking back at the full inn’s hall with a bittersweet smile. “This is too unfamiliar to me.”

“What did you do before coming to Arivaul?” Lucina inquired while also leaning forward with a certain interest in her eyes. “Were you a traveling swordswoman? Maybe a mercenary for hire?”

Priscilla raised both hands while shaking her head with resignation.

“None of that. I’m just a nobleman’s daughter trying to improve her own skills.”

“Hmm…” Lucina held her chin with one eyebrow slowly raising up. “From where I stand, you are very skilled already.” She then crossed her arms and leaned back against the chair. “It is no small feat to capture an armed assailant, one experienced in assassinations nonetheless.”

‘Most knights should be capable of doing that much.’

It was her first thought, but she couldn’t say such a thing in front of her, instead, the knight turned her gaze to the ceiling and clasped her hands on top of her own lap. A bittersweet smile curled on her lips.

“This is not enough. My father is still a much more skilled fighter than I.”

“Haha, you sound like he would be one of the Arcadian royal knights.”

Priscilla remained quiet but her wistful expression seemed to tell a much larger tale than what she wanted to share.

‘If I’m a royal knight, then he would certainly…’

As she contemplated her father’s achievements, she couldn’t help but feel a mix of pride and determination burn inside her chest. She had to find him sooner rather than later.

“Lasses!” Gerolt proudly approached the table with an astronomical portion of food on two wooden trays that he almost had to use the entirety of his arm to carry. “Your food is here.”

He placed down the two trays—one of them had a colorful stir-fried buckwheat mixed with bits of eggs and vegetables on a plate while the other had an assortment of side dishes around a whole roasted chicken.

“Woah!” Rionara gasped in surprise by the amount of food presented in front of her. “Is this all for you again, Miss Lucina?”

The receptionist raised her hands and shook them while smiling.

“Oh, no, no, I thought we could share a meal together.”

Rionara pulled one chair back and sat beside Priscilla, who was still engrossed reminiscing about the past.

“Pris, what’s wrong?”

“Huh?” The knight turned at her and smiled instinctively. “Nothing, I was thinking about the past. Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She turned and motioned to the table—making Priscilla follow her gesture with her eyes. “Lucina said we should eat together, can we?”

“Oh, huh…” Priscilla looked at the receptionist, who flashed a smile at her. “Sure, we can eat lunch together.”

“That’s great!” Lucina was thrilled to have someone to share a meal with and she wasted no time in putting wooden plates and the iron cutlery in front of them. “Here, grab as much as you’d like. I made sure to order a lot.”

Priscilla looked at the amount of food and then turned to Rionara—who was still unsure where to start from.

“Do you want me to help you?”

The knight asked her, but the young woman shook her head with a faint smile on her face.

“I’ll figure it out, thank you, Pris,”

“Hmm. Okay.”

Seeing how she didn’t need any help, Priscilla picked up the knife with her right hand and the fork with her left. Despite being a rather modest inn, the knight unconsciously switched to the graceful movements of a fine diner the moment her hands had tools to work with.

Both Lucina and Rionara could feel the regal movements coming from her as even the way she held the rather rudimentary wooden handled iron knife and fork showed just how familiar she was with nobility’s table etiquette.

Straightened back, leveled shoulders, tight and precise movements never once scraping her cutlery against the wooden plate, each piece of food cut no more than two bites worth of size—it all made her look out of place. Only after realizing she had gone completely on muscle memory, she relaxed her shoulders but it was already too late.

She could feel the stares.

“Was that nobility’s etiquette?”

Lucina asked curiously. Priscilla settled the knife on the side of her plate before switching the fork to her right hand and quietly stabbing the other pieces she had already cut—while averting her gaze, she answered.

“Y-yeah… when you are taught it everyday for a few years, it kind of becomes a habit.”

“It felt regal, alright.” Lucina smiled softly. “Have you had to use it before? Etiquette, I mean.”

“Once, but surprisingly it wasn’t needed.”

“Really? Was it another noble?”

‘It was dinner with the Queen.’

But obviously she couldn’t say that, so instead she chose to brush it off with a generic answer.

“An acquaintance of mine. We met before so she wanted to break the ice, I suppose.”

“Ho… I thought you were the only outlier of nobles.” Lucina chuckled shortly. “Not many of them would stand being among ‘commoners’.”

Priscilla followed the receptionist’s gaze as she looked around her. There were many different types of people. Some were drinking, others were eating, but everyone seemed happy talking and cheering with one another.

It yet again made her feel homesick. Arcadia was close to her heart but far enough away to make it ache. But at the same time, her father meant too much for her—she wasn’t about to turn back and return to the capital without at least knowing what happened to him.

At that point, Rionara tugged her jacket which prompted her to look at the young woman and ask.

“Yes? Do you need anything, Rio?”

“Ah… how do you hold your fork properly?” The question was well warranted as she held the utensil in an unsightly manner by simply wrapping all of her fingers around its handle. Serviceable? Yes, but perhaps brutish looking for the otherwise young woman. “I… I feel like I’m doing it wrong.”

“Oh… here, let me teach you.” Priscilla reached for her hand and gently released her palm grip on the handle before adjusting her thumb forefinger and middle finger around the wooden haft. “There. It’s not exactly the same grip I used but-” She stopped herself from bombarding her with information with a short chuckle to herself. “-no one should look at you weirdly now.”

“Ah! This actually feels easier!” Rionara turned to the knight with a beaming smile. “Thank you, Pris!”

“You’re welcome.”

That familiar warmth made Lucina feel at peace. It had been too long since she had others to spend time with, especially with another young woman around her age.

They kept eating in silence amidst the clatter and chatter.

Two men wearing worker outfits were eyeing Priscilla from the corner of the hall. They leaned closer to each other while whispering.

“Is that her?” The taller and more muscular man asked while adjusting the worn hard cap on his bald head. “You’re telling me she killed him?”

“Keep your voice down.” The slim man devoid of any striking features was holding a wooden walking cane against the side of his seat. “That is what Ivan said, but even if she wasn’t the one who killed him, if he hired us, you know something is up.”

“Aye…” The taller man cracked his fingers as he clenched his right hand. “One good strike is all that it takes.”

“Just don’t do it here, moron.” His hands clenched around the walking cane. He sighed before taking another glance at Priscilla’s table until he noticed the knight wiping Rionara’s mouth with a napkin. “Maybe, we don’t even need to fight her.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

The slim man smirked deviously as he leaned even closer to whisper.

“An ambush.”