Monster Company Tycoon Chapter 47

Chapter 47

 

Nest Village.

It was home to a training center dedicated to nurturing those who would one day become adventurers, and was commonly known as the Starting Village.

Countless adventurers had received their training here before taking their first steps into the wider world.

‘And it’s also where my own adventure begins!’

I was quite confident in my combat abilities.

After all, I’d been trained every single day since childhood under my father, a retired adventurer.

If it were up to me, I would’ve set off on an adventure immediately. However, my father had firmly declared that he would never allow it until I received my graduation certificate from the training center.

‘What’s the big deal about a graduation certificate? Can’t I just get one in a city later if I end up needing it?’

To register as an official adventurer, one needed a graduation certificate as proof of having received training from an instructor accredited by the kingdom.

Apparently, this system had been introduced to prevent novice adventurers from recklessly challenging the Demon Realm and losing their lives. However, to me, it felt like an entirely unnecessary procedure.

‘I heard there are training centers in the cities that will hand out graduation certificates just for money.’

I was already starting from a completely different position than your average beginner adventurer.

‘To get a graduation certificate, I’d have to complete the basic courses first. But I’ve already learned all of that from my father. It would be a complete waste of time.’

Still, I couldn’t simply ignore my father’s instructions. Especially if I wanted to continue receiving financial support from home while going on adventures in the future.

Nest Village was the only place in this region with a training center. In the end, I had to travel a considerable distance by carriage just to get there.

When I finally arrived, Nest Village turned out to be much more peaceful than I’d expected.

Quiet streets and people strolling around at a leisurely pace.

For a place that trained adventurers who would eventually venture into the dangerous Demon Realm, there was hardly any sense of tension.

It made me feel even more strongly that I’d gone out of my way for nothing.

“Excuse me.”

Since this was an unfamiliar village, there was no way I could know my way around. I decided to ask someone passing by.

As luck would have it, I spotted a passerby nearby and grabbed their arm.

“Ah! Yes?”

The person flinched in surprise, apparently startled by being grabbed so suddenly.

‘They’re small. I thought they were a child. But looking at their face, I don’t think that’s the case.’

The person was so short that they barely reached my chest.

Their eyes, visible behind their glasses as they looked up at me with a startled expression, were unusually large and clear.

Their slightly drooping eye corners gave them an overall gentle appearance, while their curly hair looked so soft that I felt like it would be fluffy to the touch.

‘They’re actually kind of cute?’

“Um… Is there something…?”

“Ah, could you tell me where the adventurer training center is?”

“Oh, the training center! Are you a beginner adventurer?”

Suddenly, the woman’s face lit up.

‘Did she like adventurers? Well, it was a popular profession, after all.’

“I’m not a beginner, but I am an adventurer.”

“Then you must be an acquaintance of Ragner’s… The training center is that way. Just follow the road straight ahead, and you’ll find it in no time.”

Even her way of speaking was friendly toward someone she’d just met.

It seemed the people in this village had absolutely no sense of wariness.

“Then I should get going… Could you let go of my arm?”

“Hmm, would you mind showing me the way personally? I’ll even treat you to a meal as thanks.”

For some reason, I felt reluctant to part ways just yet.

Perhaps it was because this person had such a comforting presence? I found myself wanting to get closer to them for some reason, more than seemed normal.

“Pardon? Oh, no, you don’t have to do that. I have to go to my part-time job now. Ah, there’s only one restaurant in the village, so if you’d like to have a meal, please visit the Three Trees Restaurant over there.”

Having no choice, I let go of their hand, and they quickly disappeared into the restaurant they’d just pointed out.

‘A part-time job… So they work at the restaurant? I can always go look for them later.’

Putting my lingering regret aside, I headed toward the training center.

When I arrived, I found that quite a few people were already practicing against wooden training dummies, despite how early it was.

Everyone was diligent. I used to train by striking the wooden dummy in our yard every day when I was young, too.

Someone who had been instructing the students spotted me and immediately approached.

They seemed to be an instructor at this training center, but there was something vaguely familiar about their face.

I briefly introduced myself and explained the purpose of my visit.

“You only need a graduation certificate?”

“Yes. I’ve already received sufficient training as an adventurer from my father. So all I need is the certificate.”

“Your father? Was he an adventurer?”

“Yes! My father is now retired, but he was once a renowned adventurer who made a name for himself while working with the Trust Guild. I’ve been training under him since I was a child.”

My voice grew a little louder out of pride for my father. Since I was already at it, I hoped the students struggling out there in the training yard would hear me, too.

‘Then they’d realize that I was starting from an entirely different level than they were.’

“I’ve heard of that guild, but our training center has a policy of only issuing graduation certificates to those who complete the required courses.”

I already told you I didn’t need any of that. I was glaring at the instructor, thinking they were being unreasonable, when I suddenly realized who the person standing in front of me was.

“Wait! Could your name possibly be Ruadis? The Silver Wolf of the Gloria Assault Team! I heard you’d retired, but I never imagined you’d be working as an instructor in such a rural village!”

“My name is indeed Ruadis, but I wasn’t aware people were calling me by such a ridiculous nickname.”

My posture straightened automatically at the unexpected encounter with such a prominent figure.

“It’s an incredible honor to meet you! I’ve heard so many stories about your achievements during your active years!”

“Tch. Enough with the embarrassing flattery.”

“It would certainly be a meaningful experience to receive direct instruction from someone as renowned as you, Senior. However, I can’t help feeling that spending time at a training center is a bit of a waste.”

She didn’t seem particularly convinced.

“If you have doubts about my abilities, I’d be happy to demonstrate them in a sparring match.”

“Hmm… Are you really that confident in your skills?”

“Yes! Absolutely!”

“Then all you have to do is prove it.”

“Shall I prepare for a sparring match?”

“No. Starting this year, our training center has introduced a new graduation exam. Have you ever challenged a dungeon before?”

What kind of training center made its graduation exam a dungeon challenge?

Following the map the instructor had given me, I found that there really was a dungeon located not too far from the village.

It was a strange, tower-shaped structure.

‘This is my first time entering a dungeon…’

The thought of attempting my first dungeon challenge made me a little anxious, but I quickly calmed myself down.

If they were using it as part of a graduation exam, it was undoubtedly a relatively low-difficulty Instance Dungeon.

‘The instructor must have already assessed it thoroughly.’

Unlike the Demon Realm, it was extremely rare for adventurers to lose their lives inside dungeons.

That was because the Goddess Leta protected adventurers who challenged dungeons.

I’d heard that if someone faced a danger severe enough to cost them their life inside a dungeon, divine power would intervene and transport the challenger to a safe location.

“So, if I bring back an item from the reward room as proof that I’ve conquered this place, you’ll recognize me as a graduate of the training center, right?”

I stopped in front of the dungeon entrance and performed one final equipment check.

I made sure my sword could be drawn smoothly from its scabbard, then checked the healing potion hanging from my waist one more time.

That’s when I noticed the prayer box placed to one side of the entrance.

‘I’ve heard it’s customary for adventurers to put money in there and pray to the God of Fortune for good luck.’

I rummaged through my pockets and found three 100-eon coins.

‘But how much are you usually supposed to put in?’

I’d never heard anything about a fixed amount.

‘Well… They say the God of Fortune loves wealth, so the more I offer, the more likely my prayer is to be answered, right?’

I tossed all the coins I was holding into the prayer box.

Even then, it somehow didn’t feel like enough, so I rummaged through my wallet, took out another 1,000-eon silver coin, and threw that in as well.

‘Getting my graduation certificate in a single attempt.’

That was exactly the kind of luck I needed right now.

‘God of Fortune, please look after me.’

It was just as I finished my brief prayer with my hands clasped together.

I suddenly felt strangely light. My limbs seemed full of energy, and even my mind felt clearer than before.

Perhaps this was the blessing bestowed upon me by the God of Fortune in response to my prayer.

‘I feel like I can accomplish absolutely anything!’

“……”

I flinched.

Suddenly sensing a presence, I turned my head toward the inside of the dungeon.

However, there was nothing visible beyond the dark entrance.

“I could’ve sworn I heard a rather frivolous voice…”

I thought I’d heard something strange about a customer arriving, or something along those lines. It wasn’t the sort of thing I should have been able to hear here.

I listened carefully for a moment, but no further sounds followed.

‘Was it my imagination?’

Perhaps I’d been so absorbed in my prayer that I’d started hearing things.

Brushing it off as a hallucination, I steadied my resolve.

Shing.

I drew my sword from the scabbard at my waist and slowly stepped into the dungeon.

If this were a graduation exam intended for beginner adventurers, I should have no trouble passing it with my abilities.