"Absolutely! In fact, even if you hadn’t asked me now, you would’ve found out sooner or later after staying at Manacos a bit longer. Those two dungeons are the most frequented spots for upperclassmen at your academy."

  "The Luminescent Dungeon is dimly lit overall, and most of the dungeon monsters dwelling there are stealthy and lightning-fast. In an environment like that, you’ll be in big trouble if your spell-casting speed isn’t fast enough. Of course, if you can manage to hold your own, your spell-casting speed will naturally improve. Once you’ve mastered casting spells smoothly enough, learning non-incantation won’t be nearly as difficult......"

  "As for the Echo Maze, its passages are labyrinthine and teeming with dungeon monsters. It’s common to be swarmed by multiple enemies attacking from different directions at once. In such situations, mages need to analyze the battlefield as thoroughly as possible and find the best way to respond. Over time, you’ll develop the ability to multitask—and that’s the foundation of multi-incantation......"

  After listening to Irus’s explanation, Hulim Heyerar realized those two dungeons were indeed perfect for her current needs.

  "Thank you, Irus!"

  "You’re welcome. Oh, and if you’re planning to head to the dungeons, don’t forget to stop by the Adventurers' Guild first to get a pass. All dungeons are managed by the Guild—you can’t enter without authorization. Alternatively, you could just register as an adventurer directly; it’ll be much more convenient in the long run."

  "I see. I’ll go there right now."

  The day was already drawing to a close, so Hulim planned to get her pass from the Guild immediately, allowing her to head straight to the dungeons tomorrow.

  She drained the last drop of the floral tea brewed with Irus’s secret recipe in one gulp, then bid the elf farewell and left.

  "Whoa there, slow down~! What an action-oriented kid. At least finish your tea first."

  Watching Hulim’s retreating figure, Irus sighed and picked up the teapot with half its contents left, drinking alone.

  ......

  At Charkin’s Blacksmithy.

  Clang! Clang! Clang......

  The rhythmic sound of hammering filled the air.

  "Mr. Charkin, I’ve come to pick up my mithril sword."

  CLANG——!

  Charkin Karagon paused mid-swing, turning to glance at Hulim.

  "It’s you. Your mithril sword’s already fixed."

  Charkin stood up, walked over to a shelf against the forge wall, and retrieved a sword.

  "Here you go. This is your sword."

  Staring at the sword in front of her—its blade silver overall, yet shimmering with a faint violet glow, its shape sleek and streamlined—Hulim hesitated.

  Was this really her mithril sword?

  No matter how hard she tried to recall, her original sword bore no resemblance to the one before her eyes.

  "......Um, Mr. Charkin, is this really my mithril sword?"

  "Yep, that’s it! No doubt about it!"

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  Charkin replied with absolute certainty.

  "......But I remember my mithril sword didn’t look like this."

  "Oh, that—"

  "I mixed in some demon steel and reforged the whole thing, so it looks different now. After all, if I’d just patched it up as it was, you’d probably break it again in no time, wouldn’t you?"

  "Demon steel?!**

  Hulim remembered that demon steel was a magical metal far rarer and more valuable than mithril, renowned for its incredible durability......

  "Don’t worry, it was just some leftover scraps I had lying around. They were useless to me anyway, so I won’t charge you extra for it."

  "Huh, but——"

  "Alright, alright, stop being so wishy-washy. I’ve got more forging to do. Take your stuff and get going!"

  Charkin roughly pressed the new mithril sword—or rather, the demon steel-mithril sword—into Hulim’s hands.

  Then he turned on his heel, strode back to the forging table, and picked up his hammer, resuming his work.

  Clang! Clang! Clang......

  "......"

  Feeling the weight of the new sword—heavier than its predecessor—in her palm, Hulim silently sheathed it.

  "Thank you, Charkin."

  "......"

  Clang! Clang! Clang......

  Not wanting to disturb his work, Hulim turned to leave the forge.

  "Hey, Hulim——"

  The sound of hammering suddenly stopped behind her.

  Hulim paused in her tracks.

  "If you ever need something forged in the future, come straight to me. Don’t go bothering that old hag to write me letters again!"

  Clang! Clang! Clang......

  The hammering resumed once more.

  "......"

  ......

  After leaving Charkin’s Blacksmithy, Hulim made her way to the Adventurers' Guild located in the Lower City of Langard.

  Gazing up at the large sign hanging above the entrance—emblazoned with a crossed sword and wand—Hulim pushed open the swinging doors and stepped inside.

  The interior of the Adventurers' Guild was a vast hall. Along the back wall stood over a dozen open service counters, each staffed by a Guild receptionist attending to adventurers' needs.

  Lining the outer walls on either side of the entrance were numerous tables and chairs. Even though it was still broad daylight, several adventurers were already sitting there, drinking frothy ale.

  At the far end of the right-hand side hung a massive bulletin board covered with various quests. A crowd of adventurers clustered around it, scanning the postings.

  On the left-hand side, a staircase led up to the second floor. The hall below offered no glimpse of what lay upstairs, so its purpose remained a mystery for now.

  Hulim chose a counter with a short queue and waited at the end of the line.

  It wasn’t long before it was her turn.

  The receptionist behind the counter greeted her with a polished smile and asked:

  "How may I assist you today?"

  "I’d like to apply for passes to the Echo Maze and the Luminescent Dungeon."

  "Passes to the dungeons, got it. Could you please show me your student ID?"

  Hulim was wearing her Manacos student uniform, making her identity obvious to anyone who saw her.

  In fact, not just anyone could obtain dungeon passes. Thanks to an agreement between Manacos Magic Academy and the Langard branch of the Adventurers' Guild, students only needed to register their ID to gain entry to the dungeons. Ordinary residents of Langard, however, had to undergo a series of verification procedures before they might be granted a pass.

  Hulim handed her student ID over the counter.

  "Thank you. One moment, please!"

  The receptionist glanced at her ID, then began filling out some paperwork.

  It didn’t take long before she handed Hulim’s ID back along with a set of passes.

  At the same time, she asked: "Would you be interested in registering as an adventurer while you’re here?"

  Hulim hesitated. She already had her passes—did she really need to register as an adventurer......

  Noticing her hesitation, the receptionist’s eyes lit up as if she smelled a commission coming her way. She immediately launched into a sales pitch.

  "Ms. Hulim, if you register as an adventurer, you’ll get a discount on dungeon entry fees! Normally, it costs two thousand Kohl per dungeon, but as an adventurer, it’ll only be one thousand Kohl!"

  "On top of that, being an adventurer allows you to accept quests freely and earn rewards for completing them. The Guild will also buy back any loot you find in the dungeons directly for cash. Of course, all these perks are exclusive to registered adventurers!"

  "You don’t have to worry about it interfering with your studies, either. In fact, many Manacos students choose to register as adventurers when they apply for their dungeon passes. It makes earning money and disposing of dungeon materials much more convenient—in the end, it’s a huge time-saver! So what do you say, Ms. Hulim? Would you like to register as an adventurer?"