Rolland POV

  The room falls silent as Dorin—a towering, broad-shouldered man—descends the stairs. His intense gaze scans the crowd, pausing briefly on our group. To my surprise, he gives us a small smile before continuing to survey the room. The expression vanishes as quickly as it appeared, replaced by his usual serious demeanor.

  Dorin is dressed sharply in a brown suit, tie, and polished dress shoes, an unexpected but striking look for someone with his physique. Though the outfit seems precariously tight, he carries himself with the unmistakable authority of a retired [Legendary] rank adventurer turned guild leader.

  After a tense pause, Dorin begins speaking in a deep, commanding voice.

  “Good morning, everyone. I trust the day finds you ready for new challenges and opportunities. I have some exciting news. Just two hours’ journey from town, a new dungeon has been discovered.”

  "Our initial assessment places it at a [Common] rank. While it may not rival the grander dungeons some of you have faced, it offers a promising opportunity for newer adventurers to hone their skills and for seasoned members to replenish resources or scout for future prospects.”

  "As always, we remind you to exercise caution. Even [Common] dungeons can hold unexpected dangers. Gather your parties wisely, ensure you’re well-equipped, and respect the guild’s guidelines for exploration.”

  "If you encounter anything unusual, report it immediately. Such findings could provide valuable insights or warn of hidden threats.”

  "Detailed information packets about the dungeon—including its location, known hazards, and expected rewards—are now available at the reception desk. Please line up in an orderly manner to receive yours.”

  “Good luck, adventurers. May your courage guide you and your blades stay sharp.” (Dorin)

  With a final nod to the staff, Dorin turns and ascends the stairs, leaving the adventurers buzzing with excitement. The first to line up are two eager young adventurers, followed quickly by the rest of the guild, us included. It doesn’t take long to get our information packet and return to our table.

  “So, tomorrow we’ll delve into the dungeon with everyone else. That means today we are free to do whatever we want.” I announce.

  “Yay! Let’s go, Rolland! I want to do some shopping!” Leah exclaims, grabbing my arm enthusiastically.

  Liam and May exchange amused glances, neither questioning Leah’s impromptu kidnapping attempt.

  “Wait, why am I going? Shouldn’t you go shopping with May or something?” I protest.

  My protests are completely ignored as Leah promptly drags me out the door to go shopping and wander aimlessly around town. Our first stop? Food. Seriously? Didn’t we just have breakfast? After that, I’m dragged to various shops across town for most of the day.

  My pleas fall on deaf ears as I look to passing strangers for salvation, begging them to free me from my "captivity." Their reactions vary—most of them recognize Leah and seem unfazed by the sight of her hauling me around. Instead of helping, they offer gazes filled with understanding and even pity.

  Worse still, there are plenty of misunderstandings. I overhear people whispering things like, “Aw, how cute,” and “Oh, young love is so sweet.” Eventually, I accept my fate, realizing there’s no escaping, and decide to try and enjoy my “capture.”

  Surprisingly, I end up having a decent time exploring town with Leah—aside from being forced to carry the bags of items she buys from nearly every store we visit.

  We end the day back at the guild, where I help Leah carry her purchases to her room. She opens the door for me, and I step inside, taking a moment to glance around before heading to her desk to place the bags there.

  After setting everything down, I turn to her with a small smile. “Thanks, Leah. I had fun. But maybe give me a heads-up next time before dragging me around town?”

  She starts rummaging through the bags as she replies, “Okay, but what were you planning to do all day if I hadn’t brought you along?”

  I pause, ready with a quick reply, but then stop to think. After a moment of hesitation, I answered sheepishly, “Umm… I probably would’ve gone to a bookstore, picked up a few books, and then just read all day?”

  Leah gives me a flat, unimpressed look. “Don’t you do that almost every time we have a day off?”

  I falter, knowing she’s right. “Okay, fine. I admit it—I would’ve read books all day. But what’s so bad about that?”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  This time, it’s Leah’s turn to facepalm. “It’s not bad that you like reading,” she explains, exasperated. “It’s bad that it’s the only thing you do on your days off.”

  I sigh as she launches into a lecture about “enjoying life” and “spending time with friends.” Just as I’m about to start tuning her out, she suddenly reaches into one of the bags and pulls something out.

  “Oh yeah, I got you a gift as thanks for going around town with me today.” From the bag, she pulls out a large notebook, holding it out toward me as she averts her gaze, a light blush coloring her cheeks.

  “You’re always saying how you keep running out of space to take notes,” she mumbles, her voice a little rushed. “I’m pretty sure you even mentioned writing spell notes on a whole pack of napkins once.”

  Her cheeks flush an even deeper red as she continues explaining the thought behind the gift. Before she can die of embarrassment, I take the notebook and idly flip through its blank pages. “Thanks, Leah. I’m almost out of space in my current notebook, so this will be a big help.”

  An awkward silence falls over the room. I’m not sure what else to say, and Leah seems frozen in place, standing stock-still as if her brain has completely short-circuited.

  “Well, uh… I’m gonna head back to my tower. Probably grab something to eat from a stall on the way,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  She remains motionless, not even acknowledging my words. Her face is practically glowing red now. For a moment, I wonder if I’ve misread the situation entirely. Is she about to attack me in some sort of blind rage? Yeah, probably best to leave before that happens.

  Sensing a potential threat to my life, I deftly make my escape, leaving her room and the guild entirely. The walk back to my tower is uneventful. I grab a quick bite to eat from a street vendor before finally returning home.

  Unlocking the rusty front gate, I step inside and lock it behind me. I kick off my boots and hang my satchel bag and wizard’s robes on the old coat rack near the door, then trudge up the stairs to my room.

  Placing the newly gifted notebook on my desk, I collapse onto my bed, face-first, and let sleep claim me. I continue to sleep as my dreams are haunted by visions of losing countless napkins filled with ancient knowledge.

  I’m startled awake by a loud knock on my bedroom door. Groaning, I groggily throw the covers off and sit up, fumbling around for my glasses. After finally finding them, I slide them on and stumble over to the door. Half-asleep, I crack it open to see who’s on the other side.

  Standing before me is May, her curly black hair cascading over her shoulders. She’s clad in her dark leather armor, her equipment neatly strapped in place, and she’s regarding me with arms crossed and a no-nonsense expression.

  “So, Rolland, did you sleep in by accident, or did you forget that we were going into the dungeon again today?”

  It takes a moment for my tired mind to process her words, but eventually, I catch up. “Right, sorry. I guess yesterday tired me out more than I thought. I’ll get ready, and we can head straight to the dungeon.”

  May’s expression softens for a brief moment at my words before returning to her usual no-nonsense demeanor. “Don’t even think about skipping breakfast, Rolland. We can just leave a bit later!”

  Groaning at her insistence that I eat breakfast again, I quickly get ready and head downstairs with May. I grab my gear off the table and coat rack near the door before leaving the tower and heading toward the guild.

  “I still don’t understand why it’s such a big deal if I skip breakfast. Don’t tons of people do that?” I ask, trying to reopen this age-old debate.

  May sighs in exasperation. “Rolland, just be quiet and eat your breakfast. It won’t kill you. In fact, it’ll actually make you stronger. We’ll wait for you to eat at the guild and head to the dungeon after the morning rush.”

  After a bit more bickering, we arrive at the guild and spot Leah and Liam seated at a table. A plate of breakfast waits for me as May and I sit down together. The guild hall is nearly empty, as most adventurers are already at the dungeon trying to get in.

  The only ones left behind are travelers passing through or higher-leveled adventurers who have no need to farm the dungeon’s monsters. As I eat, we make small talk about the dungeon. Apparently, those two rookie adventurers who were first in line for the dungeon information packets are now spreading rumors about dying in the dungeon.

  The rumor is utterly ridiculous. For one, guild agents are stationed at the outpost near the dungeon entrance, so it’s hard to imagine anyone sneaking past them to enter unnoticed.

  Second, and most absurdly, these rookies claim they died and were resurrected. Resurrection is nearly impossible and has only ever been achieved once in recorded history—by the strongest saint to have ever lived. Even then, the process was extremely limited. The resurrected person had to be revived almost immediately, and according to what I’ve read, they only lived for a few days before dying again.

  So, the idea that two inexperienced adventurers with no credibility were resurrected? Absolutely not. It’s not even something anyone would want to test, given the risks.

  Once we’ve thoroughly dissected the rumor, I finish my breakfast, and we all head to the dungeon. The walk there is uneventful, and soon we find ourselves staring at a line of adventurers outside a small guild outpost.

  The outpost, roughly the size of a small house, has a booth on the side for adventurers to queue up before entering the dungeon. Normally, a small guild like ours wouldn’t be able to build something like this so quickly. The fact that it’s already operational suggests the guild leader must have pulled some serious strings from his adventuring days to get it done in just a day.

  As we approach the line, I turn to the group. “Now that I think about it, how does the whole ‘priority queue’ thing work? Do we just skip the line and talk to the guild official at the booth?”

  While I’m discussing this with May and Liam, I fail to notice Leah walking straight past the line and toward the dungeon’s entrance.

  “Hey, guys! What are you waiting for?” she shouts back at us.

  We look over to see Leah standing near the dungeon entrance, waving us over. The male guild receptionist at the booth nods and gestures for us to pass through.

  I glance between Leah, the receptionist, and my companions. May, Liam, and I exchange a quick look before shrugging and following Leah toward the dungeon.