After a tense silence, the sealed entrance to the dungeon finally creaked open.
"The dungeon's letting us out… let's move!" Ren shouted, immediately taking the lead.
Reiji, still trying to process why his skill had activated, snapped back to reality and followed, with Sel at his side. Once outside, he stopped in surprise—Sel and Ren were already standing there… waiting.
This was what Sel meant earlier when she spoke of her "insurance." She had created clones—perfect replicas of herself and Ren—who had accompanied Reiji into the dungeon. The real Sel and Ren had remained outside the entire time, keeping watch to ensure the plan went smoothly and no outside interference occurred.
And it worked.
"That was way too close…" Reiji exhaled, still catching his breath.
Sel raised her hand, and the clones dissolved into glowing particles, leaving just the three of them.
"When you first suggested this plan, I thought it was going to fall apart," Ren admitted. "But I was wrong."
"Well, I am a goddess, after all," Sel replied casually.
A beat of dead silence followed.
"Huh?" Ren blinked, confused.
Panic flared in Reiji's mind. Crap.
He quickly jumped in, trying to cover for Sel's slip. "Ah—don't mind her. Sel just likes calling herself that. Total narcissist. She's always comparing herself to other girls, talking about how flawless she is... I mean, can you blame her?"
He kept rambling. Sel, catching on, started nodding in agreement—even though she clearly wasn't listening to a word he was saying.
Ren laughed awkwardly. "It's fine, I get it. Confidence is good... I guess."
Both Reiji and Sel sighed in relief. Crisis averted.
"But seriously," Ren continued, face turning grim. "What the hell was that about back there?"
"Yeah," Reiji added. "Sel, you were right. It was a trap. But why go through all that trouble for a bunch of newbie adventurers? We're not exactly high-priority targets."
"Exactly," Sel said, crossing her arms. "This doesn't make any sense. Why waste that many resources to take down rookies?"
"I've got a theory," Ren said hesitantly, "but I don't know if it really connects."
"Let's hear it," Reiji replied.
"I think… Kael might be involved. Think about it: you two had a scene at the guild. Then, when I was at the castle, it felt like Kael was deliberately stalling me—like he was buying time."
He sighed.
"Or maybe that's just Kael being Kael. But the weird part is—he knows how much stronger he is than me. So why provoke a fight when he knows he'd win?"
"True…" Reiji nodded. "And I've only just met the guy, but he doesn't strike me as someone who'd rely on shady tactics. He seems more like the 'solve it with fists' type, not someone who hires people to do his dirty work."
(Right now, it's best we don't tell the Hero the full truth. If the Guild Master really is involved, it's better we figure out more before dragging others in…) Sel thought
"Yeah…" Sel said. "If we're assuming Kael's involved, then he's the only one who could've coordinated something like this."
"Wait, really?" Reiji asked, eyebrows raised. "You seriously think Kael's behind this?"
"It's possible," Sel replied with a shrug. "But for now, let's call this a win. We got out alive. That's more than fine for now."
"If you say so…" Reiji muttered.
"I agree," Ren said. "Let's head back. We've had enough excitement for one day." ren said with a smile.
They returned to the Kingdom of Grimholde as if nothing had happened—quiet, composed, and carrying the weight of a secret. Going to report the success of their first mission.
But the kingdom was already buzzing.
Word had spread like wildfire, the impossible dungeon had been cleared. And not just by anyone—by two new adventurers.
Praise followed, but so did doubt. Gossip festered in the cracks of admiration.
Adventurer 1: "Tch. They only managed it 'cause they had the Hero with them. If I had him, I'd have cleared it too."
Adventurer 2: "They're just cowards who rode the Hero's coattails."
Ren, walking just behind Reiji and Sel, heard it. His eyes narrowed.
He turned, voice sharp and cold.
"You two—if half your skill matched your mouths, maybe you wouldn't piss yourselves before even entering that dungeon."
The crowd fell quiet.
Ren raised his voice, eyes scanning the gathering faces.
"I did follow these two into the dungeon. That's true. But not once did I draw my sword.
I accompanied them because, like the rest of you, I thought they wouldn't make it. I planned to stop them, to bring them back. But instead—I witnessed something else.
These two fought. They planned. They endured. Everything you think I did, they did.
Reiji and Sel are stronger than most of you'll ever be—not just in body, but in spirit. So if you've got nothing but lies to spread, do us all a favor and keep your damn mouths shut."
A silence followed. Not awkward. Not ashamed.
Stunned.
Eyes shifted. Whispers floated through the tension.
"Did he just… praise them?"
"The Hero acknowledged them?"
"Is he serious…?"
Reiji leaned toward Sel, whispering, "Did… something go wrong? Why are they so quiet?"
Sel smirked. "I wouldn't say something went wrong…"
Before she could finish, the crowd erupted.
Cheers, applause, voices rising in excitement.
"The Hero vouched for them!"
"He saw their strength himself!"
"We were wrong… they're not rookies—they're legit!"
Reiji blinked, lost in the sea of sudden celebration. "Huh? What's happening?"
He was used to confusion. But this?
This was new.
"What's really going on…?" Reiji asked, glancing at Sel.
Before she could answer, a man in the crowd near Reiji leaned in and said, "Having the Hero vouch for you is a big deal—huge, even. He doesn't do that often. Anyone he endorses is destined for greatness. Kingdom-level greatness."
He paused before adding, "Only one other person has had that kind of support here in Grimholde... and that was Kael. Though, to be fair, Ren never really vouched for him."
Reiji blinked. "Wait—Ren didn't vouch for Kael?"
The man just shrugged it off. "Don't worry about that right now. You should be celebrating your first successful mission."
Still confused, Reiji nodded. "Yeah... I guess you're right."
He turned back to Sel, brushing off the lingering questions. She, however, didn't dismiss it so easily. Her expression had turned more serious, eyes narrowing as she mentally tucked that detail away.
"Sel, Ren!" Reiji called out suddenly, shaking off the tension. "Let's go submit the quest and officially finish our first mission!"
"Yeah, sure," Sel said, walking over.
Ren, however, stepped past both of them. "You two go ahead without me. I need to report what happened to the king."
"Alright, see you later then," Reiji replied.
Sel and Reiji headed to the guild alone and successfully submitted their mission report. For completing the dungeon, they received 200 gold coins—an impressive sum which they used to book 10 extra nights at the inn.
After some days had passed and the news about the new adventurers had died down a little sel and reiji were taking a walk.
"We could probably buy a house with this," Sel mused as they walked down the street.
"Wait, seriously?" Reiji asked, surprised. "We should! It'd be way cheaper than staying at an inn every night."
"You're not wrong," Sel replied, but her tone shifted. "But think about it—we've been attacked every night since returning from that mission. Getting a permanent place would just make us easier to find like sitting ducks."
HEY, STOP RIGHT THERE....
Who was it with the loud voice?..
It was Kael and he isn't looking happy
"Oh crap... what now" reiji said as he looked at kael.