82. In the End, It’s All About The Treasure, Isn’t It?

“Craft-kun! It’s treasure time!”

Leafan came running over, eyes sparkling.

When it comes to dungeons, it’s all about the treasure.

Moreover, this time it’s a natural cave-type alternate dimension dungeon. There’s a high chance of finding ore-related treasures. Leafan’s excitement was understandable.

“Alright! Leafan, use your secret weapon for finding ores, the Dowsing Teardrop!”

“Okay!”

Leafan immediately took out the teardrop and started dowsing. With her extensive knowledge of ores, she had a higher chance of finding rare ones.

As I glanced at her, Raidock gestured to Solar.

“Solar, check out this room too.”

“Got it.”

Solar, the ranger, began searching for the hidden rooms typically found in dungeons. These trap-laden rooms often contain treasures.

Camille, Marilyn, Bepp, and Shururu were treating and dealing with the Lizardmen, while the rest of the members gathered magic stones and materials.

I should help too.

As I plunged a dagger into a nearby monster, Raidoc approached me.

“Craft, take a break.”

“But…”

“You have too much on your plate. Leave the small tasks to us.”

“You’re the leader, you must be busy too.”

“Don’t compare a swordsman to a magician. Our training is different.”

“I’m not a magician, though.”

“Don’t joke. The way alchemists fight is quite interesting.”

He was probably referring to the sticky traps and healing items.

“Jabil-sensei mainly focuses on research and is useless in combat. I have to figure out how to fight on my own.”

“Rare crests must be tough to handle too.”

“Yeah, but it’s enjoyable work.”

“Then it’s fine. Just take a break.”

“…Alright. I’ll do that.”

I was about to sit down somewhere, but before I could, Solar’s voice echoed.

“I found a hidden door!”

“What!?”

“There really was one.”

I rushed over to Solar without sitting down. Naturally, everyone gathered around.

The Lizardmen had already been informed by Shururu, so they knew we were taking the loot and watched from a distance with interest.

“There was a hidden door there?”

“Humans find these things easily.”

“We would have missed it if it were just us.”

“They’re not just good at fighting, but also at investigating. Are all humans like this?”

“According to Shururu, they’re special.”

“They’re a bit scary but reliable.”

“Yeah. Even putting aside that they saved our lives, we should befriend them.”

The Lizardmen, who had prohibited contact with humans, seemed to have a somewhat positive impression now.

Hopefully, we can build a good relationship with them.

Listening to their conversation, I watched Solar.

“…Yeah. Doesn’t seem to be trapped.”

“The monsters in this room are the trap. It’d be too malicious if the door were also trapped.”

Solar shrugged at Raidock.

“It happens sometimes… It’s open.”

“Alright, Camille and I will go in first.”

The fact that Raidock could immediately designate himself and the agile Camille, showed his experience.

In situations like this, where multiple parties are involved, people tend to rely only on their own party members, but Raidock already fully understands everyone’s capabilities. He surely had the qualities of an excellent leader.

The two stepped through the hidden door and checked inside.

“…Looks safe. Solar, come in.”

“Got it.”

Solar entered next, checking for traps from a ranger’s perspective. These hidden rooms are dangerous.

“Doesn’t look like there are any traps.”

I peeked inside too. The room was somewhat spacious, resembling a conference room.

Unlike the natural cave-like areas so far, this room was a man-made structure. This often happens in dungeons, and in most cases, it’s where the best treasure is found.

“What’s with this dungeon? In dungeons like this, there’s almost always treasure hidden.”

I muttered as I looked around the well-constructed stone walls, luxurious cabinets, and heavy desks, which made it look like someone’s study or research room. Jitaro opened a nearby drawer.

“Who created these dungeons in the first place?”

“The common theory is that they’re relics from an ancient magical era, but the purpose is unknown.”

Raidoc, interested in our conversation, joined in.

“I heard they were ancient vaults, guarded by monsters.”

“Every adventurer hears that at least once. It’s a common theory, but it bothers me a bit.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know how amazing ancient magic was, but it feels like the effort to create these dungeons doesn’t match the value of the treasures found inside.”

“Maybe the values were different back then?”

I pondered.

“Leaving aside the large dungeons that haven’t been fully explored, the items found in small to medium-sized dungeons… magic swords, staves, youth potions, did they really have such value back then?”

“Now that you mention it… If magic was advanced enough to create dungeons, it’s odd that these items were the treasures worth guarding.”

“Right?”

“You two are overthinking it! What matters to us is whether there’s a treasure now, right!?”

Jitaro’s straightforward comment made Raidoc and me laugh.

Yeah. What matters is the treasure now!

“Eeeee! Found it! Craft-kun, I found it!”

“What is it, Leafan?”

“This! This!”

Leafan’s eyes sparkled as she showed a metal ingot.

There were three types.

I recognized one. Mithril. Its high-quality magical energy was evident even from here.

The other one was likely…

“Is that Adamantite?”

“Yes! This is the first time I’ve seen refined high-quality Adamantite!”

Leafan was holding the ingot in one hand, but I should be careful not to take it from her; it looked incredibly heavy.

“Sis! Let me touch it! …Gyaaaaa!?”

Jitaro tried to grab the Adamantite from Leafan, but the moment it left her hand, it dropped to the ground due to its weight.

Jitaro, holding the ingot firmly, got his fingers caught between the ingot and the ground.

Ouch. That must hurt.

“Ow! Is it broken!?”

“Jitaro-san, I’ll use healing magic.”

Marilyn, one of the Casper sisters, calmly raised her staff.

“Please, Marilyn-san!”

Jitaro crouched in front of Marilyn, holding out his hands like a dog begging its owner.

If he had been aware, Jitaro could probably hold the Adamantite despite its weight.

It’s like being handed a seemingly empty pot that’s actually filled with magic stones, and you almost drop it.

What? Never experienced that?

Well, it’s happened to me a few times at the Adventurers’ Guild and the Crafting Guild.

“So, Leafan. The third one is…?”

There were three types of ingots.

Leafan took a breath before answering.

“Yes. This… is Orichalcum.”

The legendary magical metal!