Chapter 37: First Treasure
First Treasure
The bizzare transformation of the treasure hall has been resolved.
The powerful monsters that had been rampant inside also disappeared along with the dungeon's disappearance.
Most of the treasures that were feared to be in danger were recovered safely.
In addition, the growth of the hero Alto and his party, who conquered the dungeon, and the demon guest general Satya, was also remarkable.
They steadily defeated the powerful monsters in their path, making repeated strategic retreats.
The monsters of the dungeon are endowed with strange powers.
Those who go to great lengths to defeat them will be rewarded with a great deal of experience points.
As a result, by the time the dungeon core was destroyed, they had achieved a dramatic increase in power.
But their goal has not yet been achieved.
The treasure they were after was never found in the dungeon.
"Thanks to you, Hero, you have been able to put an end to the sorrows of our royal family. We are deeply grateful for your efforts. We promise that the kingdom will fully support your activities from now on. Is there anything you would like to request?"
King Crois expressed his gratitude to the heroes who came to see him.
This meant that the hero and his party had gained the trust of the royal family.
"May I ask one thing, Your Majesty?"
Saint Tiana, who was serving beside the hero Alto, spoke.
"Oh, Saint-dono. Could it be that you're talking about the treasure?"
"You are right, Your Majesty. If possible, I would like permission to enter the warehouse located in the basement of the royal castle. If the treasure is not in the treasure hall, I was wondering if it might be there."
"Yes, I will allow it. If my daughter, Erina, accompanies you, there will be no problem. Is that okay, Erina?"
"Yes, as Father commanded."
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The heroes were guided by the chamberlain to their destination, the underground warehouse.
"So this is the warehouse in the basement of the royal castle... I don't really have any business here, so this is my first time here..."
Erina looks around the dimly lit warehouse curiously.
"Tiana, can you find out what the treasure is from here? How many days would it take to find each one?"
Meanwhile, the leader, Alto, thought to himself somewhat listlessly as he thought about the massive search that would begin, with the contents of the warehouse being turned upside down.
"Found it!"
His friends were looking around the warehouse.
It was at this moment that they were about to begin their search.
"""Ehhh?"""
Tiana's words left her companions stunned.
"As I said, I've already found it. This is it!"
Tiana had already picked up what looked like a palm-sized dish.
"Tiana, how did you find it? And it looks kind of dusty. It looks like a plate or something... is that it?"
Covered in dust, it was a very simple object, like a small plate.
"This is a sake cup. Its original purpose is to pour and drink sake, but I can sense a small amount of power from this cup, there's no doubt about it. Please take a look."
"Chaos Ignition"
As Tiana utters a few words, the cup begins to glow faintly.
It pulsated, mottled, and emitted a mysterious red light.
"This is so strange..."
Satya's eyes widened and she was astonished at the faint light emitting from the cup.
"That's true... it doesn't seem to be just a tool. Let's go back and consult with the king right away! Perhaps he'll give it to us as part of our reward!"
"Yes, that's true. I'm sure Your Majesty would be able to do that..."
Tiana holds a faintly glowing cup in her hand, the corners of her mouth tilted up in a faint smile.
And her eyes had a slight glow similar to that emitted by the cup.
Everyone's gaze was focused on the mysteriously glowing sake cup.
And not a single person noticed the change in her expression or eyes.
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The hero then reported to the king that the cup that had been gathering dust in the warehouse was the treasure in question.
Upon receiving this news, the king ordered his retainers to quickly investigate the cup.
However, the results of the investigation released later were of "unknown origin."
Because it is a one-of-a-kind dish, it is generally not used.
There was no sign of any magical effect being applied.
How long has it been in the warehouse?
Where was it made?
Who made it?
He didn't understand any of it.
It's possible that someone left the cup in the warehouse without permission.
But that's just a hypothesis.
And if it contains even a small amount of the power of chaos, it is certain that it is no mere object.
The king felt uneasy inside and decided to hand it over to the hero.
In a sense, you could say that it was a case of forcing bad luck on them.
There is a precedent for turning a treasure hall into a dungeon.
The king wanted to avoid keeping something of unknown origin in the basement of the palace.
Therefore, the cup easily fell into the hands of the heroes.
Officially, it was one of the rewards for solving the case.
"'Chaos Ignition'... I said that! Ahhh! There was no need to say anything in particular! Haa! It's so embarrassing! I just said it because I was getting carried away! But I had to say something! I felt like I shouldn't! Ugh! It's so embarrassing!"
Tiana is alone in her inn room, blushing.
She thrashed about in pain on the bed, clutching the pillow.
No one knows why she is like this.
Author's Note
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