Chapter 61: Remember to Eat, Not to Be Punished

“Ailiya, what’s with those five red marks on your face?” Aurora asked, lounging on a bench in the town square, munching on cherry tomatoes she’d bought somewhere.

Ailiya’s left cheek bore five faint, parallel scratches—Liliane’s recent “iron claw” masterpiece. She glanced wearily at Liliane, who sat with arms crossed, eyes closed, resting. “Nothing… just went diving and got hugged by an octopus,” Ailiya mumbled.

“…Where’s the ocean around here?” Aurora marveled.

The sunset bathed the town in warm orange hues. Adventurers passed by—some jubilant with bountiful hauls, others dejected, limping or supporting each other, wounds fresh. Distant houses and tents glowed with lamplight, tendrils of cooking smoke mingling with the scent of roasted meat, brimming with life.

Ailiya’s gaze drifted to the grand dungeon gate, now sealed by a magical barrier from kingdom officials. After the Calamitas Rubicorne fiasco, no one was getting in today.

Beside her, Seraphina spread a pristine handkerchief on the bench before sitting delicately. She meticulously sorted her dungeon spoils: a glowing crystal bear core, several pristine tricorn horns, and assorted gems and herbs. Her careful categorization—some for sale, some for alchemy—made Ailiya’s eyes gleam with envy.

So many goodies in such a short time?

Ailiya patted her own pouch, knowing it held only nine tricorn horns—one saved by Isabella, the rest hard-earned. Wonder how much they’ll fetch…

Tricorn materials were common, likely flooding the market. Unless they were top-quality, selling them depended on the buyer’s mood. Still, money was money, and Ailiya saw potential in dungeon runs for pocket cash. Maybe I’ll stumble on gold or diamonds and strike it rich! Heh heh…

Lost in fantasies of wealth, she giggled.

Aurora, seeing through her, doused her dreams. “Forgot how you got into the dungeon?”

Ailiya’s laughter stopped. Right… without Liliane’s badge, I’d have been dragged out like a stray dog. The alternative—getting an adventurer’s license—meant hefty fees, long training, and a brutal exam with a high failure rate. The process was a cutthroat mess, with waitlists stretching years.

Her mind raced. Scooting closer to Liliane, still resting, Ailiya plastered on a fawning smile.

Liliane opened her eyes, meeting Ailiya’s sycophantic grin. She’d overheard the exchange with Aurora. “No,” she said flatly.

“Come on, Lady Liliane!” Ailiya wheedled, shaking her arm with syrupy sweetness. “I swear, I’ll stick to the first floor! Plus, hunting monsters is great magic practice!”

Liliane remained unmoved. “Do you know how many adventurers die in dungeons each year across the kingdom?”

Without waiting, she delivered the chilling number. “Two hundred fifty-four.”

“They call themselves adventurers, but they risk their lives daily against man-eating beasts,” she continued, voice devoid of warmth. “No one takes this job unless they’re desperate for coin. And those chasing real money won’t stay in the low-profit shallow floors.”

“Greed drives them deeper into this monstrous abyss until it swallows them.”

That’s why the Adventurer’s Guild is so strict with licenses.

Liliane’s tone turned biting. “Of course, I doubt your little brain thinks that far. It’s probably just stuffed with money and what’s for dinner, right?”

Ailiya squinted, annoyed. Pretty face, ugly mouth.

Liliane seemed to enjoy her puffed-up expression, but Ailiya’s face shifted, her round eyes gleaming with a solemn resolve Liliane couldn’t decipher. A twinge of unease hit her.

Ailiya cleared her throat, and with a grave, oath-like tone, let out a soft, “Meow~”

Liliane’s reaction was faster than Ailiya’s thoughts. An iron claw descended, seizing Ailiya’s face with a fierce pinch.

“Yaaah! Owowowow!” Ailiya wailed.

Aurora, popping the last tomato into her mouth, nodded sagely at Ailiya’s distorted face. “Oh… now I get where those marks came from.”

As dusk faded and lamplight overtook the square, a grand carriage bearing the Winter Rose crest rolled up punctually.

The Winter family’s ride had arrived.

The girls, weary from their harrowing adventure, climbed aboard, ready to head home.