Dungeon Sherpa

o a same or similar class.
Recognizing your own social class, living within those limits, the people living in the Royal Capital — for better or worse — tolerated this situation. 

　My friends were in the middle lower classes.
They had already left from the lowest level.
And due to my father’s status and assets, I was probably in the upper middle class. 

　Etiquette, manners, education, language, high pride in my way of living.
No matter how much I tried to dress myself as a delinquent, the quality of my upbringing seeped out. 

“Big sis, you can’t scavenge trash and bite into mouldy bread, right?”

“…”

“That’s how it is.”

　And the difference in our life goals. 

　To put it simply, my friends were already satisfied.

　The relationships with my friends that used to provide me with comfort, that recently had become strained, abruptly come to an end.
For the half-hearted stupid girl who had tried to stick her neck into a different social class even though she kept for herself a home to return to, it was an end that was more natural than natural. 

　I gathered my friends and notified them that the party was going to be disbanded because of “adventuring differences”, then I returned to my hated parent’s home, with my father who was in the middle of one of his many retirements. 

　I simply had no other place to go.

　Losing my goals, I didn’t even have the energy to be frustrated, I just passed my days meaninglessly. 

　Those grey days were ended by a black-haired, black-eyed, beautiful Adventurer. 

“Might Magikan be around?”

　Her eyes were so focused forwards that I ended up flinching, it felt to me like she was constantly trying to catch hold of something I couldn’t see. 

　She looked like she was visiting to invite my Sage father to her party.

　Young.
She was around the same age as me.
Of all the Adventurers who had come looking for my father, she was by far the youngest. 

　At that time, Yuika was level 8.
Her lowest descent record in the Infinite Labyrinth was 35 Floors. 

　What was astonishing was that until then, she had not formed a party with anyone, which meant that she had been diving solo into the labyrinth. 

　The first thing Yuika said after opening her mouth was to request my father to join as a comrade. 

　To gain the trust of my father, Yuika freely revealed her Status and her Gifts, and what made me the most surprised was the purpose she mentioned. 

‘To stake my entire life on clearing all labyrinths on this continent, including the Infinite Labyrinth, and prevent the demise–‘

　For merely an intermediate Adventurer, that was too much of a boast. 

　What’s more, “the prophecy of demise” was nothing more than a rumour, or put differently, a fairy tale. 

　That was common sense in this world.

　If it were normal, “recently, the followers of the Earth Mother Goddess have increased, huh”, and with a sigh, I would have sensibly let her story enter one ear and out the other.
However, faced with her calm expression and passionate tone, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. 

　Unusually and seriously, I was engrossed in her story. 

　It wasn’t something like she’d been brainwashed, or deceived to help someone else sell things.

　This kid was seriously — pushing forward.

　Compared to me who had a vague and unfixed goal, she had a far grander, and much more specific objective. 

　When I looked sideways at my father’s face, I could see his interest was drawn.

　So I took the initiative before my father could reply.

“That’s fine.
However, there are conditions!”

　That was to bring me along as a comrade.

　At my father who was expectedly shocked, I glared at him to stop him before he could even try to open his mouth. 

　My level, status, Gifts, were all revealed to Yuika.

“My current level is low but I’ll catch up to you soon.
I definitely won’t just be a stumbling block!”

“……Fumu.”

　I intuitively understood.

　This kid would mercilessly cut loose anyone unnecessary for achieving her own purpose. 

　Absolutely, she would do so.

　I had to be prepared to do my best even at the cost of my life. 

“I don’t mind.
But.
Is that alright with you, Magikan?”

　Again, I glared at my father.

“…Well, why not.”

　Like this, I had a fateful encounter with Yuika, and returned to being an Adventurer.

　My world had dramatically changed. 

　It was as though the faded landscape received light, and was imparted with vibrant colours. 

　Yuika was different from the normal person.

　Her beauty was such that you would unthinkingly be captivated by her, her sword skills were also tremendous, she also had an unfair Gift.
However, what strongly captured my heart was her beautiful spirit that was like a clear night sky. 

　The distant, cold, and unwavering night sky.
A solitary existence.

　It might not be possible for me to be a friend of Yuika in the truest sense of the word 

　Still, as a comrade around the same age and of the same gender, I could probably secure the closest position to her. 

　My goal has been set.

　Next to Yuika, I will be there. 

　When the curtain of night draws, like the first star that appears. 

　With the completion of countless dives in labyrinths, my feelings towards Yuika swelled and sharpened, and it more or less reached the level of faith. 

　To put in words, the Black Princess religion.

　The other thing to mention was that for some reason, the fights I had with my father increased.
Whether this was because we were getting along better or worse was complicated but… anyway.

　I was able to start running again.