The adventurers started cheering again, and Veteram grinned.
“What do you say, boys? Ready to show those slowpokes in the capital and Nivar what Freelea’s adventurers are made of? Let’s take out that Ant Queen bitch before they even get to the mountains!”
❈❈❈
The plan Veteram had laid out had sounded utterly insane, but if the black-clad adventurer Veteram had looked at earlier was the same person I thought he was, then I wasn’t too surprised he’d come up with it.
“So what are we gonna do, leader?” Geeko asked.
“We’re going, obviously.”
It pissed me off that we were following this Rex guy’s strategy, but still, this was a once in a lifetime chance. Until now we’d always lagged behind the adventurers of the other major cities, but if this plan worked, we’d be able to reach the Ant Queen way before the guys from the capital or Nivar. We could finally show them Freelea had skilled adventurers too. There was no way I was gonna sit this one out.
“I guess we won’t be able to join this one, huh?” Chisha muttered with a pained look.
“Chisha...”
I sighed. Only adventurers who were B-rank or higher were allowed to participate in this quest, and the Pretty Cats were all newbie adventurers who sadly did not make the cut. The Ants’ Nest would be filled with both Killer Ants and the B-rank Commander Ants, and the Ant Queen would be even stronger, so it was likely that lower-ranked adventurers would end up dead if they came on this extermination quest.
“Hmph! I realize we’re not strong enough yet, but since you’re going in our stead, you better rack up some big achievements!” Ai said, trying to sound haughty to hide her frustration.
“We’ll keep the city safe, so you take care of the queen for us, okay?” Mia said, as cheerful as always. It was honestly impressive how she managed to stay positive no matter the situation.
Chisha also perked up thanks to that and said, “Don’t worry, you geezers. We’re gonna work our way up to S-rank and surpass you before long, just you watch! Which is why...” She grinned and leaned in close to whisper in my ear. “You better not die until then. Or else I’ll kill you myself.”
I couldn’t tell if she was encouraging us or threatening us.
❈❈❈
An hour after we said our goodbyes to the Pretty Cats, we found ourselves at the base of the Tempest Mountains.
“I can’t believe we really made it here in just an hour,” I muttered in amazement.
After the briefing was over and everyone had finished up their preparations, we’d all headed into the Great Caverns through one of the entrances that had opened up in Freelea. Then, once inside, we’d all followed the instructions we’d been given and used Recall Wings.
Recall Wings were an item that brought you back to the start of a dungeon, so normally using them right as we’d gone inside of one would have accomplished nothing. The Great Caverns were special, however—they’d been formed when the ants in the Tempest Mountains had expanded their nest in all directions. In other words, the actual entrance of the dungeon was at the foot of the Tempest Mountains, and using a set of Recall Wings would take you all the way there.
When I’d first heard Veteram explain the plan, I’d thought he was crazy. But after trying it for myself and seeing that it worked, I had no choice but to believe.
But what kind of person manages to figure this out within an hour of a freak ant attack? I wondered. Unless he knew about all of this beforehand...
“Hey, Dax!” Geeko shouted.
“On it,” I said, cutting my musings short. I could worry about all of that later. “This way.”
We snuck away from Veteram—who was currently briefing everyone on how to deal with the various ant species we would be encountering and handing out equipment that was effective against their attacks—and stepped outside the nest.
It would definitely be safer if we hung around and headed out with everyone else, since we’d be advancing along the same path and it would allow us to conserve more of our energy for the fight against the queen. However, while this was a quest that called for cooperation, it was also a competition where the person who killed the most ants got the greatest rewards. Working together with everyone and singing kumbaya just wasn’t our style.
Sorry about this, Veteram, but we’re going to get a head start!
We obviously had no intention of doing anything heinous, like killing the other adventurers or stealing their equipment, but taking advantage of things by doing stuff like sneaking off ahead of everyone was just par for the course when it came to adventuring.
I guess it’s because we’re like this that the old man picked Veteram as his successor instead of us, huh?
Regardless, we had no intentions of changing. We were proud of the kind of adventurers we’d become, and anyways, there were situations that called for skill sets like ours. Besides, this was our way of rebelling against Rex Tauren, the man who’d transformed our city. The things Rex had done for Freelea’s Adventurers’ Guild were huge—his knowledge had already revolutionized the world of adventurers, and would probably continue doing so for the foreseeable future. Even I had to admit he was one hell of a guy, since all of the things I’d learned from him were things I’d definitely be making use of myself.
But there’s more to adventuring than just numbers! Studying up on monsters’ weaknesses and getting stronger as efficiently as possible using boring, highly technical methods isn’t the kind of adventuring lifestyle we admired as kids! The people who do that aren’t true adventurers! Or maybe...maybe I’m just old and out of touch.
Certainly, I would come across that way if I told any of the younger generation what I was thinking right now. But even so, I still believed what adventurers truly needed was the courage to face the unknown, the unyielding determination to never give up no matter how bad the odds, and more than anything, a hot, burning passion for adventure.
I guess I’m not one to talk, since I’m also benefiting from Rex’s plan, I mused.
Even so, it would mean something if us hardliner old-timers managed to beat the Ant Queen before that upstart Rex did. It would prove to the world that the old adventuring spirit wasn’t dead just yet. That was why we were sneaking ahead of everyone else to rush to the queen.
“Hmm, I recognize this terrain,” I realized aloud. “I’m pretty sure there’s a hidden entrance behind that boulder.”
Fortunately, we’d been through the original dungeon once before, and while we didn’t remember the layout perfectly, we still had a good grasp on the overall design of the place. It would be faster to go through this hidden smaller route than through the big passage everyone else would be taking.
“Found it,” Baltore said, his memory as sharp as always.
Though I was our scout, even I hadn’t remembered the exact location of the hidden entrance. Baltore, however, hadn’t forgotten even a single detail.
As we stood before the entrance I took a few deep breaths to prepare myself. Once we went in, we’d be fighting nonstop until we defeated the Ant Queen. It would be a headlong rush that could only end with the queen’s death or ours.
“Everyone ready?” I asked, turning to my comrades.
“Do you even need to ask?!” Geeko demanded, smashing his fists together. “Let’s squash that Ant Queen!”
“There’s certainly no way I’m running from such a fun challenge,” Baltore said with a nod.
I grinned and shouted, “Then let’s go!”