Chapter Four: The Summoner Jeros

In the northern forest of Rogue Town, before the entrance to the Slime Cavern, the wood elf Pixie lay sprawled, rubbing her little belly in front of her tiny wooden house.

“Why isn’t Ah Tian here yet? Ugh, I’m so hungry…”

Meanwhile, at the local branch of the Dungeon Management Association, a tall, handsome man with golden hair tied in a ponytail and a fringe sweeping across his left brow entered. His attire was refined, and his gaze deep and thoughtful.

“Um… H-hello, sir…” Liu Cai’er nearly drooled at the sight of the elegantly dressed man standing before her.

“Good day, miss.” The man smiled and nodded, handing her a business card. “I am Jeros, a summoner from the three hundred eighty-ninth graduating class of the Hero Academy. I’ve been sent here by the Appraisal Division to investigate reports from the Iron Hero Zhao Tianhe regarding the appearance of a mutated elite in the Slime Cavern. Also, I’d like to examine the unidentified artifact Zhao Tianhe reported.”

“Zhao Tianhe?” Liu Cai’er immediately grew serious. “I’m not sure of the details. I wasn’t on-site, but the life pulse readings that day were more than five times the usual. So, it’s unlikely to be a hoax. As for that artifact, Zhao Tianhe took it with him.”

Dungeons were magical constructs; their terrain mended itself daily, so the cracks left by yesterday’s fireball spells were already gone.

“Oh, then should I look for him at the hero apartments?” Jeros asked.

“No, by now he should be on his way to the Slime Cavern. You’ll probably find him there,” Liu Cai’er explained.

“I see… I’ll keep an eye out along the way.” Jeros nodded, stepped outside, and took to the sky.

As a graduate summoner from the Hero Academy, casting a fourth-level flight spell without a word was a basic skill.

A graduate summoner was one who possessed both formidable strength and knowledge, no longer needing to nurture heroic spirits at the academy, but able to enter B-level or higher dungeons to fight directly. Most were powerful spellcasters, adept in all manner of support, attack, and healing magic. A few, more martial in nature, fought hand-to-hand with prowess rivaling heroic spirits.

Of course, Zhao Tianhe was not that sort of heroic spirit…

But regardless of their style, summoners usually contracted with a heroic spirit as a battle partner, rarely parting from them. For some reason, though, Jeros seemed to travel alone.

At this moment, Zhao Tianhe was sprawled on his bed, sleeping like the dead—a consequence of spending the previous night cooking up a storm, only managing to rest at dawn.

Yes, after a hard night’s work and many ingredients, Artoria’s favorability had finally reached its peak!

“Heh heh~ heh heh~ My King~~ heh heh~~” Zhao Tianhe grinned in his sleep, drooling, lost in what must have been a delightful dream.

Meanwhile, at the entrance to the Slime Cavern, Jeros watched Pixie munching on leaves and learned that Zhao Tianhe had not shown up for work.

‘On the run? That seems unlikely…’ Jeros recalled the price of a third-level spell scroll. ‘One gold coin isn’t even a big deal.’

“If Ah Tian doesn’t work, how does he even afford to eat?” Pixie grumbled between bites of flower petals. “Always talking about conquering Liu Cai’er, that cheeky little thing… He’s just dreaming.”

“Hm?” Jeros suddenly wondered if he’d misunderstood something…

He decided to probe gently: “Excuse me, how much is Zhao Tianhe’s daily wage for his expeditions?”

“Huh? One silver coin, I think?” Pixie replied honestly.

A gold coin was worth a hundred silver coins. A typical waitress at a local inn earned two silver coins a day.

‘Well… makes sense. This is a one-of-a-kind F-rank dungeon, after all…’ Jeros hadn’t expected to find someone earning only one silver coin a day in this day and age! ‘How does he even eat? Living off street food every day? Sigh… I’ve really overlooked the struggles of the lower classes. Still, this does make it possible he embezzled, but… he’s rather pitiable!’

The guilt stung him—his own hotel room cost three silver coins a night.

‘No, I’ll wait a little longer. It’s not a big deal anyway. If he’s really that hard up, I can cover the fine myself…’ Jeros was, at heart, a good man. Sheltered by a life among the elite, he was kind-hearted enough to wait.

But even the best of men have limits to their patience.

By noon, Zhao Tianhe still hadn’t appeared.

‘Is he really on the run?’ Jeros frowned and took to the air. “Honestly, it’s nothing serious, but hiding will only make things worse… I’d better check at the hero apartments.”

Three minutes after Jeros departed, Zhao Tianhe arrived at the cavern, yawning.

“Ah Tian! You’re finally here!” Pixie tossed aside her leaf, eyes sparkling, and flew at Zhao Tianhe’s face. “What’s for lunch?”

She’d meant to mention someone had come looking for him, but hunger overruled her memory.

“Bagels with strawberry jam.” Zhao Tianhe pulled one from his basket and handed it to Pixie, taking a bite himself.

“Huh? Isn’t this from Mary’s bakery?” Pixie pouted, unimpressed—she’d lived in town for years and tired of such fare long ago.

Mary, as she referred to her, was actually the grandmother who ran the town’s bakery…

“I’m so tired today, I just couldn’t do more…” Zhao Tianhe massaged his lower back and sighed. ‘Said I didn’t want to cook, but there’s still the night shift… Still, meeting her in person was worth it!’

Pixie found his shifting expressions amusing, but she still tossed him the bagel after two bites.

After clocking in, Zhao Tianhe finished the bagel, then strode into the Slime Cavern, anticipation lighting his face. But before entering, he paused.

“Come on, let me show you something amazing today!” Zhao Tianhe beckoned to Pixie with a confident grin. “You’ll love it!”

“Oh? What is it?” Pixie fluttered over, curiosity piqued.

“I told you, it’s something special, heh heh…” His smile turned sly as he led the way inside.

“Oh! Amazing!” “So big! So strong!” “And just like that…”

Back in Rogue Town, Jeros knocked on the door of the hero apartments, but no one answered.

“Looking for Zhao Tianhe?” A fit, tan-haired woman on the second-floor balcony of the neighboring apartment called out with a smile. “That useless guy was up all night doing who-knows-what. Just left a moment ago. Drove me crazy, kept me up. If he slows down today’s expedition, I’m filing a complaint…”

The woman stretched languidly, displaying her shapely, athletic figure.

‘Up all night? Does this have to do with the embezzled spell scroll? And what were those odd smells coming from his apartment?’ Jeros mused as he rose into the air, preparing to ask around town and see if he could catch up with Zhao Tianhe.

The word was, Zhao Tianhe had gone to the Slime Cavern as usual—though today, he’d bought a heap of food at the bakery.

Jeros sped toward the cavern, but when he arrived, he found Pixie, wearing a white wig and a wrinkled expression, smothering Zhao Tianhe with kisses as Zhao Tianhe laughed like a fool, arms folded across his chest…

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence ensued.

“Ahem, and you are?” Zhao Tianhe tried to sound calm, but his face was bright red.

“I am Jeros, a graduate summoner of the three hundred eighty-ninth class of the Hero Academy. You’re from the three hundred ninety-first, aren’t you?” Jeros replied with a graceful smile.

“Yeah, that’s right. So, what brings you here? Oh, you’re here about yesterday? My talent has awakened! You can check if you don’t believe me!” Zhao Tianhe said, excitement clear in his voice.

“Sorry, I didn’t bring the necessary equipment,” Jeros replied with a polite shake of his head.

“But you could just form a contract with me! My talent is incredible! You should see it!” Zhao Tianhe insisted.

It was a joke, really—there was no way a seasoned graduate like Jeros would contract with a lowly heroic spirit like Zhao Tianhe, whom even his juniors looked down upon.

“Apologies, I already have a contracted heroic spirit. Without authorization, I can’t contract a second,” Jeros declined courteously. “But you’re welcome to demonstrate your abilities.”

“Well… The cooldown on my talent is a bit long…” Zhao Tianhe hesitated. “How about tomorrow? We’ll see then?”

Jeros looked at Zhao Tianhe, inwardly unwilling to waste any more time in this backwater.

‘I’d almost rather just pay his fine myself, but that would be too humiliating for him…’ Outwardly, Jeros remained as gracious as ever, but inside he was troubled. ‘It’s a minor matter, but the implications are serious. I have to get to the bottom of it… Fine, one more day.’

Jeros flew Zhao Tianhe back to town. Along the way, Zhao Tianhe collected his wages, bought some steak, and picked up some offal.

“What’s this…” Jeros eyed the offal with a furrowed brow, noting its peculiar aroma.

“It’s delicious!” Zhao Tianhe grinned. “And it’s free—wouldn’t it be a waste not to eat it?”

“Yes, I suppose…” Jeros nodded, his sympathy deepening. ‘If he has to eat things like this… How pitiful…’