Welcome to the Impregnable Demon King Castle

64 – Light to the Newbies, Payment to the Wise.

We are so screwed.

Being an Adventurer generally costs money.

The Training Institution tuition fees are nothing to scoff at, and the Union’s annual fee is not cheap to newbies.

If you don’t have a lot of money, you’ll be adventuring just to pay back your student loans for a long time.

Those at the top usually let professionals handle the video editing, but newbies have to do it themselves. But we can’t really travel the world lugging around editing equipment to edit videos, so we have to rent the equipment from a special shop, which of course, costs money. We don’t even have the money to afford the equipment in the first place.

It’s all about money, money, money.

People like to imagine that the life of an Adventure is filled with quick battles, adoring fans, and boundless riches, but the reality is cruel.

Newbie Adventurers normally have a side job. Actually, maybe several? Yeah, definitely several side jobs. I think when people say they have a side job, they normally mean more than two.

Adventurers who aren’t popular search for Dungeons that might boost their popularity, so they get by with whatever money they can earn while aiming for that.

The places that hire you regardless of your Job don’t pay you a lot and the people who don’t know when they will quit, have to get a day job to make a living.

「sob…what am I gonna do? If the next one doesn’t work out then…I might have to finally start selling my body.」

My childhood friend and the Beast Master of the party, Sophie, laments.

Her pet Demi-Beast Collie, an Azure Wolf, lowers its head towards her as if to comfort her. He’s a male, but we just call him Collie. He’s a wolf with fur as blue as the ocean’s depths and eyes like that of the blue sky. [1. TL Note: The wolf’s actual name is Cole, but they call him Cole-chan even though he’s male, so I have gone with Collie.]

「Heh, that is one of our possible fates…」

The quivering young man saying that is our Dark Knight.

「Heh…heh heh…if it ever comes to that, Sophie…let’s at least work in the same brothel.」

The young woman calling out to Sophie with hollow eyes is our Witch.

「You idiot! Don’t give in until the very end, guys!」

The woman trying to cheer everyone up is our Martial Artist.

Which means the last one remaining would be me, the Hero.

I couldn’t form a contract with a Spirit, so I don’t have a title.

Unless you are very successful, those who have a Spirit are usually given two names.

When we graduated from the Training Institution, we challenged an Intermediate Level Dungeon and got completely wiped out. Three times in a row…

There are people who can completely get out of a slump like this, and there are those who stagnate.

Of course, everyone thinks that they’re the former.

Reality is cruel.

「U-uhm…guys? I found this, come take a look.」

The duty of a Hero is basically to be the leader. I sometimes wonder if I’m capable of leading my party to victory but it’s too early to give up.

I’m sure that we aren’t weak. After all, two out of the three times we challenged that Dungeon, we managed to reach and fight with the Dungeon Master.

「Our final Dungeon…?」

Sophie’s eyes were lifeless.

「No, it’s just the opposite. It’s the Dungeon that just might save us. Take a look.」

I showed them a piece of paper that I printed out from the Internet Cafe.

「I was searching for Dungeons and came across this.」

「Hmph…If what our leader says is true, then…hm? Elementary Level?!」

「Ahaha…maybe it’s just the thing for a party that can’t clear an Intermediate one.」

「Get a grip, you guys! But still, Elementary Level, huh…hm? HM?! Clear reward?!」

Only the Martial Artist noticed it.

「Yes, exactly! Look at the amount!」

It begins to read「Elementary Level – Beginner’s Dungeon. This Dungeon aims to support any and all newbie Adventurers that~」it goes on, honestly sounding like any other Dungeon. It’s got an official website and everything.

However, the interesting thing about this Dungeon is the campaign that it’s currently running.

Why, just by traversing all three strata of this Elementary Level Dungeon, we’ll be living easy with the reward money.

Dungeons generally have some kind of Clear reward. Like twenty batches of Avatar Restoration Potions or a free Avatar Regeneration coupon.

Other Dungeons have treasure chests that contain sellable items or medicine.

Clear rewards are normally limited to the first time, but so what? Just once is enough to save us.

「This sounds too good to be true…」

Says Sophie, a small amount of light returning to her eyes, while stroking Collie.

「I tried to do a quick search on them but recently, there haven’t been any parties that uploaded their videos filmed in this place. It’s a super unpopular Dungeon and I think this campaign is a last-ditch effort to revive their business.」

「Opposing fate…? That is good, too.」

「You mean, if we Clear the Dungeon, they’ll really give us the money? I don’t have to work in a brothel?」

「But there are a few conditions. One stratum a day, broadcast your video within three days of a successful Clear, and make sure to advertise your winnings in the video, huh? I see, so we earn money easily, and we help advertise their Dungeon. This seems pretty simple!」

After the Martial Artist explained everything, everyone seemed to understand the conversation.

An unpopular Dungeon wants to garner attention.

Adventurers with a poor reputation want money.

Our interests align.

「Let’s go, everyone. We’re not gonna let things end here, right?」

◇

「But Lem, is it really alright to just give out money?」

「It’s fine.」

「But, but…this is your money. Of course, I will definitely pay you back but…if you just hand out your money freely to newbie Adventurers…uhm, even though you were once a part of a fourth rank party and all, won’t your savings run dry?」

「I thank you for your concern, but it was my decision to help out and this is how I plan to do it.」

The concept of this Dungeon isn’t outdated.

It can let unlucky Adventurers or Adventurers that just graduated but have no confidence, experience the joy of victory.

Of course, you can’t make money if you keep losing, so there were times when people would learn the taste of victory on the first two of the three strata, and then get annihilated on the deepest stratum.

But this time, the plan is to let newbie Adventurers win as much as possible.

Personally, I think it’s beneficial for both parties when they all clash with all their might, but ultimately that’s my preference.

I don’t like cutting corners, but this case is different. You don’t want to look down on them or want to make things easier for yourself.

Just the opposite. We will face them professionally as mutual enemies, but with the goal of giving them confidence.

Realizing that ideology, I decided to cooperate. I wasn’t lying when I said that I would do all that I can to help out.

And that’s how I ended up sponsoring the Clear reward.

Honestly, it does sting, but it’s best not to let that show.

「Besides, the appointments came flooding in, right?」

「Y-yeah…!」

Thor’s eyes sparkled.

「As per the proposal, please continue accepting appointments from intermediate level Adventures aiming to get the reward money.」

That’s right, this is the crux of this strategy.

We’re not changing the Dungeon’s concept. We are reclaiming the Dungeon’s glory as a Dungeon that lets newbies experience the joys of victory.

However, a loophole was created.

People that can claim the Clear prize are not limited to just newbies.

Once more than ten parties broadcasted their Clear video and told people about the prize they got, this Dungeon quickly became the talk of the town.

Although subtle in the public eye, Dungeon-related rumors spread quickly in Adventuring circles.

The discrepancy between the Clear reward and the Dungeon’s difficulty is abnormal.

If they think that they can just drop by and make a quick buck, parties will think it’s a pretty good deal.

Of course, high-level parties probably won’t think that, but intermediate-level parties and below can’t afford to ignore this much money.

Videos posted with titles like「Recently rumored Dungeon Cleared in record time! #EZMoney」and so on also get a ton of views.

It makes other newbie parties think that this is their chance to post a Clear video.

As a result of that, appointments came rushing in from intermediate-level parties within reach of the town.

「This is a Dungeon aimed at newbies, right Thor?」

「Yes, thanks to you, Lem. If Grammy was alive to see this, she’d be so happy.」

「So it’s fine if we wipe out the intermediate-level parties that come to the newbie Dungeon just for the prize money, right?」

I’ve already told Thor about this plan.

「Parties who have already tasted victory, challenging an easy Dungeon to make a quick buck…ce-certainly, they are customers who do not align with what this Dungeon aims to achieve…」

「So, you wouldn’t mind if they are completely wiped out?」

「Y-yeah…in fact, I actually want Kei and the others to experience a win too.」

That’s right. Letting Adventurers experience the joys of victory is a wonderful thing.

But what about the Monsters? Is it a wonderful thing to send them out day after day only to lose? Of course, those that joined this Dungeon fully understanding its concept probably have no qualms.

However, Thor wants his precious subordinates to know triumph as well.

And from what I’ve heard beforehand, they feel the same.

Even Kei said「There certainly are Adventurers who I want to send flying with a kick.」.

Alright, I’ll take that to mean that she wants to win.

「Then, let’s give them that win.」

Without altering the Dungeon’s concept, we can make newbies smile and earn money on top of that. We can even make the employees smile.

Nothing wrong with that.

「…so this…is the Demon King Army’s…Chief of Staff…」

Thor muttered something.

「Please summon everyone.」