More than three years had passed since we left Bakiko. I was now fifteen, and my body had grown a lot.
During our journey, we passed through countless towns and cities, meeting all kinds of people—good ones, bad ones, and everything in between. None of them were anything we couldn't handle.
We completed countless quests, gradually rising through the adventurer ranks until we finally reached Orange-rank. If possible, our goal was Rainbow-rank—so that no one would ever look down on us.
To avoid relying too much on enhancement magic, we equipped ourselves with high-quality gear. A sharp sword hung at my waist, and I trained relentlessly to refine my combat skills.
And today—August 18th, 2017—we finally arrived at the capital! The buildings here were vibrant and colorful, far more beautiful and prosperous than any city we had ever seen.
The royal castle sat on elevated ground, towering above everything else. Even from afar, its grandeur, elegance, and extravagance were unmistakable.
The streets were crowded with people. Carriages rolled by in an endless flow, some of them decorated so luxuriously they could only belong to nobles. Even the common folk here dressed beautifully—so well that you could barely tell they were commoners. Some were even stylish.
"So beautiful!"
The one who said that was my childhood friend, Lina. She had long snow-white hair, skin pale like fresh snow, crystal-clear features, and bright blue eyes that resembled frozen lakes. She looked just like a princess of ice and frost.
Lina and I were born in the same remote village at the country's border, the furthest place from the capital. We had grown up together.
9 years ago, our village was attacked by demon race. Everyone was killed—everyone except the two of us, who survived only because we happened to be away at the river.
By coincidence, we later learned that 11 dungeons existed in this world—and that one of them was located in this capital. I felt there was no point staying in the empty ruins of our village, so we left and became adventurers.
"Yeah, as expected of the capital!"
I answered Lina's breathless admiration. We were both incredibly excited. She squeezed my hand and tugged on it energetically.
"Let's go find something delicious!"
"Sure!"
From behind, I watched Lina happily bouncing forward. She wore a white cloak embroidered with black floral patterns, and carried a beautifully crafted white staff. She had become a full-fledged mage.
In this world where age equals power, a staff meant everything to a young mage. A magic core was embedded at the top—and the core amplified magic power.
The age of a monster determines the grade of the magic core it leaves behind. Long ago, a Brave created a device capable of measuring a stone's exact age. It was discovered in the 15th century of the Fatelis Year—roughly 600 years ago, considering that this year is 2017 of the 21st century. Back then, the device was developed for the purpose of crafting magic core weapons.
On a side note, element magic core was discovered only by accident in the 18th century Fatelis Year, and magic tools were first successfully developed in the 19th.
Anyway—monsters that lived long were rare and difficult to encounter. So the higher the year value, the higher the price of the core.
I once wondered if embedding multiple cores into a single staff would combine their years, but that was impossible. When different cores were placed together, only the stone with the highest year value mattered.
We were incredibly lucky to have once defeated a monster that lived 5 years, allowing us to craft a decent staff. I didn't need one, since my job was to protect Lina. And because Lina had dual-attribute magic, the staff suited her perfectly.
But truthfully, mages were not essential in this world. Since magical power increased naturally with age, training barely mattered. Person of the same age had roughly equal magic power.
Lina becoming a mage was purely my selfish wish—I didn't want her to face vicious monsters at close range.
"Karen! That's a dessert shop! Let's go there first!"
Lina pointed excitedly at a beautifully decorated store. Inside, the sweets looked exquisite—fruit cakes, pastries, everything arranged neatly.
"They look delicious."
"Mm! Hurry up!"
Ever since she tried sweets for the first time, Lina had fallen in love with them. In every new city, the first thing she looked for was a dessert shop. Yet she never ate too much—always leaving room for dinner.
I had always been confused. Most girls said dessert went into their "other stomach." Was Lina the rare exception? Or was that a lie all along?
We entered the shop. I grabbed a tray near the entrance while Lina picked up a pair of tongs.
This was the capital, so I assumed everything would be expensive. Lina carefully selected what she wanted—two of each kind—ending up with three or four varieties.
Then came the checkout. I had already braced myself for the pain my wallet was about to suffer. But the total was…
"That'll be 7 silver 35 copper coins."
"Huh? That's not expensive at all?"
It was so cheap that we both froze. The last city charged nearly 20 silver for the same amount. My wallet had cried that day—don't tell me we were being scammed!?
"Really? It's only 7 silver 35 copper coins?"
Lina asked the clerk. The clerk looked puzzled—then clapped her hands as if she'd realized something.
"Oh! You must be new to the capital. Everything here uses materials from the dungeon. The dungeon produces an abundance of resources, so the prices for most goods are quite low."
Dungeon produced massive amounts of food? And they were easy to obtain? That lowered demand everywhere else, which meant lower prices here.
"In other cities, goods are scarce. But in the capital, they're overly abundant. That's why things are cheap," the clerk continued.
"Food-related shops are affordable, but places that rely on craftsmanship—like clothing or accessories—are still expensive. Even if the materials are easy to get, making beautiful items takes time and skill."
Food didn't take long to make. But clothes and accessories required time and talent, so naturally the prices stayed high.
But now I was even more curious about the dungeon. What exactly was inside?
"I see. Thanks for explaining. We'll buy a few more."
Lina had been gently tugging my hand from the moment the price was announced—she wanted more. When I agreed, she lit up with joy and rushed back to the display.
"Thank you for your purchase!"
The clerk beamed. For her, more sales meant better business.
Lina grabbed twice as many desserts as before. The final total came to 15 silver.