"The things I save for later are never simple."
Ronan gave Rose a confident smile. He lowered his voice with a little pride:
"It looks ordinary. Besides being very tasty, it seems like normal food. But its real power is that it can temporarily raise the Abilities of whoever eats it. The boost is about 5%."
Rose was surprised when she heard this. She looked confused for a moment and asked politely:
"My Abilities... increased? But why didn't I feel anything special during the battle?"
Ronan looked at Rose's sincere eyes. He was speechless for a moment and then gave up.
But then he thought about it, and it made sense.
Including himself, the entire Familia was improving very quickly. Not even counting this intense exploration with so many surprises, even their daily explorations led to a major increase in Abilities every time they updated their Falna.
With their improvement this fast, it was completely normal for everyone to ignore the small boost from the food.
"Ugh..."
Ronan cleared his throat to regain his dignity.
"Tell me, has it helped them or not?"
Then, his tone changed, and a sly grin appeared on his face:
"5% is not too much, but it's not too little either. For people like us who are improving fast, its use might be limited. But think about it from another perspective. What about people who are stuck at their limits?"
As he spoke, Ronan looked as if he could already see the Valis piling up.
"I can guess what will happen. Once I tell the right people about the food's effect, those rich clients who have been stuck at their limits for a long time will definitely come to me with money."
His companions knew Ronan's personality well. They all looked surprised. Jeanne could not help but speak:
"Ronan, you... you aren't thinking about selling this special food publicly to make money, are you?"
"Sell it publicly?"
Ronan shook his head immediately, looking at her as if she still did not understand.
"You're only half right! I will sell it, of course, but I have to do it carefully."
He held up a finger and lowered his voice to explain:
"Sell it publicly? That would cause too much trouble! Food that can temporarily raise Abilities is rare in Orario. It would bring unwanted attention. Besides, I am only one person with limited time and energy. I can't make too much."
His eyes sharpened:
"So, it is best to sell it only to specific important clients who need it."
"Like who?"
Rose asked curiously.
"For example..."
Ronan stretched out the word, as if he could already see the profits:
"We can use this as a way to open talks with the Loki Familia! I think their Big Three would not refuse something that can directly raise their fighting strength, right?"
"Once we connect with the Loki Familia and reach a long-term deal..."
Ronan's voice carried excitement he could not hide:
"We will not only have a steady source of income, but more importantly, we will win the goodwill of the Loki Familia! That is a connection and protection that you cannot buy with any amount of Valis!"
The group fell silent.
Looking at Ronan's excited face, as if he already held a big contract in his hand, his companions were all speechless.
Nothing had even started yet, and this guy was already counting his money loudly.
All they could say was that Ronan's obsession with money had reached a strange level.
Jeanne and Rose sometimes worried that this mindset would make him develop some strange Skill related to money.
And it would probably be the kind with a bad side effect.
...
Rose's sword flashed.
With a flick of her wrist, Rose shook the monster blood from her sword and put it back in its sheath.
"How many does that make?" Ronan was looking down and writing in his notebook, as if he didn't even see the monsters wandering around.
Aura stood next to him with a serious face, leaning on her staff. She looked closely at the three who had just finished fighting in front of them.
"It's the 17th one."
"Oh, the 12th Floor really is different. Monsters appear much faster here." He rubbed his chin and looked at the walls and ceiling, thinking.
At this time, Lorie waved to him:
"Ronan, come over and work!"
"Coming."
When it came to collecting materials, Ronan always had energy.
The satisfaction of putting magic stones and Drop Items into his backpack made him feel the same satisfaction from collecting things, even in another world.
...
The Dungeon often felt repetitive unless you reached a special floor.
Right now, Ronan's team had reached the end of the regular path on the 12th Floor. They stood at the entrance of the large staircase connecting the Upper Floors and Middle Floors.
Ronan opened his brass pocket watch with a click, checked the time, and spoke:
"Beautiful ladies, it is already evening. Let's stop here for today."
"Eh? Is it that late already?!"
Lorie blinked in surprise, her voice full of disbelief:
"I feel like we haven't been here very long!"
Ronan looked at Lorie and remembered his own experience when he first became an adventurer. He turned to her and Aura, who also looked confused, and explained patiently:
"This is an illusion caused by the Dungeon environment. We have actually been exploring intensely for twelve hours. You don't feel tired because the excitement of your first exploration is tricking your senses."
He paused, then said:
"Your body's actual fatigue is much higher than what you feel."
By then, Jeanne had already chosen a spot for the camp. She happened to hear Ronan's explanation. She looked serious as she looked at the two newcomers and said:
"Fatigue is one of the deadliest traps in the Dungeon. When exploring the Dungeon, adventurers are always tense. In this kind of environment, if your body and mind do not get enough rest, you will become careless. The consequences are clear."
Lorie and Aura felt a chill and nodded seriously.
The Dungeon was dangerous to adventurers from the surface. Once it found a weakness, whether it was fatigue or carelessness, it would take advantage of it.
Many adventurers had died because they forgot that lesson.
...
Clang, clang, clang.
Jeanne, Rose, and Lorie were using spare weapons to break the walls of the Dungeon.
Aura, who had returned with a bundle of dry wood, happened to see this.
Ronan, who was holding a kitchen knife and preparing ingredients, knew what Aura wanted to ask. He explained while cutting vegetables:
"That uses a basic behavior of the Dungeon. If you damage the terrain, the Dungeon prioritizes repairing it. While it is repairing the area, monsters are less likely to appear nearby. You can call it a basic trick adventurers use to reduce the chance of monsters appearing."
Aura understood and nodded, remembering this knowledge.
"Is this dry wood enough?"
"It's enough. We have lanterns for light. This wood is enough for a campfire to cook dinner."
Everyone in the team had a job.
Ronan was in charge of cooking, and the others were in charge of setting up the temporary camp.
For adventurers, these tasks were easy.
"Crackle."
The light of the campfire reflected on everyone's faces. Everyone held a wooden bowl, quietly enjoying a delicious dinner.
In the Dungeon, being able to eat a hot meal gave them a strong sense of comfort.
"Lorie and Aura, you don't need to keep watch tonight. Your only task is to rest well."
"As for the watch order, it will be Rose, then Jeanne, and finally me. It's decided."