Though it was still supposedly morning, then Henrietta Company began their day by scarfing down enough food to cover not only breakfast, but lunch as well. One would not blame passersby who witness this for thinking that the party might have been infested by the infamous Mimics that had caused an incident in the town of Iotas Tria. There was, however, a good reason for this.

From the Dungeon town to the Rocky Hills, there was nothing but a stretch of windy grassland. One could not imagine how there could be grass and winds so deep underground, but then again, this *is* a Dungeon. One certainly can't rule out the possibilities of some kind of ventilation that connects all the way to the surface either.

Regardless, the grassland was an open area with few places to hide, making it a less than ideal place to take a break and have a meal. While they've never been attacked while crossing it, it couldn't hurt to be careful.

Once they're done eating, the Henrietta Company began their preparations to set out. Auguste in particular was somewhat excited to put on his new plated gauntlets and greaves, pauldrons, chest plate, and gorget, allowing him to stand his ground in the frontline if need be. Though the fact that it came from the money handed to him by Albert wearing a stoic expression and Helena watching with disappointment did put a damper on his enthusiasm.

At the moment, the Henrietta Company's total wealth was precisely six hundred and seventy-eight silver pieces, almost twice of what they had when they were staying in Iotas Tria thanks to the payment from Albert. In all honesty, they could have just taken the hi-catalyst from them and no one could have stopped them. Auguste and Elaine were quite fortunate that they were dealing with kind and reasonable people. Then again, perhaps Elaine only pushed as far as she did because she knew very well that she could get away with it. Knowing her, it's not out of the question.

Still, while the amount they currently have might be more than enough for most of them, for Elaine, it was far from what she needed. In the Principality of Zeth, there was a practice of selling titles and land to landless adventurers and wandering merchants, those mostly of neutral backgrounds. It was a practice born out of necessity during the reformation period shortly after the collapse of the Zethian Empire as a means to raise funds for the kingdom. Even a hundred years later, the practice remained, though the prices had increased significantly since, ranging from three hundred to five hundred gold pieces, or thirty to fifty thousand in silvers, for even the smallest piece of land. In the Magnolia Republic, one could also find land being put up for auctions, mostly from those looking to leave for the frontiers, a rising trend within the five kingdoms. However, the land put on auctions tend to be quickly grabbed away by real estate tycoons at prices that someone like Elaine would probably never be able to afford.

The only real chance Elaine had was to strike the allegorical gold within the Dungeon. If she could find something big enough, she might just be able to afford to have land of her own. Of course, there was also the option of heading out into the frontier, but that would not be an easy feat either. One would need to be able to afford not only supplies for such a journey, but also plenty of livestock so that they may survive the first year or so in the new lands, *if* they found any rich soil not already taken that is. There would also be the threat of highwaymen as well as beasts along the way, and once there, drought and famine could also be a concern. Elaine was not about to commit her parents' mistake of trying to set out haphazardly. If gaining a piece of land in the five kingdoms proves to be impossible and Elaine is forced to consider the frontier, then she would do so only when she is properly prepared.

The party made their way across the grassland and eventually arrived at the foot of the Rocky Hills. Dwelling there, over the hills, it was said that were large and imposing creatures of green flesh. It was claimed that an entire party of six only managed to take a single one of them down when the unfortunate party of Dungeoneers encountered one while attempting to find a way across the hills.

That was what they heard at least, and no official information had come from the guild just yet. Due to that, whispers could be heard about how it was all fabricated to keep others from entering the hills, that treasures might be found on the other side, and the party that found them wanted to keep it all for themselves. At least, those were the voices of those not present to witness the corpse of the green creature being carted into town. And while he did not exactly have a good look up close, it looked real enough for Auguste to be cautious when exploring the area, a sentiment the rest of the Henrietta Company would agree with.

Once again, the party headed towards the cave where the Dreadlings were found. They've made quite a fine haul the last time and now they're back for more, before other Dungeoneers start to catch wind of their profits and try to get a share of the pie.

Heading deeper into the cave, into unfamiliar territory, the party sent Auguste and Gladiolus in first to scout out the area ahead before proceeding. Should they encounter any enemy, they'd draw its attention and lure it back to the party where they'll swiftly dispatch of them.

It's been about half a year since they became Dungeoneers and for the first time, they were beginning to feel like true professionals. No longer were they nervous upon entering a new area and encounters with creatures ended in quick scuffles more often and not. They were getting the job done and they were doing them efficiently. This was in parts thanks to the solidifying of their tactics as a party as well as the experience they've gained throughout their expeditions. The new gear, of course, helped in that regard, but just fancy gear does not make a Dungeoneer. Many a naive upstart had made that mistake, thinking that a full suit of armor would protect them from anything. More often than not, said armor tended to end up as loot for another party to salvage.

As they progressed deeper into the cave and taking down their third swarm of Dreadlings for the day, the party began to feel something out of place.

"Is it just me, or are there's a lot less of them today?" Auguste spoke up first.

"Eh, maybe their numbers dwindled because we were huntin' them so much," Henrietta replied dismissively, not putting in a whole lot of thought to it.

"Hmm... Maybe," Auguste mumbled before turning towards his elven companion. "What's your take, Gladiolus?"

"Their numbers are certainly sparser than before, but don't let your guard down, they might have just went deeper into the cave."

"So they're hiding from us?" Morganna chimed in. "Never thought I'd see the day when these things would be the ones running from us."

"Guess we just got that good, don't cha think?" said Henrietta, getting somewhat full of herself.

"Maybe save that after you've dealt a killing blow to one of them," Morganna immediately popped Henrietta's bubble.

"S-shuddap! They're just too flexible for my lance to hit them. I'm doing my best, alright!"

"Maybe you can try grappling them when they get close," Finn offered a suggestion. "You should be safe as long as you don't let them pry off your faceplate."

"Let those creepy things get close to me? No way!"

"Alright, you guys are getting loud," Auguste intervened when he felt that the conversation was getting heated. "We're supposed to be careful, remember?"

At his harsh tone, the party hushed up. In the Henrietta Company, if there was anyone with a more commanding voice than Auguste, it would probably be Elaine. That was probably one of the reasons why Gladiolus placed Auguste in charge when it came to combat. In the heat of battle, a strong voice was needed to get the attention of the combatants and Gladiolus' tender voice wasn't exactly the best in getting that job done.

Focused once more, the party continued their expedition. Things had been going smoothly thus far, enough for those with a keener sense of caution within the party to begin feeling uncomfortable. In the back, as she scribbled down the memoir of the paths taken, Elaine noticed something that stood out to her.

"Hey, this cave feels rather unnatural, don't you think?" she called out to the party.

"How so?" Auguste asked.

"It's all too uniform. The size of the caverns, the height and width of the tunnels, don't you think they're all very similar to one another? And the tunnels are all close to the ground level, easily accessible when usually there ought to be uneven holes here and there, both above head and on the ground."

With Elaine pointing it out, they all began to take notice, that the cave had a very man-made feel to it. Discreetly, Auguste turned to sneak a peek at Gladiolus' expression. For Auguste, it was rather unbelievable that Gladiolus, an experienced Dungeoneer would overlook this. Yet, there he was, looking on as he usually does, his sharp eyes observing the surroundings with composure.

It was a face that revealed nothing, so thought Auguste. He's hiding something. I have no proof, but I have a feeling that there's something he's not telling.

Auguste thought back to the time when they fought the Great Apes and the time they saw the green creature being carted into town. Back then, he had always thought that those pointy ears of the two creatures looked similar to those found on the elves. However, since Gladiolus gave no reaction to seeing them, Auguste thought that it must have been his imagination. After all, there were creatures with rounded ears like that of humans as well and humans most certainly did not consider them to be one of their own. They were similar, but in the end a completely different beast altogether. But, that was on the surface. This place, on the other hand, was the Dungeon, an unnatural space created by the Abyss. If the creatures they've hunted were what Auguste feared that they might be, then...

Auguste shook it off as soon as the thought came up. It didn't matter, as he already said to Elaine some time before. Even if these creatures were the twisted versions of a once intelligent race, they had already killed plenty of them and they probably will be continuing to kill them, skin them, pull out their teeth and claws, and extract their bones and organs. They've never cared about the 'what ifs' regarding the creatures they had killed and it's doubtful if they ever will. Still, what if the *if* becomes *is*, what if they found out that they truly were intelligent? What if they all were, every single one of them that they had killed? What then?

Auguste had no answer, he couldn't know until the moment comes. He could say what he would like to do, but he could never know what he'll do for sure when the time comes.

With the weight of both the mystery of the cave and the creatures that inhabit this Dungeon on his shoulder, Auguste, as well as the rest of his party, came to discover a ray of light coming from what seemed to be the end of the tunnel. And along with it, the thick scent of blood.

***

End of Chapter 60