Chapter 2: The Rookie Adventurer
A damp, cave-like passage stretches ahead, occasionally opening into vast hollows. Glittering ore veins line the ceiling, casting an eerie glow.
It’s a world entirely separate from the outside—a sealed-off dimension of its own.
Fei walks cautiously, scanning his surroundings. The Free City. The world’s largest dungeon. No one knows how deep it goes. Some even say it stretches to the other side of the world.
The monsters here are nothing like those outside. When slain, they supposedly drop magic stones before vanishing.
“Nothing’s coming… What’s wrong? You’re not scared of me, are you?”
Fei beckons, hoping for a massive prey to appear. But…
(…Huh? Nothing’s showing up at all?)
An hour passes with no encounters. He’s the protagonist—shouldn’t he be facing off against absurdly powerful foes by now? Yet, nothing happens.
“……”
Absolutely nothing. But finally, a goblin-like monster appears—a grotesque, green-skinned humanoid.
“Gwaaaah!!”
“…Tch. All bark, huh?”
The creature bares its fangs, but before it can strike, its head and torso are already separated.
“Ggeh!?”
“…Pathetic.”
It crumbles into ash, leaving behind a single magic stone. Fei picks it up and pockets it, his face twisted in dissatisfaction.
(Seriously, I’m the hardworking protagonist type… and this is the best I get? What’s going on? I wanna fight something way stronger.)
(I’m the main character here. What’s the point of taking down one measly goblin? There’s gotta be something crazier, right?)
(I’ve been walking for an hour now… Honestly, I didn’t even map anything, so I don’t know where to go. But hey, I’m the protagonist—something’s bound to happen if I wait.)
With that thought, Fei keeps walking. And walking. And walking.
But all he finds are goblins. Goblins, goblins, goblins—sometimes a palette-swapped goblin. No protagonist-worthy events whatsoever. For his first dungeon dive, this is no different from being a background mob! Fei’s frustration mounts.
But this was inevitable. Nothing special would happen—because this world doesn’t revolve around him. Dungeons have irregularities, but they don’t just appear on demand.
In the original story, fate was absolute, dictated by the world’s rules.
But Fei can’t force that destiny. Because, in the end… he’s just a disposable mob character.
Until now, the events around him were only one part coincidence, nine parts due to Arthur and True—the real main characters—being nearby.
Sure, Fei has his own moments. But in this Free City, none of it ties into any grand causality.
He’s no protagonist. Never was.
Lost and wandering, he trudges forward. All he meets are goblins. No challenges arise when he’s braced for them.
But… if a protagonist-like figure were nearby, things might change.
“Ah! You’re that guy from before!”
A voice rings out behind Fei—clear, dignified, yet assertive. He turns to see Alicia, the girl who had literally crashed into him earlier.
“…You again.”
“You’re an adventurer too? Perfect! Earlier was… never mind. My name’s Alicia! What’s yours?”
“No reason to tell you.”
“Huh? What, are you scared!?”
“Tch—”
“Eek!”
She flinches at his glare. Maybe, like some dense, golden-haired main protagonist, she’s developed an aversion to him.
“Fei…”
“Eh…?”
“…Fei.”
“O-Oh, your name?”
“What else would it be?”
“R-Right… Ahem! You’d better remember mine, because I’m gonna be the greatest in this world!”
“……”
“Ah, ignoring me again! So rude! Well, I guess it’s normal since we just met… Hey, do you know the way to the second floor? I’ve been going in circles!”
“…Figure it out yourself.”
“Why not just tell me!? Wait—you don’t know either, do you!?”
“…Whatever.”
With that dismissive mutter, Fei resumes walking. Alicia, torn between irritation and curiosity, follows.
“You’re solo?”
“Obviously.”
“O-Oh… Why? Are you… always alone?”
“Too many questions. Why should I answer? …Whatever. I train alone. Crowds annoy me.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah. And yeah, I usually work alone.”
“Aha! Me too!”
“…Don’t care.”
He cuts her off and keeps moving. Fei isn’t the type to read the mood.
Alicia, having wandered the first floor alone for so long, isn’t sure what to do. So she just trails him.
“You’re a rookie, right? Is soloing really okay?”
“Not your concern.”
“Hmph. Well, I can handle it—I’m overflowing with talent! I’m gonna be the world’s greatest hero or something!”
“Didn’t ask.”
“At least listen a little!”
“Find someone else to bother.”
“I-I don’t have… friends, okay? It’s kinda… lonely.”
The words slip out before she can stop them. Seeing Fei—another loner her age—she accidentally reveals too much.
But she quickly remembers her rule: never show weakness.
“……”
“A-Ah! That was a lie! I don’t need friends! I just don’t make any! And I’m only talking to you ’cause I’m bored!”
“…Then why are you here?”
“Eh…? W-Well…”
(W-Wow, sudden question… I’m not used to this. The only ones who ask me things are my imaginary doll friends…)
“W-Well, I’m gonna become a hero, make the whole world acknowledge me! And… maybe find my brother.”
“I see.”
“Y-Yeah! Compared to someone like me, the adventurers in this city are just stepping stones!”
“Confident, aren’t you?”
“Of course! I’m brimming with talent!”
She puffs out her chest proudly. Strangely, Fei doesn’t find it obnoxious. He senses her determination—that baseless, absolute confidence, the belief that she’s special. Maybe he relates to that.
Just as Alicia brims with self-assurance, the ground suddenly quakes.
“Waaaah!!”
“……”
“I-It stopped… Lately, there’ve been so many quakes… Right? Right?”
“……”
(What’s with this focus…? It’s not like before. He’s completely zoned out, not even noticing me.)
“……”
“H-Hey, don’t ignore me and walk off…”
Fei moves ahead. The two press on, but the path to the second floor remains elusive.
“Hey… don’t tell me you’re lost too?”
“……”
“Ugh, I knew it… We’ve wasted so much time. It’s probably dusk outside. Shouldn’t we head back for today?”
“…Not yet. Something’s coming.”
“Something…? What’s that supposed to—!?”
The metallic tang of blood hits the air. Alicia gulps. They’ve stopped in a hollow—a space just wide enough for a fight, as if inviting one.
“N-No way… W-We have to run—”
“…Then run.”
“Idiot! This isn’t the time for that! Something bad is coming!”
“…Probably.”
“‘Probably’—!? Eek… I-It’s here.”
A lizardman emerges—towering, bipedal, wielding a bloodied sword. Fresh kill. The two instantly grasp the danger.
And seeing a demon that she would normally never encounter, Alicia freezes. Dungeon monsters grow stronger the deeper you go.
A lizardman on the first floor? One using weapons? It’s unheard of.
(I-I have to run… No! If I do, he’ll… And I won’t show weakness! I’ll get stronger! I’ll be recognized!)
“…Run.”
“Why?”
“I-I attract trouble… ‘Calamity Magnet’—that’s what I call it. So… I’ll handle this.”
“Heh.”
“Why are you laughing!?”
“This wasn’t your doing… I called it here. I’ve been waiting.”
He draws his sword, locking onto the lizardman with a blazing glare.
In another world, Alicia would’ve been gutted, bleeding out—only to be saved by a male lead.
But now, she faces it alongside Fei.
“A lizardman… for my first dungeon? Perfect. This is what I—”
“Hssss…”
Fei glares with intimidating eyes, seizing the opponent’s attention. Alicia tries to draw her sword but freezes under the pressure.
The Lizardman moves first. Saliva dripping from its maw, it swings its sword at Fei from right to left.
“……Too slow.”
──Namikaze Seishin-ryū, Mid-Form: Chasing Torrent.
Fei blocks the horizontal slash with his blade, lets the edges slide against each other as he closes the distance, then drops his stance and cuts downward. The Lizardman’s sword cleaves empty air—only for Fei’s counter to slash from its right eye down to its throat.
“GAAAAH!!!”
“……What’s wrong? Is that sword just for show?”
“GRRAAAGHHH!!!”
Though words don’t translate, the Lizardman might understand Fei’s intent. His taunt is obvious: “Come on, you can’t be this weak.”
A declaration from a mere human—to a monster.
And it lands perfectly.
“……So even monsters can use Star Energy?”
“GRRAAAAHH!!!”
Swift strikes overlap into a relentless sword rush. Wild, instinctive swordsmanship—yet Fei’s control of Star Energy remains unrefined, his body lagging a half-step behind.
“……”
Unable to fully deflect, blood spills from cuts across his body. Alicia notices Fei’s lips curling upward each time.
(S-scary…… Is this…… a rookie? Is this what adventurers are like?!)
“Heh. Not bad for the first round. Entertaining.”
“GRRGHHAAAH!!!”
He laughs. Laughs while bleeding. It must be terrifying—both the Lizardman and Alicia recoil slightly.
The Lizardman’s instincts scream: This human is dangerous. Kill him fast and flee.
A clever creature, it had lurked in the dungeon’s lower floors, occasionally preying on humans while hiding its presence. It exploited the assumption that no high-tier monsters would dwell here—until now.
Anyone would panic at the sight of a Lizardman. Yet Fei just stood there. Unfazed. An aberration.
The Lizardman shifts gears, lunging to devour Fei—only to be outmaneuvered.
And then…… Fei confirms he’s gained enough combat experience.
“Time to use it……”
Star Energy concentrates in his right hand. To the Lizardman, sound itself seems to vanish.
“You were decent fun…… It’ll be over quick.”
“Guh—?”
Its head flies. Only ash and a magic stone remain. To Alicia, Fei looks like a demon grinning in satisfaction—his right hand shattered beyond human semblance, crimson-black and grotesquely mangled.
Not a human resembling a demon. A demon resembling a human.
For Alicia, it’s borderline traumatic.
“Hey! Are you two okay?!”
“Okay?! Are you SERIOUS?!”
Enter two newcomers: a handsome man and an equally stunning, statuesque woman. Normally, their familial resemblance would be obvious, but Fei’s too absorbed in victory, and Alicia’s too shaken to care.
And so begins [Chronicle of the Round Table Heroes]’s side story—the tale of Alicia, its unlikely protagonist.
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Fei’s pronouns when fighting the lizard mob is off.
fixed thanks