After checking their progress from the week, the two chatted and fooled around for a bit before starting to sort out their equipment and items.
After this period of training, Ronan had changed a lot. His stats had gone up, and he had also gained new techniques and more experience.
Although Jeanne's formal teaching had not lasted long, it had given him a very solid foundation. Combined with his expanded magic, updated weapons, and the addition of a powerful front-line fighter like Jeanne, he now had the confidence to explore deeper floors.
For tomorrow's Dungeon trip, Ronan decided to aim a little higher.
He set their target for tomorrow at the 10th floor.
"Exploring the 10th floor will take us several hours just for travel. If the number of monsters goes up or something unexpected happens, it will take even longer. We need to prepare enough food and water, as well as sharpening stones and maintenance oil for the equipment."
When Ronan had only been moving around the Shallow Floors, these supplies had not been strictly necessary. But on the 10th floor, the monsters were much stronger, and equipment would wear down faster. These small items were important if they wanted to stay ready for battle.
Most importantly, taking care of the gear would make it last longer.
If he did not have to replace his weapons so often, he could save a lot of money. The higher his level, the more he would save.
"Ropes, waterskins, lanterns, maps, and other small things go in the utility bag."
"Check the potions. Antidotes, High Potions, and Mind Potions. These are for emergencies. Put the high-performance bandages in the easiest waist pouch to reach so you can grab them with one hand."
Various pieces of equipment and items were spread across the living room floor.
As the more experienced adventurer, Ronan gave Jeanne a detailed lesson on how to prepare for an expedition.
Jeanne squatted beside him with her arms around her knees, listening carefully and nodding from time to time.
She knew that for an adventurer, fighting was only one part of the job. Experience and preparation were just as important.
This was especially true when exploring the Dungeon, which kept changing and was full of unknown dangers.
For example, when facing danger or a trap, a veteran adventurer's first choice usually was not to fight. They used their experience to avoid the danger and stay alive. That was the best way to deal with it.
You only fought to the death when there was no other way out.
The two worked until evening before everything was packed. After a quick dinner and taking turns bathing, they went to bed early to rest.
...
The next morning.
At four o'clock, Orario was still quiet. Only the occasional bird call broke the silence of dawn.
Having woken up early, the two finished washing up and sat at the table for breakfast.
"Check your weapons, armor, and backpack one last time before we leave. Make sure nothing is missing," Ronan warned seriously. "In the Dungeon, being prepared is a rule you can't ignore."
"Understood," Jeanne replied seriously.
...
Once everything was ready, they returned to the living room and put on their armor.
Jeanne wore her dark blue cleric-style dress with black over-the-knee socks. Over that, she wore her custom high-performance silver plate armor.
When she stood there fully armed, Ronan's eyes lit up.
"You really look like a proper Holy Maiden now."
Jeanne's cheeks turned slightly red. She reached out and pushed his face away as he leaned in. "What are you looking at..."
"I like what I see. I want to look."
"Pervert!"
...
With their gear and bags ready, they stepped out of the house just as the first light of the sun hit the city walls.
As the front-line fighter, Jeanne carried only a few waist pouches and her main weapons so she could stay as flexible as possible.
The heavy lifting of supplies and the extra backpack for loot fell to Ronan, who was acting as support and rear guard.
Ronan's equipment was more complete than when he worked alone. He wore a black hooded cloak over his light armor and leather gear. He had various pouches on his belt. On his back was a large backpack, with his staff wrapped in cloth and a small round shield attached to it. He had a quiver and a short bow on his lower back, and a spare short sword and a skinning knife on his hip.
He looked loaded down with gear.
However, with his current stats, this weight was easy for him to carry. It would not affect his fighting. Since Jeanne would handle most of the close combat, he had more room to move as long-range support.
"Let's go."
"Yeah."
They locked the door and left the residential area. Their silhouettes moved through the quiet, tree-lined alleys.
Soon, they reached the main street.
Looking at the large gray-white building at the end of the street, Ronan said to Jeanne, "Let's go to the Guild Headquarters first and register your identity. After that, we can start your first Dungeon exploration."
...
It was still early, so the usually crowded Adventurer's Main Street was empty and quiet.
They walked along the clean stone path, occasionally passing a few other adventurers. Some were in a hurry, while others looked relaxed. Seeing these different people gave Jeanne a better idea of what adventurers were like.
"A real mix of people..." she whispered to herself.
The alley they came out of was not far from the Guild Headquarters. In less than ten minutes, they were standing in front of the tall, solemn gates.
Ronan glanced at the bulletin board near the entrance to check for new quests or announcements. After confirming there was no major news, he led Jeanne into the quiet hall.
Because it was so early, there were not many people handling quests or gathering information. If they waited until the morning rush, they would have to stand in line.
Ronan spoke in a low voice, explaining how the Guild worked and what to watch out for as they walked toward the reception desk.
However, a flash of red hair caught his eye.
"Wait, Rose? Were you on the night shift?"
Behind the counter, a red-haired werewolf woman was resting her head on the desk. She looked exhausted and gave off the impression of someone capable and mature.
Hearing someone call her name, she lazily looked up. When she saw Ronan's face, she froze for a moment.
Then she sat up and let out a long, tired yawn. Her voice was sleepy. "I was wondering who was waking me up so early... so it's you, you jerk."
She glanced at the magic stone clock on the desk. "The sun is not even up yet. It is not even six. Since when did you become so hardworking?"
"..." Ronan's heart skipped a beat. This was bad.
Jerk? Is there a story here? Jeanne tightened her grip on her flag-spear, and her gaze turned sharp as she looked at Ronan.
"Uh, Rose, looks like the night shift has put you in a bad mood," Ronan said, quickly trying to change the subject as he felt the cold stare beside him.
Rose slowly fixed her hair, which had become messy from sleeping on the desk. She crossed her arms and let out a cold laugh. "Of course I'm in a bad mood. Especially when I'm forced awake during a night shift, only to see an irresponsible scumbag standing there."
Ronan felt cold sweat run down his back. Jeanne was watching him with a very curious look, which made him even more nervous.
"Hey! Rose, watch what you say!" Ronan whispered urgently. "Last time was a total accident! Besides... you were the one who got drunk and insisted on dragging me to your house! I was the victim!"
"You have the nerve to bring that up?!" Rose's voice suddenly rose.
As people nearby started to look over and whisper, Ronan grew more desperate. "Rose, keep your voice down! Have some pity on my reputation!"
"Hmph, you actually care about your reputation?"
"..."
"Don't pull me..."
"Let go, you scumbag!"
"You jerk!"
"..."
The whole scene turned into a mess.
The people watching nearby were more than happy to enjoy the gossip this early in the morning.
Luckily, the so-called scumbag was pretty good at dealing with this kind of situation, and before long, the scene calmed down again.
...
Ronan wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Although some of his old mess had come out in front of Jeanne... it was not a total disaster.
People make mistakes, after all.