Reincarnated into a World Filled with Dungeons, But My Blessing Turned Out to Be the Most Challenging Dungeon

“Captain, we’ve disarmed and tied them all up.”

In front of us, the thieves lay stripped of their belongings, bound with ropes, and tossed onto the ground.

The ones who handled them were Thomas and the two warriors. The rest of the group stood back to avoid becoming hostages if the thieves attempted to fight back.

“Was it really okay to leave them alive?”

Committing robbery inside a dungeon was a crime deserving of the death penalty.

“Hiiik!”

A few of the thieves who had regained consciousness let out shrieks at my words.

“Criminals like them can legally be killed. But if we take them back alive, the guild will buy them as criminal slaves.”

Apparently, they would be assigned to dangerous jobs that ordinary people wouldn’t dare to take.

“That aside… they had some pretty good equipment, huh?”

Weapons and armor stripped from the thieves were scattered before us.

Curved shamshirs, battle axes… They had probably stolen these from other adventurers. I felt sorry for those who had lost them.

As I pondered this…

“Alright, we’ve secured the core. Let’s hand these guys over and head back.”

Thomas, having finished dealing with everything in the dungeon, called out to the group.

That reminded me of my original objective.

“Oh, Thomas. I have a request.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“I was hoping to buy the dungeon core. Would you be willing to sell it?”

I had come along to buy it at a lower price by avoiding the market.

“I don’t mind. I’ll sell it to you for sixty gold coins.”

“Huh? That’s pretty cheap, isn’t it?”

The market price for a Rank IV core was seventy gold coins. I had expected to pay a little more than that.

“We wouldn’t have gotten it without your help, Erik. So don’t worry about it.”

Saying that, Thomas also confirmed with the rest of the party.

“Thank you very much.”

And just like that, the core was mine.

“But… I don’t have enough gold on me right now. Would it be okay if I pay you after I return to town and get the money together?”

By now, the dismantling at the fur, bone, and meat shop should be finished, and with the reward from that, I’d have enough to pay.

“In that case, how about selling me that battle axe?”

“Oh, and I’d like to buy that shamshir as a backup weapon.”

The two warriors suddenly made an unusual request.

“Huh? What…?”

Why were they asking for my permission? I had no idea.

Noticing my confusion, the archer explained.

“When you take down a thief or a monster, their belongings belong to the one who defeated them. In a party, the loot is usually divided among members, but since you were only participating as a porter, you don’t qualify for the dungeon loot split. Instead, whatever you personally take down is yours.”

It was a rule set by the Adventurer’s Guild as a special consideration.

Normally, adventurers only take on monsters suited to their level, but sometimes, experienced members let rookies fight under their supervision for training.

If a lucky beginner managed to score a rare drop in such a situation, disputes could arise. To prevent that, clear rules had been established.

And apparently, this rule applied not just to monsters but also to criminals like thieves. In other words…

“That means the bounty for handing over these thieves is also yours, Erik.”

The mage stated it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Though still confused, I agreed to settle everything once we returned to town.

With the payment for being a porter, the bounty for turning in the thieves, and all their equipment now mine, I had unknowingly amassed a significant fortune.

I insisted, “But everyone helped earn this, so we should split the reward!”

However, no one would agree.

In the end, I had no choice but to accept everything.

As I hesitated, wondering if this was really okay…

“It’s fine, Master. You got a new core, and with this money, you’ll have more options for the future!”

Hearing Eve’s cheerful voice made me think maybe she was right.

I was grateful to Thomas and the others. I wouldn’t forget that.

Then, I suddenly remembered something I absolutely had to do and walked over to the thieves’ leader.

After that, we went to a tavern to celebrate our successful dungeon expedition.

To my delight, I was invited to the party as well and had a great time.

Thomas talked about the importance of trust between teammates in adventuring.

The mage explained when and how to use magic effectively in battle.

The healer emphasized the need to observe the battlefield as a whole.

The archer advised staying calm no matter the situation.

The female warrior taught me how to handle weapons.

And the male warrior… started to tell me about affordable places with cute girls—until the mage and healer stepped in and cut him off for some reason.

Everyone shared valuable advice for beginners like me.

I was asked a lot of questions, too, so I talked about things I had already revealed—like how I could freely take items out of my storage, and how “Clean” had been incredibly useful in my academy exam.

Time flew by, and before I knew it…

“Alright, everyone, get home safely.”

“Hey, Erik, let’s go for another round!”

“No way! Erik is still underage! I’ll escort him back. Where’s your inn?”

Suddenly, it was time to part ways.

“Guys, Erik looks troubled.”

The archer stepped in to break things up.

I took that chance to bow my head to everyone and slipped away.