For dinner, I served Belsus a meat pie, made by stuffing a dough with a stir-fry of onions, meat, mushrooms, and spices, then baked in the oven, along with a lettuce salad dressed with milk jam, which I made by boiling down milk and sugar.
'It feels like I'm slowly repeating the same repertoire...'
It couldn't be helped. The "Farmer's hands" meant that whatever food I made generally tasted good, not that I suddenly knew recipes I'd never seen before.
Before I transmigrated... I had never really cooked. I mostly boiled ramen or bought pre-made side dishes.
'I could eat ramen six times a week, but I can't raise Belsus like that.'
Anyway, with my limited knowledge, I wasn't creating dishes by recalling specific recipes. Instead, I was just roughly imitating things I'd seen somewhere using the ingredients I had on hand. I had no idea if what I was making was French cuisine, Italian cuisine, or something else entirely.
Since the game was set in a fictional kingdom anyway, there wasn't much need for historical accuracy in the food or anything else. Therefore, there was no way Belsus would find the food I made strange.
As I set the food down and turned to leave, Belsus stealthily grabbed the edge of my sleeve.
Perhaps out of courtesy, Belsus never actually touched me, but when necessary, he would pinch the very edge of my clothes like this. I looked down at my sleeve in his grasp.
It felt a bit peculiar to see his massive, rugged fingertips delicately pinching a bit of fabric.
"Could we share a meal together? Not every time, of course, but just occasionally. Whenever you feel like it..."
I usually ate separately so I could do chores while eating and squeeze out every last drop of EXP.
However, this time, I sat down across from him at the table without a word. Belsus's face visibly brightened.
If I messed up and Belsus's motivation or appetite waned even a little, I'd be the only one losing out. After all, I'm basically a parasite surviving off of Belsus.
Because Belsus is a pushover who gets timid and walks on eggshells at the slightest hint of trouble, I have to be incredibly attentive to everything.
'I wish he'd just be easygoing, do his own thing, and not care about what I do someday...'
But I understood him. Before, I only understood it rationally, but living together and seeing Belsus as a person rather than just in-game graphics helped me understand him better.
This actually wasn't Belsus's first time boarding at someone's house.
Back then, it wasn't boarding so much as Belsus one-sidedly begging for food, but it was part of the game's scenario.
It was a flashback of Belsus from when he was barely twenty, much younger, less seasoned, and still somewhat clean-cut. Deep in the mountains where he had fled from the knights, Belsus met a woman living alone in a small cabin.
She offered him food and a place to sleep. She was naturally kind-hearted, often providing shelter and meals to passing travelers.
A ruthless bounty hunter chasing Belsus set a captured monster loose in her cabin to ensnare the hyper-perceptive Belsus. As a result of helping him, she became the monster's prey.
'Having lived in an environment like that, a place like this subspace farm, where no one can intrude, must feel like a veritable paradise to him...'
So, to avoid being abandoned by me, or to avoid becoming a burden to me, it was only natural that Belsus was so timid.
I finished my meal first and stood up. Belsus readily let me go when I got up first.
I went to the backyard and gently dug up the precious roots I had been cultivating, handling them carefully with my hoe like a baby.
[Ginseng (It is the optimal time for harvesting.)]
Originally, medicinal herbs couldn't be grown on the farm. They were only sold in shops, but I tried planting some just in case, and they actually grew here.
Some herbs could boost combat power. I was currently mixing them into Belsus's meals.
[You have harvested Ginseng (Medicinal Herb).]
[Experience points have increased due to a special harvest.]
I served Belsus ginseng-infused water for dessert and made him chew and swallow the entire root.
Belsus, who had grown accustomed to the food I cooked, scrunched up his face at the long-forgotten taste of dirt. Yet, despite his struggle, he chewed and swallowed it thoroughly without a single complaint.
"Good boy."
Without really thinking, I patted the head of the seated Belsus. Before he could give me a weird look, I quickly pulled my hand back.
There was a reason why I had started paying close attention to Belsus's emotional state, eating with him, and feeding him precious medicinal herbal brews.
Finally.
The first dungeon was tomorrow.
And a dungeon notice had popped up, not only for the transmigrated rankers but also for the characters.
"Since you're a Hunter, you must have seen the secret message too."
Belsus even brought it up to me first.
He didn't know anything about the game; he merely knew that a special dungeon had been announced for certain Hunters.
'To us, it looks like a hologram window, but to the characters, it probably appears as a transparent parchment like it did in the game. To fit the era.'
[Special Dungeon Notice.]
[In 24 hours, a sinister dungeon that only chosen Hunters can clear will open in this world.]
[There is no penalty for failing to clear the dungeon, so entry is voluntary.]
[However, massive EXP and rare monsters await, so the choice is yours.]
It sounded like a massive scam.
A regular dungeon. In the game, you had to participate in it as part of the scenario. But things had changed slightly since we transmigrated.
'Now, either the player or the character can participate, just one of them.'
Of course, both could enter if they wanted. Since the mobs and the boss defeated here yield massive EXP, entering with your partner is the best way to maximize farming.
But that only applies to the other rankers.
"I have one more ginseng root left. I'll brew it for you right before you go into the dungeon."
Belsus stared at me quietly. I nodded as if confirming his thoughts.
"You're fighting alone."
Why would I go in? I'd have to be crazy. What could a powerless Farmer possibly do tagging along next to Belsus? I'd only be a hindrance.
'Instead, since my body is weak, I'll have to use my head.'
I planned to use my head as much as possible and fully utilize what I had to score big in this dungeon.
---
The first dungeon.
Rankers entered the entrance one by one.
"Are you... the Puppeteer by any chance?"
"Yes."
As if they were at an offline meetup for an online group, the rankers, gathered in one place for the first time, whispered and exchanged greetings.
Just then, another figure arrived late and entered through the entrance.
"Huh?"
The Thief, who spotted him, widened his eyes and pointed.
"It's Belsus!"
Wait, so he really didn't get killed by Calain? The rankers forgot the conversation they were just having and began to murmur among themselves. In very quiet voices, of course.
"How did a beggar get into the dungeon?"
"Has he even eaten?"
"Did he come into the dungeon because he had nothing to eat?"
It wasn't mockery; it was genuine curiosity.
---
[Regular Dungeon: Welcome to the first dungeon.]
[Below is the list of participants.]
A special dungeon created by the game system, completely different from real gates.
The transmigrated rankers and a few completely oblivious characters entered the dungeon.
Among them, a list of participants appeared before the rankers' eyes.
--
(Listed in alphabetical order.)
[Archer] / [Royal Knight 'Calain']
[Bard]
[Fighter]
[Mercenary 'Belsus']
[Paladin]
[Physician 'Hester']
[Puppeteer]
[Thief]
## (Cannot Participate) Wizard / Magic Tower Master 'Eden'
The Fighter, looking at the names of the others, carefully organized the information.
'First of all, six out of the eight rankers entered. Who's missing?'
One was the Wizard, who couldn't participate due to a penalty.
And the other was the Alchemist.
'So he sent his Doctor character in instead of coming himself? Why didn't he come?'
It was always more advantageous for both to come if possible. They could help each other, and by hunting the endlessly respawning monsters separately, they could gain a ton of EXP.
The only person who came with their character like that out of the eight was the Archer.
But even looking around, neither the Archer nor Calain were anywhere to be seen.
'Looks like those two are hunting monsters separately. Must be nice. They're determined to take first place.'
The rankers who were stationed far away, including the Fighter, lacked information. They were the ones who couldn't hide their surprise upon confirming that Belsus had survived when he walked through the entrance.
They were significantly behind on information. And they would remain oblivious to the fact that they were behind. Because they were all clueless together.
"Are you the Puppeteer by any chance?"
"Yes. Hello. You must be the Thief?"
The six rankers who had entered the dungeon naturally gathered in a circle.
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