‘It’s here,’ Jade announced. Alina came to a halt. Jade had led them to a clearing in the dense forest, where a small lake lay stretched out before them.

　‘A lake?’

　It was an peculiar lake. A huge mossy rock stood majestically in its center, looking as if it had fallen straight from the sky, and which imbued the lake with an imposing atmosphere. Yet the surface of the water, sparkling like so many diamonds beneath the midday sun, made for a tranquil scene that made its admirers forget that they were in a dungeon.

　‘This is the Mossy Stone Lake. It’s a famous resting place among adventurers. The concentration of ether is thin, so monsters rarely approach.’

　Indeed, the area around the lake looked well trodden, with thick logs and tree stumps scattered about that looked to have been used in place of chairs—signs that many adventurers had come here to rest.

　‘We’ll rest here for a while.’

　‘Rest?’’

　Ignoring Alina’s question, Jade slowly and deliberately placed his weapon on the grass and began to relax, defenseless as only a rookie could be.

　‘Well, you’re the chief. Let’s take a break then,’ Loewe said with a shrug of his shoulders, and followed Jade’s lead. Rururi, battered from dragging her heavy shield around, collapsed on the lakeside ground. Alina reluctantly joined them.

　‘My shoulders… they’re so stiff…’

　‘Even though we chose one of the lighter ones… I told you you should’ve gone for something one-handed, like a buckler.’

　‘But then I couldn’t hide my face,’ Rururi lamented. ‘When I first held it, it didn’t seem so bad!’

　‘I mean, there’s a big difference between carrying something for a few seconds and carrying something for half a day.’

　‘When I can’t take it anymore, I’ll switch with Alina…’

　‘Hey!’

　‘By the way, miss Alina,’ Jade began, staring at Alina with a thoughtful look on his face.

　‘What?’

　‘You know… for a lake, the water here is deep and clean. It’s quite pleasant to swim in, from what I’ve heard. The newbies around here have this game where they try to touch the mossy rock and swim back to the shore.’

　‘Do they now.’

　‘Why don’t you take a dip? You know, to take your mind off things,’ a straight-faced Jade suggested. He didn’t seem to be joking. ‘Of course, I’ve already prepared a set of swimwear for—blegh!’

　A peculiar noise escaped Jade’s impudent lips as Alina grabbed him by the back of his head and, without a word, dunked him face-first into the lake. ‘Die, you perverted Silver Bastard!’

　As they watched Jade struggle underwater and Alina coldly looking down on him from a distance, Loewe and Rururi, who had grown accustomed to such scenes, sipped leisurely from their canteens and sighed in unison.

　‘That one was Jade’s fault.’

　‘Totally.’

　Just then, a calm voice greeted them: ‘Hey, you guys look like you’re having fun.’ Another party had appeared by the lakeside. ‘Are you having a break too?’

　They were a party of four, all male. The oldest among them, a middle-aged healer who appeared to be their leader, asked with a soft, gentle demeanor.

　‘Yeah. We’re just starting out, you see. We’ve come here to practice.’ Jade, who had recovered at some point, lied with a straight face, his tone raised by half a measure.

　‘Well, aren’t you a dedicated one. Well then, let’s take a break together—ah, I’m Hynek. Nice to meet you.’

　The man sat down with a heave-ho and leisurely began to make small talk.