Of course, it wasn’t like we hadn’t done anything the last few days since I started making the fairy spring. I sent Lydia and Miki out to prepare supplies. We ordered clothing, armors, and provisions to last us for a month-long trip. Once I reached the capital city, returning to and from it would become a cinch. I had more than enough money to handle anything we needed. In fact, the only problem was that I was carrying it all on me. What can I say, I was raised under the idea that carrying more than $20 bucks in your pocket was dangerous.
Well, I had a decent storage ring, so putting more money into it seemed to be just par for the course. I sat Miki down and started going over the alchemy potions. I was almost as good of a reader as she was when she started, and she herself had improved leagues over the last month and a half. The pair of us worked together to create potions.
Only some of the potions were important, but I found that most ingredients were worth less that potions, so I figured making a lot of potions would mean we could sell them all once we reached the capital. That meant more room for other goods. I didn’t plan to just buy a few things in the Capital. The Mayor, who now just called himself my advisor, gave a list of resources that it’d be nice if we ordered in bulk. Things needed to build and expand. This included people. There were many guilds we could establish a relationship with and get them to send out people to live in our city. We were lacking in specialized craftsmen, soldiers, and other such things.
Well, all of that was secondary. I had a dozen reasons for wanting to be in the capital city. I needed to get in the paperwork to request Chalm be part of Aberis and myself as its lord. I wanted to speak to the slaver union and see about removing these slavery tattoos despite this curse. I was curious about looking at other slaves too. Our team was magic heavy, and I needed an adequate defender to tank for us. Of course, I didn’t want to bring any more slaves if they couldn’t find a way to detach them from me.
On that note, the Capital City had a tamed dungeon within its walls. Supposedly, it had over 200 floors, and the lower levels were even tough for the strongest knights in the land. Unfortunately, it was controlled by the palace and only knights were allowed to use it for training. There was also supposedly a network of different stable dungeons all throughout Aberis, each with different traits and more importantly, different resources. A stable dungeon was one that didn’t pose a threat to those nearby. It usually was guarded and allowed dungeon divers in for a small fee. Dungeon divers would try to accumulate as many resources as they could and then return with hopefully a profit.
These kinds of dungeons had already been mapped out, or atleast the top floors were mapped out. Anyone of them would be an invaluable resource to me. I could finally start leveling regularly and make it into a habit. As someone who could transport around, I could decide on what resources I wanted and then target specific dungeons to acquire them. With that, I could accumulate wealth and power with ease. I was very excited about such a prospect.
However, the most amazing thing in the capital were blue mages. Blue mages had the power to manipulate space. In other words, they had my dungeon point spell Portal or something like it. For a fee, they could teleport you all over the nation. If I had them send me to a distant city, then I could portal home myself. Like that, I could finally start building a highway of travel over all of Aberis. Perhaps, I could do some mercantile transportation to earn even more money.
Well, that was just some of the stuff I wanted to get done in the Capital.
I know I am way late to the party, but...
1) Someone from the Kingdom killed the last lord
2) Why would they care to let him be a lord, all the work is done.
3) This Kingdom thrives on slavery, he would be a threat.
4) When they find out about the Fairy Spring, they are going to take it.
This is incredibly naive to go to the Capital without serious scouting and make important friends.
On that note, the Capital City had a tamed dungeon within its walls. Supposedly, it had over 200 floors, and the lower levels were even tough for the strongest knights in the land. Unfortunately, it was controlled by the palace and only knights were allowed to use it for training.
Sorry, but I find this hard to believe. Why would the city lord or rulers decide to set it up that way? What benefit is there in making this famous, 200+ floor ancient dungeon exclusive for knight training? It makes far more sense - at least for the economy of the city - to charge a high admittance fee to enter and allow (or require) those that do to sell the materials and stuff they get.
Sounds like standard authoritarian state stuff to me. High-level combat-capable people are dangerous, so the state can maintain control easier by only allowing access to a select few.
They could do it that way but keeping it to themselves as a training ground and having a hold over the resources without having to buy them is also quite valid.
@Venizal after that they would sell the resources to various merchants.
I agree with Venizal, monopolizing the resources from this 'ancient' dungeon makes perfect sense. Humans would rather no one have it than someone else, especially considering how in this case, the someone else could easily betray you, like what EchoingRuby has said. Another thing to consider is respawn time of monsters vs how many knights there could be. If this is the main training ground for the kingdom's knights, which can be assumed by how it is located in the capital, then many of the bottom (~10 - 30) levels would be filled with knights. There might not even be enough monsters for the knights at these levels.
@Blitznova21
Humans would rather no one have it than someone else...
That's called "spite." But I don't follow your logic in how that applies here. Humans are characterized by certain tendencies. One of these is greed. If the rulers running the city thought that they could have their cake and eat it too, why wouldn't they?
@EchoingRuby
Sounds like standard authoritarian state stuff to me.
How is this "standard"? There is no precedent for this practice in Earth's history. We don't have fantasy-esque dungeons filled with actual monsters that yield actual magic items and magically bestows explorers with "levels" and skills.
Other than this story, none the fantasy stories I remember reading do this. Rather, in everything else I've read, as long as a dungeon isn't off limits to absolutely everyone, they all allow adventurers to enter. (Some dungeons are designated too dangerous to exist and are to be destroyed.)
There are probably a few fantasy novels I haven't read where the government only allows soldiers to train in certain dungeons. But I'm pretty sure those are in the minority.
High-level combat-capable people are dangerous, so the state can maintain control easier by only allowing access to a select few.
I don't follow. According to earlier chapters, dungeons exist all over the place, including a bunch of ancient dungeons that are high level and deep, just like this one. And some of these ancient dungeons are open to the public. As such, restricting access to this one particular ancient dungeon is not really going to stop adventurers from growing into high-level combat-capable people.
Actually, it makes the situation for this kingdom worse: Adventurers who have pretty much hit their level plateau due to limited access to a high level dungeon will be forced to leave the area or kingdom for a different area or kingdom that has such a dungeon open to the public.
All this does is dissuade mid-high adventurers from operating in this kingdom and encourage them to move elsewhere. Potentially, this reduces the security of the kingdom from things like bandits and monsters, if not reducing the number of potential recruits for their army and knights.
...in this case, the someone else could easily betray you
What are you implying; that some high-level adventurers will try to overthrow the capital or kingdom... a handful of adventurers, at that? How paranoid do you think proud nobles should be? This seems unlikely, especially since I'm sure this kingdom has a very sizable military force, does not skimp on stuff like armor and weapons, and since their capital has access to this ancient dungeon to train their soldiers.
If a small band of high-level adventurers does manage to overthrow the kingdom, that says a lot about both the adventurers and the kingdom. It says that said adventurers were extremely well-equipped, insanely strong and that they had some sort of compelling reason to try to go against an entire kingdom's forces in what most would consider SUICIDAL ambition. It also says that the kingdom's military leaders were inept and their forces were comparatively very weak. If such happens, isn't it the kingdom's own fault for being so inept and for the kingdom's leaders to push adventurers and/or their subjects to revolt?
Also, doesn't this kingdom magically check people to see if they have a criminal record? And didn't we just read about someone being turned away at the gate of this capital because they did not have an ID? Clearly, there are security measures in place. If some high-level bandits wanted to cause trouble in this capital, I'm pretty sure they would get caught if they were brazen enough to walz in through one of the gates in broad daylight.
Another thing to consider is respawn time of monsters vs how many knights there could be. If this is the main training ground for the kingdom's knights, which can be assumed by how it is located in the capital, then many of the bottom (~10 - 30) levels would be filled with knights. There might not even be enough monsters for the knights at these levels.
Now that's a good reason. I can agree with this point, to an extent. However, I seriously doubt that the bottom 10-30 levels would be so crowded with that many knights. This would imply that they have a huge number of knights. It also implies that nearly all of their knights are INSANELY high level (like, around level 170 to 200). I could imagine their knight captain and maybe a few of others like that, but not all of their knights. That'd be absurd.
Even so, you know that a kingdom's soldiers and knights are not going to train in a dingy dungeon 24-7. They can't. They also have to patrol and perform other duties, besides training. They have to provide security and go on missions. And they're not all going to train in the dungeon at the same time. Obviously, they would go in shifts. I really doubt a knight, particularly of noble birth, would want to eat and sleep in a dungeon very often. They'd want to go back up to eat and rest.
Further, I'm sure soldiers and especially knights have to train using other methods - such as sparring with each other - in addition to fighting in a dungeon. Fighting monsters is inherently different from fighting, say, bandits or the soldiers of invading kingdoms. And knights, in particular, should have lives to live outside a dungeon, such as attending social functions. (In history and most fantasy, knights are the lowest class of nobility, but they are technically nobles.)
@Xpacetrue
For what you said on mine, if they allowed other adventurers to go in, they would have to buy it off, but with their own knights, it would be much less expensive, maybe even free. I do agree when you say humans are characterized by greed, which makes my point more valid in this case. Imagine you get a really good drop, wouldn't you try to keep it? I assume that the people who are able to get low enough in the dungeon that the drops become great items are at least rich enough to buy storage rings, even if it is small. What would you do there? Check each and every person's storage ring and risk offending the majority of strong adventurers? Even if that rule is implemented and openly shown to all who enter the dungeon beforehand, all that would cause is making only the adventurers who do not have a storage ring or the ones who do not have any treasures in the storage rings show up. And then what would happen is that they would infest the lower levels of the dungeons, which was most likely already packed to the brim with low level knights. This would cause a strain on the dungeon, and it would increase the time it took to train up the levels of the knights.
@Blitznova21 The only really good reason I can think of to forbid anyone but the knights to have access is fear over someone actually completing the dungeon (destroying the orb or completing the Lore) and, thus, causing it to wither and die. But then, isn't doing so to a protected dungeon already considered a crime punishable by death?
...if they allowed other adventurers to go in, they would have to buy it off, but with their own knights, it would be much less expensive, maybe even free.
Imagine you get a really good drop, wouldn't you try to keep it?
You seem too focused on the very rare prospect of adventurers finding an unusually rare and valuable item. Rare is rare.
The MC has been obtaining nice and rare dungeon loots, so he makes it seem comparitively easy and common. But this is typical of a fantasy story. Besides, the MC is a TRUE Dungeon Diver, with insane luck and abilities that only a "legendary hero" should have. Also, at least some of the equipment he got was stuff that other explorers had dropped - stuff like that decent sword he gave Lydia right after he first met her in that 1st dungeon.
Further, you seem to have overlooked a detail about dungeons that was explained earlier: Dungeons have a limited amount of loot - things like gold and silver coins and rare magic items. Small amounts are hidden in the walls in each floor, but the bulk of it is in the treasure room past the boss room at the bottom, only obtainable after completing the dungeon. Such things do not re-spawn.
In other words: The best loot is usually obtained by the first couple of groups to explore each unexplored level of a dungeon. Dungeon explorers know to check the walls for hidden loot. And the first ones to fight a boss are more likely to get better drops.
One reason the MC has been getting lots of great dungeon loot is because, until now, he's been exploring very young dungeons or dungeons that have been sealed off almost from the beginning. Also, he actually completes dungeons to get the treasure in the boss room at the bottom.
My point: This dungeon in the capital is ANCIENT - many hundreds of years old. So any loot that was hidden in the walls must have been found centuries ago. And the best boss drops must have already been obtained.
Imagine you get a really good drop, wouldn't you try to keep it?
Obviously, there should be a checkpoint at the dungeon's entrance/exit. Ideally, the entrance should be cordoned off with walls and ropes, to separate those entering the dungeon from those leaving. Optionally... ideally, there should be a desk set up by the entrance, run by the Adventurers Guild, to buy the magic stones and whatnot that explorers sell. Some stories also have a bulletin board posted there with requests for certain monster items.
I have read a couple stories where it is the law (city ordinance in certain cities) that dungeon explorers must sell any magic stones they obtain. However, I do not recall reading any fantasy or isekai where the law requires explorers to sell all the stuff they find, including magic items. The very notion of such a law sounds ABSURD.
Being required to sell magic stones makes at least some sense in stories where these have important military applications, such as being necessary to cultivate higher levels or to power magic devices or vehicles. Forcing explorers to sell magic stones gives control of the supply and fixes the price lower.
However, if explorers are required to sell any magic item they find, that removes most of the incentive to explore a managed dungeon. If that was the case, most explorers would just go to a dungeon without this law or go to one that was not managed (i.e., out in the wilderness) just so they could keep what they find.
It's the hope for striking it rich quickly that gets a lot of people to become adventurers or put their life on the line to explore a dangerous dungeon. It's like gambling or participating in a sweepstakes. It's like those places out West that allow visitors to pay for the experience of panning for gold. It's like buying a bucket of gravel with the promise of a (ridiculously small) chance to find a diamond or gemstone inside.
I assume that the people who are able to get low enough in the dungeon that the drops become great items are at least rich enough to buy storage rings, even if it is small. What would you do there? Check each and every person's storage ring and risk offending the majority of strong adventurers?
Like you suggest, that would be too much hassle. Besides, those wealthy enough to have storage rings would probably object to having their storage and person searched - invasion of privacy and all that. Many with storage rings are nobles. And even many high level adventurers have some connections.
You miss the point: By setting the entrance fee to an ancient dungeon high enough, the dungeon manager can earn far more profit from fees than they could ever obtain by forcing everyone to give up or sell all of their loots.
Think about it. In real world there are plenty of suckers who fall into terrible gambling debt at a small chance of fortune. And plenty of people are willing to pay to pan for a few specs of gold or buy a 5-gallon bucket of gravel for a tiny chance at finding a tiny diamond. But a dungeon is both a risky chance at quick wealth as well as a means to train to become more powerful and, thus, earn a good living after they retire from dungeon exploring.
For greedy 'Powers', their goal isnt to have the highest possible level of resources. Its to have the highest RATIO of resources compared to everyone else.
I think they just don't want people clearing the dungeon and destroy the core.