The Crown of the Forgotten
Bori spread open his notebook as he spoke. “I, too, am an explorer who wanders dungeons in search of ancient knowledge.”
Cleanly drawn illustrations and densely scribbled annotations filled the pages. This was…
“Take a look at this.” Bori pointed to one of the drawings. An arched doorway covered in geometric patterns. “This is the primary gate of a goddess’s temple.”
A gate leading to a temple.
“Are you familiar with the history that predates the ancient Crafolt Kingdom?”
“A little. Isn’t that the era when humans still lived on the surface?”
“Exactly. Once, humans dwelled above ground. Then the Beasts of Calamity appeared and brought ruin to the world. The survivors fled underground and built the Crafolt Kingdom.”
History before the Crafolt Kingdom. It was an unimaginably distant past.
“In the beginning, there was a goddess whom humans worshipped. Her name was…”
“Tezor.”
“Precisely the one often referred to in ancient texts as ‘the Forgotten One.’”
The Crown of the Forgotten—the clear item in Dungeon Overseer. It could be obtained inside the special dungeon called the Red Fortress, and acquiring it instantly granted victory in the game.
To enter the Red Fortress, one first had to collect the symbols of the three ancient gods.
The Sun God Qwas’s symbol—the Sword of the Sun.
The Earth Mother Goddess Eshgal’s symbol—the Scepter of the Earth.
The Sea God Ulatuk’s symbol—the Orb of the Sea.
And finally, the symbol of Tezor, the Forgotten Goddess of Vengeance—the Crown of the Forgotten itself.
The moment all those items were gathered, Dungeon Overseer would end.
“I discovered evidence of goddess worship from the era before the ancient kingdom,” Bori said with clear conviction. “Which means the Crown of the Forgotten is no mere nonsense.”
He continued, “History may be forgotten, but it never truly disappears. When enough small clues gather, even the treasures of legend can be found.”
Dungeon Seekers had a deep interest in ruins. While exploring the underground people’s relics, they had become convinced that somewhere in the world lay treasures left behind by a lost civilization. And the name of that treasure was the Crown of the Forgotten.
Most people dismissed the Crown of the Forgotten as nothing but a ridiculous rumor. A crown imbued with a goddess’s power that would grant the wishes of whoever desired it? Obviously such an absurd object couldn’t exist. That was what ordinary people believed.
But in every world there are courageous souls who dare to challenge the impossible. We call them dreamers.
And Bori was a dreamer through and through.
“I believe the crown exists too,” I said. There was no reason to hide it. I knew for a fact that the Crown of the Forgotten was real.
“Oho! I knew you had some special purpose, Mr. Hajun!” Bori’s smile widened until it practically split his face. “I’ll keep gathering information about the Crown of the Forgotten. You’ll continue your explorer activities, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then I hope the day comes when we set out together to find the Crown of the Forgotten.”
The dwarf Dungeon Seeker offered me a vigorous handshake. His grip was firm, without the slightest trace of anxiety or doubt about the future. It was the hand of an indomitable seeker, a true Dungeon Seeker.
“Whatever shows up, I’ll take care of it.”
“Hahaha, really?”
“Monsters, traps, puzzles—I’m confident I can handle them all.”
I took Bori’s hand and shook it firmly. The moment he spoke of—the final dungeon raid—would come for us someday. Until then, I had to become even stronger.
I had to grow stronger if I wanted to escape this damn roguelike world.
After resting for several days in the cavemen’s village, we headed back to the surface. The Dungeon Seekers had hired explorers to restore the path leading underground, so we were able to emerge without much trouble.
“Thank you for everything!”
The dwarf Dungeon Seeker brothers, Bori and Doran, stood side by side waving goodbye. I had received a lot of help from the Dungeon Seekers as well.
“Let’s meet again someday!”
We rented a carriage headed from Sokoban to Oricil and climbed aboard. After a leisurely carriage ride, we finally returned to Oricil.
“Whoa! It’s been so long since I’ve seen a real city!” Haneul poked her head out of the carriage and shouted. Roa, who had been sitting on the roof, gave a quiet nod in agreement.
Once we were back in the city, we kept our promise and went drinking. There wasn’t an explorer’s rest area available, but Arin and Maya solved the problem by renting out an entire tavern.
And with that, our business in Oricil was finally complete.
Now it was time for each of us to go our separate ways. Maya and Arin would return to the Alchemist Guild. Roa and I were heading back to Runen. Haneul would join the Ironclad Guild here in Oricil.
Before we parted, Haneul said, “Oppa, you really are my master.”
She had started calling me that as a joke back when I was teaching her swordsmanship, but hearing it now felt strangely new.
“I didn’t really teach you anything, though?”
“What do you mean? I learned so much from you.” Haneul poked me hard in the chest. “No matter what happens, never let go of your shield.”
Then she grinned. “See you next time.”
Haneul left for the guild, saying she was going to learn some new skills.
“Mr. Hajun.” Maya, dressed in a light dress, came to say her goodbyes. “Thank you for staying with us all this time.”
She gave a small bow. I simply smiled. If I told her I’d only helped because of the money… she’d probably get mad.
I had earned a ridiculous amount of money in Oricil. Enough to learn new skills and upgrade my gear.
“I entered the dungeon to find knowledge that could cure my illness. I know it won’t be easy, but I don’t want to give up.”
“I understand. In my experience, the knowledge you need is definitely waiting somewhere inside a dungeon.”
“Thank you for the encouragement.”
I truly believed that the knowledge Maya sought existed somewhere. In Dungeon Overseer, exploring dungeons often yielded high-tier skill books for various classes. Who knows—maybe Maya would stumble across one by chance.
“If I ever come across any knowledge that might help you, I’ll make sure to pass it on.”
“…” Maya looked at me with complicated eyes. “Mr. Hajun… you’re always so kind.”
She hesitated for a moment. “Um… when… maybe we could…”
At that moment, Arin smacked Maya on the back. Then she glared at me with terrifying intensity.
“Necromancer! Stop hitting on my sister!”
In response, I raised my middle finger. Arin snorted and held out a slip of paper.
“What’s this?”
“A voucher.”
“A voucher?”
I turned the paper over in my hands. The issuer was listed as Oricil Elixir Alchemical Artisan Union Master Alchemist, Igon. It stated that anyone presenting this voucher would be provided with as many potions as needed, with the cost to be billed to the Oricil Guild.
“Whoa.” It was a potion exchange ticket.
“I never paid you a separate commission, right? Take it.”
“You never hired me in the first place.”
“You don’t want it?” Arin glared at me.
No, of course I wanted it. If someone offered, I’d be a fool not to take it. Arin crossed her arms and spoke casually.
“You’re going to keep working as an explorer, aren’t you? Then you’ll need potions.”
“Is this okay? There’s no limit on how many I can take.”
“Just take them in good conscience. It’s thanks for helping me and my sister.”
“Really? I can take as many as my conscience allows?”
“…Maybe I shouldn’t have given it to you.”
Before Arin could snatch it back, I quickly pocketed the potion voucher. She looked at me with disdain.
“You’re so different from Roa. She refused, saying comrades shouldn’t take payment from each other.”
“Roa’s just kind like that.”
Arin lightly smacked my shoulder. “Stop bothering Roa so much, got it?”
I felt unfairly accused. I had never bothered Roa. Not once.
“Well, I’m off!”
Just as I was about to head toward the carriage, Maya grabbed my sleeve.
“N-next time… please contact me for sure!”
“Of course. Let’s get dinner together sometime.”
“Yes!”
From the side, Arin sneered. “Don’t expect me to pay then. It’s dutch.”
…She really would be pretty if she just kept her mouth shut.
I returned to the carriage where Roa was waiting.
“Hajun oppa! I picked up a suitable escort mission for the way back!”
“Good job, Roa.”
After finishing a long mission, we set off for Runen in search of a new one. Until the day I cleared the final dungeon, I would keep conquering the dungeons of this roguelike world.
Oricil, the great city. Alchemist Guild.
Apprentice alchemists were gathered in the outdoor workshop, clustered around chemical materials. They were pouring fermented urine from a large jar into a formation to extract ammonia. It was a dirty, foul-smelling task that most alchemists avoided. But because a simple transmutation circle could produce the important chemical ammonia, it was not something to be taken lightly.
The apprentice alchemist Joy struggled to move the heavy urine jar into the center of the formation.
“Hoo…”
Although there were many apprentices, only Joy was actually working. For the past several months, she had been ostracized by the other apprentice alchemists. The reason was ridiculous.
Back when Master Igon’s daughters, Maya and Arin, were still at the guild, Maya had often looked after the young girl Joy, and Joy had followed her closely. The other apprentices assumed Joy was trying to curry favor with Maya. They were jealous and envious of the attention Maya gave her.
They waited for the moment Joy would make a mistake.
Then one day, Maya went missing inside a dungeon. The apprentices immediately began ostracizing Joy. They quietly pushed all the hard, dirty work onto her, excluded her from their group, and only pretended to play with her when she did exactly what they told her to do.
‘Still… I’ve done a lot.’
It was an unfair ostracism, but there was nowhere for her to complain. The alchemists who had been close to Maya were gone now. Among the mid-tier alchemists, only Jerome paid any attention to Joy, but even he couldn’t always make time for her.
Today, too, Joy worked alone in silence. She believed that if she worked diligently and sincerely, she would one day become a full-fledged alchemist…
The apprentices who were chatting among themselves and Joy, who was quietly preparing the transmutation. That was when it happened.
“Joy!”
A voice called her from afar. Joy set down the urine jar and turned her head. Her eyes gradually widened.
“Lady Maya!”
The person calling her was none other than the alchemist Maya. She had returned from the Sokoban expedition after being away from Oricil for several weeks.
Maya, who had been approaching Joy, quickly read the atmosphere. She had seen the exact same scene before leaving Oricil. Even then, Joy had been ostracized by the apprentices.
“You lot!” Maya shouted at the apprentices.
But astonishingly, not a single apprentice reacted to her words. They knew that Maya had been kicked out of the guild and that she and Arin were on bad terms.
“Yes? Lady Maya?” One of the apprentices spoke in a mocking tone.
“What the hell are you doing? You’re all playing around while pushing all the work onto Joy?”
The apprentices spoke in unison, lying through their teeth.
“We were just taking a short break because we were tired!”
“That’s right! We were working together until just a moment ago!”
Maya glared at them, about to say something more, when Arin walked over.
“Lady Arin!”
The apprentices jumped to their feet. They stood rigidly, pretending to work. Arin asked Maya,
“Sister, what are you doing? Weren’t you yelling just now?”
The apprentices’ eyes widened in shock. Until just before leaving Oricil, Arin had been at complete odds with Maya, practically unable to stand the sight of her. But now it was completely different. The two sisters who used to exchange harsh words the moment their eyes met were now talking like close friends.
“I was just feeling disappointed in the apprentices.”
“Disappointed?” Arin looked at the apprentices. From her perspective, it was an innocent, thoughtless glance, but the apprentices trembled violently, not knowing what to do.
To the apprentices, Arin was someone so far above them they could barely even look up at her.
“Hoo… Joy, step back for a moment.”
Maya ordered Joy. Joy blinked and retreated. Maya walked over to the urine jar and kicked it hard.
Crash!
Then she glared at the apprentices and shouted,
“Stop bullying your friend and do your work properly!”
Arin let out a low whistle. “Wow, that was pretty aggressive, sister.”
“Hoo… I learned it from Roa.”
Arin glanced at the apprentices, then grabbed a passing alchemist and whispered,
“Hey. I saw it while walking by. The apprentices are completely out of line, aren’t they?”
The alchemist nodded with a serious expression. “...I will take appropriate measures.”
The Alchemist Guild’s hierarchy was strict. Since Arin had given the apprentices a bad evaluation, the other alchemists would ‘appropriately’ punish them.
“Ah, except for her. She works hard, so teach her the next task.”
“Yes, Lady Arin.”
Arin pointed at Joy. Joy’s body trembled, then she bowed at a perfect ninety degrees.
“Th-thank you!”
Arin smiled and waved at Joy.
Maya and Arin crossed the guild and headed toward the Master’s office. Their father, Master Igon, welcomed his daughters’ visit.
“You said you were going to Sokoban. Looks like nothing serious happened.”
Maya and Arin burst into laughter almost simultaneously. It seemed the events in Sokoban had not yet been reported.
“Father, we have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I… completed the Magnum Opus inside the dungeon.”
“...To have achieved it with your own power. How impressive.”
Igon looked at Maya with heavy eyes. According to guild rules, no one except the next Guild Master was allowed to learn the Magnum Opus. With this, Maya could never return to the Alchemist Guild.
Arin spoke up. “Sister says she’s going to the capital.”
“The capital?”
“Since she learned the Magnum Opus, she’s going to obtain the Master Alchemist qualification and challenge an explorer rank promotion.”
“A promotion? Just how dangerous a dungeon are you planning to enter?” Igon asked worriedly.
As a Master Alchemist, Igon didn’t consider Bronze rank particularly dangerous. But anything above that—Silver, Gold rank expeditions—was a different story.
“It’s too much for your level.” Igon tried to dissuade Maya.
But Maya spoke firmly. “No. I can do it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I learned many things inside the dungeon. How to overcome crises. How to defeat powerful enemies. I learned that sometimes wisdom is stronger than a blade, and that trust can overcome fear.”
Maya recalled Hajun’s face. The man who had turned battles everyone thought unwinnable into victories, who had cleared dungeons with more composure than anyone else.
“I want to become even stronger. I will go to the capital.”
“Hmm…”
At Maya’s direct request, Igon let out a troubled groan. It had been decided the moment Maya became an explorer. She would not stop until she obtained the knowledge she desired.
“What are you worried about, Dad? We’ll support sister. Shouldn’t there be at least one Gold Badge explorer among the alchemists from Oricil?”
“You certainly have a way with words, Arin.”
Igon slowly closed his eyes. He loved his daughters, but being pestered with requests always made him feel especially tired. Maya and Arin knew this. In the end, Igon would agree.
A moment later, Igon opened his mouth.
“Very well. Maya, go to the capital. Take the Master examination there.”
Arin let out a cheer. Maya smiled happily as well.
The half-hearted exploration was over. Silver rank. And beyond that, Gold rank. Maya was looking even higher.
For the sake of ancient knowledge, Maya’s new challenge had begun.