Going to Batustone

As Zal looked around at the expansive view of the green hills stretching out before them, he shook his head in disbelief. "I wasn't expecting the dungeon entrance to be this high up," he remarked, glancing at Tia.

She gave a casual shrug. "Well, there are two main entrances to the dungeon—one at the base of the hill and the other at a higher elevation. We just came out of the upper entrance."

Zal tilted his head in curiosity. "What's the difference between them?"

Tia smiled, seemingly prepared for the question. "The lower entrance is mostly used by miners and beginner Rovers. The monsters there are weak, F-rank at best. It's the ideal starting point for people who are just getting into dungeon exploration." She gestured back toward the cave they had emerged from. "This entrance, though? It's for the tougher Rovers. The monsters are stronger, and the dungeon layout is unpredictable. Plus, it's the only way to reach the middle and lower strata of the dungeon."

Zal raised an eyebrow. "So, only experienced Rovers come through here?"

"Exactly," Tia replied, her tone serious now. "Only D-rank Rovers and above are allowed to enter from here."

Zal took a moment to process that. "Interesting…" he muttered. Everything about this world was becoming more intriguing by the minute.

He glanced at Tia. "So, where to next?"

Tia motioned towards a small building in the distance. "We need to check in at that guard shack. It's standard procedure for any Rover leaving the dungeon."

As they approached the wooden structure, Zal noticed two guards sitting at a wooden table just outside the shack, engrossed in a card game. They wore dark blue military coats, and two tricorn hats rested on a pair of vacant chairs nearby. The atmosphere seemed relaxed, with the guards laughing quietly as they focused on their game.

Zal hesitated, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Are you sure it's alright for me to be seen?" he asked in a low voice. "I mean, I'm the most suspicious character right now—just popping out of the dungeon with no explanation."

Tia gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. I know these guys well. I'll handle it, and you'll get through without any issues."

Zal wasn't convinced. His mind wandered, imagining the worst-case scenario—a chaotic confrontation. "This feels like a disaster waiting to happen…" he thought.

Ellen, picking up on his thoughts, chimed in. "I agree. You know what this looks like, right?" Her voice had a teasing edge. "How about we make a little guess?"

Zal rolled his eyes inwardly. "Hmm… I—"

Ellen did not let him finish.

"I bet the guards are going to be scared out of their minds in… three, two, one…"

Before Zal could respond, the countdown ended—and just as Ellen predicted, the guards jumped out of their seats the moment they spotted Tia. Cards flew into the air as they scrambled backward, eyes wide in shock. They looked as if they had just seen a ghost.

"T-Tia?!" one of the guards stammered, his voice cracking in disbelief.

The other guard, still processing what was happening, rubbed his eyes and blinked rapidly. "It... it can't be... You were..."

His partner finished the thought for him, his voice a mix of disbelief and concern. "The guild declared you dead a few days ago!" He leaned forward, eyes scanning her as if making sure she wasn't some apparition. "We even summoned ten extra Rovers from Avaros City. We even got ourselves an A-rank Rover to join the search!"

Tia sighed, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "Ouch… I must've caused so many people to worry about me."

The first guard nodded, still shaking his head. "Oh, yeah, you did. They scoured the entire dungeon for a week straight. When the search party hit the entrance to the Middle Stratum and still found no sign of you, they finally called it off. That's when the guild declared you... well, you know." His gaze softened. "Where were you all that time?"

Tia shrugged, as if the answer was nothing special. "Knocked off the edge by some weird orc. Ended up in the Lower Stratum."

Both guards went silent for a moment, before the second one let out a low whistle. "The Lower Stratum?!" he repeated, incredulous. "A-And you managed to get back up here in ONE piece? I mean… that's a great feat, don't get me wrong, but you know… no rover has ever returned once they entered down there."

His partner grinned, though it was clearly an effort to shake off the unease. "Yeah, you've got to be the first Rover to enter the Lower Stratum and live to tell the tale. You have one terrific luck!"

Tia chuckled lightly, her demeanor casual as ever. "Ahahaha… Well, I didn't do it alone." She gestured to Zal, who had been lingering just out of view. "I got out thanks to my newfound companion here. Meet Mr. Zal."

The guards shifted their attention to Zal, their eyes narrowing as they scrutinized him from head to toe. They didn't seem to notice—or perhaps didn't care—about his automaton nature, but their expressions were a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

The first guard scratched his chin. "Huh. So, you stumbled across a gray-haired man down there, huh? That's some luck. Normally, we'd arrest any suspicious folk wandering out of the dungeon without explanation." He gave Zal a studious look. "But… since we know you, Tia, and he saved your skin, we'll let this one slide."

His partner nodded in agreement. He looked at Zal, "Just make sure you behave when you get to Batustone, alright?"

Zal, maintaining his usual calm demeanor, nodded gracefully. "I'll be on my best behavior, you have my word."

The guards smiled, seemingly satisfied with his response. "Good enough for us."

Afterwards, Tia talked about something to the two guards. One of them let out a chuckle before heading into the guard shack. Shortly, he returned and handed over a piece of paper to the D-rank rover.

Tia waved Zal over. "Come on, Mr. Zal. Let's go."

Zal cautiously made his way to her side, feeling the guards' gaze still lingering on him. As they walked away from the shack and down the dirt road leading toward the town, Tia seemed to be in high spirits.

"Hee-hee. Told you to trust me," she said with a confident smirk. "I had everything under control."

Zal raised an eyebrow, amused. "Control? I was one foot in the grave when they jumped like that. Thought the whole situation was about to spiral out of control."

Tia laughed, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Aww, you worry too much." She waved the paper in her hand.

"What is that?" Zal got curious.

"Oh, this? It's just a form for a missing rover amulet. Mine got snapped off when I fell to the Lower Stratum. I'll need a new one if I want to keep being a rover. Heck, that thing is almost like my lifeline at this point…"

Zal nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense. Can't exactly go exploring dungeons without it."

After a beat, Zal asked, "What was the name of that town again? Ba… Batu… Batu-what?" He frowned, already halfway forgetting the odd name.

Tia nodded. "Batustone! It's only about a twenty-minute walk from here." She flashed a grin. "After everything you've done to help me, let me guide you back."

Zal watched her skip ahead, full of energy, and sighed inwardly. "Ooooh boy. This town is going to be chaos," he thought to himself, already imagining the reactions they'd get when they arrived.

Ellen's voice chimed in his mind, mischievous as always. "Oh, absolutely. You better brace yourself."

Zal also found himself musing over the name of the town. "Batustone," he repeated. "Two words that mean the same thing... in different languages. A curious name, indeed."

Still, despite the humor in the name, Zal decided to push his thoughts aside for the time being and follow Tia. Whatever awaited him in Batustone, he knew it was bound to be just as unpredictable as everything else so far.

As they traveled along the narrow dirt road, Zal surveyed the rugged terrain around them. Thick woods flanked the path, casting long shadows in the late afternoon light, and the cliffs and highlands that rose in the distance added a sense of isolation to their journey.

"A remote place, isn't it?" Zal muttered to himself.

Ellen's voice chimed in, her tone as crisp as ever. "According to my database, Batustone is a small town located near the southwestern border of El Reino Kingdom. It's not heavily populated."

Tia, overhearing Ellen's commentary, grinned. "You know everything, don't you, Ellen?"

She nodded, agreeing with the assessment. "There's no more than 3,000 people there, mostly miners and farmers. The Rover Guild isn't huge either."

Tia paused, thinking back on the search party. "Though I'd bet the number of Rovers doubled recently… after they sent out that search party to look for me."

Zal glanced at her, a smirk playing on his lips. "They're going to have a field day with you, Tia. Good luck explaining to them."

"Yeah, good luck," Ellen echoed dryly.

Tia sighed but smiled at the same time. "Ahahaha… It's gonna be tough, but I'm sure I can explain it to everyone."

Zal's expression grew serious. "Just make sure you don't mention anything about me being an automaton." His voice held a firm edge. "The last thing I need is people gawking at me like I'm some... suspicious entity."

Ellen interjected. "That's wise. Despite the fact that Angel-class automatons resemble humans to a certain degree, the reality is that people can be unnerved by what they don't understand. It would be best not to mention your true nature. In fact," she added, her logic chillingly precise, "it's even better to say nothing about you at all. It will prevent unnecessary conflicts."

Tia looked between them, nodding slowly as she absorbed their words. "I get it, I won't say a word. But what about your metallic surface?" She gestured to Zal's exposed limbs.

Ellen responded without missing a beat. "Tell them it's prosthetic. His robes cover most of his torso and legs, so only his arms and lower legs are visible. It's a simple enough explanation."

Tia considered this and nodded in agreement. "Alright, prosthetic it is. I won't say anything about Mr. Zal being an automaton."

They walked in silence for a time, the road winding gently through the woods. As they crested a ridge, the town of Batustone came into view below them, nestled at the base of the highlands. From their vantage point, they could see the small stone walls encircling the town, with two entrances breaking up the defenses. The dense woods and the highlands provided natural protection, making the town feel remote and shielded from the outside world.

Tia stopped for a moment, gazing down at the town. "There it is. That's Batustone," she said softly, a hint of fondness in her voice. "It's just a small, humble town." She glanced at Zal and Ellen. "I always wished they'd build an airport here. Would make travel so much easier for people coming and going."

Zal blinked, his attention snapping to her. "An airport?" The word lingered in his mind, a strange contrast to the medieval-like setting he had assumed this world adhered to. "Airships?"

Tia nodded absentmindedly, already thinking about the potential changes that an airport could bring to her hometown.

Zal, on the other hand, fell into a quiet contemplation. "Airships," he repeated in his mind. "I could've sworn I landed in some medieval fantasy realm…" But then his thoughts drifted to Ellen and the metallic remains in the Iron Grave, and he realized that this world was far more complex than it appeared.

For now, though, he kept his musings to himself, listening to Tia's words as they continued walking towards the northern gate of Batustone.