After leaving the hall where the meetings were held, Leon and Ren were guided by a maid to their rooms; the guards returned to their posts, so Leon relaxed a little. There was a chance that he could be killed while sleeping or while eating, but he was pretty sure the Emperor wouldn’t do that in his own home since it was a symbolical place to the whole country.

“I can’t believe His Imperial Majesty invited us to sleep in the palace.” Ren’s eyes were sparkling.

“Are you kid going on a field trip?” Leon frowned. “Anyway, do you know, how many dungeons exist that I need to clear?”

“…Yes, five in total.” Ren calmed down. “They are no joke; His imperial majesty is seriously testing you. The Frost Dire Wolves look like little kittens in front of the monsters we will find in the other dungeons.”

“Which are?” Leon asked.

“Trolls, Golems, Harpies, Ghosts, and…” Ren hesitated.

“Dragons,” Leon added.

“Yes… but the dragons of that dungeon can’t fly.” Ren showed a complicated expression.

“It is not like dragons can fly in any dungeon.” Leon frowned.

“Yeah, but those don’t have wings,” Ren explained. “They are Earth Dragons. Although they can use earth magic and probably have the same level of mastery that you have, they don’t use the earth to fly.”

“Well, the heavier the object, the more mana will have to be used,” Leon said. “Are you dreaming? How am I supposed to have the same level of mastery as them?”

“I participated in the battle to kill the earth dragons that left the dungeon,” Ren explained. “They couldn’t create steel like you, the best thing they could do was small earthquakes and fire earth projectiles.”

“And you think that is something pathetic, or do you think I can cause an earthquake?” Leon asked.

“Anyway, do you think you can clear those dungeons?” Ren asked, showing a severe expression. “We don’t have a mage like you, but even our best warriors don’t think they can pull this off.”

“With some help I can, the earth dragons will be troublesome, but I will find a way.” Leon declared. “I must find otherwise I will lose the ticket to my home. By the way, why dungeons needed to be cleared, It won’t be easy if the bosses don’t appear every day?”

“Yeah… but if we don’t kill the bosses, the dungeon will break once a month and liberate thousands of monsters.” Ren explained. “When that happens, we don’t have a choice but to abandon the dungeon for a few days and protect the nearby cities.”

“I see…” Leon said.

After that conversation, Leon and Ren had dinner; the maids bought them. Despite the world’s situation, the Japanese people were eating quite well. So, Leon hoped that things were similar back home.

Ren looked like a shy child in the palace, so the next morning, he decided to have breakfast with Leon. Although his behavior was creeping Leon out, he didn’t refuse him, Leon would need his help, after all.

“So, what is the plan?” Ren asked.

“Where is the nearest dungeon that I can clear?” Leon asked.

“… Why won’t you start with the easiest one?” Ren asked. “The nearest is Earth Dragon’s dungeon. It is near, but it is without a doubt the hardest, while the others are pretty much in the same league.”

“Trolls can heal fast, right?” Leon asked. “So, why ghosts are in the same difficulty level as trolls?”

“Because only magical attacks damage them and because they can make you sick and curse you,” Ren explained. “Once you get cursed, you don’t have any choice but to retreat.”

“Is it that bad?” Leon asked.

“Yeah, their curses can numb your senses for a few days,” Ren answered. “First, they blind you; after that, they make you lose your hearing.”

“That is quite scary…” Leon frowned.

“Indeed, if you are unlucky, you may lose control over your entire body,” Ren added. “And stay like that for days while the ghosts slowly eat your soul.”

“Thanks for the necessary info to keep me awake at night…” Leon frowned. “Regardless, do you know anyone who would like to lend a hand? I don’t think you have the personnel to do it, right?”

“Yeah, and since you pissed those advisors, nobody powerful will join us,” Ren explained. “And considering that you are American…”

“Yeah, I know. Most people won’t help me.” Leon said. “I don’t want helpers; I want workers. I will fight alone, but I need a few people to skin the monsters’ bodies and do things like that. Can you find those people?”

“Yeah, if you prove yourself to be generous enough, I can find a few dozen workers before lunch,” Ren answered.

“As long as they work fast, I don’t mind paying more,” Leon said. “Where is the nearest dungeon aside of the Earth Dragon’s dungeon?”

“Let’s go to the market; we can get a map from my store there,” Ren said.

Leon and Ren left the palace, and this time the guards didn’t escort them; it looked like Makoto really trusted Leon. Regardless, since the imperial palace/fortress was important and beautiful, the market was close by. Although it was called the market, it was just a street with a few buildings where special items were sold. As expected, Ren’s shop was the smallest, and only slimes’ cores were being sold. After being welcomed by a random female soldier, Ren picked a map and showed to Leon the points where the dungeons where.

“In extreme North of the country, you will find the trolls’ dungeon,” Ren tapped on a point near Sapporo. “In the extreme south, the golems’ dungeon. In the west of Tokyo, there is the Earth Dragons’ dungeon. A little above, there is the harpies’ dungeon and few kilometers to the south, there is the ghosts’ dungeon. You should find them quite easy since in all of them you can find a building where the manager works and several camps.”

“I guess I will start with the harpies, then,” Leon grabbed the map. “By the way… we can’t skin ghosts, right? Can’t we get resources from them?”

“Yes, we can,” Ren answered. “In fact, it is a little simpler than skinning; when they die, their corpses become ectoplasm.”

“Ectoplasm?” Leon frowned. “What is it used for?”

“It is used to do the same thing the ghosts can do,” Ren explained. “To numb the senses of the target.