The shops in the city were also run by adventurers. William realized this after speaking with the owner of a clothing store.
"It's a good way to earn some cash without risking our lives every day," the shop owner said. "You know, people get their clothes ripped apart quite often inside the dungeon."
It was a smart business niche. William noticed that the shop owner was quite open to conversation about various topics, so he decided to ask a few more questions.
What he really wanted to know was whether all the adventurers in the dungeon were from Demon Island.
They were not.
The shop owner, to William's surprise, was from the same kingdom he had been in—the one where Professor James resided and where the king was gravely ill.
"The place I come from is the Black Flame Kingdom," the shop owner said with a sigh. "But things aren't looking great."
William was shocked to hear that. He needed to know more.
"Is the king still alive? I know he's ill," William asked.
