Royal Road.
Such a term exists. Literally, it means the "king's road," but in the world of sports, it has a different meaning. It's when a rookie wins the very first competition they enter in the year of their debut.
It has to be an international competition. The first one of their first year. The details vary in many ways—but it's just a term for rookies who show an unbelievable performance.
The problem now, however, is that there's no clear goal like "winning." In that case, the objective must be to gather as many rewards as possible.
"How many of those World-Sealing Pills do you have?"
"If you mean the ones in the swamp... about 500." "What? Is that all?"
I opened the book and looked at the assignments. The higher-tier ones required well over several hundred. If that was all she had, it was certain that I'd get a piece taken out of me.
Damyu answered cautiously.
"I'm not the only one acting as a storeroom. It's divided."
"What a troublesome method. Is it divided to reduce the risk of betrayal?"
"That's not it."
Saying so, she shook her head with a slightly fearful expression.
"Even if we were to kill, we would kill each other, but we can't defy those from the Upper World. Whether we're a storeroom or not, we can't betray them."
"... Why?"