Chapter 272: 258

That said, I'm not an adventurer or anything. I'll just go to where I can send them off, wave goodbye, and then wait for their return.

「Yukikaze, when do you want to schedule the adventure?」

「Right now」

In response to Melm's question, Yukikaze answered as if it were a matter of course.

Is the dungeon really a place where one just goes to at the drop of a hat?

「I have some preparations of my own to make though」

「Then hurry them along. I was planning to scope out the 40th floor, so it's just as well. Bring enough food and water for two days. We'll return by tomorrow evening at the latest」

She's rushing it quite a bit.

「What? You've got a problem with that?」

「No」

I guess it must have shown on my face.

「Adventuring is all about speed. Going quickly gets people back home faster, and it allows them to start preparing for the next adventure」

「And if you fall over in your haste, what then?」

When I say fall over, I don't mean it literally. I mean it in the sense of failure, which means death. There should be no harm in proceeding cautiously, but I wonder why she's in such a hurry.

「I just have to get back up. I have enough savings to do that. Unlike the adventurers who live hand-to-mouth, I go adventuring based on planning that extends a decade into the future. Don't underestimate me」

「………………Got it」

When a professional says that much, I can only shut my mouth.

In the end, I'm just a rat whose knowledge about adventuring is limited to what I've heard in rumors. Anything I say can't stand up to the opinions of those who actually put their lives on the line to do it.

「I'll hurry back to the forest and get ready」

「Meet me at this store tonight. If you're late, I'll leave without you」

「I'll have you know that I've never kept a woman waiting」

Melm disappeared like the wind.

Yukikaze opened the back door and……

「Shigureー! Prepare bentos(lunchboxes) for adventuringー! Two days' worth for three peopleー!」

……shouted an order to Shigure, who was in the kitchen.

Okay~, came the reply.

「I'm going back to my base for now. You're staying here?」

「That's the plan」

「I'll be back when I've finished my preparations, but I'll dismember you if you cause trouble for that mother and child. And for Ari as well. I accepted your request, but that doesn't mean I trust you, so don't get carried away」

「Yeah, yeah」

She's strangely harsh towards me. It makes me feel, "What the heck is this?"

Yukikaze exited the store but came back immediately after realizing something important.

「That was close. What am I doing? We haven't settled on the reward yet」

「………………」

Tch, I thought I was going to be able to gloss over that thanks to Melm.

「I'll take the money you gave me earlier as an advance. The reward for success is 80 gold coins and not a penny less. If you can't come up with the money, you'll have to work it off」

Yukikaze left.

Hey, that's a lot of money she brought up there. I have no idea how I'm supposed to earn a fortune like 80 gold coins. What is it with this ever-burgeoning debt of mine? What's the amount going to be next time?

In a depressed mood, I returned to the kitchen.

「How did it go-nya?」

「Yeah, thanks for your help. I'm glad I talked to you about it」

「That's good to hear-nya」

I evaded Tyutyu's question with a smile.

Though it was a little cold and I was in a terrible mood, the tomato pasta was delicious.

I helped to wash the dishes and shoveled snow. After some idle chatter with a groggy Arianne, night fell.

Tyutyu helped with some simple prep work, then turned pale and withdrew to the back of the store. After that, Shigure took care of everything on their own.

It's not for me to say, and it’s not something that I should be worrying about, but is it really alright to leave everything to one child? They get up early in the mornings too, so I wonder if they're getting enough sleep every night.

No, well, it's really not for me to judge. What can a rat who lives hand-to-mouth have to say to a cat who lives well day by day?

「Need some help?」

「No need, you'll just get in the way」

When I tried to stick my nose in just to see if there was anything I could do to help, I was rebuffed.

It's complicated.

Is this feeling inside me just envy towards a child who has a better life than I do? Or is it something else that I can't put my finger on? It makes me feel, "What the heck is this?" Indeed, what the heck is this?

「Ash, here are the bentos with two days' worth of food for three people. Give them to Yukikaze-san for me since I need to attend to a group of customers right now」

Shigure had prepared the bentos while cooking for the evening crowd.

They were a capable and hardworking person.

On the kitchen counter were four-tiered cylindrical bento boxes.

The bento tiers got progressively smaller from top to bottom, and were probably meant to be put inside one another once the food was consumed. After placing them individually into a hanging bag, Shigure held out one hand.

「6 gold coins」

That's expensive.

All I have right now is two copper coins.

「Please put it on my tab」

「It can't be helped, I suppose. I'll give you some time because of the thing with the tomato pasta」

Shigure's response to that tomato pasta with miso had been lukewarm, but I guess they're simply the type to not show it on their face.

「Anyway, are you an adventurer or what?」

「Me? No way. I was simply making a request to Yukikaze to help with a job」

Oh, there's no need for my share of the bentos then, I guess. I'll ask for a discount―――――No, never mind, it'd be such a waste.

「Tch, it's just you again, huh?」

Melm had arrived. His presence was as hard to detect as ever.

Swaggering cockily, he was dressed for adventuring.

He had on old-fashioned leather armor. A well-used lantern and pouches were fastened to his belt. He wore a white leather cloak, and at his hip was the same ornate sword I had seen before.

「There's enough food for three, so does that mean that you're going too, Melm-sama?」

「Yeah, it's been a while」

A female voice called out from the store. Shigure's ears perked up.

「I have work to do, so if you need anything else, just take it from the food storage. I'll charge you later though」

「Okay, I'll get right to it then」

Melm headed for the food storage.

Could it be that I'm paying for this, too? I’m paying for it, aren’t I? My debt has increased again.

「Hey, Dog」

The dog in question was gnawing on a bone in a corner of the kitchen

「Keep a close eye on Shigure」

「Barfu」

After a half-hearted reply, he went back to gnawing on the bone.

At least work harder than me, you watchdog.

I can hear the lively voices of the customers. I'm glad to see that business is thriving again tonight.

I heard the back door open.

「Let's go. You ready?」

Yukikaze appeared.

Her hair was tied back. She had on innerwear that clung to her skin, and leather leggings. On top, she wore a vest bearing the containers of the regeneration point and a multitude of equipment. Hooked to her belt were a lantern and a folded-up object that appeared to be some sort of weapon.

If she had more curves, she would be a sight for sore eyes, but unfortunately, she's no different from a slender boy.

「What?」

「Nothing」

I emptied my mind before it could be read.

「So you're here already, Yukikaze. Let's go then」

Melm had returned. He was carrying a bulging sack.

Come on, show a little restraint……

「Eh, we're not going to the Adventurers' Guild?」

Melm was headed towards the basement of the store.

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「My adventuring credentials have long since expired. I can't go into the dungeon through the proper channels」

「Hmmm, I knew it. So there are backdoors into the dungeon」

Yukikaze had an evil look on her face.

Melm responded with an evil look too.

Before continuing, I made sure to bring the bentos for three along. That and one sword was all I had on me.

I have nothing else, and besides, I don't even know what I might need.

We went down into the basement and the two of them lit their lanterns.

We proceeded past the room that Arianne was sleeping in and down the narrow, damp passageway.

The light feels dazzling. Curiously enough, I can see very well in the dark.

「Melm, how many floors have you cleared?」

Yukikaze is right to ask that. The number of floors cleared is a mark of status for adventurers.

「With the party, 20 floors」

Oh, he's unexpectedly not a big――――――

「By myself, 80 floors」

『Huh?』

Yukikaze's voice overlapped with mine.

80 floors, he said. Doesn't that make him an advanced adventurer?

「Wait, if I'm not mistaken, King Lemuria――――」

「That guy made it to the 76th floor」

「You're kidding. Melm, you mean to tell me that you've gone deeper into the dungeon than the King of Adventurers?」

If that’s true, this guy is the best adventurer alive today.

「It's ultimately through unofficial channels. I did so many things that can never be disclosed to the public. If I revealed everything, no one would acknowledge me」

「But 80 floors is still amazing. What's more, the support given by the Guild back in the day was way worse than it is now」

「Sure, they provide support on the initial few floors. After that, the Guild instead becomes a hindrance to clearing the dungeon. They stop at nothing to squeeze profits out of the adventurers in every which way they can. They conceal information, discriminate against certain races, and sabotage certain parties. The keys to the 45th floor is a good example. What "adventurers are free"? That's a load of bullshit」

The Adventurers' Guild is pitch black, huh?

That’s surprising to me because I've never heard anything bad about them.

「Really? I never thought it was that bad though. And they were very supportive when I just started out」

「They can't squeeze anything out of a skinny prey, you see?」

「Hmmm」

Yukikaze looks to have lost interest a little.

She seems to have not taken Melm's words at face value. Melm isn't currently an adventurer. There are many things that cannot be realized and can be easily misunderstood by those on the outside.

「And you know, Yukikaze, the number of floors cleared is not all there is to an adventurer. I'm the best example of that. It's simple enough to just descend the floors and run for your life to the portal back. Only by creating a tangible fortune and accomplishing illustrious deeds that stories are made of, and to still make it back alive with your party members, can one be called a true adventurer」

「Yeah, that's true」

The high-and-mighty Melm was being humble. That was so out of character that it creeped me out.

「In that respect, Lemuria is worthy of the title【King of Adventurers】. "By only sacrificing three people," he brought glory to dozens of times as many people. That kind of achievement by a king should be praised and celebrated」

His comment about the sacrifices had sounded barbed.

「That's unusual. For you to compliment others, that is」

Even Yukikaze was surprised.

「There was one」

Melm continued to talk.

We had rounded several corners and had emerged into a wide passageway. There was a sense that we were going downward. The slope was that gentle. The darkness deepened the further we proceeded.

「There was one man whose swordsmanship surpassed mine and whose talent surpassed Lemuria's. However, he was a tremendous fool. To keep his promise to a woman, even after she died………well, he continued to search for her. All the while squandering away decades of a Hemu's short life. I used to ridicule him for being so utterly foolish」

Who is he talking about?

「That's why I went on. Thinking that there must be some answers ahead, I didn't stop, didn't ask for anyone's help, and didn't seek anyone's approval」

「So, did you find any answers?」

I asked.

I ask because I’m a man who is no one.

「Not a one」

Melm laughed, but not me.

「On the contrary, it was the man who found what he was looking for. He had continued to endlessly search the floor I had left behind, and in the end, he found her. How ironic it is that I, who had moved on, should be defeated by obsession and madness」

「What's that man's name?」

Melm answered Yukikaze's question sullenly.

「Medimu. He's the guy with the exaggerated title of【Father of Adventurers】」

That was a letdown.

Isn't he an amazing adventurer to begin with?

「But Medimu-san is also an advanced adventurer now, isn't he?」

「He's a no-good advanced adventurer. Over a silly problem, his party splintered and fell apart. I had even entrusted him with my daughter too……as I thought, he's a tremendous fool」

At the end of the day, it's just a personal grudge?

I can feel all the things he had said going right out my ear.

「We’re here」

Just in time, we had reached our destination.

Melm reached into a hole in the wall and pulled out a chain from inside.

A heavy thud reverberated through the air. The nondescript floor shifted.

A dazzling red light filled the space. Before us stood a discolored portal.

「This portal leads directly to the 40th floor」

「………Is it safe? Its color is a little strange」

「For those who have reached the 30th floor, there won't be any problems. I've let the apprentice heroes of Elysium through it for a high price on numerous occasions」

「What if the person hasn't reached that floor?」

「I tested it once before with a piglet. It was charred so badly that it couldn't even be eaten」

「In that case, here are your bentos」

I handed the two of them the bento boxes and gave them a brief salute.

I have no intention of becoming Chashu(roasted pork).

「Good luck and best wishes」

「What are you saying, you fool? You're coming too」

「I'll die, you dumb bastard!」

Don't screw with me.

I still can't die just yet.

「I'm not going to just toss you in there out of the blue. I hear that you've lost your memories. If you're here in this city, you might have been an adventurer. Hold your hand up to it. It should show the floor you've reached」

「Well, if it's just that……」

I crouched down and stretched my hand towards the portal.

「Wait a second」

Just to be sure, I checked behind me. I checked a second time to make sure that a certain killer dog wasn’t behind me.

Once I was sure it was safe……

「You're kidding」

……Yukikaze, who was within breathing distance, let out a surprised yell. Her gaze was fixed on the portal.

「Huh?」

Even though it was about me, I was surprised too.

What the portal displayed was the 45th floor.

The 45th floor.

The number of adventurers who have reached that floor is extremely small and are known as……

「No way, you're an advanced adventurer?」

「That's absurd」

That's right, they're called advanced adventurers.

I personally love what the author did to show us how the characters react to what we all know is going to happen because we possess knowledge they don’t. I mean, we all knew what was going to be displayed when Melm suggested he check, innit?

All the small touches…¡Espléndido! Don’t forget that there are no “pennies” in the alternate world. Yukikaze using such a term and Ash not finding it weird is naturally because Ash already knows that word from somewhere. The same goes for Ash using the word “Chashu” as well.

Now that the MC isn’t the filthy Hemu who married his daughter, Melm is more open, isn’t he? We’re getting to see more sides of him and I love it. It’s great to hear how he truly feels about Otou-san too. I wonder where Otou-san is right now… Also, I like that it was actually Melm who was profiting from “renting out” the illegal portal to the apprentice heroes like Arcane. It’s really so typical of him.

Well, more and more is being uncovered, and Ash will be going to the 40th floor next time! Will everything go well? It’s not going to, is it? Stay tuned!

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