Chapter 37: Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru Chapte

＜In Search of Fame V＞【45th day】

The next day, it was currently just past noon.

I had asked Beltoriche and Zenobia to come to the camp.

「So, what’s the plan?」

Rana answered Zenobia's question.

「The Hohens school has a secret art called the combination hymn. Explaining it in simple terms, by having multiple people chant different magic, this technique will dramatically increase the power of those magic being chanted」

「Umm, Rana-san. About my magic, the extent of its strength is……」

Bel said after raising her hand.

「It’s okay, Bel-sama」

「It’s embarrassing, so it’s fine if you don’t use -sama」

「Well then, Bel-san. The power of the magic used by the two of you doesn’t really matter. I’ll perform the combination of the magic power by myself, so I want to leave only the selection of the attributes up to the two of you」

Zenobia raised her hand.

「What kind of magic should we use? Also, it’s fine if you don’t use -sama for me too」

「Okay, Zenobia-san. For now, let’s all three of us try to cast all the attack type magic that we can use simultaneously. I’ll observe the fluctuations when we do, and find a combination」

「Excuse me, isn't there a slightly more efficient method? Besides, we can’t waste Rana-san’s magic power, right?」

Rana puffed out her generous chest and answered Zenobia's natural questions.

「There is a saying from my teacher that goes,『The person who has made more mistakes is the one who is closer to being a sage』. The history of magic is the repetition of experimentation and failure, and alternating between drawing the wrath and performing the miracles of the gods. The word “efficiency” has no place there. As for my magic power, Souya will do something about it. Please don’t worry」

Bel applauded.

Zenobia seemed mortified as she did so.

「Well then, there’s a perfect target a short distance from here, so let’s change locations」

「Okay, sensei!」

Bel looked happy as she followed Rana. Zenobia looked as mortified as before.

After watching the three of them walk across the grassy plain, Makina and I got started on the preparations.

A water bottle was attached to the drone and it was flown into the sky. It was made to maintain altitude right on the limit of how high it could go.

「This is such an inefficient method, I mean, can’t you make a refrigerator, Makina?」

『It’s, not impossible……………… Makina is sorry. The method of producing refrigerants in the database is locked, and it’ll take a little longer to unlock it. If Archimedes is a bit more cooperative, then Makina would have been able to help, but it’s a shame』

「Well, there’s nothing we can do about it then」

Archimedes was the crafting program inside Makina. At the moment, the personality had been restored to 70% and was operating normally. However, it was extremely uncooperative. The cause of that was me.

A little while ago, for the sake of Ea’s surgery, the medical program called Nightingale, which was in the midst of being restored, got dismantled and had its data extracted by Makina. The cooking program, which had seen that, fell into a frenzy, was dismantled and had its data integrated into Makina as well. That was the reason for her recent inclination towards cooking.

From the perspective of the remaining Archimedes, the A.I.s were in a situation where they were cannibalizing one another because of an absurd order from the human. It was inevitable that it would become more distrustful.

And,

A sound similar to a distant thunder boomed across the plain. It came from the direction that Rana and others had gone.

It appeared that they had started over there as well.

Makina was making fresh cream. The ingredients were milk, butter, lemon, which were then——

『No peeking!』

「Ehhhー」

It would be troublesome if she got in a bad mood as well, so I didn’t peek. From behind me, I heard a『Gyuui~i~i~i~』sound.

Just when I had nothing to do, I received a communication from Izora.

「What the matter?」

『It’s a progress report. Is now a good time?』

「It’s alright. Go ahead」

I sat back in a chair and relaxed. Misuranika-sama jumped onto my lap so I massaged her back.

『At present, eight parties have challenged Dragon-Tortoise Midoranga. None of the parties have succeeded in subjugating it. For physical attacks, the damage that was getting through was as good as none. Next is magical attacks, but as per the information from the other day, flames were being completely nullified』

Actually, I had installed cameras and data relays on that floor yesterday.

By going to the 10th floor, the video data could be retrieved. I had sent Irvin and Shuna to the dungeon briefly to do that.

『However, a magician from the Hohens school threw an ice spear and it cracked the shell. That may be a clue on how to defeat it』

Ice, huh?

I’ll try asking Rana, I guess.

Sounds of explosions came continuously from afar.

『Team member Souya, let’s be sure to make the subjugation of Dragon-Tortoise Midoranga a success』

「I guess so. As soon as I come up with a good plan for that, I suppose」

It was currently the second day, but we had no prospects for victory at hand. Speaking personally, discovering a way to restore Rana’s magic power alone was already a good harvest. It was extremely beneficial for our future adventures. For that reason, it would be wrong of me to get greedy.

『What happened? This is so unlike you, you know? The team member Souya that Izora knows is a person who demonstrates his ability when the chances of winning are slim. Isn’t now precisely the moment for that? Please show a bit more motivation!』

「Izora, why are you so motivated?」

The Izora that I knew was more cold-hearted.

『Izora isn’t particularly fired up about it. But team member Souya, are you fine with Irvin-sama being on the receiving end of that sex offender No. 3’s sarcasm and insults? Are you fine with it? Hey, are you fine with it?』

「I’m not fine with it, but as the leader, I have to think, first and foremost, of the safety of the party members」

『Honor is also important』

She had been influenced, hadn’t she? Even though she was a personality that said that things like honor should be fed to pigs until just a while ago.

Misuranika-sama was surprised by an especially loud explosion and ran away.

『Izora’s Irvin-sama getting ridiculed, criticized, mocked and so on by a simpleton hero like that who was chosen only because of his lineage is more than Izora can endure. ………………Ahh, but Izora also kind of wants to see that! Izora is a bad girl!』

Is there no other way of doing a factory reset on an A.I. other than sending it back to the manufacturer’s support department?

Your registered user is me, you know?

「I’ll leave no stone unturned, and if it’s possible, I’ll make it happen. But I won’t act recklessly. That is my way of adventuring」

『That’s prudent of you, isn’t it? Izora is disappointed in you. But please do your best. End of communication』

She cut off the communication.

「Makina」

『Yes, what is it?』

「Does Izora hate me?」

『No, Makina believes that it’s just that Irvin-sama suits her preferences perfectly, and she has no special feelings for Souya-san』

「We should have gone through quite a lot of good times and bad together though」

Makina hummed to herself as she mixed eggs and sugar with the fresh cream.

She is ignoring me. Aren’t either of you going to give me any care or attention?

Come to think of it, it had become quiet.

I turned my eyes to the grassy plain and saw the figures of three people walking.

「How was it?」

When I asked Rana after she had returned,

「It was totally useless!」

She gave an energetic response.

「All three of you, show me your magic power」

The three of them showed me their regeneration point. Rana had expended about half, and Zenobia’s was empty. Bel’s magic power hadn’t diminished at all. Huh, could it be that Bel was amazing?

「I got it. Take a break for now」

「I, I’m worn out」

Zenobia sat down and rested her head on the table. She was the only one who was exhausted.

For the time being, I guess I’ll prepare “that” for them.

The drone descended and I retrieved the water bottle. The coldness at high altitudes had chilled it until it was ice-cold, so I wore gloves to handle it. This water bottle had been made by processing silver coins. Silver has high thermal conductivity, so it heated up and cooled down easily.

As I broke the ice in the water bottle into smaller pieces, I put them into a large bowl. After adding a little bit of water and salt, I mixed it with a pair of long chopsticks.

「Onii-san, what are you doing with that?」

「Oh, I want to know as well」

Bel and Rana came to take a look.

「If you mix salt with ice water, the temperature will drop tremendously. I’ll use this to make a certain something. Makina」

『Yes~』

The bowl that Makina was mixing was put into this bowl. When stirred, its contents started solidifying.

Ohhh, I was really able to make it. To think that the science experiment that I had done in the past would turn out to be useful.

The parts that were frozen solid were divided up and put it in elegant glass containers. I stuck a small spoon into it and it was complete.

Rana and Bel stretched out their hands to ask for one.

It was bad manners, so I ignored them and lined the glass containers up on the table.

「Well then, it’s ice cream. Please enjoy」

「Wow! It’s cold and sweet! It’s sweet!」

Bel was overjoyed.

「Souya, dribble some alcohol over this」

「Yes yes」

I had expected her to say that, so I dribbled the strong alcohol that I had prepared over Zenobia’s share.

「Nufun~, the sweetness is spreading throughout my body」

Zenobia was a little bit teary-eyed.

As for Rana,

「………………」

For some reason, she was looking at the ice cream from all direction as she ate it.

「There’s a lot, so all three of you don’t have to eat it in such a hurry」

『Uuu～』

Together, all three scarfed it down, then clutched their heads.

「Souya, I'll have some too. Dribble extra alcohol over it」

「Understood」

When I brought her the ice cream in a spoon, Misuranika-sama licked it with incredible speed. And then, as expected, she rolled about on the ground because her head hurt.

She got mad and bit me.

But she still ate it. The three women were also devouring the ice cream in the same manner.

Oops. I forgot to eat my share.

「It’s a frightening dish, isn’t it? Even though I know that I’ll get a headache, I can't stop eating it. Fufu, my lips are trembling」

Zenobia was trembling.

「Ex, exactly! It reminds me of the time when I saw snow for the first time and got absorbed in eating it, owww」

Bel was trembling in the same way as well.

「Hmm~ Hmmmm~ Hnnn?」

Rana seemed comparatively fine, and was looking wonderingly at the water bottle that had been used to make the ice.

「Dear, this is silver, isn’t it?」

「That's right」

『Yes, silver has high thermal conductivity, so Makina processed the silver coins and used it』

「Thermal conductivity?」

『It means that it’s a metal that becomes hot or cold easily』

「Also, why does it cool down so much just by adding salt?」

「………………Err, umm」

I…… I don’t know.

I looked at Makina.

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『(´◉◞౪◟◉)』

A face like that was displayed on the screen.

Sh, she’s getting on my nerves!

『Makina will explain. This is a phenomenon called freezing-point depression.

When ice melts, it has the property of lowering the ambient temperature. Normal ice melts little by little, so basically, it doesn’t drop below 0℃. Salt has the property of increasing the speed at which ice melts. Ice with salt added to it melts rapidly, and at the same time, the ambient temperature also drops sharply. As a result, it reaches extremely low temperatures of minus 15℃ to 20℃』

She looked at me smugly.

「Oh yes, freezing-point depression, right? Yeah, that’s right, I used to see it often in the past. I stopped seeing it ever since I became an adult…… How nostalgic」

『Freezing-point depression is not a dragonfly or a crayfish』

A cutting retort came flying when I pretended to know about it.

「Silver that has high thermal conductivity, ice and salt.........freezing-point depression」

Rana started walking off while muttering to herself. I quickly checked her regeneration point, and her magic power had been fully restored. I also checked Zenobia’s. Good, it was fully restored.

「Makina, ice cream is the correct answer after all, isn’t it?」

『Makina thinks so too. Interesting. If there are any issues with it, it would be the fact that it’s difficult to carry it around in the dungeon, don’t you agree?』

「………………How about making it into a milkshake?」

『Ohhh, there is that method, isn’t there? But the shelf life……』

「Well, balance is important for parties. It's not good to rely solely on Rana's magic. The fact that magic power can be fully restored once we return to camp is good enough for now」

「Uwaa, my magic power has been fully restored?!」

Zenobia was slow to notice.

「Onii-san………Beltoriche is so moved. For the first time in my life, I got to eat sweet things like this. I’m so glad I’m alive. Sob」

Bel burst into tears.

You’re making it a bigger deal than it is.

「I had thought that you were doing well for yourself, but to think that you could treat us sugared sweets like this……」

「Not at all, Zenobia. The sugar is something that the king left under my care. I helped myself to a little bit of it」

「………………」

「………………」

Both of them stared at me with doubtful eyes.

「Umm, Onii-san, in other words, that means——」

「Wait a minute, Bel. This smells like trouble. It’s better to not get involved with this carelessly. The evidence is inside our stomachs, so we can dodge any problems by persistently saying『We didn’t know』later」

「Okay, Zeno-Onee-san! In that case, I’ll have another helping of the ice cream, Onii-san」

「Leave it for after we shoot some magic, alright?」

Rana was back. Her face was a little flushed and her breathing was ragged.

「I thought of a magic that I want to try. Bel-san, Zenobia-san, please give me a hand. Also, dear, please lend me salt and silver coins. Makina, I need a large amount of water, so please draw it from the river. Fu, fufufu, this may be amazing. It’ll remarkably increase the power of the ice magic that I’m bad at. No, not just that, it may be possible to reproduce the winter of death that once covered Neomia」

Please don't reproduce something like that.

The two of them were a little taken aback by Rana’s sudden change. Makina and I were used to it, so we did as she instructed.

We prepared the things that she requested, and this time, Makina and I also observed their magic up close.

And then, I was left speechless by what they had created.

Rana had a triumphant & satisfied air, while Zenobia and Bel were as white as a sheet.

「Makina」

『Yes?』

「I’ll go see the king and apologize」

『Okay, please do your best. Makina will prepare for the adventure, so please don’t worry about it. Please come back somehow by noon tomorrow, alright?』

「I’ll do my best」

I went to the royal castle and started off by apologizing with a Dogeza. Somehow, I managed to borrow some people.

I gathered all the royal magicians and the people of the Zavua merchant company who were free, and commenced the dismantling work. By the time we managed to clear the thing that was blocking the main road, evening had already come.

I received 62 complaints from other merchant companies, but when I gave them the out-of-season ice for free, everyone went back very pleased.

I treated everyone who had helped to dinner, and when I went to the royal castle to give a progress report, I was caught by the king and made to prepare dinner and supper. With alcohol in him, the king told me his old adventuring stories.

They were interesting, even though I had to take the stories of a drunk person with a pinch of salt, and as fellow adventurers, we got wasted.

I heard stories of Otou-san’s youth, stories of Rana and Ea’s father and his sister, who had gone missing inside the dungeon.

The king seemed to like edamame, so he ate a large plate of it while he drank alcohol, and with this and that, I was told about 60% of The Tales of Lemuria’s Adventures.

And then, the night passed, and the morning of my adventure arrived.

＜In Search of Fame VI＞

【46th day】

Somewhat sleep deprived, I visited the dungeon’s reception area.

A communication from Makina had come in first thing in the morning. It was a message telling me to join up with everyone at the dungeon.

Many thing had happened, and it was right next to the castle.

By no means did I expect that I would be made to prepare breakfast as well after I had stayed the night. Being on overly good terms was also a problem.

「Were there any problems with the preparations?」

『The items that Rana-sama requested, 300 silver coins, 20 kg of salt, and one barrel of Reika water, have all been gathered and delivered to Irvin-sama via the Zavua merchant company. Souya-san’s share of the manufactured arrows has also been given to Ea-sama. Izora has drawn up the strategic plan, which has been communicated to everyone in the party already』

I had asked just in case, but everything had been prepared perfectly, hadn’t it?

「Well, you seem to have managed somehow, even without me」

『That’s true』

Deny it!

「Good morning, Onii-chan~」

The sisters appeared as well.

「Good morning, dear. I'm sorry for yesterday」

「No, your magic will become a breakthrough. Just knowing this is already a great harvest. As expected from you, Rana. It's a shame that this technique won't lead to your fame, but I'm proud of you」

「N, no, something like that……」

Rana came closer and I touched her cheek. She looked cute when she was embarrassed.

「Okay~, don't flirt early in the morning~」

Rana got taken away by Ea.

『Souya-san』

Makina warned me in a rather low voice.

『The preparations and strategy are perfect. I won’t tell you the probability of success because it’s a number that’s meaningless to you. However, there is a possibility of casualties. As far as that is concerned, please be careful. Well then, look after yourself and good luck』

「Yeah, I’m off」

The three of us went to see the receptionist who was in charge of me together.

She was a beautiful woman with horns peeking through her silver hair.

「Good morning, Evetta-san」

「Good morning, Souya. What are your plans for today?」

「We’re going to the 10th floor to investigate the changed ecology. Here is the application form for the quest」

I handed her the signed form. By the way, Irvin and the rest had completed the investigation of the ecology yesterday, and Izora had already compiled the data.

「The application is approved. ………Souya, you’re not going to challenge the evil title?」

「No way, I have chosen to seek stable adventures. I won’t take up such a reckless challenge」

「That’s a smart choice. Yesterday and the day before yesterday, 17 parties challenged the evil title, and only three of the parties were able to deal damage that was more a scratch to it. All they ultimately did was deal damage to it. They were a long way from subjugating it. Three parties have disbanded because of the defeat they suffered in their challenge. Moreover, none of the parties that challenged it got off unharmed」

What a gruesome damage report.

It was clearly not an opponent that a greenhorn party could fight against.

「I want to let those who have mistaken recklessness as the essence of adventuring hear your words. But on occasion, there are also times when that recklessness is needed. Please keep that somewhere in the back of your mind」

「Understood」

「Well then, have a good adventure. Please be sure to come back alive」

「Okay」

It pained me to deceive my person-in-charge, but for Irvin’s sake, I had to hide the fact that elves were involved. This was the promise that I had sworn to Irvin when we teamed up. I’ll never break it.

We parted with Evetta-san, dived into the portal and waited for Irvin and the rest on the 10th floor of the dungeon.

「Dear, umm, if, it’s alright, with you, but, no, err, it's not, a big deal, but by all means, umm, err...............」

「Huh?」

Rana came up to me and spoke haltingly. She seemed to take something out of her bag, but she put it back, and then she seemed to take it out again, but she put it back again. Ea was watching her with a complicated expression.

「Ea, you tell him after all」

「No way~, I won’t tell him~, didn’t Onee-chan say that you’re going to tell him yourself?」

「Ehhhh」

The sisters’ exchange left me with a question mark floating above my head.

Perhaps she couldn’t bear to see Rana’s troubled expression, but Ea went behind Rana and began to speak like a ventriloquist.

「I made it with all my heart. Please eat it」

Rana’s face turned bright red and she took out a leaf-wrapped lump from her bag.

「Co, compared to what you usually make, it's probably like a crude mud dumpling, but if it’s alright with you, please, eat it」

I took it, peeled off the layer of leaves and took a look. Oh, it was an onigiri(rice ball).

A communication came in from Makina.

『There is nothing in its contents other than salt and rice. Please don’t worry』

I ate it.

It was a little salty and a bit hard, but the more I chewed, the more the sweetness of the rice spread inside my mouth. There is no Japanese who hates white rice. Rana made this, huh………………There is no way that it’ll taste bad, isn’t there?

「It’s delicious」

「Re, really?! You're not just saying that, are you?」

「No, it’s really delicious」

「Is that really the truth?!」

Rana drew closer and pressed me hard for the answer.

「It’s really the truth」

Dear wife, you’re really close. I finished eating it.

「That’s great~ Umm, there’s a lot so please eat them, alright?」

She opened her bag and it was tightly packed with onigiri.

『Souya-san, there are about forty, but try not to hinder your adventuring too much by overeating』

As if I could eat so many!

「Ummm, Rana, shall we let everyone eat as well? I can’t finish them by myself」

「Yes, you’re right」

Before long, Irvin and the rest appeared. In their arms were the barrel and the rest of the items.

We kept our greetings muted, and then everyone put away the onigiri. Ea got tired of its taste, so she started to eat the onigiri with the appropriate seasonings added. Sure enough, she ended up in a fight with Shuna and Bel over the seasonings.

I told Irvin that the onigiri were made by Rana, but I was glad that he ate them without any reluctance.

My stomach has been filled to the brim,

Well then,

Here we go, to the subjugation of the evil title, Dragon-Tortoise Midoranga.

For the sake of my friend’s fame.

So, the programs turned out to be other sub-personalities inside Makina. Which means that there's only Makina, Izora and Archimedes left after Nightingale and Otayo got eaten......

It’s an incredibly subtle joke but did you notice that Izora’s list of sex offenders has one more person compared to Souya’s? Varner is No.3 on her list but only No.2 on Souya’s. Any guesses who that extra person on her list is? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Very subtle imagery there on the last line of V, isn't it? That a night filled with old adventures had passed and the morning of a new adventure had arrived. I liked it a lot. (^^)

Rana has created some form of ice magic! All the preparations are done and their stomachs are full. Next chapter is finally the boss fight! Stay tuned!!!

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