Chapter 70: Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru Chapte

If you asked me, ultimately, what kind of story this was,

A man and a woman made a promise, and the man dutifully kept it even after the woman left.

That’s all there was to the story.

Almost as if it was a curse,

Trapped in an unending nightmare,

He slid his blade into an endless battle.

He also had dreams, had companions, and had pride that he had bet his life on. He would undoubtedly have wealth and fame as well in future. But the man threw that all away.

Almost as if delirious from fever,

Like the fanatical faith towards the gods,

Like a child who knew nothing else,

No, an outsider like me cannot talk in depth about his worth.

It may possibly be an extremely simple thing.

A story about a promise that seems foolish in the eyes of others.

It started from a simple promise between a man and a woman.

It was a wish similar to longing that would never come true, but in that place……

That's all it was.

For that alone, I――

＜The Rabbit Of Revelry I＞

【82nd day】

An adventurer's job is to explore the dungeon.

That's very much a matter of course in the Kingdom of Lemuria, which has the『Odoriji spire』, one of the biggest dungeons even among the three continents of the alternate world.

Adventurers explore the dungeon and sell the materials to sustain their livelihood, causing money to circulate, which in turn nourishes the country and its people. Simply put, that’s the duty of the adventurers of this country.

And, with regards to me,

Thanks to the A.I.s and the knowledge brought over from the modern world, I’m able to make a living even without exploring the dungeon.

Especially lately, because of my innate obsession that I can’t put a finger on, all that I had been doing were things that had absolutely nothing to do with the dungeon. A person like that is somewhat well off due to the connections with merchant companies.

That’s no good.

Let’s say that, through some misunderstanding or preconception, adventurers who aim to become “an adventurer like me” appeared. Let's also say that, by chance, things went well and they became well off.

That would undermine the adventurers’ calling to explore the dungeon.

Moreover, it would also become a refuge for those who had been defeated in the dungeon and had become discouraged.

Of course, an adventurer’s job isn’t only to explore the dungeon. There are jobs like running errands for and guarding merchant companies, gathering materials outside the dungeon, as well as subjugating monsters.

But even so, the adventurers of Lemuria have to explore the dungeon. By doing that and becoming the object of envy, they become the foundation for attracting more and more adventurers to come.

That’s the duty that the adventurers of Lemuria have towards the country.

In other words, I’m an example of a bad adventurer.

There are other adventurers like me who are able to earn money through their connections with merchant companies. However, those adventurers are retired adventurers of renown. Not greenhorn adventurers like me.

To be honest,

I’ve lost my purpose for exploring the dungeon.

The reason why I came to this world is money. I went along with a sudden invitation from a certain company and came to the alternate world. The goal is to obtain the materials that are on the 56th floor of the dungeon.

The reward is excessive for me, who was living hand to mouth in those days. Thinking back on it now, I wonder why I jumped at the invitation.

Now that I’ve obtained connections that I can trust to a certain degree, I can hire advanced adventurers and have them explore the target floor.

However, the information on the materials will only be disclosed when I’ve reached that floor. The A.I.s had been installed with such a program.

In other words, I have to take the risk and explore the dungeon.

I should be the only one facing danger.

I’m willing to risk a life like this for anything.

However, the death of a party member is the one thing that I never want to experience again. The next time something like that happens, I think that I’ll be unable to bear it. The thing keeping up my appearance as a human will break.

That’s right, I'm afraid to explore the dungeon.

To think that losing someone would be so hard. It’s ironic that I, who didn’t have friends or companions worth mentioning in the modern world, would think something like that in the alternate world.

But however,

Right now, we’ve come to the 14th floor of the Odoriji spire.

I was urged on by the father of adventurers, cheered on by the A.I.s, nagged at by my person-in-charge, and as I developed a slight neurosis that even the passers-by on the street were saying『Hey, explore the dungeon!』, I explored the dungeon.

We have accurate information on the enemies as well as maps, and it also helped that my party members’ abilities are at the level of intermediate adventurers, so we reached the 14th floor with such ease that it’s a bit of a letdown.

There’s a portal every five floors of the Odoriji spire.

By diving into it, adventurers can transfer instantly to the 1st floor, which has the Adventurers’ Guild on it. As long as an adventurer has validated a portal, he or she will be able to resume adventuring from there.

However, there is always some sort of guardian one floor above the floor with the portal.

The 14th floor has a guardian as well.

The guardians are diverse existences of all sorts and wide-ranging types that are on a different line from human wisdom. They are the products of miracles that possess the wisdom of the ancients. Or their madness.

What they have in common is that they are all hostile to adventurers.

「Now」

As could be expected, I swallowed back my murmur of “What should we do?”

Our party had currently stalled in front of the enemy on the 14th floor.

By the way, this was our second time here.

Last time, we had turned back in front of these doors without even seeing the enemy.

In front of us were two red doors in the middle of the dim passageway. Between us and the doors stood an employee dispatched by the Adventurers’ Guild.

By chance, today's person-in-charge was Evetta-san, who was also my person-in-charge.

She was an expressionless woman with two horns. She had beautiful long silver hair, a slender body and she was wearing the Guild uniform. She was retired now, but she was a feared adventurer with the name “Evetta, the Pulverizer”.

「Souya, nothing will happen unless you start talking to others」

「Alright」

Evetta-san's words were much appreciated.

We wouldn’t be allowed to challenge this floor’s guardian, the Rabbit of Revelry, if we weren’t in a group of two or more parties.

There were 12 parties that were waiting just like we were.

They were each searching for parties that would mesh well with their own party while chatting and negotiating in the passageway.

That’s right, it’s important to start talking and negotiate.

To be frank, I had assumed that I have bargaining power because I’m helping out with the work of the merchant companies.

But I had been mistaken. It’s different.

There are all sorts of reasons why members join parties, like ability, self-interest, and compatibility, but in negotiations between parties, impressions are very important. It depends on one’s virtue, or perhaps I should say affability.

The parties are teaming up on the spot and fighting together right away.

There is no time for both parties to understand each other. They can only rely on their senses. What’s important then are appearances and one’s usual conduct. In addition, race.

Well, when I started talking to the others,

「Excuse me. Would you like to team up?」

「………………」

I showed a sparkling smile, but I was ignored by the beastkin party.

「Excuse me. Would you like to te――」

「Not a chance!」

I got an instant reply from an all-female party.

「Excuse me. Would you like to team up?」

「Your party, are they the ones over there?」

「Huh, yes」

A young Hemu man who looked like a nice person turned his eyes towards my party.

My party was a Hemu boy swordsman, a Hemu girl knight, an elven archer, and an elven magician.

「Oh, sorry. Elves are a bit of a problem……」

「Oh, I'm sorry. For some reason」

I lowered my head as if we had done something wrong. It couldn’t be helped if it was a problem with race.

「Excuse me. Would you like to team up?」

「That’s your party?」

He was an adventurer who was a little on the older side. Even though he was a greenhorn adventurer, his equipment was well-used, so he was probably one of those who had converted from being a soldier or mercenary.

「Oh, yes」

「Ohh, aren’t they all women?」

「Who’s a woman?!」

「Shuna! Stoppp!」

Negotiations fell through.

「Excuse me. Would you like to team up?」

「You're an adventurer who’s a lapdog of a merchant company, aren’t you? I’ve seen you boiling pasta」

「No, I’m a consultant」

「I don't like stuff like that. It feels cowardly somehow」

「Oh, okay」

Next.

「Excuse me, Would――

「Urgh, a foreigner」

「Oh, could this guy be the foreigner that the rumors say is bad to get involved with?」

「I'm sorry, it’s fine」

That was a rumor that I had spread previously. That was dangerous.

「Excuse me. Would you like to team up?」

「Yuck~, not with your face. You sinister four-eyes」

The elven magician behind me shot to her feet.

「Am I hearing things, I wonder? Then I’ll have to erase that noise」

She cracked her fists.

「Rana! Stoppp!」

Negotiations broke down.

「Excuse me. Err, umm, would you――」

「No way, you guys. I was watching from the side, so I don’t think so」

Of course~.

「Excuse me. Err――」

「I’m very sorry!」

「Gyaaaa!」

「Nooooo!」

They ran away!

Out of the twelve parties, we scuffled with two parties, was rejected by six parties, and had four parties run away.

It was complete annihilation.

「Well, Onii-chan, you did your best. I think you tried really hard」

「That's right. The one at fault is the scoundrel who said bad things about you」

「Onee-chan, who sent that guy flying, is also――」

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「Did you say something?」

「Nope~」

I was comforted by my wife from a pretend marriage, Rana, and her sister, Ea. They were both elves, and were cute and beautiful.

「Souya, that’s lame」

「Shut up, the guy who snapped just because he got treated as a woman」

「Urgh, but――」

「It’s a compliment to male elves! If anything, be happy about it!」

「No, I'm not an elf though」

Shuna, the boy swordsman, deflated when he got yelled at by Ea.

This guy was a push-over when it came to women. From what I heard, it seemed that it was an after-effect from growing up being mobbed by his five elder sisters. That made me, an only child, very jealous.

「Bel, say something to him too」

Ea turned the conversation to the girl knight who was sitting with a vacant look on her face.

「………………」

「Ea, she’s Lys now」

Due to various circumstances, the body of the girl, Beltoriche, had been taken over by someone who gave her name as Lys. In the words of several gods, She’s not a bad person, so make use of her, was what they said.

「Then, Lys, say something to him」

「………something」

It was a cliché response. Ea sent me a look that said,『What the heck?』

「I wish I knew」

I replied.

She was certainly strong. She could use the advanced magic of the knights of St. Lyridias, and her skill with the sword was impressive.

But her ability to communicate was horrible. Just when I had thought that she had unexpectedly come to listen to things, she would say,『Who cares』in protest. She disappeared in the middle of battle, and when all of us went searching for her, she wandered back, saying,『I was doing my business』.

Erratic behavior.

Unsociable.

Unable to read the situation.

To top it off, very picky with food.

Bel………Bel, come back. I really need your approachability and smile right now. To put it bluntly, even though the party's negotiations with external parties were all resting on your shoulders, for you to let a person like that possess you without permission…… There’s a preaching waiting for you when you return.

I mean, Onii-san is feeling disheartened.

「Souya」

「Oh, yes?」

Evetta-san came and talked to me.

While I was feeling down, the other parties had formed into groups and were lined up nicely in front of the doors. It reminded me of when I was the only person left out during physical education class in the past.

「You’re the same as ever, aren’t you? I’m relieved」

「Please have the wrong estimation of me when it comes to things like this」

You were with me when the gods throughout the city refused to contract with me, weren’t you?

She ignored my retort and went to guide the other parties.

「Dear, what are we going to do? Go back?」

「Eh, no」

I wavered at Rana’s suggestion.

The journey from the 10th to the 14th floor had taken an entire day. Because we’ve gotten used to the enemies and route, even including breaks and sleep, we should be able to reach here in about 15 hours next time.

However, coming back here is a pain.

It's extremely bothersome.

With my current motivation, in all likelihood, it’ll take at least 5 days, no, 10 days perhaps, until we explore the dungeon again.

If things don’t go well, it could take 20 days or more.

I’ve neither a reason to hurry, nor the motivation to get the job done in the first place.

To express my honest feelings, I want to go back and do some gardening.

It would be a different story if there is at least someone in the party to urge me on, but the person who had wanted fame the most is no longer with us. I had failed to protect him.

The person who had wanted fame second most, no, wanted to gain fame for his teacher, Shuna, had already fulfilled his dream.

The name of Shuna's teacher, Regure the Graceful, together with Shuna’s name of “Dragonshell Slasher” had gained fame in Lemuria. After that, it’s Shuna's job to put everything he has into not sullying it.

The sisters aren’t proactive about the adventuring business to begin with.

The motives of about one person are unknown.

Yeah, I definitely can’t go back like this, can I?

As an aside, the invitation from the king to his retreat has arrived, so the event where everyone in the party changes into swimsuits and lets their hair down is waiting.

I think that we’ll remain there for a long time. About two months, I guess?

「Rana………………let's keep waiting. Until another party comes」

「Okay, I understand」

I want to reach the 15th floor to leave things off at a good point, and then see(worship[1]) Rana in a swimsuit without any worries.

Presently, I'm having the A.I.s make swimsuits with amazing designs. From the sample images that they showed me, they’re really amazing. In terms of how much they’ll dig in, surface area, and so on. It’s because things are hidden, that it’s conversely more lewd. And even though Rana is a natural-born heart-throb under normal circumstances, if she becomes even more erotic compared to her usual self, the angel and the devil inside me will probably say『Do it』at the same time. The likes of reason is nothing but a layer of thin ice.

In consideration of that, it’s about time for――

「Oh, you’re……」

Oh, people I knew had appeared.

It was an Ojou-sama type adventurer with blonde ringlets, a reptilian beastkin maid, and a small-sized knight who was about 130cm tall. His entire body was covered seamlessly by the armor and he wore a helmet that was large in proportion to his body. Its design was like a bird's beak. His weapons were a round shield and a rapier. Somehow, he looked like a toy knight. I did know the preceding two people, but I didn’t know this knight.

「Raurau-san, and her husband, Nu………tria-san, as well as, oh my, Shuna-sama!」

Frey, the Ojou-sama type adventurer, mistook the names of Rana and me as usual, and ran up to Shuna. Mine had become the name of a completely different animal[2]. Rana’s face turned expressionless.

「To meet in a place like this, it’s fate!」

「Ye, yeah」

Frey took both of Shuna’s hands and swung them vigorously.

「Dear, I would absolutely hate teaming up with that person」

「Yeah, I know how you feel. But……」

Frey was a troublemaker, but she was a powerful magician. She was one of the special magicians who would destroy the world when five of them were assembled. If I closed my eyes to her personality, tendency to cause trouble, her crappy and annoying title of Brave, as well as her personality, depending on how she was used, she was an amazing adventurer.

Also, her attendant and maid, Lazarissa, was purely strong. I hadn’t seen the full extent of her strength, but she might possibly be a match for advanced adventurers.

「It's been a few days, Souya-sama」

「Uowaa」

Just when I was thinking that Lazarissa had disappeared from view, she breathed warmly on my neck from behind.

「Oh, its brilliance is wonderful after all」

She smoothly stole the magic sword sheathed in my quiver and panted while rubbing her cheeks on the flat of its blade. If not for this, she would have been a good person.

As for the last person,

「Hey~」

「Eh」

The toy knight looked at me and raised a hand. It was the voice of someone I knew.

While still holding Shuna’s hands, Frey introduced him.

「Nutria-san, this person is a "dwarf" adventurer. That’s not something you see everyday, isn’t it? He insisted a few days back, so I let him join my party」

「It’s something like that~」

「Can I have a minute with you?」

The self-proclaimed dwarf and I went a distance away from the parties, and then I squatted down and whispered to him.

（Gashuraku-san, what are you doing?）

（Frey is how she is, so Demon King-sama told me to help her. Lazarissa has already been informed of it~）

I’ve never met a dwarf before, but the one inside this armor is a goblin. I mean, even though she’s related by blood, for the Demon King to take pity on her and assign a subordinate to help her out, what on earth kind of Brave is this………

（How did you get your registration as an adventurer approved?）

No, in the first place, it's very unlikely that he had registered a few days ago and come all this way in one go though.

（My registration from back in the day had remained~）

Even goblins are allowed to register, I see.

（By the way, what’s the deepest floor that you’ve reached?）

（It’s the 30th floor~, however, I can't give you advice on this floor’s guardian, alright~）

Wow, isn't he my senior then?

「Huh, this guy is……」

Ea had come over and was leaning over our backs.

（Ea! Don't say anything! You must never tell anyone!）

（Ea~! Elves shouldn’t say anything unnecessary~!）

「Well, I can somewhat guess what’s going on, so I’ll keep my mouth shut」

The adventurers lining up were looking at us strangely. They probably thought of us as birds of a feather.

Perhaps she had finally noticed the other adventurers, but Frey called out to Evetta-san.

「The Horns over there, what’s this line for, I wonder?」

「They’re waiting to fight the guardian. To participate, registering a group with two or more parties is required」

「Hmmm~」

Frey looked at us. Rana looked at me with a face that said that she hated it from the bottom of her heart.

「Nutria-san, if you insist, then I don’t mind teaming up, you know?」

[1] The actual word used there means “worship/pray to/prostrate to”, but is also used in modern Japanese, sometimes sarcastically, to mean “see/lay eyes on(someone of high status)”. It isn’t used sarcastically here, of course.

[2] A nutria is a large, semi-aquatic, herbivorous rodent that originated in South America. In most Spanish-speaking countries, “nutria” primarily refers to the otter, so it’s called a coypu or coipo instead in Latin America and parts of Europe.

And we’re diving right in! That short passage at the start can be considered the prologue to this half of volume 3 as it doesn’t pertain to only this arc. Yes, this is volume 3(1st half)! Who do you think is the man and woman talked about in the “prologue”?

I don’t have to mention all the parts that show how Souya’s memory is all messed up, do I?

Did you notice Souya stated Frey’s personality as a shortcoming twice? XD

And it’s a boss fight next chapter! By the way, this is a fairly short arc, just 6 chapters, but it’s gonna shake one of foundational tropes in this story! Stay tuned!

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