Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka

“.… nn.”

Hestia Familia’s base, the hidden room under an old church.

The room is underground, so naturally there are no morning sunbeams or crowing roosters to wake me up. It’s just force of habit to get up at a certain time.

I used to have to get up early to work in the fields back home in the countryside. I developed a very precise body clock right around my tummy.

… Five AM sharp.

Just to be sure, I lift my head to check the clock on the wall.

While it’s dim in here, it’s not completely dark thanks to a magic stone lamp on the ceiling. My eyes don’t even have to adjust.

Human engineers figured out how to make magic stone lamps. The gods call it “cutting-edge technology.” It was the discovery of the century. Even the gods acknowledged the influence of human engineering techniques. These things are amazing!

The goddess and I had a small party last night. When we got sleepy, I left the bed to her and went to sleep on the sofa as usual. Sure, it’s not that wide, but I’m used to it.

I blink a few times to get the sleep out of my eyes. I should get up and wash my face and get ready to.… Huh?

There’s something on top of me. Not the sheets, and it’s round and extremely light. I’m breathing just fine, otherwise I would have noticed sooner.

Just what is this thing? Maybe if I touched it… No way! It’s the goddess!

She’s asleep with her face buried in my chest. Ha-ha, imagine that.

Did she sleepwalk…?

I guess there’s a first time for everything, but now I have to figure out how to get out of this predicament.

I’m sure I could get out from under her without waking her up, but she’s so soft and cuddly, I don’t want to move. She’s an extremely good body pillow, a godlike one!

There are Familias that specialize in making items and weapons, but I can say for sure that they don’t have anything like this! The goddess is incredible!

With all due respect to her, I wrap my arms around her squishy body. If cotton were a liquid, this is how it would feel.

This is bad. I really won’t be able to get up at this rate.

She even smells nice… Aww, a tiny yawn and now she’s snuggling her face into my chest like a little baby.

She’s so damn cute!!!

Wait a second, what are these soft melons on my chest? Don’t tell me, it’s them?

I move fast. This god pillow has turned into a death trap. I slide out a little and flip her onto the sofa, trading places with her.

She almost killed me…!

It’s the first time she’s sent a chill down my spine…

They were touching me! I couldn’t breathe! What if I didn’t get out of there?

I put the sheet over her and get ready to go. I shouldn’t be here when she wakes up. Now that I think about it, wow, I’m an idiot! What have I done?! She’s a goddess! And I felt her… on me…

I sneak through the room and out the door without a sound.

“… zzz… Bell, you’re so stupid… zzzz…”

Well, that was an eventful way to wake up…

I sigh to myself as the brisk morning air chills my skin.

Main Street in the morning is very different from how it is in the afternoon. The streets feel so much wider at sunrise—no people, no noise. Every one of the two-story shops have their shutters closed. The shops look like a long stone wall all lined up in a row.

The eastern sky is getting brighter. I’m not alone on the streets, either. A few prums are setting up their store here, and a group of dwarves are talking in a cluster over there. By the looks of them, they’re adventurers like me. I wonder if I’ll run into them in the Dungeon later on.

I might have a lot in common with them. I got up, got ready to prowl the Dungeon, escaped from… I mean, left my goddess behind, and am now on Main Street.

“Ah, rats… I didn’t eat anything…”

Grroooowlll. My stomach is talking to me. All I can do is trudge toward the Dungeon and rub my tummy to calm it down.

There is nothing in there, just hunger.

At this rate, I won’t be able to slay anything in the Dungeon. Can’t concentrate…

I know that I said I wanted to save money yesterday, but if I don’t get something to eat, I’ll starve before I even get there. What’s open at this time? Maybe I can find a nice morsel…

“…?!”

Something’s behind me!

Behind my right shoulder!

Nothing…? I’m not the kind of adventurer who can sense danger or anything, but I swear I felt the eyes of a killer on my back… Something saw me.

Were they sizing me up? Whoever this is, they’re not normal, and they aren’t holding anything back.

There’s someone on the café terrace setting up tables, two animal people standing on that corner over there, and a woman looking down from the roof of that shop… My eyes are jumping back and forth to all the people I can find. Maybe I missed someone over my other shoulder?

Everything looks normal for early morning on Main Street. There isn’t even a suspicious shadow around. Then again, I probably look pretty suspicious, standing in the center of the road with my head on a swivel. As soon as I look at anyone, though, they get right back to work.

Am I going crazy? Is the black hole in my gut playing tricks on me?

My heart is pounding in my ears. I know there’s definitely something around here…

“Um, excuse me…”

“!”

I spin around and raise my fists to defend against the source of the voice. Onlookers probably think I’m overacting.

A girl, a human like me, is standing there.

She wears a white blouse with a light green knee-length skirt. On top of that is a salon apron.

Her simple blue-gray hair is tied into a tight bun on the back of her head, but a ponytail sticks out from the center of it.

Her eyes, the same color as her hair, look innocent and rather cute. She’s so scared that her smooth, milky skin is all bunched up around her eyes. Oh yeah, my fist is a few inches from her jaw…

She’s no threat. What the hell is wrong with me today?

“S-sorry! I was just a little surprised…”

“No, no! I’m sorry for startling you…”

Now she’s apologizing just as furiously as I am. She didn’t do anything…

She looks older than me, but just a year or two tops.

Was this the girl I saw on the café terrace? She was carrying a table all by herself…

“Um, can I help you?”

“Oh… yes. Here, you dropped this.”

A bluish purple crystal sits in her outstretched palm.

“A magic stone? Huh?”

I crane my neck around to look at the pouch strapped to my lower back. I use this fist-sized pouch to hold all the magic stones I collect from monsters in the Dungeon.

A drawstring usually keeps it wrapped up pretty tight. Is it loose? I thought I exchanged all of the stones I collected yesterday at headquarters. Did I miss one?

Only adventurers would have magic stones in the first place, so maybe she’s right.

“Thank you for going out of your way!”

“Oh, no. Don’t mention it.”

I return the smile that blooms on her face. My eyebrows drop a bit in shame. I have no idea what to say, so I just chuckle along with her. My shoulders finally relax as she good-naturedly hands me the stone.

“Are you already heading to the Dungeon at this hour?”

“Yep, I thought I’d get to work a bit early today.”

She asked that question to break the awkward silence. I didn’t know what to say myself, so I’m glad she spoke up. I’ll try to say good-bye after a little small talk.

… Or so I thought. My stomach speaks up before I can make a clean getaway.

“……”

“……”

Her eyes go wide.

My face goes red.

I hear her laugh a little. My face feels hot enough to cook an egg. Nah, it would burn…

“Ha-ha. Are you hungry?”

“… Yeah.”

“So, you didn’t have any breakfast this morning?”

This is so awkward. I can’t look her in the eyes, just drop my head and nod.

I see a little light flick on in her eyes. She suddenly turns and runs quickly to the café, her boots clopping on the Main Street pavement. She disappears into a side door and returns almost as quickly as she left.

She has a charming little basket clutched in her arms. Bread and cheese are sticking up from the brim.

“If this is okay… I mean, the café isn’t open yet, so all I can offer is my morning rations…”

“Eh? No, no, no. That’s your breakfast! I can’t accept it!”

She looks a little bit shy and bites her lip.

Whoa… She’s one of those inner-beauty types.

When I see Ms. Wallenstein or the goddess, I get butterflies. Not so much with this girl, but the more I talk to her, the cuter she looks…

The goddess would call her a “good girl next door” type of girl.

“I can’t leave you hungry like this. It would make me sad as a person to do that. So please, Mr. Adventurer, accept it, for me.”

“How can I say no to that…?”

How can I possibly refuse something offered up like that? I don’t have the guts to say no to that smile.

She closes her eyes for a moment while I search for my next words. When she opens them, a mischievous smile creeps over her face. She leans forward until her face is just a few inches from mine.

A little too close…

“Mr. Adventurer, I’m making this sacrifice for you. So in exchange for the bread and cheese this morning…”

“In exchange…?”

“You have to eat dinner tonight at the bar I work at.”

“……”

It was my eyes’ turn to get wide.

I slowly chew over her words.

This girl has completely destroyed the ice. This is the first time we’ve met, and she’s laughing like we are old buddies.

“You don’t play fair, do you…?”

“Hee-hee-hee. Here you are! Don’t worry about it because I’m sure I’m going to make a lot of money today!”

Basically, “spend a lot of money tonight!” Great.

What’s with her? Isn’t that a lot of pressure to put on someone you just met?

“… Well then, I’ll be seeing you tonight.”

“Yes! I’ll be waiting!”

She laughs for me as I leave. Sure, I feel a little manipulated, but I also feel good, kind of like we just had tea together or something. Why am I suddenly so shy?

I hold the basket in one hand as she sees me off.

I look down Main Street, toward the tower at the center of the city. Lines of tall buildings pierce the morning sky, but the center tower looms over all of them. The Dungeon is waiting below it.

Something very important pops into my head as I take my first step. So I turn back to her.

She looks a bit confused. I take a deep breath.

“I… I’m Bell Cranell. What is your name?”

A heavy second passes as I squint my eyes waiting for her response. They pop open when she smiles at me.

“I’m Syr Flover, Bell.”

We exchange names, laughs, and waves before I set out.

The Dungeon was here before the gods came down to our world.

There was a city above the Dungeon, too, just much smaller than it is today. I’ve heard the Guild was there as well.

What I’m trying to say is that there were people who joined the Guild and fought monsters without receiving a blessing.

“Gwyaaa!”

“Haaaa!!!”

Part of me doesn’t believe it was possible. The other part of me is completely awestruck with admiration for the adventurers of old. I have a blessing, but I only recently got strong enough to slay kobolds. Those guys fought and slew monsters that were far more powerful in this very dungeon.

“Shyaaa!”

“Hyaaa?!”

“Gyuee!”

What if?

What if those adventurers were here now, in the present?

What if a warrior who could dominate enemies with pure power was here?

If that warrior were in my situation, he could mow these monsters down and pick his nose at the same time.

“GRUOOOOOR!”

“There’s just no way!!”

I can’t do this.

“Damn it, you coward!!!”

“GRAAAAAA!!”

I turn my back to the group of kobolds and run like hell. The six of them shoot out after me, all of them tenacious fiends.

I’m still in lower Level One of the Dungeon.

All I can see are the dark blue walls and ceiling as I run by. The floor spreads out in all directions in this sky-less maze. The path forks suddenly; there are many intersections, and even some slopes in here. I’m pumping my arms as I run back the same path I always take through this level.

It’s still morning, and I’m pretty sure I’m the only one here. I was playing it safe, staying on Level One, and had the luck to run into a group of these bastards.

There were eight of them at first. By some miracle, I took out two before I got surrounded. But when the rest spread out like a net, I had no choice but to run away.

Kobolds don’t do that—at least they aren’t supposed to. Usually the dog-headed beasts wander around alone or in pairs and attack with sharp claws and fangs. I realize I’m a newbie and all, but I’ve never seen kobolds act like this before.

The Minotaur yesterday, and now this.

I must be cursed or something.

“Huh?”

That’s it! This part of the floor is a loop! I jump behind two corners and hold my breath.

Run around forever like yesterday or ambush them. I choose ambush. As soon as they turn that corner, I’ll make my move.

I may have a plan, but my heart is still testing the limits of my rib cage. Damn, I’m nervous.

If other adventurers were here, they’d laugh through their noses and call me an idiot.

However, the halls of lower Level One are wide. Going against a group of enemies isn’t a good idea; you’ll get surrounded. No matter how much you run around, a one-on-one battle will never happen. So says Dungeon theory, anyway.

There’s also a risk of being caught in a pincer between two enemies.

If I’m going to survive this, I have to attack.

“……!”

Clop, clop, clop. The thumping sounds of their feet are closing in.

I look down at all five of my fingers, clenching ever tighter to my dagger.

I, Bell Cranell, am a dagger wielder. This particular dagger is about twenty celch long and is my only weapon.

My sweaty palm grips even tighter, and I try to focus through all the beasts’ howls echoing through the corridor. Forcing my heart to be quiet, I take a deep breath.

The second I see their bloodshot eyes turn the corner, I spring the trap.

“Yaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!”

“Gehh?”

Time slows down. I lock eyes with their leader. Jump!

My reflection grows in its eyes. Strike!

Direct hit through the heart. That’s one down.

The remaining kobolds round the corner half a breath later and jerk back in surprise. But I can’t let up now! I grab the body of the dying kobold still on my dagger and charge headlong into the horde, using it like a shield. Two of them get bowled over by my surprise attack.

“Ga-ghaa?”

“Whaa!”

“Gyoogu?!”

I roll over the body, coming up clean and withdrawing my dagger from the first kill. The two kobolds I hit fall flat on their backs.

That one’s close! Dive, slash down! Through the throat! That’s two.

“Gyaoooo!!!”

“!”

“Gyo!”

The last three are moving! Coming right for me!

Duck, roll back. The one above me, it’s wide open, but my dagger won’t get there in time! I do the next best thing: kick. I bury my boot in its mouth.

Snap!

It crashes to the floor above me, its neck angled in a direction it’s not supposed to go. Third one gone.

“I win!”

“Kyaaann!”

I declare this battle mine.

The three left can’t surround me. Kobolds aren’t too bright. They won’t figure anything out. Especially now, since my dagger found the gut of the next jumper. Four down, two to go.

I see fear in the last two’s eyes. But I’m not stopping now. Two steps, two slashes, and the last two bodies hit the floor.

“Haaa—haaa—I… won.”

I sit down on the dungeon floor for a breather.

Did I just do that? I’ve never faced that many before, but somehow I did it.

Not even a scratch on me… Not bad at all!

There might have been a better way to face them. But I’m solo. There’s no one here to tell me how or give me orders.

Hell, I’m the only member of Hestia Familia. Without any veterans or allies to show me the ropes, I have to do things my own way. Do things “my own way”… Sounds nice, but I’m still just a newbie making things up as I go along. I’m not good for anything yet.

What if I asked someone from another Familia to train me up a bit? I mean, I don’t want to die doing things “my own way”… but wait. If I did that, I’d be a laughingstock. My goddess, too. What would the god of the other Familia think if I did that? Things would get way too complicated.

Any way I look at it, I’ll be better off alone.

As long as I “don’t go on adventures,” I can fight and win.

Do whatever it takes to fight against one monster at a time.

Stay in the upper levels.

Use the surroundings to your advantage.

“… All right.”

Time to stand up and get to work on those bodies. One of the slain monsters’ tongues is hanging out, like the kobold’s still trying to breathe. I don’t feel sorry for it but can still help it along. I raise my dagger over its body.

Flesh tears apart as I plunge the blade deep into its chest. Its body flinches and blood squirts everywhere, but that doesn’t matter. I’m after the small, shiny, bluish-purple shard in its chest.

The magic stone.

It’s a crystal with magical power; all monsters in the dungeon have them. I know I’m always saying this, but I don’t know much more than that. Maybe I should break down and read a book like the goddess is always telling me to do.

Anyway, the Guild pays cash in exchange for these beauties because of their magical properties. This is how I make money, collecting magic stones to trade.

The magic stones are used for many things through human engineering, like the lamp back at my room. The stones can be used to power stoves for cooking or even to freeze foods to keep them fresh. They are a valuable resource. Orario sells the stones to other cities and countries for big money, or at least that’s what I’ve heard. I think the Guild should get the credit, though, not the city.

The stone that I took out of the kobold is actually just a shard.

Only about the size of my fingernail, it’s not worth that much money. So far, the monsters I’ve slain on lower Levels One to Four have all had this kind of shard. The Guild pays more for bigger shards and full stones.

The kobold’s body starts changing the moment I pull out the shard. At first, it flattens out like strings had been cut, and color drains from its face. Then without warning, its entire body turns to ash and disappears without a trace.

All monsters disappear after their magic stone is removed.

Eina said that the magic stone is a monster’s core, its power source. The magical energy of the stone gives them life. Eina also said that a good strategy for taking them down in a pinch is to aim for the stones. If the stone gets damaged in battle, the Guild won’t buy it. But I don’t think anyone would complain about losing a little cash if they’re about to get slaughtered.

I watch the last of the body dissipate, but I can’t relax yet. I’ve got five more shards to collect here, and two back where I first ran into the group. I don’t have time to let them just lay around.

Cut, slash, grab, pull. Walk to the next, repeat, walk farther still, repeat.

“… Huh?”

I just pulled out the magic stone of one of the kobolds, but one of the claws on its right hand didn’t turn to ash. It hit the floor with a plop and rocked a bit. The claw isn’t going anywhere.

Looks like this is a “drop item.”

Sometimes a piece of a monster’s body stays behind even after its stone has been removed. It just means that particular monster’s stone stored energy in a different part of the body. So that part of the monster has enough independent energy to stay behind even after the stone is removed. It also means this kobold had a very sharp claw…

I can sell this, too. The Guild will sell it to the blacksmiths, and they will make it into a weapon or something. If this is high enough quality, I might get more for it than the magic shards!

“Finally! A little luck!”

I put the shards into my pouch, but I put the kobold claw into my black backpack.

My backpack may look bland, but it has a few secrets. It was made with high-quality material and woven with magic. It can hold more than your average sack. It’s not perfect, though. If it gets too full, the seams will tear. And of course, the weight. There really is no perfect item, is there…

Usually a “supporter” travels with adventurers and collects all the magic stones and drop items. But Hestia Familia doesn’t have any supporters, just me. I have to carry everything I pick up, and all that stuff gets pretty heavy. Ah, soloing in the Dungeon…

Maybe I should hire a free supporter, someone not in any Familia. Eina’s been disappointed with me recently, so a supporter might help.

Then again, we’re broke. How can I hire someone when it’s all I can do to buy food and items?

“UAAHHHH!!!!”

“Gyaaaa!!!!”

“… Round two?”

Come on! Give me a break!

The Dungeon is a weird place, even if you ignore the magic stones.

This is the only one in the world. Like I said earlier, it’s been here since before the gods arrived on Gekai.

There are legends about the bottom of the Dungeon. They say it’s connected to Hell or some magical world. You’d think the gods would be able to tell us what’s down there, but they never give us a straight answer.

“The Dungeon is a dungeon. What else can you find there other than a dungeon?”

Words of the wise for sure. The gods really must like this place.

I was shocked the first time I heard that the Dungeon itself is “alive.”

It’s not like the walls are made of muscle and chase you around; they don’t move at all. In fact, adventurers have mapped out many of the floors. The maps are for sale at the Guild. I heard that the farther down you go, the floors get mind-numbingly huge. So the maps are less and less complete the lower the floor.

When I say alive, I mean it heals itself. If a wall is damaged or destroyed one day, it’s back to normal the next.

The magic stones may not be that impressive, but the dungeon itself is made from something really special. Even our best scientists can’t explain how or why these things happen. All they can do is watch and marvel at it.

The walls have to be made of something a lot like magic stones. Sunlight never reaches inside, and yet it’s always bright enough to see. The ceiling of the first floor is speckled with tiny lights like sparks all over the place. No matter what time of day it is outside, it’s bright in here.

Let’s not forget the monsters. They’re born in the Dungeon.

Literally, in the Dungeon. They hatch from the walls. I’m not kidding. Many adventurers have seen it firsthand. That’s why no matter how many monsters are slain, their numbers never go down.

But they don’t hatch just anywhere. Each floor bears different monsters. Sure, some irregulars might go up or down a floor or two, but most stay on their birth floor. On a side note, the deeper the floor, the stronger the monsters.

The floors themselves are connected by stairs, slopes, what have you. If I make a mistake and get lost, I can’t warp to the Dungeon entrance. No one can. We’re not gods, you know? Adventurers and monsters can only rely on their feet when in the Dungeon.

Monsters are only born in the Dungeon.

So if the Dungeon is contained and managed, there is no threat living above it.

That’s how the first guild was formed. Now the benefits of the Dungeon and the Guild go hand in hand.

A goblin nearly killed me several years ago when I was a kid. Most likely it descended from goblins that escaped from the Dungeon before the Guild was here. Monsters live far and wide across the world as well.

So yeah, they can breed just fine.

A place that spawns prosperity and danger, very mysterious…

It’s kind of scary to think about, but I think that the Dungeon isn’t originally part of this world, just like the gods and goddesses weren’t. There is no way humans and demi-humans built it.

Of course, there’s no way to confirm that, it’s just my gut feeling.

“—seeh!”

“Gobbyaaaa!”

How did I not see that goblin in the middle of the hallway?!?

Direct hit to my stomach, his foot got inside my ribs!

I catch a glimpse of his bulging eyes as my body folds under the force of his kick. I roll backward.

Those eyes… I can still remember them from when I was attacked. Add in the pasty green skin, and you’ve got a good idea what haunted my dreams for years. But now that I received a blessing, I can kill them in a heartbeat, just like this. What a difference…

I remember when I first saw one in this Dungeon my first time here. I was so scared I couldn’t move. Feels like ages ago now.

“Oh! Another drop item!”

This time it’s a goblin fang.

I put it into my backpack, but the extra weight is really getting to me. Feels like I’m carrying bricks in that thing. My spine itself is talking to me—that’s not a good sign.

There’s still plenty of room in the bag, though… If I’m fighting goblins like that one, I can still move like normal. I think…

“Gyshaaaa!”

“Eh? Dahh!!”

—Correction. I should call it a day.

Sure, it was a sneak attack, but I should have been able to dodge that attack completely.

Another goblin was hiding in the shadow of the wall; now he’s standing in front of me and baring his fangs. We lock eyes as I unhook my backpack and set it on the floor.

I can’t take any chances. Even if I’m not going on adventures, danger lurks around every corner in here. Didn’t Eina say that the most dangerous thing an adventurer can think is, “Ah, whatever”?

I should head back. Exchange what I collected today and just head home. It’s not that big a deal.

I wonder if Ms. Wallenstein will ever be interested in me. I have no damn clue how to get her to notice me, but as I am now… I don’t have a chance!

Just thinking about the face of my savior lights my soul on fire.

I have dinner plans tonight. Better make sure I get enough money to eat something at Syr’s bar. I promised her I’d be there. Gotta get more shards than usual to cover it. I’ve already spent half a day prowling around down here.

Time to kick some ass!

“Hey, goblin! Right back at ya!”

“Buweee!!”

Now he’s in pieces.

“… huh?”

It’s early evening.

After coming home to the hidden room under the church after a hard day’s work, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

The status paper the goddess gave me… These numbers can’t be right.

“Um… Goddess? Are you sure these numbers are right?”

“… What? Do you think I’m too stupid to copy down numbers?!?”

“N-no! It’s not that, it’s just…”

I don’t understand how my status could have gone up this much.

The goddess sounds like she has a thorn in her side or something, but she’s sure about this. Maybe I should look one more time, just to be safe.

I tried really hard today. I’d say I did damn well.

But this… There is no way I improved 160 points in just one day!

What the hell were the past two weeks then? I barely went up a few points a day until yesterday.

“Goddess, something has to be wrong. Look here. I got hit once today, once! And my Defense goes through the roof?”

“……”

I only took damage from that one goblin. My armor blocked one, and I ducked and dodged all the others. Suddenly my defense goes up 29 points? It’s more than triple what it was when I left this morning!

I’ve been hit by plenty of monsters since I started and only went up 13 points. One kick does this?

“This isn’t right, Goddess. I… um… Goddess?”

“……”

Something is definitely wrong.

She’s in a bad mood, a really bad mood. Her eyes are scaring me.

Her childish face is glaring at me through half-closed eyes. I don’t even have to ask. “I am pissed” is written all over her.

Why…? What did I do?

I’ve never seen her like this. What do I do now?

Sweat is rolling down my forehead. Hey, I bet that goblin felt like this a few hours ago…

“Goddess…?”

“……”

“Um… Goddess?”

“……”

“Please tell me, why did my status go up so much?”

“… Hell if I know.”

She puffs out her cheeks and turns her back on me.

She’s cute when she’s mad… The heck am I thinking?

I’ve never seen her act like this. Maybe she’s at a difficult age?

“Hmph.”

She stomps off to the closet making angry sounds along the way. Even her ponytails twitch with rage.

Shaking with fury, she opens the closet and pulls out a custom overcoat. Throwing it over her shoulders, she walks right past me toward the door.

“I have something to go to for my part-time job. Have fun ‘spreading your wings’ and eating a gorgeous meal by yourself! Be lonely for all I care!”

BANG! She slams the door so hard the room shakes.

She didn’t look at me the whole time… “Something to go to”? Like what?

What just happened…?

She has to be mad at me, but I have no idea why…

I just know I made her mad. Maybe I’ll remember something on the way. Ahhh…

I need to cheer up before getting to Syr’s.

The sun is sinking into the western sky.

The red rays of sunlight are being replaced by the bluish glow of the moon and lots of lively voices.

Adventurers back safe from the dungeon and people who just finished a hard day at work are indulging in a well-earned ale. Happy and angry voices pour out of all the bars that line Main Street. Orange light emanating from inside the pubs bathes the streets with the shadows of their patrons.

I’m sure I met her somewhere around here this morning…

I wander through the human traffic of Main Street, looking around like a lost puppy.

It’s so different from this morning. All these people are making it hard for me to recognize any buildings or landmarks. Am I really in the same place?

The bars are at the center of the storm of energy swirling around me. Demi-humans are smiling, drawing people off the streets and luring them into their respective establishments. A group of prums and gnomes, the shortest of the demi-human races, are standing shoulder to shoulder and singing to their hearts’ content. Even a dwarf—a strong race known for their adventurers, I might add—joins in their jolly circle to hum a few notes.

Female animal people, a race of demi-humans with animalian ears and bushy tails, try to bring in customers with some very “playful” clothing. But they are put to shame by a line of Amazons walking by wearing not much more than loincloths. The Amazons don’t seem to care about all eyes following them as they strut down the street. I tear my own eyes away from their little parade and keep walking.

Music, strings and wind instruments by the sound of it, breaks through the din of the nightlife.

So this is Main Street at night…

“… This should be it…”

I remember that terrace from this morning. I stopped just in front of it.

The building is made of stone. It’s two stories tall like the rest, but it looks very deep. It might be the biggest bar in the area.

This has to be Syr’s bar, The Benevolent Mistress.

Quite the name, and quite the sign it’s written on. I step up to the door and take a peek inside.

Opening the door, I immediately see a stout dwarfess, probably the owner, behind a counter and a group of young cat-people girls in aprons serving food and alcohol to customers. Looking around the place, all the employees taking orders and carrying food are girls!

Don’t tell me, the entire staff is female?

The name wasn’t lying…

Oh boy… Isn’t this place a bit out of my league?

There’s even a proud elfess working here! I clear my throat. I wonder which one will come to greet me? I’ve fantasized so many times about a place where all these beautiful flowers are right in front of me… Well, the dwarfess wasn’t really what I had in mind, but hey.

This place isn’t all that risqué, but look at all these ladies! I’ve never seen so many pretty ones at once before! It’s enough to make my face turn red.

It really is cheerful in here, though. The waitresses are hopping from table to table with big smiles, and customers are happy. This place feels alive! Most of the patrons are male, and adventurers by the looks of them. They come off a little intimidating, but they’re happily drinking with their buddies. And the food looks amazing!

The decorations and style of the bar are pretty contemporary compared to other places, but it still feels like a bar. The terrace off of the main entrance adds to its flare. Speaking of the terrace, someone’s looking at me… I can feel someone’s eyes going right through me.

But anyway, I bet the terrace is a major draw for men and women.

However, I want to leave, like right now.

“Bell?”

“……”

Syr? How long has she been standing beside me?

My mouth twitches, so I slam my lips together and try to force a smile. Worst smile ever.

It will have to do.

“… Here I am.”

“Yes! Welcome!”

She’s still wearing the same blouse, skirt, and apron from this morning.

I follow her through the still-open entrance. She faces the crowd and takes a deep breath.

“Now seating one!”

Do they really announce everyone who comes in? At a bar…?

I just need to follow her and do my best to blend in.

I’m new at this, too.

“Please have a seat here.”

“T-thank you.”

She leads me to a counter seat.

The counter is a long L, and she places me at the small corner seat at the end. The wall is right behind me, I’m right in the crook of the building. There’s only one seat in this nook, so no one can sit down next to me. Basically it’s just me facing the owner behind the counter.

Maybe Syr realized this is my first time and gave me a good seat to get my feet wet?

I won’t bother any other customers here and can eat at my own pace.

She might be going out of her way to help me.

“So you’re Syr’s guest, eh? Ha-ha, you got a charming face fer an adventurer.”

Please leave me alone…

The dwarfess is leaning halfway over the counter, scanning me with almost dark eyes. I have feelings, you know? And I like my space, thank you very much.

“Just give us a holler if you need somethin’! I hear you’re going all out tonight! I’ll keep the food comin’, all you got to do is keep on orderin’!”

“?!?!”

Her words had to sink in a bit.

Wait, wait, wait! Who said…? Syr! She’s right behind me, if I can just get her attention. She looked away! What is going on here?

“Who said I was going all out? That’s news to me!”

“… Hee-hee-hee.”

“What’s so funny?!?!”

Trying to pull a fast one on me, you witch?

“Well, I told Mama Mia that I invited someone here tonight, and I kinda talked you up a bit and things got a little out of hand…”

“That was on purpose, wasn’t it?!?!”

“I’m rooting for you!”

“Please, just clear this up!”

So much for the “good girl next door”! She’s an evil witch!

“I won’t be going all out! My Familia is dirt poor, it’s impossible!”

“… I’m so hungry… Couldn’t eat breakfast… My strength… It’s leaving me…”

“Oh ha-ha! What’s with that tone? Cut it out! This is a real dirty game you’re playing!”

This is way too much stress for just keeping a promise! They’re scamming me!

“It’s just a joke. I wanted to have a bit of fun, that’s all. Please, take your time and order when you are ready.”

“… Okay. But just a little.”

Clever girl, this one.

I hold back a sigh and turn to face the counter. I remove the menu from a trendy stand and take a look. My eyes find the prices before the food.

I exchanged enough loot to get 4,400 vals before coming here. I slew more monsters today than ever and picked up a few drop items on the side. My pockets are much heavier than usual right now.

Fifty vals’ worth of food is enough to fill me up, but weapons, armor, and items are really expensive. I want to get some better equipment, but one healing potion costs 500 vals a pop! I barely have enough to pay for repairs for my own weapon and armor.

My dagger cost me 3,600 vals, and I had to take out a loan from the Guild to cover it. I finally paid them back for that and my armor, but they’re really taking advantage of adventurers…

I’ve got plans for this money. I’d like to save some, too.

I guess I’ll have some pasta. Bye-bye 300 vals…

The food here all has a flashy style to it. This is my first time eating food at a bar, but other places have to be cheaper than this…

“How ’bout some ale?”

I politely refuse the owner’s offer. I’m underage, but more than anything, I don’t have the money.

She just ignores my words and thumps one down on the counter anyway.

Why did she even bother asking?

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

“… I’m a bit overwhelmed, actually…”

Syr comes back when I’m about halfway through my pasta.

There’s a hint of irony in my voice.

She unties her apron; her dusty blue hair shakes as she pulls it over her head. She puts it up on a hook on the wall, drags a stool up to me, and sits down.

“What about your job?”

“The kitchen is a little busy, but the others have everything else covered. Things are slowing down a bit, too.”

She shoots a pleading look at the owner, asking for permission.

The owner raises her chin in a jerking nod, giving her the okay.

“Well, first let me say thank you for this morning. The bread was delicious.”

“No, no. You coming here tonight made my empty stomach worth it.”

“Don’t you mean it was worth it to force me to spend a lot on dinner?”

I didn’t think I’d be paying this much for food; I have the right to complain.

Syr laughs with a smile, bowing her head and saying, “Sorry.” I hope she’s serious.

After that, I ask her a bit about the bar itself.

This bar, The Benevolent Mistress, was founded by an ex-adventurer, the dwarfess behind the counter. Her name is Mia, but the employees here usually call her “Mama” or “Mama Mia.” She got permission from the god of her Familia to retire from dungeon crawling and open up shop. I suddenly had a lot more respect for the lady behind the counter.

She only hires women, period. However, Mia employs all types of girls with questionable backgrounds and welcomes them with open arms.

“What about you?” comes out of my mouth without much thought. She simply says it looked like a fun place to work.

“We’ve become pretty popular with adventurers recently, so money is flowing in. The pay is good, too.”

“… Are you one of those people who’s in love with money, Syr? Kidding, kidding! But because so many different people come here…”

She turns away from the counter and looks across the main floor of the bar.

A human waitress lightly bends over to take a dwarf customer’s order. There are elves looking at their food with hungry eyes. A group of prums is living it up on the other side of the room.

Everyone is raising their glasses and drinking until they’re red in the face.

“More people means more possibilities. I get really excited just thinking about what I might discover on any given day.”

Her eyes are smiling…

Ahem. She made one of those fake coughs as soon as she saw me looking at her. Her cheeks are turning red, too.

“Anyway, that’s how it is. I guess meeting new people is fun. My heart yearns for it.”

“… That’s quite the hobby you’ve got there.”

I’m not all that different. I get excited just seeing all the people on the streets of Orario.

That might be the best thing about the city and the people who live here: you learn something new every day.

The moment that I find some common ground with Syr, the doors suddenly open and a group of about ten new costumers files into the bar. They must have made a reservation because they’re all led to an empty table in the opposite corner of the main floor.

The band is comprised of many different races. I’m pretty sure they’re adventurers—strong ones, too.

Isn’t that…!

My heart jumps.

I caught a glimpse of blond hair so shiny it could be made of real gold.

Her body, so delicate and feminine it would break if you touched it, looks more like a spirit or a fairy from legends than a human’s. She doesn’t walk, she glides.

Her big golden eyes… so clear, so pretty. I just gasped a little.

The one whom I admire above all others is part of the group of formidable adventurers coming into the bar.

There’s no mistaking her.

Aiz Wallenstein…

“… Ooho!”

“They royalty or somethin’?”

“’Course not, moron. Look at the emblems.”

“… Meh.”

Other customers just figured out that this troop belongs to Loki Familia. A new tone of whispers spreads throughout the bar.

“So that’s them.” “… They’re the “giant-killer Familia, eh?” “Aren’t they first-class all-stars?!” “Who’s the kenki I’ve heard so much about?”

Waves of awe echo through all of their voices. Some of them whistle at Ms. Wallenstein and other female members of the group as they walk past.

I’m just as awestruck as they are.

To think I would see “the one” in a place like this!

W-what do I do?

“B-Bell?”

Should I go over there and say thank you for saving my life…? No, no, no. I’d just look stupid. Even if I went over there, what the hell could I say? “I love you! Let me take you out!” Yeah, right. I need to calm down. She doesn’t even know my name.

Okay, just watch.

“… Bell…?”

I can use the bar as cover; don’t want Loki Familia to see my red face watching them from across the room. I feel like I’m stalking my prey in some vast savannah and the trap has been set. Syr’s looking at me with concern on her face, but I’m too busy to notice.

Ms. Wallenstein’s seat is facing directly toward me. Screech… The sound of their chairs on the floor fills my ears, but my eyes are locked firmly on her.

“Yes-sa! Great day out there in the Dungeon today, people! Time to cut loose! Drink up!”

One of them stands up and makes a toast. His back is to me, so I can’t see his face.

They all start talking at once. Loud clinks of glasses, cutlery hitting plates, shoveling food into their mouths. But Ms. Wallenstein just has a small plate in front of her, taking her time.

As if Loki Familia’s toast was some kind of signal, other patrons remember they have drinks and food, too. It’s like the room flipped a switch and went back to normal.

“Loki Familia members are regulars here. Their goddess, Loki, seems to like it here.”

Syr just whispered the best news I’ve ever heard into my ear, her hand up like a wall to keep anyone from overhearing her.

But I understand loud and clear.

If I come here, there is a good chance of seeing Ms. Wallenstein.

My eyes follow every one of Ms. Wallenstein’s movements. How she laughs when someone tells her that her face is red from drinking. How she talks with her female teammates, her energy, her smile. How she delicately wipes the side of her mouth as if caring for a young fawn.

I can’t say I’m proud of spying on her this way, but how else could I have gotten information like this without my own two eyes?

She likes to talk about this, she laughs like that…

My whole body feels like it’s burning red. I’ve never felt like this before.

“Yeah, Aiz! Tell us that one story!”

“That one story…?”

My body freezes. One of them called her Aiz.

A young male animal person sitting two seats diagonally across from her requested the tale.

He has a handsome face, but also a very manly aura. I’m male myself, and I have to admit I like his style.

“You know the one! About those Minotaurs that got away! Remember, you finished off the last one on the lower fifth! You know: tomato boy!”

Lightning shoots down my spine; the butterflies are gone. Something else is taking their place.

My mind is frozen. My body won’t move.

“Are you talking about the group of Minotaurs that attacked us on the lower seventeenth floor, and they ran away when we fought back?”

“Yeah, yeah! That one! By some miracle they ran up! We tore after them! Already damn tired, too!”

The only mode of transportation in the Dungeon is your own two feet. Since there is no convenient way to reach the lower levels, adventurers who go there pass through the same path over and over.

Therefore, adventurers need to be prepared for both the trip down and the trip up. If you just go as deep as you can, you won’t be able to make it back and will be lost forever. Familias that go into the Dungeon need good leaders with a strong sense of how far to go and when to turn back.

The story so far:

Loki Familia was on some kind of “expedition.”

They encountered a group of Minotaurs on their way back but couldn’t slay them all.

The remaining Minotaurs ran toward the surface. They caught up to the last one on lower Level Five.

Ms. Wallenstein delivered the final blow.

And at that very spot…

“Yeah, and there! That ‘adventurer’! Damn newbie kid!”

… Me.

“Got himself cornered like a lil’ bunny! Shaking like one, too! Poor thing was about to explode!”

Every inch of my body is burning. I might explode right now.

“Oh? What happened to the boy? Was he okay?”

“Aiz here carved up the Minotaur at the last second, ain’t that right?”

“……”

My jaw won’t close. My eyes are locked on that guy, my neck not budging an inch in any other direction. Something’s gotta give.

He cocks his eyebrows, upping his manly presence.

“The kid took the full blast of that stinky cow’s blood, got soaked! So, tomato boy! Gya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ahhh—Ow, my ribs!!!”

“Woah…”

“Aiz, please tell me you weren’t trying to do that! I’m begging you!”

“… No, I wasn’t.”

The animal guy is laughing so hard he’s tearing up. The rest of the table, too. They’re laughing at me. Even the customers around them are trying not to laugh.

“And get this! Tomato boy! He ran away, screaming his head off! Gya-ha-ha-ha! Our princess saves him, and he just buggers off!”

“… Hm.”

“GYA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Absolutely priceless! Aizee scares away a newbie! You are sooo awesome!”

“Ha-ha-ha… I’m sorry, Aiz, but I can’t take this anymore!”

“……”

“Ooooh, don’ make them scary eyes! It ruins yer cute face!”

The entire Loki Familia table erupts with laughter.

I feel like they just blew a hole in my chest.

It’s as if the whole world is in that corner.

“Um… B-Bell?”

I can hear Syr’s voice, but it goes in one ear and out the other.

Their conversation is starting back up.

“But really, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen something so pathetic! So disgusting I could cry!”

“… Hmmm.”

“The hell was he doing? If you’re gonna cry like a little bitch, you shouldn’t be down there in the first place! Right, Aiz?”

“……”

I can almost hear my own head caving in.

“It’s weak adventurers like him who give us a bad name. Just give it up already!”

“Shut your mouth already, Bete! It was our mistake that let the Minotaurs escape! That boy had nothing to do with it! And stop drinking! Learn some respect!”

“Oh-oh! You elves and your pride! But yeah, what’s in it for you to protect that piece of shit? Saying it’s our fault, you’re lying to yourself! Just to keep your pride! Trash is trash! What’s wrong with calling it what it is?”

“Hey, hey! That’s enough! Bete, Reveria, relax! You’re killing the mood!”

—tick, tick, tick

“Eh, Aiz! What did you think about him, the pathetic piece of shit who was shaking in front of you? Do you think he deserves to stand at our level, as adventurers?”

“… I don’t blame him for acting the way he did under those circumstances.”

—tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick

“Why you acting all Goody Two-shoes? Okay then, I’m changin’ the question. Him or me—who’s got it going on?”

“… Bete, are you drunk?”

“Shut it! Now, Aiz! Choose! As a female, which male wags your tail? Which male makes you hot?”

—tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick

“… I have no reason to answer that question, especially to you, Bete.”

“You’re absurd…”

“Quiet, hag!… Well then, what if that piece of trash came up to you, said he liked you, would you take him?”

“… Hm.”

—tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick

“Of course you wouldn’t! Why would a tiny kid who’s so weak, feeble, and all-around nauseating have the right to even stand next to you? There’s no way he’d measure up!”

“A tiny kid could never land Aiz Wallenstein!”

I stand up, the chair flying backward.

I tear my eyes away from their table and make a break for the door.

“Bell?!”

The street is jam-packed with people and buildings, but I don’t care. I focus on getting away. Someone is calling my name, but it’s just sound to me now.

It’s really dark out, but I don’t care. I’m gone.

“Bell?!”

A young waitress pursued a boy’s shadow as he burst out of the bar in a full sprint. Some of the other customers realized something had happened, but it was so fast that no one really knew for sure what was going on.

Confusion spread through the main floor of the bar.

“Did someone just dine ’n’ dash?”

“At Mommy Mia’s? The guy’s got guts, that’s for sure!”

Bete and the other adventurers in the corner table ignored the rest of the patrons’ comments, but Aiz stood up.

Her well-trained eyes shot through the crowd and caught a clean look at the shadow just before it got away.

A thin body with white hair.

Slightly downcast ruby-colored eyes shone from under the bangs—just like the boy from yesterday.

Could that be…?

She shuffled her way to the front of the building and leaned on a pillar in the entrance to look outside.

Looking to her right, all she could see was the back of the young waitress as she ran into the crowd on Main Street.

The boy was nowhere to be seen.

Bell…

She mouthed the name that the young waitress yelled into the night.

For whatever reason, she heard his name more clearly than the voices of her comrades currently tapping on her back.

“Oi-oi, Aizuuu, what’cha doin’?”

“……”

A woman had left the table and now stood behind Aiz. She wrapped her arms around the blond girl’s body. The woman pressed her hips into Aiz’s backside and took a squeeze, body and breast. Aiz lost her breath for a moment.

If this person had not been the goddess Loki herself—or a woman at least—she would have been quickly dealt with. Aiz held herself back, unable to just throw her off.

However, she didn’t have to put up with it. She grabbed the arm coiled around her stomach and drove her elbow into it. Loki stepped back a bit in surprise, giving Aiz enough space to spin around and bury her palm in the goddess’s cheek.

“Chee, ya’re feisty! Ya don’ look it at all, Aizuu!”

“Hands to yourself.”

Loki was shaken and looked as if she was about to burst out crying before suddenly smiling with Aiz’s dark red handprint still pulsing on her face. She looked to the sky and yelled, “Shy ’n’ cool! Soooo my type!”

Aiz couldn’t look at her. It was too embarrassing.

“Don’ be makin’ that face. If Bete’s gettin’ to ya, I’ll have Mommy Mia to string ’im up outside!”

Loki must have misunderstood why Aiz had left the table in the first place.

Looking back inside, members of their party were holding the young animal man down while the elfess with whom he had argued earlier tied him up.

The elfess smiled as she stood over him, her foot pinning him to the floor.

“Hee-hee, Aizuu. Come on back.”

“……”

Loki wrapped her arm around Aiz’s shoulder and guided her inside. Aiz fought it long enough to look outside one last time.

Even with the magic stone lamps lighting the busy street, the boy was long gone.

Storm clouds hovered in the night sky; it could have rained at any moment.

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!!

Bell was running. Tears flowed from his crooked eyes, falling to the ground behind him.

The events of the last hour were replaying in a loop in his mind.

He was so embarrassed, so humiliated, so ridiculed that he wanted to just disappear for the first time in his life.

Why am I so damn stupid?!?!

Each of that animal man’s words cut deeper every time he heard it.

Weak, feeble, trash, tiny, nauseating, pathetic, disgusting, little bitch…

The question burning in his mind wasn’t “What can I do to get close to her?”

It was “If I don’t do something, I don’t even have the right to stand next to her.”

That animal man’s words, and the laughing faces around him, awakened violent urges within Bell.

But he was angry at himself; his do-nothing-and-expect-the-best self.

This hurts… hurts…! HURTS!!!

It hurt to know that everything that guy said was absolutely true.

It hurt that he couldn’t respond, defend himself.

It hurt that he was nothing more than a funny-looking rock on the roadside to her.

It really hurt that he didn’t even have the right to talk to her.

“……… Eh?”

His ruby-red eyes looked up from the ground to take in the scene before him.

The entrance to the Dungeon was waiting for him beneath the white tower, door open.

He was going in, to prove them all wrong.

Holding back his tears, Bell ran flat out to the base of the tower.