Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru

Translator: Solo

【78th day】

「Rana, I’ve asked you this before, but……」

「Yes?」

We were taking a vacation from the adventuring business. It was still being updated, and would probably be for about 10 days starting today.

The weather was lovely, and it was lunchtime.

For a change, I was alone with Rana in the camp.

Ea, who would usually be here, was at the Demon King’s place along with Makina.

Early in the morning, Ea had woken me up and said this:

『Onii-chan. I might have thought of something fantastic. Udon and curry, won’t it be the best if they’re combined?!』

『To have noticed that, you must be a genius』

『Right? You can praise me more!』

Thus, in order to take the goblin and the Demon King’s breath away, Ea kneaded udon first thing in the morning, and then, bringing the udon together with Japanese-style soup stock as well, she left the camp in high spirits.

It appeared that it was revenge for surprising her yesterday. My sister was dauntless. As expected from someone with the blood of elven royalty. Those were actions that ordinary people couldn’t do. No, was she just childish?

Lanseal had gone to the castle for her routine duties.

Misuranika-sama was frolicking with the winged rabbits in the plain. She would get carried into the air sometimes, so I had to warn her every now and then.

「I want to know the dishes, or rather, the flavors that Rana likes」

「The taste? This is delicious」

The two of us were eating curry. On top of that, we were eating it with rice.

Delicious. Rice is delicious. The sweet curry and the sweetness of rice. The deliciousness of pork and the great taste of rice. It’s a tag-team attack of flavors. Oh, not good, I lost consciousness slightly.

「I want to know more about your preference for things like the amount of spiciness, acidity, salt and sugar content, or things like the hardness or softness」

I had Rana wear an apron.

Because her white robe would need to be washed if curry got on it.

「That’s difficult. I’ve no complaints about your cooking. Just being able to eat different things every day is an extremely luxurious thing, so that’s delicious1, isn’t it? Anyone who has something to say in this situation is surely a king among kings who has exhausted the full extent of luxury, I suppose. The Heures family is in the position of a king among the elven clans, but life was simple, so I believe that something like my preferences won’t be of any help to your cooking」

She had misunderstood me on a fundamental level.

「Rana, I'm not asking you for your opinion because I want to improve my cooking skills」

「Uh?」

She tilted her head with the spoon in her mouth. It was unusual for her to act ill-mannered. It was cute though. So I instantly took a picture using the high-resolution camera mode of my glasses and saved it in my personal folder.

「I'm asking about your preferences because I want to season it to suit your tastes」

「Oh, is that so?」

Huh, her reaction is bad.

「I'll have another helping」

「Feel free」

Rana got up from her seat and moved to the kitchen. She heaped a big helping of rice on her empty plate and poured a large amount of curry over it.

She sat down and wordlessly ate the curry quickly.

Her movements were refined, but fast, exact and without any waste. On top of that, she chewed well. Every now and then, Rana ate the pickles that had been added as garnish while she ate the curry.

I had lost the thread of the conversation, so I also concentrated on the curry.

Oh no.

I forgot the raw egg. It's a blunder.

「Rana, wait a minute」

「Okay」

Her spoon stopped suddenly.

I brought chicken eggs from the food storage.

「Rana, mix this with the rice」

First, I broke one to show her and mixed it with the rice. I drizzled a little bit of soy sauce over it.

I ate it to show her.

Raw egg and rice mixed with soy sauce. The mild taste that interacted and mingled. Because of its simplicity, I craved to eat it every now and then. And then, curry. The sweet spices entwined with the eggs over rice. The luxurious pork also entwined with it. None of them clashed with one another. What a peaceful taste.

Eggs over rice and curry. It was a joint performance of two of the major giants of Japanese food. There was no way it was going to taste bad. By no means did I think that I would be able to enjoy this in the alternate world.

「Um, um」 𝑓𝒓𝚎e𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯𝘰𝐯𝒆𝑙.c𝚘m

Rana had a startled expression.

「Dear……… I was surprised previously as well to hear that Tekkadon was raw fish, but raw eggs too? Do foreigners have special stomachs?」

「The cause of food poisoning is the shell, so we sterilized them thoroughly. The eggs are fresh so there are no problems. If you’re worried, then should I make onsen egg or poached egg?」

In fact, I found something called an egg cleaning kit among the resources.

The passion that the Japanese have for eating their food raw is also a little crazy. Like eating raw whitebait or raw, still moving octopus. I believe the theory that the ancestors of the Japanese were fishmen.

「No, I won't trouble you. I’ll try eating it raw. Even if I get sick, please don’t abandon me」

I was told that with teary eyes.

「If you hate it so much, I'll boil it」

「No!」

When I tried to take the egg, I was blocked.

「A wife cannot oppose what her husband tells her to do!」

I'm not such a domineering husband, you know?

Rana broke the egg clumsily and mixed it with the rice. She drizzled a little bit more soy sauce. She mixed it well.

With a look of resolve, as if she was fighting a monster, she ate the eggs over rice.

「………………」

Focus.

Nervousness.

「Huh, it’s delicious in a normal way」

It was a normal reaction.

Her spoon seemingly moved faster. The curry disappeared before my eyes.

Adventurers are a bunch that ate well, but Rana also ate well. In addition, elves have a constitution where they don’t get fat for the most part, so the women of the modern world must surely gnash their teeth if they hear of this. I’ve actually seen the women of this side gnashing their teeth.

However, it appears that elves will get sick quickly if they neglected their health, so they have to take heed of that.

「By any chance, if this eggs over rice is made into rice balls, won’t it be delicious?」

「It’ll become soggy, so maybe not, I guess. I’ll have to make seaweed for wrapping them」

「Urgh」

It’s enough to make rice balls with salt normally. You’ll definitely put more than eggs in, won’t you? Changing the recipe is prohibited.

This calamitous magician has no talent for cooking.

『Team member Souya, Yukikaze has a question』

「What is it?」

Yukikaze, who had been in a bad mood recently because she had nothing to do, complained to me. She was currently in the middle of work on the kitchen top.

『What’s the point of this work?』

The arm of the mini-pod was holding a piece of bread and was running it across a grater.

「I’m having you make bread crumbs. The blender is damaged and awaiting repair, you see?」

『Haa, for what purpose?』

「I want to make breaded pork cutlet and then I want to make Katsu curry. My sister will definitely be happy because of that」

I want to teach Ea that there are all sorts of curries. And then, from there, the bread of life.

Yeah, right.

It's for my own self-satisfaction.

「Besides, Yukikaze, rather than a standby order, keeping your hands busy is less stressful, isn’t it?」

『That’s certainly true, but you’re the first and last person to make a wide-area combat program make bread crumbs』

「Oh, yes」

Yukikaze wordlessly returned to making bread crumbs.

When I looked at Rana, her plate was empty.

「Thank you for the meal. It was delicious today as well」

「You’re welcome」

I savored my share slowly as I ate. Because the rice was precious.

We had consumed 720ml just for today’s lunch. I would have to tell Rana soon that there wasn’t much rice left.

「Dear」

「Hmm」

「Why do you want to make food that suits my taste?」

「Huh?」

「Huh?」

Our question marks collided.

No, what do you mean “why”……

「That's because I want to make food that makes Rana happy」

「Huh」

It's embarrassing, so take the hint please.

Rana is a bit of an airhead. She is absent-minded about normal things sometimes.

「In other words, you were planning to use your ingenuity on the food in order to win my favor, is that right?」

「Oh, yes」

Rana gesticulated with her hands as if she was shaping pottery2. As she gestured, she looked upwards and downwards. She did this when she was confused.

After a while, she suddenly got a hold of herself and with a pale face, she prostrated herself on the table.

「I’m sorry! I never noticed until now, so I’ve answered you incorrectly! After all, even if you lavish your favor on me, my feelings won’t change any further!」

Should I take that to mean that the points are maxed out, so there won’t be any changes?

Can I be happy about that, I wonder?

「I mean, I only learned about things like the relationship between men and women from books. What's more, they’re exaggerated and the important parts are missing. The times my father buttered up my mother were when he had done unspeakable things behind her back. By any chance, you too? was the likes of what I had suspected. ………………I apologize」

If it’s unspeakable things, then I’ve also done a great deal behind your back.

I swear that they’re not things that will bring you guys unhappiness though.

「It’s not that I’m copying Lanseal, but please let me do something as an apology」

Rana leaned forward over the table.

「There’s no need to apologize, I’m not hurt anyway」

「My misunderstanding is fully deserving of blame. Please punish me」

Rana leaned further over the table.

My eyes were glued to her two swaying breasts.

Punishment, huh? I feel like the punishment that she wished for may also be a reward though.

Well, I'm also in the mood anyway, so――

『Team member Souya, proximity warning. An armed Hemu and beastkin, two in total. Possibility that they are hostile is 15%. 2 o'clock, distance 30 meters』

I've the feeling that I had been interrupted like this before.

Is there forever going to be something like this, I wonder?

「Come on, dear. Feel free」

Eh, we’re continuing?

I’ve caught sight of the people approaching out of the corner of my eye though.

「There are parts of Lanseal that I hate but also acknowledge. Looking at that vixen, I always felt that I’m not aggressive enough. I think that sometimes, not thinking about it and acting lewd without worrying about the consequences can lead to a breakthrough」

That’s not it.

Rana, there's going to be people here in just a little while though.

「We can’t relax and miss this chance to be alone with each other, so de, dear, for the time being, haa, haa…… Pl, ple, please touch……my breasts, or nape, or if you’d really like to, my ears too」

「I’ve found you! Raua”nyuna”-san!」

「Aah?」

Rana looked back at the owner of that voice with a terrifying expression.

Also, the correct pronunciation of her name is Raua”ryuna”.

There were two adventurers there.

The one who had yelled was an adventurer standing with an imposing pose. She was a magician with semi-long blonde ringlets and was probably about 20 years old. With energetic and intelligent-looking eyes, she was a cheerful and charming beauty with a voluptuous body.

She was wearing a scarlet dress that had been modified into an adventurer’s outfit. In her right hand was a large staff with a pyroxene set in its tip. Its design was of a large tree honoring the stone.

She was likely a young lady from a good family. She had such a vibe.

Behind her stood a maid.

She was a tall reptilian beastkin Onee-san. She had thin vertical pupils, scales on a part of her cheeks and probably had a tail hidden inside her skirt. Her long black hair was tied into twin tails.

Adventurer’s adornments were also added to her outfit. I couldn’t see any weapons.

「Who is it?」

「Y, you! Are you saying that you forgot my name?!」

「You’re as noisy as ever, aren’t you, Frey? I noticed your presence because of your noisy footsteps」

「As expected from the only magician that I acknowledge, Ranyaryuna-san. I suppose your long ears aren’t for show」

「It’s Rauaryuna. Aren’t you the one who has forgotten my name?」

The maid took a step forward.

「It's been a while, Rauaryuna-sama. Ojou-sama hasn't forgotten. She simply has no interest in remembering」

She greeted Rana with a beautiful curtsy.

「It's been a while, Lazarissa. Even though it’s on family’s orders, to still be Frey’s attendant, your worries must be endless」

「Yes」

「Lazarissa, deny that」

The young lady responded to the maid with a retort. To think that I would get to see such a vibrant retort in the alternate world.

Or perhaps I should say……

「Rana, won’t you introduce your acquaintances to me?」

……it's fresh.

Rana picking a quarrel with someone like this is fresh. Even though she only stands quietly even with people she knew, to think that she would talk unreservedly like this……

「This person is――」

When Rana, looking displeased, tried to introduce her,

「Listen carefully, that mediocre man over there. My name is Frey?Dis?Gastolfo. A descendant of the god of fertility, Gastolfo, and the best magician who holds a graduation certificate from the glorious Hohens School. And finally, I’m an adventurer who holds the title of "Brave(Yuusha)" that has been recognized for generations by the center continent’s Adventurers’ Guild!」

Frey puffed out her chest extremely smugly.

She was a person who seemed well-suited to laughing heartily.

Gastolfo, that’s a name that I had heard yesterday as well. One of its descendants is the Demon King and the other is a Brave. Is it a coincidence, I wonder? Please let it be a coincidence.

「……a schoolmate from Hohens」

「I see」

Rana's introduction was short.

Frey looked at me. She came up and stared at me.

「Ranyanyaryuna-san, who is this person? I’ve the feeling that I've seen him before somewhere………」

「Ojou-sama, this person was selling pasta in front of the store」

「I see, on a sales trip, I suppose?」

Oh, these two.

They were among the adventurers who had come to sample the pasta when I was selling it.

「He’s my husband」

『Huh?』

At Rana’s words, Frey and the maid raised their voices in unison.

「I got married to this person. His name is Souya, from a foreign land. We have the official documentation from King Lemuria as well」

「Oh, hello」

I felt a little self-conscious when it was said formally. Because it was pretend.

「Wh, wh, what did you say?」

Frey suddenly lost her balance and just when she was about to fall, she grabbed the maid’s twin tails and steadied herself. The maid didn’t budge an inch.

Is it okay to use those in that way?

「To think that I would be beaten to the punch by the Raunyanyan-san whose face said『I’m not interested in something like men』the most. On top of that, for the other party to not be an elf but a human……」

「Hang in there, Ojou-sama」

「So Frey. What do you want?」

Rana looked in a bad mood.

This is the first time I've ever seen her in such a bad mood. This cold feeling is also wonderful. It's charming in a new way.

「Ranananna-san, it seems that you've become an adventurer, right?」

「Yes, I didn’t become one because I wanted to though」

「Urgh, why?! To me! To me, who invited you to become adventurers together! Shouldn’t you have said a word or two to me?!」

「………Not really」

It was really just a word or two.

「Ugugu, you’re as heartless of an elf as before. Toying with me like this……」

「Ojou-sama, in the first place, we came to Lemuria 50 days ago and it was 10 days ago that we learned that Rauaryuna-sama was working as an adventurer. It’s a crucial point, but Lazarissa believes that Rauaryuna-sama hasn’t had the chance to learn that we’re in Lemuria」

「Gugu, but that's when the resonance between friends or the feeling as people from the same Hohens School should sense and lead us to each other」

「Frey, I've never shared such a sickening feeling with you」

Rana had become a cool beauty.

「Ojou-sama, we’ve actually passed by Rauaryuna-sama seven times. Ojou-sama didn’t notice it at all though」

「Lazarissa, tell me! Tell me such things!」

「I’m sorry, Lazarissa thought that you ignored her because you had something in mind. Lazarissa thought too much」

They were a strange pair.

「………So」

Rana whispered in a penetratingly cold voice.

Her eyes looked like they were gazing upon trash.

「What do you want with me?」

「Fufu, Rararanraranra-san」

Come on, that’s really far too wrong, isn’t it?

「For you! For you, who has become an adventurer! I, who holds the title of “Brave”! Will let you participate in a special quest as a special case!」

「I refuse」

「Fufu, it's alright. As friends who have a friendly rivalry and push each other to greater heights, you don’t have to feel indebted to me for something like this. I’ll say this though, the enemy is strong. If it’s the old you, I don’t know about――」

「I won’t participate」

「That's right. I knew that you would definitely say that. After all, in the long history of the Hohens School, you’re the woman who is the fastest to be chased out of the school. The woman who destroyed the most historical buildings. The most calamitous magician who is the only one on par with me. You said………eeeh?!」

「Ojou-sama, it’s regrettable」

「Why?!」

What should I do.

It’s like I’m watching a classic conte(short story of adventure).

Saving the world with a two-man comedy act, contes, and laughs in the alternate world. This is fresh! Yeah, right.

「Now now, Rana, you can refuse even after hearing what she has to say」

「I suppose so」

She had become cold even when replying me.

「Frey, talk. I’ll at least give it a listen. Thank my husband for his high caliber」

「Urgh, you show-off. However, Raunyannyan-san, if you hear what I have to say, you’ll help out with the quest of your own accord――」

「Get on with it. You always take forever to get to the point」

「………Alright」

Oh, she fell silent.

「Lazarissa, change」

She became depressed.

Frey squatted down with her back facing us. The maid stepped forward and took her place.

「Well then, Lazarissa will take Ojou-sama’s place and explain. To the north of here, there is a ruined dungeon in the center of the plain. There was an ancient barrier that had been put up around it, but it was destroyed by someone and a terrifying evil spirit has been released above-ground.

Its name is Gormlaith.

The usurper of three crowns, the king of the small-sized ones, the golden-eyed destroyer, the guide of the setting sun. The “Demon King” that once spread terror across this right continent」

It’s the person eating curry udon with my sister right now.

「Gormlaith? I don’t know that name, and I've also never heard of something like a Demon King in the vicinity of the forest」

Rana tipped her head to one side.

「Gormlaith is a Demon King who was secretly sealed by successive generations of Braves. It’s natural for Rauaryuna-sama to not know about it」

「Secretly……… What’s the reason for that?」

「I cannot answer because of the Brave’s duty of confidentiality」

It feels like I’ve seen an inconvenient truth of this world.

Could it be that the relationship between the Demon King and the Brave is a match-pump3 or something? Uwaa, you’ve got to be kidding me. I don't want to get involved.

「Well, Frey, there’s something that I want to ask you」

「What is it?」

Frey turned around, looking extremely happy.

「It's been two years since I left Hohens. You should have become an adventurer before me. After inheriting the title of Brave which has been passed down for generations」

「Yes, I traveled around the center continent」

「Don’t you have any other party members besides Lazarissa?」

「………………」

Frey froze with the smile still on her face.

「Rauaryuna-sama, there’s a profound reason for that, you see」

「Lazarissa, please! Anything but that! Don’t tell her that~!」

The master clung to the maid.

She looked like a woman about to be abandoned by her man.

「Ojou-sama」

Frey was repelled with her hands pretty roughly.

「Lazarissa is hungry. Lazarissa will also take this opportunity to say that Lazarissa has had enough of sleeping in stables. If this kind of life continues, Lazarissa will return home」

「Ugugu」

「In other words, what is it?」

Rana remained calm.

「The clearing of the dungeon on the center continent went very well. Rather than Ojou-sama’s abilities, it was because the people in the party were outstanding. However, Ojou-sama let success go to her head, parted with those party members and came to the right continent at great expense.

For the sake of Ojou-sama’s honor, Lazarissa will summarize it simply.

It was a massive failure.

Challenging foolhardy quests and causing the party to disband. Retail therapy, and spending the money for our living expenses recklessly. When we tried selling the expensive works of art that we had bought by mistake because we were in financial difficulty, all of them didn’t fetch much.

Even the paltry amount of money that remained was stolen by the party members as compensation money, and even though we had to earn our daily food expenses, Ojou-sama wouldn’t accept trifling quests because her pride wouldn’t allow it.

Then, Ojou-sama sensed the resurrection of the Demon King.

There is a calamity in the place where the Demon King is, and if left to take its own course, the country will perish. Only a Brave can save the country.

Consequently, by imposing the debt of saving the country on King Lemuria and demanding a huge reward, we obtained a stable life.

However, even with Ojou-sama's idiotic firepower and the capable Lazarissa, subjugating the Demon King with the two of us would likely be difficult. At such a time, we happened to grasp the whereabouts of Rauaryuna-sama.

If two of the people who are called the “guide of the final flame” in the history of the Hohens School come together, there aren’t many people and the like who cannot be destroyed」

Maid-san,

You're also a pretty no-good person, aren’t you?

「Please, Rauaryuna-sama, cooperate with us」

The maid lowered her head in a bow.

「W, well, that's how it is, Unyaunya-san. I’ll share the fame of subjugating the Demon King with you」

「Ojou-sama, if you don’t ask properly, Lazarissa will return home. It’s “Rauaryuna”-sama」

「Ra, Rana-san, pl, ea, se………」

Her face still impassive, Rana answered.

「I see, I refuse」

「Why?!」

Frey, who was trying to grab Rana, was caught by the maid and held under her arm.

Without budging an inch, Rana spoke.

「Lazarissa, as well as the destitute, fallen Hemu Brave, the two of you have misunderstood something. My body is my husband’s, and my husband is also my party’s leader. I cannot participate in the quest without his permission」

Lazarissa and Frey looked at me with a glint in their eyes.

First, from Lazarissa,

「Have a peek」

She pulled open the neck of her maid outfit to expose the skin on her left shoulder.

「Come now, Ojou-sama too」

「I can't tempt men using my body before I marry」 𝗳𝘳𝒆𝘦𝑤𝐞𝚋𝗻𝚘𝘷𝘦𝙡.𝑐𝐨𝘮

I think that way of thinking is good.

Well, let me share my opinion.

「There’s something that I want to ask. First of all, the Demon King in question. What happens if you guys leave it alone or if you can't defeat it?」

Freeing herself from the maid’s hands, Frey answered.

「It’s vexing, but I’ll have to ask for help from the League of Braves of the center continent’s Adventurers’ Guild. As a person holding the title of Brave, I cannot overlook the Demon King」

The Demon King and her subordinates, the goblins, have no intention of invading the surface at all. Those people only want to live peacefully.

Moreover, like the fishmen, the goblins can make ends meet only in their underground city in the ruined dungeon. It’s thanks to the Demon King's agriculture magic.

Because their living spaces don’t neighbor each other, there won’t be fights unless the humans disturbed them.

However, in the unlikely event that the Demon King is subjugated and the goblins’ livelihood is disturbed………

As far as their true nature is concerned, I can't read it. But is there a race that will starve and perish without doing anything?

The history of the Demon King Gormlaith and the goblins had been peaceful for 390 years. Until I spread the curse and destroyed the barrier.

I have responsibility for this, don’t I?

It can’t be helped.

「I see. As an adventurer of Lemuria and for the sake of the country’s peace, the Demon King cannot be overlooked. I’ll cooperate with the Brave, Frey?Dis?Gastolfo. Let's defeat the Demon King」