Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru

Translator: Solo

When I woke up, Rana was gone.

Yukikaze’s mini-pod was also missing.

Misuranika-sama had also disappeared.

According to Makina, it seemed that she had left early in the morning because something had come up. Apparently, Makina had Yukikaze accompany Rana just in case. Misuranika-sama had also gone with them for some reason.

A big rice ball had been prepared for breakfast. It was a salted onigiri that was made by Rana.

I made Ajillo using the unsold shrimp and small fish that Geto-san brought over, pork miso soup, and a variety of pickled vegetables to go with the soup. I fried bacon with curry powder. The breakfast menu was something like that.

A gathering, which was weird by this world’s standards, of races consisting of a foreigner, a fishman, an elf and a beastkin were having breakfast today as well. After eating, I asked Geto-san about how things were at the port. It appeared that a ship had come over from the center continent today as well.

Ea and Lanseal engaged in pointless conversation.

Geto-san returned to the sea, and I took a look at the kitchen garden. On the whole, the plants were already sprouting, and ivy had grown and entwined itself around the supports. The wooden golem carefully checked the condition of every one of the sprouts, which were wet with morning dew.

I watered the plants with the golem, Lars, using watering cans, and then fed the winged rabbits a distance away from the kitchen garden. They hadn’t laid their paws on the kitchen garden so far, but that might change when the plants bore fruit.

Oh no, I'm feeding them before I realized it again. They’re increasing in number day by day. When I fed them last, there were seven of them, but their number has increased to ten now. Before long, I’ll have to either eat them or drive them away.

After finishing the morning work, I returned to my tent and changed my clothes.

I put on the usual combat uniform and poncho. After putting the magic sword Agathion into a leather sheath, I hung it on my waist. I was only going out for a simple trip, so I left the Lycan bow and quiver behind today.

I put on the glasses-type device that I had gotten used to and I was ready.

「I'm going into the city to prepare for the adventure, but what are the two of you going to do?」

「I’ll do the laundry, then check and mend the equipment. Once that's done, I’ll consult Makina about learning more dishes」

Said Lanseal.

「Oh, then I’ll do that too. I want to learn a new curry」

Said my sister.

「Souya, will you be back for lunch?」

「Yeah, I think I can make it back for lunch」

「In that case, me and Ea will show off our skills and await your return. Have a safe trip」

『Souya-san, have a safe trip』

「Safe trip~」

Everyone saw me off as I left the camp behind me.

This kind of thing is nice.

I arrived in the city.

The first place I went to was the merchant company, where I asked the whereabouts of those two women.

And the next place I went to was the adventurer-exclusive lodgings, a stable.

It was a place that those who were registered as adventurers could use free-of-charge. However, most adventurers didn’t own horses, so by having stables, inns were essentially saying,

『Greenhorn adventurer-san, once you start earning money, patronize the inn as well, alright?』

Such was the goodwill and charity of the Inn Guild.

It was also paid for in part by subsidies provided by the country in order to prevent things like adventurers sleeping on the roadside, which would jeopardize the peace and aesthetic of the country.

By the way, foals and old horses cost 50 gold coins apiece, young horses with no illnesses or physical problems cost 90 gold coins apiece and when it comes to swift horses, they cost 200 gold coins apiece. It’s commonplace for those with excellent lineage or are connected to heroes to cost 1,000 to 2,000 gold coins. They’re valued similarly to how cars are in the modern world.

Looking over the greenhorn adventurers in the stable, I greeted several that I was acquainted with, and found the people that I was looking for.

A space in the corner of the row of stalls,

Was occupied by quite a considerable pile of personal belongings. The phrase that came unbidden to my mind was “a nouveau riche on the run”.

「Oh, Souya-sama」

I found Lazarissa and wished her a good morning. Lazarissa was in her maid outfit, and Frey, in expensive-looking pajamas, was sleeping on the straw with a goofy face.

「Ojou-sama, please wake up. It's Souya-sama」

「Nu~, nu~?」

Her hair was disheveled, and she had a vulnerable appearance that an adult women shouldn’t be showing others.

「Souya-sama, please wait a moment」

「Alright」

Lazarissa swiftly pulled off Frey’s clothes and started to get her dressed. I turned my back to them and fiddled with Agathion’s handle to kill time.

The other adventurers here are probably greenhorn adventurers. Their equipment looks second-hand and worn out. They are young, and their faces are filled with hope. I’m also a greenhorn adventurer though, but I wonder what this sense of alienation is.

It’s hard to believe that I’m an adventurer just like them.

I wish that I also had dreams, hopes, and a passion for adventuring, but that's right. I wouldn’t have been rejected by the god of the adventurers if I had such things.

「Souya-sama, thank you for waiting」

When I turned around, I found Frey in her usual dress and blonde ringlets.

That’s an amazing trick. They can earn money with this, can’t they?

「Well, Nutria-san, what business do you have with me early in the morning today, I wonder?」

My name is………well, forget it, that will do. It appears that I’ve been categorized as an acquaintance and she more or less remembers who I am. I've resigned myself.

「Can I start by asking about this first? Your pay for appraising the tea leaves and for the exclusivity contract, as well as the money to cover your immediate living and lodging expenses should have been given to you, but……」

「We’ve used it all up」

_(′?`」 ∠)_

「Please let Lazarissa explain. We received a large sum of money, so we inadvertently got carried away. We bought a lot of clothes for Ojou-sama and weapons for Lazarissa, and before we realized, we were broke」

Is that what that pile of personal belongings is?

Depending on the situation, I’ll have to entrust Shuna and Bel to these two, but I can’t help but be worried. Wait, I’ll get Lonewell to manage their money.

I’m sure that their former party leader must have had a hard time. I feel his pain.

「Let's have a long talk about money some other day. I’m here about adventuring today」

「Oh, could it be that you’re inviting us into your party because you can’t forget about the time we teamed up? Ufufu, but we aren’t cheap, you know?」

That's right, you're a wastrel, aren’t you?

「Ojou-sama, you call it teaming up, but all you did was collapse, vomit and become exhausted」

「Ugu, but next time, I’ll show my true power without displaying such disgraceful behavior」

「Well, I’m aware of your strength」

She had showed off skills that are beyond the reach of ordinary magicians against Rana’s cooking. The remnants of her magic is now working in the kitchen garden.

「My party will be exploring the dungeon starting tomorrow, and we’ll descend 5 floors in one go on a forced schedule. I would like Frey-sama and Lazarissa to accompany us. The reward is 20 gold coins. I’ll cover all of the expenses for exploring the dungeon」

「10 gold coins is fine」

I hadn’t expected her to bargain the price down.

I had started with a lowball offer because I had thought that she would haggle for more money though.

「Ojou-sama, are you sure?」

「It’s fine, Lazarissa. Too much of a good thing is bad for us」

There are many adventurers who live hand-to-mouth, but you two should learn a bit more about how to plan your spending. You two would be splendid adventurers if not for that.

「Come to think of it, where’s Gashuraku-san?」

I don’t see the goblin-san who’s disguised as a dwarf.

「He’s gone home since he apparently has a place to live. Can the two of us live there too, I wonder?」

「Ojou-sama, that’s far too shameless」

Lazarissa had a panicked expression on her face.

For a Brave to be a freeloader in the home of the Demon King………It’s novel, I think?

「I'll contact him from my end. Well then, here’s an advance of 10 gold coins」

I took out the gold coins from my pouch and handed them to Lazarissa.

「I’ll give you the remaining 10 gold coins after we return from the dungeon. Sleep in a proper inn and stay out of the cold. Please eat delicious food and build up your energy. Don’t over-eat and over-drink. Please take care of yourself」

「If Nutria-san says so, then it can’t be helped. I’ll make good use of it」

「Ojou-sama is healthy and can sleep soundly anywhere. No need to worry」

「In that case, see you tomorrow. We’ll meet up in front of the Adventurers’ Guild when the morning bell rings」

「Alright, I understand」

The first negotiation went well.

Now, on to the next one.

I left the inn, went through the main street, and then turned into a back alley.

Directly behind the military police station, was that store.

I wrapped the chain that would permit me entry around my hand, and stood in front of the store.

『Mansion of the Sleep Demon and the Goddess of Fertility』

It was a magnificent and tasteful brothel. I mustered up my courage and opened the brothel’s metal doors.

Unlike before, it had a quiet and subdued atmosphere. The smell of burning incense was fainter compared to the last time I was here too.

The number of people waiting for customers was small, probably because it was a store that did its business mainly at night. There were those of both sexes who looked young, inexperienced and fresh.

「Welcome. Oh, dear customer is……」

「Oh, hello」

It was the middle-aged beastkin who was thrown through a wall previously. It looked like he had fully recovered from his injuries.

「Tyutyu, right? She was just sulking because she hadn’t had any customers recently. Your timing is perfect」

Not good, this isn’t good.

「Umm, today, I’m looking for Otou——」

「Souya!」

I was caught by something that came flying.

「You’re too much-nya! How long are you going to keep me waiting after saying that you were going to come-nya!」

A cat beastkin was complaining to me after she had jumped and wrapped her arms around me.

She was petite and had a lithe body. She had long wavy blonde hair, pointed ears that stood up, and a characteristic fluffy tail. Like the courtesans here, she was wearing sheer silk and a collar.

I had thought that I wouldn’t run into her if I came in the morning, but I guess I ended up running into her anyway.

「Tyutyu, I’m sorry, today——」

「It’s about time you prepared yourself-nya. If you neglect Nya any more than this, it’ll be a matter of pride-nya」

「Well then, dear customer, this way please」

I was guided to the second floor by the middle-aged man.

This isn’t good, it’s really bad if I get dragged along like this. In the first place, doing it with another woman even though I haven’t even done it with my wife is……

「Wait-nya」

Tyutyu's voice turned cold.

She was sniffing the area around my neck really hard.

「Souya, you smell of a beastkin woman that I don’t know-nya. Who is she-nya?」

「Urgh」

Tyutyu's nails were digging into the back of my neck.

I see. Another beastkin woman is no good, huh? I’ve learned something today. It’s probably a good idea to apply this knowledge next time. If I'm able to survive.

「Recently, there’s a live-in maid who’s taking care of us, you see?」

「Who on earth is she-nya?」

She grabbed my butt firmly. Her nails hurt.

It can’t be helped. It's not like I’m hiding it or anything.

「She's a beastkin called Lanseal」

「Huh? Lanseal? A silver-haired fox beastkin, and the illegitimate child of King Lemuria-nya?」

「That’s her」

Is she well-known? She’s the child of a mistress, but she’s the daughter of the king, so it’s to be expected, I guess.

「Ah, that’s……」

The middle-aged beastkin nodded for some reason.

Tyutyu backed away, and then fell over, placing both hands on the ground.

「I can’t beat the woman who’s the coat-of-arms on the flag-nya」

However, she immediately picked herself up and clung to me. She pressed herself against me.

Just like many of the beastkin women, she’s also broad-minded, or rather, aggressive about sex. I can’t get in the mood when it’s still morning though.

「Please-nya! I'll do anything, so don't abandon me-nya!」 f𝑟𝑒ewe𝚋𝚗૦𝐯e𝘭.c𝗼𝓂

「Hang on, Tyutyu. Stop saying things that may be misunderstood by those who hear them」

「Then, what about increasing the number of people-nya?! There just happens to be newcomers who are free——」

「Hey, you guys are noisy」

A middle-aged man emerged from the back.

He had black hair, black eyes and a scruffy beard. His left eye was closed and he looked sleepy. He was wearing loose-fitting nightwear and had a sheathed longsword in one hand.

「Sorry, Otou-san. There’s something I want to discuss with you」

Medimu, also known as the father of adventurers.

「Alright. Come to the back」

「Souya! What about Nya?!」

「I'm sorry, Tyutyu. I'm really sorry. I'll definitely make it up to you one of these days」

「Don’t ever forget it-nya!」

I separated myself from Tyutyu somehow, and then followed Otou-san into a room in the back.

The room was spacious, but it looked like a storeroom. It had one window. Weapons, armor and adventuring essentials were stacked up neatly in a corner of the room. The living space was only a bed at one end of the room, and a long desk in between two sofas.

It was a room that seemed to be for nothing other than exploring the dungeon.

When Otou-san sat down heavily on the sofa, he lit up a stick of paper-rolled tobacco. Rather than being smoky, it smelled strangely nice.

Is it a cigarette of fragrant or medicinal herbs, I wonder.

「So, what do you want to talk to me about?」

I unreservedly sat down on the sofa as well.

It’s really comfortable to sit on. It’s definitely an expensive sofa.

「I reached the 15th floor yesterday. Starting tomorrow, I’ll challenge the 20th floor. I’ll descend in one go on a forced schedule」

「You’re going to try to clear the maniacal floor1 in one go, huh?」

「The maniacal floor?」

That’s an unfamiliar term.

「That’s what the older adventurers call the 19th floor. However, I thought of you as a person who would carefully do preliminary investigations before descending though. Did something happen?」

「Yes, to Rana. I asked her about the war between Lemuria and Heures. Well, I was ignored, or perhaps I should say, rejected. So I asked King Lemuria about it and he said that he would tell me if I cleared the 20th floor without any casualties」

「Aah, I see. ………When faced with that rabbit, how did Princess Rauaryuna look?」

「She was perfectly calm. She apparently has a resistance against things like that」

「I fear that something like that is only possible for those who reside in the realm of the gods. It’s impossible for a mere human. In other words……」

「You don’t need to tell me. I know」

I hadn’t thought for a second that Rana had a resistance against such things.

When she tells a lie, she suppresses her emotions and speaks quickly.

「Well, a party with someone who’s hiding something in it will become unable to stay together in future. Your judgment is correct」

It felt like the conversation was going off topic, so I cut to the heart of the matter.

「Otou-san, I want to ask you about the enemy that you’ve been pursuing」

This person is an outstanding adventurer. That enemy has stolen over 30 years from a person like him.

If it’s possible to do so, I’ve no problems with bypassing this enemy. To be clear, I couldn’t care less about things like the lives of others. I believe that people should live and die as they wish. I also won’t say things that don’t suit me like, “I want to lend you a hand”.

「I was going to tell you the information about it anyway as you’re someone who is accompanied by elves. But don't expect too much. I've been pursing it for 30 years, but I have little information about it」

「Little?」

This person has little information even after 30 years?

「First of all, it can’t be seen. It makes no sound and has no presence. It abducts adventurers effortlessly. It doesn’t leave footprints or other traces. It turns ups at unexpected moments. In just a split-second blink of an eye that cannot be called an unguarded moment, a person disappears. Not one of the adventurers who have disappeared in this way have ever been found. Only counting the ones that I’ve recorded personally, there are 28 victims. In 30 years, a mere 28 people.

Every year, 300 people fall victim to the dungeon pigs alone. Even the weakest Chocho claims the lives of 200 people a year. Compared to various things, the number of casualties it causes is too small. That’s the reason why the Adventurers’ Guild and adventurers other than me don’t do anything about it.

After one person disappears, there’s an interval of about a year before the next time someone disappears.

It’s impossible to determine whether it takes a long time to eat its prey, or if it hibernates because it leaves no corpses behind in the first place.

The distinguishing characteristic of the adventurers who have disappeared is that they are good at magic. However, those who potentially have a high aptitude for magic are also targeted even if they aren’t magicians. As a race, elves’ innate talent in magic is great. It could be said that virtually all elves are its targets」

I wonder if the fact that I had instinctively invited Frey will bring luck or misfortune.

「There is no doubt that it’s nesting on the 19th floor. Once, I sealed off both the stairs going up and the ones going down, and then searched the entire floor」

「Are there ways to move between floors without using the stairs?」

「There aren’t. At the very least, from what I’ve investigated, there are no such secret passageways on the 19th floor. The only thing that bothers me is that one of the walls feels off. No, it’s not something that’s worth mentioning, I suppose」

「What’s this about a wall?」

It bothers me.

Information that’s discounted like this can lead to a breakthrough.

「I guess I can tell you about it just in case. There’s a wall with strange markings on it. I had all sorts of people analyze it, but the markings are characters that don’t match the language of any of the civilizations that are left in the records, and drawings that no one could make any sense of. It’s probably something that our predecessors had scribbled on the wall. It has nothing to do with the enemy」

Things like that aren’t rare.

In this alternate world, civilizations had repeated the cycle of prosperity and ruin many times. For some reason, the remnants of those civilizations are preserved inside the dungeon. The Odoriji spire has a long history. It could possibly be the work of adventurers with free time. It might also be the vestiges of a magic that’s lost to the world now. Other than that, I don't really give a damn.

「In the past, there was an adventurer who had very little regeneration point and low magic power just like you. He was a noble dilettante who admired Thrusuovu2, and other than paying for the expenses for exploring the dungeon, he was just a burden, but he said that he saw this enemy with his own eyes.

It had two thin, scimitar-like claws, and a skull-like wrinkled and withered face. It didn’t have a lower body, its upper body was only bones, and it had an outer skin that drifted like a cloak.

It was only for a moment, but he apparently saw it disappearing into the darkness of the 19th floor.

Everyone thought that he had made it up because he wanted fame, and no one took him seriously, but I have a theory.

That enemy lurking on the 19th floor. It has the means to deceive the eyes of normal adventurers. That’s why that dilettante saw it. But cases where an inept person like him reaching the 19th floor are too few for me to try to prove my theory.

However, there just happens to be an inept person like him in front of me. What’s more, he has an elven magician in his party. And, about a year has passed since the last time someone disappeared.

………………I feel as if luck is smiling on me. No, perhaps it’s a sign that it’s about time for me to give up, I suppose」

「In other words?」

It might be me who is getting a stroke of good luck.

Or rather, after the run of misfortune I’ve had since coming to this world, has my luck finally turned?

「I'll lend you a hand. You said that you’re starting tomorrow, right? The time?」

「First thing in the morning」

「Alright, understood. Since I have to consider my position as well, I can't openly accompany greenhorn adventurers. I'll meet up with you on the 15th floor」

「Thank you」

「Thank me after clearing that floor safely. As I’ve said before, I'm not much of an adventurer. I'm a fool who abandoned his party members and is pursuing a dead party member」

He’s an adventurer who has gone to great pains against the same enemy for 30 years. However, his strength is beyond question. I’ve only had a glimpse of his true strength, but this person is stronger than any of the adventurers that I’ve met in this world.

He’s strong, and he’s the one person that I’m able to abandon easily.

Irvin. To think that I would turn to the person who killed you for help in exploring the dungeon.

What irony, damn it.