Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru

<Urovalus, the City of Ghosts II>

I might have heard her wrong after all.

「Like I said, it's my lifespan. Among the Horns, I've lived the longest, and to be honest, it wouldn't be a surprise if my body gave out at any time, but in the last five days or so, it's started to deteriorate rapidly. I think I can fight to my limits one more time, but after that………I’ll undoubtedly die」

My mind went completely blank.

「Wait, wait, wait」

I fumbled for words, but couldn't find any.

「Please don't worry, Souya. The Guild President has agreed to take over as your person-in-charge. I've already finished the handover procedures, so there shouldn't be any problems」

No, that's not what I’m worried about.

「Is there any way to extend your lifespan?」

「There isn't. For a monster that has been taken out of the dungeon, just being able to live this long is already a miracle. I'm very grateful to Verxina-sama for saving my life. If the souls of monsters and humans return to the same place, I'll be able to thank her directly」

「Please wait. What if you don't fight?」

「My lifespan will increase somewhat. However, it's my hope that this life that has been given to me by an adventurer will end during an adventure」

That's something that I can kind of understand. But being told about your lifespan out of the blue like this seriously troubles me.

「Souya, I know that you have a soft spot for people you're close to. I'm very glad that you include me among them. That said, there's one thing that you mustn't get wrong. I'm not human. I'm a monster trained to obey humans. I'm an aberration, the exact same as that shameless girl, Nanassy」

「The exact same, you say………」

No, that can't be right. You're nothing like that off-the-chain rabid dog.

「Look closely at this part」

Evetta pulled her chair closer to mine and pointed to her right horn.

「When their horns get damaged, Horns suffer from such severe pain all over their body that they become unable to move. That's why they're usually cut off and given to their owners. In my case, due to the achievements I earned during my adventures and the kindness of King Lemuria, I was allowed to have my horn reattached」

Come on, take a look, said Evetta, leaning even closer. I could see where her right horn had been joined back together. More importantly, my heart skipped a beat when her long silver hair brushed across the back of my hand. There was a subtle fragrance that I had never smelled before.

「Arcane-sama has also given Nanassy her horn back as a sign of trust. It's foolish because he can no longer control her, but I suppose that's his way of showing that he sees her as a comrade」

「Evetta-san, what I'm trying to say is――――」

「I know. I do」

She took both my hands in hers.

「I don't know whether to call it long or short, but I've been in charge of you for a time after all. I believe I know you. And I don't wish for you to bear the grief of losing your party member a second time」

「Evetta-san, my party members aren't that weak」

I've become stronger as well.

Never will I let something like what happened to Irvin happen again.

「Then, this is just my selfish wish. Since my life was given to me by an adventurer, I want to die as an adventurer. I don't want to die whimpering by myself on my bed. I know that I'm asking a terrible thing of you. But if you refuse, I’ll simply fight and die alone. Somewhere inside the dungeon, unseen by anyone. In vain, for no reason at all. If I'm fortunate enough to have someone to witness my end, I want that someone to be you. If there’s still any use for this life, I want to use it for you. That's all there is to it」

「That’s all, huh………」

As firmly as I could, I grasped her hands back. As proof of how much I had grown.

Showing pity to a person who has prepared themselves to die is the act of a fool. 𝒇𝔯e𝚎𝘄𝑒𝑏𝙣𝑜𝚟𝗲𝑙.c𝘰𝚖

Up until now, in this alternate world, I've met many people with various kinds of resolves in their hearts. And I have respected all of them for the strength of their resolves.

This is the most basic of human courtesies.

「Then I have no other choice. It can't be helped, I suppose」

It's hard to accept.

But accept it I will.

「Evetta-san, your fight……I’ll definitely witness it. Please show me what it is to be a brave and proud adventurer until the very last moment」

「Leave it to me. As your senior, I'll show you how an adventurer who isn’t shameful should look(I'll show you how an adventurer worthy of pride should conduct themselves)」[1]

Since she and I first met, it had been 172 days.

But we embraced each other like close friends who had known each other for decades.

Looking back on it now, this person is the first ally I gained in the alternate world. She's helped me a lot. I've treated her to many meals. We've shared so much joys and sorrows. She’s been as happy about my exploits as if they were her own.

This is not an abrupt farewell like the time with Irvin.

It's a planned and proclaimed farewell.

However, that doesn't change the fact that it's heartbreaking.

I held back my tears.

She's the last person I want to look miserable in front of. Because she probably feels the same as I do.

<Urovalus, the City of Ghosts III>

It was a vast space that hardly seemed like the inside of a dungeon, and in fact housed an entire city.

Instead of outer walls, the city was surrounded by stone walls. Its cityscape resembled Lemuria's, and it was easy to forget that this was the inside of a dungeon when exploring its many alleyways.

The ceiling was as high as the sky, with a fake light emulating the sun.

A pleasant spring breeze was blowing.

When I listened carefully, I could almost hear the hustle and bustle of people in the distance.

Like the whispers of ghosts.

500 years ago. On the land Lemuria sat on, there was a country called Beliale.

This was the era when the country of the dragon still existed on the continent. It had developed a civilization more advanced than today's, and built much of the infrastructure that Lemuria still used to this day. It was a country with engineers so skilled that even the dwarves respected them.

The fruits of their skill had remained, spread out extensively under my home.

「This city, Urovalus, is said to be the Beliale that once existed. The means by which it was transplanted to this floor is unknown But after a careful investigation of the records of the Odoriji spire and the items found on this floor, it seems that there's no doubt about it」

After listening to Evetta-san's explanation, I smacked the ass of Shuna, who was next to me.

「Oww!」

「Hey, Shuna. Don't be so focused on looking that you mess up」

「I, I won't! Besides, aren't you looking too, Souya!」

「Of course I'm looking! But my fighting strength doesn't change! In fact, it's rising!」

「No, my skills won't be dulled by such nakedness either」

What the grumbling and complaining Shuna was looking at were Evetta-san's rounded buttocks.

Contrary to her slender body, her buttocks were ample, feminine, and wonderful.

How should I put it………

Her adventuring outfit consists of a tiny black micro-bikini and a short cloak that only covers her back and waist. She has armor on her legs and shins, but other than that, she’s completely unprotected.

Actually, her outfit isn't all that unusual.

Women who serve as vanguards in the alternate world usually show a lot of skin. Rather than putting on inadequate armor, they tend to prioritize ease of movement. This is because many of the female warriors who have left their mark on the world, such as Gladvain-sama, have a history of wearing revealing outfits.

It's a wonderful tradition.

In other words, those who wear the bikini armor under clothes like Rana are seen as being overly dressed. She can definitely wear less. As for Lys, well, the armor originally belonged to Irvin, so it’s a different story altogether.

When Shuna and I stared at Evetta-san's ass, who looked the perfect image of a female warrior, the women of the party gave us disapproving looks.

We're just observing tradition though.

But well, the weapon that Evetta-san carries is enough to put a damper on me and Shuna's lecherousness.

It's a huge mace with a diamond-shaped head.

A smaller person would be crushed into pulp in a single blow. Naturally, it must weigh an awful lot. But that's not the only thing about it that’s scary. The entire head of the mace is covered with indentations, resembling a grater.

The one thing I can't figure out is the metal rope coiled around the mace.

It's not long enough to be used to pull back the mace after throwing it.

Is it meant to be swung around or to strangle enemies with? It's not a commonly used weapon, so it's something of a mystery.

「This floor is similar in design to the Great Skeleton floors that you've cleared in the past」

Ignoring my curious stare, Evetta-san continued her explanation.

At present,

She was leading us down the main street, which would lead to the dungeon if we were in Lemuria. However, there was one glaring difference between this ghost city and Lemuria.

There was no Odoriji spire.

「There’s no clear distinction of floors from the 40th to the 45th floor」

「Is there a big hole in the ground somewhere, or is it structured like an atrium?」

I wouldn't get anywhere by only staring at her butt, so I asked her a question.

「No, when the guardian of this city is defeated, a portal to the 45th floor will appear」

「Ohh, it's the same as that revelry guy, huh?」

The magician of revelry, Wagreas.

That ridiculous character won't pop up again, will he? I don't really care about the guy himself, but I saw the scene of Rana beating the crap out of him in a dream some time back.

I hope it's not a dream with a deeper meaning.

「The way to make the guardian appear is a bit―――――――」

Evetta-san signaled with her hand for the whole party to stop.

Evetta-san was at the head of the party's formation. Shuna and I were in a line behind her.

Behind us was the defense and firepower duo of Lys and Rana.

Ea was in charge of watching our backs, while Otou-san was responsible for guarding the rear.

Although she was a temporary member, Evetta-san was acting sorta like the leader this time around.

I told everyone in the party to follow her instructions. They all agreed to do so readily, but there was one thing I didn't tell them.

It's the matter of Evetta-san's lifespan.

My party members are all experienced adventurers, but with the exception of Otou-san, there are still some inconsistencies in how they perform. However, it's not like their movements will be dulled because they're unduly concerned about other things. This is purely my own selfish wish.

I don't want Evetta-san's last adventure to be sullied by trite considerations and sympathies.

「There's one coming at us from the front. And another one from the rear」

Just as Evetta-san spotted the approaching enemies, Yukikaze also sounded a proximity warning.

The ground shook as huge figures emerged from the alleyways.

They came from the front and back at the same time, catching the party in a pincer.

The enemies were good old dungeon pigs. However, there was one thing that set them apart from the ones we had encountered in the past.

They had horns growing out of their foreheads. Horns much like Evetta-san and Nanassy's.

「I'll take care of the one in front」

Evetta-san would deal with the pig in front.

「I'll kill the one coming from behind. Princess Ea, can you shoot out its eyes?」

「Easily」

The pig at our rear would be dealt with by Otou-san and Ea.

Still as huge and ferocious as ever, the enormous pigs charged at us, spraying drool and squealing noisily.

Even though we've gotten stronger, taking on an opponent like this head-on is still a challenge. The standard strategy is to use feints or decoys to get behind it.

But,

Evetta-san took it head-on.

She rolled her shoulders and hopped a few steps, looking as light as a dancer and making the weight of the mace seem insignificant.

Then, she sprinted forward in a blur of speed.

The distance between her and the pig was instantly reduced to zero.

A loud boom filled the air, followed by the sounds of flesh ripping apart and bones being crushed. Then, all that remained was the figure of Evetta-san, who had swung her mace upwards from a low stance.

The four-meter-long dungeon pig flew apart as it sailed off into the distance.

It was a home run.

The one in front had been taken care of, so I looked behind.

I had turned back just in time to see Ea release arrows from her compound bow. The two arrows that she released at the same time pierced through the eyes of the dungeon pig as if they were being drawn in.

Shrieking, the hulking creature lost its balance and tumbled to the ground right in front of Otou-san.

A short exhalation of breath.

A single glint as he drew his katana and cut the pig's head in two.

When the katana clicked back into its scabbard, the pig's brains spilled out.

It was such a precise cut that the pig didn't even let out a single death throe. It likely never realized its death.

As expected of Otou-san, that's just amazing.

Evetta-san is also impressive. If it was simply a contest of physical strength, she would be a match for His Majesty Ashtalia. She might even better him. Her strength is beyond the realm of human understanding.

We searched the area for enemies after the battle. There were no other enemies in sight. Nothing from Yukikaze either―――――

『Team member Souya』

「Hmm?」

No, it appeared that she had found something.

『Please check the monster that Medimu-sama defeated. Yukikaze is getting a strange reaction from it』

「Understood. Otou-s―――――」

Just as I was calling out to him, I saw Evetta-san lift her mace up.

For a moment, I thought she was going to attack Otou-san.

Naturally, that wasn't what she was doing.

The mace was swung downwards onto the pig’s corpse――――――no, the pig that was about to get up.

「Medimu-sama, it feels strange for me to teach you something, but well……」

She pulled on the mace's rope. I realized then what it was for.

The mace appeared to be constructed in such a way that allowed the mace head to rotate. When she pulled the rope, the mace head spun around at high speed, like a drill.

When the mace head was spun while it was buried in the flesh………

「……if you don't smash their vitals to pieces, they'll regenerate」

………half of the pig was pulverized into mincemeat. The resulting spray of blood and flesh splattered all over Evetta-san.

Seeing her soiled appearance, Otou-san had a complicated look on his face.

「Being taught by you feels weird」

Otou-san must have received quite a shock from being taught by someone younger than him.

I received a different kind of shock when I realized the meaning of her nickname.

Wiping the blood off with her cloak, Evetta-san took the lead again. Like nothing had happened, she got ready for the next battle.

Gruesome destruction.

Is this what the adventurers "back in the day[2]" were like? To someone who has lived through those times, the adventurers of today must seem almost tepid.

「The enemies on this floor are all "horned". Those horns provide the same effect to the monsters as the regeneration point does to adventurers. Wounds from half-baked attacks will be regenerated immediately. A clean slash to a vital point is easily regenerated. I recommend either pulverizing them beyond recognition or gouging out either their brains or hearts and then grinding them into dust」

「Evetta-san, what kinds of enemies are there here?」

These pigs are a pain to deal with all by themselves, but if there are other monsters, it'll be even more of a problem.

「Other than the ghostly or spectral kinds, all of the enemies that you've encountered on the previous floors」

「Eh? All of them?」

「Yes. All of them」

You must be kidding.

What the heck, is this an all-star and powered-up floor? Is this like the final dungeon or something?

「Oh, I almost forgot. Be careful not to enter the buildings. You never know what might have built a nest inside. Please refrain from provoking enemies as much as possible」

I hope we don’t run into any bees.

The sisters get all weird when they see honey.

「Safe havens have been marked in this way by our predecessors. Please use them as emergency shelters」

Evetta-san pointed out one of the buildings with her mace.

On its tightly shut door, there was a distorted V-shaped pattern.

It's a pattern I've seen before.

「Dear, this is the Gastolfo's……」

「Yeah」

It's the crest of the Brave that you erased.

「As expected, madam, you're very knowledgeable. This is indeed the crest of Gastolfo's Braves. The safe havens on this floor were all discovered by those Braves」

「W, wow」

Rana had a sour look on her face, probably because she was reminded of Frey. I could understand how she felt.

「By the way, Evetta-san, what will we be doing after this?」

「Right. We'll continue to fight the enemies as we go to see how the party does. I'll be pointing out all your faults, so be prepared for that. Once that's done, we'll move towards their base along the walls and then wait for night」

「Night………」

For there to be night inside the dungeon………so the fake sun sets, huh?

As we were about to proceed onward, Evetta-san stopped and turned back to face us.

「Sorry, I forgot to welcome you guys」

Still covered in blood and gore, she flashed a rare smile.

[1] The translation you see is the literal translation, as is written, so to speak. What’s in the brackets is how I would normally translate it. It’s actually fairly common when translating Japanese for the meaning to be more accurate/clearer after flipping it around like that. However, there’s a reason why those specific words had to be retained despite them making the line sound weird and not as clear. You’ll see why later.

[2] Remember how the older adventurers, like King Lemuria, always say, “Back in my day, the Guild wasn’t as good/things were tougher/etc.” This is in reference to that generation of adventurers.

After reading about Evetta’s outfit in III, you got what I meant in [1], I hope. She sure showed him how an adventurer should look, eh? I don’t know about the shameful part though. Yes, this author took a key line in a touching scene he wrote and yeeted it to facepalm land in the very next chapter…… On that topic though, fanart of Evetta please. Pretty please?

I love the “observing tradition” joke too. That cracked me up.

We’ve finally started the titular arc in earnest! It’s been a while, but it’s a full dungeon crawl! This one is going to be just as long and intense as the last one! Stay tuned!