Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru

【180th day】

It hits you suddenly when you least expect it.

The time when Irvin died, it wasn't until 49 days had passed that it really hit me.

That time, I had wandered the plain in the middle of the night until dawn broke, passed out, and then found myself at the camp.

He had died inside the dungeon, so why had I wandered the plain, I wonder.

I didn't know then and I still don't know now, but for some reason, I found myself wandering the plain in the middle of the night again.

I had no destination in mind.

The moons were hidden by the clouds and there were no stars in sight. It was a dark night tonight.

Amid the darkness that resembled the depths of the ocean, I relied on a dim light as I walked.

Somehow, I felt calm and relaxed.

Do I actually have fishman's blood in my veins? I wondered.

At this time of night, the city would be alive with revelry. I had tried to distract myself with some cheap alcohol, but now that I had become an advanced adventurer, I was treated differently even in the bar run by the country.

Inevitably, I drew the attention of the people around me.

It was fine when I was with my party members, but when I was alone, it was just too much trouble. Yesterday, I had to fight off three adventurers who wanted to test their skills.

It was also the way I was dressed. The combination of a magician's pointy hat, ancient adventuring outfit, black cloak, glasses, and a foreign katana stood out like a sore thumb to any sharp-eyed adventurer.

I thought about putting on a disguise, but……

『It's unbecoming of an advanced adventurer to sneak about. Act with dignity』

Was what the barkeeper said to me, so I reluctantly left my outfit as it was.

I mean, I can't kill them, I can't hurt them too badly, and I can't take their money or equipment after I defeat them either.

It's really nothing but a pain.

Is this why the other advanced adventurers don't show themselves all that often?

I'll need to figure out a better way to deal with this.

If I don't, the number of opponents will only increase.

I've had my fill of adventurers fighting adventurers. But I'll have to collect my dues from Arcane sometime soon.

「So, Yukikaze」

『What is it?』

I held up Yukikaze to illuminate the surroundings.

All around me, there was nothing but pitch-black darkness and the grass on the plain swaying like seaweed, making it seem like I was standing at the bottom of the sea.

「Where am I?」

I was completely lost.

『North of the old camp, near the ruined dungeon』

「How did I end up here?」

『Who knows? Is this some form of sleepwalking? Yukikaze recommends that you undergo Makina's psychological evaluation when you get home』

「Is that thing even accurate?」

I undergo regular checkups with Makina from time to time, but nothing ever seems to be wrong.

That conversely makes it really suspect.

『Who knows? Misuranika-sama often says, "It's impossible for even a god to know what's inside a person's heart." If you feel better after being told that everything is fine, isn't that fine? After all, it's said that all illness begins with the mind, right?』

「You're being rather frank, aren't you?」

She's as sloppy about things as usual.

This is getting ridiculous. I should go home.

「Yukikaze, use the marker to indicate the city's―――――」

『Zi………Zi…Zsa………………Zsa』

Static came out of the mini-pod. It sounded like a busted radio.

「Yukikaze, what’s wrong?」

『Zi………Zsaa………………Zi Zi』

「Come on」

A malfunction? I hadn’t expected my guide to break down in the dark like this. But the lights are still on, and it doesn't seem to be a bad contact with the pod or a problem with its speakers. If that's the case, I'll probably get a message through my glasses soon.

If it's a problem with the aqueous brain, then there will be nothing I can do.

Worst case, she'll have to be reset to factory settings.

「Oh, man」

At any rate, I'll have to let Makina take a look at her. Well, before that, I'll have to find my way home.

I looked around, but it was a night with no stars or moons in sight. I couldn't find my bearings.

As I searched for my portable compass……

「?」

……I heard singing.

I instantly associated it with the songs of mermaids. A magical tune that would enthrall sailors out at sea. Perhaps I was bewitched or maybe it was just curiosity, but I headed towards where the song was coming from.

Just in case, I closed my left eye and searched for presences. This power was given to me by the Faceless King. Even after I had regained sight in my left eye, I could still use it without any problems.

In my mind, I sensed a presence that resembled a mass of smoke fifty meters ahead of me.

There was just one, but it was massive for a person.

It didn't seem to have any malicious intent.

If I were to silence my footsteps too much, it might think I intended it harm, so I made as much noise as I could as I walked.

The darkness made the distance ambiguous.

I had thought that it was fifty meters ahead of me, but it felt like I had walked twice as far.

Perhaps it had sensed my approach, but the singing stopped.

「Oh, I'm sorry」

I apologized for some reason.

The light from the mini-pod illuminated a petite woman sitting on some rubble.

Her long, dusky blonde hair was wavy and voluminous, making her look like a bagworm moth. She wore very little makeup and was dressed plainly in a black robe. There were dark circles under her eyes, probably from a lack of sleep.

It may be rude to say this, but she has a well-shaped nose, so she will probably look much better with a little bit more makeup.

「Eh, no way!」

The woman let out a surprised yelp.

Huh……this high-pitched anime voice……I've heard it before somewhere.

「Could it be that you're Gormlaith-sama?」

「Eh, yes」

It was the Demon King.

「Emm, what's with your current appearance?」

I'd never have thought that the dignified(in appearance only) Demon King would be such a drab-looking girl.

The alternate world is full of wonders.

「This is what I looked like before I died. On nights like tonight, when the moons are hidden, dark beings like myself are at their most powerful. As an effect of that, my body turns back to the way it was. I don't really like this appearance though」

「No, I think you’re so-so cute」

「………………So-so」

I'm sorry.

My eye for women's looks has become very discerning because I've been surrounded by so many beauties.

「I apologize. I heard some beautiful singing, so I just………I'm sorry to have disturbed you」

I bowed and then turned away.

I had gotten a rough idea of the direction I needed to go. I should be able to walk back to the city.

「If you'd like……… Hey, wait!」

「Hmm?」

I paused and looked back when she stopped me.

「Shall we talk for a bit?」

The Demon King moved a little to the side to make some space on the rubble and then patted it with her hand.

Well, when a woman says something like that, there's really no good reason to refuse. I was just wandering around aimlessly to begin with, so I have the time anyway.

「Well then, if you insist」 free𝒘ℯ𝗯𝙣𝗼ν𝑒𝗹.𝒄o𝒎

I sat down next to the Demon King.

Then, she subtly shuffled a little further from me. That hurt my feelings somewhat.

「Wh, what are your hobbies?」

The Demon King asked me a question that sounded like one heard in marriage interviews.

「I cook a little. That said, I enjoy it, but I'm not very good at it. I'm only as good as a guy who lives alone and cooks in his spare time」

「Even so, Makina still got jealous」

「Well, I just got lucky sometimes. It's just luck」

Is she holding a grudge against me?

「………………」

「………………」

It got silent all of a sudden.

I, I can’t think of anything to talk about……

「By the way, Demon King-sama」「By the way, Souya-san」

We ended up opening our mouths at the same time.

「No, you first, Demon King-sama」

「No no, you first, Souya-san」

As we asked each other to go first, the atmosphere got a little weird.

Are we middle schoolers on a first date or something?

「What’s your occupation, Souya-san?」

「I'm a bit of an adventurer」

「R, right. Of course. That's not what I meant though. I've been a Demon King for a while now, but before that, I was an adventurer, and before that, I was a magician who specialized in mixing potions. At first, I rented a small corner of another store, but my potions became quite popular. An elf came to me with a proposal for setting up my own store. We started to explore the dungeon together to gather materials, and then we formed our own adventuring party. Naturally, I trusted him with everything, including my life, and well, I developed a huge misunderstanding. I mistook the heart-pounding from danger with the hear-pounding of love. I was warned by the other two members of our party when I quit the party to get married to him, "Don't go with that elf. He only cares about what's in it for him." Hahaha, I completely ignored their advice. I had completely lost my head. At his behest, I sold the recipes for the potions and used up all the money I had earned adventuring. By the time I realized that I had been tricked, it was already too late. Without a single word, I was suddenly barred from the forest and never got to say goodbye to his face. I tried to earn a living as an adventurer, but my involvement with the elves had earned me a bad reputation. Eventually, it reached the point where I couldn't even afford my daily bread, and I mistakenly blamed it all on the world. Oh, but the king at the time was really a bad king. He kidnapped a clan of goblins and used them to establish a despicable system of slave adventurers. So, umm, having finally given in to despair, I killed the king」

Speaking incredibly fast, the Demon King gave me a self-deprecating account of her past.

「That must have been tough」

As someone who has elven family members, this is a bit painful to hear.

I feel like it's usually the elves who are at fault.

「To be honest, the hardest part was after I had killed the king. I had to secretly re-build the city I had blown up, free the goblins, teach them the concept of hygiene, increase their literacy rate to 100%, develop farming methods that could be used inside the dungeon, and teach them how to use and create tools, which was something they were originally good at, so that was no problem. It took me ten years to create a stable living space.

And then, I had a real adventure with a party of people I truly trusted.

The unknown and the unusual that went on forever. Exploring the forbidden dungeon was so much fun. I was never healthy to begin with, so my lifespan ended before I turned thirty. Though they weren't human, it was the first time in my life that so many people felt saddened and grieved for me.

The moment I thought, "I'm so glad to have lived this life～", I suddenly didn't want to die anymore, so I held on with willpower and developed a way to anchor my soul to my body. My appearance became terrible, but………………well, as you can see, my original appearance was never much to look at anyway」

「That's not true. If you work hard at polishing yourself up, I believe you will shine」

I meant that sincerely.

I mean, I've always been into plain women. Rana's the only one for me now though.

「Souya-san, has anyone told you that even the way you speak is starting to resemble the elves?」 𝙛𝚛𝙚ewe𝗯𝓃𝗼ѵ𝚎Ɩ.𝒄ｏ𝐦

「No way」

For a moment, the face of that asshole Melm flashed across my mind, making me sick to my stomach.

It's just that I've had to acquire communication skills whether I liked it or not after coming to the alternate world. I have no intention of ever reaching the level of the elves, who hit on women as easily as they breathe.

「Umm, by the way, Souya-san, what's with the hat? Since when did you become a magician?」

She pointed a small, slender finger at my hat.

「I got this hat from the Faceless King. And this cane-sword as well」

I also had a cane on me.

Excess material had been shaved off the staff that the Faceless King had given me and it had been modified into a British gentleman's T-handle cane that was painted black. As its hidden blade is straight, drawing it is different from drawing a katana, so I still need to practice with it some more. In terms of pure destructive power, toughness, and strength, it’s inferior to the magic sword, but it possesses the sharpness of a thin saber.

It would be difficult to cut through bone using this blade, but it's designed to cut flesh and pierce through soft spots.

It also seems to be made from a strange kind of steel. Makina had been unable to analyze it. If I wanted to find out more, I'd need to ask the dwarves.

It's for use against other people……Well, I'll admit that it's a fashion item.

「The Faceless Kinggg??」

The Demon King tilted her head and let out a strange voice.

「By Faceless King, do you mean that legendary person who has been inside the Odoriji spire eras before the era of Beliale? The one who's said to be the master of the three great magicians?」

「That's what I heard」

「For him to not be made-up, but a real person………I'm amazed」

The Demon King had an amusing look of surprise on her face.

「In addition, umm, it may be strange to tell you something like this, Demon King-sama, but………」

I told the Demon King about the Abaddon.

Adventurers are forbidden from telling non-adventurers about their adventures, but this is the Demon King we're talking about here. She must have extraterritorial rights. Or rather, in a sense, isn't this person also a danger to the world?

The Demon King gave me quite a few rather amusing reactions like Hmm~, Ehh~, and Fue~ as she listened to my story.

It was the first time I had talked about my adventures to someone other than my party members and it was quite a novel experience.

I couldn't help getting worked up as I talked.

I went back in time a little bit and started the story off with our attempt to clear the floor. I told her about how the party got separated from each other. The deadly fight against the Horns, Otou-san's betrayal, and Verxina-san's true identity. The magic warhorn. The adventurers who continued to fight inside the dungeon.

Well, I did exaggerate a little.

Like how I had won straight away and things like that.

………So this is how history gets distorted, huh?

「And so, the true identity of the fake Garving is actually the Faceless King」

「Amazing! Hey, tell me more!」

「Eh, more?」

The Demon King grabbed me with both hands.

Her hands were cold―――not. They had the warmth of life.

「Umm, in that case, let me tell you a story about a monster called Lola and an adventurer who spent many years chasing after her」

The story about Otou-san and Lola.

It was a tale of a man who became known as the father of adventurers because of his simple-mindedness.

When that was over, I told her the story about how I was summoned to the land of the Myriad Kings.

The tale of the king who had survived the burning of his kingdom.

Next was the story about honey and the little armored fairies. And the promise I made with the children.

I told her about the festival where I joined forces with the many people I had met to fight a dragon. About how the roar of Rana's fist had exploded through the air.

An anecdote about winter.

I spoke about what I had seen in the ruins of what was once the country that saved the dragon that came to rule over it. About how I had infiltrated the snowbound castle inside that dragon's dream.

The vampire lady.

The tale of a beast-headed man driven by obsession and delusion who had been a knight living as the shadow of a hero.

A story of a well-earned respite.

The making of ramen in the flame religion and the ramen boom that it had started in Lemuria.

Lastly,

I started with how my initial party had defeated the dragon-tortoise in search of fame, then spoke of how something trivial had led to a duel, and how we had mended fences and then gone on to have new adventures together.

Then, I told her of how I had lost my first party member. The story of a foolish man.

For the sake of the friend I had lost………it sounded good when I said that.

I had been unable to forgive the hero.

That was all that had been. It had simply been revenge.

『………………』

When I finished the story, silence fell over us again.

I'm so thirsty. My mouth is parched from talking for so long.

「I had heard some of that from Makina, but as can be expected, it's different when I hear it from the person himself. It's more exciting? It feels more real? It gives me this tingling feeling. It reminds me of the old days. It makes me want to go explore the Odoriji spire again」

「Why don't you try sneaking in?」

A disguise will do the trick.

If you wear a mask, you can hide the fact that you're a skeleton.

「Hmmm, I'll think about it」

If she really does try it and gets unmasked, I feel like it might cause a major panic.

「Now, Souya-san」

The Demon King stood up and patted the dust off her buttocks.

A thin line of light could be seen in the distant sky. The heavy atmosphere of night was coming to an end.

「It's like I said before. Associating with the Demon King despite being a human is fraught with danger. That's why it's best to have a clean break. As for meeting up personally………………let this be the last time we have a night like tonight」

The heck? This is the second time I've been told to never see her again.

「When I find myself unable to sleep again, would you be willing to hear me out like this? It's fine if it's only when you have the time and the inclination to do so」

I had made that request in all seriousness, but also to distract myself.

I should probably talk to Master or Otou-san when it comes to stuff like this, but Master is that baldy's relative, and I've just had a big fight with Otou-san, and I'm still the leader after a fashion.

It'd also be absurd for me to complain or tell exaggerated stories to the younger members of my party or the people close to me.

Now that Evetta-san is no longer with us, I want someone I can talk to casually about our adventures.

「Ehh? I'm the Demon King though. It's not right. But if you insist～, just once more. ………………No, I'll lend you an ear three more times after all」

My request was granted relatively easily.

I wonder why.

I can almost see the Demon King giving money to her gambling addict boyfriend. Is she the type of woman who ruins men?

「Souya-san, is your last adventure the reason why you were taking a walk at night?」

「Yes, actually, well, the person-in-charge who always kept me company has passed away, you see?」

I thought I had accepted it, but it still doesn't feel real.

「If I recall correctly, your person-in-charge was that Horns?」

「Yeah, she was beautiful, cool, slender, elegant, and beautiful」

「You didn't have to call her beautiful twice」

When the Demon King retorted me, I felt as if the ice had been broken between us.

But I'd bet she'll be all nervous again the next time we meet. She's the type who's like a small animal. The moment I leave, her guard will be up immediately.

「This is a bit of a weird question, Souya-san, but if there’s a way to bring that Horns person back to life, would you be willing to make it happen no matter the cost?」

「Bring her back to life?!」

I raised my voice in surprise.

The Demon King is the one who had revived and remade Lars. Likewise, she was also the one who……

「Please wait」

No, this is wrong.

It's just wrong.

「Demon King-sama, she lived her life, fought, and died to her fullest. People are creatures whose death means the end. To propose changing that………aren't you being a bit mean?」

Even if magic can go against common sense, there are still things it cannot do.

Resurrecting the dead is one prime example. This is something Rana has warned me about repeatedly.

That's why you must cherish your own life, she had said.

「Yes, that's right. I thought I'd ask a Demon King-like question for a change. I'm sorry」

I had forgotten that she’s the Demon King.

In her own way, this is a person who has stepped outside the realm of humanity.

「But what if I had said, "I would be willing to make it happen"?」

「I would have fulfilled that wish by stripping you and that person of all your memories of each other. The forbidden art of resurrection requires a mutual "bond" as a catalyst. This is a curse that can never be reversed. It's the gods' curse against undeserved miracles」

「That's so scary」

What a terrible price to pay.

「Even so, it will never be perfect. Even if it succeeded, she would be a monster of bone like myself」

When the Demon King caught the first rays of morning light piercing the darkness, her small hand reverted to bones.

Her time as a human was coming to an end.

「How sad it must be to forget the person you loved and wander the earth in a hideous form. That's why it's taboo. Never forget that」

「I'll take your warning to heart」

「But, huh?」

「What is it?」

The Demon King tilted her head again.

「I don’t see the soul. Of your person-in-charge, that is」

「Soul?」

Does this Demon King even know about spiritual things like that?

「A life stays beside those it's close to until it gets swallowed up by the great flow of life. I just thought that I would see her beside you since she was devoted to you, Souya-san. No, maybe this is just me being blind. I must be tired from talking so much today」

I felt the onset of dawn.

The Demon King had half reverted to her skeletal form.

「Well then, this is goodbye. ………………Umm, if we get a chance, let's meet again on a night without moons or stars」

「Yes, I'll see you then」

The Demon King faded away into the darkness and disappeared completely.

A dazzling light filled my sight.

『Team member Souya, Yukikaze was in a temporary state of suspension due to a mechanical connection failure. Has anything happened?』

「Nope, nothing happened」

At the same time, Yukikaze woke up.

A new morning will be upon us soon.

Will there be some glimmer of hope today or will there be some other thing to despair about?

At any rate,

I'm sleepy.

I should go home and sleep.

“A disguise will do the trick. If you wear a mask, you can hide the fact that you're a skeleton.” Now this has got to be a dig on Overlord.

So, both sides losing all memories of each other is scary to Souya, huh? He thinks it’s a terrible price to pay, huh? It’s irreversible, huh? I think you know what I’m getting at here. But isn’t it interesting that it’s not the memories themselves but the mutual bond that is the catalyst?

So, have you missed our anime-voice version of Ainz Ooal Gown? Or have you forgotten that she existed lol. I personally enjoyed having her back. And I liked how melancholic it got when Souya was pouring out all the stories to her. It reminded me so much of the end of volume 2. And the part where Souya admitted to his real motive for killing Varner…it’s great.

Well then, one final epilogue to go! Stay tuned!

P.S. Yen Press has picked up this series! Volume 1 is out now under the name “The Otherworlder, Exploring the Dungeon”!