Otherworld Dagashi Shop Yahagi

It was getting late at night, but I couldn’t help but wonder about the dungeon elevator that Mani-san had mentioned. 𝚋𝚎ｄ𝚗ｏｖ𝚎𝚕．ｃｏ𝚖

[Hmmm, while it was still clear in Mani-san’s memory, I’d like to make sure it really exists.]

Expecting clarity of memory from Mani-san, whose memory focus function has become fuzzy, isn’t viable.

He might even forget about it tomorrow.

[Are we going to dive into the dungeon now?]

Titti’s face turned pale with nervousness.

[I understand your concern. It’s already this time of the night after all……]

The monsters that roam the dungeon are more active at night and more ferocious than during the day.

Also, powerful monsters in the lower levels sometimes come up to the upper levels.

[Let’s go, Yuusuke-san, I will also help you. If that elevator thing really exists, it will make our exploration much easier.]

Merle offered to help.

Merle’s aggressiveness is always reassuring at times like this.

[I agree. It’s reassuring to be able to reach our destination without wasting time and energy. I’ll be happy to assist as well.]

Mira’s kindness cheered me even more.

[Mani-san, where’s the entrance to the dungeon elevator?]

[In the management room on the 1st Underground Floor.

[If it’s there, I guess we can really do it……]

[Hehe, forming a temporary team isn’t a bad idea sometimes. It’s been a while since I acted as the vanguard with Merle.]

[Don’t go charging in like an idiot, okay, Garm? I’m tired of cleaning up your mess.]

[The heck you said, you crude woman!?]

Despite their bickering, the two seemed to be enjoying each other’s company.

[Good grief, it can’t be helped. I’ll go along with you.]

Titti also seemed very supportive on this matter.

[Let’s go, Yuusuke. With this team, we’ll be just fine.]

The ones here right now are Luganda’s representative players, and their strength in Mobile Force remains just as strong as their actual combat abilities.

Michelle’s words helped me make my decision.

[Alright, Mani-san, lead us to that dungeon elevator.]

[Ho ho ho, alright.]

Looking as if he were going out for a night stroll, Mani-san unsteadily strode out.

Before entering the dungeon, I took out snacks from the dungeon and handed them out.

Product name: Tonight’s Crucial Crackers

Description: Helps you to see at night.

Price: 100 rims

This product is popular among adventurers because it allows them to see in dimly lit dungeons.

It’s also a snack often bought by people who work at night because it’s more cost-effective than candles or magic crystals.

About half a month has passed since its release, but word of mouth about its effectiveness has been promoting sales, and the sales of Tonight’s Crucial Crackers at the branches also increased.

In the future, this will become a mainstay of Dagashi Yahagi.

From what I have heard, they are crackers with a long history, dating back to when my grandparents were still children.

After a while, my vision brightened as if I had taken off my sunglasses.

[They’re as convenient as ever. I’ve been eating too many of them lately though, so I’m getting a little tired of them……]

Michelle had been eating Tonight’s Crucial Crackers every night and knitting. She’s apparently knitting a sweater for me by hand.

[You don’t have to push yourself too hard.]

[I’m not pushing myself. I’m having fun doing it. Knitting suits me well.]

[Is that so?]

[Unnn. I enjoy putting my love and magic into each stitch.]

[You also put magic into it?]

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[That’s right. I make sure it has Magic Reflection and Physical Protection. It also works against poison.]

I was wondering why it had been taking her a long time to finish it……

[When it’s finished, it should be even more powerful than a plate mail imbued with Support Magic.]

For that sweater riddled with heart marks to actually have such effects……

[It won’t be ready for this winter, but you can rest assured it’ll be done by next autumn. Don’t worry, it won’t be heavy like a plate mail?]

[O- Ou.]

The love she imbued in that sweater is heavy, but I’ll definitely receive it!

We encountered a monster once on the way, but Michelle easily brought it down.

She’s as strong as ever.

My eyes weren’t even able to catch her doing the three parts of swordsmanship: step-in, draw and slash.

In the meantime, we had reached the east end of the dungeon.

It’s a dead end, a place with nothing in particular.

[We’re here.]

As if to confirm something, Mani-san touched the wall in front of him and spoke with an inhuman voice.

Would it be appropriate to say he’s speaking in “divine words”?

It felt like he spoke both in a heavy bass sound and a high-pitched note played by a hard metallic instrument.

Hearing the dissonant harmony felt unreal to my ears, instilling fear down to my core.

Mani-san really is a God huh……

As soon as Mani-san closed his mouth, a door that hadn’t been there before appeared on the wall and opened up.

What’s behind that door was a retro type of elevator, ones that I have seen in black and white movies.

An analog needle indicates the floor the elevator is on.

The door is opened and closed manually, operated by an up-and-down lever.

After checking the floor number displayed above the elevator, Michelle asked Mani-san a question.

[Does this dungeon only go up to the 10th Underground Floor?]

[No, this dungeon goes even deeper. You’ll have to go on foot to go below the 10th Underground Floor.]

[I see. Perhaps I’ll go there and check out what it’s like.]

[I don’t think you should. Even you can’t handle the monsters on the 10th Underground Floor by yourself.]

[I see……]

Michelle went alone even to the deepest part of the Royal Capital’s dungeon, so is this place even more dangerous than that?

[If that’s the case even for Michelle, should we seal this elevator? If someone mistakenly goes below the floor they want to go to, they might not be able to make it back.]

[There are elevator halls on every floor, and monsters don’t appear there, so you don’t have to worry. If you want, you can also limit the functionality of the elevator so that people can only go up to the 4th Underground Floor.]

I was worried, but if that’s the case, then it would be fine.

It should be fine if I set up a permit system for going below the 4th Underground Floor.

Just to make sure there are no accidents, it might be a good idea to hire an elevator assistant.

That way, I can collect usage fees from adventurers who aren’t residents, killing two birds with one stone.

With that decided, I asked Mani-san to teach me how to control the elevator on the spot.

[By the way, Mani-san, what’s in the deepest part of this terrifying dungeon?]

[At the deepest level lies the forgotten civilization……]

As Mani-san paused, I nervously waited for his next word.

[…………A civilization in which I myself had also forgotten.]

I knew that’s gonna be the case!

Perhaps, there may be things lying around deep within this dungeon that are better left forgotten.

Standing before Pandora’s Box always makes people hesitate.

Let’s not touch upon this matter for the time being.

There’s no one here who can reach that place anyway.

<Translator’s Notes>

Tonight’s Crucial Crackers: Dunno what it’s based on. Originally named “Kon-ya ga Yamada no Cracker”, and I’m not sure if this is what the author is referencing, but “Kon-ya ga Yamada” is a gag from “Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!“.