by Hirukuma,
“Seriously?! Then Shui, too—”
Thank goodness… Thank goodness Hulemy is all right. When I see Lammis still bawling as she continues her cardiac massage, my power nearly shuts down because of the relief, but it’s not over. It’s too early to be relieved—I still have Shui left.
Wait, what’s going on here? I can control the electrodes more precisely than before. Is this a benefit of my increased dexterity? With this, it’s not hard to put them in the appropriate spots.
Putting my experience with Hulemy to good use, after giving Shui an electric shock…they’ve both started to breathe again.
A-all right! I… I did it. Phewwwwww.
“Shui, don’t worry me like that, you…you idiot. Thank you, Boxxo. You saved their lives. I’m truly grateful.”
Despite being so grievously wounded I expect him to collapse any moment now, Captain Kerioyl apologizes profusely to me while gently stroking Shui’s head.
I think I should place a little more trust in the Menagerie of Fools. That’s how strongly the captain’s actions echo in my heart.
After the Devastation
“Wh-what about everyone else?!”
After confirming the two are breathing again, Lammis’s crying face changes, and she bursts away. That’s right. These two might be in the clear for now, but the other members aren’t moving at all.
I want to believe they’re alive, but I can’t tell for sure from here. I’ll just have to wait for Lammis to bring them here… Is praying the only thing I can do?
Lammis runs to our comrades at an insane speed and appears to check their wounds to see if they’re breathing. For some of them, she sighs in relief; for others, she says something to herself under her breath. At this distance, I can’t accurately grasp the situation.
It pains me, but the only thing I can do now is wait for her to return.
“Somehow, nobody else has sustained life-threatening injuries… Phew.”
As he looks at the members sleeping on top of bath towels I gave them, Captain Kerioyl breathes a sigh of relief.
Some of the ones who got blown away are heavily wounded, but some healing medicine and appropriate first aid seem to have borne results. Right now, Lammis is gently bringing them into the cart.
Their wounds aren’t fully healed, and it’s possible the impact may have ruptured internal organs, so we need to bring them back to the settlement quickly, even if a little forcefully.
Hulemy and Shui have been asleep since then, so they’re riding in the buar cart with the wounded.
“Mishuel, sorry about this, but I might need you to switch seats with me.”
“I’ll be fine. I feel much better, thanks to the healing medicine.”
That’s what Captain Kerioyl and Mishuel are saying, but neither is in good shape. They’re both clearly far from okay. They know full well that this isn’t a situation in which to show weakness.
It would be nice if my vending machine products included ointments and painkillers, but I’ve never seen medicine in a vending machine, possibly due to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law. I hear they exist overseas, but I wasn’t wealthy enough in my lifetime to go on a vacation to another country just to see a medicine vending machine.
The buar cart sets off, taking care to rock as little as possible. The biggest reason we’re hurrying is so we can get them medical attention. But there’s something else pushing us onward—the thought that the Netherlord could come back on a whim.
We arrive at the settlement and bring our comrades to the only medical office in the Dead’s Lament stratum.
They receive appropriate care, and once the expert doctor gives a seal of approval, Lammis and I slump to the floor in an excess of relief.
But the two whose hearts stopped for a while need quiet bed rest. The others also took mental damage in addition to physical damage from that dark magic, and they won’t be completely recovered in a matter of days.
They’ll need to be hospitalized for a week at the very least.
Despite the situation, we didn’t have the time to relax and wait for our comrades to heal. After announcing to the guild that the Netherlord has appeared, the captain and Mishuel, who had relatively light wounds, were called in by the guild master on this floor, and they’re in the middle of an emergency council.
Within half a day, Director Bear and directors from other floors arrived, granting even more weight to the situation.
And before the day was up, they forbade civilians to leave or enter this stratum, and hunters began to assemble one group after another in the settlement.
Lammis was called by the council several times as well, and she told them what she’d witnessed. The directors’ expressions, though, implied that things were not looking good.
With Lammis and me on standby, we stood outside the Dead’s Lament stratum Hunters Association building together, lazily watching the clouds roll by.
“I wonder what will happen, Boxxo. I’m relieved everyone made it out alive, but that Netherlord was too strong for us, huh?”
“Welcome.”
Overwhelming magic-based devastation. I can’t think of a way to fight him, much less win.
I’m no help against something with intelligence and the ability to float. It taught me how lucky I was to have beaten the stratum lords before now.
While the resentment and hatred of our comrades nearly being killed were still in my mind, defeating the Netherlord was the only thing I could think about. But as time passed, I calmed down, and now, for better or worse, I can focus on reality.
“A four-armed skeleton… What was it? I’ve never heard of a Netherlord. Maybe Hulemy knows about it.”
A being that rules over the stratum lord, the King of Souls. I want to know what on earth he is as well.
“You want to know who the Netherlord is?”
A sullen voice comes down to us from above. I look up and see Director Bear using his paws to massage his eyebrows in exhaustion. He’s wearing a pince-nez and has a bundle of documents in one arm.
“Director Bear, is the council finished?”
“For now. Well, I needed to talk to you anyway. Boxxo as well. Come inside, and I’ll explain.”
He just got out of the Association meeting, but he turns right back around and beckons us inside. I’m interested in what he has to say, and I have no reason to refuse, so I follow him, carried on Lammis’s back.
Director Bear opens a heavy-looking door all the way in the back and pushes it open, revealing a council room with a large round table in it.
“Take a seat wherever you like, Lammis.”
We move to the closest chair, and after she sets me down, she sits right next to me.
We’re not the only ones here—Captain Kerioyl, Mishuel, and nine other men and women I’ve never seen before are already seated.
“I don’t need to explain those two. The other members here are the directors or representative directors from the Hunters Association on other floors.”
I see. Some are dignified enough to be called directors, but there’s one child who looks younger than Lammis—a director at that age?
Wait, everyone other than our acquaintances is staring at me with curiosity. I’ve gotten used to this feeling already.
“Everyone, she and the magic item are also ones who encountered the Netherlord and survived. They’ll be deeply connected to our upcoming plans, so I called them here as a special exception.”
“Director Clearflow, is that magic item the rumored box you can buy unknown things from?”
A young woman wearing a crimson woman’s suit stares at me, twirling a fountain pen between her fingers.
“Yes, Director Origin. He is also one of our talented hunters, possessed of considerable talent and ability, who has saved us numerous times.”
The directors call one another by their stratum names? I personally think Director Bear fits him a lot better than Director Clearflow.
“I see. I apologize for interrupting. I have
no more to say.”
“Mm. Then I’ll continue. The Netherlord who has appeared is, without a doubt, the Netherlord, the left-arm general of the Demon Lord’s forces.”
“Oooooooh.”
The cacophony of surprised voices seems somehow feigned, as though everyone already knew but was being surprised again.
“Excuse me, but what’s the left-arm general of the Demon Lord’s forces?”
Lammis nervously raises her hand and asks the question. I was just wanting to know that, too. Nice assist.
“It’s only natural some wouldn’t know. Far to the north of here is a country controlled by a being who calls himself the Demon Lord. His forces consist of several generals, but they’re called different things depending on their rank. The Demon Lord himself is positioned at the head and considers his subordinates his arms and legs. From the highest rank, there’s the right-arm general, the left-arm general, the right-leg general, and the left-leg general. These are the four limb generals, and below them are twenty finger generals.”
In other words, a Demon Lord exists in this world, served by several subordinate generals. The second-highest-ranked one, the left-arm general, is the Netherlord.
That’s a pretty high position, isn’t it? He’s essentially rank three in the Demon Lord’s army, rank one being the Demon Lord himself, and he came all the way here. Still, there’s a demon lord here, huh? I guess it would be weird for this world setting not to have one, but even so. A Demon Lord…
“We don’t know why the Netherlord has appeared here, but judging by the conversation held at the scene, the King of Souls, this stratum’s lord, was his subordinate. I think you all know that stratum lords can never leave the dungeon.”
Really? That’s the first I’ve heard.
“It is said that the spirits of the dead gather in this stratum and become monsters. Perhaps the King of Souls was once a human or a monster who died, and his soul came here and became the King of Souls. Or he gained entrance to the dungeon using some other method. This is all just hypothetical.”
You mean all that could have happened? Based on what the King of Souls and the Netherlord said, they did seem to have a boss-underling relationship, and the Netherlord was talking like he was the boss.
“In any case, we can speculate about what we don’t know once everything is over. The problem is what to do about the Netherlord, since we believe he will be staying in this stratum.”
“Can I ask something, Director Clearflow?”
“What is it, Director Scorching?”
An oppressive-looking man raises his hand and speaks. He has bronze-colored skin and olive-brown hair. His clothes include a Hawaiian shirt with flames on it and pants the color of desert sand. He has the macho-man look fit for a summertime beach.
“Would it even be wise to take an aggressive attitude with an officer of the Demon Lord’s forces? If we defeat him, won’t that cause issues later?”
“We shouldn’t have to worry about that. He was the one who came to attack in the first place. If the Demon Lord’s forces want to take an aggressive stance against us, then all we can do is receive him in kind. For the Demon Lord’s forces to directly invade this place, even in small numbers, they would have to destroy Bastion City or the empire first. I believe there’s no doubt that the Netherlord is moving independently right now.”
I don’t have the geography of this world down yet, but north of this land where the labyrinth lies is an empire—a place called Bastion City—that meets the Demon Lord’s forces, and unless they do something about it, it’s impossible for them to come and attack us.
“Then why would the Netherlord be acting alone?”
“That I do not know, Director Origin. But there are places in this dungeon yet to be understood. When strata are breached, the— No, let’s not waste time on speculation.”
If the government gets involved, things will probably get annoying, but it looks like we can ignore that just fine. Well, sending him away with negotiations might actually be better for the people here.
“Anyway, what do we do about it?”
“Our only option is to kill him. He laid a hand on a member of the Hunters Association in the dungeon we supervise. We must rally our forces and defeat him.”
Director Bear has the look of a calm gentleman at first glance, but the light in his eyes belies the fury of the wild. He’s not about to take the defeat of the Menagerie of Fools and the Band of Gluttons, who he’s on close terms with, lying down.
“Heh, it’s not often I see you get this into it. Defeating monsters is part of a hunter’s job. We won’t have business after a humiliation like this. I’ll send the skilled hunters assigned to my place into the fight.”
“The Origin stratum will give several groups as well.”
The conversation wraps up with the other strata volunteering their competent hunters, and the council adjourns. It looks like this will be a battle on a large scale.
Maybe a group of extremely skilled hunters would be able to beat the monster, too.
“Lammis, Boxxo, Captain Kerioyl, and Mishuel. You’ve done well. You’ve all heard this council’s decision. Now, I’d like to ask you personally. Do you intend to participate in the hunt for the Netherlord?”
“’Course I do. He won’t get away with putting my Fools through that.”
“Please allow me to participate as well. This battle made me painfully aware of my own inexperience. Allow me to repay this humiliation!”
Captain Kerioyl’s and Mishuel’s wills aren’t the least bit broken. In fact, they’re gushing with fighting spirit.
I look to Lammis next, who hasn’t said a word since the council began. She brings her downcast face up with force. There is no fear or hesitation in her expression, just strong, swelling determination.
“I’ll be part of this, too, of course! He hurt everyone and put Hulemy through that… I won’t be satisfied unless I get in a good punch! Right, Boxxo?”
“Welcome.”
Yeah, that’s right, Lammis. We’ll show him our power.
“I see you’re all zealous about this. I will prepare the best people we have assigned to the Clearflow Lake Hunters Association. We will work with them, and we will kill the Netherlord.”
Director Bear sticks out a fist, and the others follow suit. It’s only at times like these I find myself wishing I had arms.
Epilogue
I go outside with Lammis, and we sit down in the town square near the inn. I’ve been let off her back and placed next to her.
The sky in the Dead’s Lament stratum is dark again today—the weather looking dismal, as usual.
“I’m happy everyone’s safe, but this is still hard.”
“Welcome.”
Maybe we should celebrate everybody making it through such a strong enemy with their lives, but in the midst of all our comrades getting hurt and falling, I’m reminded that the only thing we could do was run away.
I was confident I was helping everyone by being a little convenient and increasing my stats, but that confidence has faded after what happened.
When all’s said and done, I’m a vending machine. I can protect with Force Field, but that’s it. I have neither the hands to hold a weapon nor the feet to run into battle with them.
I leave all the striking to Lammis, too, while I just use Force Field. I had mistakenly thought that was enough to be of assistance to them.
“Too bad.” My voice unconsciously comes out.
“Boxxo, you’re not thinking it’s your fault everyone got hurt or anything, are you?”
Lammis’s words rattle me, and my vending machine lights flicker off for just a moment. I don’t know how much my lights blinking conveys my emotional ups and downs, but she can’t read my mind.
Yet, she still guessed what I was thinking and asked me about it. How is she able to nail down what an inorganic machine is thinking?
“Welcome.”
“But it wasn’t! That’s not true!”
Lammis claps her hands around my body and pushes her forehead right up to me. Her teary eyes are lifted upward a little, and her mouth is tightly shut in apparent frustration.
Is she angry… No, is she sad for me?
“It’s ’cause o’ you I’m safe, Boxxo,” she says in her accent. “Hulemy and Shui, too. You saved ’em! So don’t go thinkin’ those sad thoughts…”
She’s crying for me—for a vending machine. I must be the worst man alive to make such a cute girl cry.
Lammis is the best partner I could ask for. As her partner for life, I can do plenty of other things that are better than being depressed.
“Oh. I wanted to give some encouragement, too, but I guess I don’t need to.”
I hear a voice behind me, so I look over. Director Bear has carried Hulemy here princess-style. She just got revived from cardiac arrest—she should need absolute quiet bed rest right now. Is it all right for her to be up?
“Hulemy, how are you feeling?!”
“I feel fine, but I can’t quite muster the energy for much. I talked the director into carrying me. I had to give my thanks… Thank you, Boxxo.”
Still in the director’s arms, she gives a smile, but it’s weaker than usual. Her physical state is probably far from perfect.
“Welcome.”
“I can’t help out in battle, but I don’t think I’m useless. I could never compete in strength with Lammis, and Mishuel and Captain Kerioyl are better at fighting than I’ll ever be. Oh, and the director is strong, too, right? Plus, we have Vice Captain Filmina for magic power. But when it comes to my skill as a magic-item engineer, I think I have everyone else beat!”
“That’s right. You’re handy and smart.” Lammis nods in vehement agreement.
I feel the same way. I’ve never once thought you were useless, Hulemy.
“It’s the same for you, Boxxo. You may not be able to move by yourself or fight, but you can make food and drinks, and you even have Force Field. If you start whining now that you’re not strong enough, you’re gonna get punched. No, I’ll have Lammis punch you as hard as she can!”