by Fujino Omori
At the 5th floor, it was already equivalent to the size of the central square. When you continue to go further down, its size continues to expand. By the time it reached the 40th floor, the size of the area was able to match the scale of the city, Orario.
Although there are floors in between that ignore this rule, but basically, understanding that the Dungeon is a conical structure is generally enough. The width of the paths, each of the rooms and etc. continue to become wider.
Although in an
Inside the narrow path and rooms, the movement of large forces could not be described as free. If an army wanted to march here, advancing was already a daunting task.
Defeating monsters also became a waste of effort. After all, standing parallel together in an enclosed room was a violation of common sense.
So, in an
Without exception, when the
“I say I say, Tione. Why are there other
“Idiot Tiona. Did you already forget the reason why we retreated last expedition?”
“?”
“They are blacksmiths, Tiona.”
“Ah!”
Under the leadership of the captain in
While the group of approximately 15 people were currently hurrying nonstop, Tiona, Tione and Riveria talked in turn.
“Because last time, compared to us, our weapons were the side that did not survive, so Captain specifically arranged this in advance”
“As long as there are blacksmiths with the ability of
“Yes. After all, it is too inefficient to carry large supplies of spare weapons. I heard that Loki and Goddess Hephaestus had a good relationship, so I asked Loki to lend a helping hand.”
“We, who are not a Blacksmith
Until the Middle Floors, the low level members of the
Although for them, who would only need to use their true strength at the Deep Floors, seemed to be frivolously talking, but in fact, they are currently quietly saving their energy.
“Aizu, Aizu, did you hear!? It seems like
“Yes……I heard. Amazing.”
“Right?! If that’s the case, even in the Deep Floors, we can still go all out, right? I will go all out?!”
“I should say this in advance, even
Towards Tiona, who hugged her shoulders from behind, Aizu silently turned her head and revealed a small smile.
After seeing that smile, Tiona also smiled.
Facing this Amazon girl that seemed to be born into the wrong race, even the cool Aizu Wallenstein’s feelings could not help but be melted.
Or rather, to them, who have a similar point in being battle maniacs, under her sister’s, Tione’s, commands every now and then, so she would play around and act like her own age.
“Ku?, the group of
“Well there it is?. Bate’s arrogant statement.”
Maintaining the state where she was glued to Aizu’s shoulders, Tiona threw an unhappy, yet interested gaze.
Bate faced Tiona’s gaze with “What you” while raising the corner of his mouth.
“Bate, you, why do you have to use such description? Does despising other Adventurers feel that good? I hate that kind of thing.”
“Don’t be mistaken. I will not do such shameless things of feeling superiority by despising these weaklings. I am simply telling the truth.”
Bate used his chin to point at the
“Even if that’s the case, you should still speak and act cautiously. From what you’re saying, it seems like you are deliberately causing others to misunderstand.”
“A?Ahh?, annoying, annoying! The preaching of the elf makes my ears itch! Anyways, don’t suddenly interrupt others, Riveria.”
While shaking his amazingly gray hair that he had to manage, Bate seemed to impatiently lift his eyebrows.
From the left side of his forehead, to his cheeks and finally to the jaw, his lightning shape tattoos were all slightly distorted.
“Anyways even if it is you guys, thinking about the same thing as poor boobs won’t get you anywhere. You dare say these things when you also don’t have any sympathy when you see trash?”
“All of mine are only stolen by Tioneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!””
“Wait a minute, don’t say anymore, this kind of distorted thinking……”
“Indeed, I would be lying if I said that I sympathize with them. However, don’t you mix my pity with your insults.”
“If it is based on sympathy alone, I feel that elf-sama is even worse?”
Finn turned a blind eye to this and sighed. Bate and Riveria continued to argue.
Although he was not aiming at Riveria with that sentence, but elves easily have a conflict with other races. Even the werewolf that was between an wolf and a beastman, would occasionally be stubborn.
The people at the scene would not become serious, so it could be said that this was already a thing that was common. Even if it was unrelated with Riveria, Bate still was able to escape from her preaching.
Because they knew this point, so the rest of the members in the group, including the leader, did not show any signs of stopping them. Aizu also only watched over their conversation in silence.
“I only hate weak guys. Even though they can’t do anything, yet they act smug, that is downright disgusting.”
“I can only hear the arrogant feelings of the people in a strong position.”
“That’s right, Bate also had a period when he was weak.”
“I am only allowing them to weigh, to weigh their own value.”
While feeling the weight of Tiona hanging onto her shoulders, Aizu muttered “their own value” at the same time.
She had some idea.
It was not sympathy, not insult and not surprising, it was just a transparent question:
At that time, the boy who was deeply hit by these hard words of not knowing his own value, what kind of feelings did he have and how could he rise up from that point?
Her memories have already became rather faint, Aizu seemed to immediately and vaguely sketched out the pair of crimson eyes that were about to cry inside her mind.
Then soon after that.
She lifted her head without warning and showed a wary face.
“……Is it four people?”
“What, is that what the rumor says?”
The people at the scene all made the exact same response as hers. Tiona continued to stick close to Aizu and looked over there. Bate only scratched his animal ears on his head.
Just when Aizu and the others prepared to pass through the crossroad, from their right hand side, violent footstep sounds came. It was extremely messy.
Just when the Supporters vanguards and the rearguard was planning to take corresponding measures, Finn raised his hand
to stop them. He issued the command of standing here for now.
Shortly after, a team of Adventurers broke into Aizu’s vision.
“It?seems like there are in total panic. Do we try to call them and see?”
“Don’t, this is for our own good. Inside the Dungeon, we basically will not interfere with other teams.”
“Hey, what is it??”
“……Idiot.”
Ignoring the depressed state of affairs, Tiona advanced by herself.
The Adventurers, who were frequently turning their head to the back, suddenly stopped due to the shout from Tiona’s voice.
“W…What is it you bastard? Huh……Ga! Da….
“Tiona Hiryute!?”
“Rather, the
After the team of four people from the path saw Tiona and the others, they were in dismay and naturally began to retreat.
Although Tiona instantly issued out a surprised gaze that seemed like the world was about to end, but Bate did not here and headed forward.
“Okay, have you calmed down? Then, answer these questions. What are you doing? Did you leave your companions behind and flee to here after being attacked by a group of Killer Ants?”
“What……!?”
“Hey don’t say it.”
“……Compared to that, Killer Ants are 100 times easier.”
Towards the words that were thrown by these men, Bate did not understand and raised his eyebrows.
Using his gaze to send the question “What are you talking about”, the other Adventurers exchanged gaze. Then, the leader-like human seemed to answer bitterly.
“……The…There is a Minotaur here.”
“……Ah?”
“Like I said, there is a Minotaur! That bull Monster is here rampaging in the Upper Floors!”
Bate could only blink in response to the other party’s desperate expression and turned around to the back.
While they witnessed the dialogue between Bate and the other Adventurers, there were a surprised expression on Finn’s and the other people’s face.
Then, when nobody had noticed it, Aizu’s right hand suddenly trembled a bit.
“Hey, could it be……a Minotaur that we let escape?”
“Impossible, right? We had indeed taken care of all of them.”
“And it doesn’t make sense if it was one of the Minotaurs that escaped from our net. The past expedition was already a month ago? If there was a Minotaur on the Upper Floors, then the number of victims of 3rd-Class Adventurers would not be a joke. I had not heard that kind of rumor at all.”
“……I’m extremely sorry. Could you please explain to us what you had just seen?”
“Y…Yes……”
While being stared at Finn, who had a determined attitude, the other party’s leader began to explain unclearly:
Just as usual, they had entered the Dungeon. In the depths of a long passage connected to their room, they instantly captured a figure of a boy with white hair and a Minotaur.
Based on the cries, it seemed that boy was calling out and the Minotaur was currently giving out a baptism to him, so they hurriedly rushed away.
Also, that Minotaur was equipped with an Adventurer-use Large Sword.
“It is actually a Large Sword~?”
“Not
“Y…Yes, we were not mistaken……”
“……Up till today, were there any sightings of Minotaurs?”
“No,no. If there was, then we would have been in trouble a long time ago!”
“Captain……”
“Ahhh, it seems more and more suspicious.”
The
As a leader with good instincts, Finn predicted that it was a prank of a rather evil God.
At least, this matter must be related to a God. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain this situation.
Finn and the advance team had completely stopped their travel forward.
“Where did you see the Minotaur?”
Among them, a golden hair girl moved by herself.
Approaching one of the Adventurers, she quietly asked.
“Ha?”
“The Floor that the Adventurer was attacked, where?”
“T…The 9th Floor……If it still hasn’t moved yet……”
Before he finished speaking, Aizu darted away.
Moving along the path that these Adventurers had come from, she rushed away like the wind.
“Aizu!?”
“What are you doing!”
“Wait a minute, you guys, we are still in an Expedition!?”
“……Finn.”
“Ahh, I understand……The troops should maintain the original formation and move forward! Just like what was predetermined, head to the 18th floor in the shortest distance! The command will be left to you, Raul!”
“W…What!?”
“Command……Could it be you’re prepared to go?”
“My thumb is already restlessly twitching. I want to see. Or rather, do you plan on staying behind, Riveria?”
“……If Finn’s instincts are saying this, then there must be something happening now. Then, let me participate in this as well.”
“Hahaha.”
Leaving behind the
The First-Class Adventurers that acted on their own headed towards the 9th floor.
* * *
My grandpa’s face.
I can see my grandfather’s face.
The only relative that I have, who took care of me when I lost my parents.
His face was always filled with a crumpled smile, although he would occasionally speak some incomprehensible words ,“I really want to help cute girls then become affectionate with her?“, “ Having beautiful woman and beautiful girls serve me is really romantic?”, “But abducting them also has a good feeling?“, “Ah, only yandere should still be excused?”, he was a extremely happy person.
My grandfather seemed to have personally witnessed the anecdote of heroes and would often tell me.
Knowing that on my birthday, I received an illustrated book that was actually made by my own grandfather, was something long after his death.
??These people are amazing.
??Even if they are alone, they would still continue to fight against things stronger than themselves.
??It is absolutely impossible for the old.
While saying that he could not do such things, grandfather always seemed to happily praise the heroes.
However, not being able to be like a hero, that is a lie.
My grandfather was really cool and awesome.
When I was young and was nearly killed by a Goblin, that person was faster than everyone else, and flew over like lightning and hit the Monster with a shovel in two hands.
His body that was always covered by a coat was as burly as a warrior.
His log-sized arms did not let the Monsters approach him one step.
Right now, these words rang again.
My initial vision of a hero was my grandfather.
If you notice that the situation was bad, you should flee.
If you feel afraid, you should flee.
If you are about to die, you should call for help.
If you made a woman mad, then you should quickly apologize.
Even if you are treated as an idiot, even if you are accused by others, it is not something to be embarrassed about.
What you should be most embarrassed about is when you could not decide what to do and become immobile.
My grandfather had always said this.
Even after he had disappeared from my sight, these teachings had already remained in the corner of my soul. It was my grandfather that made m
e decide on a lifelong impact.
It was the words of that person that brought me to Orario.
I can see it, my grandfather’s face.
“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
Right now, I can’t move.
“……Uuuu,ah.”
Raising my head, a Minotaur with saliva leaking out from his mouth entered my field of vision.
As if it was trying to boast, his hands holding a Large Sword was located far ahead of the Monster. It issued out a roar.
From the body that seemed to have a heavy armor constructed on top, there were no visible large injuries. The scars would only just on the surface.
In face of this reality where Magic did not work, powerlessness gradually dominated my entire body.
I can’t win. This sentence repeatedly echoed inside my head.
I can’t use any strength.
The knees that managed to stand up seems like it will fall any moment.
“VOOOOOO……!”
“……!?”
The gaze casted from the tip of its sight made my neck twitch sharply.
As if I once again awoke from the cold currents of fear. In exchange, the sense of gradually losing strength was driven away.
It was not my consciousness, but my instinct that began trying to avoid death.
If I continued to stay standing like this, I will be killed.
I will, Lili, too will be hacked to death.
If I don’t move……!
I make every effort in order to clench my fists.
“OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
??Going to the wall will be bad!
Seeing the Minotaur approaching, I quickly escaped from that place.
If I had my back against the wall, in front of the huge body, the escape route will be immediately blocked.
Moving in the opposite direction of where Lili was, I place priority in returning to an vast area.
The Minotaur, who moved forward at full speed, followed my movement and took a sharp turn. Dogon, Dogon, Dogon, while trampling the floor, it followed me from behind.
Looking from the side, it was rapidly approaching.
Inside my trembling eyes, the ferocious face of the bull was gradually becoming bigger??!
“VUMUUNNNNN!”
“??Ku!?”
The Minotaur violently stamped onto the ground.