125 - Message
By the time the fifth day of the dungeon subjugation had passed, the fifth basement floor had been unlocked.
Adventurer parties, who normally would not be allowed to participate, were rushing in to challenge the dungeon, searching its depths and defeating monsters.
Since the boss up to the fifth basement floor had been defeated, Alette-san's party had stationed personnel on the fifth basement floor to keep watch.
They were stationed at a midpoint to ensure that unrelated adventurers did not descend any further.
Everyone in our party had experience with the dungeon.
Because of this, we were generally taking a break.
As long as it was only up to the fifth basement floor, it was possible to return within a single day. Since there was no boss and the number of monsters was low, the number of battles was also small.
However, going any further would require staying overnight.
Preparations were one thing, but before that, we needed to decide on the party composition.
The Base had begun to truly become a town, with simple buildings increasing in number.
Within that town, adventurers lived in tents.
In the morning, the adventurers would check their equipment and challenge the dungeon, and at night, they would return and spend the money they had earned on alcohol, gambling, and women.
It seemed that the merchants and prostitutes doing business with the adventurers were earning more than the adventurers themselves, who were risking their lives to make a living.
In fact, both the merchants and the prostitutes seemed to be buzzing that this was their time to make money.
Cargo began arriving from Beim every few days, and horse-drawn carriages filled with monster materials and magic stones were returning from the Base to Beim.
Adventurers who wanted to go home would also accept escort requests and return from the Base to Beim.
And new adventurers were flowing in from Beim to the Base.
Looking at the town, I thought.
"It's all well and good that it's growing more impressive by the day, but I wonder how long this will keep up."
Since this was my first time participating, I still hadn't quite grasped how things worked.
Miranda, who was near me, perhaps gathering information from the merchants, told me.
"Dungeon subjugations are apparently always like this. Even for the knights and soldiers, supplies are necessary, so they apparently set up a Base like this. Well, isn't it just because they're adventurers that it's so noisy? You should go have some fun too, Lyell."
I looked at Miranda's face with exasperation.
"Gambling isn't fun. I'm fine with my meals. As for women... well, whatever. I want to save up my money, so I'll pass on the playing around."
Hearing that, Miranda grinned and crossed her arms, resting them beneath her chest to emphasize her large breasts.
She seemed to be provoking me.
"Too bad. A prostitute told me to introduce that handsome boy. She said she'd give you a discount."
I have sexual desires too, but the problem is what happens after visiting such a place.
It would be fine if I went without my companions finding out, but in this situation, it would be discovered immediately.
From within the Jewel Orb, the Fourth spoke.
"It's definitely a trap. Miranda-chan intends to gather all sorts of information from those prostitutes if Lyell goes there. ...Isn't this girl the scariest of all?"
The one who opposed that opinion was the Sixth.
"Miranda is scary? What are you talking about? This level is quite cute. She only complains when you look at other women, it's not like she'll actually lay a hand on you. Besides, my recommendation is Miranda, so please don't put it that way."
The Sixth had already declared himself a Miranda supporter.
Then, the Third spoke.
"Then I'll recommend Clara-chan! She's a good girl! She has useful skills too!"
The Third recommended Clara to me, aiming for those useful skills.
The Fourth said.
"No, let's recommend Novem-chan. She's the daughter of the Foxuz family."
The Fifth said.
"...Isn't Mei the best?"
And the Seventh.
"A girl suitable for Lyell, who carries the royal blood... I believe at least a daughter of a Count's house would be appropriate."
I thought.
(I'm not the heir to the Walt family or a member of a Count's house anymore, so it doesn't matter. The Seventh is too obsessed with that stuff.)
To the provoking Miranda, I gave a snort.
"I'm not falling for such a cheap provocation."
Miranda looked pleased.
"I see. That's good then. But I'll forgive you if it's just for fun. As long as you don't get serious, that is."
At Miranda's current remark, the Sixth said.
"...If only that person were this tolerant."
Perhaps remembering his wife, the Sixth began to grumble wearily.
To aim for the sixth basement floor, I planned a three-day schedule and decided to challenge the dungeon.
I would descend to the sixth basement floor, fight monsters there, and observe the situation.
Since I had also adjusted the mini-porters, I decided to announce the member composition in the evening.
After finishing our meal in the tent, I announced the plan and the members while drinking tea.
Since it was winter, it was cold inside the tent.
Steam rose from the tea in the cups.
Inside the tent, brightened by the light of the lantern, I looked over everyone and announced the next members.
"Starting tomorrow, we'll challenge the dungeon on a three-day schedule. The main goal is to check the sixth basement floor. If we can, I intend to challenge the boss as well. The members will be Aria, Mei, and Eva in the vanguard. Novem and Clara in the rear."
The remaining members were Miranda, Shannon, and Monica.
Monica looked dissatisfied.
"I've only stepped foot in the dungeon once since coming here?"
I replied with a smile.
"Everyone's about the same, aren't they? Except for me and Clara?"
Miranda also looked dissatisfied. However, Shannon was making a small fist-pump under the table.
"What is the reason I was left out?"
Miranda was smiling, but her eyes weren't really smiling, as if she were dissatisfied.
"There's no deep meaning. Just preserving our strength."
Then, Monica said.
"As expected, you're keeping this Monica, the trump card, in reserve. Honestly, you could have just said so."
...The reason I left Monica out of the members was that if she participated, recovering monster materials and magic stones became a nightmare.
With one strike from Monica, who held maces in both hands, bats would be blown away and torn to pieces. Frogs would be crushed into a mush... I actually felt sorry for Clara, who had to collect them.
If we were challenging a boss, it might be better to take Monica along. Other than that, to be honest, she's a hindrance.
Looking around, Aria had a slightly troubled expression.
The next morning.
Leading the improved mini-porters, we headed for the dungeon entrance.
The mini-porters, now modified so that luggage could be hung on the sides, looked more reliable than before.
However, the atmosphere among the members was somewhat disjointed.
(...Aria is isolated, or rather, she hasn't blended in.)
Aria, who should be a veteran, was isolated among the members.
No, to be precise—.
"Hey, Novem! Let's go to that stall when we get back. We could go now!"
Mei was begging Novem for the food sold at the stall.
The Fifth spoke from the Jewel Orb.
"Mei! You shouldn't just eat anything!"
He was speaking out of worry.
Eva said.
"Sigh, I wanted to stay behind. I finally got permission from my kin to sing... Oh, come and listen when we get back, Novem."
She was asking Novem to come and listen to her singing.
Novem, dealing with the two of them with a smile, said.
"Mei-san, let's eat when we return. Eva-san, please keep it within a range that doesn't inconvenience the party. We'll all go listen when we get back."
The three of them got along too well, leaving Aria isolated.
I looked at Clara.
For some reason, Clara was keeping her distance from Eva.
(...Is she angry because she was cut off at the end? Or rather, if you say a lively Eva and a quiet Clara don't match, they really don't match.)
The human relationships had become even more complex.
Sighing, I spoke to Aria.
"What's wrong? Aren't you going to join them?"
Then, Aria averted her gaze from me.
"...There's no way I can suddenly act like we're best friends now. Until now, we've only had the bare minimum of conversation."
Aria's gaze kept flickering toward Novem.
"I don't think Novem minds? Or rather, why don't you just make up already?"
Aria glared at me.
"It's not that simple! Besides, the biggest cause is Lyell!"
I could hear the Fifth's sigh.
"Lyell, don't step any deeper into this. Limit yourself to calling out and offering support. I don't think you're capable of navigating this situation."
Embarrassingly, I agreed.
"S-sorry. But since we're fighting together, make sure not to think about unnecessary things. If anything happens, tell me."
Aria looked at me.
"I'm almost moved to tears by the words of such an unreliable leader."
The Fourth said.
"Indeed."
But the Third said.
"Still, I'm sure... if it's Lyell-san, he'll manage somehow. Yes, if it's Lyell-san."
Feeling as if gazes were flickering toward me, I wanted to slam the Jewel Orb onto the ground.
(That state isn't me!)
The previous heads of the family referred to that high-tension state, known as "After Growth," as "Lyell-san."
For some reason, they had even created something called the "Belt Lyell Award" and were apparently compiling my utterances.
(Those idle people!)
From my perspective, my ancestors were seriously compiling my dark history.
I wanted them to stop.
We stepped inside the dungeon.
Using my [Map] and [Search] skills, we arrived at the boss room of the fifth basement floor—the entrance to the sixth basement floor—via the shortest route, where we encountered Alette-san.
She seemed to be discussing something with her subordinates, but upon seeing us, she cut the conversation short and approached.
Being the room where the boss had been, it was a large room.
However, desks and luggage had been brought into the room, making it look like a forward base for the dungeon subjugation.
"You've come already. That was quite fast. In a little while, we'll defeat the boss of the sixth basement floor and make it possible to move forward."
It seemed the boss of the sixth basement floor had not yet been defeated.
I asked Alette-san.
"Are you living here?"
Alette-san laughed.
"No, I have work above as well, so I go back and forth. I also need to transport luggage, so I have to hire other parties to bring supplies here."
While I was impressed, Alette-san pointed with her thumb toward the back of the room.
Toward the stairs.
"From here on, only parties recognized by the guild are allowed to challenge. Well, you and your group may proceed, Lyell-kun... but be careful, as only Albano and Marina are beyond this point."
Albano-san and the others were expected, but it seemed a solo adventurer named Marina was also participating.
I hadn't seen her until now, but it appeared she was challenging the dungeon solo even beyond this point.
"Isn't it tough to go solo beyond here?"
Alette-san shrugged her shoulders, looking a bit exasperated.
"I said the same thing. But Marina is stubborn. Besides, she possesses enough strength to challenge it alone, so I can't stop her. If you see her, don't get too close."
Waving her hand, Alette-san returned to her subordinates, and I watched her back.
(...So the tricky people other than Krate-san are beyond this point.)
Looking at the stairs, I suddenly didn't want to proceed.
The sixth basement floor.
The atmosphere of being inside a cave remained unchanged.
I checked with [Map] and [Search], but I felt no special change.
The parties moving around were avoiding combat, moving between rooms to collect treasure chests.
When I searched for a single reaction—.
"What is this?"
I was surprised. Yellow light points swarming around red light points.
However, as they drew closer, the red light points vanished one after another.
It was abnormal for a single person to be surrounded by monsters and fighting them. But it was also abnormal to be overcoming it alone.
"What is the matter, Lyell-sama?"
When Novem spoke to me as I stood still, I shook my head.
"No, it's nothing. Let's move this way."
Since we couldn't approach Albano-san or Marina-san, we decided to take a different route.
Since I had discovered a reaction for a treasure chest, it might be good to collect that.
(I'm glad it's the type without traps. I thought most were gone, but maybe some were left?)
Albano-san and the others, who collected most of the treasure chests, were indeed not liked by other adventurers.
Because they had the skill to back it up, the fact that others couldn't say it loudly only added to the frustration.
As we proceeded, I stopped once again.
This time, Aria let out an exasperated voice.
"Hey, don't stop so many times. Did something happen?"
In the nearest room.
I confirmed a mysterious reaction in the room beyond the wall of the passage.
"...A treasure chest appeared."
Looking, a treasure chest had appeared in the room closest to us. My skill had discovered it.
Mei, looking at me, said.
"There certainly is movement. But I'm impressed you can distinguish such detailed reactions. Even I can't tell it that specifically."
Eva was also impressed.
"Is the goal achieved for this time? Then let's hurry back to the surface!"
At that, Novem denied it.
"You can't do that, Eva-san."
"...Right."
Clara looked at me and tilted her head.
"What is it, Lyell-san? Could it be trapped? Since Miranda-san isn't here, shall we skip it?"
I shook my head.
"...No, there are no traps or anything. But something is strange. Anyway, let's go check."
There was no reaction related to traps, and we resumed our movement to collect the treasure chest that had suddenly appeared.
A little further ahead, there was a side hole that served as the entrance to a room.
There were no monster reactions inside, but Clara illuminated the room and Aria entered first.
Eva followed her, and after the two looked around, they beckoned us in.
Mei kept watch at the rear of the party, and as we entered the room, everyone looked around.
Treasure chests do not necessarily take the form of boxes.
They take various forms depending on the dungeon, and some are even embedded in walls.
Clara illuminated the room, but since that wasn't enough, Novem, Eva, and I used magic to brighten the surroundings.
Then—.
"...It's peridot. Same as before."
A yellow-green gemstone was shining, embedded in the wall.
Novem looked at it.
"The same thing consecutively. I find it a bit hard to believe. I haven't heard such a thing at the Base."
It's not uncommon for the same type of treasure to appear one after another from a dungeon.
However, since we discovered the gemstone, we hadn't heard any stories of other gemstones or peridots being discovered at the Base.
(Are Albano-san and the others collecting them and keeping them? Or is this just that kind of dungeon? But this one is also quite beautiful, just like the previous one.)
I couldn't help but feel that there was something to it.
(Does peridot have some kind of meaning?)
I pondered, but I couldn't find an answer. It was then.
Clara whispered.
"Peridot is, if I recall, the birthstone for August."
Eva agreed.
"That's right. But the same gemstone twice in a row... there must be some meaning!"
Aria looked a bit exasperated.
"Just because the same gemstone appeared twice. More importantly, let's collect it quickly. ...Novem?"
Novem, looking at the wall where the peridot was embedded, seemed to be deep in thought.