kscans

Chapter 261 - Dark and Cramped

We continued on through the cave, creating a map as we went. Whenever we came to a fork, we followed Nanapon’s directions, just as before. If we hit a dead end, we would turn back and take the other path. And since we had just hit yet another dead end, we were returning to the last fork.

"Eleanor, let’s go back and take a break for now. It’s hard to tell since we’re in a cave, but it’s almost noon."

At Claire’s suggestion, I checked my watch and saw that it was indeed nearly twelve.

"You’re right."

As we retraced our steps, we came across another one of those floating skulls, so I sliced it in two. Once we were outside, we found a tree providing some nice shade, spread out a blanket underneath it, and sat down to eat lunch. For Nanapon and me, lunch was, of course, a bento box prepared by Mia.

When I opened my bento, I found it filled with colorful side dishes made from luxurious ingredients and roll-shaped rice balls.

"This is incredible," Nanapon said in awe, looking at her own bento.

"I know, right? Teaching her how to make these octopus-shaped sausages was… ah."

I dropped the little sausage I had just picked up with my chopsticks.

"How clumsy. What are you doing…"

"It just slipped, that’s all."

My poor octopus sausage…

"Hmm? A bento? Did you make that?" Claire asked while pulling a loaf of bread out of her bag.

"Our maid made it."

"You have a maid… Where do you live?"

As if I’d tell her.

"The royal palace in Frontier."

"Seriously?"

"Who knows."

I wouldn’t want to live in a place like that. When it comes down to it, even Arc stares out the window sometimes. I’m sure he prefers being above ground to living in a basement.

"Well, I don’t really care who you are anymore. The President seems to genuinely believe you’re a witch."

Huh…

"You’re boiling water, but what about your lunch?"

Harry was boiling water with a camping gas burner.

"This."

Harry pulled out two cups of instant ramen.

"You’re eating two?"

"Cup ramen is good, but the portions are a little small. I guess they’re made for Japanese people, so it’s not enough for a big guy like me."

"I see… Claire, is he really not going to die? That’s way too much salt," I whispered to Claire.

"Don’t ask me. I’ve told him over and over, but he insists it’s healthy because of his ‘wheat is a vegetable theory’. Between him and Norman, all my acquaintances are idiots who want to die."

Norman Who Smokes While Showering, huh.

"How pitiful… You’re surrounded by fools."

"You have no idea. More importantly, what was with that skull?" Claire asked, taking a bite of her bread.

"I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like it online. What about you?"

"Of course, we haven’t heard anything either. I know every monster that appears in the American sectors of Frontier, but I’ve never heard of a floating skull."

Hmm, I wonder if Arc knows. I’ll ask him when I get back.

"Try appraising this bone."

I took the bone drop item out of my bag and handed it to Claire.

"Hmm? Ugh, it says it’s a Femur Bone."

Where’s the femur? In any case, it’s definitely not from a skull.

"What kind of bone?"

"The Appraisal isn’t saying. Just throw that thing away. It might belong to someone who died in the mine."

Hmm, either way, I can’t sell it, and it probably can’t be used as an Alchemy ingredient. Besides, my housemates would probably be creeped out if I brought it home.

I threw the two bones far away and went back to eating. Just then, Harry started eating his ramen too.

After we each finished our lunch and rested for a bit, we entered the cave once more.

"It’s here again…"

The skull was floating in the same spot where I’d just defeated it. It seemed to have respawned. I sliced it in two, ignored the bone it dropped, and pressed onward. We returned to the fork and continued our exploration down the other path.

"…Eleanor-san, there’s a large open space up ahead."

Nanapon tugged on my clothes to let me know.

"…An open space? The end of the cave?"

"…No, the path continues on from there."

So there’s still more to go…

"…Alright. Let’s check it out."

We kept walking and, just as Nanapon said, came out into what seemed to be a large, open area. It was too dark to see much, though.

"Hmm?"

"Eleanor, move it."

Claire stepped forward with Harry, and they began to scout ahead, illuminating the space with their flashlights.

"What’s it look like?"

"It’s pretty big."

It certainly seemed that way.

"…Um."

Nanapon was fidgeting with her hands as she looked at Claire.

"What is it?"

"…Uh, um…"

Being looked at by Claire made Nanapon even more timid.

"What’s gotten into you? You can talk to people normally as long as they aren’t men, right?"

She’s always been timid, but I don’t think she was ever this bad.

"…She’s scary. She’s a top-ranking American adventurer over level 50."

She gets scared so easily…

"You’ll be fine. I’ll help you if anything happens. I’ll kill them all in three seconds. One second per person."

"…Does that include me?"

Huh? Oh, she’s right.

"Just talk to Claire."

What a troublesome disciple.

"Y, yes… U, um, Claire-san, your flashlight…" Nanapon said, reaching out with her head bowed.

"This? Here."

Claire simply handed the flashlight to Nanapon.

"Thank you…"

Nanapon took the flashlight and moved it around, lighting up the large chamber. Then she pointed it at a particular rock and held the beam steady.

"What’s wrong?"

"That’s a lizard."

A lizard…

"Ugh, a Sand Dragon?"

"They’re in here too…?"

Claire and Harry’s faces soured.

"You two have fought one before?"

"Just once."

"We had a job a while back. Someone wanted to see how strong a Sand Dragon was."

I see. Since its strength was unknown, they tested it with these A-rank adventurers.

"How was it?"

"It’s slow, but… it’s just really tough."

"It was nice getting a Dragon Scale as a drop item, though."

Come to think of it, Arc did say they drop Dragon Scales.

"What did you do with it?"

"I have mine on display at home."

"I sold mine to a rich guy."

Claire is so quick to sell things… What do you expect from the money-grubbing old lady.

"So that’s what we’re dealing with."

"It may be slow, but fighting it in a cave will be tough."

"The footing is bad, and most importantly, it’s dark."

Hmm…

"Eleanor-san, Eleanor-san…" Nanapon tugged on my clothes.

"What is it?"

"That’s a Sand Dragon, too."

Nanapon was pointing the light at a different spot now, where another rock stood.

"How many are there?"

"I’ve confirmed at least four."

So many!

"Tch, what a pain."

The biggest problem is not being able to see. Even with Presence Detection, I can’t be reckless with this bad footing.

"What should we do?"

"What’s the plan?"

Claire and Harry looked to me.

"Let’s head back for now. We can’t afford to be reckless."

We only came here to kill time, I’m not about to risk my life. For now, we should fall back and formulate a plan.

"Got it. Let’s pull out."

We decided to head back the way we came.