Shinka no Mi – Chapter 146

Information about the Dungeon and the Guild’s Exam

「A new……Dungeon?」

「Yeah.」

While we were still trying to process this shocking piece of news, Gassur added with a strong nod.

「It was only recently…And it appeared exactly after the first Demon Lord and Zeanos-kun pushed back Kaizer Empire’s advances.」

Do dungeons pop up that easily?

When one appeared in Barbadoras Magic Academy’s vicinity, I remember Barna-san told me they don’t appear that often… 

Perhaps doubt appeared on my face; Gassur shook his head with a bitter smile.

「Unfortunately, Dungeons don’t form as easy as you think, Seiichi-kun.」

「That’s correct. Even more so, it’s easily tens of years ago since the last appearance of a Dungeon…and even older than that in the history of Wimburg Kingdom, you know?」

「……」

Isn’t it strange to encounter such an important thing twice? Not to mention, they’re not the most joyous kind of thing either? …No, as an adventurer, I know I should be overjoyed by this, but I just don’t want to head into danger in general. Well, now is a bit too late, though.

…Wait? Come to think of it, didn’t that Sheep bastard tell us that two more dungeons will get captured in the future, one being the Demon Lord’s dungeon and the other is the Demon God’s…

Is this Dungeon possibly a Dungeon we can’t capture?

I’m sure we’ll be fine with the monsters and the traps if we’re careful, but…There will be a lot of unknown factors and a huge amount of luck at play if I have to capture it in its truest meaning.

That’s why I think we won’t be able to capture it even if we try. That Sheep bastard is annoying as hell, but I believe he won’t lie on stuff like this.

「By the way, do you know why Dungeons appear or what causes it? Dungeons usually give you the image of danger, so I think it’ll be dangerous if we just leave them be like that…」

「On that note, we believe the cause is the Kaizer Empire’s lot.」

「Eh? Kaizer Empire’s?」

Even though the appearance of a Dungeon is already unexepected, and now the Kaizer Empire is somehow involved in it too?

「That’s right. I don’t know how they did it, but the Kaizer Empire have turned all of their soldiers into a group of monstrosity with a level over 550. The only thing that can give them such a monstrous power is either a 『Cursed Tool』 that requires sacrifices, or a world-treasure class Magic Tool. That’s why we think that the people who are under the influence either of those tools are staying in one place, though only for a short time and somehow exerted some kind of influence on the land.」

「That is nothing but Guild’s opinion in the matter, so it’s not strictly the whole truth, but… If similar cases had been happening in places the Kaizer Empire had occupied, then it would be evident.」

 I see… Since Kaizer Empire didn’t only invade Wimburg, but many other countries as well, so there might be many other Dungeons forming in those countries too… wait, so they are nothing but troublemakers, after all, oi!!

「Anyway, I understand that a Dungeon newly opened up, but… Is it a really new Dungeon? I’ve heard that, in some cases, it only opens up a new entrance to another Dungeon…」

「Yeah, from our probing, we can say that it’s a completely new Dungeon. Of course, since it’s hasn’t been formed for long,  there may have been hidden doors or passages that lead to other Dungeons.」

「I see… But, why tell us? You make it sound like it has something to do with Helen’s wish to get stronger…」

「Well, Seiichi-kun, that is because the level of danger in that Dungeon is unbelievably high.  After all,  the monsters that appear there are tremendously overleveled.」

「T-, that high?」

Gassur, who usually joked around, said so with a serious expression, so it must be a really dangerous Dungeon.

As Saria and the others straightened their backs in response to Gassur’s atmosphere, he continued his speech.

「But, precisely because it’s dangerous, it’s very fitting to be challenged by that girl who wants to get strong. However, whether or not she can surpass level 500, the peak of a human’s level, and become a 『Transcendent』 is all up to her. But, well, I’m not too worried about that, since as long as she has the heart to be strong and, of course, the muscles to bring her there! Something as measly as the limit of a human can be easily surpassed!」

Spoke Gassur as he posed up his muscle and shone up his white teeth in a smile. What he was saying sounded proper, but he just had to ruin everything with muscles.

Lutia, who was listening to our conversation, muttered with a questionable face.

「Humans are strange. We demons don’t have any particular upper limit to our Level, but…humans do, huh. But, that’s precisely why they are so strong and troublesome in a group battle… If humans become strong in terms of Status, such as becoming a 『Transcendent』, other races wouldn’t stand a chance. Maybe that’s why they were given such restrictions. Well, it appears that someone managed to remove that limitation, though…」

「Hmph. Humans other than Milord are just too weak.」

「…Even as a demon myself, I find him just as strange. If we classify Seiichi as a 【Human】, then the other humans look pitiful.」

「Aren’t I the pitiful one, though!?」

On Status, my race is written as 【Human】, but with my very 【Humanity】 being questioned like this, then what am I now!?

「Speaking of which, why did you stop us from going to that Dungeon, Eris-san?」

After being asked such a pure question by Saria, Eris-san let out a sigh.

「Do any of you know how Dungeons are handled in the Guild?」

「Eh?」

Come to think of it… I don’t.

Or rather, I don’t because, I was suddenly sent to the 【Black Dragon God’s Dungeon】 during the Guild registry exam, and after I was hired by the Barbadora Magic Academy, I only went to a Dungeon as a request, so I didn’t have to worry about Guild rules. Well, you can also say that I don’t know about any Guild rules, so I didn’t have to worry about them.

「Listen, okay? Basically,  requests and such are assigned a rank by the Guild under the judgement of whether or not they can be completed. S-rank requests can only be taken by S-rank Adventurers, and vice versa, the exam requests that Helen-san and Zola-san took are rank-free requests…meaning, anyone can take them as long as they are registered. I believe you’re aware of this rule, yes?」

「Yes」

「Then, in regards to Dungeons… Generally, there is no such thing as a request for Dungeons.」

「Eh? Is that so?」

I selfishly imagined that there would be some rich person somewhere making a request for a rare item from a Dungeon… 

「It is a rule in the Guild that any items obtained from monsters’ loot or treasure chests are basically the property of the finders. The reason why adventurers long to delve into Dungeons is because of such a dream of getting rich overnight.」

I see… I thought adventurers were people who made a living solely from selling monster materials.

The only reason why I signed up was because I wanted an ID. I never thought that I was registering to a place for people who dreamed of getting rich overnight.

I mean—— 

「Then, does that mean everyone here have their dreams and goals…?」

「Our dreams? Why, to live honestly to our carnal desires, of course?」

『YES FREEEEEDOOOMMMM!!!』

「Y’all better stop being an adventurer.」

Where is the model adventurer who dreams to make a fortune in a single stroke here? There are only perverts.

「Ahem! We went off topic, but well, Dungeons are places filled with dreams. And when a new Dungeon appears, we request a high-ranked adventurer to briefly check the approximate rank of the monsters inside before we open it to the other adventurers.」

「E? T-, that means…」

「Yes. It means your own rank doesn’t matter if you want to enter a Dungeon.」

「And that is why it’s very dangerous. There are many young adventurers who challenged Dungeons they are not up to task to, and lost their lives due to it…」

「That is why I’m against Helen-san and Zola-san entering that Dungeon. Even if Altoria-san and Seiichi-san are strong, the situation is too abnormal for this!」

Seeing how unusually anxious Eris-san was, I grew more uneasy.

After all, they’re Gassur and Eris-san, the two people who jumped straight to the army of monsters even though there were many S-rank monsters during the last 【Demon God Cult】 invasion.

If these two feel that the Dungeon is dangerous… 

Having listened far enough, I couldn’t help but ask a question I was genuinely curious of.

「But… If Dungeons are so dangerous that even adventurers lose their lives in them, why don’t you bar them from entering Dungeons?」

I, personally, thought that such a notion would be natural, or rather, it should have been done, but Gassur shook his head in response.

「Can you stop people from dreaming, Seiichi-kun?」

「Eh?」

I couldn’t answer his unexpected question.

Looking at me gently, Gassur continued.

「There is no such thing as caste in dreams. A dream of getting money is also a noble dream. Everyone has their own circumstances, too. Some of us may need money immediately. But when you need a large amount of money that you can never get just by living your usual life, how many other means do you think exist that enable us to earn it? Adventurers must be free. And that freedom, naturally, comes with a responsibility and a price——yes, our own life.」

「!!」

Those words were so concise and straightforward that I couldn’t help but gasp.

「These lads are willing to risk their lives to try and make their dreams come true. The Guild does not stop them from pursuing their ridiculous dreams. Instead, we support them as much as possible. We help them in the means of gathering information, getting personal connections, and many others… That is what the Adventurers’ Guild is all about.」

「……」

I have never thought that deeply about the existence of the 『Adventurers』, so this talk really swept me off my feet.

But, even more than that, I begin to think that they are… cool, even for a bit.

When my mind was doing its usual wander, Gassur snickered shyly.

「…Well, I went off tangent, but as I said, even if Eris-kun opposed your group delving into that Dungeon from her heart, if what you’re looking for lays sleeping in there, then we can’t stop you.」

「…I’m really reluctant to say this, but I am still an adventurer. I understand that each of us has our own circumstances and dreams to follow.」

Both Gassur and Eris-san give so much thoughts for Helen, someone they literally just met today.

Of course, it’s all up to Helen herself to decide, but…it’s almost certain that Helen will say she’s going to delve into it.

If so, then as her former teacher, one thing I can do here is…

「…Hey, Gassur.」

「Mu? What is it?」

「Can I get some info about this Dungeon? Things like the level of the monsters or the kind of traps it has.」

「…Gotcha.」

Gassur then immediately instructed Eris-san, who also withdrew to the depth of the Guild once to get some references.

 Now, at which level do the monsters there will be? Seeing how Gassur and Eris-san are being so wary of them, I’m sure they are considerably strong… 

Ah, that’s right. Let’s just ask about the highest leveled monster recorded while Eris-san goes to get the references.

「By the way, what’s the highest leveled monster in that new Dungeon?」

「Let me see… It’s a 【Murder Mantis】 at level 600.」

「……………hm?」

I doubted my own ears.

Eh? Did… did I just hear 600? I’m pretty sure 600 isn’t that high of a level though?

「I’m sorry, Gassur. Level what again?」

「It’s 600.」

「So I didn’t mishear it!?」

Eh!? Is level 600 considered that high!? Oh no, my sense of level has gone awry since our time in Zola’s Dungeon…!

「Fumu… As expected, even you get surprised by such a high level too, Seiichi-kun.」

「Eh, it’s, well…」

「…Isn’t it too low leveled?」

「Olga-chan!?」

Olga-chan nonchalantly muttered it, so I couldn’t help but retort.

However, it seemed those words reached Gassur, as he looked back to Olga-chan with a face full of shock.

「O-, Olga-kun. Did you just say…it’s too low leveled…?」

「…Nn. I did.」

「Y-, you’re not mistaken? It’s level 600, you know? Not even a 『Transcendent』 can face it so willy nilly, you know?」

「…My level is 850.」

「I don’t understand why though!?」

After he shrieked, Gassur grabbed me by the shoulders.

「Seseseseiichi-kun! Wha-, what does this mean!? Olga-kun is at level 850!? That’s no longer at the level of a 『Transcendent』 anymore!」

「Ooh, she told me she was at level 710 before, so she’s leveled up huh~」

「That’s not the problem! Or rather, she was at 710 before the level up!?」

When I asked her about her level in the Dungeon where Zola was kept captive, she told me she was at 710, but she had been killing monsters since then, so it wasn’t surprising that she had leveled up.

「What in the name of muscles happened between your group in such a short time you were away!? My muscles want to hear it too!」

「No, I’m not sure about speaking to your muscles part…」

After saying so, I briefly explained to him about the Dungeon that had appeared at the Barbadora Magic Academy.

Of course, I also told him how we met Zola there.

「In the name of muscles… I’ve been the Guild Master for many years, but I’ve never seen someone so far-off the norm as you! What the hell!? You eradicated a whole Dungeon!? Not even my muscles are capable of doing that, you know!?」

「I bet!」

Truth is, I wasn’t supposed to be able to do that either. I’m the ridiculous one here since I made the impossible possible.

After he said that, Gassur’s face turned serious.

「I have been aware of your potential for sometime now, Seiichi-kun, but… If it weren’t for the Kaizer Empire’s intervention, you would have given an alias already.」

「E, you mean…」

As bad premonition haunted me, Gassur opened his mouth with a really joyful smile!

「You’re part of us S-ranks!」

「ANYTHING BUT TTHHAAAAAAATTTTT!!!!!!!」

Anything but being part of an army of perverts… Anything but that! It’s too late for me though!

「I’m sorry for the wait…Ara? What’s the matter? Where did the heavy atmosphere from before go…?」

Eris-san, who had brought us the information regarding the Dungeon, noticed the situation and tilted her head accordingly.

「Listen, Eris-kun! What level do you think Olga-kun here is at?」

「Eh? Well… I’m sure she hasn’t reached level 500, so she is probably at about 480 at the highest?」

「She’s at 850, it seems.」

「Have your brain finally turned into muscles too?」

「Eh, you think!? You made me blush!」

「You’re incurable… And so, can you stop pranking me already? It’s impossible for someone to reach level 850…」

「…Nn, you can look.」

After Olga-chan briskly approached Eris-san and showed her status, Eris-san’s face contorted as she looked into it.

「…Seems like my brain has turned into muscles too.」

「Isn’t that fabulous then!」

「Shut up, ball of muscles」

「Those are words of praise too!」

While half-mindedly dismissing Gassur’s remarks, Eris-san checked Olga-chan’s Status over and over again, and eventually heaved a deep sigh.

「Haah… It appears to be the truth. Not to mention, taking account of Olga-san’s level, I can assume that everyone else is around the same level too, isn’t it? Just what in the world had happened…」

「Aah, about that…」

After explaining to Eris-san what I told Gassur before, Eris-san smiled as though something in her was on the verge of breaking.

「It’s out of my hands now.」

「I-, I’m sorry?」

…I apologize on the spur of the moment, but am I really at fault here? Well, it might as well.

As I began to question my own actions, Eris-san put on a serious look on her face.

「But… With Olga-san being this strong, it appears that the information of the new Dungeon I was about to hand to you is nothing but a waste now. After all, you can just eradicate it like how you did with…」

「I won’t do it okay!?……M-, maybe!」

「So you’ve doubted your own words already…」

I mean, me eradicating that Naga Dungeon was an accident, in a way! Like, I only wanted to bore a hole through the Dungeon’s roof so Zola could see the sky! It was a pure, honest act of consideration that ended with a tragedy! For the Dungeon, I mean!

「It was really amazing that time, you see~! When Seiichi swung his swords like swoosh, the Dungeon was already gone!」

「That is only natural for Milord. He still cares about the wellbeing of this world, that’s why the result was just as measly as that.」

「Are you really human?」

「I am human.」

Saria and Rurune’s comments maed Eris-an even more suspicious of me. I-, it’s okay. I am human, supposedly. Well, I can’t ascertain it since even my Status ran away from me, though!

「Well, whatever. In fact, with you possessing this much combat strength, there is nothing that I need to worry about.」

「Damn right. ——Seiichi-kun.」

「Hm?」

「That girl…Helen-kun, I don’t know what her position is in the Varshal Empire, and what kind of feelings she bears about the current situation, as I only met her today. That’s why, just like how you helped Altoria-kun before… You should lend your hands to her.」

「…Yeah. If someone like me can be of help, I’ll do whatever I can to help.」

——After we obtained informations regarding the new Dungeon while Helen’s group was away, we headed straight for the 『Tree of Peace』 inn as promised to Al.