Chapter 71
Well then, the funky adventurers and the middle-aged magician are proceeding through the first floor smoothly.
Well, there are no traps or golems in the first floor, so it’s natural to progress smoothly.
Hmm, but this video… it has better quality than the TV in my previous life.
Every time I see it, I’m amazed at how amazing Elibel’s technology is.
By the way, this video.
It can also pick up audio properly.
I can hear their conversations perfectly.
Of course, I can adjust the volume.
What kind of conversation are they having?
I’m a little curious, so I raised the volume until I could pick up their voices.
On the first floor of the surface dungeon―――――
『Mr. Sub, thank you for taking on the role as my guard today. But, are you sure? You just arrived in Endymion. Although it’s none of my business, wouldn’t it be more reassuring for your wife if you took on a request in town?』
The middle-aged magician, Balan, addresses Sub, the leader of the “Black Fang Hyena.”
『Hah! Don’t worry about me, you old man! Watch your step! There’s a huge rock rolling down! What will you do if you trip, huh!?』
『Oh, indeed. I’m sorry for making you pay attention to such details…』
『Hahaha! You should just worry about yourself! All right (while moving the rock)…』
『I see. I’ve heard about all of you. Then, I’ll leave the surroundings to you.』
『That’s right, I don’t dislike that kind of honest attitude, hihihi…!』
『Uh, bro… it looks like we’re almost at ‘that place.’ I’m going ahead to see if there’s any danger, hehehe.』
『Oh! You guys! Until this old fart finishes his job, make sure there are no interruptions! He has to return to town alive and get a lot of money… Hahaha!!!』
「「「「Okay, Boss!」」」」
In the dungeon surveillance room―――
『What are these guys…?』
It seems that they―――apparently called the “Black Fang Hyena”―――have been hired as guards by the old magician.
Where does the teleportation gate lead to?
Is it safe to dive?
It seems they have come to investigate that.
The “Black Fang Hyena” are always on guard, occasionally showing actions of caring for the old magician.
After watching them for a while, I realized.
These guys are incredibly serious.
They definitely suffer due to their looks and behaviors.
No doubt about it.
Their attitude and speech are too misleading.
In fact, it’s so misleading that I think they might be doing it on purpose.
「――――Oh, it seems they’ve finally come to analyze the transfer gate.」
A voice suddenly came from behind me.
『Oh, Elibel. You’re back from the middle layers?』
「Yes. I’ve finished improving the traps. Dossun and Tres are back too. That’s not monitoring the dungeon over there… is it? You’re just killing time, aren’t you?」
She saw through me. As expected from the Sage.
『Y-Yeah…』
What?
Are you angry?
Stop, it’s scary.
「Don’t be so defensive. I don’t plan to say anything about it.」
『Really?』
That’s a relief.
I’m glad I didn’t get my scales or claws pulled off.
「It seems those guys are here to analyze the teleportation gate… They’re much slower than I expected.」
As Elibel said this, she watched the video.
It took much longer than we had initially expected for the adventurers to arrive.
『There’s no problem if they analyze it, right?』
「Yes. After all, that gate is merely for transportation. Rather, we need them to quickly analyze it and spread the word about its safety and convenience.」
『I see.』
If we can get merchants to say that this dungeon can be used safely for transportation, the number of humans using the surface dungeon will increase dramatically.
Ultimately, if it can eat into the country’s transportation economy, it would be great.
Then, there would be less worry about the dungeon being destroyed.
「…Still, they are quite flashy. I’m surprised that such characters still exist.」
『Eh? Were there people like that 200 years ago too?』
Seriously? Has punk fashion been prevalent in this world for 200 years?
「Yes. They were even more radical back then. I mean, there was a guy whose right arm was a pile bunker.」
『Really…? That’s going too far, even for fashion.』
「Isn’t it? I was taken aback when I saw it back then… He was from a good family, I wonder what happened?」
『Who knows.』
Maybe he wanted to ride off on a stolen bike?
「Oh, it seems like they’re going back. They must have finished analyzing.」
『Seems like it.』
While we were talking, it seems that the “Black Fang Hyena” and the old magician had finished their investigation.
They left the central hall.
Now, the rumors about the dungeon will spread.
All we can do is hope that things will work out in our favor.
『Well… I guess I’ll go to bed now.』
It’s completely night now, as I was watching the video.
It’s been a while since we had some interesting visitors.
It was a good way to kill time.
「Well then, goodnight, Earth.」
『Yeah, goodnight.』
Elibel headed straight to her laboratory.
She’s probably going to do some research again.
She’s undead, so she doesn’t need to sleep.
Well, I guess I’ll head back to my bed now.
―――However, I didn’t realize at that time.
That outside the surveillance room, there was another person watching this footage…
In a certain highway―――――
The leader of the “Black Fang Hyena”, Sub, was making his horse run.
The analysis of the teleportation formation had taken much longer than expected, and night had fully set in.
The moonlit highway was free of obstacles, and if things went as they were, they would arrive in the Magic City Endymion in about an hour.
And then, if they delivered Mr. Balan, who was a magician, to the guild, their request would be finished.
After that, they would receive their reward, and that was supposed to be the end of today’s work.
One of the members sitting in the back spoke to Sub.
「Don’t we get a drink tonight, boss?」
「I’m sorry. I got some little brats waiting for me… I need to put them to sleep properly… Kukuku」
Yes, a three-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter were waiting for his return.
He had to hurry home and reassure them.
After all, he was mentally tired from the long journey from the Borhelic Kingdom to Endymion.
If he didn’t act like a father a bit, his wife and children would get tired of him.
Thinking that, he was about to increase the speed of the horse, when…
A shadow of a person appeared in the middle of the road.
「―――――!?」
The shadow didn’t move out of the way and remained standing in the middle.
With no choice, Sub stopped the horse.
「Darn it! Who the hell is it!? If you hear a carriage in the middle of the night, it’s common sense to get out of the way! You’re not going to get away with just an injury, you know!?」
While cursing, Sub looked at the shadow in front of him.
The clouds cleared, and the moonlight slowly illuminated the figure in front of him.
It was indeed a girl.
Her face covered with a blank mask, she wore a traditional dress known as an áo dài.
Her hair, the color of the dawn, shimmered in the moonlight, like a flame flickering in the darkness.
Her attire was unique, but Sub was more concerned about why a young girl was walking alone in the dead of night.
Was she lost, or a refugee who had run away from somewhere?
Either way, he couldn’t just leave a young girl like her alone in a place like this.
「Oi, little girl… What are you doing here in the middle of the night? The night road is dangerous… If you’re lost, I can give you a ride on the carriage. We’re heading to the Magic City Endymion just ahead. Kukuku…」
「…….I thought so, it’s you guys from before.」
「……..Haa?」
The girl in front of him approaches.
And then, simultaneously, a faint fear arises.
「―――――!?」
A strange cold sweat ran down Sub’s back.
What’s going on?
Why is he, in front of such a small girl, feeling so tense?
I don’t know.
He didn’t know, but for some reason, something in his mind was desperately ringing alarm bells.
Looking back, his members and Mr. Balan also seemed to be tense.
Everyone was sweating a cold sweat in unison.
「―――Hey, mister」
「………Y-Yeah, what is it?」
「――――――Do you know about a female adventurer named Farley?」
With a chillingly quiet voice, the girl in front of him―――Tres―――asked them.