2
Chapter 2
Even as I was coming to terms with this despairing reality alone, the conversation continued.
"Still, it might be fine if the Dungeon's danger level is low."
"But what if it's high?"
"...."
"Then...?"
The Dwarf glanced at the Soldiers with a meaningful look and said.
"If you're thinking about running away, you'd better drop it."
"What?"
"Once you become a Dungeon Dog, it means the Lord himself has given the commission. And you want to run?"
"But if we just escape and somehow live in hiding..."
At the Dwarf's words, the Mercenary gestured with his chin toward the Soldiers sitting far away.
The Soldiers were giggling as if someone had told a funny joke.
"If you're confident you can beat them without a weapon, it wouldn't be bad to try."
"Still, with four of us-"
"What makes you think I'll help? I have no intention of helping."
"Damn it...."
Whether he had trusted the Mercenary's size or had his own hidden trump card.
The Dwarf had tried to escape, but was blocked by the Mercenary's opposition.
After huffing for a long while, the Dwarf plopped down on the ground as if he had given up.
"Yeah, it's not like every Dungeon is dangerous......."
The Dwarf mumbled to himself as he sat there.
Was he not giving up, but just trying to be hopelessly optimistic?
Perhaps it was time, as the seated Soldiers suddenly stood up and got into formation.
The sound of a Carriage approaching could be heard from afar.
The one driving the Carriage was the Soldier who had left earlier.
As soon as he arrived, he asked the group.
"Who is Riv?"
Riv. That was a familiar name.
Wasn't that the Owner of the diary I read in the thatched cottage?
When no one answered, the Soldier next to him spoke.
"Captain, that guy is said to have black hair and blue eyes."
At those words, the Captain scanned the group and stopped his gaze on me.
"Then it's only you, so why aren't you answering?"
......I'm Riv?
No way... I knew this was a fantasy world, but did I actually possess someone's body?
Damn, no wonder there were so many strange things....
The moment I stood dazed by the shocking truth-
Thwack!
"Keuk-"
Clatter!
With a brief pain that suddenly struck my abdomen, I was pushed back and fell down.
Clutching my stomach, I raised my head. A Soldier with a cold expression was standing in front of me.
"Next time, answer right away. Ah, of course, there won't be a next time."
"...."
Brushing off the foot he had used to kick me, the Soldier said.
For a moment, I flared up in anger, but remembering our difference in standing, I lowered my gaze.
Thump-
He threw something at my feet as I lay there.
It was a shabby leather Backpack.
Whether they were personal items or not, one was also given to each of the companions next to me.
"You know how to use a Detection Stone at least, right?"
"Excuse me?"
Is he talking to me?
"Tsk, this is why guys from the Magic Tower are like this."
"...."
"Just push mana through the hole in the back. Understood?"
"Yep."
Magic Tower? Mana?
I had no idea what he was talking about, but I couldn't get hit again, so I answered immediately.
What the hell was he talking about... Ah, if I am Riv, then surely....
The body I possessed was originally a Magician. Only then did those words make sense.
While I was resolving my doubts, it seemed they were ready to leave.
"Let's get going."
"Are we heading straight to the Watchpost?"
"Yeah. We can't let Criminals into the city."
Watchpost.
The place they called the Watchpost wasn't far away.
Walking a little further from the clearing, we arrived at a wide open area below a hill.
A wooden fence was erected in a circle around it.
Between the fences, flags engraved with unknown crests fluttered in the wind.
Right next to the flags, several spear shafts with round objects stuck on them were lined up.
At first, I thought they were simple structures, but as I got closer, I realized that wasn't the case.
What was stuck at the end of the spear shafts were 'human heads'.
"Ugh-!"
It was a gruesome sight I was seeing for the first time.
I didn't notice it from afar, but even inhaling felt disgusting.
Even though my stomach was empty, I started to dry heave.
Despite my suffering, the Soldiers calmly conversed.
"More pathetic fools have crawled in during that time."
"Yes, there were two of them, but one escaped."
"Escaped? Things are getting chaotic now that the ban is about to be lifted."
The Soldiers paid no attention to me and walked past, crossing the wooden fence entrance.
Urged by the Soldier behind me, I had no choice but to follow without even being able to compose myself.
There were Tents inside the Watchpost.
There was one Tent on each side, centered around the entrance.
The Tents weren't large, suggesting there weren't many people stationed here.
The Soldiers left us standing in the clearing in front of the Tents and went inside.
Once again, we were left alone in the clearing as if abandoned.
Perhaps this was our last chance to escape.
But no one was thinking about that.
Because everyone had their eyes fixed on one spot.
The thing you see directly in front as soon as you enter the entrance.
It was a massive, pitch-black door.
A door protruding at an angle from the hill, much like a cave entrance.
The cracked earth around it seemed to indicate this wasn't a natural phenomenon.
Unable to take my eyes off the unknown sensation emanating from the door....
Grab.
!!
"Looks like you really are a Magician."
The touch on my shoulder brought me to my senses in a flash.
Looking back, I saw the Mercenary with an intrigued expression.
"They say Magicians are mesmerized by the Dungeon. Guess it wasn't just a rumor."
"Moreover, from the Magic Tower...."
The Thief added a word to the Mercenary's remark.
Only then was I reminded that I had companions who came with me.
Anyway, the Dungeon? Was that door I saw the Dungeon entrance?
But why is that guy acting like that?
The Dwarf, quietly standing in the corner, caught my attention.
The Dwarf avoided my gaze as if he was feeling guilty about something.
"Looks like he's mindful of you. Surprising. Was he the type to care about such things?"
"Ah."
The Mercenary said, seemingly catching on.
He's mindful of me?
"If you're from the Magic Tower, you're at least a Semi-noble...."
Perhaps that was correct, as the Dwarf finally spoke in a fading voice.
Anyway, I'm a Semi-noble?
If so, what exactly happened for me to become a Prisoner?
It seemed to be something that happened during a blank period; it wasn't in the book.
"The Gates of Hell are right in front of us anyway, so what does all that matter."
The Mercenary spoke with a look of complete unconcern.
Perhaps thanks to that indifferent face, the Dwarf's attitude quickly reverted.
"Yeah, that's right! We're just fellow Prisoners. I got scared for nothing."
"Tsk- I should have just left him alone."
I couldn't help but nod at those words.
"Since it's come to this, let's introduce ourselves. I'm 'Drek'. As I said earlier, I used to work as a Mercenary."
At the Mercenary's, no, Drek's words, the others also started introducing themselves one by one.
"I am 'Baldic' of the Red Rock Tribe."
The second to introduce himself was the Dwarf.
"Red Rock... I've worked with Dwarfs before, but that's a Tribe I've never heard of."
"Are you looking down on my Tribe!?"
Surprisingly, Baldic was a Dwarf. To think it was real.
"But why haven't you been able to say what you used to do since earlier?"
At Drek's sharp pointing out, Baldic shut his mouth.
"Between fellow Criminals, there's no need to hide-"
"...Priest"
"......What?"
A faint muttering heard in the silence.
"Damn it, I was a Priest! Hell...."
"My god...."
At the shocking statement, the group all lost their words.
A clergyman with that kind of appearance and personality.
It was not an easily believable fact.
"You wouldn't be committing blasphemy... No, does it not matter since you're already a Criminal?"
I wasn't the only one who couldn't believe it, as Drek came up with a somewhat reasonable deduction.
"Stop minding my business!"
"Hmm... right."
At Baldic's sharp attitude, everyone eventually kept quiet and moved on.
And the introductions began once again.
"I am 'Cowin'."
The Thief's introduction followed.
"I used to work in a Guild."
"A Guild? What kind of Guild?"
Drek asked with an oddly active attitude, as if he also had a connection to a Guild.
He hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Well... the Thieves Guild...."
"What!? A Thief?"
Cowin shrank back at Baldic's reaction.
By the way, does physiognomy exist in this world too?
Everyone had parts that matched their appearance perfectly.
I suspected it, but to think he was actually a Thief.
As the atmosphere turned strange, Drek stepped in to mediate.
"Have you already forgotten what I said earlier? We're already in the same boat. Let's not create reasons to blush for nothing."
"No, but he says he's a Thief himself."
"If he's from a Guild, it won't be what you think."
Thanks to Drek's mediation, the chilling atmosphere calmed down to some extent.
In the calmed atmosphere, everyone's gaze gathered on me, the last one remaining.
"Uh... I am Riv."
I paused for a moment at the Dwarf who brazenly said I was polite for a Magician, seemingly unaware of his own rudeness.
"My profession is... a Magician."
I decided to act brazenly as well.
"It's my first time seeing a Magician from the Magic Tower."
"Come to think of it, if there's a Magician, doesn't that mean they aren't just throwing us away?"
"...Maybe."
As expected, are Magicians precious here too?
The group looked at me with expressions as if they saw hope.
Had they forgotten the treatment I received from the Soldier earlier?
Or were they clinging to even a sliver of hope despite knowing?
Hmm. I shouldn't reveal that I don't know how to use magic.
Perhaps they had finished their business, as Soldiers came out of the Tent one by one.
"It's about time."
A Soldier said, looking up at the sky as if estimating.
Rumble-
Suddenly, a heavy vibration rose from the ground.
The Soldiers took their stances as if used to it, and I lost my balance and fell.
I was the only one who fell down. Damn this body.
Creak- Creeaaak-
......The Dungeon is opening.
The source of the vibration was the Dungeon. To be exact, it was the vibration created by the firmly closed door pushing against the ground.
Creeeak-
Thud!
With a loud noise, the vibration that had lasted for a while finally ended.
The Dungeon revealed its dark interior that it had been hiding all this time.
Its deep and dark appearance, much like a tunnel, evoked a strange sentiment.
But had I gotten used to it?
Unlike before, I was quickly able to look away and stand up.
The Captain silently gestured to the Soldiers with his head.
At his gesture, the Soldiers went in front of the door and checked something.
"No changes!"
A moment later, a Soldier reported immediately as if the check was complete.
At those words, the Captain scribbled on a piece of paper and spoke.
"Ah, I forgot to explain the mission. From now on, you just need to enter the Dungeon and find the Relic."
"......."
"How about it? A very simple errand, right?"
No one answered the obviously mocking tone.
"...It's time to say goodbye. Go in. Or do you want me to push you from behind?"
Whether he was offended by the lack of response, the Soldier ordered us to go in right away.
As we hesitated, I could feel the Soldiers waiting behind us approaching.
In the end, we took heavy steps toward the Dungeon entrance like cows to a slaughterhouse.
"Damn it... damn it... damn it......!"
Faced with the approaching reality, the Dwarf, who had been quiet until now, muttered again as if having a fit.
Was I infected by his state? I felt myself becoming anxious as well.
Despite our heavy steps, we eventually reached right in front of the Dungeon.
Perhaps because we were closer, the strange energies could be felt more clearly.
Is it really because I'm a Magician?
Drek went straight into the Dungeon like it was nothing.
Seeing that, I also gulped and eventually crossed the threshold.
'I don't really feel anything.'
Contrary to my expectation that there would be some change, there wasn't much of a change.
Just the feeling of a cave's unique dampness?
Pushed by the Soldiers from behind, Baldic and Cowin also came in belatedly.
As soon as we crossed the threshold, the sound of something heavy being dragged could be heard from behind.
The source of the sound was a Barricade. The Soldiers dragged a wooden Barricade and blocked the entrance.
Hah, now we really can't go back, I thought, but come to think of it, we had nowhere to go back to even if we went out.
Because of the darkness, we couldn't see the end, but the tunnel was deeper than expected when seen from the inside.
While everyone stopped walking and fell deep in thought, Drek, who was rummaging through his Backpack alone, spoke.
"Let's go in."
"What? You want to go in here?"
Startled by those words, Baldic, who had been spacing out, said.
"Then what do you want to do?"
"Holding out here is...."
"We don't have enough food to hold out."
He emptied his Backpack and showed us the contents.
There weren't many items that came out of the bag.
A loaf of bread.
Three pieces of Jerky of unknown ingredients.
One leather Canteen.
Four Torches.
One short Dagger.
One Blanket.
It was definitely an insufficient amount to hold out with.
"Besides, do you think they'll welcome us back if we return without any results?"
"......."
Resigned to his logical words, everyone resumed their stopped steps.
As we went a little deeper, the cast darkness covered even each other's faces.
Clack-! Clack-!
Whoosh-
The interior suddenly brightened along with the sound of stones clashing.
It was the light from the Torch Drek took out.
It seems he took it out from the Backpack earlier.
Seeing that, I also rummaged through my Backpack as if possessed.
My bag contained one more stone that Drek didn't have.
The black stone reflecting the light looked like a processed jewel.
"It's a Detection Stone."
"Ah, this is it."
As I was looking into the stone, Baldic spoke as if he recognized it.
Has his mentality recovered already? No, looking at his expression, it just seemed he was quick to give up.
Anyway, is this the Detection Stone? I definitely heard there was a hole in the back.
When I estimated with my hand, I really felt a hole.
It was a small hole as if pierced by a needle.
Next was definitely mana.... Mana?
'How do I use mana?'
That's right. I'm an otherworlder who entered a Magician's body.
I had never used magic before. But mana?
Just in case, I tried all sorts of actions like gathering energy, but only my face turned red and there was no change.
"......Status Window."
As a last resort, I quietly shouted Status Window.
As expected, there was no reaction.
'Fuck....'
Then did I fall into this other world without any abilities?
Only then did the fear I had been putting off leak out.
"Is there some kind of problem?"
As I was muttering to myself, this time Drek spoke to me.
"Ah, no."
"Well, to discuss problems, being here itself is a problem."
I stuttered like a Thief with a guilty conscience, but Drek continued speaking as if he didn't notice.
"With the Detection Stone, at least we won't get lost."
"I-Is that so?"
"Ah, did you say you don't know what a Detection Stone is?"
Drek, who oddly had a teacher's temperament, explained it to me.
"Simply put, it's a Magic Tool that helps you find the way."
"The way?"
"Yeah. If you use the Detection Stone, it tells you the entrance to the next floor."
The next floor.
It seems the Dungeon is divided into several floors.
It was a somewhat familiar cliché.
If there was a problem....
"Looks like we've entered the 1st floor."
"Then shouldn't you use the Detection Stone now?"
It was that I didn't know how to use the Detection Stone.
'What should I do...?'