Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Bartender, Hearing the Story
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Imperial official Radeon, currently serving the palace, had received a request from Veris, the chief professor of the Imperial Academy.
With so many people from the Imperial Academy already in the city, he set aside all his duties to meet with the chief professor.
But he heard some utterly unexpected news.
"Why is that boss there?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying..."
Balak, the boss of the Abyss Pit, was on Sky Island.
At this information, Radeon pressed his forehead as a headache throbbed, while Veris just let out heavy sighs.
They couldn't afford to waste time like this, though, or things would get even worse, so they quickly pooled their information.
"First off... it makes sense that the entity is on the move now."
"Even in the eyes of an imperial official like yourself, there are major problems on Sky Island and out at sea, right?"
"More than you can imagine. Enough that the boss even spoke directly to the palace."
The biggest issue on Sky Island right now was the beastmen.
Preaching survival of the fittest, they had settled in and were running rampant with robberies.
Of course, Sky Island's administrator, Light Tail, had rounded up all the beastmen bandit groups.
Thanks to reports from the many victims outside, the bandits were thrown straight into prison the moment they emerged from the dungeon.
The beastmen side had also sent controllers now, so things were gradually stabilizing.
But Sky Island and the surrounding seas were vast.
"There are too many places inland that are out of our sight. And in the end, that dungeon doesn't belong to us."
"So it's the boss's property..."
"The dungeon was anomalous from the start. Beyond the beastmen issue, all sorts of incidents keep popping up. The timing just couldn't be worse."
Radeon could only chalk it up to bad luck and felt sympathy for Veris.
Since this practical exam had been pushed by palace pressure, Radeon decided to provide support.
"R-Really?!"
"I'm aware the current era is changing rapidly. And in the end, didn't the academy only move because of the palace? This level of support is only natural."
Chief Professor Veris was impressed by the palace's swift response.
After securing Radeon’s full backing, Veris first gathered the intelligence quickly.
"A wolfman who seems to be the owner of the rest area. A half-vampire working as a barmaid. A Nyaotribe member who vanished a year ago. A mysterious woman in the shop..."
"Pay special attention to these two."
Radeon pointed out the wolfman and the woman in the shop.
"Why these two...?"
"Instead of explaining, take a look at this."
The wolfman had first been spotted last winter—a powerhouse so strong that even the knight commanders felt outmatched.
As for the woman in the shop—
"She sliced one of the Elf Queen's royal guards?!"
"And they say the guard didn't even get a chance to react."
Elves had absurdly long lifespans.
Their royal guards, honed over endless years of training under the Elf Queen, were among the world's elite—and at their peak right now.
For such a being to be killed effortlessly meant the entities in the rest area were monsters of the highest caliber.
"So under no circumstances should you act aggressively or demand unconditional cooperation there."
"...Understood. Any other cautions?"
"This is the biggest concern... No one's used a front-stage skip scroll yet, as far as I know."
"Why is that a problem?"
"Well..."
Radeon explained how those who reached the boss room via the shortcut in the rest area had been instantly slain upon encounter.
"So they got wiped out the moment they met it..."
"The place seems focused on 'proving your worth.' Using that skips the trials ahead, so everyone's avoiding it."
"Turning the skip scrolls into worthless checks, huh."
"Every result has its cause. Anyway, I've shared every detail I have. So, Chief Professor, what's your plan?"
"For the exam to continue, someone needs to make contact with the entities inside the dungeon—and fast."
After eyeing Veris for a moment, the imperial official pulled a single sheet from his desk drawer and handed it over.
"This is a front-stage skip scroll for that dungeon."
"It feels like it's laced with incredibly complex magic."
"The previous official had the city's mages analyze it, but they all failed. It's a mess of tangled, intricate spells."
With magic this advanced, replication was impossible—which explained why it served as high-denomination coin, the chief professor realized.
And...
"This is worth buying a small mansion?"
"Ah, right now? You could get one with a big garden attached."
"Pardon?"
"The coin's value has shot up."
Veris's mind went blank at the idea of currency fluctuating like market goods.
Realizing why the empire was gritting its teeth to regulate Abyss Coins, the chief professor bowed in gratitude to the official.
"Truly, thank you!"
"It's nothing. Oh, and the product catalogs floating around say they allow up to five people to move together—keep that in mind."
Deeply satisfied with the meeting, the chief professor clutched the terrifying sheet—worth an entire estate with a garden—and hurried off.
************
Good fortune is always followed by misfortune.
The moment the chief professor checked the church to see who had been resurrected, his head throbbed again.
"The third-year top student was resurrected?!"
"She revived a bit later than the others who were with her at the time, but she hasn't woken yet, so we can't confirm what happened."
The top student from the senior class—who should have scored highest in the practical exam—had been killed directly by Balak.
What now?
"W-We need to make contact with the entities inside the dungeon, fast!"
"Chief Professor! How'd the talk with the imperial official go?"
"Fortunately, he helped us out."
""""Ooooooh!!!!""""
The professors quickly confirmed the front-stage skip scroll and decided on their lineup.
"...Going there means death."
"No midway quits allowed, of all things..."
"I'll go."
"Th-The chief professor himself?!"
"We need a representative in the group—no choice."
"Ugh... Then who oversees the exam while you're gone?"
"Once the assistant professors wake up—"
And so the chief professor set off with four other professors.
Entering the dungeon, the professors let out heavy sighs.
The chief professor clutched the sheet, trembling.
The many entities at the entrance gaped at the paper he pulled out.
"That's...?!"
"No way..."
"Huh? What's got everyone so shocked?"
"It's a front-stage skip scroll. Think of it as worth a huge mansion these days."
"What?! Why use that?!"
As everyone clapped hands over their mouths in shock...
The real money bonfire began.
Infusing mana into the paper, the professors were instantly teleported to the dungeon rest area.
"This must be the famous place..."
"Hard to call it a dungeon interior..."
"Enough sightseeing, everyone."
Snapping to attention at the chief professor's words, they headed to the tavern.
"Please let the wolfman be there..."
"Could he not be?"
"The wolfman and half-vampire at the tavern supposedly clock in and out."
"What?! Then if he's not..."
"The blue-haired woman in the shop rarely moves, so we can go there instead."
"What a relief..."
Did their desperate wish reach him?
Entering the tavern, they saw a white-furred figure polishing glasses.
"Hm? New faces. Come on in."
"""Haa..."""
Thus, the professors met Ferguson, known as one of the few entities in the dungeon who could be reasoned with.
****************
Those folks...?
The new arrivals gave off a completely different vibe from the other heroes.
Their outfits looked utterly unsuited for combat, for starters.
Yet they felt as strong as—or stronger than—the previous heroes.
Just who were they?
Hospitality first, though, so I guided them to the bar table.
"Manager, busy day today, huh?"
"You said it. Hey, Kairel, could you and Pepira head to Ophelia for a bit?"
"What's up, Manager?"
"These folks seem a bit special."
I'd just confirmed via the tavern's magic device that someone used a front-stage skip scroll.
And these mysterious guests looked extremely pressed for time.
So they must have used it.
No one had ever used a skip scroll before—which meant their situation was beyond dire.
Unsure what might happen, I sent Kairel and Pepira away first.
Shortly after, I served the seated guests some hot drinks.
"Th-Thank you."
"It's the least I can do. More importantly... who might you all be? You have a totally different air from the other heroes. Almost like you're here for something else entirely."
Normally, cold water means "turn back."
Hot tea like this signals "speak."
Did they catch on right away?
The apparent leader of the mysterious group addressed me.
"First, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Veris Carendia, chief professor of the Imperial Academy. And these with me are professors currently teaching our students."
"The Imperial Academy... I've heard of it. But why would people from a school like that come here?"
"Well..."
Hm... I knew the academy was running a week-long practical exam inside the mini-dungeon.
But why tell me?
"I'm not sure why the chief professor is mentioning this practical exam to me."
"Pardon?"
"From the start, as long as challengers don't cross lines or commit major crimes, pretty much anything goes there. In short, we don't care if the academy runs exams or whatever."
The mini-dungeon was basically a training ground for those too weak to challenge Brother Balak's main dungeon.
We let all challengers roam free.
My youngest handled quality control there.
Surely no issues cropped up?
"N-No! Your brother hasn't directly attacked any students."
"Then why bring it up here...?"
"Since this place's owner is on Sky Island, we had no choice but to come."
"Brother Balak, you mean?"
Ah... right, Brother had said he'd pop into the mini-dungeon briefly.
Given these were academy professors, the situation was crystal clear.
"Did Brother fight the students?"
"""Yes!!!""
Ah... so that's why they're here.
But if Brother Balak decided to move...
There wasn't a single reason for me to intervene over outsiders' circumstances.
"I'm truly sorry, but please understand I have no say in Brother's actions."
"N-No way..."
"Haa... rushed exam was a mistake after all..."
"Instead, I'll ask what Brother plans to do."
"Really?!"
"Please wait a moment."
I stepped into the kitchen and contacted Brother.
Bzzzt!
Beep!
[Oh? Second bro! What's up?]
"Brother Balak, nothing major, but the tavern has..."
I'd already guessed why these professors were here.
I gathered all the info and relayed it to Brother.
[Got it...]
"Honestly, we could ignore their requests entirely, but what's your call?"
[Just tell them I'll only fight the top 1-3 from each year and leave the rest alone—no worries.]
"Understood, Brother Balak."
He loves combat, so he probably wanted to clash with the empire's top talents personally.
What could be done?
I explained it all to the professors.
They froze upon learning Brother had entered the mini-dungeon because of them.