Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Roar
A morning in Ingta Barony.
After spending the night at the inn, we had a light meal and set out early in the morning.
Of course, we booked four rooms.
Yes… of course.
I never really expected we would only take one room.
Never… not even for a second…
Anyway, we were heading toward the Pitz Dungeon.
And when we were about halfway there—
“It’s far.”
“Huh?”
It is a bit far, yes…
So what am I supposed to do about it?
But Yuna’s complaining didn’t stop.
“I don’t want to walk… Poe!”
Yuna summoned Poe and immediately climbed onto his back.
I’m so jealous I could die.
By the way, since he’s undead, doesn’t he smell?
I quietly walked up to Poe and sniffed.
But contrary to his appearance, there was no smell at all.
Poe met my eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“Ah… sorry.”
Still, a beautiful girl riding on a Death Knight… it really looks like a kidnapping scene.
I spoke while watching them.
“Should I not have sold the carriage?”
“That is a ridiculous thing to say.”
“I know. Just saying.”
It’s not like we needed the carriage path anyway, and monsters keep appearing randomly.
Besides, the money we got from selling it was pretty good.
If it were my old self, I would’ve been shocked at the amount, but now I barely feel anything.
My sense of money is getting messed up.
I feel like I’m turning into Yuna.
Still, it’s good that we have Melaim, who is very sensible.
If we want to splurge, we follow Yuna. If we want to spend normally, we follow Melaim.
…But the closer we got to the dungeon, the more monster attacks increased.
Well, that makes sense.
Most of them were beast-type monsters, especially black-furred wolf-like creatures that kept jumping out.
But… they were stronger than expected.
The skeletons and Tanya handled them well, so it wasn’t a real problem, but a few skeletons did get destroyed.
After that, Yuna got annoyed and grabbed her orb, but even then another skeleton was destroyed.
Well, it’s still not a serious issue.
They weren’t strong enough to threaten us.
But there was something bothering me…
“Hey… Melaim?”
She didn’t respond.
“We’re getting closer to the dungeon, right?”
“….”
Still no answer.
I continued anyway.
“Don’t you think they’re too strong? If monsters like this appear, then the boss of this dungeon….”
“I am thinking the same thing.”
Melaim looked annoyed.
“I specifically asked for the weakest boss dungeon in this area….”
A dungeon with monsters like this…
And I’m supposed to fight the boss one-on-one.
I don’t even think I could beat one of those wolves, let alone a boss.
“Well… maybe the boss is weak?”
Melaim stared at me silently.
“Have you ever seen such a dungeon?”
“No… this is actually my first time exploring one. I only went to Poe’s dungeon before.”
Melaim let out a small “Ah…” and continued.
“In my memory, such a place does not exist. Though few of us have even memories of dungeon exploration.”
Then Poe, still carrying Yuna, spoke up.
“I also know of no such dungeon.”
I tilted my head.
“Wait… Poe, you know about other dungeons too?”
“I was not always undead.”
“You have memories from when you were alive?!”
“Of course.”
Yuna, still on Poe’s back, looked shocked.
“What?! Really?!”
“Just as a lich retains memories of life, I am the same.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?!”
“You never asked.”
Melaim nodded calmly.
“Indeed. A knight does not usually ramble about their past unasked.”
“I’m glad Lady Melaim understands…”
Yuna tapped Poe’s shoulder.
“Tell me later, okay?”
“Yes, my lord.”
…
After walking for quite a while, we finally arrived at the Pitz Dungeon.
Around the entrance, black-furred wolf monsters were wandering about.
Of course, Poe, the skeletons, and Tanya quickly dealt with them.
“Should I have helped too?”
I trained, after all. I should at least try.
“No need. If you get injured before the boss fight, it will be troublesome.”
“…So I’m really going in alone?”
“We will leave the boss room open. If it gets dangerous, we will intervene.”
Is that even allowed?
Well… better than dying, I guess.
“Done!”
Tanya waved her hand, and we entered the dungeon.
Inside, monsters were swarming everywhere.
Just beast-type monsters, as expected.
“So this is what dungeons are like.”
There are really so many monsters.
Melaim nodded.
“Considering monsters were even coming out of the dungeon, if time had passed, nearby towns would have requested a major expedition.”
I thought for a moment.
“…What if the guild already did that and just sent us here quietly?”
“That is… possible. If so, that receptionist named Lily may need to be dealt with.”
I don’t know what “dealt with” means in her case.
But she’s the most normal among us, so I guess it’s fine.
Probably.
Anyway.
The monsters inside were being taken down one by one without much trouble.
Wow, look at Tanya.
She’s smiling like she’s playing with a puppy while stabbing wolves right in their vital points.
Even Melaim, now unconcerned about witnesses, was swinging her tentacles while talking to me.
“Ah! Treasure!”
“Oho!”
Tanya rushed ahead after spotting a treasure chest.
Melaim and Yuna followed her, and I walked slowly behind.
Melaim smirked at the item inside.
“This necklace has potential for appraisal.”
Yuna asked.
“Don’t treasure chests have money inside?”
Do they?
I wasn’t sure.
Melaim seemed to know quite a bit.
“The currency currently in use does not spawn in dungeons. Only items that once existed in this world appear here.”
Yuna blinked.
“Uh… I’m sorry, I don’t get it.”
Yeah. Me neither.
Melaim continued patiently.
“Items that appear in dungeons are things that once existed in this world and disappeared.”
“Really? That’s cool.”
Really?
I had no idea.
Melaim nodded.
“When an object is assigned value, its information is stored somewhere. That place is conceptual, so we cannot access it. When the object disappears from the world, it manifests again in dungeons.”
Uh…
Still confusing.
Yuna looked like she understood even less than I did.
“…Uh huh.”
Melaim seemed to realize we weren’t following.
“If you are interested later, read theological texts.”
Theology?
What does that have to do with this?
Yuna blinked a few times.
“I can’t read.”
“…I see. If you ever want to learn, tell me.”
“No thanks. I hate studying.”
Melaim nodded and walked ahead.
“Still, this place is unnecessarily large, yet the passages are narrow. A very unfriendly dungeon.”
“Dungeons aren’t supposed to be friendly.”
Melaim clicked her tongue and placed her hand on the ground.
“…I wanted to find the boss room properly this time.”
Tentacles spread from her hand.
I’ve seen this before in Poe’s dungeon.
Not that long ago, but still nostalgic.
Tanya ran back toward us, covered in blood.
“Luka! Yuna!”
“Hm?”
“Looks like it’ll take a while. Want some jerky?”
I wasn’t hungry, but Yuna nodded, so I followed along.
Tanya chewed happily.
“Good thing I brought jerky.”
“You like jerky?”
“Not really. But it attracts these guys.”
She pointed at the pile of monster corpses.
Wait… that’s why?
No wonder there were so many.
“You knew beast monsters would appear?”
Tanya shook her head.
“Nope! Just lucky. I brought jerky and happened to find wolves!”
That’s usually called bad luck, not good luck.
Yuna muttered while chewing.
“…Weird.”
Anyway, I stored mine away.
Then Melaim spoke.
“Found it.”
“That was fast.”
“I have learned the pattern. Let us go.”
We followed her.
…
At the boss room entrance.
I gripped two enhancement potions tightly.
We came here so I could gain my combat aptitude.
Even if things felt more dangerous than expected, I had to try.
I turned to my party.
“Don’t close the door, okay?”
“As I said, leaving it open may prevent it from being treated as a one-on-one fight.”
“But still…”
“If it becomes dangerous, we will enter immediately.”
Cowardly or not… closing it could mean death.
I value my life more than aptitude.
Aptitude can wait.
Of course, waiting too long might also get me killed.
But that’s a risk I have to take.
They gave up noble ties and trained me.
I can’t just stand in a safe spot and be fed everything.
I took a deep breath.
Melaim encouraged me.
“Take your time.”
Four pairs of eyes watched me.
Tanya, Melaim, Yuna, Poe.
Tanya yawned.
Yeah… I know I’m taking too long.
But I’m nervous.
“…Alright. I’m going in.”
I drank both potions at once.
Strength and agility enhancement.
Each lasts five minutes, and costs several silver coins.
I just swallowed a small fortune.
But it was worth it.
My body felt incredible.
This is amazing.
I opened the boss room door.
And the moment I saw the boss—
My courage shattered.
I turned to my party.
Yuna covered her mouth in shock.
Even Melaim and Tanya froze.
Of course they did.
…How am I supposed to fight that?
I’ve never trained for this.
“Haha…”
My hand trembled as I drew my sword.
The boss stared at me without moving.
Pitch-black fur that swallowed light.
Eyes glowing like blood.
It watched me in silence.
Then it slowly bared its teeth.
And roared.
“Al! Al!”
Two tiny hands…
No.
Even smaller than that.