Chapter 69: Establishing Discipline (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 69: Establishing Discipline (1)
We arrived at the Dakuren Dungeon in Arasen’s carriage.
The dungeon gatekeeper looked at our quest request form and was visibly startled, offering us a sincere wish for good luck.
“As you likely already know, while the Dakuren Dungeon is lower in level compared to others, its space-time is distorted. For reasons unknown, unless you enter simultaneously as a party, you won’t be able to meet each other; instead, you’ll each begin your own separate dungeon raid. If you find yourselves in a situation where your life is threatened, do not hesitate to return. The safety of the adventurers is our top priority.”
To be honest, this was the first time I’d heard such details about the Dakuren Dungeon.
As Diane and I tilted our heads in confusion while entering, Lady Narupa adjusted her glasses and offered a leisurely explanation.
“The four major dungeons each have their own unique characteristics. Lukart has endless waves of swarming monsters; the Magic Tower features various mental and magical monsters that harbor magic stones; the Duchy’s Beehive is filled with the undead; and finally, the Dakuren Dungeon is characterized by party-based space-time separation.”
Lady Narupa, who had frequented dungeons to gather materials for mass-producing magitech goods, pushed Diane to the very front.
“Furthermore, the traps and structures are designed to reflect each dungeon’s specific traits. The monsters in the Dakuren Dungeon are relatively weak, but the most terrifying part is that if you trigger something wrong, the party can be physically split up by random spatial teleportation.”
“Have you experienced that here too, Narupa?”
“Of course. Since I already knew this, I’ve prepared emergency escape items for everyone.”
In response to Rune’s question, Lady Narupa rummaged through her backpack and handed out fist-sized stones to each of us.
“If you break the stone in an emergency, you’ll be teleported outside the dungeon entrance. Be careful, though. To prevent coordinates from overlapping, you’ll be teleported into the air at a certain height, so you must use them one after another.”
“Got it.”
Lady Narupa smiled as she gave the stones to Rune and me, but when it was Diane’s turn, she hesitated, clutching the stone in her hand.
As a wary Diane started to wave her hands, saying she was fine, I sighed and stepped in.
“There’s a hypothesis that since the Essence of the Demon Race is at the heart of the dungeon, it absorbs and grows from any skilled adventurers who die inside. The theory that the monster spawn rate in the Lukart Dungeon is on a different level because so many adventurers flocked there early on and died—only to be absorbed—started from this very idea.”
“If that’s the case, I suppose I have no choice.”
Narupa held out the stone with a look of clear disapproval, and Diane hesitated to take it.
“I… I’m really okay…”
“It’s not for your sake,” Rune snapped. “We just don’t want you getting absorbed by the dungeon and dragging us down later.”
“…Sorry.”
Diane quickly apologized and began searching for traps and scouting ahead.
If you could say Diane had changed, she certainly had.
The members of Mirei’s party, with the exception of Krima, had always been overflowing with confidence, but now they were busy walking on eggshells around us.
What was truly unexpected was that she had shown up and apologized to me while I was fighting Yobeste. Well, I suppose that’s only possible because Diane is so simple-minded.
She probably came running in a panic the moment she found out about my status.
That’s what I dislike.
The fact that her attitude only changed once she knew who I was.
“Rune, you should be standing in front of Alto.”
“It’s only the first floor. There’s no danger yet.”
“Rune, you can be lax about other things, but never in a dungeon. Not even on the first floor.”
The next source of trouble after Diane was Rune.
When Lady Narupa pointed out how Rune was clinging to my arm, Rune started being stubborn.
Since Lady Narupa was right, I chimed in to persuade her.
“Rune, a dungeon is a place where any number of variables can occur. In serious cases, even boss-level monsters can undergo a backflow.”
“Are you taking Narupa’s side?”
“What are you talking about? That hurts my feelings.”
“Fine… I’m sorry for being stubborn.”
I only realized this after we started dating, but Rune is incredibly clingy.
She wants to do everything with me.
Once, I went to lie down first because she was taking a long time to wash up, and she actually got upset about it. That was the first time I realized a person could get sulky over something like that.
Unable to watch any longer, Lady Narupa stepped forward again.
“Ranger, go ahead and scout.”
“Y-yes! I’ll give a signal if I see any enemies…!”
As Diane hurried off into the distance, Lady Narupa called out to Rune.
“Rune, this is a dungeon.”
“I know.”
“And you are the future Great Lord of Hus. Considering the influence your existence carries, it’s not good to act spoiled like this.”
“I said I know.”
“You say you know, but you keep acting annoyed. What is it?”
“……”
“Rune?”
“I know! I said I know!”
While repeating that she knew, Rune suddenly hugged me.
I had no choice but to pat her back, while Lady Narupa let out a small sigh.
“Why is she regressing into a child?”
As the Lady tried to approach, Rune suddenly hoisted me up and moved me to the side.
Wow.
I knew she was strong, but I didn’t expect her to lift me while I was carrying both Roar and Howling.
“…?”
When Lady Narupa approached again, Rune picked me up entirely and moved me behind her back.
“Rune, what are you doing?”
“You’re trying to hit on my man, aren’t you?”
“Wh-what…?”
“Don’t deny it. You’ve liked him from the start.”
“Rune, it’s true that I like him, but this is a dungeon. You have to separate business from pleasure.”
“I fell for him while traveling together too!”
When voices finally started to rise, I couldn’t just stay quiet anymore.
“Rune, Lady Narupa is right. This is a dungeon.”
“Alto, are you taking Narupa’s side right now?”
The sparks were flying toward me now?!
“It’s not that. It might be because this is your first time in a dungeon, Rune, but this isn’t a place where you can afford to be careless.”
“I’m not being careless! I’m not being careless about anything!”
“Rune, calm down…”
“Do I look like I can be calm right now?!”
“…?”
In an instant, a chill ran from my head down to my chest.
Seeing my expression harden, Rune’s face immediately filled with regret.
“Alto, I… that’s not what I…!”
“Alto!”
Rune tried to make an excuse, but she was cut off as Diane reappeared.
“A large group of goblins is coming from ahead!”
“How many?”
“At least twenty.”
“Any Hobgoblins?”
“There weren’t any high-ranking monsters like that.”
What a mess.
Even in Lukart, humanoids didn’t appear on the first floor.
Just what on earth did that bastard Yobeste do to this place?
Whatever it was, the timing was perfect.
I was feeling quite irritated myself.
“Were there any traps?”
“No, none at all!”
Let’s see.
The first floor had narrow passages where only two or three people could stand at a time.
I heard it opens up from the fifth floor.
They showed up at a really great time.
Lady Narupa began gathering her mana and took her position.
“Everyone, get in position! Rune in the front, Alto next, and I’ll prepare magic from the rear—”
Skreeeeeeek!
Before we could even form up, the goblins revealed themselves.
And then,
Thwack!
At the same time, their heads began to explode under the weight of my Roar.
“Wait…?”
I had already lunged forward alone and was slaughtering the goblins.
Before they could even raise their rusted spears and swords, I just swung Roar and Howling around, and their fragile skulls popped like balloons.
“Wait, Alto! You can’t just act on your own like—!”
Lady Narupa shouted to stop me, but I didn’t care.
I’d been thinking.
This party just entered the dungeon, but doesn’t it feel like there are too many captains?
The official captain is whining to me and can’t keep her balance.
The other one is reliable, but she’s strictly a temporary party member.
Skriek! Ack!
One lucky goblin managed to swing a sword at me.
It didn’t matter; it was sent flying by my kick, its ribs snapping before it crumpled and died.
Diane said there were over twenty, but the actual number was slightly less than that.
In an instant, the goblin pack was cleared out by me alone.
Rune, Lady Narupa, and even Diane were staring at me blankly.
Since Mirei’s party had hated me stepping forward from the beginning, they probably had never seen me go wild like this.
“Alto, here’s a towel…”
As I trudged back, Rune hurriedly brought a towel and tried to wipe the goblin blood off me.
But I pushed Rune away and only took the towel.
As I wiped the blood in silence, Rune stood beside me, fidgeting restlessly.
“I’ll wipe it for you.”
“I’m fine.”
Lady Narupa tried to step in as well, but I firmly refused.
“We have a long way to go. If you want to keep nitpicking and picking fights over nonsense, turn around and get out of the dungeon right now.”
After snapping at Rune, my next target was Lady Narupa.
“Unless you’re a Battle Mage, you shouldn’t be commanding directly. Only those in the front or center with a clear field of vision can do that. Trying to command while chanting spells is dangerous.”
“I… I understand.”
Our goal isn’t just to finish a single quest in this dungeon and go home.
We have to go all the way to the end and clear it.
What am I supposed to do with a party that’s already creaking?
I can’t use the strategies that old geezer used back during the Final War.
Sigh, I definitely hate this role.
“Rune, come to me when you’ve sorted out your thoughts on what you did wrong today.”
“A-Alto.”
“Diane, stay alert at all times. You did well just now.”
“Y-yes! Um, you know, as long as I can be of help to you, Alto, I don’t care about the reward—”
“I said stay alert.”
“Sorry…”
It can’t be helped.
Whether it’s my lover, a guest, or this damn nuisance.
It’s time to start tightening the reins.