Chapter 43: Guild Quest
Chapter 43: Guild Quest
We pushed forward a bit to explore the area, and this time, I spotted a group of orcs in the distance—those fantasy world mainstays with pig heads and hulking bodies that looked to be at least two meters tall.
“Orcs? Wasn’t this werewolves’ territory?”
“What are you on about? It’s rare for monsters in the dungeon to have their own territory and live exclusively within it. The wolfdogs were an unusual case. Have you forgotten that rabbits, rats, and raccoons all appear in the same area near the entrance?”
Now that she mentioned it, that was true.
I’d gotten so used to hunting nothing but wolfdogs that my thinking had become rigid.
I suppose the dungeon is dangerous precisely because you never know what kind of monster will pop out next.
“What about them? Are they strong?”
“They are significantly weaker than werewolves. The general consensus is that two of them are slightly weaker than a werewolf, while three are slightly stronger.”
There were three orcs in the distance.
Well then, this should be manageable.
“Alright. Let’s start with a preemptive strike using Diana’s magic.”
Earlier, the werewolf had charged us so suddenly that I had to step up first, but in a situation like this where we could attack first, it was more efficient to lead with powerful magic that required casting time.
After finishing her chant, Diana fired a powerful bolt of electricity from her magic circle toward the orcs.
The electricity coursed through the swords the orcs were holding, spreading out and damaging all three of them.
Chain Lightning, huh.
As expected of the great Archmage. Her application of magic is superb.
While the orcs were stunned by the Chain Lightning, I charged in.
In that brief moment, one of Sara’s arrows flew past me, but it seemed to bounce off the orc’s thick hide, its damage halved.
Well, no matter how much her level has gone up, her job level is probably still in the teens.
Besides, she was still using her unenchanted weapon.
Just as I thought that, another of Sara’s arrows, this one shrouded in a blue light, flew out and pierced an orc’s skin, embedding itself deep.
That’s our Hero for you.
Job levels and weapons are nothing but decorations for her.
I cast Climax Restraint on the paralyzed monsters and used Saint’s Touch.
The orcs, who had just recovered from the Chain Lightning’s stun, were immediately stunned again. After that, they were nothing more than punching bags.
Nice. According to Diana, three orcs should have been a tougher fight than the werewolf, but we won this easily.
Guess a preemptive strike really is the best way to fight.
After the light skirmish, I looked down at the orcs’ corpses and said.
“Ah, I’m craving some pork.”
The scent of savory pork wafted from the orcs’ bodies, which had been moderately cooked by the Chain Lightning, stimulating my appetite.
“I agree. Do you think they’ll drop any meat?”
I’d just said it because the smell was similar, but surprisingly, Sara responded.
Gasp?! What is she talking about?
She wants to eat orc meat?
Don’t tell me they ate orc meat to survive in your rural village.
Just how scarce was food there?
You really had a tough upbringing.
“Mm. Orc meat is quite the delicacy, I must say.”
Even Diana chimed in.
Huh? She’s an Archmage, so it’s not like she ever had trouble finding food, right?
Come to think of it, this was a world where even the animals were all monsters.
Could it be that eating monster meat is perfectly normal here?
Then what? Is beef just minotaur meat?
Does that mean the meat I ate for dinner last night was…?!
I decided to stop thinking about it.
After carving out the magic stones from the dead orcs, some meat and a penis dropped.
Wow, the meat looks exactly like pork. Hahaha.
“Hmm. It seems that dropping an enlarged penis isn’t a characteristic unique to Transcendent Species after all.”
“What do you mean?”
“Orcs are one of the most well-known monsters for leaving behind their penises after death. However, this is the first time I’ve seen one left in such an enlarged state.”
I see. So the question was whether the penises of Transcendent Species dropped in an enlarged state to function as keys, or if they dropped that way simply because the monster died while it was enlarged.
“Then could this also work as a key?”
“Hmm. It’s possible. It would be worth testing.”
But she said orcs are one of the most well-known monsters for dropping their penises…
Then again, orcs are famous for their high reproductive rates, a detail that’s never omitted from their descriptions.
They’re also regulars in all sorts of fantasy erotica.
Come to think of it, I heard penises were also used to make dildos and clerics’ staves.
Could it be?
“Don’t tell me… these sell for a lot?”
“Hm? Well, yes. I hear they are particularly favored by knights.”
Though she offered no further explanation, I understood perfectly from that one sentence.
So the relationship between female knights and orcs is the same in this world.
I wonder if the female knights here also spit out lines like, “Kuh, kill me!” when they lose to an orc.
I packed the items into my inventory while entertaining such silly thoughts.
“Diana, do you think you recognize the geography around here?”
After carefully scouting the area for a while, I turned to Diana and asked.
I had a feeling that Diana would have been not just to the edge of the 1st floor, but to much deeper floors, but her answer was negative.
“No. I was not in charge of mapping, I’m afraid. Besides, it has been a very long time since I last explored the 1st floor.”
“If this really is the end of the 1st floor, how about we make it our goal to find the path to the next floor?”
“Mm. That sounds good. There isn’t necessarily only one path to the next floor, but it could give us a clue as to where we are.”
The next floor…
That made sense. We weren’t planning on going there right away, since I wanted to raise my and Sara’s job levels here for a while, but it wouldn’t hurt to find the way in advance.
Still…
“Then let’s start that tomorrow. For today, should we head back?”
It was a little earlier than usual, but I made the call.
We had spent a considerable amount of time looking for the secret passage in the wolfdog territory, and it took us about an hour just to get through it.
Factoring in the time it would take to climb back up that steep passage, it seemed better to start heading back now, even if it was a bit early.
“Hmm. Indeed, going back that way will be quite taxing. You have my sympathies.”
As she said that, Diana clung to my back.
“Wait a minute! What are you doing?”
Sara immediately interjected from the side.
Ooh. Good job, Sara! Go get her!
“Hm? There is no way this body can climb up that steep path, is there? It took ages just to come down. If I were to climb that, I would surely collapse.”
“W-Well, that’s true, but!”
Diana answered with wide eyes, her expression asking why Sara was asking something so obvious. It seemed to leave Sara at a loss for words.
It’s okay, Sara. You did your best.
“If you dislike this, how about you yield the bed to this body for a while? Once I can use Float magic, things will be easier for me as well.”
“Urghh.”
In the end, Sara was shot down, unable to say another word.
The difference in their years lived is just too great; she’s no match for her in a war of words.
But Diana. I don’t know if you’re doing this because you find Sara cute or what, but could you please stop teasing her?
She’s grinding her teeth now. It’s actually kind of scary.
“Now, now. We need to level up Sara if we want to fight comfortably here, so I can’t just do it with you, can I? Don’t make such wild suggestions.”
“Hmm. I am aware. I was merely jesting.”
As I desperately tried to mediate, Diana spoke in a nonchalant tone.
One more ‘jest’ like that and Sara’s going to grind her teeth down to nothing, you old hag.
Eventually, I stood before the secret passage we’d come through, gave Diana a piggyback ride, and took the wolfdog’s penis out of my inventory.
Sara’s glare, boring into my side, was terrifying.
I need to get back, fast.
With that thought, I inserted the wolfdog’s penis into the hole in the wall, but the wall didn’t react at all.
…Huh?
I pulled the penis out and shoved it back into the wall again.
Still no reaction.
“…Uh… guys…”
“W-What’s going on?”
“Hmm. We appear to be in a predicament.”
Sara was panicking, while Diana, despite her words, was completely calm.
Still, Diana’s composed attitude helped me calm down a little.
“Does this mean the wolfdog’s penis is a one-way key?”
“That would seem to be the case. This hole will require a different key.”
“Th-Then, does that mean we’re stranded here?!”
“It would appear so.”
“Why are you so calm?! We’re stranded in the dungeon!”
“Worry not. Our situation is rather favorable, all things considered.”
It seemed that, based on her vast experience, Diana had judged that we weren’t in that much danger yet.
“For one, we need not worry about food, do we? Fortunately, orcs appear here, so we can source it locally. Furthermore, considering our party’s strength, we are not so weak as to be defeated here. There is no need to worry so much.”
“I-I see.”
Hearing that, Sara finally seemed to calm down a bit.
She may tease her normally, but in times like these, she knows how to use her age and experience to soothe others.
Thank goodness. I’m glad we have someone experienced in the party.
“For now, let’s focus on finding a way up.”
“Mm. And it would be wise to test any new penises we find here.”
Ah, right. There’s that option too.
It seemed my panic had narrowed my field of vision.
I quickly took the orc penis I’d just acquired from my inventory and stuck it in the hole, but as expected, nothing happened.
“Did it not work because it’s an orc? Or because it wasn’t dropped by a Transcendent Species?”
“Hmm. Seeing as how that goblin horde moved yesterday, I do not believe it necessarily has to be from a Transcendent Species. Still, if we happen to acquire one, it would be worth testing.”
And so, our party’s new objective was set.
Find a path leading up, or obtain a new monster’s penis.
Even with a clear goal, the situation was still quite difficult. We didn’t know where we were or which way to go.
Just walking felt like it was draining far more stamina than usual.
After walking for some time, fighting off the occasional orc or werewolf, our party entered a room-like space.
Except for the passage we’d entered from, the other three sides were blocked by either walls or a dense thicket of trees. In the center was a pond.
By now, it was the middle of the night.
Sara and Diana weren’t showing it, but they seemed quite exhausted.
We only needed to keep watch on the passage, so there couldn’t be a better place to rest.
“Why don’t we rest here for the night?”
“Yes, let’s.”
“Mm. A fine spot you’ve found.”
“I’ll go gather some dry branches.”
“Mm. This body shall set up an alarm spell at the passage.”
Sara, who seemed accustomed to this from growing up in the countryside, and the experienced Diana each moved to prepare for camping.
Hmm. I’ve never been camping before, so I can’t think of anything I can do.
“We probably shouldn’t drink the water from this pond, right?”
“Mm. I believe the monsters here drink it, but it never hurts to be cautious. If you need water, this body can create some with magic.”
“Ah, thanks. I’ll take you up on that later.”
For now, I took some soup and bread out of my inventory.
Hmm… We can last about three more meals with this. Can we find a way up before then?
“What are you doing? Take out the orc meat as well.”
“That’s right. In a situation like this, we should eat it instead of selling it.”
Do they think I’m not eating it because I want to sell it?
It’s just that the idea of eating orc meat makes me feel squeamish.
I felt a strong sense of reluctance, but I was pressured by Sara and Diana’s stares and had no choice but to take out the orc meat.