Chapter 845: The 5.5th Floor
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 845: The 5.5th Floor
“What’s wrong, Duke? You suddenly ran off.”
Just as I was speechless at the perverted power of the guy in front of me, which defied imagination, someone approached from a distance and spoke.
…I have a bad feeling about this. I don’t know why, but I have a really, really bad feeling.
Thinking that, I turned my gaze, and sure enough, there was another familiar face.
No. Seriously, why are you here again?! You had no connection to this pervert! Uh…! …Gregory? Crack? What was his name again?
Anyway, that annoying bard, all muscle-bound and wearing a tiger hide!
Right. The guy who approached this justice-obsessed pervert was none other than that Beastkin bard I once rescued with Elder Sister Rachel after a distress call on the 3rd Floor.
“Yes, Greg. There’s a pervert here harassing a beautiful young master, so I’m about to bring down the hammer of justice…”
Ah, right. His name was Greg.
Well, I’ll probably forget it again in ten minutes.
“Huh? That’s… Hero Threon.”
Anyway, unlike this justice pervert, Greg seemed to recognize Threon.
Well, as a bard, he probably sings heroic tales often, so he’d know the faces of famous people.
Even if Threon isn’t exactly the type of person to have heroic tales sung about him.
“Eek…”
And only then, the justice pervert, realizing Threon’s identity, seemed to understand what he’d done and instantly deflated.
Now that I think about it, he instantly deflated the moment he realized I was the Saint, too.
For someone so full of justice, he seems surprisingly weak to authority.
“B-but even if you’re the Hero! To a poor young master…”
Gritting his teeth, Threon said, “I’ve been listening to you long enough… There’s a limit to how much bullshit I’ll tolerate.”
But as if he couldn’t abandon his convictions, the justice pervert shouted those words at Threon, his voice trembling, as if throwing down a gauntlet.
Hey. Being brave is good and all, but Threon’s about to explode.
He’s got a nasty temper for a high-ranking noble, and he’s surprisingly strong, despite how he looks, you know? You’d better be careful.
“Oh, you have a companion. How unusual. Excuse me. My colleague seems to have misunderstood something… Huh? H-huh?”
And with those words, Greg finally seemed to notice my presence, turning his gaze to me, then suddenly leaned his face close and started staring intently at me.
What the hell. Were you also the same type as that justice pervert?
No. The companions I rescued with him on the 3rd Floor weren’t like that.
I had that suspicion for a moment, but thankfully, it didn’t seem to be the case.
Well, he said something even more serious, though.
“O-oh, ohhh! It’s been a long time! S-s-s-saint!”
What the hell. What the hell. What the hell. What is with this guy? How did he know?!
I quickly clapped a hand over his mouth and fell into a slight panic.
“W-what are you talking about? I’m not the Saint?”
“Hahaha. You say the funniest things. There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize the Saint.”
I tried to play dumb, but it didn’t work on him at all.
Don’t laugh! Is that something to laugh about?! You’re creepy, you bastard! Even Elder Sister Rachel didn’t notice when she first saw me, so how did you figure it out?! You stalker bastard!
I thought he was suspicious, always clinging to me like that!
“S-Sai… Ugh! But with that appearance, there’s no problem…!”
The justice pervert next to me also seemed shocked, his eyes trembling as he realized my identity, but he quickly regained his composure, nodding and staring intently at my face.
Don’t regain your composure! Don’t stare! What do you mean ‘no problem,’ you pervert bastard! It’s more like there’s nothing that isn’t a problem! Is this guy seriously insane?!
“First, let’s go somewhere quiet and talk.”
Anyway, since my identity has been exposed, I can’t just leave these guys here.
I decided to take them out of the village first.
Since the 4th Floor is covered in water, there’s no safer place to talk discreetly.
So, for that reason, we left the village and descended to a shaded area on the ground, where we had a deep conversation.
For the record, as soon as we got down, I took off my bracelet first.
The justice pervert looked noticeably dejected, but that’s not my problem.
“…I see. So that’s the situation.”
Of course, I didn’t tell these guys our full story.
I just vaguely said we were on a secret mission to fulfill the Goddess’s divine task.
And though I wasn’t particularly curious, I also heard why these guys were together.
It seems Greg was, as usual, singing songs praising me in a tavern and recruiting companions, when Duke, who happened to be without companions, approached him, claiming he’d also adventured with me.
The two, who initially started talking out of a strong sense of camaraderie among male adventurers, realized during their conversation that they shared an even stronger commonality.
Namely, the commonality that both of them, despite being rare high-level male adventurers, couldn’t gather companions.
They immediately hit it off, and so they started exploring the Dungeon together.
Yeah. It was a backstory with a lot of points I wanted to nitpick. But I’m too lazy to bother.
Anyway, I thought a party of two male adventurers would be rare, which is why I even bothered wearing a wig, but as soon as I descended into the Dungeon, I ran into that rare kind of party.
And with such a terrible combination, no less.
“If that’s the situation, I understand. We’ll lend our humble strength to help.”
“No! If your strength is humble, then just keep it a secret from others and get lost! Help with what?! We’re going to the 5th Floor, you know?!”
“Hah hah. It’s fine. I’m just a bard who provides support from the rear, anyway, and Duke here is a powerful spearman who has even set foot on the 6th Floor.”
“…What? 6th Floor? You were in an ice cave before.”
And with two companions, back then.
No. Wait a minute. This justice pervert is a perverted loli-shota complex who loves helping others.
Which means.
“Don’t tell me you were raising them to be your partners back then?!”
“Ah, ahaha. Hahaha! W-what are you talking about?! I have no idea! I just felt sorry for the beautiful young ladies struggling through the Dungeon…”
That means ‘yes,’ you bastard!
Phew, what a relief! When I heard that this guy couldn’t gather companions and then met Greg, I actually felt a faint sense of responsibility.
He was always the type whose companions dwindled every time I saw him, but I did make a lot of comments in front of his companions, painting him as a pervert who liked young girls.
I felt bad, wondering if that was why he couldn’t gather companions, but I didn’t need to feel sorry at all.
Even if I hadn’t done that, he definitely would have ended up like this eventually.
“Anyway, even if you’re capable, we don’t need your help. I told you it’s a secret mission. You’re no exception to not being told the details. So just don’t tell anyone you saw me here, and…”
“It’s fine! My lips are heavier than any rock! So please!”
“Let go, you bastard!”
I said that, trying to chase them away, but Greg held onto my sleeve tightly and wouldn’t let go.
He did this before, too, subtly clinging to me, wanting to come along!
“Duke, say something too! As the justice-filled Duke, don’t you also want to help with the mission given by the Goddess?!”
“…Of course, I share the desire to use this power for the world. But I am an adventurer. I cannot exert my strength without compensation. However, it would be ridiculous to ask for a large reward for a task that benefits the world. My compensation would simply be for the Saint to wear that bracelet from earlier while we travel together…”
I wondered what this pervert bastard was going to say with such a serious tone!
“I never said I’d take you, you bastard! Look at me with those eyes one more time, and I’ll gouge them out!”
“And if possible, wearing the bracelet…”
Aghhh! These bastards, seriously!
They’re making my old personality come out!
“Hey! Threon! You say something too!”
“Uh, huh? No. I’m enjoying this. Keep going.”
That trash bastard! Even if this is just a temporary party for this mission, do you have no sense of camaraderie?!
And he was grinding his teeth in anger earlier when he was treated like a pervert!
That’s why you’re Threon, you piece of trash!
Oh, Goddess! Why do I face such trials! Why did I ever think of coming to the Dungeon with these sweaty bastards?!
Girls. Today, I miss your faces so much. I want to see you as soon as possible….
To have to spend a few more days with these kinds of guys… No. Even if I exclude the justice pervert and the stalker, to have to spend a few more days with that Threon.
…No. Wait a minute. Now that I think about it, there’s no rule that says I have to, is there?
“Hey. You two.”
“Ah, yes.”
“If you two traveled together, that means one of you is a mapper, right?”
“Yes, Saint! I have the ability of a mapper!”
At my question, Greg nodded, his eyes sparkling with hope.
Niiiice!
Hehehe. Hey, Threon. You were quite happy to spout nonsense about enjoying it and telling them to keep going, weren’t you?
“You two, you can really keep a secret, right? I’ll say it again, this is a mission from the Goddess and a matter related to the world’s crisis.”
“Of course!”
“Well…”
When I asked in a solemn voice, Greg’s eyes sparkled, and Duke nodded, showing hope that I might put the bracelet on for him.
“Alright! Then I’m leaving this task to you two! Threon! A mapper is all you need, right?! I’m off…”
“You crazy bastard! Where do you think you’re running off to alone?!”
But before I could escape, Threon grabbed my arm and stopped me.
This trashy guy. His reaction speed is only good when it’s useless!
“Let go! I need to get out of here! No! I miss home!”
“No way! I’m not letting you run off alone!”
Why are you burning with more fighting spirit than when you dueled me!?
No. I mean, I can’t say I don’t understand why he’d be like that, considering the thought of traveling with these two!
“Saint, let us write a new legend together! We will accompany you!”
“At least give me the bracelet… No. Let’s go together after all!”
Moreover, Greg and Duke also seemed to have no intention of carrying out the mission with Threon if I wasn’t there.
No. To be precise, Duke’s initial attitude was that the bracelet alone would be fine, but it seemed his mind changed after confirming that Threon and Greg were next to him.
He’s a pervert who doesn’t discriminate between men and women, but perhaps Beastkin who are ugly or have entirely animalistic faces are outside his ‘defensive range’?
Anyway, after all that back and forth, I ultimately failed to shake off the stalker and the justice pervert, and ended up taking both of them along to the Turtle Cave.
I was tired of arguing, and this stalker seemed determined to follow me to the ends of the earth.
Whatever their reasons, they both seemed like they’d be thorough about keeping secrets, and more importantly, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to observe their strength for the future.
And until we arrived at the Turtle Cave, it wasn’t too bad, aside from the intense gazes of the two perverts.
True to his name as a Hero, Threon dealt with the monsters without me even needing to use my Saint skills, and since there were fewer people than last time, our travel speed was faster, allowing us to reach the Turtle Cave before a full day had passed.
Oh, and for the key, I brought Leia’s staff, so I used that.
“T-this place is…”
“Just so you know, this is a real secret. No joke. If even a whisper of this gets out, you two are the only culprits, so I’ll hunt you down and kill you no matter what. You know I have connections with the Papacy and the Royal Family, right?”
“Don’t worry.”
“I-I’ll keep that in mind.”
Greg is somewhat okay since he follows me, but Duke, despite his overflowing sense of justice, isn’t someone I can fully trust yet.
So, targeting his weakness for authority, I warned him once more, and took out the turtle’s penis from my inventory.
Since the male turtle I dealt with a few days ago hadn’t revived yet, the spot was empty, and there was no need to painstakingly search for where to insert this penis.
Since the ‘item’ was large, the place to insert it was naturally large too.
I wonder what would happen if I synthesized this with a staff later?
Would it open if I just tapped the staff against that large hole?
Anyway, that’s how we were finally able to enter the 5.5th Floor.
And the real hell began here.