Crown of the Wonderland ②
Even if it’s fake, the blue sky feels nice.
“Wof!”
“Are you alright, Ms. Pachi…ra…!?”
I realized. Ms. Pachira was clinging to me.
I had hugged her right back with all my might from the front.
Given the situation, it couldn’t be helped, but even through her robe, the sensation of her soft chest was distinct.
“Mmm… Boy… How bold…”
“Eh, what’s this? Eh? Ms. Pachira’s guy? He’s just a kid?”
“How shameless! A-a boy and girl hugging! And who are you, anyway?”
Surprised in their own ways, Ms. Pachira separated from me with incredible speed.
“Th-this, this isn’t—! It’s not like that!”
“Your tail was wrapped around his waist, yeah.”
“Nyaa!? Th-that’s, well, because—”
“…Boy… ‘Sup.”
“Uh, hello.”
I bowed my head in response to Liv-san’s casual greeting.
I felt a sharp gaze. It was Ms. Lupinus. Scary.
She’s a noble-looking beautiful Elf. Her armor suits her well.
For some reason, she’s glaring at me.
“Hey, what is this? You. Child.”
“Eh? Um, well…”
“Mmm… Lupinus… Enemies… are coming…”
“Ah jeez, they’re coming again.”
Puppets are gathering.
Swarming, swarming… We’ll have to take out the source.
“How unrefined.”
“Ahem. I shall deal with them.”
With that, Ms. Pachira stepped forward.
She lightly swung her staff before raising it.
Ms. Pachira looks like a mage.
Though, in this world, they’re called Attribute Users.
The Eight Attributes.
Hit by Fire, you burn.
Engulfed by Water, you suffocate.
Blown away by Wind, you are cut.
Swept away by Earth, you are buried.
Entangled by Verdure, you are bound.
Struck directly by Lightning, you are electrocuted.
Illuminated by Light, you are purified and annihilated.
Sunk into Darkness, you are stained black and cursed.
In other words: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Verdure, Lightning, Light, and Darkness—the Eight Attributes.
Incidentally, no one possesses Relics for all Eight Attributes.
Countless small fireballs formed around Ms. Pachira’s raised staff.
A [ Fire ] Relic, huh? Still, they’re so small and numerous.
“Fire Strike!”
Ms. Pachira spun halfway around and swung her staff.
The cluster of fireballs slammed into several puppets with tremendous force, setting them ablaze.
“Amazing.”
Since they seem to be made of wood, they burn well.
The way she hit them with many small fireballs was like a shotgun.
Not buckshot, but scatter-fireballs, maybe?
“Well, that’s about it.”
“Amazing.”
“By the way, where is this? Why is Wof here?”
That’s actually the question I wanted to ask.
“This is the Innermost Area of the Dungeon.”
“What did you say!?”
“Calm down, Lupinus. He doesn’t mean the bottom of Hydrangea. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes. This is the Innermost Area of the Dungeon that I was investigating with the Fang of Thunder.”
“So it’s not the lowest floor, it seems.”
Ms. Pachira gave a wry smile.
“Still, this place is kinda somethin’ else, yeah? Oh, pleased ta meetcha. Bid from ‘Zan Brave’. Tier III, 16 years old. Single, yeah.”
“Wof. I’m 13.”
“13, huh? Ah, a Hired Pup, yeah?”
“Well, something like that.”
“Nice ta meetcha.”
Bid-san offered his hand, so we shook.
“Now then, what should we do from here?”
“Where should we go…?”
“Mmm… Nowhere.”
“Indeed.”
“Um, there’s an Encampment.”
I timidly raised my hand and said.
“Child. An Encampment, you say?”
“Why don’t we head there for now? Everyone else should be there.”
“…What do ya think?”
“We have no leads right now, so we have little choice but to go. The puppets are increasing again. Look.”
New ones emerged, stepping on the burning puppets.
This might be pointless unless we defeat the Puppet Box spawning them.
“It cannot be helped, I suppose. Child. Lead the way.”
“Yes. This way.”
Praying for everyone’s safety, I guided them.
Along the way, we kicked aside the attacking Puppets and Mimics.
As expected of skilled fighters.
Come to think of it, where are Mr. Agaro and the others?
Great Temple. East Chapel. Chamber of Fate.
Pure white and once majestic, you know.
But now, there’s not a trace of that left. It’s rather sad.
Besides, this temple… it feels strange, doesn’t it?
It’s like I’ve returned to my homeland… My heart is a little restless.
Still, a Great Temple like this doesn’t even exist on the surface.
I wonder just what it enshrines?
My violet eyes are tingling. They’re glowing hotly.
But after one fierce battle after another, I’m a bit worn out, you know.
It can’t be helped. That giant Land Catfish… it was incredible.
I sigh.
Ahh, my favorite black and violet dress is all tattered. Haaah, I want to take a bath.
I really want a bath.
“The Land Catfish. My apologies that one of my kind caused such trouble.”
Alexander-sama apologized.
Unbelievable. I never thought I’d meet him in a place like this.
Apparently, he came here looking for someone.
Monsters suddenly appeared, so he rushed over, worried.
That someone was a boy and a Fairial girl. An unusual pair, isn’t it?
But he couldn’t find them. It’s fine if they’re safe, but I’ll help search later too.
By the way, somehow, a dagger was held in his hand.
How is he actually holding it?
“No, no. The giant Land Catfish. It looked nothing like you, Alexander-sama. It was the source of the earthquakes.”
“That sounds like quite the nuisance indeed.”
We’re chatting, but it’s not like we’re carefree or anything.
We’re constantly vigilant. After all, there are two The Fools right in front of us.
Their makeup-masks and costumes are different.
They look human, but they’re Dungeon Monsters.
The one in front of Alexander-sama, on the left, in the flashy red costume with the angry-laughing makeup-mask, is Pagliaccio.
The one in front of me, in the middle, in the plain blue costume with the crying-laughing makeup-mask, is Max.
Two versus two. We’re keeping each other in check, so there’s no movement.
That’s why we can talk like this, but being unable to let our guard down is tiring.
Besides, even these guys are just the opening act, you know.
Beyond The Fools, there’s a throne so gaudy it’s tacky.
A Monster sits there as if it were a king.
A black and white jester costume.
Wearing a flashy red and blue four-horned hat like a crown, it had a makeup-mask of ecstasy.
Crown.
The Fool. An Undead, humanoid Monster.
The anomaly in the Dungeon this time.
The broken Dungeon Lord.
“Troublesome indeed. In my estimation, these two The Fools are formidable foes, but the Crown beyond them… If things go badly, it could reach Jewel-Class.”
“Is that true, Alexander-sama…?”
Alexander-sama nodded.
I’m fed up. This isn’t a First Class matter.
[ Jewel-Class ] comes after the upper [ Gold Rank ].
That’s a Monster that requires multiple Tier II adventurers to handle.
Something like that… it’s not worth it. A bonus fee is definitely in order.
“Unfortunately, we should probably retreat—!”
Pagliaccio moved. Alexander-sama reacted swiftly.
As expected of a former First Class adventurer. He could still compete with active ones, right? More than anything, his cute appearance!
Speaking of cute, that boy Wof is also my type.
I’m glad I didn’t make him a Hired Pup.
If I’d dragged him into a battle like this, he would have died.
Max began his attack on me.
“How uncouth. Girls hate that, you know.”
The battle began. The start of a fun, fun dance.
I activate my Relic, [ Sunspot ].
Six black dots appeared in space and pursued Max.
Alexander-sama’s visible, intersecting sword flashes exploded.
These were extinguished by the respective juggling acts of The Fools.
My [ Sunspot ] became Max’s juggling balls. He’s messing around.
Alexander-sama’s incomprehensible sword flashes became Hanswurst’s bouquet-sword.
“I… dislike strangely flippant men.”
“As expected. Hm?”
Alexander-sama noticed something. I followed his gaze.
And my deep violet eyes widened.
“He’s gone!?”
The figure of Crown, who had been sitting pompously on the throne just moments ago, was gone.
“…Just what…”
Alexander-sama muttered, parrying Pagliaccio’s flaming sword.
I used [ Blackspot ] to suck in and erase Max’s right arm.
Crown. Where did he go?
Great Temple. West Temple District. Rubble Passage.
Suddenly, without any warning or footsteps.
It appeared before us.
It was a man in a black and white costume like a pierrot.
He wore a flashy red and blue four-horned hat and had makeup like a broad smile.
No doubt about it. A pierrot.
A pierrot? Does that mean… The Fool!?
“Crown.”
Someone said.