Chapter 11: Wandering Dungeon (Part 09)
“Then starting tomorrow, we’ll begin our exploration of the surrounding Dungeons, right? From the lower ranks, I assume?”
“That’s correct. It seems Barbadoza has Dungeons ranging from F to B, so we can tackle F to D one day at a time.”
As I replied to Larni, I brought a bite of food to my mouth.
Dinner was served as soon as we returned to the inn. After briefly discussing my interactions with the Count, the conversation naturally shifted to our future plans.
“Okay. We can’t enter B yet, so what are the levels of the D and C Dungeons here?”
“D is on the 10th floor, and C is on the 15th floor,” I informed her.
“That means we could finish exploring up to C in about a week. What will we do until we get called again?”
“I was thinking of taking on some requests. To raise everyone to rank B, we’ll need to complete quite a few quests, right? Isn’t that so, Mariane?”
“Yes. We need to complete a variety of tasks: subjugation, escort, investigation, and gathering. Each of these will count towards our goals. The investigation and subjugation from this incident will count as one each. The escort tasks I have with the Count are also fine.”
“Then it seems we should prioritize gathering for now. Mariane, if you come across any good requests, please let us know. It doesn’t matter if we’re in the middle of Dungeon exploration.”
“Understood.”
Having a dedicated staff member is an incredible advantage. Plus, Mariane is quite skilled.
“By the way, Soushi-sama, what exactly was the nature of this Dungeon we encountered?”
Freinir’s question piqued the interest of both Larni and Sfenia. Since the Count hadn’t strictly forbidden me from discussing it, I figured it was best to share the information with my party members. Mariane didn’t seem to mind either.
“According to Mariane’s research, it appears to be a rather special Dungeon known as the ‘Wandering Dungeon.’ It has appeared in the past as well, and it seems that a person named Lyra Nora was involved.”
“‘Wandering Dungeon’… I’ve heard of it at the church. It’s said to be an omen of bad things to come.”
“That theory seems to exist, but since it’s based on ancient tales, we can’t be sure if it’s true.”
“Hmm… But Lyra Nora didn’t seem like a bad person at all. Soushi thought so too, which is why you spoke to her so politely, right?”
As Larni said this, Freinir suddenly fixed her gaze on me. Sfenia seemed to be eavesdropping as well…
“She was clearly rational and didn’t exhibit any hostile behavior. She didn’t look down on us like the Kin of Twilight, so I just treated her normally.”
“But she was incredibly beautiful. Sfenia is stunning too, but Lyra had a different kind of beauty.”
Larni’s expression was mischievous, as if she was trying to tease me. It was clear she was trying to catch me off guard.
“Indeed, she had an otherworldly aura about her. By the way, she referred to herself as a ‘vampire.’ Are there actually vampires as a race in this world… or rather, this continent?”
Sfenia answered in place of the pouting Larni.
“If we’re talking about a race rather than a monster, I haven’t heard of any vampires existing on this continent. However, I’ve heard there are similar races in the Garden of Twilight.”
“Is that one of the Kin of Twilight? So not all of them are like Zaikal from earlier.”
“Yes, the Kin of Twilight that come to this continent are quite diverse. Some even have multiple arms or do not take on a human form at all.”
That was an intriguing piece of information. The Garden of Twilight… If I were to grow stronger, I would like to visit it someday… but I couldn’t help but think that Bad Luck might intervene.
As I pondered this, Freinir leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“By the way, Soushi-sama, what are your thoughts on the ‘Wandering Dungeon’ itself? Including your impressions of Lyra Nora?”
“To be honest, I can’t make a judgment based on this incident alone. According to her, that Dungeon will appear again in the future, so we can think about it then.”
“Are you saying we might meet her again?”
“No, it’s not about meeting her again… Why are you so interested in Lyra Nora?”
“Eh!? Are you really going to ask that?”
Larni looked at me with a face that screamed ‘oh no…’ Sfenia gave me a knowing look, and Mariane let out a small sigh.
Freinir, on the other hand, was blushing and looking down. What on earth was going on?
Did I appear to be infatuated with Lyra Nora? I had observed her since she was an unknown figure, but I certainly didn’t harbor any deeper feelings in that moment.
However, perhaps it didn’t seem that way to a girl of her age. Interacting with girls is indeed a complicated matter.
That night, as I lay in bed, I found myself thinking about Lyra Nora.
Not in the way Freinir and the others might be thinking, though.
“The reason for entering the Dungeon… to help, huh…”
She had referred to herself as a “person who helps humans.” And that was related to the “reason for entering the Dungeon,” which meant obtaining “Skills, treasures, and experience.”
“That implies that the Dungeon itself is a means of helping people.”
While there might be some leaps in logic, I felt that was the essence of her words.
Indeed, this world has benefited significantly from Dungeons. In the past, when monsters overflowed from Dungeons (which they called Overflow or Stampede), Dungeons were seen as disasters. However, now, materials sourced from Dungeons have become essential to daily life in the city.
“Considering that, Dungeons are somewhat like rivers, aren’t they?”
Throughout history, rivers have provided countless benefits to humanity. Yet, the threat of flooding is a fearsome one. However, as flood control improved, humans began to reap even more benefits. In a way, Dungeons in this world might be similar.
“The Ancient Providence, was it?”
That phrase came to mind. Lyra Nora had mentioned that she followed something called the “Ancient Providence.” If that refers to something akin to the “laws of nature” on Earth, then Dungeons could indeed be considered a part of nature, no matter how strange it may seem to someone from another world.
“But if that’s the case, it wouldn’t be called ‘helping humans.'”
Exactly, if it were simply natural, that would be fine. But nature exists “as it is,” without being tailored to suit human convenience.
In contrast, Dungeons are clearly designed to be beneficial to humans. Monsters that drop materials upon defeat, treasure chests that produce items humans cannot create, and bosses that grant Skills… it’s a system that aligns closely with human needs, almost like a game.
“Then what exactly is the ‘Ancient Providence’… I should ask Lyra Nora about it next time. Whether she’ll answer is another question, though…”
Perhaps, as someone from a different world, I might be able to understand this world more deeply… As I pondered such vague thoughts, my eyelids grew heavy, and I drifted off to sleep.