The Silent One ⑧
Great Temple. Southeast.
The single rising plume of smoke was indeed from a bonfire.
Perhaps it was part of the collapsed outer wall of the Great Temple? Utilizing a section of it skillfully, a camp had been set up.
Three tents. Barrels and wooden crates. There was a certain lived-in feel to it.
And the bonfire.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Sitting on log stools by the bonfire were Rell-san and Hoss-san.
And across from them, a Japanese Giant Salamander holding a kiseru was relaxing.
What a surreal sight.
A large pot hung over the bonfire. That smell… it was Mixed Meat Soup.
“Y-You guys…”
“…”
“…”
“Took you long enough. Ax. Woff. Mineha.”
“Good work.”
“Ain’t ya hungry? Got plenty o’ soup. Lotsa beans in it.”
Ignoring our reactions, the two of them were nonchalant.
The Japanese Giant Salamander puffed on its kiseru. That kiseru looks familiar…
“Glad you’re okay, but…”
“It’s good to see you’re alright, but…”
“Why are you two acting so calm?”
“That’s ’cause we got used to it.”
“We got sent flyin’ to this place.”
Hoss-san’s words made our eyes widen.
We decided to hear their story while having some Mixed Meat Soup, but…
Hmm? Wait. A Japanese Giant Salamander!?
“Wait, isn’t that a Land Catfish!?”
“It’s a monster!”
The other two noticed as well.
That much was true, but I recognized it.
“Could it be… Alexander-san?”
“It has been quite some time, Woff-dono. My name is Alexander. I hail from Ipomoea Nil. I am but a humble Land Catfish. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“You know him? And it talked!?”
“Oi, oi. What’s goin’ on? Rell. Hoss.”
Ax-san demanded, breathing heavily.
Alexander-san. He was the Land Catfish I caught in the river. Twice, even.
Land Catfish look very similar to Japanese Giant Salamanders.
They’re monsters, but some say they’re animals; it’s unclear which.
He had been injured, so I helped him with an Elixir once.
I was surprised when he suddenly started talking back then.
He said he’d repay the favor, but I hadn’t expected anything.
To think we’d meet again in such an unexpected place.
“Calm down. He’s a benefactor. Or rather, a benefactor monster?”
“Alexander’s an amazin’ fella.”
“You flatter me, sirs.”
“So what happened?”
“Talk.”
“Of course. It was the second day after Hoss and I regrouped. We were exploring the Temple District to the west when we were suddenly attacked by a tremendous monster. A Mimic Puppet Box.”
“That thing!?”
That Mimic…
“That’s the high Silver Rank Mimic, right?”
“I heard 【Ruinblade】 subjugated one recently.”
“Yes. It appeared in the Junkyard. I was there.”
“What did you say?”
“Eh, you were there?”
“Ya were there?”
“You were there?”
“I heard there were many casualties from that incident.”
“Yes… Many people died.”
All of them children. It was a scene from hell.
Everyone fell silent, then Hoss-san cleared his throat and continued.
“Let’s get back ta the story. Even for us, that Puppet Box was too much. When we were surrounded by lotsa puppets, Alexander here saved us.”
“It was instantaneous. Alexander killed that Puppet Box instantly.”
“Eh, Alexander-san. You were strong?”
Since he got caught by me the second time, and was injured besides, I didn’t get that impression at all.
Alexander-san demurred bashfully.
“Nay, nay, it is merely a bit of skill from my younger days, enough to put up a small fight.”
“Instantly killing a Puppet Box isn’t ‘a bit’.”
“Isn’t that easily the strength of a low or mid Gold Rank?”
“Isn’t the fact that it’s talking proof enough?”
“That’s true.”
“Yeah, guess so.”
“Guess so.”
“Well, yeah.”
“My, my, everyone. You are quite harsh.”
Alexander-san laughed.
Low Gold Rank.
Monster threat levels are ‘Copper Rank’, ‘Silver Rank’, ‘Gold Rank’, ‘Treasure Rank’, and ‘Supreme Treasure Rank’.
Monsters start using Relics from Copper Rank onwards.
The threat level increases with the number, power, and effects of the Relics they wield.
It also jumps significantly if they possess Relics that allow them to take humanoid form or speak human languages.
Applying that logic, Alexander-san would be around low or mid Gold Rank.
Gold Rank is a threat level that requires multiple Tier II Seekers to handle. In other words, he’s that strong.
Hoss-san continued.
“Back ta the story. At first, we thought he was an enemy ’cause he’s a monster. But there was no way we could beat somethin’ that could kill a Puppet Box instantly. Instead, he said this ta us: ‘Are you two alright?’ — We both just stared blankly. After talkin’ more, we figured out Alexander wasn’t an enemy.”
“How can you say he’s not an enemy just like that?”
“First off, Alexander ain’t a Dungeon monster. Normal monsters hate Dungeons and stay away.”
“We natural monsters particularly dislike Dungeon monsters, yes.”
“So he’s a natural monster.”
“And Alexander came here for work.”
“Work?”
“Work?”
“Huh? Work?”
“Alexander’s job is Dungeon support staff. Setting up Return Transfer Arrays.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
We were struck speechless by Rell-san’s casual statement.
“Return Transfer… you mean the Teleportation Arrays for going back, right? Setting those up?”
Teleportation Arrays allowing return were set up on key floors within Dungeons.
I recall Return Transfer Arrays use the Relic [ Teleport ] and are also found in Legacies.
He was… setting them up.
“That’s right. And it’s a request from the Seeker Guild.”
“Furthermore, it’s work for the Grand Guild.”
“Grand!?”
“Wait, isn’t that the headquarters!?”
“The Grand Guild is the main office for all the Seeker Guilds, right?”
If the Seeker Guilds in each city are branches, the Grand Guild is the head office.
Mineha-san clutched her head.
“Hold on. I can’t keep up with all this. In the end, Land Catfish. What are you?”
“As you can see, I am merely a Land Catfish.”
“That’s not what I’m asking!”
“Alexander is a former Tier I Seeker.”
“Ha?”
“Eh?”
“Heh?”
We let out strange noises at Rell-san’s nonchalant words.
“T-Tier I!?”
“What’s that!?”
“…”
Tier I Seeker. There are only 27 in the world. Also known as the King of Seekers.
And even if he’s former, one is right before my eyes—the first I’ve ever seen.
Alexander-san tapped the ash from his kiseru into the bonfire. How dexterous.
“That is a story from long ago.”
“Alexander… I’ve heard of him from my master. He was called the Dungeon Master. A Seeker among Seekers…”
“Yes. He is that very Dungeon Master.”
“We were surprised too.”
“I know that name… from the party formed solely of Tier I Seekers for just one night, ‘Raven Saga’… I know it was the name of their leader.”
“Raven Saga? What’s that?”
“Ho, you know something quite rare. How nostalgic.”
“Never heard o’ that.”
“You knew that well, Ax.”
“Yeah, I heard about it briefly once before.”
“It is a tale from the distant, distant past.”
Alexander-san took a meaningful drag from his kiseru. How dexterous.
“I understand… he’s amazing, but can monsters become Seekers?”
Since I was curious, I asked directly.
Alexander-san exhaled smoke from his kiseru and spoke. How dexterous.
“It is impossible now, you see.”
“Ah, as I thought.”
“Animals used to be allowed, didn’t they?”
“Eh, animals too!?”
“The regulations have changed now, so monsters and animals can only become Seekers under special exceptions.”
“Heeh, you know a lot.”
“She’s like my 15th sister.”
“Ya know lotsa stuff?”
“I like trivia. I tend to prefer knowledge that isn’t very useful.”
“It just proved useful, didn’t it!”
“—It is the flow of time. I retired due to old age, but the number of active Seekers who are monsters or animals has become quite few.”
So there are still some? Active monster and animal Seekers.
“But they can still be approved under special exceptions now?”
“There’s a reason for that. Relics.”
“Relics?”
“You’ve heard of Seekers with Transformation-type Relics, right?”
“Y-Yes.”
Transformation-type. That’s one kind of Relic.
Transformation-types include animals and monsters.
I hear people stay transformed for long periods to get used to the form.
“So there are special exams for that.”
“I see…”
Taking the exam while transformed? Couldn’t they just undo the transformation then?
Does that mean Mineha-san is like that too?
“Hey. You just thought I might be in a similar category, didn’t you?”
She hit the nail on the head. Can she read minds!?
“No, not at all!”
“Then look at me!”
I averted my eyes.
Mineha-san puffed up her cheeks and scolded me.
Everyone else laughed. Since I was hungry, I savored the Mixed Meat Soup.
I’m glad it has lots of different beans. Beans are nutritious and give you strength.
I wonder if there are any pan-fried beans. I want to eat some again after so long.
Then, Rell-san suddenly spoke again.
“So, we can go back.”
“Ah, right. The Return Transfer Array.”
“We can go back?”
“We can finally return to the surface?”
“Yep.”
“However, the installation is not yet complete. Also, it will be removed after Ax-san’s party has departed.”
“What do you mean?”
“The reason being, this place cannot currently be called a Dungeon. The floors are scattered and unstable. This place is, for the time being, the ‘Innermost Area’.”
“Innermost Area?”
“Oi, oi. This is it?”
Ax-san was flustered.
Alexander-san tapped the ash from his kiseru into the campfire and nodded.
He really is skillful.
“Aye, from what I’ve seen. It’s the ‘Innermost Area’. Originally, my commission was to install a Return Transfer Array on the ‘Lowest Floor’ of a certain Dungeon. But, well, with that earthquake and all, things happened, and that’s how I ended up arrivin’ here.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s why there’s a high chance the floors aren’t connected from partway down. Return Transfer Arrays are meant for Seekers. There’s no point installin’ one where no one visits, ya see. It’d be a waste, too, wouldn’t it?”
“It certainly would be a waste.”
I know Return Transfer Arrays cost more than twice the price of Return Stones.
“What about the possibility of someone ending up here by mistake?”
I asked, wondering if such a thing might happen.
“I’ll tell ’em to close it off, so that part should be fine, ya see.”
“So if someone gets in anyway, it’s their own responsibility?”
“That’s how it’d be.”
“The trouble is, there really are folks like that, ain’t there?”
“My seventh older sister is that type, too.”
“She’ll learn her lesson the hard way someday.”
“Don’t worry. She’s already learned the hard way many times over.”
“That ain’t reassurin’ at all!”
“Still… what on earth is going on with this Dungeon?”
Ax-san’s words carried weight.
Then, Alexander-san spoke quietly, taking a puff from his kiseru.
“These multiple Dungeons that appeared due to the earthquake anomaly… there’s a possibility they were originally one single entity.”
“Originally one… Now that ya mention it, that makes sense, what with some of ’em havin’ so few floors.”
“It feels like the Dungeon was just chopped into pieces, doesn’t it?”
“The Relic earthquake triggered by the anomaly shattered a single Dungeon into pieces, and now another earthquake is tryin’ to make the Dungeons become one again. That’s how I see it.”
“So it really is earthquakes, huh?!”
“…”
Could earthquakes really do something like that? But I’ve already experienced it twice.
Hmmm. But ultimately… I asked.
“Alexander-san. What exactly is this Dungeon anomaly?”
Everyone looked at the Dungeon Master, Alexander-san.
He took a puff from his kiseru before speaking quietly. He really is so skillful.