Chapter 15: Encounter
After stepping outside, it was clear that the Wandering Dungeon had vanished once again.
I explained the situation to the elven guards and adventurers present, and we decided to return to Aadorf Inner Village.
The three members of Supreme Radiance were no longer on the surface. According to Lady Sakurahime, the item they used to escape the dungeon was set to teleport them to a predetermined location. It seemed they had chosen a spot far from prying eyes, likely returning to the Royal Capital from there.
“Since I cannot enter the village, I shall head straight to the Royal Capital. I truly appreciate all the help you have given me, Soushi. I intend to send a letter to my family to inform them of my gratitude. If we cannot meet again, I hope you will visit my home so I can express my thanks. I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause.”
“No, you don’t have to go that far… or is that not an option? Where is Lady Sakurahime‘s family home?”
“My family resides in the Zanzagil house, located at the eastern edge of the Aldebaron Empire.”
“The eastern part of the Empire, the Zanzagil house, understood.”
“Indeed. Then, for now, I shall take my leave.”
Lady Sakurahime bowed deeply and dashed away.
By the way, she possessed an Item Box, so traveling alone posed no issue for her. In fact, it seemed the real concern lay with the three who had headed to the Royal Capital ahead of her. She was likely running to catch up with them.
Once she disappeared from sight, I bowed my head to the others.
“I’m sorry for using the party’s Elixir without consulting anyone.”
“Why are you apologizing, Soushi? You did the right thing, and no one blames you for it.”
“In that situation, there was no time to confirm anything, so it can’t be helped, right?”
“I agree. Besides, if the leader were to abandon us in such a moment, I wouldn’t be able to trust them anymore.”
Freinir, Larni, and Sfenia all voiced their support. Mariane, Shizuna, and Karma nodded in agreement, so they likely shared the same sentiment.
“Thank you. However, the Elixir is a shared asset of the party. Using it without permission is a problem, regardless of the reason. I will be more careful in the future to avoid such situations.”
“I think your perspective as a leader is commendable, Soushi, but you don’t have to be so rigid about it.”
Karma patted my back and leaned in closer, whispering, “But the party is like family, right? You should trust us too.”
“Ah, well, I suppose that’s one way to look at it… I just felt the need to apologize as a matter of principle.”
“Given who you are, Soushi, I imagine you’ll acquire another Elixir soon enough.”
Following Shizuna‘s comment, Mariane shot me a meaningful glance.
“I think it would be a good idea to delve into the Euron Dungeon again. The guild would also appreciate repeated verification of Elixir acquisition.”
“It would be wise to have multiple on hand for emergencies, so I suppose we will do that when we head to Euron.”
“It feels like acquiring them has become a given, doesn’t it?”
Larni‘s observation was indeed accurate. So far, the drop rate in that dungeon was a staggering 100%, which might explain the casual attitude.
“But now it seems Sakurahime can’t escape from Soushi anymore. I hope she leaves that party soon.”
“What do you mean by ‘can’t escape from me’?”
“Huh? I mean it literally.”
“?”
I didn’t quite understand, but the serious expressions on the other members’ faces suggested there was some significance to it. Despite my attempts to inquire further, they never clarified, leaving me to wonder if using the Elixir without permission had been a mistake.
Upon returning to Aadorf Inner Village, I entrusted the report to Mariane and we headed back to Sfenia‘s home.
Of course, we reported the findings of our dungeon investigation to Sfenia‘s father, Sarandol.
“Ah, I see. I never expected a Wandering Dungeon to appear so close to Aadorf. A female vampire named Lyra Nora and the Ancient Providence—this is becoming quite exciting. However, it means we must investigate alongside the Demon as well. I’ll ask Aranda to pick up some books, and perhaps I should also request Reifant‘s assistance. But then again, I might want to investigate this myself…”
After listening to his enthusiastic monologue, Sarandol adjusted his round glasses and began to ramble excitedly. The latter part of his speech was almost entirely to himself.
“Please, save that for later. Soushi is in a bit of a bind here.”
His wife, Aranda, gently reminded him, prompting Sarandol to straighten up and focus.
“Oh, my apologies. So, the Wandering Dungeon has disappeared, correct?”
“Yes. It was the same last time; it seems that defeating Lyra Nora causes it to vanish. This time was no different.”
“Hmm, so it will likely reappear in another location.”
“Lyra Nora mentioned, ‘Until we meet again,’ just before disappearing, so I believe it will.”
“Hmm, interesting. It’s quite a story that you all managed to conquer it twice. However, from what you mentioned earlier, it seems you need a rather strong party to succeed, which might explain that.”
“Indeed… I don’t have firsthand experience with higher-ranked parties, but I believe it would be difficult to defeat it without a full squad of A-Rank adventurers, at least at the level of the Royal Guard Knights.”
“The Royal Guard Knights? I’ve heard they are quite skilled, so that means the boss is formidable. From what Soushi mentioned, the Wandering Dungeon is a place meant to empower humans, but perhaps it selects who it grants power to.”
“Considering Lyra Nora‘s strength, it seems only natural for it to take that form. Moreover, since we can converse with her normally… it’s possible she was designed to be a boss that allows for conversation to facilitate that selection process.”
“Ha ha, as expected from an adventurer of A-Rank or higher. You have a sharp eye for detail. This is becoming truly exciting. Soushi, you’ve been a great help today. I look forward to your report on the other matter as well.”
“That one depends on the other party, but I will conduct a thorough investigation.”
Now, the remaining task is the investigation of the “identity of an unknown entity.” I have a feeling that the Bad Luck skill is at play here, suggesting that another strange event awaits us.