Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru

Chapter 118: At The End Of The Festival… IV

Once more, I gathered everyone in the blood-alliance for fighting off the dragon and went to the Guild to receive our reward.

「What's going on here?」

「It's as you can see」

I was all by myself.

Well, I hadn’t been able to get anyone to come.

Frey and Lazarissa have left Lemuria and are on their way to the center continent.

Barfuru-sama has also left Lemuria and gone north.

Rutsuko-san and the Gunmerrys have gone to visit the beastkin tribes in the east.

It's said that the adventure hasn't ended until the reward has been paid, but those guys can't work as a team at all. Really, getting that bunch of people to come together back then was nothing short of miraculous. I doubt I'd be able to do it a second time.

To cap it all off, Otou-san has been roped into helping the brothel prepare for winter.

With so many people unable to make it, I didn’t see much point in going to the Guild with only half a party, so I decided to go on my own and sent the women and Shuna off to buy winter clothes and daily necessities instead.

Oh, I almost forgot.

I'll have to find a house to rent as our home for the winter. There's really no way we can camp out there in the snow.

「We're handing out your rewards, you know? Normally, everyone would be here for that. What the heck kind of group are you guys?」

「I'm wondering that myself」

Even if you ask me that, I have no answer for you.

「However, Souya, it was a splendid battle. That knight's fighting style that looks reckless but is actually very practical that you used. I can almost see the way of life and manner of death of the person who taught it to you in the way you threw everything at the dragon like it was to relieve resentment that had been building up over the years. I was so inspired that I cleaned my weapon and did practice swings with it for the first time in a long time last night. Truly, it was splendid」

「Thank you very much」

I'm very happy to receive praise from Evetta-san. I'm sure the Scarlet Knight is also pleased.

He had no choice but to die an inglorious death, but his sword techniques were unyielding even in the face of a dragon. No, even against a dragon, they would have worked eventually. This time, it was only because my physical abilities weren’t good enough. Yes, there's still room for improvement.

One day, these techniques will be able to cut down anything and everything, no matter the circumstances. They'll be able to slay everything that bleeds scarlet.

The death and deeds that I have inherited are techniques as amazing as that.

「So, Guild President, what about the reward?」

But right now, rather than something far off in the future, the reward is what matters.

The Guild President was looking as surly as ever, but he was less stern than usual today.

「We've confirmed that the parties that are not here have indeed left the country. Since you didn't kill them off, I suppose it stands to reason that we should give it to you」

「Glad to hear it」

As always, don't mix weird insinuations into your words.

「First off, here」

He handed me a bag. It was rather heavy, and I could hear the clinking of coins.

The Guild President waved his staff and raised his voice.

『This is the reward from King Lemuria to the blood-alliance that distinguished themselves during the Dragonfall Festival. Seeker Brigade, Gastolfo League of Braves, Endguard, ………King Lutz and his merry band. The above-mentioned parties are awarded 120 gold coins』

The Guild President's voice filled the entire room. It sounded like it had been magically amplified.

The chitter-chatter of the adventurers all around us died down as they stopped what they were doing to listen.

Is he doing this to show off the king's generosity or something?

Come to think of it, there are more adventurers in here today than usual. Even though it's a weird time of morning right now.

『Next, to the adventurer Souya, who fought the dragon most valiantly. The Guild will award him 100 Shogaku tickets』

Cheers of "Ohhh~" came from the adventurers in the room.

I feel a little proud of that. Still, exactly 100 tickets, huh? Considering the future, I was hoping for a bit more.

『Next, the ones who wounded the dragon's wings. Medimu, the father of adventurers. Barfuru Heijin, the hero of the north. To the two of them, the Merchant Union of Lemuria awards a year's supply of Lemuria ale, and the Lemuria branch of the Center Continent Merchants' Association awards a year's supply of wine』

Whoa~! they cheered. In louder voices than they did for me.

I heard Otou-san's name being uttered by many of the adventurers.

There were a few, "By the way, who's this Barfuru person?" from some puzzled people too.

『Lastly, to the extraordinary "magician" who punched out the dragon, Rauaryuna?Raua?Heures, the Guild awards a replica of Raging Rmir's equipment. She will be presented with the Gauntlets of Ryubel』

Whoo~! they cheered, about six times louder than they did for me.

I don’t know what kind of equipment that is, but is it really valuable or something?

The Guild President started to wrap things up.

『The above-mentioned individuals are the ones who have made a name for themselves at this year's Dragonfall Festival. At times, adventurers have to face reckless battles and the great unknown. Those who have just made a name for themselves are lucky to have won. That's all there is to it. That's all there is to it, but that's the difference between those who are known for their bravery and the rest who are unknown.

Don't be afraid to take a stand, adventurers.

Look not up nor down, but straight ahead. Keep your eyes fixed on your own adventures.

At the end of each and every adventure, fame and envy await. The slower you build up your fame, the more cemented it is.

Don't stop your feet because of the fame that others have garnered. Embark on your own adventures. Focus on them.

It's good to have dreams. It's good to have dreams inspired by what others have achieved. However, wash your petty jealousy away with alcohol. Bringing someone down won't make you any more famous.

A harsh winter is coming. But don't forget. Spring will come to all of us. For sure. ………………That's all』

The Guild President sounded almost like a Guild President when he gave that speech. The adventurers gave him a sparse round of applause when he was done.

A Guild employee walked up and took the Guild President's staff.

『Well then, here's an announcement regarding cheap accommodations for the winter months. First of all, we’re starting a lottery for spots in the flame religion's temporary dormitory that's only open to those who are living in the stables. Please gather around!』

UWOOOOO! went the greenhorn adventurers as they rushed forward.

I see. So this is why there are so many people here. The Guild has been completely transformed into a lottery hall.

I worked my way out of the crowd and went over to the reception desk that Evetta-san had sat down behind.

「Alright, please give me the strategy for clearing the great skeleton floors」

「I figured as much. The arrangements for that have already been completed. By the Guild President, that is」

Huh. That guy is doing his job rather well this time. I can't help but wonder if there's a catch.

「Here’s the scroll with the strategy for clearing those floors written on it」

I was promptly presented with a scroll. It was different from the ones I usually got from the Guild. It had a metal mechanism for locking it.

「Press your thumb to the metal fitting before opening it」

「Got it」

The mechanism came off quite easily when I pressed my thumb to the metal fitting.

「By doing that, you've triggered magic that makes it so that only the person who opened it can read its contents」

「That’s amazing」

What an incredible security feature. Even in the modern world, people would love to have this.

「Well then」

In my hands, I held the guide to clearing the floors that, in a sense, had given us the most trouble. With a heart filled with emotion, I spread open the scroll.

「………………」

I read.

「………………」

It was so concise and simple that I couldn't believe my eyes.

「Umm, Evetta-san」

「Yes?」

「Is this actually a prank where you're going to pull out another scroll from behind you and say, "And here's the real one"?」

「I'm not going to do that」

「Then, this is………」

「Yes, that information is credible. If you find any mistakes in the information, please report them to the Guild」

「It's really hard to believe though」

「What could be so incredible that someone who fought a dragon head-on would find it so hard to believe?」

Well, considering how I was when I first came here, I've certainly changed in a way that's hard to believe.

「Rather than finding it hard to believe, perhaps it's more that I don't want to believe it」

「Go give it a try. If it doesn't work, we’ll refund you the Shogaku tickets and you'll also get a reward for finding mistakes in the Guild's strategy guide」

「Unh, unhhhh」

If she's sticking to her story to this extent, the possibility of it being a prank disappears.

「………I understand. I'll go right away」

I won't be able to sleep well unless I clear these feelings of uncertainty in my heart.

「Yes, adventurers must always be prepared to act immediately. At first, I had thought, “This profession is impossible for this child,” and resigned myself, but you sure have come a long way」

A tear fell from Evetta-san’s eye.

Are you my mum?

I said a quick farewell and got up to leave. First, I went straight to find Otou-san.

Beyond the 30th floor, parties entering the dungeon needed to have at least three members, so I contacted Shuna as well.

I told him about the situation through my sister's communication device. It appeared that the women had been treating him like a dress-up doll. I didn't have to ask him twice, he came immediately.

In a sense, this was the first time I had an all-dude party.

I told the two of them the strategy for clearing the great skeleton floors.

『You're kidding, right?』

They had scoffed at me. At any rate, we would see how true it was for ourselves once we tried it. After buying enough food and water for two days from a merchant company, we went into the portal.

And then, we did as the strategy guide said.

The boss of the floors appeared in a way that, rather than calling it hard to believe, was so ridiculous that we didn't want to believe it.

「………………」

We defeated it with the three of us.

To be brutally honest, it was weak. It could have been defeated by me alone, by Shuna alone, or by Otou-san alone. In all likelihood, anyone in the party could have defeated it on their own.

「………………」

When we went through the portal that appeared afterward, we found ourselves on a floor that was not made of bones. It was a floor of ice that was just as cold as it was outside the dungeon. Actually, it was much colder than it was outside. It was as cold as the winters on the left continent. We wouldn't last more than five minutes without winter gear.

We completed the validation at the nearby portal.

It showed that we were most definitely on the 35th floor.

『………………』

Us three dudes returned without saying a word.

It is an unspoken rule that adventurers should never carelessly share information or strategies regarding the floors with others. That we should never divulge such knowledge to anyone outside the party.

That’s only natural.

Information that our predecessors had risked their lives to acquire should not be treated lightly. If we did so, the standard of adventurers would drop, resulting in the Guild becoming obsolete, which in turn would lead to the Kingdom of Lemuria falling into decline.

Even so, the adventurers of today have it much easier compared to the adventurers of the past.

Making things any easier would lead to a total collapse of everything.

The motives behind it are many, but in essence, the "Learn how to endure hardship. Kids these days……" that was written on the wall inscriptions of the ancient Egyptian civilization probably best represents people's true feelings. [1]

In other words……

『………………』

……no matter what kind of absurdities the dungeon throws at us, we can't complain about them carelessly.

I’d never have imagined that something like that would be so darn hard.

With dour looks on our faces, the three of us dudes returned to the Guild.

「Umm, if you want, you can have these…… We haven't touched them at all, so……」

「Huh? Oh, thank you very much」

I gave the untouched food and water to a party of fresh-faced greenhorn adventurers. Normally, no one would accept food and water from another party so readily, but they trusted me because the father of adventurers was standing right there beside me.

In a depressed mood, I turned to Shuna and Otou-san.

「First thing tomorrow morning, let's meet up at the Guild. We'll clear it immediately with everyone………we’ll go drinking all day afterwards」

They both nodded without saying a word.

The short-lived all-dude party was dissolved, and we all headed home.

Tomorrow's going to be a rough day. For the party.

[1] There’s a long and culturally relevant story behind the saying, “Kids these days……” not just in Japan, but worldwide. The second half is always left unsaid, but obviously pressures the “kid” to fill it in with the expectations he perceives the “sayer” has on him/her. In Japan, it’s said that the current generation of parents never scold or criticize their kids because their parents would always stress them out by using sayings such as these, so they ended up hating these kinds of things and as a result, never pressure their kids. Outside of Japan, this saying is also often said, but interestingly, regardless of the time period, people are always complaining that the current generation is not up to snuff. Not just in Egypt, there are writings from ancient civilizations all over the world of people saying some variant of “Kids these days……”, with some dating as far back as 2000ish BC. There’s just too much to put here, so do research it for yourself if you find this interesting, there are tons of articles about it.

Ahh, I had forgotten about Mummy Evetta. It’s been a while since the last “Are you my mum?”, hasn’t it?

Trust me on this. You’ll want to read for yourself the strategy for clearing the great skeleton floors. XD

By the way, noticed how the dungeon is becoming more and more “game-like” the deeper they go? They get an exclusive currency for clearing quests that they can use to buy stuff or hire people to help clear the dungeon. Strategy guides. Yes, the author is half making fun of something and midway through making a super hilarious point.

With that, don’t miss the final chapter of volume 5! Stay tuned!