Chapter 105, The Depths of the Earth

Translator: Barnnn

 

“Good morning, everyone.”

 

The Guild receptionist greeted them cheerfully the moment they stepped through the entrance, arriving a few minutes ahead of their scheduled departure.

 

“Just as Volhelm said, the water in the lake has been unusually active as of late. The townsfolk are all in a stir over it. And so…”

 

As she spoke, she pushed open the door to a side room where supplies had been gathered.

 

“…We have received a flood of donations since yesterday.”

 

Inside was easily enough foodstuffs and gear for thirty people. Bread, sweets, drinks, tea leaves, bedding, fine fabrics, and — curiously enough — pots and picture books were all stacked high.

 

“The townspeople understood that you would need things with long shelf life,” the woman added with a wry smile, “but they also brought a lot of… clearly unrelated items.”

“Picture books?” Ize asked, raising an eyebrow.

“They think we’d want to read bedtime stories to the Dragon or something?” Hal deadpanned.

“Even if we bring pots, nobody here can actually cook,” said Fieda.

“I could make soup. Probably,” Ize offered, a little unsure.

“Same here,” Hal said. “Throw in some vegetables and meat, it should work out, right?”

“Yeah, I can already see the tragic outcome,” muttered Fieda.

“What a classic ‘come one, come all’ phenomenon,” Ize said under her breath.

“…And what does THAT mean?”

“Let’s not get into that right now. We should just organize things and start packing them into our Magic Bags.”

 

Since the supplies were already sorted by category to some extent, they decided Ize would store the food items in her Magic Bag, and Hal would handle the miscellaneous goods. The Guild had kindly left them alone in the room to handle the packing at their own pace.

 

“Fuyuya’s origins? What are we supposed to do with a book like this?” Hal muttered as he sifted through a stack.

“These are… the slippers meant for use after a bath, I think,” Fieda said.

“Where we’re from, they’re called zōri. Feel nice to wear in summer,” Ize remarked.

“Ize, look!” Hal called out, waving something in the air. “It’s Kudyu powder! Supposedly turns into a sweet sauce if you mix it with hot water or warm milk!”

“Oh, that sounds promising.”

“Heh, NOW you’re interested, Fieda? If it tastes good, let’s look for it in town after the quest and buy some to stock up.”

 

Apparently, the supplies included various local specialties. Just sorting through everything was surprisingly fun. They agreed to try out anything interesting during the quest, and if it proved useful or tasty, they’d pick up more afterward.

Then again, it was entirely possible the townspeople had orchestrated this as a clever marketing ploy. If so, their friendly smiles masked the minds of master strategists. Truly terrifying.

 

◆

 

“All ready to go?” Volhelm asked as he approached them outside.

“Yeah. Sorry to keep you waiting,” Fieda replied.

“Not at all. I was just as surprised when I saw that supply room. The whole town’s gotten way too into this. Even I received enough sweets to feed an entire family — we should all share them before they go bad.”

 

Ize remembered something Fieda once mentioned — that only the Magic Bags of Sages came with the Internal Stasis feature. Volhelm’s bag might have temporal slowing, but it probably wasn’t suitable for long-term storage.

And with Volhelm’s well-known sweet tooth, the townspeople had clearly delivered their finest confections. Ize beamed and stepped forward eagerly.

 

“I’ll help however I can!” she said with gusto.

“Easy there, Ize,” Hal warned.

Volhelm chuckled. “Honestly, I’m glad to have someone to share with. The moment I offer sweets to someone, that’s the last time they’ll eat with me. They always say things like, ‘Just looking at that makes me full’ or ‘I feel sick already.’ It’s heartbreaking.”

 

The image conjured made Ize involuntarily take a step back. She recalled the sight from the day before — the towering stack of pancakes in front of Volhelm — and nearly gagged at the memory.

 

“…On second thought, you might not need any help finishing them, Mister Volhelm,” she muttered.

 

Hal and Fieda, standing behind her, nodded silently in agreement.

 

◆

 

Their journey to the Fire Dragon’s lair began by horsebus. They rode to the base of the mountain, and from there, followed Volhelm on foot.

Rather than heading up the slope as expected, Volhelm led them to an old-fashioned Japanese-style house nestled near the foothills. He slid open the wooden door and stepped inside.

The interior, though built like a tatami-floored home, had wooden planks instead — likely to accommodate visitors in shoes. Volhelm strode down the narrow corridor without pause, leading them into a spacious room at the far end, complete with an alcove that looked straight out of a period drama.

It felt like the sort of place a wealthy family might gather to discuss inheritance matters.

 

“What is this place?” Fieda asked, glancing around.

“From here, we’ll jump straight to where the Fire Dragon lives,” Volhelm replied.

“Jump?” Hal parroted, puzzled.

“That’s right. Stand on the raised part over there and speak the passphrase. It’ll transport us directly. Of course, this method only works during a very specific time window.”

 

He pointed to the wide, raised alcove at the back of the room — suspiciously large for mere decoration.

Hal had always wondered how they would reach the Fire Dragon in less than half a day; the beast certainly didn’t seem to live within walking distance of the remote, mountain-surrounded town of Fuyuya.

 

“Is it… teleportation?” Ize asked.

“Something like that. I’ve heard it’s similar to the Dungeon portals. Now then, I’ll teach you the passphrase. It’s not in this continent’s language, so it may be a bit tricky.”

 

At that, all three of them straightened up, bracing themselves.

 

“Repeat after me,” Volhelm said. “‘JUGEMUTO-ENSHURITSUWO-OBOERUNOWA-JIKAN-NOMUDA.”

“…What?” Hal blinked.

“Excuse me?” Ize frowned.

“You didn’t catch it? I’ll say it again, slower this time. ‘Ju-ge-mu-tto, en-shu-ri-tsu-wo, o-bo-e-ru-no-wa, ji-kan-no-mu-da.'”

“…Memorizing Jugemu and Pi is a waste of time…?” Hal translated slowly.

“Wait, was that it? Really? It’s just Japanese?” Ize said in disbelief.

Volhelm grinned. “Oh? You recognized it? Did you learn it at a high-end academy, perhaps?”

“N-No, not at all!” Ize stammered. “I mean, is that language actually taught anywhere?”

“This phrase was passed down from the Sages. It’s one of their many sayings. I imagine some folks pick up the basic pronunciation over time.”

“Huh… I see,” Ize muttered.

“Sounds like Ize and I are good to go,” Hal said. “What about you, Fieda?”

“I caught the first half. Can you repeat it again?”

“Sure. Jugemuto, enshuritsuwo, oboerunowa, jikan nomuda.'”

“Jugemuto… ensho… woboruwa… jikanmuda?”

“Close, but not quite. Let’s practice a bit.”

 

While Fieda and Volhelm began practicing the passphrase, Hal leaned toward Ize and whispered under his breath.

 

“Don’t you get a bad feeling about this?”

“Please stop. Don’t tempt fate like that.”

“But come on — this is totally the work of a Hero…”

“And a Japanese Hero, at that. What is this passphrase even supposed to be?”

“Who memorizes Jugemu anymore? It’s straight out of a classic rakugo routine. I guess some Gintama fans would memorize the monkey version, though…”

“And Pi… I only remember what’s required for school. Nobody normal would go beyond ten digits…”

“Must’ve been a Hero from way back. Maybe the late Showa era.”

 

They barely finished whispering when Volhelm clapped his hands.

 

“All right! Looks like we’re ready. Hal, Ize — come stand here.”

 

He beckoned them over to the raised alcove. Standing atop it with their shoes on made Ize feel oddly nervous — as if she were violating some deep-seated Japanese taboo. Still, since they would be teleporting away, they had no other choice. She and Hal stepped up to join the others.

 

“Okay! On three. One, two–”

“”Jugemuto, enshuritsuwo, oboerunowa, jikan nomuda!””

“”Memorizing Jugemu and pi is a waste of time!””

 

And with that, the floor began to glow.

 

◆

 

The moment Ize finished speaking the passphrase, a mass of magical energy slammed into her body. The energy that had surrounded her was stripped away in an instant, as if torn apart like skin from bone. The shock was enough to make her stagger.

 

“Ize!”

 

Strong arms caught her from either side. Blinking, she saw Fieda’s worried face to her left, and Hal — his hair now back to its natural black — on her right.

 

“Thanks… I wasn’t expecting that jolt,” Ize said, steadying herself with their support.

“Me too,” Hal replied, frowning. “I thought you’d hold out a bit longer.”

“I’m all right now,” she assured.

 

The sudden destabilization — a result of her active skill being rejected — had only shaken her briefly. With the Camouflage now dispelled, her body no longer felt off-balance. She flexed her hands, opening and closing them, testing the faint tingle left behind.

When she lifted her head again, the reception room was gone, and in its place stretched the rugged interior of a cave.

 

“Volhelm,” Fieda asked, scanning the cavern, “how much farther to the Fire Dragon?”

“Ah — huh… I didn’t think you guys would be…” Volhelm trailed off, staring at them.

“It’ll be faster if we just let the Dragon hear it from us directly,” Fieda said smoothly. “If it’s already sensed us, there’s no need to keep it waiting. Can you take us to it?”

“Y-yeah… Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go.”

 

With Volhelm leading the way, they began walking through the cave, its walls lined with craggy, copper-red stone. The ceiling soared high above them, easily tall enough to imagine the immense creature waiting ahead.

 

“You really bent the truth back there, Fieda,” Hal said with a wry smile.

“Ehh, he forced it juuust a little,” Ize added. “But it worked out brilliantly, I’d say.”

“Yeah, sure…” Fieda muttered. “And I mean, we’re about to talk to the Dragon about another world for three days straight. At this point, what does it matter, eh?”

 

The group had debated the night before whether they should make Volhelm swear to secrecy, but hadn’t reached a satisfying conclusion. No one knew exactly how close he was to the Fire Dragon, despite having assisted on countless quests over the years.

According to Fieda, adventurers of A-rank and above often dealt with high-ranking nobles, so strict confidentiality was standard. Even one breach could ruin their reputation and bar them from major assignments.

Hal, for his part, claimed to have a backup plan for winning Volhelm over. Ize and Fieda both had a pretty good idea what that plan — or perhaps, bribe — might entail.

 

“I thought a Fire Dragon’s lair would be stiflingly hot,” Fieda remarked, looking around. “But it’s surprisingly mild.”

“Oh, now that you mention it…” Ize said.

“Normally, it lives deeper underground,” Volhelm explained dutifully, despite the unease still lingering in his eyes. “That place is probably closer to what you imagined. This cave’s more of a reception room — for when it wants to meet with people.”

 

It was oddly touching, how carefully the Fire Dragon seemed to consider its guests. If it truly liked talking to humans, it made sense that it would have a more accessible space like this.

 

“What’s the Dragon like?” Ize asked.

“Hmm… It’s a fun one, really. Loves hearing stories from the outside world. You’ll see soon enough. Ah — there it is.”

 

Volhelm pointed ahead. At first, Ize saw nothing but red.

 

[Wait, no, that’s not it…]

 

It only seemed red for an instant. The color shifted as the creature raised its head — red becoming black, then violet, then blue, then green, and back again to red.

The Dragon’s massive body looked large enough to fill an entire schoolyard. As its gaze fell on them, it narrowed its eyes and stretched its wings ever so slightly.

Or rather — its wing. The right wing was gone from the base. The left one remained, but twisted, the bone snapped midway and jutting at an unnatural angle.

 

“You’ve come at last, Heroes of the current generation. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

 

The voice rang in Ize’s head, warm and deep, echoing like a distant bell. It reminded her of her school’s old kendo coach, nicknamed Grandpa Sensei — kind, but with an undeniable weight behind every word.

 

“Hal, Ize. Want to say hi first?” Fieda asked gently.

“Of course. Pardon us,” Ize replied.

 

She and Hal stepped forward, approaching the vast, towering figure.

Standing beneath the Dragon’s head, now looming far above them, Hal spoke first.

 

“My name is Takada Haruka, an otherworlder from Japan. I go by Hal here. I’ll be in your care for the next three days.”

“I’m Ichikawa Izumi, also from Japan. I go by Ize. I’m also from Japan. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Ahh… such polite little Heroes,” the Dragon rumbled, its voice thick with mischief. “And not denying the ‘Hero’ part, I notice?”

 

Hal and Ize exchanged glances, slightly caught off guard.

 

“Ah, well, we’re not… Heroes, technically. And we don’t intend to become any,” Hal replied.

“Is that so? That’s fine. The Goddess seems content to let you be. Live freely, then.”

“You are aware of that, too?”

“I have a sense for these things.”

 

The Dragon’s head bobbed slightly, and a warm breeze rushed past them — just its breath, yet strong enough to lift the strands of Ize’s bangs.

 

[Even its breathing is on a whole nother level…] she thought, and proceeded to ask, “May we introduce our companion?”

“By all means.”

 

Fieda stepped forward, joining Hal and Ize’s side.

 

“It’s an honor to meet you. My name is Fieda.”

“Fieda… you’ve done well guiding these green ones to me. I thank you.”

“I–I only did what anyone would…” he stammered, flustered by the praise.

“Green ones?” Ize parroted.

“It means baby, basically,” Hal explained. “And we haven’t even been in this world for a year, so I guess that makes sense.”

“Then that makes Fieda our Dad,” Ize said with a grin.

“You hear that, Dad?”

 

They both giggled, watching Fieda glare at them. But with his face so red, even his sternest scowl wasn’t remotely intimidating.

 

“Now then, Volhelm, my boy. Don’t just stand there like a statue — come over here.”

“Eh? No, I, uh…”

“Don’t be shy around the Heroes. Show them the pride of an A-rank adventurer!”

“Ehhh… Come on, really? That’s not fair… You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you…”

 

Volhelm’s charming facade crumbled as he groaned and waved his hands in distressed confusion, looking like he wanted to vanish on the spot.

Fieda alone gave him a look of genuine sympathy.