Chapter 128, Power of Self and Power of Others

Translator: Barnnn

 

After delivering a psychological one-two punch to Hal and Ize, Fieda exhaled through his nose with what could only be described as satisfaction. Then he turned to address the Lord’s suggestion.

 

“As for joining the exploration,” he said, “that depends on the floors in question. We still don’t know how this Dungeon’s system works, so I can’t give a definitive answer just yet. And frankly, even if these two can manage in the deeper levels, there’s a good chance I can’t.”

“What?” Hal frowned. “If you’re not going, then we’re not either.”

“Why are you trying to bow out like that so casually?” Ize grumbled.

“You make it sound like you don’t want to come, Fieda.” Shezel tilted his head. “I mean, it’s fine, really. Despite being a Rank 1 Dungeon, the difficulty’s not that high. In fact, it’s pretty comparable to Jasted.”

“How do you figure?” Fieda asked, skeptical.

“Well… how far did you get in Jasted? What floor, and what Mystic Beast does it contain?”

“Fiftieth floor. Cockatrice,” Fieda replied.

“Here, the Cockatrice shows up around floor seventy, give or take.”

“Seventy-four,” Gruash reminded.

“See?” Shezel said, gesturing with both hands. “The floor numbers are just a bit deeper.”

“I see…” Fieda murmured.

“Huh,” Hal echoed.

“Interesting,” Ize added.

 

According to Shezel, each floor in this Dungeon was wider than those in Jasted, with more Mystic Beasts per level, but their actual strength didn’t differ much from Jasted’s Rank 2 classification.

The C-rank progress limit here reached seventy-five floors, which made sense if Cockatrices only began appearing right before that.

 

“B-rankers can go as deep as floor ninety!” Shezel said with enthusiasm. “That’s the deep zone.”

“What about the lowest level?” Fieda asked.

“Exactly one hundred. But you’d really only go down that far during a Deluge or something. If you want to, I can take you. Wanna see a Dragon?”

“No, thank you,” Fieda said flatly, shoving a hand up in front of Shezel’s grinning face to firmly decline. “Since hitting B-rank, I haven’t done any serious Dungeon crawling. We should start by sticking to the C-rank limit first, just to shake off any rust.”

“Then the B-rank floors after that. Got it,” Shezel nodded. “You planning to tackle those on your own?”

“That’s the idea. If it’s permitted, I’d prefer it.”

“Sure, no problem,” Shezel said cheerfully. “So, soonest would be a month from now, I guess. I like the soldiers and all, but you know how they fight… lines and formations and formations and more formations. I still prefer Dungeon crawling with a real adventurers’ party.”

 

The Lord gave a small nod beside him, mirroring Shezel’s enthusiastic bobbing.

 

“But earlier, you mentioned not usually partnering with adventurers,” Hal said, glancing at the Lord. “Are you sure this is okay?”

 

He couldn’t help wondering that, considering this was a party newly arrived in the city, and from the outside, they were traveling with a child. Wouldn’t that draw unwanted attention?

 

“That’s where our Lord’s executive authority comes in,” Shezel said, waving it off. “He can issue special permits. He said it himself, didn’t he?”

“And that just… works?” Hal asked dubiously.

“There are times when adventurers with unique skills are given top-secret or special missions,” the Lord replied. “We can’t exactly announce to the world that you’re Heroes, but we CAN make people think you’ve got rare and valuable abilities. It’s usually enough.”

“Long live power and bureaucracy,” Hal muttered… just before Fieda’s boot nudged his shin with deliberate warning. “Ouch.”

 

Ize, seeing it from the corner of her eye, wisely kept her mouth shut… despite having been thinking the same thing.

 

Instead, she turned to Gruash and asked, “Do you ever go Dungeon crawling yourself, sir?”

“Once every two months,” he said.

“Then maybe we’ll get to go together at some point?”

“Highly unlikely.”

“Why not? I mean, you could just meet up with us inside if you’re worried about appearances,” Shezel said, stretching his arms wide. “Come on, Gru, cut loose for once.”

“Even if I joined you deeper in, there’d still be soldiers around.”

“Then just introduce them beforehand. By the time we get there, no one’s going to care about the reason.”

 

Gruash, rigid and by-the-book, and Shezel, irreverent and irrepressible — they were an odd pair, but it worked.

Watching them, Ize couldn’t help but wonder if Shezel had a hidden reason for his condition to become the Lord’s secretary. Perhaps he didn’t just want to explore Dungeons; maybe, in some small way, it was so that Gruash could relive a bit of his adventuring days.

Before the thought could settle, Hal leaned forward.

 

“Actually, there’s one more thing we need to know about the Dungeon,” he said.

“Right,” Ize added. Her expression, for the first time since entering the room, turned entirely serious. “It’s very important to us.”

 

Both she and Hal fixed their eyes on the Lord and his secretary.

Gruash straightened his back ever so slightly, sensing the change in mood.

 

“…What is it?”

 

Fieda, off to the side, suddenly had a very bad feeling.

 

“What’s the tastiest Mystic Beast in this Dungeon?” Hal asked, solemn as a monk.

“And what floor does it appear on?” Ize followed up with equal weight.

 

[…Of-freaking-course.] Fieda sighed inwardly.

 

Some instincts never failed.

 

◆

 

The horsebus rattled steadily as it rolled through the streets of Speraniessa.

It had been a while since Ize had ridden in a horsebus not pulled by Hiro or Take, and the novelty left her feeling oddly restless. The interior of the bus, sent directly from the Lord’s manor, was cleaner and far more lavish than anything she was used to.

 

“Sixty-eighth floor has Belbarot,” Hal murmured, scanning the list in her hand. “Apparently it’s delicious stewed with lean meat. High hopes, but that’s a long way down.”

“Even if we clear ten floors at a time, that’s… what, six runs minimum?” Ize replied.

“We can probably blitz the first twenty or thirty floors,” Hal said. “Don’t Orcs only show up on floor twenty-five?”

“They showed up on floor eleven in Jasted. I still remember that first time we looted orc belly — what a moment.”

“Still, this’ll take time. A Rank 1 Dungeon wouldn’t go easy on us.”

 

Ize gazed out the window, her eyes flitting over the unfamiliar cityscape.

Unlike Jasted, there weren’t many tall buildings here. More striking was the absence of those massive defensive walls that had loomed so prominently back there.

 

“What happens if a Deluge hits this place?” she asked.

“They say one’s never reached the city limits,” Hal answered. “Probably because they’ve always relied on Heroes to stop it.”

“Ah. That makes sense.”

 

That complete faith in Heroes, the complacency of people who’d never known true disaster, was etched into the city’s very layout.

 

“A city that stands on its own feet versus one that rests everything on Heroes’ backs,” Hal grumbled. “Total opposites.”

“I like the streets here better,” Ize admitted, “but in terms of how they face the Dungeon, I’d have to side with Jasted.”

“As architecture goes, Jasted has that fortress feel. The sheer thickness of those stone walls — manmade and proud. They’ve got the same gravitas as the Kurobe Dam.”

“And you’d destroy them with a high-level spell and plunge the people into despair… like the edgelord you are.”

“Not even close!”

 

The horsebus slowed as they reached the manor gates, halting briefly before continuing forward.

 

“Even the gate’s metal,” Hal observed.

“Wouldn’t take much for a Mystic Beast to smash through it, though,” Fieda said.

“Orc General swings once and it’s in pieces,” Ize chuckled.

 

Their observations may have been off-kilter, but not inaccurate.

As they rolled deeper into the manor grounds, they passed well-manicured lawns, flowerbeds in bloom, and trees planted with care. Fountains sparkled in the sunlight, and pristine white gazebos dotted the paths.

It was a world away from Jasted, where even nobles had been crammed into fortress-like dwellings, their gardens — if they even had one — flattened for maximum visibility in case of a Deluge. Every inch of the city had been shaped by the looming threat of battle.

Ize frowned slightly, her thoughts drifting… until something gently pressed down on her head.

 

“Hey,” Hal said, nodding toward the road ahead. “A few years back, there was a Deluge and they didn’t summon themselves a Hero. So they’re not completely helpless.”

 

She followed his gaze. Soldiers were drilling in the yard, but something about their movements seemed off.

 

“Anti-Beast swordwork,” Fieda pointed out.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. They’re not aiming for human vitals.”

 

Ize leaned forward, watching closely. The soldiers’ footwork, their angles of attack, and their slashing arcs were all tailored for foes with low centers of gravity. Mystic Beasts, not men. Overhead, pieces of wood dangled from cords — decoys for flying creatures, no doubt.

 

“The Lord mentioned soldiers enter the Dungeon here,” Fieda said. “They probably have separate squads for anti-human and anti-Beast combat.”

 

The horsebus eventually came to a stop beside a cluster of large storage buildings.

Shezel was already waiting, flanked by three soldiers.

 

“Welcome,” he said, all formal courtesy now that he’d donned his secretary’s mask. “Thank you for coming all this way. Lord Volhelm believes these warehouses should be enough to contain everything. Is that acceptable?”

Fieda gave a brief nod. “It’ll do.”

 

Shezel seemed satisfied with the answer and turned to the soldiers, who moved to open the warehouse doors.

 

“Wow, it’s huge,” Ize murmured as the space opened up before them.

“This warehouse is for storing supplies in case of a Deluge,” Shezel explained, looking up fondly at the high ceilings. “It’s empty now, but during the last one, we had it packed to the rafters.”

“I remember,” one of the soldiers added with a chuckle. “Helped stock the place as an adventurer. Wasn’t sure what might fall on my head.”

“Some poor guy did get buried once,” another chimed in. “Big oaf. Always knocking things over.”

“We banned him from the warehouse after that,” said the third.

 

It was clear from the banter that these men had known Shezel since his adventuring days.

 

“These three often join me on Dungeon runs,” Shezel said. “You’ll probably run into get to work with them eventually. Don’t worry about remembering their names, though.”

“Hey!” one of them barked.

“That’s just mean.”

“We adore you, man, and this is how you repay us!?”

 

Their raucous laughter echoed through the warehouse, sounding more like adventurers than soldiers. Hal seemed to notice the same thing.

 

“You guys used to be adventurers too?”

“Yep,” said one. “Showed up for the Deluge and stuck around. I’m number two.”

“Number two?” Hal parroted.

“Number one’s him,” the man added, jerking a thumb at Shezel.

“Number three’s that weirdo who fell for the Lord. Number four’s the pervert who keeps chasing after me. See? No one’s worth remembering except me.”

“And you guys say I’m cruel,” Shezel said, laughing.

“C’mon, you should’ve heard what the Lord said to me! ‘If possible, I want you to continue protecting this city,'” number three said in a poor imitation of Gruash’s voice. “Who wouldn’t stay after being told that!?”

“Dude, you sound nothing like him,” number four jabbed.

“Well now, let’s get started,” Shezel interrupted. “They’re idiots, but trustworthy. Feel free to use your Magic Bags here.”

“Much appreciated,” Fieda replied.

 

It was always a little nerve-wracking to reveal how much their Magic Bags could carry in front of strangers, but Shezel’s vouching put them at ease.

 

“I’ve sorted things by destination for now,” Shezel said. “If you’re adding another location, I can switch it up — say, sort by type: bedding, tableware, that sort of thing.”

“No, it’s fine,” Hal replied after a brief pause. “Let’s keep it by destination. If we get more stops, we can pull from the existing lots.”

“Got it.”

 

Ize and Hal moved to their assigned spots and began unloading supplies, adjusting slightly with each load to keep everything neat.

 

“Whoa, that IS a lot.”

“All of this came from Fuyuya?”

“We could live off this for years. Amazing.”

 

The three soldiers worked swiftly, checking quantities and conditions as they went, jotting notes on their clipboards. They were definitely professionals — fast and precise.

The job was done in no time at all.

 

“That’s everything. Thanks again,” said Shezel.

“We just delivered stuff we got for free. Don’t mention it,” Fieda replied.

“Maybe, but the fact that you brought it all the way here matters. Here’s the donation certificate we promised. Based on the value, this is one of the highest tiers we issue.”

“Wow, that’s… almost too generous.”

“It’ll mean a lot to the kids. Please visit the orphanages when you have time.”

“We will,” said Fieda.

“”Yeah, we sure will!”” Ize and Hal added in unison.

 

That night, with one of their main goals in Speraniessa accomplished, a message arrived from Shezel, asking them to accompany him to the treatment center the next day.

Neither of them realized it then, but this invitation marked the beginning of a small, strange storm that would stir the winter streets of Speraniessa.