The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter

Naturally, a larger number of personnel was allocated to the former.

It was easier to get into a standby group if one possessed some special skill that allowed for quick movement. That was also true for those who were good at recovery or used bow as their weapon.

As it was assumed that enemies will attack both from the air and from the ground, a plan of not letting even a single one get inside the town was deemed essentially unrealistic.

All of us were assigned to the standby group. We were supposed to act as an attack group with me as the leader.

We didn’t have a fixed position and had to move around, adapting to the situation on the battlefield. Coming to the rescue in unfavorable situations or helping with the evacuation.

Today, we received a small lecture on how the victory was obtained in the past and in the early afternoon we were dismissed.

「Noir-kun, do you have a moment?」

Shoen-sama, who appeared to have been waiting for me, calls me out in such fashion.

「Is it about my participation?」

「No. I want to apologize instead. From your point of view, I must have come out as a mean old man. I apologize.」

Indeed, I was surprised when Shoen-sama started saying that he won’t allow my participation.

「But, there was a reason for that. Please humor me, if you have time.」

Most likely I will be able to hear about the master, so I follow him together with everyone. Leaving the training grounds we head for the largest plaza in Hornest. It had watering places and benches, a place of rest and relaxation with people with calm and gentle expressions spending their time there.

East, west, north, south, it was possible to go a number of districts from here.

「This place is called Gaien Square. This way.」

Shoen-sama stopped in front of a stone statue of man without one arm. Next to the statue was a pitch-black stone of about one meter in diameter. It looks like obsidian.

「Ugh. Because of Landan he somehow looks like a real person to me.」

「I get you. I also get an urge to apply petrification remedy on this.」

It seems that the conversation between Luna-san and Laura-san gave Shoen-sama some peace of mind.

「Haaha, that is unlikely. I want you to see this.」

In the direction he pointed was a signpost that had『Gaien’s aspirations be eternal』『The stone of peace』written on it. This stone statue is probably Gaien.

「Gaien is an alchemist who lived more than two hundred years ago. He is a great hero who saved this town from monsters many times.」

「Did he lose his arm as the result of fighting with monsters?」

「Not quite. The one who took his arm was an evil… No, a famous adventurer from another country, Olivia Servant.」

「So Mast… … I mean, Olivia did…」

Master took Gaien’s arm. So it means she was in opposition with a hero? Shoen-sama, who assumed that I was her descendant, continued to talk, carefully choosing his words.

「In your country, she might be a hero, but not here. Olivia is spoken about as an evil being. Let me recite you a short bit.」

We listen closely.

Gaien was originally a villager from Tonell Village, but from an early age he was brimming with alchemy talent.

When he grew up, he moved to this town, and it’s said that using his abilities he saved this town from monsters many times. One day as he was steadily climbing the ladder of herohood, the master came here.

It seems that master wreaked great havoc in this city. Inevitably, it turned into a battle with Gaien who tried to stop it.

Gaien, who never encountered a worthy opponent so far, was struggling versus the master who had special skills all over her, until finally, he lost one of his hands.

When defeat flashed in front of his eyes, a miracle occurred. It is said, that for his sake the townsmen united and fought against the master. And although they were unable to defeat the master, they succeeded in driving her away.

… Well, at least the story is consistent. The master was a person from more than two hundred years ago, and she should have had overwhelming power.

But in terms of character, would she attack Gaien? She is pretty wild, but I think that to some degree she has a solid sense of ethics.

Could it be that Gaien offended her that much?

「In the end, Gaien kept on saving this town until his death. A little while before his death he used alchemy to make this Stone of Peace. He was focusing on education. He was making this stone while wishing for children to grow healthy.」

It seems that children of Hornest often come here, touch this stone or offer prayers. Parents also visit and wish for their children to grow well.

「I understand why you were hesitant to let me join the battle. Because I have the same ability as Olivia.」

「I was wrong. You have the same abilities, but you are not her. On the contrary, you saved Landan. I want to believe in you. However, about you being related to Olivia… I’m sorry, but please, hide it from the people of this town.」

Of course, I accepted those terms. I want to do so for my own sake as well. If I were to have stones thrown at me every time I walk around the town I won’t be able to go out.

「Why do you think Olivia attacked Gaien?」

「I don’t know. Maybe he insulted her in some way? Or perhaps she just wanted to fight with a strong opponent. It’s difficult for me to grasp the feeling of those who were too strong.」

For no particular reason, I looked up at the sky. I felt like the cloudy weather was making gloominess inside me grow even murkier. The master I knew, Olivia, was not such a person.

I really don’t think that she would attack someone with no reason.

◇ ◆ ◇

After parting with Shoen-sama, I decided to go shopping with Emma.

「Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!」

She kept calling me like that, so I had to agree.

We decided to go around the town with just two of us. Emma seems to have brought a lot of money with her and wants to buy all sorts of things.

「How about buying matching hats?」

「I don’t see many people doing that.」

Occasionally, I see people doing that with clothes, but they tend to gather rather peculiar looks.

「Because there aren’t many… But fine! You are right, hats are a bit that. What else is there?…」

Emma linked arms with me and acted very joyous. Most likely she was concerned about me because I was making a bitter face after that story about the master. Emma often says that one cannot hide anything from a childhood friend, but it seems to be true.

「There is a ring throw! Let’s try it.」

It’s a simple game where you have to throw a rope ring onto a wooden stick. You will get a small doll if you succeed.

「Emma, as I see only kids are playing this.」

「It’s fine, it’s fine! Let’s go back to our child’s selves and enjoy it. Or are you afraid of losing to me?」

「Okay, I will go at full power.」

The level of difficulty was quite high because you had to throw five rings and needed to succeed with every single one. One, success. Two, success. Three, success. Four, success. Five, it got hooked on the head of a nearby child.

「I-I’m sorry.」

「You are not good. Even though it looks like your friend got all of them.」

「You kidding…」

When I checked the pole next to mine, Emma splendidly succeeded and was celebrating.

「I did it! It’s my win!」

Jumping around, she was expressing joy with her whole body. Boys around ten years of age gathered in front of her and were intently ogling her.

Speaking about what they were looking at, it was her chest that was relentlessly swaying up and down.

「Whoa, what she has stuffed there?」

「So biiig, they swaaaying.」

「She has short skirt so you can see panties as well.」

Emma who noticed the children’s curious eyes got angry and swelled her cheeks.

「Hey, what are you looking at! It’s not a show!」

「So scary! It’s an ogre hag!」

「Ogre Ha… YOUUUUUUUU!」

Emma snapped so hard that it felt like she was about to really grow the horns, and the children scattered in all directions and ran off. I say to the furious Emma.

「You should be careful. You are probably shaking them too much.」

「They are shaking on their own!」

That was rude of me. From here, I change to the entertaining side. To improve her spoiled mood, we eat and walk buying stuff from the stalls placed around here.

As they were selling a happy pineapple I ask the shopkeeper.

「It’s not an ordinary pineapple?」

「You will know if you try it.」

So you won’t tell me. And it is quite expensive. Recently I have an income, and I stored a hefty sum of money to use in this country, but I feel like this will be just throwing money away.

「I want to try it! Hey, let’s try it, Noir.」

「Eeeh… But, this is.」

「Surely it’s so delicious that after eating it you feel happy! Super sweet or something.」

Hmm, I wasn’t convinced, but since Emma was so excited for it I purchase two portions. It’s already cut to make it easy to eat. I ate one bite of that bright yellow thing and narrowed my eyes.

Pine was actually sour and stung the tongue. When I thought it might be fine since it was expensive, it’s characteristics stand out even more. I was completely deceived.

「I don’t think that eating this can bring happiness. It’s rather painful.」

「That’s right. It leads to happiness.」

「I don’t get you at all.」

「You should feel it when stinging on your tongue will calm down. Aah, thank god, it doesn’t hurt anymore. That is happiness. Many people are inherently happy. However, they get used to it and in their arrogance forget, then they become dissatisfied with their current situation. And they become unhappy.」

A pointlessly deep lecture has begun though…

「… In other words, it’s about bringing remindings of happiness with spicy food.」

「That’s about it. Now you will be able to spend today in happiness. Congrats.」

I can’t cleverly refute him, so I just walk away from that stall. Surely I will never visit it again. That was a good lesson.

「Let’s eat something more decent.」

「Isn’t that good?」

What Emma found was a beef cut to bite-sized bits and in four to five pieces put on a skewer. They seem to have a special whitish sauce here. An old lady selling it acts very civilly.

「Please go ahead and try. Hornest’s specialty, skewers with a seed of happy horse.」

「Ugh, it’s happiness again…」

I had enough happiness so I decline. Emma says she wants to try, so I hand over the money and get one.

「Here you go.」

「Thank you. Then, I’ll try it… Mmmm, it is so delicious! The sauce is especially good!」

Oh, if she praises it that much, I would want to eat it as well. I’m a little hungry as well, so I’ll order for one.

「I want it too, but what is the source?」

「It’s semen of the monster called happy horse.」

「Bufueoo!」

Emma grandly spouts out. I canceled my order. Panicking, the old lady started saying that it was not pure semen, but it was also mixed with semen from other living beings to make it juicier.

It dealt even more damage to Emma. Emma was in a state of half crying, and since she couldn’t move I carry her away on my back.

「Aaugh… sho chruel… it’sh too chruel…」

「Don’t mind it, is all I can say. There is a lot of strange products in this town.」

「Noir, you should eat this… too. You’ll get LP… For sure.」

Please, don’t invite me on the path of the devil so casually. When we get closer to the inn, Emma says that she is fine already and walks on her own. Linking hands with me again, she asks.

「Do you feel better?」

「Yeah, it became a good break.」

「That’s it! If the big waves comes let’s do our best together!」

「Let’s do what we can.」

At any time, that was the only way to move forward. There is a lot of things to consider, but my power was given to me by my master.

It doesn’t matter if she was a villain in this town. I will just believe in my experience and intuition.