An Invitation To The Dungeon

We were still in the middle of our sea voyage.

The morning after freezing and defeating that giant squid—or octopus.

The handsome desert elf visited my room.

“Ah yes, you’re… Brockes-san, right?”

“Yes. I actually came to thank you for yesterday.”

“Thank me? Ah… that squid-or-octopus thing?”

“Yes. Thank you very much. This is a small token of our gratitude.”

Brockes-san handed me a leather pouch carried by his subordinate.

Hmm, rubies.

Quite pure.

They can be used as potion materials.

“I’ll take them.”

“Thank you. …Actually, I have a request to ask of you.”

“Eh… A request? I’m just here on vacation, so that’s troubling.”

“Please, at least hear me out!”

He kept bowing so persistently that I felt bad and reluctantly decided to listen.

“Actually, I am the prince of Fotiatuyah.”

“Oh my, a prince.”

Fotiatuyah is the country we’re heading to.

A prince—that’s important.

“So what was an important prince doing on a ship?”

“I was searching for a warrior capable of clearing a dungeon.”

“Hm? A dungeon?”

A nest of monsters spreading underground that exists all over the world.

“Why is a prince searching for people to clear a dungeon?”

“The dungeon appeared… in our royal capital, right in the center.”

“Huh? A dungeon appearing in a city? That’s rare.”

Normally dungeons form in forests or caves where mana gathers easily.

They occur naturally, so you can’t control when or where they appear.

But in the middle of a city…

“That’s extremely troublesome.”

“Yes. Because a dungeon appeared in the heart of our nation, the citizens are terrified. And to make matters worse, the dungeon difficulty is the highest—S rank.”

“Oh… an S-rank dungeon.”

Having that appear in a city would definitely be a nuisance.

Monsters from shallow floors often come outside.

“The capital is in chaos, so we searched abroad for someone capable, but everyone hesitated when they heard it was S rank… and just when we were at a loss, we met you.”

I see. He wants me to clear the dungeon.

“Please!”

“I refuse.”

“…! M-May I ask why?”

“Rather, why should I be the one to clear your dungeon?”

I’m an outsider, not this prince’s family.

I’m going there for sightseeing, not warrior training.

“Master, however, you have saved many strangers before, over.”

“Well yes, powerless villagers are pitiful, and I don’t want them dying. But… this person is royalty, with money and authority. He has the ability to solve his own problems. Relying on a random woman instead of trying himself is irresponsible. Solve your own country’s issues.”

I helped Zenith-chan’s country partly by circumstance, but also because it was my cute slave’s homeland.

Why should I save a country with no connection to me?

And they have money and power.

“Besides, I hate royal palaces. I had terrible experiences from power harassment!”

“Personal grudge, over.”

Shut up, robo-maid.

“Did I say anything wrong?”

Brockes-san closed his eyes and shook his head.

“No… you are correct. I abandoned trying to solve it myself. I apologize…”

“Good. Well, I’ll be staying in your country a while, so I can at least give advice. Just advice.”

“That alone is a great honor. To borrow the wisdom of a sage…”

“I’m not a sage. The real sage would get mad.”

“The real one?”

“My master, the sage Nicholas Flamel.”

“You are Nicholas-sama’s disciple!?”

Huh, he knows him?

“Nicholas-sama visited our country recently and entered the S-rank dungeon.”

“What? He came here?”

“Yes. He said a ‘soft stone’ can be obtained there.”

“Wha!? A soft stooone!?”

No way! But if he said so, it must be true…

Still… a soft stone…!

“…Seyi-sama, what is a soft stone?”

“One of the ultra-rare materials used in alchemy! It’s incredibly hard to obtain!”

“…I see. Your master entered the dungeon to collect that rare material.”

“Seems like it! Ahh… soft stone… I wanted it…”

With that, I could make the elixir I always wanted.

A rare material right there…

“Hey, Brockes-san.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll go to the dungeon.”

“! R-Really!?”

His gloomy expression instantly turned to a smile.

Meanwhile the robo-maid spoke flatly.

“So you’ll clear the dungeon because you want the material. Over.”

“Exactly. I’m not a saint, I’m an alchemist.”

I’m not some hero who saves everyone in trouble.

“The dungeon is managed by the state right now, right?”

“Yes. Soldiers guard the entrance to restrict access. Low-rank adventurers entering and dying would be a problem.”

“OK. I’ll cooperate. Let me enter the dungeon.”

“Yes! Of course!”

Alright, I’ll get my material!

Yay!

“Master. If Flamel-sama is inside, won’t you run into him? Over.”

“Ah… maybe. But he’s probably collecting materials and already ahead, so we won’t meet.”

“…You don’t want to see him?”

“Not really.”

I don’t dislike him, but I don’t particularly want to meet him either.

He caused me plenty of hardship.

“Well then, let’s head to Fotiatuyah right away!”

“…We still have two days by ship.”

“I can’t wait that long!”

I want the soft stone now.

He might mine it all first otherwise.

Unacceptable!

“So we’ll take a shortcut. Cherge, Number 4.”

I took the potion from the robo-maid and stepped onto the deck.

“…Seyi-sama, what are you doing?”

“I wanted a relaxing voyage, but I refuse to let my master take the soft stone, so I’ll use this.”

I went to the stern and threw the potion into the sea.

Then…

Vwoooooooooooooosh!

“““Gyaaaaaaa!”””

The ship blasted into the sky at incredible speed.

Cherge fixed the people on deck in place using ice bullets.

“S-Seyi-dono!? What is this!?”

“A Kite Potion. It generates wind and moves at incredible speed through the air.”

I didn’t want to use it because it ruins the mood and makes you seasick.

In just dozens of minutes, the ship reached the port of Fotiatuyah.

“Amazing, Seyi-dono. A two-day journey shortened to minutes…”

Brockes-san said while drinking anti-nausea medicine.

I went to the captain and left plenty of anti-nausea potions.

Some people probably got sick.

“Alright! To the dungeon we go!”