I switched gears and focused instead on our exploration.
Today, we were exploring the [Swampland Dungeon]. It was a C rank dungeon. While I wouldn’t describe it as a tough dungeon to explore, it was still dangerous to let our guards down.
We stepped on the slightly muddy ground and advanced. We couldn’t spot any of the swamps this dungeon was named after just yet, but the entire forest felt somewhat humid. That said, because it was rather cool in this dungeon, it might actually feel nicer to be in here than it was to be outside. Of course, that was if there were no monsters at all here.
“Enemy spotted”
I stopped walking, then while signaling with my hand to Layla and Yukine, I hid in the shade of a tree.
About 20 meters ahead, 2 large figures emerged in the gap between trees. These figures were [Ogres]. These monsters looked not like the Oni that appeared in Japanese tales but rather like those that could be seen in games set in the west.
They had dark green skin and long, shaggy, black hair. Their more distinctive trait though were the 2 horns that grew from their foreheads.
The Ogres before us wore nothing more than rags around their waists. Being practically naked, it was easy to spot the red patterns all over their two-and-a-half-tall gigantic and muscular bodies.
One of them held a club while the other an axe. Ogres were smaller than Trolls but were just as dangerous.
I issued more instructions using my newly learned hand signals and slowly advanced. Thankfully, the Ogres still haven’t taken notice of me. When I turned to look at the two behind me, they nodded and readied their weapons.
“[Oh, Earth]!”
“[Ice Jail]!”
The branches of the trees around the Ogres stretched in an unnatural fashion and wrapped around them. At almost the same time, pillars of ice appeared around the Ogres.
“GoOOooO!”
Whether it was out of surprise or anger, the Ogres roared so fiercely that the air shook. In fact, that alone was enough for the leaves on the branches to fall and even make cracks appear on the branches itself as well as on the pillars of ice. That said, the branches continued to bind the Ogres while the ice pillars were still rapidly freezing them. Taking advantage of that, I closed the distance between myself and the Ogres and aimed my sword at one Ogre’s neck. My blade hit bone but I paid it no mind and continued to swing with all my might. Along with a splatter of fresh blood, the Ogre’s head soon danced in the air.
Wasting no time, I stabbed the other, still-trapped Ogre in the neck. And with my left hand, I grabbed the guard of my zweihander and made my sword turn. The blade tore through the neck, not caring for the thick veins or the muscles. I then kicked the Ogre’s body away and extracted my sword in a diagonal arc. With a large hole in its throat, the only sound that escaped from that Ogre’s mouth was something akin to a snore. Its eyes grew unfocused while its bound limbs stretched and grew rigid, until a few seconds later where its whole body became particles of magic power.
Of course, the same happened to the one whose head was cut off. Thankfully, an Ogre’s disembodied head didn’t seem anything special, at least not special enough to go flying at me just so it could get a bite.
As always, I kept watch of our surroundings while also verifying that the particles of magic power were finally gone. There were no Item Drops. Oh well, their Item Drops weren’t our goal in this dungeon anyway.
With my left hand, I signaled for Layla and Yukine to approach.
“Thanks for your hard work, you two.”
“Oh, this much was nothing.”
“We can take on more of these guys.”
Layla gently smiled as she gave a little bow, while Yukine had a smug look as she puffed chest.
Mhm, boobs.
At any rate, I held my sword at the ready again and we continued our search. For today, our focus wasn’t something on the ground but rather up above, so it was rather troublesome. It was like this too in dungeons that had Goblins and Slimes, but having to anticipate enemies from all directions in all 3 dimensions was tiring.
A few minutes after we resumed our search, we spotted another group of Ogres. There were 3 of them this time, but one of them was an Ogre of a different shade than the rest or those from earlier. And by different shade, I meant that in the literal sense too. This one had white and lusterless hair on its head, much like an old man’s. Moreover, its large body looked frail and emaciated. Its back was arched too, and it even held a stick. Its appearance was no reason to let our guard down against it though. By itself, this particular type of Ogre wasn’t such a big deal, but when together with vanguards like in this group, well, let’s just say that humans and monsters alike found mages to be a pain in the butt.
Yes, this monster was called an [Ogre Mage]. Although some called it a Shaman. Regardless, it was an Ogre that used magic. Around its neck was a vulgar necklace of many skulls tied together. Meanwhile, the stick it held in its hand had what looked to be the skull of a large reptile.
The painted patterns on its body was different from the other Ogres too, as if Ogres had their own culture about it. In reality though, they were not cultured or civilized at all; they were nothing but creatures that, without any room for negotiations, would kill people and devour their souls.
This group, just like earlier, didn’t seem to notice our approach. We could launch an ambush again. But just when I was about to signal that thought, my Magic Eye activated.
“!!!”
I immediately swung my sword upward and it collided with an arrow made of ice. The ice arrow shattered, its fragments dancing in the air as it reflected the light. This wasn’t from Yukine though. Monsters of this dungeon could also make attacks like this.
“Giiii!!!”
There was a light green dragon circling around as it issued a strange cry.
This monster was called a [Cuelbre]. Of the dragon species confirmed to exist, these monsters were on the smaller side. And yet, even excluding its tail, it was easily over 4 meters in length. And if the bat-like wings attached to its forelegs were included, a Cuelbre’s width was even greater than its length.
Sturdy scales, high mobility, flight capability, and the ability to launch ice arrows and poison mists from its mouth. Those things alone would have been enough to make it an astounding monster, and yet, this one could be said to be still in the juvenile stage.
The Cuelbre weaved through the gaps between the trees and returned to a higher altitude in the air. All the while, it kept its gaze trained on us and even issuing out its cry.
Naturally, we weren’t the only ones to hear its cries.
“GaaaAAAa!!”
“Gii…gii…”
The regular Ogres cried out as well, while the Mage made some kind of sound, almost like the sound of grinding teeth.
“We’re going with the plan!”
“Understood!”
“Consider it done!”
But then again, so what if the Ogres noticed us? We had already assumed and planned for a situation like this. After all, the JSDF had already inspected this dungeon and made their findings available to the public.
Layla and Yukine stepped toward the Ogres while I held my sword and glared at the sky.
The Cuelbre’s attacks didn’t have much range. Its ice arrows had a range of about 10 meters, its poison mist attack had even shorter range, and its other means of attack mostly consisted of making use of its fangs and claws. It would inevitably need to descend so that its attacks could reach, but that also meant it would be within my reach as well. In other words, I simply needed to strike where it would descend.
“Gii…gii…!”
The Ogre Mage raised its staff and 4 lumps of water each about as large as a human’s head soon appeared around it. Those clumps then raced toward Layla at the edge of my vision.
“[Ice Wall]!”
In response, Yukine swung her left folding fan upward and made a wall of ice a few meters tall appear. The Ice Wall stopped the lumps of water, even going so far as to freeze them and make them part of it.
“[Oh, Earth]”
Meanwhile, Layla bound the Ogres and the Ogre Mage using the trees and the ground. Seeing that happen, the Cuelbre descended and aimed for Layla. I doubted there was a sense of camaraderie between the monsters and perhaps only sensed that it would be in a tight spot if it didn’t help.
When I stood in its way toward Layla, the dragon launched another set of ice arrows at me. Those ice arrows flew at terrifying speeds but this time, I didn’t bother swinging my sword. I only readied my sword as though I was drawing a bow.
Before the ice arrows could touch my body, it bounced off and disappeared courtesy of my Resistance stat. And so, unbothered, I thrust the tip of my sword at the Cuelbre’s throat. I was aiming for its reverse scales, the weak point dragon species seemed to share. For this particular dragon though, the reverse scales covered an especially large area. So much so that its whole throat could be said to covered by its reverse scales.
As soon as the Cuelbre saw its ice arrows disappear, it tried to fly back up. It must have guessed at my intention and took evasive action. Unfortunately for it, I was able to see through its own intention thanks to my improved dynamic vision—which in turn was thanks to my Magic Eye. I used Magic Power Discharge to launch my body forward.
“Gia!?”
My sword finally plunged deep into the Cuelbre’s throat, so deep that the tip of the blade exited through the back of the monster’s neck.
But the Cuelbre moved its head and further buried my blade, all the way to the ricasso. And after getting a little bit closer, it opened its mouth. It was about to release a mist of poison. I foresaw that too, and even though I knew the poison attack wouldn’t have any effect on me, I still swung my sword, dragon and all. The Cuelbre hit its head on a nearby tree and my sword gouged its way out of the throat through a diagonal cut. Not to mention, the impact of the Cuelbre’s head against the tree trunk burst said head open.
I pushed the sight of the headless corpse convulsing to the edge of my vision and focused my consciousness on the Ogres. Layla and Yukine were…
“Go, Aaa…”
“Gii…”
It seemed like I was worried for nothing. After being bound by tree branches and stones and also being frozen by spears of ice, the regular Ogres along with the Ogre Mage were transforming from being ice sculptures to particles of magic power. Apparently, the two didn’t have any problems neutralizing the enemies even from behind the Ice Wall.
The Cuelbre meanwhile had already disappeared. In its place on the damp ground was something white.
“Ohh!?”
No way, did we really get it on the first try!?
Rather than hurry to pick it up though, I endured and took things slow as I scanned our surroundings just like usual.
“Jackpot!”
“What’s the matter, dear?”
“Master, can it be…”
“We got one. Makes me wonder though, does getting caught up with weird stuff make me lucky?”
I murmured so as I looked at the bone in my hand. A [Dragon Bone], to be specific. It was an item commonly dropped by dragon monsters. It was our main reason for going to this dungeon. I was actually worried we wouldn’t get one even after a full day’s exploration. So, seeing that we got one right away, maybe that stuff with Aihara-kun or maybe with those recruiting aunties improved my luck?
“At any rate, once we find the exit gate, let’s go back home.”
“Yes! Congratulations, dear!”
“Yes, but let’s not get careless now. We’re still in the dungeon until then, after all.”
“Thanks, Yukine. Also, yeah, let’s stay alert.”
““Yes!””
I put the bone in my Item Bag and readied my sword again.
This bone was going to be used for the base frame of our Golem. I was quite surprised that a Golem would use something like a bone, but this was all magical stuff, so common sense didn’t strictly apply.
Moreover, there was apparently a type of Golem out there made purely of materials from living beings. Such Golems were dubbed Flesh Golems. That description made them sound like zombies and gave me the creeps, so I didn’t research them further.
Anyway, we continued our exploration once more. And after an hour of it, we found the exit gate and made our way home. We didn’t get any loot along the way other than a [Ogre Horn] Item Drop. But since it could be sold for a good price, I was pleased enough. I heard that Ogre Horns were often used in the making of strengthening magic potions which were a favorite among foreign Awakened Ones.
I once wondered what if I used magic potions of that kind myself, but on top of being incredibly expensive, those potions apparently had marginal effects if one’s Physical Strength were of rank C and above.
After I finished changing in the locker room while thinking of such things, I noticed that it was a bit noisy outside.
…I have a bad feeling about this.
I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but what Layla said when we entered the dungeon came to mind. Whenever I had these premonitions of mine, unfortunately, they tended to turn true more often than not.
I already got back my camera and I could sell my Item Drop at another Dungeon Store at a later time. So I thought I should just rush toward the station as soon as I exit the locker room. But just as I opened the locker room door, a middle-age man I didn’t know also tried to open it.
While the man was still in a state of surprise, I did a little bow, excused myself, and passed through. As I feared, there were now about 10 or so people, both men and women, in the Store. The youngest among them were probably in their late 30s while the older folks, well, I couldn’t tell. A lot of them were definitely older than 60.
When their gazes gathered on me, I felt an unpleasant chill down my spine.
“Is that the rank B adventurer?”
“Doesn’t have much gumption, does he?”
“Shh! What if he hears you!?”
I do hear you, you know. Don’t underestimate the hearing of an Awakened One.
I gave them a little bow and headed for the Store’s exit, but an old man more muscular than the others moved to block my path.
“Say, how about we talk—”
“Sorry, I’m in a hurry!”
Thanks to my Magic Eye though, I foresaw his plan and sidestepped almost as soon as he made the effort. I rushed for the automatic doors right after. Before any of them could react, I was already out on the road. Other than some minitrucks in the Store’s parking lot, there were no other vehicles in sight. There weren’t any pedestrian either. In other words, I could run as fast as I could!
“W-wait a minute! This town needs Awakened—”
“I have cram school, sorry!!!”
I said that silly excuse and dashed away. My destination was of course the station. I was hoping there won’t be people there at least, but at this point, I found it hard to believe. If push came to shove, I was ready to call the police on them.
…guess I really have to buy new shoes now. I should drop by that shop near our house after I get off the train.
* * *
“And that’s pretty much what happened.”
After I got home, took off my brand new shoes, washed my hands, gargled, and went to my room, I called Togo-san on the phone. I fully intended to rant to my parents later, but I decided to contact Togo-san first as Layla had advised.
<<…I see. Thanks for informing me, Kyotaro-kun>>
Togo-san said so with a gentle tone, but followed it up with a voice that sounded a bit apologetic.
<<I understand that it has been a difficult day for you, but sadly, I don’t think I can mobilize the police based on that alone. If there is footage of you being surrounded in the Store’s security cameras, maybe then, but…>>
“Ahh, it’s not like I want to sue them or anything. And even if there is footage of that, I realize there’s nothing too criminal in what they did…”
<<Yeah. Sorry I can’t be of much help>>
“Please, Togo-san, there’s no need for you to apologize.”
You’re making me feel guilty, so please stop apologizing. In the first place, I’m the one who’s bothering you with a phone call on a Sunday of all days
Moreover, it was never my wish to take those people to court. I understood where they were coming from, after all. A rank C dungeon plus an unpopular one appeared in the town they were living in. Factor in the fact that there weren’t a lot of Awakened Ones anywhere and it was no surprise if people were crying out for help. And if the one to answer their call turned out to be that shady religious group, what choice did they have but to cling on that group? Beggars can’t be choosers, as they say. Like sure, it was a troublesome experience for me, but I suffered no harm, at least not enough for me to want to take legal action. That plus what Layla said about watching the Society of the Sage from a distance but not being openly hostile with them.
“It’s just that I thought telling you can help somebody who they really were forceful with in their solicitations…”
<<I’ve actually been hearing of similar incidents before. But like yours, none of them were really cases where the police would mobilize. It seems they’ve been aiming for that gray zone of being aggressive but not criminally so. For that, they’ve been quite the nuisance.>>
“Haa…how do I put it? It’s like they have someone really knowledgeable of the law among them, don’t they?”
<<Indeed. I should also note that the more a town is in the sticks and the more unable to respond it is to threat of dungeons, the greater the influence of the Society of the Sage becomes.>>
“What do you mean by that?”
<<This is embarrassing to admit as a member of the prefectural government, but…well, you know that the 2-kilometer radius area around a dungeon is evacuated, right?>>
“Yeah”
I had learned that in the training seminar, but what really made it sink in on me were all the abandoned houses and fields I passed by on my way to the dungeons. My father’s side of the family was a farming household too, so seeing neglected farms always filled me with melancholy, making the sight of these towns all the more impactful to me.
<<To these rural places, to evacuate pretty much means to have their livelihood be taken away. It is often said that as long as there is life, there is hope, but to them who lost the means to support that life, those words are meaningless. Worse still, not every municipality has the power to resolve their concerns.>>
“…and the Society of the Sage takes advantage of that?”
<<Yeah. They take in those with nowhere else to go and further expand their influence. Moreover, they also bring the Awakened Ones already in their numbers into the scarcely populated towns and cull the cull the monsters in the dungeons there, effectively taking over the town. As a person working in the government, I am beyond words in the matter.>>
“Oh…”
I honestly couldn’t say which was worse. Obviously, taking advantage of those down in their luck wasn’t a good thing, but at the same time, dungeon exploration wasn’t volunteer work.
Adventurers chose which dungeons to delve, preferably only the dungeons they were sure they can return from. And yet, people dying wasn’t at all an uncommon occurrence. Now, I was aware that I was being rather lax recently, but make no mistake, the deaths from the Crete Dungeon Incident was still fresh on mind. Dungeons were doubtlessly dangerous places. And to expect someone to brave them without any kind of compensation or reward was just unthinkable to me.
At the same time though, I didn’t think it was fair to blame the government for not being able to provide what it couldn’t. To be sure, there were bad actors in the system but sometimes, some things just were impossible despite all the effort. There was a reason why people called dungeons as natural disasters.
<<…sorry. Didn’t mean to make this talk so heavy.>>
“Ahh no, don’t worry about it. I mean, I was the one who brought up the matter.”
<<But, you know, Kyotaro-kun. While I won’t condemn them for looking to profit out of these desperate people, I won’t tolerate their overbearing solicitations and excessive exploitation of people.>>
Togo-san said so, putting more strength in his voice.
<<Our country is at a crossroads, unsure how to go forward in this new age where dungeons have appeared. But it is precisely because we’re at that crossroads that we must put a stop to these people who make light of our laws—the thing which binds us together. But then again, I am nothing but a simple government employee, so something so grand is beyond me.>>
But at the end though, he shifted to a lighter tone.
<<I’m going to be frank: I’m sure even you, Kyotaro-kun, has some doubts about the current system and our society, right?>>
“Err, uhh…”
I, in fact, did have doubt about many things, like the compensation for adventurers and the treatment of Awakened Ones. Enough doubt that for a moment—and nothing more—I ended up lending an ear to the Society of the Sage’s solicitation.
<<It’s fine. It’s not a crime to doubt, and above all, it’s not like we have found the correct—the truly correct—way to handle dungeons and Awakened Ones. Which is why when you encounter a problem with the system or just society at large, I want you to remember to use words rather than resort straight to force.>>
“……”
<<I’m really glad you told me of this, you know. If something like this happens again, I hope you also tell it to somebody. You can tell me, of course, but some other adult is fine too.>>
Even though this was only a phone call, it felt like Togo-san just gave me a wink.
<<Tell you what, if you listen to the worries of the children when you yourself have grown into an adult, I’ll give you a gold star.>>
“…it would be nice if I could do that”
<<Haha! You don’t have to be so serious about it. You’re still young; enjoy it! Find love, build friendships, even studying; there’s so many things for you to enjoy. Oops, listen to me talk like an old fart.>>
He gave a light laughed before breathing somewhat deeply.
<<Well then, I have things to work on, so I’m going to cut it short here. I’m going to make sure none of what you told me goes to waste.>>
“Huh? No, you don’t have to take it that far.”
<<Haha! Has anybody ever told you you’re easy to tease? But seriously now, bye, Kyotaro-kun>>
“Ah, yeah, bye.”
After hanging up, I sat on my bed.
“…man, the world sure is complicated.”
I vacantly stared at the ceiling while muttering so. One really couldn’t speak in terms of black or white, of zeros and ones.
Ahh, I’m so confused.
* * *
POV: Togo Miyokichi (Real name: Saionji Yasuo)
While in the business hotel I was staying at, I sighed at my smartphone after ending a call.
“Won’t forgive those who make light of our laws, huh.”
Who was the one said those words? It was I, the same person who falsified his identity and sent kids to dangerous places all for the so-called sake of the country. Such lofty words. If may so myself, I had really become a scummy adult.
I pocketed my phone and replaced it with a cigarette and lighter. Fortunately, smoking was allowed in this room I got. I lit the cig and took in a breath. I fiddled with the lighter as I pondered on things.
Especially the Society of the Sage. It was an entity that couldn’t be ignored. The problem was, it wasn’t so simple to get rid of them. That wasn’t because the constitution supported and protected the freedom to religion, no. If it was only that reason, there were still plenty of ways to go about eliminating them.
Instead, it was a matter of “power”. Simply by promoting the idea of the Awakened One supremacy, they had gathered a number of Awakened Ones that was by no means small. Worse, there were rank B and above Awakened Ones among those recruits.
They had enticed citizens from evacuation areas to move into the settlement they had built around what functioned as their headquarters. Not long after moving in though, these evacuees would exhibit a bizarrely strong sense of servitude toward the Awakened Ones. One might even think these people were put under hypnosis.
And as if all that wasn’t enough of a headache, the Society of the Sage already had ties with politicians. That made things far more trickier.
Also, even if we somehow dealt with the religious group, there was the matter of rehabilitating the brainwashed citizens, among other things…it was enough to put me at my wit’s end, to be honest.
I blew out smoke. I watched the smoke sway and eventually disappear when I suddenly remembered the past.
Was this the kind of adult I wanted to become?
No, definitely not. But I was the one who chose to tread this path. Me, no one else. This was my choice.
I pressed the cigarette into my portable ashtray and took out my phone again.
My little smoke break was over. I still had a long list of things to do. A mountain of things I wanted to do. As such, I thought I better get a move on. I might not be young anymore, but I was far from being an elderly. I should do the best I can.
…and when things have calmed down, I guess I should visit the grave again.
I recalled one of the things I wanted to do. I opened and closed the lid of my lighter for no reason at all, and dialed the number of the person I had been thinking of.
TL note: the biting ogre head might be pertaining to Shuten-douji.
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