第７５掘：わんわんおなめんな！！ (Part2)
The merchant was a gentle man who chose his clients carefully. He was a good person who provided his slaves with a place to sleep—albeit cramped—as well as food and simple clothing.
It was through such a connection that I, a fledgling adventurer at the time, was able to take in a cute girl named Lari as my slave.
The price of slaves varies, but the merchant told me that someone like Lari would cost seven gold coins.
Even with my current earnings, that’s an amount I could only hope to scrape together after clearing about ten high-difficulty quests.
Actually, since there aren't exactly ten high-difficulty quests lying around waiting to be cleared, you can probably imagine what a massive fortune that is.
In a world where it’s common for elves, fox beastmen, or rabbit beastmen to go for platinum coins, I suppose they are just that much cuter.
Ah, I’ve only been talking about girls, but male slaves for combat roles were quite popular as well.
Honestly, when I first took Lari in, I got carried away, splurged, and indulged in my masculine desires.
Thanks to that, there were periods where we were quite poor, but Lari just laughed and stayed by my side.
And when Lari became capable of supporting herself, I freed her from slavery.
It was a gesture of my gratitude.
She had followed me without complaining about my selfishness, and she had held me close every night. I felt it was wrong to continue dragging her into dangerous situations just for the sake of my own ambition.
However, Lari is still with me today.
She told me of her own free will that she wanted to follow me, and honestly, I wept when she said that.
From there, I gathered other companions, and that is how I am where I am today.
People talk about "talent," but honestly, it’s all thanks to my companions.
But since I am the leader, it seems I need a certain level of dignity and confidence befitting my rank.
"Hey, Ovik! The Guild Master is calling for you!"
"Hey, don't interrupt! Lari and I were having a moment!"
The rest of the party members called out to us.
Those two have a relationship similar to mine and Lari’s, and ever since we heard that, we’ve been adventuring as a party.
Since we both have partners, things never get awkward.
We use magic potions to prevent pregnancy, but we’ve been discussing as a party that it’s about time we settled down by becoming someone’s exclusive retainers.
Then, the Guild Master approached us with a specific quest.
"Huh? You want us to evaluate a dungeon you’ve created?"
The request was so out of left field that we all just stared at him, blinking in confusion.
"You are aware that Saintess Elju of Roschur brought a dungeon under control with her holy power, correct?"
"Yes, but I heard Saintess Elju was assassinated due to the Demon Lord’s schemes..."
Lari managed to respond.
"Indeed, that is a fact. But there is more to the story..."
He then explained the general situation.
That Queen Seraria, her sister, had inherited the management rights of the dungeon Elju had governed.
And that she was using the dungeon’s functions to conduct various experiments, such as observing the ecology of monsters and the lives of immigrants.
As for this current dungeon matter, it seems they have created an additional dungeon specifically for adventurers within the dungeon city.
How absurd.
A dungeon inside a dungeon?
But as I listened to the benefits, I understood clearly that if that dungeon city functioned properly, it could lead to tremendous profits and open up a new future for humanity.
"Understood. We accept the request."
"I am grateful. In three days, you will accompany us to the dungeon along with other adventurers, so please prepare yourselves."
"Other adventurers?"
"Yes. You know that Lady Seraria is called the Goddess of War, do you not?"
"Yes, I’ve heard her class and level are worthy of the name."
"It is precisely because it is her that she has created eight dungeons of varying characteristics, aiming to improve the capabilities of both the military and adventurers."
"Eight of them!?"
"Indeed. I have received the floor counts and maps as reference materials, but you would do well to assume that common sense no longer applies. With eight of them, I intend to have at least two teams explore each dungeon."
"I see. If that’s the case, it’s a bit too heavy a burden for just us."
"That is the case. Oh, and I would like you to recommend one party. A recommendation from a Rank 7 adventurer should ensure they put in the necessary effort."
"Are you sure? Is it okay for us to decide who takes on such a major role?"
"It is fine. As far as Rank 7 goes, you are the only ones currently in the Litea Adventurer Guild. Well, I must limit the recommendation to Rank 5 or 6. To be honest, I have already reached out to all the noteworthy Rank 6s. Or rather, I should say I have already approached every single Rank 6."
"Excuse me, how many Rank 6 adventurers are there in Litea right now?"
"About 70 in total. But some aren't in parties, and others are currently on jobs. In reality, only about eight teams are confirmed to participate."
I see. If that’s the situation, then perhaps those people...
"I have a Rank 5 party in mind right now. Would that be acceptable?"
"Oh? Let’s hear it."
"What about the Heroes led by Tanaka-san from the Rumel Kingdom? In terms of both combat capability and mental fortitude, they should be more than qualified."
Yes, wouldn't the Heroes summoned by the Rumel Kingdom be perfect for this job?
And I personally believe Tanaka-san is stronger than the Heroes themselves.
Even when people laugh at him and say, "He’s only Level 1," he doesn't try to hide that fact.
But in truth, his individual combat ability is superior to us Rank 7s.
It was when we were hunting monsters near Litea; there were more of them than the intel suggested, and an Ogre Tempest leading a pack of Ogres had us struggling.
At the time, we were thinking of breaking through a corner and making our escape, but then...
A thunderous explosion echoed, the Ogre Tempest’s head vanished in an instant, and the remaining Ogres had their heads scattered one after another until they all fell.