落とし穴８掘：子供達はいつでも成長してる (Part1)
**Pitfall 8: Children Are Always Growing**
**Side: Vilia**
Before me stretches a dark, damp corridor, its depths swallowed by shadows. An unpleasant, heavy air hangs over everything.
"Uuu..."
I am currently inside the children’s dungeon. Yuki-oniisama, it’s scary.
"You don't have to be so afraid. You can do this, Vilia."
Yuki-oniisama says this while gently patting my head. But scary things are still scary.
"Onee is a scaredy-cat."
Hiiro says this to criticize me, but she’s the one clutching Yuki-oniisama’s clothes and refusing to let go.
"Hiiro, let go of that sleeve."
"No."
"Why not?"
"I never said *I* wasn't scared."
This girl...!
"Ouch, ouch. Onii, Onee is bullying me."
"N-no!? Yuki-oniisama, this is just... discipline!"
"I know, I know. But try to be a bit gentler, okay? And Hiiro, don't be so selfish."
"Onii... okay."
"Why do you listen to him so easily!?"
"Onee had other feelings mixed in."
"Ugh!?"
I wasn't... I wasn't feeling envious or anything. I wasn't!
"Alright, I’ve got it. If you both do your best today, we can have a sleepover together tonight."
"Really!?"
"...I'll do my best."
Hiiro immediately lets go of his clothes and starts walking ahead of me.
"Onee is slow. Let's clear this dungeon quickly so we can have that sleepover."
"You’re so fickle!"
I say that and chase after Hiiro into the dungeon.
"Well then, Vilia, Hiiro. It’ll be tough, but do your best."
I hear Yuki-oniisama mutter that behind us.
***
"Now, listen carefully. Monsters are terrifying creatures. Throughout history, countless lives have been lost because of them; villages, cities, and even entire nations have been wiped out."
Right now, our class, 3-1, is studying monsters.
It’s been about two months since we arrived at this school. Many other children have come to this sanctuary as well. We, the children from Roschur, were recognized for having a certain level of academic ability thanks to Yuki-sensei, so we were placed in the third grade.
Of course, there were some who struggled with the "advancement," but Yuki-sensei taught us thoroughly, and we all made it through. It seems even Yuki-sensei didn't expect us to reach this level of proficiency in just two months. I remember him telling the kids who struggled with their studies, "I used to hate studying, too," as he helped them work through their lessons.
Simple addition and subtraction are easy now. We’ve even learned to read and write basic characters. He said this pace was abnormal, but Yuki-sensei just guessed, "Maybe it’s because you all had a vague understanding of the meanings of words already?" I don't understand the difficult parts, but there were characters I knew and characters I didn't. When you live in the slums, you learn the characters you *need* to know naturally. Plus, everyone learned the characters we see frequently quite quickly.
Whenever Yuki-sensei watches us working hard on our studies, he always has a complicated look on his face.
"Children should be playing, really..."
"Isn't it hard, studying all the time?"
He asks us things like that often. But for us, studying isn't a burden. Well, some of us aren't very good at it, but still. Yuki-sensei told us that if we study hard here, it will surely be useful one day.
"Someday, if you're willing, we can work together to make this dungeon an even better place. Of course, becoming adventurers or merchants and traveling beyond other villages, cities, or even countries is a wonderful dream, too."
Yuki-oniisama saved our lives. He gave us warm beds and food, and we all want to be of use to him. But he never asks us to be useful to him. He always says he does it for everyone’s sake.
*Dai-ichi-daiman-daikichi.*
That’s the strange phrase Yuki-oniisama taught us. He said if everyone works for one person, and one person works for everyone, we can all be happy. I think it’s a wonderful philosophy, but Sensei also said that putting those words into practice is very difficult.
That’s why we decided in secret: we will study hard and become useful to him. We will prove that we can truly live by his "Dai-ichi-daiman-daikichi."
"...A-chan? Vilia-chan? Were you listening?"
"Ah, I’m sorry. I wasn't."
I was so lost in thought that I didn't realize Rurua-sensei was calling me.
"Are you alright? If you aren't feeling well, please tell me."
"I'm fine."
This Rurua-sensei—please be surprised when you hear this—was once a Saintess in the Holy Kingdom of Litea! It seems various circumstances led her to live in this dungeon, and she mainly works in the hospital and the school. She’s just like Yuki-sensei—an amazing person who juggles many roles. ...She’s also a Saintess with a very, *very* large bust.
"Anyway, let’s get back to the topic. Monsters naturally attack living things to survive. Monsters like the ones in this dungeon, who are said to be friendly and possess intelligence and the ability to speak, are a tiny minority. While it is possible to place monsters under your command using Tamer skills, they are not granted the kind of true freedom found in this dungeon."
Rurua-sensei continues her lecture on monsters. Many of the children look puzzled, wondering if monsters outside really just attack people like that. At this age, very few children have ever encountered a monster. Usually, you don't go to places where monsters appear until you are much older.
"Muu, I may have chosen my words too carefully. They *do* attack. That is an absolute certainty. However, in this context, being 'attacked' means death."
" " " !? " " "
We must have looked shocked, because Rurua-sensei nods solemnly.
"No, if it were only death, that might be a mercy. There are many types of monsters. For example, the Giant Spider will lay eggs inside humans, using the bodies to feed their young as they hatch."
"Hii!"
One of the girls lets out a scream. I agree—it’s terrifying.
"Women, in particular, should not think that facing a monster is as simple as dying. No, even if you die... the Goblins, Orcs, and Kobolds here in the security force are capable of breeding with any creature. In other words, they will use women to increase their own numbers, keeping them alive until they are no longer of use. Naturally, it makes no difference whether you are an adult or a child. If you conceive, they use you; if you don't, they will simply continue to violate you until you do. Even after you pass away, you will likely be used for a long time. In many, many ways."
After she says that, a heavy silence falls over the room.