Chapter 78

Cody helped set up the tent and laid Sherry down inside. When Lotte said she wanted to stay and take care of her, I decided to leave it to her and the master.

"Phew~ I just jumped right in. Lakes really do have a magical quality, don't they~"

"Kyaa... Ah, Irene, you can't come up wearing just your underwear. It will disrupt Dick's soul vibrations!"

"What? What do you mean... Dick, you...?"

Honestly, I don't know where to look, but I can't be shaken by such an innocent yet seductive temptation, so I reinforce my rationality with magic.

This magic is called 'Beast of Reason,' a grand name, but it was originally used by assassins. For assassins, emotions like being aware of the opposite sex are completely unnecessary.

However, this feeling of my emotions becoming as calm as a still sea, enforced by the magic, is something I shouldn't get too used to. If I become impotent, I'll have to make Irene take responsibility—though that's not the time to worry about such things.

Irene, trained as a martial artist, has a well-defined six-pack, but her body is perfectly proportioned with no flaws. If I were to say her body is SSS rank, I might end up being thrown into the lake without complaint.

"Is Dick looking far away... Could it be that you have a phobia of women's nudity?"

"While saying it's scary, it's a common story, isn't it? Just go change over there. Do you have a replacement for your wet underwear?"

"Realistically, there's nothing to do but take them off and dry them. How about hanging them on a tree in that secluded spot? Dick can keep an eye on them so the monsters don't take them."

"Watching is one thing, but we can't stay in this layer until Sherry wakes up. We can't be too leisurely."

"Maybe we can dry them with Verlene's magic. The hair is fine, but the underwear is a bit... right?"

"While saying that, you're making Master Dick flustered by not putting on clothes. Irene, you're a model of a woman who doesn't hesitate to put her body on the line. It's very educational."

Verlene, impressed, drapes a towel over Irene's shoulder. Then, the two of them head to a secluded spot under a tree to change.

Finally, I can dispel the 'Beast of Reason'—or so I thought.

Miraluka sits on a mat laid out on the short grass. She sits with her legs to one side, but why does it look so seductive? Is it because her skirt is short, or because the way she sits naturally creates a curve, making it look too picturesque?

"...What? Stop standing there and sit down. The sudden rain delayed our meal."

"Ah, right. I'll prepare it then."

"Um, that would be helpful. I can't distribute food to everyone alone. Later, please bring some to the master and the others. They'll be happier if you bring it, Master Dick."

"Right? I don't think it makes much of a difference... What? Don't look up at me silently like that."

"It's nothing. Oh, this is the baguette sandwich we had before. I've been wanting to eat it again. You're considerate, I'll praise you for that."

"The ideal is to eat what you like. Even in the dungeon, I don't want to eat a poor diet."

For Miraluka, this is the highest praise, and I should gratefully accept it without worrying about the source. I peel the wrapping off the baguette sandwich, which contains 'White Boar Bacon,' 'Sun Lettuce,' and homemade cheese, and hand it to Miraluka.

Yuma can't eat meat or cheese, so I removed those and added a special sauce with vegetables and beans. Priests mainly eat beans instead of meat or fish, and their usual diet is quite bland, so I want to make her eat as deliciously as possible.

"Thank you, Dick. You even considered that I can't eat meat according to my beliefs..."

"In your growth period, it's better to consume dairy products. It's tough not being able to eat cheese."

Yuma, flustered by the concern, looks at Miraluka's chest with moist eyes.

"Hauu... That's true. I need to grow more, I can't stay this small..."

"You've grown a lot since we first met. Well, you are petite."

"Petite means small. I don't want to accept that word."

Yuma's fighting spirit is burning. Why it's directed at me, only the gods know.

"Your parents are tall, so you might still grow. I don't think you need to worry."

"That's right, Cody. Dick, I'll eat a lot and grow, so watch me, okay?"

"Sure, I'll watch carefully to see the changes."

"You should praise her more. Dick, maybe you should learn how to respond to a lady?"

If Cody, who would probably be more popular with the ladies than me in social settings, suggests teaching me, I might consider it.

But at the same time, I think about what it would be like if Cody, as Cordelia, appeared in such settings as a woman. As the leader of the knights, she currently passes as a man, which is impossible.

"...I don't know what you're thinking, but if you dawdle, Irene will take your share."

"Sorry! I'm hungry! Dick, where's my share?"

"Hey... What are you wearing? What kind of outfit is that?"

Irene, wearing only a towel wrapped around her chest and waist, peeks at me as I sit and eat. She doesn't understand how this posture looks from my perspective, which is a result of her innocent lack of awareness.

"I can't put on clothes until my underwear dries. So, I thought it would be fine to just wrap a towel."

"...I've heard that mountain-dwelling ogres don't wear underwear. What do you think, Dick?"

"W-What do you think? Even if I hear such a shocking fact, I can't calmly deal with the idea of not wearing underwear..."

"Huh? Ah, no, that's not it. I wear underwear, but people in the village sometimes don't. Humans didn't start wearing underwear until quite recently, you know. Miraluka, right?"

"Um... Don't look at me. I had a civilized upbringing, so I've never lived without underwear."

Yuma laughs but her cheeks are red. It's all because Irene is too innocent.

Cody, who had been watching Irene, suddenly looks at me and asks.

"...It's not just about being big, right?"

"Being asked this out of the blue with a serious face is scary... Anyway, can we have a more pleasant conversation during the meal?"

Cody, who usually doesn't show it, seems to have thoughts about Irene and Miraluka's figures. I understand, but what does she want me to say?

"From what I've seen, I don't think you need to be modest, Cody."

"...Ah, thank you... But I don't really care, you know?"

"Ah... What a wonderful friendship. Dick's concern is seeping into my heart."

"Irene, your clothes are dry... Why are you staring at me, Cody, Yuma... I can't concentrate with such intense gazes."

Just as Cody and Yuma were about to surface, another wave of development hits. Verlene, tilting her head, sits next to me—again, in the same posture as Miraluka, which touches my heartstrings.

"Being able to eat outdoors in the dungeon like this is nice. Looking at this clear lake, it's soothing."

Since Verlene was right, I take a flask from her basket, pour warm soup, and take a sip before heading to deliver food to the master and the others.

◆◇◆

A little away from the lake, in the forest, a tent is set up in the shade. It's quiet, and there are no monsters lurking around.

However, there are animals, and birds can be heard. Just listening to them, it feels like being outdoors, as Verlene said.

"It's me, Dick. I brought food. Can I come in?"

"Ah, Dee... Just a moment, as quietly as possible..."

Peeking into the tent, I see Lotte has fallen asleep next to Sherry. She must have been tired from the battle with the Sandworm and the events with Clive.

Sherry is still unconscious, but her chest rises and falls slowly. The master watches the two for a while, then turns to me.

"Actually, there's something I want to talk about... You might have already noticed, but..."

"...Yeah, I get it. Let's go outside."

We step out of the tent, and the master walks away from the lake into the forest.

I follow silently. Her silver hair, long enough to reach her back, sways as she walks. She continues for a while, then stops where the forest opens up a bit.

Turning to me, she looks straight into my eyes. When I see her gem-like eyes, I always think—there is no one as mysterious as her.

And indeed, she is not human. She is a Remnant—a being similar to but not quite human. Since the day I was summoned to the inquisition and learned of the existence of the 'Snake,' I have had to ask the master something.

A thousand years ago, when the first Albein king sealed the Snake, what happened?

By asking this, I must also touch on something I have been concerned about for a long time.

"...You must have noticed, right? It's strange that I was so easily forgiven."

"No... At first, I didn't find it that strange. Considering the difficulty of conquering this cave and defeating the Snake, it's not unreasonable to reduce the punishment to some extent."

"Yeah... But that's not the same as making amends to the people I hurt. The kingdom's people don't really care about the Beastfolk or the Adventurers' Guild. They think the priority is the 'Snake'... Even though they've been neglecting it all this time."

The master's punishment was pardoned because we took on the task of defeating or sealing the Snake.

But the question is, is it really a pardon?

Sending the master into this dungeon, leading her to the Snake—could this be the actual punishment the kingdom has imposed on her?

"...I don't think we have to unconditionally follow what the kingdom says. I intend to question the Prime Minister Lowe, Orlando, and Stollen when we return to the surface. I want to know what they're really thinking."

"That's not allowed. That would mean Dee and Dee's guild are making enemies with the kingdom."

"Of course, I don't intend to openly challenge them. I believe the cause of Sherry's injury lies with them... I can't overlook that."

"No... If I had acted to control his actions when I was at the White Goat Inn, this wouldn't have happened. He wouldn't have attacked the Red Twin Inn or held a grudge against the two of them."

The master wasn't pulling all the strings. The Guild Master of the White Goat Inn used her power to maintain the top guild status in the capital—she wasn't the origin of all the malice.

Still, for her, the White Goat Inn and all the guilds in the capital were like children she had raised. She considers what the White Goat Inn did as her own actions.

The master did participate in the White Goat Inn's misdeeds. Without her, some people might not have suffered—yet, that doesn't mean...

The master doesn't have to die for the kingdom.

"Dee, I'm having so much fun exploring the dungeon with you. I'm happier fighting with you than I was with my old party. This is what I wanted... "

"...What good does it do to say that? You know... what Lowe and the kingdom's punishment really means...!"

—The kingdom is telling the master to die to seal the Snake.

What was pronounced at the inquisition was not a pardon but an extreme punishment that only the master could understand.

"...You figured it out, didn't you? Even though I only told you a little about the past. Maybe because of what happened to Sherry?"

The altar that seals the Snake's spirit was empowered by Sherry's blood.

Blood is life. The sealed Snake reacts to life.

If my guess is correct, there was someone who lost their life during the process of sealing the Snake a thousand years ago.

An immortal woman in the master's party. Another 'Remnant.'

An existence that shouldn't die, yet lost its life. I should have clarified this sooner. I need to hear from the master what happened.

"What is needed to seal the Snake... It's the master's... No, the 'Remnant's'..."

"...Yes. I have to take her place. The place of my best friend who sealed the Snake before."

"...!"

If she had denied it, it would have been so much better.

If the Snake awakens, the kingdom will fall. To stop it, the master's life must be sacrificed.

The Prime Minister and the two from the ducal family never 'asked' us from the beginning. They left all the details to the master, who knew everything, and made us accept the dungeon exploration.

"...Master... You said you could teach me. I want to know what everyone else knows as a matter of course."

"I'm learning more than I deserve."

"You can't just accept that...!"

If I hadn't noticed and brought the master to the deeper levels of the dungeon, if she had died smiling for the kingdom's sake, I wouldn't have been able to do nothing about it, even if I knew I was wrong.

"...No, Dee. This is more than enough for me. I can go on adventures with you without being rushed. People who have lived as long as I have shouldn't be picky."

This is not just bravado, but the master's true feelings. The immortal her, feeling inferior to those with limited lives, has lived longing for death rather than enduring the loneliness of living alone.

And still, the master is trying to teach me. What she knows about the Snake.

"The hundred-layer dungeon was originally inside a floating island. It fell, and the Snake inside tried to destroy humanity. I don't know who decided it, but we wanted to stop the Snake. We couldn't bear to see more people die from the disasters the Snake caused."

"A floating... island...?"

"Yes. 'Versalis' was the name of the island when it was floating... The Snake in the depths was called the 'Versalis Snake.' The Snake was a god-like entity that powered the floating island."

She might not have intended to tell me until the Snake was sealed, but I noticed. If I had continued to question her without doing so, I would have killed her.

And even though I heard it, I had no intention of accepting the master's resolve.

"...That's enough of the old story. There's something I want to say to the master."

"Something you want to say...?"

What principles I have lived by since leaving the master and until now.

This time, I have no intention of bending. As always—quietly.

In that rundown street, drinking at the end of the counter as I please.

"I don't want to stand out. The current situation is very unwilling. No matter how much I try, I'm always expected because of the demon lord slaying. If the master dies, what am I supposed to do? I won't be able to achieve any of my ideals. If it comes to that, I'll abandon dungeon exploration. I don't care about people who only think of their own convenience. No one is responsible for leaving the dungeon alone. If that's the case, we can say the same thing. We didn't sign a contract that allows them to drag us out of retirement whenever they want. If they had included that in the reward, they should have said so from the beginning. Master, am I saying something strange?"

"...Dee."

I sound like I'm drinking and causing trouble. If this is what it means to be an adult and an ideal hero, it's too stifling.

"...So... Let me find a way. The kingdom thinks the only way to seal the Snake is for the master to die, but I can't accept that. I've never heard of a death row inmate looking for a way to avoid the death penalty, but..."

"...Yeah, I've never heard of that. Dee, you're asking for a lot."

"Let me ask for a little. After all, I did slay the demon lord and return."

The master's expression softened slightly.

A tear rolls down the corner of her eye. Is it because she still thinks there's no other way besides her death—or is it something else?

It's too early to hope for tears of joy. I've only declared that I'll struggle, and the dungeon exploration has just begun.

"...Ah..."

The master makes a small sound. Turning around, I see Verlene and the others have been listening.

"Even as a demon lord who was slain, I believe they have the power to overturn the impossible. Master, you should use Master Dick's power without hesitation for your atonement. If he gets serious, he can guarantee the future of the people you've wronged and even apologize to each