Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 4 (19 page)

“…Sorry ’bout that.”

“It’s okay…We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Welf scratched the back of his head as Bell grinned and nodded.

His eyes going wide, Welf’s expression suddenly became serious.

All of a sudden:
Twang! Splat!

Lilly’s aim was dead-on as her arrow brought the bad bat crashing to the floor.

“Let’s go over this one more time.”

The last of the monsters in the room defeated, the three of them knelt in a circle.

The grass between them had been cut so short that the stone floor was showing through. Lilly used her knife to carve simple pictures to explain her plan to the others.

“The path through the Middle Fortress is all gravel, so we’ll form ranks. First, Mr. Welf will take lead.”

“You sure I’m cut out for that?”

“On the contrary, that’s the only place for Mr. Welf. Lilly’s not exactly paying you a compliment, however…Moving on.”

Lilly moved her knife to point at the middle of three circles carved into the stone.

“Mr. Bell, take the middle. Support Mr. Welf in combat. Be warned, Mr. Bell will have to be mindful of attack and defense. This is the most difficult position in the formation…Is that okay?”

“Not a problem.”

Seeing Bell nod, Lilly continued by saying, “By process of elimination, that leaves Lilly at the back.” She pointed at the final circle of her diagram.

“Lilly thinks you understand this already, but this party is very unbalanced. Since Lilly doesn’t have much attack strength, she can’t cover you when the tables turn against us. Regrouping would be meaningless.”

“So we’re toast if we make one wrong move. Harsh.”

“Shall we turn back now? It’s not too late, you know.”

“Don’t be stupid. I’m gonna be a High Smith, mark my words. Like hell I’ll turn my tail and run after coming this far.”

Bell quietly listened to their banter as the three of them started to get into position.

He wasn’t really paying attention, but he snapped to attention when he noticed the two of them were glaring at him.

“The heck are you grinning at?”

“Huh…? I-I’m smiling?”

“Yes, very much so…Does Mr. Bell realize how dangerous a place the Middle Levels are?”

Bell put his hands to his cheeks, and he was indeed smiling from ear to ear.

He quickly apologized to both of them.

“Don’t have to apologize, but why you grinning like that? Bit worried.”

“Um…Well, this is exciting, isn’t it?…It feels like the three of us have become an actual battle party, and that makes me…I don’t know, happy.”

Bell blushed and looked at the floor as Lilly and Welf exchanged glances.

“And also, isn’t this kind of exhilarating? All of us working together, going on an adventure.”

Bell’s excitement was beginning to boil over, his cheeks a bright shade of pink as he flashed another grin.

This was what being an adventurer was all about.

Taking that first step into somewhere you’ve never been, working together with your allies to make new discoveries.

Getting excited about the unknown, fighting side by side and sharing the spoils with people you can call friends…It was all very exciting.

His eyes full of youthful enthusiasm, Bell decided to ignore the teaching that adventurers must not go on adventures.

“…Keh-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! You’re right, this is one hell of a thrill! Couldn’t call myself a man if I didn’t get excited about this!”

“Lilly can’t exactly agree…but Lilly understands Mr. Bell’s feelings.”

The three of them looked at one another in turn. A smile bloomed on Welf’s face big enough to rival Bell’s, as Lilly’s expression softened as if she could giggle at any moment.

His own emotions urging him forward, Bell couldn’t help but smile happily right back at his allies.

“Well, then, shall we move forward?”

“Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s do this!”

“Yes.”

The three of them stood in their single-file line and took their first step toward the rocky entrance as one.

The entrance to the Middle Levels was encased in the blackest of black rocks. The only light from within came flickering up from the floor far below.

The moist, dank rocks smelled like soil. Completely uneven and spread out all over the place, they added to the tension that
descended on the group. New, powerful monsters they had never seen before lay waiting for them at the end of this path.

His skin covered in goose bumps, lightly clenching his fists, Bell took a confident step forward and looked straight into the heart of the Dungeon.

…Nothing to worry about.

He was not alone. They might not be family or part of his
Familia
, but they were friends who shared a strong bond.

Together, they could do it, somehow.

All these thoughts ran through Bell’s mind.

…Here we go!

A golden light of aspiration held tightly at the core of his thoughts.

Bell took his first step into the middle levels.

LONGSWORD

QUEST X QUEST

It’s a clear blue sky.

The weather’s been very calm these past few days. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a cloud in the sky over Orario.

Many people of all shapes and sizes go about their business, carrying many different things with them underneath the gentle sunlight.

A woman is balancing a basket full of fruit on top of her head, a man is carrying a bag full of what looks like dirty clothes, and a well-dressed merchant walks between the two of them. Horse-drawn carriages work their way down the middle of the street and into the throng of people.

The streets are alive with people of many races, human and demi-human living side by side in harmony.

“T-today was rough…”

I take in the view while willing my wobbly knees forward, as I work my way down West Main.

Aiz has been teaching me how to fight for the past three days.

We start training in the darkness before sunrise, which means my body is beaten to a pulp before going into the Dungeon. I think I take more damage from her than all the monsters I encounter down there combined.

People are laughing, running around on Main Street. Meanwhile, it takes all I’ve got to keep putting one foot in front of the other on the stone road.

This is all so I can get stronger.

So that I can catch up to her, my instructor.

I keep telling myself that over and over and ignore my aching joints as I make my way to the spot where Lilly is waiting for me.

“Bell…Be-ll…”

A monotone, almost lazy voice reaches my ears.

I come to a stop when I realize it’s calling my name. I scan the crowd for a moment and find the owner of the voice right away.

She’s a chienthrope, a dog person named Nahza belonging to
Miach Familia
.

She’s slowly waving at me from between two buildings that mark the entrance to one of the backstreets. As usual, her clothing is quite strange. Her shirtsleeves are two different lengths, the left sleeve ending just above her elbow, but her right sleeve goes all the way down to her wrist. Her right hand is covered by a glove. Looking farther down, I can see her thick, bushy tail sticking out from underneath a long skirt. I watch it sway from side to side for a moment before looking up at her half-open eyes. She motions for me to come to her.

I quietly nod and look both ways to make sure the coast is clear before making my way through the bustling crowd toward her.

“Um, good morning. What are you doing out here—is something wrong?”

“Yes, a little something…”

This is the first time I’ve seen her out and about in this area in the morning.

I tilt my head in confusion as she looks back at me with a groggy stare. Her expression unchanging, her lips start to form words.

“I was waiting for you, Bell. I thought if I was here, you would pass by…”

I always travel down West Main whenever I go to the Dungeon after leaving home. Nahza must have known that and waited here looking for me.

As for the reason why…She pulls a rolled-up piece of paper from her pocket and hands it to me.

“A quest. Was wondering if you’d be willing to take it up…”

“Qu-est…?”

“Yep, there’s even a reward…Could you bring me what’s written on the memo?”

She and I lock eyes for a moment before she lowers her head in a bow and I look at the “memo” in my hand.

“Think of it as helping out Lord Miach and me…Please.”

“S-sure…”

“There is no time limit, but the earlier the better…Thanks a bunch.”

Swish-swish!
Showing more energy than she had up until now, Nahza waves a few times before turning around and going down the backstreet. I blink a few times as I watch her go back toward
Miach Familia
’s home.

So, I’m doing a job for them, I guess…?

I unroll the piece of paper and have a look. It seems like there’s a monster name on top with a whole bunch of Koine, the common language, scribbled out underneath. I stare at it for a moment, scratching my head. In any case, I should go meet up with Lilly.

“A quest?”

I nod back at Lilly as she looks up at me in a daze.

We are in a corner of Central Park, very close to Babel Tower. We use this spot as our meeting point because of the wide leaf tree growing here and the brick planter it’s in is at the perfect height to sit on.

The sun’s bright rays make their way through the gaps in the leaves and onto my face while I tell Lilly about my conversation with Nahza.

“This is unusual. No matter how friendly their
Familias
are, Lilly’s never heard of anyone giving a low-level adventurer a quest directly.”

“Are quests like that?”

“Yes. It depends on the item they’re looking for, but most quests issued by
Familias
are accepted by high-level adventurers.”

Lilly’s been a supporter for a long time, so she knows far more about the Dungeon and its ins and outs than I do. It makes sense that she would know more about adventurers as well. “Can I see that, please?” she says, pointing at the memo. Something in her voice sounds like it doesn’t add up. I hand her the paper.

“Well, if it’s something like this, Lilly doesn’t see a problem with a Level One adventurer accepting this quest…”

The request written on the paper is to collect the drop item Blue Papillon Wings.

Lilly’s round eyes look up at me, a very ho-hum look on her face.

“Mr. Bell. Is it possible that Mr. Bell is being used? Has Mr. Bell confirmed that the reward is prepared and ready? Lilly feels like you have been sent on an errand…and for really cheap.”

“I-I don’t really think…”

…
that’s true.
I can’t finish my sentence out loud.

Thinking back on all the times that Nahza has practically forced me to buy potions from her…It might be a little rude for me to think this, but for a moment there, Lilly’s accusations make sense.

I quickly change the subject to hide the sweat starting to pop up on my brow.

“Um, well, what exactly are quests, anyway? I feel like I’ve heard about them somewhere before, but…”

If I remember right, way back when I first became an adventurer, Eina warned me that I shouldn’t “accept any strange quests.” However, I’ve been so focused on getting stronger since the day I met Aiz that I haven’t really had time for anything else.

Lilly scratches her chin with one of her tiny fingers as she thinks about my question.

“Mr. Bell has a point, all adventurers will need to know about them eventually…Okay, shall we spend the day working on this quest?”

She looks right at me as she says that last part and smiles.

“Eh, but…”

“This looks like a good opportunity. Mr. Bell seems to be very
tired
recently…”

She adds that as if she can see the part of me that wants to scream out,
I have no time to waste relaxing if I’m ever going to catch up with her
.

The look that she shoots from the corner of her eye makes me flinch. I’ve kept her in the dark about my training with Aiz, but Lilly seems to know something’s going on…

“Resting is important, too, Mr. Bell. Let’s have an easy day and accept this quest.”

“…Okay, let’s do that, then.”

Part of me feels like she’s leading me around by the reins.

On the other hand, she seems worried about me. So I decide to take her suggestion without any complaints.

And what she’s saying makes a lot of sense, too.

“First things first, let’s go to the Guild. Lilly thinks it would be good for Mr. Bell to learn about quests for the future.”

She seems kind of happy as she grabs my hand and pulls me out of Central Park.

“In short, quests are requests made to adventurers.”

The two of us are walking up Northwest Main Street.

Known as “Adventurers Way,” it’s a bit wider than the other main streets in order to accommodate all the adventurers traveling through it.

“People who make these requests are called clients. They’re looking for an adventurer to solve various problems. It is the client’s responsibility to prepare a reward that fits the items requested. It’s the adventurer’s responsibility to collect their reward after the quest is complete.”

“Umm, that sounds an awful lot like the Blessings that the gods give us in exchange for our support…”

“Very much so. The gods even have a saying for it: ‘give-and-take.’”

The sounds of many boots hitting the stone pavement fill my ears.

It’s still pretty early in the morning, so many adventurers are visiting the Guild or buying items at one of the shops on this street to prepare for a day in the Dungeon.

Momentarily distracted by a party of elves dressed in beautiful robes and armor, I accidentally run into Lilly, my hand brushing across her upper thigh. I apologize over and over as her cheeks swell up in anger. I shift my focus completely to her explanation when she starts speaking again.

“To give an example of the average quest in Orario…When a client isn’t strong enough to retrieve an item themselves, they submit
a request for an adventurer to go into the deepest parts of the Dungeon to find that item in their place.”

“That sounds just like the ‘Labyrinth City.’”

“Hee-hee-hee, sure does.”

We ride the endless wave of adventurers until a large white building made of marble comes into view, a beautiful structure that looks like a large temple: the Guild Headquarters.

We make our way through the front garden and into the busy lobby, adventurers sliding past one another through the narrow doors.

Lilly, who has already “transformed” into an animal-people child, leads me through the crowd and stops in front of a long bulletin board. I follow close behind, watching the wolflike ears on top of her head twitch from side to side.

“Most quests are posted by the Guild here. These are the quests available now.”

Pieces of paper are pinned all over the bulletin board. Some of them have information about the Dungeon or tips for adventurers, but most are the quests Lilly’s talking about.

I can see item lists and rewards as well as client signatures and
Familia
emblems written on the papers.

“Let’s see…‘Hellhound Fangs x10’…‘Twenty-fourth floor—I would like to trade the items listed below for the fruit of a jewel tree’… ‘Recruiting battle-party members to face a floor boss. *Attention—Only adventurers Level Three and above will be considered’…”

I can feel the muscles in my cheeks tightening as I read through the requests.

Looking at them from a difficulty standpoint, most of these are still well out of my league. The only one that I find that looks doable is a request for “Orc Hide x30.”

I don’t think anyone could take care of that in one day…Sounds very difficult, actually.

“As Mr. Bell can see, most quests take place in the middle levels and below.”

Middle levels: the area of the Dungeon that starts on the thirteenth floor. Adventurers need to be at least Level 2 to survive.

Adventurers who level up are known as upper-class adventurers. Only they can enter.

“Why aren’t there many quests on the upper levels?”

“Because most
Familias
and adventurers are strong enough to go get those items themselves. Unless they’re not cut out for being an adventurer, as long as they have time and form a battle party, almost anyone can go as far as the lower seventh.”