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Gala Ruins (1)
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Gala Ruins.
This was once an altar for rituals dedicated to the goddess they worshipped. They would bring a live cow and stab it in the belly. Then, they would take out its large stomach and offer it to the goddess, which was the ritual. After the ritual, they would open the stomach and take out the digested grass and other substances to paint the faces and bodies of those receiving the baptism with patterns.
Just imagining it smells terrible.
That altar had now become a dungeon. The Ushi-oni (demonic cow) that appeared within it was said to be formed from the remains and resentment of the dead. The six members of the Liberta party were calm in front of such a historically significant ruin.
“Well then, the objective this time is–…” (Alfred)
Alfred slowly opened his mouth, gazing at the Gala Ruins.
“We’re currently low on funds.” (Alfred)
“That’s true. We bought a house.” (Dwayne)
“Dwayne, it’s also because of your suspicious experiments every night!” (Tristan)
“…I’m a genuine magician. I can’t live without research.” (Dwayne)
“I know! So, I’m planning for us to strike it rich here!” (Alfred)
Alfred’s eyes shone with a glint. It seemed like gold and silver treasures were floating in those eyes.
“And this time, Jack is with us!” (Alfred)
“Y-yes!” (Jack)
I was surprised to be called out so suddenly.
This is my first time since the Melana dungeon, so I’m fully equipped. My equipment is so new that the veterans probably see me as a rookie. I have trauma, but today I’m with veterans of Party Rank B. I should just focus on support and do my best not to interfere with the other five.
“Jack, I value your Intuition!” (Alfred)
“My Intuition?” (Jack)
“In this party, you’re the one with the highest Intuition skill.” (Alfred)
“Huh? Is that so?” (Jack)
I checked my Managram. It was old, but it was the commemorative equipment that Lindsay bought for me when we first met. The letters ‘Intuition D’ were glowing there.
“I don’t have such a skill, and even Tristan’s is ‘F’.” (Alfred)
“Is that so?” (Jack)
“So, use that Intuition skill to roughly find the treasure!” (Alfred)
“Huh?!” (Jack)
“I’m counting on you!” (Alfred)
Alfred confidently gave me a thumbs up.
Even if he expects me on my first-ever dungeon exploration, I can’t do anything…
And so, we entered the dungeon-turned Gala Ruins. The gloomy clouds and the lonely atmosphere beckoned the knights of freedom.
—
We entered the dungeon through a decaying stone gate. After passing through that gate, we found an altar exposed to the elements, with stairs leading down to the underground beside it. It seemed these stairs were built by the first adventurers who learned of the dungeon’s existence at the request of the guild headquarters.
“Alright then, let’s go treasure hunting!” (Alfred)
Without any hesitation, Alfred went down those stairs. Following him were Tristan, Liz, Lindsay, me, and Dwayne. The moment my foot stepped on the stairs, I felt a chill from my toes. This sensation was the same as when I entered the Melana Dungeon.
“Jack, are you scared?” (Lindsay)
I was addressed by Lindsay, who was nearby.
“W-well…” (Jack)
Perhaps sensing my demeanor, Lindsay smiled at me.
“Don’t worry. With all five of us together, there’s nothing to fear.” (Lindsay)
“…Yeah.” (Jack)
She entered the dungeon with a relaxed laugh.
—
Lindsay deployed a fire spell in the air, creating light.
I felt a bit worried that she would use magic without reservation and run out of mana, but Lindsay’s mana must be bottomless. After a while, we continued down a passage that seemed to stretch on, with exposed rock surfaces and artificial stone steps. I couldn’t figure out how this structure was formed.
According to stories I read in books, the formation of dungeons was influenced by the surrounding environment. This meant that a dungeon formed in ruins would have structures made from materials resembling those ruins, while a dungeon formed in a forest would continue endlessly like a forest.
“Fred, stop.” (Tristan)
Suddenly, Tristan called out to Alfred, who was leading the way. Without any objection, Alfred stopped. Tristan then moved a bit forward and began to touch the ground.
“How is it?” (Alfred)
“Hmm.” (Tristan)
Tristan closed his eyes and furrowed his brow.
“I feel a strong presence, but nothing is nearby yet.” (Tristan)
“I see. Then, let’s move on?” (Alfred)
“Yeah.” (Tristan)
What was that exchange about?
Lindsay explained to me, seeing the puzzled expression on my face.
“The magic stone emits a very high output of mana. If it’s nearby, I can sense the mana.” (Lindsay)
Is that how it works? With zero mana and no qualities of a magician, I have no way of knowing.
“But those places are crawling with monsters. Monsters love mana.” (Lindsay)
I see. Ultimately, to collect magic stones, you need the power to eliminate monsters.
We continued walking for a while until we reached an open area. No monsters appeared, in particular.
“Tristan, how about here?” (Alfred)
“This place doesn’t feel like anything either. It should be safe.” (Tristan)
“Alright, let’s set up camp here.” (Alfred)
We set up the tent there. It was meant for camping out during long stays in the dungeon. I helped with the setup as well.
—
After that, we spent a few hours going back and forth along the corridor, searching for magic stones, but we didn’t find anything. We also hadn’t encountered any monsters like the Ushi-oni.
“Even though we’ve searched this much, we can’t find a single thing…” (Lizbeth)
“Liz, it’s not like I was slacking off on mana detection.” (Lindsay)
“I didn’t mean it that way.” (Liz)
Around the time that such exchanges started to be heard among the party, the leader, as if making a decision, opened his mouth to speak.
“Alright, let’s return to camp and rest for today!” (Alfred)
“What? But we haven’t found anything yet.” (??)
“What are you talking about? Not finding anything is also a result.” (Alfred)
The party’s mood reset. Alfred could be thoughtless sometimes, but he was always optimistic and attentive to the state of each member. That’s likely an essential trait for a leader.
“Tristan, about the mana around here…” (Dwayne)
“Hmm, I also feel there’s something strange about it.” (Tristan)
Dwayne was speaking to Tristan, discussing the results of the mana detection.
“There’s probably another lower layer. From my estimate, there are at least two more layers.” (Tristan)
“So, that’s it. No wonder the direction’s been hard to pinpoint. But if the direction is this inconsistent, I’d say there’s a widespread magic stone vein in the area.” (Dwayne)
“…Most likely, the magic stones around here have been extracted already. But it seems no one has found a passage leading further down.” (Tristan)
I see. So, there might be more layers below. I wonder what decision Alfred will make.
—
While eating dinner, likely at night, the party members discussed what to do the next day.
“…So, that’s how it is, but I’m not sure if there’s a way to go down to the lower levels.” (Tristan)
Tristan was sharing and reporting his theory.
“I think we should just dig through by force.” (Alfred)
“I agree with that too. But the problem is where to start digging from.” (Tristan)
“What do you mean?” (Alfred)
“There’s probably a widespread magic stone vein below. We might be able to dig anywhere, but wherever we land…” (Dwayne)
“We’ll be accompanied by the risk of monsters, right?” (Alfred)
Alfred finished Dwayne’s thought before he could.
“Exactly.” (Dwayne)
“Is there no variation in the mana you’re sensing from below?” (Alfred)
“No… or rather, I can’t tell.” (Dwayne)
“Then, isn’t it the same no matter where we dig? I’ll give the go-ahead to dig from anywhere.” (Alfred)
“—Wait.” (Tristan)
At that moment, Tristan interrupted.
“When Dwayne says he can’t tell, he doesn’t just mean the mana difference.” (Tristan)
“What do you mean?” (Alfred)
“I can’t express it well, but there seems to be some mana mixed in that’s different from that of a simple magic stone.” (Tristan)
“Are you saying there’s a big boss?” (Alfred)
“No, it’s something different from a dungeon boss—something sacred, but dangerous nonetheless.” (Tristan)
“Sacred? Are you saying there could actually be a God here?” (Alfred)
“…Maybe. Even if it is a God, it would be an evil one.” (Tristan)
This dungeon was originally an altar dedicated to a Goddess that had turned into a dungeon. It might not be entirely a joke.
“Is there no way to detect just that dangerous mana and avoid it?” (Alfred)
“That’s the thing… There are so many sources of mana mixed together that it’s impossible to pinpoint.” (Dwayne)
Dwayne added his explanation. The discussion paused, and a silence settled over the dungeon. Everyone was likely weighing the risks and rewards, deep in thought.
“Hey, I have a suggestion.” (Lindsay)
At that moment, Lindsay, who had been silent until now, spoke.
“…How about letting Jack decide where to dig?” (Lindsay)
“What!” (Jack)
Why me?
“Hey, Lindsay, this is an important decision. Save the jokes for when you’re sleeping.” (Alfred)
“You said it yourself when we came in, Alfie. You trust Jack’s intuition.” (Lindsay)
“Well, that’s true, but…” (Alfred)
“If it’s all the same wherever we dig, wouldn’t it be fine to let Jack decide for once?” (Lindsay)
“Hmm…” (Alfred)
Everyone in the party started looking at me.
Stop it… Don’t put this pressure on me… I’m just a 10-year-old kid. If I pick a place and end up leading these skilled adventurers into danger, what am I supposed to do?
“Well, I guess you’re right.” (Alfred)
“Ehh?!” (Jack)
“First thing tomorrow, we’ll dig toward the lower levels. Jack, you’ll decide where we dig.” (Alfred)
“No, wait! Even if you leave it to me, if something happens–…” (Jack)
“Jack!” (Alfred)
“Y-Yes!” (Jack)
Alfred called my name loudly.
“Who do you think we are? The Chevalier de Liberta is the strongest, you know?” (Alfred)
Alfred said this as he looked straight into my eyes. The grinning red-haired leader looked very reliable and cool, in contrast to how useless he had been last night. I felt that these guys would be able to do something about anything I did. I could see a glimpse of that trust in his smile.
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