Retire 408
by Cristae408 Layer Upon Layer of Mountains (1)
Two hours ago.
In front of the dungeon gate.
“Did you contact your father?”
“Yes!”
She wasn’t a minor, but this dungeon raid was being conducted under Jean Robinson’s sponsorship. He was our precious prospective sponsor, so he deserved to be treated accordingly.
Well. As both a sponsor and a parent, a call is the least we could do. It’s just like announcing the start of class, isn’t it?
The dungeon Jean Robinson had secured was located inside a national park in Okinawa. Marseille was the same—why do they leave so many dungeons unattended in national parks? Is it because these places are remote? But wouldn’t that make them even harder to manage? Dungeons can break out without a sound.
Korea also leaves dungeons in remote areas half-abandoned… so I’m in no position to talk.
If everything went according to plan, Gamble would be able to announce the mana meter a little earlier than originally intended. As Gamble said, this would be the first step in allowing outside interference with internal mana readings… In the original timeline, Sandra Gamble had commercialized it, and with the damage caused by dungeon breaks, there was no way to keep the mana meter hidden.
The only issue was that the existing mana meters were rather expensive. Gamble, not from Pharos Corporation but from Pharos Lab, wanted to lower the price even if it meant sacrificing some performance.
Maybe it was because, unlike when she had to face Michel alone, she now had a boss who could bring in money like a bottomless well just by speaking up.
“I’m nervous! This is my first time entering a dungeon overseas!”
I glanced at the gate at Robinson’s excited outburst.
On the other hand, Han Taekyung looked at me with a slightly uneasy expression.
“…Is it really okay for us to go in like this?”
I nodded slightly, feeling much the same.
“They said it’s fine, so it should be, shouldn’t it?”
“Aren’t we going to get in trouble for this later?”
“They said it’s an official raid…. Let’s just follow procedure. After we finish, we just have to report it at the prefectural office.”
If we could report it to the authorities, it couldn’t be illegal. Right…?
If we were sneaking in outright, I wouldn’t feel nearly this uneasy.
Normally, unless it’s a special case, you’re required to enter a foreign dungeon accompanied by a hunter from that country. But look at us.
“Yes? Why?”
One French hunter. Two Korean hunters.
Is this really okay? Is it really? What if this blows up into an international incident? What would happen to the school if a teacher got caught up in something like this?
Speaking in Korean with Han Taekyung, Robinson, who didn’t understand, just blinked at us. Not knowing the language doesn’t mean she couldn’t read the mood.
I hesitated for a moment, but this was part of the lesson, too. In Europe, border controls are looser than on other continents, so entering dungeons in other countries is common. Still, it’s not as if there aren’t international regulations.
“Normally, you need a hunter from the host country to accompany you into a dungeon.”
“Oh, but there isn’t one here, right?”
Robinson replied cheerfully.
“My father said Okinawa is different.”
“Different? I doubt Japan itself is any different.”
“No, not Japan—Okinawa.”
Robinson double-checked her gear as she continued.
“There are US military bases in Okinawa, right? So, apparently, a lot of US military hunters enter dungeons here. Most dungeon breaks are handled by the US military.”
“Ah.”
I’d never paid attention to Okinawa, so I hadn’t known that. If that’s the case…
“So the restrictions on foreign hunters are relaxed. Technically, you’re supposed to go in with a Japanese hunter, but it’s not mandatory, so it’s not a problem if you don’t.”
That explained how Jean Robinson and Toulon’s Anchor managed to secure an Okinawan dungeon.
Robinson puffed out her chest, clearly proud to know something we didn’t. Han Taekyung fanned the flames, clapping and cheering her on. They were having fun.
“All right, let’s really go in now.”
“Yes!”
As we passed through the dungeon gate, an endless forest greeted us.
Present.
A forested terrain is one of the most common dungeon types. Forest. Plains with a river or stream. Underground.
There are actually a lot of dungeons with ocean terrain, too. But those are too irregular, and most are believed to form in the deep sea. Even hunters can’t enter those.
‘And forests and plains are often connected. So just knowing these basic terrains gives you a head start.’
‘But every monster is different.’
‘You never know what monsters you’ll find until you go in.’
‘Ugh.’
‘Just one thing. There’s only one basic rule you always have to remember.’
The mood was good at the start of the dungeon. The gorilla-like monsters moved in groups, which was a bit of a hassle, but they weren’t particularly tough opponents.
I’d spent several days training Robinson, so she should be fine on her own.
‘We’re hunters.’
‘…Hunters?’
‘There’s no need to fight fair. Track the monsters, hunt them as safely as possible, or destroy the dungeon core and you win. If it comes down to it, you can even set the dungeon on fire and escape through the gate.’
‘W-wow… you can really do that?’
Robinson’s eyes grew wide. So naïve. If only electronic devices weren’t affected by the gate’s mana, we’d have filled dungeons with all sorts of modern weapons long ago.
Anyway, that’s how we made our way through the dungeon. Robinson was nervous at first, but she quickly gained confidence.
Maybe it was then.
That’s when we heard the piercing shriek that rattled our eardrums.
Well, yes. Let’s talk about how Han Taekyung was carried off by the owner of that shriek—a flying monster that looked like a pterosaur.
Where should I begin? Whose fault was it?
Honestly, it wasn’t really anyone’s fault. If you want to assign blame, it’s on the nameless hunter who did the initial dungeon survey. I don’t know who it was, but if I make it out of this dungeon, I’ll kill them. I’ll make their life a living hell.
“…Do you think Monsieur Han is all right?”
Having given the naïve answer that we should wait for Han Taekyung, Robinson belatedly seemed to worry, her shoulders hunching.
There was no need. The one I should be most worried about here wasn’t Han Taekyung, but Robinson. I wished she’d worry about her own safety instead of his.
“He’s fine.”
“But…”
“He stabbed it in the neck and escaped. I even saw him hanging from a tree, so with Han-saem’s skills, he’ll have gotten away safely.”
Robinson, busy dodging the giant bird trying to peck at her on the ground, hadn’t seen it, but I had watched clearly.
I saw Han Taekyung, deftly escaping from the monster in midair, salute me playfully as he fell.
Annoying guy.
“Han-saem might seem a bit lightweight, but you can trust his skills.”
“So that’s why you two are friends.”
That was not something I could let slide.
“We’re colleagues.”
“That’s the same as friends.”
“We’re just coworkers.”
“I met Marie when I joined Dantes, and now we’re the best of friends!”
“We’re colleagues.”
Robinson just shrugged, as if she hadn’t heard me.
Friends with Han Taekyung? Even if all my friends have become elementary schoolers, I’d rather have no friends than be friends with Han Taekyung. I don’t want that kind of hardship in my life.
But since Robinson didn’t seem likely to listen, I hurriedly changed the subject.
“We don’t know where the core is, so let’s aim to return to the gate.”
We’d come east from the gate, but still hadn’t found the end. The dungeon might continue past the gorge. If we got lost looking for the core and ran into another new monster…
I looked at Robinson. She wasn’t panicking yet, but…
If I were alone, I could tear through the dungeon looking for the core, but with this little duckling in tow, it was tough.
I should have scouted the dungeon myself while Robinson was training. She’s not a kid, she’s a hunter—I thought it would be fine…. Who could have guessed the dungeon would be like this…
Enough grumbling.
When Han Taekyung escaped, he didn’t seem to be injured. He must have headed for the gate.
“…Do we have to climb up there?”
Robinson hesitated, pointing at the cliff.
“If Monsieur Han is safe… he’ll be closer to the gate, right? If he gets out, he’ll call for help.”
That was worth teaching.
If you’re not sure, don’t take unnecessary risks. Especially if someone else can escape and get help.
“That’s true.”
I nodded.
“But you can’t always call for help in a dungeon, can you? If we were the only ones trapped, what’s the first thing you’d check?”
“…See if anyone’s hurt?”
I smiled.
“And after that?”
“Uh, check our food supplies.”
“Yes.”
“Make sure we’re not exposed to monsters and that we can stay here safely for a while….”
“How about here?”
Robinson looked around.
A small crevice in the cliff.
There was more space than you’d think—enough for two people—but not enough to move freely.
“…We can’t stay here long.”
“And look closely.”
“Yes?”
“Those monsters.”
I pointed at the pterosaurs.
“…Yes?”
“Look closely.”
“Ummm. There are fewer of them?”
“Really fewer?”
Robinson cautiously stuck her head out and looked up.
The dozens of pterosaurs were all craning their necks over the edge of the cliff, peering down at us. Their heads jerked from side to side like pendulums.
Their attention on us hadn’t lessened at all.
Robinson quickly realized this too.
“…Wouldn’t it be more dangerous to move carelessly? If Monsieur Han is safe, maybe we should just wait for help.”
I shook my head and pointed at the sky again.
“Just wait a moment.”
“……?”
While Robinson was screaming and making a fuss, I kept watching the sky. The pterosaurs circled overhead for a long time, waiting for an opportunity. If they were ordinary birds, they would have given up and moved on.
But these were monsters.
One of the pterosaurs, which had been persistently eyeing us below the cliff, let out a piercing screech and flew off with a few of its friends. Immediately after, the remaining pterosaurs began to perch on the edge of the cliff.
……
I had a bad feeling. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Robinson held her breath, while I narrowed my eyes, scanning the sky.
And then—
Piiiiiiiiiiik.
With a high-pitched whistle, a pterosaur swooped down. Just before it crashed into the cliff, it pulled up again.
“Huh?”
As it did, it dropped what it had been clutching in its sharp talons.
“Kweeeek!!”
With a bizarre cry, something tumbled down… a monster from the investigation report. A gorilla-like monster flailed as it fell.
Robinson, bewildered, stuck her head out to look below. If they were after us, it would have been better to drop rocks. But they’d brought another monster… what were they doing?
“……!!”
But I grabbed Robinson by the scruff and yanked her back in a hurry.
“Huh!”
Robinson gasped. A huge… eel-like creature shot up from the river below and swallowed the gorilla whole. Its translucent scales glittered like the dungeon’s sky. Its jewel-like eyes shimmered in a rainbow of colors depending on the angle.
Splash!
The monster disappeared back into the river.
……
Robinson muttered in a daze.
“I… I think I’m afraid of fish now, too.”