Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru

Chapter 107: In Search Of Comrades I

It felt like things had gotten off to a bad start when Shuna couldn't participate, but I pulled myself together and started looking for comrades.

I wandered around the city that was undergoing renovations.

Even without looking closely, I saw many adventurers who were looking for comrades like I was.

Fighting off a dragon.

It's certainly something with a high level of difficulty, but it seems that there are many who nevertheless desire the achievement, fame, and reward that comes with it.

In that case, what about her? Regardless of her personality, she's an amazing magician. There must be many people who think the same.

「Alright~! Here’s the end of the line! This is the line for those who want to meet with the Brave, Frey?Dis?Gastolfo-sama! Here’s the end of the line! Stay in line! Don't try to jump the queue! You there! Hey, you want to be torn apart?!」

It appeared that many did indeed think the same.

There was a line of people.

It stretched out from the stable and extended all the way into the alley.

「The current wait time is estimated to be till the next bell! Only the leaders of the party may line up! Only the leaders of the party! I repeat! Leaders only!」

It's better to be insistent about things like this. Even so, there will be some who won't listen anyway.

I checked my wristwatch.

The time was 9:50 am. The bell usually tolled at noon, so that meant I would have to wait for about two hours.

「Umm, I'm joining the queue」

「Okay~! Here’s the end of the line~! Please don't jump the queue~!」

The crier was a beastkin girl with large wings on her back. She had pointed ears that were narrower than those of elves. Her claws looked so sharp that it seemed like they would tear my face to shreds if she were to stroke it.

Like a typical Japanese would, I got in line and waited for a while.

For some reason, I could hear the sounds of men crying and women sobbing coming from the front of the line. And a spirited female voice that was awfully loud.

This is the line for inviting her to fight the dragon, right? I wondered, but after waiting for about ten or so minutes, I started to grow bored.

So far, all the adventurers who exited the stable looked like they had suffered some kind of emotional damage.

In addition……

「Hey, do you know what this line is for?」

「Err, there was a line, so I just joined it without thinking. I mean, I am a leader, so…….」

「By the way, who's this Frey person?」

「No idea. I think she's the one who unleashed magic all over the city」

「Ohhh, that one. The one who's rumored to have big boobs?」

「Yeah, that's the one. I heard that they're really big」

……it appears that even in the alternate world, there are people who line up in lines for no good reason.

The line moved and I caught sight of them.

She was a shapely magician with blonde ringlets and was wearing a scarlet dress. Although she was usually an animated and charming natural airhead, for some reason, her gaze and demeanor were down today. The staff she held in her hands also looked a little wilted.

The Brave, Frey?Dis?Gastolfo. A talented magician on par with Rana.

Her ever-present maid was by her side.

She was a tall reptilian beastkin with snake-like eyes, scales on her cheeks, and a thick tail peeking out from her skirt. Her long black hair was tied into twin tails

There was one other person there whom I didn't recognize.

She was a portly, older woman in a scarlet dress similar to Frey's. She also carried a large staff, the sign of a magician.

The line moved some more, and I was now able to hear the exchanges between the older woman and the adventurers at the head of the line.

「Alright, what's the deepest floor you've reached?」

「It's the 19th floor」

「How many years did it take you?」

「Two years」

「Alright, no thanks. You have no talent. Go home and plow the fields or something」

「What?!」

「Okay! Next!」

「Uh, umm, the 25th floor」

「How many years?」

「Five years」

「Haa, you're wasting your life. If you had that much time on your hands, you should have started a family and had kids like any other woman. Well, it looks like you're too old to return to that life, so in a lot of ways, you just have to give up」

「Eek!」

That's terrible.

Clearing floors isn't all there is to an adventurer, you know?

I mean, there's a guy right here who's stuck and unable to advance.

「Oh, jeez, this is such a hassle. Hey! Lulum!」

The woman called out loudly to the beastkin.

The bird beastkin came immediately when summoned.

「Yes, Aunt-sama!」

「Add a requirement for lining up. They must have cleared the 30th floor. Do you hear me? 30th floor and deeper only!」

「Understood!」

The beastkin returned to her original position and shouted loudly.

「You must be the leader of the party to line up! And you must be an adventurer who has cleared at least 30 floors~!」

Once they heard this……

「What? That's stupid」

「Let’s just go」

「If you’re looking for intermediate or better adventurers, don't do it in a place like this」

「Let's go grab some food!」

『Yeah!』

……everyone walked away unceremoniously.

That's very true. This part of the city is the stomping grounds of greenhorn and under-earning novice adventurers. This is a place where intermediate and advanced adventurers have already graduated from.

「Okay! Next!」

Before I knew it, I was the only one left.

Her gaze locked on her feet, Frey had yet to notice me.

I greeted Lazarissa with a quick wave of my hand. She bowed in return.

「So, what's the deepest floor you've reached?」

The oba-san asked brazenly.

「The bottom of the 30th floor. Well, I guess that would make it the 34th floor」

I answered brazenly.

I'm polite to those who are polite and rude to those who are rude.

「Hmm, how many years did it take you?」

「132 days」

「Haa?」

「132 days, I said. Are you that loud because you're hard of hearing?」

「Do you have the certificate proving that?」

A certificate showing the floors cleared is something that can be requested from the person-in-charge. Our party descends so quickly that I never bothered to ask for one.

「Nope. You can simply ask my person-in-charge, and she'll tell you」

「What's the name of your person-in-charge?」

「It's Evetta-san. She's a wonderful silver-haired woman with a pair of horns」

「Ah, I've heard that there’s a domesticated Horns in Lemuria. What's your name?」

「Souya………」

After a bit of hesitation, I added the noble title I had acquired some time ago.

「Souya?Urus?Ra?Tilt」

「Ra?Tilt………………That's the name of a high noble of Elysium, isn’t it? Who exactly are you?」

「I'm just the prodigal third son of a noble family. My eldest brother is a brilliant man, so I get to enjoy life as I see fit」

I casually showed her the ring with the seal on it.

That noble family does actually exist, so this should be more than enough to fool her.

「Who else do you have in your party?」

「An archer and a magician, both elves. A crafty experienced adventurer and a female knight with an Elysium background」

The boy swordsman is not taking part this time.

Oh! Crap, I forgot to go ask Lys earlier. I hope she doesn't sulk over that.

「So, how much money are you worth?」

「Huh?」

That question is way out of line.

It's a terrible question to ask even when matchmaking or marriage hunting.

「Look here……」

I'm more dumbfounded than angry.

What should I do here?

「Aunt-sama, please take a look at this magic sword」

Just when I was thinking that the weight on my back had gotten lighter, it turned out that Lazarissa had stolen Agathion again.

「Its blade that's made of rare red pyroxene. The unknown techniques that went into the forging of this sword. This one sword is worth at least 3,000 gold coins. Ohh, as I thought, it's lovely!」

She was rubbing her cheek against Agathion as she got all worked up about it.

If not for this, she would have been a good person, but I guess it's hard to find a person without flaws.

「Hmm, for Lazarissa to be so into it, it must be quite the masterpiece」

The oba-san was impressed.

For some reason, I got the feeling that Agathion wasn't liking being lusted over by Lazarissa, so I asked her to return it.

「Lazarissa, give me back my sword」

「Just a little bit longer, just a bit! It's really just a bit longer, alright?! ………………Haa haa, S, Souya-sama, what have you got down there?」

Oh crap, she saw it.

「Let me see! Let me see! Just a little bit! Just a little bit is all I ask!」

「Alright! I got it, so quit grabbing at my hip!」

People will get the wrong idea!

Reluctantly, I drew my sword. I didn't hand it to her, but only showed it to her.

I've only recently begun to, in some way, somewhat, subtly, master how to use it.

I don't want it to develop any strange quirks.

「………Dreadful」

I was expecting her to get worked up again, but her reaction was completely different.

「What is this, and why is it shaped like a sword? It's sickening that something like that looks so beautiful. How dreadful」

She was massively put off by it.

Holding her mouth like she was about to throw up, she backed away.

「Lazarissa, give me back my sword」

「Tch」

She had tried to tuck Agathion away among her belongings in the confusion of the moment.

I really can't drop my guard at all around her.

「Oh, this is also quite a fine sword. It's well disguised, but it's a sword forged on the center continent, isn't it?」

Just when I was thinking that the weight on my back had gotten even lighter, it turned out that the oba-san had stolen Zamonglass’ sword.

Does every single one of these people have the steal skill or something? Was the Braves' previous class Thief or what? To begin with, Thief is not a class, but a type of criminal though.

「Wait, Lazarissa, is this person someone you know?」

Before any reply could be made, I snatched back both of my swords.

Good grief, what an outrageous bunch the people around the Brave are.

「Souya-sama's wife and Ojou-sama were schoolmates at Hohens」

「Hmm, that's not bad, considering. Frey………………Frey! Are you listening?!」

「Oh, I'm sorry. I don't really care, so I was just escaping reality by indulging in fantasies」

This person is still the same as ever, isn’t she?

The oba-san yelled at Frey in a shrill voice.

「It's because you still haven't decided on a marriage partner that I had no choice but to look for one by doing this! You need to get your act together!」

「Huh?」

Admittedly, no one said anything about fighting off the dragon.

No no no, if you're looking for a marriage partner, say it upfront. This is a scam. ………Wait, there were women in the line as well though?

「You're of marriageable age, yet all you do is flit about aimlessly without getting yourself a man! By the time I was your age, I was adventuring while carrying my third child in my belly!」

That doesn't sound like good prenatal care.

Frey raised her hand with a worn-out look on her face.

「Umm, Aunt-sama, I'll decide for myself who I want to marry. Besides, even if you drag all these mundane people that can be found everywhere in front of me………」

While you're not wrong, that's really rude.

「Ojou-sama, please take a closer look, it's Souya-sama」

「Sou………………Sausage-san?」

The fact that it's subtly similar is what pisses me off.

Or rather, there's a more fundamental problem here.

「I'm already married, and Lazarissa even mentioned the term "wife" earlier」

「Huhh? All she has to do is snatch you away. Seizing what others have is the essence of being a woman」

This oba-san is also of the Brave's lineage, right?

Is it really alright? For a Brave to be talking about seizing what others have……

「Mmm, if I marry Sausage-san, Shuna-sama will automatically be included」

「No, he won’t」

What the heck is this person talking about?

「He has substantial wealth and shows great promise as an adventurer. His lineage is also excellent. He's a good catch. Frey, you should choose this one. If not, it'll be that merchant family's sixth son」

Lazarissa secretly whispered to me.

（The truth is, there’s an offer of marriage and the terms are very good for the Gastolfo main family. From a monetary standpoint, that is. Aunt-sama is trying to make Ojou-sama accept the offer, even if she has to force her into it）

（Then why doesn't she just accept it? I'm just here to ask for help fighting off the dragon）

（Then please go along with it for now. We'll come up with something later. Worst case, we'll just run away. Just by going along with it, you can do whatever you want with Ojou-sama, you know?）

Hmm.

I hope this won't cause any problems later on, but it can't be helped. Frey will be a great help in battle.

「Frey, I came here today because there was something I wanted to talk to you about」

「Uh, yes?」

Frey, who was being chewed out, turned to me.

「Soon, a dragon will come――」

I said……

「Oh, that's right, it's almost winter in this country」

Looking like she was deeply moved by some memory, the oba-san cut me off.

「For me, winter is――」

「Sausage-san, what were you saying about a dragon?!」

Frey interrupted her and pressed me.

It's just a guess, but this oba-san probably prattles on for a very long time.

「Frey, you're the only one I can ask for something like this. Will you fight the dragon with me?」

「Eh………………fight, the dragon?」

As could be expected, even Frey couldn’t give an immediate answer to that.

Lazarissa also sidled up to us, and the three of us started scheming. The oba-san was immersed in her own fantasy world, talking about something to herself.

（Ojou-sama, let's overcome this pressing situation first by agreeing to marry Souya-sama for the time being）

（Ehh, but I don't, in any way, shape or form, find Sausage-san attractive, not even a little）

（That's simply because Ojou-sama is a pervert who only loves younger boys. In a normal sense, Souya-sama is an attractive man. In a normal sense）

（You didn't have to say "normal" twice）

（What do you want to do, Ojou-sama? Do you want to go out with that man who has the looks of a beached fishman? Do you want to marry him? Do you want to bear his children?）

（No way! Absolutely not!）

（In that case, please let Souya-sama take care of this. Please go along with him）

「I understand」

Frey replied in a weak voice.

「Ahem」

I cleared my throat softly.

「Frey, fight the dragon with me」

「………Okay」

Frey reluctantly nodded.

「When we've driven off the dragon, let’s………………let’s」

Aaaah, I really don't want to say it~.

I have no other choice, I guess.

「Let's get married」

「Yes, with pleasure」

Frey replied in a monotone.

Lazarissa quickly applauded.

In spite of everything, we were able to fool the oba-san for the time being.

I had managed to enlist the help of Frey and Lazarissa.

………………It's no use. I can't think of this as anything but a death flag.

Some of you may have heard of this before, but Japanese people even line up in MMORPGs for mobs, bosses, raids, etc. Yeah, lining up is drilled into their culture.

I have to say though, I’ve kinda missed Frey, since it’s always funny when she shows up, so it was good to see her back in the story. And although Souya’s second wife sorta ended up being his daughter, will Frey end up being Souya’s third wife?! But I love how even Souya points out that promises like that are usually death flags. XD

So, who do you think Souya will recruit next? Stay tuned to find out!

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