Minus Skill: The Story of Four Nuisances… - Chapter 25

Melina and Kokoru ran up to me to see what was going on.
“Parchment? Did the monster drop it?”
“I think so?”
“It’s probably another part of the flavor text of this dungeon”
I then explain to the three people looking at me.
“It’s not common, but monsters can sometimes drop parchment with writings on it. The monster accidentally swallowed it…… Or at least that’s how it probably was configured as.”
“Configured?”
“If this world really is just simulated, then it’s how it would appear as. The “will of the creator” so to speak as Tet put it as..”
Unlike normal living things, monsters don’t eat anything.
They may bite as an attack,, but that’s about it.
“What’s on it, I wonder~?”
Tet spreads open the parchment, with the three of us looking over the shoulder.

“Red to Yellow”
“Yellow to Green”
“Green to Blue”
“Blue to Violet”
“And as the sun wanes, darkness reigns.”

“This might just be our clue to the big bad at the end of the tunnel.”
“Ah, you might be onto something!”
Being pointed out, I also notice.
This matches the order of appearance of the monsters so far.
Red for fire.
Yellow for paralysis.
Green is for plants and the emerald golem.
Blue, water and ice.
And finally the poison and dark monsters that appear on the final levels.
Melina then says, a little disappointed.
“If this dungeon would have that, then it should have been at least on the upper levels. What’s the use of finding it now……”
“I agree. We already know what pattern the monsters appear in.”
It’s not even classified as a hint if it’s placed this far down.
“In the end, we still don’t understand the rules governing the monsters here.”
“Yeah. They weren’t separated by attributes.”
“Uhmm…..Did you guys not realize it?”
“Realize what?”
When I ask back, Tet replies with a blank look.
“It’s a rainbow.”
“What is?”
“The monsters appear in the color of the rainbow.”
It’s as he says. The color of the monsters were divided per level. The text wasn’t a hint, but an answer.
Still…..
”……Is that so?”
“Ummm, what’s the order for the colors of the rainbow?”
“Geez guys…”
“He’s right.”
Melina, who had been pondering by herself, calmly affirms Tet’s statements.
“Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Violet from top to bottom….”
“It matches don’t you think?”
“I wouldn’t have guessed that to be the pattern the monsters appear in”
I’m not sure myself, but I trust Melina on this one.
“But…..Is there any meaning in it?”
“It might be a stretch, but it could be a hint for fighting the boss?”
“Even I’m at a loss there.”
Tet claims.
“As a hint it doesn’t have enough for us to go off on…. If it’s not a hint, it might be the overlying theme to this dungeon. The sun wanes pertaining to the sunset right? So the dark attribute monsters appear at the bottom layer.”
“So the sun is the theme? Or is it the colors of the rainbow?”
“Come to think of it, I’ve heard that colors have an order regardless of the rainbow. If you sort items of similar types but different colors in the storage, they would always be in the same order, rather even different kinds fall under the same arrangement. ”
“Hmm….Sadly, knowing that doesn’t seem to be of any help in clearing the dungeon. I was wondering whether or not it would help in guessing the trick behind the boss room.”
Maybe there really is a hint somewhere, just that we haven’t found it yet. Or maybe we already did but weren’t able to realize it..”
Found but not realized………
I mull it over, but no dice. Nothing comes to mind.
“For now, let’s just move onward”
I urge, as the three were deep in thought.
“We may find another one further down below. As Tet said, we can advance as far as the front of the boss room without a problem. We can think about it then.”
The three of them nodded.
“A-agreed! Let’s get a move on!”
“No use in overthinking when we aren’t even there I guess.”
“I don’t go there too much, so there might be a hint there I haven’t found yet.”
I smile, and standing in front of them I continue walking.
I have no basis for it, but I feel like with this party we can conquer any dungeon.
“Tet”
“Yeah?”
-Calling out to him, Tet cantered towards my side.
“I’d like to go over the safe spot on the 33rd floor.”
“Sure, it isn’t far from where we went back from. How about I map out the area once we get there.”
“I appreciate if you would”
“Hehe~”
Tet says as he passes by me, walking backwards.
“Oh yeah, why don’t we scout the area too while we’re at it? I have the Detection skill so I can see the monsters from far away.”
“That’s great, but you don’t need to scout far too forward. I wouldn’t be able to help you if there’s danger otherwise.”
“Ok~”
I say to Tet who was beside me once again.
“I’m glad you joined us Tet. It’s a great help for me.”
“He~he~ That so?”
Tet hums happily.
“I guess you would. It must have been hard being the lone vanguard right? I can’t help in terms of being a shield for the backline but I can dish out the damage and locate enemies.”
“Well, there’s that but….”
“But….???”
Tet tilts his head sideways, as I answer in a hushed tone.
“I’ve been the only guy till you came along. It bothered me a bit, but it’s nice to have another male in the party with you here.”
Tet stops, dead silent.
“…..Is there something wrong?”
I called out, but a reply didn’t come. He cast his head downwards so I couldn’t even see the expression on his face.
He then raises his head, facing me and—-
A shout.
“I….I’m a girl!!!”
“You are!??”
I was startled.
Tet then doubles down on his anger.
“Did you think I was a boy all this time!!?”
“W-well… uhmm…”
I was 100% sure.
“B-but the-the name and the way you speak…”
Even if it was me saying it, it reeks of a bad excuse.
It’s not uncommon for a girl to have a boy’s name and the way she speaks could be easily explained by her adventurer background.
Once I knew the truth, I could not see her as anything but a girl. It’s a bit of a confusing case in part with the equipment she wore but her facial features, frame, and her muscle structure are a very, very obvious tell.
It’s quite a wonder why I even actually thought she was a boy.
“Sir Alvin……”
“Isn’t that too insensitive of you?”
Melina and Kokoru frown at me in unison.
Judging from their reactions, it seems they already knew from the first time we met her.
Tet then gives me another earful as she distances herself from me.
“You’re terrible! An Idiot! Geez, who cares anymore!!! Go be the vanguard yourself so I can throw my knives to your back!!”
“My~ I do wonder if there’s such a party formation like that.”
“Then the two of you be the middle guard and I’ll buff and heal you two from behind”
I unconsciously set my sights toward the floor and say lifelessly-
“……..I’m sorry, please forgive me.”
I should be more careful from now on.