Shujinkou Janai! - CH 77

[……Ugh.]

As he peeked into the next room, Radd let out a groan.

In that room was, once again, a coffin.

Just like the place where the previous bat attack took place, a coffin lay in the center of the room, and the memory of the most recent ambush made his body alert.

[No, this is……]

[Eh? Old man!?]

However, what I saw in the coffin made me step into the room without a second thought.

Passing by the side of the surprised Radd, I was first to reach the coffin.

[……It’s as I thought huh.]

Unlike the coffin that contained the bats, the lid of this coffin was already open.

And what was inside was someone’s clothes.

Inside the coffin, only the clothes spread out in the shape of a person remained, as if the clothes had been left behind while the person who had been wearing them had completely disappeared.

Other than the clothes, there’s also one more thing……

[Is that……?]

There was a strange object propped up against the left side of the clothing, just to the left of the chest area.

As I silently approached the coffin, I pulled it out without hesitation.

[Rex-san. Is that…… a weapon?]

As Nuku caught up to me and asked, I nodded.

[Yeah. It’s the <Knife of Regret>. A weapon that specializes in stabbing and is said to be particularly effective against certain Undead.]

As I was looking at the knife in my hand, I heard a rumbling sound from outside the room, as if something heavy had been moved.

Lured in by the sound, I went outside and saw that a stairway to the basement had appeared where there had been none before.

[I guess that knife earlier had been some sort of switch huh?]

[We’re finally on to the next floor huh. My sword is ready!]

We had accomplished the minimum objective of this exploration.

Considering the group’s current strength though, it would be best not to go any deeper.

[Wha!? Old man! I’m still good to go!]

Radd spoke out his frustration, but I shook my head.

[If you go down to the lower floor, the enemy will get stronger. I’m not saying you guys can’t win with your current abilities, but the risk is too great. Remember the surprise attack in that room?]

[Uuu…… H- However, if Old man would just fight as you did earlier……]

[Don’t just go telling me to break my weapons. Heck, even if you exclude that, fighting with me won’t allow you to gain EXP. That’s like putting the cart before the horse.]

Even though the monsters over there have higher stats, the actual level of the enemy is about Lv 40.

If I, a Lv 50, take part in the battle, the EXP that Radd and the others will gain will be drastically reduced.

[That is, well…… you’re right but……]

[I think you should clear Guild Quests for the time being and raise your Class Proficiency. It’s enough that you’ve managed to challenge up to this point.]

When I managed to persuade Radd and we were about to reach an agreement, a voice supporting Radd came from someone I didn’t expect.

It was from the glasses-wearing intellectual boy, Nuku.

“”

[However, I’m also a little curious. Why are monsters living in a place like this? Could it be that there’s something even more terrifying in the deepest part of this place……]

[Nuku!]

I shouted in a loud voice to stop Nuku, who started talking fast, seemingly driven by anxiety.

[You shouldn’t thoughtlessly say things too much. There are plenty of places where monsters have settled in and accidentally turned them into dungeons. You can go deep into a dungeon and may still find nothing.]

[However……]

As Nuku seemed like he was about to say something again, I covered up his voice with my own.

[Besides, you can just come here anytime you want, right?]

When I put my strength into saying that, Nuku looked as if he still wanted to say something, but swallowing those words, he nodded.

Even as I felt Resilia’s gaze on me, looking like she also wanted to say something, I just returned to the path we went through.

Due to the specifications of B&B, once a monster is defeated, it will not revive for a while.

Without any obstacles in our path, we climbed some sets of stairs before we finally reached the ground.

Opening up a hidden door, we are back inside a familiar building.

“”

As the natural light seemed to burn my retina, I couldn’t help squinting my eyes.

[……The sun is already setting huh.]

Being underground would really mess up a person’s sense of time.

The blood-red color coming in from outside the window announced the near arrival of evening.

[……It kinda feels like we’ve just moved to another world.]

Hearing those words, I look behind the window.

The town of Frelia is just the same as it always has been.

As if they have no connection to monsters or conflicts, the passersby are walking down the street with peaceful expressions on their faces.

……Yes.

The building we were in stands in the town of Frelia.

—————-This <House of Roses> is a special dungeon that exists within a town.

※　※　※

[Ah, welcome back, everyone. Are you hurt?]

As we walked out to the entrance of the building, a voice called out to us from the side.]

[……Roze.]

I softly called her name.

Long white hair and eyes filled with gentle light, there stood a fragile woman.

She’s the owner of this building.

[We’ve carefully subjugated the monsters on the 1st underground floor in this expedition. With this, there should be no chance that monsters will come out above ground.]

At my blunt words, Roze’s eyes widened for a moment, before thanking us with an elegant bow.

[Adventurer-sama really is quite great. Guessing that a hidden door leads to a dungeon at a glance, defeating the monsters inside in no time at all……]

When she finally looked up, it seemed that the light of aspiration was shining within her eyes.

[……That’s the kind of work we do.]

As for me, I just disclosed the facts that I knew in the game as if I had deduced them.

Being evaluated for such an action, as expected, even I would feel awkward.

As I reflexively moved my gaze away……

[Yes, Rex is amazing.]

For some reason, Prana was puffing out her chest, to which Roze giggled.

[Even so, this is indeed quite surprising. I didn’t expect monsters would make a den in the basement of the house where I had been living normally until now……]

[Do you have any idea why that hidden door was built, Roze-san?]

Brimming with inquisitiveness, Nuku curiously asked, but Roze just shook her head.

[I just inherited this building from my uncle. That’s why, I didn’t know the details of its past……]

As Roze shakes her head while saying this, there’s no indication that she’s lying.

At her response, Nuku responded “I see” before withdrawing regretfully.

[I was surprised that there were monsters there, but I’m happy that everyone came to visit me. ……This building is a little too big for one person after all.]

[Roze-san……]

Hearing the words Roze sadly revealed, Mana became at a loss for words.

Then, as if she realized something, Roze put on a smile and cheerfully made a suggestion.

[Since there’s an opportunity, how about we have some tea? I would love to hear about your adventures.]

As she said this with a forced smile, we nodded without hesitation.

※　※　※

After that, we sat around a table drinking tea, and by the time we parted from Roze, who looked lonely as she watched us leave, the sun had completely set.

We hurried home along the dark night road, relying on the light from the street lamps.

[Even so, we really are getting stronger, aren’t we!? Even that bandaged guy would have been absolutely no match for us just a few minutes ago!]

[I think it was Nuku-san’s Support Magic that did the trick! Being able to grant attributes to attacks brings about quite the impact in battles!]

[Well, it’s for that reason I learned it. ……If a certain someone just had stayed on his guard, we could have won that battle a little more safely though.]

[I- I said I’m sorry already!]

As I felt myself somewhat relaxing at the cheerful conversation Radd and the others exchanged, I suddenly stopped.

“”

As if to turn away from the lights of the city, I looked back at the path we had just taken.

The House of Roses, standing out beneath the moonlit night, seemed to be trapped in deep darkness, in contrast to the houses filled with light.

(……Sorry, Nuku.)

I know what that building really is, and what is under the lower floors.

However, that’s something I can’t tell them……

I can’t tell them that this building is the epicenter of Frelia’s collapse……

And that one of the six <Demon Lords> who follow the Evil Deity, beings who will destroy the world, is sleeping in there……