Chapter 6 – Episode 6. Wearing a Jump!
Ah, mother. Are you all right?
Today, I am reminded of you, who was burned while hanging on a cross among the cultists who sang hymns.
At that time, I was an unfilial bastard who just watched you, but in the end, I think I will follow you without even achieving anything like this.
I’m sorry for being a bad son. Mom I love you!
“Dave is not like that!”
At that moment, a high-pitched voice was heard. When Verdia turned her head away in surprise, Celica could be seen shooting at Verdia who was driving me to stop.
“D-Mr. Dave…”
Verdia’s timid attitude began to bend as if it would break at Verdia’s eyes, but that was only for a moment.
As if she had made up her mind soon, Celica clenched her fists and shouted at her vigorously.
“Dave was one of the nicest people I’ve ever seen. Even while we’re together, rice, rice… Nothing happened!”
“… Really?”
“Yes, yes! Really! So please don’t push me so hard. Dave will definitely help the party!”
Clearly opened eyes turned to Verdia.
The moment when the effort to somehow maintain an attitude while trembling seemed imaginary. Verdia, who had been watching her, reluctantly withdrew her gaze and quietly turned her back from her seat.
“Come to think of it, Celica, I had a test for you today.”
“Test, yo?”
“It would be better to buy trust by seeing it in person than talking about a hundred words. I have prepared the necessary tools and equipment, so the two of you should come to the west exit of the city as soon as your hearts are ready.”
After saying that, Verdia leaves her seat.
Just when the surroundings calmed down, like after a storm, Celica took a deep breath and sat her body down in her seat.
“Gwa, are you okay?”
“Yes, yes. It’s okay because Mr. Dave is safe.”
No, I was talking about you, not me.
“… Please don’t misunderstand me too much.”
Even so, Celica didn’t take her own condition seriously, and she just stared at the spot where Verdia left.
“It’s because Mr. Verdia is worried about me, too, so I don’t think he has any ill feelings.”
“Yes, yes. I understand that too.”Anyway, if a person who is about to be a strong teenager in his teens is black, he has to be black.
Whatever it was, thanks to Celica, her suspicions were avoided. But the crisis is not over yet.
What I need to do from now on is not to arouse suspicion in front of the 10 strong men, and to see if I can help this poor woman.
“Then let me follow you right away… Eh!?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes. That… My legs are weak.”
“… Shall I give you a hand?”
Yes, she is a very poor woman.
Even though being a warrior is the way it all starts.
***
Devil.
An incarnation of destruction that aims to cause disaster in this world from its existence.
From the beginning, the innate strength attracts everything that sees the world negatively, and as a result, emerges as a force threatening humanity.
Responding to such an existence is impossible even for those who are about 10 strong. That is why the existence of a hero is regarded as hope for mankind.
Even if the power born from the beginning is infinitely small, the power awakened after enduring such an ordeal is the only one in this world that holds the possibility of surpassing the Demon King.
… Well, I’ve only heard of it, so I don’t know what that possibility feels like.
Now that I met the dragon, it wouldn’t hurt to check it myself.
“We have arrived, this is the place where you will practice Celica this time.”
Afterwards, the place I arrived along Verdia was over the hill to the west of the city where I was staying. It was like a cave in the back mountain.
However, it is not a naturally formed cave. Defense magic stones and signs placed around the entrance prove it.
“Artificial dungeon…”
“Yes, as it is written here.”
Immediately, Verdia raised her hand on the sign in front of the cave and the information on the dungeon and turned to Celica.
“Selica, you must have never entered a dungeon before, right?”
“Ah yes. So far, I have only practiced in my hometown.”
A new warrior who has just started his adventure.
That would be the word to sum up this beautiful and inexperienced young lady who suddenly came to be with them.
“Dave. How are you?”
“Yes, there were several dungeons near my hometown. I used to make a living by doing chores in front of the adventurers who occasionally visited.”
It’s not a lie.
In fact, I belong to an organization under the Demon King’s Army. Of course, there are many dungeons where time and space are distorted by the appearance of the demon king, and you have no choice but to face them, and you have encountered quite a few adventurers who came there looking for rewards.
Furthermore, dungeons were not created intentionally, but were like ‘by-products of the demon king’s uncontrollable power’.
It is a fact unknown to humans, but dungeons that have not been attacked tend to become a nuisance to the demon army stationed nearby.
Of course, rather than attacking directly, it is more beneficial to let the adventurers attack, and to engage in a power battle to utilize the dungeon after the raid is over.
I also had many experiences of hiding my identity and helping adventurers.
“Looking at the documents Celica gave me, it says that I don’t have much knowledge in combat, but I managed to survive.”
“All I do is do chores… Since the dungeon has already been cleared, it was easy to give the adventurers information and hide in a safe place.”
“If you have that much experience, you should be able to easily break through artificial dungeons.”
Soon, with Verdia standing in front of her entrance, she turned to Celica and me and said,
“Now then, I will explain what the two of you have to do. Especially Celica, you should listen carefully.”
“Well, even if you don’t say that… I will listen.”
Even though she made a crying sound, Celica stood firm. It was an attitude that made me doubt whether he was the same person as the person who wanted to protect me before.
Well, that must mean that Verdia has been harassing her a lot. Verdia, on the other hand, continued to speak with a determined attitude, as if it was okay.
“This dungeon is one of the crystallizations of the research that the magicians of the Mage Tower put their heart and soul into. By naturally accepting energy from the veins of magic stones located in this mountain, it created an effect similar to that of the original dungeon.”
Artificial dungeon…
I’ve only come across information, but this is the first time I’ve actually entered it.
In fact, the demon lords also regard dungeons as a treasure trove, but as much as the adventurers are eager to raid, they don’t dare to take it seriously.
More than anything else, since it was artificially created, you wouldn’t be able to get the ‘reward’, which is the main purpose of attacking the dungeon.
Since dungeons are what you go to to get resources, an act like ‘training in a place similar to a dungeon’ by investing a huge amount of resources will inevitably be considered a waste.
“Since it’s a dungeon, it’s filled with golems based on monsters as well as traps. Although it is dangerous, there is also a function that detects the state of the entrant inside, so the risk of death is zero.”
“A dungeon literally made only for training… That’s it.”
“Okay, if it gets dangerous, the function will automatically stop, so you don’t have to worry too much.”
After saying that, Verdia slipped away.
“This time, since it’s just training, I’ll stop at just following and estimating the skills of the two. I hope the two of you can safely complete the dungeon breakthrough.”
“Joe, great! I will work hard!”
Celica clench her fists vigorously.
Then, as her clear eyes turned to the entrance of her dungeon, she began to nod as if she had made up her mind.
“Then I will lead the way, so Dave, please follow slowly from behind.”
“Yes, yes. I get that, but…”
It took a while to answer and follow along.
Suddenly, she caught her eyes as she stood at the entrance of her dungeon, lowering her stance.
“Miss Celica? What are you trying to do now?”
“Oh, is this? I heard somewhere that among adventurers, there is a culture called ‘jumping when worn’.”
“… Jump?”
“Enter the dungeon by jumping! Huhu, actually, I wanted to try this once when I came to the dungeon! Wouldn’t it be better to do it with a good spirit?”
“Huh? Now, wait a minute, Celica-san!”
What is that fool trying to do?
“The wearer jumps!”
Celica leaps toward the dungeon’s entrance even before I can stop her.
However, after her foot landed, the block at her entrance was crushed by her body weight.
-Kiririk!
At the same time as the sound of the device being activated, the wall on the side of the entrance opened and something began to protrude.
A heavy log with a rope hanging from it.
“Kheuk!”
As it was, Celica bounced off her body and flew away.
Afterwards, Verdia quietly approached me as I stared blankly at the scene while she was slumped on the floor and groaning at her.
“… Were you noticing?”
“No, I just knew that I should never run into a dungeon unless it’s dangerous.”
A dungeon is a structure where the terrain changes every time you enter it. Of course, since you don’t know where the traps will be set, it’s basic to be cautious unless you’ve been on the road again.
But to jump at the entrance to such a dungeon? Who the hell was distributing that stupid information?
Is that woman who follows that straight away a fool?
“Sorry. It’s too late for me to dry it.”
“No, you don’t have to worry about it. Celica doesn’t know the world, but she doesn’t know too much. I’m going to have to work hard at this point.”
Verdia answered silently and looked at Celica, who was on the floor with a pitiful look.
I never thought the day would come when I, a member of the Demon King’s Army, would form a bond of sympathy with the strongest human being. It’s something to live for a very long time.
