“Haa, I managed to escape, huh.”
Emerging from the dungeon entrance, my body was a mess.
With my right arm hanging uselessly, unable to move, and my left leg dragging behind me after going into spasms, I pushed my aching body to escape the dungeon.
Finally, after escaping, I checked the clock by the entrance and saw it was just past seven in the evening. I had entered in the morning, so I had been inside the dungeon for over eight hours.
When I took the final torrent of magical power from the Yamata no Orochi’s bone chest, I thought, “Oh, I’m dead,” and gave up.
But perhaps thanks to the harsh training from the instructors in everyday life, my increased durability wasn’t just for show. I never thought the day would come when I would withstand a dragon’s attack that pierced my magic barrier with my bare body.
Even I would question how I survived rather than marveling at my survival.
As I pondered this question, I reviewed the damage.
Apart from physical injuries, my equipment suffered fatal damage.
All of my armor had vanished.
All that currently covered me was what I wore beneath my damaged armor, resembling a kendo gi.
Fortunately, the power of the final attack decreased with distance, so the damage didn’t reach my inner wear.
Even with such an attack, my magic body returned to my normal body, and various parts of me ached…
Naturally, I didn’t want to travel naked, so I was grateful to be blown all the way to the vicinity of the exit.
“Well, first… to the infirmary, huh!?”
Having finally reached a safe zone, my guard dropped.
My consciousness wavered for a moment due to fatigue and damage.
I managed to lean against a wall, avoiding a fall, but my situation was still dire.
The damage was different from training. Following my body’s scream to recover, I began to walk slowly.
The infirmary and the dungeon entrance were close.
In fact, the company had multiple infirmaries, and there was one right next to the dungeon entrance.
It was placed there so that injured Dungeon Testers could receive immediate treatment.
“I require treatment.”
There was no knock.
Entering a room that was more like a well-equipped infirmary than a hospital reception, I collapsed.
My consciousness was clear until I opened the door with my remaining strength and stumbled inside, collapsing like that.
Even without direct injuries, the backlash from returning from a magic body to a physical one was intense.
Even though my body was supposed to be strengthened by magic crests, fatigue washed over me, my body heated up, and moving even a finger felt like a chore.
Suddenly, I heard shouts and the sound of hurried footsteps.
This somehow kept me from losing consciousness completely.
And then, warm magic enveloped me, presumably a Healing Magic.
With that warmth, my eyelids threatened to close multiple times.
“Honestly, how did you get yourself into this state?!”
“I took a dragon’s breath.”
Though likely a complaint, my current hazy consciousness mistook it for an inquiry, and I answered honestly. But what I received in return was…
“Haa!? Dragon’s breath? Based on the accumulated damage, that must have been an upper-tier species!? How are you even alive!? Normally, you’d be transferred to a critical care room after taking something like that! Why are you walking here normally!?”
It was the doctor’s scream, somewhere between a shriek and exasperation.
Even though a small part of me thought they were being loud, treatment progressed, and my consciousness gradually cleared.
After some initial first aid, I was helped to a bed and received further treatment.
I was asked a few more questions during that time, and each time, the response was mixed with exasperation.
As the damage subsided, my consciousness became clearer.
“Haa, I’ve been a doctor for many years, but this is the first time I’ve had a patient who’s been hit by dragon’s breath. Are all Dungeon Testers like this?”
As my consciousness cleared, I saw a kind-looking Dark Elf woman, shaking her head in disbelief as she treated me.
The dark elf doctor, wearing a white coat, was showering me with gentle light from her hands.
“This is why you’re only suffering this much damage from the backlash after returning from your magic body, but it’s still severe damage. If the damage had remained on your physical body, in addition to your right arm, you’d have two fractures, your ribs and left shin. Five hairline fractures, two on the back of your left hand and two at the base of your right toes, and two more cracks in your left ribs. Also, magic depletion, full-body burns, and internal organ damage. Anyone would say you’re critically injured. Terrifyingly, your durability and recovery ability are beyond that of a normal person, capable of containing the backlash within a recoverable range.”
After completing the treatment, she sat down at a chair by the bed and began writing on a chart.
Her face was filled with bewilderment.
She commented that my constitution, which allowed me to be declared fine with minimal treatment despite injuries that should have required hospitalization, was abnormal.
As a doctor, she found it strange, but after the final post-treatment examination, she confirmed there were no problems, checked the same areas two or three times, and finally, with a puzzled look, told the Dark Elf doctor that I could leave.
“Thank you very much.”
“Just in case, I’ll give you some recovery potions. If you feel any pain, drink one and head to the nearest infirmary immediately… Also, even though we wish for you to avoid getting injured, please be careful. Please, try to avoid anything that would cause such serious injuries.”
Bowing my head in gratitude, the Dark Elf doctor urged me twice and then sent me off.
The paper bag she handed me contained three familiar bottles.
After confirming this, I bowed again and was lectured by Suella and the others that day, who had been worried.
While I might have narrated my experience with a heartwarming tone, Kaido and the others had similar reactions.
A wry smile, a half-smile, a forced smile – whatever you want to call it, they were all keeping their distance.
“So, because of that, honestly, I can’t go to get the Ore Trees alone in my current state. So, that’s why…”
After finishing my story up to being lectured by Suella and the others, I gave a thumbs-up with a smile and said to my Party Members, who were still reeling from the fight with the dragon.
“Let’s go hunt together!”
“No, the characters are clearly different! Your words sound so dangerous that they make my previous ‘efficiency freak’ speech sound cute!”
“Don’t worry, I survived alone. If we go together, surely we can do it!”
“It doesn’t matter if you say it cheerfully! That line sounds like a death flag no matter how you hear it! And your characters, your characters are wrong!”
The atmosphere in the Party Room immediately became boisterous.
It’s only natural.
What I was inviting them to was a tour ticket to a humanly impossible and demonic realm.
They weren’t battle-maniacs enough to willingly participate in such a tour.
Me? I have to go get the Ore Trees.
I’m resigned to it.
You know, right? Life is about enjoying yourself.
“Well, I suspect if we challenge the dungeon, the Dragon King will show up, but we’re used to fighting the generals with the instructors, so we’ll probably be fine!”
Despite my attempt to persuade them with this reasoning, their reactions were not favorable.
However, their reactions were within my expectations.
“You can’t fool us with words like that!! What you’re saying is that we’ve decided to fight the strongest dragon of the Demon Lord’s Army!!”
“You could say that, but think about it calmly. I want you all to experience it.”
“Out! If you think that, then look us in the eye and say it!”
Faced with Kitamiya and Amelia’s rebuttals, I ended up averting my gaze.
Well, I am aware that I’m asking quite a lot, so this reaction is understandable. And as someone who fought it, if possible, I’d prefer to avoid fighting something so far beyond the norm.
If my boss gave me such an unreasonable request, I’d definitely complain a couple of times… no, more than just a couple.
I’d use every trick in the book to avoid this situation.
“Katsu, do you think so too?”
“Yes, I really can’t…”
Amidst this overwhelmingly negative sentiment, where I could easily grasp everyone’s feelings, I said, “I see, then it can’t be helped.”
“Naturally, I can’t possibly handle a boss battle in the current situation.”
“Well, it’s regrettable about the Ore Trees, but my life is more important. It’s not like we die in our dungeon, but it’s incredibly painful.”
“I sympathize with you, Jiro-san, but as Jiro-san said, isn’t it just an experience?”
“Yes! Just like Karen-chan said, Jirou-san! Cheer up!”
“I’ll make something delicious today.”
Seeing my attitude, they probably thought I had given up on the Ore Trees.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief and tried to cheer me up.
Seeing their reactions, I felt a pang of guilt, but I steeled my heart, thinking, “This is this, and that is that,” and felt a dark smile bloom in my heart.
“Well, I guess that’s true. However, I can’t give up on it, so I might try a few more times on my own.”
“Leader, you’re quite persistent. Well, I won’t stop you. Good luck! I’ll be cheering for you.”
“You should pace yourself. If you break your body, you won’t be able to earn.”
Minami and Kaido showed no sign of trying to console me. Their expressions suggested they thought I hadn’t given up, but had at least come to terms with it.
“I see. Ah, I understand. Then it can’t be helped. I’ll just take this profitable opportunity all to myself then.”
“????”
As if to shatter the atmosphere, I placed a piece of paper on the desk.
Unable to keep up with the sudden change in topic, the Party Members tentatively looked at the paper I had placed.
“What is this again? Kya!? This!? Eh!?”
“Is this a purchase detail? Um, the price is one, ten, a hundred, a thousand, eh!? W-what is this!?”
Minami and Kaido, who were closest to the paper, were astonished, their eyes nearly popping out.
“By the way, that’s the money left over after buying new armor.”
“Eh!? Isn’t this saying you’re in the positive balance!?”
“That’s right!! A profit of over thirty million, what kind of joke is this!?”
“Well, dragon materials are profitable… It was quite a good earning.”
That’s quite natural. I thought I had miscounted when Memoria bought them from me as well.
In that battle, I lost my armor, but I managed to protect the magic bag in the form of a pouch attached to my lower back.
It had a capacity of about two cubic meters and was quite expensive, but it’s good to have a wife.
Acting on Memoria’s advice, I bought a used one in good condition at a low price.
Its performance is like a warehouse, with no compartments, so everything inside gets mixed up, which is a drawback.
It’s inconvenient for quick retrieval, but it’s quite useful if you take your time.
It holds anything within its capacity, despite its mouth size.
“You can’t be serious?”
“Hahaha, am I, tired?”
Kitamiya’s eyes widened, and Amelia rubbed hers, checking if it was real.
Satisfied with their reactions, I added another fact.
The fact that the materials from the dragon I defeated were currently skyrocketing in price.
“It seems the army also suffered quite a bit of damage in the recent rebellion, so while it’s not wartime profit, they are buying up high-grade monster materials on the market to reinforce their military, and there’s a shortage everywhere. Because of this, even common monster materials are slightly more expensive. Dragon species materials, which are already in high demand, are now nearly five times their normal price. And this is for already high-grade materials. Five times, you know? According to Memoria’s prediction, this price will continue for another six months.”
“………Gulp.”
The inside of my magic bag had become a veritable mountain of gold due to the post-rebellion recovery efforts.
I had obtained a large amount of dragon materials within the dungeon, and my magic bag was also full of Blood species materials.
My entire set of armor was damaged and lost in the battle with the dragons.
So, when I was almost in tears about the sudden expense of needing to buy new armor, selling the materials to Memoria felt like a dream.
Just two cubic meters filled to the brim yielded nearly forty million in profit.
Even after deducting the cost of new armor, the daily income was astronomical.
With just three days of diving, earnings in the tens of millions were guaranteed.
I’ve heard stories in fantasy novels about dragon species materials fetching high prices, but I never thought I’d experience it in reality.
Of course, the price of lower-class species isn’t that high.
Most of it comprised materials from Blood species dragons found downstream in the canyon.
Hunting weak dragons yields little profit, but it’s a different story for stronger dragons.
The higher the risk, the greater the return.
Plus, you get stronger.
When I checked my status, it had also significantly increased.
This is the kind of thing you don’t hear about unless it’s some dodgy shopping or a scam.
Kaido and Minami, who were previously in a panic, were now intently scrutinizing the sales details with Kitamiya and the others, swallowing hard.
“Well, now that that’s decided, I’ll be acting alone for a while. Even with this money, I can’t buy that Ore Tree, so I need to make various preparations.”
I deliberately left these words in front of them before slowly getting up.
And as I tried to leave the room, my clothes were grabbed.
Looking at the faces of those who had grabbed me, every single one of them was reaching out to stop me.
With a beaming smile, thinking, “They took the bait,” I.
“Well then, shall we all go hunt?”
And I gave them a thumbs-up.
The other members returned the gesture with smiles.
A word for today:
Don’t be swayed by sentiment; present the profit clearly!!
If you enjoyed this, please leave comments, ratings, bookmarks, etc.
*The first volume of the novel is published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
The e-book version was released on October 31 of the same year.
Volume two was released on December 19.
The third volume was released on February 20, 2019.
The content includes revisions and additions to the material posted on Shosetsuka ni Narou, with the inclusion of unreleased interlude chapters.
Please consider purchasing the new volumes as well!!
A comic adaptation is being serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.”
We hope you enjoy that as well.
We look forward to your continued support of this work.
