This is about a subterranean area that could be called Shucco’s third city.
I followed the path that Old Man Mohit told me about, and this area seemed like a chaotic mix of various things.
(What is this place? A storage room, a residence, some unrecognizable shop, and maybe a garbage dump?)
The passages were narrow, and what set this place apart from the E Area slums was a strange sense of confinement. It felt like sneaking into half-ruins, no, it *was* half-ruins. And yet, there were also small brothels, but that wasn’t my priority right now. As I proceeded…
“Um, is this a coffee shop?”
A mysterious coffee shop tucked away in a dead-end alley. The painting of a teacup outside suggested it was. Even if it turned out to be a pottery shop, my goal was information, so it didn’t matter.
*Cling-clang*
“Welcome to the Lucky Coffee Shop, Aubergine.”
As I opened the door and entered, I was greeted by a giant man who didn’t seem like a coffee shop employee at all. Was he a bodyguard?!
“Uh, hello.”
“You actually made it this far. Did you get lost?”
“Y-yes.”
He looked to be in his late forties. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was the guy who got lost while hunting solo in the dungeon. His attire also looked more like a fake Adventurer Guild uniform than that of a coffee shop employee.
“Would you like something to drink? We also have sandwiches.”
“Um, excuse me, ‘Mohit has a cold.’ And this too.”
I jingled nineteen gold coins. Without a word, he went to the door and hung the “Closed” sign outside.
“…Shall we hear your story?”
“Yes, actually, there’s a Female Hero I’d like you to investigate. Her name is Korome. Her characteristics are…”
I told him the whole story, giving him as much information as possible.
“I see. It’s unnatural for an A-class Hero to have so little information circulating.”
“Yes, and whether Helen’s former party members truly became slaves of their own volition…”
“…One Platinum Coin.”
“Wh-what?!”
“That’s my fee for information gathering. I’ll take it for one Platinum Coin.”
Huh? What about the nineteen gold coins I just gave him?
“Um, can you guarantee the results?”
“If the quality of the information I gather is clearly poor, I’ll return it. In that case, it’s free.”
Hmm, what should I do? First, I need to determine if this person is trustworthy.
“For a warrior like yourself, it shouldn’t be an impossible amount.”
“Y-yes.”
“If you have any concerns, please ask. Whether I answer or not is another matter.”
Alright, I’ll trust Old Man Mohit on this.
“…Is this sufficient?”
“Good, the contract is established. I can’t guarantee a timeframe, though.”
“But!”
“Don’t rush. I will gather the information. I will definitely gather it. When you return, I will provide everything I’ve found up to that point. The completion time is basically up to you. If I investigate for a while and find nothing, I’ll return it.”
“Understood. I’ll leave it to you.”
He took a precious Platinum Coin from me. If I lose the Kelpie bid by a hair’s breadth, this is why. No, it’s fine if I just work hard and earn more.
“Right, for starters, come back late tomorrow night or the morning after tomorrow. I’ll tell you the general situation then.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
“Guest, your name?”
“My name is Deles. I’m a Hero Porter.”
“No, you’re a Hero, aren’t you? You aren’t injured anywhere, are you?”
It was too much trouble to explain, so I left it at that.
Ah, the nineteen gold coins were for the herbal tea. It was weak, though.
(Now, the way back is going to be tough. Ah! The map tissue is all crumpled!)
“…And so, I was writing down the way back, and that’s why I was late.”
Returning to the East C Area and the normal Adventurer Guild, I explained the situation to Nina and Helen.
“Understood. I’ll go with you next time.”
“Be careful, there were some narrow passages.”
“Ah, then let’s head in right away.”
At the Hero Exclusive Reception, I handed my Adventurer Card to a regular receptionist. Today’s party consisted of a Hero, a Summoner (slave), and a Hero Porter. As we finished the reception, a pair of ordinary-looking men approached. A normal Magician and a normal Cleric.
“It must be difficult for two women alone. Would you like to team up with us?”
“No, we don’t need it.”
I rejected them with a “Don’t bother me any further” aura. They backed away. Yes, they probably felt intimidated because my companions are large. Even Helen, while not as imposing as Nina, is a tall woman.
(In terms of her plumpness, she has a different kind of charm too. Yes.)
“Honestly, if you don’t even consider Deles, there’s no point in talking.”
Oh, I’m so glad.
The dungeon was located underground from the Adventurer Guild. We walked through a tunnel in the mountains, a gentle, long slope downward.
“Speaking of which, this is the exclusive entrance for the C Area, isn’t it?”
“Because the connected area is the C Area, it’s bound to be.”
After walking for a while, we encountered guards. After they checked our Adventurer Cards, we passed through a door and found ourselves at the Magic Elevator. It could take us directly to the 100th floor underground. We decided to ride it immediately.
“It’s large and spacious. It says the capacity is sixty people.”
“It looks like it will take some time. Alright, Helen, use the Magic Stones I gave you to summon a Succubus.”
“…Understood.”
The Magic Elevator, with only us inside, began to descend. Helen placed six Magic Stones on the floor, each of a different attribute. As she placed her palm on each one, she cast a spell without incantation. The Magic Stones expanded and transformed into Succubi.
“Amazing! So this is how you summon them.”
One by one, they transformed into Succubi. Soon, a total of six Succubi of different colors were ready.
“Um, the first one is a green ‘Forest Succubus.’ The one that attacked us.”
“It’s an earth-attribute Magic Stone.”
The fact that it wasn’t particularly strong might mean we were strong. It seemed strong enough as a front-liner.
“Next is the slightly reddish ‘Hot Succubus.’ It’s fire-attributed, but not excessively hot.”
“Can it use magic?”
“…Yes, something like Fireball.”
Useful for campfires!
“The ‘Breeze Succubus’ from the white Magic Stone is wind-attributed, so it should be fast.”
“So, because it’s a Succubus, it can fly? That’s convenient. Oh, so it’s just like Anju.”
Does that mean Anju was a Succubus?!
“This light blue one is the ‘Water Succubus.’ Could I have some water?”
“Won’t it only produce water if Helen commands it?”
“…Here you go.”
Water trickled from the Succubus’s hand. It’s like they have these in parks.
“And then, the precious Light and Dark Magic Stones. The ‘Holy Succubus’ looks more beautiful than the white one earlier.”
“A radiant skin, perhaps? The Breeze Succubus’s white was a pale white, but this one is pure white.”
“…I summoned it for the first time, and it seems to be able to use Healing Magic.”
Whoa, that’s incredible!
“The last one is the ‘Bad Succubus,’ it’s purple. What can this one do?”
“…I summoned this for the first time too. It seems capable of spitting poison mist.”
“Hmm, useful against bad men too.”
What are you imagining, Nina!
“But it’s certainly livelier now.”
“We’ll see how it performs in actual combat. Helen, I’m counting on you.”
“…Understood.”
While we were talking, we arrived at the 100th floor underground.
