While the two were discussing, Anqi, the short, loli-like demon they had just met, walked over with a plate, swaying unsteadily.
She then carefully climbed the small staircase made of several boxes placed at the corner of the table.
Will watched with concern, wondering if she would drop the plate of food.
However, she seemed very skilled at this, and despite her unsteady sway, she managed to keep the plate stable without spilling a single drop of food.
“Sorry to bother you, this is the food you ordered.”
“Super Delicious Supreme Sheep Brain!”
A plate of soft solids, dark in color, with only the brain folds, resembling the surface of a walnut, was brought over and placed in front of Shuna.
“Freshly Baked Exquisite Buttered Bread!”
And Will’s bread.
It could hardly be called exquisite. Its hard exterior, a black, rigid surface that looked like it could peel off in layers, and the butter, which was nowhere to be seen, appeared extremely terrifying.
“The meal is served. Please enjoy!”
After placing the dishes, Little Anqi bowed deeply to the two.
The ram horns on her head were polished to a shine and gleamed when she bowed.
“I don’t think I can… enjoy it…”
Will picked up the fork and knife beside him. The silverware was actually very exquisite and clean.
It even made Will feel that using such fine cutlery to eat such food was somewhat disrespectful to the utensils.
“It’s actually quite good. Don’t be fooled by its appearance; the taste is acceptable.”
Shuna naturally stirred the soft mass with a spoon, scooped some up, which included some of the brain’s membrane, and brought it to Will’s mouth.
“Wait…”
Before Will could prepare himself, he was fed a mouthful.
But…
It was delicious.
That was Will’s first impression.
While the texture was slightly lacking for someone accustomed to noble feasts, as the fishy smell wasn’t completely removed.
However, without the refinement of a “grand meal,” he unexpectedly tasted the thoughtfulness of home-style cooking from his previous life.
“Then… what about this bread…”
Will took a bite. The bread was indeed a bit hard, but it was surprisingly filled with the aroma of baked butter, a bread that tasted intensely of bread.
“See? Their dishes just look unappetizing, but they’re actually good when you eat them.”
Shuna smiled and ate a few more bites of sheep brain.
As soon as she finished speaking, the little demon’s head, which had been submerged, reappeared with her ram horns.
“Th-Thank you, both guests! Could you perhaps pay a little extra tip this time? The lady was defeated three times on the third floor before. Can she be defeated three times on the fourth floor this time?”
“……?”
A strange expression appeared on Will’s face.
What kind of peculiar request was this?
To have them…
Be used as punching bags?
“Sure, no problem.”
Shuna seemed to be enjoying her meal. She stirred with her spoon, took another bite, and readily agreed to the request with great satisfaction.
“You actually agreed?!”
Shuna placed her hand in front of her mouth, signaling Will to remain silent for now.
“That’s great! Just as the boss said, the restaurant’s most profitable business is catering to couples. Men always try to show off and spend excessively.”
“…”
Will had a feeling that the “boss” of this place had questionable methods.
And then…
“Uh, never mind about couples or not, but… don’t you recognize which one is the ‘gentleman’?”
“Huh!?”
Anqi looked around.
She particularly stared at Shuna’s chest.
“I’m sorry! For… for demons… recognizing a human’s gender is like humans recognizing a dog’s gender. It’s completely… completely impossible to tell by looking at their face without observing their private parts! Though the boss also said that, I’ve never actually seen a dog.”
At this moment, Will felt that even though they had taken “service industry” to the extreme, they were still “demons” – mischievous imps.
As for Shuna, why was she smiling so happily?
She seemed to be enjoying being mistaken for the male in a couple…
Wait?!
As Will thought of this, his sphincter tightened.
Then, it relaxed.
Illusion, it must be an illusion.
“However, after this, can I meet your Empress?”
A hint of difficulty appeared on Anqi’s face, and even her ears twitched up and down.
“We’d love to take you to see her… but, Lucifer isn’t in the Dungeon… However, perhaps you… you might have a chance to run into her… somewhere else?”
“…It’s fine, I have plenty of time.”
After Anqi slowly slid back down from the table, Shuna looked at Will.
“However, you must be in a hurry.”
“What exactly is this Dungeon about? What does it mean to be ‘defeated’… Could it be…”
“That’s right. It’s what you’re thinking. Want to give it a try?”
There was no food left on the plates.
Shuna’s gaze seemed to imply to Will that it was time to pay the “tip.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They proceeded as if they were clearing a regular Dungeon, finding the door on the first floor—though it looked like a small door leading to the kitchen—and then entered the second floor.
Under the welcoming line of little demons, they arrived at the third floor.
Then…
To the fourth floor.
The answer in Will’s mind was gradually solidifying.
No…
Rather than solidifying the answer here, it was more like finally connecting the “early” parts of the original work—
Where did the endless resources in the Dungeon come from?
And why were these useful resources generously given to adventurers?
And… what did the adventurers constantly entering the Dungeon mean to them? Why did that Empress in the original work take every floor and every challenger so seriously…
The answer indeed lay within this “strange” Tenth Demon City—
“Excuse me, are you here to pay your ‘meal fees’?”
Waiting for them on the fourth floor was a little demon holding a hammer made of cotton candy.
Like the other little demons, it had small wings, and the tip of its tail resembled a heart.
But it seemed a bit shy, even though its purplish-red face didn’t show any blush.
As for the hammer…
It looked like a decorative item from an amusement park, light and without any offensive power.
In this regard, it was completely different from previous Dungeons.
“You… you can walk this way… I’ll be gentle, you won’t feel anything at all.”
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The cotton hammer hit on the head, carrying the sweet scent of actual cotton candy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The strange journey through the Dungeon ended when the two stood at the entrance, having “failed to clear the Dungeon.”
“Phew, I never expected that my first, second… and many other times of ‘failing to clear a Dungeon’ would be here.”
Shuna stretched, as if she had gotten used to it all.
At the entrance of the Tenth Demon City, one side held the illuminated plaque of the Tenth Demon City, while the other was a quiet street—in this city without outsiders or entertainment, the residents also went to bed early.
“How was it? Smart Little Will, after this experience, you must have understood something, right?”
Will, standing in the darkness, stepped out.
“They’re… grinding achievements.”
“That’s right. This is probably one of the secrets of the Dungeon. Will, aren’t you curious? How does the Dungeon operate? Why do they actually welcome adventurers to explore? Where does the stuff they give to adventurers come from?”
“It’s because…”
“Because we need to obtain energy from the adventurers’ battles to expand the Dungeon downwards.”
In the shadows cast by the lights, a young girl interrupted their conversation.
