151 - - The Sensor

The number of gentiles (players) in Baron has increased somewhat, perhaps because of the flow of players after the competitions. Gentiles are conspicuous because of their flashy clothes including their hair, and Baron (here) had an impression of a sand-colored city, but this impression may change in the future.

We met at an inconspicuous bar and inn in the second quarter designated by Peter. It is so quiet that one wonders how such an inconspicuous place can survive. It is clean and cozy despite its dimly lit appearance.

Good evening.

Good evening.

I greet Peter, who has already arrived, and sit down across from him.

"<> Finally done."

"Congratulations. That's a very professional name."

"Why don't you go ahead with Homura, too?"

"Don't be reckless, you'll get more and more lost. Even if it's just a tea ceremony, you're still a ."

"Huh."

<'s island, but then I thought about it and realized that Reno probably rides alone. I don't know if he would take anyone but me in the first place, and it's hard to ask him to take Peter when I'm not comfortable with the ride myself, even though I'm somewhat used to it. I wonder if I can get Peter to go if I hang him with a rope.

...... I think we're going to catch a very big fish.

"So?　What's the effect?"

"When you build it, you can choose magic or physical type, but I'm magic. I'm the magic type. The level of use of holy law and magic is no longer restricted by the job. The physical is the same as H! will be the same, and there will be no limitation on the level of physical (skill) use. The opponent will have the same time to use my job (Thief) system, but the level limitation will be removed. It is a temporary power-up item. So take it."

"Buh!　Didn't he say something disturbing about a blue dragon to protect or a master?"

He asks as he receives the ring. I am a mage, so there is no level limit for my magic, but my INT is usually not higher than that of a wizard, so the power of my magic is not so great. A swordsman who started as a swordsman has a level limit for magic, but not for swordsman skills.

"Oh. That ring, like the party partner cards you exchange with the residents, can force me to come to you. You can refuse, but you'll have to pay a penalty of reduced ability for a certain period of time. I can discard the ring, but if I do so, Homura and I both lose our abilities for three months in this time, right?　Oh, this ring is special and designated for the ring finger."

"The penalty is too steep, man."

The ring finger is the place to wear rings for contracts, rulership, marriage, etc., such as the ring of a coat of arms used by a lord as a . The left ring finger is usually used only for marriage, while the right hand is said to be the ruling finger. Naturally, it is worn on the right hand.

"Homura, you don't use forced invocation anyway, do you?　So this is a handy mobile item that will transfer you to wherever Homura is."

............ hmm?

Movement?

.......

"What a loli-sensor!!!!!!!"

"Hey!　What's with you all of a sudden?　Also, I'm not a pedophile!"

So timely that I couldn't help but shout out .

I explain to Peter why I came to such a conclusion (loli-sensor).

Wait, the enemy is over 50, right?　Don't be absurd. Also, I think they recommend multiple parties, so there."

You'll never know unless you go there, will you?"

"I have information about a quest that involves <>, <>, and <>, and Homura's story doesn't have <>, but I'm pretty sure that <><> are two of the definite ones. It's like looking at the problem statement from the answer. I didn't have the answer, but I guess I have a lot of information instead.　It's a cooperative dungeon, just like that mushroom dungeon in Foss, where you can't go on with just one party."

"Another switch."

"I don't know if it's a switch or not, but I guess we could do something alternating. I heard that the dungeon won't open unless there are two or more parties to begin with."

"Uh, ......."

That's why there were no dungeon-like places, even though Reno and I went around the island quite a bit. There was one place where the metal jacket bore was unnaturally avoided, and I had checked to see if there was anything there, but if two parties went there, would it open an entrance?

"I can't clear it, but I'll go with you at least for a preview of the area on the assumption that you'll return to death. I'd like to test the ring to see how far I can call it."

I must have looked disappointed, because Peter told me that he was going to go and check it out. I'm sorry for being so selfish. But I want to see the new dungeon. I want to go to the labyrinth too!

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Well, let's see.

<. I was offered to help, but I asked Reno to leave. I don't have the courage to bring a resident into a strange dungeon. I guess I should retrieve the room I've set up before going to the entrance of Alice's quest.　We have already built a living room on the new island, but it will be fine if we use it for another room of the same size for other purposes.

"<>"

After collecting the money, I cast the designated spell (laugh) in front of the hill with the big oak with the aged uro, and Peter appears with a shimmering black mist in front of me.

"[Kuroasou no Shinobu] at your call, I will come at once!"

Peter, with the black mist, dispels the edge of the cloth wrapped around his neck like a scarf.

"Ha-ha-ha!　What's a [black and blue shinobi]?"

"Hmmm, even though I knew this from the advance notice, it's going to take me a while to get used to it. It was like moving to a stage in the arena. Kuroazou no Shinobu is a title I received in the arena.

"I thought you were a [poison user] or something. Also, you should do something about the summoning spell every time, it's embarrassing."

"I chose the most bland title. Spells are a hobby of the Blue Dragon (Narn), aren't they?"

"That pull dragon ......, well, if I have to say it anyway, I might as well come up with a really goofy opening line..."

"Yes, let's go with a hot-blooded shounen manga."

Me and Peter working out the story. I can't wait to unveil it, I'm sure he'll laugh.

"This is where the metal jacket bores (active enemies) avoid us, and this is the weirdest place..."

"Oh, yeah, the original story, the one where you were napping at the base of the oak tree."

Then let's go to bed.

"How simple!　Do you want me to check around a little bit?"

In the original story, Alice is bored with her sister reading a book at the base of an oak tree, so she chases the rabbit and wanders into Wonderland - and falls asleep there under the pretense of being lost. <> was , instead of .

I had no choice but to try to put my hands in orcs' hollows, hunt for metal jacket boas that were supposed to target us but suddenly became quiet as if they lost interest when we approached this hill, and put my hands in orcs' hollows. When I came here with Reno, my purpose was different, so I did not investigate in detail, even though I was suspicious.

"Well, let's go to bed."

After a quarter of an hour or so of searching and confirming that there is nothing to be found, Peter says the same line as mine, as if he is bored or satisfied.

A set of bedding specially made by Kikuhime. A futon, a comforter, and a pillow. The two of us lay out the futon in the shade of an oak tree on a sunny hill.

"It's quite surreal from the side, isn't it?"

"Normally, you wouldn't put a futon on the floor. Picture-wise, you might sit and sleep leaning against an oak."

"I think it might be necessary to touch the oak, so let's move the bedding a little.

"So you're just going to shift it there?"

Under the sky, with the roots of the oak tree as a pillow.

Can you sleep?

"If I'm right about this, I think the event is about to begin."

As soon as I lay down under the covers, I hear voices.

"...... Oh my God, oh my God, we're going to be late!"

Oh, God.

"Oh, yeah."

Peter and I look at each other and jump out of bed.

He chases after a running white rabbit wearing a vest with a pocket watch. The white rabbit is quite fast, literally bouncing along.

"Oh my God! I'm going to overtake him."

"More or less, more or less."

But Peter and I were faster. It's only fair, since there are shieldmen and ordinary wizards too. Well, we ran and reached the rabbit hole safely.

"This is fine for two parties of us solo, but will there be twelve old men chasing us in the future?

"I'm sorry, White Rabbit."

It is a rather unpleasant picture to imagine. I hope the white rabbit escapes desperately.

He enters a hole and falls down, and at the end of the hole is a room. I must have fallen very fast, but before I reached the room, I felt as if I was floating, and I found myself in the room.

"There was a small door and a vial, as promised."

Alice drinks the liquid from the vial, becomes smaller, and passes through the door.

"Is there a regular door next to it?"

You turn the knob, but it is locked. I find a key on the desk, but it seems to be a key for a small door.

"There are a lot more vials than I expected, and they're a different color."

Vials line the table on which the key was found.

"There's something written on it."

-- -- -- -- --　--

Drink, drink. Drink me.

Drink it, and you'll get smaller and smaller.

But I can only drink one!

We can't all choose the same color!

-- -- -- -- -- --　--

"Well [the appraisal] only shows the same thing."

"Do you want a drink?　The color seems to be somehow related to the attributes."

"Does the route change depending on the attribute (color) you choose?　Oh, I'll drink first. If you have any abnormalities, it would be better for you to recover.

"Yes, sir. Then you can choose any color you like."

The vials on the table are green, red, yellow, white, black, bluish silver, gold and silver.

"Is the bluish silver the wind?　I thought darkness was black, but I guess it would be silver."

"By the way, I once mistakenly thought that the blue dragon was water for a while. I didn't think it was a tree.

"Japanese dragons are water gods, so they must mix."

The Tone River and the Yoshino River are both dragons.

"Well, the northern sea has a black image, so it's okay if the water is black."

As usual, I am going off on a tangent.

"Darkness, maybe."

Peter selects a vial of silver liquid.

"Steady dark choice. Considering what I'm going to drink, I think red or white, and I hope it tastes more like calpis than wine."

I pick up a small bottle of white liquid.

"I'm a drunkard."

"In terms of enhanced abilities, I'd rather have more dexterity than strength!"

"It's delicious, but it's sake."

With these words, the vial is unsealed and the liquid inside is stirred by Peter.

"Ghew!"

"Hey!　Are you all right!"

He hurriedly applies <, but Peter waves his hand as if to say he's fine.

"Why, the pudding tastes like ......!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ！！！！"

"Too sweet to drink in liquid form!　And it doesn't matter what color it is. ！！！！"

Peter who did not get smaller. I searched the room again, but found nothing in particular, and I wondered if the sentence "We can't all choose the same color" meant "We can all choose different colors," and if everyone had to drink it to change it.　I have come to the conclusion that

The white liquid is odorless.

Victory!　Lassi yogurt!!!!"

"Oh, it's too normal!"

Thank goodness it doesn't taste like meat or anything. ！！！！

And I'm the only one who shrank.

I thought I was the size of a white rabbit, but I'm the size of a hand-held rabbit.

"I've lost half of my ability, is this okay?"

"Maybe one party stays bigger and escorts the other party?　Anyway, maybe if you go to the end of the door, you can open a normal door, thank you."

Peter puts me on his hand and takes me to a small door.

When you go outside, you find yourself in a dimly-lit forest, but if you notice anything strange, there is no sun. The trees are bearing sweets on their branches in the brightness as if through shoji screens. Starting with lollipop candies, then caramels, sugar cubes, macaroons, rolls, gummy bears of every color. Is a sugar cube a candy?

"I feel like I'm in a very strange place."

Sighing at the sight before me, I turn around and look up to see a normal-sized door with the key still stuck in it.

I jump to the lock, thinking, "You're being careless, aren't you? There seems to be a gimmick to climb up, but I'm not going to go through the trouble.

"Thank you. ....... I'm sure the day lilies will be happy to see you."

I unlocked the door and Peter came out. The sight before him reminded him of Cronos' daylilies, which were crunching and chain-sweetening.

Oh, should I bring Reno and Cal?　

"I'd be happier with regular fruit than candy."

"It's a nice fantasy."

Riding on Peter's shoulders, we set out for the dungeon of sweets.

Stop picking!