Book 2: Chapter 3: (1)

The Case of Enami Going to Another World and Deet Returning Home

「KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」

As I was sound asleep, the sudden ringing of Ria’s scream covered the apartment.

「W-W-W-What happened!? 」

Ria was pointing at the monitor that was broadcasting the dungeon.

「O-Orc! 」

Orc? I rubbed my eyes and took a look at the monitor. Whoa! There were two huge loincloth wearing demon looking figures on the screen. They were clearly not goblins of any kind. And they were probably worth a lot of experience. But why did Ria let out such a horrifying shriek? Are female knights often attacked by orcs?

「It’s okay, don’t worry Ria. The monitor is just showing us what’s inside the dungeon, it’s safe he… 」

I was about to say “it’s safe here” but then something happened.

「Orc and…the dark wizard…」

「A dark wizard? 」

I examined the monitor one more time. The orcs were both eating some of the delicious looking bait I put out. Huh? Looking again, one of them seems a bit tinier than the other one. Where have I seen that figure before?

「Wait a sec, that’s Enami! 」

「Y-Yes That’s the dark wizard! 」

How long did I set for the auto clicker to keep the gate open again? There are only two minutes left! This is bad! As I was thinking, I saw from on the monitor that the iron gate was starting to slowly lower. Neither Enami nor the orc realized what was happening. If this keeps up Enami will be the next thing crushed by my trap.

「AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!」

I frantically opened the auto clicker tool and looked for the button. After finding the button, I hurriedly mashed it over and over again. From the monitor, I watched the iron gate awkwardly lift up and down repeatedly over Enami’s and the orc’s head. The first time it lifted up, the second time it lowered down, the third time it lifted up, over and over. There was no display in the program to know whether the gate was going up or down, so I had no idea whether the next button press was going to close it or not. If I was unlucky, my next click could completely flatten Enami.

「I can’t let this happen!! 」

I mashed the button continuously again, and then rushed to equip my headlamp and ice axe, and then ran into the dungeon. While hurrying through the dungeon I shouted out to Enami.

「HEYYYYYYYYYY! ENAMI RUN!!」

Beneath the rising and lowering gate, Enami and the orc were eating the pet food. After a moment he finally realized me and looked this way.

「Hmm? Oh! Mr. Suzuki! Long time no see! 」

Enami was wearing a loincloth and looking pretty wild and roughed up, but luckily, he still remembered me.

「Enami, you need to run away now!  」

「What? You’ve bought a television you say? Are you finally going to sign my contract then?! 」

Enami happily stood up. And because he stood up, the rising and lowering of the gate started to graze the top of his head, but he was so happy he didn’t even notice. The robot arm that was operated by my computer was still working and continued to press the gate’s button. I thought that the application might crash, or the robot arm would bust, but it was still in effect. Thank god too, that robot arm was $100 after all. I don’t want it to break!

「I didn’t buy a TV or anything! Just look at what’s happening above you! 」

「Oh so that’s it, is it? While I look up, you and my orc friend are going to steal all this tasty food from me huh? I won’t fall for a dumb trick like that, Mr. Suzuki! 」

「What are you talking about?! That pet food is a trap! I can give you as much as you’d like, so just please look up! 」

「A trap? 」

Enami doubtfully looked up.

「W-What’s this?! 」

「You need to hurry and run away! I clicked it too many times, so if we’re unlucky it’s going to come crashing down on you! 」

Enami grabbed the orc’s arm.

「Mr. Orc, for now, let’s withdraw from here! 」

「Huh? What’s the deal Enami? This stuff tasty. I wanna eat. 」

「This tasty food is a trap! 」

「Eh? For reals? Well if it’s you, I believe. 」

Enami and the orc linked arms and ran to the other side of the gate and made their escape. I was so exhausted I sat down for a breather. After all the raising and lowering, the door finally stopped repeating and raised up slowly. So, no matter what I would have done, Enami would have been fine in the end after all.

「I’m so exhausted… 」

But I couldn’t let Enami just continue like this. If I’m continuing to grind while I sleep, I might wake up in the morning to see Enami flattened like a pancake. But more than that, I can’t leave someone from this world to fend for themselves in the dungeon, he could die. I had to save Enami.

「I’m going to chase after Enami! Ria, please help me! 」

If I didn’t have Ria’s help, I wouldn’t be able to make it far past the stone wall across the gate. It’s dangerous, but if it gets too bad, we can retreat back immediately. I readied myself. But Ria looked strange. She had a blank look on her face and wasn’t moving.

「O-O-Okay…」

Her voice was really shaky. And after getting a look at her, her body was too. Because she’s a female knight, maybe orcs are scary for her? No, there was no way. I can’t start thinking like Shizuku. I’ve been reading too many doujinshi. Maybe she remembers the last time in the dungeon, where she collapsed from being paralyzed by gas. But there was no doubt she was definitely afraid of something. Maybe I shouldn’t bring her along with me.

「L-Let’s go onward! 」

「Maybe Enami already got too far ahead of us, we can go next time? 」

I tried saying it in my nicest voice possible.

「What? Why? Is this my doing?! 」

She probably realized that I was concerned about her shaking and fear. Maybe going after Enami would be too difficult right now. Being a female knight seemed hard.

「No, not your fault. I’m just saying it would be easier if Enami came back around this way first is all. 」

I stared at the stone wall past the iron gate. That’s where I first saw those sexy white, but oddly wet, thighs come out from.

「Wha-」

Ever since I moved here, I’ve been in this state of uncertainty. However, as I was thinking about taking action, it was almost as if I saw some kind of pink hallucination in the distance.

「What are you guys doing standing around in a place like this? 」

「Deet! 」

「Is that Deet? 」

It wasn’t anything like a hallucination.

「Welcome home Deet! You said you were coming back, I’m glad that it was rather fast. 」

「Hehehe, I’m back! I went to the surface and came back with no issues. 」

Despite it being my apartment, it felt like she had actually returned home. I was really happy. 

「You returned to the surface in these 4 days, and was able to navigate these 5 layers to return here alright? 」

「Yeah well, with just one person it doesn’t take that much time. I can’t recommend my methods to other people though. 」

It looks like my room is on the fifth floor of this dungeon. That’s the first time I’ve heard this. But now is not the time for that.

「Deet! Did you happen to pass by Enami when you came this way? 」

「Enami? 」

「The nice NNK guy who was always talking about contracts, the guy with the tough-looking body! 」

Deet paused for a second and then started laughing.

「Ohh, that Japanese guy… 」

「Yes, him! Did you forget? 」

「I-I remember, of course, I remember. 」

She totally forgot. It looked like I was berating her.

「O-Of course I gathered information about Enami. Or rather, asked around for rumors at the Adventurer’s Guild tavern. 」

「The Adventurer’s Guild tavern? 」

When I asked about my doubts, Ria and Deet both explained it to me.

「The Adventurer’s Guild has been entrusted by the Kingdom of Francis with the management of the Yomi Labyrinth. 」

「Uhuh…」

I see. So, this labyrinth is actually under the control of a country, who in turn gave management to the adventure’s guild. So that means adventurers have to register with the guild and then come here to explore the dungeon. It’s a similar style to stuff like video games.

「Because Master Thor is a Great Sage in recluse, you might not know many workings of the world, but the Adventurer’s Guild often works out of taverns. 」

「I see I see. 」

Which means it’s a place where all the adventurers go and exchange information.

「So in other words, rumors about Enami have made it all the way to the guild’s tavern? 」

「Yes, apparently there was a weird orc going around talking about TV licensing contracts. 」

「I can’t believe it.」

「But, his hunting rank was E. 」

「So in other words if…」

「If you were to vanquish him, the guild would offer a reward. 」

Vanquish, in other words, that means kill him! W-What should I do? Every adventurer that comes in here could be aiming for his life.

「But, orcs are fairly strong creatures, so if it’s only for an E rank reward, I don’t think many idiots will come down here trying to hunt him down. 」

「T-Then that would be safe I guess. 」

「But if he’s spotted by a higher level adventurer, they could take him out with no problem. Or it might be annoying to them that the guild put out this kind of request, and they won’t feel like killing him if they see him maybe? 」

「No no no! Wait a second! This is really bad! 」

The fact that it became like this is kind of on him for his contract nonsense, but if I let someone from this world die in the dungeon, I won’t be able to sleep at night! And he has such a passion for his job that even I can’t help but be impressed.

「Will you help him? 」

「My grandma would say I need to help him! 」

I got my sense of justice from my grandmother. I more or less had no choice but to go into the other world’s dungeon to rescue Enami. I also anticipated that everyone else would also feel this sense of justice, and together, we would save him.