CH 32.2

T/L: Lore_Temple (foxaholic)

‘There’s no time. Get over this with one jump.’

He’s right next to the window.

Once he gets out of here, he will had an advantage, after all he knows the surrounding mountains better than the monster behind him.

The bandit boss threw himself over while imagining how to later evade the tracking. Thuck! He couldn’t even get close to the window, and fell down straight on the floor.

‘What the fuck?’

Why didn’t he get over it? He hasn’t been exercising lately, but he’s definitely not that weak. Did something blocked his legs from moving?

The bandit boss turned his head behind. Both of his ankles were cut off. Behind him was a red-haired young man who had done it.

‘Ah. It’s already too late.’

If he was just one beat faster, he might have been able to live. Unfortunately, it was how it was.

‘Is it because I’m getting old? Slow to react.’

The bandit boss sighed and laid down on his back. Seeing the adventurer with a puzzled expression on his face, he laughed.

“What? Do you have anything left to ask? I’m sorry, but I don’t have any kind of hidden treasure.”

“Good, looks like I no longer need to trouble my hands. Anyway, I don’t need your money, I just want to ask for directions.”

“Directions? For where?”

“It is a place where three large peach trees form a triangle and surround the pond in the middle. Do you have any guesses?”

“I don’t know of a pond surrounded by three peach trees, but I know a place with many peach trees.”

“Nice. Fortunately, someone knows it this time.”

“This time? You have been to others before coming here?”

“About three, I guess.”

“Did you kill them all?”

“Yes? They were probably bandits, but evil nonetheless.”

“Don’t you think that you are being too murderous?”

“I don’t think a bandit boss of all people should be talking about something like that with me. All right, let me know the direction.”

At Cloud’s grunting tone, the bandit leader grinned.

“You are still too young, so you don’t know, but if there is something you want to ask from an adversary, you should leave room for negotiation. But, you cut off my leg. Is there any reason for me to show you the way?”

“If you don’t tell me, I’m going to stop your bleeding and throw you down to the village, the one down the mountain, what do you think, Mister? I think you gave quite a hard time to the villagers down below. Things like extorting money and r*ping the soon-to-be-married bride. I think then it would be not as simple as becoming a cripple.”

“I should correct myself. You are a great negotiator.”

The bandit boss pointed out the area where peach trees grew in batches. In return, Cloud stopped the bandit leader’s bleeding and threw him to the villagers.

As a show of gratitude, Cloud was able to fall asleep in a comfortable bed after a long time.

* * *

As a result of searching the area where the peach trees grew, I was able to find the pond where the dungeon was hidden.

All that was left was to find three adventurers to explore the dungeon together.

They don’t have to be too strong. Because I’m not thinking of clearing through it in one go, either.

But…

‘They can’t be too sloppy.’

As I said before, the clear conditions for this dungeon are as strict as the entry conditions.

The dungeon consists of a total of 30 floors, and on every fifth floor, you must go through a sort of verification procedure to go down to the lower floor.

There is only one verification condition.

—Survival of all the four personals who entered the dungeon as a team.

There must be no party members who are in an uncombatable state. If there is such a party member, the door going down to the lower floors will not open.

In that case, it would seem like you can simply reorganize and try it all again later, but the reality is not so easy.

Because each person has only three chances to enter the dungeon. If you eat up all the three chances just like that, it’s plain stupidity.

Therefore, adventurers who are going to die like vulnerable small fishes should be filtered out.

I went down to the nearby city and found the Adventurers’ Guild.

The clerk was a woman with brown hair tied neatly, giving off an aura of ripeness, and the tear mole under her right eye was bewitching.

I asked her to bring the best of the bunch as quickly as possible.

Then, with a bewitching smile, she asked me to wait for three days, and so I waited for three days like that…

“Hey.”

“Yes, adventurer-sama.”

“Would you like to have another chance?”

This woman gracefully betrayed my expectations.

“What is the problem, Adventurer-sama?”

Even so, she smiled shyly.

“What’s the problem? You are asking that from me? Didn’t I ask you to group me with the best guys around my level?”

“Yes, adventurer-sama.”

“Didn’t I also spent extra 2000 gold to get your full cooperation?”

“Ah, adventurer-sama, that kind of thing only happens when the two of us are together…♡”

“Stop it.”

“Yes, adventurer-sama.”

The shy expression was quickly replaced with a hospitable smile.

I pointed my thumb behind my back.

“If you have eyes, you can see what I am pointing at. Isn’t it?”

“Yes, adventurer-sama.”

“Do those, look like quality adventurers to you?”

I looked behind my back.

There were three adventurers who were introduced by this clerk.

“Oh, please! Don’t do it outside! People are looking!”

A teenage boy who should be going through puberty.

“Stay still. Your bangs are in a mess, you know?”

A mother who looks strangely young even though she has a big son.

“Wow, good to meet you! We will be working together soon, let’s get acquainted with each other…”

And the uncle-like figure who looks at the young mother with an insidious shine in his eyes.

I looked back at her and asked.

“Are those quality adventurers I asked for?”

“Yes, they are. The name of the beautiful woman over there is Miss Xenia, and she has been active as an adventurer for a long time. Unfortunately, she lost her husband as soon as she got pregnant with the child…”

“No, I’m not interested in backstories, just tell me their level and grade.”

“From Miss Xenia, level 23 grade A, level 16 grade B, level 21 grade A, respectively.”

“…okay?”

Three Clouds before suicide?

They might be better than I thought.