Volume 11 - CH 3

"Eekk, demon!"

He screamed and backed away, but you're the demon one! And. It's got purple skin, wings, and horns like a goat.

The battle was already over, and we had wiped out the rest, leaving only one.

Of course, for us, the mooks of the eighth layer were a piece of cake. Serina didn't even have to use her special move.

"I have something to ask you."

I said to the demon.

"W-what is it?"

"Have you seen any adventurers coming here solo lately?"

"Oh, you're talking about that? But I can't tell you that for free."

"Well, how about I trade the information for your life?"

"Damn, remember, human, I'll be back later with my friends to get even. I'm gonna beat the shit out of you. I'm gonna anally assault every man and woman I see."

"Try it."

I say back with a straight face.

"Ugh. Fuck. ......"

Demon looked away in frustration.

"So, what do you think?"

"I don't see any adventurers like that. This is the eighth layer, for crying out loud.　There's no way anyone can come here solo."

So it's the king's rumor?

That's weird.

But maybe this guy just didn't see it by chance.

"I see, then, Saki, finish him off."

"Fufu, That's right, darling. The demon's work for the demon."

"What! T-that's not what you said! You priest over ther, don't you have a heart!? He lied to me!

"Yeah, I know, but haven't you been lying a lot?"

"No, no, no. I never lied to you. Demons has a pure heart."

That's a lie, no matter how you look at it. I mean, what kind of pure-hearted person talks about anal?

"Okay, Alec, let me do it. I'm sorry, but this kind of excuse makes me want to kill him."

Serina said, I think this guy is a bit dangerous.

However, it was the demon who reacted to my name.

"W-what, Alec, you say!? Did you just say Alec!?"

"Yes, I did. But, hee? He's well known among the demons, by any chance?"

"Of course he is. He's the adventurer who served pork soups."

"I don't know if that ever happened."

"You've got to be kidding me! You're the reason my place is soaked in pig soup! Apologize now!"

I thought that the fourth layer and above had become a mess, but it seems that the lower layers were also in a mess.

There was no trace of it, though.

"Is that a true?"

"Damn it, I'm a demon, but that's just awful. At first, I was happy to have a good meal. But that amount of food is crazy! I'm getting nauseous just thinking about it. Uhhh."

Hmm, looks like he's telling the truth.

"That was my bad. I didn't do it on purpose either. Please forgive me."

"Oh, I'd be more inclined to forgive you if you apologized honestly from the start like that. What's up, human? You seem like a pretty talkative guy."

"I guess so. I was just thinking that you are a demon who can talk."

I nodded towards Serina.

"Oh, well then, ...... Guha!?"

Serina is smiling and poking him. Well, I nodded with the intention of doing the same.

"Sorry, but I don't have any taste for helping demon men."

A puff of green smoke went up, and the demon disappeared.

"Hmmm, it's a little hard to do when you're dealing with a talking demon."

Jouga said with a sullen face.

"That's right. I feel like I'm being tested. Ah, Of course, my faith in God is unshakeable."

Fianna says, well, it's normal to feel uncomfortable.

"You guys don't have to force it to beat them. Leave all that dirty work to Serina.

I pointed at her with my thumb and said that.

"I know it sounds a little awkward, but evil is evil, and it's a monster, so don't hesitate to leave it to me."

Serina responds with a smile. She's a good person at times like this.

"Oh, then, I'll leave the demons to her! I'll take care of the rest!"

"May God bless you, Serina-san!"

"Alright, let's go."

""" Roger that! """

We resume the search on the eighth layer.

"Hm? Hold on a second."

A little further down the passage, Luka bent down. She seems to have found something.

"What is it?"

"I think this hair ornament ...... belongs to Hannah."

Luka picked it up and handed it to me. It was a small blue violet hair ornament, but as I had never met Hannah in person, there was no way I could tell whose it was.

"It just happened to be the same one, I guess."

I said, feigning casualness.

The "Silver Scorpion" was destroyed by the boss of the seventh layer. Even if Hannah was able to break through on her own, it's unlikely that she would have left the rest of the team to continue on.

"No, but ......"

"That can be brought back to the surface and then we can examine it again."

The number of people who have descended to the eighth layer is limited. So if we ask at the tavern, we might be able to find out who the real owner is.

"Right. I understand."

After Luka was satisfied, we moved on to search again.

The day went smoothly and we found a small room that looked safe and decided to set up camp there.

"At this rate, we'll be able to cover the eighth layer of the map in three days."

Serina said, but I didn't think it would be that easy. After all, no party had ever dived lower than here.

"There's no need to rush that. We'll do what we always do."

I say.

"Yeah, I know."

"Luka, you should get some rest."

I tell Luka, who was wrapped in a blanket looking at the hair ornaments.

"Yeah."

Luka shrugs her shoulders, puts away the hair ornaments and lies down, when the door suddenly opens.

"Kkhh! It's monster!?"

All of us got up in a panic, taking our swords, but the person who came through the door waved his hand in a troublesome manner.

"Don't make a fuss, you amateurs!"

An all-blond haired man equipped with black armor. The collar of the armor is a fluffy fur.

"Esclados, huh ......"

"What are you, an adventurer, huh? Don't scare me, man."

Jouga said in a distracted voice.

"Geez, why don't you at least knock?"

Letty says, but this isn't really our room, and I don't think Esclados expected us to be inside.

"Hmph, only humans can open this door. Don't you know that?""

Esclados snorted and looked down at us.

"No, I know, but I was in a hurry because I was about to fall asleep."

"I don't know about that. Anyway, have you guys seen a dual-wield rapier user here?"

"Hmm? No, we just got here too, but we haven't seen it."

"I see. Tsk, that woman, the next time I see her, I'll kill her."

Esclados said with a sullen cluck of his tongue. There's a scratch on his cheek.

"Did something happen to you?"

Did he, by any chance, come across the PK Solo that the King was talking about?

"Hmph, nothing. I'll rest here too, but don't talk to me, amateurs."

Esclados said, and sat down on the wall. The slaves in his party also sat around him in silence.

"What's with him?"

"He's not very nice. Who's an amateur?"

Letty and Saki whispered their complaints, but we wanted to rest now.

I motioned with my hand for them to leave it at that and lay down.

"Alec."

My body was shaken, and when I opened my eyes, it was Luka.

"What's wrong?"

"Esclados just left."

"I see. *yawn*, let me sleep some more."

"Hmm, okay. Then, I'll talk to you later."

"Okay."

After a good night's sleep, I woke up and took a bite of bread for breakfast. It tasted duller than usual.

The bread for dinner at the inn is much better. Especially now.

"So, what's do you want to talk about, Luka?"

I called out to Luka, who was waiting for me after I finished eating.

"I think that Esclados might have run into Hannah."

"Hou~."

Actually, I was just thinking about that too. I've heard that Hannah uses double swords. I also heard that she used a rapier as her sword.　　

"Oi, Oi. Hold on, Luka. I know what you're thinking."

"There is a possibility that they happen to be two-swords style at the same time. ......"

The other members are negative. I'm trying to be considerate of Luka and choose my words, but I don't think that's a normal thing to do.

But if she was in an unusual state, it might be possible.

"But you see, even this hair ornament is belongs toHannah's. She must have come to this eighth layer."

"Luka, what if Hannah is still alive, and that guy is the PK Solo?"

I asked her point-blank.

"That's........I'll convince her of that. I'd make her turn herself in."

"And what if she still don't listen to you?"

"......"

"Luka, we're going back to the surface now. You're going to party with the second army for a while and train them."

I thought that would be a good idea, so I told her.

"No, please, Alec, let me at least talk to Hannah."

"Worst-case scenario, we'll fight with Hannah."

"In that case, I'll take Hannah down myself."

Luka looked straight at me and said that.