Volume 3 - CH 1

「Sky and Sea, huh ......」

A carriage drives along a gravel road lined with trees on both sides.

Inside the carriage, beside the driver's seat, Mars gazes vaguely at the sky and contemplates the map of the world he saw at the Great Norn Tomb.

Two erased dungeons that do not exist in the current distribution of the Seven Great Dungeons.

Their locations were listed as the sky and the seabed.

「Did the dungeons disappear after someone conquered them?」

「It seems more natural to think that it was erased from the map because there was no one to reach it, the preliminary stage of the attack.」

「As long as you can't get there, it's practically the same as missing two. Is that why the other dungeon was moved up ......like that?」

「Yes. Because there is no way to reach the sky or the seabed.」

Lilia, who looked out from the shaking cart, looked at the sky just as Mars did, squinting at the brilliant sunlight.

The sun in this world is also dazzling, and the sky is so wide that it seems endless.

As Lilia said, perhaps other such dungeons were substituted to maintain the legend of the Seven Great Dungeons.

――There are no such things as airplanes or submarines in this world

So they had to choose another dungeon.

「Well,.........Not that I don't have an idea of the means to get there.」

Lilia murmurs in a small voice, "I hope they don't hear me".

The noise of the carriage seemed to drown it out nicely.

With a distinctly gloomy expression on her face, Lilia quickly and quietly pulled her face back into the back of the carriage.

Mars knew well that he could not pursue Lilia too much when she was behaving like this.

He had never asked Lilia about her origins in detail since they first met because she seemed reluctant to tell him.

As long as Mars has not told her that he has been reincarnated, he does not think it is fair for only him to ask, so he continues to treat her as just another elf lover.

Mars immediately realizes that she has an idea of how to get there, something he is not keen on, so he pretends not to hear her and calls out to the cat-eared girl sitting next to him ― Nemu ― who is driving the carriage.

「Run-nya~, why does grass cheer you up-nya~!」

Nemu was wearing a straw hat with holes in the ears and was singing a mysterious song about horses in a lisp and good mood as she drove.

The carriage in which Mars and the others ride is a large one pulled by two horses, and Nemu is entrusted to drive it.

Until now, they had mainly traveled at their own pace on foot, but since Nemu said she could handle horses, they finally bought their own carriage.

「I'm glad Nemu-chan can drive a horse. It's easier than walking. It saves time, too.」

「Nyaa. Nem is very useful-nya! She's studying hard-nya!」

「Yup, I've got to learn how to handle a horse too....... How can I handle it better?」

「Nyaaa...... this way-nya! That way-nya! Stop-nya! Like that-nya?」

――Oh, it's just a feeling.

Nemu twisted her body appropriately and swung the reins while calling out to the horse. Each time she did so, the horse moved precisely to the left or right.

There was nothing theoretical in Nemu's explanation, and Mars realized that it must have come from her nature as a beastman. In other words, Mars could not imitate her.

Nemu's blood, though beastly, is thin.

However, she does have a propensity to be easily charmed by animals.

In fact, stray cats and dogs around there run to Nemu as soon as they see her and miss her a lot.

The same is true for horses, and Mars bought a horse that came up to Nemu at the first sight.

Even Nemu, who said she did not like the smell of animals, seemed to like horses. She can even be seen napping with the horse from time to time.

「Uu, uughh ......, M-my guts are about to come out of my mouth ......」

Hazuki was holding her mouth the whole time as she paced right and left in the narrow cart.

Her complexion was blue, she was holding her stomach, and she looked restless.

「Hazuki-chan is suffering from motion sickness....... Shall we take a break?」

Living in the desert, Hazuki has always done everything on foot.

Although there were horse-drawn carriages that connected to the town she often visited, she had to save money because the high fares made it impossible for her to shop.

So they discovered that Hazuki was not accustomed to riding in a vehicle and was prone to motion sickness.

「I-I'm fine! ――Oh, it's no good, after all, it's about to come out ......!」

「Nemu-chan, stop the carriage! A girl is about to do something she shouldn't show to people!」

As soon as the carriage stopped, Hazuki ran toward the forest and crouched on all fours at the base of a large tree.

As one would expect from the situation, no one comes near Hazuki out of respect for her dignity as a girl.

Since this was not the first time she had done this, no one seemed to be too worried about it.

「The horse-drawn carriage trip has its advantages and disadvantages, too. From Hazuki-chan's point of view, it's like torture.」

「Eating until you're full, and then trying to read or sew on top of that, I have a feeling Hazuki has some cause to get drunk. ......」

「I'm trying to stop her, though, okay?」

「Right. So from there, I think it's Hazuki's own problem.」

Lilia was caged and carried in a carriage when she was a slave, so she seemed to have a tolerance for shaking.

She reads and even dozes off without a care in the world.

Nemu, too, was taken around dungeons as a slave, so she is used to being carried around in a carriage.

Hazuki may have admired Lilia's graceful life in the carriage, and she regrets it every time she does the same thing.

After a while, a red-eyed Hazuki with swollen tears returned to the carriage.

She was smiling heartily as if refreshed.

「Haaah.....I think I probably dropped some of my internal organs during this trip. ......」

「Nnyaaa!? Nemu is going back to get them-nya!? Do you know where they are-nya!?」

「No, this is Hazuki-chan's joke!」

It was a joke that made Mars and Lilia giggle a little, but Nemu was the only one who took it seriously and tried to redirect the horses.

Nemu does not lie. Because those born into slavery were not free to report falsehoods.

Therefore, there was no such idea itself, and there was no place for jokes.

Even if they are cats, they don't know how to play with a cat.

「Why don't you go and lose the flab too?」

「I'm a little concerned about my big butt and thick legs. ......! Even though I want to be slim with big boobs like Lilia-san......!」

「I like your butt, Hazuki-chan. It's plump and not saggy.」

「I-I guess that's okay......? I'd like to wear cool clothes though. Lilia-san's spiffy pants style is so cool!」

「Hazuki-chan is so plump when she wears them. ...... I like that one.」

Although Hazuki has become a character who is completely bullied by others―she is trying to fit into that position willingly―and in fact, she is cherished by Lilia and Nemu.

Lilia treats her like a poor sister, and Nemu treats her like a stupid older sister.

「Nemu-chan, if I had dropped my internal organs, I would be dead already! By the way, isn't everyone hungry?」

「How can you be so eager to eat something after putting it back ...... and the change of topic is too sudden!」

「Because it's empty!」

「Nemu is a little hungry too-nya...... and the horses look a little tired too-nya!」

「Then let's take a break after all. The weather is nice, let's eat outside」

Everyone starts preparing for the barbecue.

Mars and Lilia prepare the food, while Nemu sets up the chairs and tables.

Hazuki, whom Lilia calls a human fire-starter, prepared the charcoal.

「Speaking of which, didn't Lilia-san say earlier that you had an idea of how to get to the sea and the sky?」

「Nemu heard that too-nya. Maybe Nemu can be a bird too-nya......?

「That's great...... it's delicious, isn't it, bird?」

「This bird is delicious too......」

They all said "Itadakimasu" and each of them took a piece from the grilled skewer.

Hazuki carefully removes the vegetables and meat from the skewers on the plate and mentions something that Mars did not ask earlier.

Likewise, Nemu was also chewing on the meat and munching her mouth happily as she asked Lilia about it.

Even though they had brought up the topic themselves, the girls' attention seemed to have already shifted to the food.

After all, Hazuki-chan and the others can't read the atmosphere―said Mars is a little taken aback, and he brings the meat to his mouth while looking at the sky to let the conversation flow.

――I'm curious about that, too.

Perhaps airplanes have already been invented?

It could be part of military technology, for example, that is kept secret from the public.

It's a hot topic, and Mars still decides to ask Lilia.

「If you don't mind, I'd like to ask Lilia what you have in mind too.」

「――the Dwarves may have the skills to do so. It's just that ...... Dwarves and elves are like dogs and monkeys. Ever since long ago. That's why I didn't want to meet them and didn't want to talk about it too much.」

「Hee ...... a Dwarves, huh. Why do they get along so badly?」

「It's a difference in values between the races. As you may have guessed, the Elves are a race that respects the sun, forests, and other natural things. On the other hand, Dwarves respect machines and technology. They are the ones who easily destroy nature and even consider nature to be something to be despised. Therefore, us the Elves and them the Dwarves can't be compatible with each other.」

Lilia's face shows her dislike for the Dwarves as she explains the situation.

The expression of overt anger on her face is rare for Lilia.

It was a swarthy tone that made him feel that it was not just prejudiced in Lilia's mind, but that there were unforgivable acts of the Dwarves in the past and history of the Elves.

「The defining incident was the chopping down of trees in our forests and taking them out without permission. To them, these trees were nothing, but to us, they were precious sacred trees. Because of these incidents, we had a relationship of constant quarreling. We even had a war with them, though not in my generation. That was about 200 years ago. I am only a little over a hundred years old, so I don't know much about those days.」

「Dwarves rarely leave their own country, so I don't know them very well. ...... They are small, strong, and like to drink a lot, right? I've heard that they are very handy and good at making swords and weapons!　I heard that all the magic weapons that are sold in any country are made by Dwarves.」

「That's right. What's more, they're hairy, too. Why don't they just throw their favorite pebbles at each other and become extinct?」

What Mars knows about the Dwarf race is not much different from what Hazuki knows.

They are a long-lived species, smaller than humans, who live in mining areas and drink as much as they can bathe.

The only difference between Mars and Hazuki is that if they have superior iron-making technology, one can imagine that they are more likely to reach beyond it.

For example, a suspension that absorbs the shock of a horse-drawn carriage would alleviate some of Hazuki's severe motion sickness.

「As far as I know, they are currently the only races that have an independent nation despite being a different race, and they also trade with humans on an equal footing. Very crude, though. And yet independence ......!」

Lilia said in one breath as if to spit it out.

Then she silently begins to eat a skewer with only vegetables on it.

I don't want to talk about dwarves anymore. She expressed it with a stinging attitude.

「It's rare that L-Lilia-san speaks so badly about certain things, isn't it? Even though it may be joking-like, she doesn't usually get so seriously angry. ......」

Hazuki was dismayed a little and said in a quieter tone of voice.

It was probably because she felt that making too much noise would irritate Lilia.

「――I was a little upset. Anyway, with Dwarven technology, it might be possible to make such strange and bizarre machines. Or, to the extent that it is possible.」

「Besides, ...... there's one in the Dwarves' country, isn't there, one of the Seven Great Dungeons, 『De Stogechel Demon Mine』?」

De Stogechel Demon Mine.

In the north, in a mountain range so high that it divides the continent, lies the dungeon.

It is a spiritual peak so high that it is said to penetrate the clouds. It is of such a substandard size that it is a dungeon in itself.

It is an extremely cold place with heavy snowfall all year round, and the number of days with clear skies is said to be less than a few days a year.

It would be difficult just to get there, and it was at the end of their list of potential destinations.

The Seven Great Dungeons are often located in the extreme regions of the world, such as the Great Norn Tomb, which is located in a desert where no vegetation grows.

From this, we can surmise that there is a strong possibility that the underwater and aerial dungeons that have been erased are more "real" than the Seven Great Dungeons known today.

In a dungeon with a clearly different level of difficulty to reach, there may exist a 【Forbidden Magic Book】 that can manipulate the lifespan that Mars is looking for.

If the dungeon was created for some kind of ordeal, it is more likely that the object exists in a place that seems to be original than in a dungeon chosen by the will of someone other than the creator.

――and on top of that.

Although I am not certain, I feel that some things can only be known after one has conquered all Seven Great Dungeons.

Mars thought that the reason he felt this way might be because he himself came from outside of this world.

「It's on the map-nya. It looks like it's in a country called the Thardonix Kingdom .......Isn't it's more like a mountain than a country-nya?」

「Let's see, ...... it's a distance that could be reached in about a month by horse-drawn carriage. Actually, it would take longer because of the elevation difference.」

Nemu and Hazuki, surrounded by several cats that had come from somewhere, looked at the map and chewed on skewers with only meat on them. The cats were trying to climb up on them and take the meat.

Nemu, who has been studying hard recently, can now read to some extent and can handle numbers quite well, unlike when she could only count up to two hands.

She has also acquired at least a minimum level of everyday etiquette so that she is not made fun of in public.

The two of them seemed to have already decided on their next destination and they were excited about the fact that it was their first time in a cold region.

「I want to play in the snow! I heard they make dolls out of two rounds of snow and throw them at each other as hard as they can!?」

「What is snow-nya ......?」

「It is white and ...... cold water ...... powder? it's like that! I heard it's like a friend of ice!」

「......? Water turns into powder-nya......?」

「――It doesn't, does it? Then what is snow......?」

Growing up in a desert area, Hazuki and Nemu had never seen snow.

Mars hadn't seen actual snow for a while either. Without magic, if the environment was not one where snow occurs in the region, it would be something that they would not see firsthand.

Nemu, who had no knowledge of snow itself, looked puzzled, while Hazuki, who had only heard about the snow, was unable to explain it properly.

At any rate, they are at the level where they recognize that snowmen are thrown at each other.

「....... Shall we go there, then? We don't have a specific destination in mind, and it is not a bad option for the future. However, since the country is still in seclusion, I am not sure if we will be able to go there easily.」

「Well, we're an adventurer, but to the casual observer, we're a rogue with no identification....... On the contrary, I am amazed that we have been able to travel normally so far. I've given away money in so many places, it's like I've managed to do something.」

「If it's just a look, we're not much different from a criminal.」

「Yeah. It's also dangerous to walk around town with a sword in your belt. ――If you Lilia is okay with it, let's go to Dwarven country.」

Almost no one but the nobility has something to prove their identity, and most of them enter the country after informing the customs officials of their purpose of travel and receiving their approval.

Armed adventurers are often equated with bandits and other criminals, and in some places, they are not even allowed to enter.

The solution is money or bribes. It is so natural to pay a bribe that there is now a price list.

Despite some misgivings, he could think of no better candidate than the Thatdonics Kingdom, the Dwarves' country, as they had no destination of their own.

Even though there are places that fall under the Seven Great Dungeons, there are no other places with clues that lead to the sky or the sea.

「Is it really okay? There's not always magic in the dungeons of Dwarven's country to extend our lifespan, and if you don't like it, we can always proceed from elsewhere, right」

「In fact, I think some of this is just my prejudice. Do I not look down on the Dwarf race as a whole? If you ask me, I can't say that I don't. But I am changing. I used to dislike humans, but not so much now.」

「...... Then our next destination is the Thardonix Kingdom, and the 『De Stogechel Demon Mine』 there! There may be a lot of problems, but I'm sure we can conquer them!」

「And then we will get a machine to go to the sky and the sea, that's our immediate goal.」

Everyone nodded their heads.

There are many reasons why people dive into dungeons. However, all of them chose to live with Lilia, regardless of the degree of their feelings.

Even though Hazuki has a mission to destroy necromancy as soon as she finds it, she no longer has a major purpose as an apostle of the Tomb Guard.

Having lost their mission to protect the Great Norn Tomb, the Clan of the Tomb Guard scattered around the world to live their own lives. They will work hard to eradicate necromancy so that a second Norn will not be born.

Hazuki was not the only one who had to work hard.

If she was asked to share the treasures they had gained in the dungeons so far and then live her life as she wished, Mars had no intention of refusing.

Mars was so happy that she continued to accompany him as a matter of course that he almost cried inside.

――It's not just Lilia anymore. I'll make them all happy.

To live with Lilia and to keep her happy.

When I could not manipulate my lifespan, it was too sad for Lilia to live a tremendous amount of time all by herself.

He wanted Lilia to have a friend or at least a way to make a friend, so he brought Hazuki into the group. At first, he really didn't care who it was, but now he realizes that it had to be Hazuki.

He could not think of anyone else but Hazuki who would be willing to risk her life in a dangerous place for her friend.

So Mars vows to protect his comrades even at the risk of his life.

「Desutoge......Nemu can't speak well that dungeon's name-nya」

「I wonder if it's just a regional thing,....... There are too many names of places around here that are hard to say. It's uselessly long! Let's call it 『Destoge』 from now on! ――Oh, the name sounds like a trap. It sounds ominous. ......」

「Waste is an overstatement. Pervert women should walk with care. This is no joke.」

「It's hard to remember names, isn't it? Actually, I glanced at the map before I said it.」

Heavy feelings are painted over when they're all together.

Even though it may seem like a trivial exchange to a third party, to Mars, who had never spent such a peaceful time in his previous life, it was the happiest time he had ever had.

He is afraid of dungeons. Sometimes he is too worried that if he is not careful, he may lose everything he has.

Still, he has no choice but to move forward.

Fear and risk are not reasons for him to stop.