Volume 3 - CH 4

「I am Lucille Thardonix. As my name suggests, I am the princess of this land.」

Monopolizing the attention by striking the bell of the great hall with a huge hammer as tall as she was, the Dwarf princess ― Lucille ― said quite calmly.

Her clear, well-composed voice, the exact opposite of a roar, pierced deep into everyone's ears.

Lucille is petite, like a Dwarf princess, about 150 cm tall, the same height as Nemu.

However, compared to the slender Nemu, she is more fleshy overall.

She is not fat, but rather plump, with flesh that is so full that it seems to be on the verge of tearing off.

She had dark skin, albeit slightly tanned, and her golden hair was loosely wavy and parted in the center, showing a little of her forehead.

Her breasts, which were fine and proportionate to her plump figure but not to her small stature, were eye-catching.

At first glance, she looked more like a girl with the look of a gal than a princess.

She was not hairy, even for a Dwarf. Naturally, unlike the Dwarves Mars had seen before, she did not have a beard.

Her eyes were sharp and she seemed to speak in an intimidating manner.

「I would like to begin by thanking you all, adventurers, for having gathered here. I apologize for the fact that the city's facilities and goods are somewhat small compared to the size of a human being, due to our isolation. We have ordered human goods, and we have prepared accommodations for human adventurers in addition to this hall. We also have a cook who can prepare human cuisine, so please use that for your meals.」

Despite her words of thanks, Lucille's head didn't move an inch.

Just as Lilia does to people other than Mars and Hazuki, Lucille had an air of arrogance that she had no intention of bowing to any other races. Or perhaps it was just a matter of being of noble birth, Mars agreed.

The explanation was simple, but at the mention of the word "adventurer," Mars felt that Lucille's tone became stronger.

――It is rare to be welcomed with open arms.

Adventurers are usually shunned everywhere because they are so dangerous. It's not surprising, since these people are trying to get everything they can with their swords.

They have not been welcome on any of their previous journeys, except in situations where money was being paid.

If the dungeon is conquered, it will collapse. That is why they are not welcome.

In many cases, dungeons are themselves a mass of resources.

If you dig in the walls, you can get ore, and the flowers and grasses that grow there are medicinal herbs.

The materials from the monsters that inhabit the dungeon are useful for daily life and for decoration.

Therefore, adventurers who positively challenge to conquer, especially those who can conquer, are obstacles. The merchants truly believe that only dead adventurers are good adventurers.

They just can't stop them openly because the dungeons are no one's property.

The reason why they hold a big festival after a conquer is because of their business spirit to try to make a little money at the end. Soon after that, the merchants flow to other labyrinthine cities.

If a place is under the control of the state, as in this case, it must be profitable enough to be worth managing.

Since the city had been managed for so long that it was listed on human maps, it naturally had to be profitable as well.

Then there was no reason to invite adventurers.

「Many of you may be wondering why you are being gathered in such a place, and why you are not being allowed to enter the 『De Stogechel Demon Mine』 as soon as possible. But there is a good reason for that.」

With a heavy thud, Lucille puts her hammer down on the ground and begins to explain the reason.

What she said was more than enough reason to ask them to conquer the dungeon.

After all, the very survival of the country was at stake.

「This country is currently in crisis. There is a magical roof over the country, but that roof is about to collapse. Some of you may have witnessed the snow that has leaked from the warding. The reason is the lifespan of the special magic ore used to power it. In terms of time, it won't last another fifty years. That may seem like a long time to humans, but to us, Dwarves, who are long-lived races, it's a very short time. Naturally, Dwarves cannot survive in this snowy mountain environment. If they lose this place, they will become wanderers like other different races and will be ostracized. The only way to prevent that from happening is to get that special magic ore――Thardonyx Magic Steel. But it can only be obtained from the nucleus of a golem that exists deep within the dungeon. That's why we are rushing to capture it with any race, to maintain our race.」`

「So you're saying ...... we just have to defeat that golem and bring back the nucleus?」

「Exactly. It's supposed to be a deep golem, so I'm not saying don't conquer this dungeon because you've reached that point. It would be a shame to lose the resources, but the kingdom will not claim ownership of the goods you get there once you conquer it. We only want the Thardonix Magic Steel.」

「I have one question. ――Do you have machines to go to the sky or the sea in this country?」

Mars asked in as polite a tone as possible, though not so formal, as he interrupted Lucille's conversation.

Many of the adventurers tilted their heads at Mars' question, and Lucille also rolled her eyes when asked.

Even though Mars and the girls had decided to take on the dungeon, if this country did not have what they needed beyond that point, Mars and the girls might as well prioritize other dungeons.

And moreover, 《Jet Black》, who is considered to be of the same rank, is here.

Depending on the situation, they may compete with each other for the achievement, and the battle may not be against monsters, but against humans.

When that happens, Mars and the girls will be fighting against a human who can single-handedly push the Seven Great Dungeon classes with force.

As long as there was no guarantee of victory, Mars did not want to be in such a situation as much as possible.

On the other hand, there was also a calculating thought.

If 《Jet-Black》 conquered this dungeon and obtained the 【Forbidden Magic Book】, which would extend one life, he might be able to trade it for money or the Magic Book he had obtained so far.

Since Mars and the girls do not want to conquer the dungeon, it is not necessarily the best option for them to conquer it themselves.

In other words, it is not that Mars and the girls must conquer this place at all costs.

「――What if I told you that there is? I don't know where you got that information.」

「I'd like to borrow it. No, I'm just taking a guess and asking if it's here. I've heard about it in other places.」

Mars lies plainly. He has never heard of it anywhere else.

「I'll continue with the explanation. ――I will give away everything in this country to the one who successfully brings back the Thardonix Magic Steel. To be more precise, you will be my husband, and you will be king. That is the decision of my father―the king. That person will be the hero who will save this country, no joke, so it's not overrated by any means. Is this the answer to your question? I'm not going to be stingy about lending it to you. ――I'll give you everything. And the machine, of course」

Lucille looked at Mars and smiled just a little.

It was not, however, a pure girl's smile, but one with a challenging undertone.

The group of adventurers groans.

Most of them would be reluctant to marry a person of a different race, but they would still have the honor of conquering the Seven Great Dungeons, a vast fortune, and even a country that is rarely available even with money and honor.

Adventurers, many of whom are short-sighted by nature and have been chasing short-term gains, could not have been more excited.

「Also, there are some who have conquered the Seven Great Dungeons in the mix here. ――Right, Mars Irving?」

Pointing her hammer in the direction of Mars, Lucille said so that everyone could hear.

Mars did not give his name, but the flow of the conversation and his appearance suggested that Lucille had guessed it.

The receptionist must have given her information about the most promising adventurers. That was why she answered Mars' interrupting question.

Thinking there was no point in denying it at this point, Mars answered honestly.

「Ah. ――We have conquered the 『Great Norn Tomb』. I don't want to be king, but if this country has machines that go to the sky and the sea, I want them. I hope you can choose a king from someone else.」

「Gahahaha! Don't worry about what you can't do, human brat! It's me who will be king!」

Just as Lucille opens her mouth to respond to Mars' answer, a huge voice echoes throughout the hall.

The owner of the wild voice appeared majestically from the entrance and suddenly swung a huge axe sideways and threw it in the direction of Mars.

The axe flies past the heads of the adventurers in their chairs with a typhoon-like gust of wind and flies in a straight line toward Mars.

Since only Mars and Lucille, who had asked the question, were standing up, and since they were at Mars' head height, it was clear that the axe was aimed only at Mars. There was no reason to aim at Lucille in this situation.

The axe was double-edged, about three meters long, and the blade was as thick as a well-trained man's arm.

It was more of a blunt instrument than a blade but too sharp to be called a blunt weapon.

The axe came at him with a powerful whistling sound, and Mars kicked it as hard as he could while falling backward.

It was an overhead kick, as in soccer.

Of course, Mars was using 『Body Strengthening』 magic, but the weight of the axe, which he felt with his foot, was more than 100 kilograms.

The axe veered off course and flew upward, crashing through the wall.

「You're pretty good, human brat!」

「What the hell are you doing out of the blue!? What are you going to do if you hit someone!?」

「I'll think about it if that happens! If you're so weak as to die from this, you'll probably end up dying in the dungeon anyway!?」

「Hey, girls, are you okay!?」

Ignoring the big man who suddenly appeared and attacked him, Mars was concerned about Lilia and the others.

Nemu was standing in front of Lilia and the others, holding out her magic claws in both hands, threatening the big man.

Lilia also instantly readied the bow she had taken from her treasury and pointed it at the big man.

The girls, including Hazuki, were already in a battle stance.

The time between their daily conversation and their battle readiness was minimal, and it was clear to the adventurers around them that these women were also first-rate adventurers.

「No one expects anything from you human trash! The one who will conquer the dungeon and become king of this land will be me, the Dwarf hero Onyx Lordlight! Gahahahahaha!」

The big man ― Onyx ― laughs loudly with a huge voice that seems to echo from the depths of the earth.

He is simply a giant of a man. The impression anyone would have of Onyx would be similar.

He has a huge body that must be over two meters tall, with arms and legs as thick as a normal man's torso. His entire body was covered with a complex bulge that showed that he was not just fat, but was all muscle.

His thick chest plate reminded Mars of a huge rock, and his skin color was reminiscent of red clay, making him a large, muscular man.

The abundant beard on his face asserted his race as Dwarves.

Dwarves are originally supposed to be a small race, but he seemed to be a mutant, just as some humans have substandard physiques.

「Hm? How far have you gone, my axe  ...... I'll get it now, so wait there you human brat!」

Onyx's axe, which had made a huge hole in the wall and darted out, was no more than a shadow.

Mars was only able to parry the momentum of the flying axe, but its speed and mass were so tremendous that his leg was still numb from the kick. So, the destination of the axe was probably far away.

Unlike the previous 《Jet-Black》, Onyx did not seem to have a magical element.

In other words, it was a simple physical attack.

If only in terms of strength as a living being, he is stronger than Mars, and Mars has a touch of inward concern that a single use of 『Body Strengthening』 will not make up the difference in physical strength.

From the great hole, he could see many buildings damaged by the axe's passage, and many Dwarves were shouting angrily about the damage. Of course, there were also angry shouts from the human adventurers in the great hall.

「Bastard, Onyx! You blew up my workshop! I'm enough of your bullshit!」

「I get it! I'll pay you back when I get back from the dungeon, so shut up, you little bastards with small in stature and hearts!」

「It's not about paying for it or anything! I'm telling you to get out of the city! Or rather, get out of the city! The city will fall apart just by you walking around!」

「Ah, everything is small! When I become king, I'll make everything my size!」

「Stupid-stupid! How can someone as out of proportion to your size and brain as you be a king!」

「What did you say!?」

Despite his grand entrance, Onyx was heckled and ridiculed by his fellow dwarves.

He seems to have a character that moves without thinking about what he is going to do and throwing the axe was probably just a random act.

Mars could imagine that this kind of thing was an everyday occurrence.

Onyx sighed with a volume as loud as a normal human scream, scratching his head in annoyance.

Walking with thudding, earth-shaking footsteps, and forcing a large hole in the wall open with his huge arms, Onyx exits the great hall.

In a way, he seemed like a big man, but objectively, he seemed like a fool.

「What's with that typhoon-like guy ......」

「Onyx Lordlight. He's a fool as you can see, but he's certainly a hero among the Dwarves today. He has been to the De Stogechel Mine alone, made it to the middle layer, and came back.」

「You mean he made it to the middle layer and then he ran out of steam?」

「About that ......He said, "I came home because I ate all the food". I don't think he'd lie because of his personality. He had the nucleus of the golem in the middle layer, and he was unharmed.」

Lucille said in a stunning voice as she looked at Onyx, who was walking with his strong back showing as if his whole body was a weapon.

It would be difficult for an ordinary person to wound Onyx's body, even if it looks like a back full of gaps.

Onyx himself knows this better than anyone else, which is why he can walk around unaided without any warning to the adventurers who are shouting abuse at him.

Many of the adventurers here must be unable to stand up to even a sword, let alone a bow.

He is so big that even his physical size and demeanor give the impression that he is a big man.

He certainly has the confidence and the ability to match it, and he doesn't look like the type to lie and say he made it to the middle layer just to look good.

Or rather, Mars didn't think he was smart enough to lie like that.

「I know we were interrupted, but I'm going to ask you to challenge the 『De Stogechel Demon Mine』 tomorrow morning with the big idiot from earlier and Mars here at the head of the group. As the princess, I will accompany you. You can spend the rest of the day doing whatever you want. It's a journey you may never come back from, so don't leave any regrets. Also, the monsters in the dungeon are mainly golems, at least until the middle layer. Make sure you choose the right weapon. Striking is the way to go.」

「You're going too!? You better not!」

Lucille also has some muscle power, as evidenced by the fact that she wields a huge hammer with one hand.

But Mars doesn't think she is prepared to risk her life.

Mars' insides were buzzing with anger, so much so that he unintentionally forgot to use honorifics.

――In short, you're asking us, adventurers, to protect you, aren't you!?

I can't take that kind of trouble!

I don't care if she's a princess or not, she can't come here just for fun!

We're risking our lives, and we can't afford to protect a girl who's just curious.

We are not going to be lightly asked to come along and to be frank, it would be a hindrance.

「I'm still royalty. I am royalty because I am strong. ――The origin of the Thardonyx magic steel is something our ancestors obtained in the depths of the dungeon and brought back to us. I have that blood in my veins.」

「Even if you say that. ...... Do you have any combat experience?」

「I've trained. I've never been in a real battle, but I should still be able to fight.」

――I don't know about that.

If you can do half of what you did in training, you'll be good in a real battle.

Being strong is not necessarily equal to being able to fight.

There are times when Mars hesitates to kill monsters, or he fears putting his own death on the same scale as that of a monster.

After all, it is the mind that moves the body, so there is any number of factors that can prevent a good fight.

Lilia had a bitter look on her face, as he might expect.

It's no wonder that she doesn't like them anymore, even though they are Dwarves, and the princess is practically trying to get Mars and the girls to protect her.

Hazuki also looked a little troubled.

Although her words and actions were shallow, they were quick-witted and must have sensed the risk of having Lucille by their side.

Nemu, perhaps exhausted from the journey so far, looked sleepy and gripped Hazuki's back.

She is the type of person who moves to the limit of her strength like a child, and then suddenly her batteries run out.

「I ask you again, you have a machine that can fly in the sky or dive in the sea, right?」

「If only the one that dives in the water. We haven't moved it, but something that I can only assume from the shape and attachments. Just ......」

「Just?」

「That machine also needs the Thardonix magic steel I mentioned earlier. We tried various things to activate it, but the conclusion we came to was that it requires the same amount of magic power as the warding that covers the country. Thardonix magic steel is, in essence, a stone filled with tremendous magic power, but it seems that the science of the old generation was far superior to that of today, and whatever it does, the output required is not right.」

「You guys didn't make this?」

「Yes. The restoration was done by Dwarves, but the machine itself is an excavation. You can often find ancient artifacts like that in this area. That's why we are here. The warding device is one of the relics from that era. In other words, we are just using something that was made by someone in the past. We can maintain it, but we can't make it from scratch.」

――I wonder if the fact that they left such a thing so close to the dungeon means that they intend to make us conquer it and lead us to the next dungeon.

Although Mars has not yet confirmed the actual submarine, he feels that there is a high possibility that the submarine is likely to be genuine.

Whether or not he attacked the dungeon, he would have to obtain the Thardonix magic steel at the 『De Stogechel Demon Mine』 to get to the next dungeon.

――However, if I become king, the search for the 【Forbidden Magic Book】 that will prolong my own life will be stalled.

First of all, the story itself that the person who brings it back can become king is probably a lie.

Thinking about it calmly, there is no way they would give up this kingdom to another race.

Mars is half-convinced, though he does not say it out loud, that there is more to this story.

「Incidentally, is it definite that you will follow us?」

「As a princess, I want to see how things go, and above all, it's a definite matter since it also serves as a selection of a potential husband for me. Besides, I've always admired you. That's why I want to go on an adventure with you.」

「Admiration...... for me?」

「You're the world's first person to conquer the Seven Great Dungeons. I've collected tales of your adventures from all over the world.」

Admiration and expectations are a burden. They're all heaped on you anyway.

The look in Lucille's feisty eyes makes Mars think it would be impossible to make her change her mind.

Mars guessed that her role must be to monitor and assess the adventurers.

It is a heavy burden to have to protect her, but Mars and the girls are in the best shape they have ever been in if only for simple strength.

Mars and his team also possess the previous Norn Tomb's 【Forbidden Magic Book】 unused, and Onyx, who is not to be trusted but whose basic physical abilities are probably higher than Mars', is also present.

As far as 《Jet-Black》 is concerned, it is possible that he is stronger than Mars and the girls combined.

Except for the fact that they were the first to go, the situation was quite favorable.

「――We won't treat you like a princess in a dungeon, you know?」

「Of course not. I lived my life being a dungeon adventurer. It's rather rude to treat me like a princess. ――I want to live as an adventurer, not as a princess.」

――A dungeon adventure despite being a princess?

Thinking that she is a strange girl, Mars look at Lilia and the others, who are beginning to be surrounded by adventurers before he knows it.

Neither Mars nor the adventurers, but Lilia was staring only at Lucille.

The way Lilia looked at her right after they met, is like the way she looks at her irreconcilable enemies.

There was definitely cold anger in her light ice-colored eyes.