CH 173

“It’s not nearly enough, Rust.”

“Yes, not even half. I guess we need to fundamentally change how we collect them.”

I’m with Roa in the dungeon deep inside the underground ruins.

The arrival of the pioneering unit is drawing near, but I managed to make some time for this in the middle of this rush to get everything ready. Unfortunately, Ahri and Master Halhammer aren’t free right now, so Roa and I are challenging the dungeon alone.

This is our seventh attempt today, but we’ve been making progress during these last six times we got a time up.

Most importantly, in one of those attempts we found the box we’re looking at right now, after searching around the buildings in the dungeon. That being said, it’s right in the middle of a room, in a place that’s a step higher than everything else like an altar, so it’s pretty much impossible to miss once you enter the room. It’s like it’s begging to be found.

Roa looks puzzled, and pokes the box with her spear.

I don’t know what it’s made of, but Roa’s spear doesn’t damage it at all despite it looking like it’s made of a pretty thin material. And it’s impossible to lift from the altar too.

We just finished putting the gold coins we collected inside it.

On the back of the lid of the box, there are primordial letters that look the same as the ones shown by the half-transparent plate.

“Fill the treasure chest, and a path will be opened to you.”

It says, and I read it again quietly despite having read it numerous times at this point. By treasure chest, I assume it means this box, but it looks really flimsy, like a child made it by putting thin boards together.

And yet, it’s incredibly tough. So much that Roa can’t help going around poking it with her spear.

“Roa, don’t you think you’ve poked it enough?”

“Yes, Rust. It’s almost time.”

As Roa says this, the time up message appears for the seventh time.

She’s perfectly memorized when the time up will come by now.

We’re transported back to the underground ruins.

“I’m hungry.”

“Yes, we should end it for today. I’m making dinner tonight, to thank you for coming along with me to the dungeon.”

I invite Roa, while firing myself up to put my skills to use and make something new.

“It’s all right. Your food isn’t very good. I’ll eat with my sister.”

I come down quickly after firing myself up, and shrug as Roa and I go our own separate ways after leaving the underground ruins.

I even developed a new dish that uses potions with a high stamina recovery effect, but it can’t be helped.

I go back to the bamboo room I’m using as my personal room, while deciding to serve that to the members of the Kagero Institute in the main office, as a way to test its taste while I’m at it.