CH 189

Episode 189 – The Price of a Question

Tobias showed me into the reception room and guided me to a seat. There was a huge mound of papers shoved to the corner of the room, hinting that the room had truly been tidied up in a hurry. Considering that the documents were dated several years ago, the reception room probably wasn’t used all that often.

“Sorry, it’s a mess. It would probably be better to go somewhere else, but there are only bars around these parts.” (Tobias)

“Not at all. You don’t have to worry about it. I’m the one who suddenly showed up unannounced after all.” (Lewin)

Tobias immediately opened with an apology, but I quickly rebutted him. I was the one who showed up without contacting him first, so I was at fault here.

“I’m glad to hear that. So, what business did you have with me, Lewin?” (Tobias)

“Um… About that, I was actually wondering if you could tell me more about the Dungeon.” (Lewin)

When I told him what I wanted, the corners of Tobias’s mouth lifted slightly. I not only woke him up from his sleep, but I also wanted to one-sidedly ask him questions. Plus, it was directly related to Tobias’s work, so if I wasn’t careful, then it wouldn’t be surprising for him to snap at me… So his reaction was a little surprising. I guess Tobias is simply a good person then.

“About the Dungeon, huh? If it’s about that, then I’ve gotta say you’ve come to the right person. So you want to hear about even more detail than what we talked about last time, is that right?” (Tobias)

“That’s right. This is directly related to your work, so I understand if you can’t tell me that easily… But I have to clear the Dungeon through my own efforts, so I was wondering if you could give me some information.” (Lewin)

I briefly explained my circumstances to let him know why I wanted information. Based on his reaction, it seemed likely that I would be able to get some information out of him, but I was unsure if I would be able to compensate him for it. I did recently spend a lot of money shopping, after all.

“I see. I somewhat understand your situation. In that case, I’ll tell you what I know.” (Tobias)

“Really?! Thank you so much!” (Lewin)

“―However! I have one condition. If you accept this condition, I’ll tell you, alright?” (Tobias)

I couldn’t hide my delight at the fact that he readily accepted, but… what could this condition be? I hope it isn’t an absurd condition, but either way I should probably be prepared to pay for the value of the information he provides.

“So there’s a condition… If it’s something that I can do, I will gladly accept the condition.” (Lewin)

“Oh come on, you don’t have to be so on guard against me. I have no intention of making any strict demands of you… I want you to let me interview you about the Dungeon around once per week. Of course, you won’t be doing this for free. I’ll compensate you accordingly for the profits we earn from the coverage.” (Tobias)

Having to spend time on interviews kind of sucked, but I didn’t mind doing it if it was only once a week. Plus, I would be getting paid for the news coverage. The only problem was whether I would be able to provide them with a news story that would meet their expectations, but I had no choice but to accept the condition.

“If your condition is just to interview me, then that’s perfectly fine with me, but… I think it might be very unlikely for me to meet your expectations. Is that alright with you?” (Lewin)

“Yeah! I also half feel like I’m taking a gamble here, but you don’t have to think too much about making a good story or anything like that.” (Tobias)

If Tobias said so, then I didn’t have anything to worry about. Of course I would do my best, but there was no guarantee that I would be able to provide Tobias with anything that would make for an interesting article. Just knowing that the hurdles being set for me weren’t too high made it much easier for me to accept the task.

“In that case, there are no problems. I will accept your condition that I will be interviewed on a regular basis.” (Lewin)

“Alrightie, that’s great. We’ll talk about the details of the contract for the interviews at a later time… First, I’ll start by answering your questions. Now that I’ve gone from an ordinary acquaintance to a fellow collaborator, I have nothing to hide. I will tell you everything I know.” (Tobias)

‘I will tell you everything I know’. It really sounded quite reliable coming from a reporter. I took Tobias up on his offer and decided to ask him what I wanted to know about clearing the Dungeon.

“Then let’s start with… the thing that I am most curious about. I think we talked briefly about me having to conquer the Dungeon… But would it be possible to solo clear the Dungeon of Landaust?” (Lewin)

This was what I was most concerned about at the moment. Was it possible to challenge the Dungeon solo?

Considering the fact that my goal in attempting the Dungeon was to join the [Azure Alliance], it wasn’t so simple for me to just join a party. As soon as I caught up to the layer that the [Azure Alliance] was at, I would probably immediately leave such a party immediately, so I wanted to avoid involving others in my selfishness. But it was also true that the Dungeon of Landaust was such an unsparing place that it would be impossible to solo clear with the information I currently had.

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I wondered if Tobias, who was a reporter that specialized in the Dungeon, would happen to know of a way to clear the Dungeon solo, so I took the chance to ask him.

“…That’s a difficult question to answer. Well, I know you’ve seen the newspapers, books, and watched the Dungeon monitors, so you’re probably aware that it’s almost impossible to clear the Dungeon solo, Lewin.” (Tobias)

…As expected, Tobias and I had a similar opinion. In the end, is solo clearing the Dungeon just a reckless pursuit?

Well, I was struggling a lot with the lower layers myself, so I had already experienced firsthand just how difficult it was to solo clear the Dungeon.

“A body that is impervious to all attacks. An inexhaustible supply of stamina that allows you to carry large loads for a long time without taking a break. And an overwhelming power that allows you to slaughter every single monster in one hit. If you’re someone who possesses all three of these qualities, it might not be impossible, but… I’ve never seen anyone like that before, so I’d say that clearing the Dungeon solo is impossible.” (Tobias)

“As expected, it’s still too difficult to clear the Dungeon solo, huh?” (Lewin)

“Yes. That’s why a lot of reporters approached you, who delved into the Dungeon solo, looking for a good scoop. The simple fact that your potential was so high was one of the biggest factors, Lewin.” (Tobias)

I see. It made a lot of sense.

At that time, I had been planning to turn back in the lower layers and went in alone thinking I would be able to handle the monsters that appeared there… From others’ perspectives, I might have seemed like an interesting boy who was willing to take on reckless challenges.

If Tobias hadn’t helped me and some reporter had been able to talk me into letting him write a big article about my solo clearing… I could vividly imagine myself having a hard time stepping down from solo clearing in the future with the expectant stares of those around me who had read such an article about me.

“…….Once again, thank you so much for your help back then!!” (Lewin)

“Hehehe. Well, I’ve always wanted to get to know you, so don’t worry about it, Lewin. Anyway, if you have any more questions, go ahead and fire away.” (Tobias)