Chapter 7: Regarding the Black Dragon, and Ais's Desire
"This time... is this as far as we can go..." Watching everyone busy at work, Ais sighed softly, feeling somewhat unwilling. Even so, she knew Captain Finn's judgment was correct. After that great battle, both the Familia members' bodies and their equipment had suffered significant wear. Proceeding to the lower levels in such a compromised state would be like playing with their own lives.
They had only come here to explore; it hadn't reached the point where they needed to risk their lives. They could just as easily come back for another expedition once they were fully prepared. As Ais was thinking this, Lefiya trotted over and called out, "Mr. Orihara, Ais-san~ It's time to eat!"
"Understood." Hearing the voice, Ais nodded, then looked toward Shirou. "Let's go, Mr. Orihara." Shirou nodded. "Mhm."
...
"Cheers!" As Finn raised his glass, everyone followed suit. "Cheers!"
A large pot had been placed in the center of the campsite, and everyone sat around it. The food inside was a stew made from herbs and nuts gathered from the current floor, along with "meat-flavored fruit"—a fruit that, as the name suggests, has the taste and texture of meat. Although the nuts and fruit produced by the labyrinth were technically monster food, they weren't harmful to humans or demi-humans, so they were used for sustenance. For many reasons, meals in the Dungeon were often just quick rations, so this meal could be considered a delicacy. Finn had made the arrangements with morale in mind, allowing the members to feast on a rare meal within the Dungeon.
While eating, Lefiya sighed. "I'm sorry, Ais-san. If I could have been more helpful, perhaps everyone wouldn't have been so exhausted." Regardless of anything else, she was a Level 4 adventurer, known as the "Thousand Elf," and was expected to be Riveria's successor. However, in the battles within the Dungeon, she was always timid and hesitant due to her fear of the monsters.
"Always being afraid of the monsters... perhaps I shouldn't be an adventurer..." Hearing the girl's dejected words, Ais opened her mouth slightly, wanting to say something, but she had never been good with words. Even though she wanted to comfort Lefiya, she didn't know what to say at that moment.
"When the environment is at its darkest, the light of a burning flame is most dazzling. It is okay to be afraid. As long as you have enough desire to protect your companions, that courage will let you bloom with radiance," Shirou offered words of encouragement.
Upon hearing this, a faint glimmer lit up Lefiya's downcast eyes, and she cast a look of gratitude toward Shirou. "Mr. Orihara... thank you!"
"Anyone can speak words of encouragement; in the end, it still depends on your own heart," Shirou said, shaking his head gently. "Mhm, I will do my best!" Lefiya nodded.
Shirou's brief words had filled Lefiya with motivation, leaving the rest of the Familia members quite impressed. "You're practically a mentor!" Tiona exclaimed. Finn and Riveria, however, grew even more curious about how much this Shirou, who had suddenly joined their ranks, truly differed from the gods of "Orario."
The meal—which by biological clock standards could be called breakfast—soon ended. Everyone packed their gear and the loot obtained from slaying monsters, then began the return journey. The terrain of the Dungeon changed drastically at fixed floor intervals. From the standard labyrinth structure common on the 1st floor, which connected directly to the surface, to forests, lakes, and wildernesses, the floors presented small, unimaginable worlds hidden beneath the earth. The further they descended, the more obvious these changes in the natural environment became.
The [Loki Familia] was currently moving through a cavernous area. The passages formed by exposed rock included not only horizontal tunnels crisscrossing without order but also vertical ones; it was truly a natural cave. The phosphorescence shining above on the walls flickered like campfires, illuminating the gloomy interior of the labyrinth. This was the 17th floor, a middle-level area much closer to the surface than the deep levels.
"We could have kept going down; I haven't had enough fun yet~" Tiona grumbled and pouted. Tione knocked her on the head. "Hasn't the Captain explained it several times already? We were attacked by those monsters, and our remaining supplies might not be enough."
"But, to turn back at the 50th floor... we could just find food in the labyrinth..."
"We can't do anything about weapons and tools. Especially since the good weapons are mostly dissolved; all we have left are these worn-out items we used on the way here," Tione explained.
Weapons and armor are, of course, consumables. Without maintenance from sharpeners or blacksmiths, blades chip and dull—if it's armor, damage accumulates, reducing durability—until they are eventually broken. Except for a few items with the "indestructible" attribute, no matter how excellent the equipment, it cannot withstand long-term combat. No matter how high an adventurer's stamina is, if the equipment is useless, it will affect their ability to fight monsters.
"Uwaa! It's so frustrating, we went through so much trouble to reach the 50th floor!" Complaining like this, Tiona suddenly thought of something. She moved to the side of Shirou, who was walking at the back of the group, and asked with a look of curiosity. "Hey, hey~ Mr. Orihara, didn't you come up from even deeper levels? Do you know what kind of monsters are down there?"
"That, huh..." Shirou recalled for a moment. "The terrain changes a lot every few floors. Some walls are deep red, others are pitch black. There are also giant monsters that look like insects, and there's even a bigger Black Dragon."
"Waaah... that's amazing!"
"There's actually a dragon in the deeper levels!?" The Familia members exclaimed in wonder. The term "Dragon" grabbed everyone's attention, especially Ais.
Upon hearing the name "Black Dragon," the girl's pupils contracted sharply, and she cast an urgent, expectant gaze toward Shirou. Ais's parents had once attempted to slay the Black Dragon; as for what happened in the end, one could guess the general truth from Ais's current situation. Initially, Ais had been discovered by members of the Zeus and Hera Familias on the 60th floor, sealed by ice magic. After bringing her back, neither the Zeus nor Hera Familias could break the seal; in the end, it was Riveria of the Loki Familia who broke it and took Ais into the Familia. Because of this background, Ais had a deep obsession with the "Black Dragon," so hearing news related to it meant she couldn't sit still.
"Mr. Orihara, do you know which floor the 'Black Dragon' is on?" To the girl filled with such longing, Shirou shook his head: "It's impossible to estimate the exact floor, but it should be in a relatively deep area."
"I... I see..." Ais's eyes drooped slightly.
Riveria, standing to the side, cast her pale green eyes toward Shirou, murmuring to herself in deep thought. "A god from another world, huh..." Although the person himself said he didn't count as a god, in Riveria's view, whether it was his appearance, temperament, or unfathomable strength, he was very similar to the gods she knew. Harboring deep questions, Riveria continued onward.
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