The Hero and [Flame Cavern]

  I was troubled.

  “What? This is ground breaking!”


  “Isn’t it too remarkable though, like an explosion?”


  “Why!?”


  The dungeon that Rokuko made was the footholds made on the magma sea. However, that by itself wouldn’t be a problem.

  Added to that, even adding the one monster, Feni the phoenix, it was still alright.

  The problem came after that.

  That is, it connected to something out of our dungeon—[Flame Cavern].

  Probably around its fifteenth floor.

  “… Why is it connected to [Flame Cavern]!?”


  “It’s convenient to let Feni go out and play you know? I properly asked Redra about it first you know?”


  “At least you got permission.”


  Then again, they probably would have noticed and said something if she didn’t get permission.

  “… So why is Feni the only monster?”


  “Because that floor is for Feni. And this way I save more DP to use on summoning a dragon for the next floor!”


  Somehow or another it looks like Rokuko’s dungeon is for her pet’s private use… I guess that’s fine?

  Just then, a message came from Ontentoo saying he wanted to meet. I have a bad feeling about it, but it’s not like I won’t go. Grah.

  “Alright Rokuko. Are you ready to apologize?”


  “In that case I’ll dogene! I’ll prepare the futon!”


  That’s no good, Rokuko. Don’t do something like that so quickly.

  *

  “Oi, Kehmaaa!? What’s the meaning of this!?”


  When we met, the salamander Ontentoo shouted with a forceful bellow.

  His reptilian face looks like its glaring at me harshly.

  “I feel like I understand what you want to say, but for now let’s assume I don’t… What do you mean?”


  “You sent the god’s vanguard into my dungeon, that’s what! Is this a declaration of war!? Answer me!”


  “It was an accident. Sorry.”


  “Oh, it was an accident? That’s fine then.”


  Are you sure? Oi.

  “I know I’m the one saying it, but is it alright?”


  “Huh? Yeah, it’s fine, the god’s vanguard is moving towards the exit right now.” [1]

  As the hero himself intended to advance further and further into the depths of the dungeon, it looked like he was heading towards [Flame Cavern]’s entrance, which was its exit. Ontentoo seemed to be letting him go outside as is and just ignore the boss room.

  “Kehma and No. 112 are narrow-minded huuuh. Right, Redra?”


  “No, Rokuko!? It’s dangerous even for this one fighting all out against god’s vanguard as an opponent you know!?”


  In addition, Rokuko and the red dragon Redra (human form) were sitting on good terms with each other in seiza on the stone floor. No, they were made to. By me.

  “Kehma? What were you thinking by connecting to my dungeon?”


  “Please ask Rokuko. Or rather, it looks like you didn’t approve it either, Ontentoo?”


  “Redra did it without my permission… Comrades in hardships eh?”


  Although the reason is that I left it all to Rokuko, Ontentoo couldn’t defy Redra who was his master. Thinking about that, Ontentoo must have a hard time.

  Even with their dungeon of fifty-one floors, it looks like the dungeon master redecorated in secret and he only just now realized it when the hero invaded.

  “This one discussed wanting to connect dungeons with Rokuko!”


  “It’s convenient for bringing Feni along to play right? Also for me playing with Redra!”


  “… Rather, Rokuko, Redra. When did you two get on such good terms?”


  “When Kehma was sleeping.”


  “Rokuko and Feni come over to play a lot! This one has free time since adventurers usually don’t make it to the bottom floor!”


  Yeah, it is a fifty-one floor dungeon after all… I could probably sleep peacefully for life if I made ours that deep. I sleep a lot even now though.

  “Rather Kehma! You care for Rokuko properly! Learn from this one’s husband!”


  “Yeah yeah! … Wait, Redra!? Don’t say it as if I-I’m like Kehma’s w-w-wife—!”


  For now, no comment.

  “So, what now?”


  “Ah, well, how about blocking the door?”


  “Hmm? Isn’t it fine to leave it? It’s camouflaged on a rock surface on our side so it’ll just be guys coming from your side.”


  Hmm? So in other words it’ll just be a thing that adventurers that came in from our side can leave through?

  “In other words, the guys that get lost at your dungeon will get dealt with somehow by us, how ’bout some thanks?”


  “Hahaha, then isn’t that just us losing income? Ours is also camouflaged, I just decided to get rid of that unmanageable god’s vanguard guy, thanks for that~. I might send god’s vanguard there again though!”


  While mutually giving feints, for now we decided to just keep our dungeons connected and camouflage the opening.

  And we decided on Rokuko and Redra’s punishments.

  *

  Hero Wataru looked about restlessly.

  “… … Light…? Huh, the exit? Huh?”


  Continuing walking outside of the dungeon, he looked around.

  Apparently, he was at the top of Tsuia Mountain. Sia was a little ways away, and he saw the inn near [Cave of Desires], [Dancing Doll’s Pavilion]. There was a forest between him and it, and he still had to descend as well, but it was possible to return more or less easily with a hero’s leg strength.

  “It doesn’t look like an illusion. Is this really the outside…? The heck is going on, was there another entrance? Should I return for a moment and report it to the guild…?”


  With that, he walked down the mountain towards the inn. Running down the mountain’s face, he instantly knew the direction to go.

  Coming out of the forest that was between them, he returned from above to [Cave of Desires].

  Right then, Gozoh was drinking alcohol in Kantra’s smithy.

  “He’s still drinking?”


  While a little astonished, Wataru decided to join in afterwards.

  “Oh? If it isn’t Wataru. Didn’t you head into the dungeon? Why’d you come from on the mountain?”


  “Ah, Gozoh-san. There’s… an entrance on top of the mountain.”


  “On the summit? … You said you were an S-Rank, but that place is definitely a dungeon called [Flame Cavern] you know?”


  “[Flame Cavern]? Is it different from [Cave of Desires]?”


  “It should be a different dungeon, but… well, there are lots of things about dungeons I don’t know, so it might be something unusual.”


  “Are there no precedents?”


  “No, there’re examples of fellow dungeons being near each other. A famous example is the imperial capital’s [White Labyrinth], the [White Cave] is nearby it and touches a part of it.”


  Hearing about it from Gozoh, Wataru remembered hearing about something like that.

  “How far’d you get in there?”


  “Ah, into the unexplored area. I don’t know when it [Flame Cavern] started though…”


  “Ooh, that’s amazing! As expected of S-Rank! … Was there any alcohol?”


  “Unfortunately not. Ah, but I did get magic swords.”


  “Hooh, I’m envious.”


  “Come to think of it, didn’t Kantra-san say he was studying magic swords? How about I give him one? I got twenty of them.”


  “Twenty!? That’s insane! Oooi, Kantra! Wataru is going to give you a magic sword! Today we’ll drink as thanks!”


  “Ooh, drinking alcohol today too!”


  Many gulps echoed from Wataru’s throat.

  Footnotes:

  This note is placed pretty haphazardly, but I would just like to state again that Ontentoo talks like a yakuza, dragging out his vowels all delinquent-like. Sorry, but I’ve yet to figure out a good way to represent this in English.