c41-c60 · 050-ch50

Chapter 50: The Competition

An unprecedented boom had been triggered in Shinjuku Dungeon by a certain dungeon streamer, and now countless explorers were flooding in, enough to fill the entire plaza. Among them stood a man with a naginata on his back, his expression deadly serious.

"Huh, isn't that Moldo from Line Bird...?"

An explorer in the plaza muttered that when he saw him. Triggered by those words, the people around began to notice him—no, them.

"No way, why would someone like 'The Cleaver' Moldo be in a dungeon like this...?"

"Hey, look, Mermero and Elda are with him too!"

"The whole Line Bird crew...!"

"Are you serious, is Feather Company really going all out for this recruitment war...?"

The competition—upon hearing that word someone had let slip, Moldo gave a short laugh through his nose.

(There's no way these newcomers who just learned about that person yesterday could recruit him)

A contest to see who would be the first to find the man named Shibasaki Ichiro who had started this boom and invite him to their party—the explorers gathered in Shinjuku Dungeon had started calling this the competition.

Ridiculous—Moldo declared in his heart. They're treating this like a game, do they mistake the dungeon for some kind of amusement park?

He checked the time on the rugged watch on his arm, then looked back at his companions.

"It's time. Mermero, Elda, let's go."

"Understood."

"Aye aye!"

As the two returned with energetic replies that didn't lose to the crowd's noise, they began to walk. Then, the crowd parted like waves to make way for them. You don't defy the strong—that was the first thing one learned as an explorer.

However, the three walking down the cleared path showed no trace of arrogance as the strong. Why was that? Because they too had had the experience of having pain and fear beaten into them to the core of their bones by a certain cleaner.

Just then, another trio approached from the other side of the cleared path. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that two paths were merging into one. They too were walking down a path the crowd had opened.

Both groups noticed each other's presence, but neither slowed their pace.

"Hey hey, isn't that Orion from Sandai-ren...!?"

"Those three, they should've been in Shibuya yesterday."

"So Sandai-sama hasn't given up either...!"

As the crowd grew excited, the two trios approached within fist-fighting distance and stopped. Then, as if in place of greeting, they exchanged glares filled with killing intent, and the man called Orion gave a creepy smile as he spoke to Moldo with false friendliness.

"Well hey there, Moldo-kun. It's been a while. How long has it been?"

"Three days. Not long enough to call it 'a while.'"

"Three days is plenty long—long enough for me to miss your seriousness."

"...Sigh, I can't believe you guys are here too."

"Well of course. He's a rare talent. A presence that will greatly change the nature of deep-layer exploration. You guys were ordered by your superiors to 'recruit' him too, right?"

"...I have no intention of answering."

Hearing their words, the murmuring around them grew louder.

"Did you hear that just now...! So they really are...!"

"Yeah. The rumors were true!"

"Which side will Shibasaki end up with...?!"

Leaving the six at the center of the whirlwind, those around them started getting heated on their own. But Orion paid it no mind and extended his right hand toward Moldo.

"Well then, best of luck, Moldo-kun. I don't think either of us is that familiar with Shinjuku, and helping each other is fundamental in dungeons, after all."

"...Yeah."

When Moldo grasped that hand readily, Orion pulled it sharply, bringing his own face close to Moldo's ear. Then, in a voice the crowd couldn't hear, he spoke to him.

"Hey, why don't we team up?"

"...Huh?"

"This is just a hunch, but I think our objectives are more or less the same. So—"

"I decline."

Before Orion could finish his proposal, Moldo rejected it firmly. Orion's smiling face didn't change, only his eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Oh? Even if you hear the reason?"

"I can't read your intentions, but that's usual. But there's one thing I know. You don't listen seriously to anything as suspicious as you. That's a fundamental rule of dungeons."

"...S-so cold."

◇◇◇

After finishing our battle with the Sand Wolf zombies, Sister Rose and I were guided by Chiffon-san to a place where monsters rarely appear.

"We were fortunate. I never imagined you would know the person I'm searching for, Chiffon-san."

"You mean the Shinjuku Hermit of the 17th floor, right? I'm the one who's honored to be of help, Sister Rose."

Shinjuku Hermit... that was what Chiffon-san said Sister Rose was looking for.

...I've definitely never heard of him. With such a ridiculous name like a character from a boys' manga, there's no way someone like that wouldn't be famous in a dungeon like Shinjuku, even if it's unpopular.

"...Chiffon-san, what kind of person is this Shinjuku Hermit?"

"Well, let's see... if I had to put it in one word, an eccentric? Maybe. He's a dangerous person who's been cooped up in the dungeon forever and rarely appears before people. There's no one who knows Shinjuku Dungeon as well as he does, so I just thought the person you're looking for must be him... I apologize if I'm wrong."

He doesn't seem to be lying... But the suspicious timing of his arrival coinciding with that zombie attack can't be erased. My explorer's instincts are telling me he's hiding something.

...Even if he's really just being kind, there's no harm in being cautious. I take Sister Rose's hand so we can escape the dungeon at any moment, and keep my hand on the Life Cord in my bag.

"It should be around here... ugh!"

"...! What's wrong, Chiffon-san!"

While guiding us, Chiffon-san suddenly crouched down on the spot. Groaning as if in pain, Sister Rose, seeing this, let go of my hand and hurried over to him.

Is this an attack? No, this shoulder trembling, it's really that of someone in genuine pain. This is beyond the realm of acting.

Which means Chiffon-san really is just a normal explorer...? Am I just being too tense...? No, but...

"Where does it hurt? I'll use recovery magic on you..."

"...No, I'm fine."

Chiffon-san stops Sister Rose, who was about to cast recovery magic, with his trembling hand.

"It's... already too late... urgh!"

Saying only that, he covers his own mouth. Then, suddenly, his body starts swelling like a balloon.

My premonition was right. Before I could even think that, his body, which had reached a volume hardly recognizable as human, gradually blocked my entire forward view.

"Huh, what's happening...?"

"Sister Rose!"

I reach out my hand to Sister Rose in an instant. But I was too late. Chiffon's body, having passed its critical point, exploded with a deafening roar.