Chapter Fifty-five: A Perfect Dungeon Classroom
Seeing the confusion practically written on my face as I ponder whether the existence of dungeons in this world is problematic… Ms. Sheila beckons me over just as the Guildmaster and the members of the Gourmands start their detailed discussion.
“Ms. Rin, Ms. Rin. Let me give you a simple explanation of the current issue!”
“Thank you very much, Ms. Sheila! To be honest, I don’t really understand what’s so serious about it…”
When I make eye contact with Mr. Ville, he nods as if to say, "Go ahead." Urged by Ms. Sheila, who is wagging her tail excitedly, I move to a small side room to avoid disturbing the group’s discussion. It is a cozy room with a simple table and chairs.
As I take a seat as prompted, Ms. Sheila… or rather, Professor Sheila’s Perfect Dungeon Class begin.
“First, about dungeons themselves—in simple terms, you can think of them as closed spaces where monsters, treasures, traps, and so on appear. Some call them secluded areas cut off from the world.”
“I see. Could we consider them as places targeted for exploration and quests?”
“Yes! There are many jobs related to dungeons, like investigating their scale, the types and numbers of monsters that appear, and culling monsters as an extermination task.”
Oh, right. Being a fan of both RPGs and TRPGs, I have a rough understanding of “dungeons,” and I understand that some quests involve them. Even in sessions, I’ve experienced… well, been forced to go to all sorts of dungeons for all sorts of reasons. It’s a pretty common setting for adventures, isn’t it?
As I nostalgically look back on past sessions, Ms. Sheila continues explaining that dungeons can be artificially intervened upon to some degree and controlled. This prevents harm to many people while also creating work for adventurers and introducing items into the market circulation.
So the existence of dungeons itself isn’t the problem?
“It seems you understand the basics, but one of the major issues this time is that a dungeon appeared suddenly without any forewarning.”
“…Pardon me, Ms. Sheila… do dungeons sometimes just suddenly appear?”
“There have been several cases in the past where dungeons appeared, so it’s not unprecedented… However, it’s said that in all previous instances, there were signs leading up to it.”
“Signs, huh… Like monsters gathering in the area, or something?”
“That’s true, and there are also cases where dungeons form from places where many people have died, or from ‘impurities’ such as grudges and resentment serving as the core, or when the flow of magic or ley lines becomes abnormal, causing the space to warp into a dungeon… But in all these cases, there are usually some signs beforehand, such as the abnormal generation of impurities or local distortions.”
Ms. Sheila’s tail drooped listlessly as she flipped through the sizable stack of documents and records she was carrying. Those papers probably detail the past cases, huh?
But still, the reasons for dungeon emergence are much darker than I thought! Places where people have died, or areas with impurities… In my world, such spots would be treated as haunted or cursed places, right…? So basically, dungeons form where “bad things” gather, is that the gist of it? That’s why it’s strange for a dungeon to suddenly appear in a place where there was nothing just yesterday…
Plus, since this dungeon just appeared, no one has investigated it yet. So its scale is unknown, as are the tendencies and strengths of the monsters inside. For all we know, it could be swarming with monsters that might attack the town. No wonder it’s such a huge problem!
In other words…
“…So the big issue is that there’s an unknown dungeon near town, and we have no idea what the current situation within it is or how it might escalate?”
“You understand perfectly! And now that there’s this unprecedented case of a dungeon appearing without warning, there’s concern dungeons could emerge in other areas that seemed innocuous before…”
“With an unknown dungeon, it would be a challenge for the town’s security, and the parties tasked with investigating it would also face difficulties. Moreover, there would be a need for people to discuss whether dungeons might appear elsewhere, adding to the strain in terms of personnel… It’s a burden from all directions, isn’t it…!?”
“Exactly… We’re currently consulting with the members of the Gourmands, and we’ve imposed some degree of gag order, but the veteran guild staff are in chaos… This is the first major incident I’ve experienced since I started working at the guild…”
Ms. Sheila’s usually perky triangular ears drooped sadly, showing just how serious the situation is… In fact, if it’s Ms. Sheila’s first experience dealing with something like this despite over 20 years at the guild, then it really must be an "unprecedented situation," huh?
…And I have a hunch our party will be the ones taking on the investigation request this time. Mr. Ville doesn’t seem like the type to refuse if he’s seriously asked for help. And now that we know what’s going on, not cooperating isn’t an option.
In this case, as the group’s chef and supporter, my role will be to make sure everyone is prepared to fight at full strength. Who knows how long we’ll be in the dungeon, so I’ll focus on stocking up enough food supplies so everyone can eat their fill and rest properly!
“Ms. Sheila, I’m going to go stock up on long-lasting food supplies!”
“Oh, Ms. Rin! Then I’ll go with you! I know some great hidden gem shops!”
“Seriously? Info on some shops would be so helpful! Thank you!”
Not even waiting for a proper goodbye, I dashed out of the room to finish my grocery shopping. Ms. Sheila swiftly caught up to me without breaking a sweat, perhaps because she’s a kobold with quick reflexes despite her small stature. She smiled and took my hand in hers.
The feeling of her slightly short, silky fur and plump paw pads…!
T-Too irresistible!
“Mr. Ville! I’m going to stock up on food supplies real quick!”
“Got it! Looks like this request will be a long haul, so I will leave the food to you!”
“Master! I’ll show Ms. Rin some good shops!”
“Wait, Sheila! There’s still work I need you to…”
“You can handle organizing documents and cleaning yourself for once! Let me have a small mental break!”
With a single call amidst the heated debate in the room, a swift response came back, showing no signs of cooling down in the fervor of discussion. I guess we’re both motivated enough.
As I raced through the guild corridor, I heard the desperate scream of the Guildmaster Tori and the decisive voice of the Receptionist Sheila, which cut through it like a knife, echoing in the air.
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