Live Dungeon!

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To reach Dungeon City from the Royal Capital, one must camp for at least one night along the way. The Explorers who had gone ahead gathered and began preparing their camp, with Absolute Helix already setting up. Ollie led the preparations, with Korinna and Daryl eagerly assisting her.

[That thing Leleia said… did she actually mean it in THAT way…?]

Inside the tent set up by Absolute Helix, Tsutomu practiced his skills alone, recalling Leleia’s face from earlier.

While he had been napping in the carriage, the Clan members chatted about him. Amira had made some suggestive comments about physical relationships, leading a rudely awakened Tsutomu to be interrogated by a jealous Leleia.

Reflecting on the phrase ‘feelings so intense that she wanted to kill Amira,’ Tsutomu found it somewhat understandable but still struggled to grasp Leleia’s true intentions. Thus, he pondered deeply on the matter.

Besides Leleia, Hannah eagerly pressed for more details, while Amy eyed him like a stray cat. However, Tsutomu’s mention of Camille’s fury quickly dispelled any misunderstandings, as Amira promptly denied the insinuations.

Despite not asking, Tsutomu had learned a lot about Amira from Camille. He knew she was a sixteen-year-old girl who had yet to be in a relationship with anyone.

“How about some corn soup to warm you up?”

Outside, besides the camping Explorers, merchants and aspiring newcomers who had decided to move from the Royal Capital to the Dungeon City gathered.

[I wonder if Dungeon City can handle this sudden influx of migrants.]

Although magical tools in the Royal Capital had already transmitted the information, Tsutomu worried whether Dungeon City could accommodate tens of thousands of Royal Capital residents. There was a sense of condescension among the Royal Capital residents towards Dungeon City, hinting at inevitable trouble, too.

Nobles from the Royal Capital, as seen recently in the castle, clearly intended to ingratiate themselves with major Clans. While Absolute Helix, under the protection of House Babenberg, would likely be fine, Ealdred Crow was undoubtedly a target. Even though the nobles no longer wielded significant power, their innate magical prowess still concerned Tsutomu.

As Tsutomu thought about the future of Dungeon City, sending skills flying about within the tent, the entrance flap lifted hesitantly. Garm, wearing an apron from helping with supper, and Leon, with his golden-furred wolf ears pricked, peeked inside.

“Hey, Tsutomu.”

“Leon? Why are you here? We went through the trouble of keeping our distance, you know.”

“Aww, man! So Absolute Helix really has been avoiding us, huh? Why?”

“Because we heard from Ealdred Crow that you guys like to get intimate even when camping.”

Tsutomu gave Leon a withering look, and Leon, whistling nonchalantly, looked away.

“Well, holding back is bad for the body, right?”

“You know how they say ‘third time’s the charm’? Maybe you should lose your arm again, then you might learn a lesson or two about restraint…”

“That’s harsh! I didn’t lose it because I wanted to, you know!?”

In the recent Stampede, Leon’s arm had been cut off twice, making him a target for jokes among the other Explorers.

“Why didn’t you visit me in the Royal Capital, Tsutomu? I missed my chance to say a lot of things!” Leon complained.

“You had the opportunity at the castle, didn’t you? Though you seemed more focused on flirting with the noblewomen… Anyway, Garm, it looks like Leon is ready to leave.”

“Indeed, he does.”

“Wait! I lied! The truth is… I just didn’t want to face it. I wanted to avoid the unpleasant stuff,” Leon admitted, looking downcast as Garm grabbed his arm. He sat down, crossed his legs, and placed his hands on his knees, bowing his head. “I appreciate you saving Eunice. I wouldn’t have made it in time.”

“…I didn’t do anything to save her. The Undine did.”

“Man, you’re not fooling me — I was close enough to understand the situation. Thanks to you, Golden Tune had no casualties. You saved us this time. Really, thanks a million, man.”

In this Stampede, Golden Tune’s only losses were Leon’s arm — which had since been restored — and Eunice being knocked unconscious by Orbis, saved by Undine’s intervention. Leon, who had overheard Tsutomu and Eunice’s conversation, understood that Tsutomu had chosen to help her.

“Throwing away your own safety to save someone else isn’t easy. Especially since you’re you, Tsutomu — one wrong move, and you would have been splattered by that Shield magic!” Leon said with a smile, snapping his fingers.

Tsutomu frowned. “That was a mistake on my part. I misjudged the situation.”

“No way! It wasn’t a failure! Because of you, Eunice and I were saved. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to help us so much, but I prefer the current you to the old Tsutomu!”

“I don’t care what version of me you like…”

To Tsutomu, his choice had been a failure. He dismissed Leon’s gratitude and waved him away.

“Is that all you wanted to say? Be on your way, then.”

“Wait, is a simple thanks really enough?”

“To me, it was just a mistake. I don’t need your thanks. And if you spread this around, I’ll take down Golden Tune for real. Remember that.”

Leon, taken aback by Tsutomu’s serious tone, nodded and tried to continue talking. But Garm, sensing Tsutomu’s dark mood, escorted Leon out of the tent.

Once they were gone, Tsutomu lay down and held his head in his hands.

[Man, why the hell did I even act like a cringe gamer just now? I can’t believe I’m making more embarrassing memories even in this world…]

Leon had dredged up memories Tsutomu would rather forget, leaving him to stew in his own thoughts.

　▽▽

After camping, the carriage headed towards Dungeon City, now visible in the distance.

“Ohh yeah, we are finally back,” Tsutomu muttered, gazing at the city’s towering Monitors from the window.

He had seen Dungeon City from the outside on Dungeon expeditions before, but having been away for nearly a month, the sight felt oddly fresh.

At the checkpoint of Dungeon City, the crowd had noticeably grown. Through his binoculars, Tsutomu saw numerous gatekeepers and Guild staff working swiftly to process the influx of people. Also assisting were Explorers who had remained in Dungeon City, including those of Ealdred Crow, Golden Tune, and Silver Beast.

Among them were familiar faces: Camille, the Guild Master; Misil, the Clan Leader of Silver Beast; and Lorena, Conykin Healer and Tsutomu’s first student.

The carriage carrying Absolute Helix arrived at the checkpoint, and Tsutomu’s group began to disembark. Members of Ealdred Crow and Golden Tune also descended, greeted warmly by their respective Clans.

“Amira!”

Camille pushed through the crowd to absolute Helix’s carriage, her face lighting up as she spotted Amira. Ignoring Amira’s scowl, she hugged her tightly, patting her face as if to reassure herself of her presence.

“Get off me, you ancient Dragon! Stop pawing at me!”

“Amira, you have no idea how worried I was. Just let me do this for a bit.”

“Gah, you’re so annoying…”

Camille held Amira firmly, even nuzzling her cheek, despite the latter’s attempt to get away. Daryl watched the family reunion with a touch of envy, while Leleia’s expression was impossible to read.

Elsewhere, Amy and Garm chatted with guild staff, and Xeno was already embracing his Pico. Hannah and Korinna smiled warmly at the sight.

“Tsutomu! Welcome back!”

Lorena bounced with joy, tears glistening in her eyes. But Tsutomu, heading to the checkpoint, merely raised a hand in acknowledgment. He nodded briefly to Misil before continuing on his way.

“Huh…?”

Lorena’s face fell as she watched him walk off, while Misil chuckled in amusement.

“Inspection, please,” Tsutomu said to the gatekeeper.

“Oh, sure…”

The gatekeeper hesitated, glancing at the angry woman behind Tsutomu. As he called for a guild staff member, Lorena charged forward.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me, dammit!” she yelled.

Lorena tackled Tsutomu, wrapping her arms around his waist and sending them both to the ground. Tsutomu let out a little scream as he hit the dirt.

As Tsutomu lay there, wincing, Lorena began to cast Heal, easing his pain. Tsutomu, now able to move, turned to face his attacker.

“What… what do you think you’re doing?” Tsutomu groaned.

“You ignored me, Tsutomu! That’s your fault!”

“I didn’t ignore you.”

“Look around! Everyone’s celebrating their safe return from the Royal Capital! And you just give a half-hearted wave?”

“Ayy, I’m back~~”

“What!? That’s way too fake, even for you! Do you realize how massive this Stampede was? It shook the Royal Capital!”

“I don’t know how it was reported in Dungeon City, but just lemme get the inspection over with first, will you?”

Tsutomu brushed off the dust and responded to Lorena’s shocked expression while taking the usual paper slip from the gatekeeper and holding it in his mouth. Once his Status Card was ready, he handed the slip to the guild staff member, who proceeded to use the two items to verify his identity.

After everything was done, the gatekeeper stamped the entry document and nodded.

“Kyoutani Tsutomu, no issues. You can go in.”

“Thank you.”

“Tsutomu! You’re gonna go straight to the Guild, aren’t you!? Stop right there! Talk to me! Look me in the eyes!”

“You’re noisy. And those ears are in the way.”

“Wha…!?”

Lorena’s face froze, then twisted in anger. She jabbed her rabbit ears at Tsutomu’s face in a flurry of strikes.

“Do you even understand how I felt staying behind in Dungeon City!?”

“Gah– Hey, cut it out.”

“I wanted to go, too! But the Security Team and the Guild wouldn’t let me! They said monsters might attack Dungeon City, so I had to stay!! Take this, take this, take this!”

“Okay, okay, stop it.”

Lorena looked up at him, teary-eyed, then pouted and turned away.

“Besides, I’ve been busy too, but I adjusted my schedule because you were coming back today. What a devoted student, right? But look at the mentor — only giving me a wave! Don’t you think that’s rude?”

“A truly devoted student wouldn’t call herself that.”

“I’ll jab you again!”

“Stop.”

As Lorena started to shake her head vigorously like a bullfighter, Tsutomu promptly held her head back with his right hand.

“I appreciate your concern, but right now, I want to see the Pedestal. It’s been almost a month.”

“Meh, typical Tsutomu. Still, something feels different about you…”

Tsutomu remained silent, facing Lorena’s suddenly puzzled gaze.

“……”

“Ow! Hey, what are you doing?”

“C’mon, let’s get going.”

Tsutomu nudged her head aside and walked towards the massive Monitor #1. Lorena, complaining all the while, followed him with a lighter step.

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