Book 17 Chapter 14

No way,

Is it wrong to pursue dreams in a dungeon (1)

[Lion's Song] The mercenary band reportedly went on hiatus after the Hosen Kingdom incident, each due to their own circumstances.

"So that fox princess was wandering around alone, huh…"

Lista mumbled to herself.

Jushi spoke again.

"I also returned to my hunter duties, and this guy was so fast that I'd been struggling for three days. To think you'd come up with the idea of feeding it poison to slow its movements! As expected, the Oracle is amazing!"

Friede, who had been maintaining a somewhat solemn expression, considering it was a meeting with subordinates, burst into laughter and ended up choking on cigarette smoke.

"Kyah, kyahaha, poison, she said poison! Did you hear that? There's a wizard who's been feeding deadly poison to their party members, saying it's good for them, Bisyung Ppushyung Pashyung?"

"Noisy. Stop it."

"Characteristic of the strongest Oracle: Doesn't listen to wizards weaker than herself. Did you hear me? Bi-bi-bi-ppu-ppu-ppu-pa-pa-pa-shoo-shoo-shoo-shung? Bi-bi? Ppu-ppu-ppu? Pa-pa-pa, shoo-shoo-shoo-shoo-shung?"

"Pi-pi, pi-pi-pu-pu, pi-pi-pu-pu-pa-pa-shung-shung-shung-shung."

Pipi helped Friede to provoke Rin! What masters of provocation!

"It's so childish, not worth my time. I'm going to read now, so chatter all you want."

"Is the hero party's poison maker running away now?"

"?"

"Oh my, now that you mention it, the wizard spot is open, isn't it?"

"???"

"Lista, before we go to the main stage, shouldn't we expel someone like a poison maker and recruit a proper wizard? How can we trust someone with a third-rate profession like that and put our backs to them?"

"K-Kiiieeeek…!"

Rin, who had been suppressing her anger, finally roared like a monster and lunged at Friede. The famous rivalry of Lista's party, a showdown between two proud geniuses, had begun!

"I told you not to do it! Why do you keep acting up?!"

"I said I didn't want to eat it, so why are you making eyeball dishes again! Huh? Every day, every day, every single day! Hey, stop splattering eyeballs on the food!"

"I'm going to announce your regional discrimination remarks across the entire continent. Just you wait!"

It was not the kind of fight one would expect from an Oracle hailed as the greatest of all time and a wizard whose potential was said to break through the Aquisade (5-star) rank.

What kind of Oracle and Arch-Wizard squabble and fight while pinching each other's cheeks?

Kies sat in first class, tearing into a skewer and sipping beer, watching the fight.

[b(■ㅅ■)d]

Pipi and Svaldo savored their skewers deliciously atop Serwebon's bowstring, subtly cheering on their respective masters.

"It's like… a friendly sibling quarrel."

Jushi made that assessment. She found it fascinating, thinking 'So Friede has this side to her too.'

"Of course. They get along so well."

Lista said, as if bragging.

Her expression showed an unhidden, spontaneous joy.

The reason those two couldn't help but have such a childish fight was 100% due to the tyrannical rule of this crazy madman, enforced with blood and iron, but she herself didn't realize it.

"So, now that this monster has been subdued, is your work as a hunter done?"

"Hmm, no. The mission I currently have is dungeon exploration."

"A dungeon? Around here?"

"Yes. I don't know if it suddenly appeared or was just discovered… but at first glance, the danger level is quite high, so I've called in other hunter colleagues. This monster also escaped from that dungeon. It's probably teeming with creatures like this inside."

At that, Lista clenched her fist tightly, her eyes burning with the light of conviction.

"A dungeon, you say? As a hero, I absolutely cannot stand by and watch something that disrupts people's daily lives! Don't worry, we'll take care of it on our way!"

At that remark, Friede, who was pulling Rin's cheeks from both sides, gasped in horror and shouted.

"Dungeon exploration, what kind of exploration is that?! Do you even know what a labyrinth (미궁, literally 'maze-palace') is? It's a 'palace (宮)' that 'makes you get lost (迷)'! When I was an apprentice witch, I followed my master into a dungeon and it took me five months to get out! You don't know how terrible dungeons are, do you? They're damp, there's no food, nowhere to sleep!"

"Spending a month sharing hardships and joys with party members in such a place, it might even be good?"

"?"

"Actually, if I ever formed a hero party, I wanted to try exploring a dungeon with my party members! It was a kind of dream! To think it's coming true like this!"

Lista, clasping her hands together and blossoming into a smile, was truly a picture of madness! Friede stopped trying to think.

"Oh dear, oh dear, my stomach! My stomach hurts, I think I need to go to a nearby village to recuperate a bit!"

"Friede, you're an Oracle, you can just heal yourself."

"Cough, cough! It seems I have a sore throat along with a stomach ache, I can't chant healing spells, cough, cough…!"

Jushi laughed awkwardly and waved both hands.

"That's right. The hero party has a greater mission, so there's no need for you to take on such trivial matters. Please leave these things to us."

"But…"

"Thank you for worrying about us, but the rewards are also considerable, so it's fine. First of all, a dungeon of this size usually has a lot of gold and treasures buried within, so we can make a big haul."

Gold and treasures?

At those words, Friede's ears twitched.

"Not only that, but sometimes ancient brewed alcohol is discovered, and the taste is absolutely exquisite. Even if you don't drink it, you can sell it for a high price in the market."

Ancient brewed alcohol?

At those words, Kies's eyebrows shot up as if to tear his forehead.

"Of course, in that process, we'll face formidable enemies that could threaten our lives… but I am a first-class hunter. I'm prepared for that much."

Formidable enemies that could threaten our lives?

For a moment, Rin's pupils quivered with excitement.

"I, Friede, the Oracle of the Fire Dragon, can absolutely not tolerate the existence of a dungeon that disrupts people's daily lives. Where is its location?"

[┌(☆ㅁ☆)┘]

"As the strongest wizard, it's absurd to abandon such an adversary and flee. I'm going too."

Seeing her dependable comrades come to her sides, their wills burning, Lista's eyes misted over with tears of emotion.

'I, I'm not alone…'

By my side, I have comrades who respond to my unreasonable demands… Lista, quickly wiping away her flowing tears with her left arm, raised her fist to head height and shouted.

"Yes, if not us, who would volunteer to go to such a place! This is the hero party, a symbol of justice! Let's go, to the dungeon exploration of dreams and hope!"

Exactly seven days later, the three people, excluding Lista, thought this:

'Ugh, I shouldn't have said I'd come…'