Chapter 47: The Dungeon Town

Was this small town simply a stopover on the way to the dungeon?

After pondering for a moment without finding an answer, I decided to ask Ren.

“Isn’t this the dungeon?”

“No, you’re right. This is the dungeon. This town was built on top of the dungeon and is commonly referred to as the ‘Dungeon Town.'”

“Oh, I see. In fiction, there are sometimes dungeon cities, so this is kind of like that.”

“Since dungeons attract adventurers, merchants gather here to do business, and over time, the town formed around them.”

“So, does that mean other dungeons have towns like this too?”

“Sorry, I’m not sure about that. However, since this dungeon is the closest one to the royal capital, its demand is much higher than other dungeons. Because of that, this town was established here. It’s highly likely that this place is unique.”

“I see. Sheila, you’re really knowledgeable.”

Sheila answered all my questions thoroughly.

Even Ren and the others, who hadn’t thought about why the town existed, nodded with interest at her explanation.

As we chatted and walked, I spotted Yui and Shoji up ahead.

The two of them were fully equipped in fantasy-style gear, looking both cool and fitting for the setting.

It was obvious without even trying that such outfits would never suit me.

“You’ve finally arrived. Sato, welcome to the dungeon.”

“Today, we’ll be guiding you through it!”

“Yui, Shoji, good morning. I’m counting on you today.”

After exchanging brief greetings, we dropped off our belongings at an inn and immediately headed toward the dungeon.

I wanted to check out the local stores, but since Ren and the others were taking the time to guide us, I couldn’t just follow my personal whims.

“Alright, let’s go! Our goal for today is reaching the tenth floor!”

“Got it. I’ll do my best to keep up.”

“Don’t worry, we’re keeping a reasonable pace. We’ll handle the battles, so Sato, you should focus on getting used to the dungeon’s atmosphere.”

Ren reassured me kindly.

While I had been excited in the carriage, actually standing at the dungeon entrance filled me with nerves.

Even though I was stiff with tension, I followed Ren and the others inside—soon, the dungeon came into view.

The dungeon was structured like a massive hole leading underground.

The path sloped downward, and despite being inside a dungeon, it was surprisingly well-lit. It was clear that previous adventurers had maintained the area.

“…I-I’m getting nervous. Sheila, you seem completely fine. How many times have you explored a dungeon before?”

“This is actually my first time too. But I’ve always admired dungeons, so my excitement outweighs my nerves.”

“Wait, it’s your first time too? Since you knew so much about the Dungeon Town, I thought you’d been here before.”

“I’ve been to the town several times for errands, but this is my first time entering the dungeon itself. However, I’ve thoroughly researched it, so I’m confident in my knowledge.”

Just as she claimed, Sheila knew more about the dungeon paths than even the experienced adventurers like Ren and the others.

According to her, maps of the lower floors were available, and she had memorized all of them.

Thanks to Ren and the others handling the monsters and Sheila’s navigation, we made swift progress without getting lost.

So far, it didn’t feel like a dungeon “challenge” at all, but I was gradually understanding what kind of place a dungeon was.

“The lighting is solid, and the monsters we’ve encountered so far aren’t much different from the ones in the backwoods near my home. Other than being a bit hard to walk in, this is easier than I expected.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Sato! That kind of thinking is dangerous! Dungeons have something called ‘Monster Rooms’—suddenly appearing areas packed with monsters! If you let your guard down, you’ll be dead before you know it!”

“Yeah! And they appear pretty frequently! The lower you go, the more terrifying it gets!”

“Mika ran away from dungeons mostly because of Monster Rooms, didn’t she?”

“Of course! I seriously feared for my life in there! …I don’t want to die yet, you know?”

So, it’s like the “Monster Houses” from roguelike games?

Right now, we have the numbers advantage, so fights are easy, but if monsters outnumber us, I could be in serious danger.

I adjusted my mindset, refocused, and continued forward.

—In the end, though, we never encountered a Monster Room.

Thanks to Sheila’s precise guidance, we reached the tenth floor without any trouble.

“Wow, we’re already at the tenth floor!”

“This might be our fastest run ever. Sheila’s directions were on point.”

“Seriously. I expected a slower pace because of Sato, but Sheila, you’re amazing.”

“Thank you, but it’s only because everyone handled the fights.”

Sheila was being humble, but being able to navigate a dungeon flawlessly on a first visit was nothing short of incredible.

Even with a map, I would have definitely gotten lost.

“So… what about the floor boss? We weren’t planning to fight it, but we’ve got plenty of energy left, so it feels doable.”

“Let’s go for it! If Sheila protects Sato, we can handle the battle!”

“Oh, so there are floor bosses too?”

“The tenth floor boss is a Minotaur! Its attacks are scary, but as long as they don’t hit, it’s no big deal!”

“We’ve taken down over fifty of them already. Plus, there’s a rare drop called the ‘Twisted Bull Horn,’ which sells for a decent price.”

“There’s a luck-based drop system? Do all monsters have rare drops?”

“Nope! Only some of them! But every floor boss has one!”

Since we were going to fight the floor boss anyway, I wanted to see what a rare drop looked like.

That said, the standard drop seemed to be a ‘magic crystal,’ which was actually more valuable, so it was a bit complicated.

With these thoughts in mind, we stepped into the tenth floor’s boss chamber.

The area was a single large room, and in the center stood a bull-headed monster.

It was a humanoid figure, standing over three meters tall.

With bulging muscles and an enormous axe nearly as tall as itself, it exuded a dangerous aura.

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