Chapter 44: Tomb of Death ③ – It’s Your Fault, Isn’t It?

Without hesitation, several strikes landed on the Curse Slime, creating a large hole.

The iron plating was exposed.

At that moment, Agaro-san jumped down from the half-collapsed tower.

“―――One-Slice Demon Sever―――”

He threw something first, then powerfully swept his Flame Tongue sword horizontally in midair.

That was holy water. A special kind made by the witch.

The hole in the Curse Slime widened slightly.

He must have used it to make the cut easier.

One of the iron plates protecting the core was sliced clean in two.

Exposed to the outside air due to the hole, the plate fell away.

It was a fairly thick armored plate. To split it in a single blow… Incredible.

He said something earlier. “One-slice something-or-other.” A relic? Or a technique?

Either way, the Curse Slime’s core was now in plain view.

A round black lump of flesh pulsing rhythmically. Frankly, it was a disgusting mass of meat.

Juicy-san didn’t miss the opportunity.

An arrow was fired.

The Elixir Arrow traced a white parabola and sunk deeply into the core as if being sucked in.

Then the core shattered and vanished, and the Curse Slime dissolved as if evaporating.

Just as Agaro-san had said—done in all at once and defeated in a short time.

Momentum really is important.

What remained were a bunch of skulls and bones—and a treasure chest.

“Phew, somehow we managed.”
“Yes, we did.”
“Um, um, we did it!”

Juicy-san came running over. I patted her on the head.

Her tail wagged so hard it looked like it might tear off. A breeze blew.

“My, my, everyone, that was splendid,”

The witch praised us while holding Dagaa.

“Um, um, it’s all thanks to the bow you made, Witch-sama!”

Juicy-san respectfully tried to return the bow.

But the witch shook her head.

“No, no, that bow was made to fit you, puppy-chan. It’s yours now. Take good care of it.”
“Um, um, woof! Are you sure!? Thank you so much!”

Juicy-san expressed pure joy with her whole body, showing me a beaming smile while repeating, “Wof-sama! Wof-sama!”

“Alright. Now let’s take a look at this treasure.”

Agaro-san spoke as he drank from his gourd bottle.

Treasure chests usually bring mimics to mind, but this was different.

A treasure chest glowing with golden light… Decorated lavishly in silver, it was a box worthy of being called treasure itself.

One might even think the box itself was the treasure.

“Hmm, hmm. A fine treasure box indeed.”
“Um, um, woof. So luxurious.”
“Na!”
“No, this is almost too extravagant.”

Even the box alone probably fetched a hefty price.

“Shall we open it?”
“Wait. There might be traps. I’ll check it.”
“You’ll check it?”
“Well, well, seems Wof boy has a relic for that.”

I used the Relic [Crises Detection]. No reaction from the chest.

“No danger here.”
“Then let’s open it. Witch, if you please.”
“Yes, yes. Let’s open it up.”

The witch handed Dagaa to me and squatted down.

She touched the keyhole and jiggled it.

Dagaa climbed up onto my head.

What the heck.

“Um, um, can you open it?”
“Yes, yes. Almost there… Got it, it’s open!”

The chest opened dramatically.

Inside was a metallic triangular prism.

It shone golden with many lines etched into it.

“What is that?”
“Um, um, it’s the perfect shape to throw and catch!”
“No, no, it’s not for that. I wonder what it is.”
“You don’t know?”
“Um, um, it’s the perfect shape to throw and catch!”
“No, no, I said it’s not for that. Can I hold onto this for now?”
“Na!”
“Hey, Dagaa, stop hitting me in the face with your tail! I don’t mind.”
“Well, I don’t want to carry something so ominous either. Do what you want.”
“Um, um, I have no objections either. Go ahead. But if you ever want to throw it, let me know! I’ll definitely catch it!”
“No, no, I won’t throw it.”

Just how badly do you want to catch something?

And so, we descended to the next floor.

The next floor was a long corridor of endless stone walls—classic dungeon style.

No rooms, just passages that branched into a complex maze.

The monsters in that maze were: Skeletons. Zombies. Skeletons. Dullahans.

Globos. Phantoms. Silkies. Crawling Women. Puppets. Zombies. Skeletons.

Spirits. Ghouls. Mummies. Zombies. Globos. Skeletons. Dullahans.

Curse Slimes. Globos. Silkies. Skeletons. Wandering Women. Zombies.

Ghouls. Skeletons. Skeletons. Skeletons. Standing Women. Skeletons.

Skeletons. Skeletons. Watching Women. Skeletons. Skeletons. Zombies.

Ugh, undead everywhere. It’s nauseating.

Also, the occasional ghost women are terrifying. They do nothing, which makes them even scarier.

“Isn’t this way too many skeletons?”
“I think so too.”

I remember the skeletons in that forest being just as numerous.

“Um, um, I want big bones. I don’t need the small ones.”

Juicy-san voiced a complaint.

Even the big ones aren’t good enough.

“Good grief. So the upper levels of the Tomb of Death are like this,”

The witch sighed. I wonder what the lower levels are like. Still, things are going smoothly.

Well, of course, with a team like this. At this rate, we might even take down the King of Death.

But the King of Death is estimated to be mid-jewel rank… Even at the lowest, he can destroy a city solo.

Defeat him in four days? At the very least, we need to reach the deepest level in the next two days.

No—if the witch says we can beat him, then we can.

Still… something’s bothering me. Something feels off.

Night fell.

Since there were no rooms, we decided to completely block off one corridor to rest.

The witch used an unusually large sheet to section it off, and we floated light orbs we got from Liv-san.

We made it into makeshift private rooms.

First Sheet: The campfire. In front of it, a black sofa.

Agaro-san sat on the black sofa, drinking and watching the fire.

On the fire were three skewers with mushrooms, meat, onions, and scallions.

The mushrooms grew in the corridor—they were edible.

The onions and scallions came from the witch’s pouch.

Agaro-san eats his vegetables properly, huh.

Second Sheet: Juicy-san lay on a red sofa, playing with Dagaa.

She tossed Dagaa in the air while lying on her back, catching and hugging him.

“Um, um, woof. Woof woof. Woof. Woof woof. Woof woof!”
“Na! Na! Na! Nana! Na! Na! Nana! Na! Na!”

“Woof woof. Woof. Woof woof. Woof. Awoooon.”
“Na!”

I had no idea what they were doing, but they looked like they were having fun.

Also, Juicy-san, maybe move your legs a bit less.

Her bare legs flailed, and her red skirt fluttered up.

Third Sheet: A lone black sofa—my room.

On the sofa was a shabby sleeping bag. My beloved item.

I don’t know about the others, but I sleep on the sofa.

Fourth Sheet: Empty.

It seemed intended for baggage, but we didn’t need it. It was just there—Thomasson.

Fifth Sheet: I pulled it back and saw the witch’s back.

She was seated on a chair, not a sofa, working at a desk. I heard clattering sounds.

Then the sounds stopped.

“Mmm, mmm… Who’s there? Probably Wof boy.”
“Yes. It’s me.”
“Mhm, mhm. So, what do you need?”

Without turning around, the witch asked,

“So? What do you think of it?”

I knew she was fiddling with the metal triangular prism we had taken from the treasure chest.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m just about to figure it out. Well, I already know what it is though.”
“Oh, really?”
“This, this here, is a key.”

The witch shifted her chair and turned to face me.
She looked proud, letting out a smug little snort.

“A key?”
“Yep, yep. A special kind of key. It fits somewhere, and something will open with it.”
“Oh, one of those… do we have to collect several of them?”

Ugh. How annoying. I hate those collect-all-the-pieces types.
It’s like in manga or anime or games where they just drag things out—it’s exhausting.
And in reality, when things get dragged out, it’s even more irritating.

Not to mention, this Tomb of Death—it’s absurdly large, complicated, full of undead, gloomy, and dark.
Honestly, I just want to go home.

“Yes, yes indeed. Oh, Wof boy. You’re making quite a face. But is that really what you wanted to ask me?”

The witch had seen right through me. Of course she did. She’s a witch.
So I asked what I truly wanted to know.

“…How do we defeat the King of Death?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got a secret plan.”
“—Is it Generous?”

I said it plainly. The witch said nothing.

The pseudo-divine relic Generous.
My fourth relic. It grants me a pseudo-divine state, channeling the god Generous that Edda worships.
Its power is immense. However, it only lasts five minutes, with a cooldown of one full day.
There are even relics that can only be used in this form.

I used Generous to defeat the Black Knight.
So I figured, yeah, it’d come up again.

But was that the plan from the start? Or was it just convenient after the fact? That difference matters.
Even if she’s my mentor, there are lines you don’t cross.

“That’s one of the options, yes.”
“So you won’t deny that you were counting on it from the start?”
“Hmm, hmm. Wof boy, you believe in the power of your relics, don’t you?”
“Well… yes. But I’m not blindly devoted to them.”

I think I’ve softened my stance on relics a bit compared to before.
Still, I see them as tools—technology.

“Yes, yes. Overconfidence is bad, but having a healthy relationship with relics is good.”
“Why did you agree to this investigation, Witch?”

Knowing her personality, she’d normally refuse.
Too troublesome, too annoying.
She grinned slyly, resting her hand on her chin.

“Oh my, oh my. Hearing that from the culprit himself…”
“What do you mean?”
“Kon took this job because of you, Wof.”

She crossed her legs.

…Wait, what? My fault? What is she talking about?

Though—yeah. I guess that makes sense.

“Yes, yes. That’s the perfect reaction.”
“If you say it’s my fault, then… yeah, I guess it is.”

I unknowingly destroyed a defensive mechanism and released that forest.
That triggered the activation of the Grave of Death.

I don’t quite understand what “activation” means in concrete terms.
But it’s definitely really, really bad.

“Hm? Hm? Ah, no, no. That’s not what I meant. Even if Kon didn’t know you were the one who triggered the forest, she still would’ve accepted the job to deal with the Grave of Death. And that’s because of your influence.”

“My… influence?”

What does she mean? I looked at her blankly.
The witch fiddled with her silver hair, speaking shyly.

“Kon, you see, never really liked people. Naturally prefers solitude. She’s someone who could live alone just fine. But to survive in this world, you have to interact with others, even just a little. So she aimed to become a First-Class Explorer, for the freedom that title brings.”
“Just for that reason?”
“Yes, yes. Simply put, yes. And you, Wof, were the same, weren’t you? You’re not very fond of people either.”
“…I won’t deny that.”

I have a lot of secrets, but I had my mentor to confide in, so it got easier to bear.
Even so, I’ve never really been close to people.

“But, but—you became Kon’s apprentice. You connected with her. And now, you’ve made so many new acquaintances.”
“Yeah, recently I’ve met a lot of people. Even I’m surprised how suddenly that happened.”

Over the past few months, the number of people I knew had grown dramatically.
Thinking back, it might’ve started when I used that Elixir on the dying Torquetum.

“Yes, yes. Kon was the same. Met more people, and still keeps in touch with them, even if years pass. But still, Kon doesn’t like people much. That’s why she always refused requests that required leaving home.
But since taking on a disciple—since meeting you—Kon found herself doing things she’d never done before. Being proactive. Acting for others. That had never happened to her.”
“…And that’s because of me?”
“Yes, yes. Exactly. It’s your fault.”

I was stunned.
I never imagined I could influence anyone.
Let alone her—the witch.
I was speechless.

“Even if you say that…”
“Hey, Wof. The Tomb of Death is definitely activating.”
“Why bring that up suddenly? What do you mean by ‘activating’?”
“Well, you see, death dungeons must be destroyed immediately upon discovery.
Because they grow stronger through sacrifices. And once activated, the death they generate affects the surface world.”
“Even the surface?”
“Yes, yes. They increase death through plague, accidents, disasters, and so on.
And the souls from those deaths feed the dungeon, until eventually the death god Yomido is resurrected.”
“…That’s why you acted?”
“No, no. Even without me, it would take a long time for death to reach the surface. I could’ve ignored it. But I couldn’t leave it alone anymore. If it were the old Kon, she would’ve fled this frontier. Fled the entire continent. But now, for Kon, the people of Hydrangea… they’ve become too important. She couldn’t walk away and that’s all thanks to her beloved apprentice.”

The witch gave me a soft, warm smile.
I gave a small, wry one in return.

“…I don’t even know what to say.”
“That’s fine, that’s fine.”
“But if that’s the case, then I want to protect everyone just as much as you do.”

To be honest, I’d been wandering the Tomb of Death half-heartedly.
Even with only two days left due to the curse.

I had to do it, but I wasn’t really motivated.
I didn’t even know if I could win—I was full of doubts.

It all felt too sudden, too vague. I didn’t even really feel the threat of death.
Maybe it’s because my memories from my past life kept making this feel like a game.

But now I’ve decided. Just now, in this moment, I’ve made my decision.

In these two remaining days, I will reach the deepest level.
I will defeat the King of Death. I will free the Tomb of Death.

That will finally end everything related to that forest.

I have to end it. I will end it.

“Witch, let’s defeat the King of Death. I’ll give it everything I have.”
“Hehe, hehe. That kind of determination—that’s your fault too, you know.”

The witch looked truly happy.

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