Chapter 175: A Nonsensical Den of Monsters

A short distance away from the capital’s central plaza, there existed a certain dungeon.

Its entrance was surrounded by thick, solid steel walls—fortifications so sturdy they were no different from those of the Adventurers’ Guild Headquarters or even the Federal Government building itself.

“Man… it’s dead boring again today,” one man sighed, stretching lazily.

“Yeah, but the pay’s good. Quit your whining,” the other replied with a shrug.

“Still, if we don’t get at least one or two incidents now and then, my skills are gonna get rusty.”

“Idiot. Don’t go saying things like that.”

The two of them were former high-ranking adventurers who had retired from active duty just a few years ago.

Now assigned as dungeon guards, they found their work far less thrilling than their past lives. Challengers only showed up once every few months at best—sometimes not even once in an entire year.

Most of their time was spent chatting idly… or reminiscing about their glory days as adventurers.

“When was the last time we even had a challenger?”

“Let’s see… about half a year ago, I think. Some up-and-coming A-rank party from the Principality of Mour showed up.”

“Oh yeah, yeah. The ones who came crawling back after just thirty minutes, half their party wrecked.”

“Well… at least they came back.”

“True enough. I mean, this place is an S-rank dungeon—the Behemoth Desert, after all.”

The Behemoth Desert—an S-rank dungeon representing the very pride, and terror, of the capital.

There had never been a recorded kill of its dungeon boss, the Behemoth.

In fact, only a handful of parties had ever even reached the boss’s chamber.

The lowest-ranked monsters that appeared within were B-rank.

Blistering heat, endless dunes, and violent sandstorms stood in the way of any who dared to challenge it.

…And beyond that, there was no reliable information.

A dungeon of extreme difficulty, one that had repelled countless powerful adventurers without exception.

“S-rank dungeon, my ass. It’s just a monster-infested death trap. No way in hell I’d ever set foot in there.”

“Same here. Honestly, I’d rather take my chances in actual hell.”

On this continent, S-rank monsters were defeated a few times each year.

So why had no one ever conquered an S-rank dungeon?

Because the path to the boss was simply too brutal.

Before even reaching it, challengers would be forced into relentless battles against waves of B- to A-rank monsters, all while being worn down by the harsh environment—body and mind alike.

And only after enduring all that… could they finally face the boss.

On top of that, the environment itself favored the enemy.

…It was an impossible challenge.

As the two guards continued their idle chatter—

“Hey! We’ve got challengers! First time in a while!”

“Yeah—and those are…”

““—The Hero.””

The Heroes, accompanied by their guards—Lily and the others.

A group of six approached the entrance head-on.

“Captain Lily, this is your first time entering a dungeon, right?”

“Yeah! I’m super excited right now!”

All of them were equipped with gear specialized for desert conditions.

After presenting their identification, they steeled themselves, their expressions tightening with resolve… and stepped into the dungeon.

“Damn, that’s amazing! First time I’ve ever seen the Hero in person!”

“I’ve seen her a few times at the main guild’s tavern.”

“Hey… you think they’ve got a shot? The Hero’s party, I mean.”

When he asked, his partner simply shook his head slightly.

“…Yeah. Figures.”

“They’re incredible, no doubt about it. Even their guards were monsters in their own right. But… they lack experience. Dungeons aren’t that forgiving.”

“The downside of being young, huh…”

Even veteran S-rank adventurers—those who had devoted their entire lives to dungeons—had been crushed time and time again.

So if one were to ask whether the Hero’s party, who had only recently begun delving into dungeons, could conquer it… it would be hard to answer yes.

S-rank dungeons were far more absurd, far more unforgiving, than they could possibly imagine.

—Before sunset.

In less than a single day, the Hero’s party returned.

“Haa… haa… yeah, that was seriously bad…”

“That huge worm thing was disgusting! Like, absolutely not okay!”

“Even if you ignore them, they keep chasing you. Having to take them down one by one is so brutal it’s almost funny.”

Even Lily—normally composed—had visible exhaustion etched across her face.

“It’s so hot, but if you take anything off, your skin gets roasted by the sun… what are we even supposed to do?!”

“Well, Captain Lily doesn’t have anyone to show her skin to anyway, so she’ll be fine. But for someone like me, who’s deeply loved by her boyfriend, it’s a matter of life and death. By the way, we’ve been dating for three years.”

“Waaaaaaah!!”

“Honestly, I think I could’ve gone a bit further,” said Louise, the former A-rank adventurer, still looking relatively composed.

It was a stark reminder—being an adventurer was a profession built on experience.

The guards watched as the exhausted group trudged away, their steps heavy.

Yet, surprisingly, there was a hint of admiration in their gaze.

“Pretty much what we expected… but still.”

“Yeah. Holding out that long on their first try, and coming back without any serious injuries? That’s a first since we started this job.”

“The Heroes really are something else… and they’re still growing, right? No wonder they’re considered a match for the Demon Lord.”

“They’ll probably try again tomorrow.”

“Heh. Looks like we’ve got something to look forward to for a while.”

Dungeon security was maintained around the clock, so the two soon handed over their duties to the night shift.

After this, they’d likely head to some tavern, get thoroughly drunk, and start bragging about the Hero.

…That was how information spread in the adventurer world.

◇◇◇

A few days later, at the inn where Ryu’s party was staying—

“Waaahhh… we couldn’t do it at all… not even close…”

“There, there… don’t cry. Lily, you’re a strong girl.”

“Mm… thank you, Estelle… *sniff*”

Lily clung to Estelle’s modest chest, sobbing openly.

Estelle, though slightly exasperated, gently patted her head in comfort.

““““…………””””

The Heroes and subordinate lay slumped across the sofas, completely drained.

Only Louise, the swordswoman, seemed merely a little tired.

“…Seriously, you guys are pathetic. That wasn’t even that bad. Try harder.”

“So it really was that difficult, huh? The Behemoth Desert.”

“Brrr.”

Perched atop Ryu’s head like a mohawk was Axel, who seemed to have taken a liking to that spot lately.

“Guess that former A-rank adventurer really does make a difference,” Ryu mused.

“We’re the guards, so we pulled the Heroes out early each time… but if we really pushed it, we might’ve gone a bit further. That said, we still wouldn’t have made it even halfway.”

“That was the right call. If the Heroes went missing, it wouldn’t just be the kingdom—this entire continent would be thrown into chaos.”

“Most likely, all three of us guards would lose our heads too.”

“If that happens, you can come work under me. I’ll take you in.”

“That’s reassuring… but we’re the Hero’s shield. From here on, we’re bound together for life and death. We’d be dead before we ever lost our heads.”

Louise narrowed his eyes slightly, catching onto something.

(Work under me”…? Sounds like Ryu’s family has serious influence. Come to think of it, where is he even from? The Hinomaru theory seems most likely… but he could just as easily be from some noble house in another country. Knowing him, there are still plenty of secrets he’s hiding.)

Ryu listened as Louise explained what they had encountered inside the dungeon.

“A desert where it’s scorching hot during the day and freezing at night, huh… The latter’s not a problem, but the former needs a solution.”

(At worst… Lena, Estelle, and maybe Alice might have to stay behind…?)

“Oh? What’s with that look? Don’t tell me you’re planning to leave me behind. You’d abandon your own wife here?”

“Oni-sama… am I just a burden to you…?”

“Ryu-sensei… I believe in you.”

(…Yeah, I figured it’d come to this.)

“Estelle, can you make something like cooling potions?”

“Of course I can. However, I cannot make enough for everyone. We lack both materials and time.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. I need something that’ll let all of us move comfortably… Ryoma, got any ideas?”

“Hm… I can lower the temperature somewhat with wind, but it would still become a hot wind in the end. And it would stir up the sand as well.”

“Figures… man, what do we do…”

Lily wiped her tear- and snot-covered face.

“Does this mean… you’ll come with us…?”

“Yeah. But we still need to figure out the heat—”

“Ryuuuuu!!”

As Lily lunged toward him, Ryu deftly sidestepped.

“Hey! Why’d you dodge?!”

“The tears and snot, mostly…”

“That’s so mean! A beautiful girl’s tears are supposed to be a reward, you know?!”

“Don’t say that about yourself. And it’s not really a reward…”

(Well… figuring out countermeasures is part of the fun of dungeon exploration, I guess.)

After that, Ryu began seriously thinking through various possible solutions.