Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 89
A side road leading home, and a path to the royal palace.
Right in between them lies a major fork in the road.
Beyond that fork lies the artificial dungeon, which seems to be located southwest of the royal palace.
“I sometimes see people on the forest path, but I guess they were all headed to the artificial dungeon, huh?”
“Seems like it. And it looks like there are more people around the dungeon than I expected. Maybe there’s another route to get there?”
“Could be. Judging by the direction… maybe people are coming from the western highway, from the marshlands.”
“That makes sense. I remember seeing several roads around the marsh.”
Well, if people don’t need to pass through Lindblum to get there, then those from towns other than Lindblum are probably heading directly to the dungeon.
“Alright, shall we go check it out?”
“Yeah! I’m excited—a man-made dungeon sounds so cool!”
The entrance to the dungeon seemed to be located inside a stone building.
Not luxurious enough to be called a temple, but still sizable and old, with an air of history.
It wasn’t overly crowded, but they could still see people entering the building.
Inside, the atmosphere was completely different from the exterior. It resembled a modern facility, with reception counters like those in a guild, and countless passageways leading further in.
They headed straight for what looked like a reception window.
“Excuse me, this is my first time at the artificial dungeon. Could you tell me a bit about this place?”
“Huh? A kid like you coming here? You having money troubles or something? Don’t bother, seriously. Even if it’s artificial, a dungeon’s still a dungeon—there’re monsters, and you could get killed.”
The receptionist was a young woman, surprisingly rough and “delinquent-like” in demeanor.
But it was probably out of genuine concern.
“Well, I do have a permit.”
“Huh? …Wait, that’s an official certification…?! Kid, who’s backing you?! That changes everything. Is the lady with you part of the group too?”
“Oh, me? Do I really look like an older sister?”
“Hmm… well, not so much now that you’ve spoken. Anyway, you’re together, right? Head over to that table—I’ll explain about the ‘Explorer’s Guild.’”
Apparently, the permit he had received was a special one, and the receptionist’s attitude changed completely.
Also… yeah, once Melt speaks, she suddenly sounds way more childish…
“First off, this is the headquarters of the Explorer’s Guild. There’s also a General Guild in the city, right? You can apply for a permit there, but only if you get a recommendation from a training course or reach Topaz rank as a mercenary or adventurer. Getting a recommendation is easier—just attend the course and score well.”
“Hey, hey, I don’t have a permit. Does that mean I can’t go in?”
“Really? What’s your rank at the Adventurer’s Guild?”
“Emerald—almost Ruby!”
“Nice! Then go ahead and apply here today. You’ll probably be allowed in tomorrow.”
Hmph, so Melt can’t enter today…
“Aww, I can’t go in today?”
“You can take a training course, though. Want to? It’s a bit early, but at noon today, a famous exploration clan will be giving a lecture. They’ll cover basic dungeon rules and how to navigate inside. Different clans take turns doing this every day.”
“Then I’ll take that too.”
“Me too! I think this training system is really smart. Dungeons are truly scary and dangerous places. Teaching that, even for artificial ones, is such a good idea.”
Melt spoke with sincere admiration for the system.
Given her long experience in dungeons, she probably didn’t see it as a distant issue.
Maybe… she’s seen people die in dungeons before.
“Alright, lady, fill out this form with the required info. Also, I’ll need to temporarily hold your adventurer tag.”
“Got it—thanks!”
With the paperwork done and time to kill before the lecture, they decided to ask the receptionist more about the Explorer’s Guild.
“Artificial dungeons can interfere with the land’s power and magic flow, allowing limited manipulation. Normally, dungeons have a will—maybe it’s the will of the Dungeon Master or the land itself, I dunno. But dungeons remember the people who challenge them. If you leave through official procedures, the dungeon can return you to the same spot next time. See those passageways over there? They lead to rooms with teleportation crests. One’s for returning. One’s for restarting from a midway point. And the last is for beginning from the first floor—the room you two will use tomorrow.”
I see. As expected of a man-made dungeon—very convenient.
No, it’s more than just convenience. The dungeon is alive…? Teleportation?
I don’t get how it works. But… it remembers people, huh?
If there’s no Dungeon Master in artificial dungeons, could this be a simplified function of the Dungeon Core…?
Then maybe even these artificial dungeons are powered by Dungeon Cores?
“Wow, that’s really convenient! So where does the lecture take place?”
“From the teleportation room used for restarting mid-dungeon. There’s a dedicated lecture floor there.”
“I see. In that case, maybe we should eat something before noon?”
True. Since the lecture starts at noon, we should grab something to eat.
And I’d like to activate my [Gourmet] skill, too.
“If you’re hungry, there’s a temporary camp area outside. You’ll find food vendors, potion sellers, and even explorers trading dungeon loot. Go take a look.”
“Wow, sounds lively!”
“Most of them aren’t from Lindblum. Many use this place to test their skills before taking on natural dungeons. Most explorers are at the port town right now anyway.”
Ah, right—the Queen mentioned another large natural dungeon. That explains it.
“Thanks for all your help. We’ll get something to eat before the lecture starts.”
“Sure thing. I don’t know what your deal is, but if you’re being recommended by some bigwig, I’ve got high hopes for you, kid.”
“Yeah, I’ll reach the bottom floor and bring back a shard of the artificial Dungeon Core.”
Most likely, they’re using fragments of natural Dungeon Cores to summon manageable dungeons, then harvesting the deep magic and fertile energy buried underground. Lindblum’s economy is probably built around this.
“So that’s how it works, huh?”
“Half of that’s just a theory from me and Sheele. But yeah, I think they’re gradually enriching the nation using this method.”
“Makes sense. Maybe once you leave this city, it gets colder, and it’s harder to find wild food or vegetables.”
That’s probably true.
It could be why so many people live in Lindblum.
At the campgrounds, several parties had already pitched their tents.
Apparently, site supervisors managed the area properly, so once you set up camp, you didn’t need to assign a guard.
This kind of management was probably under the Explorer’s Guild as well.
“Wow, this place is fun! And it’s closer to home, too. It might be nice to shop or grab a bite here once in a while!”
“You’re right. It’s surprising we didn’t know about a place like this, considering how close it is.”
It seemed there were makeshift stalls anyone could use. They sold dungeon-sourced goods, preparatory supplies like potions for exploration, and meals cooked at a nearby kitchen station.
From what they heard, these vendors usually operated in the market street, but had set up here anticipating a crowd due to a lecture session starting today—held by a well-known clan.
“Ah! Marumetāno! That’s the sausage stall Shizuma always calls Marumetāno!”
“Oh, you’re right. I think I’ll have one.”
“Me too! I love those! They’re so tasty, and the shape is cute, plus they’re big—definitely my favorite!”
It certainly left an impression. Even back in Japan, the first time I saw it, I couldn’t help but think, I’ve got to try that.
“Excuse me, sir, can we have two, please?”
“No, Shizuma, make that three!”
“…I think one is more than enough.”
“Haha, the young man is right, miss. I recognize your face—you’ve been visiting the market street quite often lately. Be careful not to overeat. These sausages are packed with fat. It’s masked by herbs and spices, but one is already a high-energy meal.”
“Ugh… Okay, I get it.”
Lately, Melt’s been turning into a bit of a glutton.
It’s probably because she wasn’t used to eating so well before, and now she’s surrounded by all sorts of tasty things. She might be going a little overboard.
Time to stay active…!
After eating, we returned to the Explorer’s Guild headquarters.
Glad Melt didn’t turn into a Marumatāno from eating that sausage.
Once we told them we were joining the training session, we were immediately guided toward the crowd.
And then—
“Alright, it’s almost time! Is everyone here attending today’s session?”
A man’s voice—presumably someone from the clan hosting today’s lecture—called out from the other side of the crowd.
“What the… I don’t even know this guy. I came all this way expecting someone from Killcrawler to be running it.”
“I’m out. I don’t need some lecture to get results anymore.”
The two adventurers standing in front of me and Melt muttered complaints and walked off.
Thanks to that, we could see who the instructor was—and, wait… who was it again?
Ba… Bal…? Bus…? I forgot their name…
“Ah, it’s Bhasker! Bhasker’s leading the explorer’s lecture!?”
“Oh, Melt! Hello, long time no see. Is this your first time tackling a dungeon?”
“Nope! I’ve been in natural dungeons before, but this will be my first artificial one.”
“I see! So then… could it be the Captain is—?”
Ah, so he still calls him Captain.
Too bad. Silent-san is taking a break this time.
“Nope, this time I’m with this guy—Shizuma. Since it’s his first dungeon, I decided to go with him.”
Then Melt introduced me to Bhasker.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Shizuma. Melt is accompanying me as a partner and supervisor.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Bhasker. I’ll be leading today’s lecture, and I’m from Killcrawler. The clan is well-known among explorer groups, but as those guys earlier said, I’m not particularly famous myself. Still, I hope you’ll join me.”
The remaining participants welcomed Bhasker with a round of applause.
I guess the ones who left were just looky-loos, only there to catch a glimpse of someone famous.
“Alright then, let’s head to the training floor. Does everyone have their gear ready?”
Everyone nodded and reached for their equipment in response.
Hmm…? Among them, I noticed a familiar robe… One of them was wearing a uniform from the academy, if I recall correctly.
Puzzled, we followed Bhasker toward the teleportation crest.
“Please step onto the platform. One at a time, please.”
“I’ll go first!”
With that, Melt eagerly jumped ahead and leapt onto the glowing emblem.
The moment she landed, light burst out from the emblem and enveloped her. In an instant, she vanished completely. That must have been the teleportation at work. I felt a bit excited myself and took a step forward.
But—
“I’m next. Out of the way, commoner.”
“Huh?”
A young man in a student robe shoved past me and stepped onto the emblem, cutting in line.
I reacted instinctively, which seemed to annoy him. He glared at me as the light enveloped his body.
“…Unfortunately for you, I’m not as patient as Same.”
I’m not your friendly big brother type.
Without delay, I stepped onto the emblem too.
Light rose up from beneath me, and my vision turned white for a moment. In the next instant, I was in a large room.
“And what’s this?”
A staff was pointed right at me.
The student who had teleported in just before me was aiming the tip of his staff at me.
“What was that attitude just now, commoner?”
Silently, I grabbed the staff and yanked it away.
“What do you think you’re doing!?”
“What you were doing. You pointed a weapon at me, didn’t you?”
I drew my sword and aimed it at him.
“Apparently, deaths inside the dungeon are treated as accidents.”
…That’s a lie, though.
“Hah, do you really think I can’t use magic without a staff, idiot?”
“Oh yeah?”
I hit him with the flat of my blade.
Before he could do anything, I smacked the side of his head lightly with the sword, and he toppled over sideways in a neat collapse.
It’s fine—Melt is the only witness.
“Alright, before the next person shows up, let’s move him to the side.”
“Huh? Huh? What just happened? What was that?!”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Scrape, scrape… I dragged him over to the edge of the wide room and set him aside.
A while later, all the participants had arrived, and finally, Bhasker entered.
“Hmm? That person lying over there…?”
“He said the teleport made him feel sick. He’s just going to lie down for a bit, so let’s leave them be.”
“I see… Some people do get teleportation sickness from time to time. If anyone else isn’t feeling well, you’re welcome to rest in the corners of the room too!”
…Did I overdo it? Well… he did start it.
If he tries anything again, I’ll have to deal with it somehow. Judging by his speech, he’s probably a noble.