Chapter 5
「They are in the dungeon?」
A few days later, the group arrives at Hazuki's hometown and learns from Jin, the current chief of Tomb Guard Clan, that Kruse and his group have already invaded the 『Great Norn Tomb』.
This was two weeks before Mars and the others arrived.
When the previous chief was in place, they had restricted the number of people who wants to go to the dungeon, but after Jin took over as chief, the conditions softened, and those with experience in dungeon attacks were allowed to actively challenge them.
In order to lift the curse of the Tomb Guard Clan, whose purpose is to destroy necromancy, and their unworthy relative, High Priest Norn, the dead body of Norn, who is still invoking magic in the dungeon, must be destroyed.
Otherwise, the clan will be born only of a woman, and one day it will perish, and with no one left to manage it, necromancy may once again spread throughout the world.
The present Tomb Guard Clan has stopped caring about the clan's good name.
「We're going in, Jin-chan!」
「Uh, yeah, you do what you want, Hazuki. ......」
Jin is not very nice to her fellow countryman Hazuki.
Or rather, she is somewhat distant.
It's as if she's touching a tumor. ......
「Hazuki, are you perhaps being ostracized in this village?」
「I don't think so. ......? But I don't have a single friend!」
「How can you say such a thing so boldly! What kind of state of mind are you in!?」
The inhabitants of the village are pulling back as they look.
When they saw Hazuki, they hid in the shadows, and some of them were whispering in secret.
All the residents Lilia could see were girls, not a single man.
At first, Lilia thought that Mars was the center of attention, but it seems that all eyes were on Hazuki.
She even heard the word "masturbation," and she immediately understood why Hazuki was being avoided.
「W-well, it's okay if you don't have any friends! We're here for you.」
「That's right! Even when I was in this village, I had a lot of fun making dolls and singing songs by myself!」
――Alone. Come to think of it, Hazuki-chan's parents never came back from this Seven Great Dungeons the 『Great Norn Tomb』.
As he recalls, her father has experience conquering dungeons, and her mother is from this village.
Mars remembered what Hazuki had told him about her family before.
Hazuki had been raised by her grandmother since her parents stopped coming back when she was seven years old.
After her grandmother passed away, Hazuki, who was now truly alone, went on a trip and met Mars and Lilia.
Her somewhat spoiled and reclusive nature must have been influenced by such a family environment.
Hazuki often says that her grandmother treated her well.
Although her cooking skills, in which she tries to bake everything, are not the greatest, she has actually been well trained in other household chores, such as cleaning and sewing.
It seems that she enjoyed handicrafts, a skill that Hazuki has also inherited.
If a piece of clothing is slightly torn, Hazuki can easily fix it or even make a stuffed animal that looks as good as the product it is made of.
「Now, let's attack the dungeon. Are you ready?」
「Yes. I've checked the list, and I'm sure I haven't forgotten anything.」
「Of course! I will break the curse of my clan!」
「Nemu is hungry-nyaa! And she's a little sleepy-nyaa!」
「Eh...」
Nemu is always in the same state, so he'll ignore her at this point.
Her ears and tail are shining, so there should be no problem.
If worse comes to worst, they can take a rest in the 【Treasure House of Dream】.
「It's just up ahead!」
「Looks like the Valley of the Kings ......」
「What's that?」
「Ahh, just talking to myself. Just that it looks like the landscape I know.」
As the name of the place, Neustein Valley, suggests, the village is a huge canyon area.
The destination is located in a valley a short distance away from the village.
It is surrounded on both sides by stiflingly high cliffs.
Round rocks were piled up on top, and many shadows of people could be seen looking down on Mars and his friends.
This was probably a measure to keep out unauthorized people who wants to go to the dungeon. The rocks are to be dropped.
Then, at the far end of the valley, there was a ten-meter-long door guarded by a large group of people.
The double-opening door was embedded in the canyon itself and looked quite old, with rust floating on it.
In the days when there was no concept of dungeons, the 『Great Norn Tomb』 was sacred place protected by the Tomb Guard as a path leading to the underworld.
「As the chief of the tomb guard, I cannot let dangerous monsters out of this 『Great Norn Tomb』. Therefore, after you enter, the gates will be closed tight. After that, as a general rule, the gate will not be opened, but I may consider doing so if there are no monsters in the vicinity. Just ......don't expect it」
――Once you enter, you can't get out.
The reason there are no survivors is probably because they are sealed from the outside.
「Hazuki, be careful. The dungeon itself is dangerous, but we are dealing with the High Priest Norn here. ――Even though I am the current chief, there is no comparison between her and me. She is the strongest and the worst necromancer.」
「Got it! Still, I will carry out my mission, because I am the Tomb Guard's daughter!」
「I'm sure your parents would be proud of you.」
Jin, who had been wicked, smiled at Hazuki before she left on her journey.
Mars has no idea how much of a sense of mission Hazuki has.
Surely some senses can only be understood by one's own kind.
「Let's live and come back here again. It's where Hazuki-chan was born and raised, so I'll ask you to show us around.」
「Of course!」
GOGOGO, It takes more than a dozen people to make the door move grimly.
The four began to walk toward the pitch-black abyss.
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