Chapter 12
TLN: Sorry I didn't release the chapter yesterday cause I'm busy with other stuff
「I'm getting butt burn from the slide......and I landed on my butt and it hurts so bad......I got a hole in the butt part of my pants too....――Wait, these are lewd pants with holes in them from the beginning!」
Lilia and Lucille ignored Hazuki's playful attempts to get a grasp of the situation.
This was not the time to be dealing with Hazuki.
They had fallen into a trap that looked like a long, long slide.
「I-is that a trap too?」
「Yes. ......」
Lilia, Hazuki, and Lucille all slumped to the ground, relieved to be safe for the moment.
However, there is no such thing as a safe environment in the dungeon.
I need to get myself together, Lilia shouted toward the top of the ceiling slide that quickly fell down, and through Nemu she let Mars know that they were safe.
「Our options are to stay here and wait for Mars to rescue us, or to join him voluntarily.」
「As for me, I'd rather stay here and wait for rescue? I think so. Huh!? My skirt is torn at the bottom!?」
「Friction increases in proportion to body weight.」
「I'm not fat!」
While being inwardly helped by Hazuki's usual attitude even in such a dangerous situation, Lilia pulls out a replacement outfit from her treasury.
Using her sense of touch, she selects a loose-fitting garment of a different size, but one that she is sure she will be able to wear.
Lilia thinks that Hazuki is not fat, although she teases her. Her pelvis is larger than Lilia's to begin with.
「...... This room, right, Is it normal there's a room in a dungeon?」
「A room ......?」
Lucille looks around and anxiously asks.
Lilia doesn't blame her for this attitude because at the moment she is not in a position to apologize for last night.
Lilia could not see the whole picture because her night vision is not as good as Nemu's, but if you look at the corner of the ceiling next to the hole they fell through, you will see that the ceiling and the walls meet at a right angle, and from that, you can guess that this space is a room of some kind.
「W-Wait a minute, please. I'll lighten up as soon as I change my clothes. ......*tight(キッツ)*, Lilia-san, this skirt is too tight!? I'm going to cut back a little on dinner from now on! I've decided!」
「H-Hurry up! Something is wrong here! ――I already told you you should eat less every day, didn't I!」
In the past, many dungeons had been constructed naturally, both in the caves themselves and in the interior.
The only exception was the final floor.
Only the final floor was unnaturally artificially arranged.
Given this, Lilia can surmise that they may have been brought to the last floor out of the blue.
「We must be prepared ......」
The monsters that occupy the innermost part of the dungeon are the strongest in the dungeon.
And if they are the monsters of the Seven Great Dungeons, it is no wonder that they are of legendary status.
In fact, even though the Norns had disrupted the ecosystem, there were dragons in the Great Norn Tomb.
――I'll have to do something about it.
Lucille, a dungeon amateur, and Hazuki, who can't even wear a skirt, are too unreliable.
「Mars......」
In a situation like this, Lilia remembers Mars, who is always there to protect them.
He is a gentle boy, always cheerful and sexually active, but inside the dungeon, he is more dependable than anyone else.
「I'm wearing it! I'll brighten it up!」
Hazuki shoots magic toward the ceiling.
And so the whole room is revealed.
「What is ...... that」
「Golem-san ......? I-Isn't it is somewhat different from before?」
「No, it is definitely a golem. Moreover, I think it is ...... a very advanced one」
The square room was about the size of a basketball court and had only one door.
In front of the door, which was tinted like bronze, stood a golden golem in a regal pose.
It was a golem with an infinitely humanoid and robotic form, not a proper one like a pile of large rocks that Mars had been dealing with.
Its joints seemed to have spherical joints, but it was firmly protected by armor, leaving no room for destruction.
On the golem's chest was a fist-sized piece of seven-colored shiny ore.
It is a complex rainbow-colored shine like bismuth ore.
「I-It doesn't move. ...... I-It's so sparkly....! It's a jewel golem!」
「I've heard that a golem is essentially a magical doll that obeys orders,...... and they won't do anything until we take action」
「Action?」
「For example, I can think of ...... we attack that golem, or trying to open the door.」
Lilia and the others' voices echoed quite loudly in the silent room.
However, the golem does not move.
I guess that means we can at least have a conversation, but......I can't move as it is.
「This place doesn't look like the last one, does it ......? The room is too small」
「Do you think so too Hazuki? And that door ...... is too simple for a treasure room, isn't it? Even in smaller dungeons, there were more ornate decorations.」
「Also, that golem is tiny. Even if they say it's the strongest one, it doesn't look like that. ......」
「Indeed. At most, it is only twice as tall as us.」
It is powerful as a monster, but it seems a little lacking for the top of one of the Seven Great Dungeons.
The golem was at most three meters long.
「Could it be that this place is some kind of hidden room, and if we don't leave, even Mars won't find it?」
「It is possible. The exit side may be blocked by a trap as well. If we don't beat them and leave, we may never be able to join Mars and others.」
Hah!, Hazuki, with a look of shock on her face, pauses for a moment.
Then she grins and makes a villain's face.
「――If that's the case, why don't we just beat the hell out of that golem while they're still stuck?」
「Coward......I will not call it that. That sounds best to me.」
The seven-colored ore could be its core.
If so, it is exposed, and if Lilia puts all her energy into a single arrow, it is likely to be enough to destroy it.
The distance is only a few meters, so Lilia would have plenty of time to hit it.
When Lilia tries to draw her bow, Lucille forcefully stops her hand.
「Wait! Thardonix Magic Steel ...... that's the one!」
「Eh?」
「That seven-colored ore embedded in the golem's chest. It's small,...... but that's what we're after!」
「Wa-wa-wa-wait a minute! Eh, that's a stone with so much magic power that it could create a barrier covering the entire country, right? ―Then, isn't that golem is surprisingly strong ......!?」
Lucille clears her throat and nods her head while breaking out in a cold sweat.
Lucille's attitude, which knew the power of the Thardonix Magic Steel better than anyone else in this room, made Lilia and the others uneasy.
「Let's see, can't we just quietly open the door and leave ......?」
「Then there would be no value in that golem's existence. The purpose of this trap is for the golem to get rid of intruders.」
「Ummm...umm.........we have no choice but to fight it」
「I suppose that's the only choice we have. ...... just us. Haah...... because of that big dwarf......」
Lilia and Hazuki laugh a little as they switch their thoughts to battle mode.
The tension breaks for a moment, and their faces change immediately after.
「What about you? ――What about the adventure you've been waiting for?」
「I-I'll fight too! A hammer is more effective against golems. ......」
「I'll support you!」
Remember how Mars fights.
Think about how Mars would instruct.
Lilia thought about her instructions to the two with this in mind.
Lilia is a support person no matter what. In this case, Lucille, who can attack physically, should be the main focus of the fight.
Make the most of Lucille as you would make the most of Mars.
When she thought about this, she came to a conclusion.
「Lucille. You will be in the lead in the battle. I will shoot through to the core at the same time as the opening, and Hazuki will attack on that signal. Be aware of point attacks, not surface attacks. Just ...... don't get upset because there is a possibility that magic will not work on that golem, Hazuki. If it doesn't work, conserve your magic power and be prepared to heal after the battle.」
「What am I supposed to do?」
「Do as you please. We will act according to your movements. We honestly don't know what you can do. ――I won't shoot you from behind. Don't think about what's around you, just look at the enemy and keep attacking.」
「……All right」
Lilia can see that Lucille is scared of her and Hazuki is behind her.
After all, they had just had a fight last night.
And both Lilia and Hazuki hit Lucille.
「Let's go, then.」
「Okay!」
Holding up a specially made arrow that is one size larger than a normal one, including the arrowhead, Lilia puts all the magic power she has into it.
This technique is not very practical in a normal battle with monsters because it leaves too much of a gap, but it is effective if she has the time to prepare herself carefully.
Hazuki then buffs Lilia's magic power with the magic of the 【Forbidden Magic Book】.
「Granted archery secrets 『Comet』!」
The arrow flies away, leaving behind a "fwooosh" sound.
The arrow pierces the exposed core of the golem, scattering shards of Thardonix Magic Steel around the area and scattering seven-colored flashes.
Hazuki then shoots a spear of flame in a straight line.
However, the magic dispersed immediately after hitting the golem.
「I knew it, magic doesn't work!? I'm useless, aren't I! ――My skirt is torn, too!」
Hazuki's skirt ripped around her waist and fell down to her underpants as she shot the magic with half her body.
It was the beginning of extreme combat, but it was sexy underwear for night combat.
Hazuki is so screwed up in so many ways, Lilia almost laughs as she breaks down the tension.
This was because the arrow was more powerful than she had expected and she was confident that she had shattered the core.
It seemed that Hazuki would have done the same. Otherwise, as expected, Hazuki would have concentrated on the battle.
But, however――
「We haven't done it yet!」
An uncomfortable feeling as if the whole air moved.
A gravitational pull is suddenly created as if water is being dragged into space, like when a balloon submerged underwater is broken.
Lilia's feet swayed.
A golden flash of light flashed in front of Lilia, who was looking at Hazuki.
As soon as the flashes were bunched together and she finally grasped the whole picture, despair swept over her body.
「Wha, how fast―」
In front of her was a golem with an arrow through its core.
It was inorganic, so it wasn't breathing, but she thought she saw anger.
――The golem was slow-moving.
Leia realized that her preconceived notion was wrong.
A golem gets the ability it deserves if it has a high output of magic ore in its core.
The speed of the golden golem in front of her was in the realm of Mars, who had used 『Body Strengthening』 multiple times.
It was specced befitting the master of a labyrinthine trap that exists to eliminate intruders.
――Death.
The golem's right arm was swung at Lilia at a speed that was not unlike a collection of rocks, and her whole body went stiff as she prepared to die.
Mars would have known it was a deadly attack against Lilia.
「――Before I can apologize! Don't die on me!」
There was a huge thud, and the golden golem toppled over on its side.
Lilia was only able to detect the moment when Lucille reaped the golem's legs from behind with a war hammer.
Hurriedly, Lilia jumped backward to distance herself from the golem.
The golem's right leg was crushed.
「Haah, haah ......! I-I'm surprisingly good at it too!」
「T-Thank you for your help」
「You can thank me later! We're all going to smash it!」
Lucille smashes the head of the golem, which is trying to get up, with a hammer that she raises as high as she can.
Lilia and Hazuki hit it as hard as they could with the pieces of the golem they had picked up.
Although the core had not been completely destroyed, most of it had been smashed and was about to cease functioning.
After about 30 minutes of continuous pounding, the golem reverted back to its original motionless stone form.
「――I seriously thought I was going to die!」
「I was so useless that I was surprised at myself......... I'm wearing only a pair of pants.........」
「I wonder if I was of any use ......」
The three of them were lying in a pool of sweat, gasping for air.
After defeating a powerful enemy, they all at once relaxed.
Eventually, the conversation breaks off and Lucille begins to speak in a serious tone.
「――I'm sorry. I was insensitive yesterday.」
「That's enough. I know how royalty thinks. I apologize for killing your brother. I am sorry.」
「Let's not talk about it. Because you didn't do it. If I make it back alive, I would like to apologize to you as a nation for what happened. I am so sorry.」
「You don't have to go that far. ......」
Vaguely they apologized to each other.
The words came out easily even with their rough breathing.
「I'm sorry too. ......」
「You're a pretty strong guy ...... I'm not mad at you.」
「I hit you a little too hard for real ......」
「No, that's okay. Because it's natural. ――And I was envious. Because it means you were angry enough for your friends to hit a princess from another country, right?」
「Y-yes. ......」
"That's nice," Lucille murmured in a voice that sounded as if she was about to cry.
「I wanted a friend like that too. A true friend who would care about me regardless of whether I was a princess or not. ...... True companionship that has nothing to do with status. Adventurers are always accompanied by such friends, aren't they? That's why.....I wanted to become an adventurer. But―I was the one who was most obsessed with my status. That's why I blamed the royalty.」
「It's not too late. What was it, something like this ...... about rain falling and the ground hardening? No, to put it in the style of your favorite adventure novels, if you fight and makeup, you're already friends.」
Anger does not last forever.
Now that they fought for their lives together, there was no more anger.
On the contrary, Lilia feels better inside her chest.
――Before I apologize, don't die on me, was it? I trust the words that come out in a situation like that.
Remembering the time when she was saved, Lilia turns a straight face to Lucille.
Then Lucille also turned a straight face to Lilia.
「――I want you to let me atone for my sins. Otherwise, I can't call myself one of you.」
「Atonement......?」
「Yes. I heard it from a girl named Nemu. That man doesn't want to be king, but he wants a machine that can go underwater. It's a national treasure that can't be replicated. So I can't do it of my own will.」
「What does this have to do with atonement ......?」
Lilia doesn't know what Nemu told Lucille, but apparently, she didn't say anything about cuckolding the country.
Lucille wouldn't be behaving this way if she had listened.
「――I will be queen. And I will give you machines. And ......I want to make peace with the elves. The original reason for the disagreement was the Dwarven invasion. I, as queen, will formally apologize to you, the princess. We will buy all the elves who were sold as slaves around the world and protect them in our country.」
「The dwarves will not remain silent if you do that. I can't believe that the state would admit fault ...... much less protect them. ......」
「That's why I have to be queen. Because we can't do that if they make that Onyx king.」
「As I thought, the Dwarves had no intention of choosing a king of a different race, did they?」
Lucille nodded.
What surprised Lilia was that Lucille said she would protect the elves.
If it is possible to become independent in the form of a special zone, there will be many elves who will want to do so.
――there to the king ...... No, I can't make the princess's face now.
Perhaps much more than humans, Lilia is hated by the elves.
「That's why ...... I want you to let me be the first to conquer this dungeon. Of course, all the treasure will be yours. ――It has to be Princess Lucille Thatdonyx who saves the dwarves.」
「That's fine. We do not want honor, of course. All we want is the 【Forbidden Magic Book】.」
If you saved the seed, you are the king.
Lilia understand what Lucille is trying to say.
If Lucille, the princess, gets the honor, she will have more authority than ever.
There will come a day when she will be troubled with the problem of succession, but Lucille is also a long-lived race that will live for a thousand years. She can rule for the time being.
She will be elected as queen and may even be able to choose her own husband.
Lucille would benefit, and so would Lilia and her group.
There was no reason not to get on board.
「He wants a life span to live with you. ...... is that right, I suppose?」
「Yes. That's what Mars says.」
「I want to live a long life with Lilia-san too!」
Lucille looks sad again.
Long-lived races are very unfortunate depending on the individual.
Some spend their long, long lives alone.
Even if they are not physically alone, there are many who live in mental solitude.
In this sense, Lilia is happy. No wonder Lucille envied her.
「I can't decide on my own, but if you talk to Mars about what you just said, I'm sure he'll help you.」
「I'm glad ...... I hope this will atone for my sins.」
「That's more than enough. I am not angry anymore.」
「Thank you. Once again, I'm sorry」
Lilia feels bad when Lucille keeps apologizing to her.
Exhaling, Lilia decided to change the subject.
「It's just a case of us being the first to conquer it. Aren't you forgetting? There is someone ahead of us.」
「Ah, it's that black guy! The one everyone calls 《Jet Black》. Somehow, I don't like him! I don't know why!」
「Though 《Jet Black》 didn't call himself that, but there was an air of something special about him.」
「The man who conquered the 『Great Regalia Volcano』, one of the Seven Great Dungeons, all by himself. ......right? I did a lot of research on 《Jet-Black》 as a hobby, but I couldn't find any information on him.」
Lilia gets up, brushing off the dust and dirt.
Hazuki reaches out to her sweetly, and Lilia grabs her hand and lifts her up.
Lucille looked at her enviously, so Lilia and Hazuki reached out their hands together.
Lucille, pulled up by the two of them, looked satisfied.
「Now, this is where the real work begins. We have to join up with Mars and the others.」
「True ...... where we are?」
「I wish it was close to Mars, but ......I'm sure he's out looking for us. Maybe if we shout, we can reach Nemu. Maybe they are working together, right?」
「Certainly Nemu-chan would do that!」
Lilia fearfully opens the door behind the golem.
Gently peeking in, she saw a pitch-dark cave.
Looking at the exterior of the door, she saw that it was covered with stones.
From the outside, it looked just like the interior walls of the cave.
「I knew this door was disguised as a rock. We would not have been able to find it if we had searched normally. It seems we were right to defeat the golem.」
「This is the first time I've ever been in a dungeon, but ...... How strong is that golem? If it's in a dungeon, is it just walking around?」
「No. If it were a small dungeon, it could be the pinnacle of the dungeon. We only had it easy because I could use a bow, and it would be tough if we relied on melee weapons and magic. But ...... Golems don't eat, so it's hard to read where they are placed and what their strength is. In a normal dungeon, the monsters would be lined up from the deepest level in order of strength. That's the order of the food chain.」
「This is also one of the Seven Great Dungeons. ......The specifications are different from other dungeons, after all. Is it made so that people who only go to ordinary dungeons will be caught off-guard and get killed easily?」
What makes this dungeon different from others is not only the number of traps and their viciousness, but also the fact that strong golems appear without a trace.
If the golem that Lilia and the others fought is the standard spec of the monsters that wander around there, it is more threatening than a small but walking Hydra.
Lilia thinks that Mars, with similar ability tendencies and even more thinking, has the advantage, but Golem has a strength that could kill him if anything goes wrong.
「I know! Let's bring back the Thardonix magic steel! I know it's falling apart, but ......!」
「I was so busy apologizing to you guys that I completely forgot about it! I came here to get this!」
「I wonder how to get this out cleanly......I guess if it's core, we'll just have to crush it......」
「I think we'd have to crush something large enough that crushing it somewhat wouldn't be a problem,.......something like that, I suppose? If it's as big as my head, the barrier will work.」
「――I think we have to find roughly ten times the size of Golem to have a core like that. ......」
The golden golem they just defeated had a fist-sized core and was about three meters long.
If they set the standard as a golden golem, a golem equivalent to ten times the size might have it.
「Let's get ourselves together and proceed. We will go with Lucille and me in the lead and Hazuki in the rear guard. Since we don't have Nemu here as trap detection, be very careful and proceed slowly. We will avoid combat as much as possible.」
「Okay!」
「Understood. The first priority is to meet up with Mars, right?」
「Yes.」
The door opens and Lilia and the others melt into the darkness of the dungeon.
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