Chapter 12
「This is the undersea city ...... I bet it used to be beautiful」
Around noon the next day, Mars and the girls arrived at an Undersea City in the Deep Sea.
It was a natural barrier surrounded by coral reefs.
Colorful corals shone brightly.
Despite being in the deep sea where light doesn't reach, it was bright. So it was easy to find.
「It's in a terrible state ......」
「There are no normal fish at all-nyaa......」
――The sea of death.
The undersea city was in such a state of disrepair that it evoked such words.
The places where people used to live were destroyed, and coral debris was scattered everywhere.
Things that existed on the surface not just a decade ago, but several generations ago, were also broken and scattered.
And there were many monsters. Not a single mermaid was in sight.
There were many types of fish that they had never seen before, and they were all creepy, with fish-shaped creatures with arms.
These are deep-sea fish that have evolved in a completely different direction from those on the surface.
「――Let's hurry. We can't fight monsters inside this ship. If the ship is attacked and destroyed, it will be the end.」
「Right. The dungeon is beyond that broken gate.」
「Everyone, brace yourselves. Beyond this point is a dead zone. We don't know what's going to happen or what's out there. ――Tonight's dinner is at Nemu-chan and Hazuki-chan's request. Let's definitely enjoy eating together.」
With just a small promise ahead, they could move forward
It doesn't matter if it's a small, insignificant promise to others.
◇ ◇ ◇
After passing through the broken gate, they proceeded through a narrow passage-like undersea cave.
The cave is too narrow for large monsters to pass through. The large monsters outside would not be able to enter.
The structure is almost straight, like going down steadily.
「It's eerie ....... You don't know where it goes or how far it goes, and you never know when you might encounter a monster. ......」
「Yeah, I want to get off this ship as soon as possible. It would be nice if there was somewhere to land......」
Driving with tension.
Although Sion can use magic to create air, without a foothold, the monsters will attack, and Mars and the ship will be reduced to garbage. In some cases, there is even a possibility that the entire ship will be eaten.
Contrary to expectations, there are no monsters inside the dungeon. There is not even a sign of living creatures. There are no seaweeds, just rocky surfaces.
Eventually, they reach the end of the descent and start going up.
「...... Isn't it getting a little brighter?」
「Yes, it is. You never know what might happen. Please do me a favor, Sion-san, in case of an emergency. Please protect everyone.」
After confirming that the driver nodded his head, Mars pressed down hard on the accelerator pedal. He thought that if something was waiting for them, he wanted to make the first move.
But what was waiting for them was not a monster.
「Land......!?」
With a splash, the ship rises to the surface.
What was in front of them was land, and flat land at that.
Moreover, it was firmly leveled, and unlike the rocks in the previous caves, the floor was tiled.
Torches were lit on both sides, and it was brightly lit. Mars assumed that the mermaids who had entered the cave before they had set them up.
As long as the fire was burning, there seemed to be air.
「What is it, ...... a temple? It looks like it.」
「It's a beautiful white place-nyaa. It's so sparkling-nyaa」
「I had never heard of a place like this before. ......」
Mars, who got off the ship ahead of the others, fearfully checked to see if the foothold was secure.
It is too artificial, and conversely, it is scary.
If Mars were to search for an appropriate description from his memory, it would be the entrance of a luxury hotel or the lobby of a beautiful hospital.
The linoleum floor reflected the flickering fire and shimmered.
The city of the mermaids was not maintained with such precise construction techniques.
They were simply built by combining natural materials, not in this style of tiling and arranging.
――It was not the mermaids who built this dungeon.
No, I've known it for a while now. The Seven Great Dungeons were clearly man-made objects created by someone's will. And it is not the technology of this time period or this world.
It feels strange as if the world has changed. Or rather, a sensation that the worlds have overlapped.
Mars felt uneasy inside.
He doesn't know what it is. But he has a feeling that something is there.
「Whatever it is, it is reassuring to have air and a floor. The small cleanliness helped. Even if I could wash my clothes, I wouldn't like them to get dirty.」
「I agree. ...... isn't this place super stylish? I've always wanted to live in a house with white walls like this.」
「Nemu doesn't like it here-nyaa. The sound echoes weardly-nyaa. Nemu doesn't think she can use her usual magic here-nyaa.」
The three of them prepare with a normal level of excitement.
Mars was amazed at how the women had more courage than the men in this kind of situation.
Looking back, he recalls that all of them have dramatic pasts, so it would be strange for them to get shaken over something as trivial as this.
Lilia took out her bow from her 【Treasury of Dreams】 and began to carry out the items that were inside the submarine.
「You all don't seem to be afraid of things,...... even though my freshly-made legs are shaking on their own.」
「Me too. I get nervous the moment I enter. I bet I'll never get used to it.」
Mars agrees and tries to ease Sion's nervousness.
Lilia then comes over and begins to explain that she is not particularly brave either.
「I am nervous too. If I get emotionally disturbed, I will die. But if I freeze my emotions, I'll still die. That's why it's important to stay calm as usual. Because our normal life is already chaotic. That is the best state of mind to deal with unforeseen situations.」
「Are we treated the same as a dungeon!? Without having the mentality to enter the dungeon, it feels like we can't have a conversation!?」(?)
「It's not "we"-nya! It's just Hazuki-nyan-nya!」
The three of them were making a lot of noise even though they were at the entrance of the dungeon.
「Don't make too much noise. We might be discovered by monsters.」
「I'm sorry. ......」
「No, you don't have to feel bad. I mean, it makes me feel relieved. It's calming to know that everyone is doing what they always do.」
Nemu jumped on Mars's back and gave her a piggyback ride.
Mas thought that Nemu might be imagining him as her father, since the body contact she desires is more familial than sexual.
「Calm down-nya? Just like usual-nya.」
「Ugh, I'm in pain. ......! Y-You're choking me.」
Nemu quickly lets go of her arm and lands softly on the ground.
His body, which had been tense and stiff, became a little lighter.
Mars realizes that this is Nemu's way of relieving his tension.
Marth is more nervous than the others when entering the dungeon, knowing that he is responsible for everyone's safety. However, he soon realizes that the others are much stronger than he thinks, and he is helped by them in many ways, especially mentally.
Smiling, Mars pets Nemu's head and massages the area around her ears.
――I don't necessarily have to protect them all the time.
They've saved me a lot, actually.
If they weren't here, I would have stopped a long time ago.
If I had remained alone, I would have gone into hiding somewhere. Or maybe...
「Thank you.」
「Nyonya? Did Nemu do something to deserve thanks-nyaa?」
Nemu was not quite convinced, but Lilia seemed to have guessed and smiled at Mars.
「Now, let's hurry up and conquer this dungeon! To obtain immortality!」
To live with everyone I care about――.
The goal remains the same.
I will do whatever it takes to fulfill that feeling I had when I first met Lilia, that urge to live a decent life this time around.
In order to not lie about that feeling of wanting to make this person happy, I will walk today and tomorrow.
All living things were surely born to meet someone like that.
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