“You, you’re handling of the horse is poor. I suppose you’re just as skilled in handling women.”

“……Please stop talking, good grief”

　The pretty priestess of darkness Kitora who was sitting behind Bass-senpai was throwing insults at him as she sulked.
　At first, he was trying to oppose her but it seems that he was broken on the way.
　Crescent Moon also kept her eyes closed as much as possible, how adult.⌈¹⌋

“Soon we’ll be close to Kouga village.”

　After a long time, Crescent Moon opened her mouth and spoke with a low voice.
　The dark corps’ stronghold, Kouga village, was located in the Mcbell territory.
　……Hm?
　Could it be that this “dark corps” has some connection to the “God of Darkness”?

“Kitora, do you know about the dark corps?”

“I do. They are the ones believing in one of the Gods of Darkness “The Wolf God” Skoll. Those guys are gloomy”

　So it’s like that after all, huh?
　Well, I wonder if it’ll be fine cause Kitora and they might be comrades.

　Though I thought like that and advanced cautiously nothing really happened.
　As we continued to followed the way we reached a deep mountain road.
　A narrow road leading through a dark forest.

“It should be around here……”⌈²⌋

　Although Crescent Moon was looking on the map she held in one hand with this poor light one wasn’t able to read it properly.
　The only clue we had were the trails left behind by adventurers but we were hesitant to follow them as around here every one of them got lost.

“I go scout a little”

　Pick got off her horse and began to run lightly.
　As we didn’t have much of a choice we also got off our horses and took a break while sitting on stumps.
　At some point, Pick came running back.

“I found some kind of opening”

　As expected of a thief girl, she got a good nose or should I say she’s sharp-eyed?
　We led our horses to said opening.

“This is a dungeon, right? It’s my first time seeing one.”

　Knopf admired the entrance.
　Honestly, though I pretended to be calm this was my first time as well and I was a little impressed looking at it.

　The Dungeon’s entrance was considerably different from what I imagined.
　How do I say this… I thought it would look more like a naturally formed cave but the real thing was clearly artificially made with a stone arch and stairs.
　My seniors were looking inside fearfully while still admiring it.

“Hmpf, I see”

　The dark priestess Kitora muttered as if she understood something and Crescent Moon who seemed to have regained her pace wore a joyful expression.

“That’s what one would expect of an S-type Dungeon. I can already smell the money”

　It seems like she’ll vigorously rub her hands together at any moment.
　At that moment I decided to ask her some things.

“Crescent Moon, why do you think so?”

“Well, it looks like it already. Common dungeons are naturally formed caves even if someone made one artificially they would disguise them as such. They don’t give you the feeling of “Here’s a dungeon”.”

　Kitora continued Crescent Moon’s words.

“This isn’t something depending on intuition and physical strength and we don’t know what we might gain from this. In other words, they’re “inviting” you”

“Inviting, you say, you mean us?”

“That’s why I’m telling you, you’re stupid. It’s like they are waiting for people like us to enter.”

　Crescent Moon who got bluntly insulted opened her mouth but no retort left it.
　But why would they want to lure us in?
　It’s not like they plan to take an entrance fee, right?
　Could it be there’s some attraction inside and they take money from anyone going inside?
　Then isn’t this like some overpriced theme park?

“Well, isn’t it fine? We’ll see what the other party is planning when we go inside, right? Hey, Akatsuki.”

　Well, that’s right.
　Oh well, we’ll somehow manage with these members.
　Honestly, this would be the time where I would send someone like F inside first but I never talked about Akatsuki with F.
“Alright, shall we enter then? Pick an Crescent Moon, please go first. Watch out for enemies and traps. Next will be I and Kitora and the rear guard will be Knopf together with Bass and Drum. Don’t be careless either.”

　As soon as we entered, it was completely dark.
　I called the spirit the slamander Reus and chanted the incantation for the spell “Light”.
　Soon a bright fireball was floating in the air and illuminated the area.

“You, you can use fire magic. Isn’t that convenient?”

　Looks like only I thought that this fire ball looked like a will o’ wisp, everyone else didn’t think it’s wierd.
　Knopf also used the same fireball spell and illuminated the back while I illuminated the middle.

　Inside the dungeon the ceiling, walls and every road was made out of solid stone.
　We walked along a narrow, straight road before we reached a crossroad.
　I took something like a notepad and a writing utensil out of my pocket.

“What’s the matter, Akatsuki?”

“Ah, no, I just thought about sketching a map.”

　I liked plenty old games so I bought old consols as well as old sofware and played some older RPGs.
As I bought them second-hand they were cheaper, they were tasteful and unexpectedly interesting.
Though the graphics were naturally ****** it had a certain charm.
　Unlike in recent games, mapping is absolutly necessary in those old games so I’m used to it.

“Mister sure is diligent. I always made sketches based on my memory after I left the dungeon.

　That’s because you’re too careless.
　Well, there’s the thing with the writing utensils as well.
　It’s not easy to draw with ink and a quill in a place like this.
　Actually, today I brought my secretly made pencil prototype with me.
　There’s still room for improvement but it’s enough to draw a simple map.

“Shall we first take the right way?”

　I tried to use the basic maze capturing methode, keeping your right hand on the wall.
　After taking four sharp turnes to the right we suddenly reached a large room.

“This room is so large I can’t see the wall on the other side.”

　As Drum-senpai said, the light did’t reach the other side of the room so it’s a considerably large room.
　According to the basic capturing method I went along the right wall.

“Here’s nothing special, wha–?!”

　Just as Crescent Moon said there wasn’t anything a black, long thing suddenly fell from the ceiling.
　Looking at it, it was a 1 meter long, huge centipede.
　It seems like the floating fireball scorched it while it was sticking to the ceiling resulting in it falling down.
　Its myriads of legs were moving with a washa washa sound and its winding figure was grotesque to look at.
　Furthermore, it seemed to be aggressive as it put up its head threateningly.
　I could see its big fangs at its mouth.

“A large centipede, huh? It’s not a big deal but be careful, it has poison. If it bites you the place will swell and hurt.”

　Kitora reacted to Crescent Moon’s words.

“It’s fine, if you get bitten I’ll cure you.”

　As they saw Kitora’s strange smile Crescent Moon and the men swore in their hearts to be careful not to get bitten.
　Pick carefully skewered its head and after Crescent Moon cut its still moving body in chunks it finally stopped.

“Phew, well, that wasn’t that bad, right?”

　Bass-senpai said this in relief as he looked at this scene weirdly.
　Even though he himself didn’t do anything he sure can talk well.
　Well, I do understand that feeling though as I wouldn’t want to face such an enemy as well.

　We just went around the room along the wall before we arrived at our starting point again.

“There was nothing”

　Knopf said.
　But we couldn’t check the middle yet as the room was too big.
　As it couldn’t be helped, we decided to explore the middle with all members.
　We were also careful of the ceiling this time――

“What the hell’s with thaaaaaat!!”

As we looked at the ceiling in the middle of the room it seemed to be painted black for an instant.
　But if one looked closer one could see winding figures wiggling all over.
　The moment Crescent Moon spotted them they dropped down all at once.
　A staggering number of those centipedes from a while ago were crowding the ceiling.

“Uwaaa!!”

“Hiii!”

　It’s just pandemonium.
　Both Pick and Crescent Moon desperately swung their weapons but it’s just too many of them.
　The best they could do is to prevent getting hit.

“Knopf, use magic!”

　As I shouted that I chanted the incantation for Fire Wall.
　Immediately a wall of flames emerges between us and the large centipedes.
　The centipedes caught in the wall struggled while they burned then one could smell the stench of burning insects.
　Then Knopf’s successive chants of fireball exploded on the centipedes which fell and made them wriggle on the floor.

“I, is it over?”

　Crescent Moon lowered her weapons as she was relieved.
　The seniors were also disheartened.

“My, nobody got bitten? You’re unexpectedly skilled.”

　Nobody reacted to Kitora’s joke.

“Head, if this is what happens in the first room, what will happen inside the others then?”

　Even if you ask me, I don’t know!