Chapter 224: Beyond the Door
Link: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7583de/
Author: Hirukuma
Translated by Zzonkedd
Edited by Gumihou
When the last coin, the one from Rocky Dog Mountain Floor, was placed into the depression, the entire door lit up, and the huge double doors slowly swung open.
Everyone, except for Hyurumi, had gotten out of the car and cart to stand in a line before the huge doors. As usual, I was at my VIP seat, strapped to Ramis’s back.
The car was positioned directly behind me. If I’m over two meters away, I won’t be able to drive it anymore, so this was as far as I could go.
Our formation was simple, with the vanguard a few paces forward with their weapons at the ready, while the rear guard took up position behind them. Finally, there was Ramis at the rear, with me strapped to her back. Behind us was the car and the cart, with Hyurumi in the driver’s seat.
The double doors slowly, but surely, yawned open, revealing a vast space beyond them. There were huge pillars arranged in regular intervals across polished stone floors. The ceiling was so absurdly high that it did not look man-made.
The interior was completely white, like the inside of a temple. Not that I have ever seen an actual temple yet, but this place sure does give off an aura of a temple.
“Hey, I can’t see the end?” Hyurumi called from where she was hanging out the driver’s side window.
“It’s really huge, isn’t it, Hakkon?” said Ramis in awe.
“Welcome”
This temple-like place certainly was enormous.
Although there were no visible torches or other light-producing magic tools, the place was as clear as the sunny outdoors, even with the ceiling overhead.
“The entire place is saturated with magic,” said Vice-Leader Felmina.
“Very dense magic,” Sulrim added, sniffing the air as though she could literally smell it.
Since the two of them were magic wielders, it made sense that they could sense something we couldn’t.
“This place practically screams ‘Something dangerous is here’. So, stay sharp,” Leader Keryoil warned.
“Just leave it to us, old man,” said White.
“S’all fine,” said Red.
The twins were all too casual, even though we were facing what was potentially the final stage of this dungeon.
The main problem was that the area was so wide that we did not know where to start. In the end, the team decided to just move forward. Aside from the vast whiteness, there was a red carpet that ran forward from the door. There was really no other sign we could follow but this.
The white temple felt like a solemn place, a fitting place to mark the end of our journey. So, there was no way this would end peacefully.
There had to be a final boss here, right?
The pillars were widely spaced, so there was plenty of room to manoeuvre. Also, the mystery light was bright, but not blindingly so.
Our party advanced until a wall came into view. It looked like a dead end.
“Oi, oi, don’t tell me it’s that kind of setup?” Leader Keyroil muttered with a wry smile.
As we drew nearer to the wall, we saw a massive tapestry depicting a gigantic tree.
It was an exquisite piece of art, woven with brilliantly coloured threads. The golden fruits seemed to gleam on the branches, matching the design that was carved into the door where we had inserted the coins.
Below the tapestry was a throne, but there was no one there.
It was ominous, but also strangely lonely. It was a vast hollow place devoid of monsters or people.
“No one’s here, Hakkon. What do we do now?” Ramis whispered.
It was honestly quite anticlimactic. If there had been a great being sitting on that throne ready to grant wishes to us weary travellers, it would have been great. But there was not a single soul in this place aside from us.
Still, it’s possible that there may be a hidden passage behind the throne-
『So you have made it this far.』
A voice spoke directly into my mind, cutting through my foolish thoughts.
The voice had a low, heavy oppressiveness to it, yet, for some reason, it did not feel unpleasant.
I had more or less braced myself for something like this, so I wasn’t too startled… but Red and White, Ramis, and Shui immediately started whipping their heads around, scanning the room in panic.
『Those who reach the lowest floor earn the right to have a wish granted.』
Oh?
To be honest, I had not allowed myself to expect too much about the wish thing. To think it was actually real? Well, I hope that Ash’s negative Gift thing could be reversed if possible.
Then, if there were more wishes left, well then… maybe…
『However, one of you carries the scent of the ones who would threaten my labyrinth』
I had a very good idea who that could be.
All eyes turned to Sulrim.
“It is I,” she said flatly. “I was once the subordinate of the King of the Netherworld.”
『Hmm. Was, you say… The King of the Netherworld is a fool who schemes to seize the labyrinth I created from my Sacred Tree. Much of my power has been shaved away… stolen from me』
The speaker’s voice trailed off. Was it aware that their monsters were being controlled by others?
“Hakkon! Hakkon! The chair!” Ramis said excitedly as she tapped my body urgently. We all looked towards the throne, which had been empty mere moments before.
Right now, there was a single middle-aged man sitting on the throne.
The being was leaning a cheek against one hand, looking utterly drained. He looked like a spiritless man in a plain brown robe with thinning hair… He looked kind of like an overworked salaryman rather than a godlike being who created a dungeon.
Still, since he was here, he must be a dungeon creator, right? Let’s not judge him by his appearance.
『If you would be so kind, I would ask you to take some time and listen to my tale. Ah, what an absurdly annoying way of speaking. Anyway, do listen to my tale, would you? I never thought that someone would be so foolish as to try to take over my dungeon. I’m feeling a little depressed… haahhh…』
Whoa, his grand authority just petered off into something close to whining…
It was the same speaker, but they sounded completely different. One could not help but feel sorry for the pitiable person at the end.
“W-what do we do?”
“Shouldn’t we hear him out?”
Leader Keyroil and Vice-Leader Felmina huddled together, obviously worried.
The figure on the throne looked like they would keel over with one good poke from Ramis, but it still felt like a bad idea to antagonise that person. In the end, we decided to play along and listen to his story.
By the way, Leader Keyroil somehow became our representative speaker.
“So, you’re the one who created this dungeon?”
『Indeed, well, it was something like that. I am, what you may call a Dungeon Master. I was once hailed as a genius, you know? Ah, apologies, bragging about my achievements was the reason why people disliked me…』
This person was way too humble. While I understood that letting my guard down was dangerous, seeing how this fellow kept bowing his head and apologising made me feel silly for being so wary.
『Oh, do excuse me. How rude of me for not offering proper hospitality.』
The man snapped his fingers, and a long table with chairs suddenly appeared before us.
The sudden display of magic jolted everyone’s nerves, and everyone immediately snapped into ready stances. No one had drawn their weapons yet, but everyone was ready to move at a moment’s notice.
『Now, now, do sit down, please. You must have many questions. Feel free to ask me anything; I shall answer if I can.』
It could still be a trap, but for now, it’s probably best to follow this being’s instructions to avoid offending him.
“S-it”
“Okay, yes. Let’s sit down first,” Ramis immediately knew what I was trying to say. If the chairs were booby-trapped for anything, I have the <Barrier> to protect us, so it was best for us to sit down first.
By us, I meant that Ramis set me down by a chair near the end of the table before sitting down herself. Hyurumi had also climbed out of the car and took the chair opposite Ramis.
Nothing strange happened. Hyurumi had looked over the chair before sitting down, as if checking for any hidden mechanism. The fact that she did not say anything suggested that she found nothing suspicious.
As for the rest of my companions, they were still a little wary, but everyone eventually sat down.
『Now, for the drinks and snacks—』
“Welcome”
I cut him off. As a vending machine, it was my prerogative to provide drinks and snacks. Moreover, by providing the snacks and drinks, they would have no way of serving my friends tampered food.
『You wish to provide for them instead? I’ve been watching you, you know, and I have been curious about you for some time now. Do be my guest.』
From the way he gave up so easily, it looked like he had no intention of doing anything suspicious to the food.
Since I knew my companion’s preferences, I served each person something different. As for the Dungeon Master, since I don’t know his preference, I gave him my own favourite, a carbonated drink and milk tea.
Ramis and Hyurumi handed everything out. The Dungeon Master lifted the plastic bottle up and examined it with bright-eyed fascination.
『What wonderful creations! Thank you for giving me this. Now then, I shall take your questions as we enjoy our treats.』
He had a gentle smile on his face; the laugh lines alone invited trust. However, if one could really judge other people’s character through looks alone, life would not have been such a struggle.
If looks were a reflection of one’s character, what did it say about me, a vending machine?
Now then, what sort of questions should we ask first? Is this gentle-looking middle-aged man really the creator of the dungeon? Whatever the truth might be, we must find out all we can through this conversation.
[Gumihou: This is simultaneously exciting yet anticlimactic.]
Kitchennovel.com has a new Membership System!!
Please click on the table below to check it out~
Naturally, you can also choose to support us through Patreon or tip us via Kofi~!
Don’t forget to leave a comment at novelupdates too!
