The mass of flesh seemed to have spread out from the town's underground mining site. So the girl had the townspeople evacuate outside the town, and we headed in to clear the dungeon. A large vertical shaft had formed at the mining site.
As expected, a random dungeon had broken out, and the mining site was spreading as if merging with the surrounding area. The floor and walls inside had become clean rock faces, transformed into labyrinth corridors, and the amplifying magic power must've fused with the underground mining site and taken on that shape. Fortunately, the magic lamps on the walls that'd likely been in the mining site originally were replicated as well, so with these, we wouldn't have to worry about light.
"The townspeople dug up something at the underground mining site."
That became our tentative conclusion. On the path continuing deeper, there were also drag marks of many people being hauled away.
According to Filio, there's no smell of blood, so they didn't appear to've been killed. But that only made the reason they were abducted even less clear. I couldn't shake this awful feeling, and I thought about it while clearing the dungeon.
Inside the dungeon too, masses of flesh were appearing, squirming and writhing. There was a high chance it was a dungeon-devouring labyrinth spawned by a monster, but if so, humans would only be a nuisance. And if one broke out in a town, it'd be cleared immediately, so any intelligent monster should understand that risk.
Was it because there was a high return? Ragion, the parasitic lifeform that appeared in Lila Village, had taken up residence in the village because it needed a host. It seemed monsters I didn't know about were appearing too... hmm. For the time being, our immediate crisis was not earning Filio's favor.
"Monsters are coming, Haruya! Lily!"
Filio's voice echoed through the underground mining site, and the ground swelled upward. The earth burst upward as if erupting, and a mass of rock appeared like a corpse clawing its way out, taking human shape.
It was a rock golem about two meters tall. Their strength varies by region, but they're generally around Silver-Iron rank2 in power.
"Second Key - Drill (Chiave Due)1!"
Filio made the ring on her right hand shine, and five pale-glowing magic drills appeared in her hand. She threw the magic drills, and they pierced cleanly into the eyes of a golem over ten meters away, for those drills come with a paralysis effect.
As the golem staggered with a Gwoooon, I closed in at once and swung my sword.
"Here I go, heave-ho."
Slashing in succession as if tracing the gaps between the rocks, the rock golem could no longer hold its body together and crumbled down with a clatter. Easy win. We'd run into monsters several times, but their strength wasn't much.
Then Filio, who excelled at detection, seemed to've spotted the next monster.
"Sixth Key - Curved Bow (Chiave Sei)!"
Filio's ring shone again. The pale magic power this time took the form of a bow, and she drew the magic string and loosed an arrow. A red gargoyle in the distance was about to launch a fireball, but the arrow interrupted it.
I ran forward, ta-ta-ta. Supporting arrows flew in from behind me, sealing the red gargoyle's movements.
"Number two."
With a listless voice, I split the red gargoyle cleanly in two vertically. Right after, a giant centipede appeared from the shadow of a rock and charged at me, but I just stood there. The giant centipede bared its fangs at me, but...
"Holy Sigil - High Wall."
A transparent barrier appeared before my eyes. Lily's holy magic. The giant centipede slammed headfirst into the barrier and staggered heavily. Filio's arrows pierced into it in rapid succession, to-to-to, and after writhing in pain it fell to the ground.
Monsters sure do spawn quite a bit. Were they slipping in from somewhere? But this was easy. Being in a party really is easy after all. I know the value of companions, but I also know the pressure they bring even more...
Filio dismissed her magic bow and approached with a smile.
"My, Haruya, how splendid! Even though you appear so absentminded, your swordplay is ever so sharp!"
"Indeed, it is."
Lily was somehow smug.
"My, Lily's holy magic is most wonderful too!"
"Is-is that so?"
Lily looked a little surprised, then smiled bashfully. These two who shouldn't be teaming up were getting closer and closer... Filio's evaluation of me seemed to be rising too, but since she knew my skill to some extent, I couldn't pull the weakling act now, and it wasn't the situation for it anyway. Though I'd hide my power just in case, as a countermeasure for the labyrinth.
"My, Haruya, are you perchance fond of surprise parties?"
"I hate 'em. I really hate 'em, I loathe 'em. Go to hell, surprise parties."
"I-is that so? That much..," Filio said, taken aback.
I absolutely won't let them throw anything like a hero debut surprise party. Everyone around was important people, and suddenly I was surrounded by expectations and pressure-someone understand how hard that was for me.
Filio rubbed the ring on her right hand regretfully. That ring's name is Rock-Rock Key of Full Opening. Using the owner's magic power as a medium, it takes various forms. A drill or a bow, or it becomes a key as is. It's her main weapon and support item.
It's clearly national-treasure class. Realize that, me from my past life. Filio is truly a versatile scout ability, and if she's in the party, she'd really be reliable.
To Filio, who was sizing me up, I said.
"If the world were different, Filio would be a hero."
"Me... a hero?"
"I mean, right? A light-attribute character suits Filio perfectly."
I glanced at Lily, wondering if the point might shift toward her instead.
"Lady Filio and Lord Haruya... if you complement each other, it becomes an even stronger light."
Lily's reaction was that when light and light combine, they shine even brighter, right. Exactly! Just because a new hero candidate appears, there's no reason to discard the existing candidates! I said something unnecessary!
Then Filio smiled apologetically.
"I'm a wandering thief... I'm not suited to being a hero."
Her refreshing smile held a hint of resignation somewhere, and I scratched my neck. Come to think of it, did we have a similar conversation in my past life too? Even then, Lily was all enthusiastic about the Filio hero candidate proposal, but at some point she stopped mentioning it.
I think we always got along well, but... Hmm? While I was lost in thought, Filio touched her ring.
"Sixth Key - Curved Bow (Chiave Sei)!"
She deployed the magic bow and pierced a giant bat in the distance. Her refreshing profile was picture-perfect. Why didn't I notice her noble status in my past life? Even if my eyes went to her large chest, to neglect observation like that... I feel like I did neglect it!
"Phew... sorry, my detection was a little slow."
Filio kept her bow out without lowering her guard. In my past life her detection range was wider, but maybe she's still growing now.
"Don't worry about it, it's plenty."
"Hmm... it seems miasma is coming out, just a tiny bit. My senses are a little dulled."
"Is it coming out? Miasma."
Miasma. It's something like a special aura that monsters occasionally release. Demon King Chronova released it too. It seems to bring out the characteristics of demonic nature strongly, and miasma's effects vary. Demon King Chronova's miasma had the effect of burning weak creatures and driving them insane.
Filio smiled as if there was no problem.
"It's not something that takes effect immediately. It's really just a tiny amount."
"The effects of miasma are unknown, right?"
Filio nodded with a gulp. This is troubling. With Goddess Flora's divine protection, my intuition about demonic things would sharpen, and I'd vaguely understand miasma's effects too. But it was lost when I became a Returnee from death3. And I've got no intention of getting involved with that again.
There's a high chance it's a dungeon-devouring labyrinth, the labyrinth master's intentions are unclear, and on top of that, miasma... Are we stepping into dangerous territory?
When I was a hero, as a light that illuminated the world, there were times I stepped in knowing there were traps. But now the situation is different. No one knows the hero party anymore. Because time turned back, the two of them are still inexperienced too, so I guess I've gotta be the one to say it.
"Shall we head back-"
I deliberately proposed it casually. Filio said with a refreshing smile.
"Haruya, let us press onward!"
"There's more not-so-good information now. Just knowing the monsters' strength and that miasma is coming out will help those who follow. Swallowing my pride... I think choosing to go back once is also an option," I said.
"...That's, true," Filio conceded.
"And no option of me going scouting alone."
"I see, if it's just me I can hide easily and go scout!"
"Whoa!? Don't make it sound like it was my idea!?"
Filio laughed adorably with an ehehe. She was trying to laugh it off as a joke, but her eyes were serious. A death omen drifted around her adorable smile... Even if not now, a certain death seems to be waiting in the future...
While I was worrying about what to do, Lily seemed to notice something and pointed into the distance. We all looked in the direction she pointed. Hiding against the wall stood the girl we'd met above ground.
"A-um... s-sorry. I followed... you..."
Trivia:
- Haruya's inner remark about not noticing Filio's noble status "in my past life" quietly confirms he is revisiting a loop he has already lived through, not just a fresh adventure.
- Filio's odd question about surprise parties reads as probing Haruya's feelings, hinting she may already be planning something tied to his Hero identity.
- The drag marks of abducted townspeople with no blood imply the victims are being taken alive for a purpose, foreshadowing the master behind the Dungeon-devouring Labyrinth.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ Italian-derived incantation names meaning "Key Two" and "Key Six," used to activate numbered forms of Filio's transforming ring.
2 ↩ A tiered strength classification for monsters, positioning this dungeon's foes as mid-tier threats.
3 ↩ A status meaning the person has died and come back, tied here to the loss of divine blessings.
Notes:
• Filio - Given name of Filio Valceid. A noble-born scout-class adventurer who disguises herself as a man. She has radiant golden hair, clear sea-blue eyes, and a boyish, handsome appearance with distinctly feminine loveliness. Despite her light blouse-and-trousers outfit, her large chest is conspicuous. Cheerful, persistent, and idealistic, she believes those with power have a duty to help others and make everyone smile. Skilled in scouting, detection, trap avoidance, and lockpicking, she owns a falcon named Persha. She prioritizes civilians' lives, rewards others generously, and refuses to let talent go to waste. A trusted companion from Haruya's past life, she often pushes his party to accept unpaid quests as a duty to do good.
• Haruya - Solo adventurer in the trading city of Gran Neal, formerly the Holy Hero who defeated the Demon King Chronova. Maintains a bronze-rank adventurer status deliberately to avoid responsibility and attention. Slim-built young man in plain breast armor with a longsword and a large hip pouch of adventuring tools. Harbors a singular life goal of losing his virginity at a high-class brothel and building a harem, a dream he loudly declared at guild registration, earning him infamy among female adventurers while being well-liked by male adventurers for his candid lewd talk. Secretly a returnee from death who deliberately destroyed his hero-route reputation.
• Lily - A servant-type companion to Haruya who addresses him with formal deference. She is also described as an innkeeper at an adventurer's lodge and a devout follower of the Great Goddess faith, serving as a priestess of the Goddess Flora. Polite, composed, and professional, she is attentive to Haruya's needs and practical about travel funds, never complaining about unpaid quests. She observes Haruya's duel and recognizes when he is holding back, using a promised reward to snap him out of his deliberate losing act. Skilled in sleep magic, she has a sweet, deferential demeanor and a teasing streak. Though strict and proper on the surface, she deliberately seduces Haruya through the wall at night.
• Demon King Chronova - A powerful demon lord who fell from grace while serving Goddess Flora. Attempted to plunge the world into darkness. Bound his soul to the Dark Temple to drag the hero down with him in death. Speaks with archaic, grandiose diction. Ruler of the Dark Temple who wears high priest-like garments. Possesses defensive and offensive magic including Chronowall and Chronosfang. Dignified yet easily flustered, particularly by the intruder's nudity. Values formality and tradition.