“Being tailed?”
Resting on B16, we were approaching the end of day three.
That first day we’d pushed to B8, but the dungeon was a completely different maze than before, and the pace had dropped.
The plan had us through B15 by day three, so on schedule.
The first day, the rest spot had been taken by other adventurers.
From there the gears had been slightly off. We were ahead, but rest wasn’t going optimally.
Poyo-Poyo and Shannon, watching our party, were clearly sensing something.
“Maintaining a fixed distance — tailing us within a range we won’t notice. Hard to tell what to do, but I can’t believe it’s coincidence.”
Poyo-Poyo turning out quietly capable — Shannon too.
“With this junk, but they’re concentrating on us hard. Doesn’t look like they’re even bothering with recovery after fights.”
On break, Miranda and Aria were sleeping.
Aria, who scouted ahead, was the most physically taxed. Clara and Novem on watch near the entrance — I’d have preferred them resting.
But with so few of us, no luxury for that.
Shannon:
“They were at the manor before we left.”
I grabbed her shoulders.
“Why didn’t you say so?!”
“Eh? Because Novem and Onee-sama had both noticed…”
Poyo-Poyo sniffed at me.
“You didn’t notice.”
I couldn’t push back. I thought.
(Fixed distance? What — planning to ambush? Hitting us when we’re loaded? — I don’t think they can run Porter.)
The Third from the Jewel.
“Lyle and company as the target… troublesome.”
The Fifth on the contingency.
“Lyle, if it turns dangerous, abandon the assignment. We’ll permit Skills. — Want to use them now?”
I fingered the blue Jewel — no.
The Seventh:
“This is why I dislike adventurers. — Lyle, you know this, but pinned between two sides is dangerous.”
In a narrow corridor, pinned with the vanguard engaged — grim situation.
(Porter’s shields can deploy backward too. — Use that going forward? If they’re aiming at us…)
I looked around — sleeping Aria, Miranda; on-watch Novem and Clara.
Last — Poyo-Poyo and Shannon.
“What is it, chicken-bastard. Don’t get excited in a place like this, honestly…”
Poyo-Poyo started peeling off her clothes with little shurru sounds. I bopped her, and considered using Shannon’s eye.
(Not my Skill, so probably fine.)
The condition for the assignment was that I not use Skills.
“Shannon — can you count them?”
She shook her head.
“Eh — I don’t know. They’re keeping distance, and I’m not interested. — And, moving in dungeons tires me. I’m lying on Porter’s bed, so move a little quieter — ow, ow, ow!”
I had her in an iron claw.
“Next time, check properly. Yes?”
“I will! I will, just let go!”
I released her. Catching her breath:
“But — it’s hard to see inside the dungeon. Dense, and information all wibbly… and…”
She looked at the corner.
A bug flying there.
Maybe following Porter’s lantern.
The Second shouted:
“Lyle, crush that bug!”
I instantly threw a knife from my hand; a slightly-large moth fell.
(What.)
The knife struck the wall — felt like every eye in the room turned my way.
Closer, looking at the moth — Poyo-Poyo:
“Another creepy creature.”
Shannon had a different read. Wasn’t startled by the creepy moth.
“Yeah? It’s not a creature.”
Bug-hating Shannon saying so — not wrong. As I approached, the moth vanished.
Shannon:
“Strange mass of mana. I could see thin threads. — Someone’s puppeting it from somewhere.”
I thought why don’t you say so first — Shannon puffed her cheeks at me.
“Just now — you thought this kid’s useless, didn’t you.”
“Off. I’m thinking why didn’t you say so sooner. — So why didn’t you?”
“I just spotted it! Didn’t see anything day one or two.”
Poyo-Poyo too.
“Indeed. First time today.”
While I thought, Clara came to swap watch.
“What’s wrong? It was noisy.”
Aria had woken up. She was glaring our way, hair every which way, sleepy and irritable.
“Quiet… let me sleep.”
Novem was watching the entrance — not us.
Miranda sat up and stretched.
“It was about time for me to wake anyway, so — what happened? If it’s a monster, the deal was to wake us with enemy attack.”
I apologized to everyone and explained.
Day four, we rested at B21.
We’d debated turning back or pushing on. Conclusion: push.
I’d been fine with abandoning this attempt, but Novem and Miranda wanted to continue.
Surprisingly, Aria voted for turning back.
That had surprised me.
Clara, temp-member, offered no opinion. Only warned we’d need care turning back, too.
I issued orders on B21.
“Aria, Miranda-san, drop back! I’m taking the front. Novem, prep magic!”
I loosed an arrow that exploded and dropped the orc’s shield. I drew my sabre and ran.
Past the orc in the corridor center, goblins ran by.
Ignoring me, going for the rear.
“You’re underestimating us.”
By the time I swung at the orc, Miranda-san and Aria had finished the goblins.
Miranda-san downed three; Aria, two.
I cut the orc’s arm and landed; instead of cutting again, I sprinted past it.
Behind me, the orc went up in flames.
Novem’s magic.
“Power as always.”
I muttered. The Second:
“Don’t relax. Mind the surroundings. — Held up means the distance to our tails just shrank.”
I looked around as the orc burned.
No sign of nearby adventurers.
Sheathed the sabre. No companions close, I muttered.
“Outpaced them?”
The Third:
“Lyle, you’re naive. Think how many Skills you have. Plenty out there with Skills more troublesome than ours.”
So — the opponent may hold an effective tailing Skill, also possible.
Fights between adventurers aren’t decided by raw strength alone.
A Skill can divide the outcome. — I looked at Porter, who’d stepped over the dropped orc, clearing the obstacle.
In the dungeon, the legs let him pass without trouble.
“Reliable.”
Novem approached.
“Are you all right, Lord Lyle?”
“Yes — fine. — But the power’s risen, hasn’t it? On magic, I can’t beat Novem.”
Novem brought a lightly-curled fist to her mouth and smiled.
“It was worth the work.”
Clara generated water with magic and recovered stones and material from the orc.
A small girl dismantling an orc — and I was getting used to the sight. A small worry of its own.
Novem:
“Still mind the tailing?”
“Troublesome. B21 — getting this deep alone should be enough to earn a living. And yet.”
Adventurers who hunt other adventurers for their take — they exist.
In dungeons, no body-disposal problem.
The dungeon absorbs them in time.
That’s why there’s no scatter of garbage or bodies.
Some researchers believe the dungeon swallows bodies to grow larger and deeper.
”…Turn back?”
I shook my head.
“Continuing. We decided. — If it turns ugly, then yes.”
Shannon had sided with Miranda, so continuation was decided.
What was she thinking.
Poyo-Poyo, like Clara, didn’t offer an opinion.
Just follows what’s decided.
Because she’s an automaton? — I’d appreciate her being that quiet normally.
After B21, our progress was small bites.
On break, Clara and I were drawing a map for the return.
By Porter’s lantern, we worked from Clara’s notes.
Miranda-san on watch tonight.
Aria slept; Novem next to her.
Shannon slept near Miranda.
”…B26 looks like this.”
Map done. I nodded. Dungeons change slowly. Frequency varies, but in Aramsus, noting it down doesn’t go to waste.
Small changes — but returning, mostly the same.
“Tomorrow, B27.”
“Day seven, we’ll reach B30. — Porter is amazing, though. He’s for Aramsus, but modified, usable elsewhere.”
Looking at Porter:
“He’s slow. Outside, a carriage is better. — But for dungeons, convenient.”
Clara nodded, folded the map carefully, and stowed it.
On the way back we’d navigate by it.
In some cases, a life-line.
I said to Clara:
“Hey — join the party properly? Not temp — formal.”
I’d been considering inviting her for a while.
The Third in particular pushed for it.
“At last — inviting Clara, are we, chicken-bastard Lyle!”
(He’s mimicking Poyo-Poyo.)
The Third had been pushing me, but timing had never aligned.
I’d already cleared it with Novem and the others, so not unilateral.
But Clara cast her eyes down.
“Thank you. But I think it’s no good.”
“Why?”
Not understanding, I waited. Clara began about herself.
“Once I went to the academy.”
“Right — I’d heard…”
Voice from the Jewel.
The Third.
“Lyle… quiet, please.”
Low voice — serious. I shut up.
“My studies were fine, I think. I liked books, and knowledge — more than ordinary, I think.”
I nodded. I’d been saved by it many times.
But —
“My Skill — its third tier, Walking Library, is me. So I think you should drop it.”
I tilted my head.
Seeing I didn’t grasp it, Clara explained.
“A walking library. Even if I forget books I’ve read, the Skill remembers. — When asked, I draw an answer from accumulated knowledge.”
“That’s plenty impressive!”
She shook her head.
“I can’t draw information out myself. Others ask, I answer. — And if the books I’ve read are biased—”
The Third:
“I see. Doesn’t necessarily produce the correct answer. As an adventurer… mixed bag — but I still think she’s capable.”
I agreed.
“But that’s an incredible Skill, right?”
She took her glasses off and cleaned them.
”…The library has people with finer Skills. Don’t forget what they’ve memorized. They synthesize and produce applied answers. From their view, I’m an inferior version.”
“No, that’s a bit…”
She shook her head.
“It’s fine. I’m naturally good at absorbing knowledge, weak at applying it. Inflexible. So I take work I can do and earn. — I am diligent about work, and some of my regulars value me.”
The smile she turned to me looked a touch lonely.
The Third:
“Why go quiet?! Sell it harder! As post-Growth Lyle-san, you’d absolutely have made her fall in this scene!”
The Sixth too.
“This is where you go boom and close, right?”
Even told off.
While I thought, Novem had quietly stood up and approached Clara. Hard to read her face in the lantern light — slightly scary.
She took Clara’s hand.
Novem smiled.
“Magnificent, Clara-san.”
“Eh? Er…”
Clara, also confused.
She looked at me for help; I smiled and shook my head.
Stop the smile-eyed Novem? — beyond me.
“Until now I’d misjudged you. To use a Skill at the final tier at your age, your accomplishments thus far — quiet, but magnificent. You should be more proud.”
“I-I thank you… let go of my hand…”
“And so!”
“Y-yes!”
Novem said loudly:
“By all means, please join Lord Lyle’s harem. Lord Lyle seems to like you too. — No problem at all.”
The Third agreed.
“Ignoring her opinion — that’s a problem — but if she joins, fine by me. One or two more at this point — no problem, Lyle?”
Clara looked at me for help; I was also troubled.
(What — telling me to grow my harem for your desires? — Nope.)
I said to Novem:
“Novem — pushing like this is no good. For me, you — and—”
“Lord Lyle!”
She looked at me. Power in her eyes; my spine straightened.
“Y-yes!”
“She’s sending all these signals — you’re being too oblivious. Clara-san doesn’t dislike Lord Lyle. — No — rather—”
“No… please don’t say more…”
Tearful Clara clinging to Novem. My emotions got complicated.
(Eeh — Novem, who doesn’t understand my feelings, says that? — She’s cute so I forgive her… no, not the point!)
“Listen, Novem. This kind of thing isn’t good. A harem — I can’t maintain one. Look — I’m only just starting as an adventurer.”
She shook her head.
“No. Lord Lyle will achieve great things. For that day, her strength will surely be needed. — And, having come this far—”
Bespectacled Clara desperately tried to stop her.
“Wait… it’s not… not entirely not, but wait.”
Smiling Novem:
“So — about companions.”
“Got it. So — please—”
Clara clung. Novem smiled, pleased.
“You did it, Lord Lyle. Clara-san is one of us now.”
While I stood agape, Poyo-Poyo applauded.
“Congratulations, chicken-bastard. To use one woman to make another your own — a despicable hand… Poyo-Poyo is ever ready to fall to your fangs.”
I yelled.
“Not happening! Did you see what just happened! You junk, you did this on purpose!”
Sleepy Shannon and Miranda-san also clapped.
“A nice atmosphere in the dungeon, was it… as expected of Lyle.”
”…I’m sleepy. Don’t wake me for whatever.”
I looked at Aria.
Expressionless, she clapped.
“As expected of Lyle. — One woman after another… the worst.”
She pulled the blanket over her and slept.
“Hey — wrong! It’s, look! — That!”
Ignoring my excuses, everyone returned to their spots.
Clara sat in place and hid her red face with both hands.
The Fourth:
“Lyle-kun — the worst.”
The Second:
“Yeah. Just give up.”
The Sixth:
“Hmm — on this momentum… Miranda too. And while we’re at it, Shannon too.”
The Seventh:
“Good for you. — That’s all I can say.”
The Fifth:
“For the Third and Novem, good outcome. Cover for Aria.”
The Third, excited:
“A walking library — amazing. Before I met my wife I’d absolutely have hit on her! Lyle — cherish her.”
I thought.
(I asked, but — not in that sense!)
Beside a red-faced Clara, I spent the rest in an awkward silence.