DELICIOUS IN DUNGEON
Laios and his crew agreed to head back to the surface.
I don't want to lose you guys!
You guys...
The strength of their bonds was reaffirmed.
A little earlier...
Are you awake now?
Do you feel any discomfort?
You seem well enough.
You were low on blood, so I used some goat blood.
But it's not ideal.
You should head back to town.
If you had stayed dead on the water, you'd be fish bait by now.
You should thank whoever pulled you out.
Do you think it was...
Kuro!
I recognize these scents.
An elf, a tall-man, a half-foot, and a dwarf.
The same folks who took our treasure.
I suspected it was them!
I require a revival fee.
I'll only charge you for the goat.
Right, I remember now.
We were attacked by Fish-men and...
So, we died again.
This will do.
Are they adventurers?
Are you...
What?
Nothing.
Let's go, Namari.
Yeah, coming.
You're even making eyes at a dwarf?
You have no standards.
Well, I've never picked my friends based on how tall they are.
Is that so?
Our provisions are gone!
They must've stolen from us again!
Food.
How dare they!
Not again.
They've taken our food but left our money?
Maybe they've depleted their own supplies.
Infuriating.
We need to take them to task.
What do we do, Kabru?
We've got no other option.
Let's head back to town.
What? Seriously?
Without catching the thieves?
We're out of provisions, so we can't push on.
Let's admit our own lack of skills.
Just like those people said,
we should be thankful we're still breathing.
If that's your call, Kabru, I'm with you.
Same here.
If you promise you won't forget about finding those thieves,
I'll follow your lead.
You have my word, Rin.
Kuro will follow Mickbell.
We're going to be deep in the red after this expedition.
It's getting foggy.
Everyone, watch out...
This isn't a natural fog.
Could a monster be causing this?
A Fish-man?
Where did they come from?
Dammit. I'll have to fight.
Here it comes!
The way it wields its axe like it's mowing something down...
I know it very well.
Yes.
It's...
Shh!
It's okay. Calm down.
Daya, it's me.
This fog is illusion magic.
The confused one with the drawn weapon has to be Kuro.
And the one standing in a daze is Holm.
He tends to freeze when too much happens all at once.
And the one who bolted earlier must be Mick.
In that case, the biggest threat here is...
Rin.
Just as I feared, she's chanting something.
She has the power to reduce us all to cinders.
The only way to peacefully interrupt a mage's incantation is...
Rinsha.
Do you see? This is an illusion.
It's a shame she's in the form of a monster.
Now then, how do we dispel this illusionary fog?
It's not this one.
A spellcaster wouldn't come charging with a weapon.
They'd observe from a distance.
That one!
What?
You got us.
We surrender.
Let him go, will you?
These guys...
They are the corpse retrievers we ran into on the upper floor!
This isn't a chance reunion, is it?
You were following us, right?
What do you mean?
Retrieving bodies in the lower levels pays better,
thanks to Island subsidies.
We were intent on getting our stolen loot back
and entered a level we weren't ready for.
All they had to do was leisurely follow our trail
for more lucrative corpses.
Oh.
Infuriating.
But you guys were a little too slow.
By the time you found us, we were already resurrected
and on our way back to the surface.
You got antsy and resorted to extreme measures.
You used magic to make us turn on each other.
Close, but not quite.
Actually, it would've been ideal if you caught up with your thieves
and fought with them and killed each other.
But what a letdown.
We didn't think you'd get taken out by monsters so quickly.
You...!
Stealing from and attacking fellow adventurers is a serious offense.
I'll be reporting this to the Lord of the Island.
How about we make a deal?
Going back empty-handed would be a loss for you.
Two of our comrades are lying dead over there.
Take them to the resurrection office.
You should be able to make a tidy sum.
They're only unconscious.
I'll testify that they were attacked by Fish-men.
Our share would be...
Let's see, 40...
No, 30% will do.
What do you say?
It's not a bad deal for you.
Fine. Deal.
Kabru...
You bastard!
I'm not surprised.
That's our Kabru!
Humans really are easy to kill.
Tall-man, dwarf, gnome, they all share the same weak points.
Even their movements are similar.
If only monsters were the same, it'd make things simpler.
Kuro, could you go find Mick?
Woof!
Kabru.
What do we do with him?
P-Please let me go.
I didn't know anything!
You don't care about breaking the curse on the dungeon
or exterminating monsters.
More and more people are making a quick buck by robbing others.
At this rate, decent people will leave the Island.
That's why I can't forgive people like you.
Please don't.
Kabru.
Sorry about what I did earlier.
It was the only thing I could think of.
What are you talking about?
I don't know and I don't care to know.
That's a relief.
I'm growing impatient, and we're not making much progress.
You're right.
And this is where our impatience led us.
It sucks.
Can't you offer some encouragement once in a while?
There's no use sugarcoating it.
This is the reality of our abilities.
The Lord of the Island only sees the dungeon as a profitable pit.
Even if it runs out of treasure,
he believes he can get by on monster hides and bones.
But the truth is, no one will enter the dungeon once it's fully explored.
Either because there's no fortune to be made
or because it doesn't excite the adventurous spirit.
Fewer and fewer people will be here.
Monsters will spill out from the dungeon and attack citizens.
That's how many settlements have fallen into ruin.
We must lift the curse on the dungeon quickly.
There's no room for monsters or dungeons in this world.
Yeah.
I'm hungry.
Being resurrected makes you hungry, doesn't it?
Kabru!
Those guys had quite a bit of valuables on them!
All right.
Take their food, but toss the rest into the lake.
What? Are you serious?
If we took their valuables, we'd be no better than them.
Once that's done, let's have a light meal.
-Sounds good. -Sounds good.
ADVENTURERS' RATIONS SALTED MEAT
BREAD, WINE, NUTS AND DRIED FRUITS
-Let's dig in! -Let's dig in!
Yum!
They're eating pretty well.
Corpse retrievers make a pretty penny, huh?
Especially if they're the ones creating the corpses and bringing them back.
But won't the Lord of the Island catch on?
There's a screening process to claim rewards from the Island.
They must've been pretty clever to slip through that.
Or maybe they're in cahoots with more parties than we realize.
That's so rotten.
In the end, they're just digging their own grave.
Will you inform the Lord of the Island?
I doubt that Lord will come up with a good solution.
Newbies like Doni will end up getting the short end of the stick.
If only that stupid Lord gains so much weight that he pops.
Then the elves will come swooping in.
We still need him to hold out as a bulwark.
Anyway, a tall-man, a dwarf, a half-foot, and an elf, huh?
What's this about?
The party that cast a ghost-warding spell on us.
You mean those treasure thieves.
Food robbers.
There aren't many parties with an elf.
We could identify them with some narrowing down.
Do you think it's Doni and Fionil?
It's hard to imagine them venturing down to the third floor.
And I find it odd that they're only a party of four.
It's rather reckless of them.
Rin, Holm.
Do you notice anything about this ghost-warding spell?
You still have it on?
I mean, it's evidence.
I'm not familiar with spells like that.
Let me take a look.
It screams "honor student."
It looks like it's straight out of a textbook.
And whoever did it wasn't used to it.
They might even be a magic school graduate.
All graduates produce similar spells.
And there's no doubt it's the work of an elf.
Magic school...
Hmm, magic school, huh?
Interesting.
What? What is it?
Well, I have a hunch about whose party this might be.
It's just a guess, but
I'd be thrilled if I'm right.
Out with it. Cut the drama.
Well,
I think it's the party with the Touden siblings.
Touden? You mean those two?
They don't strike me as the criminal type.
What's your reasoning?
First, if I remember correctly, the sister is a magic school graduate.
But the one who cast the ghost-warding spell was an elf.
And those siblings are tall-men.
Hold on, let me finish.
The elf in their party seemed pretty close to the sister,
as if they were childhood friends.
So I figured they must've attended the same magic school.
Magic school graduates are rare around here,
especially if they're an elf.
I suppose it's possible.
But it's not enough to go on.
Plus, Kuro only smelled one tall-man.
If they're siblings, he should've smelled two.
Are you suggesting that's why they're venturing with a small group?
Exactly! One of the siblings got lost,
and there was a disagreement in the party about whether to rescue them.
I think so because we just crossed paths with a former member of their group.
They had disputes over their goals and income even before this.
And maybe this incident led some of them to leave.
Now desperate, they're resorting to stealing treasure and food.
-You're starting to convince me. -Right?
But Kuro, you mentioned catching a whiff of a dwarf too.
I did. Strong dwarf scent.
That's odd then.
Why would they still have a dwarf with them?
Maybe they recruited another one.
Who else is in their party?
Let's see.
The tall-men are Laios, Falin,
and probably Shuro, an Easterner.
There's Namari, the dwarf we saw earlier,
and Marcille the elf.
I think the half-foot's name was Chilchuck or something.
Assuming this is the Touden siblings' party,
one of their siblings, as well as Shuro and Namari, departed.
And another dwarf joined them, I think.
I see. So the woman back there was Namari.
Do you know anything about her, Daya?
Only her name.
She's pretty well-known.
She's the only daughter of a guy known as the "Arms Dealer."
"Arms Dealer"?
He used to control the arms trade on this Island.
But one day, he was found embezzling a hefty sum and vanished.
They say he's one of the reasons
the Lord of the Island has a negative view of dwarves now.
A lot of dwarves suffered because of him.
Including me.
No honorable dwarf would want to follow in his footsteps.
So maybe she's not an honorable dwarf.
The scent I caught was intense.
I know something about this Chilchuck guy.
He's a middle-aged fellow,
but he acts like he's the representative for all the half-foots on this Island.
He's a greedy guy who insists on making contracts through the guild
and paying broker fees.
I want no part of that, so I'm steering clear.
I mean, if he found out I hired a Kobold, I'd get an earful for sure.
You wouldn't want that, right?
You want me to keep hiring you, don't you?
Mick gives me food.
Mick is a good boss.
I bet he's working him hard for measly wages.
Holm, you shouldn't make assumptions like that.
Anyway, Rin, the Eastern tall-man is from your neck of the woods.
Maybe you know each other.
Oh, please.
Don't group us together just because we're both Easterners.
Depending on the region, we don't even speak the same language.
And Shuro isn't a name from my island.
I might have more information on him then.
He was a bit of a loner even in Touden's crew.
He came to the Island with a few other Easterners,
then joined Touden's party alone.
He gave off this vibe that he wasn't your average person,
and it seemed like he was venturing into the dungeon to test his skills.
But he left the party, huh?
He didn't strike me as someone concerned about rewards or dangers.
Could it be that both siblings left, and he's still in the party?
Nah, that's unlikely.
Kabru, you remember details about people to the point where it's creepy.
Why do you sound so excited?
Because it's fun. It's really exciting!
There are countless people on this Island, each with their own motives.
But when their entirely different actions intersect,
it sparks a historic event involving a whole lot of people.
I thought this was just a boring case of theft,
but I sense something interesting is about to happen.
I hope this crew is the Touden siblings' party.
Because for a long time now,
I've been itching to see their true colors revealed.
Do you have a grudge against them or something?
It's not like they've wronged me.
In the past, Laios apparently made a fortune in a gold-peeling crew.
But he was sharing most of his earnings
with comrades who couldn't enter the dungeon due to illness or injury.
That's noble of him.
Yes, it's a touching story.
But there's more to it.
His comrades had long recovered, but kept taking the money.
In the end, they never returned to adventuring
and now peddle smuggled goods on the Island.
"I shall bestow everything to whoever defeats the lord of the dungeon."
That's what some king-like figure of this country supposedly said.
Regardless of whether you could truly obtain everything or not,
this dungeon itself is a legacy left by ancient elves.
I'm sure it holds significant power.
That's why I don't think it should fall into the hands of those siblings.
They're not saints.
They're just indifferent to people.
Just like the Lord of the Island.
We know, Kabru.
We believe you're the only one.
The only one to drive out that stupid Lord as well.
But if you're still struggling with monsters in this area,
you've got a long road ahead of you.
You're right.
Well then, shall we get going soon?
May we make it back without any issues.
Whoa! That was close!
Blade Fish!
Don't let them distract you!
Watch your step!
A Kraken? No, it's a Sea Serpent!
Rin! Get back!
Incant...
Holm!
I can't summon her in this situation!
There's no telling what might get mixed in!
Don't panic.
It's up to you to do something, Kabru.
It's not a creature that makes complicated movements.
Observe its motions, and aim for its carotid artery.
Wait, where's its carotid artery?
Excuse me.
Tade!
On it!
Young Master, it's in your court!
Young Master!
That was impressive.
Is your armor damaged?
No.
You must be weary.
How about something to eat?
No. Let's press forward.
What are we going to do with the Young Master?
He's completely besotted with that Northern girl.
Tade is hungry.
Kabru, are you hurt?
Change of plans.
It might be tasty stewed with daikon!
-That's dumb. -Excuse me.
You saved me back there. Thank you.
I'm Kabru.
May I ask your names?
Don't mention it.
We were just passing through.
If I'm not mistaken,
you're searching for a woman.
D-Do you know something?
Just as I thought. My deepest sympathies.
I might be able to assist you
in your search for Falin Touden.
Stop it, Kuro!
Didn't I tell you not to make that expression?
It's frightening!
What's gotten into you?
And so, Kabru and his crew
decided to venture deeper into the dungeon once again.
NOW
Turning back time to Laios and his party,
two full days have passed since they agreed to head back.
It's a dead end.
Another dead end.
I'm famished.
I'm exhausted.
I'm parched.
They were lost and on the brink of death.
Subtitle translation by: Ai Matsuoka