Chapter 125 - Chapter 125: Celebration Party
A man who claimed to have come from another world, Tetsuo, had visited the dungeon to conquer Floor 7, a realm never before reached.
They broke through the wall of Floor 7 that had blocked adventurers and conquered the labyrinth beyond.
They reached the dungeon hot spring they had visited before and rested to regain their strength.
After that, they defeated the mid-boss waiting at the labyrinth's exit, and Floor 7 was officially cleared.
Iroha seemed to have some lingering regret, but if they didn't return to the surface to issue a warning about Floor 7, adventurers would keep stepping into this layer one after another.
Honestly, even for us top rankers, this is a slightly tough level.
If you carelessly enter, your life will be in danger.
We all agreed to return to the surface, but...
"Darling! We made it this far—let me at least smell the entrance to Floor 8!"
As expected, Iroha seems reluctant to leave.
"That's true, there's some logic to it. Since we made it this far, and it's Iroha and Sana's first time."
"Mm, understood."
With the leader's approval, we aimed for the entrance to Floor 8 before returning.
Leaving the room where the Lich was, we found a long, narrow corridor splitting left and right.
This was the same as before.
"Darling, which way is the correct answer?"
"Either way should lead outside. No monsters popped up in this corridor."
"So this is a safe zone?"
We turned left for now, walked down the long corridor, and emerged outside.
The harpies that had followed us jumped into the air as if to say, "About time!"
They had been in such a narrow corridor.
Since the ceiling here is high, it should be easy to fly.
In the pitch darkness, there was no way to tell how far the depth extended.
It was unclear whether there were even a ceiling or walls.
Only an overwhelming "presence of space" enveloping everything existed.
Vision sank into darkness, and even straining one's eyes revealed nothing.
No, the darkness was visible, but since there was nothing there, it only appeared that way.
In the pitch black where not even a speck of light existed, with no sound or presence, only void spread out.
"What is this? Is there nothing here?"
"Is there really nothing?"
Iroha and Sana let out voices of disbelief.
"That's right. Since there's nothing, you don't even know where you are."
"You can't even map this. Darling, how are we going to get back..."
I pointed at the harpies flying above.
"They're actually useful."
Tetsuo rode Shazam and stretched high into the air.
He was probably looking down from above at a distance.
"There's nothing, right?"
"Really nothing, haha!"
"Floor 7 was tough, but Floor 8 is even tougher."
"..."
Iroha had a surprisingly serious expression on her face.
"Iroha, what's wrong?"
"No—since we made it this far, I was going to say let's force our way into Floor 8... but I gave up."
"Well, this place doesn't seem like it can be handled easily either, right?"
"Yeah."
"A rare wise choice, isn't it?"
Just as she thought she had the upper hand, the Princess's counterattack began.
"Shut up! This is obviously a dangerous guy!"
"Hahaha!"
"But, Daisuke-san. How do we clear this place?"
Sana also seems unable to think of a way to clear it.
"Probably, I think they can use them."
I pointed at the harpies again, circling in the sky above.
"Harpies?"
"Yeah, those guys have noses good enough to sniff out my scent from the deep layers starting from Floor 4. Or I think they have some special detection ability."
"Relying on them again?"
The Princess made a disgusted face.
"If they can guide us from the deep layers to the shallow layers, shouldn't the reverse also be possible?"
"W-well, that's true, but..."
"Sakurako-sama, I understand you're jealous because Daisuke-san is nice to the harpies, but we must use whatever is available."
"I-I'm not jealous!"
Tetsuo's voice came from above.
"That's right, you can use even your parents' cock if it's standing, haha!"
"That's sexual harassment, sexual harassment."
"Fuhihi, sorry."
After seeing the vast scenery of Floor 8, Iroha and Sana came to understand, and we decided to return to the surface.
Well, normally just returning would be difficult, but Shazam of Tetsuo is here.
If we ride her, we'll be on the surface in no time.
From the moment we decided to retreat, we were on Floor 4 in the blink of an eye.
"Gya!" "Daisuke!"
"We're going back, so don't get hunted by other adventurers."
"Gyask!" "Daisuke!"
"What's with 'Daisuke', haha."
And, without even half a day passing from the entrance of Floor 8, we returned to the surface entrance hall.
According to Tetsuo, he could go faster, but since it's dark and dangerous, he's holding back on speed.
Along the way, the women other than Iroha wrapped themselves deeply in their robes.
"The old man god is great, this black stuff is really convenient!"
Iroha was patting Shazam.
"It's a blessing from the heavens!"
Now that we're back on the surface, we need to contact each guild about the conquest of Floor 7.
Reaching Floor 7 is probably limited to top guilds.
There's a lot to do.
When we emerged on the surface, the sky was already beginning to turn red).
The sun setting in the western sky peeked out reluctantly between the buildings, and its long shadows covered the sidewalk.
A smell of roasting meat drifted from somewhere, giving the impression of the town's evening.
The usual noisy crowd—wrapped in that familiar clamor that fits the ear—strangely calmed the heart.
Amidst the busy people coming and going, I realized that I too am part of this Special District.
"Daisuke, what are we doing next?"
Tetsuo asked about the plans for later.
"I'll drop off the luggage at Iroha's place."
"Okay!"
"Darling, it's fine later."
Iroha said that, but...
"It's still early, and it doesn't matter. Everyone else can go back first?"
"That won't do. Darling might get dragged into Oga's nest."
"What? You could lend Darling for a little bit, right?"
"As expected, you're thinking that way—I see through all your shallow thoughts."
"Tch! Then, let's have a celebration party for clearing Floor 7!"
"That might be good."
"Yay!"
Iroha jumped up and made a victory pose.
"Darling!"
"Is that okay?"
"Sakurako-sama, since we officially conquered Floor 7, shouldn't we celebrate?"
"Ugh..."
Even Kaorulko said that, and the Princess reluctantly gave her OK.
"Daisuke, then I'll go back first."
Well, it wouldn't matter if Tetsuo went to Iroha's guild either.
"Understood. Thanks for the cooperation."
"Hahaha, we needed manpower too, so it's a mutual benefit. Honestly, marching silently through that dungeon alone doesn't even make me want to try."
That's true.
He isn't an adventurer, and this dungeon doesn't matter to him.
He's just heading to the deep layers with a mission from the god.
Walking through the bustling Special District in the evening, we arrived at Iroha's guild—Goriki.
"Hey! We're back!"
"Oh! Iroha-neesan!"
A girl who stuck her head out the window reacted to her loud voice.
"Iroha-neesan is back!" "Really!?"
Girls wearing colorful clothes and equipment poured out of the guild building.
"Iroha-neesan, how was Floor 7?!"
"We cleared it!!"
She made a big V-sign.
"Yay!" "As expected, Iroha-neesan!"
"This means we'll be the first to Floor 8!"
"No, no—when Darling and the others were sent to the Labyrinth Cult for Floor 8 and Floor 9, they were already the first."
"But, with the official route, this is the first clear, I think."
"That's right!" "Yay!"
"Today is a celebration!"
The Princess reacted to the girls' words.
"Oga! The guild members are saying they'll celebrate? Shouldn't you cherish your own guild?"
"Oh! Cherry Princess, chii-su!" "Good evening~" "Empress-san, good evening too~"
The guild members noticed the Princesses.
"Ugh..."
Iroha was surrounded by the girls, looking troubled.
"Iroha-neesan, let's celebrate!" "That's right!" "It's a party, a party!"
She is someone who cherishes her comrades—she couldn't say "No, we're having a celebration party at Darling's place" from this situation.
"Well, Darling, shall we go?"
"That's right."
"W-wait..."
Iroha seemed to want to say something, but she was surrounded by guild members.
"Nee-chan!"
The girl who ran over was Iroha's younger sister.
"Kagari?"
"You're back!"
"We broke through Floor 7!"
She thrust her fist out.
"As expected, nee-chan!"
"From now on, we're having a Floor 7 breakthrough party with Iroha-neesan~!"
"Yay!"
The girls were jumping up and down.
As expected of a young party—the vibe is tough for an old man like me.
After all, being an adventurer is a job for young people anyway.
"Well then, Iroha."
"Oh, Darling-san, good evening~"
Kagari greeted me.
"Good evening. You did amazing this time, so listen to your sister about various things."
"What about Darling-san?"
"Hm? I'm going back now to have our celebration party."
"Then! Can I go too?! It's not dinner time yet!"
"Hey, Kagari! Are you planning to betray me!"
"Huh? Because Darling-san's food is more delicious..."
"Kagari, you!"
Iroha was surrounded by the girls all at once.
"Iroha-neesan, let's do it quickly~" "We're doing it~" "Yay!"
"Hey, wait... just a moment."
Her giant body was pushed into the building by the girls until she disappeared.
Well, with Iroha's power, she could easily break out, but she probably won't.
"Yay, we can get a delicious dinner~"
"Hey! Why am I suddenly allowed to join our celebration party as if it's natural?"
"Well, well, Princess."
"That's right. A small share should be fine, right?"
I calmed the Princess along with Kaorulko.
"Ugh..."
"Sana will come too, right?"
"Eh? Is that okay?"
"Of course, we fought together."
"Y-yes."
"Ugh..."
The Princess had a reluctant face.
She was probably thinking of just the three of us, Sakurako, Kaorulko, and me, having a quiet time—something like that.
But first, there's the celebration.
"Yay!"
Kagari linked her arm with mine.
"Ah! Then I'll take this side."
Sana linked her arm on the opposite side.
"He's my Darling!"
"Haa..."
Kaorulko sighed at the Princess's usual actions.
For now, since it was hard to walk, the two clinging to my arms let go.
"Okay, okay, let's go."
"Muu!"
This time, the Princess clung to my arm, and we arrived at the hotel as is.
After greeting the hotel staff, we returned to the room.
"I'll put away my equipment and go right away!"
Sana returned to her room for now, so I went to call Tetsuo.
Knocking on the door, he showed his face.
"Tetsuo, we're having a celebration party, you coming?"
"Ah, I have something to do, so I won't be attending..."
"Something to do?"
"Ah."
A woman was in the corridor he pointed to.
She was—Section Chief or Department Head of the Emblem Squad.
Her right hand was resting on her left arm, looking shriveled—a feeling of being tense.
Whether nervous or not, her face was already flushed.
"Ah, is that the Initiation thing of Nanotaka?"
"Hahaha, exactly! As expected, Daisuke understands."
In that case, it can't be helped.
This is probably the duty of an Apostle to his believers.
Tetsuo beckoned and welcomed the red-faced woman.
Waving my hand at him, I returned to the room.
"Daisuke!"
Mio-chan hugged me.
"Oh, Mio-chan came too—wait, why is Kirara here?"
"It's fine, right?!"
"Besides Sana, that younger sister Mio-chan is fine, but you..."
"Why!"
"What about the other guild members?"
The mage girl—Emma, wasn't it? The high school girl Tetsuo used to lead and that little brother...
"Apparently, they held back."
"Normally that's what you'd do..."
"What! Are you saying I'm not normal?!"
Well, it goes without saying—but since there's no point in arguing further, I'll allow participation.
The Princess seems fine with it too.
Kagari is participating, so it's fine.
For now, since I can't cook, I'll lay out the items in my Item Box.
"Hey, the food is a bit lonely for a celebration party."
"Just order some sushi~"
Kirara is the same as always, with absolutely no hesitation.
"You know... even though I say that, it is a bit lonely."
"You're a top guild famous worldwide, right?"
Kirara is annoying, but she's not stingy.
I decided to order about 10 portions of sushi via room service.
"Daisuke's food is delicious!"
Mio sat on my lap and immediately brought my food to her mouth.
Again, the Princess and Mio were glaring at each other, but Kaorulko wasn't participating in the meal.
"Kaorulko, aren't you eating?"
"Um, I'm making urgent documents to send, so I'll eat later."
It's probably documents for the warning about Floor 7, but I can't tell her to put it off.
It seems she's sending articles to the government offices and Dungeon News as well.
Dungeon News is almost read by all adventurers.
It might be reliable.
"Darling-san, how was Floor 7?!"
"It was pretty dangerous. It's a floor that kills you on first sight."
"As expected..."
"Even top rankers were stopped at a level equivalent to Floor 6. If you aren't careful at first, there might be casualties."
"Did my older sister level up too?"
"Yeah, she probably leveled up quite a bit..."
"As expected, nee-chan!"
"You can just join Goriki's celebration party and ask your sister."
Well, the Princess's words are reasonable too.
"Hehehe..."
She was probably after our food.
She ate well, gobbling it down.
While doing that, the sushi arrived.
Since it's hotel sushi, it's quite high quality.
The price is eye-poppingly high, but I'm not short on money right now.
If it's a business meal, it should come off as an expense.
"Darling, what about that man?"
"A guest came."
"Hmph..."
She doesn't seem to like Tetsuo very much.
Well, he's an outsider, and they just don't get along.
Kaorulko, who became a follower of Izal immediately, seems surprisingly fine with it.
While talking with the Princess, Kaorulko came to eat.
"Good work. I got the sushi."
"Thank you."
"How was the reaction from Dungeon News and such?"
"They said they wanted to hear the story immediately, but I scheduled the interview for another day."
She brought sushi to her mouth with chopsticks.
The news about Floor 7 would be released as a breaking story, so it would be published immediately.
"In that case, it might get into the eyes of other guilds..."
"Top guilds that can reach Floor 7 are limited."
"Yuuki might get competitive and rush in immediately."
"It's possible. He was complaining that his level was maxed out."
As long as no accidents happen...
"Daisuke, was there any expensive treasure?"
Kirara's eyes were shining.
"Monsters around Floor 7 probably can't be eaten as meat except for dragons... maybe they have no price? If disassembled, a large Magic Stone might come out."
Honestly, if you ask if it's worth risking your life, it's not worth it at all.
Once you get that far, it's just pride and honor.
"Oh, really?"
"By the way—"
I took out the Golden Bow from my Item Box.
"This might be expensive."
"A bow?! It's probably because there are no arrows or something like that, right?!"
She showed a disappointed expression.
Kirara also seems to know about the bug-like specs regarding bows.
"Haha, a direct hit."
"Really, bows are useless."
As expected, it seems to be common knowledge that bows can't be used in dungeons.
"Well, there might be some trick where it turns into a deadly weapon or something like that?"
"I don't know."
Kirara made a dumbfounded face and threw sushi into her mouth.
"Daisuke, Daisuke!"
"What is it? Mio-chan."
"I'm sleeping with Daisuke today~!"
"Spit!"
The Princess spat out her sushi.
"Today, there are things to do anyway..."
"What things?"
Kirara looked at me with suspicious eyes, but it's true.
"There's organizing the video data we took in the dungeon."
"Muu, boring..."
Mio was grumpy, but it can't be helped.
The meal ended, and the celebration party was over.
At Iroha's place, they might be making a racket all night, but there are many things to do.
"Darling."
The Princess hugged me, but I can't pay attention.
"Princess, sorry."
"Sakurako-sama, you shouldn't interfere."
"Buu!"
She pouted and started punching me, but I have to do what I have to do.
Information's freshness is important.
We can have a one-on-one with the Princess anytime.
—The day after returning from the dungeon.
While eating breakfast, I checked Dungeon News, and the article was already there.
There were many comments too.
'Finally broke through Floor 7?!'
'Is it a joint party of Cherry Princess and Goriki?'
'Not really a joint party, looks like only the leader of Goriki accompanied them.'
'Cherry Princess has the old man with the Item Box, right? Carrying an Item Box is cheating, isn't it?'
Naturally, I didn't mention Tetsuo, and he wasn't mentioned.
'Looking at the article, it seems there are monsters that normal defense magic doesn't work on, so it seems quite dangerous.'
'If you rush in carelessly, you'll be instantly killed...'
'Well, just reaching Floor 7 means you're the cream of the cream of adventurers... I, Slime Slayer, will watch from below lol'
The fact that Floor 7 is dangerous has spread quite a bit.
With this, it should be fine.
"Thanks to Kaorulko, information about Floor 7 has spread quite a bit."
"Thank you. An interview from Dungeon News is coming today too."
"I don't have to appear, right?"
"It's fine."
"Well, a beauty is better looking than an old man, and it's better for the readers, haha."
When accepting an interview as an adventurer, I wear the equipment from the dungeon attack.
Readers only know the Princesses as adventurers, so they can't tell who I am in casual clothes.
"I don't think so..."
"It's true. All humanity wants the Princess's bikini armor and the Empress's boobs (dead language) more than the old man."
"Please stop..."
Kaorulko was complaining, but this is the truth.
I'll stop teasing the two for now and contacted Quadrifoglio, the video editing contractor.
'Understood! I'll go right away!'
"You don't have to rush."
'I'll go at Mach speed!'
Mach speed...
It seems she's coming immediately, so I took the HDD with the data and went downstairs.
I waited in the hotel lobby.
About 10 minutes later, Quadrifoglio arrived, out of breath.
High-level adventurers rarely get out of breath...
Seeing her out of breath seemed fresh.
"Haa haa... sorry for the wait!"
"You don't have to rush that much... let's have a drink at a cafe."
"No! I'll receive the data immediately and start editing!"
"Eh?"
"B-because... the data for Floor 7 is inside, right?!"
"Y-yes—of course."
"I, who will do the editing, will be the first in the world!"
Ah, I see.
She wants to watch the video quickly.
"Haha... understood."
I handed the HDD to her.
"I'll start editing immediately!"
Well, I want to upload the video quickly too, so it's a help.