Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Meeting
I was finally sent back to the surface after being thrown into the deep layers of the dungeon.
I want to rest with relief, but I can't do that.
This is a major matter involving other adventurers as well.
Using the Princesses' connections, we decided to gather the guild representatives at the hotel.
As expected of top rankers.
They have wide connections and the charisma to gather the top of the guilds when they say "gather."
It's a feat I, an adventurer novice, cannot imitate.
I feel bad about using Sana and Kirara from my guild, but this is the highest priority.
If we don't notify widely, there is a possibility that victims will increase.
It will be too late after that happens.
It seems we are renting a hotel conference room to have a discussion.
We will likely need to present evidence for that.
I will connect my notebook PC to the conference room projector so I can output the video taken by the camera.
"Actually, I think it would be better to edit the video... but I don't have the time."
While placing the notebook PC on a small desk and checking the projector's operation, the door opened.
I thought the Princess and Kaorulko had returned, but it was different.
A woman wearing a shirt and pants -- normal clothes, black bobbed hair, and glasses.
I thought she was a hotel staff member, but she wasn't in uniform, so that's probably not it.
She looks more like office staff than an adventurer.
As the guild grows, the number of people handling internal chores will likely increase.
Even without attacking the dungeon, one can contribute to the guild.
Perhaps it is a more secure profession since they don't do dangerous things.
I greet her just in case.
"Hello."
"A, um -- hello. There is an emergency meeting with adventurer representatives today --"
"Yes, this is the place. The Princess -- no, Cherry Princess will be here soon, so please sit and wait."
"Understood."
I assume it is connected to the projector, so I extract the video from the camera and transfer it to an external HDD.
Since it is important data, I also take a backup.
Backup is basic.
"Well, is it showing properly?"
Since I've been in the dungeon for a while, the storage is filled to the brim with videos.
I have a spare storage in the Item Box just in case, so I think I was able to handle it.
When I play it randomly, it is a video of the dragon battle with the Princesses.
"Oh, it's quite clear."
Probably because of Kaorulko's magic light.
"A, um!"
The woman who was watching my video spoke to me.
"What is it?"
"T, that is -- could it be a dragon?!"
"Yes, yes. I defeated it together with the Princess -- no, Cherry Princess and Empress."
"There was a commotion about Cherry Princess and the others bringing a dragon to the market..."
"Oh, yes, yes -- this dragon is that one."
"Um... how is this being filmed?"
Of course, that is the point of interest --.
"That is a trade secret. Well, it involves the Item Box, so it's impossible normally."
"Oh, I see..."
She made a disappointed face.
Well, adventurers might have a desire to preserve their own exploits.
Even wanting to be listed among rankers is a desire for self-display, I suppose.
I have none of that, so I have no intention of having my name on the ranks.
Besides, who decides that anyway?
I thought the site listing them was converting adventurers' exploits into points on their own, but...
"Well, well, which video is that..."
The video I am looking for is the one showing the woman of the Labyrinth Cult and the leader of Dancing Darkness.
"If there is a video of Cherry Princess and the others, were you fighting with them too?"
"Yes, I was with them from the time we fought the dragon in the deep layers of the dungeon."
"A, um -- we are from Flower Square, but did you see our adventurers along the way?"
Flower Square? Is that the guild's name?
"I met a few people along the way, but I am not very familiar with other guilds..."
At my words, she took out her smartphone and started searching for something.
"Ah! This is the member list..."
The screen she showed me had photos of adventurers.
Hmm? I've seen this somewhere before.
A male adventurer in heavy equipment and one female mage.
"Oh, are these the people who were stuck at the wall on Floor 7?"
"You saw them on Floor 7?!"
"Yes, they were running around because they didn't know the entrance to go inside."
"They are safe."
She has a relieved expression, but -- the adventure continues until you return to the surface.
"We told them about the secret passage we passed, and they said they would discuss whether to advance to Floor 7."
"I see -- anyway, I am glad they are safe."
On Floor 7, the danger increases even more.
There were Griffons inside, actually.
We repelled the enemies with Kaorulko's powerful magic --.
While talking to the woman, the Princesses returned.
"Ah, Cherry Princess, hello -- I am the acting representative of Flower Square."
"Thank you for coming."
"You met adventurers at the wall on Floor 7, didn't you? They seem to be from Flower Square."
"I see. I have already told them about this matter."
"Thank you."
The woman bowed politely.
"Princess, it is showing on the projector."
She shows her the video.
"Ho! It can be filmed this clearly!"
"Amazing. Is this an ability only Daisuke-san can do?"
"Oh, no -- if Kaorulko also has an Item Box, she might be able to use it..."
"Eh?! Is that so?!"
"Alright! Kaorulko! We will verify it later!"
The Princess is very enthusiastic.
Well, if I can be absent and filming can still proceed, various things will go faster.
"No, no, if the crucial scene isn't showing -- even if we gather everyone today, it might be a wasted effort."
"Darling, that is troubling! You said you have evidence, so I got on board."
"No, it should be showing. We couldn't check inside the dungeon."
I should have checked the data first before revealing the story.
Even if I say that, it's too late now.
I searched for the video data.
Wait, wait, that day -- I went into the dungeon looking for Ren, and I should have encountered it on that day.
I played the first file from the day I was thrown into the deep layers.
"Ah!"
Kaorulko raises her voice looking at the screen.
The projector shows a naked woman covered in a robe, the leader of Dancing Darkness, and children.
"Princess, it's this woman, right?"
"Yes! It's this one..."
I feel anger emanating from her as she stares at the screen.
Well, it's natural since we almost died for real.
I, on the other hand, have the Ren matter, the children matter, and the matter of being thrown into the deep layers.
It's a three-stage application of anger.
Anyway, I am glad the evidence scene is clearly shown.
I stop the video for a moment.
"This woman...?"
Just as the Flower Square woman was about to speak, the door opened.
"Yo! I heard Cherry Princess died, so I came! Is the condolence money okay here?"
It's a sudden greeting, but a large woman about 2 meters tall entered, bending her body.
Not only her height, but her body is bulky.
"Hahaha, unlike you, I have good conduct, so I met a Buddha in hell and came back."
"Hah? A Buddha?"
The Princess grabbed my arm and pulled.
"This is my Darling!"
"..."
The large woman freezes.
"A response is just a corpse..."
"Haaaaaaah?!"
It's a loud voice.
It echoes in the room.
"This is my Darling!"
"Darling -- does that mean lover?"
"Mu -- i, is that how it becomes...?"
She glances at me.
This part is a bit strange for her -- well, she probably has no experience.
-- Though, I don't have much of that either.
"Eeeeeeh?!"
This time, the Flower Square woman raised her voice.
"I guess that's how it is."
"Yes, we even make children."
"Haaaaaah?! So, marriage is already decided?!"
The large woman creeps closer.
"Eeeeeeh?!"
"What's wrong, you're noisy..."
"H, how did you meet?!"
The woman's eyes sparkle with interest, and she creeps closer to me too.
Does she like this kind of talk?
"How -- we were thrown into the deep layers of the dungeon and met there for the first time."
"So, did you deepen your bond through battles with monsters?!"
"I, I guess that's how it became..."
"Haa~ -- if I came to tease Cherry Princess, it turned into something terrible."
"Hahaha, I'm sorry I found someone before you."
"..."
The large woman stares at me intently.
"You're not a young man..."
She seems dissatisfied with my appearance.
Well, a young and handsome man would be better, but I never thought I would date a young girl like the Princess.
"I told Oga-san about my conditions for a partner, right?"
"Yes..."
"Ogre?"
Is it because she's big that she's an Ogre?
That hits the mark, though...
"Daisuke-san, she is called Oga-san."
It seems to be written with the kanji for male deer and male, Oga.
"Oh, so..."
"So, what's up? This old man is stronger than Cherry Princess."
"Yes, strong! I am not even at his feet."
"Really?!"
The large woman steps forward.
Her movement was unnatural, so I was on guard too -- but a white trajectory comes toward me.
This is an attack.
I dodge her right straight, and now I see a line from the lower left.
This combination is probably some kind of martial art.
Even without adventurer levels, she seems skilled in physical abilities.
In the dungeon, I was provoked by a man like a Gorilla, but she seems much faster than him.
It might be because she is in casual clothes without armor or weapon equipment...
That man was in full armor.
I dodge a fierce left uppercut and slip past her side, suddenly punching her stomach with my right.
Since her body is large, it hit her lower abdomen area.
"Nn oh♡!"
The woman named Oga made a strange sound.
"Oops, sorry. Are you okay?"
"...Damn... I got wet!"
She curls her body slightly and holds her lower abdomen.
Normally, one cannot do such a thing, but the level difference must be huge.
I thought my levels wouldn't go up anymore, but I got caught up in trouble and they rose further.
"How about it -- Darling is strong, right?"
The Princess is sitting with her legs spread.
It's troublesome if I get provoked too much, though.
"Damn... I didn't expect to be beaten by Cherry Princess..."
"Hahaha, as I said before, I have good conduct."
"Tch! You scum."
"Also, with Darling here, we can try that thing I told you about before."
"...Could it be that thing?"
"Yes, that thing."
The two stare at each other and grin.
I don't know what they are talking about, but I only have a premonition of evil plotting.
"What is that thing?"
The Flower Square woman seems interested and presses Oga.
"Making children! Making children!"
"...Eh?!"
Hearing Oga's reply, the woman turns red.
"What happens to children of high-level adventurers? -- I am very excited, right? Maybe a new era of humanity starts from here."
"They might become superhumans or New Types."
Oga agreed with the Princess's words.
"Hahaha, exactly! We will be the ancestors of that!"
"The Princess is surprisingly ambitious."
"Surprising? I think you can't become an adventurer without ambition..."
I think Kaorulko is right --.
"I accidentally leveled up, so I intended to make some money before going down and returning to my hometown..."
"That is a very, very special case."
"Is that so~"
"Hey, Cherry Princess~"
Oga approaches the Princess.
"What?"
"Can you lend me your Darling for a bit?"
"...Haha, so you are interested too?"
"Exactly! If we are going to leave blood, it's better to have a strong guy, right?"
"I understand, I understand."
The Princess nods.
"Hey, Princess, I get jealous immediately if I am with Harpy or Sana, so why is this conversation happening?"
"I, that is..."
"Daisuke-san, Daisuke-san."
Kaorulko beckons me.
"Hm?"
"That is because the Princess -- realizes she cannot win in terms of cuteness."
"That's not true!"
The Princess denied it immediately.
"Is that so? Then you are sure you can absolutely beat Oga-san."
"Well, that is correct."
"See! So, what if your Darling gets busy with me and falls in love with my body?!"
"Hahaha, impossible~"
Where does that confidence come from?
Looking at Oga-san's body -- even though she is big, there is a tight beauty like an athlete.
This is acceptable too.
Of course, if the Princess says OK, I am not opposed to playing along -- cough cough.
"Absolutely! A million times, right?!"
"A trillion times."
"Are you an elementary school student?"
By the way, does that joke still survive in this era?
"Alright! Then Darling, please play with me after this commotion is settled."
You call him Darling too?
"Hahaha, if the Princess says it's okay, it's okay..."
"It's okay, right?!"
"Yes."
Is it because I have a broad heart, or is curiosity about the possibility of a new humanity winning?
As for me, I will wait and look forward to it.
While talking foolishly, people began to gather.
Kaorulko said she contacted about 10 places, so there are 10 people.
They seem to be sitting randomly at a long table arranged in a square, but they seem to gather near acquaintances.
The deputy representative of the guild to which the man the Princess called Gorilla belonged also came.
"Well, everyone is gathered!"
"Excuse me."
A woman in uniform enters there.
"Ordering drinks?"
"Yes."
There is a cafe on the first floor, so they can order from there.
"Kaorulko, collect the orders."
"Yes."
"Hey! I'm hungry! Isn't there any food?!"
The Oga is making a show of being hungry.
It's evening now, and it might be dinner time for some.
"Curry or sandwiches..."
Well, that's what a cafe would have.
Otherwise, spaghetti Napoli or hamburgers.
"Good! Then, two large curries! Cherry Princess will pay anyway, right?"
Two servings?
Well, she seems like she could eat that much.
Besides, using the power of levels makes you hungry.
I am always eating something when I am in the dungeon too.
"Show some restraint!"
"Hehehe."
She doesn't seem to be ashamed at all.
Actually, are they close?
Following Oga, other people appeared to eat.
"Princess, what about contacting Dancing Darkness?"
"We have not contacted them."
"Among the guilds gathered here, aren't there guilds that know Dancing Darkness?"
"Of course there are --"
She glances around the room.
"Whether to pass on the information is up to each guild's judgment."
"Understood."
The orders were collected, so the uniformed woman stepped back for a moment.
"Well, let's start!"
When Kaorulko operates the remote, the room darkens.
I remembered when I saw the hologram at the government office -- ah, speaking of which, I need to contact Hareyama-san.
I completely skipped work.
"Darling, show the woman of the Labyrinth Cult."
"Understood."
The projector lights up, and the video plays on the screen installed on the wall.
Since the room is dark, it is easy to see.
We stopped at the problematic scene.
"Oooo..."
"This naked woman is the woman of the Labyrinth Cult, but whether she is a Priest, a shrine maiden, or the founder is unknown -- Darling, zoom in on the side."
"Yes."
The man next to the naked woman was zoomed in.
Next to him were many crying children.
"This man, those who know will know, right?"
"That is -- isn't it the leader of Dancing Darkness?!"
"Exactly -- he was secretly active in the dungeon in collusion with the Labyrinth Cult."
"I happened to encounter that scene. Well, they probably didn't think they were being filmed like this."
One of the men watching the screen raised his voice.
"How is this video being filmed? It's not CG, is it?"
"This video was definitely filmed by my camera. Since it involves my special ability, I cannot say in detail."
Since AI has developed, one can make plausible-looking simple videos.
To prove it is an original taken by a camera, the current video has data written to prevent forgery and fabrication.
If there is any problem, we can present it as evidence.
"Darling, move it."
"Yes~"
The video recorded the exchange between me and the leader of Dancing Darkness.
The presence of crying children becomes evidence.
It is a pity that we could not save them...
At the end of the video, it was recorded until I was thrown into the pitch-black deep layers with a flash.
"As such, adventurers were thrown into the deep layers by the power of the Labyrinth Cult woman. This is the situation of the incident where high-level adventurers and children inside the dungeon went missing."
"..."
The guild members are silent, but Oga opens her mouth.
"What? How could Dancing Darkness be connected to the Labyrinth Cult..."
"Hmm -- I thought about it too... they can move freely in the dungeon with that teleporter-like magic, right?"
"Yes."
"If so, they can go anywhere, and treasure chests and drop items become free game, right?"
"I see! That might be it."
One of the guild representatives listening raised his hand slightly.
She is a short, petite woman.
"A, um, the leader of Dancing Darkness has been unusually wealthy lately, showing off rare items..."
"Then, it's decided, isn't it!"
"..."
The attendees fall silent again.
Just then, the ordered drinks and food were brought.
Good timing.
"Oh, here it comes!"
Oga started eating the curry, and the others followed suit and started eating.
After eating, drinking, and taking a break, the discussion continued.
"Have the adventurers who went missing at each guild returned?"
"..."
At the Princess's instruction, the dragon battle video was played again.
"What?! A dragon?! Did a dragon really exist?! ..."
"In the place we were thrown to, such giant monsters were rampant. It was not a situation to search for survivors; we were just barely surviving -- please forgive us."
She bowed her head to the guild members, but Oga raised her voice.
"Just coming back alive is a miracle. By the way, what level can you even face something like this?"
If I can fight and win, maybe those with levels close to mine can break through.
"Probably -- I think between level 60 and 70."
I voiced my own thoughts.
"Hah! It's impossible no matter what. I can't even imagine..."
Oga spread her hands.
The other guild members remained silent.
Probably because it turned out to be a worse situation than expected.
They were confronted with the fact that the missing comrades have a low chance of returning.
"From the above -- after releasing this video, the religious organization Labyrinth Cult and the guild Dancing Darkness will be reported to the government office and eliminated from the dungeon -- is that correct?"
The security of the Special District is maintained by top-rank guilds.
Even if Dancing Darkness resists this, if all other guilds turn against them, there is no hope of winning.
"No objections!"
It was a loud voice from Oga, but no voices of objection came from others.
"Accordingly, regarding matters outside the Special District, I will criminally report both organizations to the authorities through my consulting lawyer."
She even has a consulting lawyer...
"Well, how will they react?"
The Princess answered Oga's question.
"My intuition tells me they will flee into the dungeon."
"Well, that's the only option. There are Emblem Squads outside the Special District too. They don't want to be chased by such guys, right?"
Normal mages cannot use magic when they leave the dungeon, but the group called Emblem Squad is different.
They seem to be a special forces unit that moves by different principles than the dungeon.
"The agenda and notices for today are over. Any questions?"
The Princess summarized.
"A, um..."
The petite woman raised her hand.
"What is it?"
"The person called Darling standing next to Cherry Princess...?"
"Darling."
"Eh?"
"There was an old man announced in the government publicity as having an Item Box, right? That's me."
"Oh! Speaking of which --"
"And! Without Darling, Kaorulko and I could not have returned from the deep layers of the dungeon."
"S, is he that strong?! Stronger than Cherry Princess?!"
"Strong! We are not even at his feet!"
"I tried sparring with him just now, and I couldn't stand a chance at all."
"By the way, the Gorilla in the dungeon did the same thing and got beaten up by Darling."
"Haha, typical of him -- anyway, he is weaker than Cherry Princess."
"It's troubling that you can't understand that."
She crosses her arms and nods.
The meeting ended and was adjourned.
Since I sold my face to the top guild members, my fame might gradually increase.
There might be interviews from organizations that assign ranks, but I'm not interested.
After the meeting, I rented a hotel room and immediately edited the video and uploaded it to my site -- I also posted the dragon battle video together.
What is the reaction of the viewers who watched this?
What will happen to the Labyrinth Cult and the guild Dancing Darkness?
I can only watch the flow of events.