Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: Derailment
We returned to the safe zone of Floor 6 after successfully rescuing Iroha's missing younger sister.
If it were just us, we could have reached the surface in the blink of an eye at bicycle speed, but now we have the rescued younger sisters with us.
There is a railway on Floor 4, so if we can get there, something will surely work out.
For now, the crisis has passed, and there is no need to rush.
Since I want to have a proper meal, I decided to take a break on Floor 6.
After eating, I remembered the items dropped by the enemies Iroha had defeated.
I took them out of the Item Box. It was a blue bikini armor, a micro-bikini set that the Princess was wearing.
I made Iroha try on the equipment while she was blushing.
Well, it is unavoidable since it is almost like being naked, but it would be a waste if it were amazing equipment.
The result of the test―― no increase in defense power, no magic resistance.
Iroha, who was running around wearing the equipment to check for power-up or speed-up buffs, shouted excitedly.
"Hey! This is amazing!"
"Did it have some amazing buff?"
"Just by moving, my stamina recovers amazingly!"
"Oh, I see. Is it an amazing version of automatic recovery?"
"Looks like it!"
"If we fight while wearing that, isn't our stamina infinite?"
Well, actually, it doesn't work like that.
Even if stamina recovers, hunger sets in.
High-level adventurers need high calories to maintain their strength, and this drop item is not omnipotent.
"Hehe! This means luck has finally turned my way!"
"If it weren't for that outfit."
The Princess muttered softly while looking at Iroha's equipment.
"Not really, Princess."
I took out a notebook and pen from the Item Box.
"What do you mean, Darling?"
Iroha also peeked at my notebook.
She, who was almost naked, approached me, creating an incredible presence.
It's too erotic.
"Isn't it true that if you hide this kind of equipment, its performance drops?"
"That's right."
When I confirmed with the Princess, it seemed to be true.
It seems to be a malicious specification where the original performance cannot be drawn out if the equipment is hidden with robes or the like.
"If so―― we should make custom armor that doesn't hide that equipment."
I clumsily drew a picture and showed it to them.
The Princess's bikini armor exposes skin but has a defense-up buff, and not a single scratch touches her pearl-like skin―― but.
Iroha's drawn micro-bikini has zero defense.
Another armor is needed to compensate for that.
"I see. So we just need to make armor that won't hide this."
"Either way, it's still an erotic outfit."
"Don't call it an erotic outfit!"
Iroha reacted to the Princess's sarcasm.
"Can't we make it work by using items with defense-up buffs in combination?"
"Darling!"
Iroha lifted me up and gave me a scorching embrace and a kiss.
Since I always end up completely floating in the air, I can't do anything when this happens.
"Wait, wait! It's in public!"
"If I wear this and compete with Darling, we'll be going at it non-stop, won't we?"
"Well, it seems to come to that……"
Is it going to be combat or that?
"Hehehe, you usually go down within a few hours, but you've gotten bold."
Iroha retorted to the Princess's words.
"Then, I'll do a 24-hour endurance challenge!"
"That's what I want!"
"Gnnn……"
As the Princess and Iroha glared at each other, Kagari shouted.
"Sis! Sis! I don't want to hear such gross family talk!"
"It can't be helped! I can't stand this!"
"Well, I'm happy that a good person appeared for you, sis~. He's an old man, but he seems to be the absolute strongest……"
"Hehe, Iroha―― please put me down soon."
"Oh, sorry."
"Hehe."
Smiling bitterly, I looked toward Sana―― she turned her face away with a "Pfft!"
"Shouldn't we return the equipment soon, or they'll feel bad?"
"Oh, right! Hehe! Only Darling is allowed to look at me!"
Iroha returned to her original equipment.
This equipment is also sufficiently revealing, but
The men look disappointed, but it can't be helped.
"No~ that was a feast for the eyes, hehe."
Iroha has muscular arms, but her figure is good.
"Mou! Should I wear such an outfit too?"
"Huh? Isn't the Princess always in bikini armor?"
"……Less cloth would be better……"
She is blushing.
"No, no, we've seen you naked too. You don't have to compete with Iroha."
Although it became a bit of a fuss over a rare item, the meal was finished, so everyone decided to take a nap.
I took out an air mat from the Item Box.
"Yay~""This is convenient~""Goodbye to the hard ground!"
The air mats stored in my inventory are popular among adventurers.
Normally, most of the luggage for a dungeon attack is food.
We must reduce unnecessary items as much as possible, but with my Item Box, we can carry whatever we want.
If we wanted to, we could bring beds and futons, but that would be too lacking in tension, I think.
Though, if we built an inn at the hot spring on Floor 7, maybe we could put beds there.
Everyone lay down―― the Princess and Kaorulko took positions on both sides of me, keeping others away.
Sana was a little further away, but she seemed to be eyeing the position with tiger-like intent.
"Gyah!""Gyah!"
The Harpies came and landed on my stomach.
"Hey~ two of you are heavy, though."
"……"
Ignoring my words, they curled up on my stomach.
"Why are you sitting on Darling's head as if it's natural!"
The Princess is angry, but I stopped it because it would start another fight.
"Princess―― if you fight, you'll turn into a poop bomb again."
"Gnnn……"
If that happens, it will smell, so we'll have to move locations.
That's troublesome.
"Gyu~"
I petted Gigi, who was on my stomach.
"Wow~ you really have tamed the Harpies."
Kagari was surprised seeing me and the Harpies.
Iroha was with Kagari and Koeda.
They were sleeping on the air mats I prepared.
"Thanks to them, we were able to navigate the dungeon. The Harpies also found the holes we dug."
"I see."
"But it's unclear if other Harpies will get friendly like this."
"Fuu~n"
As we were talking―― Sana, who had no companions, was standing alone.
She looks pitiful.
"Sana, come here."
"……"
She silently came to me and sat down heavily on the air mat I had taken out.
Since both sides were occupied by the Princess and the Empress, she seemed to sleep near my head.
Sana lay down on the air mat.
"Phew……"
The adventure continues until we get home―― this time was tough too.
I'm glad there were survivors, starting with Iroha's younger sister.
While sleeping, the Princess tried to climb on top of me, glaring at the Harpies.
"Princess…… I want to sleep, so please don't make noise."
"……"
The Princess seemed to want to say something, but mentally exhausted, she fell asleep as is.
――About four hours later, we took a nap.
"Phew! It's nice that becoming an adventurer makes sleep free."
Iroha raised both hands and let out a big yawn.
Sleep deprivation becomes a status abnormality, so potions or magic can fix it.
At high levels, even that disappears.
After a light meal, everyone set off toward Floor 5.
If we cross Floor 5, there is a train on Floor 4.
However, if we arrive late, we might miss the last train.
If that happens, we'll have to wait until morning or walk through the night.
That's a bit troublesome.
"Princess, what should we do? We only have three bicycles. Shall we do a piston transport with two people per bike?"
"No, just Floor 5. We'll push through as is."
"Understood."
Riding the bicycle will be done by high-level adventurers, so maybe she doesn't want to carry a man on the back.
Well, it's something to consider in a critical situation, but it's not like that now.
With this group, Floor 5 should be a breeze.
However, even if we encounter enemies, it doesn't matter about levels, so the fighting is just troublesome.
If we proceed as is, we should make it to the last train.
We formed a column with the moles in the middle.
"If Big Sister defeats the monsters and Kagari delivers the final blow, you can level up easily?"
"Even if we level up, we won't fight monsters, so we'll level down immediately."
Moles make their living by digging holes and leave fighting to hired adventurers.
They don't care about monsters anyway.
Along the way, we encountered Ogres and Trolls, but we finished them off in an instant and hurried on.
The Princess, a battle maniac, seemed unsatisfied, but we don't have time to say such things.
"Amazing!""Is this a top ranker?""Instant kill."
The men were also surprised by the Princess and Iroha's combat power.
I could fight too, but Iroha seems to want to show off in front of her sister, so I'm letting her have it.
"As expected, Big Sister!"
"Hehe! That's right."
Iroha looked happy, able to perform in front of her younger sister.
"Will Sana and Mio-chan become like that too?"
"Mio becoming an adventurer is still far off……"
"Well. At Sana's age, one year is still very long, isn't it?"
"Huh? What do you mean, long or short for a year?"
I was a bit depressed by Sana's words.
"That's it―― when you reach my age, one year passes in the blink of an eye."
"I don't understand what Darling is saying."
"At Iroha's age, isn't one year still not fast enough, hehe."
"Daisuke-san, is that how it is?"
Kaorulko was listening to my story with interest, but……
"Well…… From around 30, every year accelerates and becomes faster."
"……I can't believe it……"
"Well, just remember that an old man said such things."
"……"
"When that time comes, you'll understand…… hehehe."
This is something that young people won't understand even if I explain, but when that time comes―― I'll really understand.
And before I know it, my life will be over.
An old man surrounded by young people feels a bit lonely.
Feeling a bit down, the safe zone of Floor 5 came into view, so we climbed the floor connection passage as is and arrived at the train station.
"Harpies, this is where we part ways."
"Gyah!""Gyah!"
At the parting, we gave them their last snack.
After finishing it, they disappeared into the darkness.
"They really are friendly."
Kagari looked puzzled.
"They're cute."
"Mou……"
When I dote on the Harpies, the Princess is in a bad mood.
I think she should acknowledge it by now――
"Phew, we seem to have made it to the last train."
Looking at the platform, Iroha let out a sigh.
"Finally arrived""Now we can go home……""I thought we couldn't return to the surface."
The men are relieved, but this is still Floor 4.
"The adventure continues until we get home~"
"Hehe, is this a school field trip?"
Iroha laughed at my words.
It seems this joke still works today.
Arriving at a simple concrete railway platform, only the faint light of chemical lights remained.
The range of light was limited, and the distance was invisible, sunk in darkness.
On the platform, gray shadows overlapped in layers as if to convey a cold, chilly texture, and silence dominated.
Since it was dark outside, the optical fibers pulling outside light into the dungeon must have lost their brightness.
In the faint green light, a steam locomotive and a single passenger car stopped, exhaling white breath.
Half of it seemed to be modified, with the rear being a freight car.
Is it for carrying things to the surface?
Cargo was loaded.
The locomotive was a small type, so maybe one passenger car was enough.
Fine cracks ran through the concrete underfoot, and moss-like things quietly peeked out from the gaps.
An old warning sign stood at the edge of the platform, but it was dark, the characters faded, and the content was unreadable.
"Departure is imminent."
"Whoa!"
There was a conductor in a black uniform in the darkness.
She was a woman wearing glasses, but I hadn't noticed at all, so I was a bit surprised.
The passengers were just us.
Looking at the front of the passenger car, a driver illuminated by the chemical light.
A mage boiling water with magic was also visible.
The way the light hit felt somewhat horror-like.
So there are no people returning home at this time on Floor 4.
If you can't see the darkness, you need light, after all.
"Is it always like this?"
I asked the conductor.
"Yes. It's quite troublesome when it's dark."
"As I thought. You can't see well at night unless you reach a certain level."
"Could it be the Cherry Princess and the Goriki people?"
"That's correct."
The Princess answered the conductor's question.
"I heard high-level adventurers can see even in the dark. What does it feel like?"
I answered that question.
"It feels like a gray world stretching endlessly. If there is even a little light, it becomes color."
"I see."
As I was talking to the conductor, the bell rang with a ting-ting sound.
"Departure~!"
The conductor holding the chemical light outside shouted.
The train slowly started moving, exhaling white steam, but since it wasn't burning fuel, no smoke came out.
Only steam from the hot water came out.
The train advanced into the pitch black.
It's good that we don't have to encounter enemies.
No, we might be encountering them, but they probably can't keep up with the locomotive's speed.
There are no large monsters on shallower floors than Floor 4, so even if we collide, it won't be a big deal.
"……"
Not a single ray of light entered the gray passenger car.
Outside was darkness, the scenery invisible, and inside was not dim but darkness itself.
In that, the adventurers stood silently.
Their figures only floated vaguely in the faint gray light, but there was no sign of anxiety.
From outside, the regular sound of the locomotive echoed, and the sound of heavy metal rubbing could be heard.
The sound of the coupler shaking, the rhythmic sound of wheels hitting the rails.
Occasionally, whenever the entire passenger car swayed heavily left and right, the adventurers' footing became unstable.
"Oh!"
At that moment, Iroha finally raised her voice.
"It shakes quite a bit. In a place like this, maintenance probably can't be done much."
After all, machines are completely unusable, and it's all manpower.
I wish some kind of power could be used even in the dungeon.
I think things can be moved with magic……
That method has not yet been discovered.
At that time, a piercing, high-pitched sound of metal rubbing echoed inside the passenger car.
At the sound that was not normal, everyone tensed up and held hands.
"Woooo!""Kyaaaah!"
As everyone's screams echoed inside the passenger car, a violent shake attacked us.
As if grabbed by a giant hand and swung around with full force, our bodies instantly lifted off the floor, losing gravity and direction.
It felt as if our whole bodies were thrown into the air.
The impact sound struck our ears, and the inside of the car was enveloped in a vortex of confusion with screams and the sound of things breaking.
We were all shaken apart, struggling to support ourselves while colliding with seats, walls, and each other.
Before our eyes, an unorganized scene of luggage flying from behind, fallen companions, broken glass, and damaged interiors spread out.
It was the moment order collapsed in an instant and was swallowed by chaos.
When the sound stopped, we were suddenly enveloped in silence.
With the green light of the chemical light the conductor was holding, we could see the vehicle was overturned.
We high-level adventurers could handle this much impact―― but.
The mole group was being held by Iroha's large body.
The female conductor seemed to be protected by the Princess.
"Is everyone okay?!"
"Yes, somehow……"
This voice was Iroha's.
"Could it be a derailment?"
Kaorulko stood up and checked the surroundings.
"Probably."
"Did we hit something?"
Koeda also seemed to be safe.
"What about Sana?"
"I-I'm fine. I was startled."
Well, she has also leveled up quite a bit and is equipped with drop items.
It seems there was no problem.
"It's too dark! Magic light!"
The Princess's voice echoed inside the passenger car, and Kaorulko reacted.
"Yes! Light! 《Light》"
She cast a spell, but there was no reaction.
Blue light did not gather, and only the green light of the chemical light shone in vain.
"What's wrong? Did you run out of mana?"
"No―― it shouldn't be……"
In a state I didn't understand, the Empress also seemed unable to hide her confusion.
"I―― Light! 《Light》"
This time, Koeda cast a spell, but there was no reaction.
"Eh?! What's going on? Sana?"
"Y-yes! Light! 《Light》"
Blue light gathered, and a sphere converted into magic light floated inside.
"Phew, Sana's magic seems to work."
"Eh?! It shouldn't be……"
Kaorulko cast a spell several times, but there was absolutely no reaction.
Koeda was the same.
"So, it seems only Sana can use magic. This is bad……"
"As Darling says. Attack magic and healing magic are only available for Sana……"
In this severe situation, the Princess's expression also grew stern.
"We still have stock of potions…… Ah! Item Box?!"
For now, I tried using the Item Box.
If magic is unusable, the Item Box might also be unusable.
When I took out the potion bottles, the target items came out properly.
"Darling's Item Box seems to work."
As everyone looked at each other, a voice came from outside.
"Someone!"
It was a woman's voice.
Since it was overturned, there were windows at the feet and the ceiling.
I took a blanket out of the Item Box and hung it on the window frame.
Because sharp glass fragments remained there.
"Okay!"
After confirming safety―― I jumped and crawled out through the broken window.
Outside was pitch black, nothing around, but the green of the chemical light faintly illuminated the surroundings.
"What is this?!"
Looking back and forth, there wasn't even a track.
Looking around, I saw a robe holding a green light.
Probably the mage who boiled the locomotive's water?
"What's wrong?!"
"The engineer is missing!"
It seems she was indeed with the engineer, boiling the boiler water.
I jumped down to the ground.
"You're the mage who boiled the boiler, right?"
"Yes."
The woman who answered was a middle-aged mage wearing a dark-colored robe and a hat―― probably younger than me.
Combat has become severe, so she probably makes a living by boiling water.
"My companions' magic doesn't work. What about you?"
"I can't use it! I can't even make light!"
"As I thought―― when the locomotive overturned, the engineer might have been thrown out."
"Ugh……"
Seeing her reaction, they might have been close.
I took out a camera from the Item Box.
Let's take a picture of the overturned train and such for now.
This is a big incident in its own right.
Besides, there are no tracks in sight, and nothing around.
"What is this…… Could we have been thrown somewhere?"
I checked the surroundings in circles.
Is it the Labyrinth Cult again, or did we get caught in a teleportation trap?
I don't know.
"What about that light? Magic?"
The female mage was surprised by the lighting on my camera.
"This is a bit different…… it's like a skill."
"I see……"
As I looked down, a voice came from above.
"Darling!"
It was the Princess, who had crawled out of the window just like me.
"The engineer who was driving seems to have been thrown out and is missing. Please ask Iroha to look for him too."
"Understood."
The Princess looked inside the passenger car and said something, so I went around the train.
If he was thrown out, maybe he's at the rear?
"Darling! The driver is missing?!"
Iroha stuck her head out.
"That's right. Please look around! But the surroundings are strange. Be careful."
"Surroundings? ……What is this?! Where is this?!"
As Iroha shouted, what we were traveling on Floor 4 was clearly different.
It seems we got involved in something bad.
How did it come to this.
As I thought―― the adventure continues until we get home.