The Dungeon Seeker

CHAPTER 3 – UNDERGROUND GUILD ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ (PART 3)

▼ ▼ ▼

ーーinside the guild after Junpei had left.

The blonde elf receptionist, after she confirmed the two men who went outside to go after Junpei, she stood up.

「Well then……it is right about lunch. It is a little early…… I’ll take lunch first……」

She called out like that to the receptionist on to her side that has a flax-colored hair.

「Wait a minute」

To the blonde elf who was about to go outside at a fast walking pace, the woman with a flax-colored hair called her to a stop

「Ara, what is it?」

「I had heard you earlier……I think that it is not my misunderstanding, that the way to the underground guild, isn’t it a little weird?」

The blonde elf showed her tongue, and *Kotsuri*, hit her head.

「Ara, was that so?」

「The way you told him was intentionally through the slum town……on top of that, a route where there is only a few people would go through…… there is no mistaking that it is the fastest route. But……that rookie that stinks of country……is it not normal letting him go around?」

The blonde elf answered with a pleasant smile as if to not care at all, winked towards the woman with flax hair color.

「……it is very hard to live in the city as a demi-human elf you know. Really, ridiculous taxes are taken from us…… well, we’re buying our human rights using money, so that is very natural though, oh, I’d lose my part if I don’t hurry…… I need to confirm how much they took in action……I can’t let my guard down towards them after all」

Then the blonde elf took out three large copper coins and reached them out towards the woman with flax hair color.

Receiving that, “Hmph”, the woman with flax hair color smiled mischievously, then waved her hand as if to urge to “go”.

「……thanks! You shouldn’t, go too far, okay〜?」

▼▼▼

A few minutes of walking after leaving the adventurer’s guild, Junpei was walking through the back alleys.

Firstーーa very strong smell of ammonia came to his nose.

The surroundings were dim although it was still in the afternoon.

Houses in tatters, and numerous tents that were erected in the building walls.

Overflowing garbage everywhere, and the feces and corpses of small animals were lovely.

Mats that were left in the corner of the streets. Under the mat that was just fit for an adult to hide, a graphic bulge where flies and rats gathered could be seenーーof course, thinking that there was a human lying in there should be correct.

It might be the aspect of the slums in what you call as developing countries in modern times, or maybe worst than that.

The people who were living there, they might be either criminals, outcasts, or hobos.

Homeless people, gangsters, and kids that were wandering in the streets.

Innocence cannot be seen within their eyesーーthey cannot be blamed, after all, they are living through selling their bodies, or pickpocketing.

In fact, they were looking at Junpei who was walking quickly with desire, as if to lick with their eyes.

And, in the corner of that back alley, a large man called out to Junpei.

When he turned around, he let out a light sigh.

A large man, and a skinny man. They both look like adventurers, and countless scars could be seen in the skin that shows under their light armors.

「You pretty much……look like “it” huh. You’re the ones who followed me from the guild right?」

To Junpei’s words, the two adventurers looked at each other’s faces, they made a surprised expression for an instant.

However, the large man quickly regained himself glares at Junpei, and threats him with a heavy, low voice.

「Even if you know we’ve been following you, it looks like you don’t know the reason huh? Well, tough luck, you were too careless……saying that you can pay 10 gold coins immediately in the guild huh?」

「Ahh, thanks for your concern. That’s true, I might’ve been too careless」

And furthermore, the skinny man who was standing beside the large man interrupted.

「We’re C-Rank adventurers ya know. Think carefully, there’s no way that a rookie would be fine being surrounded by us two」

“I see……”, Junpei placed a hand on his chin.

「In short, you’re threatening me for money huh」

「My bad, little brother? If you’d say something like 10 gold coins, well……you’d really stand out」

「By the way, I have a suggestion for you C-Rank adventurers」

The man narrowed his eyebrows dubiously.

「……condition?」

「From how I look, there’s not a lot of people in here, and even if someone sees you doing something “bad”, you would be ignored……just like that corpse under that mat」

「Yeah, that’s right」

「Even so, brothers also should think that, this, under the sun……it is quite hard to you too right? You also stand out after all. And there, I have a suggestion. Up to that unmanned……tattered house……I’ll follow you inside. That’s also better for you guys right?」

After the two had looked at each other’s faces, the skinny man nodded.

「Well, that is really helping us bro……since its a suggestion, you’re asking for something back right」

“Un”, Junpei nodded.

「The large brother……I want to arm wrestle with him. And if I win, I want you to let me off」

「If you lose……?」

「I’ll leave everything I have without resisting. I also don’t want to be bullied you know. Well, in the case when I lose, can you leave this tattered cloak at least. I wouldn’t want to walk in the streets naked after all」

The men discussed something with a few words.

And finally, the large man smiled with a grin.

「……arm wrestle huh……isn’t that interesting」

Inside the dusty tattered house with walls with open holes.

There is no difference that it is dark and dim, but they could see just enough.

Inside the 10-tatami room, to Junpei who have finished setting the tableーーthe arm wrestling table that has about the height of his waist, the skinny man called out.

「You’re quite intelligent huh?」

「What are you talking about?」

「If we fought, you’d have no chance of winning and get killed. And you’d also get killed if you run away. You knew about that right? Well! I get what you’re thinking, though. Anyone would」

「Well, if I run into the guild saying robbery or threatening……that’s very bad for you after all」

In exchange for the skinny man, the large man stood up in front of the table, and started to speak while placing his elbow on it.

「But, if you ask for it to be something like a game, you can somehow speak with us, and there’s the possibility that we might feel something for you. On top of that, you’d say things about losing at the beginning……saying that you won’t resist if you lose, that’s pretty good」

Junpei placed his elbow on the table, and gripped the man’s palm.

「But, you’re opponent’s pretty bad? We ourselves, don’t want to leave the victims alive you know. Either you win or lose, you’d be killed and buried」

Shaking his head, Junpei made a fragile smile.

「Nah, I don’t really mind? Even “for me”, I think just the same. We’ve come to a place……that is very convenient for both of us」

「Brat, stop saying gibberish……」

The large man gripped his hand strongly.

And Junpei, as if to answer to him, he gripped strongly.

“Hou”, the large man raised the corner of his lips, impressed.

「……I see, you’re quite confident with your strength huh. Maybeーーyou really are confident that you’d win」

「Shouldn’t we start?」

「Yeah, I don’t mind」

「「READY……GO!」」

The two released their strength, and both had veins popping in their temples.

「I see huh. You, it really seems like you were planning to win in an arm wrestle」

「……」

「I’ll admit that you’re not a simple rookie……your life up until now……you probably had gone so far with your strength. That’s quite admirable with those thin arms……I really think so, I’m impressed」

“However”, the man laughed.

「You had two miscalculations here. The first one is, even if you win against me in an arm wrestle, you’d be killed by the two of us in the end. And the other oneーー」

*Gugu!*, the man released more strength, and the situation that seems to have balance have been broken, and Junpei was started to get pushed back.

「With just mere strength, that’d only be effective of E-Rank or D-Rank adventurers! You’re a frog in a wellーーyou bumpkin!!」

*Dosun!*, together with that sound, the back of Junpei’s hand landed on the table.

Both of them were breathing through their shoulders, and glared at each other for a while.

And finally, Junpei opened his mouth.

「……well, with a C-Rank adventurer as an opponent……it’s this much huh」

After saying just that, Junpei walked towards the skinny man without saying anything.

「You there……you’re a martial artist right? Then, this place around my stomach……can you hit it with all you have?」

To the crazy declaration, not just the skinny man, but the large man was also taken aback.

And while that happened, Junpei walked without care and guardless, stepping inside the attacking range of the skinny man.

If it was a C-Rank adventurer, it is about time that they would reach the dimension of a veteran.

The skinny man immediately readied himself. His left hand forward, and his right hand around his waist.

Together with a unique step method closing the distance at once, he shot his killer right straight towards Junpei’s stomach.

ーー*Dosun!*, the sound of directly hitting his solar plexus.

「Well bro, this is stomach killer huh. With organs destroyed, you’re in a course that you’d meet Buddha」

The large man who was looking on the side was making a vulgar smile. But, the skinny man had a white and blue face.

For example, a karate partitioner in the modern times, they would describe it like this.

ーーthat was like, hitting a several hundred ton boulder that was coated with a gigantic rubber with full force…… or maybe that was…… fully swinging a metal bat on a concrete wall coated by rubber……

「I see huh. The HP would feed back like this in the real world huh」

「……aa!……aa!………AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaーーーーー!!」

Without stopping, the skinny man then continued to attack consecutively.

Right straight, left hook, right high kick, brazilian kick, and one feet tackle.

All of those were seen through by Junpei, and was evaded.

「Un. I already got what I wanted to know so it’s fine already」

And when he had noticed itーーthe skinny man had his back stolen by Junpei.

The large man who was watching the whole scene could only have his eyes popping out to surprise. He closed and opened his mouth for a while, and described it with his wrung out words.

「……instantaneous……movement?」

In fact, the large man could only see it like that.

While taking out a knife from his waist, Junpei opened his mouth.

「Nah, it is normal movement」

And without the slightest hesitation, he cuts the skinny man’s cervical artery.

The blood that splashed out parallel to the ground, it painted the tattered walls red.

「Ahya!」

*Dosari*, as if a puppet whose strings were cut, the skinny man fell to the ground.

And at the same time, the man also had blood fountains coming out of his limbs, and fell to his knees.

That only means, that soon after cutting the skinny man’s cervical artery, Junpei had already cut the man’s tendons on his limbs.

「……yo……you!……what the……! What the fuck did you do!!」

「I just told you I moved normally right」

“By the way……”, while looking down at the large man who had collapsed on the ground, Junpei raised the corner of his lips.

「In the place where I have trained, I was a paper armor who had a frail body you know? Well, the only thing that I am proud of, is my speed though……and so, catching that skinny frail body person, and saying that he’s proud of his strengthーー」

Keeping his knife, Junpei took out his handgun from his waist.

And after matching the gunpoint in the middle of the large man’s eyebrows, he pulled the trigger.

「ーーRight now……how do you feel?」

*Pan!*, a dry sound.

The blood and brain cocktail had blossomed inside the tattered house.

And Junpei who had looked around, let out a loud voice towards outside of the house.

「And with that, just as you can see……sister receptionist elf. Can you enter inside?」

After a while, *Gii*, the door in the house’s entrance opened.

Looking there, there was the elf receptionist who had exceeded having a blue face, and had a dead man’s complexion.

With her whole body shivering, she called out to Junpei with twitching expressions.

「It’s probably a rookie hunting, or a business to do a highwayman robbery for rich kids……but……well, the opponent’s too bad this time」

「……i……it……is……n-not……a……si-situation……tha……that I……I-I can……get away……?」

「That’s exactly it」

Falling to the ground, the blonde elf begged with tears in her eyes.

「I-I……I’ll let……you have my body!!……if you want……I’ll……I’ll make you……make you feel good!……so! P-Please! Do……don……don’t kill me!……Please……!」

With a sigh, Junpei opened his mouth.

「Come to think of it, you called me a virgin in the guild, am I right?」

「I……I……I……I’ll……I’ll take……I’ll take that back!!……so!……please……please……I’ll do……I’ll do anything!……fo……for……forgive……」

「Nah, you don’t need to do that. In fact, I’m a virgin」

Did the receptionist get relieved with those words, it seems like she regained some of her composture.

And then, she raised her skirt, and intentionally showed her thighs.

Knowing what she was planning to do, Junpei waved his hands.

「Too bad……the ones who know about my skill……I’ve decided to kill them alll」

Together with a gunshot, the smell of gunpowder could be smelled in the surroundings.

「Well, it’s limited to villains though. For very kind civilians……it’s up to negotiation」

And Junpei left that place with a quick pace.

▼▼▼

ーーat the same day, inside the adventurer’s guild after two hours.

A man who seems to be in the prime of his life, wearing a platinum armor stood in front of the receptionist counter.

Just looking at the way he stands, one would really know that he is very trained.

That man whose atmosphere was not simpleーーin fact, he was anything but simple, as a proof for that, the adventurers who had seen his appearance were making a commotionーーhe called out to the flat breasted receptionist with a flax-colored hair with a very pleasant smile.

「To think that an S-Rank adventurer would be a receptionist in a place like this, really……that is quite a strange hobby」

Inflating one of her cheeks, the woman answered with a click of her tongue.

「……my identity, only the guild’s branch head and some of the officials know about it you know〜……can’t you be more attentive for me? I mean, for the continent’s number one sword master, Cagnas to show his face here……well, is it not strange?」

The woman’s words, the man answered with a smile.

「And so, can you consider what we had talked about before? If you are free enough to catch young ones in this kind of place……」

At the middle of his words, the receptionist interrupted with her hand.

「Well, it’s my hobby searching for promising rookies though……I mean, what we’ve talked about before……gathering S-Rank adventurers and investigate the dragon species……or if possible, hunt them, are you talking about that? If it’s about that, my answer’s the same even how many times you would come. Literally……who in the world would want to step on the tail of dragons that doesn’t need to」

「……I just got curious of this」

「Curious? What of?」

The man said while rolling his eyes.

「You’re saying that it’s your hobby to find rookies, but rather……is it not a hobby of crushing rookies?」

Making a grin, the woman licked her lips bewitchingly.

「They say, unripe fruits are delicious you know……? The ones who would challenge something like the B-Rank selection test……rookies who are confident with their half-baked skills, forcefully crushing them together with their future…… just thinking of it, doesn’t it send shivers to your spine?」

「Unreasonable demands in the test subjects……they say that there’s no end to the people who would die in the middle or would have a lasting injury you know?」

「Well! They should be able to do at least that much. Even for me, I can’t let approve anyone to become a B-Rank as an exception that easily right?」

The man made an indescribable expression.

「I just passed by because I have something to do nearby today. Next time, I should treat you food or something……I’ll make you fall for me for sure」

「Haha!……it’s difficult for guys who are in love huh? Well, I’ll let you treat me, but……even if you come many times, I’ll just say that I won’t have anything to do with dragon species okay?」

The man turned around then, and walked towards the entrance.

And around that time, *Bo〜n*, *Bo〜n*, the table clock rang, and a pigeon doll came out from inside.

The time is 4 in the afternoon. It is the time that the guild’s reception would close.

“U〜n……”, the woman with a flax-colored hair, she looked at the ceiling, and innocently softens her cheeks.

「He〜……since she has not yet returned right now……that blonde elf, probably, it’s either she got killed, or got caught instead, sold in the slave market……」

And, she continued with a tone that seems to show happiness from the bottom of her heart.

「Well, it just only means that he’s not for show, having the B-Rank selection test as his goal huh……fufu. Isn’t this interesting, noーーdoesn’t this seem delicious?」