“We’ll Definitely Come Back to Save You!” — It’s Been Three Years Since I Was Left in the Most Difficult Dungeon, Isn’t It About Time for Help to Arrive...? - 4

Chapter 4: Lamenting Death, Laughing at Death

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At the heart of the continent of Ezeria stood the great city of Quavario. On its outskirts, in front of a multitude of gravestones, the Saintess knelt and gently placed a bouquet of flowers in offering.

「Athos Shildrad. Died at the age of fifteen. His soul sleeps eternally in the dungeon “Niflheim.”」

“…Athos-san…”

Tears fell, one by one, from Eishia’s eyes. A deep shadow fell over her breathtakingly beautiful face—so brilliant that it was said to outshine gold—now clouded with sorrow.

Three years ago, a certain party attempted to conquer the S-Rank dungeon known as “Niflheim,” widely believed to be impossible to clear. Young and highly capable, that party had been hailed as one of the most promising in the guild. They succeeded in reaching the dungeon’s deepest level—a feat no one had achieved before.

But in the end, they failed. Just before reaching the boss monster, they were overwhelmed by a horde of monsters and were forced to retreat. During that withdrawal, one swordsman took the rear guard and went missing… Later, the guild reported him as deceased.

“It’s already been three years, huh…”

Beside her, Ripley stood with her arms crossed, staring silently at the engraving on the gravestone. Her usually fierce and fiery gaze had softened, and for this moment alone, the fire was quenched by waves of regret.

“…Athos, here… Take this…”

Midi placed a large bottle of sake next to the bouquet.

“Athos, you said you wanted to try this, didn’t you…? You said, once we got back, we’d all try drinking it together…”

“…Yeah, I remember. Athos, if you’re not coming back, we might just drink it ourselves first… Though, I’m sure you’d get mad at us if we did.”

“Fufu, that’s true… He’d definitely sulk at us.”

“…Then, we’ll just have to wait patiently until we see him again…”

Their bittersweet laughter drifted in the wind over the grave, as all three girls clutched the same wish in their hearts.

I want to see Athos (-san) again…

That gentle, aching longing each of them carried would, unbeknownst to them, soon bear fruit in a way none of them could have imagined. For now, however, they simply stood, grieving the reality before them.

*　*　*

At the same time the three girls were visiting the grave, a man was at a tavern, stacking empty mugs.

“—Yo! What’s this, Wurfe? It’s rare for you not to be surrounded by your beautiful harem.”

Some familiar adventurers called out to Wurfe, who was seated at the counter.

“I invited ’em, but turns out none of them drink. Anyway, how about you guys? Want to join me for a round?”

Wurfe smirked slightly and raised his mug toward the others.

“Idiot. Getting poured a drink by you doesn’t do anything for me. Bring Eishia-chan and maybe we’ll talk.”

“What? Are you aiming for Eishia?”

“Come on, what other choice is there? She’s cute, graceful, kind. There’s no one like her in the whole damn world. On top of that, her healing magic is top-tier. She’s perfect as a partner in this injury-heavy line of work. And she’s got big boobs too.”

“You always go on about that… I’d pick Ripley, no question. She’s got a strong, sleek build, and that harsh tone of hers really whips my lazy heart into shape… She’s, like, great for your health.”

“You’re just a masochist. But seriously, you guys have no taste. If you’re a real man, it’s gotta be Midi-chan. That ridiculous firepower coming out of that tiny body? That’s pure romance, man.”

“Yeah, well… Hitting on Midi is a crime. She’s basically a shrimp.”

“Someone straighten this guy out before he goes off the rails.”

“Shut it! Mind your own damn business!”

After a round of loud laughter, one of the adventurers grinned drunkenly and leaned in.

“Still… You actually pulled it off, didn’t you, Wurfe?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“About Athos. It’s been three years today since you left him behind in the dungeon, right? Can’t believe you’ve kept it under wraps this long without getting caught.”

Hearing that, Wurfe gulped down his drink and slammed the empty mug on the table, his drunken energy flaring.

“I’ve told you a dozen times already. That day, we were attacked by a swarm of monsters on the lowest floor of Niflheim. I tossed a monster lure to buy us time to escape and it just happened—just happened—to land at Athos’s feet. So yeah, it was an unfortunate accident, that’s all.”

“Sure it was! And that dumb grin of yours right now? Hilarious! Ahahaha!”

The adventurers burst into laughter. Wurfe picked up another empty mug and gazed into it. Reflected in the glass was his flushed, drunken face, basking in the joy of what was—for him—the happiest day of the year. He laughed heartily along with them, completely unconcerned with the mugs cluttering the table, and cheerfully reached for the next round.

“To be honest, I always found that guy annoying. All he could do was swing a sword, yet he kept stealing the spotlight from me. Even the girls in the party fawned over him. I couldn’t stand it…”

His hand, holding the mug, began to tremble with drunken rage.

“Though I’ll admit… That guy could fight. He had guts too.”

“He was one of the few people to solo-clear a dungeon ranked A or higher, right? Pretty much a monster in his own right. Still, thanks to him being out of the picture, we’ve got one less rival to fight over quests with. So thanks, Wurfe.”

“…Yeah. Honestly, I didn’t plan to get rid of him in Niflheim, but hey—guess the heavens handed me the chance. Thanks to that, I’m living the dream: adventuring with strong, beautiful women by my side. If he were still alive, I’d want to cry and thank him. But hey, he’s long dead by now! Ahahaha!”

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