“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...? - 58-59

Chapter 58: Age Reversal Magic

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“Waaah! I knew it! My body shrank!”

“Yeah… The magic I just used is called Age Reversal Magic. I interfered with your magic power to recreate your body from when you were a child… I think this way, no one will recognize you as Athos… What do you think?”

“You can do something like that!? M-Magic really is amazing… Just looking at it, I’d say I look about ten years old? If that’s the case, even if you compared me to the wanted posters, there’s no way anyone would ever recogni—”

Just as I was about to say “no way they’d recognize me, so I’m safe”—the two who had been arguing a moment ago suddenly flew at me at terrifying speed.

“CUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!!! So this is what ten-year-old Athos looked like!? Your face and arms are all tiny, and it’s just so adorable! You’re the perfect size—I can just take you home like this, right!? Right!?”

“—No! I’m this child’s older sister now—his onee-chan! I just became one right this second! So move aside! Tonight, I’m cuddling this boy to sleep!”

“Eh!? You two are terrifying!!? H-Help me, Midi—Midi…?”

I instinctively moved toward Midi for help to get away from the two who had completely lost their minds, but the crucial person didn’t respond. Worried, I looked at her face—and saw that her forehead was pale while her cheeks were flushed red, and then she collapsed face-first onto the ground.

“Midi!? Are you okay!?”

“I-I’m okay… This magic… Once you use it, it lasts for half a day, but it also consumes a lot of magic power…”

“Ahh, so you ran out of magic power again… You used magic back on the upper levels too, so don’t push yourself too hard, alright?”

“Th-Thanks… But I’m fine… This timing’s actually perfect… Fuh-hehe…”

She was gasping for breath with an incredibly satisfied look on her face.. even though she’d just collapsed from mana exhaustion. 

Well, if she’s happy, then I guess it’s fine…

“But now we’ve got a solid plan for infiltration. All I need to do is ask how to turn back—Hey! Don’t fall asleep, Midi! Heeey!”

“Fuhheee…”

Even shaking her shoulder got no response. She looked like a craftsman who had just finished a huge job, completely satisfied and dozing off in a dreamlike state.

“No good… She won’t wake up at all…! What am I supposed to do!? I’ve got half a day like this, and I can’t even move properly with these oversized clothes!”

Wait. I can’t move properly? Seriously?

“Ah…”

A chill crept up my back. When I turned around, there were Hel and Lazuli, who had flipped some weird switch and were creeping closer to me step by step.

“W-What’s with you two, those eyes… You’re scaring me… Like a pair of carnivorous beasts hunting prey…”

“…Little Athos… You may be smaller, but now you look even more worth devouring than before… drool…”

“W-Worth devouring…?”

“It’s okay, you don’t need to be scared, Master… With that body, things must be really inconvenient, so we’ll just help you out.”

“W-What are you going to help me with…?”

“—E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.”

Ah. This is bad.

“MIDIIIIIIIIII!!! WAKE UUUUUUP!!! WAKE UP, PLEASEEEEEEEE!!!”

My scream from the depths of my soul never reached the peacefully sleeping Midi. And so, as I found myself once again on the verge of losing something important, I climbed onto the back of the only sane one left—the Glacial Wolf—and spent the next half day running through the dungeon, trying to escape.

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Chapter 59: Turnaround

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We successfully—well, somehow—found a way to sneak in, spent the night in the dungeon, and then immediately set out for Calzeria. It turned into a quick turnaround trip, but as a brief rest, it had been more than sufficient.

The party members were the same as when we came back: myself, Hel, Midi, and Lazuli. We left the Glacial Wolf in charge of the other monsters and the defense of Niflheim.

If our infiltration into the city failed and we ended up being hunted again, it was inevitable that we’d return to Niflheim. However, I’d already been told the guild had figured out that I was using Niflheim as a base. If we ended up fleeing back there only to find another adventurer had conquered it in the meantime, we’d be completely screwed.

Still, I really didn’t want to kill my own kin, so I’d asked the Glacial Wolf to try not to kill any adventurers, just rough them up enough to drive them away if possible. It was an unreasonable request, and I knew it. But the Glacial Wolf sent us off without a single complaint. Its honesty moved me to tears.

“Thanks… If we manage to get into the city, I’ll bring back a ton of jerky for you…”

That thought crossed my mind as I hid in the grass near Calzeria. Then the three who had gone into the city ahead of me—Midi and the others—came back.

“Master, I bought the children’s clothes just like you asked.”

“It was my first time doing this thing called ‘shopping,’ but it wasn’t bad. I ended up spending a long time picking things out.”

“Yeah, but thanks to that, my wallet’s completely empty now… Sniff…”

Midi, who was probably the only one among us with money, flipped over her pouch. Only a few grains of sand spilled out in a pathetically hollow sound.

“Sorry, Midi. I’ll pay you back for the clothes later… For now, I need your magic before anyone sees me.”

“Pay me back… Yeah, got it. Okay, here goes—‘Age Reversal Magic:Rejuvenation’…”

Midi’s magic touched my body, stirring up old memories and sensations from childhood. A puff of white smoke rose and vanished into the air, and there stood a young Athos, before he ever became an adventurer.

“…Alright, looks like the magic worked properly. Hel, hand me the clothes.”

“Here you go.”

Hel passed me a shirt over the grass, and I slipped my arms into it. Thanks to having sent my measurements in advance, the size fit just right.

“Now I just need the pants—wait, what are you doing sneaking around back there?”

When I turned around, I saw Lazuli tiptoeing toward me with my pants in hand.

“Th-this is… Well, Onee-san was just thinking I could help you get changed… You know?”

“‘You know?’ Seriously? I might be small right now, but my body is still ten years old at best! I can change clothes on my own at that age! Geez. Quit thinking weird stuff and hand over the pants.”

“Okay…”

I half-snatched the pants from Lazuli, pulled them on quickly, and stepped out of the grass. Looking over at myself again, I had on linen underclothes, a leather belt and shoes, and a robe to cover my face just in case. That should be enough.

“Alright, this should get me into the city. Just to be safe—Midi, is the magic working properly?”

“Ten years old… Wait, huh? Wasn’t it supposed to be…Fifteen…?”

“Midi? Is something wrong?”

“Eh…? Oh! N-no, it’s nothing… I was just thinking the long sleeves are very formidable opponents indeed…”

“Hm?”

I wasn’t sure what she meant, but Midi gave a little cough and pushed the conversation forward.

“…Athos, I’ll say it again—don’t make any sudden movements in that form. The effect of the magic could wear off…”

“Yeah, I know. I need to watch out for any signs it’s wearing off, too. If someone saw me revert to my original form, we could never use this trick again.”

“Hmph… The more I hear about this, the more of a pain it sounds like. Why not just go ahead and declare yourself as the Demon Lord?”

“I told you—absolutely not! I just want to go back to my normal, peaceful life. Besides, something as dramatic as ‘Demon Lord’ doesn’t suit me. I’m just your average, no-name adventurer.”

“—Eh?”

“—Huh?”

“—Just… Average…?”

“W-what is it? Why are all three of you staring at me like that…?”

The three of them, clearly stunned, sighed in unison and began to speak like they were lecturing me.

“No, come on, Athos. There’s no way you’re just an average guy. Your punches seriously hurt, you know?”

“Yeah and you survived three whole years in a dungeon, on your own, and got monsters to obey you… That’s not something normal people can do…”

“She’s right. If all humans were like you, Master, the world would be a very different place… No matter how you look at it, you’re not ordinary. Not even close.”

“Y-you really think so…? I don’t feel like I’m doing anything that weird though…”

“““Huhhhhh…?”””

Even though I tried to deny it, all I got back were wary stares. Apparently, in this group, my opinion was the minority. 

But why…?

“A-a-anyway! Enough talking—let’s head to the city! If we waste time, the spell will wear off!”

Realizing I was outnumbered, I swallowed my pride and, to avoid any further interrogation, took my small new steps toward our real destination: Calzeria.

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