“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...? - 8-9

Chapter 8: A Graceful(?) Sightseeing Flight

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After leaving the dungeon, we rode on the back of the dragon, enjoying what should have been a graceful sightseeing flight as we made our way toward our destination—the guild city of Calzeria.

…At least, that was how it was supposed to go…

“…Where are we?”

An endless ocean stretched out in all directions. Under the blazing sun, sweat burst out uncontrollably. If my memory served me right, there wasn’t supposed to be any ocean within 500 kilometers of Calzeria…

“We’re lost, aren’t we? I feel like the farther we go, the less sign of life there is.”

Hel, who was seated behind me with her arms around my waist to keep from falling off, muttered suspiciously.

“Ugh…! I can’t believe being holed up underground for so long is coming back to bite me like this…”

I had gotten so carried away with the excitement of realizing we could escape that I completely forgot to check the route back to town.

Come to think of it, I’d used the map I brought ages ago as kindling, and the trees and rocks I’d used as landmarks on the way in had likely changed in the three years since. I should’ve expected that I might forget the way back, but the sheer joy of finally escaping made me overlook such a simple thing.

“…Should we backtrack the way we came?”

It was still possible to retrace our steps and return to the dungeon at this point. It would be a waste of time, but if we kept going and lost track of Niflheim’s location entirely, that would be a bigger problem. Playing it safe might be best…

“…No helping it then. Leave it to me.”

With a sigh that said “good grief,” Hel volunteered herself.

“Leave it to you…? Wait, do you know where Calzeria is?”

“Yes, that way. My instincts as a boss monster are telling me so.”

Hel leaned forward, climbing over my shoulder and pointing in a direction that was completely opposite of the one I had been planning to go.

“Your instincts as a boss monster, huh…”

Well, I guess monsters might be able to sense where people gather, and for her to say “leave it to me,” she must have some kind of actual basis for it.

“…Alright. I’ll trust you, Hel. It’s probably better than relying on my dumb luck.”

“Understood. Then—”

Hel slid past my side to sit in front, and then plopped her head onto my chest.

“Fuuuh… Haaaah…”

“…Hey, nobody said you could relax and use me as a backrest.”

“…I know. Look, Lizard, that way.”

Despite feeling vaguely uneasy at how pleased with herself Hel seemed, I went along with her direction and turned Blightwyrm in that way. An hour later—

—I was drenched in sweat, worse than before.

“…Hey, is this really Calzeria? Looks like it has undergone a massive transformation while I was gone…”

Magma erupted from a barren land of jet-black, dark clouds loomed overhead, and the remains of massive monsters were scattered across the terrain. I furrowed my brows and glared at Hel, who avoided my eyes at all costs.

“W-Well, in my mind, this was Calzeria… I guess you could say…There was a little misalignment of perception…”

“—There’s no way that excuse’s gonna flyyyyyyyy!!! If you didn’t know, just say so from the start, damn it!”

“Ihyahh! Ow, ow it hurts! I’m sorry! Vhohlencfh! Vholencfh!”

“What’s with this whole ‘no violence’ act now, when you used to attack me all the time before!? Take this, reflect on your actions!”

I grabbed her puffed-out cheeks and pulled them hard in both directions. I never imagined Hel would be even more hopeless with directions than me… And where did she even get that ridiculous confidence earlier?

“…Well, I did entrust this to you, so I’ll take some responsibility. Let’s call it even with the ‘pinch-the-cheeks’ punishment for today.”

When I finally let go, her cheeks bounced with a plap, and Hel let out a pitiful squeak—“Pigyah!”—completely devoid of any boss monster dignity.

After that, Black Dragon, Blightwyrm, clearly fed up with us both being directionally challenged, took the initiative and guided us unilaterally. Thanks to that, we somehow managed to arrive near Calzeria.

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Chapter 9: The Spice Called Embarrassment

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“We… We somehow managed to make it to Calzeria.”

From a distance, I could see the buildings that symbolized human civilization, and the tension in my chest finally began to ease. I had honestly started to think we were doomed, but in the end, we were saved by the true monster instincts (?) of Blightwyrm.

“Thanks for getting us this far. From here on, we’ll go on foot—you can head back now.”

I climbed down from the back of Blightwyrm, who had landed in the forest just outside the city, and stroked the base of its neck—the spot that made it happiest when touched.

“…………”

Blightwyrm stared at me silently, as if trying to express something. The dragon didn’t say anything, probably because Hel was there, but it was clear the dragon was silently pleading, “Take me with you.”

“…I’d like to grant your request, but you’re way too big to bring into the city… If you could at least take on human form like Hel, then I’d consider it—”

“……Guruu!”

As if the dragon had taken my concern into account, Blightwyrm surprisingly accepted it without resistance and flew off in the direction we’d come from. Just before the dragon left, Hel muttered.

“…Perhaps I should’ve melted that lizard down after all.” 

So I gave her a light flick on the forehead.

“Alright, let’s pull ourselves together and head to the city. We’ve come this far, no way we’re getting lost now.”

“…Yes.”

Ignoring Hel, who was pressing her fingers to her forehead with a pout, I took in the fact that we were finally returning to the city. Now that I was free from the dungeon and reclaiming my peaceful life, the excitement and a strange nervousness began to bubble up inside me.

“Come on, let’s go already, Hel! Once we’re back, I’ll reintroduce you to my party members!”

“I’m not really interested in anyone besides you… By the way, what’s the gender ratio of your party?”

“Huh? Including me, there are five of us… So two guys and three girls.”

“…Hmm, I see… That confirms at least three. Or maybe, all of them…”

“Hey, wait. What did you just confirm?”

“…That’s a secret.”

“You’re definitely thinking something messed up! I’m telling you now, don’t lay a hand on my party!”

She was probably planning something like, “If more people are around, I’ll get less attention,” and was thinking of getting rid of them. Normally, that would clearly sound like a joke—but when Hel the one saying it, it didn’t sound like a joke at all. So I made sure to put my foot down before disaster happened. 

“Fine… I get it. I won’t touch your party. That’s good enough, right?”

“Yeah… Seriously. Quit with the crazy thoughts and let’s just go.”

So we made our way through the forest, walking along the carriage path and eventually arriving at Calzeria’s city gates. Guards stood on either side, but unless there was some kind of emergency, they wouldn’t stop us, so we passed through without issue.

Once inside the gate, a familiar bustle reached my ears, carried by the wind. Merchants shouted their sales pitches, offering everything from swords and armor to potions and maps. Carts rolled through at all hours of day and night. Laughter and shouting echoed from adventurers all around—the whole atmosphere was nostalgic and comforting.

“…It hasn’t changed a bit.”

As I walked through the streets, I saw all sorts of adventurers—from rookie travelers to heavily armed veterans. Even though guild missions were often dangerous, like dungeon expeditions and monster subjugations, people dreaming of wealth and fame kept flocking here.

“So this is a human city… It’s more than I imagined…”

Even Hel, who always acted calm and composed, had a sparkle in her eyes in the face of such energy.

“Athos, what’s that? There’s a big line of people over there.”

Hel tugged at the hem of my shirt.

“That? That’s a popular food stall in Calzeria. They grill monster meat marinated in sauce, and that sauce is insanely good. Apparently, it’s a secret family recipe passed down through generations, so no other shop can replicate it. That’s why people swarm the place like that.”

“Huh… I see.”

“You want to try it?”

“—Eh!? N-No, not particularly…”

Even as she said that, Hel couldn’t take her eyes off the stall. Even after we passed it, her gaze lingered behind us. I stopped and reached into my pocket. I was pretty sure I had one silver coin left…

“Oh, found it! Let’s go, Hel—if we don’t get in line now, it’ll only get longer.”

“Eh? W-Wait—!”

I grabbed the silver coin with one hand and Hel’s hand with the other, pulling her into the line. As expected from a stall that’s been popular for over three years, the line moved quickly, and soon it was our turn.

“Hey, old man, one skewer.”

“Got it! Just a second!”

The burly stall owner expertly grilled the meat and dipped it in the sauce before handing it over.

“Thanks for your business! Careful, it’s hot!”

I immediately handed the skewer to Hel. She looked hesitant at first, but once she saw the real thing, she couldn’t resist and bit off the first piece.

“—!”

The moment she took a bite, Hel’s eyes widened slightly. She didn’t say anything, but the small smile that curled at her lips said it all.

Grrrrrrrr…

owl

“…Ah.”

Watching her eat so happily reminded my stomach that I hadn’t eaten in a while, and hunger hit me like a wave.

“…Sorry, could I maybe have just a bite…?”

Just as Hel was about to eat the last piece, she paused and turned the skewer toward me.

“…I suppose it can’t be helped.”

“Oh, thanks…?”

I thought she was handing it over, but she stopped just short and instead rotated the skewer sideways, placing her other hand underneath it.

“—Here, say ‘ahh.’”

It took me a moment to understand what was happening, and once I did, I was even more confused.

“You—what!? This is right in front of the stall!”

“Yes, and?”

“‘And?’—Are you not even a little embarrassed about the people watching!?”

Not just the people in line, but passersby were also staring, and the air around us buzzed with excitement—like they were witnessing a romantic public confession or something.

“I’m not interested in other humans. …So, are you going to eat it or not? If not, I’ll take the last piece.”

“Guh…!?”

Torn between hunger and embarrassment, my mind wavered. Still… I really wanted to eat it!

Chomp!!!

“…Fufu.”

I’d played right into her hands. Swallowing the skewer along with a generous helping of embarrassment as spice. Flustered, I quickly pulled Hel along to leave the area.

“So? Did it taste good?”

“There’s no way I could tell under these conditions! Geez, you’re always driving me crazy…!”

“If this is the extent of your troubles, I’d say it’s a rather cute trouble to have.”

“…Yeah, I guess it’s a pretty luxurious kind of problem.”

Compared to life-threatening dangers, getting stranded away from the city, or constantly being targeted for assassination… This really was a “cute” problem.

“—Wait, you’re the one causing the problem, so don’t act like you’re above it!”

Haah… For now, I needed to find a quiet place to settle down. It was about time I started looking for Eishia and the others, too.

‘But… Where could they be right now?’

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Meanwhile, at the same time, in the Guild Headquarters Special Operations Room.

“—We will now begin an emergency meeting regarding the appearance of the Second Demon Lord near the ‘Den of Calamity.’”

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