𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟖𝟕: 𝐑𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧
Upon examining the monster deployment center and the elevator, I made a discovery.
It explained why the [Hard-Boiled Guys] were stuck on the forty-fourth floor.
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“Who would’ve thought, there’s no staircase leading down from the forty-fourth floor.”
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I crossed my arms and muttered quietly.
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Unbelievably, from the forty-first to the forty-fourth floor, it’s all a trap. They call it the Fake Floor.
No matter how hard one looks, you can’t find the stairs to the forty-fifth floor.
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The only correct way to descend is to use the elevator from the fortieth floor.
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“And when you’re wandering around looking for the stairs, monsters are continuously being sent from the deployment center. It’s brutal.”
“Yeah, anyone other than the [Hard-Boiled Guys] would’ve been wiped out.”
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I nodded at Miliaria’s words.
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“Anyway, let’s stop the monster deployment for now.”
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Salieri takes control of the magical machinery in the deployment center. Effortlessly.
She claims to be simply following the instructions written on the control panel.
I wish I could read these ancient characters.
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“The red dot on the screen is an intruder, in this case, Hard-Boiled Guys.”
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When I look where Salieri is pointing, sure enough, there’s a red light. And the blue light that was there before has vanished.
That must have been the monster.
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“So, with this, we can communicate with them.”
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I was handed something cylindrical.
What’s this?
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“It’s a loudspeaker. It’s not a naughty toy.”
“Nobody was thinking that. So I just speak into this?”
“You can sing into it, too.”
“[Hard-Boiled Guys], can you hear me? It’s Lionel from [Hope].”
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Ignoring Salieri, who can’t help but say silly things, I spoke into the so-called loudspeaker.
It’s like the magical communication device we used with Demon King Ingral. Probably.
The version without video.
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[Lionel?! Where is that voice coming from?!]
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Linus’s voice, clearly shocked, echoed in the monster deployment center.
If we can hear their voices too, it’ll make things easier.
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“I’m on the fortieth floor, can you come up here for a moment? I need to explain the situation.”
[Easy for you to say. The monsters around here are pretty tough.]
“Hmm? Are there still monsters there?”
[Huh? Actually, I don’t see any.]
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I quickly explained why there were no monsters and gave directions to the meeting place on the fortieth floor.
Until they come up, it’s treasure collection time.
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“Don’t be greedy, don’t fill your bags to the point of breaking. Everyone.”
[Okay]
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I sound like a teacher leading a field trip.
Of course, we can’t take all the treasure. The six of us split up and try to take what looks most valuable and easy to convert into money.
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As for the rest that we can’t carry, we’ll leave it to the [Hard-Boiled Guys].
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There’s nothing we can do about it.
We found all of it, so if we claimed it was all ours, it would only lead to a fight.
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After all, if you die in the dungeon, it’s impossible to tell if it was a murder or an accident.
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We, who had joined forces with the [Hard-Boiled Guys], had grown to a total of 28 people, which enabled us to safely progress forward.
With such numbers, we hardly ever found ourselves in peril.
In fact, [Hope] didn’t have much to do.
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All we needed to do was leave the battle to the vanguard of the [Hard-Boiled Guys].
Miliaria and Salieri occasionally provided magical support, while Meisha offered healing spells.
Moreover, with Meg conducting reconnaissance, we were able to take the initiative in most cases.
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“Your team members are too powerful,”
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Said Linus, the leader of the [Hard-Boiled Guys].
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“Well, I’m just for show.”
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I didn’t mind the girls being highly valued.
I was incredibly proud.
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“The man who raised a common rookie party to the top class in just a year speaks well.”
“They had talent.”
“No matter how much talent they have, if they’re not nurtured well, they won’t bud.”
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I shrugged in silence at Linus, who laughed smugly.
I had failed to guide Luke, who was supposed to be brimming with talent. I led him astray.
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“What a great strategist,” the voice in my heart always says.
In a blaming way.
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“So, with all these beauties, which one is yours?”
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Linus raised his little finger.
That’s way too crude.
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“What are you talking about? You can’t choose.”
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Linus misunderstood my words, which I said in disbelief.
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“All of them? You’re a beast! I’m so jealous!”
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He’s overreacting.
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“The beast is your imagination, Linus.”
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I kicked his backside with a smack.
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I’m not sure if such a future is coming, but if I were to fall in love with someone from [Hope], I would probably have her leave the clan.
Or I could retire as a leader.
It’s not right for the clan’s top to give special treatment to a lover or a wife.
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I’ve seen bad examples.
I don’t have confidence that I won’t become one.
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Besides, I think they’ll be fine even without me.
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Big sisterly Meisha would become the leader, with smart Miliaria assisting her. Asuka and Meg would be the life of the party, and Salieri would be like an advisor.
I’m sure it would work out.
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As I walked ahead of the girls, I found myself contemplating the future.
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“You look like a grandmother watching her grandchildren grow, Lionel. Even if I put it mildly, it’s creepy enough to make me shudder.”
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As a matter of fact, Linus keeps his distance from me, always two or three steps away.
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Stop it.
Doing such a thing.
It hurts. Mostly me.
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