NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6
A Boy in a Village Near Dungeon
“Kuahhhhhh, I’m here!”
It’s been an hour on the train since then.
I sat on the train and looked up information about the D-rank dungeon I was heading to and watched videos, so I wasn’t bored, but an hour was still a long time.
I sat there for an hour, and my body was getting stiff, and when I stretched, I heard a cracking sound from my lower back.
“So this is the town where the dungeon is …….”
As soon as I left the station, I saw a small town with wooden houses at the foot of a mountain overgrown with trees.
And where I am standing now is the station, and a little further ahead, I see a square with a large tree growing in the center.
I searched for the location of the dungeon on my phone, but there was only one dungeon in the mountain area, so I was sure that this was the town where the D-rank dungeon was located, my destination.
“I see. The dungeon is in the mountain area?”
But at first glance, I called this town a town, but upon closer inspection, I think it is more like a village or something like that.
There was a store near the station, so I bought a rice ball there and walked to the square.
There were some houses that I could see from a distance, but there were more fields in this village, and I had the impression that there was a lot of nature.
“It’s a nice, peaceful place!”
I guess it was because I had spent the past year in a dungeon, trading lives without leaving the city center, so I felt at home when I saw this kind of countryside scenery.
And there is a lot of nature, so the air is delicious.
It’s not that far from the city center, so there’s probably not that much difference, but it was such a relaxing environment that I thought so.
“This plaza is also very spacious, and the large tree in the center of the plaza provides a nice shade.”
I ate an onigiri while sitting idly on a bench in the plaza.
I bought the onigiri at a store there, and they are much better than the ones you can buy at convenience stores.
There are three onigiris with the standard ingredients of salmon, pickled plums, and bonito flakes.
The salmon onigiri has shredded salmon. The amount of salt is excellent. The umeboshi has just the right amount of sourness to stimulate the appetite, and it matches the sweetness of the rice.
The bonito flakes onigiri is a rice ball seasoned with dried bonito flakes and soy sauce and goes well with the rice.
I like these simple ingredients for onigiri rather than unusual ingredients. It’s because these ingredients make for a mouth-watering onigiri.
“If this is what it’s like, I wish I’d come earlier.”
I wish I had come to this village a little earlier, so I could have had a more fulfilling life.
“I can relax and the food is delicious. It’s all good.
“Hey, brother!”
While I was relaxing like that, someone suddenly called me.
I looked at the owner of the voice and saw a boy who was not yet in elementary school.
I think he was still in elementary school, but I wondered what it was about.
“What’s wrong? You want something from me?”
“Oh! Hey, hey, hey! My name is Takuto Shinoyama! You’re an explorer, right? Well, then, please take me to the dungeon!”
“…… What? To the dungeon?”
No, it’s too sudden. I don’t know what’s going on.
But, well, Takuto is still a child, although he seems to be interested in dungeons.
He is not 18 years old, so he probably doesn’t have any status, and I can’t take him into a dungeon if he doesn’t have the qualifications to be an explorer.
I mean, if I took him there, I’d be arrested for violating the dungeon law!
“Please! I’m the one who wants to go to the dungeon!”
“Uh~ well, I’m sorry. I can’t take you because it’s dangerous for a kid to go into a dungeon.”
“Do something about that! I want to go into the dungeon!”
“…… Takuto, why do you want to go into the dungeon?”
When I asked him that, for some reason, Takuto suddenly became quiet.
But he immediately opened his mouth and said, “Because I’m going to be an explorer when I grow up.”
“Because, I told my grandpa and mom that I wanted to be an explorer when I grow up, but they said it’s dangerous! And they were against it. ……”
“……”
“They told me that being an explorer is dangerous and that I should continue to take care of the fields! But I want to be an explorer!”
“I see.”
This was common in today’s dungeon culture.
Children dreamed of being an explorer in a game-like world, and their parents tried to stop them by saying they didn’t want their children to be in danger.
My mom and dad were similar.
My mom and dad died in an accident before I could go to middle school, but I remember them desperately trying to convince me that they didn’t want me to be in danger.
“So, please! Please take me to the dungeon!”
“I’m sorry Takuto-kun. But I can’t take you to the dungeon.”
“……! Why not!”
“Because Takuto-kun is still a child. You’re not qualified to be an explorer, and besides, it’s too dangerous for you to have no status in the first place.”
“That’s …… true, but …….”
“Besides, I’m sure Takuto-kun’s mother and grandfather aren’t against it because they don’t like Takuto-kun. On the contrary, they love Takuto-kun and don’t want you to go to a dangerous dungeon.”
At first, I thought my mom and dad were against it because they didn’t know about the dungeon.
But in fact, they knew more about dungeons than I did, and they were trying to stop me from becoming an explorer.
I didn’t know that until after they died and I went into the dungeon.
“You should understand.”
“……! Enough!”
Hearing my words, Takuto ran away while holding back his tears.
“Hah …… it’s tough even though I had to say it.”
The truth is, I didn’t want to say it like this.
However, I couldn’t take him with me, so I can’t help but tell him.
“If I was a little more used to being talked to like that, like a celebrity, I might have said it better.”
If I’m a TV explorer or a popular video streamer, I might be used to people saying the same thing to me, so I might know how to say no better.
“Hmmm. Maybe I’ll refer to those people next time.”
Thinking about this, I ate my onigiri again.
Yes, it’s good.
It was better than the onigiri I bought at the convenience store.
“Well, I don’t think I’ll ever be asked to do that again.”
I pop the leftover rice ball into my mouth and throw the plastic container into the trash can before standing up from the bench.
“Well. Let’s get back on track and go to the dungeon.”
Takuto will probably give up now that not only his mother and grandfather but also me, the explorer, have stopped him.
And his mother and grandfather are there. They live in the village where this dungeon is located, so they must understand the dangers of the dungeon.
That’s why they didn’t go into the dungeon on their own and asked me to do it for them.
Besides, Takuto ran in a different direction from the dungeon, so he should be fine.
With that in mind, I continued on my way toward the dungeon.
The entrance to the dungeon came into view after only a few minutes walk from the plaza.
The entrance to the dungeon was made by cutting through the mountain and was surrounded by trees, so if there were trees in front of the entrance, I would not be able to recognize it.
“So this is the dungeon. …… Okay! Let’s go!”
It’s my first solo D-ranked dungeon, and I’m not letting my guard down!
——
Amamiya Kaede
Level 113
HP: 1150/1150 MP: 1085/1085
Attack Power: 185(+52)
Defense: 135(+12)
Agility: 185(+57)
Dexterity: 290(+152)
Mental Strength: 410 (+292)
Luck: 50
BP: 0
SP: 5
Skills: [Magic Arrow Lv.10] [Archery Lv.5] [Hawk Eye Lv.2] [Item Box Lv.2] [Lock-On Lv.5] [Appraisal Lv.1] [ MP Up Lv.5]
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