"Uhh... huh? Hey, is this some kind of joke?"
After climbing the stairs inside the dungeon and ascending to the next floor—or rather, the second floor, to be precise—Rei and his party found themselves looking at a forest stretching as far as the eye could see.
There was no doubt that this was a dungeon situated within a cliff face, yet a forest far too vast to possibly fit inside one spread out before them.
Given that he had explored dungeons before but had never seen such a place inside one, it was only natural for Reliu to cry out in surprise.
That said, he wasn't the only one voicing astonishment.
Rei and Elena had seen a forest in the dungeon housing the Altar of Inheritance, while Vihera and Byune had experienced the dungeon of Exil.
Marina had encountered similar sights in a dungeon she challenged before becoming Guild Master.
In that sense, even as an alias-holding A-Rank adventurer, it was only natural for Reliu—who hadn't challenged many dungeons—to be stunned by the sight.
He had heard similar stories before they found the staircase on the first floor, but... this was truly a case of seeing is believing.
Paying no mind to Reliu's reaction, Rei turned his gaze toward the forest.
"Now then, for starters... is there any chance this forest is some kind of illusion or—"
"No, there isn't. I'd say the space itself is distorted."
Marina was able to answer Rei's question immediately because she had used Wind Spirits to investigate the surroundings to some extent.
"In other words, this forest is real. Should I call it troublesome, or should I be relieved we're out of that cramped cave? I'm a little torn."
"Grrrrl!"
Set let out a happy cry toward Rei as he murmured while scanning the area.
The first-floor cave had been spacious enough for Set to move around in.
However, the ceiling hadn't been particularly high, meaning Set couldn't do anything like taking to the sky.
In that sense, it was only natural for Set to be delighted by this forest where he could fly freely.
"Was the talk about this dungeon being newly formed mistaken?"
"Who knows. Dungeons are unreasonable existences. It wouldn't be strange at all for even a newly formed dungeon to pull off something like this quite naturally."
Rei offered that response to Reliu, who was muttering with surprise evident on his face yet still not dropping his guard.
That said, for Rei, who wanted to return to Gilm before winter, it would be preferable to conquer the dungeon as swiftly as possible.
In that sense, the easiest scenario would have been finding the dungeon core right after ascending to the second floor, but... such optimistic hopes vanished the instant he laid eyes on the sprawling forest before him.
"For now, what should we do? Today was just supposed to be a quick look at the dungeon, right? Heading back to Golts is also an option."
"Hmm, I understand what Elena's saying, but if possible, I'd like to explore this forest a little more. The first floor only had a single branch, after all, so there wasn't really much to look at."
At Marina's words, Elena, who had proposed returning, merely gave a small nod as if to say, "I suppose so."
She had voiced the suggestion somewhat half-heartedly, but Elena too must have felt that turning back now would be unsatisfying.
"Kyuu! Kyuu-kyuu!"
As if trying to catch Elena's attention, Ielo—who had been observing the surroundings from atop a nearby tree branch—cried out happily.
When those who heard the call looked up, they saw Ielo holding a green fruit in its claws.
Wobbling under the fruit's weight, Ielo descended to the ground.
Elena caught Ielo and gently stroked it.
"I don't think it's a problem for you, Ielo, but considering what might happen, please be as careful as possible, alright?"
"Kyuu!"
Whether it nodded in acknowledgment of the warning, or chirped with pride at presenting the fruit it had gathered—even Elena couldn't tell.
Still, there was no mistaking that Ielo was offering the fruit it had picked as a gift to Elena.
"This fruit is... an emna, isn't it? I thought it was a fruit harvested in spring in more southern regions... no, worrying about such things inside a dungeon is probably a mistake."
The emna was a fruit with a refreshing tartness and faint sweetness, nothing particularly rare.
However, thanks to its juiciness, it was one of the fruits people enjoyed eating.
Holding the fruit, Elena turned her gaze toward the branch where Ielo had been moments ago... and, uncharacteristically, widened her eyes in surprise.
The reason was that the tree bore not only emna but all manner of fruits.
...Yes, all manner of fruits. Fruits of entirely different varieties apart from emna were growing on a single tree.
It was something that could only be described as clearly abnormal—such a tree stood right before them.
Not just spring, but fruits ripening in summer and autumn as well were all there in perfectly ripe condition.
"What is going on with this tree?"
"Ah, you noticed too? It's quite an interesting tree, this one."
Marina had naturally noticed the tree as well. She spoke with a smile on her lips.
As a Dark Elf, Marina possessed deep knowledge of nature as a matter of course.
"Calling this 'interesting' in a single word—is that really adequate? This tree is clearly abnormal. Why are fruits from various seasons growing on a single tree... and all of them in ripe, ready-to-eat condition?"
"I can only say it's because it's a dungeon. I actually found a similar tree in a dungeon I delved into before. Though, it apparently can only survive inside that dungeon."
"Is that so? If we could bring this tree outside, it would likely sell for a very high price..."
Overhearing the conversation between Elena and Marina, Reliu looked up at the tree with evident disappointment.
Indeed, if a tree that bore fruits of various seasons year-round existed, it was certain to fetch a very high price.
Great merchants, nobles, royalty... such people would undoubtedly compete to buy it.
But if it could only grow inside a dungeon, then bringing it home to sell was out of the question.
"If we had a tree like this, Schmine would be happy too... Isn't there some way?"
"Obviously impossible. Well, if you recreated the exact same environment as this dungeon in your home, it might be possible... but that would mean creating a dungeon artificially, you realize?"
"No, that definitely falls under 'impossible,' does it not?"
At Elena's words, everyone, including Rei, nodded.
Creating a dungeon artificially was, first and foremost, deemed impossible—that was the prevailing assumption.
If it were to become possible, it would certainly be targeted by various organizations, including nations.
Above all, the dungeon core had still not been fully elucidated and was treated as an unknown material.
"See? So if you absolutely want to use this tree, Reliu... you'd have to live here, for instance."
"Impossible," Reliu declared instantly.
If it were just Reliu alone, living here would not be difficult.
Every monster that had appeared so far was an opponent Reliu could handle with ease.
...The sole exception was the Yellow Birds they fought yesterday; even for Reliu, who could use Wind Slash, they were troublesome... no, definitely troublesome opponents.
But that was only if it were Reliu alone.
Since Reliu's wife, Schmine, was an ordinary person, living in such a dungeon was out of the question.
What was more, Goblins and Orcs—natural enemies of women—appeared in this dungeon.
As a devoted husband, Reliu did not even need to consider the option of living here with Schmine.
"Exactly. In other words, give up on this tree."
At Marina's words, Reliu looked only slightly disappointed, but... leaving him be, Rei climbed the tree and began picking fruits one after another.
Fruits and the like could not be preserved for long periods unless processed for storage, such as being dried.
But for Rei, who possessed an Item Box, he could preserve them in their fresh, juicy state—for years, even decades.
For such a Rei, this tree bearing fruits from various seasons was the perfect prize.
"Kyu! Kyu-kyu!"
As if refusing to lose to Rei, Ielo took off from beside Elena and began gathering fruits again.
"Hey, Rei. Picking fruit is fine and all, but does this mean we're taking a break here for a while?"
"Yeah. We'll stay here a bit and check the surroundings. If there are no problems, we'll explore the second floor a little more."
Picking a red-and-blue mottled fruit, Rei responded to Reliu.
Normally, in a floor of a dungeon visited for the first time, one would need to be heavily on guard.
Doing something like picking fruits growing on a nearby tree in such a place bordered on suicidal.
If someone who didn't know Rei's party well but was fairly knowledgeable about dungeons were present, they would surely reprimand him, saying not to underestimate dungeons.
But Rei, with Set as his partner, had no such concerns whatsoever.
He understood that Set, with senses sharper than his own, would without fail detect any monster approaching.
In particular, there was a high probability—if not a certainty—that Rei's party had been the first to enter this dungeon.
In other words, it would not be strange to consider any approaching presence as an enemy...
"Grrrrrrrl!"
Suddenly Set let out a cry, and twenty Wind Arrows materialized around him, launching upward into the sky.
"Shaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Shah!"
"Shaaaaaaa!"
In an instant, such cries echoed through the area... and two recognizable monsters fell to the ground.
As if that were the trigger, nearly ten Yellow Birds flew away from the scene.
"Hmm. So the monsters in this dungeon flee when they realize they can't win. Well, that's not a strange story... besides, that attack just now didn't seem aimed at us in the first place."
Vihera muttered while looking at a Yellow Bird that had taken Wind Arrows across its entire body yet was still alive... thrashing on the ground, no longer able to fly.
"Yellow Birds, huh. If anything, I would've been happier with a different monster than yesterday's."
Popping a bite-sized green-spotted fruit into his mouth, Rei let out a sigh.
He had already defeated Yellow Birds yesterday and obtained their magic stones.
(Ah, come to think of it, is that why Set used Wind Arrow?)
It suddenly occurred to him: although Set had acquired Wind Arrow at Level 4, they had been in a place with several people present, so he hadn't yet tested the leveled-up Wind Arrow.
They had encountered monsters including Goblins on the first floor, but at that time there had been no opportunity to use Wind Arrow.
In that sense, these Yellow Birds were probably the perfect target for Set.
(At Level 3, Wind Arrow was fifteen arrows. At Level 4, twenty. So it's level times five... Well, next is Level 5, so the skill's performance should jump significantly.)
Tossing a red, strawberry-like fruit to Set, who was looking up at him with round eyes as if begging for praise, Rei watched the catch.
Rei had tried one himself—the fruit was larger than a normal strawberry and possessed a sweetness that could rival even the improved strawberry varieties he had eaten back in Japan.
Though, given that it grew on a tree, it probably wasn't actually a strawberry.
Catching the fruit in his beak, Set purred happily at the sweet-tartness spreading through his mouth.
Then, he turned his round eyes toward Rei, clearly demanding more.
...That demeanor showed no trace of the cold, no-nonsense attitude from moments ago when he had unceremoniously shot down two Yellow Birds.
Amused by Set's behavior, Rei picked another nearby fruit and tossed it to him again.
Catching the yellow fruit in his beak, Set enjoyed a different yet equally delicious sweet-tartness.
(For now, I'll pick as many fruits as I can from around here and store them in the Misty Ring... then we'll head back to Golts for today, I suppose?)
Watching Byune finish off the still-living Yellow Bird, Rei found himself thinking along those lines.