According to the Progenitor, the hole connected to the collapsed section of the Giants' dungeon led into a massive tunnel stretching east and west.
The western end was a dead end where Rusty had discovered the black rock.
The eastern path also eventually reached a spot with a similar black rock, but the tunnel continued beyond it. Apparently, the final destination was on the far side of the mountain range that bordered the eastern edge of the Forest of Death.
The tunnel was a single, straight path, though there were several branches leading to the surface along the way.
These exits varied greatly. Some led to other dungeons, while others led to Earth Rat nests.
There were three dungeons in total: one inside the Forest of Death, one beneath the mountain range, and one on the far side of the mountains.
There were also two Earth Rat nests. Hakuren, the High Ogre Maid Ann, and Zabuton’s Children had apparently cleared out the rats in those two nests, causing them to collapse.
"Did any escape?" I asked.
"There's no way to tell for sure," the Progenitor replied with a weary wave.
"I suppose not."
He seemed truly exhausted, and whenever he had a spare moment, he was soaking in the hot spring. He was bathing right now, in fact.
"What about the dungeons?"
"We crushed the ones that stood out, but there wasn't anything significant. Those things... well, those girls probably don't need air vents, so it likely wasn't intentional. It felt more like a chance encounter."
I was currently bathing alongside him.
"I see."
"Regarding that, I have a suggestion. If we’re thinking about the safety of the Giants' dungeon... I think it’s best if we collapse that hole."
"I suppose you're right."
If you looked at the dungeon as a home, it was like having the back door left wide open.
"The black rocks bother me too, so burying them all together is probably the best course of action," he added.
"Is there a way to do it?"
"Hmm... It’s quite deep, so collapsing it shouldn't affect the surface... but it might be safer to avoid using magic."
"Then it'll have to be manual labor. Should we just fill in the key points?"
"That sounds right."
"...Come to think of it, what do Earth Rats do with the dirt they dig up?"
"Hm? Well, they throw it out from the entrance of the nest... Ah, I see. There's a perfect spell for that."
"Good. Then I’ll leave it to you."
"I'll do my best."
After giving that reply, the Progenitor looked upward and placed a towel over his eyes.
"Ah... but let me savor this place for a little while longer."
He really did seem tired.
"The dungeon beyond the mountain range was almost entirely deserted. There was a ruined village near its surface entrance, and according to the Progenitor, it was a place where the Angel Race once exterminated a horde of undead."
After our meal, Ann explained what had occurred on the eastern side.
"You went quite far."
"Yes. However, since the tunnel was straight, the travel was actually quite easy."
"I see."
Beside Ann, Zabuton’s Children raised their legs to show that they had worked hard too. I praised them for a job well done; from what I heard, they had been incredibly active in communication, transport, and combat.
Oh, and...
"Ann, thank you for your hard work as well."
"Not at all. By the way, regarding Urza..."
"Right, I intend to have her live in the village."
"In that case, may I look after her?"
"I don't mind, but won't Torain get sulky?"
"Perhaps, but love must be shared equally. I'm sure Torain will appreciate having a dependable older sister."
"I understand. If they start clashing, we'll figure something out."
"Thank you very much."
Just as Ann bowed her head, Urza came over from the other side. She was riding on one of Kuro’s offspring. Was it a standard thing for children that age to ride around on the wolves?
"Eh-he-he! Hey, look! I found something weird over there!"
When Urza spotted Ann, she hopped off the wolf and ran over with tottering steps to hug her.
"It is not something weird. It is the slide the Village Head built."
Hakuren followed close behind. Since Urza clearly disliked Hakuren, I had considered keeping them apart, but that would be a problem if they were both going to live in the village. Thus, I had asked Hakuren to look after her, but...
"Bleh!"
Urza stuck her tongue out at Hakuren. It seemed things weren't going smoothly just yet. Well, I suppose it won't happen overnight.
By the way, the slide was a water slider I’d built leading from the hot spring toward the river. I’d assumed it was just a trivial little toy, but everyone’s reaction had been surprisingly enthusiastic. Is it because they never had slides when they were children? I should probably consider installing one in the village.
While lost in thought, I vigorously petted the head of the wolf that had been carrying Urza.
"Good work."
Several other wolves immediately gathered around Urza. No, wait—I'll pet you even if you aren't carrying anyone.
Five days after joining up with Hakuren’s group, we finally left the hot spring. The plan was to head down the river on rafts to the forest where Rusty had caused the fire.
"The only one who hasn't joined us yet is Makura, huh."
We knew where the spider was: back in the Giants' dungeon. We would either pick it up on the way back or ask the Progenitor to transport it for us.
Everyone boarded their respective rafts or log canoes. The reason it took five days to depart was that we had to build enough vessels for everyone to ride. Well, that and the fact that the Progenitor was quite reluctant to leave the hot spring...
The rafts and log canoes set off with consistent intervals between them. The river current was fast at first, but it became gentler once we passed the area where we had been testing the canoes.
This kind of travel isn't bad at all—as long as meter-long fish don't occasionally leap out of the water to attack. Most were intercepted by the threads of Zabuton’s Children and ended up in the stomachs of Kuro’s offspring. I worried whether it was safe for them to eat the fish raw, or if they should be cooked first.
The current picked up speed from time to time, making me worry about the possibility of waterfalls, but Granmaria and Kierbit provided peace of mind by scouting ahead from the air.
The changes in the flow were likely due to the depth of the riverbed. It seemed to slow down where it was deep and accelerate where it was shallow. The fact that the water had slowed to a near-standstill here meant it was exceptionally deep.
And because it was deep...
A massive fish leaped from the surface. It looked to be about three meters long. Was it the master of this stretch of water? It was shaped like a moray eel, and the reason I made the comparison was its mouth—it was clearly a carnivore.
I wanted to observe it longer, but Lu exterminated it with magic instantly. It was an impressive shot, but I had my doubts about using lightning magic so close to the water. Kuro and Zabuton’s Children seemed fine, but I even felt a slight jolt myself.
"Is everyone safe?"
Amidst replies that they were mostly okay, Tia and Ann were already lecturing Lu. Ann looked particularly stern—likely because Urza was on the verge of tears from the shock.
Looking around, I realized the Lizardman Daga and the Beastman Galf had both fainted. Right... if they weren't safe, they wouldn't be able to answer. I’ll have to reflect on that.
We gathered the fish that floated to the surface to use as food. It seemed there wasn't a second "master" lurking below. What a relief.
Eventually, we reached our destination, hauled the vessels onto the riverbank, and moved into the forest.
The site of the fire was a spectacular ruin; the damage covered a vast area. In the center of it all was a giant hole. The black rock Rusty mentioned was likely at the bottom of it.
First things first...
Whether drawn by the burned forest or not, several large beasts I’d never seen before were watching us. I readied the hoe of my Universal Farming Tool to deal with them.
Hm?
...?
For the time being, I left the strange beasts to Hakuren and Rusty. My attention was fixed on a single thread that concerned me.
A thread that looked like a black mist was stretching up from the bottom of the hole... and it was connected to Urza, who was standing beside Ann. I didn't understand what it was, but it gave me an incredibly unpleasant feeling.
I swung the hoe of my Universal Farming Tool, tilling through the Mist Thread. It gave way with a satisfying thud, and the vaporous strand dispersed into nothingness.
The air felt clearer immediately. I checked on Urza, and the thread was gone. I felt certain she would be fine now.
Elsewhere, the Angels—Tia, Granmaria, and Kierbit—held a quiet meeting.
"Is there any problem with her being here as Urulbraza-sama... even if she's grown younger?"
"If we were to prove her identity officially, the Fullhart Kingdom, the Galbart Kingdom, and the Garlet Kingdom would be thrown into chaos," Kierbit replied.
"Ah... that's true. Those regions were all part of the Hero Queen's Nation once."
"They were the nations formed when the empire fractured after she and the Demon King took each other out."
"And I believe every one of them currently claims to be the true Hero Queen's Successor."
"In that case, if we reveal that she's actually alive..."
"They won't simply step aside and hand over power, will they?"
"Nor will they be able to ignore her."
"Especially since she has Dragons, Vampires, and us backing her now."
"Even if it doesn't spark a global war, it’s going to be a massive headache."
"The Village Head would hate that more than anything."
"...Which means we have to keep this quiet."
"Agreed. We need to coordinate with the others. I'll handle the Vampire Group," Tia said.
"Then I'll speak with Ann, Ria, Daga, and Galf," Granmaria added.
"Wait, why am I stuck with the Dragon Group?" Kierbit complained. "Hold on, let's swap! Someone swap with me!"
"Good luck. And don't forget to tell Bulga and Stifano too."