Morning.
In a corner of the hut, Lu and Tia sat in seiza, hiding their faces behind their hands.
No doubt they were embarrassed. They had completely forgotten about the children and spent the entire night chasing adventurers through the woods.
"Ugh, I let one of them get away..."
"I was certain we had captured every last one of them, but..."
Actually, that wasn't quite it. They were ashamed specifically because they had failed to catch just one man.
That lone individual had managed to issue a warning to the security team in Village Five and requested a rescue for his companions. Afterward, he had rushed into a tavern and was in the middle of trying to woo an unmarried woman when he was apprehended by the security team under Yoko's command. Beezel had just finished teleporting him here.
The thirteen other members of Miagard's Axe, who had been captured by Lu and Tia previously, welcomed him back with a collective embrace.
A close-knit adventurer team is truly a fine thing.
These adventurers were the party the Demon King had recruited to act as the official discoverers of the short-distance teleportation gates. Apparently, they were acquaintances of Gol and the others from their time in the Royal Capital.
Perhaps that was why the thirteen... no, fourteen of them refused to leave Gol's side. I understood that being near someone familiar was reassuring, but seeing grown adults clinging to a child’s clothes was a bit much.
Regardless, it was time for breakfast.
After we finished eating, the full team for the mission had finally assembled, so we discussed the plan for the Coastal Dungeon.
As for the Sea Race, two mermaids agreed to guide us as far as the entrance. It seemed they wouldn't be entering the dungeon itself. The rest of the Sea Race would handle security for the hut and prepare to open their shop. Good luck to them.
The adventurers wouldn't be entering either. Instead of waiting here, they wanted to go back into the forest to recover the gear they had abandoned during their flight. I didn't mind, but I felt bad for Gol and the others having to accompany them. However, since Gol and his friends volunteered to help the adventurers, I allowed it. It couldn't be helped.
Two High Ogre Maids, five from the Lamia Race, and three from the Giant Race also remained behind at the hut. The High Ogre Maids would prepare meals for everyone, and the Lamias took on the responsibility of transporting those meals into the dungeon. As for the Giants, since we didn't know the internal layout yet, they would stay on standby to be called in if needed.
Thus, the party entering the Coastal Dungeon consisted of the following:
Me, Lu, Tia, Galf, Daga, ten Lizardmen, Ria and five High Elves, five Mountain Elves, Reginleiv, and Progenitor-san. Then there were Urza, Alfred, and Tiselle. Finally, we had thirty of Kuro's children and about a hundred of Zabuton's children.
Before we set out, I thought we were over-prepared, but now that the challenge was actually starting, I felt a twinge of anxiety about our party’s strength. Should I have brought more people from the village? Lu and Tia assured me we would be fine, so we proceeded as planned. Still, I made sure to remind everyone: if things got dangerous, we were to retreat immediately. I didn't want anyone to forget that.
We were told the Coastal Dungeon was located inside a cave at the upper reaches of the river. Since the river flowed directly into the cavern, we simply followed the water's edge. We needed lanterns near the mouth of the cave, but as we moved deeper, the walls began to bioluminesce, rendering our lights unnecessary.
"This is it."
Suddenly, a man-made structure blocked our path. There were temple-style walls and a massive iron door. On either side stood a pair of fierce-looking Gargoyle Statues.
"Hmm. These gargoyles certainly bear the hallmarks of my style... but I cannot recall them."
While Progenitor-san stood there agonizing over his memories, Lu pointed out a signature carved into the pedestals of the statues.
"Lumani Bran Transylva?"
That didn't sound like Progenitor-san's name. Oh, it was just one of his many aliases? I see. So Progenitor-san definitely built this dungeon... or perhaps he was just commissioned by the builder to install the Gargoyle Statues for security. Either way, he was clearly involved. I felt it was a bit of a shame that the conquest might become trivial once he remembered everything, but safety came first.
But how did the guild determine this place was unexplored?
"Because the Gargoyle Statues are still intact. I suspect they're programmed to activate the moment someone touches that door."
To demonstrate her theory, Lu reached out and touched the iron door. Immediately, the fierce stone sentinels lurched to life.
"Warning! No intruders shall be permitted! Remove your hand from the gate!"
As soon as Lu pulled her hand back, the Gargoyle Statues returned to their original positions.
"So, they consider it unexplored because no one has managed to get past those statues."
"That appears to be the case, but... it's strange."
"Strange how?"
"At this rate, no one could ever enter. Usually, there would be a password or a hidden switch, but I see nothing of the sort."
That was a fair point. To test it further, I had Progenitor-san touch the door. The Gargoyle Statues moved again. Even the creator was denied entry.
"It looks like we can't investigate the door properly without destroying those statues first."
I turned to Progenitor-san and asked if he minded if I broke them.
"I have no memory of them, so do as you wish. The craftsmanship isn't particularly impressive anyway."
He seemed embarrassed by the sight of his own immature past works and wanted them gone as quickly as possible. It felt like a waste, but safety was the priority.
I used the Universal Farming Tool to smash the Gargoyle Statues.
...
Wait, why was everyone staring at me?
"Erm... normally, the protective barriers would make it impossible to destroy them while they're in their inactive state. But never mind that. I'll check the door."
Lu took charge of the investigation. While she worked, I turned to the Sea Race guides who had accompanied us.
"So... the river flows right past the door. Couldn't you just swim upstream and bypass the gate entirely?"
"Ah, we thought of that, but it's impossible."
Apparently, there was an invisible barrier there as well, preventing anyone from moving further up the river. To prove it, one of the Sea Race members threw a stone toward the upstream path. The stone hit something in mid-air and fell straight down. So that was the barrier.
"Since the river is flowing out, the barrier probably doesn't affect things coming from the other side."
That made sense. I understood now. Thank you.
Still, a barrier... I wondered if I could just break through it with the Universal Farming Tool. While I was considering that, Lu successfully opened the door. Breaking the barrier would be a last resort, then. I thanked our guides and we moved inside.
Beyond the door, the cave looked much the same as before. A gentle path followed the river into the depths. After a while, the roar of falling water reached our ears. A massive pond and a waterfall came into view.
Wait. A dead end?
That couldn't be right. There had to be a door somewhere...
I found it behind the waterfall. A predictable hiding spot. However, the area around the door was covered in graffiti.
"Do not open! Danger!"
"Stay away!"
"No matter how desperate you are, do not open this door!"
The messages felt strangely ominous. Was it really that dangerous ahead?
"Just standard intimidation tactics," Lu said dismissively as she reached for the handle.
The door opened easily. We entered a spacious room, where a giant Demon Statue stood waiting for us.
"Village Head, be on your guard. This thing is on an entirely different level than those gargoyles," Progenitor-san warned.
I couldn't tell the difference, but the Demon Statue’s eyes suddenly glowed with light as it addressed us in a booming voice.
"Beyond this point lies the Chamber of Trials. All must advance in parties of three."
With those words, a set of Stairs of Light manifested before us.
The thirteen members of Miagard's Axe who had been captured by Lu and Tia welcomed the last man back with open arms. The man who seemed to be the leader pulled him into a hug.
"So, what do you think about our 'Shield' having the fastest legs for running away?"
"Erm..."
The others crowded around him.
"So you were out hitting on women? You certainly have a lot of nerve."
"Do you have any idea how much we suffered here?"
"Wait, if you were at a tavern, did you even plan on coming back with a rescue team?"
"Shut up! Any of you would've done the same if you'd made it that far! And besides, do you know how I feel? I was literally seconds away from wooing her when the security team grabbed me! Then some high-ranking noble showed up, and before I knew it, I was teleported right back into the woods! Do you have any idea how I feel right now?!"
"I don't know about your feelings... but I do know that 'seconds away from wooing her' is a total lie."
"Yeah, definitely a lie."
...
A close-knit adventurer team is truly a fine thing.