Chapter 94: Thunder Fang and the Two Alone at the Stairs
Rifreya and I had moved to the stairs leading to the 4th Floor.
Even if there’s a lot of parties exploring the Straying Big Mist Garden, we rarely bump into any other explorers.
There’s the simple reason of the dungeon being vast, but most of the reason why is because of the dense mist. According to one theory, this mist makes explorers not meet with other explorers by unconsciously leading them to other directions. Well, there’s barely any backing to this, but we are talking about a mysterious space like a dungeon, so there might be stuff like that.
The reality is that we didn’t encounter any party on our way to the stairs.
They apparently have one party as lookouts in front of the stairs, and in the off-chance that the Demon Lord comes up, that party would blow the hunting horn.
Well, whichever the case, there’s almost no chance the Demon Lord will be showing up today though.
“Ah, we will be serving as lookouts here as well. Pleasure to work with you.” (Hikaru)
There’s always a party in charge of watching the stairs to the 4th Floor.
I say lookouts, but it is not like there’s anything to do until the Demon Lord shows up.
There’s almost no monsters around the stairs, and it is not like there’s smartphones to kill time here.
And in reality, the explorer party of 3 were playing a card game.
“Yeah, pleased to work wi—wait, ain’t that Hikaru!”
One of the explorers turned here, and it was the Canadian handsome man, Alex.
“Eh? You didn’t go back, Alex?” (Hikaru)
“Right back at you. But…I get ya. There’s no way we can miss an interesting event like a Demon Lord subjugation, right?” (Alex)
Mine is to get 1st place in the Viewer Count Race, but it seems Alex stayed here simply because it is amusing. I even feel jealous that he is actually enjoying the isekai life.
“Hikaru, you had acquaintances amongst the explorers?” (Rifreya)
Rifreya showed her face from my back, and Alex and his party all went ‘a’ ‘i’ ‘u’ and froze.
“I am in a party with Hikaru, my name is Rifreya Ashbird. Nice to meet you.” (Rifreya)
Rifreya introduces herself in a polite manner.
She lowered her head, and her silky platinum blonde hair flowed down. There was a mysterious charm to it.
“I-I-I am Jack Alexander Fox! Please call me Alex, or Jack, or whatever you wish!” (Alex)
“I-I am Crabbell! Silver Rank explorer!” (Crabbell)
“S-Same here! Name’s Jo-Jordan!” (Jordan)
Alex and his party begin introducing themselves while stammering to the point that it made me wonder if they would bite their tongues. Was the last one Jordan, or Jojordan?
By the way, Crabbell has red curly hair and a two-handed sword.
Jojordan has blue hair with his face being like that of a young nobleman, and he is fat. His equipment is lightweight, so he must be a Spirit User.
“I-If you would like, want to play c-cards with us?! It is the cards that Alex made, and it is pretty fun…!”
Judging from the lining of the cards, they seem to be playing poker.
Or more like, that Alex, to even declare that he was the one who created them. Those are some nerves. Well, for stuff like this, the faster one wins though.
I look at the face of Rifreya.
It is not like I am against playing cards with them. It is better to do something than nothing when it comes to getting viewers.
But it doesn’t look like Rifreya is into this at all.
“Sorry. I want to be alone with him.” (Rifreya)
“Eh?!” (Hikaru)
Rifreya took my hand gently, and pulled me immediately down to the stairs.
When I look back, I could see the 3 standing there dumbfounded, and it was a strangely distinctive sight.
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“I guess it should be fine around here.” (Rifreya)
After going down the stairs for a while, Rifreya stopped in place.
“What’s the matter? Those guys were dumbfounded, you know?” (Hikaru)
“Cause you know, those people look at me with weird eyes.” (Rifreya)
“Hm, well, that might be true.” (Hikaru)
“It is true.” (Rifreya)
My little sisters would often be seen with ‘weird eyes’, so I can somewhat understand.
Gazes of interest. Even if the person themself has no ill-intent, it just feels uncomfortable.
Rifreya is beautiful, so it is not like I don’t understand why they can’t help getting that kind of reaction.
“Well, men just can’t help it. It is not like they are bad guys.” (Hikaru)
“I understand that. Also…it is true that I wanted to be alone with you.” (Rifreya)
Saying this, she prompts me to sit.
The 3rd Floor stairs are the same as the garden ones, made from chamfered stone, so it didn’t feel bad sitting on them.
But the cold wind of the 4th Floor reached all the way here. My skin was somewhat cold.
“Rifreya, if you get sleepy, it is okay to go to sleep. I will keep watch.” (Hikaru)
“No way I would feel sleepy yet.” (Rifreya)
Normal monsters don’t get close to the stairs that much.
But being careless can be our downfall, and it seems like it is 100% certain. There are rare instances where monsters would go up or down.
And so, having both of us sleeping would be suicidal.
Of course, there’s also the chance that the Demon Lord would come up.
A space where silence reigns.
The sound of the waterfall in the 4th Floor and the voices of Alex right above us don’t reach here.
“Aah, but here, if the Demon Lord is in the 3rd Floor, we might not notice.” (Rifreya)
“No, I don’t think it is in the 3rd Floor yet. I can feel a dangerous presence from below after all.” (Hikaru)
“You can feel it…? The presence of the Demon Lord?” (Rifreya)
“Just a feeling. The feel of the Spirits is, how to say it…different.” (Hikaru)
“Loved Ones are impressive…” (Rifreya)
This is a feeling that I acquired after arriving in this world and running the whole way in the forest with my life right in my throat.
Beings that have dense spirit energy…be it a living being or a monster, I can somewhat tell they are there.
Of course, it is in most part because of the Affection of Spirits, but this is one of the few special skills that I have obtained.
“Then, even if the Demon Lord comes up, we would be able to tell.” (Rifreya)
“Not for certain, but I think I would be able to tell if it is a strong one.” (Hikaru)
“I will be counting on you then~.” (Rifreya)
It is true that the stronger the being is -like Demon Lords- the easier it is for me to sense them.
I had that baseless confidence.
Even so, the Demon Lord doesn’t seem to be near.
It would be better to rest our bodies in preparation for the battle ahead.
However…there’s something I have to tell her.
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