Is this where the gargoyle was?
Yes. There's nothing there now but .......

　As Haruka had said, there was nothing there.

　The only thing we retrieved was a large piece of crystal. We had left the smaller pieces and the base, but they were already gone.

　The walls that had been damaged by Yuki and I's "Explosion" were also restored.
　All of this must be the dungeon's repair function.

"Mr. Marks, do you think the gargoyles will come back?

Do you think the gargoyles will come back?　I don't think so. As long as you're in here.

Oh, yeah?

　I thought I could make a lot of money if the bosses would come back from time to time like the other bosses, but I heard that's not such a good idea.

　Well, considering the way the dungeon works, it's not surprising.

　If I were to use a simple metaphor for the empirically predicted dungeon system in this world, it would be something like a 'point allocation system'.

　Weaker monsters require fewer points, while bosses and magical items such as crystal balls require more.

　Weak demons will be resurrected soon, but the stronger the boss, the harder it is to be resurrected.

　It's like that.

　However, in dungeons that have been abandoned for a long time, the bosses may be resurrected sooner, as if they have a surplus of points.

　However, the number of demons in the dungeon is not so large that it overflows even if the dungeon is left unattended for a long time.

　There is a lot of debate as to what these points are, but most people seem to think that they are "magical elements".

If you leave it for a couple of years, or if more adventurers come and go, the crystal ball might come back to life. ...... You don't intend to do that, do you?

"No, sir. It's just that the other stuff is more appealing than that thing.

It's literally a beautiful dungeon, isn't it?

　There are some undead areas, but most of the levels have edible items, and most of them are delicious.

　It's a shame to have to endure for years for a mere gargoyle and a crystal ball.

I don't plan to open it up to other adventurers at this time. To be honest, I think it would be counterproductive in terms of restoring the dungeon if we let in adventurers who can come this far.

"Well, I suppose you're right. The adventurer's guild can't afford to send in weak adventurers.



　It is said that the more adventurers enter a dungeon, the more points are recovered.

　However, the more adventurers you have, the more points you consume, so it's not always clear if the amount of points you consume is equal to the amount of points you recover.

　However, in this dungeon, if you compare the demons in the lower levels with the demons around the dungeon, the demons around the dungeon are clearly stronger.

　In other words, the only adventurers who can enter the dungeon are strong adventurers.

　It is unlikely that opening the dungeon to other adventurers would speed up the recovery process and allow them to get better items.

　These are all hypothetical, so it is possible that the actual results would be different, but there was no reason to take such a chance with a dungeon that was so convenient for us.

"Well, you can do whatever you want with it. This dungeon belongs to you. The Adventurer's Guild is here to help if you need it.

"Yes, I'd like to help you then.

　This is the place where you can find all the information you need.


This is the dangerous forest you were talking about?
I'm not sure. I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that.

　We passed the gargoyle room and entered the forest area.
　We stopped in front of it, and I was explaining the forest to Marks.

We stopped in front of it and explained the forest to Marks. "There's a Trent right ...... there, Marks, what do we do?

　"It's not safe, we'll go around, right? I had intended to ask him that, but his reply was different.

The other demons were Shadow Margays and Shadow Vipers?
"Yeah. And Stub Burrows. Not to say there aren't others. ......

　After all, the only time we moved through this forest was when Natsuki and I got separated.

　Last time, we bypassed this place and traveled along the rocky mountains, so there is a good chance that other monsters are living here.

　That's why, even though I was thinking that we should not go around, Marks nodded nonchalantly and started walking towards the forest.

"Hmm. Well, that's not a problem.
"Oh!　I'm sure you'll be fine.

　"Oh, Mr. Marks?" "Only if I have time to call out to him.
　Mr. Marks walked straight up to Trent, who I had just pointed out.


　Then, inevitably, a branch of Trent was swung down over his head...

"Hmph!　C'mon!


　Bang!　Boom!


　Marks easily cut off the Trent branch and slammed the sword into the trunk with the momentum.

　I'm not sure what to make of that.


　And then, with a loud thud, the sword slammed into the trunk.


"Well, it's like this.
"Yeah, ......?
Huh?
Why?
The awesome .......

　You can't blame us for letting out a squeal of dismay when Marks looked back at us and said he was fine.

　You can't blame us for letting out a squeal of dismay when Marks swung out his sword and easily destroyed the trunk of the Trent, which was about 30 centimeters long.

　Yes, destruction.
　He didn't cut it by mistake.

　Looking at the cross-section, about a third of it was cut, but the remaining two-thirds looked as if it had been forcibly snapped.

　It's not quite as smart as my "plain shift" method of cutting, but it's quicker.

　If you take into account the time it takes to collect the materials, the total difference won't be much, but if you want to, you can kill it without stopping.

　In case we have to run through this forest, Marks' ability will be quite effective.

There's also the Shadow Viper, .......

That's not a problem either. The only problem is the direction. I don't know anything about that, I'm afraid. I'm lost, that's for sure.

　Mr. Marks is proudly claiming something he's not proud of at all.

　But I'm relieved to know that we're not in the same position as you when you say you're perfect at mapping and all that.

That's my responsibility, I can handle it. But are you sure you can handle the enemies?

"Yeah, I'll take care of it. Or rather, let me do it. I'll only take a small portion of the meat!



　He said that he would bring it home as a souvenir to his wife, who was probably in a bad mood after a long absence.

　Some people say that husbands are good at staying at home, but Mr. Marks and his wife are said to be good friends.

　Even though he's the butt of the family.

But then, wouldn't it be better to bring back other materials and sell them?
You idiot!　How can a guild employee rip off an adventurer?
Is that how it works?
It's not good for a guild official to take advantage of his position.

　When you think about it, our job this time was to escort the guild staff to confirm the existence of the sea.
　It's a request from the guild, so we'll be paid well.

　For some reason, Mr. Marks is stepping forward to fight, but guild officials don't fight, and it would certainly be wrong for such a person to say, "Since you're with us, give us a share of the demons you killed.

　As the head of the branch, Mr. Marks cannot set such a strange precedent.

　If that's the case, then meat seems to be a bad idea too. ...... Well, it's in the range of "sharing".
　In fact, I sometimes give it to Mr. Diora.
　If there's no loss to us, there's no need to say anything.

"Yes!　Let's get moving!
Oh, wait a minute!　We need to think about our direction!
Hey!　Just point me in the right direction!

　With Yuki hurrying after him, Marks-san raised his sword and began to walk lightly through the forest.