Each rock is so big that it's going to be hard to move it out of the way... well, I'm not going to do it myself, so it doesn't really matter.

　I decided to do something with the rocks for now, so I took out five large golems and moved the rocks out of the way. There were ten rocks piled on top of each other that could be lifted by a few golems, and even the smaller ones must have been over ten tons in weight.
　When all the rocks were removed, there was a vertical hole, and when I dropped a pebble into it, the sound reverberated far away, so it was as if there was a large space like a cellar or a long space like a road.

'Well, what do we have here?'

　The hole was almost vertical at the beginning, but after three or four meters down it turned into a gentle slope.

'It's nice to go down, but there are signs that some kind of creature has walked down it, and once we get back...'

　Just when we thought we might as well go back to the ground and report back to Grandpa and Jin and the others, we heard something coming towards us from a distance.
　There were two types of sounds that I heard, a sound that sounded like kacha... kacha... kacha... and betta... betta... ...It sounds like. Both of them seemed to be footsteps, but they were quite slow compared to the average person's speed. Besides, along with the sound of footsteps, I could also smell it, so I somehow understood the identity of the owner of the sound.

''Fireball........I knew it was a skeleton and a zombie......zombie?　Are they zombies?

　One was a skeleton, just as I thought it would be, but the other was similar to and different from the zombies I knew.

"'Appraisal,'

　When I appraised the figure that appeared in the light of the fireball, I found that it was a very large and shiny object.

　A species ... a carrion golem.

　And it came out. Perhaps it was a spontaneous golem that spontaneously arose from a collection of rotting flesh. It was the first demon I had ever seen, but it was one that I had no desire to examine in detail.

''Could it be that this was the food for the hydra?

　Thinking about that, I offered the Fireball to the carrion golem at the front of the pack, and it easily caught fire and crumbled down... but at the same time as it burned, a horrendous stench wafted out, so I decided to use the Aircutter from the second golem onward to cut it up! I did. The 'Air Cutter' one wasn't as effective as the 'Fireball' one, but if you aimed at the legs, it was impossible to walk, and since it was soft, it was easy to penetrate, and since it could reel in a few bodies with one shot, it was efficient.

'I don't want the golem one, but I'd like a few samples of the skeleton one.

　Both the skeleton and the golem were just coming straight up to me, so I concentrated on the golem alone and aimed it with my magic, and let the skeleton come closer as it was. And.

Hey!

　I destroyed the head of the skeleton that came close with 'Stone Blit' and recovered the magic core when it collapsed. Skeletons can't move if the magic nucleus is removed from the bone, so if you know how to deal with them, they aren't that much of a threat. However, sometimes skeletons that are much stronger than the average skeleton are born, so it is a demon that can't be tricky. In fact, once every few years, I've heard of a new adventurer being wiped out against a skeleton or running for his life....

''Well, it seems these guys aren't that strong.

　Since it didn't have any weapons and was a weak skeleton that could be defeated with bare hands, I decided to pull out the magic core with my bare hands and secure it in a clean state from the second one. Although it was a dangerous act, it seemed to be possible enough considering the difference in strength, and most of all, in order to examine this skeleton, I needed one that was as unbroken as possible.


''We've secured ten of them, so let's just take them all down in one piece.

　With enough samples secured, I decided to magically blow it up with the golem and get out of here.

''Airball.''

　I released an 'air ball' that was just barely big enough for the aisle and blasted the remaining skeletons and golems to the back of the passage. Since there were quite a few of them, I felt that the magic nukes were a waste of money, but as far as the skeletons' magic nukes at hand were concerned, I felt that they were of low quality, so I decided to abandon them. Well, I think it will revive if I let it go, so if I really need it, I can come back for it again.

''In the meantime, let's collect the golem's demon core as well...''

　I didn't want to, but it was better to take some of them home as samples, so I used the skeleton's bones to stir up the piece of meat of the golem I defeated in the beginning to find the magic nucleus, and then used the skeleton's bones as chopsticks as well to take out the magic nucleus. After washing the golem's nucleus with water magic, he wrapped the golem's nucleus with the cloth in the bag and separated it from the skeleton's nucleus. Incidentally, the bones used to find the golem's magic nucleus and the bones used as chopsticks were thrown away because they were dirty.
　After retrieving the demon core, I didn't forget to retrieve the skeleton's sample as well, and used the 'flying' magic to go back up.

''After that, I just put the lid on it just like the first time...''

　I made the golems that had been made to wait move the rock once more to seal the hole, and while doing so, I covered the entire rock with a dome-shaped lid using earth magic. With this, those skeletons and golems wouldn't be able to get out no matter what they did.

''Oi, it's time to get back!

　As I moved from the lowest level to the one above, I called for the slarin' who were supposed to be playing around here. Slarin' couldn't stand the smell and ran upstairs while I collected the hydra. Well, it was Shiroumaru and Solomon who couldn't stand the smell, and it had nothing to do with Slarin, who couldn't smell it, but I didn't know what they would do if I left them alone, so I asked Slarin to follow them to keep an eye on them.

　When I used 'Search' while calling the Slarin's names, all three of them were heading towards the warp zone. Perhaps Slarin is directing them to head that way. By the looks of it, they're going to arrive before me.

'Slarin, we need to hurry up and let Grandpa and the others know..........Oh!

　Sure enough, Slarin and the others followed ahead of me, so I turned the corner at a short run to hurry up and join them... and in front of me was a minotaur, a humanoid demon with a cow's head. I hurriedly took the distance and prepared to release my magic, but when I looked closely, I saw that the minotaur was dead, bleeding from its mouth. Behind him was Slarin, who was shaking his body apologetically, and Shiroumaru and Solomon, who looked like their prank had been successful. However, the stringy parts can be used as material for weapons and armor (and, by the way, they can be used as animal snacks when dried), and the skin, horns, and bones can be used for a variety of things. Besides, minotaurs are rare among A-ranked demons, so their internal organs and other things can be sold for experimentation as well.

''You guys, this isn't the time to be naughty!　Shilomar and Solomon will be snack-less for a while!

　As he retrieved the minotaur into his magic bag and announced that he was snack-free, Shiroumaru and Solomon began to squeal pathetically, their heads down on their knees in a panic.

'Slarin, something unexpected has happened, and we'll be back upstairs soon. You're going to have to run around looking for your grandfathers, so stay in your bag while you can. And Shilomar and Solomon, if you really don't want to get your treats pulled out, get in the bag now!

　As soon as I said that, they tried to get into the bag as if they were competing with each other. Then they caught me in the doorway.

"Slarin', I'm sorry, but...

　Before I could say anything else, Slarin had them both together and took them into his body. And when Slarin couldn't get into the bag, I decided to take him in my arms and take him away.


'Thank God!　There you are!

　The first place we headed out of the dungeon was the Adventurer's Guild, and since you can drink and get information here, and there's a high probability that Aguri, my grandpa's drinking buddy in Seigen, is there, I felt like I should start here, but as I expected, my grandpa was here. In addition, Jin and the others were drinking here as well, so I didn't have to look for them.

''Grandpa, Jin, I want to ask you a few questions, so follow me to the dungeon.''

　The grandfathers looked surprised, but when I hurried them along, they followed me without saying a word. There were some adventurers (yoparai) who saw us... or rather, the djinn, and came up to us, curious, but when I glared at them, they quieted down and went back.


So, Temma," he said. "So, Temma, what is the reason you have brought us here?　You pretended to be angry, but you weren't really angry, were you?

　Grandpa, who had been quiet up to this point, asked what it meant to come to the lowest level instead of the djinn who were trying to remember why they had been brought here.

''Before we go, let me ask you, is it possible for more than one dungeon to exist?''

What do you mean you don't think this dungeon is the one you're talking about?

　Grandpa looked dumbfounded for a moment at what I was saying, but he soon understood what I meant, and excitedly grabbed both of my shoulders and started shaking me roughly.

'Hey grandpa, calm down!　So, is there ever going to be a dungeon within a dungeon?

At least I've never heard of it. It might be possible to do it right next to the dungeon, or inside it, if conditions are right, but then it's likely to be absorbed by one of them.

　Grandpa thought about it for a bit as he said this and finally decided to leave it up to the king to find out what it was if he had Alex look into it. He then asked the djinn and the others, but they said there was no way we would know if Grandpa didn't know.

　After that, we opened up the sealed vertical hole once more and went ahead and looked at it with Grandpa and the others, but all that came out were skeletons and carrion golems, and the rest were ordinary creatures that weren't demons like insects and rats.

''Hmmm.......I guess this is definitely a different dungeon than the one above.

　After walking around for about thirty minutes, I found a hole that led down. Skeletons and carrion golems were crawling up from that hole as well, so there was a good chance that the hole was the same as this floor, and since a dungeon core had been found on the floor above, Grandpa had decided that this hole was a different dungeon.

I'd like to continue exploring, but I don't think it would be a good idea for today. But I think it would be better not to do that today.

　I have no information at all, and I didn't come here with that intention, so I decided to pull out today when I was sure of the hole that led down.

''I'll have to report this to the king when I get back to King's Landing. Then I'll have to check for any other precedents and get everything ready before I dive?　Jin, I'm going to look into it after I get to the bottom level on my own, but you can look into the 'Sword of Dawn' without worrying about it.

　As an adventurer's courtesy, I decided to go from the interrupted level to the lowest level and dive when I stepped through, but I said it in a way that said, "The djinn have already reached the lowest level on their own, so don't be shy,

We'd love to explore it, but it's awkward to explore the new dungeon Tenma found first, and we can't move the rock we put there to seal it in the first place on our own. ...

　Even though up to the place he examined, only skeletons and carrion golems, which were relatively weak compared to the demons around the bottom level, it couldn't be said that there were only the same demons beyond that, and considering the nature of the dungeon, where demons become stronger the further down you go, it wouldn't be surprising if there was a demon stronger than Hydra.
　Considering the possibility of such a demon, Jin seems to think that it would be better to leave the vertical hole that serves as the entrance sealed until the next time he comes back. Then, after the discussion on what to do with this dungeon was held on the spot.

''Then I guess we'll start exploring jointly with the Sword of Dawn after 'Oration' arrives at the lowest level.

　It was decided that it would be a good idea. Normally it would take a few years to get from the hierarchy I interrupted, but when the djinn offered to lend me the map they made during the conquest, it was decided that it wouldn't take a year at most, and the djinn said they would wait until then.
　This doesn't mean that they are holding back from me, it's just that they were originally planning to take a long rest with the aim of relieving their fatigue after so many years of work, since the dungeons they conquered would be noisy for a while. Well, if it were me, I'd prioritize the new dungeon over resting, and I think that's the same for Jin and the others, so they're probably refraining from it for whatever reason.

'I have an engagement announcement in four months, too, and I'll try to make it to the lowest level by then.

'No matter how many maps and information we have, there's no way we can usually traverse dozens of layers to the lowest level in four months or so, but... well, it's Temma, you know. And there's Merlin-sama.

　He said that if me and Grandpa were here, people would agree with him. Jin also joked, "If they say anything, I'll tell them it's a monster that arrived at the lowest level with a little advice.

''Then let's head back to King's Landing.''
''About that, Temma you're the one who has to report to His Majesty. In the first place, Temma was the only one who discovered the new dungeon, and we only need to be added to the first exploration.

　Jin said, and Garratt and the others nodded, but

You really think it's too much to ask to be surrounded by kings twice in such a short period of time?

　When I pointed that out, the djinn all nodded.
　When it comes to reporting on the new dungeon, we'll be standing in front of not only the kings, but also many nobles in the royal castle, and I know that the djinn who aren't used to nobles will say it's tough, so I've decided that me and grandpa will report to them, but... I can do it too. If it's a matter of course, I don't want to do anything troublesome, but it will be easier as long as you have a clear ally like Duke Sanga and Marquis Samonsu on your side.

''Well, I'll take care of that one, but you'll have to come to the royal capital. Maybe you'll say you want to talk to the djinn and others as well.

'It's ... well, I know, but try to keep it that way as long as you can.

　The djinn clasped their hands together in front of them, pleading, and Garratt and the others each bowed their heads.

'I'll try as much as I can, but the king will act as soon as he thinks of it, so be prepared to at least meet him informally.

　As long as we are sleeping in our house, we have to give up the assault on the kings. When I said that, Jin and Garratt said something about looking for an inn when we get to the king's capital, but Leena said that if that was the case, it would be assumed that they moved to an inn because they didn't want to meet His Majesty and the others, so they will continue to stay in our house. Well, it's not wrong to look for an inn to escape like Leena said, and I don't think she'd be offended by that much, but I'm sure the other nobles would accuse me of being impolite.

''Anyway, Temma, did you harvest anything other than the new dungeon?

　As we were moving to the nearest warp zone, my grandpa asked me that. So when I said that I didn't find anything particularly unusual on the bottom level, he said

''Hmm........if there was a demon as powerful as Hydra, I have a feeling that there should be at least a mithril.......''

''Not to say that it's an alternative, but Shiroumaru and the others killed the minotaur. It seems extremely unnatural for something that big to be in a dungeon, but I wonder what's going on there?

　Grandpa felt like the lack of mithril didn't add up, but he seemed to put it out of his mind as soon as he heard about the minotaur.

It's a name I haven't heard in a while. The meat is hard, but the ingredients are easy to use, and those muscles saved my life a few times.

　Some adventurers in the olden days would take some dried strands of large monsters like the Minotaur with them on their adventures, and use them as emergency food in case of emergencies. They don't taste very good as they are, and they don't bite off much, but chewing them repeatedly like gum distracts them from their hunger somewhat. It is also said that it can be used in cooking by simmering it for a long time to soften, but it is said that you have to simmer it for hours, so it was not recommended during the adventure. Incidentally, even if it becomes soft, it doesn't taste so good, so they don't recommend it even in normal times.

''I don't know where they appear from, but they're a tricky opponent in a dungeon. If they set up in a narrow passage, it's hard to get behind them due to their big figures.

　If the djinn and the others were working together, it wouldn't be one or two minotaur enemies, but if they were camped in the corridor and fought head-on, they would struggle with the sturdiness and stiffness of the minotaur.

''At any rate, it's nice to have some usable materials, isn't it?''

　Jin was right, it's a shame we didn't get Mithril, but it's a nice miscalculation that we got the Minotaur material to come out. This would be good enough to forgive Shiroumaru and Solomon's unwantedness and still give them a bellyful of snacks... well, I'll forgive them and give them a snack, but I'll let them reflect on it some more.

'But still, Temma. Why did you pretend to be angry and take us out to show us your new dungeon?

　Menace remembered that I was pretending to be angry at the guild and asked me like it didn't add up.

'If we pretended to be angry like that, the other adventurers would think that Djinn or Garratt or the Sword of Dawn would have gotten together and done something, wouldn't they?　And if that happens, no one will think there's another dungeon underneath the lowest level of the dungeon.

　If he told them about the new dungeon over there, there would be a big fuss about it being a great discovery, and there was a chance that the guild staff would tell him to take them to the lowest level to check. There might be other idiots dreaming of an untouched dungeon and trying to force their way to the bottom level.
　Not wanting to take the guild staff to the lowest level and not wanting to let the adventurers die for nothing was the first reason why the djinn asked me to do it. With that in mind, I think it's best to report the discovery of a new dungeon to the king first, so that he can take some measures. However, aside from the guild staff, I think it's completely your own fault if an adventurer dies, but if you intend to reduce the hassle as much as possible, it's best not to give them any information.

''That's true, but.......I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that.......''

　It seemed to be annoying that the other adventurers thought they were always angry at me, but I didn't say more than that because it seemed to occur to me. Well, the number of times I've been angry at Menace and Leena is not that many, but Jin and Garratt have been conspicuously angry a number of times, making me sit upright and burying me on the ground, so I figured that if I had taken the Sword of Dawn with me while I was angry, the adventurers who were watching would definitely be mistaken! ...

You can hold a grudge, you can hold a grudge against Jin and Garratt for what they do to each other. All right, let's get ready for our return to earth. I want to leave in the morning as planned.

　 They did.
　That explanation made sense to Grandpa and Jin and the others, and they were talking about where they would eat (or drink) today. Well, I don't think they're going to drink deeply, but it would be better to say a few words before they eat.

'By the way, Temma, what part of the hydra do you want?'

　On the way to the warp zone, Jin asked me as I remembered.
　At first, I was thinking of getting the bones because I didn't think I could expect the skin of a hydra, but the regenerative power of the hydra seemed to take enough to get me around, so I thought about getting the skin, but then I got something to try, so I decided to opt for the hydra's streaks (stripes). With stripes, they're less useful than other materials, so given the size of the hydra, I might be able to give away more than I need.

'Is that what you want?　We don't need it because we don't use bows, and His Majesty didn't say anything of the plot, so if His Majesty doesn't want it, you can take all you want.

　As expected, I don't feel comfortable taking it all, so I'm going to pay for some of it, but depending on the negotiations with the kings, I might be able to get enough of it.

''Temma just so you know, you're not going to eat hydra muscle, are you?

　And so on, Grandpa asked with concern. And the djinn also looked worried, as if they were curious.
　I don't know if the hydra's muscle is poisonous, but it's almost all over the body, so it's probably best not to eat it. Well, like a puffer fish, "It's poisonous, but it's delicious if handled properly! I can't leave out the possibility that I'm not going to be able to do that... but I'll try it in secret and alone. I'm good with poisons, and this is a biologically worthy experiment!　...and if they find out, I'll explain.

No way.
Tenma I can't honestly say I trust you. You could try it yourself, but don't make the mistake of trying to experiment on someone else.

　Grandpa saw right away that I was lying, and he put conditions on me regarding the experiment. The djinn who had been watching them moved behind Grandpa and nodded repeatedly.

'They wouldn't do that. But, you know, stewed beef broth and soup with beef broth is delicious... no, I don't mean anything else...'

　Hearing those words, Grandpa and the others took a step or two back, wary of me. While Jin and the others are around, let's serve them beef stew and soup at least once. I'm sure they'll have an interesting reaction.
　I couldn't help but smile at the thought of the djinn's reaction, and I noticed that Grandpa and the djinn were even further apart than they were earlier.

'So much for fooling around, let's get back upstairs. We're hungry.

　With that, I headed to the warp zone and my grandpa and his friends followed, keeping a little distance from me.
　I was really hungry, and talking about the plot made me want to eat some kind of oden, so I somehow decided when I turned around to look back that if the place I was going to eat today had stewed food, I would be sure to ask for it.