Legend

"Phew... Well, I've had my meal and I've taken quite a break. So let's say we check the other door."

Ver stands up by paying off the pie fabric that was on his hands and clothes.

The Rays, who had already finished their lunch in the vicinity, get up just like Ver.

"Grrrrrrrr"

Seto, who had single-handedly assumed perimeter vigilance, also rose from the floor where he slept.

Basically, it was a common perception for Ray and Elaine that things wouldn't happen first if left to Seto's senses, but somehow the smell of Seto is sealed by its rotten smell in this underground fifth floor, which seems to be an undead nest. For this reason, Ray and Elaine were nervous somewhere, even though they talked about the rest after dinner… Fortunately, they were able to end their lunch time without being attacked by the enemy.

"That said... it's like a door opposite a door with nothing over there, so I think there's probably some kind of dim expectation that there's something over here."

Ver whines as he examines the door trap. But...

"Oh? No, correction. This could possibly be."

Vel's voice sounds unexpected to the surroundings.

"What's the matter, is something wrong?

"Sort of. Apparently, unlike the first room I checked, it's definite that there's something there. Otherwise, it would be strange to have a trap set up."

Ver answers Elaine's question as she examines the handle part.

That tone is as light as usual, but still, is that procedure of examining the part of the handle using some kind of apparatus just like a member of Elaine's unit called General Princess?

"Here's the thing... because this is the dummy... okay. Trap Release Complete! Hey, this room could be pretty much expected. When I opened the door in the middle of nowhere, there was some kind of work that linked to it and an arrow was fired from inside the room. I think that means there's something I want to protect."

"... I hope it's not a dummy to hide a bigger trap, like in the first room"

Ver smiles back bitterly at Custe, who grumbles bossly.

"I can't go on making the same mistake. I've been checking the perimeter of this room for a while, but there's no sign of any kind of trap being set."

"I hope so."

Custe guards against surprise attacks from enemies with demon spears in his hands and all the usual.

Elaine nodded sideways at Custe like that, shifting her body from the front of the room just in case Ver opened the door.

And even if the door is opened, there's no way it's going to happen...

"You see. That's why I told you the trap was lifted successfully.

Sure enough, from the door that Ver opened, the arrow didn't fly in, like he said, or activate some other trap.

"Then I hope you don't hide in the wall like that and open it with dignity"

"Come on, it's not like I can spot a trap perfectly, is it? It would be tough if there were some kind of trap I wouldn't notice."

"Yes, yes, you do. So, what's going on in the room?

Ara tells me to peek inside the room, Ver.

"Sounds like a hit. Sounds like some kind of lab."

"... the lab? In the basement of a dungeon like this?

"Yeah, it's probably the guy who's been after us since we got into this hierarchy. Like I said before, I don't know if it's rich."

Elaine, who was listening to those two conversations, nodded as she was convinced and turned that gaze to Ray.

"Ray, I need you to do a search inside with Ver. There could be a map of this hierarchy, and if it's magical, you'll be the most familiar of them all."

"I don't mind that..."

Turn your eyes toward Ver. In response to that gaze, Ver nodded, guessing what Ray wanted to say.

"Oh, it's odd that there's an institute in the dungeon, thinking normally. We're not the only ones diving in the dungeons because anyone can find more than the doors are here in the first place. At least not least, the adventurers I met on the third basement knew the undead was going to be on this fifth basement, so I guess I've been here before, and it's not strange that I'm finding this place considering that the adventurers who found the altar of inheritance in the first place are diving to the bottom seven basements. And there's no way I'm not looking for this obviously suspicious place more than I found it."

"Well, that's where the normal dungeon space is."

The moment Ver uttered his doubts, everyone on the spot heard the voice.

(... no, sounded in my head rather than saying I heard voices? Like telepathy or reading?

The moment your voice echoes in your head, Ray quickly sets the death-size. Next to it, Elaine also pulls out a connecting sword and sets up a weapon so that she can respond wherever she is attacked from. The same goes for Ver, Custe and Ara.

"At all, I didn't expect all these thieves to come to a boil as long as Non was away for a little while. I can't even experiment with falling."

The voice echoes in my head, but there is no place for the Lord and thoughts of that voice.

Ray looking around quickly, but could not find the Lord of Voices.

"... come out"

Elaine's voice echoes around her, but there's no way anyone or anything in particular is coming out.

'Ha ha. You think you're gonna leave on purpose, knowing you're gonna get attacked if you leave?

"If I don't come out, I don't know what's going to happen to your lab, either? I guess some things are important, huh?

Elaine pointing the cutting edge of the jointed sword to the lab, but the sounding voice continues the words with even a grin included.

'Sure, some things are important, but think about them. You think I'm gonna leave something really important in a dangerous place in the dungeon? Admittedly, what's in that lab is something of considerable value to Non. However, most of the items are convenient, and it is not difficult to replace them with anything. "

……

I heard that voice and thought of something, Elaine. Custe, who was watching, opens his mouth to a voice without appearance.

"You can see if that's true. This is not a busy guy lurking in a dungeon."

"Wait, Custe"

Elaine stops Custe from trying to set up a demon spear.

"Dear Elaine, why!

"I said wait."

"... ok"

Custe retreating from the spear, though not accepted. After confirming it, Elaine opens her mouth again toward the owner of the voiceless.

"One...... no, I want to hear two. Can you answer that?

"Hmm, yeah. Well, I'm not a thief. I haven't visited a corner guest in a long time. It's good to play. If you can answer me, I'll answer you."

Ray looked around as he heard the words, realizing that Seto hadn't shown any movement since that was when he first heard his voice. Seto is supposed to be very curious.

Confirming Seto's appearance, he shudders as small as a deer isolated in front of a carnivore and shrinks near the wall.

(... what?

It is true that Seto has only been around a few months since he was born... rather than produced by Warcraft. Still born as a Griffon of Rank A monsters, equipped with numerous skills and a number of powerful and incredible magic items, Seto now has the power to fight more than each other, even from the front, against Rank A parties like the Axe of Thunder God. Even so, Ray was just stunned by the way that Ceto was frightened.

(That would mean that the Lord of this voice is stronger than Seto at least.... We should certainly avoid hostility...)

Turning her gaze to Elaine, who is also the leader of this party, Elaine also turned her gaze to Ray. Her gaze and gaze are intertwined. In that moment alone, Ray understands that Elaine is also contemplating avoiding fighting the Lord of this voice again. Because Elaine's gaze was also directed toward Seto, who was trembling for only a moment.

And I guess Elaine also understood that Ray was noticing how Seto was doing again. Open your nodding mouth small.

"One, we were hooked into an infinite loop trap and then stubbornly targeted by the undead monsters. You're the one who ordered it, right?

'Hmm, you can say yes, and you can say no. They were ordered to eliminate those who had trespassed illegally. That's why. "

"I mean, you're not going to be hostile to us yourself?

'Well, what is it? From what I can tell by the boy there earlier, I don't think it's going to make sense that he won't be hostile. Then it feels right to choose the hostile one from the beginning. "

"... excuse me earlier. But if you prefer to be hostile, I don't want to be hostile to you from us. Our purpose is only to go to the altar of inheritance, and not to attack this dungeon."

"Hmm. An altar of inheritance is something that comes up with a nostalgic name. You're telling me you know what that means?

"Naturally. That's why I dived into the dungeon on purpose."

Ray looks around listening to Elaine talk to her unidentified voice.

Custe is looking for where the voice owner is with a sharp eye, and Ara is just waiting for Elaine's conversation to end. And Ver, after turning his gaze toward the frightened Seto, understands how powerful the voice bearer is, just like Ara, turning his gaze toward Elaine and waiting for the conversation to end safely.

"Hmm, sure, then I don't feel the need to go out of my way to be hostile. But do you believe what he says when he says himself and what he says when he uses such a means to sound his voice into his head without even showing himself?

"I understand that you have a decent self just because of the conversations you've had. As long as you talk about your will, you don't feel hostile towards us."

"Young man... what if Non is just erasing hostility?

"I'm just saying you didn't have eyes to see my people then."

That was when Elaine replied. The voice I was hearing in my head suddenly laughs.

"Cook Cook. Har, ha, ha. People. Right, people. No, I wonder what time I've felt so happy so far. All right, let's make a promise we won't be hostile here for that. So what's the second thing you want to hear, is now?

"No. I hear that the monster in the dungeon is basically transferred to the nucleus of the dungeon and is undergoing some kind of brainwashing at that time. Yet you are not hostile to us, and this is how you exchange words.... Could you not be a summoned monster?

'Um, you're right. This dungeon has just the right conditions for Nong's research. Let me build and use this dungeon, the space behind it. "

"... Really? I don't understand what you are right now, but it helps that you're not hostile to this country."

'No, no, not really a livered daughter. I haven't talked to anyone in a long time, but I really enjoyed it. I don't mean to thank you, but I think I'll send you to the lower tier. "

Elaine reacts with Pickle when she hears the words. Exactly. Of a dungeon with no maps or anything, and maybe I didn't feel comfortable exploring where the undead wandered without knowing the fatigue.

(If it's true what the Lord of this voice is saying, it's from the infinite loop that we got lost in the space behind this.)

The small room that went into the infinite loop was not that far away since we got down to the fifth basement, so if they throw us out here, we'll have to explore this floor almost from the beginning again.

"That would be helpful... but now that I know about you, can I bring us back safely?

'I think I've got two questions, but, well, that's good. There's nothing particularly wrong with answering that, is there? When the Lord and the others return to their original spaces, if you make some entrance or exit to the spaces that come in here, it's almost impossible for the others to come in. Besides, if someone came here, as I said earlier, there's no reason why the tools here should be necessary. We built and placed the stairs down in front of the lab, so if you use them, the sixth basement is a short walk away. "

A voice that still echoes in my head. And when Ray and Elaine and the others found out, there was certainly a staircase just outside the entrance to the lab that wasn't supposed to exist until a few minutes ago.

"This is..."

"I told you, didn't I? It's a staircase leading to the sixth basement. Oh, you don't have to worry if it means where you're going. It's spatially connected to the normal underground 6th floor exit. Normally, you'd go down the stairs of this hierarchy in the same place."

"... thank you, I'll say. Now, if you'll excuse us around here."

'What, I don't care. It's been a long time since you've entertained me. Goodbye, then.'

"Wait, please! I'd like to know your name, if you don't mind. I am Elaine Keller of the Duke of Keller in the Kingdom of Mireana."

"Unfortunately, I have already answered what your Lord wants to hear. I thought I'd let you name me when I had a chance to see you again. '

"... well, unfortunately, you can't help it. All right, everybody. Let's go."

Following Elaine's instructions, when Arla, Ver and Custe leave the lab and Ray also tries to follow...... a voice echoes in her head again and at the same time the movement of Ray and those other than Seto stops.

"Oops. I almost forgot. You wanted to ask anyone with a griffon there."