The Dungeon Seeker

Chapter 8 - Dragon Species▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ (Part 3)

According to Amiーー

Right now, she is sixteen.

She said that the 12 years old Sakagami Ami and the 8 years old Sakagami Nazuna at that time was unluckily, forced to go on a trip to this world.

And just as usual, the skill that the God gave them was only the super-class【Appraisal Eyes】.

And being suitable for thief type of jobs, her first job is a Thief. And her little sisterーーwas she too young to be able to do anything, just like Junpei and Noriko, she had no job.

They were forcefully sent to this world, but unlike Junpei and the rest, their luck was good.

Their starting point was near a certain poor village, and they were picked up by an old couple who was not blessed to have a child.

And a year from then on.

They helped to farm and although they were poor, they spent their days full of smiles.

However, their peace didn’t continue, a famine occurred due to crop failure.

The village was rampant with many families that would ‘take care’ of their own sons and daughters to lessen the mouths to feedーーbut even so, the old couple did not let the girls go.

However, as a matter of fact, the grains that they had stockpiled, no matter how you think of it, it was not enough for four people.

That’s why, Ami left, no, she entrusted her sister to the old couple and left with her own will.

And from then onーーshe said that she spent her life living in the streets for a few months after she left.

「And so……I was working as a sneaky thief, but I failed miserably inside a certain noble’s mansion……really, that was the worst experience」

She seemed to have a light atmosphere around her normallyーーbut Junpei didn’t fail to notice the traces of a collar around her neck, and the scars on her wrists.

「And there, for about three mounts……I was taken care of in that mansion’s underground. Really, it was a terrible experience……but……I was somehow able to escape」

「……and then?」

「After that……I had a criminal history after all. I changed my name and registered in the underground guild…… I took jobs that where my skills as a thief would be completely used, and sent money to my sister……and I trained myself to be able to earn more……I continued that kind of lifestyle for two years……which leads to now」

After being silent for a while, Junpei asked.

「Why did you take this exam? What’s your reason for registering in the guild in the surface?」

While looking up to the blue sky that peeks between the walls, Ami looked far away reminiscing and made a faint smile.

「I’m exchanging……letters with her」

「Letters?」

「Un. With my little sister……together with the money that I’m sending her, I’m also sending her letters」

「……」

「She thinks that I’m earning money ‘honestly’ in the adventurer guild because I told her so. That’s why……with this kind of me right now……I can’t meet her……I need to become a big sister that is proud, I need to become a big sister who could meet her little sister with head held high」

「Why?」

「Right now, I’m just……I’m just a sneaky thief you know? Can you……can you hold your head high saying “I’m back” with that?」

「You’re a very good sister」he tried to say, but……Junpei shook his head.

Her story right now, it would be different depending on one’s perspective, and also……she herself, she doesn’t think of herself as an existence that could hold her head high. “If that is so……”, Junpei judged that he shouldn’t put them into words.

「ーーthat’s why, I joined this time’s exam. These past years, in jobs that are in between life and death, dirty jobs from the underground guild……I think that I had polished my skills and abilities as a thief enough. Un, I grew up to the point that I have confidence that I won’t lose to the majority of people……I think. But……I think that my luck’s bad this time. Being sent to this place……I can’t do anything about it」

「……I see」

Junpei felt something that moved his heartstrings.

“Ahh……”, he thought. He thought that he was already deceived many times……but he could not help himself to be weak to this kind of story.

「By the way, this is a completely different topic, but, when you take out the hot water from the cup noodles into the sink……I wonder why the sink would sound like *Beko*」

「Doesn’t that has something to do with thermal expansion or something?」

「Other than that, I wonder why the accidents where when you take out the hot water from the cup yakisoba, all of its contents falls into the sink never disappears」

「That’s just either……if you’re being careful or not, when you’re taking out the hot water」

“Fufu”, she laughed, and Ami said.

「……as I’ve thought, you……you’re from earth right? I mean, they say that foreigners start in other countries, and that blonde hair and blue eyes……they’re probably, not like that from the start right……? Honestly speaking……you’re Japanese right?」

「……I will use my right to be silent」

In fact, Junpei also noticed that this conversation is a trap.

However……while knowing all about it, he continued the conversation.

While looking at Ami who was smiling pleasantly with the corner of his eyes, Junpei quickly tidies up the pot and the cup.

And after he stood up, he opened his mouth towards Ami.

「Until the right route opens……it’s, 23 hours……no, only 22 hours huh……what do you think would happen if we’d wait for that?」

「I don’t know how long it would take to the guild’s headquarters from here, and even leaving that on the side, I think that we’ll fail.……right now, nothing can be done right?」

「No, I will make it that we make it there. Let’s move immediately……stand up」

Junpei reached out his right hand to Ami.

「I don’t have time to take the test once again……and also, you need to meet her right……? Your little sister……that’s right, both of us, we can’t give up……that’s whyーーeven if it’s an absurd problem……we can only conquer it, right?」

Hearing that, Ami had a dumbfounded face for a while, then finallyーーshe made a smile that was like a sunflower and grabbed Junpei’s hand.

「Hehe〜!……take care of me okay. I don’t know what you’re planning to do, but……two’s better than one right」

At the same time when Ami stood up, *Gogogo*, the blue door that is not the right route started to open.

Junpei advanced towards there while pulling Ami’s hand without hesitation.

「Hey, hey you? Wait a minute! Where are you going? That’s a route that connects to the tower……and didn’t they say, you can’t go out of the tower other than passing through this place?」

Grinning, Junpei said.

「I have a plan. Well, just follow me」

Inside the dungeon for rookies. The width of the path is about 3 meters, and the height is also 3 meters.

The walls, ceiling, and floor, all of them are made out of stone.

And inside that facility, *GaraGara*, the sound of bones collapsing echoes.

「They said that low ranked monsters appear, but……I see, this is what they call, cannon fodders」

While looking down on the skeleton that got broken with just one kick, Junpei thought.

The monsters that appear inside the tower are skeletons or wolves.

Usually, rookies would raise their levels by subjugating these monsters……but in Junpei’s case, from the beginning, even though it was the same undead just like the skeletons, it was a No Life King.

And although it was a canine species……it wasn’t wolves, but Cerberus.

While remembering those nightmares, Junpei made an indescribable expression.

「Yosh……that’s the door that to the corridor that connects to the other tower right?」

He could see an old wooden door at the place he was looking at.

ーーAmi’s skills as a thief were excellent.

In the worst case, Junpei was planning on using his space recognition ability, but……because of her skills that are best for breaking through a labyrinth, they proceeded with the shortest route.

And after an hour of going up, finally, they reached the top floor of one of the towers.

When the door was opened, a corridor with a width of 2 meters was there.

There was no handrails or anything. It was just a floor with a 2-meter width that connects to the other tower. The height of the tower is probably about 100 meters.

「Well then……」

Junpei placed his right hand on his chin.

If they were going to go through the regular route, they would need to pass through this path that was placed 100 meters over the ground, and conquer the other tower in a descending way. Most probably, they would be able to breakthrough the other tower in an hour but even if they reached the ground, just like that female examiner said, they should not be able to reach the examination venue from there.

Taking a few steps forwardーーJunpei stopped in the middle.

「Hey, you……what are you planning to do? Eh……eh?!」

Junpei grabbed Ami’s collar, and swept her feet.

Fixing her posture in the air, he carried her just like with a princess hold.

「ーーthis is my plan」

And just like that, Junpei started to run to the side of the path with a 2 meter width.

And towards the airーーhe jumped.

「Uwa!! Uwa!! Uwawawawaーーーー!!」

Swimming in the air for 0.2 seconds.

He landed one of his feet on the surface of the wall of the tower on the other side.

「……humph!」

He gathered strength to that footーーand jumped diagonally downwards. His landing point is the other tower’s wall.

「Kyaaaaーーーーーー!!」

Every time his foot separated from the wall’s surface, Ami’s scream echoed between the two towers.

And as if he was reverberating to that, Junpei kicks the walls alternately, jumping downwards in between the towers.

The speed of falling that is very slower compared to direct falling was the result of reducing the gravity towards the ground every time he kicks the walls.

「It’s like that hollywood movie……an absurd ninja that ignores the reality right?」

When Junpei laughed at her while rolling his eyes, it looks like Ami finally understood the situation, she finally stopped screaming.

She made a dumbfounded expression then, and opened her mouth saying this.

「…………………………eh?! What……what……this……impossible……」

「In this world……if you have enough status……you can also do something like this」

*Thup *Thup* *Thup* *Thup*.

While reducing their falling speed without effort, Junpei jumped between the towers many times.

And when there were only 10 meters left before landing to the ground, he grinned.

「Hehe!……I see huhーーーーthe landing point’s decided」

The two towers are standing in the corner of the guild’s property.

A forest had spread in the base of the tower. And as if to open a space in that forest, there was a terrace cafe-like facility there.

Junpei decided their landing point to be there.

And matching the timing, he used all the strength in the foot that landed on the wall, and jumped towards that terrace cafe.

The place where he was going to, there was a woman who was elegantly drinking her afternoon teaーーit’s the examiner Judy.

「It’s dangerous so, get, out, of the waaaaaaay!!!!」

He warned although he was not planning to make her get out of the way, and it echoed throughout the surroundings.

The one who got surprised was Judy.

She just finished eating her lunch, and when she was taking a break, a shout suddenly came from above.

「From the sky……a person? eh?! ehh?! ehhh?!……eeeeehhhhhhhhーーー!!! Whatーーー?!」

*Mishiri*

As if it was targetedーーno, in fact, it was really targetedーーthe back of Junpei’s foot sank into Judy’s face.

*Dosari*

Judy collapsed after being kicked.

*Zuzazazaza*

While landing on Judy, Junpei who was embracing Ami killed the speed of the fall.

*Zuzazazazazazazazazaza*

He placed his right foot on Judy’s face, and his left foot on her chest, and rode her just like a skateboard. When he slid for about 20 meters, Junpei and the rest finally stopped.

Judy was convulsing.

As expected of an S-Rank adventure you could say, it looks like she wouldn’t die just from that.

Towards Junpei who got off from Judy, Ami said this with a surprised expression while being carried.

「……you……who in the earth……are you? Even if your status is high, that thing that you did right now……that’s……that’s too abnormal……」

“Haha!”, Junpei laughed and puts Ami down.

「……I’ll use my right to be silent」