Sendai Yuusha wa Inkyou Shitai

And here is the fourth chapter. Hm. Nope, I have nothing to say this time. Enjoy.

Twenty-first Floor

「Ah, ahahahahaー……C, come to think of it, Black Hair, you’ve become considerably handsomer than you did three years ago. I could hardly recognize youー」

「Stop trying to make an atmosphere like nothing had happened. Also, say something like that at a time where we meet again.」

Amazed by Angelica who was trying to change the subject while sweating bullets, I made a tsukkomi on reflex.

I mean, you could say that it was just way too pitiful or something, and it was like I just couldn’t not say something……

「D, damn. ……Then there’s no other choice. Why don’t we make a deal.」

「You really are a hopeless one. Even if you say deal, things would have ended if you just showed us the interior of your airship.」

「Kuh, kuu……っ」

Going *Gununu*, Angelica glared at me looking vexed. On top of digging her own grave, she managed to wring her own neck.

I really don’t think the three of you all together are suited to the Pirate trade, you know?

「You’ve obtained the item you were aiming for, right? Then let’s get going to the next floor.」

「The next floor…We’ve gotten to this point with pretty much no rest. Can’t we take a break?」

Up until we got to this floor, we advanced through without any rest. Kuon and Bernadette seem to be fine physically, but they’ve been fighting the whole time. Continuing to fight means that it will get to them mentally.

Looking closely, the corners of Fiona’s eyes look darker than they were at the beginning.

「Even if we were to take a break, it’s impossible in place like this. ……If it’s on the next floor, we’ll be able to even make camp.」

Saying that, Fiona, who seemed to have gotten tired of explaining, handed over the walkthrough book, and when I opened it, the features for the twenty first floor, which was the next floor, onwards was written.

「Let’s see here? Concerning the floors twenty-one to thirty, more than eighty percent of the floors are submerged in water……Oi, what does this mean?」

「Even if you ask that, it’s just as it says.」

「By just as it says, you mean, eh, are we going to be alright? Are we going to be able to advance through the remaining twenty percent properly?」

「You really are annoying……It’ll be fine as long as you ascertain it with your own eyes.」

「It’s because I don’t want to go without a plan that I’m trying to affirm it now, you flat chest!」

「It would seem that you want to die, huh, Yuu.」

「Ah, I’m sorry. I’m begging you, so please stop smearing poison on that arrowhead.」

Fiona was silently enraged by my words that I unintentionally let out. The small bottle that she pulled out from her pocket that had a darkish colored liquid was the Fiona’s specially made paralysis poison.

Come to think of it, things about the chest were even more of a taboo for her than it was for Sylvia.

「It sure has gotten hot. ……Yashiro-aniki, even if we’re going to rest, for now, I think it would be better to continue on for a bit.」

「Nice. That’s a nice proposition, Kuon. As expected of my disciple.」

「Oh stop it, Aniki. You’re making me blush.」

With this, it was possible to avoid the topic of breasts. Nice follow-up, Kuon!

「So a floor with nothing but water huh. If only we had my ship, 『The Black Rose』.」

True, I’d be really happy if we had a ship, but just how did you plan on carrying it all the way here. Me? Did you plan on making me carry it here?

As I was breathing a sigh, Bernadette started groaning.

「? What’s wrong?」

「Nnー……I was thinking that I don’t really want to get wet in the water. I only have one set of clothing to go back in after all.」

That’s true. I also only have the children’s clothes that I’m wearing now and the clothes that had become baggy. If I get wet once, I’ll have to stay like that.

「Sister-nee-chan, even if you get wet, you’ll dry up as move about, won’t you?」

「No, no, that’s no good. We’ll catch a cold like that.」

Bernadette made a wry smile at Kuon’s manly words, but I felt stuck on something in Kuon’s words.

My mind was acting in concert with Kuon’s words and started moving as if trying to derive some kind of answer.

「What’s going on, Black Hair?」

「……Pirate-san, could you please stop that way you call Yashiro-san 『Black Hair』? I kind of don’t like it since my hair is also black and it feels like you’re being too friendly.」

「Even if you say that. Since I’ve been saying it before you came along, you should give up.」

「To begin with, I believe that manner of calling him that way itself is incorrect!」

「It’s fine, isn’t it? The person himself isn’t denying it after all.」

「Like I said, I don’t like it!」

The surroundings were boisterous. Sensing that my concentration was being reduced, I felt irritation from not getting an answer.

In addition to that, maybe because the Cooling Magic was wearing off, I gradually felt the heat.

And then――,

（It’s hot? ……This heat that feels like it would burn the skin……That’s it!!）

I finally arrived at the answer I was pursuing.

◇

Nordyord Great Labyrinth, Twenty-first Floor.

Having reached that place, every member of Yuu’s group simultaneously kept silent.

No, only at that instant, they had forgotten how to talk. They had tasted that much of a shock.

「Hey, oi, Fiona……What is with this place.」

「What you ask, it’s just as you see.」

「Just as you see you say……This place is underground, right?」

「Yes. This is a descending type labyrinth after all.」

「Then……Why is there sunlight underground!?」

What was spread out before the eyes of Yuu’s group was gigantic historic ruins that was being shined on by a downpour of light from the ceiling.