Chapter 140

The Saintess and Flame Cavern

"... Phew, job complete..."

"Good job, Kehma."

Manipulating the messenger golem I named Euma, I myself was sending my voice from down a tunnel on the other side of a wall.

I somehow managed to trick her by telling Rin: [My name is Euma in human speech, so please use that.]

By the way, the named monster list didn't get [Euma] added to it. Come to think of it, Tester didn't appear there either. I guess golems made through [Create Golem] aren't counted?

There was a chance I'd be exposed due to my voice, but the golem lacked the components to reproduce high frequencies... making it have a [Crackling Voice]. It'll be great if that was enough.

If pushed to say something, I could just say: [I'm just mimicking the voice of an adventurer that had come to this floor in the past.] The golem really is just mimicking my voice too, so it's not a lie.

I mean, I couldn't not go out after being unable to repel the saintess due to Rin, so I tried to somehow get her to leave as a fellow follower.

... I really hoped that Rin would just stop protecting the saintess, but... unfortunately, that didn't happen.

At any rate, the other side of the wall I took position at... well, the saintess is currently heading towards the magma area, which leads to [Flame Cavern].

I even said that she wouldn't find what she was looking for, too... Her objective is a dungeon core. [Flame Cavern] has a dungeon core as well, so even me saying that I put it away was a lie. Yep, I didn't say something true!

But still, that saintess had a lie-detecting skill after all huh. It might a bluff, but accepting it as true shouldn't be a problem.

... For it to work through a golem is crazy. Was it a bluff after all? I thought that, but I recalled how wantonly she tossed her money around. There's a definite possibility that she's been given preference from her country due to having that rare skill as well.

Let alone her return chance, her revive chance is 100%, so it wouldn't be wasted for them to have her learn a rare skill through a scroll.

At any rate, I was defeated and the path opened. However, that path doesn't lead to our dungeon core. This should buy us enough time.

Let's take a break. The golems and traps that I went to such pains to prepare, as well as the poison arrows that were made from the left over poison from when I tried poisoning Rin were all useless, so I wound up having no choice but to make an appearance myself...

... And so, this should buy us enough time. Making their way through [Flame Cavern] should take quite a while. That place isn't sealed after all... It isn't... right? They are connected...

They probably would've complained if they got affected.

"You did it, master, Rokuko-sama."

"... Rei, your skill in using the bow golems has improved a lot huh."

"Yes, golems are the only means I have of dealing damage... so I practiced. I bought archery skill scrolls with my DP salary... fufu, even so, I can't win against Meat-senpai though. What is it with that senpai? Is she truly an ordinary beastkin child? Aaah, seeing her evade those arrows soaring at her so easily, ahahaha, it's unbelievable, ahaha... haha..."

Rei spoke with emotion and somewhat distanced eyes as she laughed dryly.

Seriously, Rin's wasting our subordinates' efforts.

Right now, Rin is heading to the entrance of Rokuko's magma area—which leads to [Flame Cavern]—along with the saintess.

Last time, it hesitated in entering, but it's not like magma is particularly bad to it. It said that it was hot and stuffy, but it wanted a more calm place to sleep at. It was a reason anyone could agree with.

In addition, it seems it'd be fine even after drinking magma like water... Magma isn't H20, so thinking about it, it might've been a joke.

[Boss, the atmosphere is different here.]

[... I haven't gone, farther than this. I don't know, the way.]

The saintess and Rin proceeded through the stepping stones, leaping.

That's unexpected, did she lose her unwillingness to call Rin 'boss'?

"... It's pointless sending out the oddball golems with Rin as an enemy huh..."

"The gargoyles I worked so hard on didn't do well either~"

"Alright! My turn! Feni, get them~!"

Thinking that it would be odd for them to not be attacked at all, Rokuko sent Feni out.

[Mu! That's a... phoenix!? C-c-catch it!]

[Eh? Hmph, this is also, Euma's follower, though?]

[Tamer! Tamer...! Please catch it, the first saintess' partner was a phoenix! I-I also, I also want a phoenix as my partner—!]

"Feni, run away—!?"

The saintess started trying to capture Feni, so it quickly ran. The saintess tried to run after it by jumping into the magma sea, but Rin stopped her.

[That is, my follower's. Don't. If you want, ask, Euma.]

[Uuuu... t-then when I destroy the dungeon core...! Before this place collapses...!]

I wonder what she'd say if I told her I'd give her Feni if she stopped going after the dungeon core... Ah, Rokuko's staring at me. Nope, nope.

Definitely wouldn't do that.

After that, Rin found the entrance into [Flame Cavern] and went through it. The saintess followed him.

I can finally go to sleep—

[—Boss, from here on is a different dungeon... It's probably [Flame Cavern]. Let's head back.]

[Mu? Okay. Another guy's, house, huh? Then maybe, next time.]

—Immediately after I thought that, the saintess and Rin turned around.

... Eh, how'd she know? The heck, saintess? Oi.

"... What'll we do, Kehma?"

"Now that it's come to this, we can only meet them head on. I'll lead them to the boss room. Can't be helped... I wanted to keep it as a trump card, but I guess it's time to unveil the new haniwa? As well as the special anti-Rin golem."

"But Kehma, when did you get the time to make something like that?"

I always take the time prepare things though?

After all, I don't want to die.