Chapter 214

Question Time

Now then, guess I'll try asking Setsuna what her goal is directly.

"Let me ask this first. What's your goal? I don't want you to do something violent here, could you pardon me if I'm your enemy?"

I said it at the start, but this is practically all of what I want to know left.

[I don't want to be hostile either. There's something I'm looking for, so I'm gathering information, I guess? Well, as an adventurer, I'm going to be hunting a few monsters, so... sorry?]

Setsuna apologized and clapped her hands together. Her breasts shook a bit.

... And now Rokuko's kicking me lightly. Why?

It's natural for adventurers to hunt monsters, so there's no problems with her hunting monsters as an adventurer... ah, the Goblins? Is it because she'd be hunting Goblins? Seriously, Rokuko's hopeless when it comes to her Goblin fetish. She can endure somewhat, but I'd like it if she could keep her Goblin preferences under check even with them being hunted.

Still though, information, is it? She's still being a bit vague. The contents of that information might a hostility.

"... I don't mind, I assumed that... So, you want information? Sure, if I know it and you pay, I'll answer."

[Pay? ... No way, with my body!?]

"What're you saying to a Golem? Or were you meaning working as a boss at this dungeon?"

[I mean, don't dungeons eat corpses? If you told me to chop off my arm or something, I don't think I'd want to...]

"Ah, don't worry about that. Money's fine, so are items. I'm even good with information."

[That's pretty normal...]

"You would prefer a non-normal exchange? Then I'll also accept a leg."

[No, normal is good~, I'm great with normal~!]

Setsuna hurriedly agreed to negotiation. And I got pinched by Rokuko.

What? Even for me, taking a leg would be too extreme, I wouldn't want it.

[Come to think of it, you didn't call my companions? Or did you call them to a different room?]

"To answer that question... ah, whatever. I'll make this one a freebie since you told me so much in your introduction. The others are still in those stalls."

[... Not as hostages, right?]

"Who knows? I'll answer that question for a copper coin as payment. I don't mind if you suggest a payment yourself either."

Setsuna presented the copper coin.

"They're not really hostages. That room's a safety zone to start with so there's nothing I could do to them anyway."

[That's great.]

"Now that the tutorial's out of the way, let's move on with it."

Setsuna nodded. Well then, let's hear her questions.

[The first thing I want to know is about the black wolf. Could you tell me if you know anything about it?]

"The black wolf? That's too vague, I don't know what to talk about. Could you be a bit more specific?"

[Nnn, then... the black wolf that was staying in this dungeon for a while—do you know about it?]

"I do. For that information, hmm..."

I'm also wanting to collect information for the payment, but I can't really think of anything I want to ask.

"... If you tell me [where Core 410 is], I'll tell you some of what I know."

[Where papa is? ... Nnn, alright. You know the ship that leaves for Wakoku from Pavuera? There's an island on the way there. I think it was called Bania Island?]

Bania Island. Let's remember that.

"I'll tell you what I know then. That thing was named [Rin]. He spent the whole winter snug in this dungeon. That spot you guys were at used to be a riddle area, but it got destroyed by it. I left it alone because fixing it was troublesome... It left once spring came."

[I see... it does have the same name as what we're chasing.]

"If you want to hear a more detailed account, could you tell me why you're chasing Rin?"

[Hmm. It's grandma's pet. It ran away, so we're chasing after it...?]

Dungeon Cores don't have grandmas though... if there were something, it'd be a grandpa, [Father]... Ah, she could be like an old neighborhood lady couldn't she? Let's confirm.

"That grandma you mentioned, who is she? Your actual grandmother?"

[Un, my grandma. Mama's mama.]

"... So in other words, it's alright to send you the bill for the damages to the dungeon?"

[Send that to straight to grandma please... you don't inherit debts, after all.]

"Then where is this grandma of yours? I'd like to send her the bill."

[If I knew that, one of our journey's goals would be done with. Haah...]

Setsuna sighed. Now I want to know just who that grandma is.

[So, the rest of the information about Rin?]

"Ah... it's not to the point of being its weakness, but salt was effective against it. It seemed to hate it. Its favorite food was the white plates that can be found in this dungeon. While on the subject, it didn't die even after having a hole punched through it. I believe that it's actually a slime. Since you said it's a pet, the owner might have more information."

[W-woah... that info was more intense than expected. It was raised by grandma after all...]

"Well, it's good you got what you wanted. So, your grandma, you didn't say anything about her."

[... Nnn~, it's a secret. I'd have to exchange it with some pretty huge information to tell you.]

Ah, so it finally happened. She gets how this works now eh?

"That so? Well then, ask your next question."

[Hmm~. Guess it's time to ask. Do you know anything about rice?]

"Rice? Yeah, I'll tell you if you tell me about your grandma."

[Ah, pass. I don't care that much about the rice.]

Oh? Unfortunate. Even though I was thinking about giving her a seed. Just one though.

"Anything else?"

[Nnn, ah. That black haired dog ear girl living outside the dungeon, you know her?]

Meat huh. She called her Toy or something.

"I know of her. What about her?"

[Is that child connected with the dungeon somehow?]

"You'll have to pay five copper coins for my response."

Setsuna quickly held out five copper coins, so I accepted them.

"... Hmm. I can't answer that."

[Eh—but I just paid the five copper!?]

"That was the price for the knowledge that I couldn't answer. That's why it was so cheap, no need to shout. I mean, what kind of connection are you talking about to start with? You could even say that adventurers hunting monsters is a kind of connection."

[... How should I say this... was she given a special power or something?]

"Ah, that's included in the stuff that I can't answer. If there's some circumstances, maybe try asking another way?"

[Muu. It feels like you're the one getting information.]

"It's not like I could tell you something without knowing that you want it. Right, if it's about that dog eared girl, she likes that man that's always near her a lot. Is that information what you wanted? It's inconsequential right?"

[... Ooh.]

Why'd she bite at that? Does she like romance stories?

Even Rokuko sunk her teeth into it.

"Wh—... at? Meat... likes Kehma?"

"Oi, Rokuko. That's a surprise?"

"... Kehma likes me the most though, right?"

"Ah, yeah. You're number one. You even have that ring yeah?"

"It's all good then!"

I don't really get it, but I guess it's alright.