There is a small town a little way north of Deep Forest.

Even if you say town, the original inhabitants of there are about 100, also buildings in the form of private houses don’t exist either, there are only shops for the sake of heroes.

It’s often the case that these kinds of towns are made near famous dungeons like Deep Forest.

Even after years, tens of years, a dungeon that can’t be cleared, even then the heroes seeking prestige or treasure enter the dungeon.

Born from situations like that, a hero dedicated town.

Weapon shops and second hand shops of course, a church that certifies heroes and administers resurrection, on top of that for the sake of forming impromptu parties there are referral places and such.

Naturally indispensable is the inn. In a single room of that inn, a pair of man of women faced each other.

The man’s name Alex, the women’s Lucia.

Fellow humans who received study from the same human, the two have a relation to be called Elder Brother and Younger Sister Disciples.

“Thank you for coming Lucia”

“Elder brother calling me out, rare”

“Do you want to say it might even rain spears tomorrow?”

“Business is?”

“There’s something I want you to cooperate with”

With what Alex said, Lucia frowned.

“Information of the world’s ruin?”

“Are you saying it’s something that rare. Fu, it might be like that. However, if you hear my story then you should consent as well”

“Then, speak”

“I found Ryu”

“Senility?”

Lucia made eyes exactly like she saw a pitiful human.

That’s as expected as well, Ryu is the two’s master, the name of a human that had died considerably before.

“No, that smell, the color of the soul is unmistakably Ryu”

“Misunderstanding is?”

“Do you think this me would mistake Ryu’s matter?”

With a serious look, Alex looks at Lucia with a scowl.

Lucia who sunk into silence, she also made a serious expression.

Ryu’s twelve students----popularly named Twelve Apostles, all feel a debt of grat.i.tude towards Ryu, and adore him the most.

Even among them Alex is preeminent, that form is already like wors.h.i.+ping a G.o.d, like that he is often teased even among the fellow disciples.

That Alex declared that he was not mistaken.

“Unchanging. Thinking only about Ryu’s matter”

“It is obvious but. A man beyond Ryu does not exist in this world, Ryu is the man who should become the one that rules this world, the leader of all humanity----a guidepost”

“Ryu hates that”

“Humans having lost Ryu is a lethal loss. If it remains like this, human culture will stagnate, and then they’ll enter into an unprecedented age of darkness. If that happens then this world will be supremacy of monster. That’s why its necessary to bring back Ryu”

“Ryu is dead”

“Ryu is in that forest”

“Basis is?”

“This me is the basis”

Saying that without hesitation is Alex.

That is he has absolute self confidence in himself, the expression of a human with conviction that they know the other party as much as themselves.

Lucia stared at Alex for while, before long mixing in a sigh she said.

“Role is?”

“The outrider until we reach Mother Dragon. Before I sensed Ryu’s presence, from a certain time that vanished. However, it didn’t completely disappear, it remains”

“Where?”

“Mother Dragon’s right forefoot”

Alex declares.

“Ryu’s presence that has completely vanished from the forest remains on Mother Dragon’s forefoot. That dragon is concealing something. If I ask that one’s body directly I’ll understand”

“……I understand. Leave it to me”

Lucia turns her body to the side, and decides to leave the from inn’s room.

Having come to an agreement, there’s already no need to be together.

Alex as well, Lucia as well, became independent from Ryu, they are adults who have places were they belong respectively.

Other than times when they’re carrying out a plan, they’re not sticking together.

Therefore to Lucia who placed her hand on the door k.n.o.b about to depart, as if recalling Alex called her to a stop.

“Lucia, change that mantle, it’s shabby. Ryu’s personal disciple wearing that kind of tattered mantle is unbecoming”

“……I’ll consider it”

Saying only that, Lucia left the room.

After leaving the room, just like that she held the mantle and gazed at it.

Mantle from when she entered disciples.h.i.+p, it’s tattered here and there, and it’s a mantle with places with traces of mending.

Gazing at that, Lucia.

“The last thing I received from Ryu, there’s no way I could throw it away”

Like that, she unusually talkatively muttered.

      ☆

Crystal Tower First Floor, Hime and facing each other me.

----s.h.i.+ver!

“What’s the matter Ryu-chan, suddenly shaking”

“Something just now……I felt an extreme chill but”

“Someone might be gossiping about Ryu-chan perhaps. Maybe it’s your time of popularity!”

“Why is Hime getting excited with that”

“I mean, it’s Ryu-chan, your popular period will surely be amazing without fail. Like b.u.mping into all the people in the city at a street corner and one after another love buds”

“If I crash too much I’ll become squashed! Rather than that, say your favor”

I brought back the main question that we derailed from due to my imagination.

Hime made an expression of some percentage seriousness.

“To be honest, Macchi is entering her once in 400 years dormant season you see”

“Dormant season?”

It’s a word I’ve heard for the first time, are you going to sleep Kaa-san.

“Un, she’ll sleep”

“Don’t read my mind”

“In a sense it feels something like an animal’s hibernation. Dragons who enter the dormant season, for a short while can’t move, even if a hero approaches before their eyes, they’re unable to drive them away”

“There’s something like that”

“The previous time Macchi went dormant it worked out one way or another but, this time there are two irregulars are piling up”

“What is it”

“One is the Hero Rush. The dormant season and the heroes’ invasion increasing in full force”

“I see, that’s troublesome”

“Another one is the war potential lowering. Look, someone somewhere took along a large quant.i.ty of monsters and became independent after all. On top of that as well two dragons left”

“I’m a slime”

“A dragon wearing a slime’s clothing right”

Grinning broadly is Hime.

“You were born as a slime, but you’re insides were dug out and stuffed with a dragon”

Forcibly by Kaa-san though.

“Either one is similar isn’t it. More importantly, since those two are piling up, it’s a little dangerous right”

I considered.

Kaa-san who can’t move, Hero Rush, our missing portion of Deep Forest’s war potential decrease.

Certainly it may be bad, I also understand Hime coming to request aid.

“That’s why you came to tell me and Yui to return huh”

“Uun, just Ryu-chan”

“Just me?”

“After all, if Ryu-chan is there, there will be no problem right. Even the Hero Rush, Ryu-chan is able to do something about it by himself right”

“Haa……”

Being extolled by Hime. It’s a method of extolling of the type that will become troublesome if I get on board.

Even so I can’t refuse.

I encountered various difficult experiences, but even so Kaa-san is Kaa-san.

I have to properly help her.

“I got it. And, what would be fine for me to do. If I temporarily returned to Deep Forest for a while would it be fine?”

“There’s no need for that, for the time being I will send the heroes here. Particularly those who seem to strugglingly reach Macchi ok”

“Something like heroes who arrive at Kaa-san’s place after a struggle, are especially troublesome guys right”

“But this is something necessary you know? Ryu-chan bit at the Secret Dungeon didn’t you? Because the way to make a Secret Dungeon is to have a large quant.i.ty of dungeon points”

“Ku!”

Now that she mentions it, that’s right.

Something like a Secret Dungeon is making another dungeon, it shouldn’t normally be possible.

Hime saying “A large amount of dungeon points” is an exceedingly obvious story.

With a two fold significance, a reason to not do it disappeared.

“It’s decided with this right, then for the time being----ei!”

Hime snapped her fingers.

In a moment, the surround monsters, the monsters within Crystal Tower all collapsed.

“I’ll have everyone sleep for little”

“Everyone huh”

“Other than Yui-chan, everyone that Ryu-chan is concealing his strength to”

Tentatively it seems she was being considerate.

Hime was right in the middle of Crystal Tower.

“Here is good right. Ryu, strike here with all of your strength”

“Strike?”

“Yes, with force to break down s.p.a.ce”

“Like [Dimension Slicer]?”

“Since that seems like it’s not able to let nothing but one pa.s.s through, with something bigger”

“……I got it”

I let out a sigh, since I understand what Hime wanted to do”

I jumped down from Yurie. Hime took Yurie’s arms and distanced herself.

I release power, the power of dragon.

The forefoot manifested with that power----the golden forefoot, I swung it down with all my power.

Nothing occurred----physically.

There where the golden forefoot was swung down, a gaping wide hole of s.p.a.ce opened up.

From behind, magic’s light came into view. Hime used magic, and did something to the hole.

I opened the hole, and Hime connected it with Deep Forest.

“It’s good with this. Then for the time being, I’ll use this and send heroes ok”

“……I got it”

It became that for a while strong heroes would come attacking.

For the sake of the Secret Dungeon, I have to defeat those guys.

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