Isekai Nonbiri Nouka-Novel

Chapter 624 - Coastal Dungeon’s Reason for Existence

Whatever hobby you have, you are free to exercise it.

No one will force you to stop.

However, that’s until you cause trouble to others.

「But I’ve already reflected on my past actions. I’m not kidnapping anyone anymore.」

That’s a matter of course.

Even I got embarrassed at how you say it as if you accumulated good deeds.

By the way, why did ancestor-san marry Versa?

「Leaving her extreme hobby aside, she’s a splendid woman and an excellent wife material. She also accepted my hobby…」

Your hobby?

「Rumani loves the gods. The reason he approached me in the first place is because he wanted to hear about the evil god Raigiel-sama.」

That’s why you got married?

「At the early days of our marriage, Versa was a normal literature girl. Or that’s what I thought until…」

Ancestor-san, who had very distant eyes, looked tired so he took a suitable chair in the room and sat down.

Seeing that, Versa prepared a chair for me and called the maid who’s waiting outside the room.

「Give Rumani, Hiraku, and I tea. Are the inferno wolves and demon spiders going to drink?」

The kuros and the spiderlings said they’ll refrain.

「Okay. But if you want some, just let us know.」

Yeah, she’s a good person.

-0-

I and ancestor-san sit around a table with Versa.

The maid brought a tea set for the three of us and poured some tea.

「We shouldn’t neglect those waiting in the other room.」

「I’ll send Corey and Harkin there.」

Note: コリー(Kori, Corey, Collie) and ハーキン(Hakin, Harkin) I’m not a brand conscious person so I don’t know any luxury brand that sounds like those. If you have any idea of what brand those names came from, please let me know.

The maid said so as she arranged cakes in front of us.

This is the first time.

The first time I’m served cake from a place not related to me.

……

Areh?

Why does it taste familiar?

When I looked at the maid, she explained.

「This cake came from a certain super popular store in Village Five. I asked them for a big favor and was allowed to take them out. I used magic to ensure freshness. Compared to eating it at the store, the taste might have fallen a little but please forgive me for that.」

Ehto……

「Do you not like sweets?」

No, that’s not it…

I was thinking if I should say it but ancestor-san told the maid for me.

「He is not only the village chief of Big Tree Village but also the village chief of Village Five. He’s also the manager of Kuro and Yuki, the store that serves this cake. He’s also the one who invented this dish.」

「Ah, is that so? I didn’t know. I apologize. Please forgive me.」

No, you don’t have to feel bad.

I’ll inform the assistant manager about you.

「The assistant manager? You mean Kinesta-sama who’s also the coach of Village Five’s Iron Bull Army?」

That’s right. You are quite informed.

「I’m a loyal patron of Kuro and Yuki.」

Then, thank you for your patronage.

……

You can go there?

Come to think of it, where is this place supposed to be?

Versa answered my question.

「It is almost directly below the dungeon you cleared. It is below it as much as the height of a mountain.」

A mountain…about 500 meters?

This place is super low.

Did maid-san go through that teleportation gate to go to Village Five?

「No, that teleportation gate is strictly for dungeon use. There is another teleportation gate for going out and that’s what I’m using.」

Maid-san said so.

I see.

So, you go out?

………

How about Versa?

No way, could you have sold your books in Village Five…

「Of course not.」

It was ancestor-san, who denied that claim.

「Versa won’t leave this place.」

Why?

Is she sealed?

「No, she’s a hikikomori.」

「Going out…what does that mean?」

……is that alright?

By the way, the kidnapping cases were done by her subordinates and not by herself.

「In addition, she will never sell her books. She loves her works as if they are her children. In a sense, that’s her saving grace…」

What’s not her saving grace then?

「To those who seek, I won’t hesitate to show them.」

Ehto……

Did you build this dungeon so that no one could get close to Versa?

「No, that dungeon has a different purpose. Or rather, it’s related to Versa’s role.」

Role?

「Fufufu, this devil governs “knowledge”.」

Versa stands up and poses.

「To put it simply…she names all the races of monsters and demon beasts that are born in this world.」

……

That means it was Versa who gave the inferno wolves their race’s name?

「That’s right.」

Versa nodded full of pride.

「Of course, I don’t name anything by dogmatism or prejudice. I also consider everyone’s point of view so be relieved with my naming.」

Be relieved?

Really?

Maa, it’s good that you don’t name anything as you like.

However, how do you tell the outside world the race’s names?

You go out, right?

「Using books.」

Maid-san showed me a big book.

「This is the master book and there are hundreds of copies. If you add something to this master book, it will also be added in the copy books.」

Ah, so it’s like the paper magic tool that I used to contact Miyo in Shashaato City before.

I somewhat understand the principle…

That big book.

I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere……

No, it’s not that book but a smaller one.

「It must be the book that Helzenark had.」

Hearing ancestor-san, I remembered.

That’s right, the thick book that Helze had when she came to the village.

In the book, she told us that Kuro is an Inferno Wolf Emperor and Yuki is an Inferno Wolf Empress.

Is that a copy book?

「Those who don’t have a copy book like that will come to Versa in search of knowledge about monsters and demon beasts but… At some point, the number that are visiting her had exceeded the limit.」

「Rumani created the dungeon for me. Its purpose is to make those who are seeking knowledge undergo trials and only those who’ll overcome them will gain what they seek.」

I see.

Was that dungeon created solely by ancestor-san?

「I didn’t make it using my own ideas and power. Those who seek knowledge are often weak so I struggled to adjust the safety aspect and difficulty.」

That helped me this time.

「Thanks to that trial dungeon, the people who seek knowledge have become fewer but those who seek Versa’s book have not changed. It is forbidden to take out her books but I think some of them have been leaked because she allowed them to write while reading. Maa, it’s a story of three thousand years ago.」

「When Rumani ran away from home, he placed a gargoyle statue at the entrance of the dungeon. Because of that, no one dares to challenge the dungeon anymore so I felt lonely.」

「Fuh……that gargoyle statue was unscathed. Did you not try to destroy it? 」

「That is Rumani’s work. I couldn’t bear to break it. 」

「……I see.」

……

Ehto…

Sorry for destroying it.

-0-

Gucci: Versa? You mean the devil of my grandfather’s generation?

Dors: The father of the father of the father of my father might know her.

Some of the Civil Servant Girls: You mean the legendary writer who is worshiped as a goddess by some people……do you have any information about her new work? You met her? I envy you!!!