Episode 10:
Clover's Back in Action!
This feels great!
If you're gonna climb up there, be careful you don't fall.
It's so much fun, too!
I'm so excited to be going to Duna with all of you!
Marina, this isn't a game.
It's a mission.
I know that...
But it's still exciting!
Both the mission to explore a new dungeon
and the two-week journey to Duna!
You guys agree, don't you?
Well, I mean...
To be honest, I'm super hyped!
You think the artifact bazaar will be there?
I'm not sure.
Salmutaria, the nation that borders Duna,
is particularly big on alchemy.
They may be importing the latest artifacts from there.
Really? Now I'm getting kind of excited, too.
Yeah! As long as we're going, let's enjoy it!
A city I've never been to and a new dungeon...
I wonder what's waiting there!
I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths
Duna, the Trade City
Finis, the Adventure City
Duna, the Trade City
Wow, what a lively place!
What's going on?
Yuke, is that a restaurant?
That's... a Salmutarian café, I think.
Wow! What do they serve there?
Well, Salmutaria's specialty would be... let's see...
Three-eyed Frog liver, dripping with blood,
served with Madara Swamp slugs so fresh, they're still squirming...
Ugh...
I'm kidding. It's real, decent food.
Want to go check it out while we're in town?
Yeah! I can't wait!
We'll look for artifacts while we're at it.
Yeah.
Looks like there are a lot of stalls and food places.
They do call this the Trade City.
We might get to try rare foods we've never seen before.
You're quite the gourmand, after all.
I mean, nothing beats good food, right?
There are a lot of adventurers.
Word of the new dungeon must have gotten around.
Looks like there are even some from other countries.
You can tell?
See how some of them are dressed differently?
Those cloaks are Salmutarian attire.
The patterns and colors have meaning.
They tell you what areas and families they come from.
Oh, I get it.
They're really pretty cloaks!
Salmutaria is a nation with very strong feudalistic tendencies,
so hierarchies and lineages are really important to them.
The jobs they're allowed to take depend on their social status,
and it's all managed by individual households.
So those people back there were a family?
They were wearing kilts with the same pattern, so yeah, probably.
Those kilts were so pretty.
I wonder where they sell them...
Could we make things like that for ourselves?
Things like what?
Matching cloaks and armbands and stuff!
That might be a good idea.
Yeah. Matching.
Oh, yeah... Good point.
Something like that might be good to have.
I'll think of something.
Yay!
I look forward to it!
Me, too.
Let's see... Since we have the chance,
I could use alchemy to add some magical effect to them, making them artifacts,
so they'll have a practical use...
Yuke's cooking up some plot again.
Huh? Ah... I couldn't help myself.
I can see the Adventurer's Guild!
Duna Adventurer's Guild
Silk and I will go meet with the guild master.
The rest of you can relax at the pub.
Okay. And...
We'll gather some intel, too!
Right. The rumors and chatter you hear in pubs can be surprisingly useful.
We're on it.
Don't get too carried away.
Well, let's go.
Right.
I'm Guild Master Maniella.
Duna Adventurers' Guild Guild Master Maniella
Good to meet you.
I'm Yuke Feldio, leader of the C-rank party Clover.
I'm its subleader, Silk Amberwood.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
I love to see young people with proper manners.
Got the details of the quest in your heads already?
Benwood has given us the gist of it.
There are a few additional details we'd like to confirm.
What shall we do in the way of mapping the dungeon?
You can if you want, but it's not required for the job.
We'll hear from people who make a living doing that once the event's over.
And regarding any items or monster materials we find...
Generally speaking, they're yours to keep.
But we will check over everything you bring back and put it on a list.
Can't guarantee you won't find anything dangerous, after all.
Hey, now. Don't go shooting appraising looks at your elders.
Are you wondering how I could tell?
Call it the wisdom of old age.
That said, you're correct to be wary of someone you've never met.
Especially when you're leading a bunch of beauties like this around.
I apologize for my rude behavior.
It's all good.
Starting today, we'll be business partners for a while.
We oughta get along, right?
So? When are you going in?
Well...
We'd like to recover from our journey first, then prepare,
and enter the dungeon on the third day.
Good decision.
I can see why you're Benwood's favorites.
Huh?
Benwood and I go way back, you know.
You really don't know who I am?
I used to be a member of Anubis.
What?!
I was the first one to set foot on the deepest level
of Achromatic Darkness, I'll have you know.
In other words, your uncle, Saga, was a buddy of mine.
So let's see what you're made of, Yuke.
P-Please be gentle with me...
Also...
Here.
Your party came here for a mission. Feels wrong to make you hunt for lodging.
I had the guild arrange something for you.
Just follow that map.
Thank you for doing all this.
Thank you!
Were you nervous?
Yes, extremely.
It's just like you to be able to handle a conversation like that so calmly.
I was nervous, too.
Her presence was just overwhelming.
And she even arranged lodging for us.
Since she went to the trouble, we should gratefully accept the offer.
It's a big help since we don't know the city.
I'll only say this one more time: Get out of here!
Right now!
That's it! Fight 'em!
You got this, girlies!
What's going on, Marina?!
Yuke! These guys are...
They're speaking Salmutarian?
They tried to force us to pour their drinks!
Oh...
These women... are my... wives, love... I love them every night.
What did you say?
"They're all my precious family and companions."
I think I got it right...
Aw, it's over already?
Let's get back to drinkin'.
That was a fun little show.
They could've stopped those guys instead of just watching...
Are you all right?
Yeah. They tried to touch my shoulder a little,
but Rain saved me with her magic.
I shouldn't have held back.
Those bastards.
I was this close to slicing their throats.
Those guys should be thanking me, I guess.
Salmutaria is a country where men traditionally dominate women.
In their homeland, women are only allowed
to have children and help with the housework.
They're treated as human property.
That's not right!
It's too weird!
I agree, but that's the kind of country Salmutaria is.
Why did they end up just leaving, then?
That's a good question.
If they saw us as assets, they could have been more aggressive.
In Salmutaria, religious belief and the law are tied together.
There are some very harsh punishments for breaking the law.
Such as?
They're dealt punishment equal to the crime they committed.
If those guys had... sorry to put it this way...
If they'd taken you, my property, away from me,
they couldn't complain if their property was taken from them in the name of their god.
I get it!
So you were asserting your ownership of us?
The nuance isn't quite the same, but yeah.
I only studied Salmutarian once a few years ago,
but since they left, I guess they got the message.
What's up, Marina?
Hey, Yuke! We really should make matching gear!
Then those guys will understand that we belong to you, right?
"Belong" to me?
I get what you're saying,
but I wish you wouldn't phrase it in ways that will cause misunderstandings.
I get it, though. I'll come up with something as soon as I can.
Hey, Yuke, can I say one thing?
What?
Your Salmutarian wasn't quite right.
Huh? Then... what did I say?
Rain?
The Singing Fawn
Hi there!
Welcome to The Singing Fawn!
I'm Fina, the owner.
I'll be taking care of you for the duration of your stay.
I appreciate it.
I'm Yuke Feldio, the leader of Clover.
Yes, I know you.
I'm actually a fan of Clover.
Th-Thank you.
This place is amazing.
The spirits here are incredibly stable.
I feel as if I'm in a forest sanctuary.
I wonder why...
It feels calming somehow.
Doesn't it? I feel like I'm just visiting family!
I'm so happy to hear you say that.
Oh, and all your needs will be covered by the guild,
so you don't need to pay for anything.
Even meals?!
Yes. You're welcome to eat as much as you'd like, Marina.
I saw how you ate in the Achromatic Darkness stream.
I'm so embarrassed!
I gotta make sure Camerat doesn't record me eating anymore...
This inn is reserved for your party's exclusive use during the mission period,
so please make yourselves comfortable.
Although it won't be for very long,
I'll do my best to make this place feel like home.
It's reserved just for us?
Yes.
If you'll pardon my saying so, I assumed you wouldn't want lots of other people around,
so I took the liberty of closing it to the public.
Um... Thank you for that.
I've never been here before, so I did feel a bit concerned.
Allow me to thank you, too.
You can use whichever rooms you like on the second floor.
And...
If you don't mind, I'd like to show you this inn's main attraction.
Main attraction?
Is this... a rooftop garden?
Wait, is this...
a hot spring?!
Yes, it certainly is.
It can relieve your exhaustion, and it's good for your skin, as well.
A hot spring?
So this is one of those?
Nene, what is a hot spring?
Well, um... it's like a bath.
The hot water comes up from underground.
Wouldn't hot water from underground boil you alive?
I guess there are some things even you don't know, huh?
What about the rest of you?
I've never seen one.
Same.
I haven't, either.
In that case, we should all get in together!
Then you won't feel afraid!
Th-This feels so good.
I'm in heaven.
Gosh, did I just say "heaven"?
It just spilled out so naturally.
This is a hot spring! They're the best!
It's pure bliss.
An amazing hot spring followed by a tasty meal...
I wish I could live here forever!
You know we can't do that.
But I understand how you feel.
It soaks into every fiber of your body!
Delicious.
Marina, would you care for seconds?
Yes, please!
Sure!
Day 2
We'll be entering the new dungeon tomorrow,
so we're holding this meeting to go over some things.
The dungeon Clover will be visiting this time
is the new dungeon that's been discovered on the bank of Lake Ryne,
near the trading city of Duna.
The plan is to proceed as we did when we visited Achromatic Darkness.
We'll livestream the quest while attempting to conquer as many floors as possible.
That said, once we get as far as the fifth floor,
chances are good it'll be opened to the public.
So that will be our first goal.
The only information we have now is that the first floor is an underground waterway.
The rest is unknown.
Based on the location,
its monsters are likely to be things like
aquatic species, rats, insects, and slimes.
Also, this will be a race against other parties to determine
who can conquer the dungeon first.
What are the other parties like?
The ones chosen by the kingdom to participate
are Fullbound, a B-rank party from Duna...
Misty, an up-and-coming B-rank party from the capital...
and our party, Clover.
As far as the race is concerned...
I'd like us to proceed without even thinking about it.
You mean we won't actively participate in the race?
Right.
From our perspective, both other parties are more experienced.
If we overreach in an attempt to catch up to them, someone could get hurt.
We just need to be ourselves and do our job like we always do.
Right!
Any questions so far?
Me!
Yes, Marina.
How far are we hoping to get on our first run?
What kind of pace should we take?
We'll prioritize reaching the stairs to the second floor tomorrow,
and do a broad investigation of the first floor along the way.
Broad?
The first five floors need to be investigated before it can be opened to the public,
but we can figure out how expansive and dangerous it is to, some extent,
by how big the first floor is and what monsters are on it.
There may be more than one stairway to the second floor, too,
so we want as much information on the first floor as we can get.
So we should pace ourselves for a long haul!
Once we locate the area where the stairs are,
we'll have time to think about our next steps.
That's why finding the stairs is our top priority.
Right, just like always!
And Nene...
Yes!
I don't think we'll be able to use Wind Priming inside this dungeon.
It's close to a lake, and when there's flowing water nearby, it's less accurate.
Understood.
So I'd like you to handle the advance precautions again.
Roger! Just leave it to me!
I'll nail it!
Good.
So today, focus on making preparations and getting plenty of rest,
so you're ready for tomorrow.
Got it!
Lake Ryne
The big cottage over there is the command center.
People from the Royal Academy are stationed there, too.
I'll be watching from in there while you guys are in the dungeon.
Tablets actually work out here?
Apparently, those scholar types brought some artifact that makes them work.
I don't really get that kinda stuff,
but it sure makes things convenient.
Hey, what's this dungeon called, anyway?
It doesn't have a name yet since we don't know what's in it.
Oh... That's a little inconvenient.
Well, you might turn out to be the adventurers who get to name it.
So do a good job!
Name it?
That's a tremendous honor!
An adventurer couldn't ask for more!
That'd be pretty cool, but we can't push ourselves too hard.
Right!
It's been ages since we were last in a dungeon!
Work hard with Mom and Dad, okay?
I'm a little nervous.
Mr. Feldio, everything's ready.
Okay, then, I'm starting up Camerat now.
Beginning stream.
Long time no see, everyone.
This is Clover.
Hey, it's Clover!
I guess they're finally back!
I've been waiting!
Oh, where are they? What dungeon?
We're here on a mission to check out a new dungeon in Duna!
This is our first quest in some time. We'll do our best.
Apparently, it's been over ten years since a new dungeon was discovered!
Be sure to cheer us on!
Time for the first quest since our comeback.
Let's have fun, but be careful.
Ready, set...
Clover!
The Capital Distorted by the Twilight
Next time, "The Capital Distorted by the Twilight."