Side Story 2 – Undersea Dungeon 02

Silent Sea, a creature claiming to be the kin of Leviathan, began explaining the details of the request.

「As servants to the divine beast of the seas, we are tasked with maintaining order throughout our waters.」

「Order?」

「Woof?」

「Indeed, our job is to protect and uphold the order of the sea as decreed by the gods. At times, we deploy to exterminate the spawn of the Evil God. At others, we punish humans for polluting, or claiming ownership over our waters.」

Fran and Urushi didn’t seem very familiar with the concept of polluting the ocean, but I certainly did. This was a pretty serious issue back on Earth.

The gods of this world apparently originated from Earth, so when they made this world, they probably created servants like this guy to address Earth’s problems.

I’ve heard legends about Leviathan wiping countries off the map. Maybe that was because they violated divine decree.

「We are also charged with handling dangerous dungeons, like the one I am asking you to help with.」

「Dangerous?」

「Dungeon stampedes sometimes result in massive damage to the ocean. However, the main problem in this case is that a powerful fiend managed to become Dungeon Master. If this dungeon is allowed to grow, it may become a threat to the world at large.」

「I see. But can’t Leviathan handle it alone?」

Good question. Leviathan is an enormous divine beast with the power to annihilate entire nations. Do they really need Fran’s help?

We’ve seen Leviathan’s ridiculous swimming speed before. They should be able to reach anywhere in the ocean in no time at all.

But after listening to Silent Sea’s explanation, we learned that the dungeon appeared in shallow waters, making it difficult for Leviathan to approach.

On top of that, the interior was extremely narrow and filled with traps, so Leviathan’s subordinates had trouble navigating it.

「We would normally ask the merfolk adventurers for help, but…」

Merfolk were essentially the fish-version of beastkin. They have the appearance of mermaids, with the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish. They need magic to survive on land since they breathe through their gills, so we’ve never actually met one yet.

「We cannot rely on their assistance this time.」

「Why not?」

「One of their undersea cities is in the middle of a crisis. The large dungeon nearby had a stampede, so merfolk adventurers around the world have gathered to assist with the defense effort.」

I guess it makes sense for the merfolk to prioritize the defense of their cities.

「Can’t Leviathan help the merfolk first, then ask for their help?」

「No. We only intervene when the order of the sea is at risk. The situation with the merfolk is not severe enough to qualify.」

In this world, dungeons are considered a natural part of the system. For the most part, stampedes are not the result of some evil scheme. They’re more like natural disasters, similar to typhoons or earthquakes.

Even if countless people suffer as a result, Leviathan will not come to their aid. From the perspective of a divine beast, there is nothing wrong with a Dungeon Master performing their job.

「Since Leviathan-sama and the merfolk cannot help us, we headed out to search for someone who can. That is when I found you.」

「I see.」

「Of course, this will be a formal request submitted to the Adventurers Guild, with Leviathan-sama as the client. I assure you that you will be given a proper reward upon completion. If you are not interested in gold, we have treasures as well.」

「Oooh…」

After listening to Silent Sea’s explanation, Fran had “I want to see this dungeon” practically written on her face.

（Master!）

『Uh… Leviathan’s subordinates gave up on this dungeon and had to ask for outside help. You understand how dangerous this is, right?』

（I still want to go!）

Fran looked incredibly serious. Her motivation seemed to be more than simple curiosity about the dungeon.

（I became a Rank S adventurer thanks to you, but I’m still weak. And if I want to get stronger, I need to train. More than anything, this request feels worthy of Rank S.）

It’s true, Fran had yet to take any high-difficulty requests. Trouble that needs a Rank S adventurer is extremely rare in the first place.

That’s usually the kind of stuff that threatens the entire world, or at least a continent.

Rank S is the dream of adventurers everywhere, but at the same time, it’s also a restraint. Powerful individuals are given status and responsibility to prevent them from going rogue.

Fran had been fired up after reaching Rank S, only to be disappointed when she couldn’t fulfill her responsibility. There was a complete lack of Rank S requests.

And now, at long last, one finally showed up. A request from a divine beast to take on a difficult dungeon. If that’s not Rank S, then what is?

I can understand why Fran is so excited.

『Well, I guess it is a request from Leviathan. We kinda owe him one.』

（Then let’s do it!）

『Yeah! Let’s take care of this dungeon and snag the reward!』

「Nn!」

「Woof!」

Fran turned to Silent Sea with a determined expression.

「I, Fran the Rank S adventurer, accept your request!」

「Woof woof!」

「W-Wait. Rank S? Y-You say you’re a Rank S adventurer?!」

「…? You didn’t know?」

「Woof?」

Huh? Is that not why they came to us? Now that I think about it, Silent Sea only mentioned sensing the power of a divine beast. They never said anything about our rank or divine sword.

「We cooperate with the Adventurers Guild during times of emergency, but we do not maintain regular contact. I reached out to you because I sensed the power of a divine beast.」

「Okay, then I’ll introduce myself. I’m Fran the black cat. This is my divine sword and the reason I became a Rank S adventurer! And this is Urushi.」

「Woof!」

「W-What?! A-A divine sword?!」

They didn’t know about me either? I guess Silent Sea really did approach us after sensing the presence of Fenrir-san inside me.

Fine by me. I’ll introduce myself too!

『Yo! I’m Master! Fran’s divine sword! Nice to meet ya!』

「T-The sword is talking?!」

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