Ch.286The Hideout of the Third Eye Tribe

Day 2 of the wide-area investigation. Since the Gentleman trapped in the Stone House requested a conversation, we moved him a short distance away from the carriage after hiding Iris in the passenger compartment.

“Conditions, you say?”

“Yes. Since you’ve shown good faith by starting to break Svart’s curse, I’d like you to consider my situation a bit as well.”

“We haven’t completely confirmed the curse has been lifted yet… but what are your conditions?”

“Simple. I want you to ask about the Third Eye tribe from someone other than me. I’m not particularly knowledgeable about our race’s history, nor am I in a position to decide what information can be disclosed.”

So he’s saying we should meet with his superiors and negotiate directly.

As long as we can get the information, it doesn’t particularly matter to us who we get it from.

“So, where can we meet this person?”

“Of course, I’ll guide you to the location. With this carriage, we should arrive within a day, but it’s not a place pioneers would easily discover.”

“Hmm… what if we refuse this condition?”

“Then I’ll refuse to provide information and either get shot or burned to ashes. At least I could die as a martyr rather than a traitor to my people.”

The Gentleman spread his arms in a gesture that seemed to say “shoot me if you dare.”

If this isn’t a bluff staked on his life, it means this is as far as he’s willing to compromise.

Conversely, if it is a bluff, there might be a deadly trap or Third Eye assassins waiting at the location he guides us to.

We could finish the wide-area investigation, return to Moon Lake to check on Calliope’s condition, and then decide how to deal with the Gentleman afterward…

‘But it feels wrong to back out after coming this far.’

Having decided to collect information about the Third Eye tribe even at the risk of danger, I didn’t want to stop here.

It seems likely we’ll continue to be involved with ancient beings like the Demon Lord in the future, and I can’t guarantee we’ll have opportunities to gather information each time.

After a brief discussion among party members, we decided to accept the Gentleman’s conditions.

However, we would only move in that direction after completing the wide-area investigation to some extent and purifying the black mana at the Wellord Mine.

Whatever we might encounter at the place the Gentleman would guide us to, I wanted to avoid being pressed by time constraints.

With that decided, the Gentleman behaved quietly in the Stone House until the investigation was complete, and we were able to proceed quickly with the survey using Ancestor’s mobility and Aquila’s vision.

After returning to Wellord Mine to rest and purify the black mana accumulated in our bodies, the carriage finally began to detour around the mountain ridge outside the investigation area, following the Gentleman’s guidance.

“I never thought I’d end up sitting with you on this driver’s seat…”

“The feeling is mutual. Not only am I riding in the same carriage as a human, but I’m leading you to our hideout. Anyone would think I’ve gone mad.”

The reason for having the Gentleman sit beside me was, of course, for navigation.

He couldn’t guide us while trapped in the Stone House since he couldn’t see outside, and he expressed reluctance when we asked him to draw a map to the destination.

The only option left was to lock the front door of the passenger compartment and have me sit with the Gentleman on the driver’s seat.

‘If his attitude suddenly changes, I can easily handle it.’

It was a choice predicated on my Crisis Detection skill activating, but fortunately, the Gentleman didn’t harbor any ill intentions until we reached our destination.

During the journey, we were attacked by four flame-breathing mountain goats—monsters called “Flame Goats” that we had fought once during the Emperor’s Trial—but they were knocked off a steep cliff by Phyllis’s Shockwave Splasher when she burst out through the back door.

Before they could get up and regain their posture, Phyllis and I finished them off cleanly, collecting their horns and hides as trophies.

“Those goats would normally easily dodge bullets and arrows…”

“It’s the difference in skill.”

More precisely, it was thanks to the performance of guns with greatly improved bullet velocity due to Mina’s modifications, but there’s no problem in considering it praise for her skills as a technician.

After that battle, the Gentleman noticeably reduced his talking.

I’m not sure if he was intimidated after seeing us dispatch four Flame Goats so easily, or if he was tense because we were approaching our destination.

I couldn’t read his expression since his face was covered by a mask except for his mouth.

“…Stop.”

The camping carriage, which had been advancing along the winding foothills for quite some time, stopped in front of a narrowing rock crevice at the Gentleman’s instruction.

The width of the rocks was about 1.5 meters.

Ancestor might be able to squeeze through, but it would be impossible for the camping carriage.

“Do we need to go through here? I’d prefer to find a detour where the carriage can pass if possible.”

“No need for a detour. This is our destination.”

After saying that, the Gentleman got off the carriage and gestured for us to follow, so the four of us followed him, leaving Phyllis and Iris in the carriage.

Inside the rock crevice, several layers of thick black curtains were hanging.

The question of why curtains were necessary in a rock crevice where sunlight couldn’t penetrate was answered the moment we lifted the last curtain and looked beyond.

A purple dungeon gate was rippling on the dead-end rock wall inside the crevice.

“This is a dungeon gate, isn’t it?”

“Correct. It’s the perfect place for a race with limited power like ours to hide.”

“Ehh? You live inside a dungeon?”

“This dungeon has an outdoor environment, making it advantageous for securing food. If you secure a suitable safe zone and periodically eliminate the surrounding monsters, it’s surprisingly sustainable. Limited to races with black mana, though.”

Living inside a dungeon, handling food, clothing, and shelter there… it was a surprising concept, but not unfamiliar.

Sam McClain, the owner of the Adventure Log, had also tried to monopolize a dungeon he found by chance and generate continuous income from resources gathered there.

Unfortunately, McClain’s ambition was shattered by the presence of the dangerous Minotaur, but it seems the Third Eye tribe found a better dungeon and successfully settled there.

“Is it okay that such a good hiding place has been revealed to us?”

“To be honest, it stings a bit… but we can’t stay here much longer anyway because of the overflow that happened recently. You came here on some wide-area investigation request, right?”

“That’s true.”

“Of all things, another dungeon had to be so close by, and one that was buried in a landslide and neglected until it burst open, unnecessarily attracting the pioneers’ attention. Talk about bad luck… sigh…”

The Gentleman approached the dungeon entrance with a deep sigh, then turned to us and asked:

“So, what will you do? If you’re uncomfortable following me into the dungeon, you can turn back now. It would be even better if you could forget about this dungeon.”

“Sorry, but that won’t work. However, I will say that if you don’t initiate any hostilities, we have no intention of causing unnecessary friction.”

“That’s right. Whatever your past actions might have been, if the Third Eye tribe as a whole isn’t hostile to pioneers, we have no intention of disclosing this location. Just like with the Water King tribe, the Third Eye tribe and pioneers will need time to slowly get to know each other.”

“…If you say so. I’ll go in first and wait, so quickly gather any luggage you need to bring.”

With those final words, the Gentleman trudged into the gate.

He was completely defenseless, without weapons or combat stance.

It seems the Gentleman wasn’t lying when he said this dungeon was “managed” by the Third Eye tribe.

“Alright, shall we go in too?”

“Will, how about bringing Phyllis and Iris while we’re separated from the Gentleman?”

“Take them to the Third Eye tribe’s hideout? Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”

“He said the inside of this dungeon is an outdoor environment. If we hide Iris in the Stone House and put her in Ancestor’s backpack, I think we could bring her without being discovered.”

“Hmm…”

Indeed, even with Phyllis staying with her, it does feel a bit uneasy to leave just the two of them behind.

I had planned to leave them with the carriage because I thought it would be better than exposing Iris to the Third Eye tribe, but if we can solve that problem, moving together would be best.

Especially if, by any chance, the Third Eye tribe were to attack en masse, Phyllis’s firepower would be crucial.

“OK. Let’s go with Jessica’s suggestion. Mina, can I ask you to do this?”

“Got it. I’ll go get them right away, so just wait a bit.”

The hidden dungeon of the Third Eye tribe rippled gently, waiting for our entry.

It was a moment filled with anticipation, yet also a touch of anxiety, about who we would meet and what we would learn inside.