episode_0131

The area around the gate was chaotic for a moment. A father screamed, searching for his child, while hunters found themselves in a difficult situation. It was a scene perfect for drawing attention. As the surrounding people watched and murmured, the incident quickly reached its climax and then settled.

“I will refund the deposit. I apologize.” “Wait, I’ll give you more. Stop! Please…” After a long struggle, the hunters left.

“No, Alex…” “Oh dear…!” The man collapsed powerlessly. Those who appeared to be his companions stomped their feet in frustration.

“What are you going to do?” “This looks interesting. Should we talk to them?” The small commotion piqued our curiosity. What could be happening?

—Horn blared! The driver of the car waiting directly behind us honked loudly. The driver’s side window rolled down, and the person inside stuck out an arm, waving it menacingly. “Hey! Aren’t you going in? Hurry up and move your car!” “Alright! I’ll move it right away!” I replied informally, then turned the car around near the entrance and headed for the parking lot. As the car moved, its chained wheels creaked as they rubbed against the ground. The car behind us disappeared beyond the gate.

When I didn’t enter immediately as planned, Irene, who had been quiet in the passenger seat, asked, “What are you going to do?” “I’m curious about their situation!” The moment I saw those people, I felt a strange premonition. A signal that something profitable might be at hand.

The man from earlier sat powerlessly, staring blankly beyond the gate. Some of the men and women around him tried to comfort him. A few people, looking serious, made phone calls somewhere.

“Oh dear… My foolish son… How could this happen…” “Listen, President! I told you not to trust those people. Let’s look elsewhere. Or maybe around here…” “Don’t worry. There will definitely be a way!”

Violet Unit 220 calmly walked over with Irene. I opened my mouth. “Excuse me, I just passed by and saw what happened. What’s going on?” The man in a suit, who had been comforting the collapsed man, turned his head. The slicked-back haired man in the suit frowned when he saw me. “What, are you a student? Kids, don’t get involved and just go.” The man snapped impatiently. I retorted curtly. “We’re hunters. It looks like your contract was canceled. Can we help you?” “What?” The group’s gaze turned towards me. People looked suspicious when they saw Violet Unit 220, who had suddenly spoken to them. Now was the time for Irene to step forward.

“…Please!” “Alright.” Before people could ask more questions, Irene came forward. “Rather than words, it’ll be quicker for you to see for yourselves, won’t it?” She pulled out her clan’s ID card from her pocket and handed it over. The people’s eyes widened.

“H-Helios? Such young kids?” “Is this real?” For a brief moment, I saw a flicker of light return to the man’s eyes. The murmuring words of his companions seemed to reach the ears of the man who had been staring blankly at the gate. The man staggered to his feet, took the card from his companions, and examined it.

“Hmm… It seems real enough for now…” “Then, may I ask what the situation is?” The middle-aged man stared at us with wavering eyes, then let out a long, deep sigh. Soon, as if he had made a decision, he closed his eyes deeply and opened them again. “Well, since it’s come to this, I guess there’s nothing to lose… You said you were hunters. Is it just you and the young lady?” “No, there are four more!” I pointed behind me. The other team members, wearing the masks I had provided, were waiting by the car.

“Alright, let’s sit down and talk first.” When the man’s companions seemed untrusting and were about to say something, he raised his arm to stop them. Violet Unit 220 and the five team members headed to the waiting room near the gate with the group of middle-aged men and women.

Inside the waiting room, there was a small makeshift restaurant, vending machines, and an information desk. Long tables and chairs stretched throughout the interior. “It’s morning, but there are a lot of people.” Inside, people armed with various weapons were eating or chatting. There are many such facilities around large dungeons. If you compare it to a fantasy game, it’s like an adventurer’s guild hall. Several large TV monitors hung on one wall. The interior design reminded me of a food court.

[Request #13: Please find lost equipment in Area A-1. Blue longsword!] [Request #26: Please capture one Ice Skullkit alive.] [Request #31: Anyone available to deliver ammunition to Area B-3?] Of course, this was a waiting area for hunters. The difference was that the TV screens displayed requests instead of waiting numbers. Most were simple requests or errands among hunters.

As the middle-aged man in the suit sat down, the hunters briefly turned their heads to look at him. Was it because of the commotion earlier? A few people slowly approached. The man immediately began speaking. “The situation is urgent, so I’ll get straight to the point. My son and his friends are missing. Please help us.”

***

The request from the middle-aged man and his group was simple. “They want us to rescue some immature academy students.” The detailed situation, learned through a few questions, was as follows.

The man before us, Wembly Kessler, was the president of a business specializing in dungeon artifact trading. He was a non-Awakened, and he had one son. “Alex always admired dungeon exploration and adventure since he was little. My business was related to that, so he was often exposed to it and familiar with it.” When he became a teenager, President Kessler’s son, Alex, awakened one day. His son, who admired hunters and adventures, was overjoyed. The dream of becoming a hunter and exploring dungeons was now within reach. Alex, a budding hunter, worked hard and eventually enrolled in an Awakened Academy.

“Yes, he’s a student at Aegis Academy, that prestigious school!” “Ah… Alex! If only I had known this would happen, I would never have sent him…” While the father reminisced sadly, the woman, who was Alex’s mother, sniffled beside him.

“The problem is… my son started acting strange one day.” Unfortunately, this immature son, who had enrolled in Aegis Academy, developed an already considerable ego to an uncontrollable degree. One day, fueled by overflowing youthful vigor and the power of an Awakened, his son began causing minor and major troubles, causing his parents much grief. Finally, four days ago, Alex disappeared, leaving only a note on his desk.

“This is the note.” The bold first-year Aegis Academy student’s note read: [Dad, I’m going to find the Holy Grail!]

“The Holy Grail?” “In the dungeon artifact industry, there’s a rumor. It’s said there’s an artifact that grants invincible power if used, and that artifact is buried deep within a high-difficulty dungeon.” Even Wembly himself let out a hollow laugh, as if his own words were absurd.

“But this is just an urban legend among us. If there was really a possibility of such a thing, the clans would have already launched expeditions.” I could sympathize with Wembly’s feelings. The Pastella Snowfield doesn’t have artifacts with such powers. They were barking up the wrong tree. Yes, it would have been better if he had disappeared alone. A bigger problem remained: four friends he had made at the academy had followed him on his reckless journey.

“Our Yuri is in there too!” “Lucy is in there too! Why on earth did they follow him…?” Wembly’s companions, overcome with emotion, spoke one by one without being asked. Indeed, the group consisted of parents of the immature academy students.

“Aegis Academy? Is there an Alex among the people we know?” “Not at all! Definitely not a playable character.”

“We contacted the police and hired people to search. The last place my son and his friends were sighted was here. We confirmed it with the checkpoint’s CCTV and the guard on duty at the time.” The man handed over a photo. It showed a green-haired boy smiling broadly.

“We made a contract with a specialized search clan, but they came all the way to the gate and refused, saying it was impossible.” Wembly glanced at me, then quickly scanned his surroundings. Besides our team, there were other hunters gathered to listen to the story.

“It’s only been three days. I’m not a hunter, but I’ve heard things. There’s a high chance my son is still alive in there! Please save him. I’ll give you anything!” “The important thing is the deposit. How much will you give?” When a hunter asked, Wembly stood up abruptly and stated a large number. Everyone present was startled. The number of zeros was different. According to the explanation, it was money pooled by all the parents. They must all be wealthy.

Perhaps it was the amount exceeding tens of millions of credits that ignited their passion, but the surrounding hunters’ eyes lit up, and they pressed the man. “Alright, we’ll do it immediately. Is there any more specific information?” “…Fortunately, we found the last known location of boys and girls matching their description from another hunter within the dungeon. That place is…” One of the companions quickly pulled a tablet from her handbag and turned on the screen. A finger landed somewhere in the middle of the dungeon map.

“…The Stigma Mountain Range.” The expressions of the male and female hunters who had been listening completely changed. One by one, they shook their heads. “Oh dear, that’s impossible.” “Too bad. That’s a dangerous area in this dungeon, especially in this situation.” Sensing the changed atmosphere, Wembly desperately pleaded with the people.

“I’ll give you more if needed! Isn’t it possible if we gather enough people somehow?” A bearded hunter shook his head. “Even focusing solely on searching would take a long time, and purely based on area, you’d need at least two full companies of armed personnel. However, right now, the magical energy inside the dungeon is acting more unstable than usual. The magical beasts inside become more aggressive than normal. The weather will become erratic, and hundreds to thousands of magical beasts are waiting. Intermediate and advanced magical beasts will also be swarming. There’s really nothing more to say.” The hunters, who had flocked with hopes of striking it rich, dispersed in an instant. Only our team remained before the desperate parents.

“Mister, you’re giving all that money to us, right?” “Yes, I’ll give you more if needed.” I cleared my throat. It was time to get down to business.

“Um, mister. I hate to say this, but they might not be alive. Is that okay?” “What? What?! Shut up! No, that can’t be…” A woman, who seemed to be a friend’s mother, cried out violently and flew into a rage, while the surrounding companions calmed her down.

“I apologize. Everyone is distraught, that’s why they’re like this. Please try to understand, young friends…” President Wembly hesitated, as if he didn’t even want to imagine the worst. After a long pause, he finally opened his mouth and answered. “…Yes, I am prepared. Please help them at least return to their families…!” “Okay, I got it!” I pulled out a contract. Why wouldn’t I do it if they were offering money?

As if God himself had made arrangements, the Aether Emitter was located near the last reported sighting of the children. “What’s the maximum number we can summon right now?” “If we push ourselves by using extra magical energy, we can get about two and a half companies.” I recalled what one of the hunters had said. They said two companies were needed, right? Then, we just need to mobilize that many people.

“Oh, and mister. Besides the money, activity expenses are separate. We’ll need to rent some equipment. Can you help us with that?” “If it’s a valid reason, I can pay, but equipment…?” I pointed outside the waiting room. Large and small snow vehicles with clan marks lined the parking lot. I’d wanted to ride one, and now was a good chance to at least borrow one.

Thirty minutes later, another truck approached the checkpoint. Having already contacted them, it passed inspection. The Violets sitting in the truck disembarked and began boarding the snow vehicles. “Those—those people, where on earth did they come from…?” “I told you, we’d find them. Don’t forget to pay!” Leaving the dumbfounded parents behind, the Violet unit crossed the gate.

***

The moment we crossed the gate, we were hit by the cold, an intense cold. Once we moved a bit further from the entrance, we were in a situation where we didn’t need to worry about others’ gazes. The Violets multiplied as needed.

“Everyone, change! You have your winter combat uniforms or cold-weather gear from yesterday, right? Put them on quickly!” My friends fumbled in the biting cold that seeped in even through the gaps in the doors. It was a cold beyond imagination. While preparing to depart around the gate, the Violets set up a company headquarters instead of their usual temporary command post and began planning the operation.

“This operation absolutely needs air support!” The weather inside the dungeon was still calm. It was cold, but there was no wind. The Violets took out parts from their inventory and quickly began assembling them. They had assembled them many times before, so it wasn’t difficult.

“Units 1 through 6, simultaneous launch!” “Guys! Pull!” As soon as the assembly was finished, the engines started, and several Violets simultaneously pulled the ropes connected to the powered hang gliders. Six hang gliders soared into the sky.

“Good heavens, what are all those?” “They’re our air force!” I boasted about our air force to my surprised friends who saw the Violet flight squadron. Our proud strength that protects the skies! We intended to use these to search for traces of the missing. Of course, their high position would also be great for smashing enemies.

After the hang gliders took off, several snow vehicles furiously raced across the vast snowy plain a short while later. Currently, we had leased 12 vehicles: 10 motorcycle-type snowmobiles, one medium snow vehicle, and finally, a heavy armored snow vehicle.

“Advance, advance!” The Violet mobile unit began its operation.