Akatsuki Translations

From the grand chamber of the dungeon, dozens of adventurers scattered in all directions. 

In the dungeon, as the number of people increased, so did the resistance of the dungeon and the appearance of monsters. When parties clashed, it was common sense, at least in the Dungeon of Greed, to quickly create distance from them. 

However, in this particular case, it was more accurate to say that they had split up to outshine their rivals. It was impossible to outpace their competitors by running side by side. 

Nevertheless, even if they scattered in such a way, it didn’t mean that monsters wouldn’t appear. The dungeon, activated by the overwhelming number of explorers, resisted and generated monsters to attack the intruders. 

『GYIIII!!! 』 

Before the adventurers who had just leaped forward, goblins, giant lizards, demonic spirits, and two-headed serpents appeared. Even though this was the upper level, these were not monsters that one could underestimate. 

However, to the energetic adventurers at this moment, they were mere obstacles, unworthy of their attention. 

“Uraaahh! Fuck off! We ain’t got time to deal with you!”  

“Where the hell’s tha’ crystal golem?” 

『GYAAA?! 』 

All the participants in the subjugation festival were vigorously dispersing the monsters. They brimmed with liveliness and fervor, channeling a different kind of energy than usual. However, this energy was akin to the heat of the festival, a temporary surge. It was understood that exerting more power than usual would inevitably lead to injury. 

“GAAAA!!” 

“Ahhhh! My arm! My arm!” 

“SHIT! Die! Die!” 

There were serious injuries and fatalities during this subjugation festival. 

“Those injured or wishing to withdraw, please come this way!” 

“We will safely escort you out of the dungeon!” 

That’s why the supporters who watched them from a distance had a purpose. Their abilities were several levels higher than the participants, and they skillfully attended to the injured adventurers. Many of them possessed rings, and there were a few silver-rank individuals among them. 

Silver-ranked who possessed true strength. Among them were those with the power to defeat the crystal golem. However, the subjugation festival was primarily a celebration for lower-ranked adventurers, so they refrained from participating. If exceptional individuals ventured into a nest of fledglings, the only reward they would receive would be disdain, and even the bounty would be too meager a price for compromising their reputation. 

For silver-ranked individuals, it was more beneficial to earn the trust of the Adventurers’ Guild as supporters rather than participating haphazardly. Of course, considering the usual earnings of silver-ranked adventurers, goodwill played a significant role. 

“U-Uraaahh! Get yer hands off me! I can still fight!!!!”  

“You’re just high on adrenaline; your arm is about to fall off! Get some rest!” 

Tana, a healing mage, struck with full force to knock down the injured person who tried to get up. She was one of the healers who provided support like the others. 

The exploration of the middle-floors with the party she belonged to had just concluded, leaving them with an extended period of leisure. It was during this time of idleness that a call came from the Adventurer’s Guild. While she wouldn’t be directly participating, Tana had previously joined as a supporter once, and thus she agreed to the request. 

“There are quite a lot of injured people.”  

Another healing mage, who provided support like Tana, grumbled. However, unlike her, the man was neither a silver-rank nor a ring-holder. He was a support member earning pocket money. Although he was currently working under Tana’s command, this was his first subjugation festival, and he seemed tired of the number of injured individuals. 

“Once they engage with the crystal golem, it will be much worse. Let’s take care of those we can handle now.” -Tana 

The man grimaced in response to her advice. 

“Can’t someone amazing just come ‘n wipe out the crystal golem in one go?” -Male Healer 

“You shouldn’t have such expectations.” -Tana 

Tana reflected on the subjugation festivals she had experience in the past. Although it was not an event that occurred frequently, everyone put their heart and soul into it precisely because it was a rare opportunity. And because of that… 

“Amidst this crowd of hot-heads, it’s inevitable for even the composed ones to resort to unconventional means. That’s what the subjugation festival is all about.” -Tana 

In essence, nobody knew what would happen. 

　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

Now, the setting has changed slightly. While many adventurers were running around the dungeon in search of the crystal golem, the five-member group known as the “Red Ogre” who knew the whereabouts of the crystal golems hurriedly made their way to their destination, away from the hustle and bustle. 

Naturally, monsters appeared along the way, and like others, they also experienced fatigue. However, they remained calm and composed in dealing with them. 

Of course, they knew where the crystal golem was located. There was no need for unnecessary battles. Just being able to go straight to their destination without any hindrances made a significant difference in their energy levels. 

“Haha! Those suckers must be running around aimlessly!” 

“We’re favored by the goddess of victory! Or perhaps, by a demon!” 

The information brought by a girl named Shizuku was like a stroke of luck for them. The weakness of the crystal golem was an invaluable piece of information. They had their sights set on the crystal golem and the bounty associated with it. They made efforts to gather information about its weakness but couldn’t find anything substantial. 

That was natural, it was information about a bounty after all. If they emerged victorious, they would receive a huge reward. Even if they knew something, they wouldn’t readily disclose it without offering an appropriate sum of money. 

The “Red Ogre” realized that she, Shizuku, and that boy realized had discovered something about the crystal golem just before the start of the tournament. A few days prior, the Red Ogre noticed their presence, entering and leaving Greed during the late hours of the night. They seized the opportunity when Shizuku was alone and confronted her. 

　―――This is information that determines our fate. We can’t simply give it away. 

Though surrounded by several people and appearing frightened, she refused to divulge any information, even under threat of violence. She remained resolute even when struck, not revealing the slightest hint. She proposed a negotiation. She wouldn’t hand it over for free, drawing a firm line. 

She demanded a single gold coin, and when Red Ogre heard the amount, they put on a stern face on the surface but couldn’t help but smirk internally. One gold coin was certainly a large sum, but considering it was for information on defeating the bounty target, the crystal golem, the price was quite reasonable. Depending on the importance, it was not uncommon to demand 20% or even 30% of the bounty. 

She was unaware of this fact. She was an amateur. 

Forcing her to reveal the information through violence was an option, but that would attract unwanted attention from the guild. In that case, it was more beneficial to let this fool hold a small amount of money. 

The deal was struck. With a single gold coin, they acquired not only knowledge of the crystal golem’s weakness, but even how to defeat crystal golems in general. It was a remarkably cheap purchase. 

“Oi, it’s ‘bout time. You guys wait here.” 

With those words, two out of the five, Legoh and Grogg, remained in the corridor. The reason for their stay was simple: to keep an eye on others who might know about this information, in other words, to be cautious of her. 

“I god it but… but whatta bout da oduhz? ‘Dey comin’?” -Grogg 

“She made sure to emphasize that, didn’t she? That girl. She was desperate, you know.” -Legoh 

Yes, they had made it clear. She had pleaded desperately, on the verge of tears. Despite snickering at her distress, they had agreed to her request. Of course, they had no intention of allowing her to defeat the crystal golem. That’s why they were on guard. 

If by any chance, she came towards them, they would stop her. 

“However, do you think she’ll come straight at us? Even if she’s still after the crystal golem, she must know that she’ll be delayed, right?” -Legoh 

“…Ah.” -Grogg 

Grogg sensed a presence and looked ahead. A figure was approaching from the corridor, illuminated by an eerie light. 

“Dey’re here.” -Grogg 

“What an idiot.” -Legoh 

Legoh laughed heartily and stood side by side with Grogg, readying their weapons. 

This was the dungeon. Conflicts between adventurers inside the dungeon were strictly prohibited, “in principle.” However, during the festival, aggressive confrontations between adventurers were encouraged. Killing someone would be a problem, but causing interference wouldn’t be heavily criticized. 

She was still an amateur, having entered the dungeon less than a month ago. Just surrounding and intimidating her would make her cower in fear. This alone conveyed enough elements to underestimate her. 

“Stop right there. This area is off-limits.” -Legoh 

“If ya’ don’t wanna git a beatin’, git lost!” -Grogg 

They brandished their weapons and issued a loud warning. It was that girl, Shizuku, and her partner, a boy named Ur, who had remained together without any signs of a falling out. 

They thought the boy would abandon the girl after being betrayed, but well, that didn’t matter. 

What they needed to be cautious of was that the numbers had become even. At that moment, the two from the Red Ogre increased their vigilance. They had thought they would be able to frighten the girl with their numerical advantage. Moreover, that pair completely disregarded their warning and charged fearlessly, showing no signs of intimidation. That heightened their wariness. 

“I said this area’s off limit, dammit!!” -Legoh 

Legoh swung the large sword he held in his hand, sheath and all. At that moment, both individuals stopped in their tracks. Despite their current lackluster state, never having reached silver-rank, they were people who had spent years exploring the dungeon. They weren’t foolish enough to not understand what would happen if they engaged in a serious fight. 

With the boy and girl now temporarily stopped, pressured by the momentum, Grogg reaffirmed their warning. 

“Lisen cloze! If ya’ come any cloza’, Ya’ dead meat!! Ya’ prepared for dat?!” -Grogg 

“I must admit, I’m not prepared to be killed.” -Ur 

The boy spoke up, breaking the silence. Unlike Shizuku, he showed no signs of fear. His gaze was focused and determined. Grogg’s wariness grew stronger. While he wasn’t particularly bright, he knew better than to underestimate someone with eyes as sharp as this young boy’s. 

Those eyes were filled with determination. It was impossible to predict what he would do. 

“You have more experience than us. If we were to fight, it wouldn’t end well for either side. In the meantime, your comrades will take care of the crystal golem.” -Ur 

“Yeah, that’s right! So–” -Legoh 

“However,” -Ur 

The boy suddenly averted his gaze from Lego Grogg, continuing to speak. 

“Is it just us you should be concerned about?” -Ur 

In the next moment, a multitude of adventurers burst forth from behind Ur and Shizuku.