Akatsuki Translations

“The Great Dungeon Keika”, located between the Dungeon City of Sin, Greed and it’s satellite city, Coulo. 

Within the Great Dungeon managed by the moneylender guild, “Golden Phoenix ・ Greed Branch”, who acquired the management rights from the Dungeon City of Sin, Greed, excavation of large amounts of magic stones was carried out day and night. 

The dangerous excavation work of the magic stones, where debtors who were overwhelmed by debt were exploited like slaves, had been remarkably successful. Of course, it was the debtors’ own fault for getting into debt, but what they were doing was a severe violation of human rights. 

However, this place is outside the city. And those being used are not citizens of the city, but rather “Nameless” who have no right to permanent residence in the city. It is highly unlikely that anyone from the city would bother to come out here to protect the rights of the “Nameless” who resided outside the city. 

For the hobbit administrator, Zaza, this place was like a field that produced unlimited money. 

Or so it should have been. 

“What business do you have here?” -Zaza 

Currently, Zaza was cornered. 

In front of him were members of the audit department of the “Golden Phoenix ・ Head Office”. They appeared suddenly without an appointment, causing Zaza to break out in a cold sweat while forcing a strained smile. 

Why did they come here? 

He had an idea. A pretty good idea. That’s why he was cornered. 

“Y-Yes, indeed, this dungeon mine utilizes the Nameless to excavate the magic stones, but we are conducting it under a formal contract.” -Zaza 

“If there is no illegality regarding employment conditions, we have no intention of interfering.” -Golden Phoenix Member 

The man with a shaven head sitting in front calmly responded to Zaza’s rapid explanation. It was hard to say that he was very friendly, and Zaza was taken aback by his intimidating presence. 

“W-Well, of course! It is based on the laws of the “Grand Federation”! Besides, all the people working here are worthless scum who couldn’t repay their debts properly.” -Zaza 

“The problem lies in the amount of magic stone mined, the amount of goods liquidated, and other such ‘records’.” -Golden Phoenix Member 

Casually, he glanced through the ledger spread out in front of him. Zaza’s cold sweat increased. 

“There seems to be quite a discrepancy between the reported numbers and the actual numbers.” -Golden Phoenix Member 

“Well, um…” -Zaza 

Zaza knew that all his fraudulent activities had been exposed, and his face turned pale. 

Zaza, who had been ordered to manage the dungeon outside the city, complained to those around him about the pain of being entrusted with dangerous work, but in his heart, he secretly rejoiced. The world outside the city, beyond the “Barrier of the Sun”, was a place where various monsters overflowed from the dungeons that pierced the earth, and it was not a place for humans to live. However, precisely because of that, it was easy to circumvent the law. 

After all, there were few eyes watching. Once he established a base and became its manager, Zaza was the king of that place. It was from then on that he began to use the Nameless like slaves. 

Even the “Priests” of the temple who ruled the city couldn’t behave as freely as Zaza, and he took delight in that fact. 

Until today. 

The man stood up and placed his hand on Zaza’s shoulder. The man’s hand felt considerably large and heavy, and not just because Zaza was a hobbit and the man was an ordinary person, but for some other reason. 

“It must be quite challenging to manage the dungeons outside the city’s ‘Human Survival Zone.’ Governing such a place is no easy task. I can imagine the daily risks and the mental strain it entails,” -Golden Phoenix Member 

“Y-Yes! Yes!! It is indeed! It’s so… so incredibly tough!” -Zaza  

“That’s why our guild leader provides significant rewards. And he is willing to forgive certain… oversights. They work, facing various dangers. The guild leader understands that even the slightest mistake can happen, and there’s nothing to be done about it” -Golden Phoenix Member 

“I-I’m truly grateful! Thank you so much!” -Zaza 

“However,” -Golden Phoenix Member 

As the man’s hand on his shoulder tightened, Zaza felt a surge of strength. His shoulder creaked under the pressure. 

“But there are limits to everything. Do you understand?” -Golden Phoenix Member 

Zaza recalled the stories of the “audit division” of the moneylender guild for adventures, the Golden Phoenix, who were known to collect appropriate amounts of money and interest from many rough and unreliable adventurers, notable for being dangerous among even the rest of the guild.  Certain individuals had even been decapitated by the division, as the rumors went. And now, he realized that the truth of those rumors may be confirmed here. 

“P-Please, wait!!! There’s something I want to give you!” Zaza shouted. It was an overt bribe proposal, an act of begging for his life with no room for negotiation. He had learned the tricks of the trade and accumulated experience to handle such situations, but in the face of imminent danger, all that experience seemed futile. 

“If it’s money or something similar, it’s unnecessary. We have enough of that,” the Golden Phoenix member dismissed him promptly, as expected. From their standpoint, such bribery proposals must have become tiresome. His frozen eyes showed no signs of wavering. 

“It’s different! It’s something else I want to give you!” -Zaza 

But Zaza still had an ace up his sleeve. Miraculously, he had stumbled upon this card in his possession. By chance, a foolish adventurer-wannabe had offered his “daughter” as collateral for his debts, completely unaware of her rarity and value. 

“It’s a young girl who’s “Spirit-bound”!!!” -Zaza  

The Golden Phoenix member, unexpectedly, seemed taken aback by Zaza’s words. His hand on Zaza’s shoulder loosened involuntarily. Silence engulfed the room, and Zaza sweated profusely, uncertain if he had managed to save himself. 

“Really?”  

Breaking the silence, a voice came not from Zaza or the Golden Phoenix member. 

It was a beautiful girl with short, neatly trimmed golden hair. She had spoken out. When the auditors entered the office, she had accompanied them but remained uninvolved in Zaza’s interrogation, gazing out of the window at the scenery of dungeon prospection. Zaza hadn’t paid much attention to her, as he had no capacity to do so at the time. 

Now, for the first time, the girl shifted her gaze toward Zaza as she spoke. Her eyes, the same color as her hair, locked onto Zaza’s. Instantly, Zaza felt an odd pressure in his chest, stronger than the one he felt when the male auditor exerted his influence—a much more powerful pressure. 

Gracefully, the girl approached. The other member stepped back, clearing the way for her, and bowed his head. It was only then that Zaza finally understood. 

The man in front of him was not the ruler of this place. It was this girl. 

“I would like to hear more about this young girl who’s been “Spirit-bound”,” the beautiful girl said, her lips tinted with a hint of crimson, forming a smile. 

　　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ 

Meanwhile, deep within the small dungeon… 

“Oh no, I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die! This ain’t good at all!!”  

“BUMOOOOOOOOO!!!”  

Ur was in mortal danger. Having discovered the Great Tusked Boar, he initially attempted to only steal the “True Magic Core”. It was only natural for everyone to think that avoiding as much danger as possible was the best course of action. Ur certainly thought so too and decided to give it a try. 

“MOOOOOOOO!!!”  

It was a bust.  

The” True Magic Core” was the heart of the “Ruler” and, by extension, the dungeon. No one would simply allow their heart to be stolen. As a result, as Ur approached the magic stone, the Great Boar charged at him. Ur was now being chased and on the verge of death. 

“Shiiitttt!!”  

Ur ran and jumped. Fortunately, the dilapidated state of the chamber along with the limited mobility of the Great Boar worked in his favor. If the chamber had been clear of obstacles, Ur would have been trampled and turned into minced meat. 

“What should I do…!!”  

He looked at the spear he held in his right hand. Should he swing it? No, that wouldn’t work. It would undoubtedly break instantly. It was useless in this situation. Was there any other way to overcome this predicament? What about tools…? 

At the corner of Ur’s vision, he saw the “True Magic Core” 

That was the core of the dungeon. Was the Ruler trying to protect it? If so, could it serve as a shield? 

Following his instincts, Ur took action. 

“GUMOOOOOOOO!!!”  

The boar let out a roar, charging at him. Ur desperately moved his feet and ran away. He headed toward the pedestal where the True Magic Core was placed, climbed onto it, and maneuvered around it, using it as a shield. The boar shouldn’t be able to attack what it was supposed to protect, or so he thought… 

“What…?! What the hell?!” 

“MOO!?” 

The reason for Ur’s surprise was right in front of him. 

The brilliance of the True Magic Core grew stronger. The already dazzling violet-blue radiance intensified, filling the entire room. Ur couldn’t understand what was happening. But it seemed that the Great Boar was equally perplexed. It stopped its charge and backed away. 

And then, before Ur’s astonished eyes, a crack appeared in the massive True Magic Core. 

“Hah?” 

The crack quickly spread, and, after a moment’s pause, it exploded. 

“Buhaaah!” 

The force of the explosion sent Ur flying. It felt like being hit head-on by a gust of wind, propelling his small body into the air. He desperately reached out and grabbed onto something. 

It was soft and large. 

“Ga-!!” 

Immediately after, he fell backward onto the ground. The impact on his back made it hard to breathe for a moment. Enduring the pain in his back, Ur opened his eyes to assess the chaotic situation. 

In front of him, there was a woman’s bosom. 

A completely naked, silver-haired beauty straddled Ur, wearing a smile. 

“Ara, nice to meet you.” 

“Naked!!!” 

Utterly confused, Ur shouted aloud, describing the scene before him.