Chapter 55
The unfamiliar woman they met in the city had offered to guide them.
There was no particular reason to refuse.
The two elves followed her through the village.
“If you plan to stay longer than a year, you’ll need to meet the city administrator. If it’s only for a few months, find somewhere offering long-term lodging. All three inns I showed you earlier have plenty of long-term residents.”
She brought them to lodging facilities, several restaurants, and entertainment taverns while explaining various things.
“Most of the employees are Derhai, so these places are mainly used by races who prefer them. I heard other districts have some elf employees as well, but I don’t believe that applies to Devermos.”
For someone who claimed to have lived there only a few months, she knew an unusually large amount.
Still, Albern decided it did not matter.
They could simply ignore irrelevant information.
The last place she introduced was a religious facility.
“The entire Underground City offers religious freedom. You can worship any god you want. You can even choose not to worship anyone. That kind of benefit is uncommon anywhere in the Dungeon.”
“That certainly is... unusual. The Old Ones gain influence through faith, so I doubt they’re pleased about it.”
“That only proves how merciful they are.”
The moment Asenas stopped in front of a religious facility serving the Dagon Cult, her expression changed.
She looked almost intoxicated.
“The real problem is that there are still far too many idiots who fail to understand the overflowing mercy of those great beings and continue making foolish choices...”
“......”
A second later, her bright smile returned.
But Aren had seen it clearly.
A burst of anger born from fanaticism.
Then the effort to suppress it beneath calmness.
By the time the tour was nearly over, the district had grown quite dark.
Asenas suggested they stay at the same inn as her.
Aren strongly refused.
Because of that, Albern had no choice but to decline as well.
“Thank you for your kindness.”
“Hehe. Not at all. If we meet again, I hope we can become good friends, handsome elves.”
She maintained her elegant posture and cheerful smile until the very end.
Then she snapped her fingers.
Her body vanished and reappeared on the rooftop of the inn where she stayed.
A faint fishy trace of mana spread through the air.
Asenas looked down with a cold expression at the two elves moving toward the manhole leading to the Burrow Well.
“What a shame. I wanted to show you much more of this village.”
She touched the skin on her face.
Cracks began spreading across it.
She smiled wickedly.
“Using your bodies, of course.”
“One of those brats seems to have good instincts... I should remove him beforehand if possible.”
Her smile widened.
“For the great Holy War that will soon begin.”
Before long, her lips began murmuring profane words of worship toward Father Dagon.
The next day.
The efforts of Team 44, consisting of Danforth, Frank, and Dexter, finally produced results.
“Captain! I think I found it! A weapons warehouse!”
More precisely...
It might have produced results.
The wooden building was not far from the central plaza of Devermos.
Several larger buildings blocked it from both directions.
It could only be seen from the far end of an alley.
That was why they had discovered it so late.
“A suspicious number of people are going in and out. Everyone is carrying something. Their bodies are completely covered, and their height matches the Derhai average.”
“Hmm...”
“If we could bribe even one of them, we might learn something. Is there any way?”
“We’ll have to take the risk. Let’s approach one. This district doesn’t seem especially hostile toward Sapiens.”
The Derhai were not unintelligent.
However, once they became convinced someone was an ally, they tended to lower their guard considerably.
And becoming allies with them would actually be beneficial.
Aside from the Derhai who had become Bulsum’s slave soldiers, most would be useful rather than harmful.
Team 44 moved closer to the plaza and waited for an opportunity.
There, they happened to strike up a conversation with one Derhai.
“Ten days? Not long. You newcomers. I take care of newcomers. Follow me.”
He had the distinctive yellow-brown skin of his race.
He stood well over two meters tall.
His frame was thin, with long arms and legs that looked fragile enough to snap from a single hit.
Yet the thick Aura flowing through his body said otherwise.
He had protruding ears, slanted eyes, wide nostrils, and the Derhai habit of wearing almost no clothes.
“This. Sapiens like. Eat. Sapiens gave me. I hate it.”
The Derhai man led them to his house near the plaza.
As soon as they entered, he placed something foul-smelling on the table.
Technically, it was food.
It simply looked like something they desperately wished was not food.
“...You’re saying humans really like this?”
“Sapiens said like.”
The three stared at the bizarre mixture of magical-beast meat.
None knew how they were supposed to react.
“You... not like?”
“......”
Dexter finally gave up thinking.
He stuffed the meat into his mouth.
The other two followed and swallowed their portions with almost no chewing.
Only then did the Derhai look satisfied.
He introduced himself as Alshun.
“Common language difficult. Still learning. Derhai speak Common too these days. Those above like it.”
Perhaps he had not had visitors in a long time.
Or maybe he simply wanted someone to complain to.
Either way, Alshun told them many things they had never even asked about.
Danforth celebrated inwardly.
He agreed with Alshun whenever possible while slowly guiding the conversation in the direction they wanted.
“When I look at your companions nearby, they all seem depressed. They said they’ve worked for years but still aren’t treated any better.”
“...He does not care about residents. To Him, residents only followers. We same as you. He does not see us. Ig... igno...”
“Ignore! Is that the word?”
“Yes. Ignore. Does not keep promises. Does not give food. Technology, all controlled. To use it, become slave. But I hate slave.”
“......”
Finally.
They had reached the topic.
Dexter immediately twisted his face in exaggerated agreement.
Danforth carefully asked,
