Dungeon of Precious Stones (6)
"Hey, this..."
"”No way~"”
"Not that, I mean..."
“"Nah~"”"It's not like I dislike it... Seriously! At least let me finish!"
While walking, Dill-san attempted to hand the branches to Allen and Elena, desperately trying to return them. However, the children had no time to pay attention.
"Takumi, what are they doing?”
"Dill-san is hesitating because the branch is valuable to us. He's trying to return it to the children."
"I also like collecting shiny things, but I see that people seem to like them too. Does it have a monetary value after all?"
"Of course, it would be valuable~”
"Oh, then I have to collect plenty! Gotta buy something delicious with it!"Confirming that his values aligned with the human race, Kaiser walked while casually breaking thin branches. It looked easy for him, but that's probably because he's Kaiser.
"... Kaiser, please stop that now.”
"Mu? Is this enough?"
Watching him gather branches like collecting firewood, even I felt my stomach tighten.
"Put it in the bag before someone sees."
"Umu. Then, Takumi."
Since Kaiser also has a magic bag, I suggested putting the branches in there. However, for some reason, he handed the branches to me.
"Isn't that yours, Kaiser?"
"I only need one for a keepsake. The rest, use them for my living expenses or something."
"......"
I did say it had value, but since selling it might cause a commotion, I will most likely keep it as a treasured possession.
"I have enough for your living expenses, so Kaiser, take it back with you."
"No, I can't."
"You can’t? Why!"
"Because I want to give it to you, Takumi!"
"Huh?! No, no, no. It's okay; I received one for a keepsake too!"
"No, it's not enough like that!"
"Eeh~"
My exchange with Kaiser mirrored the one between the children and Dill-san.
I haven't accepted it yet, though!
“”Found it~””
"Wait a minute!"
“”No~””
While this is happening, the children found a staircase leading to the second floor and quickly ran down, seemingly escaping from Dill-san.
“”Made it~””
"Children!?"
"What, what’s going on? Oh, Dill, you are with them?"
I forgot there were guards here to prevent tourists from mistakenly going to the second floor using the teleportation device~
The two guards, initially surprised by the children's arrival, seem to recognize Dill-san and accepted the situation.
"Dill, since you are with kids, does that mean you're not going mining today, and on an escort job instead?"
"N-no, it's not like that. I just happened to be going in the same direction, so it turned into something like accompanying them..."
"Hmm? So, are those two the escorts for the kids? One is a guardian, and the other is a guard? Either way, they're unfamiliar faces."
Perhaps because adventurers needed to pass through here to reach other levels, they likely remember the faces of adventurers to some extent.
"I'm Takumi, an adventurer from the Guardia Kingdom. I met Dill-san at the entrance of the dungeon, and he kindly guided me here while sharing various information."
"Oh, I see. It must be tough being an adventurer with kids."
"My children can fight, so it's not that difficult."
Well, maybe it's challenging in the sense of having to stop them from fighting?
"Di-Dill!? Could it be that what you're holding is...!"
"!!"
As I ponder the definition of "difficult," the guards quickly noticed the ruby branch Dill-san was holding.
Dill-san hurriedly tried to hide the branch behind his back... but it was futile. He was completely exposed.
"H-hey! The kids have them too!"
"That one over there has an unusual amount."
Moreover, the children still had their loot in hands, and Kaiser, engrossed in our argument, was still holding a considerable amount of ruby branches.
My share and the souvenir ones were safely stored in the 'Infinite Storage,' though.
"Co-contact headquarters!!"
"N-no, it'd be faster to take them to headquarters!"
"Huh? Take us!?"
Wait, was taking the branches out prohibited!?
"No, that's not it! I misspoke!"
"That's right, that's it. Accompany us, please. We request your accompaniment to headquarters!"
The guards... seemed to be in a subtle panic.
"Um... for now, can you take a deep breath and try to calm down?"
The guards vigorously nodded and followed my suggestion, taking deep breaths repeatedly.
"I apologize."
“We are fine now."
"Well then, let me confirm first. Taking the branches isn't a criminal act, is it?"
"Yeah, that's fine. The advertising slogan is, 'If it can be broken, break it and take it with you!' Oh, but using magic is not allowed."
"... We haven't used any magic."
It's quite a remarkable catchphrase.
"We have a mechanism to detect powerful magic being used on the first level, so we know you haven't used any. Oh, and the details of the mechanism are classified, so don't ask."
"... Understood."
I had no idea, but it seems there's an elaborate system in place.
Well, that makes sense; otherwise, there might be a lot of people using magic in secluded areas within the vast dungeon without any witnesses.
"While we know you haven't violated any rules, no one has been seen breaking these branches for several years, if not over a decade. So, sorry, but could you come with us to headquarters?"
"Do you want an explanation of why the branches were broken?"
"Well, that's part of it, but we anticipate negotiations. Although it's said to be impossible, many desire these branches from here."
Seems like they want to negotiate the purchase of the branches.
Since it's unavoidable, maybe it's better to go with them to this headquarters place?
"Allen, Elena. That's the situation, so we're going to headquarters."
“"Eeh~ the second floor, though~"”
"I guess it's impossible today."
“"Muu~"”
The children, who were enthusiastic about exploring the dungeon, puffed their cheeks in disappointment.
"Huh, were you planning to go down?"
"Yes, that was the plan."
"Do you have a permit?"
"Huh, a permit!? Can't adventurers go?"
"If you're an adventurer, showing your Guild card here is enough. But if you're with children, it's different."
"But the children are adventurers too."
"Minors need a permit. Adventurers exploring dangerous places are responsible for themselves, but since this place is under the country's management, there are restrictions for minors. It's a precaution."
"Eeh!?"
… This dungeon seems to contain incredible things, so even those without the ability to explore high-level dungeons might want to come here. It makes sense to have such measures in place.
But a permit, huh? Can we get one at the headquarters?
"Can we get a permit at the headquarters?"
"Yeah, they issue permits based on the rank and achievements of the person and their accompanying party."
"I see."
It seems we have no choice but to go to the headquarters.
"So, Allen, Elena, it looks like we have to go to the headquarters for now."
“”... Got it~””
And so, once again, we find ourselves leaving the dungeon in a short amount of time.
