Sage’s Hideout
Arrival!
There’s a house at the end of the Nirvana Flower field.
That’s probably Elf Jiisan’s house.
I’m somewhat excited to see a house after so long.
I dismount the Earth Dog.
“Wan wan.”
“There, there.”
When I pat the Earth Dog’s head, it wags its tail and waits for orders.
Because the door is human-sized, he won’t be able to go in.
I raise my finger and tell him the instructions.
“Listen, Earth Dog. Wait here. If you have a business to take care of, you can return.”
“Wan, wan.”
Good!
I think it understood.
Ton ton
I knock at the door.
However, there was no answer.
“Excuse me, is someone home? I was told by the Elf Ojiisan to come…”
Silence.
There’s no reply.
It may be not this house.
Gacha
When I unintentionally touched the doorknob… the door opened.
It opened…
Then, I will let myself in?
Because I was invited after all.
I go through the door and enter inside.
I appear to have entered a reception room after going through a small corridor.
It’s full of high-class furniture.
“Excuse me, is anyone here?”
Silence.
There was no answer again.
Bon doka!
Mumu?
I heard an explosion from the next room.
Mofumofu
Did something happen? There’s a cloud of smoke coming out of the room.
“Goho, goho.”
The door opens and one Elf Jiisan appears.
Ah.
It’s the elf from Anima Temple.
“Ojiisan, it’s has been a while.”
“Oh.”
Ojiisan dumbfoundedly looks at me.
His eyes are popping.
“Who are you ja?”
Eh?
Huh?
Huhhh?
Does he not remember me?
And I thought we could have a normal conversation…
“You know, we met at the Anima Temple the other day.”
“Aah~ that place?”
Fumufumu the Elf Ojiisan nods.
Nn?
Huh?
Did I perhaps meet a troublesome guy?
No, that’s wrong.
Because we definitely met before.
“Excuse me?”
“I understand ja. Me in the Anima Temple is just an illusion magic ja. It’s something like a messenger da na. In order to send people who went there to this house no.”
Houhou.
So that’s why he disappeared like a fog.
One mystery solved.
“But you, if you have entered the Anima Temple… a reincarnated person?”
What to do?
I don’t have concrete memory, so I don’t know…
I am somewhat knowledgable about Japan and I somewhat understand that this is a different world.
“Probably… I think that’s the case.”
“I see, I see. I’m El ja. Although I’m El Jii I’m also a sage. Many people call me that. But you, how strange ja nou… you don’t appear to be a human…”
“I appear to be a Baby Vampire.”
“Ho~u, a non-human. I’m an elf nou. What is your name no ja?”
A name…
Come to think of it, I can’t remember anything.
I did not pay attention to this until now.
I unconsciously avoided it.
Only when El Jiisan asked me about my name I notice that I don’t know even my name.
A name, huh…
I wonder what my name is…
“Seeing you like that, it appears that you don’t know your name. It’s okay, it’s okay. Sometimes, it’s a good thing to stop worrying about certain things. However, it would be better to make at least a temporary name, for now, zo.”
That’s right.
Let’s think positively.
Even if I remember, it’s not like anything would change.
Then, what should I name myself…
My name…
My name is…
At that moment.
I incidentally remember one surname.
“Tokugawa”
It suddenly appeared in my mind.
It may even be my real name.
“Then, Tokugawa.”
“I understand no ja. Tokukawa-san ja na.”
El Jiisan says a few words.
Not Tokukawa, but TOKUGAWA similar to that shogun Tokugawa.
It may be an unusual name even in Japan.
“However, you. By your appearances, your level must be low. You did good to survive here until now… The 50th floor of the Great Dungeon of Aries is a place one will not survive easily…”
Nn?
The 50th floor?
El Jiisan just said it so casually…
Seriously? The 50th floor?
Eeeeeeh!
Eeeeeeeeh!
Hey, oi.
No way…
It was so deep.
I was certain it was the 10th floor or something.
“What’s wrong? You look surprised ja.”
“No, that… to think it’s the 50th floor… you see, I was born on this floor..”
“Hoho~u. That is something unusual. It’s rare to be born in a dungeon and even if you do it’s not a place newborn can survive. You either must have been exceptionally lucky or your abilities must be…”
“Nono, it’s nothing much. The enemies around me weren’t that strong, their levels were also low.”
“Nu, level is… you are in a possession of ‘Appraisal’, huh… right, right, you are reincarnated after all. Enemies being weak may be my fault no ja. Because the monsters were a hindrance to my research I hunted quite a lot no yo. Also, because I cultivate the Nirvana Flowers a lot of monsters have moved away nou.”
There was a reason after all.
I thought that those dogs were too weak for the 50th floor.
“Which means, the normal enemies are much stronger?”
“Let’s see ja no… The only monsters left on this floor are young ones or those who can survive among the Nirvana Flowers.”
“Specifically, how strong are they? Monsters of the 50th floor?”
“It would be impossible for a high-grade adventurer to fight monsters of the 50th on his own ja nou. Because it won’t always be a one against one. An intermediate level party would be required. In the first place, it’s dangerous for humans to stay in the dungeon for an extended amount of time because of the Demon Element, so they can stay only for a limited amount of time. The deeper you go the stronger the Demon Element and the monsters are after all.”
Fumufumu.
Sounds dangerous.
I don’t know the ability of the adventurers, but they will most likely be difficult to deal with.
“Oops. You have just been born, so you don’t understand the strength of adventurers. An advanced level adventurer is on the level of ten thousand normal people. Most people are at an intermediate level… they are reasonably strong. Of course, the best would be to experience their strength yourself.”
“On what level would Earth Dog leader be?”
“That dog, huh? That fellow… let’s see nou… at the top of elementary level adventurer kanou?…”
That stupidly huge rhino-sized dog is just that?
That means… the strength of other monsters… is unreasonable!
Fuu~
I’m glad I wasn’t born on a different floor.
I, I would probably die.
I’m really glad that I was born here.
“That dog was an elementary level, huh…”
“Nu, perhaps, you? Did you defeat the dog leader?”
El Jiisan seemed to guess my answer.
“Well… yes. Promptly.”
“W, what really?”
“Ah, yes. But, it was elementary level so it’s only natural, isn’t it?”
“What are you saying ja. You, who was just born as Baby Vampire, that is a splendid achievement! It’s not an opponent that can be easily defeated. Even elementary adventurers with items and weapons wouldn’t be able to easily defeat it. Gufufufu. I’m looking forward to your future prospects ja nou. As expected ja.”
“Nono, it was nothing.”
“Wait. I have a suitable gift for you no ja. Wait a minute no ja zo.”
Dada
El Jiisan runs out of the room.
He leaves me behind.
Huh?
What’s wrong, El Jiisan?
He looked very cheerful.
A hustling Jiisan.