CH 201

The first riddle, a moving floor trap, was solved.

But it was solved with a very unusual strategy. Monica and Nagisa used brute force. Urza absurdly rode the panels and finally reached the goal on the tenth attempt.

Only Aeris and I managed to solve the riddle properly and reach the door. Thanks to this, a strange feeling of emptiness welled up in my chest.

"Well... now that we have successfully solved the first problem, is Leon really beyond this path?"

I murmur the question that suddenly pops into my head as I take a break to dry Urza's soaked clothes.

So far, we have been following the traces of blood and footprints left here and there in the dungeon.

This dungeon has just been discovered and has not yet been explored. If there are any traces, they belong to Leon, or to the enemy named Bolfedusa who fell in with Leon.

"Is it really Leon's trail that we're after...? Maybe we're going in the wrong direction."

"Don't worry, Goshujin-sama. I'm sure that the 'ball-less' is down this way, desu~no."

"Urza?"

Urza, who was soaking wet and naked, assured me.

Now, Urza is hanging her wet equipment with a rope and drying it with a magic item that looks like a hair dryer.

"I think there's a blonde 'ball-less' at the other end, desu~no. Don't worry, desu~no."

"By 'ball-less'... do you mean Leon?"

I glanced over at Monica.

Monica was lying down a little ways away, resting. Aeris was sitting on her knees, putting Monica on her lap, and helping her to sleep.

Two hours have already passed since we entered the dungeon. Monica seemed to be fighting energetically, but she must be tired from the long battle. Her small body was slowly moving up and down, and I could hear her soft sleeping breath.

"Leon isn't 'ball-less' yet... No, if he is, it's your fault."

I remember when Urza kicked Leon in the groin, and I shuddered.

"More importantly... how do you know Leon is down there? Do you have any evidence?"

"I can smell that man's blood from up ahead, desu~no. I'm sure of it."

"You can... smell blood?"

She's not even a dog. How can she track him by the scent of his blood?

"Aside from other scents... Oni race like me is sensitive to the scent of blood, desu~no. Once we smell the scent of blood we won't forget it until we kill them."

"You live like a killer or a killer bear. But... well, he's up ahead."

Of course, we're here to find Leon, so that's not a problem.

That's all well and good, but... why is Leon heading deeper into the dungeon?

Is he going to the entrance and mistakenly going to the back?

Or...is it that Bolfedusa is holding Leon and dragging him forcibly toward the end of the dungeon?

Neither Leon nor Bolfedusa's body has been found.

Even if they had been eaten by monsters, there should have been at least some bones left.

"Onii-san, should we get going?"

"Hmm..."

Monica came to me as I was pondering this.

She had been sleeping on Aeris's lap until a few minutes ago, but she seemed to have recovered enough from her fatigue. Her eyes were shining and her skin was glowing.

"Ah, my clothes are already dry. I'm ready anytime, desu~no."

Urza's soaked clothes seemed to have dried. She then quickly puts on her equipment on top of her underwear.

"Okay then, let's go!"

I get up and look toward the back of the dungeon.

I don't know what Leon's purpose is in the dungeon.

Perhaps, there is a possibility that something terrible awaits us ahead.

But... whatever is waiting for us, there is no turning back.

And whether or not Leon Brave is ball-less, this world still needs a hero.