Chapter 10 - The Reincarnated Eldest Witch Sister Embraces Self-Sacrifice

Chapter Ten: Dungeon Date "Big sister, you've been paying a lot of attention to Demeter and Hecate lately, haven't you?" "Do you think so?" "Yes! Just the other day, Demeter was bragging about the scarf you made for her, and last week Hecate told me all about her date with you." "What are you two up to?" A few days after visiting the mountain forests with Demeter, this conversation arose during breakfast, as Istos began causing a stir as she noticed. It seemed that she was dissatisfied with being the only one not getting my attention. "So, that's why you'll be accompanying me today. You're free today, right?" "Well, I don't have any particular plans." "Then it's decided that's what we'll do today." "Don't complain, Demeter!" And so, I made plans to go out with Istos for the day. Our destination was a certain dungeon that had appeared within the city. Dungeons are curious things, spontaneously emerging just about anywhere by nature. That's why dungeons can appear not only in untamed places like caves and forests but also in the midst of cities. Since monsters emerge from dungeons, if one appears where people live, the dungeon must be subdued quickly. Istos had accepted the request for this very situation. Leaving the house and en route to our destination, I struck up a conversation with Istos. "It's been a while since we've gone to a dungeon together, hasn't it? When was the last time?" "About three years ago, I think. It was when a dungeon appeared near a farming village." "Yes, that sounds right." It was a nostalgic memory. If I recall, it was a time when an infestation of monsters had made Istos's work impossible to manage, so I stepped in to help. As the city's strongest adventurer, Istos is busy with one thing or another. As we walked and talked, we finally arrived at the dungeon. It seemed that a store's underground warehouse had transformed into one. Allow me to clarify one thing: the contents of this underground warehouse hadn't vanished yet. That's because, if the Dungeon Core located deep within is destroyed, the dungeon itself will disappear and everything will revert to normal. The underground warehouse would return to its original state if the Dungeon Core was crushed. "Big sister, are you ready?" "Yes, shall we go?" After that exchange, we began our incursion into the dungeon. For equipment, I wore the same practical pantsuit I did during our forest visit, while Istos donned simple leather armor and wielded a single-handed sword. Incidentally, the sword was a custom-made piece crafted from a dragon's fang. The dungeon's interior was a labyrinth built of stone bricks and as we descended, fighting off goblins and other monsters, we found a staircase leading downwards. It appeared that this was the type of dungeon that went deeper and deeper below. Descending to the second level, we were met with stronger creatures like orcs, which were considerably tougher than those on the first level. However, these monsters were no match for Istos. She, having cast body enhancement magic on herself, possessed extraordinary physical abilities, dispatching goblins and orcs with a swift slash to the neck. Goblins aside, orcs are meant to be quite formidable monsters, but Istos was on another level. So far, there hadn’t been any need for me to step in. "I've been meaning to say this," I began. "Mm? What's up?" "You've really become strong, Istos." "...Well, I've been training." Istos modestly responded with slight embarrassment to my words of praise. Indeed, for all her strength, she was charmingly cute. As we continued exploring the second level, we came upon a wooden chest lying on the ground. These so-called treasure chests spawn naturally in dungeons and serve as one of the adventurers' goals. Often filled with junk, they sometimes contain spellbooks or magical items if you're lucky. As previously mentioned, spellbooks, which record useful magic, are incredibly valuable. Similarly, magical items with special abilities can fetch a high price as well. Hence, many adventurers enter dungeons hoping for a windfall from these chests. Upon opening such a chest, we found a small tool inside. "Is this...a dagger maybe?" "It looks like a stone dagger. It could be a magical item, so we should probably take it back with us." Back in the city, there are appraisers who can check whether an unassuming tool is a magical item. If this dagger turns out to be a useful magical item, it could be worth a fortune, though it's likely just an ordinary dagger with no effects. While it's fine to dream, reality often says otherwise. Continuing our exploration and discovering further staircases, we proceeded to the third level. Here, while the spawning monsters didn't change much, new traps like pitfalls began to appear. This is where I come into play. My magic, related to transformation, could to some extent reshape the dungeon's floors and walls. Using this ability, I could prevent arrows from wall traps and close up the pitfalls. However, there was one limitation: I couldn’t create new holes in the dungeon's floor or walls. No matter how much I tried in the past, this was one restriction I couldn't overcome. Destroying traps and vanquishing monsters, Istos and I advanced our dungeon expedition effectively. As we continued, looting the occasional treasure chest we found, we descended to the fourth level without much strife, only to be greeted by a vast space, a striking change from the stone brick labyrinth we had navigated until then.