Reborn as A Holy Knight (Remake) Volume 5 Chapter 3 (Patreon)

Chapter 3 – The Dungeon at the Mines

“Eh? They haven’t figured out where the people who were spirited away had gone yet?”

The next morning, after breakfast at the inn, I quickly headed to the guild branch at Tokus to hear what the staff had to say.

The first information I received was about the common trends of spirited away victims.

“At first, it felt like they were gone before we knew it. But since it continued many times, we suspected that there had to be something going on. Of course, we’re not stupid to just let it be, so we took precautions to look out for each other.”

Well, that’s a given.

From what I had heard, it seems that there are already more than 100 people who were spirited away, but it was only after the 10th person that the vigilance increased, and soon after that, it became clear how this “spirited away” incident was carried out.

“Suddenly, one of the victims woke up in the middle of the night and started walking unsteadily. We tried to call out to him, and he would come to his senses immediately, but after a few days, he would start wandering off again.”

After stopping a few times, the person would no longer suffer from “being spirited away,” but after discovering that the victims would return safely and without problems at a later date and that many of them would be successful individuals later, it became a strange trend where the victims would complain later if they were stopped instead of being grateful that they were “saved.”

So now they just watch people wander out of town in the middle of the night.

“And where are these people going? Don’t tell me you people haven’t tried following them…”

“Of course we’re tracking them properly. Are you taking us for idiots?”

“Then where the hell were they going?”

“They were heading for a dungeon.”

――Dungeons.

They were bridgeheads for the Evil God’s army and were “built” during the war.

A dungeon is a habitat for monsters created by twisting the laws of space in caves, deep forests, and even ruined towns.

Because monsters belonging to the Evil Gods’ Army are not a well-trained army like the “humans,” it is difficult to devise a formation or a marching method for them.

When it comes to marching, monsters could only, to the best of their abilities, march forward, no formations whatsoever. To the extent that “humanity” would have had a much easier time winning against these simple bunch of fools in a clash.

No matter how strong or numerous they are, if their march is simple, it is possible to predict their path and capture their bases, which means you can ambush them as much as you like.

So in order to compensate for the simple movement of such monsters,  the Evil Gods prepared these so-called “dungeons.”

From caves close to the human territory, the depths of forests, and ruined towns, a large number of monsters would suddenly spring forth and inflict damage to the enemy.

Frankly speaking, it was nothing short of a nightmare.

It was then found out that the evil gods, somehow or other, had used their great powers to create a comfortable space for monsters to live in. Then, they would link such areas to natural environments and even man-made objects to wreak havoc on “humanity.”

There’s no limit to the phenomena in these “spaces.” Or are “floors” a better word for them?

A grassland with a sun shining bright could be placed inside an underground cave, a lake so large it could be mistaken for the ocean could be placed in a forest that was basically just a row of trees, or even an underground tomb the size of a royal capital could be completely fit in an ordinary cemetery for 100 people.

Even after the evil gods were destroyed and the war ended, the created dungeons did not disappear, and many monsters still inhabited them.

If left unchecked, there is a fear that they might flow out of the dungeon, so one of the roles of the adventurers is to kill and thin out such monsters before they cause a stampede.

“Three days’ walk west of here in Tokus, there is a mountain called Mount Kumt.”

Mount Kumt was originally a mine, but the main deposits have long been mined out, so the mine is now completely closed. However, the closure of the mine does not mean that the tunnels have been filled in.

The abandoned mine at Mt. Kumt was turned into a dungeon during the war.

“The shallow layer over there doesn’t have such strong monsters, so it’s a good place for adventurers in this area to make money. However, the tunnels, which were originally intricate, became like a huge maze when they were converted into a dungeon. Now, it’s very difficult to go deep into the tunnels.”

However, the fact that it is difficult to go in means it is also difficult to go out.

Apparently, many strong monsters are living deep in the dungeon on Mt. Kumt, but thanks to the complicated maze, they rarely come out.

“So you’re saying that the people who were spirited away went to that dungeon on Mt. Kumt?”

“Exactly.”

People inflicted with the “Spirited Away” state would walk at a steady… or rather an unsteady pace for three whole days and then enter the dungeon. However, while that alone is already an indescribable phenomena, what was seen more indescribable is that the guild would immediately lose sight of them once they entered.

“It is true that the tunnels are intricate and difficult to navigate. But even with that fact, the strange disappearances of the figures are said to be the result of the mysterious power of the dungeon and not just because of its labyrinth-like structure. Because of that, we cannot just let it pass by.”

But even with all of these happening, I heard that quite a few people are even planning to sleep near that dungeon.

Their reason is that, if the people who were chosen to be “spirited away” will eventually go to that dungeon anyway, then wouldn’t it be not too far-fetched to think they would be more likely to be chosen if they lived close by?

“The only thing is that strong monsters are also living in that area, and although it is rare, dangerous monsters come out from inside the dungeon occasionally. Fortunately or unfortunately, because of this, only very few people are choosing to stay there for long periods.”

But as people’s desires know no bounds, it is possible that a settlement of some sort will eventually be established there.

“Incidentally, it is said that people who have been “spirited away” are mysteriously not attacked by monsters.”

In the first place, they were already walking for days, without eating, drinking, or resting, just to reach the area. Plus, the end destination is a dungeon, so it is not strange to think they must be protected by magic or something against monsters at the very least.

“Hmmm? But if that’s the case, it wouldn’t be surprising if adventurers exploring the dungeon were to encounter a “spirited Away” person? Or even become a “spirited away” person themselves.”

“I don’t have much to say for that matter. Many adventurers go missing while exploring dungeons, but them ‘missing’ is a common occurrence. In most cases, even if they lose their lives, their bodies are never found due to the weird phenomena inside the dungeon. There’s also the fact that some would also stay inside the dungeons for months or even years in an expedition, so even if it’s reported to us, we won’t exactly know if they’re really “spirited away” or actually become “missing.” As for encountering a “Spirited Away” person inside, we have no reports yet, though I can’t deny that in some adventurers that were reported missing, some actually made it back as “Spirited Away” people.”

“I see.”

Well, whatever it is, I guess I need to visit the dungeon at Mt. Kumt once.

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