“Is that so? Thank you very much. My mother taught me everything I needed to know about attendant skills.”
Toria-chan’s knife skill is excellent—she sliced through meat and vegetables one after another with smooth precision. With Ao absent, she had become an unexpectedly valuable asset. Thanks to her help, all the preparation work for the staff meals was completed in no time. We stored the cut ingredients in an item box for theft prevention, finishing all preparations perfectly.
The imitation tandoori chicken was placed inside a cold-storage magic device and set aside where it wouldn’t be seen from the stall. It still needed time for the flavors to properly soak in. So for now, Toria-chan and I decided to go check on the wedding-related preparations out of curiosity.
“…Wow, it really looks like a goddess. What a magnificent wooden statue.”
What Ao had been working on after being called from the stall was a wooden statue of a goddess for the temporary altar—carved from a single thick tree trunk using wind magic.
Toria-chan looked completely entranced by the lifelike sculpture.
But thinking about it… me, Shiro, and Ao had actually met a real goddess before.
“This is the most impressive goddess statue I’ve ever seen. It would be a waste to only use it for the harvest festival.”
“Then let’s donate it to the town church. With a wooden statue this magnificent, I’m sure the clergy will be delighted.”
“It’s so pretty!”
Ao’s goddess statue received overwhelming praise from both the former Margrave and Emilia-sama. Kent-chan also raised his hands with a bright smile, clearly delighted.
“Could someone go to the church? We need to get permission right away.”
“Emilia-sama, I’ll go.”
“Thank you.”
A cat-beastman craftsman pounded his chest and dashed off.
With a statue like this, the church would surely be pleased.
Meanwhile, Ao—clearly not satisfied yet—continued adding finer carvings, steadily improving the statue’s detail further and further. At this rate, it might become one of the main highlights of the entire harvest festival.
“Looks like Sue and the others are still in their meetings. Then we should start grilling the meat soon.”
“Yes. I will assist you.”
I returned to the stall and began preparing lunch together with Toria-chan.
Mmm… the delicious smell was already starting to spread through the plaza.
“Today, let’s make okonomiyaki. We already have yakisoba, but this time we’ll go heavy on the cabbage and try topping it with yakisoba sauce as well.”
I decided to try another flour-based dish. With ingredients this good, even a small amount of effort turns into something delicious—that’s the best part.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
And just like that, everyone began moving according to their assigned roles.
Sue and the Shiro’s group followed the staff in charge of the wedding preparations and began their meetings. The former Margrave, Emilia-sama, and Kent-chan started discussing something with the site supervisor.
“Alright! This year we’ve got that kid here, so let’s make the stall twice as big as usual!”
“Indeed. It may as well be twice the standard size.”
“Um… you don’t have to push yourselves that hard, you know…”
“Shun-sama, that much would still be no problem for you.”
“Toria-chan too… what are you saying…”
As for me, I was setting up the Margrave household’s stall with Ao, but the craftsmen and Toria-chan were so enthusiastic that the structure had grown into something absurdly large.
Honestly… this stall might even be bigger than the one in the northern frontier territory.
The craftsmen were clearly used to construction work, and before long, the stall was completed at astonishing speed.
Then it was time for a test run, so we started grilling meat and yakisoba.
Sizzle… sizzle…
“Wow, amazing!”
“That’s incredible!”
“As expected of the Champion Slime!”
As for Ao, she’s using wind magic to skillfully process leftover wood into dozens of forks, spoons, and knives. The craftsmen and Toria-chan were completely thrilled, watching its control of magic with sparkling eyes.
Even more astonishingly, the wooden spoons were sturdy enough to cut through grilled meat.
By the way, Ao had somehow already started being called ‘Champion’. Well, it was true that it had won the martial arts tournament, and in the Western Margravate, even slimes were respected if they were strong.
“Alright, the test batch of grilled meat and yakisoba is ready. Ao, make the wooden containers.”
At my call, Ao gave a wave of its tentacles in acknowledgment and began carving wood into slightly larger containers—perfect for serving takoyaki-style portions. We then piled the grilled meat and yakisoba into them and handed them over to the craftsmen for tasting.
“Wow, this is really good. Even though it’s simple, it tastes different from our usual grilled meat.”
“The yakisoba is amazing too! As expected of the Lightning Chef.”
“Shun-sama, this is incredible! It’s delicious! Please give me seconds!”
The craftsmen were extremely pleased with everything we had made, which made me feel a little relieved. Toria-chan was also very satisfied with the food, casually asking Ao for seconds without hesitation.
Alright then, next, we should prepare the imitation tandoori chicken we made earlier. If we cook it now, it should be perfectly ready by lunchtime.
Just then, Shiro came over to me.
“Shun-oniichan, we’re borrowing Ao, okay? They said they need help building the altar.”
“Then I will assist with the cooking instead.”
Ao was also skilled in woodwork, so it would definitely be useful for altar construction.I resumed food prep together with Toria-chan.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
After being thrown through a spacetime vortex, I found myself facing a massive cavern. I was about to say something like “whoa…” but the cold hit first, and I sneezed instead.
Come to think of it… I was still in nothing but underwear.
“…My legs aren’t numb anymore. More importantly, even if it’s urgent, at least let me wear clothes…”
It’s early spring, and while it’s gotten warmer after winter, once the sun starts setting, it’s still cold outside. Standing here practically naked, fully exposed to the night air, was something that should never happen under normal circumstances.
“Item Box… Item Box…”
In front of the dimly darkening entrance of the Nether Class dungeon, I repeated the words like a chant. I tried to recall what that useless loli goddess had said right before teleporting me here.
(I placed your Twilight Robe in the item box after cleaning and deodorizing it. Also, there’s a new weapon in there too.)
At least my gear is stored in the new skill acquired during the Awakening Ritual, the [Infinite Item Box]. But beyond that, I had no idea what was inside. She did say something about putting all the necessary dungeon exploration gear in there… but I had no clue what that actually meant in detail.
“…Come to think of it, I wasn’t even taught how to use the item box…”
Well, whatever. It should work like my other skills. I raised my right hand and focused my imagination on the item box. It’s called a “box,” so it should be… a box. Not some pocket that bends dimensions or anything like that.
“Infinite Item Box!”
Bom!
Whoa—it came out! And it’s almost exactly what I imagined!
A white cube, about 30 centimeters in length, width, and height. There are faint “？” patterns floating across its surface, which is a bit unsettling, but it’s probably just decoration. It floats gently in the air, with one side opening up into a pitch-black void right in front of me.
So, I just stick my hand in there and pull things out, huh. Okay, okay, got it.
> Wow!! It’s on!! > It’s the old man!!! > He’s in his underwear!!! > He surprisingly got a good body lol > Oh my~ > Seeing the old man’s face is kinda comforting lol > He finally made it to Nether class huh > There’s a sign that says “Welcome to Nether Class!” LOL > Is this an amusement park or what lol
And the comment section is working again! The video seems to be working too.
But let’s double-check.
“Hey everyone! Is the video working?”
> I can see it perfectly! > Long live Bulging Daishi! > So, they were boxer shorts. > Not briefs? > He is shivering lol, he must be cold! > Put some clothes on quickly! > If you stick your hand through the black hole in the box and concentrate, you’ll probably get out. > You’ll catch a cold! > No, just go in as you are lol > No-guard strategy! Daishi!
A mix of worried and teasing voices—it felt like the usual atmosphere was back! I just can’t get into the swing of things without everyone watching.
Alright! So, for now, I’ll imagine the Twilight Robe…
“Here we go!”
I stick my hand into the hole in the box.
Oh! This fluffy feeling is…
“Hoi!”
I grabbed something that felt like a clothing and quickly pulled my right hand out. In my hand appeared my beloved robe, the Twilight Robe, looking as beautiful as new. Perfect condition. Clean. Fresh. Like it was just crafted.
> Oh! > There it is! lol > So that’s the Infinite Item Box > You’ve awakened another amazing skill huh > I wonder what that goddess has prepared for him > It looks like it got something incredible > If you find any good items, make sure you store them in there properly > You can sell ores of the Nether grade for a high price > You should throw the Nether King and the Nether Dragon King in there and bring them back > You should seal away the hero too!
“…You guys are way too excited about everything.”
I shrug while slipping on the cloak.
There’s no way the Nether King, the Hero, or the Nether Knight would be in there.
By the way, the comment section is relatively calm right now, so I can read quite a bit. There are no enemies either. And as for concurrent viewers…
Yes! Finally!
We’ve reached 1 million! Yesssss!!
It doesn’t matter anymore if I look at the guild headquarters or anything. I’m going to just go for it. Now that I’ve attained enlightenment, there are no enemies for me. No matter who comes along, if they show hostility towards me, I’ll beat them to a pulp and teach them a lesson.
“Alright! Perfect!”
After I equipped the Twilight Robe, the cold instantly subsided. This outfit seems to have excellent cold-weather protection, which is a relief. It feels nice against the skin too. The Time-Space Rabbit was a nasty guy, but I’m really grateful he gave me this equipment.
Thank you, Chief!
“Alright, let’s get started!”
Now that I was dressed, my spirits were lifted, so I walked with a spring in my step towards the huge hole beneath the sign that read, “Welcome to the Nether Class!”
◆◆◆
“It’s called the Nether-Class so I was expecting something way more intense from the first-floor corridor…”
Instead, it was exactly the same structure as the West Tokyo Fourth Beginner Dungeon.
Torches mounted along the walls. Stone-paved corridors. A damp, heavy air. I don’t know whether this was the Nether Kings’s design or just the Dungeon Master being lazy, but honestly… put in a little more effort for atmosphere.
Well, I guess dungeons probably don’t have that many structural variations to begin with.
A corridor is a corridor. Maybe they figured anything goes.
“Oh right… come to think of it…”
I suddenly remembered.
“I wonder if Satsuki-chan made it back to the surface safely…”
That loli goddess said she’d teleport her in front of the Guild Headquarters. Everything happened so quickly that I never had a chance to confirm it, but… there’s no way she’d just leave her stuck at that temple, right?
She said something about “disposing of her,” which makes me a little uneasy though. I really hope she got back to the surface safely…
As I was lost in thought, a brightly lit open space came into view. That feeling was exactly the same as in the beginner dungeon too. Perhaps the first floor of every dungeon is built the same way.
“…Ah, of course it’s this arena-type space again—huh?”
A strange sense of déjà vu washed over me, but the situation unfolding in this room was clearly different from when I first fought that slime.
In the center of the chamber, there was a figure standing with their back turned to me.
Not a monster.
A person.
From the back, it looked like a woman… long hair, an elegant presence.
Could it be Satsuki-chan? No… that’s not it.
Even from behind, I could tell she’s someone else entirely. And yet… I’ve definitely seen her somewhere before. I couldn’t be completely sure just from her back, but that dignified posture… that long, straight golden hair… there was no doubt she was probably—
“Mina-chan!”
The name slipped out before I could stop myself.
And she turned around.
It really was Mina-chan!
No way… meeting her again in a place like this? I must be incredibly lucky.
She’s as beautiful as ever. But why was she standing there all alone? Weren’t her two older brothers with her? I should probably go over and properly greet her—
「Daishi-san! Do not approach her!!」
“!!”
The moment I had already started walking toward Mina-chan, both of my legs suddenly stopped moving.
W-what?!
They felt incredibly heavy—like they’d been locked in place!
“…!”
In front of Mina-chan, something like a swirling vortex of space-time appeared, and from within it, a pitch-black presence began to emerge.
A jet-black armor. A jet-black mask. A jet-black sword. An ominous figure completely wrapped in an abyss of darkness, as if evil itself had taken shape.
I didn’t know him. And yet, every instinct in my mind screamed in recognition of his existence
.…That is a Nether Realm Knight.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
“I suppose it would be unreasonable to leave everything entirely to Shun, so I’ll at least listen to your requests.”
Emilia-sama added a bit of reassurance, but I was still feeling completely deflated.
Then, for some reason, Shiro raised her hand energetically.
“I want takoyaki!”
“““Takoyaki?”””
Ah… right. Along the way, at the coastal barony, I did say I’d make takoyaki.
But with just Shiro’s explanation, no one here would understand it.
So I somehow forced myself to recover and started explaining properly.
“Takoyaki is more like the name of the dish. You cook a batter-based food on a special iron griddle. The griddle has small round indentations—about the size of two or three fingers. You pour the batter in, then use a pick or something similar to rotate it continuously, shaping it into a sphere as it cooks. Inside, you can put meat, seafood… or even cheese if you like.”
“Hmm… so the key is the iron plate with round indentations, I see.”
As I explained, the former Margrave and the craftsmen gathered around, nodding with interest.
“Hmmm…”
“Alright. Can you guys make a griddle like that?”
“This much is easy. We can process just about anything, after all.”
The craftsmen responded immediately to the former Margrave’s prompt.
Sigh. This is definitely turning into I’m going to have to make takoyaki for real, isn’t it?
Just as I was thinking that, Shiro added something unnecessary again.
“It’s served on little wooden boats!”
“A wooden boat? Shun, what does she mean?”
“Well… you take thin wood shavings, cut and interlock them at the edges to form a simple container. Takoyaki is often sold in those.”
“Hmm… I see. Hey, bring me some slightly thicker planed wood.”
At the former Margrave’s order, they quickly brought over appropriately shaved wood materials. Using them, they began forming simple containers. And then—the atmosphere around us changed.
“That’s actually quite good. We’d need purification with basic cleansing magic, but there’s no need to carve out proper wooden bowls.”
“As long as you have people who can use basic life magic, the quantity won’t be an issue. And since it isn’t for soups, it can be reused for other things as well. If it gets dirty, just discard it—easy disposal too.”
The craftsmen and attendants nodded, clearly impressed.
Somehow, something that started as “Shiro wants takoyaki” is now turning into a full-scale production plan for festival food stalls. It seemed that Emilia-sama and the former Margrave were giving surprisingly high praise, but in truth, the point they were most impressed with was probably the idea of disposable containers.
“Shun-sama, that’ amazing! To think you could come up with something like that!”
“Wow!”
And for some reason, Toria-chan’s evaluation of me had skyrocketed. She clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling with admiration.
…But really, it was just me applying knowledge from my previous life.
Kent-chan, on the other hand, didn’t seem to understand what was going on at all. He was just copying everyone else’s reactions, thinking it must be impressive because the adults said so.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
We set off from the mansion and made our way toward the plaza on foot, everyone walking together.
“Yaaay, I’m with Oneechan!”
“Yes, I’m very happy to be with Kent-sama as well.”
Kent-chan was walking hand in hand with Toria-chan, both of them smiling brightly. As for Toria-chan, even though she carried the blood of the Margrave household, she never stepped outside her position as an attendant.
That was likely heavily influenced by her mother, Maria-san.
“She’s smiling more now. I suppose Maria-san recovering has something to do with it.”
“Indeed. Maria was on long-term medical leave due to a chest illness. Toria must have been relieved.”
From what I heard, Maria-san had been suffering from a chest-related illness and had been in treatment for about a year. The former Margrave had been deeply worried as well, occasionally visiting her to check on her condition.
“Oh, isn’t that the former Margrave? With your daughter and grandchild today?”
“She really does look like her mother—what a beautiful girl. Completely different from that rowdy son of yours.”
“Hah, well, that’s because Emilia-sama keeps him on a tight leash.”
“Can’t argue with that. As long as Emilia-sama is around, the Margrave household is safe.”
It seemed the townspeople were well aware of Maria-san and Toria-chan’s circumstances.
The things they casually said to them were honestly quite outrageous—but since neither of them seemed to mind, neither Sue nor I said anything either.
And just like that, we arrived at the plaza without incident.
“Wow, it’s as big as a martial arts tournament venue!”
“There’s even a stage.”
“Are they going to do something here?”
The plaza was already bustling with workers constructing something, and just like during the martial arts tournament, large spectator stands were being built all around. Amidst the activity, the person in charge of the site approached the former Margrave and Emilia-sama.
“Oh, good work. How’s the progress?”
“It is proceeding without issue Sir. We are about to begin setting up the temporary altar.”
“This year’s harvest has been excellent, so we must offer even more gratitude to the gods than usual.”
So the harvest festival really was just a week away, and preparations were going smoothly.
A “temporary altar”? So maybe it’s used to report the harvest to the gods?
“You probably don’t know this, but weddings are held during the harvest festival. It’s said that love comes to fruition alongside the harvest—it’s a kind of good-luck tradition.”
“Oh, that sounds really lovely.”
A harvest festival wedding—honestly, it was quite an interesting tradition. Sue and the others, being girls around that age, had their eyes sparkling with excitement. Apparently, many ordinary townspeople would attend as well, all gathering to celebrate the bride and groom together.
It was easy to see how much everyone in the city looked forward to it.
“Sue and the Shiro-chan group, I’d like you to help with the behind-the-scenes work for the weddings during the harvest festival. It’ll be good practice for your own weddings in the future.”
“““Yes, please let us do it!”””
“““We’ll do our best!”””
Right. I remember even in my past life, weddings were often something handled by women. Sue and the others, as well as Shiro’s group, were completely fired up by Emilia-sama’s request.
I guess marriage really is something many women dream about.
Wait.What exactly am I supposed to be doing?
“Shun, you’ll be helping with the Margrave household’s food stalls. Toria will be assisting you. You’ve run stalls in many regions, and above all, you’re known as the ‘Lightning Chef’ you see.”
“Eh?”
“Shun-sama, I will do my very best to assist you.”
“Hahaha. I’m counting on you, Shun.”
“Huh?”
Emilia-sama…. I was hoping to do something other than cooking…
But judging from her smiling face, Toria-chan’s eager expression, and the former Margrave looking on from the sidelines with arms crossed—there was no way I could break through that fortress.
“Ugh.”
Once again, I crumpled to the ground.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
The next morning, a woman and a young girl arrived at the Margrave’s mansion—both dressed in attendant uniforms. The woman was a stunning member of the angel tribe.
“Pleased to meet those I haven’t yet had the opportunity to greet. I am Maria, the chief attendant. I would like to sincerely thank you all for treating me.”
The angel woman who introduced herself to us was Maria.
Yes… as expected of the former Margrave’s so-called “mistress,” she’s breathtakingly beautiful. She’s tall, with short, neatly cut blonde hair, and a gentle, refined smile. And on top of that—her figure was nothing short of remarkable. It was hard to believe she was a mother of one.
“I am her daughter, Toria. I am grateful for your treatment of my mother.”
The girl introduced herself politely.
She’s apparently ten years old, a half-blood of the angel tribe and beastman. She had long blonde hair, with little dog ears that bounced slightly as she moved, angelic wings on her back, and even a tail. With all those traits combined, it would be immediately obvious who her parents were the moment anyone saw her. A rather… unmistakable lineage.
“Maria-san’s position is officially recognized by the Margrave household. Well, that’s regarding the former Margrave, not the current one, so there are no issues.”
Ah… Emilia-sama was smiling as she said that, but there was absolutely no way the current Margrave could ever get away with cheating.
“Now then, you will be continuing document work. We are heading to the festival site, so please take care of things here. Maria-san, I apologize, but I leave it to you.”
“Yes, leave it to me. If anything happens, may I handle it without restraint?”
“Yes. Please act without restraint.”
“Understood.”
“Eeeek…”
Maria-san casually produced a whip from somewhere and began to twirl it with a sharp whoosh sound. The Margrave’s reaction was so extreme that it was obvious—he must have been disciplined with that in the past when he caused trouble.
Emilia-sama and Maria-san were exchanging faintly dark smiles, but somehow, the Margrave household didn’t feel unstable. In fact, it was surprisingly… functional.
“Alright, let’s go. We’re heading to the plaza today, so we’ll walk together.”
““““Yaaay!””””
After finishing morning training and breakfast, the former Margrave stood up with a brisk motion. Apparently, he had gotten bored of riding in a carriage—because Shiro and the others, along with Kent-chan, raised both hands in excitement.
“Your Excellency, uhm… is it really alright not to assign any guards?”
“Ah, right. Then we’ll just have Shun and the others act as our escort.”
“Shun and his group are skilled adventurers. They’re stronger than most soldiers anyway.”
“Ooh! Then I’ll protect everyone!”
“Fran will do so too!”
“Horn will do her best.”
And just like that, for some reason, we ended up being assigned as escorts for the former Margrave, Emilia-sama, and Kent-chan.
Not just me—Sue and the others were also smiling wryly at the situation. Honestly, the two people in front of us were definitely stronger than us in the first place.
Still, that’s how it went.After that, we prepared and set out from the mansion.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
“It’s my selfish wish that I want you to defeat the Nether King. But if those Unknowns were ever to conquer the Nether Class…”
The loli goddess wore a faintly complicated expression as she seemed to be asking something of me—me, sitting there in nothing but my underwear, legs folded beneath me.
But right now, I didn’t have the time to worry about that.
Surplus Burial Points: 4817 HP 999 (0) −＋ Max HP 999 (0) −＋ MP 999 (0) −＋ Max MP 999 (0) −＋ Strength 999 (0) −＋ Endurance 999 (0) −＋ Agility 999 (0) −＋ Intelligence 999 (0) −＋ Burial Power 999 (0) −＋
If there was one thing I wanted to check first, it was this. I had a feeling the way excess points worked had changed, so I opened up my status—and bingo.
Limit break. Thank you very much!!
…But now what? How am I supposed to distribute all of this?
Having too many options just makes it harder to decide.
“I’m afraid that the balance of this world and the dungeon itself could collapse entirely. If that happens, both the human world and the dungeon system I created might fall apart…”
From what I could tell, the cap probably went up to around 9,999 at most. But that just made the question harder—how should I allocate it?
…Hm?
It sounded like the loli goddess was saying something important while staring off into the distance, but honestly, I didn’t have the attention span for that right now.
Alright… I’ll just go with my instincts.
No—wait. Thinking back to my fight with that Golden Emperor Slime, Gorue-chan… yeah, speed is everything. Fast beats everything.
So, in that case…
There.
Surplus Burial Points: 0 HP 999 (0) −＋ Max HP 999 (0) −＋ MP 999 (0) −＋ Max MP 999 (0) −＋ Strength 999 (0) −＋ Endurance 999 (0) −＋ Agility 5816(4817) −＋ Intelligence 999 (0) −＋ Burial Power 999 (0) −＋
Alright. This is insane.
Did I just… surpass the speed of light or something?
“Please, Ajiri Daishi! For the sake of preserving my position and for the future of humanity, use that power of yours and conquer the Nether Class, no matter what…”
…Hm? Ah, right.
What was that again?
She was saying something with this desperate look on her face, but none of it actually registered.
Oh! Right—I’ve gotta explain my stats to the viewers!
I already allocated everything and hit confirm.
She’s probably gonna get mad again.….
> Is the goddess talking to herself or something? > What the hell are you doing, old man? > At least answer her, dude > Can’t see the screen, no clue what’s going on > He’s probably messing with his stats > Oh right. Didn’t the loli goddess tell him to check them? > So what happened? > He was already maxed out—can he still get stronger than that? > Explain it alreadyyyyy!!!
Yeah, yeah, I hear you!
My beloved viewers!
“Good news—my stat cap’s been broken! I dumped everything into agility and gained insane speed!! Oh, and as for my class and stuff…”
“Hey—IDIOT DAISHI!! Don’t ignore meeeee!!!”
What’s with the huffing and puffing, loli goddess?
I’m busy right now. This is an important explanation segment for my viewers. There are already 950,000 people watching—well, listening—so I’ve gotta keep them engaged, right? Can you save the boring stuff for later?
> No, no, no, no, no > Old man, you always go way too extreme lol > You really did that without thinking again… > If you broke the cap, doesn’t that mean your burial power won’t overflow anymore? > You probably won’t be able to allocate points now > You should’ve raised burial power first—it looked like it gives overall scaling > This is just stupid LMAO
…R-right.
Up until now, I could allocate points because they overflowed past the cap.
Did I just screw that up again…?
“Honestly! That thing where you get so absorbed you stop noticing anything around you—you really should fix that! You’re not a kid anymore, you know! Seriously…”
Well, that’s just my personality. Nothing I can do about it. At my age, it’s not exactly something you can fix overnight. And if we’re being honest, the loli goddess isn’t much different in that regard.
“Ah, Goddess—about this class…”
“You ignored what I was saying and now you’ve got the nerve to ask me a question…? Fine, whatever. I’d like to call it an advanced class, but really, I just slapped that on arbitrarily. Since you have zero talent for healing, I figured this suited you better.”
Burial Priest.
Well… now that she says it, I guess it does fit me. I do tend to send things off rather… decisively.
“I reset your level back to one. It’ll make it easier for you to grow stronger that way. Your base stats carry over from your time as a cleric. As for your stat caps and skills…”
Perhaps understanding my personality, the loli goddess went on to give me a fairly detailed breakdown of my status. I didn’t really listen to the earlier part, but basically—she wants me to head into the Nether Class and take down that old man, the Hero, and the Demon Knight, right?
I’ve already given up on my laid-back dungeon life anyway.
So yeah… I’ll take the job.
> It is Funeral Priest after all LMAO > Reset to level 1 but keeps base stats? That’s insane service lol > So, the cap’s now 9999 huh > What happens when he levels up next? > First time I’ve ever seen maxed-out skills > Guess we’ll find out what they do when he uses them > Honestly, that’s more fun to watch > [Infinite Item Box] is straight-up cheating lol > Every explorer would kill just to have that skill > Must be insanely useful for something like a 100-floor dungeon > Title: [The Enlightened One] > Old man really achieved enlightenment at last, huh
“That’s all the explanation. In any case, get to the Nether Class and conquer it before them, Ajiri Daishi. I’ve already given you more than enough power for that.”
“Alright. Got it. But what about Satsuki-chan…?”
“I did want to eliminate that irregular factor, but if I did that, you wouldn’t go into the Nether Class, would you? Bringing her in here was my mistake as well. And while I’d prefer not to submit a report to the Guild Headquarters, I suppose there’s no helping it at this point.”
If it had come to harming Satsuki-chan, I never would’ve taken this request. Honestly, I’d have gone straight for this loli goddess and taken her down myself. A zero-distance Hell Gate execution.
“…Even I’d have a hard time surviving that, you know. Well, whatever. You can relax. However, Amane Satsuki cannot go with you. At her current level, it’s a 100% death sentence. That place isn’t so forgiving that you can protect someone while clearing it.”
Yeah. I already had a feeling about that.
Then this is where Satsuki-chan and I part ways huh. She helped me out in a lot of ways, but I can’t drag her into a dungeon more dangerous than this.
“Can you transfer Satsuki-chan somewhere safe too?”
“I promise. At this point it’s going to be exposed anyway—I’ll drop her off in front of Guild Headquarters.”
“…Thanks. Sigh… but going alone is still a little unsettling.”
I let out a sigh.
I wonder if that loli goddess stuffed a bunch of healing items into my item box or something.
Wait, it’s only been about half a day since my first dungeon run, right?
I’m still a total beginner—like, full-on beginner mode. Is this really going to be okay…?
“Even if your ability values are completely abnormal, dungeon exploration can’t be cleared with stats alone. You should’ve already understood that much from your experience so far. You’ve got a bit of an idiot side to you, so I’m honestly a little worried too—but well, use your head and figure it out yourself, Ajiri Daishi.”
“Y-yeah, I’ll do my best.”
“Alright then. Are you mentally prepared? We don’t have much time—if we wait any longer, those guys might show up, so I’m just going to send you off quickly. Is that okay?”
There’s no point overthinking it here. If I have to go, then I might as well just go. Like the loli goddess had said, my fatigue is completely gone. At this point, it’s just “whatever happens, happens!”
“You’ve got a good attitude. Then I’ll open a spacetime vortex. After that, I’m counting on you! Ajiri Daishi!”
The familiar spacetime vortex appeared right in front of me while I was still sitting in seiza in nothing but my underwear. I’m already used to this sensation. Before I even realize it, I’ll probably be at the entrance of a Nether-class dungeon.
Alright then—let’s go all out and conquer this Nether-class dungeon!
Ah, but…
I’ve been sitting in seiza this whole time and my legs are completely numb—I can’t feel them at all. If a monster suddenly attacks right now… am I even going to be able to react?
And one more thing…
> Are you planning to go in just your underwear? lol
I wasn’t wearing any clothes.
◆◆◆
(Amane Satsuki’s POV)
“…Here is… in front of the Guild Headquarters…?”
I, Amane Satsuki, found myself lying quietly in the shadow of a massive, rigid, and utterly inorganic structure.
“…I… think I was…”
My memories were tangled. I shook my head, trying to sort through the information in my mind.
“I think I blacked out because Daishi-san was too smelly… no-wait?!”
Why am I here?
Based on what I can piece together, I should have been inside the West Tokyo 4th Beginner Dungeon… right in front of the suddenly appeared temple gate…
“Oh right! My investigation report… ah, there it is! Good, I need to submit this to HQ—”
“…Heh. You’re cuter than in the videos, Amane Satsuki.”
“—!!”
A suffocating pressure slammed down on me, like a giant serpent coiling around my neck. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even make a sound.
“…You smell kinda nasty. But I don’t hate it. That scent.”
My vision was blocked—whoever it was was behind me, crushing my throat with one arm. I couldn’t see his face.
But the voice… felt vaguely familiar.
S-so hard to breathe…
Who… are you…?
“Ajiri Daishi. That rookie bastard who cleared a god-tier dungeon and stole all my spotlight. You were with him, right?”
The grip tightened even more.
Cleared a god-tier dungeon…?
No way… if this keeps up… I’m going to—
“Y-you… are…”
“The only one who can produce this refreshing, handsome voice… is a hero, right?”
H-hero…?!
“Anyway, all the guys from the god-tier raid got mentally broken, useless trash everywhere. Seriously, what a waste of space. And just when I was looking for new party members before going to beat down that old man in the Nether-class dungeon…”
The pressure on my neck vanished.
But immediately, my face was grabbed like it was caught in a vice. The pain didn’t even register anymore—the grotesque, intimidating face right in front of me stole all my attention.
So this is him…
The rumors were true.
This man… is seriously dangerous!
“Ajiri Daishi is coming too, right? The Nether-class dungeon. I heard that old dungeon master guy has some special blessing or whatever. Even I might have my hands full with him.”
His grip tightened again.
I couldn’t look away.
“…I came to pick you up for my party. Haha.”
“N-no… way…!”
“Hm? You don’t get a choice. So what’s it gonna be? Get beaten and dragged along… or quietly come with me?”
My heart… broke under the weight of that threat. As frustrating as it was, I couldn’t resist him. This man’s raw strength was probably still below Daishi-san’s. After all, Daishi-san’s stats had already reached the absolute peak of this world.
And yet…
No—there‘s no doubt about it.
Daishi-san would lose to this man.
For sure.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
“Your clothes are getting in the way of the ritual. Ideally, I’d have you to take off your underwear too if possible.”
At the moment, I am sitting in a seiza-style in the center of a room encircled by candles. Wearing nothing but my underwear.
“Especially something like the Twilight Robe. It is stacked with resistances which interferes with the ritual.”
The child-goddess stood behind me, her right hand raised over my back as she poured something like a faint, pale aura into me—almost like telekinetic energy.
It felt gently warm, soothing in a way that reminded me of the electric therapy you get at an orthopedic clinic when treating an injury. The comfort made my eyelids grow heavy with drowsiness.
> Good thing he wasn’t stripped completely naked > Being totally naked in front of someone who looks like a little girl is straight-up a crime > Officer, it’s this guy > An old man going full naked here would be rough lol > Eh~, I kinda wanted to see though > N-not gonna lie, my heart skipped a beat (blush) > I wanted him to corrupt the goddess with his “Daishi” and drag her into the dark side > If he’d taken everything off, he definitely would’ve been banned > I mean, this is already pretty borderline lol > Stuff like “Hell Gate” is definitely not okay lol > Maybe they’re just letting it slide on purpose > With this many viewers, you’d think at least one person would’ve reported it by now
My “Daishi” doesn’t have that kind of power. It’s not “great”—it’s “small”.
…Ah, no. That really doesn’t matter at all!
My apologies.
“Once this ritual’s over, do I have to head to the Nether Class dungeon?”
Trying to distract myself from the numb, prickling pain in my legs from sitting seiza, I threw the question at the loli goddess. Judging from how things had been going, that was the only possible outcome.
“I do like a perceptive man, Ajiri Daishi. As soon as the ritual is complete, I’ll transfer you right near the entrance to the Nether Class, so just relax and wait.”
Her voice was gentle—yet it carried a whisper of something almost devilish.
Ah… there goes my dream of a laid-back dungeon life…
I guess I don’t have the right to refuse anymore.
Fine, I’ll concede a thousand steps.
But, even if I have to go, could I at least get a day to prepare…?
And if that’s too much to ask, then please, at least let me take a bath.
I might be fine, and the loli goddess might be fine, but I really don’t want to walk around reeking of the Nether King’s hell-stench. Apparently it’s strong enough to knock people out just from the lingering odor alone. I want to get rid of this clingy, almost branded stench as soon as possible.
“My aura also has fatigue recovery and purification effects, so there’s no need for rest. And that stinky Nether King’s ‘fart’ smell will naturally disappear too, so don’t worry.”
…She read my mind again.
“I’ve already prepared your equipment, food, and all the bare essentials you’ll need for exploration, so you can head into the Nether Class dungeon anytime.”
“By the way… Goddess, aren’t you coming with me?”
“I can’t leave this West Tokyo Fourth Beginner Dungeon. If I did, all the causal structure I carefully set up here would fall apart.”
“Huh? Then how did you get the Nether King’s organs…?”
Just like that, the conversation looped right back to the original question.
“Ah, that? You really want to know, don’t you? It’s simple.”
According to the loli goddess, every dungeon—and every monster within it—was something she herself had created and managed. With her master authority, she could freely add or remove things from anywhere at any time. However, as she’d mentioned before, the Nether Class was currently operating under the Nether King’s independent system, which meant her authority didn’t normally apply there.
That said, she could still grasp the situation to some extent. And while something like this would never happen in Divine Realm Class or Abyssal Sea Class, the Nether Class alone would, on rare occasions, experience brief lapses in the Nether King’s control. She seized one of those fleeting moments—and barely managed to extract only the organs. The reason she didn’t destroy anything and took only the internal organs… was to strip away that power and grant it to me.
Because she believed that someone like me—who had already broken through the Eighth Layer of the Selection Domain—could synchronize with the Nether King.
Incidentally, the source of the Nether King’s power was also burial energy. The same as mine.
Just like mine…
…
Thinking about it like that… yeah, I really don’t like it.
Am I eventually going to end up like that too?
The more I think about it, the more uneasy I get. If every time I fart, something like a [Hell Gate] gets summoned, that’s the kind of thing you just can’t live with. And if it happens unconsciously while I’m asleep… that’s not even a joke.
> I didn’t hear the earlier part, so I have no idea what’s going on > So it’s like shoplifting, huh! > “While no one’s looking…”—that’s totally different, idiot lol > Anyway, once this ritual’s over, you’re heading to conquer the Nether Class dungeon, right? > So we’ll get to see the old man in action again, yeah? > Hurry up and finish the ritual already >Can he still get stronger? > I’m excited
“What kind of nonsense are you even thinking about?”
“Ah—well… for me, it’s a serious concern.”
“Humans really are incomprehensible… Honestly. Oh, it’s done, by the way.”
“Huh? It’s already over?”
That was faster than I expected.
But… it doesn’t feel like some overwhelming power is surging through me or anything.
Did I really awaken at all?
“Why don’t you check your status? A lot has changed.”
“A lot huh.”
Well, if that’s the case, I guess I’ll take a look for now…
“Isn’t this whole ‘status system’ just fascinating? It’s easily one of the most brilliant technologies humans have ever invented. Well, yours is a special case since I’ve tweaked it quite a bit, so it works very differently from what ordinary explorers use.”
The loli goddess was smirking as she rambled on about something, but none of it registered.
I was completely transfixed by the contents of my status screen.
A lot had changed.
No—too much had changed!
Where was I even supposed to start checking…?
Honestly, I didn’t have the faintest idea.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
The tasting itself had finished in the morning, so in the afternoon I returned to helping sort the Margrave’s paperwork.
“Haaahhh…”
“Your Excellency, if you don’t push through here, Emilia-sama will ban you from dinner as well.”
“Right. I’ll do it.”
Sue and the others were gradually learning how to handle the Margrave.
The moment they brought up the existence of Emilia-sama—an absolute authority for him—and Kent-chan, he would instantly switch into a serious mode. And when he did, his abilities were genuinely impressive. Once in “serious mode,” he sorted through the documents at a frightening speed.
The real question was how long that mode would last.
Still, somehow, he managed to scrape through on both stamina and willpower, and before long, the massive pile of documents had been completely cleared away.
“Come to think of it… this is the first time I’ve ever seen this office clean.”
“It was usually buried under paperwork.”
“Haaahhh…”
At that point, the exhausted Margrave aside, Sue and I were looking around the now-clean office. With some free time between shifts watching over the Margrave, we had joined the butler and attendants in cleaning the room.
Thanks to that, the office had turned into a very pleasant, refreshing space.
Creak.
“Waaah—it’s so clean!”
“Hm. Not bad at all. Quite well done.”
As evening approached, Kent-chan and the former margrave came into the office after being out. Both of them seemed pleased by the neatly cleaned room—but they completely ignored the Margrave, who was now slumped over in a state of total exhaustion.
Rattle-rattle-rattle.
“Yes, yes, a clean room really does make things go smoother.”
And then—just like the day before—Emilia-sama entered the room, pushing a cart piled high with documents. That must be the results from today’s field work. It was almost the same amount as yesterday, but since we had also cleared the backlog from the previous day, tomorrow’s workload should finally be lighter.
At least, in theory.
“At any rate, the urgent documents are finished for now. So from tomorrow, instead of watching over the Margrave, Shun and the others will be going out with me on field inspections. A special attendant will handle the Margrave.”
“A special attendant? There’s someone like that?”
“Yes. He used to serve the former Margrave—she was, in a sense, like his mistress. She fell ill and was on medical leave for a while, but Horn-chan healed her. The townspeople are fully aware of the ‘mistress’ situation, so there’s no problem at all.”
So… a publicly accepted former Margrave’s mistress and attendant in service to the household huh.
If such a person exists, then they might actually be able to stop the Margrave when he goes off the rails.
“Oh! I know! She’s a really beautiful lady!”
“She’s said to be from the celestial tribe, just like Horn!”
“And she also had a child with the former Margrave!”
Hey, Horn just casually dropped a bombshell there.
So it wasn’t just a mistress situation—they even had a child?
“Hahaha. When my wife passed away, she helped support me through my grief. The child has no claim to succession of the Marquis household, but I have properly paid child support.”
“Oneechan is really beautiful!”
Laughing heartily, the former Margrave explained the circumstances, while Kent-chan proudly praised the attendant’s child. It was certainly a complicated family situation, but since all parties involved accepted it, it didn’t seem to be a problem at all.
“.…Haaah.”
In any case, someone please hurry up and bring the Margrave back already.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
Alongside the fries, we had also finished preparing deep-fried vegetables. All that was left was to grill the meat that had been soaking in the marinade. At this point, it was just a matter of cooking it in a frying pan and slicing it up—something the kitchen staff could easily handle on their own.
Honestly, slicing the cooked meat and sandwiching it between bread to make hamburgers wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
However, just then, I noticed a gaze fixed on us from somewhere nearby.
“Margrave-sama… what are you doing here?”
“The smell drew me in. It’s my break time, so I came to the kitchen.”
Drawn in by the savory aroma, the Margrave—who was supposed to be in his office—was now peeking into the kitchen from the entrance. Behind him, I could also see Sue and the others, wearing expressions that seemed to say, “Well, what can you do…”
Even if it’s break time, it feels like only about an hour has passed since work started…
But the curry was already finished.
Alright then—let’s get to grilling the meat right away.
Sizzle… sizzle…
“Ooh, that’s a nice smell. I’m really looking forward to eating this.”
“Your Excellency, the tasting is meant to be done together so we can gather opinions.”
“Haha, I know, I know.”
“…”
“…”
The Margrave had already come right up beside where the meat was being grilled. If he’s talking about eating it, then he’s clearly planning to sample it the moment it’s done. Sue and the others were watching him with exasperated expressions.
Then, the first piece of meat finished cooking—and the moment it was placed on a plate—
Snatch. (Nom. Munch, munch, munch…)
“Ooh, this is good. It’s just meat marinated in sauce and grilled, but there’s a slight kick to it that really stimulates the appetite.”
The Margrave picked up the large chunk of meat placed on the plate and ate it in a single bite. Not only that, he went on to eat the salted fries and the deep-fried vegetables as well.
Snatch, munch—snatch, munch.
After that, every piece of meat marinated in sauce was eaten the moment it came off the pan, and even the hamburger portion disappeared before it could be assembled. Even the potatoes… all of them were gone—cleaned up entirely by the Margrave.
“Whew… I’m full. If meat this good is served at the festival, I’m sure everyone who comes will be more than satisfied.”
“R-right….”
“Y-yes, that’s good then…”
While the Margrave stood there completely satisfied, I couldn’t help but make a complicated expression. Meanwhile, Sue and the others were practically radiating fury—like flames burning behind their eyes. We were supposed to do the tasting together but everything had been eaten by the Margrave alone.
Messing with food especially when it comes to women is dangerous.
“With that much in your stomach, I’m sure you’ll be able to work hard until evening.”
“Yes, let’s return to processing documents immediately.”
“Fufu… break time is over.”
“W-wait, hey—hold on, aahh!”
Sue and the others grabbed the Margrave by the legs and dragged him back toward the office. It was almost as if they were disciplining a hopeless child. Even though, technically speaking, the Margrave was a married man with children.
“Now then…. shall we prepare another tasting portion for Emilia-sama?”
“Yes. She is scheduled to return for lunch.”
With a collective sigh, the kitchen staff and I resumed preparing the tasting dishes once more.
By the way, the matter of the Margrave monopolizing all the tasting food didn’t stay hidden for long. When Emilia-sama returned at lunchtime and heard what had happened—
the Margrave was strictly forbidden from eating anything at all until dinner.
No meals.
No snacks.
Nothing at all.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
