It's totally silent... and dark and empty...
I can't tell what this place is supposed to be. Kinda creeping me out...
Rin? Are you scared?
Nope! Not scared at all!
Really?
Yup!
I'm more afraid of the way Ed's looking at me...
If you need anything, don't hesitate to speak up.
Thank you, Aria.
Us, too! Pet us, too!
Goma-chan, you cutie.
I swear, nothing fazes this kitty.
Strange. Not a single enemy in sight.
It does seem a little ominous.
Which is weird 'cause the building looks important.
Judging by the architecture, it appears to be a temple from Ancient Herothos.
You really know your stuff, Xenon.
My people live a long time. We're well-versed in folklore and such.
These pillars with a slight bulge in the middle are characteristic of that era.
I didn't even notice that!
Down the hall.
There's a door.
It doesn't seem to be trapped.
Alright. Let's go inside.
I-it's huge!
Episode 6: We Like Conger Eel, but We Love Freshwater Eel, Too!
Aria was right. I don't see any traps, but...
No hints as to how we should proceed, either.
What kind of room is this supposed to be...?
A white tree and a water feature made of marble...
If we want more information, we need to do some sort of investigation check...
Crap, I'm hearing things!
I can't escape the effects of my internal TRPG!
Still... given the circumstances, it really does feel like there's a puzzle to be solved here.
There's something written on the basin.
A giant tree?
This thing's made of marble!
Explains why it's spotless!
No warnings from my Survival skill...
We'll go check it out!
Wait, Miso!
That's a feline, for you.
Hey, hey!
What's this hole?
Less of a hole, more of an... impression?
Two tree trunks combined into one, and there's a similar impression on the other side?
The reliefs on the walls have a motif depicting various animals.
Including some mythical creatures.
Doesn't seem like there are any hidden chambers, either.
The writing on the basin is a quote from an ancient epic vowing love in the afterlife.
On the tree's branches,
there are these impressions that indicate something could be placed there.
But I haven't quite figured out what...
We're at an impasse...
There was nothing outside this room, either.
My TRPG senses are tingling.
I think...
we insert something into the impressions.
Animal-shaped reliefs...
A lover's poem vowing love in the afterlife...
Twin trees joined as one...
What's the matter, Rin? You're frowning.
It's just, something about this seems familiar...
College?
No, a test on Chinese classics in high school...
"Song of Everlasting Sorrow" by Bai Juyi?
Are you okay?
"I pray that, in the skies, we are birds soaring on wings' edge;
I pray that, on the earth, we are branches growing intertwined."
Assuming it's a hint of some kind...
We ought to look for bird reliefs!
And I think they should only have one wing!
Aren't intertwining branches a little cliché?
Not to mention, it's a poem from my world...
Found it! Over here, Vil!
A bird with only its right wing!
Here, too! I found a relief of a bird with only its left wing!
What do we do with them?
Good question...
If they aren't trapped, then maybe we should try pushing them?
I'll help you.
Thank you, Xenon.
Sorry if it doesn't work out.
No need to apologize. Trial and error is the key to mechanics like this.
You're kidding me!
Way to go, Rin!
It would appear that you're right on the money!
Seriously?!
I didn't actually expect that to be correct!
Miso, were you sitting here the whole time?
Yup! We saw everything!
Ah, gotcha.
Now if I just insert this thing... So heavy!
It's just as you predicted, Rin.
There's an impression on the other side, so I put it there.
I'll do this one, too.
Thanks, I appreciate it!
Where's this water coming from?!
Even the trees were just a part of this mechanism?!
Wh-what is that?!
Storm Eel Edible : Very Tasty
A giant monster resembling a freshwater eel. They possess
a highly developed sense of smell, and their bodies are
covered in a thick layer of mucus. Storm eels are rich
in fat, giving their meat a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
A "storm eel"...?!
What?! Are you for real?!
A monster said to command the skies, calling forth wind and thunder.
I thought they were just a fairytale...
I can't pinpoint its location.
How are we supposed to beat it?
Up?
Look out!
Everyone alright?
Yeah!
Tsk, this is getting worse.
There must be a clue to how we defeat it!
Freshwater eel... That's what unagi is, right?
Wait. Unagi?
I know! If you've got ice magic, I think that ought to slow it down!
Ice magic?
We have a similar creature back in my world.
You put it on ice to stop it from wriggling before you slice it up!
That makes sense.
But I can't get a clear shot on it with magic! It'll just dive underwater and escape.
If we knew where it was, we could cordon it off and catch it, but...
Mhm. Maybe we could lure it in?
Lure it in?
Storm Eel Edible : Very Tasty
A giant monster resembling a freshwater eel. They possess
a highly developed sense of smell, and their bodies are
covered in a thick layer of mucus. Storm eels are rich
in fat, giving their meat a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Oh! My Survival skill said they have a good sense of smell!
Aria! Can you hold Gomamiso for me, please?
Nooooo! Don't you dare leave us behind!
It doesn't seem like Goma-chan wants to-
It'll only take a minute!
Campy!
Ed! I'm going to throw some bait, so get ready to use your magic!
Salted skrid guts. Thought I'd save 'em as a snack to pair with sake, but...
Take that!
Nice job, Rin-chan.
I can work with that.
Perfect!
Ed! Open the cube!
Vil!
No, Rin! You'll get hurt!
But we have to help him!
Don't worry about Vil. Having you on the front line would be far more dangerous.
Vil's a strong guy.
He can handle getting squeezed a little.
Vil...!
Well done!
Any injuries?
Nah.
Never imagined that thing would produce this much mucus, though.
Were you hurt, Rin?
I really wish you wouldn't be so reckless...
I-I could say the same thing to you!
You scared me half to death-
God, my hand stinks!
I-I'm sorry.
Well, we make quite the pair, don't we?
Dummy!
You left us! You went and left us behind!
Big dummy!
My stomach... Eugh.
Meat from the storm eel. It's basically unagi!
Ah, music to a Japanese person's ears...
It seems this building is connected to the next floor, after all.
The dungeon goes even deeper, then.
Alright. Let's move, Rin.
'Kay!
C'mon, Miso.
What's the matter, Miso?
Don't get left behind!
We... remember now.
I swear, this place is so much bigger on the inside. Dungeons really are a mystery.
It feels like there's nothing here.
I don't detect anything.
Same here. My Survival skill isn't picking up-
Goma-chan?
Hold on a second, is that... the dungeon core?!
You know what it is, Vil?!
It's the heart of the dungeon. Without it, the dungeon falls apart.
But why would it pop up in front of us...?
So, the thing is... we got lost for a while there.
But this place? It was our home!
That's Gomamiso's voice!
Wait, what?!
And then, we remembered.
What our job was s'posed to be.
Protecting this thing!
Now I understand...
What?! Then that means...
Gomamiso's an enemy?
A boss, no less?!
Huh, no wonder she's totally unfazed...
Why are you pointing a weapon at us?
If you're our enemy, we have to put you down.
Is fighting our only option?
We aren't "we" anymore.
We're Gomamiso now, y'know?
Our days of protecting this thing are over!
'Cause we're Gomamiso now.
We're leaving this place!
We're going with you!
Whaaaaat?!
This is a joke, right?
Did we just clear the dungeon?
Well, the dungeon's core is broken...
H-hang on! I'm really confused!
Uppies! Uppies!
Look! Is that the exit?!
Hop in! The whole place is about to collapse!
Rin, let's go.
C-coming!
Nooooo, we hate shots!
It's not a shot, it's a stamp.
Rin, you can already understand what your familiar is saying?
Huh? Uh...
You could be an excellent tamer someday!
Well, for the foreseeable future, I think I'll stick with being a porter-slash-chef.
Go ahead.
Yes, of course.
Rin is here to see you, sir.
Come on in, little lady.
Taming a dungeon boss?
It's one surprise after the next with you.
"Taming" is a strong word...
I accidentally named her 'cause she reminded me of my family's cat,
Gomamitsu
Gomamiso
then she insisted on coming with us and destroyed the dungeon core herself...
I can't wrap my head around it even after explaining it out loud.
How the hell do we document this...?
It's entirely unprecedented.
Gomamiso latched onto me, and all it took was giving her some food. I don't get it.
That's easy! 'Cause you smelled good!
Smelled good? Me?
Yup! You seemed friendly!
O-oh yeah?
Are those two actually communicating?
Just sounds like a bunch of meowing to me...
Relax, Torey. That's all I hear, too.
Really? You can't hear her voice anymore?
Nope. I suspect that the reason we could understand Gomamiso's speech back then
was because the dungeon core was nearby.
So, what did she say just now?
She claims that she got attached because I "smelled good."
Do I like, have a weird scent or something?
Hmm... I kind of see what she's getting at.
What?!
I mean, as strange as it may sound...
The scent of your soul, the vibes of your mana...
Whatever you want to call it, perhaps it resonated with her?
Oh...
So should I view it like we had good chemistry, or like we were on the same wavelength?
Well, that's one way to put it.
I guess we're basically like kindred spirits!
The truth is, we weren't s'posed to wander away from that ball!
Uh, that much was obvious!
Since when do bosses just give up protecting the dungeon core or whatever
to go frolicking about for fun?!
We wanted to go on an adventure!
But the problem was, we were hungry...
When you gave us food, we felt all better!
Yeah, nothing fazes her, but it's hard not to love her!
So soft and fluffy!
This goes beyond the scope of a mere guildmaster's judgment.
Right, so about that...
With the situation being what it is, along with the issue of Rin,
I'm thinking of taking a trip back to the capital to ask for his advice.
You... You're serious?
Yeah. I know this isn't the time to be stubborn.
If you're okay with it, then... that might be best.
Um, do you have a friend in the capital, Vil?
The truth is, I... have an older brother.
A brother?
Yes.
From another mother.
Oop–!
So, do you and your brother not get along?
Actually, in my eyes, we got along just fine.
My brother's wise. Dependable. He was kind to me even though I was a bratty kid.
Sounds like he was a good brother.
Originally, he was meant to be the family heir,
but there were plenty of folks who wanted to raise me up instead.
You? Aren't you the second born?
I am, but I know the reason why.
I'm the legitimate child, whereas he's the child of a mistress.
In the end, I got sick of the endless drama and moved out on my own.
Not sure how to face him after all this time...
There's no pressure, Vil.
It's okay. To be frank, I wouldn't consider going back if it weren't for an opportunity like this.
Besides, I'm the one who suggested it.
Rin.
Before we set out for the capital, I'd like to fill the others in on what happened to you.
Of course!
All I can say is...
it sucks that you went through that, Rin-chan.
I'm glad they didn't trap you there and work you to the bone.
I, for one, am grateful
that these people were dumb enough to underestimate Rin and her skills as "useless."
But it must have been terrible for you, Rin.
You stayed strong.
And the Saintess, eh...
If I remember correctly,
"A high priestess shall be beckoned from foreign soil,
a holy purge shall cleanse the demonic plague,
and peace and tranquility shall be known all across the land," the text said.
I mean, there's all this weird stuff happening with the monsters lately,
so maybe they're relying on the old "Saintess Summoning" thing to bail 'em out?
Relying on the Saintess...?
What's wrong, Rin?
No...
We've got it backwards. It wasn't the monsters that came first, it was the Saintess Summoning!
What?
This entire string of incidents. Wouldn't it be more logical to assume
that everything kicked off after they carried out the Saintess Summoning?
Wait, after?!
When you put it like that, it makes sense.
It sounds like the strange monsters also started popping up after Rin-chan got here.
What in the world is going on...?
Hey, so... Listen.
Our tummy's grumbly!
Really?!
That's what you have to say during this super serious moment?!
Miso, can you try reading the room?!
Rooms are for living, not reading, silly!
Okay, smartass!
We need to get to the bottom of this quickly.
That said, perhaps we should take a break first.
I agree!
I'm starving...
Well, in that case...
So this box is the little lady's famous skill!
Can you believe it moves at high speeds and you can live inside it?!
Explains why she has to keep it under wraps.
Pretty much. And I owe you guys for all your help, so... it's orc rib barbeque time!
I appreciate you takin' the trouble to invite us out here, little lady!
I've been wanting to try your cooking, so I'm happy you did!
I'm glad I can finally show my thanks!
The storm eel should be done any second now, too!
Storm eel?!
What's the best way to eat it?
The answer's obvious...
Drizzle a mixture of soy sauce, sake, and mirin over a bed of pure white rice,
then place your storm eel fillets glazed with unagi sauce on top!
Now your storm eel kabayaki bowl is ready to eat!
The sauce coating the rice gives it a sweet 'n' savory flavor with a heavenly aroma!
The skin is delightfully crisp, grilled to perfection in its own rich juices!
The charcoal-grilled orc ribs are good, too!
Better hurry before they're all gone!
Gomamiso? Want some storm eel?
Uh-huh, 'cause the words "don't eat" aren't in our vocabulary!
For such a tiny creature, you sure do have a big appetite.
SAKE! I NEED SAKE RIGHT NOW!
I'LL SETTLE FOR A SIP!
You can't drink, Guildmaster!
There's still work to be-
I promise not to drink till I pass out!
Be right back!
Oh man, I never imagined I'd be lucky enough to eat kabayaki in a fantasy world, too!
The capital has its own local specialties.
I have no doubt you're going to love it.
He's right! Shurblanc has all sorts of wild vegetables and game!
Wow, that sounds great!
I'm excited to see the capital, but...
I'm a little worried. About the Saintess Summoning...
...and about Vil.
Hey, what's the matter? What happened?
Rin. I know I'm one to talk, but try not to overthink it, okay?
What Vil said!
Today, we party!
To celebrate you conquering your first dungeon.
Thanks, you guys.
That's right...
There were lots of twists and turns, but...
...I conquered my first dungeon!
Congrats!
Episode 7
The Muchi Dango on Your Waist! Please Give Me Every Last One!