[Err, master. Do you want to fight the boss alone again? Although it’s happening rather often,I would like to fight as well since it is our long awaited last boss]
So said Sera, who was the first to recover from freezing up. I’ve certainly had a lot of solo fights. Starting with the butler Saladin, and the recent demon Zelvain too was defeated by me alone. Oh, the name of those two are a little similar…
(ED: This makes no sense at the moment in english. His original name セルディク(serudiku, or Cerdic, TL changed it to Saladin from the beginning) would resemble a little more than ゼルベイン(Zelvain), but still, japanese stuff)
[It is Jin-sama’s wish. I won’t say no. However, I’m not confident that I would not interfere in the case a crisis would approach you even if just a little, Jin-sama]
[Well, we are going to enter the same room with Master anyway. It’ll be fine if we let Master fight on his own until it becomes dangerous, right?]
[Are you two disregarding my opinion…?]
[It’s not like Master would simply change his mind on something he proposed. Giving it up is better, you know.]
[I suppose so…]
Maria is in her usual stance as always, and Mio is trying to find a middle ground. However, having middle ground is meaningless in this case.
[No, I’ll be the only one entering the boss room. I’m sorry, but you will all have to stay outside the boss room.]
[[[Eh?]]]
[Wha-!?] (Spec: I want to go with “nani!?”) (Undead: I always a fan of a well-placed Nani!)
<>
While Sakura, Mio and Sera raised a voice of doubt, only Maria raised a voice of shock and turned ghastly pale. Dora was spacing out beside me due to the conversation becoming seemingly difficult.
[D-D-Don’t tell me, Jin-sama. Are you saying that you’re going to fight alone, at a place where Sera-chan and I can’t see you?]
[Yeah, that’s what I have in mind.]
Maria opposes this as expected. Setting aside if I’m fighting alone, if I were to add “at a place nobody can see,” then she would oppose me with amazing energy after all. That and this time we’re in a situation where we don’t know the enemy. I’m fully prepared for more intense opposition than usual.
[Jin-Sama could you not please reconsider you are the most important person to me Jin-sama to think that Jin-sama would go through danger in a place nobody could see I could not stand for it and if in the worst case something were to happen to you I would chase after your death I’d rather fight on my own than to have you fight by yourself Jin-sama please watch from behind me Jin-sama and if you want to deal the finishing blow to the last boss let me weaken it until it’s barely alive would you not permit me to do so I’d rather have you wait in front of the door Jin-sama I can’t go so far in saying that because that will go against your principle of course the best would be for Jin to do nothing in a safe mansion and reign like an absolute god but if you wish to see the situation outside and want to go on a journey then you should feel like you have taken a journey if you share your subordinate’s vision to you don’t you think not to mention if it is subordinates you’re looking for then they are increasing favorably and if it is skills then I will learn them for you the time where you cannot possibly move actively should have already passed Jin-sama all of your subordinates are constantly worrying from you saying that you like going on a journey by all rights I would like to just mobilize all subordinates to escort you in your movements Jin-sama but…]
Aren’t you getting a little too excited? What you wished for came out midway, and most of the latter half went through one ear to the other, you know…
I looked very hard at Maria who continued her speech. Having seen my eyes, Maria stopped her talk.
[You look firmly determined, Jin-sama…. I can’t do anything about it if you’re like this…]
Seeing that my intentions are firm, Maria too judged that it’s impossible to change my mind. Her face went beyond ghastly pale and looked like she’s almost dying.
[Maria-chan is acting normally, but you would tell us at least the reason, right Master?]
[Yeah, of course. It isn’t that big of a reason for all that and it’s not like I’ll be doing anything that dangerous]
After that, I explained my reason for wanting going in and fight the last boss alone.
And after I got everyone’s agreement, I entered the boss room alone.
[Jin-sama! Please! Please be very careful! If you feel you are in even a little bit of danger, no, if you just think that it may become dangerous, even a little bit then by all means, please summon me! You absolutely have to!]
[I do know how strong Jin-kun is, but it’s still is worrisome after all…]
[Yes it is. We are still unclear about the boss, so we don’t know what will occur after all.]
Maria, Sakura and Sera are showing anxious faces. They told me I can fight alone, but worrisome things seems to be worrisome.
[I’ve said it before, but I’ve made a prediction on the boss, and if it’s me then I should be able to defeated it without problems you know? And besides, I’ll be keeping my promise with Maria.]
[Well, it’s not like I don’t think Maria-chan’s insurances are overkill though…]
[What are you saying, Mio-chan!? This is still not enough!]
Maria saw she could not stop the fact that I would enter on my own, and proposed a lot of insurances for my safety. Like setting up “Portal” immediately once I enter the boss room and make a portion of my skills level 10. In addition to that, I would call Maria and the others with “Summon” once I think I’m even in a little bit of danger. Or they will leap through the “Portal” in my crisis. In other words, it means that I can’t even allow myself to be in a pinch in order to achieve my goal.
It would’ve been fine to refuse, but Maria would die from anxiety if I do that. Maria would die in a too original state as cause of a Hero’s death. As expected, putting my allies’ lives at risk for something like that is kind of that, so I have decided to accept Maria’s proposals.
[Ahh, I’m anxious after all!]
Maria has been loitering around restlessly for a while. At this rate, she’s likely to chase after me as soon as I enter boss room… I’ll be troubled with that though…
[Here we go.]
[Ah, Sera-chan, what are you doing!?]
Sera went to bind Maria’s arms from behind her. Maria was struggling around. It seems impossible even for Maria to break out if she’s pinioned by Sera. Hint “Warp”.
[Please calm down a little. Master won’t be able to concentrate on fighting the last boss if you’re in that state, Maria-san. What will you do if he were to get injured because of that?]
[Ahh~! Ugh…, Jin-sama, please be careful…]
Maria saw me off while exhausted from being pinioned. She looks somewhat like she is being crucified.
[Then, I’ll see you later.]
<
Title : Keeper (迷宮保護者; dungeon guardian)
Upon checking her, she is actually a real bunny beastman.
[And you are?]
[Yes. My name is Carro…pyon. It is taken from carrot, is what my previous master said.]
Oh carrot. That’s quite a close impression to bunnies.
[I am the chief of the keepers, the ones who carry the maintenance and management of this dungeon on their shoulder. In other words, I hold the position called Chief Keeper. Ah, …pyon.]
[You sometimes forget your sentence ending don’t you…]
[Yes, ever since I’ve heard that a rabbit would use this sentence ending, I’ve tried to make it my catch phrase, but it doesn’t quite get ingrained in me-pyon.]
Carro smiled awkwardly towards Mio’s retort. She has completely admitted that it was an impression. I guess she has serious nature. It seems she has swallowed even a stupid story.
[Are you the dungeon master?]
After making a somewhat seemingly saddened expression towards Mio’s question, she shook her head and answered.
[No, the dungeon master, the highest managing position of this dungeon is currently vacant. When speaking of ranks, Chief Keeper would be the second- pyon.]
[Wouldn’t you become the dungeon master by moving up, Carro?]
She shook her head to my question too.
[A keeper is a keeper. It is not like we can become a dungeon master just because there is nobody. In the first place, a keeper’s job is basically doing maintenance and inspection of the dungeon. We do not have any authorities in management like a dungeon master at all -Pyon.]
So the dungeon master manages the dungeon and the keeper conducts maintenance and inspections. Their jobs are different, so it doesn’t mean that they could assume the position just because it became vacant I guess.
[If I were to go more fundamentally, those who become a keeper could not become anything beside a keeper. Also, the ones who hold the rights to become a dungeon master is only someone who would clear the dungeon’s hidden route. My previous master gave me that sort of strict order.] (ED: Author wrote 裏ルート, not 100% sure if it’s hidden route or alternate route)
[I knew it, that means…]
Mio timidly looked at me.
[Yes. You have splendidly broke through this dungeon’s hidden route, Jin-sama. I believe I would like you to become the dungeon master.]
Carro declared so with a smile.
[I have 2 questions.]
[I will answer everything.]
[Why do you know my name? Did you peep in our activities in the dungeon too?]
I haven’t introduced myself yet. No, I should have introduced myself, but I’ve let the delicate timing escape me. So from the fact that she guessed my name right as if it was natural despite that, I suspect them of having observed us in the dungeon.
[No, I did not do that. It is possible for me to observe the dungeon, but this time I have simply read the information on your dungeon card. The dungeon side was the one who took the lead to teach them the way to create it, so the information was gathered by us. It is easy to check up on one’s name. Many of the dungeon-only items with the exception of that had been prepared by our side from the start. Ah, pyon.]
Just when I thought there were awfully convenient items, she’s saying they were things that the dungeon side supplied from the beginning. I don’t know what benefits she would have though.
[I see, I understand it. Then the second question. What happened to the previous dungeon master?]
Carro was at a loss for words for a little while.
[…My previous master had died an extremely long time ago.]
[I see… So he already died…]
I thought, maybe, and asked her, but the previous dungeon master had died after all… It was regretful, but there is nothing I can do about it, even if I say that.
[Is that all the question? I don’t think it is something that can be decided so quickly, so I don’t mind however many questions you have for me.]
[Yeah, there are a lot of things I’d like to ask, but I’ll say just this first.]
[What would that be?]
[I will become the dungeon master.]
I declared this clearly to Carro. I’m already done preparing myself to become the dungeon master in front of the door to the 50th floor boss.
[…I see. So you really have read my previous master’s note isn’t it…pyon.]
[Yeah. I’ve read it properly. I mean, these are the notes that my close friend left behind in the other world after all.]
[*sigh*… As I expected, so you were the friend of my previous master, Azuma-sama…]
Carro sighed. Carro must’ve expected it too. What kind of human they are who would acquire the qualifications of being the dungeon master and come here…
My close friend from the former world, Azuma Akira. There shouldn’t be any human beings more suitable than me to succeed the dungeon he had created.