Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka Gaiden – Sword Oratoria - Volume 2 - Chapter Pr

PROLOGUE IT BEGAN IN A BEDROOM 

It was a dark room. 
A single magic-stone lamp on the wall was the only source of light. The corners of the room were masked in shadow. The air inside the chamber was damp and filled with the earthy scent of rocks. The only color in the room came from crystals among the silver and steel, and the rather fancy decorations adorning the walls and dangling from the ceiling glittered blue in the light. 
However, the light itself was little more than a flickering candle. It barely illuminated the red rug on the floor, the wicker baskets along the walls, the wide shelving unit, or the crudely constructed bed in the center. 
Two figures entered the room. 
One of them was completely covered in full-plated body armor. The other was draped in a slightly dirty robe paired with a hood; the outfit covered the wearer from the face down. The two exchanged few words as they placed their belongings, starting with a backpack, in a dark corner before making their way to the wooden bed. 
A man’s face emerged from beneath an intimidating helmet, then he started removing his his armor one piece at a time, all the way down to the greaves that covered the tips of his toes. A fortress of flesh appeared from beneath his inner shirt, and the adventurer was already half naked. Leaving his underwear on for the time being, the man took a seat on the side of the bed and glanced at the hooded figure. The cloak was not all that tight around her body, and yet her figure was easily distinguishable when looking at her ample breasts and slim waist. It became even easier when she started to peel back layers of clothing to bare her skin. 
“Oi, strip already. Don’t kill the mood after coming this far.” 
“Hold on. Don’t be greedy.” 
The woman’s high-pitched voice was surprisingly calm as it responded to the man’s naked desire. Slender fingers came out from beneath the cloak and pulled back her hood. At the same time, she loosened the string holding her hair in place. Unraveling all at once, it tumbled down her back with a soft swoosh. 
She was a captivating woman. 
Her body was a mass of seductive curves that would instantly grab the attention of any man. Her supple breasts were inviting, and she had a pleasingly rounded backside that could arouse just about anyone’s desire. Her thin waist was rather high, her arms and legs lithe and thin. Her calm voice and demeanor seemed to contradict the alluring pheromones that wafted from her soft skin. 
The large man on the bed knew from the start how provocative the woman’s body was, but as he watched the cloak fall away from her, her face took his breath away. The light from the lamps dimly lit her figure, causing the man to audibly gulp. 
“Why do you hide such a beautiful face?” 
“To keep men like you from hounding me.” 
The woman smiled as she responded to the dumbfounded man’s question without missing a beat. Not a single thread of cloth was left on her body as she slid in close to the adventurer. Wrapping her soft body in his arms, the man pushed her down onto the bed. 
The shadows of the two figures intertwined on the wall; the wooden bed groaned beneath them. 
“About what we were talking about before…what kind of quest did you take on?” 
The woman spoke just before the fireworks could get under way. 
The man paused, thinking for a moment as the seductive woman lay on her back beneath him. He froze, his lips mere moments from falling onto hers. Collecting his thoughts, he finally spoke. 
“It was a strange one: head down to the thirtieth floor, collect some weird thing, and come back…” 
The man seemed to suddenly recall something as he looked up from his partner. 

She silently raised her eyes toward the man’s not-so-large, yet muscular body. 
“Oops, that was supposed to be classified. Do me a favor: Pretend you didn’t hear it.” 
“Is that right…?” 
She met his eyes as she spoke, placing her hand on his cheek. 
Her dainty hand skimmed his face, running her fingers down his chin and angling toward the neck in almost a caress. 
Then, suddenly, she gripped his throat. 
“?!” 
Five fingers sank deep into the muscular man’s neck. Armor off and guard completely down, the man could only frantically grab at the hand threatening to suffocate him. Surprise and fear filled his eyes, but his assailant’s arm didn’t budge in the slightest. 
He was unable to put up a decent fight. The room suddenly filled with the echoes of cracking bone and ripping tendon. The man’s eyes became bloodshot as his mouth opened and closed over and over again. Only the sounds of ragged breathing and choked desperation escaped his lips. 
The woman watched him, her face betraying no emotion. Then—snap! 
His neck having been broken, his head fell limply onto her chest. 
“…” 
The woman unceremoniously tossed him aside, nothing but a rag doll along the edge of the bed. His body crumpled onto the floor with a dull thud. 
Dim light brushed her skin as she silently sat up, lifted her long legs, and climbed out of the bed. Ignoring the body at her feet, she walked straight toward the corner of the room. 
Still naked, she bent down over the man’s backpack, ripped it open, and rummaged inside with reckless abandon. 
The sounds of sorting echoed throughout the room for a few moments…Before long, her search came to a halt. 
“…Not here.” 
After she muttered her findings to the empty room, she stood still for a moment. She clicked her tongue in frustration. 
She glared at the man’s body, grinding her molars together in an effort to contain her anger. Then she stood up as her anger turned to rage. 
Her steps were violent as she strode to the dead man’s corpse, then—. 
SPLAT! 
The man’s head was crushed beneath her foot, the spray of blood dyeing the room red.