Sevens (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter Pr

Prologue
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The season was summer.

However, there was no sense of season at all within the gloomy dungeon.

I heard that there was also dungeon that changed depending on the season, but the dungeon in freedom city Beim was the same throughout the year.

It was always a bit dark and slightly cold.

The downhill path with lines of abandoned buildings continued endlessly. The spiral-shaped passage that was set up along the wall of the pillar shaped huge pit was filled with abandoned buildings that formed a labyrinth.

I, Lyle Walt who was passing through that dungeon swung down the saber on my right hand and bisected a monster.

「Geh!?」

I was able to finish off the monster in one attack, but the saber in my grasp was giving me a bad response. I sensed that it would become useless soon and leaped away from that spot. Other monster swung its weapon at such timing.

The monster that swung its axe at the spot where I was standing just now immediately turned its gaze toward me. The opponent was a lizard man. A lizard in the form of man. It held the axe it was carrying to swing it sideway this time──but a spear stabbed it.

The monster whose head was stabbed with a spear died and collapsed.

The one who defeated it was my companion Aria Lockwarde.

She searched for the next target with her purple eyes. Her red hair fluttered each time she moved her head quickly.

Right now she was a splendid warrior even though she was just a normal girl not long ago. The way she carried herself was reliable and radiating the bearing of a warrior already.

She pulled out her spear from the monster she defeated and leaned it on her shoulder.

「Looks like this is the last one.」

Aria confirmed that there was no sign of enemy at the surrounding and she let out a small sigh of relieve.

Her nice figure with its toned physique was hidden by armor for fighting.

She had rough personality and only took minimum care of her hair, but her hair still looked lustrous even within the dungeon after consecutive battles. Perhaps it was because of her inherent beauty that was already good from the start.

But, with all the monster blood covering her, her figure looked more valiant than beautiful.

I said thanks to Aria while looking at the blade of my saber. Not only it was badly chipped, the blade was also bent. It didn’t look usable anymore.

「You saved me.」

「You broke another saber huh. How many times it has been now?」

Since coming to Beim, I had obtained several good quality sabers, but as expected its endurance compared to other weapons was low.

It couldn’t be helped because it was a slim weapon, but it would take money to procure something better than this.

I considered my party to be rich as adventurer. We could afford to obtain even better weapon that our current ones.

However we didn’t have any leeway to waste money right now.

「This is the second one that has become unusable like this. I only have one left.」

I had prepared a spare, so there was no need to worry for now.

But, when I thought that I had to repair or buy new sabers again, I couldn’t allow myself to feel relieved. Dungeon exploration was a work for adventurer. The consumption of weapon would naturally affect the profit.

This affected our livelihood.

Aria used a cloth to wipe the monster blood on her spear while continuing to talk to me.

「Saber is expensive isn’t it? After all using the cheap one is dangerous. How about just using another weapon? I recommend using something like a spear.」

Aria recommended her own weapon, but someone interrupted her. It was Sophia Rowley, a girl with silky black hair trailing behind her.

Sophia was hiding her voluptuous body with a robe. Her hand was carrying a bloody battle axe. Battle axe──it was a large axe for fighting.

She held up that brutal weapon with both hands while smiling.

「I recommend you use an axe rather than spear. It’s sturdy, and most of all its destructive power is great. You can defeat any kind of monster using this in one attack.」

Sophia proudly recommended her battle axe smilingly. Aria puffed her cheeks and protested at her. It seemed she was irritated to hear someone saying that axe was better than spear.

「I can’t pretend to ignore that. The spear is the strongest. It’s tiring to swing around something like an axe. Besides, it’s spear that is more popular and used by a lot more people. That’s the proof that spear is better.」

When one imagined what kind of weapon a soldier was carrying, then certainly most of the time spear would come up first. There was also the image of soldier carrying sword, but in reality most soldiers were carrying spear.

It was easier to use in the battlefield, and it also helped the soldiers mentally to hold a weapon that put them some distance away from the opponent.

Sophia also argued back against Aria.

「If it’s Lyle-dono, he will be able to use axe skillfully. The argument that something is used by a lot more people is simply sidestepping the true issue. I hope that you don’t use that kind of argument.」

「What do you mean sidestepping! It means that is just how perfect of a weapon the spear is. You only need something like axe for cutting tree.」

「What did you say!」

When the two of them were getting heated up, a voice came from the blue Jewel that was hanging on my neck.

One of my ancestors’ memories that were recorded in the Jewel, the Third was speaking. His tone sounded like he was saying that the two’s conversation was pointless.

『A weapon is just a tool. You just need to use the right one for the right situation. By the way, my recommendation is double-edged sword. The sturdy one is really great to use. Something like saber is just too thin.』

Even though he was saying to use different weapon depending on the situation, he still shrewdly recommended his own weapon.

Then the Sixth cut in just when I thought that this talk was over with the Third’s sound argument.

It seemed that he was in agreement with Aria and Sophia’s opinion.

『Umu. Certainly spear is easy to use. And then axe’s destructive power is also alluring. ──That means! Halberd is the strongest as the weapon that simultaneously possess the strong point of both weapons!』

The Sixth’s weapon was halberd.

To put it simply, the weapon was a spear with axe attached.

It could be used to stab like a spear, and it could also be used to cut like an axe.

Certainly it was an excellent weapon, but it was also difficult to use.

And yet the Sixth was recommending halberd to me.

『Halberd is great. It’s also the star of the battlefield. Something like sword is simply a spare weapon in the battlefield.』

The Third argued against this statement.

『Halberd is certainly a good weapon, but it doesn’t suit Lyle isn’t it? I think it’s better for him to use sword here because its similar with saber.』

『In the future Lyle will have to stand in the battlefield a lot. Then it’s best for him to use halberd.』

In the future, more often we would fight in the battlefield against other humans rather than fighting monsters in dungeon.

It seemed the Sixth wanted me to use halberd in preparation of that.

『It’s best to use a weapon that you are familiar with.』

『No, I’m telling you──』

「It’s spear. Spear is more suitable for Lyle!」

「No, it’s axe. Have you never seen Lyle-dono when he used axe? The way he fought was truly splendid.」

The Third and the Sixth were arguing inside the Jewel, while Aria and Sophia were glaring at each other in front of me.

Either side was really noisy.

Another adventurer came while I was thinking of how to stop the argument of the two.

This adventurer was wearing armor while her left hand was carrying a helmet that she had taken off.

The slim armor had feminine outline. And the one wearing it was also a woman.

She had blonde hair with bob haircut and low front part.

Her appearance looked like a female knight, and in fact she was using a sword and a shield like a knight.

This knight-like adventurer──no, former knight adventurer? Anyway, she was someone who was placed in a slightly troublesome position.

Her name was Alette Baillet.

She was a former noble from Lorphys and she was leading an adventurer party that was named Lorphys Mobile Knight Order.

However, it wasn’t a knight order that was in name only. Its members and equipments made the group seemed fitting to introduce themselves as knight order. If anyone who didn’t know anything saw them, they would surely believe that they were a knight order rather than an adventurer party.

Alette-san who was leading that Lorphys Mobile Knight Order talked to me.

「It’s amazing how you defeated a lizard man with one attack! Besides, those two over there are also strong. So it’s true that your party members are all elite. It’s a big help.」

She talked with cheerful and openhearted tone. There wasn’t any sarcasm at all in her praise toward us.

She wasn’t someone who looked down at adventurer.

She was a really good person. Whether it was her personality──or her ability as adventurer.

She was counted as one of the powerful adventurers in Beim.

Aria and Sophia awkwardly stopped their argument because of Alette-san’s arrival.

I talked to Alette-san.

「It’s us who are helped by Alette-san and the others. I never thought that we would be able to come to the floor B30 this quickly.」

The performance of the party that was led by Alette-san was terrific.

I didn’t think that my party would lose against them, but Alette-san also had a lot of high level comrades. Furthermore their number was superior to us.

As expected number was strength.

We arrived at the dungeon’s floor B30 just by accompanying Alette-san’s group.

「You don’t need to be humble. If it’s your party then you also should be able to come here by yourself in less than several months. But putting that aside, have you thought about “that offer”?」

That offer──it was a proposal from Alette-san to us after she recognized our ability.

「──You mean about the offer about becoming Lorphys’s mercenary?」

「That’s right. We are looking to recruit as many comrades as possible. We’ll greatly welcome a group like yours.」

「We can’t decide right away.」

「I guess. Sorry to hurry you up like this.」

Alette-san apologized to me and left. After seeing her off, Novem Forxuz approached me.

She had light brown hair that was tied into a side ponytail. A silver staff was hanging from her waist.

When she came to my side, she turned her gaze to Alette-san’s back while talking to me.

「It seems that she is in a hurry.」

I let out a small sigh and pressed my hand on my forehead at Novem’s words.

「It can’t be helped. Of course she will be impatient if she know that her birthplace is being invaded.」

I said that, but for me this felt like someone else’s problem that didn’t really affect me. However, the ancestors inside the Jewel all said the same thing「I can understand her feeling」.

──I didn’t really have any good memory about my birthplace. Would someone like me also feel uneasy if I heard that my birthplace was in danger?

My benefactor Zel was already gone, and even my acquaintances there──no, there was something else that I had to think about rather than something like that. I shook my head and switched my focus.

「We have something else to do. Unfortunately we can’t accept Alette-san’s offer.」

I was simply delaying from giving an answer because I thought it would be bad to Alette-san if I refused her right away.

The option of becoming Lorphys’s mercenary didn’t exist in my mind.

Novem seemed relieved hearing my answer. She confirmed that there was nobody else in our surrounding except our fellow party members and she continued talking.

「I hope we can interfere somehow before the war begin in full.」

「Yeah.」

Alette-san was someone reliable after all, she was a likeable person. But, the reason why I couldn’t help that Alette-san was──because I was planning to make use of the fight between Lorphys and Zayin that was targeting Lorphys to rise in the world.

There wouldn’t be much advantage to become the ally of either side.

Our target was the country of Zayin itself.

I turned my gaze to Porter that was approaching us from behind.

Riding on the ceiling while waving her hands toward us was Eva. She had long ears because she was an elf. She had fluffy pink hair that was swaying behind her.

She was waving both her hands energetically.

「You two, good work over theree~」

Novem and I looked toward Eva who was casually calling out at us──or not really, we were focusing on the two people hiding inside Porter instead.

When I lifted my hand, Eva jumped down from Porter and walked toward us. Porter came to a stop near us.

Eva glanced at Porter while talking to us about the situation inside.

However, her expression was troubled. It looked like the situation wasn’t so good.

「It’s no good. Gastone is trying hard to persuade, but Thelma just won’t accept. At this rate it will be difficult to make use of them. We are also taking turn to persuade her, but the person herself isn’t willing at all. Even Miranda failed.」

Gastone──and then Thelma.

The two of them were the former leaders of Zayin that was Lorphys’s enemy. They were the country’s high priest and saintess. The reason why they were “former” leaders because they lost their position due to a coup d’etat.

However, it didn’t change the fact that the two of them were the leaders of the country called Zayin.

I told Eva to continue with the persuasion.

「Continue with it. There is no need to hurry. It’s enough to just talk and keep them lively for now.」

Eva shrugged. Her gaze was turned toward Lorphys Mobile Knight Order that was some distance away. It seemed she was feeling astonished toward me.

After all from their perspective, Gastone-san and Thelma-san were their hateful enemies.

I was bringing those two around inside Porter. Eva must be exasperated toward me.

「If you’re telling me to do that, then I’ll do it. But still~」

Thelma-san wouldn’t show her willingness no matter how she was persuaded.

「I’m counting on you. Thelma-san’s cooperation is absolutely necessary in order to recover Zayin.」

When I mentioned about recovering Zayin, Eva’s face became just slightly delighted.

For Eva, any topic that could become story subject was her favorite.

Because of that──she approved my thinking to use Thelma-san as a cause to recapture Zayin.

「You are really thinking of something amazing. Normally it’s unthinkable to plan of using a former saintess to steal a country. Well, I don’t hate that kind of thinking though.」

If it succeeded, the minstrels would definitely sing the praise of my achievement.

──Yes, if it succeeded. Thelma-san’s cooperation would be indispensable for that.

And then there was also one other serious problem.

Novem was the one who pointed it out.

「If Thelma-san show her willingness, the only problem left will be just money.」

I pressed my left hand to hide my face.

「That’s our biggest problem. It’s money for fighting a war against a country. It will take too much time to gather such money as adventurer.」

I wanted to take action right away based on the timing, but the lack of fund became the bottleneck that prevented us from acting.

It was impossible to fight a war with just my party.

We really needed money no matter what in order to gather mercenaries in Beim.

Eva put her hands on her waist.

「Lack of fund huh. ──It won’t be good to include it in the song, so this part will have to be excluded. It’s too realistic that the audience will lose excitement.」

I also agreed with her opinion. But, this wasn’t a problem that could be disregarded.

「It’s fine for a tale to be like fairytale, but we need to face reality in the real world.」

Novem seemed to feel moved by my words and she rejoiced.

「As expected from Lyle-sama. That’s right. Human──has to live in reality. It’s no good to be completely focused to just dream.」

「Novem is really strict. But, really, what are we going to do?」

Money was essential to do anything in this world.

The purpose of our dungeon exploration this time was also to earn money.

Although, even our earning this time would be just like a drop in the bucket.

Really, what were we going to do? At this rate, it was highly possible that we couldn’t even finish preparing before the war started.

「As I thought, the only way is to find a patron.」

It would take too much time to gather money in a normal way.

At the present time, the shortest path was to search a merchant who would give us financial aid.