Kaede Akima. Ms. Kaede cut down the black-clad man — basically a ninja at this point — with her return slash.
One flash through the torso split him clean in two. A true one-cut bisector.
"Phew. You people are awfully persistent."
A faint, oddly nostalgic scent drifted by.
Jet-black hair gathered into a single ponytail with white cloth.
Her eyes were hidden behind a white cloth marked with a clean red line.
Long, pointed ears — an elf — and she carried a dignified, beautiful elegance.
She wore a white hakama beneath black armor, with a large white straw hat perched on her head.
At her waist sat two fine blades — the longer of which was gripped in her hand.
"Ms. Kaede."
"Oh, Wof. It has been quite some time."
She smiled like a flower blooming.
If she weren't gripping a blood-stained sword, I might've gone weak in the knees.
Well, I went weak for a different reason, actually.
"It has been a hundred years since we last met here."
"Well, that's got to count for some sort of destiny, no?"
"Oh, indeed it does."
She hasn't changed a bit.
Somehow, I feel like we've had this exact conversation before.
"Kade Akima... 'the One-Cut Severance'..."
She really did cleave a ninja clean in two with a single strike.
Kade noticed her.
"Oh. If it isn't Lady Mineha."
"It's been a while."
Mineha gave a light bow.
"As always, once you've grown, you have the bewitching allure of an oiran — a truly captivating figure."
Do oiran even exist here?
"Huh? Oh, thank you very much."
Not quite understanding what she'd been told, Mineha took it as a compliment.
I mean, technically it was a compliment, I suppose.
"A warrior. I am called Ranjia."
"My. A pleasure to meet you. I am Kade Akima."
"Well met. Warrior Kade."
"Hey! She's First-Class, you know! How rude!"
Mineha, who admired the First-Class delvers, was naturally indignant.
But Ranjia paid her no mind.
"Mineha the fairy child. That stings. I do show proper respect."
"Where, exactly?!"
With that attitude, really?
Well, if she says so herself, then I guess that's how it is.
"Kuh-hahahahaha! What an amusing woman you are."
Kaede-san laughs for some reason.
"By the way, um, these ninjas... the ones in black outfits?"
"Hey, Wof. Don't just casually ask about stuff like that!"
Mineha-san immediately scolded me.
I snapped to attention. They were ninjas, so I just blurted it out, but yeah, that was pretty thoughtless.
Kaede-san crossed her arms.
"Never mind, never mind. These lot are the Mukumyō-shū. An assassination group, as they're known in the world."
Ahh... so even in this world, the ninja-looking types really do belong to a ninja-like organization.
In my memories from various past lives, the ones in black outfits were always part of an assassination group too.
Is that some kind of universal rule or something?
"Assassination... That doesn't sound very peaceful."
"This one has reasons for pursuing them."
"So they're here to assassinate someone?"
You've gotta be kidding me. More trouble? Come on, give me a break.
Kaede-san tilted her head.
"Now then, that part I don't know. They are an assassination group, but they also do theft, espionage, kidnapping, extortion, and the like."
Well, they're ninjas.
"But they're definitely up to no good, right?"
"I managed to get some leads, at least. But the objective is something called Parade, which is completely incomprehensible to me."
Kaede said, looking troubled.
"Parade? Was there ever such a plan scheduled?"
"Ue has no idea either."
"Huh."
While everyone else tilted their heads in confusion, I alone had figured it all out.
Could the Nameless's objective be that and that?
The fact that the name of the already-destroyed Valed had come up — that much was almost certainly no coincidence.
"Human child Wof. That reaction. You do know something, don't you?"
"Wof. Do you know something, perhaps?"
"What is it?"
As the women closed in on me from all sides, I gave up and started talking.
The full details would take too long, so I summarized and recounted my history with Valed.
"A bundle of Relic Plates and a prototype magic potion sample, you say..."
"Ue is only interested in the bundle of Relic Plates."
That figures.
Kaede nodded.
"That tracks. Those two things are what they're after."
"How is it that you're always caught up in the middle of everything?"
Mineha said, deadpan, regarding me with exasperated half-lidded eyes.
That's what I want to know the most.
"They're both at the witch's place."
"Then there's no problem at all, is there?"
I'm answered immediately.
Well, but still, like Kaede said, there probably isn't any problem.
I can't imagine even a whole bunch of ninjas being a match for the witch.
"That's true, isn't it?"
"Besides, the Nameless Ones don't want to mess with the witch either. They got thoroughly thrashed by her before, you see."
"So you've already encountered her."
Then I can relax even more.
"By the way, Lord Wof and the others, what are you doing delving into the dungeon?"
"Well, the thing is about that..."
I explain again.
Kaede nodded along.
"Each of your positions. I'm not unaware of either one."
"If you're a delver, you should be delving in dungeons."
"For the nutrients, you mean?"
I say with a touch of irony.
Lancia didn't catch that and spoke up confidently.
"Of course. That too. But more than that, the higher-ups simply adore delving. For a dungeon, not being delved in is an absolute humiliation."
" You make it sound just like a dungeon itself. "
Mineha sneered.
She really is basically a dungeon herself, this woman.
Lancia looked straight at Mineha.
" Child of the fairy, Mineha. It is also important to hold different perspectives. "
" Then you should hold the right values, too. People die if they don't eat or drink. That's not all, either. They need all sorts of things. To get those, you have to earn money. So it's not as simple as just delving. "
She's got a point.
" Child of the fairy, Mineha. You simply need to earn money while delving. "
" That doesn't provide stable income. The deeper you go, the more you earn, yes. But the risk increases along with it. The return isn't worth the risk. "
She's got a point again.
" To do as Sir Lancia says, one would need to earn steadily while delving, but dungeons do not work that way. "
" Exactly. "
" It would be nice if dungeons worked that way, though. "
I casually nudged Lancia along.
Even Lancia didn't argue right away, instead adopting a thoughtful expression.
" By the way, is the sixty-seventh floor like that? "
" Yes, that's how it is. "
" Might I join you as well? "
" Of course. I don't mind. "
" I'm in favor, too. "
"Ue doesn't mind either. Warrior Kaede, you have permission to join us."
When we agreed, Kaede smiled bashfully.
So she can make that kind of face too.
"Then I'm in your care. Oh, this is great, truly. The truth is, the main force of the Nameless is in the deeper layers below. If Lord Wof and the others would accompany us, that would be most reassuring. I'm actually quite skilled in one-on-one fights, which means group battles are a bit of a weakness for me. I struggled with this one too, you see. It really drives home how much more training I need…"
Hm?
"Leave it to us! We'll wipe out those black things!"
Hmm?
"Then let's do this, human child Wof, fairy child Mineha, warrior Kaede. Let's have a contest with Ue. Whoever can take down the most of these black ones the fastest wins."
"Oh ho. That sounds interesting."
"Of course. You're on."
Huh?
"Lord Wof?"
"What are you spacing out for? You're joining in this time too."
"Huh?"
What?
"Human child Wof. You. You haven't done a single thing during this dungeon exploration. Ue acknowledges your many past accomplishments, but letting you off easy any further wouldn't be good for you. That's the judgment."
"Huh?"
What?
"As annoying as it is, Rangia's right. So buck up and fight properly."
"That's how it is."
What does that mean?