Chapter 2.1: The Foreigner, Can’t Explore the Dungeon I - (1) (2/2)

「No, I'll push on」

I have already come to such place. I'll do what I have to. If I decided not to do anything because I thought that it was futile, then it will truly become meaningless.

『Understood. Support personality stopped. I wish you luck』

「Thanks」

Just when I was thinking about warming up the miso soupー

『La la la la～♪Souya-san』

「You better not say you're hungry again」

Makina, which had returned to being cheerful, spoke. It's a bit tiring.

『You have a visitor』

「Huh? Hmm?」

There was a splashing sound and I turned back towards the presence I felt behind me. My first encounter with an inhabitant of the alternate world had just emerged from the river.

「OhhーSo you've come from a foreign land」

The one who said that while drinking the miso soup, how do I say this, was a fish. By my estimation, it was about 70% human, 30% fish. It had real gills in the area where the back of a human jaw would be. It had surprisingly round and cute eyes. Its ears were integrated with its fins. It had bluish scales and wore a grass skirt made from seaweed. The necklaces made from coral and shells jingled as they hung on his neck. It had placed its sharp harpoon beside the camping chair it was now sitting in.

「Ah, should I warm up the soup? It must be cold」

「No no, I can't consume hot food. This is just right」

It was drinking the miso soup gracefully with a spoon. Somehow, it had a refined bearing. Perhaps it was a fishman from a cultured place.

No wait, the impact from my first encounter with an alternate world inhabitant was so impressive that I forgot something very basic.

「Erm......Why do you understand my words?」

You're not going to tell me that Japanese is the fishmen's official language, right?

「That's because I'm a priest. I'm a being of the Abyss, but I at least have received the blessing of Babel」

Was Babel that tower referred to in that story?

「What's Babel?」

「I suppose a foreigner won't know. Simply put, my god asked the god that is my god's superior's superior for the ability to communicate with other races. As long as the spoken words contain thoughts in them, then the words will generally be understood」

In real time with no lag? And so fluently. Wow, isn't that amazing?

「Is this something that everyone on this side has?」

「It's not especially unusual. Anyone who has a contract with one of the gods can receive this blessing」

「Yes!」

I saw a glimmer of hope.

If communication was possible, then negotiations would also be possible. I could hire party members and explore the dungeon!

「You're also going there?」

The fishman pointed to the distant dungeon with his sharp-clawed finger.

「Well yes, will it be okay even for a foreigner?」

「I don't know about matters on land, but no one should be refused if it's just exploring. The spire abandoned by the gods doesn't belong to anyone」

I see, that's why it's called the Odoriji spire. *(it's wordplay, see below)

「Hn」

「?」

A necklace of connected corals was proffered to me.

「I'll give you this. Apostles of Grizunas like me have the custom of giving ornaments to those who have exchanged words without hostility with us. Take it. We'll be enemies next time we meet if you don't take it」

「I'll accept it. Thank you very much」

I received it gratefully and put it around my neck immediately. I probably needed to give something in return so I fished through the containers until I found a pair of sunglasses.

「If this is fine with you, please take this in return」

「What's this?」

I put them on to show the fishman.

「It protects against bright sunlight」

「You can't see in front of you!」

「No, it's darker but you can still see」

I handed it over and it put the sunglasses on.

「Ohhー」

It looked around at the surroundings.

「Ohhー」

It was an interesting sight that made me want to smile.

「Oh no. I have to return quickly or I'll be yelled at by my grandchild. That's it for today」

It set down the empty bowl and stood up with its harpoon.

「For how long will you be here?」

「I'll be here for around a year at most. Could it be that this is a bad spot for a camp?」

「It's fine if it's only for that period of time. You're the first person who not only didn't scream at us, you even invited me for a meal. I'm Geto Bado from Mojubafuru」

The last part was probably the name of a place. Thinking that, I answered in the same way.

「I'm Souya from Japan」

「Souya from Japan. Our land is six stals from the river. Once you've exited our land, it then becomes the land of the Kingdom of Lemuria. The Heures Forest over there is the territory of the Elves. Those of the Hemu race like you should never go near there, you'll be killed」

「That helps a lot」

「Till next time」

Geto-san jumped into the river and disappeared underwater at a frightening speed.

『The current probability of success for the project is 0.6%』

「It went up a little」

It was an auspicious encounter.

I put a medical kit and some tools into my backpack and hefted it onto my back. I checked the condition of the firearms again and attached a rifle sling I found in the containers to the AK before shouldering it. I carried four spare magazines for each firearm. After making sure that the containers were locked, I camouflaged Makina simply by covering it with a sheet.

「What's the progress on the completion of the map?」

I wore a glasses-type device and linked it to Makina.

『The overall progress is unknown because there is an underground structure in the city. If it's just overlaying the locator over the aerial image, then it can be displayed』

「That's good enough. Post drones around me as well」

『Understood』

Well then, let's go to the dungeon.

神-god 神々-gods 尖塔-spire

神々の尖塔-gods' spire

And after the gods had abandoned the spire, the kanji for god is taken out.

々の尖塔

々-Odoriji, hence it becomes the Odoriji spire.