Episode 90: Dungeons and Adventurers (1)
After wrapping up the final event of the New Year celebration schedule with a spectacular finish at the Hall of Fame.
What greeted Aria and me—returning home after several weeks to people’s congratulations and recognition—was.
My younger sister Rena, sprawled out on the sofa.
"Aria, you're back.
Ah, what. You're here too, Oppa?"
"Why do you welcome only Aria and look at me like I’m a piece of luggage?
Your oppa is me, not Aria, and you do know I'm the owner of this house, right?"
"Yes, yes. Orabeoni. Did you have a good trip?
Did you remember to bring a gift for your younger sister, who was keeping the house alone and lonely while you went out on a date with Aria?"
"D-date...? It wasn't like that, Lady Rena."
"That's right. We didn't go on a date or anything; we strictly went for work, you know?
So that means there's no gift for you, who was comfortably playing at home."
"Tch. It's not like I was particularly playing around either?
Well, if there isn't, it can't be helped."
Good grief, asking for a gift the moment she sees her orabeoni returning after so long, this cheeky girl.
I smirked and dropped the souvenirs I had separately prepared onto my cheeky younger sister’s drooping head.
"Oof! Would it kill you to just hand them over nicely?"
"Just be grateful you're getting anything at all.
Now then, since we've given Rena her share too, let's go upstairs, Aria."
"It was just work... *sigh*, I suppose that's right..."
"Aria?"
Brushing aside Rena’s grumbling complaints.
I took Aria, who had somehow become slightly sullen, and headed to the workshop on the second floor.
Having returned home after several weeks, I had considered just resting for a while.
But I had already rested quite a bit at the end of last year, and it was about time to start a new serialization.
So I was going to simply brainstorm and organize ideas.
"Still, wouldn't it be alright to rest at least on the day you arrived home?
If you overwork yourself when you're tired, your efficiency will drop instead."
"No. I have to do it while the thought is fresh.
I'm not overdoing it; I'm just going to relax and simply organize things, so it's fine."
Aria seemed slightly worried, but thanks to having traveled comfortably while receiving VIP treatment, I hadn't accumulated much fatigue, so this much really was fine.
And above all.
Just thinking about the new novel I was going to write made my heart pound, making it hard to sit still.
"You remember too, right, Aria? The theme for the new novel we talked about during this trip."
"Of course I remember.
You're talking about a story of adventurers and dungeons, correct?
The one you said you came up with after being inspired by the stories of the adventurers we met at one of the events."
"Yes. Exactly that.
Those thrilling stories the adventurers told kept coming to mind.
Since I was going to keep thinking about it anyway and wouldn't be able to rest properly, wouldn't it be better to organize it somewhat?"
Adventurers and dungeons.
These two things that made a reincarnator’s heart pound were precisely the theme of the new novel.
***
To find out why I chose adventurers and dungeons as the theme for my new novel, I have to go back to a few weeks ago, when I was going around attending New Year commemorative events.
The events I had attended were famous enough to be counted on one hand even across the entire Yustia Kingdom, or they were large-scale events swarming with people.
Naturally, as such, not only I but other invited guests had gathered in considerable numbers, illuminating the occasion.
Among those invited, there was also a famous adventurer party.
"It's an honor to meet you! Author Wei!
I am Yenson, the leader of the party 'Thunder’s Stride.'
And these are my party members."
"Ah! So you are the party 'Thunder’s Stride'!
I'm truly delighted to meet you as well.
I never imagined I'd meet you here."
"Do you happen to know us?"
"Yes. I read the adventure journal you wrote a long time ago.
It should still be on my bookshelf."
"Heavens! Author Wei read that? It didn't even sell much... What an honor!"
That adventurer party 'Thunder’s Stride' happened to be adventurers I knew.
Because they were the party that had written the adventure journal I read during the days when I was bored, before meeting Aria.
Even back then, they were a party with such skill that they had achieved an A-rank party rank.
Unlike other adventure journals that were like diaries with no real substance, theirs was quite systematic and properly written, so it had remained in my memory.
Back then, finding such an adventure journal was like a godsend, like rain during a drought.
I had forgotten about them for a while, so who knew we'd meet like this.
With our connection continuing like this, I felt all the more glad and a sense of inner closeness.
"See! See! I told you we should write an adventure journal!
The great Author Wei read our adventure journal!
Not just anyone, but Author Wei was our reader!!"
"No way, it turns out like this?!"
"I thought the leader was just wasting time and paper...
How did he even find something that barely sold a few copies?"
"I was in favor! Only the ones who said it was a waste of time and paper should prostrate themselves!
To dare slander the great foresight of our leader Yenson...!"
"I know you were making fun of him behind his back too?!"
Anyway, perhaps thanks to revealing that fact.
The Thunder’s Stride party seemed to feel their sense of closeness toward me had risen considerably.
We naturally sat together and began conversing.
"So what happened next?
The predicament with ogres in front and minotaurs behind—how did you resolve it?"
"Ah, we really thought we were going to die then.
While all party members were determined to survive even just one more person and fighting, suddenly the leader awakened and leaped to the next level?!"
"Ooh!"
"He unleashed sword aura he couldn't even use before and was slicing off ogre arms left and right...!"
Given that their profession and the reason I had taken an interest in them were what they were.
The conversation naturally flowed into them telling tales of their past adventures.
All the party members were eloquent and told such vivid, thrilling tales that I found myself immersed in listening before I knew it.
As expected, it seemed their experience as veterans of having written a fairly decent adventure journal during days when there was nothing wasn't for nothing.
'Maybe they would have succeeded quite well as writers rather than adventurers?'
While continuing to listen to their tales with such admiration.
When their experiences of dungeon raiding finally came up, I suddenly realized something.
"Huh? Come to think of it, I've never written anything about adventurers and dungeons."
Upon thinking about it, it was a fact that I hadn't yet written stories about adventurers.
Not even dungeons!
To think I had reincarnated into a fantasy world and was skipping over these two most famous materials.
Wasn't this like traveling to Italy and not eating pasta or pizza?
This can't be!
Should I try writing about adventurers and dungeons in my next new novel at least?
"Huh?"
"Author, what did you just say?"
"Could it be... after hearing our story, you've gotten the idea to write a novel with adventurers as the theme?!"
As I was reprimanding myself like that, a question came from beside me.
I turned to see all the Thunder’s Stride party members looking at me with blank faces, as if their excited chattering from moments ago had been a lie.
Ah.
"Did I say that out loud?"
Nod, nod.
Heads nodding simultaneously.
Hmm...
I must have gotten too excited and said it out loud without realizing.
Well, it wasn't particularly a problem that they heard it.
But the expectations filling the eyes of the Thunder’s Stride party members were slightly burdensome.
If I said I didn't actually plan to do that, they looked like they would immediately be filled with disappointment.
...*Tch*, since it's come to this, it can't be helped.
"Then, since you've heard it, might I ask you for an interview?"
Since I'm going to write it anyway.
I should dig up more stories from the professionals to use as material.
***
Through roughly such a process, the theme for the new novel was decided as adventurers and dungeons.
Specifically, depicting the growth and exploits of an adventurer exploring dungeons.
However, after interviewing active professionals, it seemed some adaptation different from reality would be necessary.
'Because this world's dungeons are closer to one-time dungeons.'
This world's dungeons.
Unlike those seen in creative works from my previous life, which had multiple floors, with stronger monsters and better rewards the deeper you went, and where monsters endlessly spawned.
They were created out of someone's need, monsters may or may not exist, and they were one-time dungeons that ended once raided.
In fact, this side was closer to the original meaning of dungeons, and the dungeons I was thinking of were the type that appeared in creative works like games or novels, but.
Anyway.
To feature them in the novel I was planning, they needed some adjustments.
"I'll have to drastically increase the number of floors in the dungeon.
A dungeon with only 1–2 floors lacks too much impact."
"How many floors are you thinking, Author?"
"Well. It depends on the setting, but perhaps at least 50 floors, up to a maximum of 100?"
Starting with the number of dungeon floors.
"And at certain floors—every 5 floors or every 10 floors, for example—boss monsters would appear.
I'm thinking of dividing regions and concepts based on those floors."
"So you have to defeat the boss monster to move to the next region.
That looks good for setting specific goals."
Things like organizing boss monsters appearing at specific floors and the concepts of regions.
"Unique monsters that appear when certain conditions are met.
Or hidden rewards—wouldn't it be good to add heart-pounding elements like those?"
"And the protagonist will naturally get those hidden rewards, right?"
"But of course."
Even the hidden elements that are a must for dungeons.
Now that I've said it, it seems I'm changing quite a lot rather than a little.
If all of this is applied.
It might become a dungeon that people of this world would look at and ask what kind of terrible dungeon that even is, but.
"Well, shouldn't it be like that for the protagonist to have a taste of raiding it?"
Clearing dungeons is no fun if it's easy, after all.