Chapter 58 - A Confidential Matter
Queen Teta, to put it politely, possessed a rather magnificent figure.
Because of this, they had to craft a special carrier—starting with a sturdy chair as the base and reinforcing it with strong ropes made in the Thread Dungeon, designed to be worn on the back like a backpack. Belts were added to secure her body to the chair.
They needed to have a carrier constructed like this so that Captain Touji could carry Queen Teta on her back, and test if she could still move freely while doing so.
They had been told departure was set for tomorrow, but wasn’t this the first thing they needed to sort out?
When Captain Touji posed this question to the knights of Marponware—
“We’ll make it while traveling to the Kingdom of Sepans!” was the answer she received.
Apparently, getting the queen to Sepans' hot springs as quickly as possible was the top priority above all else.
Captain Touji did have experience running around the 11th floor of the Hot Spring Dungeon while carrying someone.
Though Queen Teta was likely heavier than the previous companion, she figured it would probably be fine.
She wasn’t particularly thrilled about the task, but given that the reward involved retrieving a large number of weapons and the Red Swords, she couldn’t really say no.
And so, they hurried back to the Kingdom of Sepans.
Several weeks later—
The First Unit returned to the Kingdom of Sepans, bringing with them Queen Teta and the female knights of Marponware.
It was a return far swifter than anyone would have expected from the First Unit.
There wasn’t even a sense of nostalgia for their homeland upon arrival.
And yet, the amount of loot they brought back was on a completely different scale from anything before—so much so that it felt oddly unbalanced.
Since it hadn’t been won through battle, the First Unit didn’t exactly feel proud of the haul.
Near the royal palace, noble daughters were—just like always—sweating it out on training equipment modeled after the 11th floor.
Their movements had improved remarkably compared to the last time she saw them.
It was good to see them making progress.
“Queen Teta, let’s go ahead and run a trial of moving with you strapped in. The carrier’s ready, right? If it breaks and Her Majesty gets hurt, it’s on you. You made it solid, didn’t you?”
The knights of Marponware gave silent nods and brought out the completed carrier.
There was no concern for aesthetics—only sturdiness and stability had been prioritized in its construction.
Captain Touji looked at it and smiled.
The fact that they didn’t care about appearances at this point showed clear-headed pragmatism, something a practical woman like her appreciated.
She strapped the carrier onto his back.
“Please, Queen Teta—whenever you’re ready to board.”
“Very well...”
Queen Teta was visibly displeased, albeit quietly. The reason? Every single woman she passed in the Kingdom of Sepans was gorgeous.
In some cases, even commoners had smoother, more radiant skin than a queen herself.
Still, considering that she was about to gain skin like that herself, she hadn’t reached the point of snapping—yet.
If, however, Captain Touji failed to carry her around this training area successfully, she would no doubt explode in rage.
Thus, the knights of Marponware watched the proceedings in tense silence. Some even tilted their heads skyward in prayer.
“Alright, excuse me, young ladies. Mind letting us borrow the equipment for a bit?”
“Y-Yes, Captain Touji!”
The noble daughters stepped away from the training structures.
Most of them, being of significant status, were well aware of Queen Teta.
Just from seeing Captain Touji preparing to run a mock drill with the queen on her back, they could more or less guess what must have happened in the other country.
“...You think this’ll work?”
“Even for Captain Touji, carrying someone like that is...”
“I mean, Queen Teta is a little... fa—”
“Shh! You idiot!”
But once the training started in earnest, all doubts were blown away. Captain Touji ran laps around the equipment with Queen Teta on her back—at a speed far surpassing that of the noble daughters who trained here every day.
She was moving so fast that the knights flanked her on either side, ready to catch the queen if anything went wrong.
After about five rapid laps, Captain Touji came to a stop.
“Hmm... Seems like there won’t be a problem. Sorry to interrupt, everyone.”
She hadn’t stopped because she was tired.
Rather, after about five laps, she had become confident she could carry her all the way to the 11th floor’s hot spring without issue.
“Your Majesty, please rest in the royal guest chamber tonight. We’ll depart tomorrow.”
“Very good! I’m counting on you!”
Queen Teta’s face bloomed into a radiant smile.
Well, of course. Anyone who had just witnessed that display would be certain beyond doubt—reaching the 11th-floor spring was practically guaranteed.
The noble daughters who had spent months running through this athletic training ground—scraping their skin and tearing their nails time and again—couldn’t help but feel a tinge of resentment.
But then again, the massive cache of weapons the First Unit had brought back—likely equipment from the Weapon Dungeon—that was probably the price paid for Captain Touji’s services.
It was safe to say that even if they poured in all their family’s wealth, they couldn’t afford even a tenth of that haul.
Even that flashy, nouveau-riche princess from Kenma who came earlier probably couldn’t offer anything comparable.
Only someone like the queen of Marponware, a leading power vying for dominance on the world stage, could afford such a thing.
It was likely that Captain Touji had accepted this request as a way to set a precedent.
By taking on a transport request from royalty at a price they could just barely manage to pay, she was establishing a standard—one that would deter all but the wealthiest from flooding her with requests.
And indeed, anyone who wanted the same treatment would have to match that staggering sum. Only kings of powerful nations might be able to stretch their budgets enough to do so.
In other words, few—if any—could follow her lead and make a similar request of Captain Touji.
“Oh... Maybe Queen Teta doesn’t want other nobles—or rather, royals—going around with that flawless skin from the 11th-floor spring.”
That was how the noble daughters of Sepans chose to interpret the excessive payment.
If other royals were allowed to become just as beautiful, it would no longer be something to boast about.
As they watched the First Unit and the delegation from Marponware head toward the palace, that thought weighed heavily on their minds.
♨♨♨♨♨
At the royal palace, Her Majesty Yuzha was waiting, having already made preparations to receive both the captain and the queen.
“Oh, Captain Touji! I’ve already received most of the report from the couriers. You’ve returned quite quickly, haven’t you?”
Yuzha looked thoroughly pleased.
And rightly so—within such a short time, they had acquired an immense amount of equipment from the Weapon Dungeon.
From a national interest perspective, it was a windfall with nothing but gains.
The only regret was not being able to test their skills on the lower floors.
“Queen Teta, welcome from afar. Today, please enjoy the many culinary delights produced in our very own No-Hunger Dungeon. You’ve traveled far, so do take the time to relax.
Ah yes, Captain Touji—this hot spring expedition of yours... I think I’ll tag along. I haven’t yet soaked in the aromatic bath on the 12th floor or the depilation spring on the 13th.”
“Oh? I heard that the waters from the 13th floor are effective even when brought back, though?”
Apparently, Queen Teta had picked up that bit of intel from her many dispatched informants—she already knew the finer details.
“Haha, yes, it’s true that even the take-home version will get rid of body hair effortlessly. But hair tends to grow back at the same rate as it would if a maid plucked it out.
On the other hand, those who soak directly in the 13th-floor spring reportedly haven’t had any regrowth—at least, not yet.”
“Is that so...?”
Captain Touji, of course, couldn’t care less about such effects. She didn’t really want to go all the way up to the 13th floor, but since she was escorting Her Majesty, she had no choice.
“And how was the 14th floor? I heard from Commander Shield that there was a boiling hot spring there.”
At that question, Yuzha’s expression turned a little awkward.
“Mm, well... The girls in the Second Unit are currently experimenting—trying to see if anything special happens when you use the hot water in various ways.”
As she spoke, Yuzha scratched at the jewel hanging from her chest.
That motion was a subtle gesture, signaling: There’s a confidential matter related to this.
“Well then, apologies for the short notice, but we’ve only managed to put together a small private dinner tonight. I do hope you enjoy it.
As for the grand banquet with nobles—that can wait until after we’ve returned from the Hot Spring Dungeon, Queen Teta.”
With that, Queen Yuzha smiled.
In other words, she was politely saying: Tonight is just a small gathering among ourselves. But don’t worry—we’ve got the perfect setting prepared for when you return radiant from the springs.
Surely, Queen Teta wouldn’t want a grand reception in her pre-spa state anyway.
To that, Queen Teta looked absolutely delighted, as if to say: As expected of Her Majesty Yuzha—she truly gets it!
With that, Her Majesty Yuzha gently urged Queen Teta and the knights of Marponware toward the guest chambers.
Captain Touji waited until everyone had left before stepping forward and asking:
“...So then, Your Majesty Yuzha—what exactly happened at the hot spring on the 14th floor?”
“Mmm, that floor turned out to be one where cooking with the hot spring’s steam produced food that granted temporary boosts—though only within the dungeon.
The effects varied—greater strength, increased stamina, sharper vision, and the like.
To put it bluntly, even the stamina-starved girls doing endless training laps in the plaza could probably run the 11th floor with ease, if properly fed those meals...”
“Then why the secrecy?”
“...Because you lot brought back an outrageous amount of reward, that’s why!
Queen Teta deliberately paid an absurd sum to prevent other royals from casually requesting your escort services, don’t you see?
Now imagine if it got out that you could just eat a little power-up meal from the 14th floor and suddenly the 11th floor became a breeze—she’d explode with rage!
...We’ve no choice but to keep the effects under wraps, at least until she returns to her kingdom.”
No one knew exactly how strong the temporary boost was, but if even for five minutes, any of the Marponware knights could carry Queen Teta themselves...
Then all it would take was rotating the job among twenty of them, taking turns eating the food and hauling her along.
There was zero need to hand over a reward that rivaled the national budget of a small country.
Indeed, keeping quiet for now seemed like the safest course of action.
“So until then, just refer to the 14th floor as that hot spring that spews boiling water with ‘unknown effects.’ Got it?”
“Yes... Understood. But, if I may—do you think that temporary power-up could be used in other dungeons as well?”
Captain Touji, putting the queen’s matter aside, was already thinking about the buff meals.
If the effects extended to the Weapon Dungeon, they might finally be able to reach the legendary sword hidden beyond the 27th floor—an artifact classified as a state secret.
“Hard to say. That third daughter of Nausa mumbled something about how it might work in the ‘No-Hunger Dungeon,’ but likely not in others.
Still, where exactly were you planning to use it, Touji? You’ve got no reason to return to the Weapon Dungeon anytime soon, do you?”
What? Why not?—she nearly asked, but caught herself just in time. Now that she thought about it, there was no need to ask.
They’d just been rewarded with enough weapons and armor—equivalent to five years of the First Unit’s haul.
There was absolutely no reason to go diving for more gear so soon.
“Knights from other nations have begun arriving, and large military forces are steadily flowing into our country. Domestic tensions will surely arise for a while.
Touji, you and your unit should remain in the Kingdom of Sepans for now.
Don’t worry, you won’t be bored—judging from the current state of things, both the Hot Spring and the No-Hunger Dungeons are bound to expand rapidly...”
There were precedents where an influx of adventurers accelerated dungeon growth.
Still, for Captain Touji, who was eager to tackle floors below the 25th, the delay was frustrating.
“...It’d be ideal if more hot springs start popping up that help strengthen the unit.”
That was all Captain Touji could hope for—that the future would at least bring that much.
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