Chapter 98 - Alcohol I Can't Drink
"Like I keep telling you, the light-based communication system was something everyone invented together."
Lady Auf said irritably as she drew a complicated blueprint that I couldn't begin to understand.
"But wasn't it you, Lady Auf, who first enhanced the light from the lighthouse?"
"And it was everyone at the research institute who improved it to send light farther and developed a smaller model in the process, wasn't it?"
"I heard that it was you, Lady Auf, who started using that smaller model to send signals based on semaphore."
"Well, we had accumulated a few too many prototypes, so I simply handed them to the soldiers standing guard along the city walls, who had already been communicating with one another using lantern light, and told them to try using these instead. I don't know anything about what happened after that, you know?
General Gensen was the one who somehow expanded the system and even built large-scale relay stations, wasn't he?"
From Lady Auf's perspective, the whole thing seemed to have happened because she'd handed some prototypes made by other people to the soldiers on the city walls as lantern replacements, only for the communication system to somehow develop from there without her involvement.
"Well, there's no harm in it, is there? If we let you take the credit, a generous budget will come pouring into this research institute."
One of the research institute's staff members said this, trying to soothe Lady Auf, who still didn't seem entirely satisfied.
"Hmm... Is everyone really okay with that?"
"If the achievement is attributed to you, it will indirectly become our achievement as well. However, if we claim that it was our invention, then the general will likely receive all the credit for this matter."
Hearing that, Lady Auf made a sour face.
She couldn't exactly deny the possibility that someone in a position of overwhelming authority might declare that the entire achievement belonged to the general.
Unless they framed it as the general having made good use of an invention created by a young lady of a ducal house, the research institute might not receive much credit for its contribution.
"Ah... Hmm... I see…
So that's why everyone was going out of their way to give me the credit...
Well, I suppose there's nothing to be done about it. Do whatever you like.
We'll never have enough of a budget for the work ahead anyway, so I guess we have no choice."
Everyone at the research institute was perfectly willing to let Lady Auf take the credit.
The reason was simple: they were certain that every bit of the budget allocated to her would flow straight into research expenses.
When she had discovered the hot spring on the ninth floor using a hot-air balloon, she'd put the entire reward toward funding the craftsmen's research, down to the very last coin.
The very idea of lining her own pockets simply never occurred to Lady Auf.
...Though, in a way, I couldn't help feeling that she was spending absolutely everything on her own desires.
"Then let's put this matter to rest.
Now, Vihita, let's take a break and go see the new alcoholic drink that came out of the No-Hunger Dungeon."
"Yes, My Lady!"
At long last, Lady Auf finally got up and started moving.
For some time now, she'd been doing little but drawing blueprints for some mysterious mechanism called a steam engine, barely even stopping to eat. I'd been worried about her.
If we hadn't received the report that a new floor had appeared in the No-Hunger Dungeon and that a new alcoholic drink had emerged from it, she might never have regained any interest in food.
Thank goodness a dungeon that produced food, the No-Hunger Dungeon, existed.
And I couldn't wait to try the new drink myself.
When we headed to the dungeon archives, which weren't far from the research institute, we found that several staff members and maids had already started sampling the drink.
Nearby, Commander Shield, its discoverer, was waiting with several of her subordinates.
"How is the new drink, everyone?"
"Oh, Lady Auf. Several staff members drank an entire can together a few hours ago, and we've confirmed that it's safe, at least for now.
We've recovered a reasonably large number of them, so I believe you could have one of the unopened cans brought out and try it for yourself."
"Ugh, I still have a lot of research work ahead of me, so I'd rather avoid alcohol... But I'm curious about this, too.
Just a little, okay? Just a little."
Lady Auf picked up a can and slowly turned it around in her hands, admiring its precise construction.
She then picked up one of the cans that had already been opened and examined the design of its opening. A moment later, she let out an awestruck cry.
"What? Huh? What is this design?! I thought the same thing when we got those canned meats, but... How in the world do you process metal this precisely?
"It's thin, and it's light... And the very idea behind how this drink opening works... It's amazing... Every single thing about this is far too ingenious! Ahhh... I'm so glad I came to see this..."
As always, her habit of examining the container before anything else remained unchanged, no matter what was inside it.
Before even taking a sip of the alcohol, Lady Auf was already looking as though she might reach the height of ecstasy just from examining the can.
Meanwhile, the aroma of beer wafting gently from the empty cans had been driving me wild with delight for a while now.
This is beer, isn't it?
In the Kingdom of Sepans, women generally weren't as fond of beer as they were of wine, but I liked beer.
"If you lift this part like so, the lid ope—Eek!"
As Lady Auf opened the can, its contents erupted like a fountain.
Apparently, the sealed can had accumulated the distinctive gas commonly found in beer.
A maid hurriedly wiped away the drink that had splashed onto Lady Auf's face.
Despite how inappropriate it was, I couldn't help thinking as the alcohol sprayed out, Ahh, what a wonderful aroma...
Unlike the maids, who were frantically panicking, Lady Auf, the one who'd been splashed, had somehow broken into an absolutely radiant smile.
...What was that? The way she was grinning was downright frightening. The fact that the alcohol smelled so wonderful couldn't possibly explain that smile.
"Could this... perhaps be another new hint? Hehehe, it's all right, Dungeon Will. I've already figured it out."
For some reason, Lady Auf was addressing the can that had just sprayed out its gas, saying things that made absolutely no sense.
Not only were her words incomprehensible, but she also had the expression of a maiden in love, making the whole thing even more baffling and terrifying.
The maids around us and Commander Shield and her crew were all looking at me as if to ask, ...What is she talking about? What should we do?
Please don't look at me like that.
I have no idea either.
Lady Auf poured the vigorously foaming beer into a recently manufactured glass and took a drink.
Then she let out a strange cry.
"Whoa... It tingles and stings my throat... Just how concentrated is this carbon dioxide?! Is it really possible to trap so much gas inside a drink? To think they could seal this much gas into ale!
"Could this be their way of telling me that, once we can control pressure inside a perfectly sealed tank, we'll be able to apply that technology to things like this?"
What in the world had Lady Auf been talking about this whole time?
It seemed as though she was having a conversation with the will of the dungeon through its dropped items.
Although I couldn't shake the feeling that this so-called conversation was nothing more than her own one-sided assumptions.
"Are you finished with the tasting?"
"Oh, Captain Bantu."
Captain Bantu had suddenly arrived at the archives.
"What is it? Has Her Majesty Yuzha ordered you to hurry up and bring her the new alcohol?"
"That's right. How many cans have you secured?"
Since I had no idea, I glanced toward one of the archives staff members, silently prompting them to answer.
"Yes. This time, we've received six cans as the dungeon tax. We've kept one as a specimen for documenting the new drop item, and two were opened for tasting, leaving us with three cans."
"Three, huh... That's a little disappointing, but I suppose it'll have to do. I'll take all of them.
Captain Shield, Her Majesty Yuzha is making preparations to entertain you and your crew as guests tonight in celebration of your discovery of a new drop item.
We've already received Queen Teta's permission to host you knights of the dungeon exploration corps, so please be sure to enjoy the new drink tonight as well."
With that, she handed Captain Shield what appeared to be an official letter. After reading it, Captain Shield's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed,
"Yes, Ma'am! We are deeply grateful for Her Majesty's extraordinary consideration. We would be honored to accept the invitation!"
...Apparently, they would get to drink the new alcohol much sooner than they normally would have, and Captain Shield seemed genuinely moved.
That aside, was Her Majesty Yuzha really going to take all the remaining cans? What about my share?!
Well, I wouldn't be able to drink any of it while on guard duty for Lady Auf anyway!
"Hmmmm... If I want to drink some myself, I suppose I'll have to go and obtain it personally. Lady Auf, you'll be working at the research institute for a while, so you won't need an escort, will you?"
"That's right. I'll probably be holed up here drawing blueprints for some time, so go ahead without worrying about me."
All right! In that case, it was time to get back to securing drop items from the No-Hunger Dungeon for the first time in ages.
Compared to the days when Captain Touji put me through the wringer at the Hot Spring Dungeon, this place was practically heaven, so I had absolutely no complaints.
"Hey, Vihita. Not so fast."
"Huh? Why not, Captain? Wouldn't it be best to hurry and secure a large supply of the new alcohol?"
"Come over here for a moment, Vihita..."
With that, Captain Bantu took me somewhere out of earshot of the others and spoke to me in a low voice.
"...You lot are going to help transport the healing hot spring water for Captain Hitou and the others.
"Do it discreetly while we're busy creating a festive atmosphere at the royal palace..."
"Ughhh! Then what about the new alcohol?"
"Shut up! I can't drink tonight either because I'm on guard duty for Her Majesty Yuzha! Now get moving!"
Sigh... The Hot Spring Dungeon again?
Well, if it was for healing purposes, all we needed was the restorative spring water on the ninth floor. After it corrected their deformed bones and flesh and restored them to normal, they'd just need to rest for a while.
We wouldn't need that much water, so I figured it wouldn't take long.
I'd finish helping out as quickly as possible, then go get my alcohol.
With that carefree attitude, I headed to the Hot Spring Dungeon, where Captain Touji greeted me with a smile.
I had a very, very bad feeling about this.
"Hey, Vihita! It looks like the transport unit can handle enough water from the ninth floor on its own.
"More importantly, I need as many female knights as possible who can transport water from the eighteenth floor. Female knights capable of descending all the way to that floor are a valuable resource!"
It's over.
I was going to be dragged back to the eighteenth floor, where those hellish days would come rushing back to haunt me.
In the end, I was forced to spend the entire two weeks or so until Captain Hitou and the others returned to the kingdom hauling hot spring water.
I never want to see that hot spring again. Somebody, please save me.
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