Live Dungeon!

[Why did we get ourselves into this mess…?]

The girl, Misa, who had recently spoken to Tsutomu on Riki’s behalf, woke early that morning with a heavy heart. She ran a comb through her unkempt hair, her expression clouded with worry. The public bathhouse, her one small luxury every three days, was out of the question now. Today, she had been summoned by Tsutomu — a meeting that could very well decide her fate.

Misa had been abandoned in the Capital’s slums as a child, surviving by attaching herself to stronger individuals. Fortunately, she had a passable appearance, making it easier to gain favor. That talent allowed her to win over Riki, one of the leading figures in their orphan gang. Later, through connections with merchants, she managed to escape to Dungeon City — a stroke of luck considering the organization above Riki had been dismantled by the military during the Stampede, leaving them without a means to survive.

In Dungeon City, Misa and the other orphans she had traveled with sought a way to eke out a living. The God’s Dungeon, a place out of fairy tales where even death was not the end, became their lifeline. They scavenged Magic Stone scraps, selling them at the Exchange just to get by.

Though they were still outcasts, as they had been in the Royal Capital, at least they did not face the same brutal turf wars between orphans. The presence of the Dungeon provided just enough income to stave off starvation, meaning Riki and his group had no major rivals here. They were still at the bottom of society, but for the first time, they could survive without resorting to pickpocketing or robbery. Misa had even begun to enjoy the occasional bath, allowing herself to hope for a better future.

That fragile stability was shattered in an instant.

It started with a careless complaint Riki made at the Guild. Unfortunately, Tsutomu overheard, called him out, and summoned him for a discussion. Misa had managed to smooth things over, keeping Riki from escalating the situation, but word spread fast — rumors of a clash between Tsutomu and the orphans quickly took on a life of their own.

”You really said that to him?”

”Damn… turns out he’s not all that! You guys could take him, easy.”

Riki basked in the admiration of his gang, thrilled by the attention. He had faced Tsutomu and returned unscathed, making him something of a legend among the orphans.

The next day, however, the reality of their situation became painfully clear. One of the few Magic Stone Exchanges willing to do business with them suddenly turned them away.

”Sorry, but we’re not buying from you anymore. Take your junk somewhere else.”

The Dwarf girl behind the counter shot him a look of pure exasperation and shoved their gathered scraps back at them.

”What?! Why?!” Riki blurted, wide-eyed with shock.

”You picked a fight with Tsutomu, didn’t you? If we piss him off and he stops selling us Magic Stones, we take a huge loss. We’re not risking that just to deal with you lot. Now get lost.”

”W-Wait! We didn’t actually pick a fight! He wasn’t even mad! He told us to meet again later!” Misa protested, her voice laced with desperation.

The shopkeeper sighed. ”That’s just your perspective. Do you really think I’d believe that? I’ve spoken to Tsutomu plenty of times — he doesn’t show anger on his face. Honestly, of all people to cross… You’re screwed.”

”Is he really that bad?” Riki muttered, still in disbelief.

The girl wrinkled her nose as if smelling something foul. ”Explaining anything to an idiot is a waste of breath. You… Misa, right? If he told you to meet him later, give up now. He doesn’t hold back, not against kids or women. Just accept your fate. Hell, there’s this Tanukichi kid who disappeared, and no one talks about her anymore… He probably waited until everyone forgot, then took care of her. Scary, huh?”

Misa said nothing. The Dwarf waved them off with a dismissive flick of her hand, and the burly guard by the entrance thumped the butt of his spear against the ground with a sharp, menacing crack. Riki and Misa flinched before hastily gathering the other orphans and fleeing the Exchange.

From that moment on, every door slammed shut in their faces. The shop that once bought discarded equipment from the Dungeon turned them away. The Potion vendor, who had paid for gathered herbs, refused to deal with them. Even the junk dealers who had always been willing to trade scrap threatened to have them arrested.

Breathless and panicked, the orphans scrambled back to their hideout.

”W-What do we do now? No one will buy from us! We’re screwed!” one of them cried.

Tsutomu was still dismissed by many as a bothersome outsider, but among those who catered to Explorers, he was a valuable patron. For the past year, he had made weekly rounds through the market, purchasing Dungeon-related goods. To merchants and craftsmen, he was a loyal customer.

In particular, several magic tool developers relied on his investments to keep their businesses afloat. Some of them were so beholden to him that they did not hesitate to hunt down the orphans who had gotten on his bad side.

Their small, fragile world had just collapsed, and there was nowhere left to run.

They had been cashing in their earnings regularly, so they had a small reserve – but if their income dried up entirely, things would quickly turn dire. Amidst the uproar of the other orphans, Misa placed a reassuring hand on Riki’s trembling shoulder. His face was ashen.

”Riki,” she murmured. ”That man… he was like the boss of this place.”

”I-I know, but…”

”You understand now, don’t you?” she pressed. ”I’m not blaming you. But for him to go out of his way to punish you like that — he’s got a petty streak a mile wide. That doesn’t change the fact that when we meet Tsutomu the day after tomorrow, we have to apologize. Completely, sincerely. And Riki — you have to be the one to bow your head. If you don’t, we’re finished.”

Riki swallowed hard, then gave a stiff nod. ”…Yeah.”

As they watched their companions try to calm down the other orphans, Misa’s words solidified in his mind. He had already realized, from today’s disaster, that they had picked a fight with the worst possible person. If they did not fix this, surviving in Dungeon City would become impossible. Even the warning from the Magic Stone Exchange’s Dwarf echoed in his ears.

For the next few days, Riki and his group kept a low profile, trying to avoid capture while gathering information about Tsutomu. What they uncovered was nothing short of terrifying. A year ago, he had allegedly driven a journalist into a pit of debt before disposing of her. He also had ties to the unsavory side of Solit Company – connections that Riki and his crew, with their fair share of time in the underworld, found quite plausible. That fact alone made Tsutomu all the more terrifying.

It was undeniable now – they were dangling off the edge of a cliff. There was no way out. No way to fix this. Despair settled over them like a suffocating fog. Even Misa, usually the most level headed, could feel it creeping in.

[What do we do…?]

The more they dug, the more hopeless their situation became. Misa clutched her head, desperate for a way out. Maybe she could negotiate for her own safety – but no solution came to mind.

In the end, they had no choice but to apologize. Riki made up his mind, and the others could do nothing but follow. Ten minutes before the appointed time, the five of them gathered at the Guild.

Tsutomu was already there, seated at the designated spot.

The group exchanged uneasy glances. In the end, all eyes fell on Riki. He looked like he was about to throw up.

”…Excuse me.”

”Oh, there you are.”

Since Riki was frozen in place, Misa forced herself to step forward and speak. Tsutomu turned to face them, his sharp eyes glinting as if appraising a commodity. The gaze of a slaver, calculating a person’s worth in cold, hard numbers. Misa’s knees nearly buckled.

She had thought she was ready for this. In the Royal Capital, she had faced death more than once. But this man – this enigma – held her fate in his hands, and that made him all the more terrifying.

”…Well, don’t just stand there. Take a seat, and we’ll talk.”

Tsutomu’s voice was calm, but the authority in it made her chest tighten. Trembling, they obeyed.

▽▽

[These kids aren’t pros, that’s for sure…]

Unlike last time, Riki was completely deflated, sitting stiffly in his chair. Tsutomu scrutinized him, unimpressed. He had prepared for this meeting as if he were dealing with a young Garm – but what sat before him was not a future warrior, but a group of frightened orphans, looking like lambs led to slaughter.

Their party consisted of Riki, a wiry boy with a tough expression, another boy who seemed naturally timid, and three ragged girls. Two of them were so grimy that even their genders were hard to discern. They had likely dirtied themselves on purpose as a means of protection. Until he had heard from an informant, Tsutomu had assumed there was only one girl among them.

He had gathered plenty of intel over the past few days. The orphans were in dire straits. The Magic Stone Exchange had cut them off, along with several other shops. Since they did not own Status Cards, they had no way to earn an income anymore.

That was the real issue – they di no’t even have Status Cards. He had heard that they were one of the stronger orphan parties, so he assumed they had cleared at least the tenth layer. But since they had no Status Cards, there was no way to confirm their deepest progress.

Technically, a party without Status Cards could still join forces with others in the Dungeon. However, since they would not be able to meet up for boss fights, it was almost certain they had not broken through the tenth layer.

Tsutomu had found the whole situation bizarre. So much so that, yesterday, he had gone to the Magic Stone Exchange to ask the Dwarf girl about them. But she had dismissed them as no different from any other street kids. Any hope that Tsutomu had been onto something had steadily crumbled.

Now, looking at them, hunched over, trembling in fear, it was all the more obvious. These kids were not the source of the rumors. If anything, they had just been swept up in them.

”…Aww, man, this sucks…” Tsutomu sighed.

The orphans flinched as if struck. Riki and Misa went stiff, while the others looked ready to cry. The timid boy’s nose was already running, and he seemed seconds away from bursting into tears.

To any bystander, this must have looked like outright bullying. If Garm had been standing guard at the Guild’s entrance, he would have intervened for sure. The thought alone was enough to drain the last bit of energy from Tsutomu. He uncrossed his legs, exhaling slowly.

”Hey, look, I’m not going to do anything to you,” he said at last. ”You can relax. It seems like I misunderstood a few things.”

But his words did nothing to ease their tension. If anything, they only seemed more distressed. Their faces scrunched up, panic evident in their eyes. Tsutomu ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He had brought Diniel along as a precaution, but she was the last person who could calm down a bunch of frightened kids. If anything, her blank expression would only make things worse.

[Why did I even get myself into this mess, anyway…?]

Maybe he should have brought someone like Amy or Daryl instead – someone with a softer touch. And maybe he should have just asked the informant outright where the rumors were coming from, instead of wasting time trying to confirm them himself.

Now, with their wide eyes watching him like rats trapped in a bag, he could only sigh again and gesture for them to follow, conscious of the excess attention they were drawing.