Let me introduce the members of the temporary Wolf Party this time.
Now, there's a reason we're calling ourselves the Wolf Party even though this isn't a Guild quest.
It's a special request from the Hayahn Trading Company, routed through the Guild.
The thing is, the Guild had already been informed about this dungeon.
Because there's a rule that any discovered dungeon has to be reported to the Delvers' Guild.
However, given the location, it was registered under a personal-allocated dungeon.
I didn't know this, but there's apparently a rule that allows individuals to own a dungeon if they have a valid reason.
This time, we qualify for that reason.
Well, obviously. Because the dungeon entrance is in my lab, which you can only reach from my home.
The lab is the Hayahn Trading Company's greatest secret — its very heart.
For something so secret, an awful lot of people know about it, and an awful lot of people come and go.
Besides, they all have to pass through my home to get there.
To reach the dungeon, you have to enter my home.
Which means you'd be trespassing into a private residence.
Naturally, I don't allow that. I won't let a bunch of strangers tramp through with their shoes on.
So it became a personal-allocated dungeon.
And that's why this investigation party is the temporary Wolf Party.
Now then, let me properly introduce the members.
First, me — Wof. Next, the rabbit, Hayahn.
Agaro — a first-class delver, wielder of Fawn's "Doom Sword."
That's the reason he agreed to take on the Guild request.
Then there's Juisi, a wolf-kin who isn't a delver, but is the daughter of Duke Tasan.
She came back from Heizen along with Shesh.
Syuu is off receiving training from Ens, together with Thunder Fang.
Doesn't look like he plans to come back anytime soon.
Hayahn had planned to rejoin the Hayahn Girls, but the other members had all gone to the Royal Capital.
So with nothing better to do, she came to hang out at my place, and when she invited me along — well, here we are.
And then there's the four of them — the third-class delvers who renamed themselves the "Four Stars."
Their leader is the elf, Lupinus. The cat-kin acting as the gods' proxy is Pakira.
Riv, who I don't really get. And Bid, a rabbit-kin.
That's everyone.
*Beep... beep... beep...*
Tch — I have no idea where it came from, but this pink sphere just showed up uninvited.
For some reason, it's the first-class delver Afterlife Vision System β.
Seriously, why is this thing even here.
"I am — Uniton. A delver support unit."
The revamped Uniton blinked its red eyes on and off.
"Uniton can talk! Aaaaaah!"
Eyes still flashing red, Uniton continued.
"I am a system designed to support the afterlife of delvers."
"You— aaah— pink ball— aaah— what did you do to Uniton— aaaaah!"
Haiyarn lunged at the pink sphere.
The jumping power of a rabbit really is something else.
"Beep... beep... beep... rabbit... afterlife... is outside the scope of the Vision System..."
"You—! You pink ball—! I'll smash you to pieces!"
That's when Uniton, who had circled around behind Haiyarn, spoke up.
"Today's dinner... is rabbit steak..."
"Uniton!?"
What are those two playing at?
"Well then, guess it's about time we got going."
Agaro gave the signal.
Agaro was the leader of this impromptu party.
The first time he'd led an impromptu wolf squad since two episodes ago.
We left the lab and boarded the elevator.
It must have been for cargo transport, because the elevator was spacious enough for all of us to fit without any trouble.
"Um, um, that, um, that, that—?!"
"Wh-what is this...?!"
"Is this... the City of the Gods...?"
"No way... so this is actually a city? Not a tower?"
"Hmm… buildings…"
"So this is what they meant."
"Wooo… wow…"
"Oooh… what a sight…"
*Beep… beep… beep… beep… Error…*
*Analysis inconclusive. Uniton does not possess data for this scenery.*
This was my second time, but the view of the city from this elevator was just as overwhelming as before.
Even in my memories from my past life, I'd never seen anything like this.
And this was supposedly inside a ship — one that had been driven into one of the moon's satellites, no less.
I still couldn't believe it.
The elevator arrived and the doors opened.
A semicircular corridor stretched out before us, its ceiling and walls made entirely of glass. It extended deep into the distance.
Everyone besides me, Riv, and Hiyarn was left speechless.
I understood. We'd been there too.
After that, we bought drinks from a vending machine and had them all around.
Deliberately not energy drinks.
"Oh my, oh my — this fizzy, bubbly taste! I love it!"
Come to think of it, wasn't there carbonated water too?
"This drink — tastes really strongly of vegetables."
"Hm. So there's a tomato beverage besides soup, then."
Tomato juice and carrot juice — neither was available, which was a little surprising.
Everything just turned into soup.
"Coffee is perfectly normal, though."
Right — this world does have coffee.
Something about aristocratic refinement. Hyairn drank other beverages too.
*Beep… calories… zero does not qualify for Afterlife… Vision.*
*Excessive sugar… harmful to health.*
Give me a break. The pink sphere was a zero-calorie drink.
Yuniton had… drunk cocoa. Had she?
There were other surprises too, but the only one who didn't drink anything was Agaro.
"Alcohol…"
Of course.
"Mm… there's a… shop… up ahead…"
Come to think of it, we never went there before.
"A shop, huh? Do they have alcohol too?"
"…maybe…"
"Well, let's go check it out."
Around the corner, the ceiling and floor were both an unnaturally bright white.
Tucked into that corner was a small shop. It looked like a convenience store inside a train station.
"Hm?"
"What the hell?"
We stopped in our tracks. There was a lone figure standing in front of the shop.
For a second I thought it might be a resident, but no—looking closer, it wasn't human.
It was composed entirely of black spheres, from head to toe.
A literal spherical puppet, in other words.
"What the heck is that?"
Agaro muttered, drawing Flametongue.
Everyone shifted into combat stances. I pulled out my knife and gripped the Banish Chakram.
As if sensing our presence, the black spherical puppet turned its gaze toward us.
In that instant, I felt an overwhelming hostility and a sharp killing intent.
There was no mistaking it.
This thing was an enemy.