【Adventurer Mitran】The Girl Stuffing Her Cheeks with Raw Shrimp and Leseida-san's Determination

“I'm a traveler. Emi Rune.”

Deep underground in the ‘Ahate River Upstream Ruins’.

The black-haired, black-eyed girl we'd met at the mysterious shrimp farm greeted Leseida-san and me with those words.

Now the three of us were sitting in a circle under the pale blue light of the magic lamps that lit the ruins, introducing ourselves.

Why did we end up falling this deep underground?

Why was she catching shrimp this deep underground?

I'm sure we all have various questions for one another.

Because I figured clearing them up might get us some new information, too.

......Or so I thought.

“............”

This girl is super quiet, and on top of that she does everything at her own pace......

Once she said her name, she fell completely silent, reached out to the pile of shrimp she'd caught and stacked up, and began devouring them again.

Even though those are raw shrimp......

She's eating them shell and all. Don't they taste fishy......?

“I, I see. Oh, my name's Mitran...... I'm an adventurer. And this here is Leseida-san, an archaeologist.”

I introduced the two of us with a big smile.

Emi-chan stared intently at our faces, her cheeks puffed out with raw shrimp.

As for her expression, there wasn't one.

I couldn't read a single emotion from her.

Looking closely, Emi-chan is a beautiful girl with really well-formed features...... but with the magic lamps lighting her up pale blue on top of that, her blank face looked really eerie.

“We were investigating the upper levels of these ruins, but, um...... some bad guys attacked us and dropped us all the way down here. Emi-chan, why are you in a place like this?”

“............”

Emi-chan stared at our faces for a while...... or rather, if anything, for some reason she was staring at Leseida-san's face, but then she swallowed the raw shrimp in her mouth and answered my question.

“Was walking in the forest. Then, a hole opened and I fell around here. There were lots of shrimp. So I was eating.”

Emi-chan pointed upward as she spoke.

All I could see there was darkness, but it seems this girl fell into these ruins by accident.

Whether it was when Ibrabarleg and the others activated the ruins' mechanism, or when the great hole we fell through was created......

The shock from one of those probably caused the ceiling of the ruins to collapse.

“I see...... That was unlucky...... But it's a relief that you aren't hurt.”

“Maybe.”

Having said only that, Emi-chan began stuffing her cheeks with raw shrimp again.

This girl's really hard to talk to......

“In that case, it seems she doesn't know a way out of here either. Now then, Mitran-kun, we must decide what we do from here.”

Sensing that Emi-chan had no intention of speaking further, Leseida-san spoke while stroking his chin in thought.

“That would be...... as before, searching for a passage that leads somewhere......”

“True enough, but the problem is our destination.”

“Destination? Meaning?”

“Whether we escape to the outside, or proceed deeper into the ruins.”

Leseida-san looked at me with a serious gaze.

“As your bodyguard, I'd prefer to look for a route to escape......”

But he's asking me that on purpose.

Leseida-san's mind must already be made up.

“You can't just leave those villains alone, can you?”

At my question, Leseida-san nodded firmly.

“The demon sword ‘Soul Devourer’ that the ‘Ruins Plunderer’ is after is a terrifying relic, if it is anything like the legends say. It must never fall into the hands of a villain like that. And it is highly likely that the demon sword truly sleeps in these ruins. That much is clear from the ‘Ruins Plunderer's’ obsession, and in fact, the super-ancient magecraft script you found in the upper levels said so too. ‘Here sleeps Soul Devourer,’ it read.”

“The demon sword ‘Soul Devourer’......”

That name had been passed down as a fairy tale even in my hometown, the village of Pe.

The story of ‘Soul Devourer’ is a scary story.

Roughly speaking, it's a tale about how an evil swordsman used ‘Soul Devourer’ a long time ago to run wild.

‘Soul Devourer’ eats the souls of those it cuts, becoming stronger and stronger.

But in the end, the evil swordsman was defeated by a righteous swordsman chosen by the gods, and all was well; that was the story.

‘If you do bad things, the evil swordsman with “Soul Devourer” will come to get you’ has even become a stock phrase mothers use to discipline their children.

If such a terrifying demon sword really exists, and moreover, if it fell into the hands of a villain like that...... that would certainly be a disaster!

“......Well, why these ruins, so clearly built in a different era, are fitted with facilities from the Super-Ancient Magic Civilization, why super-ancient magecraft script was left here...... I'll admit I'm curious about that as an archaeologist, and that I'd like to find out by continuing the exploration.”

Leseida-san laughed, making it sound like a joke, then turned serious again and looked hard at me.

“Mitran-kun. I am well aware this goes beyond the scope of an escort request. But it is your combat ability I am counting on, so I must ask. Help me delve deeper into these ruins and find the relic sleeping here before the ‘Ruins Plunderer’ and his lot do! Of course, I'll add to your fee. What do you say, will you take it on!?”

“............”

For an ordinary adventurer, the answer would naturally be no.

There's almost no return other than the fee, while the risks are incredibly high.

Unknown ruins where villains lurk.

It's way too dangerous; there's no way anyone could take on a request like this.

......But.

I look at Leseida-san's face once more.

What I see there is a look of determination.

What burns in his eyes is the flame of justice.

......And me, what am I?

I am an isekai reincarnator.

An isekai reincarnator granted cheat abilities that, a few flaws aside, are in a whole other league from an ordinary person's.

What should I use these cheats for?

Until now, I've never really thought about it.

I'll use them for the sake of justice.

At the very least, right here and now, I'll use them to help Leseida-san's justice!

That is surely the right thing to do, and above all, it is what is desirable for this world.

I'm certain of it!

So.

“All right, Leseida-san.”

“Mitran-kun......!”

“Use my strength to your heart's content! Let's make those villains eat their words together!”

And so, I decided to accept Leseida-san's additional request!

“Okay! Now that that's settled, let's head out right away! We have to find the path that leads deeper into the ruins!”

“Indeed!”

Leseida-san and I stood up energetically!

“............”

“Ah.”

Emi-chan was staring at us intently while stuffing her cheeks with raw shrimp.

“Um, well...... what about you, Emi-chan? Er, do you want to come with us?”

“Being with you, I'd rather not......”

“Eeeh......”

For some reason, it seems Emi-chan dislikes me......

When did I get on her bad side?

What did I do wrong?

I have no idea......

“......A bit more...... I'm eating shrimp......”

“I, I see...... Well, yeah, that makes sense. It's safer, and if you think about it calmly, it's only natural...... Then we'll come get you on the way back! Wait here, okay!”

“............”

Emi-chan silently turned her back on me, walked off, waded into the pool, and started catching shrimp again.

Seriously, this girl is a total mystery......

“W, well then, shall we get going?”

“Indeed, let's.”

We said goodbye to Emi-chan for now and started on through the forest of tanks where the Ebi Eaters floated.