﻿\setgamedatatitle("Orphis_03")

\text("Orphis")
Haaah... Seriously...
\endtext

\text
When I told the Adventurer's Guild I was joining the Demon
Lord subjugation, they immediately told me the location of
the labyrinth.
\endtext

\text
But charging in headfirst is exactly what a rookie would do.
\endtext

\text
First, I need to take my time and gather information in the
area.
\endtext

\text
With that in mind, I came to a tavern near the labyrinth
entrance...
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(In the end, I didn't get any decent info.)
\endtext

\text
Inside and outside the tavern, even after talking to the
adventurers drunkenly hanging around, I couldn't get any
details about the underground labyrinth.
\endtext

\text
almost no one comes back alive.
\endtext

\text
If you make it back alive, even with serious injuries,
you're lucky.
\endtext

\text
If your corpse makes it back, that's still better than
some―sometimes people just go missing entirely.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(Well, some of them are just outcasts, not even real thugs.)

\endtext

\text
Apparently, some people with huge debts just pretend to
become adventurers and then run away in the night.

\endtext

\text
That way, they can finally shake off persistent debt
collectors.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(Even those money-grubbing bastards probably won't chase you
into the underground labyrinth, so I guess it's a clever
move.)
\endtext

\text
Anyway, after wandering around everywhere, I'm exhausted.
\endtext

\text
I'll call it a day and continue gathering information
tomorrow.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Master, one ale. And roast chicken and a salad.

\endtext

\text("Master")
......
\endtext

\text
I sat down at the counter and told the tavern owner my
order.
\endtext

\text
With his thick mustache, he just gave a small nod―maybe he's
just naturally quiet.
\endtext

\text
While waiting for my order, I glanced around the tavern.

\endtext

\text
There are a few burly guys here, but they're probably not
built for fighting.
\endtext

\text
They're probably folks who used to work in mines or
quarries.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(I see, they're hoping to strike it rich by taking the Demon
Lord's head. Like that's gonna be so easy, huh?)

\endtext

\text("Master")
Thanks for waiting. Pay up front.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Yeah, yeah.
\endtext

\text
Looks like dine-and-dash is common here, so you have to pay
before you get your food.

\endtext

\text("Master")
Take your time.
\endtext

\text
After taking my silver coins, the master set a glass of ale,
a plate with roast chicken, and a salad bowl on the counter.

\endtext

\text
As expected of a place frequented by adventurers, at least
the portions are generous.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(The taste... well, it's not bad.)
\endtext

\text
It's what you'd call a decent flavor. Not a hit, not a miss.

\endtext

\text
Well, maybe that's better when the portions are this big.

\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Sigh... Still, can we really defeat the Demon Lord like
this?
\endtext

\text
As I washed down the chicken and salad with ale, a wave of
exhaustion hit me all at once.
\endtext

\text
Without thinking, a complaint slipped out of my mouth.

\endtext

\text("？？？")
Mind if I sit here?
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Hm?
\endtext

\text
When I looked up at the voice, a Diabolica man was staring
at me.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Oh, I don't mind. Have a seat.
\endtext

\text("？？？")
Then I'll take you up on that. Master, an ale and something
to eat for me. And another round for the lady as well.

\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Hey now. I'm not some beggar. I'm not so down on my luck
that I'd let a stranger buy me a drink.

\endtext

\text("？？？")
Drinking alone is just too lonely. Keep me company, and
we'll call it even.
\endtext

\text
With that, the young man gave me a wide grin.

\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Alright, fine.
\endtext

\text("？？？")
Great... By the way, judging from your outfit, are you an
adventurer?
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Yeah, I guess you could say that.
\endtext

\text("？？？")
I heard you mention the Demon Lord earlier. Are you here for
the extermination?
\endtext

\text
The young man glanced back over his shoulder at the rest of
the tavern as he spoke.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
That's right. But it's hard to gather information about the
labyrinth.
\endtext

\text("？？？")
Hmm... I always thought adventurers were the type to just
charge in without a second thought.

\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Yeah, well, there are definitely some like that.

\endtext

\text("Orphis")
But if you don't want to die, you have to be almost overly
cautious and gather as much info as you can first.
\endtext

\text
At my words, the Diabolica looked genuinely surprised.

\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Surprised? I guess that's fair. But believe it or not, I've
got a son. I can't just go dying carelessly.

\endtext

\text("？？？")
Oh, you have a kid... Your husband must be quite the guy to
land a woman like you.

\endtext

\text
Looking satisfied, the Diabolica nodded.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Yeah, he was a good man. Well, at least compared to you.

\endtext

\text("？？？")
I see... Sorry about that.
\endtext

\text
He seemed to pick up on what I meant by 'was,' and looked
down apologetically.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
It's fine, I don't care about it anymore. Come on, lift your
head.
\endtext

\text("？？？")
What a waste, it could've been a perfect cheating scenario.
Well, if you're a widow, that's a whole different kind of
appeal...
\endtext

\text
Even after I said that, the young guy kept mumbling to
himself.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
What's wrong with you? Are you feeling sick or something?

\endtext

\text("？？？")
No, it's nothing.
\endtext

\text("Master")
Sorry to keep you waiting. Pay up front.
\endtext

\text
As we were talking, the master came over just like before.

\endtext

\text
He took the payment from the Diabolica, lined up the ales on
the counter, and set down a plate of snacks.

\endtext

\text("？？？")
Well then, let's toast to a successful info gathering.

\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Oh, that's a good one. Alright, cheers―

\endtext

\text("？？？")
Found you! So this is where you were!

\endtext

\text
Suddenly, the entrance door was flung open violently.
\endtext

\text
Standing there was a Diabolica girl, even younger than the
guy next to me, looking absolutely furious as she stood
tall.
\endtext

\text("？？？")
Oh, you found me already?
\endtext

\text("？？？")
This time, you're not getting away! Now, come with me!

\endtext

\text
Then, the young girl marched over, grabbed the guy by the
collar, and tried to drag him out of the shop.

\endtext

\text("？？？")
W-wait, wait! I was just about to toast with this lady―

\endtext

\text("？？？")
Sorry for the trouble he caused. Alright, let's go!

\endtext

\text("？？？")
Ah, h-hey, wait!
\endtext

\text
Just as the young man hurriedly set his ale glass on the
counter, the girl yanked him off his stool.

\endtext

\text
And just like that, she marched straight out of the shop.

\endtext

\text("？？？")
If you want, you can take care of that ale and those snacks.
I haven't touched them.
\endtext

\text
His voice faded as he spoke through the door.
\endtext

\text
Both I and the other customers just stared in disbelief at
the scene.
\endtext

\text("Master")
So, what do you want to do with this?
\endtext

\text
When I turned at his voice, the master was looking at me
with the guy's leftover glass and plate in front of him.

\endtext

\text
What the young Diabolica had ordered was the same grilled
chicken as me, and what looked like fried river fish.

\endtext

\text("Orphis")
...Hey, can I get these snacks to go?
\endtext

\text("Master")
No problem. I'll wrap them up for you.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Thanks. I'll drink the ale myself.
\endtext

\text
While I cleared away the two mugs of ale left on the
counter, the master wrapped up the snacks in paper.

\endtext

\text("Master")
Sorry to keep you waiting.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Sorry for causing a scene.
\endtext

\text("Master")
You weren't the one making a fuss. It was mostly that
Diabolica girl.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Yeah, that's true.
\endtext

\text("Master")
Come back if you need anything.
\endtext

\text
With just those curt words, the master went back to his
work.
\endtext

\text
I wondered how a place could stay in business with such a
blunt owner, but maybe a reserved master like this is
actually better for a place like this.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
Thanks for the meal.
\endtext

\text("Master")
Yeah.
\endtext

\text
I called out to the master, who was busy polishing glasses,
and left the shop.
\endtext

\text
By the time I stepped outside, the sun had completely set.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(Come to think of it, I heard the Demon Lord was supposed to
be a Diabolica... but no way, right?)
\endtext

\text
If it really was the Demon Lord, she'd probably be lounging
on a luxurious throne in some underground labyrinth,
surrounded by young girls.
\endtext

\text
It'd be ridiculous for her to come all the way up to the
surface and show up at an adventurer's tavern.
\endtext

\text("Orphis")
(Oops, better get home. I'll save these snacks for dinner
tonight and cut some costs.)
\endtext

\text
――Malto is waiting for me at the inn.
\endtext

\text
I let out a wry smile at my silly thoughts and left the
place behind.
\endtext