If you don't want to just drift through life, you have to go through time.

As the three ventured deeper into the forest, they soon arrived at a place that resembled a dilapidated temple. The entire structure looked run-down, with moss covering the roof beams and steps, indicating that it had been neglected and was in a state of disrepair for many years.

"Frilian, this...could it be a dungeon?"

"Truman, you could tell?"

"Can't you see anything? Isn't it written here? A sign that says, 'Dungeon Ahead, Merchants Have Entered by Mistake'?"

Truman pointed to the wooden sign at the entrance.

As if deliberately marked, it was written in red ink, and the pungent odor emanating from it seemed to be the blood of some wild animal. Someone intended to use this method to warn the ignorant to leave.

"I heard this when I was in town. I heard there's treasure buried here. If it's treasure, there must be a spellbook inside...!"

Frillie looked very excited.

Philen quickly said, "Lady Frilian! You said we should go north as soon as possible, why are we still exploring the dungeon?"

"But Truman also said that I can just do things my own way..."

Frillie pouted.

She doesn't resemble an elf who has lived from ancient times to the present at all; she's more like an incorrigible brat. Although she hasn't reached the level of a demon yet, she's still incredibly stubborn and willful.

Speaking of which, if Truman remembers correctly, the heroes' group explored the most dungeons on their way to defeat the Demon King, right? They were the record holders, weren't they?

Forget it.

Truman could understand it, just like when he was a child he loved collecting glass beads. Even if he had glass beads of the same size and pattern, he would still be happy to collect them.

"Isn't it fine?"

"Lord Truman!"

"Alright, alright, Philon, don't be angry. Exploring dungeons is fun, and this is your first time exploring one, right? It's always good to train early so you can gain experience for the future, isn't it?"

"Hmm...you're right."

Philon thought it made sense.

However, she quickly added with a hint of doubt, "Lord Truman, have you ever explored an underground city?"

"Yes, I have. Although it was only once, and it was in the most basic dungeon, I still explored it alone." Truman did not deny it.

He was referring to the Kir Dungeon from the anime/manga series "Konosuba".

At that time, Kazuma Sato and his group had not yet descended to the mortal realm. Truman originally planned to go ahead and intercept them to obtain some treasure so that he could do his thing more effectively.

But a pity.

Even though Kiel Dungeon is a safe beginner dungeon, the fact that it's accessible to everyone makes its hidden chambers even more difficult to find.

Truman couldn't even find the door and had to return empty-handed, forcing him to work as a laborer in the guild.

"Alright, now that we've made up our minds, let's not delay any longer and set off!"

"oh!"

"Oh……"

Frillie was somewhat pleased, but Philon wasn't particularly interested.

The three arrived at the underground city.

Unsure if anything unexpected might happen here, Truman, out of caution, used creation magic to summon a small golem and ordered it to clear the way.

"Frilian, why don't you just use magic to completely decipher the map, and then—"

"No. That wouldn't be fun."

"I'm an efficiency person."

Perhaps influenced by Simmel, Frilian also became enthusiastic about exploring dungeons, finding joy in searching for magic and magical items within them, and in devising strategies to defeat dungeon bosses.

That's precisely why Truman felt that opening up the entire map would be more efficient, and would also allow him to find hidden rooms and item boxes.

"Um?"

"...What's wrong, Truman?"

"The little golem seems to have triggered some kind of trap; the summoning magic has stopped working."

The three of them looked at each other.

Arriving at the place where the magic had gone out of control, they saw a sunken floor with a deep pit beneath it. Even in the dark dungeon, they could see the sharp spikes gleaming coldly below.

And in the spikes, the little golem's corpse lay pitifully in the middle.

"call."

As Truman used magic again, the little golem crawled out of the magic circle and came back to life.

"It's really... convenient."

Philon couldn't help but say that.

"Right?" Truman said with some pride. "Look, the little golem is an essential skill for home, travel, combat, and adventure. It's versatile, capable in both formal and informal settings, able to fight off thugs and explore dungeons. And even if it accidentally died like that just now, it can be resurrected with just a little magic power. Don't you think it's a fantastic skill?"

"It's undeniable..."

Frillie nodded as well.

She can also summon golems and dance, but the golems she summons are not as intelligent as the smaller golems, and they cannot break free from control and explore on their own.

of course.

Frillie also tried to do something like Truman, but no matter what she did, she couldn't, and in the end she had to give up.

The little golem led the way, while the three of them trailed far behind.

Honestly.

If it weren't for the oppressive atmosphere of the underground city and the stench of decay in the air, the three of them would have thought they were on a picnic, completely unaware of any sense of danger or tension.

"In fact, when we were exploring the dungeon, Truman also used this method to lead us, allowing us to explore the dungeon safely and without any burden."

"Oh, as expected of me!"

"However, Simmel found it too boring and it was banned after that."

"Hello!!"

Truman didn't want to hear any of the information Frillie had about her past. He felt that it wasn't the perfectly coordinated team he had imagined, but rather a small group that some capricious hero had haphazardly pulled together, with a playful, childish nature.

Wait a minute.

"Hey Frilian, isn't it a bit much that Simmel won't let us use the map to explore or the golems to explore? Look, it's not just a waste of time and inefficiency, but you also have to be constantly on guard, fight monsters, and get hurt... Seriously, what's the point of Simmel's existence?"

"...Indeed, what is it?"

Frillie also fell into thought.

As if she had finally discovered a blind spot, recalling past events, it seemed irrelevant whether Simmel existed or not? ...No.

"Simmel is essential. Because of him, Hyta and Aize teamed up, and because the three of them were together, Truman, you agreed to go and defeat the Demon King. So did I..."

I understand, it's a symbol.

A hero is not necessarily the strongest; his significance lies in being a symbol of hope for people. It is precisely because he brings hope to people that he is called a hero.

"Furthermore, Simmel said she didn't really want to rely on Truman."

"What do you mean?"

He said: "We are companions, comrades-in-arms. Truman, you are not a follower or a servant. We must support each other and fight together. If we rely on you all the time, we won't be able to help you if you fall one day. In order to prevent that from happening, and to become your support, we must work even harder."

"...very much like him."

"Yes. Haita and Aize, who were initially quite resentful, also showed expressions of deep shame after hearing what Simmel said."

A faint smile appeared on Frillie's lips.

Something interesting must have happened back then, or perhaps it was the sight of two grown men feeling ashamed of having to rely on someone else that amused her?

"……ah!"

Just as Truman and Philon were listening intently to her recount her past, Frillie suddenly froze on the spot, then said to the two of them with an embarrassed expression, "I think... I'm lost."

"……Hello!!!"

"Lord Frilian!?"

The two shouted.