DELICIOUS IN DUNGEON
Then it wasn't just some old folktale after all.
The ancient kingdom they said was destroyed really did exist!
This gold is the real deal.
This is incredible.
Hey…
I think we should all go back up to the surface.
If we're gonna explore, we should prep first, don't you think?
Wait, what's all this nonsense you're spouting?
Senshi, are you sure you've got iron
running through your veins like the rest of us?
Don't push yourself.
You can stay here if you want.
No, I want gold too!
I was afraid to be left alone, so I lied.
I really didn't like that place.
And to make matters worse, my normally ambitious party members
started acting a bit too ambitious.
As we went deeper and deeper, their eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.
It was like they were being drawn in by something.
Then suddenly, the nightmare began.
What happened?
It was a monster.
This huge bird-like thing came from out of nowhere,
then it killed poor Totan!
These ruins, they've evolved into a dungeon!
The fear finally snapped them out of their trance, but by then,
we didn't know how to find our way back.
We're not trapped in here, are we?
Dungeons are always linked to the surface so there's gotta be a way out.
Let's calm down and search for the exit.
We wandered the dungeon, doing our best to avoid any monsters,
but it was odd.
When we got thirsty, there'd be a spring.
When we got tired, a room where we could rest would appear.
One person even said a woman would try to seduce them from the shadows.
Eventually, we ran out of rations.
We'll die from starvation at this rate.
We gotta find food even if that means fighting for it.
What do you mean?
Basically, at this point, we gotta eat or be eaten.
-Invar, Brigan! -Huh?
I want both of you to take shields and be our defense.
Null and I will use our weapons to push the monsters back.
-And Senshi… -Mm.
…you stay right here and make a detailed map of the area.
-Move out! -Mm?
That bird monster showed up again.
That bastard, always taking flight to get away.
I'll go with you next time you search for food.
-Enough! You'll only get in the way. -Oh.
-Huh? -We've already found some food.
Eat your fill of it!
I felt awful for getting hungry.
Even though I never did anything.
Our days became a desperate search for food
instead of a way to the surface.
The bird continued to chase us relentlessly.
Every time we fought it, we'd lose someone.
Now pressed for food, we were forced to eat our horse.
The four-legged eagle. No doubt about it.
That bird monster is a Griffin.
Why does it have such a grudge against us?
Doesn't even seem like it's all that hungry.
I reckon 'cause it probably enjoys killing.
That's just part of a monster's natural instinct, I suppose.
But don't you worry,
the next time it shows up, we're gonna roast it whole and eat it.
Here.
Give thanks for the meat Anne provided and eat up.
What the hell are you thinking, Gillin?
You gave most of the food we had left to that good-for-nothing kid!
He's only 36 and still growing.
He needs all he can get.
It's our responsibility as adults to take care of the young-ins.
Now is not the time for that!
And what good are we
if we can't even nurture the next generation of dwarves?
I'm so hungry.
If there really is iron flowing through my veins,
then surely I can eat these rocks.
Hey!
You're hiding some food from us, aren't you?
Stop it!
What do you think you're doing?
It's his fault!
Let's take this outside.
Senshi looks pretty scared.
I'm sick of this!
The yelling gradually got more and more intense.
I heard sounds of fighting, and suddenly, some horrifying screams.
After that, it became eerily quiet.
What happened out there?
Where's Brigan?
Enough questions!
You shouldn't look outside.
We both got attacked by the Griffin.
I managed to land the killing blow on it, but Brigan wasn't so lucky.
When I looked at Gillin's helmet,
there was a dent in it that looked like he got struck with a blunt weapon.
Let's start cooking that Griffin.
If we cut it up and make soup out of it,
we can last a few more days.
The Griffin soup was just meat boiled in water.
The flavor itself was horrible due to the smell
and toughness of the meat.
But I couldn't stop eating.
I chewed and chewed.
Taking my time to finish it.
Gillin said he needed to take a leak, then slowly staggered outside.
He never walked back through that door.
I had been left there all alone.
I didn't have the courage to try to venture outside the room.
I couldn't bring myself to leave, but…
I rationed out the rest of the meat
and closely studied all the maps I'd drawn up until then.
Eventually, I figured out the rules of the codes written on the walls.
And once I felt ready, I finally left the room.
There weren't any corpses.
Some critters must have come by in search of food
and picked everything clean.
After I left, I was captured by the orcs,
and they confined me as a prisoner in their settlement for a while.
But I got to know them and learned they were a good-natured bunch.
In exchange for teaching them ancient Dwarvish,
they taught me how to identify which mushrooms I could and couldn't eat,
and how to hold my own against monsters.
And with that knowledge…
…I managed to get back up to the surface.
But when I thought about everything that had happened in the dungeon,
I couldn't bring myself to return to my homeland.
I lived around the dungeon and its shallower levels.
It wasn't too long before the dungeon became connected to the town,
and lots of adventurers started to pass through.
I had so much anxiety over whether or not
it was Griffin meat in that soup
I had all that time ago.
Every time I ate something, I'd remember that distinct flavor.
All the monster meat I've eaten so far
has never even come close to how it tasted.
And that's the reason why I ran away from the Griffin earlier.
I'm… afraid to finally learn the truth.
How horrible.
Senshi…
Well, we got that Griffin, you wanna eat it?
I, uh, just thought it might help.
You don't wanna have all that in the back of your head
for the rest of your life, do you?
If it's the same, you can relax.
But if it's a completely different flavor…
then that sucks.
But at least you would have an answer.
That's a terrible plan.
Is this guy serious?
It's your call, Senshi.
You're right, Laios.
Guess I should try some.
Are you sure?
All right!
In that case, let's do our best to recreate Senshi's soup.
And we'll start by slicing off some meat.
The top half and bottom half taste totally different from each other.
So let's grab both.
You just wanna eat both.
Such amazing muscles.
A typical carnivore.
I wonder why that other one kept pursuing Senshi's party.
It killed them, but it didn't care about eating them.
Oh, you mentioned you had a horse, right?
Did you know?
They are Griffin's favorite thing to eat.
So then why didn't it go after the horse first?
Don't know.
-Hmm… -I'll go boil some water.
A Griffin's weapons are its front claws and its beak.
But neither of those things would have left a dent
in a helmet like that.
So whatever attacked Gillin most likely wasn't a Griffin.
With that said, what about the others?
Marcille and I mistook Falin for a Griffin,
so Senshi's party could have been wrong too.
After all, there are several large monsters that have wings.
Cockatrice, Basilisk, Harpy, Siren,
Pegasus, Simurgh, Roc.
Out of those, which one could attack with blunt force?
Hmm…
The water is boiling now.
We just boil it?
Should we add anything?
No, that's it.
It'll be a flavorless soup though.
Maybe I could garnish it.
Come to think of it,
you said the orcs taught you how to differentiate mushrooms, right?
Have you ever seen those before?
Nope, those are new to me.
Hmm…
Marcille, you got this, right?
-Huh? Hey. Hey! -Ah…
You've come this far and then just dump it on me?
What's wrong with you?
Whatever, we're done here.
-Even if we do this, Senshi hasn't-- -No.
We went through the trouble, so I'll eat it.
I'll accept the results no matter what they are.
GRIFFIN SOUP (UPPER BODY) (LOWER BODY)
It's ready.
This flavor…
It's nothing at all like what I tasted back then.
I guess it's exactly what I feared it was…
Senshi, I…
It's fine.
At least I know now.
Gillin wanted me to survive no matter what the cost,
so I'll carry that with me for the rest of my life.
-Laios, you big idiot! -You just traumatized some more!
Griffin meat smells gamey
and the texture of it makes it hard to chew.
The worst part is the bad aftertaste.
So…
what Senshi had eaten back then wasn't actually Griffin.
And it definitely wasn't human.
The monster that attacked them was a Hippogriff.
I'm sure of it.
So what's the difference?
A Griffin's lower half is a lion, while a Hippogriff is more horse-like.
The one from back then must have been after Senshi's horse.
It was either curious about it or was in heat.
Also, Hippogriffs have something that Griffins don't have.
And that's hind legs with hooves.
It's over if you get kicked.
A kick so strong, it'll even dent metal.
And there you have it, Senshi.
If what you'd eaten before was really a Hippogriff,
then, of course, this soup has a completely different flavor.
I appreciate it, Laios.
Hearing that does ease my mind a bit.
Even if there's no way to know how a Hippogriff tastes.
Well then, why don't we find out?
Huh?
Let's compare this with a taste of some Hippogriff meat.
Hey, wait a minute!
Aren't you supposed to say, "The truth is still unknown,
but at least there's a ray of hope," and end it there?
Laios, do you even know where to find a Hippogriff?
Of course.
There's one right under our noses!
Previously, there's been sightings of them in this dungeon.
And there's something we should have realized sooner.
We defeated a Griffin that was never reported to even be here.
Why is that?
It's 'cause there was an accomplice that helped complicate the situation.
An accomplice?
The Changelings.
There's a related folktale that derives from your birthplace, Chilchuck.
Have you ever heard of the Replacement Child?
It's when a child gets replaced with a monster.
A child who'd go out to play in the woods
and return looking like a troll version of themselves.
For a while, people thought it was some kind of magic,
but only recently discovered
that it was because of these mushroom-shaped monsters.
Any creature who steps into a ring of them
will end up changing just a little bit.
Once people realized that, they got rid of them,
so they're rare now.
But to think they'd grow here…
The way it grabbed Senshi, but didn't eat him.
The way it kicked and killed Marcille's Familiar.
I'm almost positive this monster isn't actually a Griffin.
Time to find out.
Take the Griffin meat and place it inside the Changeling's fairy ring.
Whoa, it's totally different now.
It looks even tastier with the marbling.
All right, let's make some soup.
HIPPOGRIFF SOUP
S-Senshi?
Uh, well, flavors can change pretty drastically
based on certain conditions, so…
No. It's not that.
It's just…
I've always dreamed of drinking this soup again one day.
Thank you, everyone.
Thank you.
You know, living in this place for as long as I have
has shown me something.
This dungeon has a strong response to human's greed and desires,
fortune, knowledge, fame.
It tends to be a lot more lenient towards those
who don't ask anything of it, like the orcs.
Once you want something from this place, it bares its fangs.
From this point onward,
on top of trying to save Falin so you can bring her back,
you're all gonna wanna find the mad mage and the Winged Lion,
so you can break the spell.
The dungeon is sure to get even more ruthless towards you.
Regardless,
there's still plenty of things I'd like to teach you
to help you reach those goals.
So will you let me keep tagging along?
Of course, please do!
Right!
Now that that's over, let's keep moving!
How is everyone feeling?
Freezing.
I'm dying.
What else could this be but food poisoning?
We've eaten all sorts of different stuff up to now.
But we can't let something like this be the end of us.
Falin…
How long did I sleep?
I feel lighter.
Guess the food poisoning passed.
Thank goodness.
I thought we were gonna die.
Huh?
What's going on?
Oh, Marcille.
Do you see this?
I've definitely shrunk, right?
Huh?
Wait, she shrank too?
Hey, Senshi, we've got a huge problem here! Wake--
Who are you?
Oh, why the hell are you guys so noisy?
Chil…
Mr. Chilchuck, sir?
From the looks of it,
we accidentally ended up stepping inside the Changeling ring.
But of all things, why this?
It changed a Hippogriff into a Griffin.
So this isn't too out of the ordinary.
I'm a dwarf now.
Senshi is an elf.
Marcille is a half-foot?
Chilchuck is a tall-man.
And Izutsumi is… a dog.
I mean, she's probably a kobold.
Oh, yeah, with cat ears.
So… how do we return to our normal bodies?
Maybe we can go back the same way we came?
If we step inside the ring again, it might reverse, right?
Yeah, that's what I was thinking, but look outside.
Oh, the path is different now.
While we were trying to sleep, our bodies kept shaking.
But it was really the dungeon shifting instead?
I don't know if this is the way we came, but let's try to head back.
Hmm, my luggage feels so light.
Marcille, let me help you with that.
Thank you, Laios.
This body is great.
I can still see even though it's dark.
And I could probably beat Namari in arm wrestling.
How are you feeling?
Everything good?
This body is heavy,
and it feels like I'm engulfed in some kind of thick curtain.
I'm guessing your senses got a lot duller.
Yeah.
And I strangely feel calmer than I did before.
Well, either way, it's nice to look down on you guys.
Huh? Wait, isn't this…
Ugh, so now we find this door!
This takes us deeper, huh?
We were trying to go back but ended up moving forward anyway.
Someone camped here.
That means other adventurers have been by.
Laios, do you think whoever was here might know how to fix this?
Hmm…
I'm gonna guess that they didn't go through this door.
I think they used a teleportation spell to leave.
Oh, then, what do we do?
I've been thinking about that.
Maybe we see if we can find the Winged Lion?
Huh?
Doesn't seem like the dungeon has any intention of letting us go yet.
So instead of us trying to fight it, it's probably better if we move forward.
And I mean,
once we're back on the surface, it'll be easy to fix this.
I'm not saying we should stay like this forever.
Are you an idiot?
You don't care because you got turned into a long-living race.
-He's right though. -Huh?
These bodies haven't been that inconvenient so far.
Is a change in ear size really so concerning?
Okay, so if we're gonna move forward,
what are we supposed to do about this door?
Everyone's making a fuss 'cause it won't open, right?
Think you can pick the lock, Chilchuck?
I can't do it if there's no physical lock.
I'm guessing it's locked with magic.
I do sense magic flowing through it.
Although I'd need time, money, and tools to decipher it.
Yaad! Can you hear me? What do we do now?
Please, Mr. Winged Lion!
We need your help!
-Laios! Your stupid sword! -Let us in!
There's something coming out of it!
K-Kensuke?
Wait! Did it get bigger?
I thought being in the cold for so long killed him.
The door is…
Uh, so do you think this means the Winged Lion is trying to help us out?
Well, it could be him or Yaad, I guess.
We should say thanks regardless.
We thank you!
Whether you're the Winged Lion or Yaad!
Hey!
I just heard something move!
Huh?
Oh, those are Gargoyles!
Prepare yourselves!
Gargoyles are moving stone statues.
Hit them, and you're the one who will get hurt, so be careful!
Looks like I'm useless here.
I'm just gonna stay out of the way.
What? Why the hell is it chasing me?
Because you're the one who stands out most!
You're tall now, dumbass! You need to fight too!
You gotta be joking! I--
Chilchuck!
He'll be fine! It didn't even hit--
Wait! What happened?
Wow, there are so many pretty rainbows in here.
Is this mana sickness from one spell?
This isn't good.
Izutsumi, I need you to--
Stay! Izutsumi.
Don't move until I tell you to!
The noise and smell of blood have her all wound up.
If she attacks, she won't stop till one of them is dead.
Senshi, use your…
Uh, hey, uh, why don't you have your pan?
Because it's heavy.
It's fine. My sword and the pan are much lighter now.
In this state, I can beat them myself.
Although, to be honest, with this body, I'm getting tired faster.
Oh, no.
We're going to lose here.
All right, we're gonna run for it!
Senshi, you take Marcille and get through the door.
Look, Izutsumi.
See this, yeah?
Chase the bell!
Chilchuck, here.
-Use the pan lid! -Mm.
Start running!
What do we do?
These bodies are an inconvenience after all.
I'm starting to regret my decision.
It can't be helped now.
We just have to pray that we'll find some of those mushrooms up ahead.
Yup. These are genuine dwarven ruins alright.
Uh… you think those mushrooms grow in a place like this?
-It's really hot in here. -Hmm.
Let's make something to eat.
You know, I understand now why Senshi starts cooking all of a sudden.
In this body, I get hungry faster than before.
You say that, but I've never seen Namari start cooking full meals out of nowhere.
Hmph.
Cooking is simply what I do while I'm self-reflecting.
Take flour, water, salt, and eggs and knead them together.
Then let it rest.
While you're waiting,
add some chopped-up onions and other vegetables to the minced meat,
and mix it all up.
Make a cylinder out of the rested dough.
Cut into equal parts, and roll flat.
Put the filling on the flattened dough and then… wrap.
How odd.
Preparing the food in silence like that really helped me calm down.
I think we went a little overkill.
They turned out well, huh?
It's ready.
BOILED HIPPOGRIFF DUMPLINGS
The shape of it is pretty familiar,
but it's weird 'cause it doesn't smell like it should.
You've never had them with potatoes or cheese?
These are typically fried from where I'm from.
Now it's time to dig in.
Aah…
Be careful. Otherwise, you'll burn yourself.
Oh, you think?
Oh, this is good.
Strangely almost better than normal.
Did changing races affect our taste buds too?
No. These are good no matter who's eating them.
Strange, isn't it?
Every region and race makes their dumplings
in completely different ways.
But in the end, they're all still delicious.
Yeah, that's right!
That basically applies to all of us too.
Even though we've changed a little bit,
we're still just the same person in the end.
We're gonna make it work.
Well, I guess that wraps everything up now.
Yeah, in your head maybe.
Anyway, this place is so unique.
What exactly is it?
It's basically a type of defensive point
that the dwarves built.
Defensive point?
It's from back when the elves and dwarves were in a war.
You didn't learn about this in school?
Both sides battled in an arms race to make more advanced technology,
which ended up being catastrophic.
Ever since, the dwarves and elves have feared
that history would eventually repeat itself,
so they've limited technologies used inside the dungeons.
The conflict between races was especially intense
within this dungeon,
so there will be a lot of disputes when it comes to acquiring it.
Yeah, well, regarding that.
If the elves happen to come after us,
you'll be able to do something to fix it, right?
Huh? Wait, why me?
You must have connections.
Your mother was a court magician.
You told us that, didn't you?
I mean, yeah, I did, but…
Calm down.
Either way, she's a half-foot at the moment.
If anybody talks with the elves, it's him.
I shall do my best.
Let's find a way to get us all back to normal as soon as possible, yeah?
-Agreed. -Agreed.