Chapter 37: Trap
TL: Scaramochi
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"Stop!"
My voice brings the party to a halt.
I crouch down as I step forward, slipping past Comba.
"Get the lights!"
I said as I lowered my posture as Gina held out her wand.
"I hope this makes things a little clearer. Look at the line here. You don't see any dirt clods or sand on this side."
Everyone was silent for a moment, but Sylvia was the first to speak up.
"Yes, sir. The leader is right, there's no here and there, either."
After a few moments, mouths were filled with agreement.
"Yes, it is. Both sides of the middle part of this passage are pitfalls. I'll be the first to cross it, so watch your position. It's wide enough, so as long as you're careful, you'll be fine."
I go through the middle of the passage.
After about six steps, I turn around.
One after another, we cross the narrow safety zone and all come safely to our side.
"Brother. What happens if I step off that thing? Is there a blade buried underneath or something?"
"That might be easier and better if thats the case."
"Don't scare me. So?"
"You'll be falling to the third layer. It's at an angle from the middle, so the impact of the fall shouldn't be too great, but you'll be facing an overwhelmingly strong monster, and it would be impossible for a beginner to escape."
The party members are buzzing.
"I wouldn't have understood if you hadn't told me."
"I mean, you'd have to know this."
"Are there other traps like this?"
"Yes. Veteran adventurers are superior not only because they are better with swords and magic. Just knowing where things are makes a big difference. To be clear, I can't beat Carrie with a sword, and I can't use magic like Gina. But still, I've been to the sixth layer of the dungeon."
The eyes around us change.
It seems to contain some semblance of respect.
Carrie's cold voice breaks it up.
Incidentally, the other day, at Carrie's insistence and in the presence of the guildmaster, we had a mock battle using practice swords.
The result was my defeat.
"But that's not just because I was taken by a strong member."
"So what?"
Carrie is amused by my reply.
"I'm not a fighter. I'm in the business of detecting traps and unlocking treasure chests. I'm going to ask, just to test the waters, is there anyone you know who could take you and your friends to the sixth layer?"
The tone might have sounded a little nasty.
Carrie bit her lip.
"No, I don't see any......."
"That's what I mean. Well, we all started out as beginners. Monsters are a threat, but knowing who you're dealing with can mean the difference between life and death. The reason I didn't fall prey to magic earlier was because I knew there was someone out there who could use it, so I was prepared. Now, the lecture is getting long. Let's move on."
The passageway was gently sloping uphill.
After a few steps, I called out to them.
"Wait a minute."
The vanguard stopped and began to look around at their feet.
Gina gave a chuckle but remained silent.
"Harris. There doesn't seem to be anything strange about it......"
"The traps aren't just under your feet. Take a good look in the air."
Gina raised her wand a little higher.
Sylvia was still the first to speak up as she wiggled it.
"Is there something in the air, like a transparent string stretched across it?"
"Sylvia's got a pretty good eye. You'll probably live a long time in the dungeon. Exactly. If you go through this line without noticing it and get caught, it's a trick that causes water to fall from the ceiling like a waterfall."
"It's kind of unassuming, isn't it? Brother."
"You think so? If you stay wet in this cold dungeon, you will lose your body heat at a tremendous rate. Worst case scenario, you might not be able to move at all. Besides, there is a slope here, right? If you fall down due to the force of the water, you will be swept away by ...... and plunged into the pit I mentioned earlier. Pretty elaborate, don't you think?"
The newcomers look back at the passage they just came through and at their feet.
"Are dungeons so crawling with tricks like this?"
"Well, I haven't been to many dungeons myself, but this one might be relatively riddled with traps."
In other words, they tend to be avoided because they are inexpensive, and even someone like me can do something like scavenging for leftover food.
"So you can just stoop down and go through. Let's move on."
I stoop down so that I'm lower than the height I'm pointing at.
Sylvia was short, so she could go on, but Comba looked cramped.
After climbing a sloping hill, we came to a short passageway that stretched to the left and right.
"Which way?"
"Okay. You decide for yourselves from here."
It didn't make sense for me to always be the one to show them the best solution.
We consulted with each other and seemed to decide to go right.
Soon the passage dead-ends and is blocked by a sturdy door.
I'm about ten paces away and I don't move.
They ask me what I'm doing, but I remain silent.
Well, let's see what these chicks are going to do, shall we?
Gina comes to my side.
"I think this is where the scouts come in, don't you?"
"Well, yes. But the scouts are so few now that we may have to use brute force to get through the first layer or so. It's not a good omen, but there may be times when the scouts are on the verge of death."
"They won't like a strict teacher."
"Better than being nice and hearing obituaries."
I keep my voice down.
"Gina. You're the one who came over here to give me a hint, aren't you?"
Gina smirks.
"What do you mean? A mage can be dying, can't she?"
The lights went out, so Comba took out a torch and lit it to illuminate the area.
As Comba moved his arm, the fire suddenly bobbed and shook and seemed about to go out.
"Hey. Isn't that weird?"
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