DELICIOUS IN DUNGEON
Izutsumi, Chilchuck...
Could you slow down a bit?
Cracks are all over the floor, and it's hard to walk.
I didn't notice.
Let's take a break.
What is this? An old folks' stroll?
Something's bothering me.
In our current forms,
how different are our actual ages from how old we look?
Laios, how old are you now?
I'm 26.
Senshi, how old does Laios look to you now?
Around 60, maybe?
They say a dwarf lives 2.5 times longer than a tall-man.
So 26 years for a tall-man...
is like 65 for a dwarf.
So, our appearance reflects our actual age.
What really concerns me is our remaining lifespan.
Do we age at the same pace as before our transformation,
or do we age according to our new forms?
Marcille, you act like this is none of your concern.
But if the latter is true,
the average lifespan for us half-foots is 50!
In less than 40 years, you'll be all wrinkled and die!
What?!
WRINKLECILLE
Is the lifespan really that short?
I thought you could live until 100.
Some do, but...
It's only a small percentage.
I was just joking.
My point is, if that's true, these mushrooms are too convenient.
There are loads of people who would pay a fortune to change their race,
but I've never seen those mushrooms for sale anywhere.
In other words, this transformation must be temporary,
or it comes with nasty side effects.
Side effects, huh?
That's a possibility.
I was hoping we could make use of it somehow,
but I guess it's not that simple.
Make use of it how?
Do you want to become a demi-human or something?
T-That's not it.
I was thinking about Falin.
Falin?
This is just a what-if, but...
Say everything works out, and we manage to defeat the lunatic magician.
I repent.
Falin regains herself.
What have I been doing?
- Hurray! - Hurray!
We return to the surface.
Honestly, we had such a rough time!
People will be terrified.
Right?
I think it'll be tough for her to remain a dragon from the waist down.
- You stupid-- - Hold on!
Let's hear him out.
I've thought of hiding the lower part of her body inside a hole.
Welcome!
However,
a large monster can't survive in a village with little mana.
Just like a fish can't survive outside of water,
Falin might not be able to survive in a village.
And that's where
those Changeling mushrooms come into play.
If we can somehow change her lower body to a smaller dragon,
Falin might be able to live comfortably in a human village!
- What-- - What an optimistic guy!
Mušḫuššu!
Well, I won't deny that I also have a wish to transform.
Tall-men are just so unremarkable and dull...
Hey, don't you hear that strange noise?
No. It's probably the sound of dwarf relics.
It's not that.
It sounds like rocks striking against each other.
And it seems like it's slowly getting closer.
I know.
Gargoyles!
Didn't you close the door properly?
W-We need to get out of here quickly!
They're getting closer!
If we don't do something, they'll keep coming after us.
We should ambush them.
B-But...
I'll distract the enemies.
Chilchuck, hold the pot.
Izutsumi, slip around behind them.
Senshi, wait for the right moment.
Marcille, how close are the enemies?
Like I said,
they're right there!
Laios!
Damn it!
Everyone, watch out!
Do you get why the first thing I do is take cover?
Don't hang around our feet.
Easier said than done...
Forget it! You're still as clumsy as ever.
Come here!
What is this smoke?
Is it one of your magic?
Are you two hurt?
No! The sword just passed between our arms!
Good.
Pass me Kensuke, would you?
Sure.
Did it always look like that?
Nope.
Has the shape of the sword changed?
Was that smoke...
- Spores from Changelings? - Spores from Changelings?
B-But I don't see a ring of mushrooms anywhere.
It passed through a circle we formed with our arms.
Does that mean...
They keep flying away!
Everyone!
Hold hands and make a ring right now!
Read the situation before you say that!
I did!
Now what?
What do we do?
We'll get a Gargoyle to pass through our ring.
If my guess is correct,
the Gargoyle will transform!
Here it comes! Dodge!
There's a wall on that side! This way!
Ow!
I'll tear in two!
Owie.
It's stuck!
Now, surround it quickly!
We did it! Where's the Gargoyle?
Look!
That's the Gargoyle?
It really transformed!
I see. The Changelings caused this.
So nonliving things change faster.
Laios!
Are you okay?
It hurts, but I'll manage.
Dwarves have sturdy bodies.
Damn it.
That one won't come down.
How can we get it to pass through our arms?
- Marcille. - Huh?
- Give me your hand for a bit. - Huh?
- It should work. - Um.
- Let's do it. - All right!
We're going to get up close to it,
and provoke it into attacking us!
- Hey, what do I-- - Run in sync with the call!
Here we go!
- One, two... - One, two...
Here it comes! Are you ready?
Ready for what?!
- Ready, set... - Ready, set...
Fly, Marcille!
It's over.
There was nothing to it.
All we had to do was wash the spores off our bodies to turn back.
It feels wrong.
Don't worry about it. It's just water.
You should wash them off thoroughly.
Right now, we're like seedbeds for mushrooms.
Now I understand why those mushrooms have this characteristic.
When animals have their forms changed by Changelings...
- Run! - Run!
They're hated by their own kind.
They die.
And they become new Changelings.
It's quite the side effect.
Unlike Gargoyles, it'll take time for us to turn back.
Let's prepare a meal as we wait.
Of course.
Kensuke, look at how you've changed.
I doubt it was the mushrooms that turned the insides into a key, but...
Will it revert if I give it a wash?
What are we having today?
We still have some dumplings left, so we'll boil them.
That again.
Do you have a problem?
Not really. I'm just tired of them.
- Tired of them? - She sure is a free spirit.
I'll try cooking them differently.
Heat oil in a pan, and gently place the dumplings in it.
H-Hot!
When the wrappers are golden brown, take them out and let the oil drain.
Izutsumi is a light eater
and never touches something she doesn't like.
To make sure she eats enough, I have to put in the time and effort.
What do you think, Izutsumi?
You just fried them?
Stop that!
Just maybe...
It changed its shape!
Just as I thought, it seems like the mouth acts as a ring.
And there are so many varieties of dumplings.
What if I eat one and end up growing mushrooms in my stomach?
We had the Hippogriff's meat, and that didn't happen.
Digestion is quite powerful.
Now, help set the dishes.
It's done!
DUMPLINGS TRANSFORMED BY A CHANGELING FAIRY RING
There are so many types.
This one has Barometz meat in it.
Mutton, huh?
So the filling changes too.
This one's got cheese inside!
This one's sweet.
What meat is this?
Your legs are just too long!
My body's back to normal!
Damn it.
What an awful way to wake up.
Thank goodness.
I'm so glad.
Well then, we should get going soon.
You should change into something lighter.
This floor is warm.
The temperature is conducive to creature reproduction.
But I'm not sure if there are any living things ahead in this environment.
I should have made sausages or something.
Speaking of which, didn't you make some with Red Dragon meat?
I did.
BONELESS DRAGON HAM
But I lost them.
Is that so?
Never mind.
I don't like it when it's hot.
Why is your sword wrapped in a cloth?
Huh? That's because...
Show me.
No, I can't do that.
Show me!
What should we do with him?
Should we form a ring around him and beat him up?
Go wash it off right now.
How are things over there?
All I see is a strange building.
I don't see any other paths.
A strange building?
It's probably an automatic trolley.
Let's take a peek inside.
I bet it won't move anymore.
If you dismantle it and sell it, you can fetch a pretty good price.
It moved!
Senshi, what did you do?
Nothing.
Maybe it's the type that moves when someone boards it.
There's a description here, so I'll read it.
Take a seat.
There isn't much written here.
It doesn't feel dangerous so far,
so let's ride it as far as it goes.
Maybe I'll brew some tea.
What's that?
Roasted Dryad seeds.
Is the magic circle ready?
I think so.
I can't say for sure if it's working.
It's slow, but it seems to be heating up.
By the way, Laios,
why did you and your sister become adventurers?
Huh? Me?
You don't strike me as someone who dreams of making a fortune.
It's a long story, but...
When I was in my teens, I got fed up with my village.
And I went to a school in the town and joined the army.
But in the end, I didn't fit in there either.
And I got picked up by a caravan that passed through the town.
So he's a deserter?
I slowly drifted south, taking odd jobs along the way.
Falin was boarding at a nearby magic school,
so I dropped by to see her.
But she insisted on joining me.
And together, we reached this island.
When we first arrived on this island, gold-peeling was thriving.
And there was plenty of escorting work.
Then, we just stayed and hung around the dungeon.
That's how I ended up here.
What a complete lack of foresight.
You're one thing, but why did you let your sister go with you?
She could've had a better life at school.
Falin's childhood wasn't very fortunate.
She had a talent for magic, which she was shunned for.
I couldn't stand the environment.
So I left the village a year before she did.
Until she entered the magic school, no,
until she met Marcille,
she had her meals all alone.
It breaks my heart to think about it.
Well, Falin's spirit was much stronger than mine,
so maybe it didn't bother her too much.
But that's why I made a promise to myself to never abandon her again.
At least, not until someone else shows up whom she wants to be with.
What the heck? Gross!
Falin...
used to bring me a lot of things.
Strange nuts.
And odd plants.
I've always wondered why she kept bringing them to me, but...
She probably wanted to eat them with you, Marcille.
I can't wait...
to share meals with her again.
You'll be able to soon.
The way I see it,
Falin is like bacon and eggs right now.
We once compared souls to eggs.
A sunny side up rests on top of strips of bacon.
They're stuck together, but it looks like we can peel them apart nicely.
That's Falin.
Compared to that, Izutsumi is more like an omelet
with ingredients mixed inside.
With effort, you might be able to remove the ingredients,
but it's easy to imagine the egg getting broken up.
So, in Izutsumi's case,
we'll have to find a more careful and complicated approach.
In other words,
if we cut off the dragon waist down,
can we turn Falin back into her human form?
It's not that simple, is it?
That day,
I preserved some of the Dragon meat,
but it all turned back into flesh and merged with Falin.
On the other hand, some of the meat didn't turn back into a dragon.
It's the parts that we ate at dinner.
Meat that has been digested by other creatures loses its identity.
This is the only clear law in this dungeon
where the line between life and death is blurred.
In that case, if we consume all the dragon parts,
we may be able to drive out the soul of the dragon.
Y-You know,
I'm surprised to hear that from you, Senshi.
I thought you were against that sort of thing.
I'm still against resurrecting people.
However, Falin is alive now.
And you just want to release her from the dungeon.
I'll gladly help you with that.
Eat the dragon parts.
B-But...
how many meals would that make?
- That's your problem? - That's your problem?
What else would it be?
It's the most promising method we've got so far!
Do you have a better idea?
Consuming a creature you've killed to make it your own.
Why didn't I realize it sooner?
It's what we've been doing all along!
But it's massive.
Even if the five of us push to consume a kilogram each day,
it'll still take us over a decade to finish it all.
Do you honestly think I can handle eating a kilogram?
And considering Falin's condition, we definitely don't have time for that.
So, just ask others to help.
It's time to make full use of the connections you've built.
You're banking on my connections for this?
It's not like you're without any.
Can't you think of anyone?
The orcs.
They'll likely eat a fair amount and seem like a promising choice.
The inhabitants of the Golden Castle.
They might not have the heartiest appetite,
but their numbers and livestock can compensate for that.
Then there's Namari, Shuro, and their groups.
Those two will lend a hand if we appeal to their emotions.
And Kabru seemed interested in trying monster food.
That's all I can come up with at the moment.
That's quite a list.
But we're hardly enough to consume the entire dragon.
I wish we could also have another troop.
But at least
we've got clear goals now.
First, we release the Winged Lion from the heart of the dungeon.
Second,
with the Lion's aid, we neutralize the lunatic magician's power.
Third,
we recruit people to assist us in consuming Falin's dragon parts.
I'm suddenly feeling optimistic about this.
It's going to be one extravagant feast.
There are no troops inside the dungeon.
What's this sickening feeling?
The air in the dungeon is stale.
While you guys were inside, it underwent another big transformation.
A transformation?
You'll get it once you see it.
Well, it's going to be an unpleasant transformation
for the folks behind us, at least.
Don't eat stuff like that!
What's all this racket?
Walking Mushrooms.
How about using them as a garnish for a steak
made from Falin's dragon parts?
Or should we make a stew instead?
- The broth from the bones-- - Stop it!
Now's not the time to be planning Falin menus!
I'm hungry.
Shall we prepare something?
I second that!
Dungeon food.
Eat or be eaten.
There is no hierarchy.
Eating is a privilege for those who live.
Dungeon food.
Oh, dungeon food.
Subtitle translation by: Ai Matsuoka