"What in the... Is this some manner of festival?"
The street leading into the dungeon gate’s restricted area was lined with countless stalls. The food and drink vendors seemed to be doing decent business, but the eyes of the shopkeepers and customers alike all turned at once toward Inari and her companion.
"Which one is it?"
"Obviously the girl. The guy’s clearly just in casual clothes."
"Nah, there's no point. It's not even worth betting this time."
"Look at those odds..."
Snippets of conversation like that drifted through the air, but it didn’t take long for Inari to grasp what they meant by "betting." It was almost certainly a wager on whether the challenger to the Saitama Dungeon No. 3 would return alive or not.
It was a distasteful pastime, to be sure, but even if Inari lectured them here, it would hardly change anything.
"Hmm, they have gathered once again, it seems."
"So... 'once again,' meaning it is always thus?"
"Yes. Most of them are non-Awakeners, but..."
"And some Awakeners leak the reservation information, no doubt."
Inari could not understand what was so entertaining about watching such a thing, but if people were coming from all over just for that, it was certainly a testament to their persistence. And indeed, many even traveled from outside the prefecture, making it the height of poor taste.
Setting that aside, Inari turned to Sebastian and said,
"'Tis enough. I can proceed from here."
Exposing Sebastian to these rude stares seemed akin to betraying the kindness he had shown her.
"But..."
"’Tis but a straight path now, is it not? I shall not lose my way."
Sensing Inari’s true intent, Sebastian hesitated slightly, then bowed his head.
"Please, take care."
The sincerity of his concern was so plain to see that Inari smiled gently.
“...Truly, what good hearts they possess, the members of the Servant Uniform Workshop. Had it not been for FoxPhone, mayhap I would have cast my lot with them.”
Thinking that far, Inari briefly pictured herself in a maid outfit and decided, "...Nay, perhaps not."
Setting that aside, she lightly waved to Sebastian and headed toward the restricted area.
Near the gates, the crowds had been cleared away, and Inari stepped through unimpeded. Almost immediately, a flustered staff member came rushing toward her.
"We’ve been expecting you! Ah, apologies — it’s always like this around here."
"'Tis no concern. The stains upon the hearts of men are yet a part of humanity."
"...Are you, perhaps, angry?"
"I am not angry."
Truly, Inari was not angry. She found it distasteful, yes, but it was not enough to stir anger in her heart. For Inari to be genuinely enraged required a far greater evil—such as that shown by the Bearer of Endless Agony and Delight.
She might raise her voice when giving a stern lecture, but that was different.
Still, though she wasn’t angry, her impression of the people outside had certainly dropped to "pitiful creatures" and that was their own doing.
"If they find comfort in their idleness, then becoming a spectacle is a trifling thing."
"You use such... difficult words, Miss Kogami."
"Dost thou think so?"
Compared to other dungeons, the security here was especially tight, likely to prevent onlookers from sneaking in. Even so, Inari could feel a constant tension among the staff — as if they could not afford to lower their guard even for a moment.
Perhaps, in the past, there had been incidents of non-Awakeners slipping inside.
"Still... to think the famous Miss Kogami would appear here."
"Would that be a problem?"
"No, not at all. It’s just... as you may know, this dungeon has an extremely low survival rate..."
"Oho, thou art worried for me, then?"
In truth, what the staff member really wanted to say was: If someone famous dies here, the backlash and complaints will be brutal, so please don’t push yourself.
It was not unusual for dungeon management staff to dread the arrival of famous idol Awakeners for exactly that reason.
If something happened, they would be buried under mountains of unreasonable complaints about “safety measures.”
While the staff knew from news reports that Inari was considered a "powerhouse" Awakener, whether that was genuine or manufactured image, they couldn’t be sure.
However, looking at her in person, she certainly seemed confident and composed.
"Well, fear not. I shall not act recklessly."
"Please do. Nothing is more precious than your life."
Hearing the heartfelt words, Inari felt a touch of sympathy.
"They must suffer much hardship," she thought. But there was nothing she could do for them.
The only thing she could do was to come back safely and show them she was unharmed.
Which meant, at this moment, there was nothing to do but proceed.
"Please, take care."
"Aye, I go now."
Thus, as always, Inari stepped into the gate without hesitation.
The scene that awaited her upon teleportation was—an incredibly colorful, toy-factory-like wonderland, the sort of place a child might dream of.