POV: Rian
I walked into the dungeon with that high school kid trailing behind me.Dark. Damp. And… weirdly, it felt like a welcome festival.
Rows of goblins stood on both sides of the corridor, bowing politely like palace guards welcoming their king back from war.Some even tossed flowers.No idea where the hell they got those.
"Uh… why am I being welcomed? I'm not a king. I'm a minimart owner, for crying out loud."
At the end of the corridor—right in front of the gazebo dungeon lift—stood a massive goblin.Twice the size of an ogre.Tattered robes. A slightly tilted golden crown.
He knelt. Right hand clutching the crown to his chest.As if I were… the Guardian Deity of this dungeon.
Honestly, I just wanted to get out fast.The kid was already shaking from head to toe.Not surprising. His first monster encounter was basically a goblin cosplay parade.
"M-My lord!!"The giant goblin's booming voice nearly knocked the air out of me."Forgive your servant's neglect of the first floor! Forgive us for failing to welcome your descent from the Administration Floor!"
"Holy crap—uh, I mean… how stupid can this world get?"
I only came down one floor, and suddenly I was some kind of overlord.Isn't Stranova supposed to be the one running this dungeon?
Whatever. What mattered right now was making sure Kaito didn't faint… or wet himself.
"Ah! G-Great job, Goblin King!""I'm counting on you to keep floor one in shape, alright?!"
I gave him a thumbs-up, then quickly pulled the high schooler toward the gazebo.Muttered the command to head back to the Admin Floor.
The Goblin King froze, eyes wide and shimmering.That face of "recognized for the first time in my life."Even as the teleport magic swallowed us, he kept bowing low, tears in his eyes.
WHOOOSH
Teleport complete.Back to the Administration Floor.
"Phew… that was terrifying, sir."
Sorry, kid. I was just as freaked out by goblins acting like that.
"Yosh! For the record—and yeah, kinda late—name's Rian Adriansyah. Just call me Rian, alright? No 'sir,' no 'uncle.' I'm still young, y'know…"
He chuckled nervously. "Ahaha… I should've introduced myself too. My name is Kaito Reiwa."
Finally. A proper introduction.
I led him through the lush forest behind the Admin Room.And then—
BOOM.
An endless meadow spread before us.A towering mountain.A crystal-clear lake reflecting the sky like a mirror.
Kaito stopped dead, jaw half-open.Too busy admiring the view…
…to notice the giant detail beside it.
"Kaito. You see that dragon over there?"
He turned his head—and panicked.
"W-Wha—A dragon!? T-There's a dragon!?"
"Man, your delayed reaction is killing me.""Yeah, he's my partner. I think. Whatever. I only got dropped in this world this morning."
"S-So… you really are from another world!?"
"Yup. That much is true. How about you? Where are you from? Japan, I'm guessing?"
Suddenly, silence.His gaze shifted.Smile stiff.
"…Yeah. I'm from Japan. A high school student… summoned here to be a hero."
A hero, huh.With shredded clothes.A sword that looked like a bent spoon.And an expression like the whole world had betrayed him.
I studied him closely.His eyes were empty.And then—
"…Where are your glasses?"
He froze.Breath caught.
The kid looked like he'd been stripped of everything.As if the kingdom had shaken him down for spare change, even his right to see clearly.
End of Chapter 8