Dungeon Raiders · Chapter 1
Dungeon Raiders
???
Ah, ah. Mic check. One two.
Petra
Yay, everyone! Are you all watching us?!
Today, your cutest Petra ever is going to do something heart-poundingly thrilling with the Captain ♪
Hi, everyone!
Marcille
Stick to the script! Why are you saying weird things again?!
Stop playing along with Petra's nonsense, Captain! You're making her bad habits worse!
Petra
Hm? But this is just the rehearsal, right?
Marcille
Rehearsal means practicing like it's the real thing! It doesn't mean saying whatever you want!
If you stumble over your words when the council members arrive, you'll end up a laughing stock!
Tanya
Mm. We'll all end up laughing.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Aganon outskirts redevelopment project...
That was what this is about, right?
Petra
Mm-hm! It's the biggest contract in Petra Construction history!
Just the material costs and gear expenses alone exceed our entire yearly budget!
Ahh... Things have been so tough recently.
Petra's been running around trying to keep the schedule and budget in check...
I ended up making Tanya and Marcille handle some really rough... work as well...
"Rough work"?
Petra
Yeah. Every night Marcille kept crying out all helpless, saying, "It's too much! There's no way I can take all of that in!"
Marcille
D-don't phrase it like that, you lunatic!
You're the one who dumped the entire Aganon construction code and safety regulations on me and told me to take it all in my head within two weeks!
Try stuffing crate-sized books into your head and see if you don't scream!
Petra
Mm-hm, mm-hm. So you were crying out the whole time, right?
But you still pulled it off in the end, didn't you?
Just what I'd expect from the site foreman Petra personally chose. You're amazing ♪
Marcille
...
Why do I feel like I just got played?
Tanya
Petra, I did rough work too. Talk about me too. Yeah.
Petra
Oh, that's right! Can't forget our dependable intern!
She worked so hard running around juggling things everywhere!
Why juggling all of a sudden?
Tanya
Steel beams. Mm.
Petra
Wide flange beams bigger than her whole body.
She juggled steel beams?!
Petra
An intern doing the work of three heavy machines all by herself! I could tell the officials were stunned ♪
Tanya
It wasn't that hard... But Petra told me to make sure to call it rough work.
Petra
Anyway, you get it now, right? How hard Petra and everyone worked to secure this contract?
Moments this meaningful should be shared with my dear Captain, right?
So that's why I called you, Captain ♪
You all worked really hard.
I'm proud of you.
Marcille
...Hmph. That kind of talk makes my skin crawl.
Tanya
Marcille's happy. Her ears are perked up.
Marcille
H-hey, zip it! Anyway, moving on to the next part of the rehearsal!
Hmm. Most of this is just formal greetings and ceremony steps...
And last up is the groundbreaking ceremony.
Right. We dig into the site... then smile at the camera. That's it.
Petra
Mm-hm! Let's try it! All together!
Marcille
Not everyone needs to do it. Petra, it'll be just you and the city officials.
Petra
That's the problem!
Petra wasn't the only one working hard! Tanya and Marcille worked just as hard!
So it's not fair if only Petra ends up in the photo.
Petra wants at least one photo with the people who actually worked hard together!
Tanya
A photo? Okay. Marcille should be in it too.
Marcille
...It's not that big of a deal.
Petra
Nyahaha, Petra knew you would like it ♪
So both of you, come here!
And Captain, you'll take the photo for us, right?
No problem! Leave it to me!
Petra
Oh right. Apparently at groundbreaking ceremonies, the deeper the shovel goes in, the better the omen.
Want to see who can drive theirs in the deepest?
Petra will go first!
...Ah! It barely went in!
Maybe it's because Petra's too delicate and adorable?
Marcille
Please. More like lack of exercise.
Move. I'll show you how it's...
Done!
Haha! That went in pretty deep! Looks like good luck!
Tanya
So I just push it in deep?
Tanya
I can do that. Mm.
Marcille
Hey! That's not how you hold a shovel! That's like throwing a harpoon—
Tanya
Driving it in.
*Thunk*
Petra
Hm? Thunk?
Marcille
Sounded like it hit rock... or metal...
...Dig there. Now!
This is...
Petra
Nyahaha... That's one weird-looking... manhole cover, right?
Tanya
Not a manhole cover. Too big.
More like... a giant hatch?
An ancient one, at that.
Petra
I-it could just be some discarded metal plate!
See? If we open it, there might just be nothing but dirt underneath—
Petra quickly closed the plate back up.
Petra
...It's a hatch.
Did you see what's underneath?
Petra
Uh, a passageway. And lots of relics.
...And monsters too.
I see...
Petra
...
Tanya
...
Marcille
...Damn it!!
L-lift it open! No—wait, bury it!
Tanya
Lift it open and eat everything that's inside?
Marcille
No... Ugh, damn it! What do we do?!
W-why are you panicking all of a sudden?
Marcille
Ruins are the one thing that must never show up at a construction site!
Any discovery of buried relics requires an immediate stop to construction, with all preservation and excavation costs borne by the contractor.
The moment something like this shows up, construction's over!
This entire area becomes a restricted zone, and Petra Construction takes all the losses!
At this point, we should just pour cement over it and pretend it's not—
The hatch started rattling like it might open at any moment.
That sounds like ancient constructs!
I think they're trying to open the hatch!
Marcille
Damn it! Did the sound of our shovels set them off...?!
Tanya
Marcille. Move.
I'll seal it.
Tanya jammed a metal pipe through the hatch handle and tied it tight like a ribbon.
Tanya
It's sealed. It'll hold for a bit.
What now?
Marcille
There's no good option. Either we cancel the contract immediately or—
Petra
No, th-that's not an option!
Do you know how much we already spent on materials and gear here?!
If we cancel now, Petra's gonna end up as the kind of boss who can't even pay her employees!
Marcille
Cancel or not, you probably still wouldn't be able to—
Tanya
The pipe is bending. They're strong.
Marcille
Damn it! T-try to hold it shut with your body!
What do we do?! We're out of time!
Petra
Ugh...
W-we... Um...
Marcille
C'mon, Petra!
What should we do, Petra?!
Petra
...!
...Captain.
We need people.
People we can trust...!
I brought them!
Asherah
You said ancient constructs were about to break out! Where are they?!
Petra
Nyahaha! Came to help, Asherah? Petra won't forget this!
Asherah
Of course. If a friend's in danger, I'm there to help!
Luna
Seriously, are you some kind of battle junkie? You forced us to rush over here babbling about how chances to fight ancient constructs don't come often...
Smile
If ancient constructs are about to emerge, this qualifies as a major emergency. Immediate response is critical.
Petra
Mm-hm! That's right! It's a major emergency!
So Marcille will distribute the gear we'll need!
Marcille
First, weapons! Everyone's got theirs, right?!
Asherah
Of course!
Marcille
Next, headlamps! You'll need them in the dark, so strap them on tight!
Luna
I don't want it too tight! It'll mess up my hair.
Marcille
Next, work gloves and some burlap sacks.
Smile
?
Asherah
?
Marcille
And the handcart! I'll pull this myself!
This is the most important part of the task, so don't let anything happen to it!
Asherah
Wait a second. This gear feels a little...
Uh, Petra?
We are fighting ancient constructs, right?
Petra
...
Right?!
Petra
Of course we are! The Voyager Savior Party will be taking on the ancient constructs!
What about you guys...?
Petra
We...
Will be exploring the ruins while making sure nothing gets in the way...!
We'll do that by moving all the small shiny things.
To Petra Construction's warehouse!
So you're saying you're planning to steal the gold and jewels?!
Luna
What?! You're asking us to help with theft right now?!
Petra
We'll split it fifty-fifty.
Luna
How may we be of service?
Luna!
Petra
D-don't worry! You just need to hold off the ancient constructs!
You don't have to worry about anything happening behind your backs!
You can even say you never saw anything! Petra will take full responsibility for everything!
Even so, this is a bit—
Petra
Captain. Lavistar is basically a jungle.
If you want to survive, you have to become a predator!
Rather than stay a kind boss and fail to pay Marcille and Tanya...
Petra can become a demon. Or even a monster!
Asherah
Such overwhelming resolve...!
Is this what it means to carry responsibility as the leader of an organization...?!
Smile
That's not the part you should be impressed by—
Ancient Construct
RRRRAAA!!
Tanya
The hatch opened.
Petra
...Petra Construction! You all heard today's task briefing earlier, right?!
Due to time constraints, we're skipping the sacred ritual!
Then chaaaaarge—!!
P-Petra, wait!
Asherah
V-Voyager Savior Party! Prepare for battle!
Let's stop the ancient constructs first!
Asherah
This ancient construct was the last one!
Marcille
Good! Now grab everything around you, quick!
Don't touch anything that looks like it has historical value! Stick to obvious stuff like gold coins!
Petra
*Huff, Huff...* M-Marcille, here! A sack of gold coins!
Marcille
Good. Toss the whole sack in!
Tanya
Marcille. It's real gold. I checked.
Marcille
Why is there a bite mark on it— N-never mind. Just throw it in!
Smile
A carbon cube in numerologically perfect proportion...
Marcille
Don't put that in the cart! Just shove it in your pocket!
Smile
I pity those who can't appreciate the elegance of mathematics.
Omega, how many more glow-in-the-dark dinos can you make?
Omega
Omega is fully charged! Omega can make 65,535 more!
Marcille
Drop one every five steps. Don't forget!
Without those, we're stuck inside the ruins for sure!
Omega
Okay! Leave it to Omega!
Marcille
The cart's full! Everyone move!
Smile
Twenty minutes elapsed. Council members expected to arrive within ten minutes.
Luna
Asherah! Why aren't you coming?!
Asherah
Wait, aren't there any more ancient constructs left?!
If I fight just one more, I think I'll get used to their patterns...!
Luna
Ugh, there she goes again! Captain, bring her back!
Asherah, get over here!
Asherah
C-Captain?! Wait—!
Petra
*Huff... Huff...*
Is everyone okay? The Voyager Savior Party too?
Asherah
Yeah... somehow...
Marcille
Hey, if anyone's dead, raise your hand!
No one? Then everyone's fine.
Tanya
That was fun. Mm.
Looks like everyone's okay.
Petra
Haha... Ha...
That's right! Petra Construction survived! And we'll keep surviving!
Now if we can just recover our losses with what we brought back...
Luna
Petra. In front of you. In front...
Petra
Huh?
Ah.
Council Member
The groundbreaking ceremony is about to begin! Why do you look like such a mess, Ms. Petra?!
How do you expect to take a photo with the mayor covered in dirt like tha— Hmm?
Wait. That thing under your feet... isn't that an entrance to the ruins?!
Petra
...!
Ah well, you see! Petra was rehearsing earlier and dug into the ground—goodness me!
Turns out something was buried underneath!
So Petra just stuck her head in for a second to check if there really were ruins down there!
Council Member
You're covered in dirt from head to toe.
Petra
Y-yes! Petra got a bit too into checking it!
Nyaha, look! Petra's hair's a mess and her nails are chipped!
So Petra and everyone are going to wash up first. You'll wait for us, right?
Council Member
One moment. What's that cart behind you?
Petra
...!
Th-that's... a cart full of construction materials, you could say...
Council Member
Oh? Is that so?
Then may I remove the tarp and take a look?
Petra
Huh?!
Wait! The tarp's—!
Council Member
This is...
Gold coins, jewels, and a carbon cube in perfect proportion...
Does Petra Construction normally use things like these as building materials?
Marcille
...We're doomed.
Petra
Nyahaha... Well, you see... W-we were just tidying up the site a little... Moving anything that might get in the way of the ceremony, you know...?
Council Member
I see. You prepared everything in advance for our arrival.
Then we should handle this promptly in good faith.
Article 4 of the Aganon Special Act on Buried Relics!
As of this moment, this site is designated a restricted construction zone.
Ownership of the surrounding land and all excavated relics are to be temporarily transferred to the city government!
And of course, the cart will be confiscated as well. You, silver-haired woman. Please let go of the cart—
What? Why are you so strong?
Marcille
Tch. Tanya, let go of the cart.
Tanya
But there's gold in it. Do I really have to let go?
Marcille
We don't have a choice. It was a long shot from the start.
Petra
...
N-no! I can't let you take that away from us!
Council Member
Complaining won't help. The law is the law.
Petra
B-but if this keeps up, Petra Construction is going to suffer huge losses! We'll go bankrupt!
Asherah
Petra, I understand how you feel, but try to calm down.
Luna
Yeah. Even throwing a fit takes timing. Now's not the moment...!
Petra
But we risked our lives fighting ancient constructs to collect all this!
Both the Voyager Savior Party and Petra Construction!
Petra can't sit back and let them confiscate everything like this!
...Even if all Petra can do is cry about it—!!
Council Member
...Wait. Ancient constructs?
Are you saying you defeated ancient constructs?
Petra
Huh? Yes, we did...?
Council Member
Hmm...
Recently, ancient construct activity has increased significantly, causing trouble for explorers.
So the city government started a special hunting season and posted bounty rewards.
Since the season is still open... you should be eligible for the hunt rewards.
Petra
R-rewards?
H-how much?
Council Member
Roughly... about this much.
That evening at the Petra Construction office.
Petra
...All settled.
We split half of the reward money with the Voyager Savior Party.
After covering material costs, heavy equipment rentals, and one day's wages for the workers...
That leaves us enough to order three fried chickens.
Marcille
Chicken...
Tanya
Fried chicken...!
...Sounds good.
Petra
...
Tanya
Petra. Let's eat fried chicken.
Original or seasoned. Both are good. Mm.
I can eat whatever Petra doesn't.
Marcille can have the pickled radish.
Marcille
Why's that all I get, you brat?!
...Hey, Petra. Cheer up.
At least we didn't take a loss thanks to the bounty rewards.
Like you said, if we hadn't gone into those ruins, we'd be buried in debt right now.
So it's nothing to look that miserable about. Thanks to you, we pulled this one off.
Whoa! Why'd you slam on the desk all of a sudden?!
Petra
...Petra realized something.
Petra invested half a year's operating funds into this contract, right?
But that investment... is the same as the rewards we earned by smashing ancient constructs for thirty minutes!
Marcille
Uh, well...
...Now that you mention it...
Wait, don't tell me...?
Petra
Yup! You guessed it!
Petra found our cash cow!
Plus, Petra Construction is already perfectly prepared!
If we use our hammers and excavators on ancient constructs instead of the ground, the bounty payouts will just keep rolling in!
Marcille
Do you even realize what you're saying right now...?
Tanya
Mm. Let's go hunt them.
Ancient constructs are easier. No need to hold back.
Marcille
Don't encourage her!
Petra
Marcille! This is no time to make reasonable objections!
They said it's seasonal! Time is limited! And so are the remaining ancient constructs!
Captain! Contact your friends who helped us out earlier!
Ask them if they want to join Petra Hunting Company's first official operation!
Same terms as before! Fifty-fifty! ...No, sixty-forty!
Marcille
Seriously, please!
Why is it always like this with you?!
Story and illustrations © Studio B-Side. An unofficial reading archive — for questions or requests, see the About page.