Theory: The dungeon was a user of Spatial Magic.

I finished dealing with the giant hornet's nest.

It might serve as some kind of material, so I stored it all neatly in my storage space, but… well, I did get some honey from it, but what kind of nectar is this? Where would flowers even bloom in this cave? Yikes, is this a horror situation? Or is it magic's mysterious power?

By the way, there was an individual that seemed to be a Queen Hornet inside the nest, but well, I just annihilated it normally. Yeah. Couldn't be helped. But it was probably a boss monster, so it'll respawn eventually. Probably. Maybe. Yeah.

Anyway, after clearing out all the nests, I found a path leading deeper into the dungeon. Naturally, I descended, and there was a forest.

A thickly overgrown forest with just a bit of clear blue sky visible. The nectar in the hornet's nest was probably collected from this forest. Probably. Maybe. There are flowers blooming after all.

… Wait, huh?

"That's strange. I was inside a cave just now, right? And then I went down a slope… huh? The sky?"

When I turned around, there was a cave. From this side, it's an uphill slope.

However, when I went around to the side of that path, the cave exit simply appeared out of nowhere, like a door connected by spatial magic, the kind that can appear anywhere. The back side was just a stone wall.

"Th-the spatial coordinates are warped? Hey, physics! Well, I'm one to talk, but what's going on here? Seriously, I really am one to talk."

It's like the doors to the rooms in our base. Spatial magic…

I see, spatial magic? Theory: The dungeon was a user of Spatial Magic! I think it's plausible. If monsters can use magic, it wouldn't be strange for dungeons to use spatial magic too. Dungeons are probably alive after all.

"Then 'it's a dungeon, so that's just how it is' works, I guess. Alright."

I decided to change my mindset.

Actually, as a user of spatial magic, I could create a similar place. I could even create a forest deep in a dungeon. Conversely, one could even theorize that my storage space is a dungeon.

Well, thinking too deeply about this stuff is a waste of time. I'm not a scholar, and there's no point in pursuing it.

"Still, there really is sky here… wait, what time is it now? How long have I been exploring?"

Thinking back, I had spent quite a bit of time tailing Yellow-kun and exterminating the hornet's nest. It was already morning by now. Yikes, I pulled an all-nighter. Now that I noticed, I was starting to feel sleepy.

A yawn escaped on its own. Yeah. Let's head back for now.

I memorized my current location and opened a path to my storage space.

I'll be back. See ya～

"Ah, welcome back, Karina-oneechan. How did it go?"

"As expected, couldn't clear it in one night, so I'm going to sleep～"

I barely gave Dea-kun a proper "I'm back" before heading to my room.

I crawled into my futon. Zzz…

 

*

 

When I woke up, Aishia had snuck into the bed.

"Wha!? A-Aishia, why are you in my futon!?"

"Hehh, ah, good morning Master… This is my room."

Wha… what?

I looked around the room and it was indeed Aishia's room.

Huh, that's weird? I went back to my own room and slept in my own room, didn't I?

"Mmm, what a blunder. I mixed up the rooms…?"

For me, a user of spatial magic, to sleepily mistake left for right…! What a failure!

"You came wandering in while I was sleeping yesterday, and I thought you were going to grace me with your favor, but then you just fell fast asleep."

"Ahh, yeah, sorry. I went to the wrong room. Yeah."

"Master is welcome anytime."

I really should've noticed from the interior design. I must have been really out of it. I really need to get proper sleep.