My Refrigerator Turned Into A Dungeon
Chapter 323

Welcome To The Irori Hearth

Led into the main house, I was introduced to Serai-san's grandfather in the earthen-floored area.

Dressed in ivory work clothes and wearing a farmers' cooperative hat, he was unmistakably a farming warrior. His gentle face, carrying the scent of soil, seemed kind yet slightly stern. Despite his small stature, his legs and waist were sturdy, and his back wasn't bent.

Wait, is this old man also a dungeon ability user?

"Grandpa, this tall man is Egetsu-san, and this is Shizu."

"Nice to meet you."

"Friends of Machi? Welcome. I'll make some tea now."

"It's okay, grandpa, I'll handle that. More importantly, are you really not hurt anywhere?"

"Not at all. Taro helped me out. He's a good dog."

"I see~, Taro was protecting grandpa. Thank you, Taro~!!"

Saying that, Serai-san called the dog, which was sitting at the edge of the earthen floor, panting, and hugged its neck, ruffling its fur.

Hmm, a meeting of minds. Where there's a fish's heart, there's a water heart. The dog must have been trying hard to protect the old man who stayed to take care of them.

Yeah. And this dog seems incredibly smart. Earlier, without any apparent command, it neatly herded the chickens into their coop. It seems so intelligent, it could probably pronounce difficult kanji technique names without stumbling.

And then, tea time at the charming irori hearth.

Hmm, it's like a perfect time slip. There's not a single electronic appliance in sight, barely an electric light and a black telephone. This level of time stoppage is on par with Nina's Sumire Manor.

"So, grandpa, what you took down wasn't a monkey but a monster."

"Monster...? That sure looked like a monkey to me."

"That's why it's different~~~"

Hmm, but explaining the dungeon to the old man was proving difficult.

It's not that the old man is senile or anything, it's just beyond his understanding. He seems like the type who has no interest in TV or radio.

Ah~, the hot loquat leaf tea he made is delicious.

Brewed in an iron kettle hung over the irori, it's rich in iron and very good for health. Although the old man seems out of touch with current affairs, this loquat leaf tea is also his homemade.

There's a deeply dug well in the garden, and the field is full of carefully tended vegetables. So, it's almost entirely self-sufficient.

Really, it's an ideal place for a siege. The reason the old man was safe alone must be due to these geographical advantages.

"Hmm... Oh, right! Grandpa, you used to tell me not to go into the mountains, right? What was the reason?"

"Huh? Well, you see... There's a shrine in the mountains where people disappear, and if you enter, you can never return."

"That's IT! Now in Japan, many such shrines have appeared, and the monsters that come out are those monkeys!"

"Th-that's, you see..."

Oh, it seems Serai-san has found a clever way to broach the subject. The disappearing shrine was probably used as a reason to keep children from entering the mountains, so the old man is troubled by that response.

"So those bad-quality monkeys are actually not monkeys but goblins, monsters."

"Hmm... So, they're really not monkeys?"

"They're monsters disguised as monkeys. There are also shapeshifting monkeys and monkey-like Nue in folklore, right?"

"That's true. If you've only seen mountain goblins, mistaking them for monkeys isn't strange... So, grandpa, did you ever enter a glowing cave somewhere?"

Hmm, like the dog Taro, Serai-san's grandfather is also a dungeon ability user who has acquired status.

Despite his age, his movements are surprisingly smooth, and he's quite sharp. Moreover, my aura vision senses the unique magical presence of a dungeon ability user.

"Hmm... Now that you mention it. Once when I went into the mountains, I slipped and fell into a hole like that. I hit my butt hard then... If it weren't for Taro, I might not have made it back."

"THAT'S IT! That's it, grandpa!"

Bingo. Serai-san's grandfather and Taro must have acquired their status at that time.

After that, they kept mistaking the mountain goblins that came to prey on their chickens and carp for monkeys and exterminated them, unknowingly increasing their abilities. Unlike large machinery, a tractor is just the right height to absorb the life energy of defeated monsters.

"Ah~, I'm glad, so that's what it was~"

"I'm glad, Machi."

Yeah, Serai-san also seemed satisfied with this explanation, showing a relieved expression.

Well, it seems the mountain goblins messed with the phone lines and cut them. I checked the black telephone earlier, and it was completely silent.

Nina-san says that if you put the receiver to your ear and hear any sound, it's proof that the phone is alive. Huh~, you know such things well. I thought, but that black telephone at the entrance of Sumire Manor. It's still in working order, apparently.

Wow, that's still around? That's more surprising.

But with this, the old man's safety has been confirmed. Now that I'm hungry, shall we start preparing dinner?