Is It Wrong to Abusing Cartoon Tropes in Dungeon?

[Although I am a new adventurer in Orario, I had already heard of Bete-san's great name even before arriving here.]

[The Vanargand of the Loki Familia is just like his title suggests, a powerful werewolf warrior who excels at crushing his enemies with raw strength! His kicks, in particular, are incredibly powerful!]

[No monster can survive a single round under the onslaught of the Vanargand's attacks. No monster can escape his pursuit, and no monster can fool his sharp eyes!]

[He is the werewolf among werewolves, the warrior among warriors, the main powerhouse of the Loki Familia, the Vanargand - Bete Loga!]

At the entrance to the 21st floor, Lefiya read aloud the subtitles written on the signboard that was placed in front of the three of them.

And each time she read a line, Bete, standing beside her, would nod his finger in approval.

"Amazing, Bete-san. I didn't expect that your legend had already spread beyond Orario. That's impressive."

The naive elf Lefiya, after finishing reading the subtitles, couldn't help but exclaim, which made Bete, who had been silently listening, feel quite pleased.

"Hmph, it's no big deal, nothing that amazing."

Bete had been standing with his arms crossed and eyes closed ever since the first sentence, but every time Lefiya read out a line, he couldn't help but tap his index finger. If someone paid closer attention, they'd also notice that his tail twitched slightly. Hearing Lefiya's admiration, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward.

On the surface, though, he maintained his stern and dismissive demeanor. His tough persona had to stay intact... this was the image he'd built up over the years.

Feeling a bit happier, Bete opened his eyes and glanced at Altair.

"You, how did you come to know all this stuff?"

[I know a werewolf named Grey Wolf. He told me all about these things. He's also a your big fan. He's quite famous in our area. We once asked him why he was so strong, and he told us it's because he's always striving to be like his idol, Bete-san. That's why he's so powerful.]

Altair didn't blush or flinch as he lied, holding up his board and using Grey Wolf's name as an excuse.

"Grey Wolf?"

The name sounded like it could belong to a werewolf, and Bete tried hard to recall if he knew anyone by that name.

But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't remember meeting anyone like that. Probably just another person who knew of him but wasn't familiar to him. After all, there were plenty of people in Orario who knew him but whom he didn't know in return, so surely, the same could be said of his own kind.

"Forget it, I won't dwell on it."

"You say you know me, but why were you pretending to lose to a goat earlier, and why are you revealing yourself now?"

Though Altair's flattery had pleased Bete, he still had some brains and wasn't about to be completely fooled.

[Those monsters were strange, incredibly fast... so fast that I couldn't keep up. If you don't believe me, Bete-san, we can go back and I'll show you in person. As for why I'm revealing myself now, it's because I want to show off in front of you.]

"Show off?"

Bete was puzzled. He didn't understand why Altair was doing this.

[Yes, as a fan, seeing the legendary idol I've always heard about, I naturally want to show off a bit. Bete-san, did you notice my legs just now? I've been training them based on the characteristics described in the legends about you! I've been working on my legs all along!]

As he held up his board, Altair began running in place, his legs moving so fast they became a blur, kicking up dirt as he completed a full circle around Bete and his companions in an instant.

"That speed..."

Bete's eye twitched. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't even see what was happening with Altair's legs; they had just turned into wheels, and then Altair was already circling him.

At this speed, he felt like even he might not be able to catch up.

Not knowing how to respond, Bete quickly shifted the topic, pointing at the signboard in Altair's hand.

"By the way, what's with you? Why don't you speak and keep holding up that board? Are you mute or something?"

Finally, someone had addressed it! Altair had almost forgotten how strange his behavior must have seemed by now.

[Well, due to certain circumstances, I can't speak for the time being, so I'm using this to communicate.]

"So, you're not mute?"

[No, of course not.]

With that explained, Altair redirected the conversation back.

[Bete-san, you haven't answered yet. How was my speed just now? I've been practicing it based on your legendary speed! Although my attack power may not be as strong as yours, I've always been working toward kicking down a floor boss just like you!]

Kicking down a floor boss... what kind of ridiculous legend was that?! That was over the top!

Bete was stunned. The earlier stories about him sounded reasonable, but this was absurd! Kicking down a floor boss in one hit? Even if it were the Goliath on the 17th floor, he could certainly take it down, but no way he could do it in just one kick!

"Wait, who told you this nonsense? Grey Wolf again?"

[Exactly! Grey Wolf said that Bete-san is the Hero of the Werewolves, capable of easily defeating dragons! Even deep-level floor bosses can't withstand Bete-san's kick. And the reason Bete-san is so strong is that he often ventures into the Dungeon alone to challenge monsters, constantly fighting until he can take down a dragon with a single kick!]

The words on the board made Bete's eyes widen in disbelief.

Where had Grey Wolf heard such wild tales? This was completely made up! No way that was true!

Seeing Bete's shocked expression, Altair's mouth curled up slightly as he lifted the board again.

[When Grey Wolf told us these stories, many didn't believe him. But I did because Grey Wolf always looked up to Bete-san. He was the strongest in our area, and only an invincible figure like Bete-san could inspire someone like Grey Wolf to train so hard. I, too, have been striving toward Bete-san's level, which is why I've reached this speed, but it's still not enough!]

Altair's face was filled with determination.

[Compared to Bete-san's invincible strength, I'm still far behind! Bete-san is the strongest, isn't that right?!]

His face showed a mix of admiration and expectation like a devoted fan eagerly awaiting validation from their idol.

Bete opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

He glanced at Ais and Lefiya beside him, hoping for some help, but all he got in return was Lefiya's astonished gaze.

"Wow, Bete-san is really that amazing? I didn't know!"

Even Ais was staring at him with admiration.

"Bete, you so strong!"

'Wait! Do you guys believe this?! Even Finn can't just kill a dragon with ease! And you believe this too?'

Yet, faced with an expectant fan and two companions who seemed to have bought into the story, Bete, who had a bit of a tsundere side, couldn't bring himself to deny it outright. Instead, he blushed and gritted his teeth.

"Y-Yeah, that's right. Exactly like that."

Altair's smile widened.

[I knew it. Bete-san is the strongest!]

___

If you're interested in reading more, feel free to visit my pat reon, 

https , // www .pat reon. com /XElenea