Delicious in Dungeon, Volume 4: 03/19/20

Delicious in Dungeon, Volume 4 by Ryoko Kui brings to a conclusion the initial search for Laios's sister. At the beginning of the series she was eaten by a dragon. Resurrection magic is common in the dungeon — that's been established over the previous volumes. But her revival is an extreme one and one that leaves the other party members wondering if it was the right decision and if she's still the same person.

Besides the reunion, volume four includes questions about the very nature of the dungeon. What is driving the big monsters (like the dragon) out of their usual floors? What is upsetting the balance of the dungeon?

As with previous volumes, volume four sits on the road narrative spectrum. With the reunion, the travelers become siblings (CC). Sure the other party members are still present, but for this volume, the focus is on the brother and sister dynamic.

The destination is uhoria (CC). It's in the extraordinary and possibly dangerous resurrection magic. It's in the shared memories of times before the dragon. It's in the hope to have things return to how they were before.

The route is the maze (CC). The dungeon is dangerous and it's becoming more so because it's not working as it has been. It's becoming an unpredictable and changeable space.

All together, volume four is a return and then an overshoot of the first volume. The manga started as the story of siblings through the city via the maze. The dungeon at that time seemed regular and predictable, but still dangerous (as evidenced by the sister eating dragon). Now at the end of this initial arc, with the revelation of extraordinary magic, the siblings are at a more fantastical place then they started: uhoria, while still traveling through the maze.

Five stars

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