《Exiled Prince Without Skills: Infinite Growth in a Mysterious Dungeon》 CH ss - 1 Prev Manga Info Whitelist us. Ad revenue gives additional support to the translator and keeps the site running. Interested in being a part of the Nocturne TL team? We are looking for Editors and Chinese, Korean, and Japanese translators to join our team. Join us on Discord and look for Picky Reader#7543 to guide you through recruitment if you are interested. ============================================================================================== The Kingdom of Raltgen ¨C the royal capital, Melgarth. General Dougan was struggling with a blank sheet of paper in a solid stone building in the royal castle adjacent to the royal palace. ¡°What¡¯s the point of this letter¡­¡­? It would be more meaningful work if we could figure out how many spare boots we need to take to the battlefield.¡± Dougan, with his muscular frame and thin quill, sighed. The habitual touching of his beard was a sign of irritation. Soldiers who saw this would never speak to Dougan. ¡°Whatever needs to be done, be done when it needs to be done.¡± Standing beside the paperwork desk, the Grand Chamberlain Goryo¡¯s narrow eyes narrowed further. ¡°Goryo! You should write it! Why should I write a letter to a nobleman?¡± Dougan tore up the letter he was about to write and threw it over his head. He depressingly brushed off the fluttering pieces of paper and turned to Goryo. ¡°If you don¡¯t write it yourself, it¡¯s meaningless. There are those who can see the handwriting and stamping habits. Besides, there are two factions, the First Queen and the Second Queen, and Dougan-dono is not a member of either. If you don¡¯t take care of all of them, they¡¯ll take advantage of you.¡± ¡°Faction, faction, faction, they¡¯re all so annoying.¡± ¡°It is necessary for you to rise with a single spear. It¡¯s called worldly wisdom.¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t like it. Sometimes I come home from training and I¡¯m bombarded with papers and letters. I don¡¯t have time to breathe.¡± Dougan sighed, and Goryo held out a blank piece of paper. It was a sign to hurry up and write the rest. ¡°Speaking of factions, have you heard of ¡­¡­ the Eighth Prince Ace?¡± ¡°Ace? What did that idiot with only necromancy skills do? Did he kill another chambermaid or maid?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead. We have confirmed the bodies.¡± Dougan¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. A warm breath escaped from his gaping mouth, and Goryo stepped back to avoid it. ¡°I have a report from the spies of the Order of Domir. It seems that he attacked a settlement of the Silver Crow clan, but was beaten back. We can¡¯t be certain yet, but we have reports of seeing ¡®Prince Henry the Twelfth¡¯, ¡®Prince Sareha the Thirteenth¡¯, and a man who looks like ¡®Sirius the White Silver¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh! Sirius the White Silver. He¡¯s my candidate for second in command! He¡¯s not dead, is he?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t interrupt the story. Also, your saliva is all over the place. And by the way, yes, he¡¯s not dead.¡± ¡°Sorry. But you¡¯re still a fussy guy¡­¡­.¡± Goryo unfolded the map and explained Ace¡¯s track. ¡°This is the settlement that His Highness attacked. It is in this labyrinth that he died. But¡­¡­ it¡¯s strange. His Highness used His Highness Sareha to create an army of undead. No matter how good the Silver Crow clan is at warfare, they are no match for him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the Beastmen. They are born with strong physical strength, and above all, they have the will to fight in their hearts. They are not like us, who live peacefully within their walls and have forgotten the threat of demons.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s different. It¡¯s inexplicable. According to my spies, thirty or so warriors defeated a thousand undead, and the two of them also defeated His Highness Ace in the depths of the labyrinth. There was even a gryphon in the room, you know?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡­ it¡¯s weird. It doesn¡¯t make any sense. It should be difficult to fight a defensive battle in a small village.¡± Dougan was heartbroken at the loss of the gryphon. He didn¡¯t really care about Ace, though. The Gryphon Sky Cavalry could do everything from power reconnaissance to cavalry assault. It would cost an enormous amount of money and effort to raise the temperamental gryphons from chicks and get them used to people. ¡°It could be that His Highness Prince Henry was the key behind this.¡± ¡°His Highness must have left the palace to go to his territory. The fact that he fought alongside Sirius is also suspicious.¡± ¡°The Silver Crow clan¡¯s settlement is located next to his territory. The spies came back as soon as they saw the end of His Highness Ace. So I don¡¯t know what they are doing now, but there is a possibility that they may have joined hands. It is very dangerous. They could be the flag bearers of the Anti-Kingdom.¡± ¡°Rebellion is it¡­¡­? It¡¯s useless.¡± Dougan gripped the quill tightly and snapped it. The thought of blood spilling set the chivalry in his heart on fire. It was true that the Kingdom was not a great nation. Government positions were sold for money, and the nobles, tributaries of the royal family, were complicit in the corruption. But the fangless people who lived there were innocent and needed to be protected. That was what Dougan thought. ¡°It¡¯s not a rebellion, it could even turn into a civil war. I wonder if even the ¡­¡­ territory claim was a scheme by His Highness Henry. He may be planning to manipulate the palace with some kind of power to gain territory, and then build his own kingdom by winning over the surrounding beastmen.¡± ¡°That much power¡­¡­! Don¡¯t tell me that His Highness Henry possessed the skill of mental manipulation!¡± ¡± No, according to the Great Magician¡¯s skill appraisal, it was a helpless skill called ¡®Maintain Status¡¯. But¡­¡­ what if even that result was¡­¡­ manipulated? And even His Highness Ace could be considered¡­¡­ to have been secretly manipulated to achieve the cause of the anti-kingdom. If the surrounding beastman clans are taken in, they will become a major force.¡± ¡°His Highness Henry¡­¡­ is not to be underestimated. If we were to meet on the battlefield, I would consider him to be the equal of an army of ten thousand.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t think that way, it doesn¡¯t make any sense. Originally, His Highness Henry should have died in the meadow that was his territory. It¡¯s impossible for an ordinary man to survive in that dangerous place. I think that¡­¡­ there¡¯s no possibility that the other royalty conspired to give that land to His Highness Henry. I don¡¯t think the factions are stupid enough to pull off such a blatant assassination.¡± Goryo tucked the report from the spies into his bag tightly. It was information that should never be seen by others, for it was fraught with danger that could determine the fate of the nation. ¡°This matter shall be reported only to His Majesty King Alfardo, my father. Please do not divulge this matter to the rest of the royal family.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it, it¡¯s too much trouble. Oh¡­¡­ and it¡¯s almost time for dinner. What do you say we go out to dinner for the first time in a while? I found a bar that serves good food.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you¡¯re going to get away from all that paperwork.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I guess I got caught!¡± Dougan scratched his short-cropped hair and let out a lively laugh that echoed around the room. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s good for once in a while.¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s unusual. A spear is going to fall from the sky tomorrow!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me, I¡¯m going back to the castle with you after dinner to fill out some papers.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed, don¡¯t be embarrassed!¡± 45-year-old General Dougan and 27-year-old Grand Chamberlain Goryo. Although they were as old as father and son, they walked together toward the tavern in the royal capital as if they were long-time friends. The long street in front of the royal castle was lined with countless stores. Some of them might even be able to get the tense chamberlain drunk. CH 1 It is said that monsters live in the royal palace. It does not mean that monsters are actually wandering around in the royal palace, but that the royal palace is full of conspiracies, humans more outrageous than monsters are nurtured. Eight years after I was born as the twelfth child of the royal family, one of my brothers spat blood and collapsed during a feast. He was a very kind brother, but some were jealous of his excellence so he was poisoned. Other heirs to the throne laughed at their older brother dying while scratching his throat. How can they kill their kin and laugh at the same time? At the age of 10, another incident occurred during my bow training. Suddenly, an arrow shot towards one of my older brothers when he was notching and got pieced in the chest. A junior knight had shot the arrow, he was immediately arrested and executed. However, I now think that it was also a conspiracy by other successors to the throne. Six years have passed since then, I am 16 years old. I, Henry Bosheit, have survived without being assassinated. Because I am a useless prince. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com The blood of the royal family seems to be akin to wine brewed over a long period of time, and it has become excellent with each passing generation. Most princes were born with rare skills and are making good use of their talents. However, I was born with a skill rarely seen in history. ©¤©¤ ¡ºMaintain status¡» This is my skill. As you can tell, my status won¡¯t change even if I become old, sick, or injured. But that¡¯s it. I can still remember the indescribable face of the great magician who appraised my skills. He was stroking with his beard, saying ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m old. That can¡¯t be right.¡± That¡¯s why I¡¯m recognized as a prince that isn¡¯t worth killing. I wasn¡¯t even selected as an assassination target, and managed to survive until the age of 16. I suppose my misfortune kept me alive. However, no one knows how far you can fall until you have been down the slope of life. I found out by myself. ¡ô Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com Now, I¡¯m standing in an empty meadow. When the wind blows, the green around me flutters, it is very beautiful. ¡°Then, Your Highness Henry, I wish you good luck.¡± A soldier randomly throws a large bag of bread and water from the carriage. ¡°Isn¡¯t there something else I can do? You see, I¡¯m all alone.¡± ¡°Now then, I¡¯m returning to the royal capital.¡± The horses neigh and the wheels rattle. As the soldier pulls the reins, the carriage goes on and on and disappears into the distance. To put it simply, I was exiled. In just a word. At the coming of age ceremony of 16-year-old adults, I was sentenced with future duties within the royal family, to become the lord of this grassy land. The other heirs to the throne were grinning, so they probably did something. Is it possible to want to eliminate even such a useless prince? There is only grass, grass, and more grass. I can see mountains in the distance. What the hell is this? To make matters worse, this is abandoned land near the border. If I go further towards the kingdom there are border cities, but they are not within walking distance. There is no rest in this place where monsters and bandits scare people off. It is too costly to rule and is half abandoned within the kingdom. ¡°If I don¡¯t find a place to hide, I¡¯ll likely be eaten by monsters¡­¡± I decide to grab the big bag and explore the grassland. When I look at the mountains, a flock of wyverns is flying leisurely, and I feel a chill down my spine. If they change their mind and descend into the meadow, I will be killed in an instant. Or even be fed to Wyvern chicks. ¡°I don¡¯t like it anymore¡­ I want to sleep in bed.¡± I proceed through the grassland with as low a posture as possible. Given the food I have, I have to secure a safe place by the end of the day. And tomorrow I have to think of ways to be self-sufficient food wise. ¡°Curse the House of Bosheit.¡± I mumble and spit out a curse, but my situation didn¡¯t improve. In the first place, I¡¯m also part of the Bosheit family. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com Half a day later. The sun is starting to set and it¡¯s getting dark. Without surprise, I still haven¡¯t found any buildings. ¡°This is bad, I might be stuck.¡± To encourage myself, I start talking. My legs feel rooted to the ground, but I still walk across the meadow. I don¡¯t think I can survive through the darkness of the night. ©¤©¤The moment my right foot steps on the ground. The ground collapses noisily. Losing control of my body, I fall into the ground accompanied by soil and grass. ¡°It hurts¡­ what a cave-in¡­¡± Fortunately, I have no injuries. Looking up, the hole is roughly three adults deep. I haven¡¯t broken any bones, probably because the soil underneath cushioned my fall. ¡°A vertical hole. Above¡­ Yeah, if I do my best, I can go up.¡± The wall surface is just soil, so if I do my best, I will be able to climb it. But I think. Isn¡¯t it safe in this hole? If so, the choice is easy. I pick up soil by hand and dig more side holes to secure space for tonight¡¯s bed. If it¡¯s done like this, nobody would notice if you look at it from above. While digging earnestly, I discover a door. It is made of a material that I have never seen. I want to remove the surrounding soil and take a look at the bigger picture. ¡°What is this.¡± It looks like stone, but there are no defects even though it has been underground for a long time. It is hard like metal and is cold to the touch. When I open the door, my available space expanded. The walls and ceilings are made of the same material as the door. There are no windows of course. Inside the room is a stone monument and a staircase leading to the basement. I dust the stone monument and try to read it. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°I can¡¯t read it at all. Is this¡­ an ancient language?¡± An ancient civilization prospered long ago. We believe that it had more advanced magical technology than there is now, but it has died down a long time ago. The characters on the stone monument are very similar to the characters used by that ancient civilization. I remember learning about this in a classroom lecture a long time ago. When my finger moves further along down the stone monument, a voice flows into my head. ¡¶§¨§º§¯¦£¦®§§§±§À¡· ¡°What is this!!¡± An intonation and pronunciation that I had never heard before echoes in my mind. ¡¶Language analysis completed ©¤ Welcome to the trial of the beginning ©¤¡· The next thing I hear is my familiar native language. What exactly is the ¡°trial of the beginning¡±? CH 2 Episode 2 ¨C Trial of the Beginning 1st round Translator : MeLena ¡¶Trial of the beginning, it belongs to the lowest difficulty among many dungeons.¡· The stone monument talks to me even though I can¡¯t directly hear it. ¡¶ This is a mysterious dungeon. The realm of gods isolated from the outside world.¡· ¡°Is there food in the dungeon?¡± I¡¯m dying to hear it. ¡¶Challenger, go through the dungeon and obtain honour.¡· I want bread and water rather than honour. And it doesn¡¯t seem to listen to me. I don¡¯t know if the stone monument has any will in the first place. I think it¡¯s just repeating words decided by the magic cast upon it. ¡°Ok! I made my mind up!¡± I hit my knees to hype myself up. At the same time, the stairs leading to the basement in the room shine. It¡¯s obviously telling me to go there. ¡°I¡¯ll look for food in the meadow.¡± I¡¯ll never enter. I decide. For the last 16 years, I have improved my ability to detect crises in order to avoid assassinations. In fact, no one really tried assassinating me as a prince. So I think. I wonder if I should go into such a trap-like dungeon. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡ô Two days have passed and the bread is out of stock. Water can be drawn from a nearby river, but there are many monsters around it, so it is dangerous to drink water. In the corner of the room with the stone monument, I¡¯m holding my knees to resist hunger and thirst. The grasslands outside are a scary place. All beings try to deny my precious life. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com I glance at the stone monument. The stone monument glows faintly. What approach is that? Just looking at it makes me angry. I throw a stone I picked up outside at it, but it bounces off with a dull sound. There are no scratches. ¡°I have no choice but to enter the dungeon¡­ I will die if I go on like this.¡± The stone monument conspicuously shines. You¡¯re definitely listening. ¡ô I take the stairs and go underground. It feels like I¡¯m breaking through a thin film on the way, but I ignore it because I can¡¯t help it. There is no light source around and it is dim. As I proceeded, being careful not to slip, I gradually see the exit. In contrast to the stairs, it¡¯s so bright that I can¡¯t believe this is underground. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com What I see is a parallelepipedal room. All sides are made of stone, but they shine faintly on their own. ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­ If I can bring this type of stone home, it will sell well.¡± I put my hand on the wall and follow it. I try to scrape it with a stone at my feet, but I can¡¯t even damage it. The stone monument called this the realm of the gods, maybe it¡¯s be true. ¡°There are two exits.¡± A long passageway continues from the exit. Maybe I can go to another room. When I look at my feet, a sword has fallen in front of me. Randomly. ¡°What¡­ copper sword +1?¡± The handle of the sword is carefully engraved with the words ¡°copper sword +1¡±. It feels like I¡¯m being fooled, but I¡¯m glad that I¡¯m being fully equipped. ¡°If I proceed like this, shields and armour might fall in front of me. If I pick them up and sell them I can become very rich!¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com When I walk through the room with joy and courage, I hear a clicking sound near my feet. ©¤©¤ Suddenly, an arrow flies from a hole in the wall. It cuts through the sky with a whoosh, and pierces towards my feet accurately. ¡°Guuoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!¡± An arrow is stuck in my thigh and blood flows. There is more intense heat than pain. This is my first time experiencing this. However, I¡¯m not dead yet. When I pull out the arrow by force, the barb of the iron tip irritates the wound and causes severe pain. ¡°Shit! I have no recovery magic or potions!!¡± The blood flowing at my feet does not stop. Death looms above my head. I can¡¯t afford to die at the very beginning. In the first place, I didn¡¯t think that there was such a vicious trap in the ¡°Trial of the Beginning¡±. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh !!¡± I hear a sound. When I raise my head, there is a blue slime there. Each time it moves, its torso changes shape and gets closer as if it has a will. I try to get rid of it with the copper sword, but it doesn¡¯t cut well. Rather, the acid of the slime melts the sword a little. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°Ah!! The copper sword is -1!!¡± This ¡°+1¡± or ¡°-1¡± seems to indicate the strength of the sword. It doesn¡¯t matter at the verge of death though. ¡°Shit! Wait! We can talk through this!¡± However, it doesn¡¯t understand. The slime stretches out, wraps around me and tries to melt me with its body. (Am I dying? So¡­ easily) I desperately try to reach out, but I have already lost my senses. Cold. The wound was so hot, and yet now my whole body is so cold as if the heat was a lie. I suddenly lose consciousness. CH 3 Episode 3 ¨C Round 2 of the Trial of the Beginning Translator : MeLena ¡¶Resurrection of the challenger confirmed.¡· I wake up with a voice echoing in my head. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me !!¡± It jump up and scream. My latest memory is that I died while being slowly melted by a slime. Begging for life is unavoidable. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡¶Executing dungeon regeneration ©¤©¤ Done.¡· That voice echoes in my head again. Regeneration? ¡¶Item initialization ©¤©¤ Done.¡· What is it saying. I certainly don¡¯t have the -1 copper sword I had in my hand. ¡¶Status initialization ©¤©¤ fatal failure.¡· It seems that something went wrong. My heart beats faster hearing the voice. ¡¶Retry ©¤©¤ Status initialization ©¤©¤ Fatal failure. Time exceeded, aborting.>> That evil thing tried again. Apparently it failed fatally. It may be that my useless skill ¡°Maintain Status¡± has an effect. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°Is this the room with the stone monument? If so, is it a dream that I just died?¡± I am not confident in my memory. But I clearly remember the pain. I looked around and checked, but it was no different from before I entered the dungeon. There is a stone monument in the middle of the room, and behind it there is only a staircase leading to the dungeon. I stare at the stone monument. It¡¯s flashing red as if it is angry. My eyes hurt so please stop. ¡°If you have something to say¡­ Maybe speak?¡± I tap the surface of the stone monument. The red flashing stops and the characters change instantly. It is written in a language that I can understand. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com Henry Bosheit. Cumulative number of deaths 00001. Trial of the Beginning 1/3 levels 6 minutes 3 seconds. Was weakened by an arrow trap then was melted by a blue slime and died. HP23 (+3) MP10 Attack power 5 Defense power 6 (+2) Magic power 1 Agility 3. Weapon: Copper sword-1. Armor: None. Special skill: Maintain Status (unique). By all means, it was the result of the dungeon challenge. Apparently I entered and died in 6 minutes. I¡¯ve reached the first of the three levels, and my HP and defense has¡­ maybe gone up. How many years has it been since I¡¯ve seen my status? If you ask a magician to appraise it, he can tell you, but it takes time and money. So even I, who is from the royal family, has only been asked to do so once. It¡¯s better than that. ¡°How many digits are prepared for the number of deaths¡º00001¡»!! How many times do you intend to get me killed!¡± Playful. It¡¯s as if it¡¯s looking forward to me dying tens of thousands of times. Another thing that disturbs my mind is my increase in status. ¡°HP and defence power have increased !!¡± Speaking of exploring a dungeon, I was shot with an arrow and melted with acid. I haven¡¯t achieved anything. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°Huh ¡­¡± It¡¯s scary to die. It¡¯s impossible to be familiar with it. My precious life was originally unique. Then, if dying is real, it should be only once. ¡ô I roamed the dungeon without discipline. Apparently, even if I die, I will simply be returned to the entrance. Then, if I can die, it is wiser to look for food and supplies in this dungeon rather than looking for food in the meadows. If I die, I lose all my items, but if I go down the 3rd floor without dying, I might get some reward. Even if I encounter a monster, there is no problem if I can escape. ¡°I found good armour! What¡­ leather armour +2. A high strengthening value is also good.¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com For convenience, I decided to call positive or negative numbers as strengthening values. Somehow it fits nicely. Like underwear worn for many years. I wear the brown leather armour. I feel just like a warrior. I could join a group of barbarians rampaging up north, as long as I find an axe. I go through the corridor to get to the next room. The passage is dim compared to a bright room. I can see a little ahead, but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on at the back. I silence my footsteps, avoid the monsters, and manage to get to the next room. There is another item in the room. ¡°Yeah, a +1 Iron Axe!¡± It seems like my feelings get coarser when I wear barbarian equipment. I walk in a cheerful mood, and hear another clicking sound at my feet. ¡°It¡¯s a trap!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡± I dive forward with all my might. The arrow whooshes by the spot I was preiously standing, and pierces the opposite wall with a rattling noise. ¡°Haha¡­ hahahahaha!!¡± I won¡¯t fall for the same trick twice. I stand up and pat off the dust on my body. I don¡¯t know why the trap is at my feet, I just can¡¯t find it in advance. There is no swelling on the ground, and the colour does not change. Only when I step on it can I notice its existence. I find an item again ahead. This time it¡¯s a scroll. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°What is a ¡ºwall-erasing scroll¡»?¡± The name is carefully written on the scroll. However, the effect is not written. Judging from the name, it will break a wall. It should be a nice strategy to make a small hole and hide in it. ¡°A man is courageous. Let¡¯s read it for the time being.¡± When I unseal the rolled up scroll, the scroll burns from the bottom. And the effect becomes apparent. ©¤©¤ A roaring sound is heard, and the floors, layers, e-very, sin-gle, wall, and so on disappear. All the monsters seem to have noticed me. Is the glint in the monster¡¯s eyes from the joy of finding a prey? ¡°Shit !! Come on!¡± It¡¯s a mess. If I¡¯ll die anyway, I might as well take as many as possible down with me. Think of the sharpness of the royal sword, no axe. Though it is a rotten royal family. ¡°Seiii!!¡± I smash the head of a knight-like monster with a greatsword with my axe. The contents of the broken helmet are empty. Let¡¯s call it ¡°Hollow Knight¡±. However, the Hollow Knight wields his sword even though it has lost its head. The great sword is swung at my feet and my right foot blows away. ¡°Ahhhhh!! My foooooooot!!¡± Although I¡¯m collapsing due to my injury, I throw my axe with all my might. It was a great hit but not fatal. The fallen axe is stolen by a goblin carrying a big bag. You are a ¡°goblin thief¡±. Damn you. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°I will never die!! I have something to do¡­¡± What the hell should I do? I try to think about it, but I notice a strange monster. A fat orc hurls a fist-sized stone at me with all his might. ¡°I wonder if you¡¯re a ¡°stone-throwing orc¡±¡­ I saw you ¡± I couldn¡¯t finish my sentence. When looking at my chest while spitting blood, there is a large hole in the left chest portion of the armour. If I breathe, I hear a wheezing sound and blood overflows. My body won¡¯t move anymore. The Hollow Knight in front of me holds a greatsword up high. That was my last memory. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com Henry Bosheit. Cumulative number of deaths 00002. Trial of the Beginning 1/3 levels 20 minutes 45 seconds. Got halved by a Hollow Knight and died. HP30 (+7) MP10 Attack power 12 (+7) Defense power 14 (+8) Magic power 1 Agility 4 (+1). Weapon: Iron axe +1. Armor: Leather armour +2. Special skill: Maintain Status (unique). CH 4 Episode 4 ¨C Will Translator : MeLena Dead then resurrected, dead then resurrected, dead then resurrected. At first, I cried and shouted every time I died, but gradually I got used to it. There is still a stone monument in the room. When I sigh and touch the stone monument, the characters change to the death details screen. I have become accustomed to the operation of this stone monument. The reaction changes depending on where you touch it. For now, I¡¯m just checking my status on this death details screen. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com Henry Bosheit. Cumulative number of deaths 00007. Trial of the beginning 2/3 levels 1 hour 20 minutes 8 seconds. Leg stuck in a tiger trap. As a sitting duck, got burned to death by a fire dragon. HP 110 (+10) MP 10 Attack power 56 (+6) Defence power 75 (+9) Magic power 1 Agility 15 (+2). Weapon: Mithril Short Sword +3. Armor: Heavy Steel Armor -7 Bronze Helmet +1 Ring of Power. Special skill: Maintain Status (unique). I don¡¯t really understand the ¡°tiger¡± part of the trap. If they use such a terrible trap to catch it, it must be a very scary monster. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com This round was regrettable. First of all, thanks to the strong Mithril weapon, my enemies were defeated easily. And for some reason, bread had fallen casually in the dungeon, and by eating it, I was able to reach the second floor. On my way I was attacked by a blue slime so the strengthening value of my armor was reduced. Furthermore, it was hard to get away from the burning zone of the fiery breath since I was rooted in place by the trap. I don¡¯t want to remember the smell and sound of myself burning. However, there is a silver lining with such a difficult dungeon life. Yes, it¡¯s a friend. It¡¯s an irreplaceable existence that doubles the fun and halves the spiciness. A fateful encounter was fulfilled in the grassland where I go to fetch water. ¡°Hey Will, look at this death.¡± I talk to Will with a hearty laugh. The number of deaths has already reached seven. I¡¯m the only person in the world who has died so much. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°And my status has improved. It¡¯s amazing!¡± My HP is five times as much as when I was in the royal palace. Various stats are nearly ten times higher. I haven¡¯t used magic yet, so the related stats haven¡¯t risen. It¡¯s a shame. Will unfortunately agrees. ¡°It¡¯s true that ordinary people who trained a little can have 10 attack power. I wonder what would have happened if there was about 30 average adventurers with me? It seems that even a mighty dragon can be killed if there are 1000 of them! It¡¯s great to dream!¡± Imagine slaying a dragon then being praised. Will is also by my side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t bring the items home. I want to show Will my Mithril weapon.¡± There are a wide variety of items in the dungeon. Weapons, armour, rings, scrolls, potions, food, and magic wands. I pick them up and try them, there are many useful items. If I obtain multiple items in the dungeon, I feel like I am being robbed and they disappear. However, if I think ¡°I want to use that item¡±, it will appear out of thin air. I named this my item box. The storage limit is 20. Items need to be sorted out. As a matter of course, the item box cannot be used outside the dungeon. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°Will¡­ Answer me.¡± No reply came back. ¡°Will!!¡± I just yelled. Recently, I can¡¯t control my emotions well. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry Will.¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com I run up to Will and gently stroke his head. As long as I consider him as a person, I yell at him for simply not replying. In the middle of stroking, I suddenly notice something unusual. ©¤©¤There is a loud thud near the entrance. It¡¯s the sound of something heavy falling. I can also hear a beast-like moan. ¡°Did something fall into the entrance from the meadow¡­ Will wait here. I¡¯ll have a look.¡± I gently open the door of the stone monument room. If it¡¯s a dangerous monster, I have to get rid of it. From here on out, outside the dungeon, when I die, it¡¯s all over. Danger sounds like a warning bell in my heart, and I can¡¯t control my heartbeat. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡ô ¡°Wolf.¡± There is a brown wolf there. Its fur is rough and loose. Because I cannot be bitten, I try poking it with a dead branch. ¡°Gururu¡­¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°You¡¯re not feeling well. Did you get hurt? Or are you hungry?¡± When talking, the wolf stares at me with weak eyes and groans. It doesn¡¯t understand my words, but it feels like it¡¯s complaining, ¡°I want you to help.¡± ¡°This is my territory. Then I wonder if I can be your lord too.¡± I reach out. It¡¯s a pity, but if you want to chew on me, I¡¯ll have to get rid of you here. ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com However, the wolf unexpectedly licks my hand. It may be friendly, surprisingly. ¡°Can I be your lord? You¡¯re the second because Will is here.¡± The wolf nods after groaning weakly. I¡¯ve heard that some wise monsters and monsters who spend a lot of time with people can read the subtleties of human emotions with their facial expressions and manner of speech. I don¡¯t know which one of the two this wolf is, but it must be intelligent. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you as a lord! It looks like you¡¯re hungry. I¡¯m hunting outside, so wait here!¡± I¡¯m able to do what I should do, my body is getting stronger all over. I bring the wolf that smells like a beast into the stone monument room. Thanks to my increased status, even a beast that weighs so much can be easily carried even though I¡¯m a human child. I slowly lay the wolf on the ground, turn around and go out through the door. ¡°Seiya!!¡± I jump and cling to the wall. Ignoring the crumbling earthen wall while climbing up, I see a familiar grassland. There are monsters and bandits, their lord needs food. Let¡¯s hunt properly. ¡°Oraa!!¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com I throw and crush large stones that were lying around, and pick up some appropriate stone pieces as weapons. They¡¯re sharp and feel good. I also pack round stones into my pocket for stone throwing. ¡°That stone-throwing orc was strong. There shouldn¡¯t be some outside¡­¡± I proceed through the grassland in a position near the ground. My goal is a weak beast or a monster that seems to be edible. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com Let¡¯s do our best. CH 5 Episode 5 ¨C Gabriel Translator : MeLena I¡¯m crawling forward through the grasslands. My speed has increased dramatically due to my higher agility. I¡¯m probably faster than a random guy sprinting. Seen from the side, I think it should look quite unpleasant. ¡°Where is my meal?¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com I search for creatures that are likely to be edible while creeping through the green grass. I exclude goblins and orcs as they are unlikely to be edible. Because of their appearance, I have a feeling of repulsion, it would be like eating other humans. Because I have been diving into the dungeon all the time, I have lost my sense of time, but now it seems to be around noon. The sun is high up in the sky. I continue crawling forwards while dirtying my belly in a cheerful mood. ¡°There it is¡­¡± A monster can be seen in the distance. The place where I am now is on a hill of the meadows, and there is a birdlike monster overlooking them. ¡°Is that a rock bird? It¡¯s smaller than I thought.¡± When they become adult, they¡¯re larger than a house, and it is a monster that easily kidnaps people. The one I can see is probably a growing individual. It¡¯s only slightly bigger than a person. I slowly choose a place where the grass is longer and approach. I won¡¯t be noticed. ¡°Gugaa! Gugaa!¡± During my approach, it is cawing and poking something with its beak. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°Is that the corpse of an orc¡­¡± The rock bird pecked through the abdomen of the orc with its beak and enjoys the internal organs that it seems to be eating. It is only internal organs and I¡¯m not scared. Because I¡¯ve seen internal organs many times. Mostly my own. With my current status I should be able to defeat it. Considering that I will continue to live in this grassland, I have be able to manage such a monster. I sneak up behind the rock bird. I avoid making noise and slow down my breathing. Because I¡¯m close enough, I jump on its back. ¡°Gugaaaaa!!¡± The rock bird with its meal disturbed caws. The loud sound echoes in my eardrums and makes me dizzy, but I hold a piece of stone in my hand while enduring it. ¡°Eat this!¡± The piece of stone pierces though and blood blows out from the thick neck of the rock bird. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°Gyaaaaaaaaaa!!¡± Because it¡¯s going wild, I¡¯m shaken off from its back. I ready my stance and take out stones from my pocket. I imitate the way the stone-throwing oak that killed me before held them and toss them. I bend my arm like a whip and throw them with all my might. The wings of the rock bird break with a popping sound. Ignoring the screaming Roc and throwing all the stones in my pocket, the Roc screams and falls to the ground. If I hadn¡¯t entered the dungeon, I would never have beaten this monster. However, as I return after death in the dungeon, I seem to become stronger. However, I do not feel a sudden increase in status in the dungeon. My growth rate may be different inside and outside the dungeon. ¡°I wish that even ordinary people could bring back their growth in the dungeon.¡± Then I could use the dungeon as a safe training center. However, if a person other than me enters, their status would be returned back to normal even if they clear it or die. That stone monument adheres to ¡°initialization of status¡± as an absolute rule. ¡°Let¡¯s bring the rock bird back to the room for the time being.¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com It¡¯s good to have killed it, but it¡¯s too big. I managed to disassemble it so as not to break the internal organs by using stone fragments. Since it was done by an amateur, the amount of meat that can be retrieved and the appearance isn¡¯t very good. It¡¯s a shame for the surplus meat, skin and feathers, but it will be discarded. I¡¯m afraid that monsters will gather in search of meat, so I decide to dig the ground and bury it. ¡°It isn¡¯t easy to dig a hole.¡± My strength has also increased dramatically. Although I¡¯m digging with my bare hands, a large hole appears before my eyes, and the remenants of the rock bird are thrown into it. The corpse of the orc is also included. ¡°Let¡¯s go home. Crawling forward.¡± I make a rope from the bark of a tree and tie the meat to my back. It smells absurdly fishy, but I¡¯ll endure. The stone monument room is not far away. I¡¯ll be back by the time the sun goes down. ¡ô I have arrived at the stone monument room. ¡°I¡¯m back. Were you a good boy?¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com The wolf groans modestly when it looks at me. It is lying on the ground and staring at me anxiously. ¡°Look, it¡¯s meat. It¡¯s raw, is this okay?¡± I put the dripping meat on my palm and present it. The wolf smells at it carefully. Is it making sure it¡¯s not poisoned? I can see the intellect in its eyes. It is better than the idiots of the royal palace who are devoted to killing their relatives. ¡°Oh! It ate it!¡± The wolf holds a piece of meat in its mouth. It slowly chews with its sharp fangs and swallows with satisfaction. ¡°Eat more.¡± I put a larger piece of meat on my hand. Feeding is becoming more and more fun. After repeating for a while, the wolf barks with satisfaction and lies on its back, presenting its belly. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± When I stroke the wolf¡¯s belly with the palm of my hand, the wolf doesn¡¯t show a dissastisfied expression. This makes the master-slave relationship clear. Naturally, I am the master that brings back meat after hunting. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°What name should I give you¡­¡± I¡¯m thinking about what name to give while stroking its belly. Brown wolf. Female. Sharp eyes like a sword, but when stroked, looks cute like a young wolf. ¡°Gabriel¡­ I wonder.¡± Because it was eating meat steadily. It was ripping it apart easily. ¡°OK! Gabriel!¡± Gabriel seems to understand that it is its new name, and when I call the name, it reacts and barks. ¡°Best regards to the future, Gabriel.¡± Stroking her head. Seeing Gabriel squinting her eyes seems to cleanse my heart. It may be possible to regain my humanity that was worn out by dying in the dungeon. Gabriel, who has regained her energy, seems to have found a toy and grabs hold of Will in the room. ¡°There there. If you chew on Will so much, its bones will break.¡± Although will is just a human skull picked up in the meadow, he is my friend. I don¡¯t want to become too crazy. Will¡¯s original story: From ¡°Wilson¡± in the movie classic ¡°Cast Away¡±. CH 6 Episode 6 ¨C Claude Translator : MeLena ¡°Gaugau.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Gabriel wakes up in her sleeping spot in the stone monument room. She seems to have drooled, her face is wet. More than a week has passed since I arrived in the meadow. I work towards survival by diving in dungeons and searching for food in the meadow. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°Will, Gabriel, good morning.¡± We exchange morning greetings. Gabriel seems to like Will a lot and tries to bite him if she has the time. Her fangs stabbed him yesterday, causing a hole in the top of the skull. If I leave him within reach any more, it will be bad, so I hang him on the ledge of the wall with a string made of bark. Gabriel seems to be somewhat discontent. Her nose is raised, she¡¯s sniffing, and her ears are moving. Is there anything she¡¯s curious about? ¡°What¡¯s happening Gabriel. Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Guaau!!¡± It seems different. Gabriel looks back as she scratches the door leading to the grasslands with her claws. It seems that she wants to go out. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°The restroom?¡± When she hears that, she yapps loudly. Still something else? When I put my hand on the door and open it slowly, Gabriel rushes out in a hurry. I quickly follow after her. There are many dangers outside. Gabriel, just a wolf, cannot be left alone. ¡ô I roam through the grassland under the leadership of Gabriel. After running a little, Gabriel seems to have reached her goal and lies down on the spot. ¡°Is that a carriage? Rare at the border full of monsters¡­¡± A wagon covered in white has popped up in the meadow. Some bad-looking men are arguing around one person. I crawl forward, stuck to the grass. When I¡¯m close enough to distinguish the faces of the men, I can hear the content of the conversation. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you!! Why is our luggage an elf kid!!¡± A fiery red-haired man raises his voice and roars. He is surrounded, but he doesn¡¯t seem to budge one inch. ¡°I¡¯ve already given the advance payment! It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a thing or a person to transport!¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com The men surrounding him answer with frustration. He puts his hand on his waist as if reaching for a sword, discreetly. It seems that he is arguing about the content of his work. The angry red-haired man was deceived, and he¡¯s talking to his clients. The red-haired man steps up. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be a good person. I¡¯ve only decided not to deal with children. Just forget it.¡± He points at the wagon. There seems to be an elf child over there. Are they slave dealers? Do they trade random people, or women? Either way, it doesn¡¯t look very good. ¡°Such a hassle. Don¡¯t just say that it¡¯s bad!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m complaining. What will you do?¡± The red-haired man lifts up a hammer. A metal hammer head at the end of a long handle. He seems to be used to wielding it, his appearance is imposing. ©¤©¤ The red-haired man has fractured their relationship. The men around him are intimidated, yet roused by his fighting spirit. At first they¡¯re frightened but soon unsheathe their swords. Their number is four. On the other hand, the red-haired man has no ally. For now. Should I help or abandon him? There is not much merit to help. They are just strangers, not acquaintances. I can help and become their lord, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth risking my life. While thinking, I stuff stones in my pocket. This is because the superiority of stone throwing has already been demonstrated. You won¡¯t lose anything even if you run away. ¡°What do you think Gabriel?¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com I whisper. Gabriel is staring at me with clear eyes. It seems that she is waiting for my judgment without barking or wagging her tail. Abandoning the man here and return to the dimly lit stone monument room. I think it should be fine. At least he won¡¯t die. The battle has already started while I was indulging in my thoughts. The red-haired man swings the hammer, one man next to the carriage is blown away. His sternum seems to have been broken and he is shaking on the ground. ¡°OK, let¡¯s help.¡± I¡¯ve made my mind up. I am the lord of this land. There aren¡¯t many lords, but even so I don¡¯t want to show them anything embarrassing. I¡¯ve already died in the dungeon many times, but I don¡¯t want to die in my heart. I put my hand in my bulging pocket. ¡°Eat this!¡± I shower them with stones. There is no place to hide from hurled stones in such an open space. If you can dodge, dodge. A dull noise, a man crouches. The stone hit the man¡¯s leg as intended and broke his bones. It should be difficult to get up. I held back to some extent. I¡¯ll break bones, but I won¡¯t take lives. ¡°One more shot!!¡± I throw another shot. This time it hits his arm and his sword falls to the ground. The men, surprised by the sudden intrusion are visibly upset. The red-haired man did not miss the chance and quickly takes control of the place. The battle is over and the red-haired man stares at me. He may be checking for hostility. It seems that he suddenly notices something, he calls out to me. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°Maybe you are¡­ Prince Henry?¡± ¡°Why do you know me!?¡± Although I¡¯m a prince, I¡¯m the 12th child and my name isn¡¯t well known. So by just looking at my face, he shouldn¡¯t be able to tell that I¡¯m Prince Henry. CH 7 Episode 7 ¨C Thor and Sheila Translator : MeLena At the end of the battle, the thugs ran away immediately. They seemed to be quite in pain due to their broken bones, but I couldn¡¯t be bothered to help since we¡¯re on opposing sides. I¡¯m back in the stone monument room. There are many monsters in the meadow, so it will be difficult for the thugs to call their friends and come back. By the way, the hole leading to the grassland has been made into a staircase by digging the soil. I don¡¯t want to scale the wall every time I go in and out of the meadow. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com Currently, there¡¯s me, Gabriel, Will, and three guests in the room. I serve them water in wooden cups to entertain my guests. The cups were in the large bag that was thrown at me at the time of my expulsion. The water was drawn from the river and boiled, so it won¡¯t damage our stomachs. ¡°Well, please drink.¡± There is no table, so the cups are placed directly on the ground. It¡¯s rude, but it can¡¯t be helped. ¡°Oh, dear Prince Henry. I¡¯m Claude. Call me whatever you want.¡± The red-haired hammer user ¨C Claude grins and laughs with water in his mouth. ¡°I see Claude, yeah. The two elves there ¨C¡° ¡°I am Thor.¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°Well, I¡¯m Sheila.¡± It seems that the elven children are called Thor and Sheila. They look similar. In terms of human criterion, they seem to be 14 years old. ¡°You look alike.¡± ¡°Because we are twins.¡± Thor stares at us with red eyes. She brushes her blonde hair away, it hangs on her shoulders. ¡°That¡­ Thank you for your help this time.¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com Sheila bows to Claude and I. Both times her long blonde hair swings. Thor has red eyes, while Sheila has a clear blue color like jewels. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if it was for something else. Thank you to Claude who helped first.¡± Claude shyly scratches his cheek when the two thank him. He certainly doesn¡¯t look accustomed to being thanked. He claps to change the subject. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. What about you elf girls? Are you going home?¡± ¡°The village we lived in is no longer there.¡± When Thor says that in a lonely manner, Sheila¡¯s face darkens. Sheila talks about her circumstances as she takes over. ¡°Yes¡­ The mercenaries on the way back from a battlefield seized the village. It¡¯s hard to remember¡­ The mercenaries set fire to the village and left, and so did we. Whether or not the captives were sold by the mercenaries¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°Well, that¡¯s a common story. A big mercenary corps has another job on the way home. That¡¯s what a mercenary corps is.¡± Claude lies down on the ground and mutters while grinning. ¡°So what will you do, Prince Henry? Why don¡¯t you help using the power of the royal family?¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult. I have no power now because of complicated circumstances.¡± ¡°Hihihi, I know. You¡¯ve been banished from the royal palace. It¡¯s a famous story in the neighbourhood.¡± Claude laughs with a nasty face. He seems to have known the situation from the beginning. ¡°Let me give you a piece of advice for your help. Some have asked to assassinate Prince Henry. The request is to assassinate or confirm the corpse.¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°What is going on!! Who is the client, the royal family!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s even the royal family. Many decided to work on it.¡± Probably the successors to the throne, my brothers, are making this happen. They won¡¯t be relieved until they find my corpse. If I had been swallowed by a monster, how would they have confirmed it? ¡°Is that so¡­ Did they think that expulsion wasn¡¯t enough? By the way, did Claude accept the request?¡± ¡°I ignored it because it was a hassle. I¡¯m afraid of royalty and aristocratic involvement. Even if I succeed, I could be eliminated to avoid loose ends.¡± That¡¯s a relief. Looking back to the previous battle, I don¡¯t know if I can fight Claude and win. Even if my status is going up, I¡¯m still worried because I have little experience in interpersonal combat. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com The royal family will continue to get in my way. The plan to spend the rest of my life hunting monsters in the grassland, which I had drawn up in my brain, collapses. It is necessary to improve my status in the dungeon and prepare for assassination attempts. First of all, I have to get past the trial of the beginning. Claude interrupts and talks to me whilst I¡¯m thinking about my future plans and frowning. ¡°Let¡¯s put off some difficult things. Let¡¯s celebrate our encounter and drink some alcohol!¡± Claude takes out a liquor bottle. There¡¯s alcohol inside, and when I unplug it, a rich scent spreads. Perhaps she didn¡¯t like the smell, Gabriel, who¡¯s nearby, snarls. ¡°Here, here, drink this, I¡¯ll pour it.¡± ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t drink much¡­¡± ¡°Ah, are you afraid of alcohol? You¡¯re still a child.¡± ¡°What did you say!¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com After seeing Claude drink up, I drink the alcohol he served me. I feel a burning sensation. But since Claude drank it first, it¡¯s unlikely that it was poisoned. ¡°Yeah! The future king¡¯s way to drink is different!¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡°I¡¯m the 12th Prince¡­ I don¡¯t have the right to inherit, that¡¯s normal.¡± My head is getting dizzy, the alcohol must have taken effect. Is alcohol this strong or am I weak to it? Claude whispers and pours more liquor. ¡°It¡¯s delicious¡­ it¡¯s delicious ¡­ this is¡­¡± Thor and Sheila are worried and call out to me, but it goes in one of my ears and out of the other. Somehow I feel very sleepy. My consciousness drifts away steadily¡­ Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ¡ô ¡°Shit¡­ Did I fall asleep?¡± I don¡¯t remember anything after drinking the second cup. I apparently fell asleep because I was drunk. Gabriel is next to me. I stroke Gabriel¡¯s head and look around. ¡°What! Where did Claude go!?¡± Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com There is no Claude. Sheila talks to me as I search while holding my aching head. ¡°Umm¡­ Mr. Claude asked me to hand this over.¡± ¡°Is this a note?¡± Claude¡¯s thoughts are spelled out in dirty letters. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com ~ To the great Prince Henry ~ It was hard to wake you up, so I decided to go home first, though it¡¯s rude. My next job awaits. It¡¯s intuitive, but I think we have a connection. We¡¯ll meet again somewhere, but I hope it¡¯s not on the battlefield. PS It is important to find out in advance how much you should drink before you lose consciousness. There are many ways to assassinate without using poison. That being said, ask the two elf girls there to help. I¡¯m a rootless grass so I can¡¯t take care of you very much. I¡¯m really sorry. But we¡¯re accomplices because we helped each other, right? Also, the skull on the wall is of bad taste, so throw it away immediately. ©¤©¤ From Prince Henry¡¯s best friend Claude ¡°Ahhhhh!! That bastard Claude!! He pushed me away and ran off!!¡± I yell emotively. I¡¯ll throw him into the dungeon the next time we meet. I¡¯ll have you die with me. =================================== Claude withdraws. Thor and Sheila join. Dungeon capture resumes from the next episode. Read only at melenatranslations.wordpress.com Today¡¯s territory Skull x 1, Wolf x 1, Elf x 2 CH 8 My head hurts from the alcohol, but I haven¡¯t lost any of my physical abilities. I¡¯m not really putting up with it, and this is probably due to my ¡¸Status Maintain¡¹ skill. You can¡¯t prevent abnormal conditions, but you won¡¯t lose your abilities. This may also be a little useful for dungeon conquering. I called out to Thor and Sheila, who were standing anxiously. ¡°Both of you had nowhere to go, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but could you just please take care of Sheila? I can take care of myself.¡± ¡°In this meadow? You can¡¯t go into town all on foot, and there are a lot of monsters here.¡± ¡°Uhhhh. But there¡¯s no other person that I can rely on¡­.¡± Thor gave the impression of being strong, but she also seemed to have a sisterly side. Sheila, who had been lying on the ground, shouted loudly as if she were trying to get her voice out. ¡°U, Umm! Onii-san!¡± ¡°O, Oh. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Can you let me and my sister live in this room!? My mom taught me to do housework, so I can help you out with the chores! Please!¡± Sheila bows her head vigorously. Her shoulders are trembling, probably from fear. The monsters in the meadow, the uncertain life of a child who has no relatives, both are incomparably terrifying. ¡°I¡¯m the lord of this land¡­ I¡¯m responsible for letting those thugs into my territory. So I¡¯ll take responsibility and welcome you both as my people. I can¡¯t guarantee you a good life, though.¡± Sheila¡¯s face brightens up. ¡°Please, onii-san! I¡¯ll work hard!¡± Thor¡¯s face, which had been a little stiff, broke into a smile. ¡°Thanks Henry. No, should I call you¡­ my lord?¡± ¡°No, Henry is fine. I don¡¯t have a castle, and all the residents are in this room. We¡¯re just starting to settle our village.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that ¨C? But it¡¯s kind of exciting, I¡¯ve never built a village from scratch before.¡± Thor scratches her cheek and smiles appropriately for her age. Sheila sat down next to Thor in a ladylike manner. Gabriel, who had been sitting quietly, approached Sheila and licked her cheek. ¡°Whoa! Onii-san! It¡¯s a wolf! It¡¯s a wolf!¡± ¡°Gabriel likes to lick my face too. Does it taste like anything?¡± Apparently, Gabriel also liked the elf sisters. I guess licking their faces is a way of saying they can join the pack. Maybe. ¡°There are some idiots out there who want to assassinate me, so I need strength first. Also, we need to build a village where we can live safely. In order to do that¡­¡± Build up my strength. Hunt down the monsters in the meadow. Build a village. And protect my people. The answer is simple and straightforward. To do so, I need to dive into the dungeon. I approach the stone monument and touch it. The number of deaths remains the same at seven, and I wonder how many more will there be before I reach the end. Thor looks at the monument over my shoulder curiously. ¡°Hey Henry. What¡¯s this monument all about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a relic of the ancients or something. We¡¯re in a dungeon right now, and there¡¯s a lot of information on it.¡± ¡°Is this some kind of magic thing? Fuuh¡­¡­ Orya!¡± Thor powerfully smacks the stone monument. The screen is filled with letters she has never seen before. What she sees is a list of rewards. The list goes on and on, and when she traces her finger over it, she finds various items. Her eyes widens at one of them. Reward for completing the ¡°Trial of the Beginning¡±. ¡°What the!? What is this!?¡± To my surprise, Sheila comes next to me. ¡°This dungeon is amazing. Are there any other dungeons like this?¡± The answer to Sheila¡¯s question is no, of course not. It¡¯s possible for monsters with extraordinary intelligence to have their own dungeons. It is also common for adventurers to make a fortune by defeating dungeon masters and obtaining their treasures. But there is no such dungeon as this. Even if you die, you will be returned to the entrance, and your items will not disappear. In addition, you can even choose your reward. ¡°Impossible¡­.. But I guess for now I¡¯ll have to rely on you.¡± ¡°Umm, o, onii-san?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. This dungeon is indeed very unique. Though, as expected of the ancients.¡± It is indeed the ancients. That¡¯s my boy. The dungeon¡¯s magical environment suggests that it was created by someone with a terrible personality, but the rewards are perfect for us. In fact, I can think of it as ¡°preparing rewards that suit us.¡± Are they trying to lure me into this labyrinth and make me do something? Thinking about it won¡¯t give me an answer. The only thing to do is to act. ¡°Uh-huh. Listen up!¡± I give the order and everyone gathers in front of me. ¡°I¡¯m going to go down to the dungeon and get what we need for the village. You two stay here with Gabriel and keep quiet.¡± Sheila¡¯s eyes were wide open. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, onii-san! If something happens inside ¡­ you will¡­!¡± I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve already died seven times. ¡°Yes! What about your promise to take care of Sheila!¡± Thor also disagrees. I did say that I would make her one of my own people, but I did not say that I would take care of her. ¡°This is a final decision. If this continues as it is, we will all die together¡­¡± I don¡¯t want to use the word ¡°die¡± lightly. These children have had their village burned to the ground. Their families and friends are probably dead. ¡°We¡¯re at a dead end. So I¡¯m willing to take a gamble.¡± I¡¯ll say it outright. ¡°Gabriel. You have to protect them both.¡± Gabriel stares at me worriedly, but I stroke her to coax her. I stand up and descend the stairs leading to the dungeon. My seven attempts so far have not been in vain. I gained a lot of experience, status, and knowledge before I died. I¡¯ll make it through the next round. CH 9 As I descend the stairs, I find myself a familiar sight: my eighth dungeon challenge. Luckily, there were no monsters in the first room. I look around the room and pick up the¡¸Walls Erasing Scroll that has fallen to the floor. If you use this, all the walls will disappear, so I was careful. After that, I see some bread and pick it up. ¡°Ah, how nostalgic¡­did this kill me on my second round?¡± The ¡¸Walls Erasing Scroll¡¹ is the reason why I was cut in half vertically by the Hollow Knight. There are two doorways in the room. One is the staircase where I came down from, and the other is the staircase leading to the next room. In the past, I would have happily gone to the next room. However, I have recently discovered a certain pattern. ¡°There are some monsters that roam around the floor, and some that don¡¯t.¡± I learned this by experience. Many of the monsters attacked me as if they were being activated when I entered the room, but some of them simply roamed around between the rooms. ¡°My target is the Goblin Thief (µÁÈË¥´¥Ö¥ê¥ó). I¡¯ll hunt it down.¡± It¡¯s a subtle name when I think back on it. Maybe I should have named it Thief-Class Goblin (¥·©`¥Õ?¥´¥Ö¥ê¥ó). No, I don¡¯t have time to think about that right now. Waiting patiently. Sticking to the wall in front of the passageway and surprising the enemies before they notice you. The cold touch of the stone wall on my cheek helps me keep my thoughts calm. With my current status, I should be able to defeat the monsters with my bare hands. I can¡¯t take on more than one, though. ¡°You¡¯re here¡­¡­¡± The sound of the demon¡¯s footsteps. The unpleasant sound of highly viscous liquid hitting the ground. It¡¯s a blue slime. I waited patiently, trying not to make a sound, not even moving from my spot. I simply wait. ¡°Now!¡± A monster that looks like a sphere drops from above and splatters. The clear blue sphere is unmistakably a blue slime. I grab the core in the middle of the blue slime with all my might. I feel the pain of the acid burning my hand, but I endure it. ¡°Ugh!¡± I grab it with all my might and crush it. The core was broken and the blue slime cease moving. As I hastily pull my hand out, I could smell the fragrant scent. ¡°It hurts a little¡­¡­¡± This thing¡¯s weak point is its core ¨C the reddish-black sphere in the center of its body. It¡¯s probably the part of the body that¡¯s like the heart in humans. ¡°Let¡¯s wait again.¡± Sticking to the wall. Concentrating on my nerves, I listen for the sound of footsteps. ¡°There you are¡­¡­ What is it this time?¡± This time, I heard different footsteps. These small footsteps, as lively as a child¡¯s, may be the demon I¡¯m looking for. A demon comes into the room. It was the Goblin Thief I was looking for. The large bag on his back is swollen to its bursting point, shaking and making noise every time the goblin walks. ¡°Oraaaaah!¡± I clench my fist and punch him in the face as hard as I could. ¡°Gggaaaaaaah!¡± The Goblin Thief was blown to the wall with his bag. I immediately rush over and take a mounting position. After that, I just kept hitting him. Until the opponent stops moving. ¡°Gii¡­¡­ gii¡­¡­¡± The Goblin Thief breathes his last breath as I land the final blow to his face. The Goblin Thief¡¯s face had turned a ghastly black color. The broken teeth seem to be decorating the painful visage. ¡°Item, item¡­¡± I open the large bag that fell. Inside are weapons, armor, and other items. The Goblin Thief has a habit of roaming the levels and collecting items. Of course, they¡¯re a nuisance, trying to steal the items I¡¯m carrying. If they get close to me during a melee, I¡¯ll be in trouble. ¡°A steel sword+2 and a ring of protection. Oh, and scrolls and potions.¡± Unfortunately, the only protective gear I have is a ring. When I put on the ring, I feel my fingers tighten. I put the sword on my waist and now I¡¯m ready to go. Last, I collect the scrolls and potions in the item box. In addition, I should pick up any stones that have fallen. I can¡¯t put them in my pocket like I can outside the dungeon. If it¡¯s recognized as an item, it will go into the item box by itself. I sprinkle a healing potion from the large bag on my arm. Using items sparingly can lead to death. That¡¯s another rule that I¡¯ve learned. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the next room.¡± When I enter the next room, there were two monsters as expected. It would have been dangerous to enter empty-handed. ¡°Evil Eye and Hollow Knight. I¡¯ll kill Evil Eye first!¡± The single-eyed demon floating in the air is the Evil Eye. When you¡¯re hit by the light emanating from that eye, your consciousness becomes cloudy and you can¡¯t move normally. The danger is extremely high during melee battles. In contrast, the Hollow Knight¡¯s greatsword strike is heavy, but that¡¯s all. They are just a little sturdier and stronger. There¡¯s no need to panic. The eye of the Evil Eye stares at me. I ran at it with all my might and slash it diagonally. I take advantage of the moment when it was frightened, to deliver a few blows. The Evil Eye falls to the ground, dead. Then the Hollow Knight came running towards me. He holds his huge greatsword high and swings it down with a roar. I step to avoid it. The great sword swings right past my head, hitting the ground and making a metallic sound. As I step back to get some distance, I hear the sound of a trap triggering by my feet. I back step again and duck just in time to avoid the flying arrow. This is an arrow trap. When you step on it, a hole is made in the wall and arrows are shot out of it at high speed. But I notice that this trap also has a certain pattern. The Hollow Knight¡¯s greatsword strikes me as I¡¯m in a bad stance. ¡°Guh!¡± I hold my sword with both hands and manage to survive the blow. As expected, it¡¯s hard to take a direct hit. I walk around to the left side of the Hollow Knight and immediately kick it with all my might. The hollow knight reels, making a deafening metallic sound. The Hollow Knight¡¯s movements are slow despite his heavy blows. It¡¯s easy to kick through the gaps in a sword fight. ¡°Alright! It ends with this.¡± I step on the arrow trap at my feet over and over again. Then, accounting the number of times I stepped on it, multiple arrows would fly at me. And there¡¯s now a Hollow Knight between me and the trap. The arrow pierces the Hollow Knight with a sharp sound. I crouch down to watch, afraid of stray arrows. The Hollow Knight stops moving, probably because of the damage. I kick it just in case, but it didn¡¯t react. The battle is over and I move on to collect the items. Another scroll has fallen. The name engraved on it is the¡¸Scroll of Thunder¡¹, a scroll that casts lightning on the monsters in the room. ¡°I can use some combination of techniques with this one.¡± I grin. With the scroll I just picked up and this scroll, I can use the mighty and merciless combination technique. The first rule of thumb I¡¯ve learned in this dungeon is that you will eventually die if you don¡¯t use your full power. If you don¡¯t use items and traps skillfully, you will eventually die from a special attack. No matter how high your status is, you can¡¯t fight while paralyzed or confused. You will be tormented to death. For that reason, I proceed with caution. There are three levels in this dungeon. I need to find the stairs that will take me to the next level. AN: If you like dungeon roguelikes, you¡¯ll know what to expect in the next episode. CH 10 I descend the stairs and dive into the second layer, the highest point I have reached so far. You will see a room surrounded by shining walls. The design of the second level is no different from the first. I¡¯ve just gone through the entire first level and collected every item. Rather than rushing to the next level, scared of demons, the survival rate would jump if we took our time to scavenge. And if you rush, you¡¯ll also divert your reaction when you step on a trap. I remember stepping on a poisonous fog trap because I was in a hurry, and I was poisoned so badly that I vomited filth and blood. ¡°That time I completely panicked and drank a bunch of poison potions.¡± At that time, I had a poison recovery potion and a poison potion, but the names were so similar that I mistook them. As if to punish me for my ignorance, the cumulation of poisons caused me pain that I cannot describe. Now that I remember the shape of the bottle, I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t get it wrong anymore¡­¡­ ¡± Gahahaha!¡± A painful memory flashes back and I can¡¯t help but laugh. This is a defense mechanism of the human mind. It¡¯s God¡¯s way of telling me to laugh when I¡¯m in pain. ¡°Oops, no, no, no.¡± Pull yourself together. This is a battleground. And the poison potion is extremely, no, ruthlessly useful. Apply it to your sword to make a poisoned sword, or mix it with food to make poisoned food. If you¡¯re in a pinch, you can throw it directly. If you¡¯re lucky, your opponent will be affected by the contents. One thing to keep in mind about the second level is the type of monsters. Many of them are stronger than those in the first level. The Small Dragons, which are the younger forms of Dragons, are the best example, they can spit out a breath for each attribute. Red Small Dragons have fire breath. Yellow Small Dragons have lightning breaths. Any of these can be fatal if you get hit by it. ¡°That¡¯s where the scrolls come in.¡± Scrolls are a lifesaver. There are many different types of scrolls in this Trial of Beginnings with their effects being all different. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡± I open the ¡¸Sword Sharpening Scroll¡¹that I had picked up, and my Steel Sword +2 lights up. The enhancement value is now +3. It¡¯s only slightly stronger, but if you¡¯re going to be challenging a long dungeon, this enhancement will be very important. I also picked up some armor from the previous level: bronze armor and an iron helmet. Personally, I find this armor to be weak, but it¡¯s better than nothing. A thin shirt will not protect you from anything. Arrows can still pierce the silky soft skin, and a slash can cut through the juicy flesh. So, when you pick it up, you should equip it. The best thing to do is to switch it out each time you pick up better equipment. I look around the room. There are no enemies or items around. An eerie silence reigns over the place, and all I can hear is the sound of the wind in the dungeon. I take a few breaths and take out the items I want from the item box. It¡¯s a¡¸Walls Erasing Scroll¡¹and a¡¸Thunder Scroll¡¹. With this, I can annihilate the enemy in two moves. ¡°Kukuku¡­¡­¡± The disaster that is about to happen. I can¡¯t stop myself from laughing when I imagine it. With a joyful feeling, I vigorously open the scroll of the wall eraser to display its effect. With an explosion, all the walls come crashing down. Strangely though, the ceiling doesn¡¯t fall down. More than ten monsters are staring at me. Their eyes fill with murderous intent. All they want to do is burn me, melt me, tear me apart, rip me apart, and eat me. I stare back at the monsters without fear and open my mouth. ¡°Let the deaths begin!¡± I¡¯m too excited and say something weird. I¡¯m so glad there¡¯s no one else around! Regaining my senses, I tear off the¡¸Thunder Scroll¡¹and spread it out with all my might. Eat this! The thunder roars and shakes the dungeon like an earthquake. All the monsters die to the lightning, and the smoke from the burnt corpses crawl on the ground. The result is as I expect it. The¡¸Thunder Scroll¡¹casts lightning onto the monsters in the room. Then, if you use the ¡¸Walls Erasing Scroll¡¹to unite all the rooms, it will work on all the monsters. The problem is that the¡¸Walls Erasing Scroll¡¹is a valuable item. It¡¯s a rare item that is rarely seen in the dungeon. ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡­¡± A dry laugh escapes me at the outcome of the great battle. I thought there might be some monsters that survived, but unfortunately, not a single demon survived. It was truly an annihilation genocide. I walk through the enemy-free level as if I own the place. I can pick up as many items as I want, and the only thing to watch out for are the traps. If you pick up too many items, your item box will fill up, so I need to be selective. The next level is the final one, so I eat all the food and throw away items that can be picked up everywhere, such as rocks. It¡¯s a shame to throw those away. It¡¯s better to keep this one. It¡¯s very fun to organize the item box while thinking like that. It stimulates my hoarder¡¯s spirit. I finish organizing the items and wander around the area until I find a staircase. The next one is the final level. ¡°It¡¯s my first time on the third level¡­¡­.¡± I slowly descend the stairs, feeling a little anxious and excited in my heart. I¡¯m in perfect physical condition and have all the items I need. If you have wisdom and courage, there is nothing to be afraid of. Although I can¡¯t say that I have it in me. CH 11 I descend a dimly lit staircase and find myself in a throne room. The calm atmosphere almost chills me to the soul. It looks as majestic as a royal palace, with ornamental knightly armor holding swords to their chests, lining up to salute the Lord. In addition, there is a monster on the throne. The monster sits on the throne and raises its head, making a hard sound. The sound is unnatural as if it is forcing a stiff joint back into place. The monster then turns its vacant eyes towards me. ¡°Who¡¯s it¡­¡­ Le Cain?¡± The monster¡¯s skin is morbidly pale, and every time he exhales, the air around him freezes. He looks like the noble undead ¨C a vampire I¡¯ve heard so much about. ¡°I¡¯m Henry. I am the lord of this land.¡± If you ask me who I am, I have no choice but to say it. ¡°My name is Nos Tora. I¡¯m tired of waiting. I have waited long enough, and I can¡¯t bear the boredom of living in this labyrinth where time seems to have stopped.¡± ¡°That sounds terrible.¡± I could only give a safe reply to his pretentious words. I don¡¯t know who Le Cain is, and I don¡¯t understand why this monster, who seems to be the master of the labyrinth, hasn¡¯t attacked me. But if I can communicate with him, it would be a good thing. If I can avoid the battle and get through the labyrinth, I should be able to get the reward that was written on the stone monument. Blood-red eyes are turned towards me. Unlike Thor¡¯s red eyes, they have a coldness to them. ¡°Henry¡­¡­ you will never be able to understand how many nights I have endured as a vulnerable human being like you.¡± ¡°It must have been hard for you. ¡­¡­ Let¡¯s talk about it. I¡¯m sure it would be comforting. How about a story about the various forms of harassment I received at the royal palace?¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± I thought it would be well received, but it was dismissed as trivial. It was a bad memory, but I thought Nos, who seemed to have a strong sense of humor, would like it. Besides, I¡¯ve never had any friends, so I couldn¡¯t think of anything else fun to talk about. A topic that vampiric people would love. ¡°What kind of blood do you like?¡± I wonder if I should talk about that. The air around us freezes as Nos lets out a deep sigh. The fallen ice crystals reflect the glittering light. ¡°I¡¯m tired of living. There¡¯s no point in guarding this labyrinth when Le Cain won¡¯t come. Then there is only one thing to do.¡± Nos stands up from his throne and holds his hand out in front of him. A wand appears out of nowhere and falls into Nos¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s start the hunt to pass the time. I am the hunter and you are the beast.¡± Nos raises his staff and a spear made of ice begins floating into the air. ¡°Now let¡¯s have some fun.¡± The wand is swung in the air. The ice spear spins and flies at me, trying to pierce my body. A cold sweat runs down my spine. It¡¯s a sign of death. ¡°Shit!¡± I leap to the side and avoid it in the nick of time. I¡¯m wearing armor, so the blow from the metal hurts a little. The ice spear flies at me as I roll around shamelessly to avoid it. ¡°Wait! I have no hostile intent! Let¡¯s talk about it!¡± ¡°No! If you don¡¯t want to be hunted, then kill me!¡± As he shouts this, Nos¡¯s face is severely distorted. Rather than enjoying the hunt, he looks as if he¡¯s asking me to kill him. I take out a¡¸Clairvoyance Scroll¡¹from the item box and read it. The effect is to detect the location of enemies and traps. Unfortunately, there are no traps in this room that I could use. ¡°What are you doing?! Henry!¡± Nos rushes toward me as I kick the ground and jump. I catch the swinging staff with my sword. We strike each other two or three times and then backstep away from each other. It¡¯s impossible to discuss this anymore. I have no choice but to defeat him here and now. I take out a healing potion and pour it on my sword. If it¡¯s an undead opponent, the healing potion would burn its body. Nos holds up his staff to produce another ice spear. I slash horizontally to take advantage of the small gap, fresh blood dancing in the air. ¡°Guuuuuuu!¡± Blood overflows from Nos¡¯s abdomen. The healing potion seems to be working as I expected, and he appears to be in pain. Nos stares at me with eyes full of anger. ¡°¡­¡­ You humans are really interesting. From the looks of it, you¡¯re just human with no talent whatsoever, how did you get that power?¡± ¡°I got it by fighting and dying in this dungeon!¡± Nos smiles with amusement. It reminds me of my life in the royal palace, which was no fun at all, listening to my father¡¯s nonsense. ¡°Interesting, interesting. I¡¯d like to die, too.¡± Nos raises his staff above his head, his face distorted. He raises his cane above his head and a blizzard blows through the room as if he were in a snowy mountain. It was so cold that his breath turned white, and his vision was extremely limited. As I turn left and right to look for Nos, I hear a voice from somewhere. ¡°Can you survive this?! Aer ? Robustus ? Glaciem ? Hastam.¡± An incomparably large ice spear comes flying at me. I couldn¡¯t avoid it and my left arm was gouged wide open. Blood overflowed from the punctured wound. ¡°Gaaah!¡± Gritting my teeth, I take out the last of the healing potions from the item box and sprinkle it on. My inventory is now empty of recovery items. ¡°Hahahahaha!How does it hurt, Henry?¡± ¡°There you go!¡± I rush in the direction of the voice. I find Nos and latch on to him with all my might, and he lets out a pained cry. ¡°Guh! What are you doing!?¡± While clinging to him, I take out the¡¸Explosive Flame Scroll¡¹and begin reading it. A raging fire erupts from the scroll, engulfing Nos and me. I read the Transfer Scroll before the flames completely engulfs me. Then, due to the scroll¡¯s effect, I am the only one who can escape the fire. ¡°GUOOOOOOO!!!¡± Nos is screaming in the fire. Undeads are weak against holy things and fire. Nos is no exception to this rule. Nos approach me step by step in agony. His fire-burned skin looks sorrowful. His noble demeanor from earlier is gone, and he now looks more like a monster. Nos holds up his staff, and I raise my sword to confront him. ¡°This has been fun, human ¡­¡­, no Henry. Just finish me already.¡± I nod my head and swing my sword down. Nos held his stance, but did not resist. ¡ó¡ó¡ó I get down on my knees and hold the fallen Nos. He doesn¡¯t seem to have the will to resist anymore, and Nos seems to be calm now. It seems hard for him to open his mouth with his burned body, but he doesn¡¯t care about it and starts muttering. ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly ¡­¡­ strong, Henry.¡± ¡°Nos¡­¡­ You weren¡¯t being serious right? Why?¡± ¡°No, no, I really tried my best to hunt Henry.¡± Nos was using magic he had never seen before. It looked like he still had a few more tricks up his sleeve, but in the end he had given up on even fighting. I couldn¡¯t believe that was serious. But now that I had weakened him with the scroll and cut him down with the sword, I could no longer do anything but ask him if he had a will. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to tell me?¡± ¡°I am a prisoner of Le Cain. I have been trapped in his vile trap and have spent what seems like an eternity in this mysterious dungeon. I have no more words to say and no one to say it to.¡± Does Le Cain and the others hold the mystery of this dungeon? The one who captured the mighty undead like Nos. I¡¯ll have to be careful in the future. I look at Nos, who seem somewhat lonely, and come up with an idea. ¡°If you¡¯d like to join me, I¡¯d love to have you as one of my people.¡¡It¡¯s in the middle of nowhere, but I think it¡¯d be fun to make some friends ¡­¡­.¡± If I could find a way to heal Nos in the dungeon and save him, he might become a resident of my land. Although he attacked me, I don¡¯t think Nos is a bad guy. This dungeon is truly complex and bizarre. There is a possibility that we can heal all of our injuries just by going out through the exit. ¡°Friends huh? ¡­¡­ I miss those words. But everything bothers me now, I¡¯m tired of living.¡± Nos¡¯s body begins to crumble. ¡°Hey! If you keep this up, you¡¯re gonna die!¡± ¡°The longer I spent in the ¡­¡­ labyrinth, the more I wished that there would be a being to ¡­¡­ kill me.¡± There is no power in Nos¡¯s eyes. He seems to have lost the will to live. ¡°I¡¯ll answer Henry¡¯s question ¡­¡­ one last time. As a parting gift.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡­.¡± There are so many questions to ask, but none of them are easy to ask, considering Nos. I feel like I¡¯m taking advantage of him. Then there¡¯s only one thing to ask. ¡°I believe your name is Nos Tora, right? Could it be that the ¡®Tora¡¯ in ¡®The Tiger Trap¡¯ comes from Nos¡¯s name?¡± Nos seem to be amused. It was too stupid a question. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡­ hahaha! Yes, Le Cain used that trap to catch me. That was painful!¡± ¡°I know, I know. That thing bites harder the more you try to run away from it.¡± Nos and I laugh together like idiots. I talk about many other things with Nos as he¡¯s crumbling. We talk about the vile traps and monsters in the dungeon. He was also very interested in the scrolls I used during the battle. Time passed, and Nos¡¯s body nearly completely crumbled. Nos could only speak now. ¡°This is it, Henry. I don¡¯t know why you are here, but perhaps there is a reason. All life is born with a role to play. I wonder what your role is in¡­¡­.¡± As soon as he finishes his sentence, Nos crumbles into ashes. I pray over the remains of Nos ¨C his ashes ¨C on the red carpet and then stand up. The gate behind the throne shines brightly as if celebrating the completion of the labyrinth. This must be the end. CH 12 ¡°Geez!¡± The moment I return to the stone monument room, I¡¯m pushed down by Gabriel. My face is licked relentlessly, and my arms are restrained by Gabriel¡¯s paws when I try to resist. ¡°Stop it! Hey, Gabriel!¡± She meekly listens to me after I ask her. However, she put her nose in my armpit, trying to force me to lift my hand. This was a sign that she wanted me to pat her on the head. As I unavoidably pat Gabriel¡¯s head, Thor laughs and calls out to me. ¡°Haha, you sure are popular, Henry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that she doesn¡¯t listen to me! I¡¯d say I¡¯m being licked in a two-fold way¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is that so? But Henry, you looked happy too~¡± I¡¯m a little happy inside. But I feel like I¡¯m losing if I say it out loud. After defeating Nos and passing through the shining gate, my equipment and other items turned into light particles and disappeared. When I looked inside the item box, it was empty, so it seems that items disappear the same way they do when you die after stepping through the dungeon. I felt the same sensation I felt before when I entered the dungeon, as if I was passing through a thin layer. That feeling was also there when I left the dungeon. ¡°But that¡¯s not the issue right now!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the issue?¡± ¡°I just completed the dungeon!!¡± ¡°Whoa! That¡¯s amazing Henry!¡± Thor claps her small hands to praise me. Now I¡¯ll get the reward that was written on the stone monument, and the territory will be a little better from just having nothing but grass. At the very least, I¡¯d like to move up in rank from a vacant lot to a shabby village. I really don¡¯t want to be sleeping on the ground anymore. Suddenly I realize that Gabriel and Thor are there, but Sheila is not. ¡°Speaking of which, where¡¯s Sheila?¡± ¡°Sheila fell asleep. She¡¯s been waiting for Henry for a long time, but she was so tired that she couldn¡¯t stand it.¡± Looking at the edge of the room, I see Sheila sleeping, her small body curled up in a ball. Her body would not be able to rest on the hard ground of the stone monument room. ¡°I¡¯ve been through the dungeon¡­. so I guess I¡¯ll pick my reward now. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d like Sheila to take a look at it, if it¡¯s okay if we wake her up?¡± ¡°Sheila¡¯s had plenty of sleep already, so it¡¯s okay to wake her up.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, isn¡¯t Thor tired?¡± ¡°I went to bed early, in case you¡¯d be coming back late. Okay, Gabriel! We¡¯re going to wake Sheila up!¡± She¡¯s surprisingly good at what she does. I thought she was a bit of an idiot compared to Sheila. While Gabriel is licking Sheila¡¯s face, I secretly touch the stone monument. The screen that opens is the dungeon challenge history screen. I can¡¯t let the elf sisters see the column for the total death count. They still don¡¯t know that I¡¯m reviving. Henry Bosheit. Cumulative number of deaths: 00007. Trial of the Beginning: Completed 6 hours, 35 minutes, 31 seconds Defeated Nos Tora at the far end of the dungeon. HP 173 (+63) MP 10, Attack 81 (+25), Defense 96 (+21), Magic 1, Speed 22 (+7) Weapon: Steel Sword +3. Armor: Bronze Armor +1, Iron Helmet, Ring of Protection. Special skill: Maintain Status (unique). Possession DP: 763 (Rating +263) (First time completing +500) ¡°Alright¡­DP is starting to accumulate.¡± There is also the word DP on the reward list screen. Perhaps the rewards for going through dungeons are not fixed, but are chosen by using DP. The first time you complete the dungeon, you only get points for that instance, as the name implies. The next time, it will be more difficult to get DP. I¡¯ll have to consult with the elf sisters on how to use the DP I¡¯ve accumulated. I¡¯m the one who earned it, but it¡¯s me and them who will actually live in the territory. Sheila dazedly walks up to me, rubbing her eyes. I hastily switch the screen to the list of rewards. ¡°Good morning, onii-san.¡± ¡°Good morning. I¡¯m going to choose the reward for completing the dungeon. Are you awake?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± Sheila clasps her hands in front of her chest to show she¡¯s not sleepy, but her eyes are not fully open. This one¡¯s half asleep. ¡°Gabriel. Lick her face for me.¡± Gabriel howls vigorously. She is very motivated. ¡°Whoa! It¡¯s okay, onii-san! I¡¯m wide awake!¡± Sheila starts and awakes at once. ¡°Now we¡¯re going to choose the reward for completing the dungeon. Let¡¯s take a look at the screen.¡± The four of us, including one animal, sit down in front of the stone monument. With me in the center, the elf sisters are on either side. Gabriel is leaning on my back. ¡°I¡¯ve obtained 763 DP, so I can get two big facilities, like a house. What do you guys want?¡± Thor points at the stone monument vigorously. ¡°I want a small house. A place to live is the most important thing! Then Sheila is next.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Onee-chan and onii-san can choose.¡± Sheila¡¯s modest reply made Thor look grim. ¡°No. Pick one.¡± This girl has a surprising big sisterly side. Even though they are twins, their personalities are quite opposite. The older sister, Thor, is active and fearless, and the younger sister, Sheila, is a bit quiet. But they get along better than they don¡¯t. They are very different from my siblings. If my siblings aren¡¯t royalty, I wonder if we¡¯d have gotten along as well. Sheila hesitates for a bit, and then timidly points her finger at the stone monument. ¡°Then I think I¡¯d prefer ¡­¡­ Farming field or the Alchemy workshop. How about growing food or making something to earn money?¡± I don¡¯t think they would compete with my suggestion, but I think it¡¯s a good one. There¡¯s nothing better than having smart people. With a sense of satisfaction, I open my mouth. I knew I wanted this from the moment I saw it. ¡°I think this Magic Crossbow is good. As you can see, the Floating Fortress is impossible to get now because it requires too much DP.¡± Fortresses and large weapons are a man¡¯s dream. I had decided that if I had a territory, I would surely have one of these. Just the thought of ballista arrows firing from the castle walls and crushing the neatly lined enemy formation was enough to make me feel ecstatic. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m looking for carnage. I just like weapons as a symbol of power. ¡°What do you guys think about that?¡± I asked in excitement, but the response was weaker than I expected. ¡°Hmmm¡­ I was wondering if I should choose the house, the field, or the alchemy workshop. Hey Sheila, what should I do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a difficult one, onee-chan.¡± Strangely enough, I¡¯m ignored. When I think about it calmly, all of the items on the list of rewards seem to be out of the ordinary. They¡¯re probably relics of ancient civilizations ¨C artifacts. While they have great power, they can also be the seeds of disaster, so they need to be chosen carefully. That¡¯s why I think we need weapons for defense. A/N: The village building part will continue for a while. CH 13 The term ¡°ancient civilization¡± is widely known to the public. Their civilization, which died out ages ago, left behind many relics, and their influence remains intact even today. But few people knew that they were called the people of Aepha. I, myself, only heard about it briefly in a classroom lecture I took a long time ago. Tradition has it that the people of Aepha excelled in magic, alchemy, smithing, and all other skills, gaining power equal to that of the gods. If a relic created by them was found untouched and in perfect condition, it would be revered as a national treasure. At first, I was surprised to see the inscriptions of the ancients ¨C the people of Aepha ¨C in this dungeon, but somewhere in my heart, I denied that it had anything to do with them. But now, I have three relics in my hands. And it affirms everything, this dungeon belongs to the people of Aepha. ¡°If my brothers find out I have something like this, they¡¯re going to come and take it from me with the entire kingdom¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Affirmative¡­ immediate hiding is recommended.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd, Golemus. You want me to hide in the ground forever?¡± ¡°Negative ¨C Human and Elf kind are prone to suffer from mental illness in the absence of sunlight.¡± It is one of the relics that has been talking to me for a while now. It¡¯s Golemus, the all-purpose giant Utiris Golem. Its body, made of clay, is so large that if you lined up Thor and Sheila vertically, they would be the same height. Its arms are thicker than my thighs. It currently carries Thor and Sheila on its shoulders, with Thor looking happy and Sheila looking uneasy. I chose this Golem as one of the ways to spend my DP. I wanted to have someone who could do the heavy lifting for future development. I didn¡¯t expect it to be able to talk, though. At first, Golemus was nothing more than a small square metal body with patterns engraved on it. When I placed it on the ground, it quickly absorbed the soil around it and took on its current form. It¡¯s strong, equal in strength to me, who had trained quite hard in the dungeon. I could use it for defense as well, so all is good. It¡¯s very helpful to have someone who can protect the people here while I¡¯m dungeon diving. ¡°Golemus, help me with the luggage.¡± ¡°Acknowledged¡­ I will follow Master Henry.¡± Golemus gently lowers Thor and Sheila to the ground and holds the two remaining relics in its hands. Like Golemus, these relics were metal objects with patterns engraved on them. However, these relics are as big as a human head and quite heavy. It¡¯s not impossible for me to carry them, but I¡¯m letting Golemus carry the relics to check its movements. I climb the stairs leading to the meadow and head outside. The smell of nature enters my lungs, and it¡¯s very refreshing. It¡¯s kind of depressing to be in a stone monument room underground or in a dungeon all the time. ¡°Now, where should we put the other two relic relics?¡± ¡°Me, me! I still think it¡¯s better to be near the dungeon!¡± Thor replies, full of energy. It¡¯s true that dungeons are dangerous, so it¡¯s a good idea to set up a base nearby to keep an eye on things. ¡°That¡¯s true. Now, which one shall we put first?¡± I stare at the metal objects that Golemus holds. These two came with the book when I chose it as a reward. I skimmed through it, but it was very technical: ¡°This metal body is called a bio-metal, which is excellent at self-repair and remembering form, and it remembers the magical composition when it was created.¡± Yep, I don¡¯t understand it. ¡°Le Cain¡­¡­ who are you?¡± I don¡¯t know even if I think about it, but he¡¯s probably not a good guy. If I see him somewhere, I¡¯ll have to be careful. And he¡¯ll have to pay for the crime of capturing Nos. ¡°Onii-san, those are relics, but I¡¯d like to see the house first.¡± While I¡¯m lost in thought, Sheila says something to me. ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s deploy the Small House!¡± I instruct Golemus to place the metal body on the grassland. After a short wait, the metal object spreads out like liquid bursting apart and begins to swallow up the soil and stones in the area. It starts turning into a building that was unimaginably large compared to its original size. It¡¯s truly a two-story stone house. It looks similar in design to the one I had seen in the royal capital. It looks like the kind of house a slightly wealthy family would live in. ¡°Oh, amazing. It feels like a house on the prairie.¡± I was also surprised at the time of Golemus got summoned, but the technological power of the Aepha people is too great. How could a civilization with this much power have been destroyed? ¡°Henry! Can I go look inside?¡± Thor asks me with a happy face. I nod my head and run into the house. Gabriel follows inside, and the house is suddenly noisy. ¡°I hope she doesn¡¯t destroy the house¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡­ your onee-chan is as sensible as she looks, so it will be fine.¡± Sheila replies with a wry smile. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Sheila want to go see it too?¡± ¡°No, if you don¡¯t mind, may I take a look at the other relic with you onii-san? I¡¯m curious.¡± The wind is blowing and Sheila¡¯s long, beautiful blond hair flutters in the wind. I¡¯m about to be fascinated at the sight. This is no time for me to be fascinated. The other one is a relic related to production, so Sheila, who is a hard worker, must be curious about it. ¡°O-oh yeah¡­¡­ let¡¯s put it on the other side of the house then.¡± ¡°Warning¡­ heart rate is increasing.¡± I throw a low kick as Golemus teases me, but it¡¯s harder than I expect and my leg hurts. The people here are lacking in respect for their lords ¨C I think. I order Golemus to set up the last relic artifact. This production facility will be our lifeline as we don¡¯t have anything right now. I¡¯m hoping it will be ready soon. CH 14 ¡°What is this?¡± Sheila looks curiously at the work desk lined with flasks and beakers. The wooden shelves are crammed with boxes for storing various materials. They are still empty, though. This place resembles the alchemy workshop of the royal alchemist I saw so long ago. An alchemy workshop where potions are made from the remains of plants and monsters. This is the third relic artifact, the Alchemy Workshop. I considered choosing relics related to fields and stables for my livelihood. However, I could get meat by hunting beast-type monsters. And I also wanted some way to make money, so I chose this. ¡°It¡¯s an ¡­¡­ extractor. According to this book¡­. it extracts the properties of the material in high purity.¡± The author of the book is a person of the Aepha called ¡°La Clikara¡±. This book also came with the relic artifact when I chose it as a reward. It seems that La Clikara was a great alchemist, and the contents of the book support that. The book contains detailed instructions on everything from extracting materials to refining potions. Incidentally, in the afterword, there are several pages of angry words about Le Cain. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. It¡¯s more impressive than the equipment used by the village pharmacist¡­.¡± Sheila picks up one of the flasks and looks at it. I don¡¯t know much about alchemy either, but I can tell that this is something above the average level. ¡°So who¡¯s going to use this workshop? I hope we can find some talent in one of the towns¡­.¡± It¡¯s good that we have an alchemy workshop, but none of us have any knowledge of alchemy, to begin with. We are planning to recruit people with alchemy knowledge in some towns and have them work here, but we have no idea when we can start production. If we go out into the town, we might be attacked by my brother and the others¡¯ assassins, so it¡¯s difficult for us to move around the town freely. ¡°Onii-san¡­¡­ if you don¡¯t mind¡­.¡± Sheila clutches her shabby skirt with both hands, trying to say something. Speaking of which, her clothes are still the same as they were when the girls got kidnapped. I hadn¡¯t had time to pay attention to it before, but looking at it like this, it looks a little shabby. I wonder if I should allocate some money for their clothing when I get the money. I feel a little sorry for her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Please let me use this alchemy workshop!¡± Sheila¡¯s eyes wells up with tears as she says her request. ¡°But Sheila, you don¡¯t know anything about alchemy, do you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t know anything¡­¡­ but I¡¯ll study the book that onii-san has and I¡¯ll be able to make potions!¡± It¡¯s an unexpected request. There¡¯s no need for Sheila to be in a hurry to find a job. I¡¯m not going to be so devilish as to throw her out on the meadow just because she¡¯s useless. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. There¡¯s plenty of work to be done, like cooking and laundry, so just do that.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that!¡± Sheila is staring at me. I wonder what her anxious eyes are about. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not very good at anything. I¡¯m hiding behind my sister who can do anything¡­¡± Sheila¡¯s story begins, and I listen in silence. According to her, her life has always been together with her twin sister, Thor. She is the younger sister whose only talent is her seriousness, always hidden behind the active and genius older sister. That is her self-evaluation. When the village she lived in burned down, Sheila only escaped with her sister¡¯s hand in hers. She said with tears in her eyes that she hated herself for being helpless, just grieving and looking to others for help, and she wants to change. She admired her sister and had seen a lot of death in the attack on the village. That must have triggered her thoughts. ¡°That¡¯s what alchemy is for.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I want to be able to learn alchemy so that I can be of use to you.¡± Fortunately, this is an alchemy facility designed by the people of Aepha. Even an amateur could become an alchemist. ¡°Then I want you to make me a healing potion within a week from this moment. If you can do it, this alchemy studio will be Sheila¡¯s.¡± I¡¯m going for a pretty harsh request. It¡¯s also to test her commitment. I¡¯ve already gotten some of the materials from the dungeon rewards. We can have Golemus bring them in later. ¡°¡­¡­! Yes, please!¡± Sheila bows her head deeply. She¡¯s a really polite and thoughtful girl. All I can think about is how I¡¯m going to put a ballista in my territory, but Sheila is seriously thinking about what kind of person she wants to be and is trying to do it. ¡°I¡¯ll give you this book then.¡± I hand her the alchemy book. When Sheila receives the thick book, she stumbles a little under its weight. ¡°Onii-san¡­.¡± Sheila holds the book to her chest and stares at me. ¡°Thank you.¡± As I¡¯m about to reply to Sheila, who bowed her head, I hear a knock at the front door. Without waiting for my reply, the visitor opens the door and comes inside. ¡°That house is awesome, Henry! It got all the furniture and a kitchen and everything!¡± Thor, with Gabriel by her side, comes up to me in high spirits. It¡¯s obvious from her face how much she likes the house. ¡°And you know what? There¡¯s also a bedroom¡­ Sheila?¡± Thor stares at Sheila with a questioning look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve been crying or not. There are tear marks on her face. Hey¡­¡­ Henry, what¡¯s going on?¡± Oh no. Thor questions us with a smile, but her eyes aren¡¯t smiling at all. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­ that. She¡¯s been through a lot.¡± It¡¯s still too early to tell Thor about Sheila¡¯s feelings. I couldn¡¯t divulge it here, so my reply is ambiguous. ¡°Well ¡­¡­ various things happened. You seem unusually fast about forming a relationship with her.¡± She misunderstands me in multiple ways. For the sake of my honor as a lord, I explain to Thor, obscuring the details, but all of them were taken as excuses. I¡¯m probably the most disgraceful lord on the continent, being taken away by Thor like some livestock. CH 15 It¡¯s now almost a week since Sheila has been holed up in the alchemy workshop. There is still some time before the promised time, but Sheila has still yet to show up. ¡°I guess I was too harsh on her.¡± It¡¯s an impossible task for a beginner to make a healing potion in a week. At least I should have set a deadline of one month, I think regretfully. Thinking of Sheila, who must be having a hard time, I swing the hoe in my hand down on the grassy ground. I¡¯m bored just waiting for the healing potions to be made, so I went into the dungeon for a bit to earn some DP, and then exchanged the Farming Field for DP to produce food. ¡°Affirmative ¨C the relic will be used to assist in farming. Farming tools made of Hihiirokane* will never rust or break.¡± Golemus, who is removing a large stone from my side, explains to me. ¡°I thought the field was just going to pop up! I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d have to start cultivating it from scratch!¡± I wield the hoe, which seems to be made of Hihiirokane. I¡¯m excited by the unknown metal, but more than that, I almost feel discouraged by the amount of effort I have to do. The bright red hoe is surprisingly light and sharp. I don¡¯t have any weapons in my possession at the moment, so I¡¯ll use this as a weapon for a while. It¡¯s hard to keep fighting with only broken stones and projectiles. I¡¯m not a barbarian, you know. Plowing. Plowing. Plowing. Then sow the seeds and then plowing again. I let the occasional rain do the watering. ¡°Phew. Let¡¯s take a break, Golemus. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m at my physical limit. It¡¯s important for those in charge to set an example by taking appropriate breaks.¡± ¡°Reporting¡­ sensing pretension.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Golemus is really smart.¡± I reply to the cynicism with cynicism and then sit down in the meadow. I¡¯ve done a lot of plowing, so it should be enough to feed me, the elven sisters, and Gabriel. The seeds I sowed are the same seeds used by the people of Aepha, so I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what kind of crops we can produce. We will grow our staple food in the fields and occasionally eat meat from the wild beasts that live in the meadow. This is the ideal scenario. I feel like I¡¯m getting dumber if I eat only meat. Or maybe I¡¯m actually getting dumber. I wipe off my sweat with my hand. I feel a bit grumpy, but the sweat from working feels really good. I wouldn¡¯t be able to experience something like this if I had been confined in the royal palace. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to die in a dungeon like an idiot. Speaking of which, do you know what my status was the last time I went through one, Golemus?¡± ¡°Affirmative¡­ reading out your status.¡± I¡¯m stepping through the trials of the beginning again to get this field. There¡¯s no sign of Noss on the third level, so unfortunately it looks like he will never be resurrected. Also, the stone monument says that I could challenge other dungeons. I haven¡¯t even entered them yet because I¡¯m still afraid. Henry Boesheit Total number of deaths: 00010 Trial of Beginnings: Defeated 3 hours, 5 minutes, 25 seconds Defeating the dungeon (2nd time) HP 270 (+42) MP 10 Attack 128 (+17) Defense 164 (+14) Magic 1 Agility 31 (+4) Weapon: Bronze Spear +5 Armor: Steel Light Armor +2 Special Skill: Maintain Status (Unique) Possession DP: 328 (+210 rating) ¡°So that¡¯s how it looks like huh? Because I died before I broke through, my defense power improved all the time¡­¡­.¡± Once you¡¯ve cleared a dungeon, it¡¯s easy to go back a second time. However, this is not such a sweet world. The trial of beginnings, whose structure changes every time you enter, tries to kill me with its malice and complexity. In fact, I died three times before I made it through, and my death count is now in the double digits. I also picked up an item called a magic wand along the way, but I didn¡¯t know how to use it. I¡¯m probably the most foolish person on the continent, waving my wand with high spirits in front of the enemy and getting eaten alive without anything happening. ¡°Golemus, we¡¯d better get back home. I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Acknowledged¡­ and I will bring the farming tools to you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± It¡¯s almost noon. I give Golemus the hoe, which was as red as the setting sun, and head home. Lunch is beast meat. To be honest, I¡¯m tired of it. ¡ó¡ó¡ó ¡°Sheila¡­¡­uuu¡­¡­ Sheilaaa¡­¡­¡± Thor mutters sadly while playing with the bone of the beast. It¡¯s been like this for several days now. She explains there was a lack of communication between them due to the fact that Sheila had been holed up creating healing potions. As proof of this, even though it¡¯s lunchtime, Sheila didn¡¯t even come home. Sometimes Thor brings her food, but they don¡¯t seem able to talk much together. ¡°Well, don¡¯t be so depressed. Sheila¡¯s just too busy to deal with you, isn¡¯t she?¡± This is decent encouragement, but I¡¯ve never had a smooth family relationship, so what advice can I give? ¡°Gusu¡­¡­ Uuuuu¡­¡­¡± Thor bites into the beast¡¯s meat, tears welling up in her eyes. I almost want to laugh at the ridiculous sight, but I pinch my thighs and hold back. ¡°You can count on me. If we¡¯re going to make potions, it¡¯s probably faster if we both work together. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I think Sheila should go through this alone for once.¡± Sheila says that she wanted to do it on her own, without relying on her sister. If Thor were to help her here, all her efforts would be for naught even if she succeeds. ¡°I don¡¯t like the way you two are communicating with each other! How come I¡¯m the only one who doesn¡¯t know anything about it!?¡± As soon as she finished, Thor plops down on the desk. Gabriel, who was listening to the conversation, is also anxious, so I hope she will be in a better mood soon. ¡°What can I do for you, Gabriel?¡± I play with Gabriel on the floor, raising and lowering her paws. After playing with her for a while, she lies down and shows her belly, so I stroke her with all my might. While I¡¯m spending time like this, I hear a strong knock on the door of my house. It¡¯s probably Sheila, since there was no way a visitor would come to this place, but it was a strong knock for such a ladylike woman. ¡°It¡¯s Sheila!¡± Thor gets up with a loud thud and looks at the entrance of the room. I turn around to look at her, but Sheila is standing there, looking groggy. She is holding a potion in her hand. Note: Hihiirokane is from Japanese mythology in which it is generally depicted as harder than diamond, resistant or immune to rust, an excellent conductor of heat (or even a generator of heat), and an even better conductor of souls, emotions or spiritual energy CH 16 ¡°I just realized ¡­¡­ that the secret of alchemy is about connection to the magic world, in other words, manipulating the mana that floods the atmosphere is what alchemy is all about.¡± ¡°Hey, Sheila, are you okay? I feel a little scared¡­¡­¡± Thor calls out to her, worried about her beloved sister. Sheila¡¯s eyes are vacant and her body is swaying from side to side like a ghost. ¡°In the past, the purpose of alchemy was to extract the mana contained within materials in high concentrations to increase their effectiveness. But the people of Aepha ¨C La Clikara-sama¡¯s alchemy didn¡¯t use materials as mere materials, but as catalysts! A catalyst is an efficient way to gather mana from the atmosphere, which incredibly enhances the effectiveness of a potion! Do you understand, onii-san! Do you understand how wonderful this is?¡± ¡°Guee!¡± The excited Sheila shoves a potion into my face. The glass bottle pressing against my face makes my cheeks distort and I can only make a pathetic sound. When Sheila came into the room, her behavior was out of the ordinary. Normally, Sheila is a ladylike woman who takes three steps backward to follow her sister, but now she¡¯s in complete ecstasy, rubbing her cheek against the bottle of potion. Thor, who was worried about her, runs up to her and asks about her condition. She asks her how she was feeling, and pushes her forehead against her to see if she had a fever. ¡°It¡¯s all right, onee-chan.¡± Sheila places the potion on the desk and falls straight into Thor¡¯s chest. Rather than losing consciousness, she seems to have fallen asleep from exhaustion. She¡¯s asleep with a peaceful face, breathing lightly. ¡°¡­¡­Sheila, thank you for your hard work.¡± Thor strokes Sheila¡¯s back. ¡°Let¡¯s take her up to her room. She probably hasn¡¯t slept much.¡± I carry Sheila to her room on my back. The weight on my back is lighter than I thought it would be. ¡ó¡ó¡ó After putting Sheila to bed, I go outside to test the potency of the potion. There¡¯s the corpse of a small basilisk ¨C an eight-legged demon. I¡¯m no match for it if I was petrified, so I killed it from afar by throwing stones from a distance. The meat of this thing was surprisingly light and tasty. After taking the meat, I thought I could use it as a material, so I left it in the garden. It hadn¡¯t rotted away for long, so it would be good as an experiment. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s test the potency of the potion with this one. A normal healing potion would take hours to heal a few wounds, but what about this one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. After all, Sheila was working so hard for it.¡± Thor replies proudly. I agree with her, so I open the lid of the potion and slowly pour it over the basilisk¡¯s corpse. The wounds that had been wetted by the potion begin to heal immediately, and the basilisk soon regains its original form. It¡¯s not going to bring it back to life, but it¡¯s an amazing outcome. I feel like I had just witnessed the difference in technology between the people of Aepha and this kingdom. ¡°Yes! Hey, Henry! This is a success, right?¡± Thor jumps with joy. As a common elf, Thor probably doesn¡¯t understand how great this is. Thor is not happy because her sister has accomplished a great feat, but she is happy that her sister¡¯s efforts have been worthwhile. ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­¡­ amazing. The alchemy guilds are not going to shut up about this once it hits the market¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then I guess it won¡¯t sell.¡± For a change, Thor¡¯s expression turns gloomy. If they find out about this new innovation, not only the alchemy guild, but the whole merchants¡¯ association would not keep quiet. They might try to get rid of the troublemakers who are destroying the market, or they might try to monopolize this technology. In the worst case scenario, Sheila could be kidnapped and turned into a potion slave. ¡°No, there¡¯s still a place to sell it.¡± To the west of this meadow, the Beastmen have established settlements in clans. There is no chief who controls all of them, so if you can reach out to one of the clans, you can establish a distribution route. Most Beastmen are rugged, and few of them are as ruthless as the human race. Humans are really dirty. I wish they would die. Deliver the potion there and get paid. Money is probably not used, so it might be through bartering, but that¡¯s okay. We don¡¯t have money or even supplies, but we can use DP to get resources, although we don¡¯t want to rely on it too much. If we find out later that the dungeon rewards are finite, then our sources of supplies will disappear. So even though I may rely on dungeon rewards for new technology and buildings, I want to have my own routes to procure food, ores, alchemical materials, and living supplies. ¡°Let¡¯s go west and make a deal with the Beastman clan. Do you know how many potions we currently have?¡± ¡°How many¡­ just look over there.¡± Thor points to three large boxes. The open lids are filled with potions wrapped in packaging material. There seems to be at least 100 of them. ¡°Oh, this is quite something¡­¡­¡± Who told you to work this hard? No, it¡¯s more like I was the one who said it. ¡°If it¡¯s this good, I guess I can dilute it. I¡¯ll go and sell it tomorrow. I¡¯ve got Golemus and Gabriel at home, so I¡¯ll leave you in charge.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to go too, I¡¯d like to see people using the potions that Sheila made, and I¡¯m sure Sheila would like that too.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s all go together. I¡¯m afraid of having our things stolen, so we¡¯ll just leave Golemus here. We also need Golemus to look after the fields.¡± Thor nods happily in agreement to my words. This is the first time I¡¯ve gone out since I came to this meadow. Let¡¯s get some portable food and water ready by the end of the day and leave tomorrow morning. The potions can be put on the cart that¡¯s used for farming. I¡¯ll be the one pulling it, of course, but that¡¯s the least I can do. I have to repay Sheila for her efforts. CH 17 We¡¯re pulling a cart full of healing potions across the grasslands. Gabriel is in the front. Using her wolf¡¯s keen senses, she chose a route that seemed to be free of monsters and bandits. I¡¯m right behind her, and Thor and Sheila are around the cart. Unfortunately, Golemus has been given the duty of guarding the territory and has been asked to stay behind. It¡¯s a shame because he can be quite the asset. ¡°Huff huff¡­¡­¡± We¡¯re going pretty slowly, but Sheila looks like she¡¯s in a lot of trouble. She has less physical strength than her sister. ¡°If it¡¯s too much for you, you can ride in the cart. You¡¯re still a little tired, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s okay! If it comes down to it, I can just drink a little bit of the healing potion and I should be able to walk again!¡± It¡¯s a bold declaration to use drugs (doping). Relying on potions at such a young age may have a negative impact on her body. I¡¯ll take a break a little later, because if I take a break right now, she¡¯ll probably feel horrible. The Beastmen are in the lands west of the territory. If you¡¯re going to sell potions, it¡¯s best to go with a hunting clan that is usually injured. If you look at them from a distance, you can tell what they do for a living. If they have sheep, they are mainly herders. If they have a house and fields for settlement, they are mainly farmers. Ideally, it would be a community of muscular, rugged men with spears and bows. A muscle empire full of men. Personally, I¡¯d rather not do that. ¡°Grrrrrrr¡­¡± Suddenly, Gabriel lowers her posture and growls. ¡°What is it, Gabriel? Is it a monster?¡± I crouch down beside Gabriel and whisper to her. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a group of Orcs. There are six of them, and they are walking towards the village in the distance. ¡°They are trying to attack the village!!¡± I can¡¯t stand the thought of the village I¡¯m going to sell potions to being attacked. Orcs with clubs in their hands are monsters that eat people and beasts alike. We have to defeat them as soon as possible. ¡°Thor and Sheila, hide under the carts! And Gabriel, too!¡± ¡°I understand!¡± I receive Thor¡¯s reply and take my weapons from the cart. A scythe made of Hihiirokane ¨C this is also a farming tool for cutting grass, but I brought it because it looks more like a weapon than a scythe. Just in case, I take out about 3 potions and stuff them in my pocket. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll lose to that small fry, but it¡¯s better to be prepared for it. ¡ó¡ó¡ó ¡°Ooooooooooo!!¡± The orcs howl, their throats quivering. Was it the sound of alarm at finding an enemy, or joy of finding food? ¡°Gaaaaaah!¡± One of them runs up to me and swings a club down. If it hits, it could easily shatter a human bone, but it misses me and plunges into the ground. ¡°There!¡± After dodging the club, I swing my scythe downward to cut off both of the orc¡¯s legs. After having had the same thing done to me before by a Hollow Knight, I learned the importance of targeting the legs in battle. I climb onto the chest of the fallen orc and swing my scythe sideways to cut off the orc¡¯s head. There are five of them left. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you! Your friends were killed and you¡¯re not even angry?¡± The Orcs are acting strangely. Their attacks are monotonous and their movements are also somewhat awkward. They didn¡¯t show any signs of resentment, even though their own kind had died. ¡°Guooooo¡­¡­¡± ¡°No way¡­ undead?¡± If I look closely, I can see that their skin color is a little darker, and they no longer have the rough characteristics of monsters. I open the bottle of potion and pour a little on the scythe. It¡¯s a valuable product, and I don¡¯t want to waste it as much as possible. When I slash at it with a scythe covered in potion to confirm, the orc suffered from the wound, sending up a cloud of blood, and then died. ¡°Why is there undead in this place!?¡± Undeads can rise from an abandoned corpse. They usually have a hideous appearance, as if rough skin were pasted over carrion. But these undead orcs, though a little pale, look as fresh as if they had just been alive. It¡¯s highly unlikely that six orcs would die together and then turn into six undead at the same time. Then¡­ ¡°A necromancer¡­? No way¡­¡± A bitter taste spread in my mouth as memories I didn¡¯t want to remember came flooding back. The rest of the orcs rush at me, swinging their clubs in a mess, but I deal with them by cutting off their heads with my scythe. As I swing my scythe to get rid of the blood, two people and one animal come running towards me from the cart. ¡°Hey, are you okay? Are you injured?¡± Thor is circling around me, making sure I¡¯m not hurt. Sheila has a healing potion in her hand, ready to help. She doesn¡¯t have to, though. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. These guys are undead orcs, and they¡¯re not that strong.¡± Thor and Sheila pat their chests. ¡°Onii-san, why is there undead in this place?¡± ¡°Perhaps the necromancer manipulated them into attacking that village.¡± I point to a village in the distance. The village is surrounded by a wooden fence, and there are simple wooden houses lined up. There are no fields or sheep, so I guess this was the main hunting clan we were looking for. ¡°A necromancer? What¡¯s a necromancer?¡± ¡°They manipulate corpses and souls to create undead. They¡¯re not good people.¡± Thor nods at my answer. Elves are basically a benevolent race loved by the gods, so necromancers are probably unfamiliar to them. ¡°It isn¡¯t part of the plan, but let¡¯s keep going to that village. It smells kind of gross, and I want to get away from here as soon as possible. And not look at too many dead bodies.¡± I notice Sheila holding her mouth. She looks pale. We should probably go into the village and take a break. ¡°Yes¡­ let¡¯s go, onii-san.¡± Sheila finally leaves the place as Thor comforts her. I hope I didn¡¯t remind her of that. CH 18 ¡°No! Human cannot be trusted! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you in when the village is under trouble!¡± ¡°Can you somehow do something then!? Here, look at this. These are good potions.¡± At the entrance to the village, I keep asking and answering the gatekeeper. As I fear, the village seems to be frequently attacked by the undead, and there¡¯s no room for outsiders. ¡°Beastmen, please! Please let us into the village.¡± Sheila bows her head, tears welling up in her eyes. If a pretty girl is asking for it, it might have some effect. Good, keep going. ¡°Guuuu¡­. N-no, it¡¯s no good!! The chief will be angry with me!¡± It¡¯s a close call. If I had been a beautiful girl, I might have been able to open this man¡¯s heart and the gates of the village through a coordinated attack with Sheila. I wonder if there are any alchemy potions from the people of Aepha that can change your gender. After that, we continue to argue with the gatekeeper, but it¡¯s not going well. As we¡¯re talking, I sense that there was a difference between the Beastmen race and the Human race. They seem to put the pride of their clan first and are deeply loyal to the person they call their chief. Their appearance is also different from ours. Their faces and bodies are the same as Human¡¯s, but their arms and legs are covered with beastly silver body hair and possess sharp claws. Glancing into the village, I see a man and a woman with silver hair. Do all the members of this clan have the same hair color and body hair? Their blood must be thick. And above all, their ears are different from ours. They have magnificent, wolf-like ears that stand up straight. I wonder if I could touch them. Would they get angry? ¡°Oioioi, what¡¯s this, what do you want, Human?¡± A young Beastman, probably having heard the commotion, interrupt our conversation. He¡¯s overtly bad-tempered and glares at us hatefully. ¡°A weak little Human like you can¡¯t get into this village! Get the hell out of here!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the man, Fayne-sama! Yes! A man among men!¡± So they call him Fayne. He even has a few Beastmen around him. ¡°Gahahaha! If you leave right now, I¡¯ll spare your life!¡± ¡°You look wonderful! The women in this village won¡¯t ever leave you alone!¡± He¡¯s getting excited all by himself. The Beastman known as Fayne is smiling good-humoredly and looking down as if to mock us. No, he¡¯s actually taller than me, so I can¡¯t blame him for looking down on me. ¡°We¡¯re not hostile. Besides, I¡¯ve seen a bunch of undead around here, and I¡¯d love you to buy some of these healing potions.¡± ¡°Whaaat!? Know your place, Human. Well, I¡¯d like to get a potion¡­. but I wonder what the chief would say.¡± Fayne is a single-minded man, as you can see. Okay, let¡¯s provoke this guy into letting us enter the village. We¡¯ll start a fight, cause a ruckus, and get some sensible adult to stop us. Then we¡¯ll have a business meeting. If there are no sensible adults, we should give up on them. A settlement like that is not worth dealing with. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Fayne. From the looks of it, the defenses in this village are thin, and you guys are a bit¡­¡­ out of your depth. I¡¯m sure the undeads will destroy you before you can use this wonderful potion.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Human! You dare insult our Silver Crow clan!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just telling you the truth. You don¡¯t understand the horror of the undead, and you have no future! There¡¯s a necromancer out there somewhere! Can¡¯t you even consider the possibility that an army of undeads will attack next time!?¡± Fayne glares at me with clenched teeth. A ragged breath escapes from the corner of his mouth, and he looks like he¡¯s about to jump. The previous undeads we saw were six orcs. However, as I talk to the gatekeeper, I hear that there are regular undead attacks. Perhaps the necromancer is behind it. They may be trying to attack and destroy this settlement to get fresh corpses. ¡°Fayne-sama. Please listen to me for a moment. Why don¡¯t you play a game of ¡°Kaseyae¡± with this Human? If you do it in the middle of the village, you¡¯ll get the attention of the women.¡± One of his cronies suggests something to Fayne. What is ¡°Kaseyae¡±? ¡°Gufufufu¡­ That¡¯s good. I should get a wife by now. I¡¯ll show my manly spirit here. I can¡¯t play Kaseyae among the clans. The chief will be angry with me.¡± Fayne is also excited to get on board with Kaseyae and is sniffing around. Explain to me first what is Kaseyae. ¡°Come on, Human. I¡¯ll be at the house over there getting ready for the Kaseyae. Don¡¯t you dare run away from me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t run away! I¡¯m not going to be defeated at Kaseyae!¡± I¡¯m not sure, but they¡¯re letting us into the village. I howl at this moment. Thor and Sheila are slightly taken aback. I¡¯m creating a character for everyone, so please understand that. ¡°Human howling? I¡¯m going to teach you the taste of defeat!¡± I open the gate and follow Fayne inside, pulling the potion cart. I¡¯m embarrassed, but I¡¯m able to enter the village at least, so this is a good thing. ¡ó¡ó¡ó I enter the wooden house with Fayne. The house is surprisingly solid, so perhaps the Silver Crow Clan is more skillful than I thought. Everyone else is waiting for me in front of the house. I¡¯ve told them to shout if anything happens. If there¡¯s trouble, let¡¯s use our strength to escape. With my dungeon-trained status, I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t lose to the average Beastmen. ¡°Human, the Elf that¡¯s been following you, what is that about?¡± ¡°They live in my territory. They do a lot of work for me.¡± Fayne nods and ponders about something. After a little while, he begins to speak as if he had made up his mind. ¡°Territory? Are you the village chief? Then I guess those two are your wives after all! I envy you. How did you get them!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s different!¡± How single-minded can he be? Is all he cares about is how to be popular with women? ¡°Fufufu¡­¡­. Don¡¯t be shy, Human. I will take a wife as beautiful as that Elf. Yes, I¡¯m going to beat you in front of everyone¡¯s eyes!¡± A sharp claw is pointed at me. I want to sigh, but I hold it back. ¡°Let¡¯s get ready for Kaseyae then.¡± As soon as Fayne says that, he starts to take off his clothes. A long jacket with patterns engraved on it drops to the ground. He¡¯s barely wearing any underwear at the moment, so he hasn¡¯t crossed the line, but if he takes any more off, it could be a problem. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You take yours off too.¡± Wow, those are some nice muscles. I guess Beastmen don¡¯t have fur on their stomachs and chests. I don¡¯t care though. ¡°Wait, wait! Why are you taking it off!?¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡­ There¡¯s no way I can do Kaseyae with this on.¡± My underwear, my last defense net, falls to the floor. If I had to do this, I should have asked first what a Kaseyae was. A small room. Two men alone. Completely naked. The fear of what was about to happen gives me goosebumps. Should I yell out for help? Or should I just knock Fayne unconscious and run away? While I¡¯m thinking about this, Fayne puts his hand on my shirt and tries to take it off. ¡°Stop! I¡¯ll take it off myself, so don¡¯t take it off for me!¡± I beg in a pathetic voice. I¡¯d rather take it off myself than be forced to take it off. Whatever. CH 19 ¡°How about it, Human! Don¡¯t think that you are a match for me ¡®Fayne the Daredevil¡¯! I shall be the one standing, and you shall be the one on the ground!¡± Fayne, bare and clothed only in a loincloth, embraces me and tries to push me down as hard as he can. I could hear his ragged breathing in my ear as well as feel the excitement in his body. ¡°Damn¡­ isn¡¯t the nickname ¡®Daredevil¡¯ a bit of a ridiculous one!?¡± The sweat that dripped from Fayne hits my face and makes me feel uncomfortable. Because I¡¯m tall, sweat and saliva will fly in accordance with gravity and hit me relentlessly. ¡°Guhahahaha! How good it feels to bring the weak to their knees by force!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not listening!¡± I guess it¡¯s because he never listens to anyone that he can¡¯t even get a wife. His strength isn¡¯t that great in spite of his spirit, so I can easily get out of his hold if I want to. If I don¡¯t pretend to be struggling, it might be troublesome later, so I resist with moderate strength. Kaseyae ¨C it is a battle of spirits between two men. It¡¯s a traditional event dedicated to the ancestral spirits of the Silver Crow clan. The men fight each other with only a loincloth, and the winner is the one who puts his opponent¡¯s knee or head on the ground first. In short, it¡¯s a kind of hand-to-hand combat training. This was taught to me after I was completely naked. Tell me first, you chicken brain. Now I¡¯m in the middle of the village, playing Kaseyae with Fayne. The entire clan has gathered around us to watch, but I don¡¯t see anyone who looks like a chief of any sort. ¡°Henry!!! Good luck!!! Punch him hard!!!¡± ¡°O-onii-san!! D-do your best¡­¡± Thor and Sheila are cheering for me. Sheila is embarrassed to shout so loudly, and the last part of her voice is so low that it becomes inaudible. ¡°Guuuu! Having two wives cheering for you is¡­ unacceptable!¡± Fayne tries to push me down in a fit of rage. I try to explain that they are not my wives, but this idiot doesn¡¯t listen to me. ¡°Gaaah! Why won¡¯t you fall down! Why!?¡± Fayne shouts in rage. ¡°Then I have no choice but to use the forbidden technique! Eat this, Human!¡± As soon as he says that, Fayne grabs my precious loin cloth with both hands and tries to tear it off with all his might. As the cloth tears, my appearance becomes more and more exposed. I hurriedly swat away Fayne¡¯s hand with my knife hand strike, but it still tore quite a bit. ¡°Guhahaha! If the loincloth is removed, it will be an insult to the ancestral spirits and you will lose!¡± Holding the loincloth with one hand, I keep my distance from Fayne. If I let go of it, it would be a catastrophe and my fragile honor would be shattered cruelly. ¡°It¡¯s getting dangerous Henry! Hurry up and defeat him!¡± Thor shouts. I look to the side and see that Sheila was covering her face with both hands. However, if I look closely, I can see that she is glancing at me through the gap between her hands. ¡°What can you do with one hand, Human? Orrhaaaa!¡± Fayne charges at me with all his might. He¡¯s probably going to use his massive figure to knock me off my feet and bring me down to the ground. ¡°Die for the sake of my wife!¡± I¡¯m on the verge of colliding with Fayne. Instead of avoiding the charge, I dare to jump into Fayne¡¯s chest in a low stance and push one palm up under his chin. ¡°Guwaaaaaaaaaaahh!!¡± Fayne flies into the air, and after a few seconds, falls to the ground on his back. My body is still on the ground, so I¡¯ve won. The Beastmen around me cheer. They seem to be enjoying the fact that one of their own had been beaten. Perhaps Fayne doesn¡¯t have much in the way of respectability. ¡°Aah¡­ I¡¯m tired of all this nonsense. Oh, Gabriel.¡± When the Kaseyae finishes, Gabriel comes running up to me. She seems to have my clothes in her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re really smart, you know that? You¡¯re smarter than that guy lying there.¡± After patting Gabriel¡¯s head, I go to the back of the house to get dressed. A torn loincloth will not protect my dignity. I must wear the garments of modern civilization. ¡ó¡ó¡ó Back in the center of the village, a strange Beastman stands in front of the fallen Fayne. He has an imposing bearing and eyes that convey his will. He¡¯s of a different class than Fayne. ¡°Dear guest. It seems my people have been rude to you. Let me apologize.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­ It was really rude, but well, I was the one who started the fight first, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°That helps a lot.¡± He reaches out his hand that¡¯s covered in silvery white fur and I shake it back. He is tall, so I have to look up at him. ¡°My name is Sirius. I am the head of this Silver Crow clan. What brings you to our village this time?¡± ¡°My name is Henry Boesheit, and I¡¯m the lord of a land east of here. I¡¯ve come to you in hopes of selling some healing potions.¡± ¡°What¡­ a healing potion. That¡¯s really interesting. Did Fayne there treat a guest who brought healing potions with disrespect?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s ¡­¡­ well.¡± A small flame of anger burns in Sirius¡¯ eyes. He doesn¡¯t show it on his face, but he seems to be very angry. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. Fayne is not a bad guy, but he¡¯s a little inconsiderate. If you are so fond of Kaseyae, you can have him again until he passes out.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on me. I don¡¯t dislike Fayne either.¡± I think he¡¯s an idiot, but a pleasant idiot. Though he¡¯s still an idiot. ¡°Please come to my room for my apology. I will serve you plum wine. I¡¯ll serve your elf ladies a bottle without alcohol content. And some clean water for your beautiful wolf.¡± Everyone seems to be happy that Sirius had made such a generous offer. Besides, we could discuss potions there. ¡°Thank you very much. And I¡¯ll take the non-alcoholic one too, please¡­..¡± I¡¯m a little paranoid about alcohol since I had a bad experience with it. The first two glasses are the most dangerous. CH 20 ¡°You can see that Fayne is one of the best in the village. How did you fight him like that? Where did you learn your skills, Henry-dono?¡± After the fight with Fayne, we were all invited to Sirius¡¯s house. I¡¯ve already done a brief introduction since I wanted to move onto the business meeting as soon as possible. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say where, but I¡¯ve trained myself in actual combat, so it¡¯s my own style.¡± ¡°I see, that makes sense.¡± Sirius puts his hand on his cheek. ¡°I was actually able to watch your fight with Fayne from the shadows. Henry-dono¡¯s strength was as if a powerful spirit was forcibly sealed in the body of a Human. So that¡¯s where the discomfort was.¡± ¡°¡­.Thank you¡± It¡¯s the first time in my life that I¡¯ve been praised by someone. The days I spent dying in that dungeon were not in vain. And the conversation is flowing nicely. My power is recognized, and we¡¯re able to discuss business on an equal footing. The bartering for healing potions might go well. ¡°Henry, you should try this plum fruit water. Can we make this at home? ¡°It¡¯s difficult, onee-chan. But¡­. I really miss fruits.¡± I take a sip of the plum fruit water offered to me. The sweetness that I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time permeates my entire body. ¡°First we need fruit trees. I don¡¯t know how long it will take.¡± ¡°These are wild plums too. However, if they are in the wild, you might run into a demon while gathering them, so I wouldn¡¯t recommend it.¡± I nod at Sirius¡¯s words. I see, there is a way to gather wild fruits. It would be a good idea to look for them when the fields we¡¯re currently growing are finished. Sirius sips the plum wine before me. He seems to enjoy it, and his fluffy tail wags a little. I¡¯d like to touch it, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be angry. ¡°No, Sirius-san. I can learn a lot just by listening to you. I¡¯m a lord too, although I¡¯m only a lord of a few people.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t keep count of the people we protect. Whether there are a few or tens of thousands, I think the weight is the same. What¡¯s truly important cannot be compared by numbers or logic, can it?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± What a great chief. I want to be one of the clansmen here. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to get a chance to touch their tails though if I do. ¡°And you have someone to protect, don¡¯t you, Henry? Fayne was shouting that the two elves over there are your wives¡­ well, that¡¯s impressive for such a young man.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I also have a younger sister ¨C well, she¡¯s an odd one, I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking. Even one sister is too much for me, but I¡¯m not sure I can handle two wives. It must be difficult for you.¡± It¡¯s Fayne¡¯s fault that he¡¯s getting the wrong idea. It¡¯s the fault of the biggest idiot on the continent to blow it out loud. ¡°Geez! No, no, no. We¡¯re not¡­¡­ like that. No, it¡¯s different!¡± Thor seems to have choked on her fruit wine and was in pain. Her heart hurts a little to be denied so much. ¡°No, Sirius-san. Absolutely not. They¡¯re my people, but they¡¯re not my wives. In the first place, they¡¯re still children, after all.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so in denial about it. There¡¯s nothing¡­¡­ wrong with it. It¡¯s a little bit too much¡­¡­ isn¡¯t it Henry?¡± You¡¯re the one who denied it first. It¡¯s unreasonable. ¡°Fufu¡­¡­. Well, well, onee-chan. Calm down.¡± ¡°I¡¯m calm! Muuuu, you¡¯re treating Sheila like a child!¡± What a mess. I¡¯ll just sip on some fruit water until things settle down. It¡¯ll get better eventually. ¡ó¡ó¡ó I feel really tired. Sirius¡¯s misunderstanding has been cleared up since then, but the business meeting hasn¡¯t progressed at all because of it. It¡¯s time to cut the cord. ¡°Sirius-san, I¡¯d like to talk to you about the healing potions. If you need it, I can give it to you in a box. What do you think?¡± ¡°We have some concerns these days, and we would very much like to have Henry-dono¡¯s healing potions. We can¡¯t make them ourselves, and we don¡¯t know when those Human merchants will arrive.¡± ¡°The thing that you¡¯re worried about ¡­¡­. Are they undeads?¡¡We¡¯ve come across ones near the village. We¡¯ve already taken care of it though.¡± The orc undeads that were near the village were clearly controlled by a necromancer. Is that what¡¯s targeting the village? ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m sorry for the trouble.¡± Sirius puts both fists on the ground and lightly bows his head. ¡°No, no, no! It¡¯s fine, please raise your head!¡± He¡¯s probably older than me, and he¡¯s also a respected and honorable chief. I don¡¯t want such a person to suddenly bow down to me. ¡°I¡¯d like to thank you again and again. There have been frequent attacks by the undead, and it seems that two men who look like Humans are involved. One of them was a man in jet-black robes. The other was a boy, but he had a chain attached to his ¡­¡­ neck.¡± I feel as if a knife is being held to my neck. I can¡¯t breathe. What did Sirius say? ¡ª A jet-black robe. A necromancer. ¡°Oh, yes, and the man in the robe had a magnificent staff.¡± ¡ª I know that wand. I know the wand and its owner. ¡°The wand was engraved with the royal coat of arms of the Eastern Kingdom, the place where Henry-dono¡¯s domain is located. It had the emblem of the royal family engraved on it. He may be a servant of the royal family.¡± ¡ª I had suspected this even before I entered the village. But I was going to believe it out of convenience. It was the work of an unrelated necromancer. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll attack again. So I¡¯d really like to get some healing potions. ¡­¡­ Are you listening, Henry-dono?¡± ¡ª That¡¯s right, that¡¯s him. ¡°That¡¯s my brother Ace¡­¡­.¡± The words leak out without being able to hold back. ¡°Henry-dono! What did you say!?¡± Sirius is saying something, but I couldn¡¯t hear anything. I thought back to the gray days I spent in the royal palace, and there was the eighth prince, Brother Ace. That wicked man. That evil man, the one who inherits the blood of the horrible Boesheit. He¡¯s coming. With the undeads. CH 21 ¡°Henry-dono, please raise your head.¡± I¡¯m sorry Sirius, but I really can¡¯t accept that request. The necromancer who attacked this village is my brother, and even though he is my half-brother, that horrible blood of the Boesheit flows through me as well. The blame lies with me as well. How many people did you kill, brother? I won¡¯t complain if they kill me here as retribution. ¡°Henry! Listen!¡± I finally raise my head in response to the shouting. ¡°You said his name was Ace? That necromancer is¡­¡­ What do you know about him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Ace is the eighth prince and my brother. He has the natural characteristics of a necromancer. With his inherent skills, he can summon the undeads for as long as his magic lasts, and he can probably build an army all by himself.¡± An indestructible army where the concept of logistics, morale, and fatigue are irrelevant. That¡¯s the horror of Ace. I don¡¯t know how big the army he can build is, but it¡¯s still terrifying. Furthermore, as a necromancer, he should be able to use corpses to summon more undeads. If one of us dies, there will be one more enemy. We can¡¯t fight him in a straightforward way. ¡°The royal family is¡­¡­ but he¡¯s only ever sent small groups of undeads. It¡¯s possible that he¡¯s only been doing reconnaissance so far.¡± ¡°My brother is cunning and brutal. I¡¯m sure he is. But he will definitely try to attack and destroy this village to get hold of some corpses.¡± It is easier to summon undeads using corpses than using magic power. Ace said proudly at the royal palace. He got the corpse of a maid who just broke a plate. ¡°I¡¯m going to go and get rid of my brother ¡ª or Ace by myself. If anything goes wrong, could you please watch after everyone in this village? I also have some people left in my territory, and I want you to pick them up after.¡± This is the only thing I can do now. ¡°Henry, you¡¯re jumping to conclusions. This is not only your problem, but ours as well.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°The Silver Crow clan will gladly accept any fight that is given to us. And the pride of our clan will not allow us to leave that Ace person to you alone!¡± Sirius grips his hands in front of his chest. ¡°And you don¡¯t even know where Ace is, do you? He takes over dungeons and makes them his strongholds, and sometimes he comes out and attacks villages. Oh, I won¡¯t tell you where though. I don¡¯t want you to go off on your own.¡± ¡°A dungeon¡­ is it the dungeon of the ancients, the people of Aepha?¡± Is there that dungeon outside of the territory? Or is it just a normal dungeon that has nothing to do with them? If it¡¯s the former, it¡¯s possible that Ace had obtained special powers. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of the people of Aepha. It was originally a cave created by underground water and became a dungeon where monsters settled in it. Nowadays, only the undeads of Ace are left.¡± I stroke my chest. Sirius looks at me with serious eyes and opens his mouth ¡°The dungeon is likely to be Ace¡¯s domain. Then let¡¯s intercept them when they attack this village and kill them when they are weak.¡± It¡¯s indeed a strategy with high chances of success. Since ancient times, defensive battles have been considered more advantageous than siege battles. We don¡¯t have enough cards to invade their stronghold. But there will be damage to the villagers. And then there¡¯s Thor and the others. We need to protect their safety. ¡°Are you sure about this? I¡¯m afraid there will be damage to the village. After all, I¡¯m the one¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything else, Henry. Devotion is a virtue, but too much of it is unpleasant. Take a good look at the faces of the girls beside you.¡± Thor and Sheila look as if they¡¯re about to start crying. Well, if I die, their lives aren¡¯t guaranteed either. They must be anxious. ¡°Onii-san¡­ are you going to fight?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I may not have time to let you escape to the territory.¡± Besides, if you anger Ace, even if they escape back to the territory, the girls will be killed on their own. Golemus is strong enough, but it can¡¯t withstand a wave of undead attacks. ¡°Noooo¡­!¡± ¡°What¡­¡± What¡¯s wrong? I don¡¯t know what Sheila is trying to say. ¡°I¡¯ll stay in the village! I¡¯m the one who knows the most about healing potions, so I¡¯ll treat the injured!¡± ¡°Right, right. Also, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s safe to run away. I don¡¯t want to get caught by the slave dealer like before. I¡¯ll stay here and help Sheila.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Thor, Sheila, I¡¯m sorry. Thank you.¡± I lower my head lightly and Gabriel rubs up against me. The soft fur touches my face and eases my mind a little. ¡°Protect them too, Gabriel. I¡¯ll do my best as well.¡± I stroke Gabriel¡¯s back. Gabriel¡¯s head rests on my shoulder, and then she squeals in a thin voice. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you two to heal the wounded. The healing potion can also be applied on weapons, so dilute the potion as needed to save money. I¡¯ll leave the adjustment to Sheila.¡± ¡°Leave it to me! Please, don¡¯t you die, onii-san. My sister will miss you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Sheila!? I told you that was a misunderstanding!¡± Sheila holds her mouth and giggles. She¡¯s become stronger that she can tell jokes even at times like this. Sirius taps me on the shoulder while the two of us are talking to each other. ¡°Henry, I think we¡¯ve had our talk. And from now on, you can just call me Sirius. We¡¯ll be fighting side by side, no need to hold back.¡± ¡°Oh, nice to meet you again, Sirius. I think I can be useful. At least I¡¯m stronger than Fayne!¡± We shake hands for the second time. Sirius smiles wryly, and I smile back. His grip on my hand is strong. I think I can count on him. CH 22 Ace attacks continued to occur frequently. Most of them were only on a relatively small scale and easily defended by the villagers themselves. Because of Sheila¡¯s healing potions, there were also no casualties. A somewhat relaxed atmosphere prevails in the village. The frequency of attacks is increasing, but the initial realization that the enemy has been defeated relieves the villagers of their sense of danger. I look over and see a Beastman on top of a watchtower, sneezing. He isn¡¯t holding a bow and seems relaxed in the sunlight. ¡°Sirius, everyone is letting their guard down. Is this really okay?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. But¡­ just as a taut thread can be easily cut, warriors also need to relax. But why doesn¡¯t Ace attack us with everything at once? What is he trying to do?¡± Sirius narrows his brows. He can¡¯t seem to stop worrying about the situation, so he instructs the villagers to build an abatis. The undeads of Ace are mainly skeletons, and the crude wooden fences around the village are easily destroyed. I placed logs around the thinly defended areas to prevent the enemy from rushing in. Skeletons with little intelligence will slow down if there are obstacles in their way, so we can poke them with spears. In the corner of the village, smoke rises from a kitchen. Since it¡¯s an emergency, it isn¡¯t possible for every family to have a meal, so the food is provided mostly by a soup kitchen. Thor and Sheila are working hard alongside the Beastman women. While Sheila is chopping herbs, Thor is mimicking Sheila with her sloppy hands. ¡°She¡¯s been skipping out on helping his mother¡­¡­¡± I¡¯ve heard that Thor is a genius, but she¡¯s not very good at housework. I think she¡¯s just an eater at home. The two of them are wearing the same clothes as the women in this village, not the slave clothes they wore before but long jackets with slits at the feet and form fitting pants underneath. I guess she¡¯s dressed in a way that emphasizes mobility. The patterns carved in various places are very ethnic. ¡°Sirius? Did someone in the village provide the clothes for those two?¡± ¡°The ladies were all over them, getting them dressed up. Maybe it was because elves were rare, but they were really excited.¡± It seems that they were surrounded by Beastman ladies and used as dress-up dolls. ¡°How peaceful¡­¡­.¡± If you look up at the sky, you will see white clouds slowly drifting by, and birds flying past it. If you listen carefully, you can hear the sounds of laughter coming from all over the village. An ordinary day in a peaceful village. If my family didn¡¯t exist, this would be a scene that would continue forever. ¡ó¡ó¡ó It¡¯s midnight, and I¡¯m resting my tired body at Sirius¡¯s house. I¡¯m exhausted from the work I had done during the day, building the logs and repairing the earthen mounds and wooden fences. I¡¯m sure it has something to do with the fact that I¡¯m not used to this kind of work. ¡°Hmm, Gabriel, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Gabriel, who was lying down beside me, suddenly stands up. She¡¯s groaning and tugging on my sleeve, wanting to tell me something. ¡°No way, a night attack!? Hey, Sirius!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no report from the warriors on guard!¡± I hurry to get out of the house. The surrounding area is shrouded in darkness, and I couldn¡¯t see more than ten steps ahead. If the enemy is attacking, will the guards be able to detect it? ¡°Light the bonfires! Men, get ready for battle, come on out!¡± Sirius¡¯s angry voice echoes through the village. The Beastmen come out of their houses, clothed in their clothes, and proceed to prepare bonfires and weapons. ¡°Hurry up! The enemy won¡¯t wait for us!¡± I climb up the watchtower with Sirius. The lights from the bonfires begin to flicker, but we couldn¡¯t see very far. In the silence, I hear someone spitting. I¡¯ve never seen Gabriel so flustered before. I have a bad feeling about this. I wait for about ten minutes. No movement. ¡°Hey, Chief! I¡¯ll take a look, give me permission!¡± Fayne comes running through the crowd. Sirius nods to him, even though scouting alone was extremely dangerous. ¡°Permission granted. But if you¡¯re not back in 10 minutes, you will be treated as dead. I¡¯ll close the gates of the village.¡± ¡°Ok, please leave it to me!!¡± Fayne replies vigorously and runs off into the darkness. ¡ó¡ó¡ó ¡°Chief! It¡¯s a big problem!¡± Fayne comes back to the village gasping for air. The villagers begin to gather around him to listen to his report. ¡°Undeads¡­ there were a lot of skeletons, chief!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean by a lot. Give me the exact number!¡± ¡°They¡¯re coming from all directions! I¡¯ve counted a thousand of them!¡± The villagers gasp at the large number. The skeletons are among the weakest of the undead, and even the villagers are capable of dealing with them. But if there are a thousand of them, it would be difficult for this village of less than a hundred people to stop them. ¡°Sirius, do you think we should abandon the village?¡± ¡°No. Some of the old people can¡¯t move.¡± It¡¯s impossible to escape when you¡¯re surrounded by them. Then we need to fight a defensive battle. ¡°Then let¡¯s just reduce the number of skeletons! And then we¡¯ll have to find and kill Ace.¡± ¡°All right. Okay¡­ warriors, listen up!¡± Sirius shouts out to get the attention of the others. In the darkness, the warrior¡¯s eyes are fixed on Sirius alone. ¡°The defensive battle is about to begin. Warriors, defend your assigned positions to the death! We will endure until morning to find and defeat Ace! Do you understand?¡± The warriors respond by raising their arms. The overlapping loud voices echo through the village, making my eardrums tremble. Thanks to Sirius, morale is high. The relaxed atmosphere tightens at once. ¡°Sirius. I¡¯ll be in charge of the raid and protecting the thinly defended areas. I want you to take overall command.¡± ¡°I understand. I swear to the ancestral spirits that I won¡¯t let my disgrace show. I¡¯ll leave that to you.¡± We nod to each other and move to our respective posts. On the way, I find Sheila preparing a healing potion. She seems to be dividing them into small portions with different concentrations, one for serious injuries, one for minor injuries, and one for applying to weapons. Thor¡¯s distributing them to the warriors. I can hear the skeleton¡¯s footsteps in the distance. I guess that Ace is hiding somewhere. By the way, I heard that Ace has a boy on a leash, but I wonder who he is. CH 23 Sareha ¨C the person who calls me by that name is no longer in the royal palace. In the past, my mother would hold me in her lap and call out my name. She also told me about her hometown in the southern desert, but now it¡¯s a distant memory. Life in the royal palace is hard. The First Queen faction and the Second Queen faction hate each other, and their children fight each other. As I have a mother who is of low rank as a birth mother, I am not a member of either faction, nor can I join them. However, not being a member of a faction does not mean that you can escape the conflict. Rather, I am treated by both factions as a stress-relieving toy, an outlet for their stagnant emotions. Only my silverware on the table is deliberately tarnished with poison. This is not to poison me, but to show that they can kill me at any time. Now that I¡¯ve gotten used to it, I bring my own spoon and fork. My brothers and sisters look disgusted when they see this, but I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m the youngest of the royal siblings, the younger brother of Brother Henry, and I¡¯m twelve years old. I¡¯ve never talked to him, but I¡¯ve always been aware of my brother, who also isn¡¯t a member of any faction. I heard that my brother¡¯s mother was the daughter of a small noble family in some region. She was very beautiful, and someone told me that the king saw her at a ball. My brother had been harassed for a long time, just like me. A long time ago, on a cold and snowy day, my brother was at the well behind the royal palace. It was so cold that his hands were biting, but he was washing off the ashes from his head and body with the well water. I knew the moment I saw him that he was being harassed by the other brother. My other brother must have done something with the maids and butlers to prevent him from using the hot water. There was no choice but to use the cold well water. My brother has gray hair like his mother, and I think they put ashes on him to make fun of it. My brother never cried in public. If he cried, got angry, or screamed, the other siblings would be very happy and the harassment would increase. He must have learned this from living in the royal palace. But on that snowy day, my brother was definitely crying. There was no one but my brother in the dimly lit outskirts of the palace. I felt as if my heart was being squeezed. It was selfish of me, but I began to feel a sense of camaraderie with my brother who was in the same situation. I wanted to talk to him one day and help each other. But that day never came. It was because my brother had received his territory and left the royal palace. Brother Ace said that he was going to have a territory somewhere in the west and that he would fulfill his royal duties there. I should have realized it when I saw Brother Ace¡¯s disgusting, thin smile at that time. I knew what was going to happen to my brother. ¡ó¡ó¡ó A little while after my brother left the palace, Brother Ace came to talk to me. He said he was worried about Henry and wanted to check on him, that he wanted to show him that he was a good brother, and that he was worried about the many demons there. I was happy. I was glad that there was someone other than me who was worried about his brother. He said that he regretted having harassed him, and there was a faint hope that maybe this would bring him back to the palace. When I heard that a carriage was on its way, I bowed my head and begged. I bowed and asked him to take me with him. Brother Ace willingly agreed, and as soon as the preparations were finished, we set off for the west. The carriage ride seemed much longer than it actually was. ¡ó¡ó¡ó When we arrived at my brother¡¯s territory, Brother Ace changed. He bound my neck with chains, cursed me foully, and beat me. He also threatened to take my mana to summon the undead. The blood of royalty, my inherent skill is called ¡¸Mana Disposition¡¹. The source of my magical power ¨C my capacity for mana ¨C is much larger than that of normal people. Brother Ace took my mana and summoned the undeads. Then he started killing monsters and turning them into more undeads, using them to search for my brother. But my brother was nowhere to be found. After a while, Brother Ace gave up and headed further west using a carriage. There were many villages of Beastmen in this area, and he set his sights on one of them. ¡®I¡¯m going to make undeads out of strong beastmen.¡¯ That¡¯s what he said. He said that he would make them into a fighting force for his faction. Brother Ace began to raid the village with his undeads. It was as insidious as the harassment at the royal palace. I asked him to stop, but he only beat me. Eventually, I didn¡¯t say anything and just followed him. ¡ó¡ó¡ó ¡°Hey, Sareha! Come here!¡± I was dragged by the chain and stumbled. When he grabbed me in the chest, the mana was sucked out of me by the wand that Brother Ace held. ¡°Ughhhh¡­¡­..!¡± A pain seemed to rip through my body, and a sound of torment escaped me. ¡°Today¡¯s quota is 2,000 skeletons. Now squeeze the mana out of your body, you fool.¡± ¡°Ye-yes¡­¡­brother Ace¡­¡­.¡± Tonight, Brother Ace said that he would take advantage of the darkness and destroy the Beastmen village. He said he would surround the village with skeletons and turn every single one of them into fresh corpses. Maybe it was because he couldn¡¯t find his brother, Brother Ace was in a bad mood. Because of the increased frequency of violence, my body ached in many places. The wand shined, and every last bit of my mana was sucked out. Then Brother Ace waved his wand and chanted [Summon Skeleton]. The ground glowed dully, and skeletons crawled out of it. ¡°¡­¡­ Ha, hahaha!¡¡This is magnificent!¡± An army of 2000 skeletons was summoned, and Brother Ace splitted it into two. He instructed one of them to head towards the nearby river. ¡°A 1000 skeletons would be enough for such a small village!¡± Skeletons in uneven formation were waiting for Brother Ace¡¯s order. The skeletons, who seemed to hate all living things, frightened me. ¡°Now go! Overrun the village!¡± The undead army advanced towards the village. I apologized to the beastmen in my heart. But this was self-satisfaction. If I really wanted to stop them, I should have killed myself before he took all my mana. But I was so scared that I just wanted to stay alive. ¡ó¡ó¡ó ¡°Damn it! Why!¡± The village was bright with bonfires burning. There were silver-haired Beastmen everywhere, holding spears and bows. They seemed to be tightly defending and did not come out of the village. Brother Ace was angry all the time. It seemed that the skeletons were getting more wasted than I thought. ¡°Hey! Give me more mana!¡± ¡°Brother Ace¡­¡­ I have no mana anymore¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me! What do you think I brought you here for!¡± With the words came a kick. I groaned and crouched down, and Brother Ace seemed to lose interest and returned to commanding the skeletons. As I moved my body to look towards the village, suppressing my aching stomach, I heard the sound of chains scraping on the ground. A man with a bright red scythe leapt from the watchtower. It¡¯s dark outside the village, so you couldn¡¯t see his face very well. But with each swing of the scythe, the bones of the skeleton burst into pieces and the village cheered. ¡°¡­¡­ Who¡¯s that? A Beastmen?¡± He was a little shorter than the other beastmen around him. ¡°Whoever you are¡­¡­ good luck¡­¡­¡± The man ran with inhuman speed and plunged headfirst into a different group of skeletons. With a single turn of his scythe as he dashed on the ground, the skeletons collapsed as if he was mowing the grass. ¡°Do your best!¡± My stomach hurt when I shout, but my voice came out on its own. The scythe was wielded again. After seeing that the number of skeletons had been reduced to some extent, the man jumped over the wooden fence and entered the village. He was talking with someone by the bonfire. ¡ªThe bonfires were illuminating a Beastmen, an Elf Girl, and the other one, a Human. He had gray hair and a red scythe. Yes, that¡¯s¡­ ¡°Brother Henry!¡± I shouted from the bottom of my stomach, unable to stop the tears flowing all by themselves. CH 24 ¡°Sirius. What¡¯s the situation with the battle?¡± ¡°The western side of the wall is collapsing!¡¡We¡¯ve got Fayne out there, but it¡¯s not looking good. Get over there now!¡± ¡°Yes, sir! I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Since the beginning of the defensive battle, the skeletons have taken advantage of their superior numbers and have been rushing forward without a second thought. One by one, the Beastman were by far the strongest here. However, there are only about 30 men who can fight in this village at most. The number of men who can be called warriors is even smaller. They are gradually being pushed back by the wave of over a thousand skeletons. We are trying to reduce the numbers by jumping into densely crowded areas, but we are still outnumbered. ¡°¡­¡­ Onii-san. Didn¡¯t you just hear ¡­¡­ someone¡¯s voices coming from the enemy lines?¡± Sheila stops me while I¡¯m heading for the west wall. ¡°What are you talking about..¡­ Brother Ace wouldn¡¯t bother to speak up and let us know where he is. It must be your imagination.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s right isn¡¯t it. I¡¯m sorry to trouble you at this time.¡± ¡°No, just let me know if there¡¯s anything that¡¯s bothering you. I¡¯ll leave the distribution of the healing potions to you!¡± Someone¡¯s voice mixed with a skeleton ¨C if it¡¯s not Brother Ace, then it¡¯s the boy who¡¯s being held in chains. I¡¯m curious, but I don¡¯t have time to waste on someone I don¡¯t even know is a friend or foe. Maybe Brother Ace is there, but for now, the priority is the west wall. ¡°Understood! Um, please take this with you!¡± Sheila hands me a bottle of healing potion that are labeled in different colors for different purposes. ¡°Thanks! I¡¯m off then!¡± I run. I can¡¯t spare even a second right now. ¡ó¡ó¡ó When I reach the top of the earthen wall to the west, the Beastman and skeletons are still in the middle of a battle. A raging bonfire reflects the warriors¡¯ figures like a shadowy play. The situation is worse to what I had seen, but Fayne¡¯s efforts are holding the line. ¡°You¡¯re late, Henry! If you don¡¯t hurry up, I¡¯m going to kill all of these bones!¡± Fayne, who had spotted us, shouts. I¡¯ve had a few words with him since the Kaseyae ended, and he¡¯s changed from calling me Human to calling me by name. ¡°Gahahahaha! Take this!¡± Fayne swings an iron rod that¡¯s almost as tall as he is. The skeleton¡¯s head is blown off in the distance. ¡°Aaah! Aaahhhh!¡± Some Beastman guy shouts. There¡¯s no time to waste. I rush over and smash one of them with a front kick. The remaining skeletons turn their hostility towards me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I owe you one, Master Henry!¡± ¡°Ah! Get everyone together and fight as best you can!¡± The skeleton swings its rusty sword down, but it¡¯s broken in half by a light hit from the Hihiirokane¡¯s scythe. With the momentum from blocking the sword, I swing my scythe wide to slash the remaining skeleton. The skeleton falls to the ground, leaving behind a sharp part of itself. ¡°You¡¯re good, Henry! Let¡¯s compare the number of heads we¡¯ve killed! I¡¯ve got seven!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a hundred!¡± I don¡¯t remember the exact number, but I¡¯m sure I killed at least that many. ¡°Don¡¯t be too proud, Henry! I¡¯m going to be the first star of the Silver Crow clan and marry the most beautiful woman in the village!¡± Fayne swings the iron bar in a chaotic way. The fearless skeleton takes a step back from the blow that comes from his huge frame. Suddenly, I see a Beastman sitting on an earthen wall, looking rather pale. I run up to him and call out. ¡°Hey! Are you okay? I¡¯ve got a potion for you, so hold on tight!¡± ¡°Henry! Save your potions, don¡¯t use them!¡± I don¡¯t know what Fayne is talking about. The healing potion made by Sheila can heal all kinds of wounds. Even this man should be able to be cured. ¡°It¡¯s not to be used on dead people! Take a good look at him!¡± I put my hand on his neck, but there is no pulse. I rip off the clothes to check and find that there¡¯s a lot of blood flowing from his abdomen. He¡¯s already dead. Was this man killed by the skeleton? Or was he killed by his friends after becoming undead? ¡°Guh¡­¡­!¡± I bite down on my teeth as if I¡¯m going to break them. The sins of the Boesheit family have increased by one more. ¡°Don¡¯t be frightened, you guys! What are we!¡± Fayne shouts like a beast. ¡°We are the Silver Crow Clan! Descendants of the proud wolf!¡± ¡ªA young man raises his spear in response. ¡°Yes! The Silver Crow Clan won¡¯t back down and they won¡¯t lose! Fight to the death to protect the village!¡± The Beastman around me, who had begun to fade from the battle, take their weapons and shout. They begin to attack the skeletons in groups, steadily reducing the number of enemies. I also find a group of enemies and charge at them. They are small fry compared to the fierce ones I fought in the dungeon. The only thing I fear is their sheer number. That¡¯s what scares me the most. ¡ó¡ó¡ó After the earthen walls in the west, is the wooden fence in the south, and now the main gate in the north. We raid the skeletons that are coming in like a cloudburst. The defensive battle began at midnight, but I could see the morning sun rising over the horizon. My body feels strange because I¡¯ve been fighting without resting. Whenever I feel tired, I lick a little of the undiluted healing potion. It gives me strength, but something is wrong with my body as if it¡¯s overflowing with stagnation. ¡°Guuuuuuuu¡­¡± From time to time, I hear a sound like the rumbling of the sea in my head. I lose consciousness for a few seconds as I fight. The next thing I know, the skeleton has collapsed, so my body seems to be moving properly. ¡ªStatus Maintenance. This is a unique skill that does not decrease your status even with all kinds of injuries and illnesses. As long as you keep your mind strong, you can literally fight until you die. ¡°Mother¡­¡­ this skill was for today, wasn¡¯t it¡­¡­?¡± Right now, there is a lull between battles. You can hear the sounds of sword fights here and there, but there shouldn¡¯t be a major skeleton attack anywhere. ¡°Henry! Are you okay!?¡± Thor and Gabriel come running up to me. I¡¯m kneeling down, and they bend down and put their hands on my shoulders to support me. ¡°No¡­.. I¡¯m tired¡­¡­ Do you know what¡¯s happening with the war?¡± ¡°Sirius said that the enemy is pulling back a little bit. Once we¡¯ve killed the remaining skeletons, we¡¯ll find and defeat Ace!¡± ¡°Right. After I get some rest, I¡¯m going to look for Brother Ace too.¡± Thor looks into my face. ¡°Hey¡­..? You¡¯ve done your best and you can rest now. If you keep going like this, Sirius will be able to finish everything.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s my family¡¯s problem too.¡± ¡°Onii-san¡­¡­ why? No, you can¡¯t do that.¡± What is a brother? Those scumbags have no family feelings whatsoever. ¡°Don¡¯t steal it from me¡­¡­.¡± Thor¡¯s kindness stabs somewhere in my heart, and it hurts. ¡°Eh¡­¡­ what¡¯s wrong with you, Henry? Hey, there are some grandparents waiting for us at Sirius¡¯s house, let¡¯s go there?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t steal it from me!¡± Don¡¯t take it from me. All this frustration, all this hatred, it¡¯s all mine. It¡¯s the only reason I¡¯ve been able to live until today. CH 25 ¡°Don¡¯t take it from me¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m tired. I feel it myself. I¡¯ve been harsh to Thor, who has been so kind to me. I didn¡¯t want anyone to see what was going on in my heart. It¡¯s a disgraceful way to show it, and I despise Thor¡¯s kindness. But it will not change my feelings for the Boesheit. I will end it all with my own hands. I have to get rid of as many people as possible who inherit that blood. ¡°Gau! Guuuuurrrrrrr!¡± Suddenly, Gabriel bares her fangs and howls. I¡¯ve never seen her this angry before. ¡°Gau!¡± . Gabriel¡¯s sharp fangs pierce my right arm. ¡°It hurts!! It hurts!¡± Why is Gabriel biting me? I thought she recognizes me as her master and loves me. I wonder if she saw how pathetic I was and grew tired of me. ¡°It hurts, Gabriel! Let go!¡± There¡¯s no blood. My defenses have been raised during my time in the dungeon. The fangs of Gabriel, a common wolf, would not be able to scratch my skin, but I could still feel the pain. After being bitten for a while, Gabriel finally releases my arm. It¡¯s slightly reddened, and the skin is indented in the shape of her fangs. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you¡­¡­ Gabriel?¡± She starts licking the spot where I was bitten this time. After a few seconds of licking, Gabriel lies down beside me. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s feeling sorry for her actions because her ears are down. ¡°You¡¯re smart, Gabriel.¡± Thor strokes Gabriel¡¯s head. Gabriel¡¯s eyes narrow and her ears twitch in comfort. ¡°Hey Henry?¡± Thor speaks to me in a gentle tone. I can¡¯t look at her properly. ¡°The village sister taught me how to make herb-roasted meat. I¡¯ll do my best to make it when we get home and we can all eat it together.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always left the cooking to Sheila. I¡¯m sure Sheila will be busy making potions from now on, so I¡¯ll be helping her out with various things.¡± We¡¯re at war. Someone is fighting as we speak. Even though the skeletons are retreating, there is no time for this type of conversation. ¡°¡­¡­If you die, we won¡¯t be able to eat together. This battle isn¡¯t the end for us, right?¡± She wraps her hands around my cheeks. A single tear falls from Thor¡¯s eye. ¡°Hey Henry¡­¡­ please, come back alive. Let¡¯s go home again¡­¡­¡± Thor wipes the tears with the hem of her clothes. The red eyes look even redder than before. I couldn¡¯t open my mouth because of the mixture of emotions in my head. What she¡¯s letting out is about to overflow her eyes, but she clenches her teeth and stops. ¡ó¡ó¡ó After bringing everyone back to Sirius¡¯s house, I go back to the battlefield. Looking over the battlefield from the watchtower, I can see a group of skeletons a short distance away. The number of skeletons have dwindled considerably and is now just below 100. ¡°Ohh, Henry, aren¡¯t your eyes red?¡± ¡°No.¡± There is no such fact at all. Sirius, who is standing beside me, uses his observant eyes to stare at my face. But I ignore him. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. What¡¯s more, is Ace in that group of skeletons?¡± ¡°Probably that center there. They reported seeing the boy with the chains. It¡¯s weird why he hasn¡¯t run away.¡± ¡­.The boy in chains. He¡¯s a victim. I¡¯d like to get him out of here unharmed if I can. ¡°All right. What¡¯s the status of our forces?¡± ¡°There are no wounded, as they have been healed with potions. There are two dead. We have about thirty men left, including us.¡± We¡¯ve defeated almost a thousand skeletons and lost only two. If some strategist were to look at this, he would say it was a great victory. But¡­ ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t do anything rash¡­ is what I¡¯d like to say. But we can¡¯t leave our posts because the skeletons may attack the village in scattered groups,¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Wait. Take this with you.¡± Sirius gives me a healing potion. I¡¯m very grateful for it, since I¡¯ve used quite a bit and there¡¯s no potion left in my hand. This healing potion is wonderful. The thought of not having it sends chills down my spine. With Sirius¡¯s words behind my back, I jump down from the watchtower towards the battlefield. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll take unnecessary damage to my legs, but I¡¯m going to focus on impact here. If Ace is even a little frightened, it will be a blessing in disguise. ¡ó¡ó¡ó I confront a group of skeletons, but they don¡¯t move an inch. The swords in their hands point sloppily at the ground, and they don¡¯t show a shred of hostility. Are they looking down on me because I¡¯m alone? Or maybe they lost the will to fight and are planning to surrender. But I don¡¯t believe that Ace is that auspicious of a person. ¡°Ace Boesheit! Come out!¡± I call out loudly to the group. Then the skeletons make a path wide enough for one person to walk through, and kneel down on the spot. There are two people walking on the path. One of them is Ace. The other is a boy in chains ¨C no, that¡¯s Sareha, the 13th Prince. Why is he here? ¡°You¡¯re so loud. I knew it was you, Henry. Your hair color is as unpleasant as ever.¡± Something stirs in the back of my chest. The man in the jet-black robes is definitely Ace. Nothing has changed since I saw him at the royal palace. Sareha¡¯s face contorts in pain every time the chain is pulled. His light brown skin is stained with blood and dust. His slender arms and legs seem to have no more energy to exert. ¡°This guy, he hollered at you yesterday, you know? Why didn¡¯t you help him? Oh, you poor thing.¡± ¡°You guys still like to quarrel with your brothers, don¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you just let him go?¡± Ace clicks his tongue then kicks Sareha, hatefully staring at him. I don¡¯t remember Ace being so resentful toward Sareha. ¡°Conversation is important, isn¡¯t it, Henry? Why didn¡¯t you help him? Doesn¡¯t your lowly mixed blood have any humanity at all?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you that the blood of Boesheit is purely dirty, right?¡± ¡°I hate that composure of yours. I¡¯ve always hated you. ¡­. Just the thought of you being alive, eating, and having a good time with someone makes my insides boil!¡± Ace¡¯s face is distorted hideously, with no room to spare. The staff in his hand is clenched tightly. ¡°Life in the palace was great. It¡¯s a great feeling just remembering the crying face on that snowy day. I¡¯m sure you think so too, don¡¯t you, Sareha!?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­Brother Henry¡­..¡± Sareha mutters helplessly. That¡¯s another Boesheit. No matter how pitiful he is, my heart must not be moved. I approach the group of skeletons. Ace is screaming at me, but I ignore him. When I find a decent amount of skeletons, I slash at them with my scythe. As if drawing a straight line horizontally, four skeletons are cut in half, standing still and unmoving. ¡°I can kill the skeletons in here by myself. It doesn¡¯t matter if I die. The Beastman are strong. They can kill you Ace.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯ve already won, Henry? Do you think those weak bones are all I have?¡± ¡°Are you going to summon another undead? I can kill you while you are finishing your chanting. It doesn¡¯t matter if you have a hostage.¡± ¡°Haha, hahahahahaha!!¡± Ace laughs loudly as if he¡¯s lost his mind. I have a bad feeling about this, but I can¡¯t predict what he¡¯s going to do. I¡¯m not sure if I should cut in or just wait and see. ¡°Henry!! It¡¯s better for you to run back to the village as soon as possible!¡± ¡°¡­¡­What are you saying¡ª¡° As soon as Ace finishes talking, there is a sound that reaches my ears, a roar like the earth cracking. A little later, a muddy stream comes rushing into the village from far away. It¡¯s the overflow of a river. ¡°Hahahaha! While you guys were protecting the village, we blocked the river! It was a lot of work, you know how many thousands of undead we used?! I was actually going to wait until I had more corpses, but it doesn¡¯t matter now!¡± At that speed, the village would be swallowed within minutes. The sporadic attacks, were they just camouflage for the damming of the river? The goal was not to destroy the village. If it became known that he had attacked the Beastman village without permission, it would undermine the factional struggle. Would he go this far to destroy the evidence? ¡°I¡¯ve won, Henry! You were defeated from the very beginning! It¡¯s the village you protected so well! Oh, it feels good!!¡± When Ace raises his staff above his head, a huge demon descends from the sky. It¡¯s called a gryphon. He seems to be using it as an undead version of itself. Ace forcibly holds Sareha and straddles the gryphon. He flies off into the distance without giving me time to call out to him. Sirius in the watchtower is shouting. He must be trying to get those who can move to higher ground. But the exhausted warriors are not moving fast enough. Some of them may not be able to help. I turn my back on the muddy stream and start running toward the village. Everyone is still at Sirius¡¯s house. Along with the elderly who can¡¯t move. CH 26 Chapter 26 - A Call From the Dungeon I opened the door of Sirius¡¯ house with great force. There was no time to lose as the muddy stream closed in behind me. ¡°Everyone! Let¡¯s get to higher ground!¡± The frustration of being beaten by Ace was more than enough for me right now. The threat of nature did not care about our feelings. ¡°Onii-san! Grandmas and Grandpas are¡­¡­!!!¡± Behind Sheila, there were three elderly Beastmen. All of them seemed to be weak in their legs and would not be able to escape the muddy stream. I could carry them on my back and flee to higher ground. But, if I wasn¡¯t careful, I would fall together with them. ¡°I can carry one of you on my back, one on each arm, and go to¡­¡­?¡± Thor and Sheila¡¯s body size would not allow them to carry a person on their back, so inevitably, I would have to carry them all. I imagined holding the elderly as if they were luggage, but it would be very difficult to run. ¡°Thor and Sheila, go with Gabriel to the high ground! I¡¯ll take care of the rest!¡± ¡°But ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please! We don¡¯t have much time right now!¡± Sheila hesitated, but Thor led her away from the room. I heard the two small footsteps and the slightly larger footsteps of an animal. I felt a little relieved when they moved away from me. The earth rumbled from afar. My feet trembled and the house creaked. ¡°¡­¡­ Your name is Henry? We have lived long enough¡­¡­ you need to get out of here.¡± An elderly man spoke up. I once met a man named Noss in a dungeon. The resignation in his eyes was different from the resignation of these old men. ¡°Yes. We were happy to meet and know Thor and Sheila at the end. That¡¯s enough for us.¡± The woman with the wrinkles on her face continued. ¡°Yes, you brat! We may be old, but we¡¯re still the proud descendants of wolves even in our old age. And we have not fallen so far as to beg for help from strangers!¡± The last person was full of energy. His legs may have weakened, but his heart seemed not to be. He must have been a brave warrior in his youth. I wish I hadn¡¯t seen him or rather, them. I saw their faces and heard their voices. If I abandoned them, these people would haunt me in my dreams every night. The sight of the three old men spitting out curse words one after the other came to my mind. ¡°Ah, what a troublesome situation! Just come here, please!¡± I carried one of them on my back and grabbed two of them forcibly in both arms. It was an uncomfortable position, and my body would certainly be sore later, but I would be able to heal it with healing potions. ¡°Hey! Let me go, you brat!¡± I ignored the old man screaming in my right arm and kicked down the door. I looked at the high ground. Fayne and Sirius were running up the hill. On each of their backs was a child Beastman. The other Beastmen were similar. Children first, then their respective families, and the elderly people last. ¡°Sirius the crybaby has become a splendid man. He knows what he has to do.¡± ¡°Yes, he does. I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°He¡¯s still naive! I should¡¯ve taken that brat with me!¡± The elderly were talking as they please. The sound of the earth rumbling got closer and closer. ¡°The three of you! I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t have time for this!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to leave us! You fool!¡± ¡°So, I need you guys to become birds.¡± ¡°What!?¡± I could see Fayne at the top of the hill. He carried a child on his back and was staring at us. I was sure he was planning to come over here. ¡°FAAYYYNNEEE! LISTEN TO ME!!¡± I shouted as loud as I could. Fayne seemed to have noticed and was waving at me. ¡°Now! I¡¯m going to throw these elderly people! You need to catch them!¡± As Sirius was holding his head in his hands, Fayne waved his arms around him to show his approval. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s become a bird. Which one of you would like to go first?¡± ¡°A, a, aahh.¡± ¡°Oh god.¡± ¡°No way!! I¡¯m gonna die!!¡± The old men in both of my arms flailed like crazy. But don¡¯t think you could escape my arm strength. I¡¯ve trained them hard. I would carry the elderly lady on my back, so she would be fine. ¡°Ara Henry-chan. Thank you.¡± The elderly woman on my back thanked me with a gentle face. ¡°This is discrimination! Why do men have to get thrown and women get to be carried!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re more energetic than me¡­.. Good!¡± ¡°Nothing good will come of this! You¡¯re out of your mind!¡± I didn¡¯t understand. I was risking my life to save people¡¯s lives. ¡°Keep your mind calm, like calm water. And time will take care of the rest.¡± ¡°Oh no! Hiyaaaaaah!¡± He was like a baby. Looking at him like this, he looked like an out-of-shape elderly man. I guessed it was still a little early for him. The muddy stream wouldn¡¯t wait for us, so I quickly dropped the three of them and grabbed the energetic one with both hands. I threw him with all my might. The elderly man drew a beautiful parabola with a scream and flew toward Fayne. After flying for about ten seconds, Fayne brilliantly caught him, and let out a beastly yell. ¡°You¡¯re next! Come on, we¡¯re running out of time!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to die in the village where I was born¡­¡­.¡± Before I could hear his reply, I grabbed him by the chest and threw him as well. I thought I heard Sirius scream, but I ignored it. Then, Fayne took him beautifully. He raised the old man high with a shout of joy. ¡°You¡¯re a very talented man, Henry. By the way, the water¡¯s getting closer.¡± The elderly lady said as I carried her on my back. The muddy stream was almost upon us, and Sirius¡¯ house behind us was swallowed by it. It collapsed with an awful sound, and what used to be his house washed away with the water. I could run as fast as I could if I only carried the light lady on my back. I ran toward the high ground, listening to the sound that swallowed everything. ¡°Ara¡­¡­ is so fast.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk or you¡¯ll bite your tongue!¡± I was running faster than the muddy stream. I could make it in time. ¡ó¡ó¡ó ¡°You¡¯re stupid ¡­¡­ Several times more ¡­¡­ I thought ¡­¡­ you¡¯d be¡­.¡± Sirius scolded me. The village below us had completely collapsed. I wasn¡¯t sure it was possible to go back to normal even if the water receded. ¡°Are you listening to me, Henry!? I¡¯m thankful to you, but there are other ways to do this!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, chief. We¡¯re all alive.¡± ¡°You too, Fayne! You¡¯ve been having fun this whole time!¡± ¡°Because those old men are always nagging and scolding me. It¡¯s a pleasure to hear them scream!¡± Sirius scratched his silver hair. If he worried that much, his hair was going to thin out on his head. The two old men from earlier had collapsed, blowing bubbles, but it seemed that there was nothing wrong physically. ¡°Haaa¡­¡­ that¡¯s enough. More importantly, I want to talk about Ace.¡± ¡°Ace got away on a gryphon, didn¡¯t he? Did he run back to the palace¡­¡­?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. The direction he flew in, it was towards the dungeon you mentioned before.¡± A dungeon that Ace was taking over. It was originally a monster den created by underground water. He had filled it with undead and made it his domain. ¡°Maybe he intends to come back and lead the undead from the dungeon.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­ that¡¯s what I was thinking too.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s attack him. And we should be done with this.¡± Ace was obsessed with me. He would come back. And there was no place to escape in the dungeon. I would hunt him down and make him responsible for everything. ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯ll go with you. There are many narrow paths in the dungeon, so only Henry and I will be the only ones to attack it. The remaining warriors will wait at the entrance of the dungeon, keeping an eye out for monsters and undead.¡± ¡°All right. Who¡¯s going to take charge of the villagers?¡± ¡°I¡¯m very reluctant, but Fayne. He may be dumb, but he¡¯s good enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to hear you praise me so much.¡± Fayne wriggled his body with happiness. I wondered if he had a constitution that prevented him from hearing unfavorable words. Perhaps because I was relieved, my body relaxed. As I sat there and looked around, I saw Thor and her friends. They were probably looking for someone who was injured. Let¡¯s rest a little. It had been a while since I¡¯d gone to a dungeon. CH 27 Chapter 27 - The Undead Dungeon: The Outer Layer Half a day north of what used to be a village. That¡¯s where Ace was. The Undead Dungeon. In the midst of the brown lands, there was an entrance to a dungeon. It wasn¡¯t man-made, but a product of nature. It looked as if a monster had spread its mouth and was waiting for a foolish challenger. ¡°Sirius, are you sure this is the right entrance?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. But it smells ¡­¡­ awful.¡± Sirius twisted his face. It didn¡¯t smell that bad, but I wondered if it was because Beastmen had such a good sense of smell. ¡°The smell of a corpse¡­¡­ How many lives would it take to emit such a smell¡­.¡± ¡°The undead inside would be a class apart from the skeletons.¡± At least a gryphon had been turned into undead. Winged monsters were terrifying. Dragons, wyverns, and gryphons. People couldn¡¯t fly, and because of that, it took a huge amount of effort to fight against them. If we had archers and magicians, it would be a different story. I just hoped the ceiling was low enough for the gryphons to hit their heads and die on their own. ¡°Henry, we may not be able to afford to eat inside the cave. Let¡¯s eat here and then head in.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s a dungeon, isn¡¯t bread dropped inside? I think we¡¯ll be fine if we eat it and head for the deeper levels.¡± Sirius looked at me as if he were looking at Fayne. It was a complex mixture of dismay and concern. I couldn¡¯t help but speak as if I were in a dungeon that I was familiar with. ¡°No, forget it. You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s get some food and then we¡¯ll go. Yeah, yeah. If we die in this dungeon, it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± That¡¯s right, in this dungeon, you couldn¡¯t use the item box, and there was no item or status reset. And if you die, it was over. For both me and Ace. I¡¯m going to take Ace¡¯s life now. How many times have I killed him in my imagination? When I thought of the fact that I was within arm¡¯s reach of him, joy rose in my heart. But there was also a feeling of impatience. A sense of urgency, as if I were about to lose something. What was it? Maybe I would get an answer when I meet Ace. ¡ó¡ó¡ó Droplets of water fell from the ceiling of the dungeon and made a noise. The dungeon, naturally created by underground water, was covered with hard rock. Darkness reigned in the area, and if it weren¡¯t for the torches I¡¯d made in a rush, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see an inch of the way. ¡°How did you manage to make a torch?¡± ¡°I hunted a few beasts for food. It¡¯s easy to use the fat from the beasts.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sirius and I proceeded, keeping a wary eye on the road ahead. We¡¯ve come so far from the entrance that even when we looked back, there was only darkness. However, I was sad to see that no items had fallen. If this had been a dungeon in my territory, I would have found some weapons, armor, and scrolls. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here, Sirius. There¡¯s no undead.¡± ¡°Not really. Look over there.¡± Sirius pointed his torch at the wall. The color of the wall was different there. No, that dull glow was peculiar to minerals. ¡°That¡¯s an iron vein, isn¡¯t it? This dungeon was left untouched for many years, so it seems to have a lot of mineral resources.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯d like to take some home with me.¡± I almost accidentally said, ¡°But it will disappear when you step out of the dungeon.¡± I didn¡¯t want Sirius to give me the cold shoulder again. Unlike the dungeons in my territory, the things I picked up here do not disappear. That was normal, but it was hard to change common sense once it was engraved in your brain. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re not as good at blacksmithing as the dwarves, but mineral resources are¡­¡± In the middle of his speech, Sirius put his index finger to his mouth. He had serious eyes. I was sure there were undead in the vicinity. ¡°Henry, I smell the undead up ahead. From the sound of their footsteps, there are three of them.¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll take care of them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ No, I¡¯ll go there. There are some things about Ace that I can¡¯t stomach.¡± The handless Sirius stepped forward. Come to think of it, Sirius didn¡¯t bring the spear from the village. Don¡¯t tell me he was going to punch the undead to defeat them. It was true that stabbing weapons were less effective against undead with hard bodies, such as skeletons. But bare hands were out of the question. ¡°¡­¡­¡¾Ancestral Spirit Fury ? Call Beast¡¿!¡± As soon as Sirius activates his skill, his bones creaked and his body expanded. Animal hair covered his whole body, and his neat face turned into a ferocious wolf. His fangs and claws grew sharper, and he could easily slice through rocks. ¡°Aah¡­¡­ What the¡­¡­¡± ¡°Are you surprised, Henry? We are the descendants of wolves. The chosen warriors can borrow the power of the ancestral spirits and change their form. This is a part of that power. We were once called werewolves, but this is our true form.¡± I was surprised by what I saw. But what surprised me the most was how huge Sirius¡¯ body had become. The clothes he was wearing were torn away cruelly because he was twice as big as before. What used to be his clothes fell at his feet. I wondered how he was going to get home when he was untransformed. ¡°Our ancestral spirits are furious, too, for having defiled the land of our fathers. I will settle this here.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m counting on you, Sirius.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!? It looks like they¡¯re here. Then I¡¯ll take the first one!¡± I heard footsteps approaching. Illuminated by the torchlight was a huge body that made you look up. It was a demon called a troll. The skin was purple and rotten, and the eyes were spilling out of their sockets. ¡°Gaaaaaaaaahhhh!!¡± Sirius leaped to reach the ceiling. He then grabbed the troll by the shoulders and swung his sharp claws down. The troll¡¯s head and neck were split open, and it died on the spot. Sirius used the broken head as a foothold to continue further. ¡°First one!¡± Sirius spun in the air and hit the other troll on the side of its head with a spinning kick. The troll tried to grab Sirius with a look of agony on its face. But it was not fast enough. Bouncing freely off walls and ceilings, Sirius dodged everything by a paper-thin margin. ¡°Oh, amazing! You¡¯re keeping your movements to a minimum by avoiding them at the last minute.¡± If it were a simple matter of status, I¡¯d be superior to him. However, my experience in fighting and the way I used my body were unmatched. In addition, trolls and Sirius were different as living beings. For all intents and purposes, Sirius would never be defeated. The troll was kicked and fell down, and a knee kick from the air hit the troll, splattering the area with fresh blood and brain matter. He then pounced on the last troll with his momentum, clawing at its neck. After a few moments, the troll¡¯s head slipped off and fell to the ground. Sirius brushed off the claws and removed the stuck pieces of flesh and blood. ¡°This is the true fighting style of the Silver Crow clan. It¡¯s not very pleasant to watch, is it?¡± As if the excitement of the battle was a lie, Sirius spoke to me like a gentleman. ¡°Let¡¯s leave each other on our backs from here. It¡¯s a dimly lit dungeon, so we¡¯ll have to keep an eye out for traps.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s true that Sirius¡¯s fur would burn if he got caught in a big explosion trap or a fire trap.¡± It would be terrible if he lost both his legs in the big explosion trap. The healing potions were limited. And Beastmen were easy to get burned. Also, being burned to death was much worse than you think. If you could lose consciousness early, it wasn¡¯t so bad. How many times had I experienced that? I couldn¡¯t remember anymore because I died too many times. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, but if you¡¯ll be careful, that¡¯s fine. We have a long way to go.¡± Sirius looked at me with kind eyes. It was true that there were no such traps in common dungeons, but the key to dungeon conquest was to be prepared for every eventuality. So please did not look at me with the same eyes you look at Fayne with. CH 28 Chapter 28 - The Undead Dungeon: The Deeper Layer We proceeded to defeat the undead along the way. Ace seemed to have turned the various monsters outside into undead, and there were a great many of them. ¡°¡­. ry¡± With each step through the cave-like dungeon, the sound of my heartbeat became more intense. An unpleasant sweat trickled down my back, draining my body temperature. ¡°¡­. nry!¡± Ace was utilizing a large number of skeletons, the weakest of all. Those things were weak. Even if he wanted to have power in the faction, he couldn¡¯t be a threat to his other brothers with rare skills. There would be a way to summon other strong undead. But as I¡¯ve seen in the royal palace, Ace¡¯s summoned undead will disappear over time. They would want a force that could be used continuously. A strong individual. He attacked Sirius and the others to obtain it. Skeletons were sacrificed for that purpose. He dammed up the river and then was swept away with the muddy water to die a second time. ¡°¡­.. Henry!¡± Sirius shouted in my ear. He tried to keep his voice low so that the undead wouldn¡¯t notice him, but his voice was loud. It seemed he had forgotten what he said because of his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sirius. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I only called out to you because you were acting strangely. You don¡¯t seem to be ¡­¡­ on your guard, is there something on your mind?¡± There are countless things to think about. I had to figure out how to defeat the Gryphon, Sareha who was shackled with chains, and Ace. And I promised Thor. I would return home alive. Would killing Ace out of selfishness and then returning home be fulfilling that promise? ¡°Are you thinking about your brother?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°We consider blood relations to be a precious thing. But do you consider that the blood that flows through you is a curse?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I get angry when people step into my heart with their feet. I respect Sirius, but I don¡¯t remember forgiving him that much. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the most pathetic child in the world?¡± ¡°¡­¡­! What!!¡± I¡¯m not going to be that conceited. Gabriel nearly starved to death on the meadow, unable to join the wolf pack. Thor and Sheila lost their homes and families in the war. Everyone has lost something. Sirius, right in front of me, has been swept away from his village and his ancestral pride has been tarnished. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to preach, but sometimes talking can make things easier.¡± ¡°Talk¡­..¡± I wondered if I had ever talked to anyone about my problems. When my mother was alive, I used to talk to her about all kinds of trivial things. There was a big bug in the garden. I hated that breakfast menu. Every time I talked to her, she would pat me on the head, which made me happy. ¡°My mother¡­¡­ has always been in my heart. When I turned five years old, someone killed her in the royal palace¡­¡­¡± I want to talk and feel better. Once you open your mouth, you can¡¯t stop. ¡°I think it¡¯s some kind of scheme. Someone was afraid that with my mother having more children, a new faction would form¡­¡­¡± ¡°I see. And you think Ace had something to do with it?¡± ¡°He was just a kid at that time. I don¡¯t know. But Ace, from the First Queen¡¯s faction, must know something, right?¡± That¡¯s right. He and his mother must have killed her. Even if they didn¡¯t, they were just as guilty for being born into the Boesheit family. ¡°And the boy with the chains? I watched from the watchtower, and the way that boy looked at you was anything but normal. Could he be family?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Sareha. He¡¯s from a different mother, but he is certainly a member of the Boesheit family.¡± ¡°Then you have the blood of your hateful clan. Let¡¯s say you kill Sareha after killing Ace. Would that make you feel better?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Sareha didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°But that¡¯s what you¡¯re saying. We don¡¯t have time for this. You¡¯d better get your answer quickly.¡± Sirius walked ahead of me without asking for a response, so I ran behind him to keep up. The sound of water hitting the rocks sounded uncomfortably loud. ¡ó¡ó¡ó An open space. The ceiling was high, and there was room for a Gryphon to fly freely. Behind the Gryphon was Ace. Sareha was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Henry, let¡¯s go over the plan before they notice.¡± Ace would use the remaining mana to summon the undead. If it becomes a melee battle involving Gryphon, it would be dangerous. We have to decide our roles. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m in charge of the undead summoned by Ace. Henry will take care of the Gryphon and Ace. But¡­¡­ are you sure this is the right arrangement? It seems that what you¡¯re taking care of is more than me.¡± We hid behind a rock and exchanged a few words. Sirius prepared for battle by applying potions to his fists and claws. I applied a thin layer of healing potion to my scythe as well. It was very useful for everything but Ace. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. And it¡¯s because I want to.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be there in three seconds.¡± ¡­.. 3 I looked at Ace¡¯s face. He looked like he couldn¡¯t wait. ¡­.. 2 I think I understand. I¡¯d like to settle this with my own hands, too. ¡­.. 1 I don¡¯t know why Ace is so obsessed with me. I¡¯ve never even heard of it, come to think of it. ¡°I¡¯m going, Henry!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± There was nothing I could do about it. I just charged forward with the scythe. ¡°You¡¯re here!! Henryyyyy!!¡± Ace, who noticed us, summoned an undead. The undead was dressed in knight armor. A red light leaked from the slit in his helmet. ¡°Go! Skeleton Nighttt!!¡± The undead held its shield in front and swung the sword in its other hand down at Sirius. Sirius fought it off with his claws and put his fist in the gap between the knight¡¯s armor ¨C the joint. The skeleton knight who took the impact held his broken arm. Ace also summoned three skeleton knights. ¡°Slay that filthy wolf!¡± The undead swarmed around Sirius. ¡°Are you alright, Sirius!?¡± ¡°Leave us alone, Henry!! Just take care of Ace!!¡± The Gryphon spread its long wings. As it flapped its wings a few times, dust danced in the air and its huge body gradually began to float. It was glaring powerfully at me. ¡°Henryy¡­¡­ you finally came¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.. Ace.¡± ¡°Sareha is in the back, no one is going to bother us anymore. Die, die here. Die.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do with you. Drop your weapons and surrender. Spend the rest of your life making amends to the people you killed. Then I won¡¯t kill you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ You¡¯re so boring. You really want to kill me, so why don¡¯t you just be honest? Why don¡¯t I tell you how your mother died?¡± ¡°Ace. I knew you were the ones¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take away everything you care about. I¡¯m going to turn that wolf bastard into undead and kill him and you. And all the survivors from that village.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Aaaace!!¡± Something snapped audibly in my head. I saw Ace smiling high. A Gryphon flew towards me. ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaah!¡± The Gryphon glided down from the ceiling. I took out the last of the healing potions from my pocket, opened the seal, and threw the entire contents at it. ¡°Hey Henry, do you think a potion like that will kill a Gryphon!?¡± The Gryphon¡¯s face was burned by the potion. ¡°What the hell, there¡¯s no way a healing potion will work on high-level undead! You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± The Gryphon flew toward me in agony. Its momentum has been reduced, and the directionality of its murderous intent has been lost. ¡°Come back, Gryphon! Stooop!!¡± ¡ª I raised the scythe from the lower level. The bridge of the Gryphon¡¯s nose split in two. Then the forehead, neck, chest, torso, waist, and groin ripped open, splattering blood, and slid backward, scattering internal organs. ¡°¡­¡­ Ace¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come here! You monster!¡± I stepped closer to Ace, who was on his butt. ¡°Enough is enough. It¡¯s over.¡± I stomped on both of Ace¡¯s arms and broke them. Now he couldn¡¯t hold his wand. ¡°¡­¡­!!! Gaaaah!¡± I tightened Ace¡¯s neck with both arms. He couldn¡¯t breathe and seemed to be in pain. I would end this as soon as possible. It¡¯s not a hobby of mine to make people suffer. CH 29 Chapter 29 - Light (Side: Ace Boesheit) Whitelist us. Ad revenue gives additional support to the translator and keeps the site running. Interested in being a part of the Nocturne TL team? We are looking for Editors and Chinese, Korean, and Japanese translators to join our team. Join us on Discord and look for Picky Reader#7543 to guide you through recruitment if you are interested. ============================================================================================== A light flickered at the edge of my vision. I couldn¡¯t breathe. The force of the hand tightening on my throat wasn¡¯t human. How could someone like Henry have this much power? He shouldn¡¯t have had any special skills. ¡°Gaaaah, you fucking¡­¡­ bastard¡­.¡± Let me go. I am the true and legitimate heir to the throne. It¡¯s not right for me to die in a dimly lit dungeon like this. ¡°Ace, if you cannot atone for your sins, you shall pay for them with your life.¡± What are those eyes? If you¡¯re going to kill me, whom you hate, then give me a more appropriate look. Return the hatred with hatred. Don¡¯t look at me like you pity me. ¡°Don¡¯t be¡­¡­ stupid, I¡¯m¡­¡­ a royalty ¡­¡­.¡± ¡° We have to do things because we are royalty. Every life is born with a role. I¡¯m sure you and I could have found a role for ourselves.¡± There was no such thing. All we could do was show our dominance by force and make the people bow down to us. I wasn¡¯t a performer to be given a role. I was the stage itself. That¡¯s what royal blood was for. That¡¯s what skills were for. That¡¯s what a country was for. ¡°Good¡­.. because¡­. as we¡­.. speak¡­.. Sareha is dying.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± The force on my neck weakened. ¡°Kaha! Haa, you can¡¯t kill anyone.¡± I let out a ragged breath and took in some air. I wasn¡¯t dead yet. If I wasn¡¯t dead, I could recover as much as I want. ¡°I can do it! But not now!¡± ¡°Sareha¡¯s mana is almost at its limit, and I haven¡¯t fed him enough. If I leave him alone, he¡¯ll die.¡± That was a lie. You couldn¡¯t die because you were low on mana. It was true that Sareha would be hungry, but not to the point of death yet. Be deceived, you fool. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve always been obsessed with dead people, you simple-minded Henry-sama.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Shut up.¡± ¡°Guuhhhh!¡± A fist slammed into my abdomen. I cursed myself. When I looked at Henry¡¯s face, I couldn¡¯t help but get angry. I couldn¡¯t stop the words from coming out of my mouth. ¡°Ha, haha¡­¡­ Gryphon and Skeleton Knight are already dead¡­¡­¡± A cold rock hits my cheek from falling down. How much effort and money did you think I spent to get that thing? One Gryphon was worth twenty knights. I didn¡¯t even have the mana left to create a single skeleton. If this was the case, I should have mastered necromancy more. It was a skill that no one else had. Have I been spoiled by my skills? ¡°The wolf guy¡­¡­¡± A tired-looking Beastman approaches me. I was going to turn that guy into undead and have him under my command. Now he was killing my undead. He was like Henry¡¯s running dog. ¡°Hey, wolf guy, I¡¯m sorry I ruined your village. Have you thought about what you¡¯re going to do with your life?¡± ¡°Henry, the undead have been exterminated.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sirius. It¡¯s over. I¡¯m sorry to have troubled you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me! Don¡¯t you dare ignore me!¡± Don¡¯t screw with me. Don¡¯t look at me like that. Who the hell do you think you are? I¡¯m the eighth prince of the first queen faction, the necromancer Ace. Do not look down on me, half-breed, lowly blood. ¡°It seems that Sareha is in the back. Henry should get him out. I¡¯m tired. It¡¯s hard enough to carry one child on my back.¡± ¡°But Ace is ¡­¡­ No, thank you. Sirius. I¡¯m going to get Sareha.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I don¡¯t have much left, but I¡¯ll give you some of my healing potions. It¡¯s a potion for minor illnesses, so don¡¯t expect it to do much good.¡± Henry took the potion and rushed to the back. ¡°Wait ¡­¡­ wait, Henry ¡­¡­ look at me ¡­¡­.¡± He was completely out of sight. No more voices could be heard. ¡°Henry has work to do. I¡¯ll take care of you. Oh¡­¡­ my name is Sirius, and I was the head of the Silver Crow clan.¡± ¡°Sirius¡­¡­ I have something to tell you, would you like to hear it?¡± So this was the head of the village. I¡¯m not dead yet. I¡¯m not dead yet. I¡¯m sure I can use him as a chance to survive. ¡°What is it? Tell me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the village. Let¡¯s talk about it before Henry comes back. I have a plan that will make us both kings if you and I are strong enough.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting. You may speak.¡± I was annoyed by Sirius¡¯ arrogant tone. But for now, I had to be patient. ¡°You¡¯ll let me go, and I¡¯ll build an army of undead out of Henry¡¯s sight. I¡¯ll lend you the undead and you can take the West. And with the strongest army, we can muster, we will take the kingdom itself.¡± ¡°Ho, ho.¡± ¡°I will be the King of the Human. And you will be the king of Beastmen. Of course, I¡¯ll have a little more power than you. I¡¯ll have everything. And you¡¯ll have everything.¡± ¡°Interesting. So you will be my master?¡± He was biting. Maybe this would work. No man could resist honor, money, women, and power. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. ¡°You don¡¯t like it? If you don¡¯t like it so much, I¡¯ll put you in the same boat.¡± ¡°Yes, I do. I don¡¯t like it. And I¡¯ve already found a Lord to serve.¡± ¡°What are you ¡­¡­ saying ¡­¡­?¡± Sirius gurgled and snapped his fingers. His sharp claws reflected the torchlight, making it look like a sword. ¡°I also have a suggestion. If you can answer the questions I¡¯m about to ask you, I¡¯ll become your vassal.¡± ¡°A-ah¡­ tell me.¡± I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this. I¡¯ve got a mass of killing intent coming at me. ¡°Tell me the names of all the people you¡¯ve killed. Tell me all their names.¡± My blood was boiling. He was going to kill me. He was going to ask me questions I couldn¡¯t answer, and if he didn¡¯t like it, he would kill me. ¡°That¡¯s bullshit! There¡¯s no way I can answer that question!¡± ¡°Normal people can answer. The more people you kill, the more nightmares you have and the heavier your steps become. Now, who¡¯s the first?¡± ¡°It was a maid! She worked at the palace!¡± Yes, I killed her because she screwed up in her work. She wasn¡¯t a noblewoman, so there was no one to blame. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­. Can we change the subject? If you want, I can take you under my wing. Come on, please¡­¡­¡± Sirius sighed. He held up one finger as a last act of mercy. ¡°I have one last question for you. Two people have died in my village because of you. Can you tell me their names?¡± ¡°If you¡¯d just shut up and listen to me, you¡¯d be a fool!¡¡You were going to play with me from the start, you Beastman!¡± The flames of rage flared in Sirius¡¯ eyes. ¡°Alcala, Drusus, they were both good warriors. They were still young and had a future ahead of them.¡± At that moment, Sirius¡¯s sharp claws dug into my chest. He ran around inside my body as if searching for something and then grabbed my heart. ¡°Fuck you¡­¡­¡­ I¡¯m a ¡­¡­.¡± The blood was stuck in my throat and I couldn¡¯t speak properly. Sirius in front of me squeezed his hand. Strangely, the pain wasn¡¯t that bad. In my thin consciousness, my life up to now came back to my mind in reverse order. The day I left the palace to look for Henry. Those fools at the palace with their boring compliments. Mother, who showed no interest in me. My brothers dying in factional fights. And the day Henry was born. ¡°Ah, ah¡­¡­ that¡¯s right ¡­¡­ I¡¯m ¡­¡­.¡± The memory came back vividly. A few days after Henri was born, I went to the palace garden to see my new brother. There, I saw Henry¡¯s mother. Beautiful gray hair. The smile of a loving mother. She was holding Henry close to her chest, looking truly happy. ¡°I am ¡­¡­.¡± ¡ªThe sight was simply terrifying. I had no idea. I didn¡¯t know that there was someone in the world who could smile like that. After that, I just ran away. I didn¡¯t want to be in that place even for one more second. ¡°I¡¯m envious of you¡­¡­.¡± I heard a nasty gurgling sound inside my body. I couldn¡¯t see anything anymore. The blood overflowing from my mouth was hot and annoying, and now I just couldn¡¯t wait for it all to be over. I thought I saw a light. But it was too late. CH 30 Chapter 30 - Brother ¡°I should¡¯ve killed him after all.¡± I left Sirius to deal with Ace¡¯s end. It¡¯s not that I felt sorry for him when I saw that he was about to die. The anger and resentment still smoldered in my heart. If Sirius had not called out to me at the time, I would have killed him. But at that moment, Ace looked as small as if he was looking at himself in the mirror. As if. A small man throwing a tantrum. He was just a small vessel that tilted and overflowed. ¡°Maybe we were just like each other.¡± But we would never speak to each other again. Sirius would have killed him. There was something I wanted to ask him. The reason for my mother¡¯s death. Whether or not there would be assassins from the palace. And many other things. But I didn¡¯t think that guy would tell the truth so easily. He might just say something at the moment of death to mislead me. I took a deep breath and cleared my mind. I needed to think about the future. ¡°¡­ Sareha¡± I¡¯m going to meet Sareha now. Will I be kind to him? He¡¯s a half-brother I¡¯ve never spoken to before, and he¡¯s got Boesheit blood in his veins. Ace, Sareha, and I. I walked through a narrow tunnel-like path. Torches illuminated the damp walls and indicated to me where to go. After a few minutes of walking, I found Sareha there. He was lying on the rocky ground, holding his knees. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ran over to him and lifted him up. He looked so different from how I remembered him. His light brown skin was characteristic of people living in the desert. His black hair was stretched out to cover one of his eyes. ¡°Ah, ni¡­ -sama¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t talk too much. Drink this potion. Drink it slowly. Don¡¯t drink it all at once.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡­.¡± I opened the potion and put it in his mouth. He tilted it slowly and drank it, gulping a little at a time. His complexion, which had been deathly pale, gradually regained its blood color. ¡°You¡¯ve come¡­¡­ after all. Nii-sama.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­ I missed your call for help that night¡­¡­.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I missed it, it was that I didn¡¯t want to hear it. Sheila heard Sareha¡¯s voice calling for help, but I didn¡¯t want to hear it from the beginning. ¡°I¡¯m still glad.¡± ¡°Ace is finished. As for the time being, I¡¯m getting out of the dungeon.¡± ¡°Beastmens¡¯-san village¡­¡­ is destroyed because of me. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re all very angry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It was Ace¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± I silenced Sareha¡¯s grumbling and carried him on my back. I¡¯ve carried many people on my back since I left the palace, but Sareha was the lightest. The hand on my chest was shaking a little. I wondered if he was feeling cold. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Sareha.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m going home. Does nii-sama have a place to go home to? My territory was my home now. At first, there was nothing but grass, but now there was Gabriel the wolf. And the elves Thor and Sheila. There was also a golem, Golemus. It¡¯s small, but there was a house, a field, and an alchemy workshop. ¡°G-golem!? Why is there a golem?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been through a lot¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve died¡­¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t even say that the skull Will that I picked up was still there. When I think about it calmly, it was insane to hang a skull on the wall. But because I¡¯ve been with him for so long, I¡¯ve become strangely attached to him, and I left him there without making an offering. ¡°I envy you. I¡¯m¡­¡­¡± Sareha¡¯s grip on my back became stronger. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go back to the palace, come with me.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡­?¡± I said as I walked. I still had some thoughts about Sareha. But if my mother was still alive, she would probably say this. The mother I remembered was always kind. And who would want to go back to that filthy palace? No, no one. If I get the power, I would evacuate everyone who didn¡¯t relate to that place and then burn it. ¡°There are few people in my territory. It¡¯s more fun if it¡¯s a little more lively. If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t force you.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m coming! Please, nii-sama!¡± ¡°Whoa! Stop shouting near my ear!¡± My ears were ringing. ¡°I¡¯m glad, I¡¯m so glad. Nii-sama, please take care of me.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡­.¡± And there was one more thing I would like to ask.. Ace was probably already dead. If that was the case, we could expect an all-out confrontation with the royal palace forces. It would probably start on a small scale since it would be treated as a civil war if exposed to the public eye. My brothers with rare skills would attack again. In order to protect the territory and the people, we needed strength. There were many who were stronger than Ace. ¡°Sareha, I have a ¡­¡­ favor to ask of you, if you don¡¯t mind. You can say no if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°What can I do for you¡­¡­ nii-sama?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a dungeon in my territory. I want you to go down there with me. It¡¯s a mysterious dungeon, and even if you die in it, you can come back to life. So we can get stronger there.¡± ¡°Death and resurrection¡­¡­ How is that possible? ¡­¡­ Have you been in there yet, nii-sama?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been down there more than ten times. It is more painful than death. But it¡¯s the only way we¡¯re going to get the power we need.¡± If Sareha agrees to do this, we would have to do an experiment. If I go in there with a beast for dinner or something, and one of us dies, would it be able to revive properly? If I was the only one who could come back, there was no point. The only concern I have is the status initialization, but I think I can handle that. There may be some items to strengthen us as rewards. ¡°I¡¯m going. No, I¡¯ll go with you even if you say no.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I want to protect everyone and atone for my sins. And I¡¯m worried about nii-sama if you go¡­¡­ alone.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Yes, it is a sin for us to be alive. What the royals took from the world, when we give it back, we can be human for the first time. ¡°¡­¡­ Nii-sama, you have an injury on your neck?¡± ¡°Is that so? I think I scratched it with a scythe. I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡­. Hmm¡­¡­.¡± ¡ª I felt a warm touch on my neck. It was soft and slightly moist. Goosebumps rose up my spine. It was lips and tongue. ¡°Whoa, whoa! What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You were bleeding.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no reason to lick it! Leave it alone! What are you, a vampire?¡± I felt like my back was going to break. I¡¯ve never had my blood sucked. I didn¡¯t need it in the future either. ¡°Sigh, Huh¡­¡­? Sareha ¡­¡­ you seem to be glowing?¡± Sareha on my back was glowing faintly. I was surprised, so it was not magic. After a little while, the light naturally subsided and settled into Sareha¡¯s body. ¡°Why did you¡¯re glowing? Are you actually an angel?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. My mother was a normal person. She couldn¡¯t have been.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Whatever, let¡¯s go home quickly.¡± With the torch in my hand, I headed back the way I came. I met up with Sirius on the way, but then I saw Ace there too, looking completely different. We bowed slightly to each other without saying a word. Words would be tactless. ¡ó¡ó¡ó When we came out of the dungeon, everyone was waiting for us. When they saw us safe, they crowded around us. The first to come to me was Gabriel. She wagged her tail and rubbed her head against my chest. ¡°Nii-sama, is this Gabriel?¡± ¡°Yeah, isn¡¯t she cute?¡± Sirius entered the gathering of the Silver Crow clan a step ahead of me and was talking to them with a serious look on his face about something. I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying. ¡°Henry.¡± ¡°Onii-san, thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Thor, Sheila¡­¡­ Oh, I¡¯m back. It¡¯s all over.¡± The two of them patted their chests. Sheila¡¯s healing potion was a big help this time. If it weren¡¯t for the potion, it was doubtful I could have defeated the gryphon. And the number of dead villagers would have increased. ¡°Thanks to Sheila¡¯s potion, we all survived. I could do what I do best.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Yes! Onii-san!¡± Sheila smiled. It was a natural smile that seems to come from within. ¡°It¡¯s like the two of you are the only ones who understand each other¡­¡­ I¡¯m telling you to stop¡­¡­!¡± Thor poked me in the chest with her finger. It didn¡¯t hurt or itch, but it did put pressure on me. Sheila just laughed at us, but she didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Thank you, Thor. I made it back.¡± ¡°N¡­¡­ un. Welcome back. So¡­. who¡¯s the kid on your back?¡± The two girls looked at Sareha from both sides. Sareha buried his face in my back, either embarrassed or frightened. ¡°He is my half-brother Sareha, and he is going to live with us in the territory.¡± ¡°Um, my name is Sareha. Nice to meet you.¡± Sareha bowed his head on my back to greet them. The two of them were curious. ¡°Heeeyyy, Henry!! You¡¯re back safe and sound!!¡± ¡°Here comes the noisy one.¡± While Sirius was still talking, Fayne came running towards us, waving his hands. It was an important discussion, but did this guy know he was interrupting us? ¡°Ohhhhhhhh!¡± When he stopped in front of me, Fayne went upright as if struck by a thunderbolt. ¡°How lovely¡­¡­ like a flower in the wilderness. The wilderness is Henry, and you are the flower ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Has Fayne gone rotten to the brain? He kneeled down in front of me and looked up at me reverently. ¡°Please be my wife. You with the beautiful back.¡± It seems that he is confessing to Sareha. I think Fayne has his eyes on his crotch even though he is a man by all means. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­ I¡¯m a man¡­¡­¡± ¡°What! That¡¯s¡­¡­ stupid¡­¡­¡± He collapsed forward in his kneeling position. It was creepy that he didn¡¯t even twitch. I dropped some sand on his head, but he didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Oh well. Let¡¯s leave him alone. He¡¯ll wake up when it¡¯s time to eat.¡± ¡°Is that so, nii-sama ¡­¡­? I pity him a little.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t show him pity. Men are wolves. Let¡¯s be careful. Can you walk? If so, we¡¯re going to get everybody out of here.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­ please let me stay here a little longer. I¡¯m a little tired.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Nothing has been resolved yet. But I feel that the stagnation in my heart has decreased a little. ¡ó¡ó¡ó Sirius seems to have finished his talk with the villagers. Next to me was Sirius. And surrounded by nearly a hundred villagers. Sirius stared at me with serious eyes. ¡°Henry, as the Silver Crow clan, I want an answer.¡± ¡°What is it? If it is compensation for the destruction of the village, it will have to wait a little longer. We currently don¡¯t have the money.¡± ¡°It was Ace¡¯s fault, it had nothing to do with you or Sareha.¡± What is it, then? Will they pay for the healing potion? But Sirius and the others, who had lost their village, wouldn¡¯t be able to. ¡°Ah¡­ But first, one thing. Sirius and the others lost their village, right? It¡¯s strange for me to say this, but if you want, you can come to my territory.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s still an empty place, but if Sirius and the others can hunt down the beasts, we can survive for the time being. Then we¡¯ll make some money by selling potions. I don¡¯t have much house or anything, so you¡¯ll have to forgive me if I have to sleep in a huddle.¡± ¡°We can make a simple lodging place out of the leather of the demons that live in the river. We¡¯ve been thinking about that.¡± ¡°As expected of hunters. Hmm?¡± A murmur spread among the villagers. The eyes that stared at me with admiration were dazzling. ¡°Henry, all of us saw how hard you fought during the defense. You hunted skeletons without a break and showed more strength than anyone else. We acknowledge that. There are many people around you that you have helped.¡± ¡°I see. Sirius, who was in charge, was more impressive though.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­ I misjudged my opponent¡¯s strength and failed to see his sneaky tricks. I am no longer qualified to be a clan leader.¡± ¡°You¡¯re resigning as clan leader! Who¡¯s going to lead them if you do!?¡± There is no better clan leader than Sirius. It¡¯s obvious to everyone. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to entrust the Silver Crow clan to you. We may be a small clan of less than a hundred, but I want to offer my fangs and my pride to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that great of a person!¡± ¡°I know. But if you are the Lord, it is more interesting to be a little inexperienced. Besides, you said it. You said we could come to your territory. That means you could accept us.¡± ¡°Gununu ¡­¡± ¡°And we haven¡¯t paid for the potion. I¡¯ll work for it and pay you back, my Lord.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± The villagers around me were cheering in unison. A new chief was born. The Prince of the Scythe. He threw me away. They were saying whatever they wanted, so my objections were not heard. Originally, I had intended to have them come to my territory, but I didn¡¯t want them under my control. I thought an ally would be the best choice. ¡°All right! But there are many secrets in my territory. Once you¡¯re a citizen, I won¡¯t let you guys go easily! Are you guys okay with that?¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± The villagers cheered. They raised their spears, shouted loudly, and the air trembled with excitement. There was no turning back now. In the midst of the loud noise, a hulking Beastman slithered to his feet. That was Fayne. Was he sleeping until now? How amazing. ¡°Oh, oh, what¡¯s going on?¡¡Hey, Henry, are we under attack?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Henry. Call him the Lord, Fayne.¡± Fayne was rebuked by Sirius. He was staring at me and Sirius alternately with anxiety. This was what happens when you didn¡¯t listen. I looked up at the sky. The things I have to do, the things I have to carry, are increasing. But it doesn¡¯t feel like a burden. From now on, I¡¯ll have to dive into dungeons and die, acquire relic artifacts, work hard to manage my territory, and sometimes even take up arms against the royal palace. But I¡¯m glad I went out of there. That much I can say with confidence. CH 31 Chapter 31 - Skills With the new Beastmen as my residents, this grassy territory has become a bustling place. A village of about 100 people in total. It could easily be called a village. The only problem was that each of us didn¡¯t have a house. Two days have passed since we returned to the territory. Sirius has been working tirelessly since morning, leading the Beastmen in hunting and building houses. I stepped outside with Sareha and watched as the houses were being built. A wooden pillar was built in the center and beams extended radially from the ceiling. The ceiling was made of monster¡¯s tendons. There was no shortage of monsters around here, including Rock Birds and Orcs. In fact, we were the ones causing trouble. The walls were covered with a thin wooden frame and then covered with a piece of Dragonfish leather. Although it bears the name of a dragon, this creature was not a dragon. It was a large fish-shaped monster that often lived in the rivers around here. If you weren¡¯t careful, you could be swallowed whole, so be careful. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, nii-sama.¡± ¡°I guess so. Houses are made by people.¡± Sirius was giving precise instructions on construction, dismantling monsters, and keeping an eye on the surroundings. He seemed to be used to it, so I left it to him. ¡°Let¡¯s do what we have to do. Sareha, let¡¯s go to the dungeon entrance.¡± ¡°Yes, nii-sama. I will accompany you.¡± I descended the earthen stairs and went to the monument room. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been in this room. I was merely there to sell potions, but I didn¡¯t think that souvenirs turned out to be residents. I walked with Sareha through the slightly dimly lit room. There was a stone monument in the center of the room, and a staircase leading to a dungeon behind it. ¡°Wah!¡± Sareha clung to my arm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Uh, well, there¡¯s a skull ¡­¡­ hanging on the wall.¡± Oh, no. I forgot to put away the skull Will. I might as well make a memorial service for him. He was the one who supported me when I first came to this meadow. ¡°That is ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry if it startled you.¡± ¡°No, I was surprised. But as expected of my brother¡­¡­ You¡¯re not scared of such thing¡± Sareha, still clinging to my arm, looked up at me. His eyes were shining like the stars in the night sky. ¡°Nii-sama said that you could die in the dungeon. That¡¯s a manifestation of your determination to always be on the battlefield, always thinking about death¡­¡­ That¡¯s what you want to tell me, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Yes. You know exactly what I mean.¡± He interpreted it favorably. It¡¯s hard to explain, so I¡¯ll just say so. Will will be happy to have a role. Maybe. ¡°We¡¯re not going into the dungeon right now. We¡¯ll start tomorrow at the earliest.¡± ¡°Is that so? I can do it right now though.¡± Until now I¡¯ve been diving into a dungeon called the Trials of the Beginning. But now that I¡¯ve conquered it, I could try other dungeons. So let¡¯s find out which one was best for us and then we would go there. Sareha nodded, and I touched the stone monument to open the status check screen. On the night of my return to the territory, I caught a goblin in the area and dove into the dungeon with him as a follower. After a lot of experimentation, I found out that both the goblin and I could come back to life even if we died. However, if I died first, we were forced to leave the dungeon even if the goblin was still alive. The main challenger must be alive. This seemed to be a prerequisite for the dungeon. ¡°Sareha, have you ever seen your status?¡± ¡°Yes, once. Though¡­¡­ I am weak. I¡¯ve heard that my unique skill is called Mana Constitution.¡± ¡°I was weak at first too, so don¡¯t worry about it. By the way, what is a Mana Constitution?¡± ¡°I have an abnormally high MP (mana point), which is the source of my magic power. I don¡¯t really remember the number, but¡­¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s great. If it wasn¡¯t for this dungeon, it would be more useful than my skills.¡± I switched the screen of the monument. But I couldn¡¯t see Sareha¡¯s status. From the side, Sareha looked at me with interest. A voice echoed in my brain. This is the voice of the stone monument. ¡°Please. His name is Sareha Boesheit. He¡¯s my brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t do something without our permission!¡± The stone monument tried to initialize Sareha¡¯s status by itself. It seemed that the monument was still holding on to the fact that I failed to initialize it before. Since Sareha hasn¡¯t done anything in particular to increase his status, it won¡¯t affect him if it is initialized. But I felt bad. < Status Initialization ¨C Fatal Failure> Idiot. It looks like it failed again. But I don¡¯t know the reason. I touched the stone monument and went to the status check screen. Sareha Boesheit Accumulated deaths: 00000 HP 13 MP 6814 Attack 2 Defense 3 Magic 25 Agility 2 Special Skills: Mana Constitution (Unique), Maintain Status (Shared) ¡°6814. What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s about right. How much MP does nii-sama have?¡± ¡°That¡¯s you ¡­¡± It¡¯s true that I only had 10 MP. But there was no shame in that. I was a vanguard warrior type. I didn¡¯t use magic or anything like that. ¡°Huh! Why does Sareha have Maintain Status!? It¡¯s my unique skill!¡± I was distracted by the amount of MP, but there was something even stranger. Why does Sareha have Maintain status, which was my skill? And what was with the (Shared)? ¡°That¡¯s strange, I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing.¡± I put my small brain to work to figure out why. If it¡¯s called ¡°Shared,¡± there must have been something to it. ¡°Shared or¡­¡­ shared, shared means shared. Shared skills. Is it because we are brothers? If so, I should be able to use Sareha¡®s skills too. Then why?¡± (TLN: MC said a different word in Japanese for shared) I shook my memory back to the point where I picked Sareha up in the dungeon. I carried him on my back, we talked about the dungeon, and then, I believe¡­ ¡°Oh! That¡¯s it, it¡¯s because you sucked my blood!¡± My blood must have entered his body at that time. But skills were not something that can be passed on to others. It was something you were either born with or learned through constant effort. Giving blood was usually useless. Just to be sure, I touched the stone monument and checked my status as well. If I didn¡¯t lose it in my status, then I was really sharing a skill with Sareha. Henry Boesheit Accumulated deaths: 00012 HP 283 (+13) MP 10 Attack 156 (+28) Defense 168 (+4) Magic 1 Agility 33 (+2) Special Skill: Maintain Status (Unique) ¡°I knew it. It¡¯s not gone.¡± Maintain Status has not disappeared. And thanks to the undead from Ace, my status is improving a bit. I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯ve killed hundreds of Skeletons, Trolls, Ogres, Orcs, Goblin Shamans, Gryphons, and more. I feel like I¡¯ve slaughtered more than an average adventurer would in a lifetime. ¡°Would your skills be of any help to me, nii-sama?¡± ¡°Ah, my concerns have been answered. Now, all we have to do is dive into the dungeon.¡± Sareha smiled like a bloomed flower. We would touch the stone monument and choose the next dungeon to go to. Sareha had mentioned earlier that he hadn¡¯t learned any magic. If that was the case, I wanted to have him learn magic before heading to the dungeon. Sareha¡¯s status was not suitable for melee combat. ¡°Let¡¯s use the remaining DP to get a spellbook.¡± I touched the stone monument and selected the spellbook from the reward screen, and the spellbook immediately fell from the air. I dusted off the spellbook that had fallen to the ground and handed it to Sareha. ¡°I know it¡¯s difficult, but try reading it. I¡¯ll be heading to the dungeon tomorrow, but if you still want to come, you can just hide behind me.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll try to remember at least one. I¡¯ll do my best!¡± ¡°Take it easy. Sleep properly at night.¡± Sareha clutched the magic book to his chest. If you looked closely, you could see the name of the author inscribed on the cover of the book. Le Cain. CH 32 Chapter 32 - The Day Before the Dungeon Attack (Noon) ¡°Now, which dungeon shall we go to?¡± I was surprised to learn that the author of the grimoire was Le Cain. I knew from my conversation with Nos, whom I met in the ¡°Trials of the Beginning¡±, that he was deeply involved in the foundation of the dungeon. But I didn¡¯t expect him to be a magician capable of writing a grimoire. (Decided to call it grimoire instead of spellbook) ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, nii-sama.¡± But there¡¯s no point in thinking about it now. I have to choose a dungeon to dive into tomorrow. I don¡¯t know when the palace troops will attack. Sareha and I need to increase our individual strength and fortify the defense of the territory with relics. On the surface, this territory belonged to the kingdom, but I¡¯ve already killed the eighth prince, Ace. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they would notice and become hostile. That was why we must hurry. ¡°The new dungeons are the Ossa Crypt, the Tenebris Mine, and the Colossal Tower of Altum. Apparently, the difficulty level is the same in all of them.¡± ¡°If you go down the stairs there, you will be in a dungeon, right? Why is there a massive tower underground?¡± Sareha tilted his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s even possible to go to the same dungeon through the same staircase. Also, I don¡¯t even know if the place I went to is connected to this land in the first place. The stone monument said that the dungeon is separated from the outside world.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a myth. Is it possible that the God who created us also created this dungeon? ¡°No. This dungeon belongs to the people of Aepha, the Ancient race. The monument said that this was the realm of the gods, but it¡¯s probably just a myth.¡± The Aepha people were not gods. They were superior to any other civilization in existence, but even with their power, they could not avoid destruction. If they were gods, they would have had the power to ward off destruction. A voice echoed in my brain as I touched the stone monument. It seemed that Sareha can hear it as well. ¡°Oh, yes!¡± ¡°Well, I see.¡± Of course. If you¡¯ve just completed a dungeon, you won¡¯t be able to bear to have your valuable equipment and items disappear. The scythe I was using now was a valuable relic. It wasn¡¯t something that can be easily obtained. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! That¡¯s tyrannical!¡± I hit the stone monument in frustration, and the surface shook like a wave. ¡°The monsters will also be resurrected? ¡­¡­ No, it¡¯s good that the items will be resurrected, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Fufu, you are getting angry, depressed, and very busy. It¡¯s so different from when you were in the palace.¡± Sareha was smiling and looking at the monument with me beside it. What¡¯s so funny about all of this? ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s pick up the equipment and items there. I don¡¯t want to see any more undead for a while, so let¡¯s skip the Ossa Crypt and go to the Tenebris Mine. The Colossal Tower of Altum seems to have a lot of floors based on its name, and I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Yes, nii-sama. I¡¯ll learn the magic by tomorrow.¡± ¡°For the time being, Sareha and I are mainly improving our status. Magic can come later.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯ll do my best!¡± It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re motivated, but you can¡¯t afford to be reckless. I thought that maybe I should be safe and go to ¡°Trials of the Beginning¡± to raise our status, but if I was going to risk death anyway, I would go to a new dungeon where the enemies were stronger. Sareha should just stab the enemies and got stronger from there. The stronger enemies you defeated, the stronger your body would become. I left the stone monument room with Sareha. We were in a dimly lit room, so when we went outside, the sunlight was dazzling. ¡°I¡¯m going to the alchemy workshop. You can use my room if you want to read the grimoire.¡± ¡°Um¡­ No, I understand. I¡¯ll borrow your room.¡± Sareha looked a little regretful. But I had plans, so I couldn¡¯t stay with him all day long. A short walk from the dungeon entrance would bring you to the alchemy workshop. There was smoke rising from the chimney, so I guessed that Sheila was working on the alchemy. I opened the door and went inside, and sure enough, there she was. Light shone through the window of the alchemy workshop. On the desk, alchemy tools and materials were lined up. Monster tusks, leather, organs, horns, tails, feathers, and other plants from the meadows. Sheila examined them one by one, looking through the sun and holding them in her hands. Thor was resting his cheek on the desk, watching Sheila. ¡°Sheila, do you think you can make a healing potion like before?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little difficult. The previous potions were made from materials rewarded in dungeons. The quality is going to be a little lower if we make it from materials that can be found in this area.¡± ¡°Is that so? I want you to continue making healing potions, even if the quality drops.¡± I¡¯ve used up all the healing potions she made last time. If possible, it would be nice to have a healing potion to take with us to the dungeon. The potions you could pick up in dungeons and the ones Sheila made were similar but more effective and instantaneous. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s for sure!¡± Sheila spun around and looked back at me. ¡°What about Sareha-san?¡± I don¡¯t know what to say. We¡¯re not having trouble talking, and we¡¯re not exactly on bad terms. He also agreed to dive into the dungeon. ¡°Well, it¡¯s normal.¡± ¡°I feel sorry for you. You should get along like we are doing.¡± Thor muttered as he played with the ogre¡¯s horn. She smiled mischievously and pointed the horn at me as if to tease me. ¡°What¡¯s it like to get along? I¡¯ve never seen two brothers that get along.¡± ¡°Uuu¡­. onii-san¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± I was regrettably pitied. Sheila, for some reason, was in tears. I wasn¡¯t troubled or depressed. I really didn¡¯t know, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°¡­¡­ Where is Sareha now?¡± ¡°In my room, reading a grimoire.¡± ¡°Hmm, alone?¡± Thor looked a little angry. ¡°Yeah, why?¡± ¡°Hmm. Hey, I¡¯m going to make dinner tonight. Why don¡¯t we all eat together? That herb-roasted meat you were talking about.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Now that there were more people in the village, everyone ate together, a large group of nearly 100 people. And many of the meals were extravagant, such as roasting a whole sheep. Even though I was a lord, I couldn¡¯t just sit in my house and eat a luxurious meal by myself. I ate the same food as everyone else and slept outside, watching the stars. Since there weren¡¯t many houses yet, my room was rented out to the elderly and children for sleeping. The healthy young people slept outside. It was still spring, so it wasn¡¯t that cold. ¡°Onee-chan, are you sure? Don¡¯t burn it, okay?¡± Sheila smiled and teased Thor. They joked happily, and after a while, they looked at each other and laughed. CH 33 Chapter 33 - The Night Before the Dungeon Challenge It was late in the evening. Other than the people standing on guard, everyone else was preparing dinner. Since there were no cooking utensils available, they basically roasted goat or mutton on skewers around the campfire. The seasoning was simple, just rock salt. The crackling sound of wood burning was everywhere. It was the sound of life. Some people were gathered around the fire as a family unit, while others were enjoying the meat with other like-minded friends. I looked around and was able to find the campfire where Thor and her friends are. I approached and sat down by the fire. On my right was Gabriel, and on my left were Thor and Sheila. Sareha was on the other side of the fire. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, ani-sama.¡± Sareha, looking a little tired, gave me a friendly word of encouragement. I wonder if he¡¯s been reading grimoire in his room since then. ¡°Here¡¯s your meat. It¡¯s freshly cooked.¡± ¡°Try it, Henri. It¡¯s probably good. Yes!¡± Sheila handed me a piece of meat on a skewer. The herbs sprinkled on the meat gave it a nice smell. I bit into the meat with no manners whatsoever. The meat juices fell to the bottom, but I didn¡¯t care. There were no people who cared about manners here, and besides, it was a grassy field down there, so it didn¡¯t matter if it got dirty. ¡°Oooh¡­¡­ delicious.¡± It was even better than I expected. It seemed that rock salt was used, and every time I bit into it, the sweet taste of the meat spread to my mouth. ¡°You too, Sareha-san.¡± Sareha was also handed a skewer of meat by Sheila. It¡¯s been a few days since we arrived in this meadow, but he still hasn¡¯t gotten used to this wild style of eating. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, Sareha. Take a bite.¡± ¡°Y-yes. Then thank you for the meal.¡± He bit into the meat with his small mouth. His cheeks were slightly red as if he was embarrassed to be chewing while everyone was looking at him. ¡°Ah ¡­¡­ delicious. It¡¯s delicious, anisama.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since you¡¯ve had a meal without worrying about it being poisoned. It¡¯s refreshing to eat without silverware, too.¡± Silverware tarnishes with poison. It¡¯s an essential part of a royal meal. ¡°Yes! But it was difficult because silverware would be hidden in the royal palace. How did our brother get the silverware?¡± ¡°At the end of the month, the head chefs are having a stock-up meeting. It was easy to sneak into the dining room that day, so they stole a few sets.¡± ¡°Ehh! I didn¡¯t know that!¡± You don¡¯t have to be afraid of being poisoned here. That alone makes it good for me to come here. ¡°The talk about the royal palace is too tragic. Henry¡­¡­. Can¡¯t we have some more fun memories to share?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Is there anything, onii-san?¡± I looked at Sareha, who looked troubled. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t think of anything either. ¡°Hmmm, we¡¯ll just have to make some fun memories from now on! That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Onee-chan¡­¡­ is a mess.¡± (TN: ëj = rough; crude; sloppy; messy, miscellaneous) We continued eating around the campfire. We got off to a slow start, but a good meal makes for a smooth conversation. We talked about the Beastmen who had become our new neighbors, saying how cute the children¡¯s beast ears were and how we were surprised by the strength of the warriors. It was true that the Beastmen were far superior to the Human in battle. They must have higher basic physical abilities. We also talked about the future. We were still making the same healing potions, but Sheila said she wanted to try other potions. If we could make potions that won¡¯t ruin the alchemy guild¡¯s market, we could get the human country¡¯s money. A potion that would be in high demand and yet not upset the existing market balance with a new invention. The only thing I could think of was a ¡°Hair Growth Potion¡±, but Sheila was surprisingly positive about it. She said it was not impossible to make. There was a lot to talk about, but everyone started to talk less and less, probably because they were getting overwhelmed by sleep. ¡°We should go to bed. You guys look sleepy. You two can go sleep at home, or do you want to sleep here?¡± ¡°Yes. Here¡¯s one for Henry and the others.¡± She handed me one of the blankets. After handing it over, Thor and Sheila put on the blanket made of fur together. They were about to start sleeping with Gabriel as their pillow. ¡°Is there only one?¡± ¡°We only use one blanket, too. You can use it with Sareha.¡± ¡°Fufu, good night, onii-san. Sareha-san.¡± Sareha looked at me apologetically. ¡°Sareha, come here. Don¡¯t be shy.¡± ¡°Y-yes. Excuse me.¡± We both put on the blanket. I lay down on the opposite side of the blanket from Sareha, as it would be annoying if I breathed on him. The fire was already extinguished by pouring water on it, so there was only the light of the moon around us. ¡°Are you cold?¡± I talked to him over my back. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Aren¡¯t you cold, nii-sama?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± The conversation was over. I could hear Thor¡¯s chuckle faintly. After a few moments of silence, Sareha opened his mouth. ¡°Fun memories. I couldn¡¯t say it earlier, but I have a few.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I used to sleep with my mother like this.¡± I turned to face Sareha. The moonlight shone thinly on Sareha¡¯s face. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I used to crawl into her bed when it was thundering outside. She would tell me stories about her homeland until morning.¡± ¡°Her homeland, Sareha¡¯s homeland, was a desert area in the south. What kind of place is it?¡± ¡°Yes. There is an endless expanse of sandy landscape and bazaars are held in the oasis. It is also famous for its cities, which are ruled by people called Mamools. The Mamools are said to be a group of highly educated former slaves.¡± ¡°A former slave as a ruler? What a dream story.¡± Use your abilities, not your status, to govern. It was like a dream story. It was different from the system of governance in the kingdom, which was built by the hereditary succession of royalty and nobility. However, no heroes or remarkable people were conveniently born from the people of the kingdom. In the end, nobles and others had to become the rulers. ¡°From the way you¡¯re talking, I take it you haven¡¯t seen your mother in a while.¡± ¡°Yes. I think she¡¯s somewhere in the palace, but I¡¯m not allowed to see her.¡± It¡¯s unlikely that she was dead. Sareha¡¯s mother was married from abroad. Killing her would be a diplomatic issue and would affect the faction war. ¡°Let¡¯s go see her someday. We¡¯ll get the power that no one can complain about and enter the palace through the main gate with dignity. Search the palace from top to bottom, and we¡¯ll find Sareha¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­! Yes, nii-sama.¡± ¡°After that, we¡¯ll burn the palace to the ground.¡± ¡°Eh ¡­¡± That¡¯s at the top of my ¡°Things to do when I get my powers rating¡± list. No one can stop me. ¡°Mother huh? I used to sleep with her when I was little.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, nii-sama, that was insensitive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I can¡¯t see her anymore, but I have enough memories of her.¡± But as the years go by, my memory of my mother faded. First, I forgot her voice. The next time I tried to remember her face, the outline became blurred. Only the memory of her importance remained in my heart. ¡°The blanket¡¯s not covering us properly. Come a little closer.¡± The blanket was slightly shorter in width. Thor must have chosen it on purpose. I got close enough to feel Sareha¡¯s body heat. It was already spring, but it could get cold at dawn, and we didn¡¯t want him to catch a cold before we enter the dungeon. ¡°Tomorrow we have to go to the dungeon in the morning. Let¡¯s go to bed.¡± ¡°Yes, nii-sama. Good night.¡± I shut my eyes. After a while, I heard Sareha¡¯s sleeping breathing. Feeling a nostalgic atmosphere, I surrendered my body to slumber. CH 34 ¡°Sareha, I¡¯ll teach you the basics of dungeons.¡± ¡°Yes! Please, nii-sama!¡± I explained as we walk through the mine. The walls were lined with simple lamps at even intervals, providing an orange glow that illuminated our feet. The lighting was poor, but I couldn¡¯t complain. It was better than having to hold a torch with one hand occupied. Before Thor and the others woke up, we quietly got up and started diving into the dungeon. We didn¡¯t tell anyone that we had resumed dungeon diving. ¡°First, don¡¯t get caught in the trap. That¡¯s the first thing!¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Traps, huh? Scary.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, because I am the one with the best defense, so I¡¯ll lead the way. Watch my footprints and make sure you step on the same spot.¡± However, no matter how good your defense is, if you get caught in a trap, it will still hurt. I wonder how the labyrinth explorers of the world avoid traps. ¡°When you go into a dungeon, don¡¯t hope for anything. You must assume that everything will turn out badly and protect yourself from death.¡± Sareha looked a little frightened. ¡°Well, just leave it to me.¡± We would proceed with great caution. ¡ª I heard a familiar sound. As soon as I thought I heard the sound of gas blowing out at my feet, small sparks came from the trap. In an instant, it burst into flames and was enveloped in a raging fire. ¡°¡­¡­! Hot-hot!¡± ¡°Aaah! Nii-samaaa!¡± I rolled around on the ground, covering my face with my arms. When my body was on fire, I couldn¡¯t take in the hot air into my lungs. The only thing I could do was just roll around on the ground and wait for the fire to die down. I thought back to last night¡¯s dinner. That time the fire burned the goat meat, and now I was haplessly facing the same fate. The difference was whether it¡¯s edible or not. No, from the monster¡¯s point of view, I¡¯m edible. After a few moments of rolling, the fire went out. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine!¡¡It went out pretty quick, so I didn¡¯t get burned too bad.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡­ are you really ¡­¡­¡± I responded in a prone position. Sareha crouched in front of me, tears in his eyes, and looked at me. ¡°This is the fire trap, remember it well. The trap is still there, so don¡¯t step on it.¡± As I stood up, some of my clothes were scorched off. There were no healing potions, so I couldn¡¯t heal myself, but I wasn¡¯t so damaged that I was about to die. ¡°Brother¡¯s¡­¡­ clothes are ¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s hot in the mine, you know. It¡¯s just right.¡± This was just the beginning. Even the clothes were hidden in important places. There were monsters with special skills, traps full of malice, and items that could kill you if you used them in the wrong way. The horror of the dungeon increases as you go down the levels. The sound of a monster¡¯s footsteps approached us, probably having heard our conversation. It was probably a slime species because it was dragging a slimy, sticky sound. ¡°The monster is here!¡± A red slime appeared in front of me. For the time being let¡¯s call it Red Slime. As usual, I tried to destroy the core of the body, but Sareha stopped me. ¡°I¡¯ll use magic! Leave it to me!¡± Sareha held his hands out in front of him and focused his nerves. ¡°Aer (chant) ¨C Glaciem (ice) ¨C Sagitta (arrow).¡± ¡­. A small ice arrow flew at the monster. The arrow penetrated the red slime¡¯s body, but missed the core. Sareha continued to chant. ¡°¡­¡­! Aer (Chanting) ¨C Diffusio (Diffusion) ¨C Glaciem (Ice) ¨C Sagitta (Arrow)¡± ¡­. Five ice arrows flew at the Red Slime. As soon as one of them pierced the core, the Red Slime exploded in a spray of bright red magma. ¡°¡­¡­ Phew.¡± Sareha exhaled, relieved of his tension. If I had killed the Red Slime with my bare hands, I would have been seriously injured by the magma that would have splashed onto my body. ¡°Thank you, Sareha. You remembered the magic¡­¡­. How did you ¡­¡­ do it in such a short time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just following the grimoire. Maybe. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m just covering my unfamiliarity with it with a lot of MP. Even with such weak magic, I have a strong sense that my MP has decreased by a lot. Also, the magic written in the grimoire I got from nii-sama is quite different.¡± ¡°How was it different from normal magic?¡± ¡°The chanting method and theory were as different as could be. If it was ice arrow magic, [Ice Bolt] would be the most common, but this grimoire magic, or should I say ancient magic. It¡¯s a combination of words that form a chant. There are other¡­¡± I listened to Sareha¡®s explanation. Apparently, with the magic he just described, Aer (chanting) means chanting, and Glaciem (ice) and Sagitta (arrows) are ice attribute arrows. And by interspersing Diffusio (diffusion) in the middle, the number of arrows is increased. He said there are countless combinations, but the unfamiliar and powerful ones consume a lot of MP. Sareha has more than 600 times the MP of me. I guess that makes up for the lack of experience. When Sareha was in the royal palace, he used to secretly read grimoires in the library. That¡¯s how he knew the difference. He also said that he could not learn ordinary magic. If only he had had time and a teacher to look up to, he could have learned it. ¡°That¡¯s great, Sareha! I knew you had a talent for magic!¡± I stroked his head roughly. His hair was a mess, but Sareha looked happy. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s move forward while conserving your MP.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± We continued on our way. I equipped myself with the [Steel Flail +2] that I picked up along the way. I also picked up a potion and a scroll, so I put them in my item box. I found a Stone Throwing Orc, but I crushed it with the flail before it could attack me. The monsters were not that hard to fight if they¡¯re alone. Also, we should pay attention to the rear. Sareha¡¯s status was no different from that of a normal person, except for his MP and magic power. No, he was rather on the weak side. I¡¯ve learned from my own experience what happens to those who challenge dungeons with inadequate strength. However, in order to increase HP and defense, you need to be attacked by monsters. Sareha would not be able to withstand it. The magicians would raise the strength of the party, but at the same time, it was a fragile postition. Every time I walked, the flail chains made a sound. The passageways in this mine were intricate and easy to get lost in. The walls were reinforced with wooden posts, and there were railroad tracks for trolleys running around the area. You could also see some burlap bags used to store the ore. ¡°It¡¯s more like a real mine than a dungeon. If it weren¡¯t for the monsters and the items, we could almost hear the sound of pickaxes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I guess that¡¯s where the dwarves do their work.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Dwarves. I¡¯d like to have some dwarves in the territory.¡± The Beastmen were reasonably handy, but none of them were good at blacksmithing. When it comes to blacksmithing, it was the dwarves. It would be a great help if even one of them were here. ¡°The first thing we need to do is to complete this dungeon. We have a long way to go.¡± ¡­.. I stepped out. I felt an unpleasant sensation, but it was too late. ¡°Oh, no! Sareha!¡± ¡­.. As soon as I grabbed Sareha, the ground opened up a big mouth. Sure enough, we were caught in a trap of a pit. I was going to fall down the pitch-black space together with Sareha. ¡°Aaaaahhhh!¡± We fell. We just kept falling. I managed to keep my consciousness calm and thought about what my next move would be. First, I prepared for the landing. If I fall on my head, I would die instantly, and I shouldn¡¯t crush Sareha. Then I would have to hold on with both feet. I made up my mind and pointed both feet at the ground. The impact that would come immediately was terrifying. I had no idea how high I¡¯m falling. CH 35 The ground was getting closer. But a part of me was relieved. I wondered if this trap in this dungeon would have a spear at the bottom of the pit. I hadn¡¯t experienced being skewered yet, so I was a little scared. ¡°Goooooo!!¡± The sound of impact echoed, and I managed to land successfully. I stepped on both feet, but I felt a shock from my feet to the top of my head. I looked at Sareha in my arms, but luckily he was not injured. ¡°My feet ¡­¡­ my feet¡­¡­ hurt ¡­¡­.¡± I knelt down on the spot because I couldn¡¯t stand up. No bones were broken, and my shins didn¡¯t pierce through my knees. But the impact was quite severe, and I took a fair amount of damage. I looked up at the hole I had fallen through, but it was pitch black and I couldn¡¯t see anything. It must have been a very deep fall. I was horrified. The deeper the level of the dungeon, the more difficult it becomes. We were now at the second level, or maybe the third, or maybe even deeper. ¡°Are you okay¡­¡­ Sareha?¡± ¡°Yes, somehow¡­¡­. is nii-sama okay?¡± ¡°I can manage to walk, so it¡¯s okay. Even so, we¡¯ve fallen pretty deep. Let us proceed with caution.¡± I searched through the item box, but there were no healing potions. There were only potions that were difficult to use. And the scrolls weren¡¯t that useful for recovery either. I got up, enduring the pain in my knees. Luckily, there were no enemies at the bottom. I had to keep an eye out for traps. I used the [Sharp Sword Scroll] I picked up earlier. The weapon now glowed a little and had a +1 enhancement value. ¡°The only fun thing about dungeons is increasing the enhancement value. Isn¡¯t it wonderful to be able to enhance¡­¡­ equipment like this?¡± Additionally, I explained the enhancement value to Sareha. There was no concept of enhancement value, at least not in the kingdom. It was unique to this dungeon. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it? I would love to collect all the weapons I found in the dungeon and hang them on the wall.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­.¡± He expressed his difficulty. Sareha is only 12 years old. I guess he doesn¡¯t yet understand the romance of men. We continued down the tunnel. Luckily, there were not many monsters, so we were able to explore the levels without fighting. I picked up items and hid behind the walls to avoid monsters that occasionally appeared. As we proceeded, we noticed the peculiarity of this level. It wasn¡¯t that there weren¡¯t many monsters, but rather they were dying at some point. It meant that something or someone was killing them. ¡°Sareha, there¡¯s someone else out here besides us.¡± ¡°What? But we¡¯re in a dungeon!¡± ¡°Either the monsters are fighting each other or there¡¯s another challenger.¡± I ordered my people strictly not to enter this dungeon. If so, they¡¯ve been in this dungeon since before I came to this territory. I walked down the tunnel and peeked at the suspicious place. Sure enough, there was a monster that approached the place, but it died after a bursting sound. ¡°An explosion? No, it¡¯s too quiet for that.¡± The monster was bleeding from the brain. It must have died before it realized that it had died. There was no fear, no surprise, no emotion on its dead face. ¡± Let¡¯s throw a rock and see what happens.¡± ¡°Yes. If it¡¯s too dangerous, let¡¯s run away.¡± When I threw a stone at it, it rolled away with a thud. If it was a monster, it would have been furious and would have attacked it. ¡°Who is it! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± But what came back was a thick voice. The owner of the voice immediately found me and came running at me full of energy. He looked like an old man. His magnificent beard looked like that of a dwarf. He was also holding an unusual iron tube in his hand. ¡°Search and destroy all enemies! Die, die, die!¡± The old man held the iron cylinder towards me and pulled the trigger. I hid Sareha behind my back, but nothing happened. The old man looked at the end of the tube and tapped it, making a strange face. ¡°Wait, old man! We¡¯re not monsters and we¡¯re not hostile. Just listen to us!¡± ¡°The world will be destroyed! If I don¡¯t kill you, the world will be destroyed!¡± ¡°No! You¡¯re crazy!¡± ¡°The rain will fall! The rainbow falls! The wind of mana blows! Everything will perish and turn to ash! Oooohh!¡± The old man was wielding an iron cylinder that was no longer of any use to him. After a little while, he ran out of energy and slumped down on the spot. ¡°Build a tower to avoid destruction¡­¡­. to unite the world¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Grandpa. Are you okay?¡± Sareha helped the old man. The old man¡¯s cheeks broke into a smile and he patted Sareha¡¯s head. His attitude was a little different than with me. It was true that Sareha gives off a more grandchild-like vibe, so maybe the old man was more receptive. ¡°My name is Sareha. This one is my brother Henry. Why are you in this dungeon, Grandpa?¡± ¡°Why not? Do you not know Sareha?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not safe here.¡± ¡°The world is dying!¡± The old man hugged his knees and started screaming again. His mind has become quite blurry. But I couldn¡¯t leave him in this dangerous dungeon. ¡°What¡¯s your name, old man?¡± ¡± Name?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Your name.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Oken¡­¡­. something.¡±¡± ¡°You forgot your own name!? Well¡­¡­ Oken-san. It¡¯s not safe for you here, so please follow us.¡± I reached out my hand to Oken and slowly pulled him up. I think I¡¯ve heard the name ¡°Oken¡± before, but I couldn¡¯t remember it well. ¡°What is that iron cylinder? Is it a weapon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gun. I hate these primitive weapons¡­¡­.¡± ¡°A gun, a weapon that sometimes used by Dwarves? Are you a dwarf, Oken-san?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a dwarf?¡± I thought he might be a dwarf because of his short stature and beard, but he was not. Oken said that the bullets were all used, so he couldn¡¯t use it anymore. How long has Oken been in this dungeon? I tried to ask him, but he couldn¡¯t give me the answer. ¡ª I heard a buzzing sound. When I turned around, I saw a baby dragon, a Petite Thunder Dragon, with its mouth open, preparing to breathe. A yellow lightning bolt raged in its mouth and was about to be unleashed. ¡°! Get ready for battle!¡± I set up my flail with Oaken at my back. With no shield or armor, I had bad luck meeting a dragon species. It also hurts that I was so distracted by our conversation that I didn¡¯t notice the monster. ¡°Sareha! Use non-lightning magic!¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m preparing to chant!¡± Sareha held his hands in front of him and focused his mind. If it was just me, I could just attack the dragon directly. But if I did that, both Sareha and Oken would be caught in the breath. ¡°Come!¡± With a sound that scorches the ground, a lightning bolt ran through the air. I took the breath without avoiding it. Electricity ran through the skin of my body, and I almost lost consciousness from the pain and shock, but I endured. The dragon opened its mouth to breathe out the breath again. ¡°Aer (Chant), Stone (Stone), Wall (Wall)!¡± As Sareha chanted, a stone wall rose out of the ground. The breath hit the wall and disappeared on the spot, making a sound. I approached the dragon, which was exhausted from spitting out its breath, and swung down my flail. I hit it in the head a few times, and it fell, coughing up blood. I kicked it and turned it onto its back. As I swung the flail down with all my might at the spot where the heart would be, there was a dull popping sound and the dragon died. I turned around to see Sareha standing there breathing heavily. Is he about to run out of MP due to overuse of magic? He must be consuming MP inefficiently due to his inexperience in using magic. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Somehow¡­.. but I think it¡¯s going to be difficult to use a lot of magic in succession. After all, it¡¯s difficult to use magic when you¡¯re not used to it.¡± In the dungeon, there were often a lot of continuous battles. If Sareha didn¡¯t familiarize himself with magic, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with the long run of dungeons. I didn¡¯t want to rush him, but he still needed to learn magic and improve his status. ¡°The monsters are roaming the dungeon and there is no time to rest. Let¡¯s go, Sareha.¡± I led the party down the tunnel. I suggested that Oken follow me, since he probably had nowhere else to go, and he obeyed. We still had a long way to go. CH 36 We went down one level. We were a party of three, but Oken was a non-combatant. I couldn¡¯t ask the old man to fight. ¡°Oken-san, you used a gun, but where were you born?¡± ¡°Ha¡­ the sky is blue.¡± I couldn¡¯t see the sky. What else could I see but a dark brown bedrock? ¡°I thought you were born in a land ruled by dwarves.¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting hungry. Do you have anything for me?¡± I offered him a loaf of bread I found in the dungeon. I didn¡¯t know how long he hadn¡¯t eaten, but I didn¡¯t want him to suffer from hunger. Because I don¡¯t think I can carry him in battle. Oken chewed the bread and swallowed it slowly. There were still a few pieces of bread in the item box. I wanted to pick up other items as well, so it was important to consume them in moderation. ¡°Speaking of guns¡­¡­ are you ex-military? Or were you an engineer?¡± ¡°They called me the Great Engineer. I had a lot of apprentices. Oh, the good old days¡­¡­. I want to go home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Shall we discuss our future plans when we leave here?¡± I could have a conversation with Oken on very rare occasions. Basically, he was extremely vague, but if you kept asking him questions patiently, he would respond. The sanity he sometimes showed made him seem more genuine, but he didn¡¯t say it out loud. It would be rude and I didn¡¯t want him to get angry. ¡°Stay behind me, please. Oken-san doesn¡¯t know what will happen to you if you die.¡± ¡°I need a hammer and a blast furnace.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. Those might be in the mine.¡± I was wary of my surroundings as we spoke. I wouldn¡¯t want to get stoned by Stone Throwing Orcs and have my brain plasma splattered all over the place. I also wouldn¡¯t like to be melted by a slime. What could I say? This dungeon was filled with things I didn¡¯t like. I somehow sensed the smell of death, so I searched through the item box. I felt that my survival rate would increase if I checked the items I had, and kept thinking about my next move as I searched. ¡°Confusion Potion. I wonder if it¡¯s useful for anything. ¡° ¡°What¡¯s the potion for?¡± Sareha asked me. Confusion Potion was, as the name suggested, a potion of confusion. If one drank it, they would become confused and their thoughts would become vague. ¡°This is a potion that you get confused when you drink it. No¡­¡­ it¡¯s too hard to explain. It¡¯s just like that. It¡¯s a potion for monsters to drink. Don¡¯t drink it by mistake.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to use. Even if I threw it at a monster during a fight, I¡¯d probably miss it.¡± ¡°Hmmm ¡­¡­ so it¡¯s a trash item when I think about it. Maybe I should throw it away.¡± I shook the potion bottle as I spoke, and the slightly sticky liquid swung from side to side inside the bottle. I brought it up to my eye level and stared at it. I asked in my heart if it were useless, but got no reply. ¡°No, how about we mix it with bread and let the monsters eat it?¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡­ nii-sama¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Wh-what? I didn¡¯t mean to say anything so foolish.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my anii-sama¡­¡­. I hadn¡¯t thought of that.¡± Sareha always praised me for everything. One day, he might even praise me for using a spoon to drink soup. I am worried that if Sareha were to become a father in the future. Children need not only praise but also scolding. I¡¯ve never seen Sareha get angry or scold anyone. ¡°¡­¡­ Let¡¯s mix it with the bread.¡± I opened the jar and mixed it with the bread. The bread was now a little moist, and I placed it in an open space. After that, we hid in a blind spot and just waited for the monster. After a while, the monster began to creep towards it. It didn¡¯t seem to notice us, and it was smelling and poking at the bread with Confusion Potion ¨C Confusion Bread with its nose. ¡°Another petite dragon¡­¡­.¡± The Fire Petit Dragon ¨C Fire Petit Dragon was a powerful enemy that breathes fire breath. You could win by fighting it head on, but it was a nuisance if you got caught in the breath. The Fire Petite Dragon looked troubled for a while, but then it ate the Confusion Bread and swallowed it in one gulp. ¡°Gugya! ? Gugyagyagigyaa!?¡± ¡°Okay! It¡¯s confused!¡± The Fire Petite Dragon staggered and slammed its body against the wall. Some of its scales were peeled off, but it didn¡¯t seem concerned. ¡°Nii-sama, shall we go?¡± ¡°No, wait! There¡¯s a spider!¡± A spider as big as a human head approached it. It seemed to be surprised to see the Fire Petite Dragon, but the monsters immediately started fighting each other. First, the Fire Petite Dragon tried to bite the spider, but the spider was quick enough to avoid it. It was nice to know that the number of spiders would be reduced by fighting with the other monster. As I watched the battle, the fire petite dragon won, perhaps because of its race. With its magnificent jaws, it begins to chew the carcass of a spider. It was an eerie sight, but it was also full of opportunities. ¡°We¡¯ll take it down soon¡­ No, wait!¡± When it finished chewing, the monster¡¯s body began to swell. As if forced to shed its skin, a new monster emerges through the skin of the scales. It was huge, almost reaching the ceiling of the tunnel. Its body was covered with sturdy scales. Each of its fangs was bigger than my head. ¡°Fu¡­ are you serious now. That is a real dragon ¡­¡± Not a young dragon, but an adult dragon. It was a symbol of power and fear, the pinnacle of the ecosystem, said to be able to destroy a city with just one dragon. And now it was right in front of us. The dragon breathed out. The warm air almost pressured me. There was only one thing I could understand. I would never win. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve evolved. That¡¯s impressive.¡± ¡°What are you talking about now!? It¡¯s looking at us!¡± It was said that dragons had keen senses. So it was no surprise that it noticed us and approached us. Every time it took a step on the ground, the tunnel would shake. My brain wobbled, and I couldn¡¯t tell if I was in reality or in a dream. ¡°!!! Let¡¯s run awaaaayy!!¡± I ran as fast as I could with Sareha and Oken in my arms. In this dungeon, you could go to the next level, but you couldn¡¯t go back to the previous level. The goal was to get to the next level. There was no other way but forward. ¡°Aaah! You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± A dull sound like an explosion reverberated behind us. It must be the dragon chasing us, breaking down the wall. But I didn¡¯t have time to look back, I just ran. Both of my hands were full, so I didn¡¯t have time to search the item box. In the first place, I didn¡¯t have any items that could kill a dragon. ¡°Aer (Chant), Stone (Stone), Wall (Wall)!¡± Sareha created a stone wall, but it was immediately smashed by the dragon¡¯s charge. The stone blasts hit my back, but I didn¡¯t even have time to feel pain. The distance between us was getting closer. I felt the dragon¡¯s foul-smelling breath against my neck. No, it might actually be hitting me. ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore! Both of you, run!¡± I tossed them forward and then turned to the dragon. I took out the Scroll of Favor from the item box and read it. This was a scroll that would produce good effects at random. I had no choice but to leave it to luck. ¡°Please! Slay the dragon for me!¡± The scroll burned with a strong light. The dragon flinched and came to an abrupt halt on the spot. I thanked the gods that my death has been extended by one second, but my heart did not stop beating. ¡°Please!¡± ¡ª- But then the effect manifested itself with a divine light. In the narrow tunnel, the scroll burned up as if it had done its job. ¡°Aah! Are you kidding me!!!¡± ¡ª- Three pieces of bread fell from the air. It was the bread to be eaten. No, there was no such thing as inedible bread. It was true that there were only a few loaves of bread left. But what would happen if they were served at this time? It certainly did have a positive effect. As long as the dragon is not in front of me that is. The dragon dexterously took the bread in its mouth and swallowed it. Its eyes fluttered with satisfaction, and it glared at me hatefully. A roar erupted. Something swung at me faster than I could perceive, but I couldn¡¯t follow it. I prepared myself and tried to raise my flail, but for some reason my arm wouldn¡¯t go up. No, it wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t raise it, it was that my arm was gone. ¡°No¡­ way¡­. was that¡­. an attack¡­?¡± Blood spurted from one section. I looked at the dragon and saw that its claws were stained red. That was my blood. And that was my arm stuck to the wall. The dragon approached me, drooling. I heard Sareha¡¯s scream, but my body was too terrified to move. The dragon¡¯s fangs were closing in on me. I felt a warm sensation and was immediately hit by a severe pain. I was being chewed. ¡°Guuuuuuhh! Gaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!¡± Slowly, I was being eaten. Its fangs scraped away my flesh. Bones were being chewed up. My consciousness became distant. It¡¯s been a long time since I died. That was all I could think about in my foggy head. CH 37 I died again. I was certainly careless and overconfident. I thought that now that my status had improved, I would be able to conquer new dungeons, but it seems that I was naive. I was brought back to life with the feeling of being forcibly pulled out of the water. In the monument room, Sareha and Oken had also returned. They must have been forcibly thrown out of the dungeon because of my death. ¡°Are you two okay? Did you get out of the dungeon as soon as I died?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m fine. ¡­¡­but I¡¯m sorry. ¡­¡­I should have used my magic a lot better. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing? You don¡¯t have to apologize when you don¡¯t have to. And that thing was too strong, and it wasn¡¯t about your magic or anything like that. Your status itself was not enough.¡± ¡°Yes, nii-sama¡­¡­.¡± What did it cost to be dead once? It was true that I¡¯ve never been chewed up by a dragon, but the pain was only temporary. It was something you could overcome if you kept your mind strong. It may cause some stress, but there were ways to relieve it. I was still amazed at how quickly the Dragon had evolved. Perhaps, when monsters fight each other or prey on each other, they would evolve into a higher species. I¡¯d never heard of this before, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it happened in this dungeon. ¡°Sareha, go call Gabriel for a minute.¡± ¡°Gabriel-san? Yes, I¡¯m going!¡± Sareha walked up the stairs. Now there were only two people left in the room, me and Oken. Oken was looking around with vacant eyes. Why was Oken in the dungeon, and why was he sent back to the entrance of the dungeon with me when I died? The questions were endless. I couldn¡¯t even make a guess since I hadn¡¯t yet grasped the laws of the dungeon. ¡°Tell me, Stone Monument. How did Oken-san get out of the dungeon? He¡¯s not signed as a party member. Come on, answer me.¡± I hit the side of the stone monument. As I gradually increased the force of my hit, the stone monument began to glow with a yellow warning color. If you want me to stop, you should answer my question. I tapped the stone until the yellow color turned to red, and the monument spoke to me reluctantly. I suggested to Oken that he should follow me in the dungeon. He accepted, and I guess it became a ¡°temporary registered party member¡±. It would have been a pity to leave him in that horrible dungeon, so this was a good thing in the end. I ignored it because it was too much trouble. Oken would never dive into the dungeon again. So there was no point in him re-registering here. ¡°What are you going to do now, Oken-san? Do you know where your home is?¡± ¡°Home¡­? Where¡­ is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. There might be people waiting for you to return, Oken-san. Since it¡¯s so dangerous around here, would you like to stay in our territory until you can remember?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m going home.¡± Oken stopped moving, holding his knees. It was understandable that his mind was filled with nostalgia. He looked very old, and it would be hard for him to live in a new place now. But it would also be a bad dream for me to leave him in the meadow and be eaten by monsters. If someone has passed through my territory at least once, I want to give them some freedom, and if they want, they can live in my territory. ¡°This is a problem. ¡­¡­Oh, there you are, Gabriel.¡± ¡°Gaugau¡± Sareha arrived with Gabriel. Gabriel rubbed the tip of her nose against my cheek. After a few moments of playing around, I buried my face in the top of Gabriel¡¯s head and took a deep breath. Deeply, many times. There were many ways to relieve stress, but the best way was to smell Gabriel¡¯s beastly smell to my heart¡¯s content. I bathed her every once in a while, but the wild smell still lingered. I let it fill up my lungs and still enjoyed the fur. ¡°Aah, here we go again.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something creepy about this. It¡¯s not something a man would do.¡± Oken complained, but I ignored him. ¡°This is the best. Do you want to try it, Sareha?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little embarrassing.¡± There was nothing to be embarrassed about. Gabriele didn¡¯t mind. Besides, diving into dungeons while under a lot of stress would reduce the efficiency. This was necessary for the development of the territory through dungeon diving, and there was nothing to be embarrassed about as a Lord. In fact, it was even necessary. ¡°By the way, have you eaten yet?¡± ¡°We ate some bread in the dungeon earlier.¡± ¡°Bread¡­¡­.?¡± Oken was getting unclear again, so I pulled him by the hand out of the monument room. Surprisingly, he was able to walk up the stairs without any problem. I had heard that old people with weakened legs might not have long to live, but I didn¡¯t think Oken had to worry about that. Perhaps it was because he had been in the dungeon for so long that he was a little unclear. ¡°I still think you should live in my territory. It¡¯s dangerous. If I ever go to the city of Human, I¡¯ll see what I can find out about Oken-san. If I find your home, I¡¯ll be sure to let you know.¡± ¡°Bread¡­¡­ that soft, fluffy stuff. It was good.¡± ¡°When the wheat is harvested, we can try making bread. We¡¯ll need a baker though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to live here. I¡¯m going home.¡± The conversation was delayed by one tempo. Well, he was an old man, so what could I do? And he wanted some bread, but he didn¡¯t know how to make bread from wheat. In the palace, I could get bread without any effort. But when I went outside, it was difficult to get even a single loaf of bread or a single piece of clothing. I went out to the meadow where my territory was located. We had dived into the dungeon early in the morning, but it was now just before noon. We walked for quite a while, so we were a little tired. As we walked along in the slightly warmer, more comfortable weather, Oken stopped as if he had found something. ¡°Whoa! Henry!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Oken-san? Aren¡¯t you hungry yet?¡± ¡°No, you idiot! Oh¡­¡­ who¡¯s that lady over there?¡± Oken pointed with a trembling finger to a beastman female. She was the grandmother I carried on my back when the village was swallowed by a muddy water due to Ace¡¯s plan. I recently heard her name was Adara. Adara was calmly working at the tannery. She pushed her weakened body to make use of the skills she had developed over the years. There were many young beast women around her, looking serious as they tried their best to learn Adara¡¯s techniques. ¡± You mean Adara-san? That¡¯s the grandma who lives in my territory.¡± ¡°Adara ¡­¡­ is like a star ¡­¡­ in the sky, beautiful and dazzling ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Uwaah ¡­¡­¡± A word of rhetoric that set my teeth on edge. I was a little taken back by what I heard. Oken gazed at Adara with a sparkle in his eye. His back, which had been a little crooked, was now straight, and his cheeks were red. ¡°If you are so curious, why don¡¯t you talk to her?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m ¡­¡­ a little ¡­¡­ embarrassed.¡± ¡°How old are you, Oken-san? You¡¯re such a maiden¡­¡­.¡± Oken was fidgety and refused to go. I was getting a little annoyed. ¡°What a troublesome situation. Do you want me to go talk to her?¡± ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready for that.¡± Oken, who had been unclear earlier, suddenly became clearer as soon as he found Adara. They say that love can change a person, but I never thought it would be something like this. ¡°But this village is so empty. I can¡¯t have Adara-san living in this remote village. Hmmm. What should I do? Hmmm. Ah! Yes, yes, I¡¯ve decided, Henry!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, what is it, Oken-san?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to live here from today. You¡¯ll have to go into the dungeon and earn 300 DP. Then you¡¯re going to build a Blacksmith workshop (Fectum Malleo), and I¡¯m going to do the blacksmithing there. Then I¡¯ll go¡­¡­ and get Adara-san¡¯s approval.¡± ¡°How do you know about the dungeon and the relics (artifacts)?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting motivated. Gahaha!!¡± Oken smiled broadly. Perhaps the old man had not been hiding in the dungeon, but had been living there for a long time. He knew too many things. He explained how dungeons worked, relics (artifacts), and even referred to the latest weapon, the gun, as an old-fashioned weapon. I remembered one name. The Go-Oken Hammer. An ancient man, a great engineer of the people of Aepha, and the designer of Golemus. ¡°Aaah! Are you one of the Aepha people, Oken-san?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ The People of Aepha? What was that again?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so forgetful!¡± At this rate, I was sure that he had forgotten a lot of other things. In the first place, if he really was a person of Aepha, he must be several thousand years old. I would like to find out their true intentions, but there was no way to do so. But it would be nice to have a blacksmith in the village. His motives were impure, but his work ethic was high. There was plenty of blacksmithing work to be done, making hunting tools, equipment for dungeons, and household utensils. CH 38 Prev Manga Info Whitelist us. Ad revenue gives additional support to the translator and keeps the site running. Interested in being a part of the Nocturne TL team? We are looking for Editors and Chinese, Korean, and Japanese translators to join our team. Join us on Discord and look for Picky Reader#7543 to guide you through recruitment if you are interested. ============================================================================================== I had Oken go to my house. I hadn¡¯t gotten the Blacksmith¡¯s Workshop yet, and I hadn¡¯t assigned him any particular task. By now, he was probably mingling with the rest of the old folks, but he might not be able to talk to Adara properly and might be in a daze. For some reason, Sareha was not in good spirits after returning from the dungeon and went to the outskirts of the village with the grimoire. I could hear him chanting from time to time, so I guessed he was spending his time practicing magic by himself. Sareha had unusually high magic aptitude, probably due to his skills. Even if there was an ancient grimoire, there wouldn¡¯t be many people in the whole kingdom who could learn magic that fast. It was wise to keep the study of magic as knowledge in the palace and not practice chanting at all. If he had shown his talent in the palace, Sareha would have been assassinated for sure. Speaking of something out of the norm, Sheila¡¯s healing potion was another example. However, that was partly because the facilities of the alchemy workshop were too good. Sheila worked diligently and sincerely on her alchemy and made the ancient potion according to the procedure. But I didn¡¯t feel I could do the same. The strength of Sheila¡¯s feelings, that straightforwardness, helped her to create the potion. Even now, Sheila would probably be working with alchemy in her workshop. ¡°Sirius, do you have a minute?¡± ¡°Yes. What can I do for you, my Lord?¡± I talked to Sirius, who was in charge of supervising the work. At the edge of the village, we could see the wheat field that we had sown before. Everything was probably wrong, from the way the soil was tilled, to the time of planting the seeds, to the usual maintenance, but the wheat was growing nicely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve always left you to your own devices. Is everything all right?¡± ¡°Yes, everything is fine. The wheat is growing, and I¡¯m looking forward to the harvest.¡± Sirius turned his head back to look at the wheat field. Meat was the main staple of the Beastmen¡¯s diet, but they sometimes bartered for bread from the merchants along the river. ¡°I plowed and sowed the seeds just right, yet they still grew. How can wheat be so easy to harvest?¡± ¡°Answer ¨C Rupert wheat is an ancient famine relief food. It could be harvested in any soil and at any time of the year. Even with Henry-sama¡¯s limited knowledge, it still can be cultivated.¡± ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that too much?¡± Golemus, who happened to be standing nearby, answered. Food for famine. Food for emergencies, in case of starvation or disaster. I sowed some seeds in the field that I had received as a dungeon reward before, but I heard that they were called Rupert wheat. ¡°Supplemental ¨C Rupert wheat absorbs mana from the surrounding air. Because it uses mana to supplement its nutrition, the soil does not become depleted. It also has a small amount of status-raising effect. Regular consumption is recommended.¡± ¡°I see. And how does it taste?¡± ¡°Report ¨C that¡¯s all I have to say.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t dismiss the question! Is it bad, or what?!¡± Golemus looked left and right to keep an eye on his surroundings. It was even possible that he was pretending to be working in order to end the conversation, but since Golemus had no facial expression, it was impossible to read him. I¡¯m still a little nervous, but I would like some wheat, or even bread, at all costs. If we didn¡¯t stock up for the coming winter, we would all starve to death together. ¡°Sigh¡­ Anyway, everyone is listening to Sirius¡¯ instructions and working very hard. I think you should go back to being chief after all.¡± ¡°No, once a Lord decides, he does not change. Besides, there is¡­¡­ some calculations.¡± ¡°Calculations? I¡¯m royalty, but I¡¯m in a bad situation I don¡¯t know when I¡¯m going to be killed.¡± Even as we were talking, Sirius was visited by a number of residents who came to him for instructions. He seemed to have already grasped the surrounding terrain and instructed them to check the places where monsters were likely to hide. ¡°The village I was in was completely doomed. If we lost to the eighth prince, Ace, we would be wiped out. Even if we won, we would have incurred the resentment of the kingdom. Even if we had established a settlement elsewhere, we would have been hunted down and destroyed. Confrontation would lead to destruction, and submission would not be tolerated. That¡¯s why I wanted to come under the protection of you, my Lord.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m royalty, but I¡¯m almost hostile to the kingdom. So we¡¯re joining forces against the kingdom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I can¡¯t let the blood of my clan die out. Besides, serving my Lord is something I¡¯ve discussed and decided with everyone.¡± A group of beastman children were playing in the middle of the village. They were throwing stones at each other from a distance with wooden sticks inserted in the ground. I wondered if they were practicing for hunting. They seemed to be having fun. ¡°It¡¯s not just about calculation. In this day and age, we don¡¯t get to choose how we die, but we do get to choose how we live. We were touched by a part of the Lord¡¯s way of life, we liked it, and we thought we could follow it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t live in a noble way. I think I live off my own selfishness and resentment.. On the day Ace attacked, all I did was fight out of resentment and anger.¡± I didn¡¯t know if I was resenting the way I was treated at the palace or the way my mother was stolen from me, and I didn¡¯t know which way the scales were tipped. A life filled with emptiness. Maybe I¡¯m trying to find meaning in my life by thinking I¡¯m holding a grudge. If that¡¯s the case, then who am I¡­? ¡°My Lord¡¯s weaknesses are too numerous to count, but his pessimism needs to be corrected. Oh, yes. ¡­¡­ You saved Adara and the others when the village was swallowed by the muddy waters. I abandoned the old people at that time and prioritized saving the children. I was thinking of the future benefits. But my Lord never gave up and saved us.¡± ¡°I threw the two grandpas, though.¡± ¡°Hahaha. They¡¯re not angry anymore. They may be old, but they are still warriors. They don¡¯t keep digging up things that have already happened.¡± I¡¯m accepted by all the beastmen. When I heard that, I felt somewhat relieved. ¡°Oh, by the way, the two people who died in the defense battle were¡­¡­ Alcala and Druss.¡± The two dead warriors. ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ you remembered them. War is a terrible thing. I¡¯d tell them to fight bravely, but it¡¯s still hard when they come back dead.¡± ¡°I will do my best to make sure that my territory, this village, is safe from the fires of war.¡± Sirius narrowed his eyes a little and nodded. A child who spotted the two of us came running towards us. A beastman girl. In human terms, she¡¯s about six years old. ¡°My Lord! Hello!¡± ¡°Yes, hello.¡± A girl clung to my feet. I¡¯m not used to having an innocent smile directed at me, so I¡¯m a bit perplexed. ¡°Come, greet your Lord.¡± ¡°Yes! My name is Frodo, my Lord!¡± ¡°What does Frodo think of the Lord?¡± Sirius¡¯ question was too much. If she answers this with ¡°I don¡¯t like him¡± or ¡°I don¡¯t care¡±, I wouldn¡¯t be able to recover and I needed to call Gabriele again to heal me. ¡°I like him! Hey, my Lord, don¡¯t you have that bright red sickle with you today?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a farming tool, so I left it behind today. When the wheat grows again, we can use that sickle to cut it.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Frodo looked happy as she clung to my leg. I was relieved that she didn¡¯t seem to hate me. I stroked her head lightly and she smiled happily. Her animal ears swayed a little and her tail also wagged a little as if it was flapping in the wind. ¡°What do you think, Lord?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t hate me very¡­¡­ much, but I think Frodo is just being friendly.¡± ¡°The children have been watching you closely. They remember the scene when you helped the old people in the village. You should be proud of yourself.¡± ¡°Yes¡± *** I separated from Sirius and the others and took a look around the village. Beastmen warriors stood on guard and kept a watchful eye on the surroundings. They even stay awake to guard against the possibility of monsters arriving at any time. The number of warriors is not that large, and when combined with their usual hunting duties, they are quite overwhelmed. ¡°I want an outer wall.¡± I wanted an outer wall to surround the village. I wanted to build a watchtower and put archers and ballistas on the outer wall. In order to avoid war, we would need military power. This may sound like a contradiction, but the long history of human has proved this to be true. It doesn¡¯t matter how much justification you have, if you don¡¯t have the power, no opinion will be accepted. In order to build the outer wall, we needed people to work and transport the materials. The current Beastmen have their hands full and couldn¡¯t be relied upon. We also didn¡¯t have enough money, so we couldn¡¯t rely on outside help. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go to the dungeon!¡± I¡¯m not going to interfere with Sareha¡¯s magic practice, so I¡¯m going to dive alone this time, and since I¡¯ve just come up with a way to earn a lot of DP, I¡¯m going to see how it goes in reality. I would dive into the Trial of the Beginning. I¡¯m going to use the evolutionary phenomenon of monsters fighting each other as a way to earn DP. CH 39 Chapter 39 - The Trials of the Beginnings - The 11th Trial - Earning DP I left a message for Fayne and went into the dungeon. The message was something like, ¡°I¡¯ve got a few things to do, so I¡¯m going out for a day or so¡±. Fayne responded with a yawn. He didn¡¯t show any signs of worrying about me, so I was relieved. If I told Sirius, he might get the wrong idea and find out that I was sneaking around dungeon diving. That was why I chose the people I had in mind. And that was Fayne. I think that guy was just as stupid as me. I went to the Trials of the Beginning, which I was already familiar with. I already knew the general idea of the enemies, the types of traps, and the items that dropped. I proceeded through the dungeon, slaughtering goblins who had no skills whatsoever. I picked up weapons and armor and selected useful scrolls and potions. It was a task I¡¯m used to. If I keep going through the first level, I¡¯ll find a stone-throwing orc. ¡°Eat this!¡± A bronze shortsword pierced him from behind. It pierced the exact spot where his heart was, and the stone-throwing orc died pathetically. After that, I continued my search and made sure that I had picked up all the items before proceeding down to the second level. If there were enemies, I would carefully kill them, and when I was done, I would run as fast as I could through the entire level. Then, traps would be triggered one after another, arrows would fly behind me, explosions would occur, rocks would fall, and corrosive acid would splatter. ¡°¡­¡­ I guess I can only use this technique in this dungeon.¡± This trick was only possible in dungeons with weak enemies. Before the effect of the traps was activated, I ran with all my might to avoid the traps. If I did this in a normal dungeon, the enemies would notice me and I¡¯d be in trouble, so for now, this method was exclusive to the Trials of the Beginning. I killed all the enemies on the second level and activated all the traps. There was no chance of accidental death now. I also picked up the ¡°Confusion Potion¡± I was looking for while collecting the items. I found a [Fusion Worm] along the way, so I dragged it around in a half-dead state. I also carried an Evil Eye with its eyeballs ripped out and its skills blocked so that it wouldn¡¯t die. This giant worm-like demon ¨C the Fusion Worm ¨C would use its mischievous mouth to swallow weapons and armor and fuse them together inside its body. It was a necessary element in strengthening weapons and armor, as its fuses the strengthening values and other elements together. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if it has any of these properties.¡± I found out about the Fusion Worm when I was looking it up on the stone monument. The reason for this was because the stone monument had a new feature called ¡°Monsters Information List¡±, and its characteristics were written there. Unfortunately, it only had information on monsters that I had seen before, so it wasn¡¯t that informative. I knew that, though. I sat down and waited for the monster to revive. The monster I was looking for was a Goblin Thief. In the dungeon, the monsters would revive as time passed, so as long as I had time and bread, I could wait indefinitely. I waited for about five hours while hunting the revived monster, and then the thief goblin I was aiming for came out. He was proudly carrying a large sack. ¡°Finally.¡± I shoved a bottle of confusion potion into his mouth. The startled and panicked goblin flailed, but the overwhelming difference in arm strength kept him in check. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Now drink.¡± ¡°Gugyiiiiiii!!¡± The goblin swallowed the potion in a painful manner and became confused, so I threw him a dying Evil Eye. ¡°Guga!? Guoaua!?¡± The Goblin smashed the Evil Eye to death with a look of incomprehension and then began to eat it. I couldn¡¯t get used to the disgusting feeling no matter how many times I saw it, but I waited patiently. The goblin vomited several times and distorted his face in pain. The goblin screamed, and then his abdomen opened vertically. A hand reached out from the bloody cavity and scratched the air as if seeking something. Immediately, a slimy, mucus-covered goblin crawled out. His body was twice his size, and he was pulling out a large sack that made me wonder where he had been storing it. ¡°You¡¯ve evolved! You Goblin Thief!¡± I ran up to him and kicked him with all my might. The goblin stepped on the trap, fell back, and was caught in the trap. ¡°Gugyaaaaaaaa!!¡± Purple lightning gushed from the trap. The electric shock trap identified the goblin as the prey and burned its flesh with the power of its lightning. Before the goblin could escape from the trap, I took the Scroll of Gravity from the item box and used it. The dust that had been flying around the room was sucked into the ground. No, it looked like that, but in fact, the dust fell to the ground due to the sudden gravity. As a matter of course, the goblin and I fell under the influence. ¡°¡ª-! Gugyaaaa!!¡± The Goblin could not escape the trap and was burned by the purple light. The room was filled with screams and the smell of burning flesh, but it was difficult for me to move because I myself was under the influence of gravity, so I stayed with the goblin for a while. After a while, the Goblin died and the scroll was no longer working. I rushed over to the large sack he dropped, and just as I had hoped, it was filled with high quality items. A sword made of adamantite, heavy armor made of mithril, and many other items. An evolved goblin. The items in the Goblin Thief Leader¡¯s possession were of high quality. There were several weapons in the box, and some of them even had an enhancement value of +7. ¡°Fu, fuhaha ¨C oops.¡± My heart was filled with an uplifting feeling, and I almost laughed out loud. I could not help but feel happy when I picked up the rare items. It was difficult to keep my voice down when it couldn¡¯t fit in my hands. I shoved my weapons and armors into the Fusion Worm. I made sure they were mixed in its stomach, and then I put my hand in its mouth and pulled it out. Then the fused items came out along with the mucus. ¡°This is¡­¡­ really amazing ¡­¡­.¡± Coincidentally, there was a Confusion Potion in the large bag. This was God¡¯s way of telling me to do the same thing again. The God of the dungeon is telling me. If he was in charge of such a nasty dungeon, he was probably an evil god. ¡°Wait for me, Goblin Thief¡­¡­. fufufu¡­¡­¡± I roamed the dungeon in search of a new sacrificial (Goblin Thief). As a general rule, I found out that if I went through the dungeon with good equipment and items, I would get more DP. If this was the case, I should be able to earn a lot of DP if I went through the dungeon with equipment that I had earned to the maximum extent. Earn, earn and earn DP. For territorial development. CH 40 I just kept hunting the Goblin Thief. When I ran out of Confusion Potions, I hunted down regular Goblin Thieves for more. I repeated this process until I reached the limit of my strength, and after I had near-ultimate equipment, I completed the dungeon. Now I am sitting in front of the stone monument, checking the status increase and the acquired DP. The equipment disappeared when I completed the dungeon. I felt a little disappointed. But I can still endure it if I think that my DP would increase. Henry Boesheit Total number of deaths 00013 Trial of the Beginnings: Completed 12 hours, 17 minutes, 13 seconds Defeated the dungeon (3rd time) HP294 MP10 Attack 175 (+13) Defense 176 Magic 1 Speed 35 (+1) Weapon: Adamantite Bastard Sword +45 Armor: Mithril Heavy Armor +36 Mithril Helm +28 Cloak of Spirit Cloth +5 Piercing Ring Special Skill: Maintain Status (Unique) Possession DP: 6256 (Assessment +6240) 6256 DP, a whole different level than before. With this amount of DP, I could get dozens of relics. However, even though I hunted a lot of monsters, my status growth was a little slow. If I didn¡¯t kill monsters that were as strong as I was, my status would probably not grow as fast. I didn¡¯t want to think that I had reached the limit of my talent. No matter how much power I had, it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°First, I¡¯ll take 300 DP for the Blacksmithing Workshop (Fectum Malleo), and the rest is roughly about 5900 DP¡­¡­ what should I do with it?¡± What we needed at the moment was a wall of protection. In this grassland full of monsters, we needed to fortify our defenses. Besides, we couldn¡¯t deny the possibility that the royal army would attack us anytime soon. Even if there were no walls, a peasant soldier would not feel defeated no matter how many hundreds came. However, they would not be able to stop all of them, and they would probably kill their own people. Therefore, we had to build a defensive wall to defend ourselves. Besides, among my brothers, there were some with specialized skills in warfare. It would be as important to fortify our defenses as it would be to prepare for winter. ¡°Or I could use all the rest for the All-purpose Giant Soldier (Utiris Golem).¡± With all the remaining DPs, I could get 59 golems. A golem would not need to eat or drink, and it would be stronger than a Beastman warrior. Their physical strength was exceptional, and they could be used not only for defense but also for heavy-duty work such as engineering works and construction. When I selected the reward, one large metal body and 59 smaller metal bodies appeared. A voice echoed in my head. The stone monument spoke to me. The voice with a hint of irritation foreshadowed an unpleasant report. It seemed that they were upset that I had made a lot of profit with the Goblin Thief leader. It certainly felt like overkill, but it was using the laws of the dungeon, and it was not fair to be called fraudulent. ¡°I understand¡­¡­.¡± <¡­¡­ Acknowledged.> Next time, I would use more different ways to earn points. The monsters, items, and traps in the dungeon had various characteristics. I¡¯m sure I would find new ways to earn money as I dive. ¡°Golemus, help me!¡± I called Golemus from outside, as I had a hard time carrying the items. It was dark outside, but when Golemus heard my voice, he rushed towards me without hesitation. The new golems would be Golemus¡¯ younger brothers, so I thought it would be a good idea to meet them. In all honesty, though, it was a pain to carry them. ¡°I need you to carry the relics. The big one is the blacksmith workshop, so it should be next to the alchemy workshop. Let¡¯s get the golems outside and then summon them.¡± ¡°Acknowledge ¨C proceed with the work immediately.¡± ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll carry half of it.¡± The two of us carried a total of 60 metal bodies. ¡°The new golem will be Golemus¡¯ little brother. What should we name it? ¡­¡­ I think we should name it after Golemus. Should we name it Golemus 1 and the next one Golemus 2 to Golemus 60?¡± ¡°Negative ¨C recommend maintaining a single, controlled individual name, Golemus.¡± ¡°Speak clearly. What, because Golemus is your name, you don¡¯t want other golems to use it?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± I didn¡¯t think he cared about his name so much. After all, Golemus was not just a mud puppet golem without a will. There were fragments of emotion ¨C something that seemed to be sprouting. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Report ¨C inappropriate gaze detected.¡± Go out to the grasslands and lay out the metal bodies that will be the source of the golems at equal intervals. When the preparation was complete, the golems swallowed the surrounding soil and stones and formed their bodies. After a while, the golems stared at us as if waiting for orders. It was a spectacular sight to see so many of them. ¡°Well, that¡¯s embarrassing. Well then, Golemus is still Golemus. You¡¯re in charge of the new golems. The new Golem is¡­¡­ Sorry, Golem 1 or something like that. I can¡¯t name you all.¡± ¡°Acknowledged ¨C Golem 1 through Golem 59 are now under command. We will parallelize our thoughts, prepare for emergencies, and dispatch for night security.¡± ¡°Parallelize? I don¡¯t understand, but please.¡± The golems received Golemus¡¯ orders and scattered. The patrolman screamed when they saw the large number of golems, but when the golems explained the situation, they were convinced. ¡°Oh shoot, I forgot to explain¡­¡­.¡± Wild screams could be heard throughout the village. It would certainly be scary if golems suddenly came running in large numbers in the dark of night. I¡¯m embarrassed by my lack of concern. ¡°Let¡¯s go home for once.¡± The blacksmithing workshop was also completed. I should ask Oken to take a look at it around tomorrow and start preparing it for work. The ore should be mined from the dungeon that Ace used to use. I looked around and couldn¡¯t find Sheila and the others, so they were probably in the house. If I didn¡¯t tell them that I was back, they might get angry. I started walking slowly towards the house. I¡¯m tired from all the time spent in the dungeon, and I wanted to get some sleep. I decided to get a blanket and go to bed as soon as possible. CH 40.5 The Kingdom of Raltgen ¨C the royal capital, Melgarth. General Dougan was struggling with a blank sheet of paper in a solid stone building in the royal castle adjacent to the royal palace. ¡°What¡¯s the point of this letter¡­¡­? It would be more meaningful work if we could figure out how many spare boots we need to take to the battlefield.¡± Dougan, with his muscular frame and thin quill, sighed. The habitual touching of his beard was a sign of irritation. Soldiers who saw this would never speak to Dougan. ¡°Whatever needs to be done, be done when it needs to be done.¡± Standing beside the paperwork desk, the Grand Chamberlain Goryo¡¯s narrow eyes narrowed further. ¡°Goryo! You should write it! Why should I write a letter to a nobleman?¡± Dougan tore up the letter he was about to write and threw it over his head. He depressingly brushed off the fluttering pieces of paper and turned to Goryo. ¡°If you don¡¯t write it yourself, it¡¯s meaningless. There are those who can see the handwriting and stamping habits. Besides, there are two factions, the First Queen and the Second Queen, and Dougan-dono is not a member of either. If you don¡¯t take care of all of them, they¡¯ll take advantage of you.¡± ¡°Faction, faction, faction, they¡¯re all so annoying.¡± ¡°It is necessary for you to rise with a single spear. It¡¯s called worldly wisdom.¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t like it. Sometimes I come home from training and I¡¯m bombarded with papers and letters. I don¡¯t have time to breathe.¡± Dougan sighed, and Goryo held out a blank piece of paper. It was a sign to hurry up and write the rest. ¡°Speaking of factions, have you heard of ¡­¡­ the Eighth Prince Ace?¡± ¡°Ace? What did that idiot with only necromancy skills do? Did he kill another chambermaid or maid?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead. We have confirmed the bodies.¡± Dougan¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. A warm breath escaped from his gaping mouth, and Goryo stepped back to avoid it. ¡°I have a report from the spies of the Order of Domir. It seems that he attacked a settlement of the Silver Crow clan, but was beaten back. We can¡¯t be certain yet, but we have reports of seeing ¡®Prince Henry the Twelfth¡¯, ¡®Prince Sareha the Thirteenth¡¯, and a man who looks like ¡®Sirius the White Silver¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh! Sirius the White Silver. He¡¯s my candidate for second in command! He¡¯s not dead, is he?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t interrupt the story. Also, your saliva is all over the place. And by the way, yes, he¡¯s not dead.¡± ¡°Sorry. But you¡¯re still a fussy guy¡­¡­.¡± Goryo unfolded the map and explained Ace¡¯s track. ¡°This is the settlement that His Highness attacked. It is in this labyrinth that he died. But¡­¡­ it¡¯s strange. His Highness used His Highness Sareha to create an army of undead. No matter how good the Silver Crow clan is at warfare, they are no match for him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the Beastmen. They are born with strong physical strength, and above all, they have the will to fight in their hearts. They are not like us, who live peacefully within their walls and have forgotten the threat of demons.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s different. It¡¯s inexplicable. According to my spies, thirty or so warriors defeated a thousand undead, and the two of them also defeated His Highness Ace in the depths of the labyrinth. There was even a gryphon in the room, you know?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡­ it¡¯s weird. It doesn¡¯t make any sense. It should be difficult to fight a defensive battle in a small village.¡± Dougan was heartbroken at the loss of the gryphon. He didn¡¯t really care about Ace, though. The Gryphon Sky Cavalry could do everything from power reconnaissance to cavalry assault. It would cost an enormous amount of money and effort to raise the temperamental gryphons from chicks and get them used to people. ¡°It could be that His Highness Prince Henry was the key behind this.¡± ¡°His Highness must have left the palace to go to his territory. The fact that he fought alongside Sirius is also suspicious.¡± ¡°The Silver Crow clan¡¯s settlement is located next to his territory. The spies came back as soon as they saw the end of His Highness Ace. So I don¡¯t know what they are doing now, but there is a possibility that they may have joined hands. It is very dangerous. They could be the flag bearers of the Anti-Kingdom.¡± ¡°Rebellion is it¡­¡­? It¡¯s useless.¡± Dougan gripped the quill tightly and snapped it. The thought of blood spilling set the chivalry in his heart on fire. It was true that the Kingdom was not a great nation. Government positions were sold for money, and the nobles, tributaries of the royal family, were complicit in the corruption. But the fangless people who lived there were innocent and needed to be protected. That was what Dougan thought. ¡°It¡¯s not a rebellion, it could even turn into a civil war. I wonder if even the ¡­¡­ territory claim was a scheme by His Highness Henry. He may be planning to manipulate the palace with some kind of power to gain territory, and then build his own kingdom by winning over the surrounding beastmen.¡± ¡°That much power¡­¡­! Don¡¯t tell me that His Highness Henry possessed the skill of mental manipulation!¡± ¡± No, according to the Great Magician¡¯s skill appraisal, it was a helpless skill called ¡®Maintain Status¡¯. But¡­¡­ what if even that result was¡­¡­ manipulated? And even His Highness Ace could be considered¡­¡­ to have been secretly manipulated to achieve the cause of the anti-kingdom. If the surrounding beastman clans are taken in, they will become a major force.¡± ¡°His Highness Henry¡­¡­ is not to be underestimated. If we were to meet on the battlefield, I would consider him to be the equal of an army of ten thousand.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t think that way, it doesn¡¯t make any sense. Originally, His Highness Henry should have died in the meadow that was his territory. It¡¯s impossible for an ordinary man to survive in that dangerous place. I think that¡­¡­ there¡¯s no possibility that the other royalty conspired to give that land to His Highness Henry. I don¡¯t think the factions are stupid enough to pull off such a blatant assassination.¡± Goryo tucked the report from the spies into his bag tightly. It was information that should never be seen by others, for it was fraught with danger that could determine the fate of the nation. ¡°This matter shall be reported only to His Majesty King Alfardo, my father. Please do not divulge this matter to the rest of the royal family.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it, it¡¯s too much trouble. Oh¡­¡­ and it¡¯s almost time for dinner. What do you say we go out to dinner for the first time in a while? I found a bar that serves good food.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you¡¯re going to get away from all that paperwork.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I guess I got caught!¡± Dougan scratched his short-cropped hair and let out a lively laugh that echoed around the room. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s good for once in a while.¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s unusual. A spear is going to fall from the sky tomorrow!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me, I¡¯m going back to the castle with you after dinner to fill out some papers.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed, don¡¯t be embarrassed!¡± 45-year-old General Dougan and 27-year-old Grand Chamberlain Goryo. Although they were as old as father and son, they walked together toward the tavern in the royal capital as if they were long-time friends. The long street in front of the royal castle was lined with countless stores. Some of them might even be able to get the tense chamberlain drunk. CH 41 ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m back.¡± I whispered to myself as I opened the door of my house. It was almost midnight and the people were sleeping outside. The children and elders inside the house were probably asleep as well, so I decided to sneak out and borrow a blanket for myself. I had a great time earning DP and spent half a day in the dungeon. Some might wonder why I had been gone for so long. However, I was the rightful Lord of this land, and there was no need to ask the people what they thought of me for something such as this. In fact, I could be said to be the Lord among Lords, working for the sake of the land. ¡°Oh, Henry. What have you been up to?¡± ¡°Oh, Oken-san. I was out for a while. You weren¡¯t asleep yet.¡± When I walked into the living room, someone called out to me. ¡°I am overwhelmed with motivation. So I¡¯ve been working on the plans for the city since there¡¯s nothing to do.¡± Oken¡¯s vagueness, which had been so severe, has disappeared. At this rate, he might be remembering his past. ¡°Can you remember anything from the past? Where you lived, the names of your family members, do you recall any ancient super-technology?¡± ¡°¡­..? Hmm?¡± ¡°Still not good. What are these city plans anyway?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t protect everyone in this shabby village, Henry! Look at the plans I¡¯ve drawn, the fruit of my wisdom!¡± ¡°Please keep your voice down. You¡¯ll wake the others.¡± Oken began to lay out a series of clay tablets. Gradually, the pieced-together clay plates became a single picture, on which the concept of the city was precisely drawn. ¡°How did you manage to make such a¡­¡­ clay tablet in such a short time?¡± ¡°I have nothing better to do. First of all, the final form of the city should be an efficient walled city that can house 5000 people. The city will be built in a radial pattern with a central square as the base, and an aqueduct will connect the water supply and sewage system. The shape of the city will be circular. In addition, the entire city will be surrounded by a wall with a star-shaped moat around it. The walls also need space for gun emplacements, about nine of them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of ¡®need¡¯. How many decades do you think it will take?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take more than ten or twenty years. And we¡¯re not going to do all of them from the beginning. The first thing we should do is to surround the village with¡­¡­ wooden walls. Then slowly build the rest. We¡¯ll need volcanic ash, lime, and some shale in order to build a real wall, so we¡¯ll have to wait.¡± I could read the words on the drawing. It was strange. Oken is supposed to be one of the Aepha (ancient people). ¡°I see. Now that we have the golem and the Blacksmith¡¯s Workshop, let¡¯s start where we can. First, we need to procure wood and iron ore. Then let¡¯s start building at once. I want to build some houses, too.¡± ¡°Leave it to me. I already know how to build a house.¡± ¡°Also, the name of the wall should be¡­ ¡®Adara Wall¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll leave it to you. I don¡¯t know how to make a house.¡± ¡°What a name. I guess it¡¯s a nod to your love for Adara-san, huh?¡± Just when I thought the blurriness was gone, the color blurriness started. Although this one was less harmful than the other, I couldn¡¯t say for sure. I was wondering what I was talking about at an age when funerals seemed to start at the same time as weddings. ¡°A candle burns best just before it burns out. And age is no factor in love.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Please don¡¯t read my mind.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot. I can almost always tell what you¡¯re going to say by looking at your face. And¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry to say it, but you might want to start looking behind you¡­¡­.¡± I felt a chill run down my spine as if a drop of water had been dripped down my spine. I turned around slowly and saw a familiar face. ¡°Thank you for your hard work until late at night, my Lord. We were very worried when you came back so late.¡± ¡°Did you have fun in the dungeon¡­.. onii-san? Sareha-san has told us a lot about¡­¡­ what has happened in the dungeon before.¡± Sirius and Sheila were smiling at me. Scary. ¡°I touched the stone monument¡­¡­ and it tells me a lot. I think it¡¯s wrong that it says [Total number of deaths 00013]. Why didn¡¯t you say anything to me when you were dying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I spoke¡­¡­ but it¡¯s nii-sama¡¯s fault¡­¡­ for leaving me alone and going to the dungeon alone.¡± Thor and Sareha blamed me. I dove into the dungeon for the sake of everyone else, so they had no reason to be angry with me. Why did they know that I had dived into the dungeon in the first place? I was sure that I asked Fayne to relay the message, but I didn¡¯t tell him about the dungeon. ¡°My Lord! Frodo saw you heading for the basement! I told everyone!¡± Frodo raised a small hand in appeal. He was very quick to share the information. Frodo showed a lot of promise, and I was sure I could get him a key position in the future. But for once, I wanted him to keep his mouth shut. It was not good to be completely exposed, even though I had gone to the trouble of sneaking into the dungeon without being seen. ¡°Frodo is smart. Come, I¡¯ll pat you on the head.¡± ¡°Ehehe¡± When I stroked Frodo¡¯s head, his animal ears twitched. ¡°Well, it¡¯s getting late, so let¡¯s all go to bed. Sheila, where are the blankets? If not, I¡¯ll sleep with Gabriel in my arms.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Come here, please.¡± Sheila took me by the hand, Sirius grabbed me by the shoulders, and I was taken away with a waist rope that had been prepared for me from somewhere. I climbed up the stairs with everyone else, and until we reached my room on the second floor, I didn¡¯t have two words for freedom. *** ¡°To sum it up¡­¡­ you¡¯ve been diving in the dungeon ever since you came to this meadow. You¡¯ve died many times and come back to life. Is that where you acquired the extraordinary strength of your arms and legs?¡± Sirius looked at me with a dumbfounded expression. It had been quite some time since I had entered the room, but the interrogation-like questioning continued for the rest of the night. More and more people were gathering in the room and there were fewer and fewer places to sit. I was sitting in the middle and everyone else was surrounding me. Fayne was guarding the exit window, and Sirius was standing guard at the door. I couldn¡¯t escape. And I was sleepy. I didn¡¯t dare say that I was sleepy in this situation. ¡°I think it¡¯s great. You¡¯re right to want to be a strong male. I wouldn¡¯t mind dying for once if I could have the power.¡± ¡°Fayne¡­¡­.! For the first time, we¡¯re on the same page.¡± ¡°But you should have told everyone about ¡®death and resurrection in dungeons¡¯. The Lord himself must have thought it was a bad idea not to tell us.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­ are you mad at me?¡± ¡°I knew you were the kind of person who would die if left to your own devices, but I never dreamed ¡­¡­ that you were actually dead.¡± Sirius seemed to be really angry. I was scared to death that he smiled when he was angry. From now on, I would try not to make him angry. Silence reigned in the room. Sareha spoke to me as if he had made up his mind. I didn¡¯t know why he was holding a wooden plate full of raspberries in his hand. ¡°These are raspberries from the meadow. I picked them for lunch to eat with nii-sama¡­¡­. Can I eat them all?¡± ¡°A-ah. Do whatever you like.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­. Please¡­¡­ scold me for keeping it all to myself.¡± ¡°W-why is that?¡± Sareha turned over and began to cry. ¡°Sheila-san told me, ¡®Brothers fight over sweets¡¯. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been waiting for¡­¡­ this whole time¡­¡­. I¡¯ve been wanting to do something like this with my nii-sama¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sareha. But it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to be left behind. I¡¯m afraid of seeing you die in front of me. I want you to rely on¡­¡­ more¡­¡­.¡± Sareha¡¯s tears wouldn¡¯t stop. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t stop looking at me with a stern look. The situation was completely disadvantageous, and there was no hope for rescue. ¡°¡­¡­ I need strength. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve seen this before. But as the number of my people grew, I needed more power. So I thought it would be better than dying. Besides, I can come back to life.¡± ¡°So can I come with you to the dungeon next time? I¡¯ll come back to life too, right?¡± ¡°Shall I go too? Onee-chan, me and onii-san. There are four of us, including Sareha-san.¡° ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that! And I don¡¯t want any of you to die!¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t tell me easily that you can die! I can¡¯t accept that and neither can the others!¡± When the discussion got heated, Sirius clapped his hands to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Things are getting a little heated. I understand where you¡¯re coming from. But the Lord has a point too. So, how about a compromise?¡± ¡°Compromise?¡± ¡°Those who are willing to fight should go into the dungeon. About 30 warriors of the Silver Crow clan will be recruited to join in. I¡¯ll run for the dungeon dive first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do anything to get stronger too. I heard that strong men can have beautiful wives. I want at least three.¡± Sirius and Fayne raised their hands. ¡°I want to go too!¡± ¡°No, not Thor. I can¡¯t feel your will to fight. I think your battlefield is in a different place. And Sheila too, of course.¡± Sirius gently warned them, and Thor and Sheila nodded. ¡°Gau!¡± ¡°Gabriel, what¡¯s wrong? You can¡¯t do that. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°My Lord, the wolf¡¯s sense of smell is not to be underestimated, and we could take him with us. Leave the fighting to us.¡± ¡°Guuh¡­ I¡¯ll have Oken-san make you some wolf armor¡­¡­.¡± Indeed, Gabriele could smell the scent of demons that were far away. She was a perfect candidate for a dungeon explorer. ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask you why you didn¡¯t take Sareha to the dungeon and us to the dungeon. It¡¯s the Lord¡¯s own problem.¡± Sirius¡¯ last advice. I suddenly remembered something completely unrelated but worrisome. That was when I first met Sirius and was invited to his house. There was a time when Sirius said something strange and I felt uneasy inside. I believe¡­ ¡°Sirius once called Gabriel a ¡®beautiful wolf¡¯. It seems that Gabriel can also transform into a werewolf, so maybe he¡¯s looking at Gabriel in a dirty way?¡± ¡°W-what are you talking about!? I am a beastman, but¡­¡­ not like that! It is true that Gabriel is beautiful, but it is not ¡­¡­ it is like admiring a work of art!¡± ¡°Ah, hmm. I understand. Don¡¯t get too close to Gabriel.¡± ¡°No, really, it¡¯s different. Why are you saying this at this time!¡± I had been scolded for a long time, but I felt like I had gotten my revenge. No, I was really glad that there were people who were angry at me. Sometimes I even wish that there was someone like Sirius in the palace. I regained my composure and turned to face Sareha. ¡°Sareha. I¡¯m sorry about earlier. I don¡¯t expect you to forgive me easily, but can we do it again?¡± ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s dive into the dungeon together again!¡± ¡°That being said, can I have some¡­¡­ raspberries?¡± I reached for the wooden plate and Sareha happily offered it to me. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. I could eat it all myself.¡± ¡°Fufu, no you can¡¯t.¡± Sareha raised the wooden plate above his head. I tried to wipe away the trace of tears on his cheeks, but another tear spilled from his eyes. CH 42 ¡°¡ªCough!¡± One cough. The day after I was lectured by everyone, something that had been straining me snapped, and I developed a fever. The chills and coughing wouldn¡¯t stop, so I laid in bed and looked out the window. It had been a few days since I fell asleep. I felt frustrated that I couldn¡¯t do anything, but I was forbidden to move. Thanks to my ¡°Maintain Status¡± skill, I would be able to move even if I was sick, but it wouldn¡¯t prevent me from feeling pain. ¡°Are you okay?¡¡Please let me know if it gets too hot.¡± Sheila smiled beside my bed. In this territory, there were no satisfactory medical treatment facilities, so even a single cold could kill us. If they went to the city, they could find a church clinic, but here they had to rely on healing potions. Sheila had a bottle of healing potion in her hand, and if my condition became serious, she would shove that bottle in my mouth. ¡°Thank you. But it¡¯s bad if it¡¯s contagious, so try to keep your distance.¡± ¡°Sirius-san said that if I leave onii-san alone, onii-san will die. ¡­¡­I think so too. So, I¡¯ll stay with you a little longer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a baby, so I¡¯m okay¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The joyous shouts of the people outside were heard. Maybe one of the teams had conquered the dungeon. Since then, Sirius and the others had formed a team and started to dive into the dungeon. All the warriors of the Silver Crow clan agreed to dive the dungeon, probably because the experience of losing their village in the past made them want to be strong. I already shared my blood with everyone to give them the ¡°Maintain Status¡± skill. I thought I was going to die when they drained my blood for 30 people. ¡°I want to go. I¡¯m the one who knows the most about dungeons¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been researching new kinds of potions lately. I wonder if I should make a paralysis potion.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡± The Blacksmith Workshop also began to operate. Golemus and his friends dug up iron ore with their bare hands from the dungeon where Ace was. Then Oken made axes and pickaxes, and Golems cut down trees and mined iron ore. Day and night, the resources were extracted and piled high in a corner of the village. Oken had built a huge kiln to dry the wood with steam. According to him, raw wood cannot be used for construction. ¡°Sheila. Thanks to Golemus and the others, you¡¯ll be able to move safely through the grasslands. They are the perfect escort.¡± ¡°They are very strong and very reliable.¡± There was something I was wondering if I should say or not. The day I welcomed Thor and Sheila into my territory, something they had said to me had been stuck in my mind. ¡°So we can go north to the kingdom of Orwe. So, we will go to Thor and Sheila¡¯s birthplace, and find your families¡ª¡° ¡°It¡¯s alright. Father and mother are probably¡­already dead. That day when the mercenaries burned down the village, I¡¯m sure¡­¡± Sheila looked downcast. I made her sad, after all, but it was a problem that needed to be faced, and there was no way she didn¡¯t care. ¡°I¡¯m not giving up. I also will rescue Sareha¡¯s mother from the palace, and I will find their family. It¡¯s not right that a parent and a child who love each other can¡¯t see each other.¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s not safe.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m going to get the strength so that I won¡¯t die no matter what. When I get over my cold, I¡¯ll go to the city of Human to earn some money, and I¡¯ll dive into the dungeons to raise my status.¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m¡­happy, but¡­I¡¯m afraid onii-san will¡­¡± While we were talking, the door to my room slowly opened and Thor walked in. She walked to the side of the bed and talked to me. ¡°What¡¯s with the mood? A fight?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing, nee-chan. Onii-san is not feeling well. so just tell me what you need. Quickly.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the bitterness!? And, why are you treating me like that!?¡± She felt uncomfortable because I said something that was hard for Sheila. I felt bad for Thor, but she had to give up at the wrong time. ¡°Muguu¡­ Sirius¡¯s and Sareha¡¯s squads have broken through the Trials of the Beginning. Fayne¡¯s squad seems to have been wiped out when Fayne stepped on a trap. They dove right back in, though.¡± ¡°Fayne¡¯s squad is it. It¡¯s easy to imagine. I don¡¯t want to be in that squad.¡± ¡°The Fayne squad looks bloody and cheerful¡­and everyone¡¯s status is improving. I have put together a map of the dungeon and everything, so feel free to ask me anything.¡± ¡°Ah, I will take care of it once I get over my cold.¡± Thor volunteered to be our dungeon investigator. She was responsible for gathering all the information on demons, traps, items, status, and dungeon mechanics and sharing it with each team. It was a role that required intelligence ¨C or rather, a good point of view ¨C and Thor was the right person for the job. It was difficult to figure out who needed what information and to convey it as much as necessary. I didn¡¯t feel like I could do it, but that was okay. Since I wasn¡¯t a jack-of-all-trades, I¡¯d give everything I could to them. I may not be good enough to be a superior, but there was no point in complaining about my inadequacies. ¡°When I get over my cold, I think I¡¯ll go to the city to the east, Hafen.¡± ¡°Hafen is a city of Human right? Is it okay for Henry to go there?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell them my name. I¡¯d be in big trouble if I said, ¡°I¡¯m Henry von Boesheit Lartgen, of the royal family.¡±¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that name before, but it¡¯s such a long one. I think I¡¯ll bite my tongue.¡± I might even have to wear a disguise and use a pseudonym when walking around the kingdom. The assassins could attack me and I would be a nuisance to everyone around me. Henry von Boesheit Lartgen. Although it was an honorable name, I was proud of nothing more than the name Henry, given to me by my mother. Originally, I was a person who should not have used a fake name. It wasn¡¯t acceptable to abandon the responsibility of my name, the responsibility of royalty. But in order to survive, I often use a false name. If someone came along who had a grudge against the royal family, I would have to tell them my real name. CH 43 ¡°¡ªCough!¡± One cough. The day after I was lectured by everyone, something that had been straining me snapped, and I developed a fever. The chills and coughing wouldn¡¯t stop, so I laid in bed and looked out the window. It had been a few days since I fell asleep. I felt frustrated that I couldn¡¯t do anything, but I was forbidden to move. Thanks to my ¡°Maintain Status¡± skill, I would be able to move even if I was sick, but it wouldn¡¯t prevent me from feeling pain. ¡°Are you okay?¡¡Please let me know if it gets too hot.¡± Sheila smiled beside my bed. In this territory, there were no satisfactory medical treatment facilities, so even a single cold could kill us. If they went to the city, they could find a church clinic, but here they had to rely on healing potions. Sheila had a bottle of healing potion in her hand, and if my condition became serious, she would shove that bottle in my mouth. ¡°Thank you. But it¡¯s bad if it¡¯s contagious, so try to keep your distance.¡± ¡°Sirius-san said that if I leave onii-san alone, onii-san will die. ¡­¡­I think so too. So, I¡¯ll stay with you a little longer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a baby, so I¡¯m okay¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The joyous shouts of the people outside were heard. Maybe one of the teams had conquered the dungeon. Since then, Sirius and the others had formed a team and started to dive into the dungeon. All the warriors of the Silver Crow clan agreed to dive the dungeon, probably because the experience of losing their village in the past made them want to be strong. I already shared my blood with everyone to give them the ¡°Maintain Status¡± skill. I thought I was going to die when they drained my blood for 30 people. ¡°I want to go. I¡¯m the one who knows the most about dungeons¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been researching new kinds of potions lately. I wonder if I should make a paralysis potion.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡± The Blacksmith Workshop also began to operate. Golemus and his friends dug up iron ore with their bare hands from the dungeon where Ace was. Then Oken made axes and pickaxes, and Golems cut down trees and mined iron ore. Day and night, the resources were extracted and piled high in a corner of the village. Oken had built a huge kiln to dry the wood with steam. According to him, raw wood cannot be used for construction. ¡°Sheila. Thanks to Golemus and the others, you¡¯ll be able to move safely through the grasslands. They are the perfect escort.¡± ¡°They are very strong and very reliable.¡± There was something I was wondering if I should say or not. The day I welcomed Thor and Sheila into my territory, something they had said to me had been stuck in my mind. ¡°So we can go north to the kingdom of Orwe. So, we will go to Thor and Sheila¡¯s birthplace, and find your families¡ª¡° ¡°It¡¯s alright. Father and mother are probably¡­already dead. That day when the mercenaries burned down the village, I¡¯m sure¡­¡± Sheila looked downcast. I made her sad, after all, but it was a problem that needed to be faced, and there was no way she didn¡¯t care. ¡°I¡¯m not giving up. I also will rescue Sareha¡¯s mother from the palace, and I will find their family. It¡¯s not right that a parent and a child who love each other can¡¯t see each other.¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s not safe.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m going to get the strength so that I won¡¯t die no matter what. When I get over my cold, I¡¯ll go to the city of Human to earn some money, and I¡¯ll dive into the dungeons to raise my status.¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m¡­happy, but¡­I¡¯m afraid onii-san will¡­¡± While we were talking, the door to my room slowly opened and Thor walked in. She walked to the side of the bed and talked to me. ¡°What¡¯s with the mood? A fight?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing, nee-chan. Onii-san is not feeling well. so just tell me what you need. Quickly.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the bitterness!? And, why are you treating me like that!?¡± She felt uncomfortable because I said something that was hard for Sheila. I felt bad for Thor, but she had to give up at the wrong time. ¡°Muguu¡­ Sirius¡¯s and Sareha¡¯s squads have broken through the Trials of the Beginning. Fayne¡¯s squad seems to have been wiped out when Fayne stepped on a trap. They dove right back in, though.¡± ¡°Fayne¡¯s squad is it. It¡¯s easy to imagine. I don¡¯t want to be in that squad.¡± ¡°The Fayne squad looks bloody and cheerful¡­and everyone¡¯s status is improving. I have put together a map of the dungeon and everything, so feel free to ask me anything.¡± ¡°Ah, I will take care of it once I get over my cold.¡± Thor volunteered to be our dungeon investigator. She was responsible for gathering all the information on demons, traps, items, status, and dungeon mechanics and sharing it with each team. It was a role that required intelligence ¨C or rather, a good point of view ¨C and Thor was the right person for the job. It was difficult to figure out who needed what information and to convey it as much as necessary. I didn¡¯t feel like I could do it, but that was okay. Since I wasn¡¯t a jack-of-all-trades, I¡¯d give everything I could to them. I may not be good enough to be a superior, but there was no point in complaining about my inadequacies. ¡°When I get over my cold, I think I¡¯ll go to the city to the east, Hafen.¡± ¡°Hafen is a city of Human right? Is it okay for Henry to go there?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell them my name. I¡¯d be in big trouble if I said, ¡°I¡¯m Henry von Boesheit Lartgen, of the royal family.¡±¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that name before, but it¡¯s such a long one. I think I¡¯ll bite my tongue.¡± I might even have to wear a disguise and use a pseudonym when walking around the kingdom. The assassins could attack me and I would be a nuisance to everyone around me. Henry von Boesheit Lartgen. Although it was an honorable name, I was proud of nothing more than the name Henry, given to me by my mother. Originally, I was a person who should not have used a fake name. It wasn¡¯t acceptable to abandon the responsibility of my name, the responsibility of royalty. But in order to survive, I often use a false name. If someone came along who had a grudge against the royal family, I would have to tell them my real name. CH 44 Episode 44: Two-Horned Stag Inn ¡°What is it¡­ You¡¯re so noisy.¡± Claude, who had stubble on his face, responded. His unsightly beard made even his red hair look shabby. It might be because he was drunk. And he looked unhappy even though his best friend had come to visit him. I wonder if he doesn¡¯t recognize me because I¡¯m wearing a mask. ¡°Did you forget how to recognize my face?¡± I took off my mask so that only Claude could see me. In this tavern, which was probably louder than a chicken coop in the morning, some voices blended in. So, it wasn¡¯t suspicious when someone was having a conversation. ¡°Hm¡­? Ah, you¡¯re Prince Henr ¡ª mmmm!¡± I had to cover his mouth with my hand because he was about to shout my name out loud. Because I knew it was not convenient. ¡°Oh! I want to do that too, where you covered his mouth!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty, little brother. Let¡¯s wait until Claude makes his next gaffe.¡± I removed my hand from Claude¡¯s mouth before he could get angry. Claude took a few ragged breaths and then looked at me suspiciously. I gently put the mask back on. It¡¯s unlikely that anyone knows my face, but it¡¯s always better to be cautious. ¡°You¡¯re even wearing a disguise to hide your¡­identity. So what do you want? ¡­If it¡¯s something troublesome, look elsewhere.¡± ¡°Troublesome is it. Actually, I want money and status.¡± ¡°All the villain needs is a woman. So, you already got everything you want.¡± ¡°Oh¡­you backstabbing bastard.¡± A joke from a backstabber. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was funny or not, but it was very much like that. And I really wanted the money. If I had the money, I could go look for everybody¡¯s family, and I could use it to strengthen the defense of my territory. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m in this town?¡± ¡°You were in trouble with your business associates earlier when you helped me with Thor and Sheila. Claude who did that is pathetically discredited in the underworld. So, I wondered¡­.if he was spending his disappointment in a nearby city. Day after day, with nothing to do¡­he spends the money he has accumulated from his underground work on alcohol. The coin purse is getting lighter and lighter, despite his feelings¡­¡± ¡°Scary¡­ Don¡¯t say it like you¡¯ve seen it. Well, you¡¯re almost right.¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t in this city, you¡¯d be running around the kingdom. We¡¯re lucky.¡± Claude made a face as if he was chewing on a bitter bug. He gulped down the ale in his glass as if ruminating on his wasted days. ¡°Nii-sama, who is this man?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve heard correctly. This man is Claude. He is the hammer wielder who saved Thor and her friends from being kidnapped by the villains out of righteous anger. He¡¯s blunt, but he¡¯s probably kind.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, kids. I¡¯m just a jobless man now. It¡¯s different from your respectable status¡­¡± Claude was dejected. His mood and eyes were down. ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of guy who let my friend end up like this, Claude. I¡¯ve come to see you because I feel a little responsible too. We also need money too, of course. Let¡¯s work together to make some money legally.¡± ¡°Legally is it¡­¡­ I remember when I registered as an adventurer. A sixth-rank adventurer, that¡¯s a crappy title.¡± Claude explained in a sober voice. According to him, adventurers were divided into ten ranks. The ranks of adventurers start at the tenth-rank and increase as they fulfill requests. The first-rank consisted of heroes, of whom there were only a few in the country. I¡¯ve heard that a few of my brothers were among them. I guess they were trying to gain popularity among the people to take advantage of the faction war. Claude was the sixth rank. He was the kind of adventurer who could consistently hunt goblins by himself. As you can tell, he¡¯s a bit weak. It seemed to me that he had more ability than that. ¡°I quit being an adventurer when my friends died. After that, I fell into the underground business. Hahaha¡­¡­ I¡¯m turning 25 already and I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re still registered with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. We¡¯ll register too, so let¡¯s work together.¡± From what I¡¯ve understood, I have abilities equivalent to the second or third rank, and Sareha is equivalent to the fourth rank. That¡¯s not bad. The higher the rank, the more money you can make. There seemed to be a difference in the strength of the demons in the dungeons of that territory and in the world in general. I felt that if someone trained in that dungeon, anyone could reach the second rank. ¡°Don¡¯t you want power and money? ¡­¡­If you take my hand, everything will come true. Claude, you¡¯re the right man for it.¡± ¡°Even the devil wouldn¡¯t make such an offer today. Well¡­¡­it¡¯s better than starving to death.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got your word, brother! Tomorrow is entering the adventurer¡¯s guild.¡± Sareha seemed to be somewhat happy. Yes, every boy yearns to be an adventurer. Claude and I would be the vanguard warriors, and Sareha would be the sorcerer. If we could just find a healer, we would be perfect. Tomorrow, I would find someone and immediately accept the request. Thinking about the future, I explained to Claude about Sareha. I¡¯m trying not to be overheard. He was royalty. He was in as dangerous a position as I was and that his mother was being held captive in the royal palace. Claude listened to me with a serious look on his face. ¡°We¡¯re hiding our true identities, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll find out sooner or later. I don¡¯t want to trouble you, so I¡¯m not going to force you to accept what I¡¯m saying now. However, I would really like to borrow your help as you know all the ins and outs.¡± ¡°Hmm. Well, many things can happen in life. Well, now that you¡¯ve asked, I¡¯ll tag along. I also want some money.¡± ¡°Thanks. I think we can handle most of the missions. We¡¯re also good at going into dungeons.¡± ¡°If they find out that you go into dungeons, they¡¯ll be mad at you again.¡± Sareha advised. The thought of them being angry made my heart ache. They were even scarier than demons. Especially since Sheila didn¡¯t usually get angry at all, she was even scarier when she did. The table behind the counter suddenly became noisy. A group of men who looked like adventurers were making a ruckus. They seemed to be on the verge of a fight over their share of the reward request. A muscular man hit the table hard, and a silver coin floated up from the impact. As soon as it fell with a clink, they shouted at each other again. I wonder if this is what happened when money is involved, even among friends who trust each other with their backs. ¡°My share is 20%, are you fucking kidding me! You bastaaaard!¡± A man threw a cup with great force. The fellow across from him dodged. And then the flying cup hit with such force that it splashed the contents. On Claude¡¯s head. ¡°BHEH!!!¡± Claude, covered in ale, twisted his face in anger, and his murderous intent increased. When the men saw Claude, they approached him to relieve their frustration. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, bro. But it¡¯s your fault, you know. You¡¯ve been drinking with a sour look on your face ever since.¡± The men were laughing and giggling. This was bad manners. It was true that he had a sour look on his face, but there was no need to go that far. ¡°Oh, it looks like you want to die¡­¡­oraaa!¡± As soon as Claude¡¯s fist roared, the man was blown away as if he had been shot. He fell to the ground, scattering their food around the table. ¡°You¡­¡­!!!¡± A group of people who seemed to be the man¡¯s friends approached him. There were two of them and they had swords on their hips. Should I join? I remember that I had this similar problem before. I think it was when I was contemplating this in front of the covered wagon that Thor and Sheila were riding in. ¡°Die, oraaa!¡± The men came running up to him with their fists raised. I didn¡¯t have time to think about that, so I decided to join in. ¡°Ha!¡± I grabbed one of the men running up to Claude by the chest and threw him down. His movements were slower than the demons I fought in the dungeon. In fact, it was way too slow. If you want to finish your opponent off, you have to move faster than he can feel your killing intent. ¡°Gubee!!¡± The man who fell from his back to the ground moaned. Like a beast. ¡°The adventurer there. The ale fell on Claude-sama. You owe him an apology.¡± I called out to the other man. Claude, who was suddenly addressed as ¡°sama¡±, looked at me with surprise, but I ignored him. I needed to do this. And I was really annoyed that the guy didn¡¯t apologize to Claude. He should apologize if he spills ale all over people. ¡°What!? What¡¯s with this masked kid? He looks like a lunatic.¡± Calling me a lunatic was terrible. I was hoping that I would at least be seen as a weirdo. I looked to the side and saw that Sareha had grabbed his wand and was about to chant a spell, so I stopped him. ¡°You dare to talk like that¡­¡­!¡± The man¡¯s temples twitched. The fact that two of his friends were beaten and his reputation was damaged probably added to his frustration. ¡°You bastards¡­¡­¡± A furious man reached down to pull out the sword at his waist. ¡°Kyaa!¡± A female clerk¡¯s scream echoed through the restaurant, but the crowd was delighted to hear instead. They can afford to watch a fight over a drink. The owner turned a blind eye to the situation. Mother, the world is a terrible place. I don¡¯t think I want to go back to the palace anymore. ¡°Diiiiee!¡± The man tried to pull out his sword. The moment I saw the edge of the blade glimpse out of the scabbard, I pulled out the sword at my waist. I breathed in and concentrated my mind. I exhaled and swung the sword three times with all my might. At the moment, three glittering Orichalcum Shortswords flew into the air and made a sharp sound. When I returned the sword to its sheath, the man¡¯s sword had been cut into four pieces. The man held only the hilt of the sword, and it fell to the ground. The man grasped only the hilt of his sword and stunned. ¡°Wh, wh, what¡­¡­who are you! This is impossible!¡± ¡°I am Claude¡¯s loyal servant. I have no name!¡± I pointed my finger at him and said one decisive line. I felt pretty good and Sareha applauded me. His skill with the sword was still immature, but he could probably cut a stationary target with ease. In fact, the man¡¯s sword was terrible looking. The three men crawled out of the store. Immediately, the surrounding customers began making noise around us. ¡°Claude, who is this kid!? I didn¡¯t know you had such a strong henchman!?¡± ¡°That sword¡¯s radiance ¡­¡­ is it mithril ¡­¡­ or orichalcum?¡± ¡°But that swordsmanship. It looked to me like the sword was swung twice.¡± ¡°Idiot! That¡¯s three times. Look at it properly.¡± It was a big commotion. It was unexpected that a fight had suddenly broken out, but it was a good start to selling Claude¡¯s name. If we could make a name for ourselves as servants, we could achieve our goal. ¡°It¡¯s all according to Claude-sama¡¯s will. We are followers of Master Claude-sama¡¯s salvation. We only punished the miscreant who drew his sword in this resting place.¡± ¡°¡±¡±Oh¡­¡±¡±¡± The guests around me let out a gasp at my words. It was interesting that the atmosphere made it impossible to question the fact that I had also drawn my sword. Everyone was looking at Claude with half doubt and half expectation. ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡­ what are you going to do with this¡­¡­?¡± ¡°As you wish¡­¡± I would make a name for myself as an adventurer in the future, but I think it was Claude who should receive the praise. At that time, when he voluntarily saved Thor and Sheila, Claude seemed to be a different person from me. I rarely helped anyone of my own volition. I helped Gabriel to relieve her loneliness, Thor and Sheila just because they happened to be around, and Sirius¡¯ village originally started out as a hatred of my own family, Ace. But Claude was willing to risk his own position to help others. He was not like me. People like him should be rewarded more. CH 45 It was the next day after the trouble at the Two-Horned Stag Inn. After leaving the cheap inn, the three of us walked together down the main street of Hafen. Stone buildings stood on either side of us, and a food market was bustling in the town square. Some cooks were purchasing ingredients, and some wives were bargaining for root vegetables besides them. It made me realize that these activities, rooted in daily life, must have continued for a long time. I felt a sense of tightening as I basked in the morning¡¯s energy. Today, I was going to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to complete my registration. My goal was to get one healer to join us. Before leaving, I forcefully shaved Claude¡¯s stubble and ate a quick meal. Appearance is important after all. A man who was supposed to be a hero should not have a shabby beard. ¡°I was going to take care of that last night, but you look like a troublesome person walking around with those clothes on. It was beyond my expectations.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way of looking at it.¡± I was reminded of yesterday¡¯s quarrel. ¡°Are you really mad at me for pushing those elves on you? I¡¯m getting the feeling you¡¯re trying to get back at me.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­ I was going to put you in the dungeon and push you to the brink of death at that time. However, as it turns out, Thor and Sheila have been helping me develop my territory. I¡¯m not mad at you anymore.¡± ¡°Dungeons? The person who says he isn¡¯t angry is usually the one who¡¯s still angry¡­ Oh well. Before we go to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, we¡¯ll go to the Monastery of St. Latgrius.¡± ¡°Why a monastery?¡± Sareha tilted his head. It certainly raised questions. Claude didn¡¯t seem like the type of person who would pray to God. If he had to choose between God and gold coins, he would prioritize the latter. ¡°Healing magic is under the jurisdiction of the Church of the Moon. They lend out healing magicians as part of their religious activities. They say that eradicating demons is a holy war or something. Adventurers must bow down to the monastery and ask them to lend us their best healers.¡± ¡°A monastery huh. I¡¯m not a devout believer, so I hope I won¡¯t be punished for requesting it.¡± We continued our conversation along the main street. As we left one alley and proceeded through a quiet residential area, the monastery building came into view. The bell tower that rang the bell stood tall, and the stone building was built close to the bell tower. It seemed to also serve as an orphanage, and I could hear the cheerful voices of children. The kingdom was continuously in war and there were many war orphans. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go in.¡± Claude opened the iron gate and we both followed him. After a while, an elderly nun seemed to notice us and called out to us. I noticed that she was staring at our masks. ¡°What can I do for you today?¡± ¡°My name is Claude Elmur, an adventurer of the sixth rank. I have come here today to ask for the help of the Healer. I would be grateful for your assistance.¡± Surprisingly, he handled it decently. ¡°Hey sis! Lend me a healer, will you? Gahahaha!¡± I¡¯m glad he didn¡¯t say anything like that. Though I felt like I wanted to see that. ¡°Well, well, adventurers. The saint has just arrived. I will take you to her. This way, please.¡± We followed the calm nun. We opened the door and entered the monastery, and were taken to a room on the second floor for visitors. ¡°I will call the saint.¡± The nun exited. There was a rustic wooden chair and table. No tea or other luxuries, just a glass of water. I was impressed by the simplicity and poverty of the place. Looking out the window at the monastery garden, I could see a vineyard. One of the orphans was being scolded by the nuns for trying to snack on the grapes. Although the nuns were preaching, the children¡¯s faces were somehow cheerful, so I guessed they were being raised properly. There was a knock at the door. A few moments later, a woman entered the room with a clear voice. ¡°Pardon me. Thank you for coming to see me today. My name is Lilianne Lefebvre, and I am the Director of the Monastery of St. Latgrius.¡± Her long, flowing, chestnut-colored hair peeked out from her hood. The white based nun¡¯s uniform was perfectly suitable for a saint. ¡°Oh, you can stay seated. I will sit down too.¡± As I was about to stand up and greet her, she smiled at me. ¡°Hey¡­¡­ pretty lady¡­¡­ I¡¯m a little older than you¡­¡­ maybe only like 20 years¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡± I whispered to Claude and had a conversation. The saint stared at me with a smile on her face. She was probably waiting for me to finish our conversation. She seemed like a nice person. ¡°Ah¡­¡­that mask¡­could it be the ¡®Ash Swordsman¡¯? There was a rumor in the market this morning.¡± ¡°Yes, Ash Swordsman-sama. Please answer the question.¡± A half-smiling Claude poked me with his elbow, and I responded by stomping my foot at him. Without my knowledge, I had been given a name ¨C a kind of second name ¨C without my permission. I guess I could be called the ¡°Ash Swordsman¡± after my gray hair color. ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say yes. The incident in the tavern had become a rumor, hadn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hmm, no need to quarrel. I heard that he is a follower of Claude-sama. Is the man in the black mask next to you Claude¡¯s son?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m the younger brother of the Ash Swordsman and I¡¯m an apprentice magician.¡± The Ash Swordsman nickname had taken hold. The fact that I hadn¡¯t thought of a pseudonym came into play here. But the truth was that I didn¡¯t feel like I could use both my fake name and my real name. It couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Fufu, brothers is it. For such a little guy, being a magician is pretty impressive.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Sareha replied with a blank stare. He looked at the saint with some disbelief in his eyes, but I don¡¯t know why. ¡°I¡¯ll send the healer over to the adventurer¡¯s guild. When would be a good time?¡± ¡°Any time after this day is fine with me.¡± ¡°Well. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll send one person to you after noon later. Since there will be a meeting and registration with the guild.¡± The hiring of the healer went smoothly. The only thing left to do was to thank her and leave. It would be a mistake to talk too much and reveal our true identity. ¡°By the way¡­¡­ Ash Swordsman-sama¡­¡­ have we met somewhere?¡± ¡°Huh? No, I think this is our first meeting¡­¡­¡± ¡°Light gray hair. You look like Marie von Forestier-sama¡­¡­.¡± This was very bad. I never thought she could mention my mother¡¯s name. My heart started to beat faster, and the feeling of sweat on my back was unpleasant. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of gray hair out there. As many as you could find throwing stones.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true too. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you get baptized by the Pope six years ago¡­¡­? I was there too, remember?¡± I remember that I was baptized into the worshipping moon religion when I was ten years old. Suddenly, a memory came back to me. The memory of that day when I was baptized by the Pope. The Pope was a young girl about the same age as me. Even the Pope was just a puppet of the kingdom, and even the right to ordain priests was taken away, so she had no power and had fallen into an existence of authority only. The Pope ¨C or rather that girl was standing tall and desperately dripping holy oil on my head. Although a puppet would still be a puppet no matter how hard she tried to perform her duties. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine a commoner like me being baptized by the Pope¡­¡­ I was baptized by a priest back home.¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s the priest¡¯s name?¡± Sweat dropped from my fists as I clenched them in my lap. Even if I begged God for help, the saint in front of me would get priority. I wasn¡¯t even a devout believer. I was careless. As the director of a religious order, she often had to deal with royalty in ceremonial events. But I didn¡¯t expect her to suspect my true identity so soon. To be honest, I didn¡¯t care if my true identity was exposed. I¡¯d rather be targeted directly than have an assassin go to my territory where everyone else was. But I was planning to do that after I earned money and fame to develop my territory. ¡°I am just Claude-sama¡¯s shadow¡­¡­ so I can¡¯t tell you much about ourselves. I¡¯m sorry, saint.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ You fool. Don¡¯t use me as a cover.¡± There was a whispered reprimand and then Claude kicked me in the leg under the table. ¡°Well, well, it was certainly impolite of me to ask your identity at our first meeting. I apologize, Ash Swordsman-sama.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right. But thank you for taking care of our healer problem.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll send one¡­¡­ over to you¡­¡­¡± The saint stood up and bowed. I returned the bow and left the room. The meeting ended with a sense of uneasiness, as if we had barely made it through or screwed up. All that was left was to register with the adventurer¡¯s guild and dive into a reasonable dungeon. Then, I would earn money and fame incessantly. It would be great if I could use the fame I had accumulated to get in touch with merchants. If any merchant could buy the demon materials that were abundant in my territory, I would be able to earn money faster. However, the potions that were made in the territory might cause confusion if we were to sold them because their performance was out of the ordinary. ¡°Well then, Ash Swordsman-sama¡­¡­ until we meet again¡­¡­.¡± The saint saw me off to the iron gate and gave me a few parting words. The moment she said, ¡°See you again¡±, the saint¡¯s smile disappeared, which scared me. No matter how you look at it, she suspects me. ¡°Claude. When the healers come, we¡¯ll go dungeon diving. I like the idea of getting rich.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy¡­¡­ I¡¯m getting sick to my stomach just listening to that conversation¡­¡­¡± ¡°Maybe the saint won¡¯t come as a healer¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think she¡¯d leave her job as director to come.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really never a dull moment with you. Maybe next time you¡¯ll get a god to join you?¡± He was speaking sarcastically. Harsh. CH 46 Claude showed us around the city, and we ate lunch at an adequate restaurant, which was just enough to satisfy our appetite. By the way, I asked Claude to pay for my lunch. I felt sorry for him, but I was so hungry that I had no choice. The adventurer¡¯s guild we went to was a three-story stone building. It was a little more impressive than the other buildings. It was old, but it had a more ¡°historical¡± feel to it. As soon as I entered the building, I saw the reception desk. The receptionist had a soft smile on her face, but she had a strong appearance that made me feel her strength. I wondered if she naturally became like that after dealing with the rough people. I looked around and decided to look for the healer. She would be wearing a priest¡¯s uniform, so it would be easy to spot her. I really hope it wasn¡¯t the saint. I looked to my right. She wasn¡¯t there. I looked to my left. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± I saw the saint waving elegantly. She didn¡¯t wait too long here. If I looked to my right again, would it change to another healer? ¡°Are you the healer, Saint-sama?¡± ¡°Fufu, I am indeed the healer. After all, the name ¡®Saint of Healing¡¯ is not without meaning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain that you¡¯re busy with¡­¡­ work. You didn¡¯t have to come all this way.¡± ¡°I may be called a saint, but I am still a nun. It is natural for me to help in the elimination of demons, which is our zeal. Besides, I leave my work to others.¡± The adventurers around us were staring. After all, the saint seemed to be a celebrity in this town, and I could hear them whispering to each other. It was very noticeable. Two masked men and a saint. In addition, Claude, the potential hero, was included in the party, so it was not surprising. A gathering of two suspicious men, and two famous people. If I were a stranger, I would never join this party. I could tell you that. ¡°Can you call another healer for me?¡± ¡°You are terrible¡­¡­! You¡¯re saying I¡¯m not good enough¡­¡­ That¡¯s too cruel¡­¡­¡± The saint mimicked crying. She had an unexpectedly good personality. ¡°All joking aside, please feel free to call me Lily. Those closest to me call me that.¡± ¡°All right, saint-sama. We¡¯re going to proceed with the request, but should we do it later?¡± ¡°Ara ara. We have to keep that schedule for the time being. Now let¡¯s go to the unexplored areas!¡± She was very enthusiastic. I thought she would be sending me another nun if my schedule didn¡¯t work out. She might or might not be trying to find out who I am. I could not grasp her true intentions. ¡°¡­¡­ Let¡¯s register as an adventurer, nii-sama.¡± ¡°O-oh, that¡¯s right.¡± I followed Sareha¡¯s words and went to the reception desk. The receptionist looked at us with horrified eyes, but immediately changed her face to that of a worker. I wondered if she was surprised by the mask or by the saint. When I told her I was registering, she pulled out a document and explained a few things to me. The content was so simple and clear that even an uneducated person could understand it. As you fulfill requests, your rank will increase. If you are cheating or making a mistake, you will be demoted, or in extreme cases, expelled from the guild. The rest is just a few notes. It¡¯s not something I had expected. ¡°¡­ and that¡¯s it. Claude-sama and Lilianne-sama have already registered, so there will be two people registering. What are your names?¡± I looked at Sareha and tried to communicate with him before giving our names. ¡°I¡¯m Ash the ¡ª no, Haino.¡± [1] ¡°I¡¯m Chrono.¡± Haino from the Ash Swordsman. Sareha¡¯s ¡°Chrono¡± may have been taken from his ebony mask. Whatever it was, he took an alias that seemed to fit with me. I plan to use this pseudonym for registration purposes and then throw it away. I wasn¡¯t smart enough to use both my fake name and my real name. ¡°Haino-sama, Chrono-sama are registered as a tenth rank adventurer. Would you like to register the three of you with Claude¡¯s party, the Golden Pioneers?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± The Golden Pioneer ¨C there was nothing golden about Claude. His hair was red, and he didn¡¯t use a bow and arrow. [2] Maybe it was a reference to a fellow adventurer he lost in the past. I wonder if he¡¯ll tell me someday. At any rate, a party of four was formed to be the Golden Pioneers. Two warriors, a sorcerer, and a healer. It was a well-balanced group that would be able to handle a variety of requests. I put the plate that the receptionist gave me around my neck. There were ten star-like patterns engraved on it, which represented the rank of the owner. If it was the first rank, there would be one star. I looked at the board on the wall and saw a request written on a piece of leather paper. The required rank, the request, the reward, the deadline, and the name of the client. It seemed to me that I should choose what I needed and give it to the receptionist. ¡°Are there any requests available for the sixth rank?¡± I choose the request that matched Claude¡¯s rank. Since Claude, the leader of the party, was the sixth rank, the requests he could receive would also match his rank. It was a guild rule. A request that would pay as much as possible and raise our profile. It shouldn¡¯t be a transport escort or herb collecting. I wanted a more advanced request. ¡°What about this one?¡± Sareha pointed to an old piece of leather paper. The paper was old and worn, which meant that it was a request that no one had completed in a long time. ¡°That¡¯s a little different from the¡­¡­ usual request to explore a labyrinth. A request for ¡®extermination¡¯ in a labyrinth?¡± The client was a certain merchant association. A herd of high orcs had settled in the labyrinth and were reproducing rapidly. It was said that they were attacking neighboring villages and people passing through the area. They wanted us to exterminate them. It said that the request was made for the sake of the healthy trade routes. In addition, it also added, ¡°Fourth rank party wiped out. Dangerous¡± was written in red letters. ¡°Well¡­ That request has been unfulfilled since a year ago. The first requirement is for a sixth rank party, so you can accept it at the sixth rank, but I don¡¯t really recommend it. They are high orcs.¡± The receptionist softly advised me from behind. ¡°Let¡¯s do this one.¡± ¡°I agree with you. I can¡¯t allow these filthy demons to attack innocent people.¡± Surprisingly, Claude and the saint agreed with me. It looked dangerous, but would it be okay? And aside from the saint, Claude was surprising. Perhaps he felt righteous indignation towards the innocent people and stood up for them. ¡°I am still a hero¡¯s vessel¡­¡­ a protector of mankind who protects the fangless people¡­¡­ and I was not blinded in the eyes¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What are you mumbling about? Is your stomach hurting?¡± ¡°Shall I cast a healing spell?¡± ¡°Would you like a potion, ani-sama?¡± The saint¡¯s healing magic and Sheila¡¯s healing potion were about to be used for my stomach condition. It would be a waste. ¡°I¡¯m fine, and it will be a long trip so don¡¯t waste any resources. Let¡¯s go buy what we need.¡± ¡°What about the money?¡± ¡°Please lend it to me, Claude-sama. I will return it to you with my reward.¡± Claude¡¯s frown. I hope you would forgive me if I return the money several times over. This request was expected to be very rewarding. I also had to pay for the sword I broke in the tavern. I would probably see those three guys who started the fight sooner or later, so I would try to talk to them peacefully this time so as not to start a fight. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯ll return the money properly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize normally. I don¡¯t like it when you suddenly become so auspicious.¡± Claude laughed bitterly. *** Gatan ¡ª The wheels clattered over the stone. After leaving the city, the wagon was moving along at a leisurely pace. The trodden path was not very wide, and it would be easy to slip off the path if there were no experienced coachman. When we told the adventurer¡¯s guild that we were taking on a request, they kindly lent us a wagon for free. It also included a coachman. There had been many deaths in the labyrinth, and they asked us to collect the bodies and belongings of the dead. The wagon was their compensation. ¡°It will take a little longer to get to the village, so you should lie down.¡± The voice of the coachman. I heard that he was going to be staying in a village near the labyrinth. It was true that if he followed us to the labyrinth, he might die. There were many things that were needed to conquer the labyrinth. Food, sleeping gear, equipment repair tools, lanterns, and a backpack to carry it all in. There was a wide range of things we needed. We used some things that Claude had used in the past, but it was still expensive. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been outside the city. By the way, Ash Swordsman-sama, have you been traveling around a lot?¡± ¡°That is so.¡± ¡°How did you become sworn master and servant to Claude-sama?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± When I talked to the saint, I only replied curtly. If I talked too much, my true identity would be revealed. Although I felt that it was already too late, I thought it was better than nothing. ¡°Your curt reply¡­¡­ makes me cry¡­¡­.¡± The saint did her best to fake her crying. ¡°As your Master, I command you, Ash Swordsman. Talk to her a little more. We¡¯re a party. If we can¡¯t communicate properly with each other, as a party, we¡¯ll die.¡± Claude ordered me with a grin. His face was that of a child who had found an interesting toy. I could feel my desire to return the money to Claude fading. ¡°How did you come to be called a ¡®saint¡¯¡­¡­? You are still so young.¡± ¡°I was a blacksmith¡¯s daughter in a rural village. I was just a village girl with nothing special in me. But a chance encounter at an early age brought me into the Church. That¡¯s when I was called a saint.¡± ¡°Chance?¡± ¡°There was a dying puppy. There was no one in the village who could use healing magic, and there were no expensive healing potions. I held the puppy in my arms all night, praying to God.¡± Then, in the morning, the puppy was healed. The saint told me so. She had a natural talent for healing magic. The church must have discovered it and raised her to be a first-rate healer. ¡°Fuu¡­ I¡¯m a little embarrassed to tell you who I am. Now¡­¡± The saint who was sitting beside me came one step closer to me. Too close. I¡¯m scared. ¡°It¡¯s your turn next, Ash Swordsman-sama.¡± The saint asked, smiling at me. ¡°Next¡± meant it was my turn to tell her who I am. ¡°You¡¯re digging a grave. Interesting.¡± ¡°Brother has a weakness for pushovers.¡± Claude and Sareha¡¯s voices were heard. No one was willing to offer a helping hand. There was nothing more frightening than an unreliable companion. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Marie-sama was a very kind person. You must know the reason for her death, don¡¯t you? ¡° The reason for my mother¡¯s death. The saint looked at me like she was talking to herself, asking me a question. There was no fake smile on her face, but a lonely expression, like a child asking for help. I could hear the Goshujin spitting. Did that man hear that? Just do your job. ============================================================================================== TN: [1]: The Japanese of Ash Swordman is »Ò¤Î„‡Ê¿ (Hai no Kenshi). [2]: The Japanese name of the party is ½ðÉ«¤Îàãʸ (kiniro no k¨­shi). ½ðÉ« is translated as Golden and, àãʸ is: arrow to which is attached a turnip-shaped whistle made of hollowed-out wood or deer horn; whistling arrow used to signal the start of battle; the start of things. CH 47 Chapter 47 ¨C High Orc Nest (1) The question from the saint was the reason of my mother¡¯s death. There was no way I could tell the saint what I didn¡¯t know, so I kept silent as was my natural right. The saint looked a little sad but did not pursue the matter any further. After that, we spent the night in a village near the labyrinth. Separately for men and women. The next day. At the entrance to the village, we said a brief goodbye to the guardian and proceeded on foot. If we successfully completed the labyrinth, we were asked to collect the remains of the body and their belongings. We proceeded along the road with our backs to a slightly deserted village. We were told that the livestock in the village had been severely damaged, and that it would be difficult to survive the winter at that rate. If the livestock were to disappear, people would be next to be eaten by the demon. How frightening it would be to spend the night in fear of the demon¡¯s presence. We walked. And kept walking. Then we came across the labyrinth we were looking for. It was more like a temple than a labyrinth. It was a religious building with moss growing on it. There was a collapsed church in the center, surrounded by more collapsed stone walls. ¡°That¡¯s the several hundred year old temple over there. It¡¯s said to have originated from an indigenous belief that has no connection to the Moon religion.¡± The saint explained to us. The chief of the village where we had spent the night told us that the labyrinth was inhabited by a variety of demons. From goblins at the lowest level to high orcs at the highest. He also told us that the high orcs sometimes go out to look for a ¡°feast¡± and the human race suffered the damage. ¡°The village chief said the underground was their favorite place.¡± A vast underground corridor used to exist. The demons were expanding it wildly to create their dens. Paths connect to each other, creating a complicated labyrinth-like structure. As I was about to enter the entrance to the underground corridor, I was stopped by the saint. ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll cast a holy magic spell to assist us.¡± When the saint chanted [Holy Veil ¨C Sacred Robe], I felt as if my body was wrapped in thin silk. This was a simple physical and magical barrier and a spell to increase our resistance to curses. Very helpful. I turned on the lantern and lowered it to my waist. We descended the stairs one step at a time, the darkness overwhelming us. I was in the front row, followed by Claude, the saint, and Sareha. The healer, the lifeline of the party, was positioned in the middle, where it was safest. The light from the lanterns illuminated the dust flying around, and a slightly musty smell reached my nostrils. It wasn¡¯t a good living environment. I wonder if demons liked this kind of place. ¡°Do you guys think there¡¯s any traps?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, it¡¯s an old temple site. If there were, I¡¯m sure every adventurer who¡¯s ever been through here would have already disarmed it.¡± I would agree with the saint. I wouldn¡¯t want there to be vicious traps like the dungeon in the territory. No matter how many lives I had, it wouldn¡¯t be enough. But still, we proceeded cautiously. There was no guarantee that the ceiling of the straight path we were on wouldn¡¯t collapse, and there was also the possibility that demons would be lurking in the darkness. As we continued on, I suddenly noticed that the sound of shoes hitting the ground had decreased. When I turned around, I saw Sareha with a piece of leather paper in his hand, writing something down. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m drawing a map of the labyrinth. I¡¯m writing it quickly so I don¡¯t fall behind.¡± ¡°A map¡­¡­? What¡¯s that for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m writing down the terrain, the location of traps, and places where we can rest. Thor-san taught me how to do it.¡± When I looked into the paper, I saw that there was a line drawn on it. The path we had just taken was drawn over the lines. There seemed to be room for various information to be added in the future. ¡°If there are any bodies and belongings, we¡¯ll collect them later, so make a note of that as well.¡± ¡°Yes, nii-sama.¡± After receiving a reply, we proceeded further. After a long passage, we reached the hall. Stone pillars were everywhere, supporting the ceiling, and we could even see some Orcs. They didn¡¯t seem to notice us, so we hurried to extinguish the lanterns. ¡°Their number is¡­¡­five. There are no high orcs, only regular orcs. I¡¯ll take the left side of the hall. Claude will take the right.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I communicated with them in a whisper. I also explained to Sareha and the saint what we were going to do. We waited for our eyes to adjust to the darkness. I moved from stone pillar to stone pillar, attempting to hide my body while enduring the unpleasant smell peculiar to demons. Claude also moved in the same way, while keeping his posture low. ¡°Buhhihi, buhhihi, buhhihhihihi¡± The orc was humming. They were completely unaware of us. ¡°Buhhihihhi, buhhihihhi, buhhihihhihi¨C¡± I looked over to Claude for the timing. Two lone orcs. We had to hunt them one by one at the same time. The timing for this must be exactly the same. Claude pulled out a knife from his waist. At the same time, he drew his sword from his waist. We suppressed the sound of our footsteps. Minimizing our breathing. Approached the orcs from their blind spot. Then we slashed the orc¡¯s back with all our might. The orc that had been cut in the back let out a weak cry, but before it could alert its comrades of the danger, it stopped its vital activity. A few moments later, the half of the orc that had been cut in two diagonally fell to the ground. At the same time, Claude jumped on the orc from behind, restrained its mouth, and slashed its neck with his knife. The blood that spurted out like a fountain soaked the ground. The remaining three orcs hadn¡¯t noticed us yet. I look towards the entrance and saw Sareha chanting his magic according to the plan. ¡°Aer (chant), Infirmus (weaken), Lux (light), Pila (sphere).¡± A feeble ball of light emerged from Sareha¡¯s chanting. It illuminated the surroundings and headed towards the center of the hall. ¡°Buhyi?¡± ¡±Guu~a?¡± ¡±Gu~augu~au!?¡± The orcs were puzzled by the sudden ball of light and approached to see what was going on. Then all three of them gathered in the same place and looked at each other questioningly. ¡°Aer (chant), Quattuor (quadruple), Stone (stone), Wall (wall).¡± Four stone walls rose out of the ground and trapped the orcs. The strong stone walls became a cage that trapped the demons, blocking their movement. ¡°Take this! [Force (Shock)]!¡± The saint¡¯s chanting caused an impact sound to echo within the stone walls. The orcs¡¯ screams and the sound of flesh popping reverberated, but the saint continued to chant without minding the sound. ¡°[Force (shock)] [Force (shock)] [Force (shock)]¡± The shock, which had nowhere else to go, made an explosion sound. The stone wall cracked slightly, and then flesh and blood flew from the top of the wall. I didn¡¯t even have to look inside the stone wall to see that the orcs were wiped out. Our first party battle turned out to be a good one. We tried stealth, combat, and magic coordination. The chemistry was not bad, in fact, it was actually heinous. ¡°That Saint-sama¡¯s a little scary. Oi.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that too loudly. I agree with you, but¡­¡­¡± The saint killed the demon without hesitation. The Moon Religion did not encourage killing, but demonkind was different. This helped us as well. I couldn¡¯t stand it if the demons were taught to be benevolent against. ¡°Everyone, thank you for your hard work. Ah¡­I was careless¨C¡± ¡ª The locket pendant fell out of the saint¡¯s hand with a clang. It bounced off the ground a few times and came close to my feet. ¡°You dropped it, Saint-sama. Here.¡± ¡°Yes. In it is a portrait of a certain person. Don¡¯t open it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t open it. I¡¯ll give it back.¡± I held it in my palm and handed it to the Saint. I didn¡¯t know why, but the saint looked unhappy. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that supposed to be in the flow of you giving in to your inner urges and opening it up?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what are you¡¯re talking about¡­Here I¡¯m giving it back¡± ¡°Try opening it.¡± ¡°Eh ¡­ I understand.¡± While disbelieving the nonsensical Saint, I opened the locket. Inside, as she said, was a portrait. Long gray hair. She was smiling. A woman. ¡°Mo¡­the¡­r¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough! Please give it back!¡± The face of my mother, which I thought I had forgotten. But the moment I saw her, I remembered everything. I remembered what her face looked like, how she smiled. Then, the locket pendant was ruthlessly taken from me, and Saint looked at me with a frown. ¡°She is my second mother. It¡¯s a copy of a portrait of Marie-sama.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­can I see it again?¡± ¡°She has nothing to do with you, right? So I won¡¯t show it to you.¡± The locket pendant snapped shut. The saint dusted it off and hugged it carefully to her chest. ¡°Ash Swordsman-sama¡­¡­ I just want to say one thing. I still own a memento of Marie-sama. Do you know what this means?¡± ¡°How¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I want to be in a partnership with you. We will reveal everything to each other and work hand in hand. To do that, you need to tell me what you know.¡± The saint was now getting her revenge for me not revealing my true identity. ¡°You guys are quite friendly, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t¡­you¡­care about the orc corpses around you¡­?¡± I heard Claude¡¯s disgusted voice. CH 48 In the midst of the stench of dead orcs, I exchanged a few words with the saint. ¡°We can discuss the details¡­¡­after we find a safe place. At least until we have finished our search for the day.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll tell you more about it later. I¡¯m also very curious about the strange magic your brother was using.¡± There was no need to tell the saint everything. In the first place, I wasn¡¯t convinced that this saint was trustworthy. She might be related to the spies of the Domir Order, or perhaps she was trying to gain profit from the information of the royal family. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s just get to the other side of that big door.¡± Claude urged us to go. The hall was where the orcs were. The large door in there was the only way in and out of the labyrinth. It was so old that it could be easily kicked down. If you push open the great door, a labyrinth-like passage continued. The light from the lanterns could not reach the far end of the passage, and with the side passages, it seemed to be quite complicated. We would have to give up trying to conquer it in a day and spend several more instead. Sareha softly whispered to me so that they would not hear us. A little further back, Claude and the saint were following us, keeping an eye on the rear. ¡°She¡¯s a saint, but I don¡¯t think she can be trusted¡­¡­. What do you think?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so either. I think she¡¯s one of Domir¡¯s spies¡­ or at least she could be.¡± ¡°A spy? No, that woman¡­¡­might be after you. She¡¯s dangerous.¡± It was true that there was no denying the possibility that my life was being threatened. With the equipment and physical abilities that I had trained in the dungeon, I didn¡¯t think there was any way that I could lose to the saint in the rear. The insolent woman who approaches my brother¡­¡­ I will choose the right person to be my brother¡¯s wife. Besides, it¡¯s cruel of her to just to bring up Marie-sama out of the blue.¡± The conversation was getting out of sync. Sareha, who was mumbling and spilling his words while looking down, gave me a slight fright. I couldn¡¯t quite figure out what he was thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t care, and I don¡¯t think the saint has any intentions of marrying me. And I have no intention of marrying anyone, not in the near future. Because any more royal blood would be a nuisance to the world.¡± ¡°What will happen to my plan to¡­¡­ be called ¡®uncle¡¯ by my brother¡¯s son? I was going to do my best to teach them magic¡­¡­¡± ¡°Teach it to your own children.¡± It would be good for Sareha to have a child. After returning to his hometown in Dalmusk, Sareha could hide his identity there and live among the masses. Becoming a parent and having children would be another form of life. I needed to get my mind back on track and paid attention to my surroundings. We were at a crossroads and needed to choose a direction to go. Sareha was drawing a map with great dexterity, while I was thinking about where to go. The well-developed front road. The left and right forked paths dug by demons. Which way to go? After thinking for a while, I made a suggestion. ¡°The request is to exterminate demons. Let¡¯s go to the left where the demons are likely to be. The right should be done later.¡± The three of them nodded. After a short while after the turn, we saw a group of goblins. In their hands were crude weapons including knives and clubs carved out of stone. ¡°Gugaaa!!¡± One of the goblins threatened us. His eyes full of murderous intent. We could tell that he saw us as food. His green skin was the sign of being a demon. They were evil beings that ate people. I picked up a large stone from the ground near my feet. I crushed it to create a sharp pieces and threw it with all my might. With a loud sound, the pieces of stone hit the goblin. ¡°Gyii!!¡± The goblins scream as they were cut to pieces. With a single blow, many of the goblins were killed or wounded, and the remaining goblins were disposed of separately. ¡°I don¡¯t remember¡­¡­you having such a strong grip. It was almost inhuman.¡± ¡°I trained in a certain way. If you want, why don¡¯t you train yourself too, Claude? If you are going to make a living as an adventurer, you might as well have all the power you can get.¡± ¡°I¡¯d still like to be human. And I have a bad feeling, or¡­¡­I can see an evil plot in your eyes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. You¡¯ll have an experience like you¡¯ve never had before.¡± Claude was still adamant after that, so I gave up on trying to persuade him. I was sure that Claude would come to the territory again, so I could invite him again at that time. After making sure there were no goblins left out, we returned to our search. Although the structure was quite complicated, we proceeded with the map from Sareha. Thanks to the information that was being added to the map at the same time, the overall structure was becoming clearer. Most of the encounters along the way were with goblins and orcs. We had not yet seen the high orcs we had been informed of. Currently, we were resting in a small room. The entrance was closed with a stone wall made by Sareha¡¯s magic, so that it couldn¡¯t be easily entered from the outside. ¡°The request said the high orcs were breeding extensively, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡± ¡°Yes. Perhaps the villagers mistook the orcs for high orcs out of fear. Fear and agitation can lead to misidentification of the enemy.¡± The saint answered. It was true that high orcs were bigger than orcs, but it was difficult for villagers who were not accustomed to demons to distinguish between the two. ¡°Then I wonder why there was an announcement of the annihilation of the Fourth-rank party. Was there a trap? Or was there something else?¡± ¡°Certainly. Let¡¯s be on our guard.¡± Even in conversation, the saint was holding a stone statue and looking at it with interest. ¡°Do you not find this stone statue interesting, Ash Swordman-sama?¡± It only looked like a mere stone statue. It was a statue that represented a god of some kind. It was a sculpture of a goddess wearing a thin robe. ¡°This is a statue of the goddess of magic who was worshipped in this region. In the temples on the surface, however, statues of other gods were worshipped. Why is there a statue of the goddess in the underground temple?¡¡My guess is that either they were performing magical rituals here, or this was a magically important site¡­I think¡± ¡°I hope they didn¡¯t seal up any demons or evil gods or anything like that.¡± Claude bluntly looked disgusted. It would certainly be a problem if an evil god were to appear. We didn¡¯t know if the god could be cut with a sword, and if we killed him/her, there would be a possibility that we would be cursed. ¡°I too¡­..have been feeling a little sick since entering this labyrinth. The mana is unusually thick and I feel like I¡¯m getting drunk. I think it¡¯s a good environment from a magical point of view.¡± ¡°Ara ara, are you okay?¡± The saint reaches out her hand to Sareha. However, the hand that tried to stroke Sareha¡¯s back was heartlessly rejected. Because Sareha brushed it away with his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡°Fufu¡­I¡¯m going to cry if you don¡¯t like me¡­¡± She really seemed to be on the verge of crying, rather than imitating crying, which was the Saint¡¯s specialty. Her eyes moistened with tears were very miserable. I feel so sorry for her. I pretend I didn¡¯t see it and fill my stomach with bites of dried meat and black bread. After a short rest, the search began again. We need to get a little bit of energy. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡­I¡¯m not hated¡­I¡¯m not hated¡­¡± I could hear the saint talking to herself. I wouldn¡¯t think Sareha really hated the saints either. He just remembered the royal palace from the saint¡¯s words and was a little nervous. There would still be opportunities to talk to each other, so it should be easy for them to make up. Whatever her true intentions were, there was no harm in getting along with her. Until she made her decision. CH 49 After a short rest, we resumed our search. Once again, the gloomy passages continued endlessly. It was so dark that we hesitated to take a step ahead without the light of the lantern on our waist. There was no time to rest if demons were living here. ¡°Is everything all right?¡± ¡°¡±¡°Yes.¡±¡±¡± The same answer came from all three of them. When I was exploring the dungeon alone, I had to pay attention to the front, back, left, right, and even up and down, but with a party of four, it was easier because there were more eyes. ¨CKaran. ¡°Oops¡­this is¡­¡± The feeling of something hard hitting my leg. When I brought the light closer, I saw that it was a human bone. Was it skeletonized, or had the demons devoured all the flesh? I couldn¡¯t tell which was the correct answer. ¡°Little brother, please note these bodies on the map.¡± ¡°Yes, I wrote down corpse 1 and belongings 1. This must be the adventurer. There is a bow and a quiver of arrows.¡± The quiver of arrows was empty. The archer had used up all his arrows during the search. The end result was tragic. The plate hanging on his neck bone had six stars. It indicated that he was a sixth rank adventurer, the same as Claude. ¡°I know you would like to make offerings, Saint, but please be patient here for a while.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern. I am not that narrow-minded, so don¡¯t worry. I will comfort the spirits after we leave the labyrinth.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± While Sareha bent down to draw a map, I leaned against the wall and kept an eye on the surrounding area. Since entering the labyrinth, we have had several battles, but the goblins and orcs were no match for us. Claude himself was reasonably strong, and he had the magical support of Sareha and the saint. The only point of concern was Claude¡¯s and the saint¡¯s equipment. I and Sareha had equipment originally designed for the labyrinth, but that wasn¡¯t true for the two of them. In case of emergency, I should be the one to take on the enemy¡¯s attack. Suddenly, I noticed something different. ¡°Hmm¡­What is that?¡± Far back in the passage there was an artificial light. The light was swinging irregularly and looked like the light of a lantern we were using. ¡°Is that a¡­¡­lantern? Could they be survivors?¡± Sareha, who had finished drawing the map, stared into the distance with squinted eyes. ¡°Do demons ever use lanterns?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t heard of it. But just because they¡¯re human doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re friendly.¡± ¡°Could it be a thief, a bandit, or a people-hunter? Should we go check it out?¡± As I was talking with Claude, the lantern at the end of the passage shook violently. The other party seemed to notice us and rushed toward us. ¡°Prepare for battle!¡± Was it a person or a demon? It was hard to tell, but it was still dangerous. If they were friendly, we could disarm them, but if not, slow judgment would lead to death. The lantern-carrying figure came close enough for it to be recognizable. Green skin. A body one size larger than that of an orc. Rough, animal-like breath. ¡ª A High Orc. ¡°Gugaaaa~aaaa!!¡± The high orc roared so loudly as if his throat would be ripped open. If the orc¡¯s body was made of flesh, the high orc¡¯s was made of steel-like muscles. Even a single tusk or finger bone was filled with murderous intent. A demon born to kill. It was a foul creature, a natural enemy of mankind. The high orc held two helmets in his hands. The two helmets, which would have been worn by adventurers in the past, struck each other above their heads, making a deafening noise. ¡°That guy! He¡¯s calling for his friends!¡± Claude¡¯s scream-like voice could be heard. He quickly jumped forward and drew his sword from his waist. The high orc, watching us, grinned and threw one of the helmets at us with his mighty arm. ¡°Too late!¡± I then sliced up from the lower level and cut off the helmet in two. The throw was so half-hearted that it could not even be compared to the throwing orcs in our territory dungeon. The high orc having the helmet cut off looked surprised, but he charged forward without caring. ¡°Gu¨Cgaooooo!!¡± The impatient high orc held the remaining helmet in both hands and swung it down to crush me. I kicked the ground and jumped to the side to avoid it. At the same time, I heard a hissing sound and something flew from behind me. I turned around to see Claude throwing a knife from his waist, and with unparalleled accuracy, the knife pierced the high orc¡¯s chest. He seemed to aim for the heart, but was blocked by the thick muscle. ¡°Gugi¡ªGaau!!¡± The high orc took a step back in fright. Without missing the opportunity, Claude swung his sword horizontally and cuts off the high orc¡¯s head. There was a buzzing sound, blood popped, and the high orc¡¯s head bounced on the ground. ¡°The enemy¡¯s new attackers could still be coming. I will defend the front of the passage. The three of you, in pairs, defend the rear!¡± ¡°Nii-sama! Look at that!¡± Sareha pointed to the path we had just taken. There, a magic circle appeared. ¡°Transfer Magic¡­¡­! Ash Swordsman-sama! That one makes it possible to move between magic circles by using magic. Somewhere in this labyrinth, there is something operating the magic circle!¡± Is it a person or a demon? Either one is aiming at us with malice and murderous intent. Looking forward, I saw some of the same magic circles. A number of high orcs were coming out of the ground. Many of them were holding clubs and other crude weapons in their hands, but some of them were carrying iron two-handed swords which they must had taken from adventurers. Confronted with high orcs. Strangely enough, it didn¡¯t attack us. After a few more moments, the magic circle glowed again, and a goblin crawled out of it. Surprisingly, its body was covered in fire. It smelled of burning flesh and came rushing toward us, screaming. I cut down one of the goblins that came at me. The second and third goblins were decapitated in the same way. But the last one clung to my leg. I stomp down on its head before the flames spread. There was a dull ¨C like smashing fruit ¨C sound, and I felt a sickening sensation on my feet. ¡°Geggegge¡± The high orcs¡¯ sneered, laughing at the dead goblins. Behind us, the battle had begun. I looked to the side and saw Claude taking the enemy¡¯s attack with a long-handled hammer. His face was distorted with pain, but he managed to hold on. ¡°[Strength (muscle strength increased)] [Protection (endurance increased)]¡± The saint¡¯s auxiliary spells were cast on Claude. Claude hammered away at the enemy with his increased muscle power. ¡°Aer (Chanting), Diffusio (Diffusion), Tonitrua (Thunder), Hastam (Spear).¡± Sareha¡¯s chanting sent several spears clad in purple electricity flying. One of them struck a high orc who had stepped on a trap. ¡°Gugaaaa!!¡± The lightning spears continued to lash out at the passageway with unstoppable momentum. High orcs, having nowhere to run, fell prey to the lightning spears one by one. ¡°Ash Swordsman-sama! Close your eyes, please!¡± The saint, who had cleared out the enemy in the rear, instructs me to do so. As soon as I shut my eyes as ordered, the saint began chanting. ¡°[Flash]!¡± A flash of light so bright that even with my eyes closed, I could see it. I heard a small scream from the High Orc, and gradually the light faded away. The confusion of the battle caused me to follow the saint¡¯s orders. If this had been a lie to assassinate me, it would have been very dangerous. Did I let my guard down somewhere in my heart, or did I trust the saint? I don¡¯t know. When I opened my eyes, I saw the suffering high orcs holding their faces. I immediately ran up to them and cut off their heads one after another. We finished defeating all the demons, and there were no new movements from the magic circle. Immediately, the four of us left the scene in formation. We turned several times down the passage, checked behind us, and then fled into a small room after seeing that we had completely scattered the enemy. A small room covered with stone walls on all sides. It looked a little dusty, like a warehouse or something, but it was usable enough to spend the night in. ¡°What are those guys?¡± ¡°Haaa¡­haa¡­I was surprised. I didn¡¯t expect a demon to use a magic circle. I¡¯ve never heard of it before.¡± The Saint spoke to me with a rough breath. It was true that demons were generally lacking in intelligence. They only desired food, sex, killing, and violence. Tactics and strategies should had been the domain of humans. ¡°Let¡¯s avoid combat for now. Let¡¯s hide in this room for the night and tomorrow we¡¯ll start to strike the enemy¡¯s boss. I don¡¯t want to be in a war of attrition.¡± ¡°I agree. Let¡¯s destroy the ringleaders and then hunt down the rest who have lost their chain of command.¡± I agreed with Claude. He wiped the bloody knife with a cloth. It was great that he properly retrieved the knife even in the chaos of the battle. If it had been me, I would have forgotten about it. ¡°Sa¡­¡­ little brother. Block the entrance again with a stone wall.¡± I almost said Sareha¡¯s name by mistake. And I had already forgotten about the setting to speak to Claude in a respectful manner. What a mess. I couldn¡¯t possibly be so dexterous as to use two different identities. I might be an idiot when I think of it this way, but I¡¯m an idiot who knows he¡¯s an idiot. I must still be a better idiot than most idiots. ¡°Yes nii-sama, Aer (chanting), Robustus (strengthening), Stone (stone), Wall (wall).¡± The entrance was covered by a stone wall with a zuzuzu sound. We lower our backpacks to the ground and began to prepare for rest. I wanted to make at least a simple soup to relieve the fatigue, and I wanted to sleep wrapped in a blanket at night. Since we were in a closed room, we couldn¡¯t use a fire for a long time, but it would be enough for cooking. ¡°Truly mysterious magic¡­¡­ you assemble one magic formula by interfering with both the mana inside the body and the mana in space. It is as if you consider yourself a catalyst rather than a magic injector¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It was ancient magic. My little brother has had special training.¡± Sareha¡¯s ancient magic would be actively publicized. They wouldn¡¯t be able to imitate it without the grimoire that we left in the territory, plus it would be a publicity tool to increase our name. ¡°You are wonderful, aren¡¯t you? Both your little brother and¡­¡­you.¡± The saint, looking exhausted, sat down on the spot. As if in sync, everyone sat down on the spot in a circle. A lantern was placed in the center of the room for light, and the shadow of the saint sitting in front of us was projected on the wall. It looked like a shadow picture. ¡°Shall we rest then?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s have a little chat and then we can rest.¡± The saint smiled. ¡°I agree. It is important to share information about the labyrinth.¡± ¡°You know what I mean. You¡¯re so mean Ash Swordsman-sama.¡± She smiled ¨C and suddenly the memory came back to me. During my time in the royal court, I had seen many different kinds of human smiles. A sneering smile that flattered the more powerful person. A lecherous smile that humiliated the weak. Those who clung to the wealthy, those who were frightened of the powerful people, and those who were drowned in greed. Foolish people had always had a false smile on their faces. But this saint¡¯s smile was a little different. It was so different that it made me think it was okay to talk a little bit about ourselves. CH 50 Conversation was a wonderful culture. For example, even if there was a barbarian with a bloody axe in front of me, I could still have a conversation with him as long as I could understand his language. That way, he wouldn¡¯t get my blood all over his axe. ¡­¡­ maybe. It depends on the mood of the person you are talking to though. I couldn¡¯t talk to most of the demons. So I would have to kill them. It saddened me, but I couldn¡¯t help it. Speaking of which, I hardly had any conversations with my older siblings. I hoped they would die because they, too, had twisted natures. Three out of thirteen of my brothers were already dead. No, of those who died, Brother Thuron and Brother Alphabes were good men. They were kind and respectful. But they were killed in a conspiracy, and it was absurd that only good people die in this world. The Borsheit family was reduced in number by sibling rivalry in almost every generation. The father, the king, took the throne after killing all the other brothers. It was crazy. I wonder if the crown would have that much appeal. In this regard, I could have a conversation with the people in front of me. I also liked the humanity in them. The saint would interrogate me at every opportunity, but I guess she had her own reasons for doing so. Whatever it was. ¡°The soup is almost ready.¡± Dried meat and vegetables whirl around as Sareha slowly stirred the pot. We had been discussing the labyrinth ever since we entered this small room. Whether the enemies were people or demons, how big the labyrinth might be, the reason for the density of the mana that filled the air, and so on. In conclusion, nothing was beyond the realm of conjecture. But we did find out what we didn¡¯t know. That was good. The only thing left to do was to see for ourself. Sareha asked Claude a question while serving soup in a wooden bowl. ¡°Is there any vegetables you don¡¯t like, Claude-sama?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like a child. I can eat anything as long as it has flavor.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sareha was getting to know everyone. That was great. Sareha should make more acquaintances other than me. I could tell that Sareha was looking for something more than an older brother figure in me. I didn¡¯t know if it was a father or a mother. I guess he was lonely. He had been alone for a long time. ¡°¡­¡­ For you, Saint-sama.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes ¡­¡­Thank you ¡­¡­ very much.¡± Saleh held out a wooden bowl to the saint. The saint responded in a whisper. I took back what I said before. They were still not at an understanding level. If this situation continued, the saint¡¯s soup would taste like tears. That was tough. Eating while crying weakened my heart. Remembering the tear-flavored meal I had in my room long ago, I involuntarily felt a bitter taste in the back of my throat. ¡°Hey, you two, get along.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­that person is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Stop saying ¡°that person¡±. Call her by her name properly¡­¡­ I also didn¡¯t call her by her name either, huh¡­¡­?¡± I dug my grave unintentionally. I¡¯d been calling her ¡®Saint¡¯ for a long time, too. Even though she had a name, Lilianne Lefebvre. I nibbled on a piece of bread. Yeah, definitely not tasty. I was chewing without paying attention to the three eyes on me. I swallowed and then turned to Lillianne (Saint). ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lillianne-sama. I apologize about my brother. I, too, regret my rudeness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lilianne-sama.¡± ¡°¡­¡­! No, no, no! As I recall, I was being rude too.¡± The three of us apologized to each other. Meanwhile, Claude was sipping his soup, looking somewhat uncomfortable. He made a face as if he was thinking, ¡°I can¡¯t wait for this to be over.¡± I can tell. ¡°Well, you know¡­¡± Claude spoke up to change the subject. He scratched his cheeks and was looking like he was out of place. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry I left you in charge of those elf girls.¡± ¡°Thor and Sheila? Claude had his reasons, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­ there were the people who bought them. There was a small slaver who was behind it, and I put the word out that I had ¡®some things for him. But I wasn¡¯t sure I would be able to successfully do that without the presence of an elf girl.¡± Claude did the dirty work in town while I took care of Thor and Sheila. Seeing the way I was then, Claude must have decided that the three of us would be able to survive. In fact, we did survive, despite everything that happened. No, I did die in the dungeon. ¡°Thank you, Claude.¡± ¡°You can be mad at me. I haven¡¯t checked on you since then, and I think I¡¯m a pretty dishonest guy myself.¡± ¡°No, no. Still, thank you.¡± We both sip our soup to cover up the fact that we were somewhat embarrassed to be thanked or apologized to. The sensation of warmth passing down our throats and settling in our stomachs was pleasant. Even the hard bread tastes good when soaked in the soup. I could eat as much as I want. As I was munching on my bread, Claude suddenly stood up and moved to the side. I sat down with the same momentum as he did. I wondered what was so sudden, but he hugged me on the shoulder and whispered in my ear so that they couldn¡¯t hear us. ¡°That saint, I think we can trust her. I know you¡¯re worried. She¡¯s royalty. But I can see in her eyes that she is different from the scum I¡¯ve seen so many times. You think so, too, don¡¯t you?¡± That might indeed be the case. If she had been a spy, she would not have asked me so clearly in the first place. ¡°You have to make the final decision yourself. But if you keep on wondering, the person you¡¯re going to tell will end up dead.¡± Claude smiled, showing his teeth. The crackling of the bonfire sounded louder than it should. ¡±I guess you¡¯re right.¡± I put my hand on the mask and gently remove it. Lilianne and Sareha looked surprised, but I didn¡¯t care. ¡°Lillianne-sama, I am sorry that I have not been able to answer your questions. My name is Henry von Boesheit Lartgen. As you may have guessed, I am the son of Marie von Forestier.¡± ¡°I knew it, you look so much like¡­.Marie-sama¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you said that.¡± Lillianne took my hand with tears in her eyes. My hand was warm as if it was wrapped around hers. ¡°How did you and Mother know each other?¡± ¡°I was treated very well when I went to the royal palace with His Eminence the Pope. At the royal court, I was backbitten as being of lowly birth, but only Marie-sama saw me as a human being.¡± Lillianne told me about her encounter with Mother from the very beginning. That she was certified as a saint at the young age of ten. The abuse that came from not being born to a noble or holy family, a mere 10 years old village girl would not be able to endure it. In fact, she said her heart was broken there. ¡°I was looking at the flowers all the time in the royal garden¡­¡­.His Eminence was discussing something with the king, but I had nothing to do, so I just kept looking at the flowers.¡± A new saint. Lilianne was brought along to show off to the royalty and nobility. She was exposed to the eyes of malice, without a task to support her heart. It was said that she spent quite a few days in the royal palace until the Pope finished his business. ¡°I suddenly realized I had an ornament made of agate in my hair. There was Marie-sama, smiling and patting me on the head.¡± Mother hated making flower crowns. Flowers would die if they left the ground. Therefore, she said, we should substitute flowers with artificial ones or just enjoy looking at them. ¡°She even let me stay in her room secretly. Do you remember that we slept in one bed, me, Your Highness, and Marie-sama?¡± Yes, there was such a day. The girl who was there at that time was Lillianne? I was about four years old at the time, so my memory was hazy until I was told. ¡°Haa? I¡¯ve slept with my brother, too-?¡± ¡°You shut up. Come here!¡± ¡°Mugugu¡ª-!!¡± Sareha, showing a mysterious rivalry, was taken away while Claude covered his mouth. ¡°So¡­¡­ I had a talk with Marie-sama, who listened to me, and then, to my surprise, she scolded His Eminence the Pope. She told him to watch his children properly.¡± Turning around, Lillianne chuckled and laughed. She was firm like my mother. I wonder if there was ever a woman in history who scolded the Pope. Probably not. ¡°Of course, Marie-sama¡¯s position became worse. But every day she would accompany me in my practice of healing magic and praise me for it. She praised me for my ability to save people.¡± That was apparently where Lillianne¡¯s broken heart was tethered. From then on, she carried out her mission as a saint, raised orphans, and took up the position of an abbess, the head of the monastery, at an unusually young age. ¡°When I heard the rumor that His Highness Henry had taken possession of an estate, I immediately transferred to the monastery in Hafen. I thought that if I waited, I would have more chances to see him.¡± How embarrassing. Was I the one who wore a mask to meet a familiar face? I was a clown. ¡°I see. I¡¯m glad to see you too, Lillianne-sama. And¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know why my mother died, either.¡± ¡°No, for now it is enough to know that His Highness is safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to let you know when I know everything. And since I am not a prince, please call me ¡®Henry¡¯ only.¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t need to be called like that either. We are the member of [Golden Pioneers].¡± Both of us laugh with our mouths down, but in a subdued manner, not wanting the high orcs to find us. After a brief conversation, we turned to Sareha and Claude, who had been quiet for a long time. I felt like thanking them for their consideration. I feel very good. But there was Sareha, who was exhausted from the ruckus and was slumped over. How soft a magician can be! I almost laughed and suppressed my mouth. CH 51 There was no day or night in the labyrinth. I slept soundly, so I think it was probably morning now, but I wasn¡¯t sure. For some reason, the nightgown I had instructed Saleh to prepare was only enough for the three of us, so he and I had no choice but to sleep on a single blanket. I guess Saleh was being considerate, as this would certainly make our luggage lighter. (TLN: Decided to change Sareha to Saleh) Saleh¡¯s map also includes the location of yesterday¡¯s high orc encounter. In addition, the subsequent escape route was also drawn. It seems that he remembered the path while running. I had been worried that he might be smarter than me for some time, but my worry usually turned out to be true. When I came around a corner, I would sneak out and check to see if there were any demons. Sometimes there were high orcs with lanterns, so we waited for them so that they would not see us. Once the enemies were gone, we would run through the passageway as quickly as we could. We kept on searching for hours like this. Saleh and Lilianne seemed to be having a hard time, since warriors and sorcerers tend to develop physically and mentally differently. Sometimes we occasionally saw a lot of Slime filth-eaters in my sight. They live off the filth produced by demons and represent harmless demons. There was no need to defeat them, so I left them alone and moved on. The labyrinth had been kept clean to some extent because of their presence. As we proceeded down the passageway, we saw another high orc walking alone, so we sneaked up on him from behind and assassinated him. In the royal palace, I had been working hard to reduce my presence to the utmost limit, so it took no effort at all to conceal myself. ¡°That sword¡¯s not half as sharp as I thought it would be. Let me see it.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I handed the sword to Claude. My orichalcum shortsword was illuminated by the light of the lantern and being examined closely. It was probably one of the best swords in the kingdom. The equipment of the dungeon in the territory possessed a performance that went outside the bounds of common sense. ¡°The description on the handle says ¡® Orichalcum Short Sword +18¡¯¡­¡­.what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it is.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very mischievous. I like that part of you. Stupid.¡± The sword was returned to me and I put it back in its sheath. Personally, I would prefer orichalcum as an equipment material. Adamantite was sharp but not heavy enough. If I wanted, the equipment made of Hihirokane would be the best, but so far I only had the scythe, which was a farming tool. It was sharp but difficult to use in a narrow space, so I left it out of the list. After that, we continued our search. After last night¡¯s conversation, we were a much stronger party as the ¡°golden pioneers¡±. We were no match for the high orcs, but if we were careful, we would never be defeated. If we put aside our overconfidence and walk with confidence, we would be able to conquer this labyrinth with a single touch of our armored sleeves. The future was bright. *** ¡°Guuee! Geho!¡± I vomit water out of my mouth. Lilianne rubbed my back, but it didn¡¯t stop the nausea and vomiting. I managed to stay conscious by having her apply [Heal] to my back at the same time. ¡°Gehhho!¡± Along with the water, an unfamiliar insect popped out of my mouth. The sight of them bouncing around on the wet ground was painfully unpleasant. At the royal palace, I was often served soup with insects, but I didn¡¯t eat it. I was not expecting to eat insects out here. ¡°Haa¡­¡­ why ¡­¡­ did this ¡­¡­ happen?¡± The first trap I encountered in this labyrinth. It was a pitfall trap. I thought I felt something click on the ground, and I was the only one who fell with a thud to the empty ground. As soon as I fell into the small room, the ceiling closed and a large amount of water poured into the room. ¡°Are you okay ¡­¡­ no, seriously ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re still alive¡­¡­.¡± A voice of Claude and Saleh exerting themselves. The small room that became a secret room. Soon it was filled with water up to my waist. The ceiling was too high for me to slash with my sword, and the water level rose as if it was mocking me as I jumped as hard as I could. Thanks to Claude¡¯s hammer, I was able to escape, but by then the water had reached the ceiling and I drank the water. After the water level increased, I managed to break the thick hard stones with Claude¡¯s help as I swam and slashed at the ceiling with my sword, but it seemed difficult for the general party to escape from this trap. The killing intent was high. So much so that it could compete with the dungeon in the territory. ¡°Submerged traps¡­. these were one of the most formidable enemies.¡± It was different from the traps in the dungeon in the territory. It wasn¡¯t a trap made magically, but a trap made with technology. They might have been made by temple priests as a countermeasure against intruders. I could think, but my vision was a little blurry. My speech was also a little shaky. It was probably because I drank a lot of that water. ¡°Are you all right? Can you say my name so I can tell if you¡¯re conscious?¡± ¡°Li¡­li¡­anne¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s Lily. You can call me your older sister. From a moral standpoint, it is safe to say that I am Henry-sama¡¯s sister. Blood ties are trivial.¡± ¡°O¡­nee¡­cha.¡± I tried to reply vaguely, but Saleh interrupted me with a bloodthirsty look on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t be deceived. Stay strong!¡± Saleh raised his hand and then slapped my cheek furiously. ¡°Bubera!¡± (slapped sfx) A dry sound ¨C and then a scream. The slap made my consciousness clearer. What was I about to say? What was Lillianne trying to make me say in the first place? It was all so terrifying. ¡°You guys, come on, let¡¯s stop fooling around ¡­¡­ and let¡¯s get moving. It¡¯s almost at the end of the labyrinth.¡± ¡°Yes, the density of mana is extraordinary. The last thing we need to do is to go through that big door over there.¡± Another big door. My cheeks ached. Lillianne stroked it and the pain went away immediately. This was her skill, which she called [God¡¯s right hand]. She said it was very powerful when combined with healing magic. ¡°Saleh, I want you to block all the passages behind us with stone walls. We have to avoid a pincer attack.¡± ¡°I understand. Leave it to me.¡± The stone wall might be a hindrance to escape, but if the need arose, Saleh could make it disappear, or I could kick it down if I wanted to. I doubt that the high orcs would be able to break down that stone wall with their physical strength. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Basically, I¡¯ll attract all the attacks. Claude protects Saleh and Lilianne and fights if there is room. Saleh will just attack with magic, and Lilianne will focus on support and healing. Understood?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Copy that.¡± After hearing the three respond, I slowly opened the large door and peeked inside. It was a large room. Statues of goddesses stood at the four corners of the room, guarding the altar in the center. Light was spilling from the broken ceiling, illuminating the altar. Around the altar, high orcs were praying. Demons without intelligence cannot pray to God. In reality, however, they were praying to a crystal floating in the air, which emitted a blue light. ¡°Pray¡­ that evolution¡­ and the winds of mana¡­ will rise¡­ and that my glory will be yours in this world¡­ once more.¡± A large high orc was holding a staff and speaking. The light emitted from the crystal swells like a living creature and was absorbed into the high orc¡¯s body. ¡°You have the power¡­ to do anything you want.¡± Then, light flew from the crystal and was sucked into the surrounding high orcs, and soon their bodies began to transform. ¡ª To the appearance of the demons I saw in the dungeon of my territory. ¡°Throwing Stones Orc¡­¡­? Why would they be here?¡± Words leaked out of my mouth. The demons in the dungeon in the territory were supposed to be unique. There had been no records of such demons in the books of the past. ¡°Hey, there is people on the altar. Is that a ¡­¡­ sacrifice?¡± Claude also looked in with me. There was a man lying on the altar. The plate around his neck was the sign of an adventurer. It might be for food, or it might be a magical sacrifice, but whatever it was, there was no doubt that his life was in danger. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Henry.¡± ¡°I know. At the count of three seconds, I¡¯ll kick down the door and charge through. Those orcs will throw rocks at us, so be careful when they start swinging.¡± ¡°Good, let¡¯s kill them all. Don¡¯t feel sorry for them just because they¡¯re talking demons. They ate people.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Looking back, I saw two people who had made up their minds. I suppressed my elation and count to three seconds. Then I kicked down the door and rushed into the crowd of demons.