Chapter 10: The Battle is Always Climactic
The special class dungeon attack was progressing smoothly. Suspicious of the overly smooth progress, Ryoji deliberately slowed down the pace to check the coordination of his teammates on the third underground level. Meanwhile, Elizabeth had advanced rapidly to the fourth underground level.
“With this pace, it seems like we can easily outdo Ryoji-san’s team,”
“It feels like we’re advancing too smoothly,” someone commented.
“Not at all! We’ve made it this far because we’re excellent!”
In the beginner explorer dungeon, there were areas where no monsters appeared regularly. Elizabeth and her team were talking in one of these safe rooms. While Orlando raised doubts about their smooth progress, Elizabeth and the other three were excitedly discussing how they were outperforming Ryoji’s team.
After their break, Elizabeth and her team entered a large room as big as a school gymnasium, with stairs leading downward visible at the back. In the center, there was a stone tablet with a large plate next to it filled with jewels and gold coins.
In front of the stone tablet, there were five monsters. Noticing Elizabeth and her team, they let out strange cries and attacked.
“Enemy spotted! Everyone, please defend! I’ll attack with magic!”
“”” ROGER THAT!””
While giving instructions, Elizabeth began her incantation.
“This is my most powerful magic! ‘I seek the light. Let the light become one with thunder, envelop the enemy, and burn them to ashes. Thunder Wall!'”
As Elizabeth shouted and cast her spell, the monsters were engulfed in lightning. After the thunderous noise subsided, five charred corpses were left behind.
The team cautiously approached the central stone tablet. The ancient script on the tablet reads, [If you desire wealth, show your strength.]
“What’s this? If we want these jewels and gold coins, we must show our strength, right? Were the monsters we just defeated part of this? How did our seniors who challenged this place handle it?”
“The jewels and gold coins remain untouched, so they probably moved on without touching them, right?”
While Elizabeth and Orlando were discussing, the other three members, excited, touched the gold coins. Instantly, an alarm blared throughout the room, holes opened in the walls, and monsters began to pour in.
“This is a trap!”
“Must be! The three of you touched the gold coins, didn’t you? I think we should retreat. Elizabeth-san and I will cover, so retreat to the safe room!”
“That’s right! You three will get a sermon later!”
“Sorry!”
“Understood.”
“Please!”
The three apologized and started running towards the door. The monsters began to swarm towards the trio, blocking their escape. As the three tried to break through with their magic, the monsters used their numbers to tighten the encirclement.
“Aaaah!”
The three continued to fire magic at the approaching monsters, but attacks from the monsters outside their magic’s range hit them. Noelia, who had a red medal, was bitten on the shoulder by a monster. Panicking, the other two with blue medals slashed at and defeated the monster, but the blood flowing from Noelia’s shoulder wouldn’t stop.
“No change in the retreat plan! Keep running to the safe room with all your might! I’ll create a path! Orlando, you take the rear guard!”
“Eh? Just me? Okay, but you owe me one.”
As Elizabeth supported the bleeding Noelia, giving instructions, Orlando casually began casting fireballs at the monsters, drawing their attention to him while continuously casting spells.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s one or three! Charge as much as you like! But I won’t accept being the last one standing! We’ll retreat together when the time comes! Everyone, follow me!”
Elizabeth shouted at Orlando while holding off the approaching monsters with a Thunderstorm, and began heading towards the safe room. Then, a nonchalant voice reached her ears.
“Uh, are we in a pinch here? This is the bottom level, right? Just when I caught up, it’s crisis time, such a template, huh?”
As Elizabeth turned towards the voice, Ryoji and his group entered through the door. Ryoji cut down a monster that was about to attack Elizabeth from behind with his mithril sword and then commanded Lucia and the others.
“Spread out! Form a defensive formation around Elizabeth’s team! Orlando, join the defense formation! Elizabeth, can you use healing magic?”
“Eh? No, I can’t. But I bought some potions from the store!”
“But what about Noelia’s wounds? They seem severe.”
Elizabeth pulled out a potion from her item box and poured it over Noelia’s wound, but the bleeding didn’t stop, and Noelia’s face grew increasingly pale.
“Eh? The bleeding won’t stop? Why not?”
“I think an artery was bitten. Don’t worry, I’ve cast a recovery spell! Keep an eye on her. If monsters attack, let Elizabeth give the orders! Okay?”
“U-Understand!”
After hearing Elizabeth’s reply, Ryoji endowed his mithril sword with lightning magic, charged into the left wing of the monster horde, and cleaved the monster in front of him in two with his mithril sword. Then, he continuously fired fireballs at the monsters positioned in the center.
“Lucia! I leave the command of the attack to you!”
“Understood! Elizabeth-san and the blue medal duo will focus on defense! Mateo and Rosa, conduct holding attacks on the right wing to maintain the front line! Mishika and I will support Ryoji-kun!”
“”” Roger that!””
Once given command, Lucia issued orders to each member, then shot two consecutive fireballs to the left wing where Ryoji was fighting, and after handing over her position to Myshka, she positioned herself ready with a fixed Fire Arrow.
“Lucia-san! How can you fire fireballs where Ryoji-san is fighting! What are you thinking?”
“It’s okay! I’ve calculated to ensure I don’t involve him! More importantly, Elizabeth-san, is your defense okay? Your attention to the monsters is getting scattered! [Fire Arrow]!”
As Elizabeth cried out in protest, Lucia responded by shouting back and repelled the approaching monster with a fire arrow.
“Mishika! I need to switch commands for a bit! Get Mateo over here! I’ll support Elizabeth-san!”
“Understood! But please make it quick! I still can’t cast spells without involving Ryoji-kun!”
Mishika replied with a smile as she continued to fire fireballs ensuring not to affect the area where Ryoji was fighting. Elizabeth and the three companions watched in astonishment as Ryoji and the others fought. Regardless of who was in command, they kept changing positions and continuously firing spells.
The monsters on the left wing, where Ryoji had charged, were annihilated by his assault and the support magic from Mishika and Mateo, and the surviving monsters began to flee, losing their will to fight, and started hiding in the holes they emerged from.
“The left wing is clear! Now, to break through the center! Mishika, you wipe out the rest on the left wing! Lucia and Rosa, switch from holding to attacking on the right wing! Mateo, escort Elizabeth-san and others while looking for a chance to join the attack! Orlando, you’re free to move as you wish!”
“”” Understood!”””
“Got it. I’ll join the attack while protecting Elizabeth-san.”
After issuing commands, Ryoji enhanced his mithril sword with double lightning magic and struck down an attacking monster with a horizontal sweep, then immediately cut the legs of another monster that leaped from the side, crippling its movement.
The battle had been ongoing for over fifteen minutes. However, Lucia and others designated Elizabeth’s guard post as a rest area and skillfully arranged a rotation to prevent fatigue.
“Everyone seems accustomed to battle,”
As Elizabeth muttered in astonishment, Mateo who was guarding the surroundings, recalled his daily training and for a moment with a distant look in his eyes explained with a slight tremble,
“While you were advancing to the fourth level, Elizabeth-san, we were taking turns leading and clearing the third level. Did you know? Once a room is cleared here, monsters don’t reappear. But if the leader changes, monsters spawn.”
“Really! I didn’t know that!”
“So we take turns leading, but Ryoji-kun won’t help unless it’s absolutely necessary. I was pushed to the limit. I now understand why Principal Reynold fears yet respects Ryoji as a demon instructor.”
“What do you mean?”
Elizabeth threw a question at Mateo’s words, and he continued with a wry smile.
“The first thing Ryoji-kun said was, [If you’re the leader, fight alone and die! Don’t involve others!] He also said, [If you can see the surroundings, you’ll understand the leader’s thoughts. If you can’t do that, don’t question the leader!] and [Save your comrades till the end! Someone who thinks of dying first is not qualified to be a leader!] He really speaks his mind, doesn’t he? Principal Reynold trained in the same way.”
Hearing Mateo’s words, Elizabeth was dumbfounded by the contrast with her approach. She had only been focused on advancing, believing that a leader should decide everything alone. She had managed to reach the lowest level without issue, so she believed there was no problem. But as a result, one person was seriously injured, and without Ryoji and the others’ rescue, there could have been fatalities.
In contrast, Ryoji had ensured everyone could handle the role of leader before descending to the fourth level, maintaining a margin. Elizabeth, who had been exultant about advancing further than Ryoji and his team, now felt embarrassed by her attitude.
With Ryoji and his friends’ efforts, the monsters were almost completely wiped out, and the surviving ones had started to retreat. Everyone lowered their guard and regrouped, then asked Elizabeth and her team why there was such a massive emergence of monsters.
“Ah, [If you want it, show your strength.] Pretty straightforward, huh? Does this count as showing our strength? What do you thi… What are you doing, Ryoji-kun?”
“Uh? Isn’t it a template to touch the gold coins?”
“Absolutely not!”
Lucia screamed as she noticed Ryoji about to touch the gold coins on the plate. Elizabeth was desperately trying to stop him, and amidst the chaos, an emotionless female voice suddenly echoed through the large room.
[The mass monster quest has been cleared. You are granted the right to challenge the special room. If you wish to take on the challenge, please descend with the gold coins and jewels. However, the type of monster that appears varies depending on the amount. The record for the highest amount ever offered is held by Amadeo Sandstorm, with five jewels and three hundred gold coins. Those who wish to watch may proceed to the viewing area by the stairs.”
“Can I ask a question?”
[Question mode initiated. Please proceed.]
“How many people can participate? What’s the approximate amount of money that changes the monster’s strength? Is this the same voice from the Forest of Boards?”
[Answering your questions. Up to five participants are allowed. If you exceed one thousand gold coins, a dragon will appear. Regarding your last question, the creator is the same, so you may consider it a sister.]
Ryoji nodded at the concise responses and posed one last question.
“Isn’t this too tough for a beginner dungeon?”
[This room allows the return of gold coins to ensure no fatalities. Additionally, the challenge room was created for fun by the maker. Participation is not mandatory. Please decide if you wish to proceed.]
“I need some time to think. So, what should we do? I’m up for breaking Amadeo Sandstorm’s record in another dungeon, so I’m keen on competing here too. I’ll go in with a thousand gold coins, but what about everyone else?”
“Face a dragon? I’m out. That’s impossible.”
Lucia refused Ryoji’s invitation. Following her, Mateo, Mishika, and the blue medal duo also declined.
“I’ll participate. What about you, Elizabeth-san?”
Orlando chuckled as he declared his participation and then checked with Elizabeth.
“Me? Well… more importantly, are you sure you can handle this, Orlando-san? No offense, but you don’t seem capable of taking on a dragon.”
“Pretty blunt, aren’t you? But unlike you, I’m aware of my capabilities and can support others, so I’ll be fine. Hey Ryoji-kun, can I borrow Cozimo’s sword?”
Orlando responded with a wry smile, seemingly unfazed by Elizabeth’s shocked expression, and then borrowed Cozimo’s sword from Ryoji.
“Wait! Orlando-san! What do you mean by [unlike you]? I demand an explanation!”
“Eh? It is exactly what I said, you know? You never listened no matter how much I told you. Elizabeth-san, no matter how powerful you are, thinking you can do it all alone is foolish. From my perspective, you’re just a naïve young lady.”
Elizabeth, her face turning bright red with indignation, was hit hard by Orlando’s blunt words. At first, she was puzzled, but she slowly became tearful as she grasped the meaning of his words and silently ran towards the spectator seats.
Watching Elizabeth run away, Orlando faced the scrutiny of Lucia and the others as they also headed toward the spectator seats. Ultimately, only Ryoji and Orlando proceeded to the challenge room. Ryoji, preparing for a prolonged battle, equipped a mithril bracelet and initiated a conversation.
“So, what’s the real reason you made Elizabeth cry?”
“Eh? I thought Elizabeth-san would probably die if she participated, with a high chance.”
“Make sure to apologize later. I don’t want your team falling apart.”
“Don’t worry. I owe her a lot.”
Ryoji chuckled at Orlando’s manner as they stored the gold coins on the plate in storage and descended the staircase to the challenge room.
As they reached the bottom, the staircase vanished. The room was as large as the one above, and the spectator area where Elizabeth and Lucia were situated seemed to be soundproofed with glass, as no sound could be heard from inside. As Ryoji and Orlando waved at the spectators, Elizabeth seemed to be shouting something while pointing toward the back. Just as the two turned around, a monster unlike any they had seen before appeared.
“Wow! What is that? Have you seen it before, Orlando?”
“I haven’t seen it myself, but I’ve read about it in texts. That’s a two-headed dragon.”
After the dragon finished its roar, Ryoji turned to Orlando, who explained the creature’s name. When he heard the monster’s name, Ryoji then searched for information using his interface, and details about the two-headed dragon appeared.
Two-Headed Dragon
A type of dragon that inhabits the Demon Continent. Only one head breathes fire, and its agility and defensive power are higher than other dragon species, making it difficult to subdue. However, its meat is of high quality and has been used by royalty and nobility as a top-tier gift. Subjugation Rank: A.
“Orlando, the two-headed dragon’s subjugation rank is A, right?”
“I thought even someone as brave as Ryoji-kuin might get nervous, so I didn’t say—”
“Woaah! Question for the system! Isn’t this too high-ranked! Isn’t it supposed to not be a dragon for a thousand gold coins?”
Ryoji’s shout was met with a response from the inorganic female voice.
[Answering your question. The amount of gold coins brought underground by the current player equates to 2300 coins. There is no issue with a two-headed dragon.]
“Sorry! I wanted to see Ryoji-kun’s strength, so I brought a bit extra. If we win, I’ll give everything, including the prize, to Ryoji-kun, so please forgive me.”
“You owe me one then. And make sure you can protect yourself.”
After Ryoji was apologized to, he glanced at Orlando as he spoke dismissively and then moved toward the two-headed dragon, doubling up on the lightning attribute on his mithril sword.
“So, what’s the plan?”
“For now, we’ll observe. Attack from both sides, with either sword or magic. Which side do you prefer, Orlando?”
“I’ll take the left side then, Ryoji-kun, please take care of the right.”
Ryoji then fired five consecutive fire arrows at the right side of the two-headed dragon and struck its left leg with his mithril sword.
Protected by thick skin, the two-headed dragon, irritated by the pain, rapidly unleashed a series of breath attacks at Ryoji.
“Oops! Looks like I’m the target! But I’ve faced breath attacks before, so I’m prepared!”
Seeing the two-headed dragon take a deep breath again, Ryoji covered himself with an invisible shield gauntlet and wrapped his body in water attribute magic to completely block the rapid-fire breath, then repositioned his sword to strike the same spot again.
“Impressive! The hero of Drugul is a different breed! Then I won’t hold back either!”
Orlando then applied a double layer of fire attribute magic to the Cozimo sword borrowed from Ryoji and slashed at the side of the two-headed dragon. It must have been an unlucky day for the dragon. Usually, its thick skin would protect it, but this time, it sustained consistent damage from both flanks. Frustrated, the two-headed dragon spat a rapid-fire breath at Ryoji to create distance and then attacked Orlando from his blind spot with its tail.
“Orlando-san!”
A scream came from the spectator stands. To Elizabeth, it appeared that the tail attack had hit Orlando squarely. Her face paled as she squinted, but then Orlando’s face emerged from behind the tail, waving at Elizabeth.
“This is no time for waving! Ryoji-sam managed to dodge and is continuing to attack, but Orlando-san, are you okay just barely making it?”
“It’s hard to tell with Orlando. But it seems like he’s still got some leeway, right?”
“Yeah. I get the same vibe from Orlando as from Ryoji.”
“From an adventurer’s perspective, neither seems to be going all out. They seem to have reserves even against a two-headed dragon.”
Rosa’s comment made everyone look again at the two fighters attacking the two-headed dragon. They appeared to be enjoying the battle as if they were dancing.
“You’re strong! Orlando!”
“It’s an honor to be called ‘strong’ by the Hero of Drugul! But I feel like we don’t have enough firepower to take it down. What do you think, Ryoji-kun?”
In response to Ryoji’s praise, Orlando, while seeming pleased, questions whether they have enough power to decisively defeat the two-headed dragon.
“I can still increase my firepower. If it comes to it, I’ll overpower it with magic, but what will you do, Orlando?”
“I can increase my firepower too. Is it okay if I share that with you, Ryoji?”
“‘Is it okay if I share that’? Not sure what you mean, but let’s regroup in the middle after the next breath attack! Then we’ll see how much firepower we both have.”
“Got it! Breath attacks don’t come in succession, so we’ll have time to discuss.”
While engaging in close combat and defending, they conversed casually, and when Ryoji dodged a rapid-fire breath attack from the two-headed dragon and began his counterattacks with shortened incantations, signaling Orlando.
“Let’s go! ‘I strike at the enemy! Fire Arrow,’ five times! And ‘I strike at the enemy! Ice Arrow,’ three times!”
The fire and ice arrows hit the two-headed dragon sequentially, creating a thick fog and reducing visibility to zero. The disoriented two-headed dragon lashed out randomly, but the two fighters had already moved to another location.
“So, how are you planning to increase your firepower, Ryoji?”
“Ah. Like this.”
In response to Orlando’s inquiry, Ryoji showed his mithril sword, now triple-enhanced with lightning magic. Sparks and lightning danced around the blade.
“Wow! That’s amazing. Then I’ll get serious too. I’ll switch with someone else for about five minutes, don’t mind me.”
“EH? Switch with someone else?”
“Yes. [In the name of the benevolent god Iorus, grant your divine protection to this one. Iorus, compassionate god and mother of the earth imbue your power in me and let me vanquish the foe before me.]”
As Orlando’s magical power surged and he began chanting, his body slowly started glowing with a divine aura. After finishing his chant and opening his eyes slowly, he looked at Ryoji and spoke cheerfully.
“It’s been a while, Ryoji-san.”
“That tone, could it be Iorus?”
“Yes, it’s Iorus.”
To Ryoji’s curious inquiry, Iorus, in the form of Orlando, nodded happily in response. Ryoji, smiling joyfully, took a mithril Harisen out of his storage and struck Iorus with all his might.
“Ouch! It doesn’t hurt the body, but it pains the heart… It’s been a while, and yet you greet me so harshly! I didn’t even make a bad joke!”
“Quiet! I’ve been wanting to protest since we met!”
“Protest? Enough to even use Harisen?”
Holding her head, Iorus protested, while Ryoji watched gleefully and hit her again with Harisen, starting a conversation.
“Let me explain! That ridiculous automated voice I heard in the passageway during my reincarnation. Plus, you explained in the world of Safiria that adulthood starts at thirteen, right? I opened the door of adulthood, didn’t I? But when I checked my status, I was eleven! Do you know how hard it was to explain my age to Marco? And just when I was getting popular and about to get engaged, I had to wait two more years because I’m not an adult yet!”
“It was just a small mistake. Tehehe! Please forgive me… Ouch! So terrible! You won’t even let me finish!”
“Enough! Even ‘tehehe’ is annoying! Oh, we shouldn’t be talking about this right now. Why isn’t the two-headed dragon attacking?”
Ryoji vented his complaints but calmed down, remembering they were in the midst of the battle with the two-headed dragon. He hastily looked through the mist, but there was no roar to be heard. Looking around in panic, he noticed that except for him and Iorus, no one else was moving.
“Could it be that time has stopped?”
“Close! Time is flowing at an ultra-slow pace. I wanted to talk with Ryoji-san, so I manipulated time. I can’t do it for long, but it allows us to have a conversation for a bit.”
“So I can hit you with the Harisen as much as I want?”
“Huh? Are you still planning to hit me? Once time starts moving again, the damage will go to Orlando-san, so you might want to stop…”
“The Mithril Harisen is made so that no matter how hard you hit, it only causes loud noise and cries of ‘It hurts’.”
“Mithril, which is said to be synonymous with me…”
Before Iorus could finish his protest about the use of Mithril, Ryoji swung his fan down with full force from above, and with a smile on his face.
“Even though it doesn’t do any damage, I think it’s too much to hit!”
“I’ll forgive you because it felt refreshing. But I truly am grateful for being reincarnated into another world. Didn’t we build a grand temple?”
While rubbing her head, Iorus replied to the temple comment with a refreshed expression.
“Ryoji-san’s gratitude has been transferred. More than that, I’d be happier if the residents of this world felt gratitude towards you. That’s what fuels the power of faith.”
“Gratitude towards me fuels the power of your faith? More than building a temple? Even though I went to the trouble of building one?”
Responding to Ryoji’s surprise, Iorus lightly shakes her head and begins to speak.
“Even with the temple, it increases the power of faith. But Ryoji-san’s deeds are so significant that people pray, feeling [fortunate to be born in the era of Ryoji-san]. The power of their prayers, hoping they are lucky enough to meet you, strengthens me, the god of happiness.”
“Is that so?”
“Huh? Are you embarrassed… Ouch! Why hit me because you’re embarrassed by the truth? Ouch! Stop! Ouch!”
Iorus noticed that Ryoji’s ears were turning red, Iorus, and as she was about to tease him with a grin, she was silenced by a barrage of fan strikes, and then he rapidly fired questions.
“So, did you summon me to this world just to gain the power of faith?”
“No. The increase in faith power is a pleasant miscalculation. I didn’t expect that from you. What I hoped for was for you to use your modern knowledge to revert this world back to the state it was 500 years ago.”
“Back to 500 years ago?”
“Yes, the era when Amadeo-san was active. But after he died, the knowledge was lost, and the level decreased. Thus, if you could collaborate with Reynold or do business with Aurelio, it would benefit future generations.”
“Amadeo Sandstrom was a founding king, right? Was he also a reincarnated person?”
Shaking her head in denial, Iorus began to explain.
“He wasn’t reincarnated but had the innate ability to communicate with gods. He was given oracles and did various things. Recently, there haven’t been others with his abilities, and without them, the world would decline, so I had you come.”
“What about Orlando? He has the ability to call upon Iorus within himself, right?”
“While Orlando-san, a descendant of Amadeo, possesses strong powers, they are strong only relative to the present standards. He became a pope, but his powers aren’t as significant as yours.”
Catching something in Iorus’s words, Ryoji confirms lightly.
“Orlando is a pope?”
“Yes, Orlando Lavernia-san is the 86th pope. He’s definitely 14 years old. Hearing rumors that Ryoji-san was coming to the academy, he came to check your abilities and reputation. Eventually, he fell for Elizabeth, so he ignored you.”
“Hahaha. Alright! When Orlando regains his awareness, I’ll tease him… and support him.”
“Please be gentle. Unfortunately, it seems our conversation must end here. This time, the timing when Orlando-san chanted the spell coincided with the timing when I turned my attention here. It allowed me to manifest, albeit partially. I’d rather not be hit with Harisen again, but let’s meet again.”
“Sure. I’ve hit you plenty, but my gratitude is genuine. We might meet again in my lifetime, and I’ll treat you to a meal then.”
“In about 30 seconds, time will return to normal, so please defeat the two-headed dragon.”
Iorus waves goodbye. As the light enveloping Orlando fades, time begins to flow again.
Orlando, freed from the light, sees the two-headed dragon roaring in the challenge room. Ryoji, remaining cautious, starts talking to Orlando.
“It seems you summoned the god Iorus?”
“By harboring the power of a god in my body, my strength and the power of my magic greatly increase. My speed and stamina improved as well. Normally, my consciousness should become hazy while Goddess Iorus is within me, but that hasn’t happened.”
“Is that so? Does it feel like your powers as a pope have increased?”
Hearing this casual comment, Orlando stiffens and awkwardly shifts his gaze to Ryoji to ask.
“Uh? P-Pope, what are you saying….”
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I also support your relationship with Elizabeth!”
“Eh? Uh, about Elizabeth…”
As Orlando is thrown into confusion by the exposure of his secrets, Ryoji laughs and speaks.
“They can’t hear us in the stands, so calm down.”
“Okay, got it. But why do you know I’m a pope?”
“If I say, I heard directly from Goddess Iorus. Do you believe it?”
“I do. I feel the power of Iorus more than usual, and I heard a voice saying, [Be his strength. If not, expect a Harisen.] What’s a Harisen, by the way?”
“I’ll explain after we finish this battle. Let’s defeat this two-headed dragon first.”
“Even knowing I’m a Pope doesn’t change anything, huh?”
“Hah! To me, who has spoken with Iorus, a Pope is just a minor figure. If you want things to change, just say so.”
Orlando, feeling like he’s found a true friend in Ryoji despite calling himself a ‘minor figure,’ tightens his focus as he faces the two-headed dragon.
In Front of the two-headed dragon, Ryoji creates a massive wall of earth magic and maneuvers behind it. Startled by the sudden appearance of the wall, the dragon destroys it with a rapid-fire breath, charging forward to finish off Ryoji, whom it assumes is behind the wall.
“You missed! There’s no one there!”
As Orlando shouts, he uses his divinely enhanced body to sever the right leg of the two-headed dragon.
[Giiaaaaaahh!]
“Even dragons can scream, huh.”
As Orlando mutters while the dragon’s scream fills the room, the dragon twists its body and begins to take in a deep breath.
“There’s no way I will let you do a close-range breath attack!”
With the dragon turned away from him, Ryoji stabs his mithril sword, enhanced with triple-layered lightning magic, into the dragon.
[Grurraaah!]
“This is the end!”
The two-headed dragon, pierced at the base of its neck, rampages while spewing a rapid-fire breath. Orlando seizes the opportunity to decapitate both heads, halting the dragon’s vital functions.
“That was easier to defeat than I expected.”
“No, no. I think it was thanks to your triple-layered elemental enhancement attack, Ryoji-san. That level of attack power isn’t normal, you know?”
As they converse in front of the now motionless two-headed dragon, they reevaluate the dragon. It was indeed larger than the dragon they had defeated in the forest of Boards and would have been challenging to defeat alone.
“That’s an impressive sword, though. Is there any chance I could buy Cozimo’s sword?”
“They’re backlogged with orders. Even if you order now, it won’t be ready for another six months.”
As Ryoji communicates this to Orlando, who relays his lingering reluctance while handing back the sword, he informs him of the waiting list.
“Even with the Pope’s influence to apply pressure?”
“That’s rather a nuisance, isn’t it?”
As Ryoji and Orlando converse, an emotionless female voice resonates through the room.
[Congratulations on your victory. Total time took: 28 minutes. You have set a new record for the fastest time and the smallest team. As a special reward for setting new records, the players will receive a two-headed dragon treasure chest, ten kilograms of mithril ore, fifteen dragon magic stones, a Flame Sword, and an Anywhere Shower.]
“Ohh! That’s generous! By the way, can you explain what an Anywhere Shower is?”
[I can respond. The Anywhere Shower takes the form of a faucet. When installed on a wall, it creates a shower room large enough for two adults.]
“A shower anytime, anywhere! Really? That’s amazing! Orlando, I want the Anywhere Shower! You can shower anywhere, anytime, and it doesn’t matter where!”
“Alright! You can take all the rewards! But are you really pushing that hard for just a shower? If I have to choose something, I might want the Flame Sword. You have the Mithril and Cozimo swords, Ryoji-san, so you wouldn’t need it, right?”
“Sure, that’s fine. Are you sure you don’t want anything else? It could be worth quite a bit.”
“I don’t need money as a Pope. Everything is provided for me. Also, please keep my being the Pope a secret. I’ll tell people myself if I want them to know.”
As Orlando responds casually to Ryoji’s words, spectators, Elizabeth, Lucia and the others enter the challenge room.
“That was an overwhelming victory! It’s understandable that Ryoji-kun is strong, but Orlando was impressive as well! Why are you so strong? Did you need to come to the academy like Ryoji-kun?”
“Ah. Just like Ryoji-san, I’ve been trained since I was little But magic isn’t my strong suit, so I came to study at the academy.”
Mateo’s excited voice is met with a smile from Orlando. Elizabeth, having listened to their conversation, makes a determined face and speaks to Orlando.
“Orlando-san, you were incredibly strong. Why didn’t you tell me! Were you planning to make a fool of me?”
“That’s not it, you know? And you remember right? Elizabeth-san owes me one, right?”
After briefly listening to Elizabeth’s questions, Orlando brought up the conversation from the large room.
“Eh? Owe? I-I said on the spur of the moment—”
“Eh! The esteemed daughter of the Duke is going back on her word? That Elizabeth-san?”
Orlando’s words, though melodramatic, catch Elizabeth off-guard as she replies.
“Understood! This Elizabeth, on behalf of the Ducal family, will repay the debt!”
“As expected of the Duke’s daughter. Then I’ll take the liberty of calling you ‘Ellie.'”
“Eh? Ellie? My father, mother, and brother are the only ones who’ve used that nickname! I’m not sure about using that nickname…”
“Well, then I’ll be the first outside your family. Ellie.”
Blushing and about to retort, Elizabeth lowers her head as Orlando looks on with a pleased expression, continuing their conversation.
“The second thing, could you introduce me to your father? I’d like to greet him. I’ll write a letter in my name and hand it to the Duke. How about a week from now?”
“Wait a minute, please! This is moving too fast for me to keep up!”
As Orlando rapidly advanced the conversation, Elizabeth, who was panicking, realized that everyone’s gaze was focused on her and cried out.
“Everyone! Eavesdropping is terrible! It’s not a good hobby!”
“eHH! After creating a world of your own right in front of us and flirting, isn’t it terrible to say our hobby is bad?”
“I’ve created a chair and table over there, so you two can sit down and talk at leisure.”
After creating a chair and table with earth attribute magic, seating the two of them, and preparing drinks, Ryoji takes the rest of the group and moves to the prepared reward location.
“Let’s leave it to the youngsters now, and we’ll go check out the prizes!”
“Everyone’s young, you know! I get what you’re saying, but!”
“Hurry over there! Please!”
With a bright red face, Elizabeth screams, and, amused by her demeanor, the group moves to where the two-headed dragon’s rewards are placed.
“That thing’s huge. Ryoji-kun, aren’t you scared to fight such a big dragon?”
“Sure, it’s pretty big. But strangely, I don’t feel its size when I’m fighting. In fact, its large size makes it easier to predict its movements, which actually helps.”
As Ryoji and Mateo were chatting, Lucia and the others were more focused on Elizabeth and Orlando, eavesdropping on their conversation. Ryoji, noticing this, chuckles and speaks.
“You’ve a bad taste, Lucia.”
“But! I can’t help it! Look! Elizabeth-san’s face is so red… Ah! She suddenly stood up! Wait, did she sit down again? Now her face is blue? Eh? Her face is red again and she’s teary?”
“Her face turned red after Orlando said ‘I’ll call you Ellie,’ then she stood up probably because he said something like ‘You’re cute when you blush.’ Her face turned blue when she realized Orlando was serious, thinking ‘Our social status isn’t compatible!’ And then Orlando passionately declared, ‘I don’t care about status; I like you,’ which made her so happy she almost cried. How about it? Isn’t it possible to write a story?”
“It’s a bit too specific to be interesting. Don’t ruin a girl’s fantasies.”
“Is that so? Well then, since the lovey-dovey commentary is over, let’s check the rewards. That two-headed dragon is in the way though, right?”
Even after its death, the two-headed dragon exudes a menacing presence. Ryoji stored it in his storage. Satisfied with the cleared space, he proceeds to open the treasure chest but notices everyone’s gaze on him and tilts his head as Rosa speaks up as a representative.
“Huh? Something wrong?”
“I’ve asked before, but isn’t Ryoji’s item box a bit too unrealistic? How can it fit a whole two-headed dragon?”
“It’s a special Uchino family item box. I don’t know the specifics myself. It’s just convenient to use. Thinking too hard about it is a losing battle. Just feel it!”
Even though the explanation was not like the explanation, everyone let out a sigh, forcing everyone to reluctantly accept, [Well, it’s Ryoji-kun.]
As Ryoji and the others examine the two-headed dragon’s treasure chest, Elizabeth and Orlando come over holding hands.
“We’ve decided to get married!”
“Eh! M-M-Marriage? We are? Let’s start dating before M-Marriage!”
Caught off guard by Orlando’s sudden declaration, Elizabeth starts panicking, but realizing she’s being teased by his grinning face, she begins hitting his back.
“We’re definitely getting married, Ellie.”
“First, we date! We need to thoroughly understand each other before discussing marriage! I haven’t even received my father’s permission yet! Talking to my father comes first! Do you understand? Orlando-san?”
“Of course. You promised to call me ‘Orr,’ right, Ellie?”
Orlando’s proposal leads to a heated exchange, and Elizabeth, her entire body blushing, replies in a whisper audible only to Orlando.
“Orr-san.”
“She’s smitten.”
“She’s definitely smitten.”
“Even Elizabeth can be smitten, huh?”
When Elizabeth realized that everyone could hear her whisper, she panicked and hid behind Orlando. Orlando, feeling the warmth of his lover behind him, smiled and spoke to Ryoji cheerfully.
“So, what’s inside the two-headed dragon’s treasure chest?”
“It’s filled with an incredible amount of gold coins and jewels. I thought about splitting it, but everyone said, [Since Ryoji-kun and Orlando-kun defeated it, we can’t accept it!] Got any good ideas?”
“Well—”
“Of course not! If we took rewards for defeating such a powerful creature, who knows what people would say!”
Lucia’s words were met with nods from the others.
“I keep saying it’s because of everyone’s effort that we got here, but they’re not convinced. Just the coins we brought up from the upper room amount to about 2,300 pieces…”
“Yeah, with 2,300 coins, we could live comfortably for generations. Plus, there’s the mithril ore and the dragon’s magic stones, right? We don’t need to sell the two magic tools, but the treasure chest of the two-headed dragon probably holds about the same amount?”
“I’ve no idea how much is in there. Also, Charlotte-sensei said that [The academy will collect 10% of the items obtained within a beginner dungeon,’ right? If the total value is 5,000 coins, then 500 coins would go to the academy, leaving us with 4,500 coins. What should we do with them?”
“If that’s the case, why not use it for charity? Ryoji-san, you are an honorary baron, after all. As a noble, it’s your duty to help those less fortunate. With this amount of money, you could do a lot.”
As everyone pondered the use of the funds, Elizabeth peeked out from behind Orlando and made a suggestion. Orlando stroked her head happily and agreed with her.
“I think Ellie’s suggestion is good. If Ryoji-kun doesn’t mind, let’s invest everything we have into it.”
“Alright! Let’s do it! With the money left after paying the academy, let’s improve the roads! Let’s find domains that agree and help develop inns along the way. We’ll need to get permission from Duke Coltezis, but I’ll leave the detailed planning to Elizabeth and Orlando.”
“Of course! I’ll get permission from Ellie’s father to date her, and at the same time, I’ll ask for permission for the road improvements. Ellie! Let’s come up with a plan that will surprise Ryoji-kun with the power of our love!”
“Ah, the power of love… Orlando, please don’t always talk about that! I am also a Duchess, after all! I will fulfill my duties as a noble!”
“Great! We’ll leave the power of love to the two of you! I’m sure there are other things everyone wants to ask for, so you’ll help, right?”
“Of course!”
Orlando and Elizabeth were left with most of the work, with Ryoji planning to have the rest of the group help. Ryoji started thinking about the most fun part of the plan with a broad smile.
“Huh? You all came back together. How did it go this time? Did you achieve anything?”
Charlotte, waiting at the dungeon entrance, asked Ryoji and the others as they returned safely.
“Yes! Ellie and I decided to date with marriage in mind!”
“What! What are you saying to the S-Sensei! Sorry. We safely defeated the two-headed dragon and cleared the beginner explorer’s dungeon.”
“The way you say it, it sounds like Ellie cleared it. It was Ryoji-kun who cleared it with my help.”
“Eh? Eh? Cleared….? Ehhh! You cleared the beginner explorer’s dungeon? No one has ever cleared it since the academy was established!”
Ryoji gives some more details to the confused Charlotta.
“We received the completion rewards, so there’s no mistake. Look.”
At Charlotte’s words, Ryoji took out the treasure chest of the two-headed dragon from his storage. Seeing the unprecedented number of gold coins and jewels, Charlotta was stunned, but the fact that it was a dragon treasure made it believable.
“R-really, you cleared it? The last room on the fourth basement floor is a large room filled with monsters. It’s not supposed to be possible to defeat that many, right?”
Despite her confusion, Charlotta managed to squeeze out a question, to which everyone began sharing their thoughts.
“We eradicated the monsters in the large room with Ryoji at the center!”
“There were so many. Defeating that number really boosts your confidence.”
“It was like the stampede in the Cave of Trials. Back then, we had B-rank adventurers and the garrison, who are pros at group battles, so it was easy. This time, we were just a bunch of amateurs.”
“That’s not fair! We all worked hard too!”
Mateo answered Charlotta’s question, and Ryoji added a joking explanation, which made Mishika puff up her cheeks in protest. Watching this, Charlotta regained some composure, but inside, she was still utterly confused.
(What are Ryoji-kun and the others talking about? The large room is supposed to be unbeatable, right? And there’s a special magic that prevents attacks on those who are immobilized. If everyone gets wiped out, a voice says, [Return what you’ve obtained in this room and leave,] and you can’t leave the large room unless you return the coins and jewels, you know?)
“Sensei? Charlotta-sensei? Hey!”
“She seems to be deep in thought.”
Ryoji and the others looked at Charlotta, who was unresponsive to their noise and seemed to be lost in thought while staring at the treasure chest.
(Even if they were all wiped out, once they leave the room, their injuries would be healed. We use the Beginner Explorer’s Dungeon to show the special class how [unreasonably strong] it is. The large room can have more than 150 monsters. Can they really eradicate that many? The power of the Hero of Drugul? And what’s this challenge room below the large room? I’ve never heard of it! And what about the two-headed dragon? Was such a ferocious monster really down there? And they defeated it? So that’s why there’s this massive reward in front of me? How many years’ worth of my salary is this—)
“Charlotta-sensei!”
Charlotta was in a panic, lost in thought as she stared at the treasure chest. The students, worried by her lack of response, called out to her. She snapped out of it, shook her head, and then spoke with a smile.
“I’m sorry. We’ll need to hold an emergency meeting back at the academy, so class is dismissed. Tomorrow’s classes are also canceled, so make sure to rest and recover your energy. Also, Ryoji-kun, please don’t use the rewards from this time yet and keep them stored. And I need to borrow a portion of the rewards as evidence. Rest assured, I’ll return them without fail.”
With that, Charlotta announced the end of the class and, still deep in thought, headed back to the academy.
“Alright! To celebrate clearing the Beginner Explorer’s Dungeon, let’s go out for a meal! It’s on me, of course!”
“It’s not good if you use today’s rewards, okay?”
“Of course not! I have enough money without relying on the rewards. Let’s eat to our heart’s content!”
“””Hooray!”””
Cheering at Ryoji’s declaration, everyone headed to a famous restaurant in the Royal Capital. The place they chose was one that Elizabeth often frequented privately. As they entered the restaurant, a stout woman came to greet them.
“Welcome! Oh? Elizabeth-chan. Oh my, you brought friends today? It’s not just rare, but I didn’t even know you had friends. I’m so happy!”
“Hey! I only come here alone because I want to relax when I’m in the capital! You don’t have to come out and greet us yourself! I just brought some friends! That’s all!”
“It’s fine, I get it. You finally made some friends. When you used to come here alone, I thought, ‘Poor thing.'”
“You thought that!?”
As the woman teased Elizabeth with a grin, Elizabeth, her face slightly red, protested. Watching this exchange, Orlando, seeing a new side of his girlfriend, stood behind her and greeted the owner.
“I’m Orlando, Ellie’s boyfriend. Seeing a different side of her is refreshing, but is she always like this?”
“Oh my! So, you’re Elizabeth-chan’s boyfriend! Well, well, well! The little princess not only made friends but also got herself a boyfriend. Auntie is so happy. Alright! I’ll cook with extra care today!”
“That’s right! I’m now dating Orr-san! Come on now! Hurry and prepare our food! Come on, everyone, this way. This restaurant was started by someone who used to be the head chef for the Duke’s family when I was little. Their cooking skills are famous even in the capital!”
Elizabeth guided everyone to their seats and, as they savored the dishes that were brought out, they relished stories of their hardships in the Beginner Explorer’s Dungeon and the fierce battles on the fourth underground floor.
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Thanks for the treat.