Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Logia
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Monday morning.
On my way to Herbology class, I reviewed my weekend training.
Halibal Dungeon.
I'd holed up there for two straight days, tackling what Rene called the Stampede—a boss rush.
'I managed solo up to Marias.'
Barhatan and Marias went down easy.
The problem was Roze and Lirian.
They were originally two-man bosses, so they were a bit much alone.
Still, it was great practice for honing my Just Guard timing and sharpening my bodily instincts.
A few more Shard tweaks, and I could take those two.
Which meant it was time to hit the dungeons again.
The newly opened ones.
The issue was...
'Solo's iffy.'
Alicia was grounded for sneaking out the Hyperion.
Like with Cecilia, I'd need a duo party, but that brought me back to Mina.
'Any way around this?'
By the time I reached the classroom, I spotted Mina hovering awkwardly at the entrance.
"Decided on an answer?"
She spotted me and walked right over.
"...Just like Halibal said. All dungeons fall under the Demon God's power. Ignoring them is the same as dodging the fight against the Demon God."
"..."
"Yesterday, I went to the Spider Dungeon alone."
"And?"
"Honestly, I was still scared. Without even Halibal there, I couldn't take a single step inside."
She grabbed my hand tight.
"So help me. Help me fool myself."
"Fool yourself?"
"I know it in my head. I have to fight. But my body, my heart—they won't follow. Standing at the entrance brings back those memories..."
Her voice trembled faintly.
"I'm scared of entering the dungeon as 'Saintess Mina.' Scared I'll lose someone again. Scared I'll fail again."
I got it.
Her fear wasn't the dungeon itself.
It was the failures and responsibilities tied to her role as saintess.
But then, who said I had to take "saintess" out of Mina?
"Then you just shouldn't be the saintess anymore."
"...Huh?"
"You're not Saintess Mina anymore."
I looked straight into her eyes.
"You're mercenary Logia. And mercenary Logia enters dungeons to help her comrades. Not for atonement—for the job."
That was what she meant by fooling herself.
She needed an excuse to sidestep her trauma.
"Mercenary... Logia..."
She murmured the new alias softly.
Her expression looked somehow relieved.
I asked her once more.
"Think you can do it, Logia?"
She hesitated a moment, then nodded as if resolved.
"...Yes. Valhillar."
No, I'm Halibal.
Still, hearing her answer, I gave a small smile.
Good is good.
I held out my hand to her.
"Let's go, Logia. Time to finish that herb-gathering job."
"Ah... Y-Yes...!"
Mina took my hand.
And with that, the game's title changed.
From Mina Maker to Tales of Logia.
⁎⁎⁎
Mina Rose.
Her surname came from the Rose Orphanage in Erandar.
Before she became the saintess—no, before her immense holy power marked her as a priestess.
Her dream was to be a bard.
A wandering bard singing tales of adventure.
Her favorite story was the one about the nun who raised her—the nun's father.
A great mercenary who fought Magi on the front lines.
Mina vowed over and over, listening to that tale, that she'd become like him someday.
The day her resolve shattered was when she joined the imperial soldiers and the nun on a dungeon expedition.
Blessed with healing talent, she'd signed on as support.
Deep in the dungeon.
A massive stone door etched with a symbol identical to the church's emblem.
When she grasped the handle, the door swung open on its own.
From within, a skeletal giant burst out, slaughtering the soldiers mercilessly.
In the chaos, the nun seized Mina's hand and bolted for the exit.
Ignoring the screams echoing behind them.
Nearly at the entrance, the skeletal giant came charging from afar at terrifying speed.
The nun looked at Mina.
"Mina. The truth is... my father being a mercenary was a lie."
"N-Nun...?"
"My father was just a simple fisherman. Swept away by Magi and died. I lied because you loved the stories so much."
"W-Why tell me this now...?"
"I'm sorry for making you live in a world of false tales, Mina."
"..."
"But from now on, live your own true story."
With that, the nun shoved Mina hard on the back.
"Nun!"
Flung out of the dungeon, the last thing Mina saw was the nun's back as she turned alone to face the skeletal giant.
The next instant, the entrance sealed shut.
Meaning all survivors inside were wiped out.
The day Mina Rose's dream ended.
The day she began living under the false name of saintess.
And then, she started dreaming again.
After meeting that man, Halibal Belder.
This, too, was false.
A mere fleeting dream.
But it didn't matter if it was false.
In her imagination, she pictured a mercenary.
Purple hair tied tight and trailing long down her back, wielding a mace and rosary instead of a sword.
The mace smashed monsters without mercy, the rosary purified Magi.
Cool as Cecilia, bold as Adeline.
Shrewd as Alicia, sharp as Senia.
And... like Halibal, that man.
Fearless in any crisis, advancing on the dungeon ahead without hesitation.
Her name was Logia.
Mina Rose's ephemeral dream.
She gazed down at the Dreamroot bulbs in her basket.
An amount that would normally induce hallucinations.
She shoved them all into her mouth.
It didn't matter.
She'd decided to live in the false world while with Halibal.
The 'saintess' slumbered.
The 'mercenary' stretched awake.
"Valhillar."
The students' eyes snapped to her.
Some still traumatized by that name, but she didn't care.
It was her comrade's name.
"......Suddenly?"
Even the man whose name she'd called felt the same.
Toward him, Logia flashed a bold smile.
"You didn't forget today's dungeon job, right?"
"??????"
⁎⁎⁎
The game difficulty was insane.
I was already struggling to keep up.
After class, before the other students could stare weirder, I grabbed Mina's arm and pulled her out of the classroom.
"What the hell was that, Mina?"
"......Mina?"
But Mina herself looked puzzled as she countered.
"Who's that?"
"?"
"Hahaha! What kinda nonsense is that!"
She slapped my shoulder playfully.
Mina was famous at the academy.
For good reasons and bad.
Especially now that she'd become my follower, drawing even more eyes.
Students in the hall froze at her utterly out-of-character behavior.
Senia sidled up and poked my side.
"......What is that?"
No idea.
Really no idea.
Mina wasn't in her usual long straight hair—instead, a ponytail like Adeline's.
She started rolling her slender shoulders like they were packed with muscle.
"Halibal. Whatever this is, you better take responsibility."
"No, I—"
'It feels like I really should.'
Her state was serious.
"What's wrong? Our client likes things quick, Valhillar. I figured we'd head straight to the dungeon today, obviously."
"She called you Valhillar."
"......Hmm."
That's when a strong whiff of Dreamroot wafted from Mina's close breath.
Urk.
Senia and I pinched our noses at the same time.
Even at a glance, it was way more than what Cecilia took in the Doll Dungeon.
The picture formed in my head.
'She maxed out the Dreamroot effect to fool herself.'
I hadn't told her to go this far.
But I figured I knew how to handle it.
"...Got it. Let's go, Logia."
Calling her by the alias on purpose—to play along with her role.
Once the Dreamroot wore off, she might die of embarrassment, but I'd deal with that later.
"Where to?"
"To do the job. To the dungeon."
I declared it boldly on purpose, and Senia narrowed her eyes, whispering.
"......You'll fix her later, right?"
"You think she's a toy?"
"You're the one playing around."
Was it playing?
I glanced at Mina—no, Logia.
Nah, didn't feel like playing.
She was clearly trying.
Fooling herself somehow, to conquer the Demon God's dungeon.
'I'll watch for now. Too late to stop her after coming this far.'
Decision made, I told Logia.
"Alright. Meet at the usual tram stop after school. Job time."
"As expected from my reliable comrade—we're on the same wavelength! Catch you later, partner!"
Her lines sounded straight out of a play script.
Her stride as she led the way was shockingly confident.
Senia glanced at me.
What?
After school, at the tram stop, Logia was already there.
Rene was at the stop too, eyeing Logia with the exact same look as Senia.
『......The failed saintess became a divine mercenary.』
Sounds like a webnovel title.
Soon, we reached the Spider Dungeon entrance.
I swallowed dry.
The place where Mina hadn't budged an inch all week.
But Logia didn't even stop at a red light.
She scanned the entrance, snorted dismissively.
"Hmph. Spider den, huh. Lame compared to the job description."
Then, without a hint of hesitation, she stepped into the dark cave.
Crunch! Crunch!
"Ha, you think these pathetic monsters can take on Logia? Dream on!"
Once inside, she started smashing spiders with her mace.
Success.
Success?
It had to be success, right?
That day, I gained the capable partner I'd hoped for—and the ticking time bomb I hadn't.