The Saintess and the Dungeon of OO
The next day—marking the start of my second week in this other world—we set out for the Royal Capital in the carriage Lord Raking had lent us. I'd heard that the farther we got from Raking's territory, the more frequently monsters would appear, so I was a little on edge.
More than that, though... a Saintess, huh. I wondered what kind of person she'd be.
Saints joining adventurers is pretty standard fare in isekai and fantasy stories. A healer, probably?
No, no, that's not the issue. A Saintess is someone who serves a god—pure, noble, sacred. Could someone like that really be okay with...
...hanging around with us?
"Hero~ are you still sulking~?"
Just as I was sinking deep into my thoughts about the Saintess, Fresia, seated across from me, called out.
"Huh?"
"Sorry about last night~"
Ah, that. It wasn't about that, but even so, I didn't feel like giving her the satisfaction of an answer.
"It's fine. I was just thinking about something else."
"Hmph. Your face is way too stiff, Hero."
"I have no face to show you, Hero! I failed to talk her out of it properly...!"
"No, no, it's fine. Valerie, you did try."
I answered Valerie as kindly as I could manage, sweat streaming down her face as she bowed in apology.
"Eee~ Valerie, that's so unfair of you. You were there trying to stop me too~"
"Unfair?! What's unfair about it! If Valerie hadn't held you back, you would've pounced on me last night. Seriously, what were you even thinking?!"
"Even if she did stop me, she clearly didn't stop me properly, did she?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"There's no way I could've overpowered Valerie by force."
Huh? Come to think of it... Fresia is strong enough to lift me and run off with me, sure, but Valerie is on a whole different level—she could carry me like I weigh nothing. Which means...
I slowly turned my head toward Valerie. As my gaze swung around, she turned hers the opposite way, avoiding my eyes.
"Valerie...?"
"I have no face to show you...!"
"Valerie."
"W-well... you see... just in case... in case the Hero would ever permit it... I didn't want to be the only one left out..."
"Valerieeee...!"
No! Absolutely not! A Saintess joining a group like this?! That would be blasphemy!!
Knock knock.
After a while, someone rapped on the window beside us. It had to be one of our escort soldiers. Valerie, meeting my eyes, carefully opened the window.
"Is something the matter?"
"Apologies for the intrusion. We have a report."
With the window open, the steady clip-clop of the horses' hooves came through clearly, and the escort continued.
"We've spotted a carriage and a party of knights ahead. Judging by their attire, they appear to be members of the Saintess Order from the capital."
The Saintess Order? Which means the Saintess herself might be with them. But why all the way out here?
"Their heading is strange. They are going neither toward us nor toward the capital—they're moving in a completely different direction."
Wait a second. Don't tell me...
That damn Goddess went out of her way to mention the Saintess specifically—for this moment, wasn't she?
I don't know the reason, but the Saintess Order is heading somewhere. If something happens when they arrive—if the Saintess gets caught up in some incident...
So that was the revelation! Keep them from walking into it!
Thank you, damn Goddess!!
I leaned toward the window Valerie had opened, poking my head out—just a little.
"Please change our course for a moment! We're following them!"
"You mean the Saintess Order, my lord?"
"Yes! Please!"
The escort knight hesitated for a beat at my command, then turned his horse toward the driver.
"Wh-what are you doing, Hero?"
Valerie's flustered voice came from behind me. I settled back into my seat.
"Last night, I met the Goddess in a dream."
"Oho! The Goddess of Justice—Definie, you mean?"
"That's right."
"Did you receive some kind of revelation?"
"Yes. The Saintess might be in that carriage over there!"
I spoke with a perfectly serious face, and at the word revelation, Valerie's expression turned grave as well. At that, Fresia—who'd been wearing an expression somewhere between half-serious and utterly dumbfounded—finally opened her mouth.
"Which means..."
At the low, deliberate tone of Fresia's voice, the two of us turned to her at the same time.
"Hero, you're already scouting new girls?"
"What?"
My serious expression crumbled in an instant.
"So mean! You've already got the two of us!"
Fresia covered her face with both hands and turned on the fake crying, shameless as ever.
"Hey! It's not like that!"
"H-Hero! Hnng... as long as I can stay by your side..."
"Valerie?"
"As long as I'm your first! I will accept anything!"
"It's NOT like that, I said!!"
After I'd calmed Valerie down, who'd been swept up in Fresia's little game, I pressed on.
"Fresia, don't joke like that. Valerie takes everything at face value."
"Aww, I didn't expect her to fall for it that easily, though."
"I have no face to show..."
"Anyway—I received a revelation to take the Saintess on as a companion for our journey. If the Goddess knew about today's situation and warned me in advance, then we need to follow wherever those people are headed."
"So you believe something may indeed happen..."
Valerie listened to me with utter seriousness and nodded. Fresia, done with her prank, nodded too, looking entirely self-assured.
Before long, our carriage gradually rolled to a stop. Then came another knock at the window, and Valerie opened it.
"The Saintess Order's carriage has halted."
At those words, we climbed down from the carriage. Taking Valerie's hand as I stepped out, I saw someone on the other carriage being handed down by a knight as well. The figure soon turned toward our slowly approaching group and began walking toward us.
Lustrous, snow-white hair braided and pinned up, skin as flawlessly white as that hair—and standing out between them, eyes of gleaming gold that seemed to radiate light. A small nose and mouth, neatly shaped brows that only emphasized those golden eyes. She was about my height, and next to Valerie and Fresia she looked almost childishly young.
Dressed in pure white, she approached us unhurriedly.
"I bid you greetings. I am Liznet Boyal, Saintess candidate of the Definie Order's Saintess Society. It is an honor to make the acquaintance of the Hero and his company so early in our journey."
Unchanging in expression, perfectly composed, she offered a courteous bow with a slight inclination of her head. Our own heads bowed in kind. And as always, Valerie was the first to return the greeting.
"The honor is ours to meet members of the Saintess Order. I am Valerie Gius, a knight. And this is—"
"I'm Fresia Bahav! Pleasure's all mine!"
Fresia cut in without a moment's hesitation, and everyone looked a little startled—but me and Valerie, long since used to this, hadn't expected anything else. Valerie continued the introductions as if nothing had happened.
"This is the Hero."
"How do you do."
I bowed once more, straining to keep my composure intact.
"Forgive me for not giving my name. I... don't actually have one."
Seriously. Every single time we do introductions—this again? I really need to pick a name at some point.
"I, too, was once a child without a name. Names, you see, are things one gathers along the way as one lives."
Liznet said this softly, her hands folded gently together. Before I knew it, I'd gone a little dazed listening to that voice.
Fresia sidled up against me and whispered in a voice absolutely dripping with mischief.
"And yet you said it was 'not like that,' didn't you? Hero~?"
"Shut it."
Without even looking at Fresia's face pressed up against mine, I pushed it away with my palm.
"I must apologize, but—Hero? Why did you stop us? We are pressed for time."
"Ah, right, that was the reason. I was wondering why the Saintess Order would suddenly be passing through a place like this. We, um... if there's some kind of problem, we'd like to help."
"Such broad compassion for strangers—truly, you are the legendary Hero and his companions."
"Oh, no, haha." "You flatter us. Hahaha."
Valerie and I scratched our heads awkwardly, grinning like idiots.
"Well, then. I suppose I failed to explain properly. We have received reports that people have been disappearing from the villages in this area, one after another. According to the investigation... there is a dungeon nearby where they are being held.
I was hurrying here after receiving that report within the Saintess Order."
"Abduction?"
All three of us froze at the gravity of it.
"Yes... or disappearances, to be precise. There have been multiple witness accounts of people walking into that dungeon of their own accord."
"You were on your way to investigate this dungeon?"
"No... the investigation has been carried out to some extent by the kingdom's army.
The dungeon's entrance is sealed by a kind of magic—it only admits those who meet certain conditions. A powerful ward that will not yield even to forced entry...
And there was exactly one soldier who entered and returned. That soldier exhibited strange symptoms and was unable to give a proper report—then deserted his post and walked back into the dungeon of his own will."
"He experienced something in that dungeon, showed abnormal symptoms—and then went back in?"
Why would anyone do that?
"The kingdom's army is currently unable to respond actively to this problem. With the forces of foreign nations and the Demon King's Army growing stronger by the day, military power is being concentrated elsewhere. And frankly, a disturbance on the frontier with no confirmed casualties or property damage... its priority has simply been pushed down the list."
"And yet you came all this way yourself, Liznet?"
At Fresia's question, Liznet drew a deep breath, placed a hand over her chest, and spoke.
"Yes. Though I am merely a candidate, I too am a member of the Saintess Order, bearing the name of the Saintess. I cannot pretend not to see those who suffer."
Her expression remained as calm as ever, but her eyes were blazing. Looking into them, I felt something hot kindle in my own chest before I could help it.
"We'll help you!"
I said, clenching my fist.
"We've heard the whole story—there's no way we can just walk away! We can be of use in rescuing those people!"
"That's right! Please let us come with you!"
"When it comes to magic~ I've got all sorts of tools Mom gave me~"
All three of us declared our eagerness to join her.
"Thank you, all of you."
She said it with her eyes closed and the slightest bow of her head. I thought I caught the faintest trace of a smile.
"About the soldier I mentioned earlier—before he returned to the dungeon, he reported exactly one thing."
"What was it?"
"That the dungeon is connected to one of the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings. And that the dungeon's name is—
the Pleasure Dungeon."