Chapter 139: A Day Trip Dungeon (7)
Chapter 139: A Day Trip Dungeon (7)
By the time we emerged from the dungeon, the sky was already a dim, grayish dawn.
It would be difficult to stop by the mansion again. It seemed best to head straight back to the dormitory, get a bit of rest, and then go to class.
I let out a long sigh as I hurried my pace alongside the others.
I was short on sleep, but I could probably power through with a Vitality Potion. A high-grade potion or better wouldn't leave any lingering aftereffects.
Of course, that didn't mean I should overindulge. Even if the potion itself had no side effects, being human brought its own set of problems. For instance, Vitality Potions could cause minor issues like ruining one's sleep cycle.
A similar example was how using a potion to reattach a severed limb often resulted in phantom pain for a while. Just as healing through a priest’s holy power prevented phantom pain, I’d heard that receiving a blessing could wash away fatigue without any complications.
…Maybe I should just ask Helena before class starts.
Yeah, that sounds like a plan. After all, I am a guest of honor to the Righteous Church of Light.
Perhaps because one of my worries had vanished, I found myself humming a tune as I walked—but only for a moment.
Iris approached me, her short legs pitter-pattering as she drew near.
"Master."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"I am only mentioning this now, but… you seem to know the paths of these complex labyrinth-type dungeons inside out."
"Well, I suppose so."
Though the future I knew had shifted slightly due to various events, some things remained constant. One of those was the location and structure of the dungeons. This was something even cultists couldn't artificially alter. At most, they could hide a dungeon's existence or enter first to litter the entrance with traps. Even then, they could only do that to dungeons they found first.
I gave a light shrug of affirmation, and Iris tilted her small head to the side.
"Then I find myself somewhat puzzled. If you know them so intimately that you can find not only the paths but the hidden treasures as well… why have you left them uncleared until now?"
"……."
Uh, well. I hadn't really thought that far ahead.
If I had to say, it was because I didn't have any organization members to clear them with. We were the founding members, after all. But since I couldn't tell her the truth, I decided to stall for time with the most plausible-sounding words I could muster.
"Clearing the dungeon isn't the important part."
"Pardon?"
Iris blinked her blue eyes—the same shade as Elisha’s—as if she didn't quite understand. Since I didn't really know what I was saying either, I just kept talking.
"Why do you think people clear dungeons?"
"Is it not to banish the dungeon to the far side of space-time? If left alone, monsters will eventually break free, whether due to the passage of time or the rituals of cultists."
"Exactly. Then why must we prevent the monsters from breaking free?"
"What do you mean 'why'? It is because fighting so many of them causes casualties and bolsters the cultists' strength. We must stop them while we can… Wait."
Iris, who had looked exasperated by my repeated "whys," suddenly stiffened. She stared blankly at my face and began to mutter to herself.
"No, surely. It couldn't be… but there would be no other reason. The fact that you were hiding in the shadows in the first place…."
"Iris?"
"Above all, if it is Master… the Progenitor of the Lindelheit Family… the Dragon's Legacy… the subjugation of the Evil God…."
The scale of her fragmented muttering was growing exponentially. I won't deny I had hoped she would interpret my vague words in her own way like last time, but I didn't expect it to go this far.
Just as I was starting to feel uneasy about what conclusion she had reached, focus returned to Iris's eyes. She nodded vigorously as if she finally understood.
"I see it now. Master… you, your comrades, and your ancestors. You truly intended to kill the Evil God."
"…Huh?"
"You identify as many dungeons as possible and record their solutions, yet you leave them untouched. All so that one day, those rewards can be funneled into a single individual capable of toppling the Evil God. It is brilliant. One overwhelming powerhouse is far more vital than several mediocre ones."
"……."
Wait, how did you get that conclusion?
"Dungeon rewards are, in the end, fragments of Authority that the Good Gods failed to recover. In other words, they are shards of divinity. By gathering them over and over, one could draw closer to godhood. Even if it is a patchwork divinity that cannot reach true godhood, the power alone would be…."
"Y-yeah, something like that."
It felt a bit exaggerated, but in terms of the final result, Iris was right. You gather dungeon rewards to create a synergistic build, achieve feats to raise your stats, and repeat this until you can finally defeat the Apostles of the Evil God and the Evil God itself. That was the core framework of H&A.
No matter how talented someone was, if left alone, they would simply meet their end as a talented person. That was why one had to consistently run dungeons whenever there was time.
"Even if the Evil God's seal is broken, a god cannot descend. Therefore, you are creating a new god on this earth…."
The reason Iris had somehow stumbled upon… I realized it might actually be the true intention of the being that created H&A, spread it on Earth, and kidnapped me into this world.
"It is incredibly bold and radical, but surprisingly, it is a feasible method."
"…I suppose so."
It sounded so plausible that even I started to wonder if that was the real reason. Iris hesitated for a moment, looking at me with a strange expression before opening her mouth.
"And Master is that supreme talent."
"No. I'm the last talent."
If I failed, there would be no next time. The world ending was one thing, but if I died, that was the end for me. Perhaps because I was thinking about the transcendent being that dropped me here, a somewhat cynical answer slipped out.
I realized my slip and turned to Iris to add something, but—
"Master…."
It was too late. Iris was already looking at me with misty eyes. Her face was full of sympathy, as if she were looking at something incredibly pitiful. I tried to shake my head immediately to clear up the grave misunderstanding, but Iris moved a beat faster.
She stopped in her tracks and spread her arms wide.
"Let me hold you."
"…What?"
"If you will not come to me, I shall go to you."
Iris came trotting toward me, waving her outstretched arms. She even took a little hop like a flying squirrel, so I reflexively reached out and caught her.
Grab.
As if she had been waiting for it, Iris wrapped her arms and legs around me and hugged me tight. I felt a soft, small, yet distinct presence against me. A scent reminiscent of a deep forest filled my lungs. And I felt a comforting warmth and gentle touch that I hadn't experienced since I was very young.
Iris, who hated being picked up so much, had not only initiated a hug but was now gently patting my head.
"Do not worry. If I am to be Master's partner, then Master's burden is my burden as well. Besides, I am not your only partner, am I?"
"……."
"Everything will be fine. I—no, we will make it so."
Her voice was kind, as if she were soothing a child.
…I think I understand why Iris hates being treated like a child now. Honestly, it felt good, but I also felt a strange sense of resistance.
However, I couldn't put her down. It would be hard to explain that she was wrong now, and even if I did, I didn't think she’d believe me. But more than that, it was because I could feel my heart actually relaxing in this ridiculous embrace.
I hadn't realized it, but perhaps I had been feeling quite a bit of pressure.
In the end, instead of pushing her away, I reached down and supported her bottom to make it easier for her to cling to me. And so, Iris and I walked the path stuck together for a long time.
Until the moment we had to part ways.
*
"Heave-ho."
Perhaps because her body was truly light, Iris landed on the ground with a nimble movement. At the main road where the paths to the mansion and the Academy diverged, Iris gave a small smirk.
"Master. If you find it so regrettable to part, you should ask the other girls for a hug."
"What are you talking about? It's not like that. I just thought it’d be a while before I saw you again."
"Mm. It is indeed a pity that we can only see each other on weekends. To think I won't see you or Elisha for five days."
"Plus, exam period is coming up, so even if we see each other, it’ll be hard to do anything together for a while."
"Exam period…? I see. You clear dungeons so effortlessly that I forgot you were still a first-year."
In terms of pure combat power, I was somewhere between a lower and intermediate magician. Even the highest-year students at the Academy would likely fall short of my current self… but in every field other than combat, I was just a slightly talented first-year, so there was no helping it.
"The more I learn magic, the more I feel it… I shouldn't just try to reach a higher stage or learn high-output spells haphazardly. It might be fine at first, but I think it’ll become a poison later on."
"Ooh…! Well said. In all things, the basics are paramount. In that regard, the Academy will be far more helpful than learning from me or the Lindelheit lady. That is why I sent Elisha there in the first place."
Nodding with satisfaction, Iris suddenly remembered something and pulled a crystal ball the size of a human face from her subspace pocket.
"What's this?"
"A Communication Orb. I made one in my spare time. With this, you can contact me even from the Academy."
She then gave a mischievous, playful grin.
"Contact me whenever you miss me. Elisha, the same goes for you. Surely you aren't planning to neglect your master just because you've been charmed by your Master?"
"How could you say that! I'll call you every night before I go to sleep, so you'd better make sure you answer, Master!"
Elisha grumbled as if her feelings were hurt. After watching the master and disciple bicker for a moment, I said my final goodbye to Iris.
"The budget Master left is still plenty, so I will try to finish the robe sets for everyone by then."
"Don't push yourself too hard. It's not that urgent."
"Nonsense. I am merely making a few more magical tools that I already know how to craft. Now that the biggest hurdle—the budget—is solved, this can hardly be called a strain."
I gave a small laugh at Iris, who puffed out her non-existent chest with confidence.
"Glad to hear it. …See you next week."
"Mm! See you next week!"
I watched Iris's retreating figure as she toddled away for a moment before turning my gaze to the other women.
"Let's head back now."
To the Academy.