Chapter 119
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 119
“My help, you mean?”
Beatrice tilted her head, her expression shifting to one of curiosity when I told her I needed her assistance. I offered a more detailed explanation.
“That’s right. To obtain the blueprint for that core, we need to clear a dungeon. For that, I need your magic.”
Beatrice’s primary attribute was fire, but she possessed a fundamental aptitude for all elements. It was this innate talent that had allowed her to become a 5th-tier mage at such a young age. Her mastery over elemental affinities was the key to clearing this specific dungeon.
‘The five gatekeepers protecting the Aether Dungeon.’
Each one possessed abilities symbolizing the five elements—Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, and Earth—and they could only be defeated by magic of the opposing attribute. Normally, you’d need to bring five separate 5th-tier or higher mages, each specializing in one of those elements. Finding even one 5th-tier mage among the student body was incredibly difficult; there were only one or two among the third and fourth-year seniors.
That meant we’d usually have to recruit five assistant professors or professor-level mages, which was practically impossible. But with Beatrice—a 5th-tier mage with an aptitude for all elements—she alone was enough. Talk about being cost-effective.
‘Well… it feels a bit wrong to talk about cost-effectiveness when she’s the Imperial Princess.’
But what was so great about the academy? It was a place where people from across the continent gathered to learn. Commoner or royalty, everyone here was just a student. If the situation called for it, you sometimes had to borrow the power of a classmate—even if that classmate happened to be a princess.
When I mentioned the dungeon, Beatrice thought for a moment before asking, “Is this related to the Academy's 7 Great Mysteries you mentioned before?”
“Yes. An article about it just came out. Did you see it?”
“I wasn't particularly interested, so I skipped it, but I believe Yulina read it carefully.”
As Beatrice glanced her way, Yulina scratched her head, looking a bit sheepish.
“Yeah, well, I read it thoroughly to make sure that reporter wasn't writing anything weird again,” Yulina admitted. “It was surprisingly interesting.”
“Of course it was.”
I had read Chloe’s article as well. It had been given a massive spread at the very back of the Union Daily. It was formatted less like a standard news report and more like a serialized novel, beginning with a spooky photo of the abandoned school building and an introduction full of evocative prose.
It was a well-crafted piece, interspersed with things like Sudoku puzzles and a quiz about passing through the Mouth of Truth. It unraveled the stories surrounding the dungeon in a truly engaging way. Of course, it was a 50/50 mix of truth and dramatization, so there was no need to worry about information leaks. Naturally, there was no mention of the gold bars we’d received as a reward for clearing the dungeon.
In any case, it was so well-written that even I, who had explored the place myself, found it enjoyable. The synergy between Chloe’s writing skills and her existing archaeological knowledge had created a fantastic result.
Thanks to that, the student reaction had been explosive. Yulina, too, seemed to have been moved by the article, as she expressed her desire to join without much hesitation.
“Hey, can I join the dungeon raid too?”
“Beatrice alone is enough,” I countered. “Besides, with more people, splitting the profits from the expedition becomes a hassle.”
“Ah, don't be cheap. I won't take a cut, so just let me come.”
Unaware that the dungeon reward consisted of gold bars worth hundreds of millions, Yulina coolly surrendered her share of the profits.
“If that's the case, fine. Beatrice will need someone to talk to anyway.”
And just like that, Yulina was excluded from the reward distribution. Once her participation was decided, Bell, who had been listening quietly, spoke up tentatively.
“C-can I go too?”
“Of course. You'll be a great help.”
I planned to have Bell handle the wood-attribute gatekeeper while Beatrice took care of the other four. As I readily accepted Bell's participation, Yulina narrowed her eyes.
“What's with the difference in attitude? You just told me I couldn't come.”
“That's because Bell is like a savior to me.”
Bell was the hope and light for a half-baked mage like Roen. Thanks to her Extreme Flame, a ray of hope had appeared in my life. Of course she was a savior.
I glared at Yulina and continued, “You, on the other hand, owe me a favor but slack off every day. I can't possibly treat you the same.”
“Hmph.”
Even Yulina found it hard to argue with that and didn't press the matter further. As we talked, Melga also expressed interest.
“This sounds interesting. Might I be able to go as well?”
“Hmm.”
Normally, a dwarf engineer isn't much help in a dungeon expedition. However…
‘If it's the Aether Dungeon we're exploring this time… he might actually be of some help.’
Unlike the Spooky Dungeon where ghosts appeared, the Aether Dungeon was full of annoying guardian machines left behind by ancient dwarves. Melga’s knowledge of magic engineering might be useful in dealing with them.
“Kekeke, let me in too.”
“I-I want to go too.”
While I was contemplating, Malgor and Murgan also applied to join the party. But I couldn't accept all of them. I slowly shook my head.
“Too many is no good. Only one of you three can come.”
I couldn't have three unpredictable guys in the party. It would be better if Melga, the most level-headed of the three, joined. He was the eldest brother, after all.
Just then, Melga spoke up. “In times like these, it's right for me to go. Gahaha! You two stay cooped up in the workshop.”
“Kekeke, you'd better bring something back.”
“M-make sure you bring a souvenir.”
Malgor and Murgan grumbled but didn't insist.
With that, the dungeon raid party was taking shape: Me, Ciel, Chloe, Bell, Yulina, Beatrice, and Melga. There were too many mages, so the party balance wasn't ideal, but since everyone was highly skilled, it probably wouldn't be a problem.
“Looks like the party composition is more or less decided.”
“...I, for one, haven't said a single word about going,” Beatrice remarked.
I spread my hands. “Are you really going to pass up the chance to increase the Union's military power and strengthen public security by enhancing golems? Besides, a next-generation core would have countless other uses. I'm sure you're interested.”
Mages are a breed that can't stand not knowing things. Beatrice was especially prone to this. She couldn't help but be interested in the blueprint for a next-generation core—a lost technology from the golden age.
Beatrice clicked her tongue softly and subtly averted her gaze. “...Tch.”
I took that as a silent agreement. Why play hard to get when you're going to accept anyway?
In any case, with Beatrice joining the party, there were no more obstacles.
‘Moreover, if she's part of the expedition party, it'll generate even more buzz.’
Chloe’s article had already drawn a lot of attention, and with Beatrice joining, the hype would only grow. It was a perfectly natural expectation that interest in the Academy's 7 Great Mysteries would skyrocket. At this point, I was getting curious about the next [Trait] I'd acquire.
I concluded the conversation. “Let's wrap up the discussion about the dungeon expedition for now. Since we're here, I should probably see Meyer's face.”
He had challenged me so brazenly; it was only right that I responded.
*
After meeting the three dwarf brothers, I headed to the main building of Meister Academy with the group.
“Roen?”
“What brings you here?”
At first, the student prefects guarding the entrance looked like they were about to stop me.
“Step aside. Do you know who I'm with?”
When I gestured toward Beatrice behind me, their attitude changed instantly.
“Ah, Lady Beatrice.”
“You may pass.”
The prefects immediately stepped aside, clearing a path. Beatrice glared at me and warned, “Do not use my name to get your way.”
“What are friends for?”
“...Who said we were friends?”
After shooting me a final glare, Beatrice turned to encourage the prefects. “Thank you. Keep up the good work.”
“Yes, ma'am!”
The students saluted her. If I had come alone, I would've had to argue at the entrance, but with Beatrice, it was a free pass everywhere, no questions asked.
We proceeded without further interruption and arrived at a reception room, where we settled around a large sofa. I crossed my legs and looked around the lavish room. Meyer's reception room was even more extravagant than my own student council office.
It was all gleaming marble and gold-based interiors. The walls were lined with bookshelves and various devices that combined machinery and magic engineering. In addition, there was a bronze globe floating in the air and a desk mobile moving about distractingly on its own.
“They really threw a ton of money at this place.”
Slurp—.
The only thing I liked was that they served decent tea for guests. I'd spent my whole life drinking nothing but green tea from cheap tea bags, never savoring the aroma, but after coming here and drinking so much high-quality tea, I'd learned to tell the difference.
As we sat on the sofa waiting, a boy appeared. He had an oily look about him—curly blond hair, blue eyes, and even a beauty mark under his left eye.
The legitimate heir of the Iron-Blooded Grand Duke Otto McDowell: Meyer McDowell.
As soon as he entered, he bowed to Beatrice. “It has been a while, Your Highness.”
“Indeed, Lord McDowell.”
“Hoh, Lady Yulina is here as well. You are as beautiful as ever.”
“...”
Yulina gave a silent nod with a slightly displeased expression. It seemed they didn't get along. After greeting them, Meyer turned his gaze to Bell.
“And the lady over there is?”
“Ah, hello. My name is Bell.”
Bell stood up and bowed, and Meyer tilted his head at her. “May I ask which family's daughter you are?”
“Oh, I'm a commoner.”
“Is that so? A pleasure to meet you.”
Meyer shrugged and looked away. As a high-ranking noble of the Empire, he wasn't overtly rude to Bell despite her status, but he wasn't particularly friendly either. Finally, Meyer turned his head toward me.
“You must be Roen. I can't say it's a pleasure.”
The way he spoke so familiarly made it seem like we knew each other.
“Have we met before?”
Meyer's face scrunched into a frown. “Did you perhaps... injure your head?”
“Yeah, my memory's a little fuzzy.”
Meyer sat down comfortably in his chair and nodded. “Well, that's understandable, seeing as you've been a frequent guest in the infirmary. In any case, I assume you're here about the competitive match.”
“Right. Why did you nominate me?”
“I wrote the detailed reason in the challenge letter.”
As he expressed his confusion, I stated confidently, “Didn't read it. I only found out you sent one this morning. It's not like I only received one or two challenges. How was I supposed to find yours in that mountain of letters?”
“...”
Meyer, looking thoroughly displeased, opened his mouth.
“Since you haven't seen it, I shall graciously tell you myself, Roen. The decision to nominate you as our opponent was made by none other than our ‘Noble Alliance’.”