Chapter 192
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 192
With a slightly sour expression, I took off my coat and handed it to Ciel.
“Thank you. Let’s have dinner together.”
“Yes, Sir Roen.”
I washed my hands and headed to the dining table attached to the kitchen. Neatly arranged across the surface was a lavish nine-dish spread. There was a stew reminiscent of soybean paste soup, sausages stir-fried in ketchup, and side dishes like rolled omelets and sheets of salted seaweed.
It was a top-tier home-cooked meal. It seemed she had memorized the recipes I’d given her previously and prepared them herself. After a string of lonely dinners in the dreary student cafeteria, this warm welcome nearly brought me to tears. I even started to think that letting Ciel into the workshop had been a stroke of genius.
My mouth watered at the sight of the food, but I looked at Ciel tentatively.
“Is this really okay? This food suits my palate, but for you…”
It might not be to the taste of someone like Ciel, who had been raised on modern European-style cuisine her entire life.
“I tasted it as I seasoned it. It was unfamiliar, but quite good.”
“That’s a relief. I’ll enjoy the meal, then.”
Blinking back tears of gratitude, I began to eat. Between bites, I casually broached a topic with her.
“Are you free this weekend, by any chance? I’m planning a dungeon exploration.”
“I presume you mean the dungeon in the underground passage leading to the slums.”
“Yes. I’ve already asked Elena to join us.”
The Chrono Dungeon we were about to explore was a high-level zone where a Cognitive Acceleration Stone lay dormant. Since we were entering through an unconventional route rather than the standard entrance, there was no telling what variables or dangers awaited us. That was why Elena’s presence was a necessity.
Furthermore, a terrible debuff called the ‘Gaze of Darkness’ would be applied the moment we entered—a curse that sequentially withered the agility of everyone inside. The longer we stayed, the more the debuff would stack, eventually dropping our agility stat to 1. It was a notoriously difficult dungeon to clear without thorough preparation.
However, Elena’s divine barrier could nullify this debuff entirely, allowing us to proceed. She was an essential member of the expedition.
When I mentioned I had included Elena in the party, Ciel put down her fork and gave me a warning look.
“Sir Roen, it is not wise to get too close to Lady Elena.”
“I know. Elena’s divine magic is fatal to me.”
“…”
“But what must be done, must be done. Nothing will change if I just keep avoiding danger.”
I had already overcome threats of that magnitude several times. I’d had a showdown with Elena on the very first day I was transmigrated, and I had been under her suspicious gaze ever since. Fortunately, I had earned a certain degree of her trust by now. As long as no major variables popped up, this exploration shouldn’t be too dangerous.
“Besides, if things get dicey, I have you to protect me, Ciel. There’s no need to worry.”
At that, Ciel sighed and slowly nodded.
“…I suppose I have no choice. Understood.”
“Good. I’ll take that as you joining the party.”
After that, we continued to chat idly, finished our delicious dinner, and retired to our respective rooms for the night.
On the first weekend of the new semester, I headed to Izelin with Ciel for the Chrono Dungeon exploration. As we were riding the tram, another passenger boarded.
It was Elena. Her radiant blonde hair was as striking as ever, but unlike her usual self—who was always accompanied by Adler—she was alone today. Elena raised a hand in greeting, her gaze falling on Ciel sitting next to me.
“Oh, Ciel, you’re here too? It’s nice to see you.”
“Yes.”
Ciel gave a curt reply, her expression frosty. She clearly considered Elena a threat to my safety and was intent on maintaining a cold distance.
At Ciel’s icy reaction, Elena swept her hair back and tilted her head.
“You and Roen must be very close, Ciel. I heard you two are always sticking together lately.”
“It is strictly for his protection.”
“Aha. But shouldn’t a guard be stronger than the one they’re protecting? I believe you lost to Roen during the last tournament.”
Elena was poking at Ciel’s defeat at my hands. Not one to back down, Ciel retorted instantly.
“That is not always the criteria. Is the Adler you always keep by your side not weaker than yourself, Lady Elena?”
“…”
Their gazes clashed in mid-air. The atmosphere grew thick and suffocating. Sensing the strange shift in tension, Elena took a step back and sat down.
“I’m sorry. I think I was being a little sensitive.”
“Not at all… However, you seem to be getting quite close yourself.”
Ciel said this while glaring at Elena, who had sat down right next to me. In response, Elena placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled.
“We’re in the same party; there’s no need to sit apart on purpose. Besides, it’s not like he’ll wear out just because I touch him, right?”
…Actually, I might.
The durability of my ring, to be precise. Although the Star of Tubal-Cain restored it, just having Elena nearby caused its overall durability to drain. I shrugged her hand off my shoulder and spoke to the two women, who were still locked in a war of nerves.
“Let’s just travel quietly.”
What was wrong with these people?
And so, amidst an atmosphere as tense as walking on thin ice, we arrived at Izelin Academy.
Despite it being the weekend, Izelin Academy was bustling. Workers were moving busily, aiming for the swift completion of the new dormitory. On top of that, it seemed Klimt, the Student Council President of Tullay Academy, had come to check on the construction progress with his supervisors.
I watched Klimt’s back as he meticulously inspected the site.
‘All construction projects carried out by Tullay Academy are evaluated under Klimt’s final supervision.’
If a building failed to meet his exacting standards, he would mercilessly tear it down and order a total rebuild. It was an extreme approach, but it was the reason the Gustav family had long been respected as the heirs of the Architect King. It was a stark contrast to those who covered up corner-cutting, skimped on rebar, or ignored safety standards.
“Pass! It’s a pass!”
The bronze-skinned student inspecting the site laughed heartily and slapped Damian on the back.
“Keep it up just like this, Damian. I think we’re going to have a masterpiece on our hands.”
“Don’t slap my back. I feel like I’m going to puke.”
Klimt chuckled, then, sensing my presence, turned around.
“Jeez, so prickly. Hey, look, your client is here.”
“It’s been a while.”
I shook hands with Klimt. As I’d felt before, his grip was incredibly strong. He pointed at the dormitory building and grinned.
“The midterm inspection was a success. You found a good designer.”
“I trusted you from the start. I knew you’d produce the best results. By the way, there’s something else I’d like to commission from you.”
At this, Klimt’s eyes lit up with interest.
“Hoh? My schedule just opened up. Let’s hear it.”
It was a stroke of luck that Klimt, who was usually booked solid, had some free time.
“I’m planning to build a new academy.”
“An academy? Ah, as a Student Council President, you’d have the right to propose that.”
“Right. I’ve also received the Chairman’s permission. I have the land and the money. All that’s left is a brilliant designer and skilled workers.”
“Then you’ve come to the right place. Leave it to me, Roen. With your funds and my skills, we can create the greatest building imaginable.”
Designers always have to balance the client’s demands, a limited budget, and their own artistic vision. Often, they have to compromise in the face of practical issues, resulting in a product they aren’t fully satisfied with. But for a designer, a client like me—with deep pockets and a willingness to grant full creative freedom—was the absolute dream. That was why Klimt accepted so readily.
“As the heir of the Architect King, you’re more than qualified. Let’s discuss the details later.”
This was too massive a project to discuss on a construction site. We would need a formal meeting. Just as I was chatting with Klimt, a voice called out.
“Hellooo~!”
Chloe, the member of the Journalism Club in charge of covering this exploration, approached us along with Eleina, the Master of Izelin, and her entourage. We all exchanged greetings before getting down to business.
“The reason we’ve gathered today is for a dungeon exploration. I’ve decided on a party of five.”
Myself, Ciel, Elena, and Chloe. And finally, Philip, the escort knight for Izelin’s representative, Eleina.
Dungeon explorations always carried risks, so Eleina was excluded from the party. If anything happened to her, an heir to the throne, it would trigger a diplomatic crisis. Besides, she didn't possess any abilities suited for a dungeon dive. However, we needed someone from Izelin’s side to witness the distribution of rewards, so we took her knight, Philip.
Eleina had said I could keep everything we found, but it was always better to divide things clearly to avoid trouble later. Elena, Ciel, and Philip already knew each other from the territory war, but Chloe was the outsider.
Philip looked at Chloe cautiously.
“And who might this be…?”
“Ah, I’m Chloe, a reporter for the Union Daily. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”
I introduced her to Philip and Elena.
“Chloe is a reporter and a student in the Department of Archaeology. She’s joined us to cover the exploration. Not that she’ll be of much help. Just think of her as a mascot.”
Chloe had never played a major role in any dungeon exploration so far. She was just here to record data, take photographs, and write articles.
“That’s a bit harsh, President!”
“Then prove your worth.”
“…”
“If everyone’s ready, let’s get going.”
And so, the hastily formed exploration team entered the underground passage through the dormitory basement.
The underground passage was dark and damp. We descended a seemingly endless, winding spiral staircase. Not a single speck of light penetrated the gloom, but I had cast Light magic, so visibility wasn't an issue. The floor was dotted with boot prints left by the Devalis knights during the slum civil war, but no one else seemed to notice.
How far down did we go?
Whoosh—
We soon arrived before a small hole from which the sound of rushing wind could be heard. An alien flow of mana and air drifted from beyond the gap. The dungeon entrance was near.
Crackle—
I used Enchantment Magic on the small air vent. With a flash of blue lightning, the earth was slowly pushed aside, and the small hole gradually widened until it was large enough for a person to pass through.
Seeing this, Elena muttered in surprise.
“You’re quite skilled with magic, aren’t you? Using Light magic, and now Earth Attribute Magic too.”
“The Light magic was correct, but what I just used was Enchantment Magic. I can pull my own weight as a mage now.”
I was no longer the person I used to be, relying solely on items. We passed through the hole and stood before the dungeon. Philip looked around, tilting his head in confusion.
“This is… the dungeon entrance?”
“It’s a little different from what I expected,” Elena added.
I nodded. A dungeon entrance was usually something extraordinary—a grand temple, a cave flanked by blazing torches, or a gate guarded by hideous monsters. But what lay before us was a passage even smaller than the hole we had just come through.
“This isn’t the official entrance. If I had to put it a certain way… it’s a cat hole.”
“We didn’t come to the wrong place, did we?” Chloe asked nervously.
I shook my head.
“No, this is the right place. It’s a bit undignified, but from here on out, we crawl.”