The Saintess's Younger Sister
One month after we set foot on the fourth floor of the underground catacombs.
“……”
“……”
Because this was reality and not a game, gearing up took far longer than I had expected. I’d figured two weeks would be plenty, yet somehow an entire month had slipped by.
“This feels wrong. How on earth did things end up like this…?”
“Don’t overthink it, Renya. He isn’t someone ordinary people like us can hope to understand.”
Perhaps because we had lingered far too long in what was supposed to be a low-level dungeon, both Adelaide and Renya voiced their discontent with surprising frequency.
Even though we now wore equipment incomparably superior to anything we had possessed a month earlier, the complaints still came.
“Besides, I haven’t even officially joined the party yet…”
“That’s true. You did say you needed time to consider it.”
“Then why did you prepare a complete set of gear for me as well…?”
“Because he already thinks of you as a full party member, Renya.”
Adelaide answered calmly, then drew in a small breath.
“Just give up, Miss Renya. It’s not as if you can leave by yourself.”
“I know that, but still… this is too much.”
“Then why not treat it as working together only until we clear this dungeon?”
“Only until we leave?”
“Yes. I’m not completely unaware of how you feel. After that, you’ll be truly free.”
She must have learned a great deal while living in the dungeons with me. Unexpectedly refined words flowed smoothly from Adelaide’s lips. As I thought, my judgment had been correct.
I had expected her to adapt quickly, but she was already serving as the party’s coordinator far sooner than I had anticipated.
“…So when exactly are we leaving this dungeon?”
“I don’t know that either.”
“Pardon?”
“We can only leave once Sir Tin Knight’s sense of satisfaction is somewhat fulfilled. As for when that will be, I have no idea.”
At Adelaide’s subsequent indifferent reply, Renya’s face crumpled in open dismay.
“Th-that’s ridiculous… A dungeon you can only exit once the knight is satisfied…”
“Don’t look so defeated. Thanks to that, we at least managed to acquire full sets of excellent equipment.”
“I’m incredibly grateful for that. But the thought of staying trapped in here any longer is just…”
“He isn’t that unreasonable. Bear with it just a little longer.”
After murmuring those words in a low voice, Adelaide immediately began inspecting her new gear with meticulous care.
She seemed far more pleased with it than the Crown Prince’s clothes she had worn before. A faint, satisfied smile gradually spread across her lips.
“We don’t even know when that time will come…”
“Actually, I was just thinking it’s about time we left this place.”
Renya’s sullen mutter was cut off by my calm declaration. Both women turned to stare at me at once.
“…Yes?”
“We’ve farmed enough. There’s nothing more to gain here, so let’s wrap this up and go.”
At my indifferent statement, Renya’s previously downcast face brightened as though the sun had broken through clouds.
“R-really?!”
“Yes. I have a rough idea of where the boss room is. Let’s finish this and leave.”
“I can hardly believe it… It feels like I’m finally being released from prison…”
“You’re making quite the fuss over a single month.”
True enough, nothing was quite as mind-numbing as the low-level sections. Repetitive monsters, monotonous patterns, and predictably mediocre rewards. We were growing stronger, but enduring a full month of soulless grinding felt like torture.
Still, once we moved past the low-level range the real content would begin. When I thought of it as an investment for that future, this much hardship was perfectly tolerable.
“…Leaving is fine, but what comes after?”
Having roughly settled the matter, I was about to turn naturally toward the boss room when Adelaide’s voice slipped quietly into my ear.
“You can’t possibly be planning to head straight into the next dungeon the moment we leave, right?”
“No matter how much I enjoy dungeons, I’m not that far gone.”
“You give the impression that you very much could be.”
I wondered what sort of person she took me for, to say such absurd things without hesitation. Anyone overhearing would think I was a dungeon addict.
“Now that our specs are somewhat decent, isn’t it time we went for revenge?”
“Revenge? Where did that come from all of a sudden…”
“I told you clearly in the last dungeon. I want to get revenge on those who did that to you.”
I brushed my hands lightly as I spoke.
“I generally don’t involve myself in other people’s affairs. But if that matter might interfere with future dungeon raids, the story changes.”
“I thought you’d forgotten… You actually remembered.”
“I don’t want to leave an unsettling spark that might follow my party members later. I am the party leader, after all.”
If Adelaide’s past would hinder our future raids, then no matter how troublesome, the problem had to be dealt with first. Leaving it alone could mean getting stabbed in the back outside, or some bizarre variable appearing mid-raid.
“I bear responsibility for dragging you this far. It’s only right to resolve what can be resolved before moving on.”
“You really are unexpectedly considerate in the strangest places…”
“It isn’t consideration. It’s simply fulfilling my duty as party leader.”
The moment I finished speaking, Adelaide lowered her head. She began fidgeting with her fingers, murmuring softly to herself.
“Why does this feel so strange…?”
“In any case, that’s my position. Any objections?”
“Ah, well… It’s not exactly an objection, but there’s something I’d like to say.”
“What is it?”
Adelaide raised her hand cautiously.
“To be honest, the last incident left me feeling rather refreshed. It was satisfying in more ways than one.”
“That cannot be called revenge. The situation simply unfolded that way by coincidence.”
“That may be true, but I honestly don’t know what further revenge I should take.”
“You don’t need to think too deeply. The only thing you must do now is clear your name of those false accusations.”
Normally one should listen to both sides before rendering judgment, but I suddenly wondered if that was truly necessary. I was no judge, and I had no desire to complicate matters.
“They say the arm bends inward. No matter what happens, I am on your side. Remember that.”
“You’re on my side no matter what?!”
“Yes. We aren’t going to weigh who was right or wrong. We’re simply removing potential variables.”
“Ah… So that’s what you meant.”
After roughly concluding the conversation, I turned naturally toward Renya, who stood quietly beside Adelaide.
“Any objections?”
“…No. But before that, may I ask what you two were talking about?”
Renya looked utterly bewildered. I regarded her steadily and answered.
“I was saying we should go get revenge on those who framed Adelaide with false charges.”
“Oh… So that’s what it was.”
Renya nodded slowly, still looking dazed. But only for a moment.
“Wait… If it’s the people who framed Lady Adelaide…”
“The Crown Prince, the Saintess, and their subordinates.”
Renya’s expression hardened at once. She began glancing around as though doubting her own ears.
“Y-you’re joking… right?”
“I am not.”
“Is this some kind of hazing ritual…?”
“It is not.”
“You’re seriously going to take revenge on those people…?”
“Yes. More precisely, we’re cutting off variables.”
Renya’s trembling voice echoed mournfully against the cold stone walls of the catacombs. Even so, I continued speaking in the same indifferent tone.
“If this is too burdensome, you may leave the party.”
“Of course it’s burdensome! We’d be challenging the Empire itself! How could that not be burdensome?!”
Renya’s voice shook with panic. She shot a quick glance at Adelaide beside her.
“His Highness the Crown Prince and my sister… I could never do that.”
“It must be far too sudden for someone who knows nothing of the situation. I completely understand.”
Adelaide nodded in agreement. The mood swiftly tilted toward Renya’s departure from the party, but then—
“…Wait a moment.”
Adelaide’s eyes suddenly widened. She stared hard at Renya, one eyebrow slightly raised.
“Sister? What did you mean by that?”
“Pardon?”
“You just called the Saintess your sister, didn’t you?”
“Ah… The current Saintess of the Empire is my older sister. I should have referred to her properly as the Saintess, but it slipped out…”
The moment those shocking words left Renya’s mouth, Adelaide’s face froze solid.
“Now that you mention it, I never learned your family name, Miss Renya…”
“Didn’t I tell you? I was sure I had.”
“There was so much to explain that I never got around to asking. I should have inquired earlier…”
Adelaide’s voice trembled as she drew in a shaky breath.
It was then that the final nail was driven in.
“I haven’t properly introduced myself yet. I’m sorry…”
A quiet voice rang out, sealing the truth beyond doubt.
“I am Renya la Rose. I am the biological younger sister of the Empire’s Saintess, Elise la Rose.”