Chapter 68: Isn’t Travel in Academy Stories Always Like This? (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 68: Isn’t Travel in Academy Stories Always Like This? (5)
It felt somewhat fresh.
I’d experienced many things since being tossed into this world, but this was the first time I’d been caught up in an incident that could truly be called part of the main story.
Until now, I had forcibly twisted or blocked every event.
In truth, I could have stopped this incident too if I had set my mind to it, but there were several reasons why I didn’t.
First, while people would get hurt in this incident, no one would die.
Second, this dungeon was connected to a secret treasury created by an alchemist who had devoted his entire life to it.
Third, I was contemplating whether to scout the villains leading this incident as allies if they showed any potential.
Since there was already a Villain Alliance called Arcadia, if scouting proved difficult, a partnership of sorts would also be fine.
“Ah.”
While exploring, I encountered something that looked like a knight in armor.
“Oh, a Rose Knight.”
Normally, they were among the stronger plant-type monsters—powerful creatures of the mid-tier, mid-grade—but the ones in this dungeon were subspecies created by the alchemist. They were weakened versions, at most low-tier, high-grade.
More importantly, they didn’t launch preemptive attacks on humans.
The master of this dungeon had a surprisingly gentle personality.
Well, they would counterattack if hit, and they would try to eliminate anyone attempting to break into their master’s treasury, but there was little chance of them lunging at me right now.
“Hello. I can’t see well because of the helmet, but those roses are quite lovely. Would you mind guiding me to the reward room?”
The creature swayed its body as if happy to see a guest after a long time, but it shook its head as soon as I mentioned the reward room.
I suppose it meant I didn’t have the qualification.
Since there was no need to fight right now, it would be better to find the reward room myself.
“Well, yeah. I figured as much. I’ll be going then, okay?”
The knight bowed to me, making a strange shururu sound.
Hmm, maybe it was because of the gestures, but it seemed almost cute?
How could such gentle things ever hurt a person?
* * *
“Hey! Lilac! Take care of the people, quickly…!”
“Got it! Han-hee, just hold on a little longer…!”
Kang Han-hee drew her sword and sliced a plant-type monster in half, but perhaps because they weren’t naturally occurring monsters, their wounds healed instantly as they resurrected.
Some monsters fell completely to the swordsmanship performed with mana-infused blades, but most recovered by absorbing other monsters.
Individually they weren’t strong, but it would be dangerous if they were isolated.
Therefore, while Han-hee cleared a path, Lilac would protect the people with the light of the Holy Sword to break through.
That was the strategy they had devised, and fortunately, it was being carried out successfully.
Six ordinary tourists. That was the number they had found and protected.
“The seniors should be fine, but I’m a bit worried about So-hyun and Ga-eul.”
Perhaps because she had a bit of breathing room after evading the encirclement of the swarming monsters, Han-hee frowned.
She had been striking down every monster in sight, claiming she was going to save So-hyun, so she must have been exhausted, yet it was impressive how she didn’t show it at all.
“They’ll be fine.”
“I wouldn’t worry if he were alone. But if he finds civilians like we did, he might overexert himself again.”
Lilac couldn’t deny that part.
Their friend wasn’t the type of person who could ignore injustice.
— You can do it, right? I believe in you.
Lilac recalled the words his friend had said with a smile just before they parted.
“That’s… true.”
“Let’s go find them quickly. Ugh, these damn things are such a bad match for us.”
For two physical damage dealers, plant-type monsters capable of resurrection were a terrible matchup.
“Let’s hurry.”
“Right. Everyone! I understand you’re scared, but please follow our instructions! It’s dangerous if you leave the formation!”
Lilac protected the citizens while staying alert for any potential ambushes.
* * *
“Euaaaa! Yu-na!”
“Ga-eul. Stay right there. You mustn’t move.”
Kim Ga-eul wanted to run away immediately, but she couldn’t.
She didn’t have the confidence to escape the Rose Knights, who healed instantly no matter how much she struck them with her main weapon, a whip. She felt it was safer to stay with someone who could actually take them down.
In an instant, magic circles inscribed with circuits like <Condensation, Ignition, Diffusion, Explosion, Area Designation> were drawn in the air.
“Burst.”
<Flare Burst>. It was a 3rd-tier spell, but the version modified by her own research sacrificed some destructive power to explode in a way that uncannily avoided Kim Ga-eul while consuming the plants.
Regenerative power meant little before flames that followed and incinerated even the tiniest fragments, but Lee Yu-na’s mood wasn’t great as she watched the blazing fire.
First, it was because the monsters were a bad match for Lilac; second, she had wanted to be separated from Lilac if possible, but because she had been near Kim Ga-eul, her partner ended up being Kim Ga-eul.
“Thank you…”
Still, she had no intention of abandoning her.
A female friend who showed no interest in Lilac was a precious existence to her, and Kang So-hyun, whom she was currently trying to get close to at Lilac’s request, seemed to cherish her quite a bit.
“It’s nothing. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
The words didn’t exactly come from the heart, but Ga-eul’s eyes were sparkling as if she were moved.
“…But weren’t you in the healer class?”
“Hmm? Yes. I’m a Cleric major. A devout believer in the God of Love and Healing.”
“…Then why are you so good at fighting? Wouldn’t being a Mage suit you better?”
There was a fallacy in those words.
She did have talent in magic, but she had also been told her talent for healing was just as great.
Above all, there was a reason why she had to be a healer.
“Lilac is a Hero, you see.”
“…Huh?”
It seemed she was a bit lacking in common sense. To think she had to explain something so obvious.
“A Hero needs a healer by his side until the very end, don’t they?”
“Is it like an RPG game?”
“Yes, similar. It’s role-playing. I want to be by Lilac’s side until the end. That’s why I became a Cleric instead of a Mage.”
“I don’t really get it, but you’re amazing anyway.”
“It’s nothing. You should hurry up and decide between Cheon Yu-hak and Kang So-hyun too.”
“Wha… what are you talking about? I like Yu-hak…!”
“Really? I don’t think you’ll be without rivals for long. If that’s what you think, I have nothing more to say.”
She was busy enough with her own romantic situation to be giving advice to others.
* * *
Thirty civilians.
It seemed impossible for just two people to protect them, yet none of the civilians here were trembling in fear.
The moment the blonde woman retreated with a light step after dodging every attack, the plants became entangled with each other, losing their freedom and tilting precariously.
“Get lost.”
A torrent of mana followed.
It was a simple discharge of mana, not even a spell, but surprisingly, the mana itself already possessed the property of <Fire>.
The violently swung mana soon took the shape of a tiger and incinerated the armored knights.
Flame Tiger.
It was one of the signature moves that had become Kang Na-hyun’s symbol.
She was born with a peculiar constitution where her mana mimicked the shapes and properties she desired.
It had the disadvantage of being weaker than a precisely constructed spell using the same amount of mana, but because it required no calculation and could be used instinctively, it was a talent everyone envied in simple combat.
Above all, since her innate mana capacity was vast, she never lacked power, meaning she had practically overcome her weakness.
“Your power is incredible, Inspector.”
“Unnie, don’t tease me. More importantly, we have to find So-hyun quickly. It’s dangerous.”
Cathy wasn’t actually teasing; she was genuinely impressed by the power. However, to Kang Na-hyun, Cathy was the one who was truly amazing.
Her skill in guiding the movements of the approaching monsters to tangle with each other, all while moving with care so that no one was caught in the crossfire, proved she wasn’t an A-rank hero for show.
“Hmm, they weren’t aggressive at first, but seeing how they’ve become increasingly violent since the first skirmish, it seems a hostility signal is sent to other units when one is attacked.”
Indeed.
She had already deduced that they might not be preemptive monsters, but a skirmish had already broken out because one of the frightened citizens had thrown an object.
“Everyone, it’s alright. Although this is an emergency dungeon, I am an A-rank hero, and this is the B-rank hero you all know well, Ms. Kang Na-hyun. If you follow our guidance, you’ll be able to return home safely after the dungeon is cleared, so please bear with us a little longer.”
The citizens might have had some complaints, but they weren’t afraid.
In fact, some children were enjoying it as if they were watching a hero show.
“…Unnie, So-hyun will be okay, right?”
“Of course. He’s a smart kid. So-hyun will be safe.”
“Right…?”
“And he made a promise to me.”
“Pardon?”
“He promised me he wouldn’t overexert himself, and there’s no way So-hyun would break a promise to me. He’s probably hiding somewhere safe.”
Kang Na-hyun felt a momentary chill, but she dismissed it as her imagination and returned to the rear guard.
“Then let’s go, Na-hyun. So-hyun will be waiting.”
* * *
“Is this for me?”
— Shururu…!
The knights made me a flower ring and a crown.
As I thought, they just look a bit scary; they’re actually fond of humans, just like their master.
— Shuruk!
A soft, tentacle-like root swayed and forced the flower crown onto my head.
Honestly, it’s a bit embarrassing, but since they’re welcoming me like this, I can at least wear a flower crown.
If I try to enter the reward room, they’ll probably turn on me, but well, I might as well stay friendly until then.
“Ah, by the way, I’m a bit hungry.”
Since I entered the dungeon without eating dinner, I strangely missed the meat the professors would have brought.
— Shuru!
“Oh? You’re giving this to me?”
And one remarkably quick-witted knight held out a fruit to me.
Is it okay to eat this?
I hesitated for a moment, but according to the settings, it shouldn’t be poisonous, so I took a bite. The texture was close to a pear, but the taste was a strange, banana-like flavor.
“Thanks.”
…I suspect the others are fighting, whether they want to or not, but the monsters here don’t kill people anyway.
At most, they’ll just be subduing them, so there’s no need to worry too much.
“Anyway, it really is huge.”
As I leisurely took a shortcut through the dungeon, a voice came from Ruyi.
— How on earth are you so relaxed? And how do you know their habits so well?
“There’s a reason for everything. I’m someone who passed even your trials, Great Sage. Did you think I wouldn’t know their habits?”
— Truly, I cannot tell if you are flawless or just defenseless.
“I’m neither. But I am going to start preparing soon.”
— Preparing?
“Yes, preparing.”
When I injected mana into one of the two bracelets on my arm, a small portal floated in the air.
I pulled out the now somewhat familiar white Ghost Mask from my pseudo-inventory.
— Hmm? Weren’t you planning to regroup with your friends?
“Yes, but if I join them now, they’ll just try to push me to the back and protect me. I’d rather be in a position where I can move freely.”
I don’t want to show this side of myself to Lilac yet, but well, if I get caught, I’ll just have to ad-lib my way out of it.
As I placed the white mask over my face, a surge of excitement began to flow through my veins, as if my personality had shifted.
The fact that no one could recognize me became a strange sense of exhilaration.
[Not bad.]
— Why don’t you just admit it? You enjoy this.
…Ahem. This is strictly acting to emphasize that I am a completely different person.
* * *
The Villain Alliance, Arcadia.
They were also currently exploring the dungeon.
“Oh, the equipment the Boss made really performs well, doesn’t it? He said we’d drop in the same place if we held hands, and he was right.”
“Don’t attack the monsters if you can help it. According to the intel, they’re non-aggressive as long as you don’t try to enter the boss room.”
“…Aww, where’s the fun in that? Can’t we just smash everything on our way in?”
“It’ll be troublesome if there’s a hero among the civilians caught in this. It’ll be even more troublesome if they find the reward first. Even I can’t trigger the same dungeon multiple times.”
“That’s right, idiot. Just do as the Boss says.”
“Who said I wouldn’t? I’m just saying it’s a shame. Ah, if I could have at least checked that guy’s skills earlier today, I wouldn’t be so bored.”
“…Do that outside. Outside. I won’t care if you pick a fight with some other strong hero or whatever. But remember one thing.”
“I know. I won’t kill the kids, no matter how much of a piece of trash they are.”
“As long as you understand.”
“But tell me. This Alchemist of the Rose? Is the treasure from this dungeon really that important?”
“No, I don’t know exactly. It’s just that there’s a possibility the item I’m looking for is here.”
“You won’t tell us anything, so how are we supposed to know? It’s crazy to look for something in a dungeon that even the Boss, the Alchemist of Omnipotence, can’t make.”
“Quiet. The Boss is thinking.”
“We’re almost there, so please…”
According to the information, the boss room should be just around this corner.
The information itself was correct.
The boss room was indeed there, but unexpectedly, an uninvited guest was standing in front of it.
[A pleasure to meet you. My dear comrades of Arcadia. Is this our first time meeting?]
A figure with an ominous aura, wearing a Ghost Mask, stood there, blocking the way.