Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Ilana (2)
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Ilana and I safely exited the dungeon.
Emerging from the cave at the dungeon entrance, it was already dark outside.
Ilana just trailed closely behind me, saying nothing much.
"Do you have other plans?"
"Ah, no... I'm free......!"
Ilana's eyes sparkled.
I'd tried to hint that it was time to head back, but it didn't work.
...How long does she plan to follow me?
With no choice, I stated it directly.
"Let's disband the party here."
"Huh? Oh, okay......"
She trailed off, sounding a bit disappointed.
She hesitated as if she had something to say.
No way—is she about to ask to party up again?
Having her around was convenient, but I didn't want to get too close.
Before she could bring up partying, I cut in.
"Let's party again next time we meet."
"......!!"
I'd swiftly slipped in "next time we meet" to turn it into a vague promise.
Maybe grab a meal sometime. Yeah.
If we run into each other in the dungeon, great. If not, whatever.
This felt like the right distance for both of us.
"Okay... next time......!"
Ilana's eyes widened as she nodded eagerly, looking delighted.
Her innocent reaction stirred a faint pang of guilt.
...Is that all an act? I still couldn't tell.
It was then.
Thud—
Something bumped into Ilana's shoulder from behind.
Startled, she whirled around to apologize.
"Oh, sor—...?"
"Shh."
Smack.
I quickly clamped my hand over her mouth.
"Ah—?"
It had a human shape, but it lacked too much to be called human.
Its eye sockets held only empty voids instead of eyes.
Black-red liquid dripped from its mouth.
Its body was wrecked too—some dragged one leg, others had no legs at all and crawled using their arms.
These things crawling out from the dungeon entrance dragged their bodies across the city like insects.
Wraiths.
Things born from the dungeon's madness, mimicking humans.
No one knew if they were made from the actual corpses of explorers or forged purely from the dungeon's insanity.
Their faces, organs, and bones were all grotesquely twisted, leaving no way to identify them.
But one thing was certain.
Speak to one, and every wraith nearby would swarm, dragging the speaker off to become one of them.
No one ever returned from that fate.
So you never, ever spoke to a wraith.
"Ah—?"
The wraith Ilana had nearly spoken to pressed its empty sockets toward her, staring through her.
It seemed to try speaking, but no proper words formed.
It lingered on Ilana for a moment before other wraiths pushed it aside.
"Don't speak to them. Don't even look at them."
"......!!"
Ilana nodded quickly, clearly understanding.
I slowly released my hand from her mouth.
Ilana huddled slightly, clutching her staff.
The wraiths roamed the city, ignoring the people around them.
The procession of wraiths stretching from the dungeon entrance showed no sign of stopping.
It felt like the city would soon be overrun.
"Um... what do we do now......?"
"Let's wait here for a bit."
Ilana whispered anxiously, but there was no need to worry.
If wraiths had appeared, the others would return soon enough.
Plip,
Rain began to fall from the sky.
One drop. Two drops. Then it poured steadily.
Whoosh—
Soon, it became a downpour.
The strange thing was, our bodies didn't get wet at all despite the torrent.
Our clothes stayed dry too.
"W-Wow......"
Fascinated, Ilana reached out to catch some rain, but the drops passed right through her hand.
"Ah——:"
But it was different for the wraiths.
Those hit by the rain began melting away, their bodies shrinking like they were being washed out.
Before long, every wraith prowling the streets had dissolved completely.
Transcendents who had reached the 5th Circle.
The Labyrinth Lords.
The guild masters had returned, having found the path to the dungeon's 9th underground floor.
"The Labyrinth Lords are here......"
A guard shouted.
From the cave at the city's heart, four figures emerged slowly.
Knights saluted from their positions, guards bowing rigidly with heads low.
I, too, bowed my head, waiting for them to pass.
Here, power was authority—there was no upside to offending the strong.
It didn't take long for the Labyrinth Lords to vanish from sight.
Confirming the knights moving again, I slowly raised my head.
Ilana still had her eyes squeezed shut, trembling as she bowed.
"They've passed."
"Huh? Oh......"
Ilana let out a sigh of relief.
"Well, then. I'll be off."
"...Yeah. Today was fun."
Ilana smiled brightly and turned to head somewhere.
Probably back to her lodging.
Looks like even she didn't live in a shack.
Come to think of it, I'd never seen any of the fallen nobles from basic training near the shanties.
They say even the rich stay prosperous for three generations—guess I'm the only one scraping by.
---
Tension gripped the Dawn Guild's interior.
The Labyrinth Lords surfacing was a rare event, once every four months.
Somehow, they always sensed when wraiths appeared and saved the city.
Handling backlog upon returning was just par for the course.
But... the ones who'd exited the dungeon weren't just the Labyrinth Lords.
"Have you been well?"
"""Yes!"""
A woman with a seductive voice surveyed those lined up before the Dawn Guild.
Nodding with feigned satisfaction, she entered the guild building.
Reaching the top floor, she stood before the plaque marked 【Guild Master】.
Knock knock.
"It's Lea, my Lord. May I come in?"
No reply came.
She paused as if pondering, then flung the door open.
"What? Sis isn't back yet?"
"......"
Creak.
Closing the door, Lea opened the neighboring room marked 【Vice Guild Master】 and sat in her own seat.
"Humphrey. Not answering? I said, is Sis back?"
The muscular man grunted as if about to speak at her question.
"Oh, right."
As if recalling something forgotten, Lea stood.
She pressed a finger to the man's lips.
Zzzzt—something tore from his mouth.
"Better? So. When's Sis coming back?"
"...The Lord has business in the kingdom, so her return to the guild is indefinite."
"I see. And the work?"
"We completed the mana stone delivery demanded by the Empire, but for the rest, the Lord said to trust you, Lea..."
The man couldn't finish.
He sensed his head might fly if he did.
Lea eyed the man and the stack of documents coldly, alternating.
No wonder there were so many.
Frowning in displeasure, she slowly composed herself.
"Weakness is a sin, huh. You and me both."
She chuckled self-mockingly, regaining her usual smile.
"So. Four months? Any notable incidents?"
"Yes. First, personnel files on those who completed basic training."
The man spread four neatly organized sheets on the desk.
A summary of noteworthy trainees from the four-month basic training.
"...Nothing impressive. Most went to us or Azure Dragon....... What's this?"
Scanning the papers, Lea pointed to the last one.
It read 【Dawn】 Ilana Silvanyum.
Catching her intent, the man began briefing.
"Ilana Silvanyum. Second daughter of a baronet family in the kingdom's east. No great magic talent, but diligent in her duties."
"No. Not that."
She tapped the name beside Ilana's: Elana Frilia—as if to say, look at the name.
"These two. How'd they get into the city?"
Lea pulled out and opened a past file.
【Kingdom Family Report】
The document on kingdom noble houses had "No Survivors" boldly marked next to Silvanyum.
Thus, Ilana Silvanyum was clearly a false identity.
Lea closed the kingdom report and scanned the man's papers again.
The details—purple and golden hair.
They pointed to figures Lea knew well.
"How did witches slip into the city?"
"...For those two, the city guard escorted them personally, so info is limited."
"I see."
Lea nodded lightly, as if understanding.
The city guard lacked talent.
Cowards hiding from death, yet meddling where they shouldn't.
"So. Ilana? Why's she flying our guild's flag?"
"She requested membership herself. Currently hunts solo on underground floor 1, pays her guild dues diligently."
"Diligently?"
Lea let out an involuntary scoff.
Diligent. Not a word that fit a witch.
"Pass word to today's returnees: no going below floor 3. Oh, investigate all deaths too. After this one entered."
Tap tap.
Lea tapped Ilana's name.
"Everyone below floor 5, pull up to 3. Floor 6 folks, I'll handle personally—no need to worry."
Interest waning, Lea shoved the papers aside.
"Oh, a few days back, the kids' field trip caused trouble, right? What happened?"
The underground floor 1 boss was handled by a city-led subjugation team.
All part of support, to build experience.
"During the fight with Abyss Door, Whispering Shellbugs crossed the gate—an accident. Knights and guards on site stopped them. And..."
The man hesitated on whether to continue.
"...Rain Astria, a subjugation team member, destroyed the Abyss Door."
"Recruited?"
"......I'm sorry."
Lea smiled thinly.
"You're saying 'sorry' a lot today."
Zzzzt.
At Lea's touch, the man's mouth sealed shut.
Finding his state amusing, Lea chuckled.
"Just keep an eye on him. You can manage that, right?"
"......"
The man bowed slowly.
His usual response when speechless.
"Well then."
Lea shoved the remaining papers aside.
"I'm stepping out briefly. Read these. Got it?"
"......"
"Answer."
Bow.
Satisfied, Lea left the room.
Weakness truly is a sin.
Thinking so, the man processed the papers Lea had left.