Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Beyond the Gate (1)
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Chloe quietly folded her fan.
Her face, revealed beyond the fan, was filled with momentary surprise.
"A gate...?"
I too gazed at the gate in silence. The place our group had entered was an abandoned wasteland where human footsteps had long ceased.
There, floating in the air, a green gate roughly two meters in radius had been summoned.
"This is different from a normal gate. It's green, so the dungeon's master must be a Tier 3 magical beast. But the gate's appearance is far more ominous."
Around the gate, sinister purple sparks—violet in hue—flickered ceaselessly.
Anton responded to my words.
"You're right! Lord Julian. I've seen plenty of gates summoned in my own territory. But I've never felt such an eerie presence from one before!"
I briefly recalled the settings from Demon King's Son Surviving in the Holy Empire. Gates served as a kind of energy source, the origin point allowing magical beasts to move.
Among them, the largest energy supplier was undoubtedly the colossal Cataclysm Gate. The closer one was to it, the larger the scale of the affiliated gates that formed.
'And among those, the especially massive gates evolve into nests.'
Conversely, the farther one was from the Cataclysm Gate, the smaller the sudden gates that appeared.
This was because the power inherent in gates and magical beasts—what was called demonic energy—diminished with distance.
'That's why a Tier 2 magical beast's sudden gate forming in the colosseum at the start of the semester was such an anomaly.'
The Cataclysm Gate nearest the imperial capital was in the old capital. The distance between the two cities wasn't all that far.
But it wasn't close enough for a higher-tier Tier 2 beast to suddenly open a gate and emerge in one go.
Moreover, the imperial capital was dotted with holy obelisks. Their function was to block demonic energy in the atmosphere.
The capital fended off dangerous higher-tier beast summons through those obelisks.
Thus, the beasts that appeared in the capital were mostly low-grade ones. Lower-tier beasts didn't require much demonic energy to open gates, so they actually had freer ranges of activity.
It was the lower-tier beasts that primarily exploited the blind spots of the holy obelisks.
So the incident at the colosseum was unprecedented. It wasn't all that surprising that the council had hushed it up.
Chloe closed her eyes briefly, then extended her fan fully toward the gate.
"It's definitely different from a normal Tier 3 gate. The tip of my fan is vibrating in a way I've never felt before."
True to her words, even without shaking it by hand, the tip of the fan trembled faintly.
"My fan is a special magic tool. It reacts sensitively to a beast's demonic energy. If it's reacting this violently... the dungeon beyond the gate might be far more dangerous than we thought."
Anton's expression grew grave.
"Exactly. The beasts that burst from that gate massacred the people of three entire villages. Our territory's soldiers gathered here were elites in their own right... but they couldn't even lay a hand on them!"
According to the request report, there was one Tier 3 beast and three Tier 4s. On paper, that shouldn't have been enough to overwhelm fifty territorial soldiers.
Yet last night's dinner briefing had reported that even the territory's soldiers couldn't take down a single Tier 4. Proof they weren't ordinary beasts.
Anton continued.
"Those things grew even stronger by devouring the territory's people and nearby lifeforms. We had no choice but to request help from Pantheon since we couldn't subjugate them ourselves."
I replied.
"Sound reasoning, Sir Anton. Ordinary soldiers are outmatched against magical beasts. Entering the dungeon would be even more reckless."
From what I'd heard yesterday, Neuber territory's soldiers were, as expected of a rural area, not of high caliber. Only Anton, the lord and a former low-ranking knight, could barely use mana.
Pantheon gathered the nation's prodigies, so most cadets were mana users. But across the entire empire, their numbers were far from plentiful. It was only natural.
Seeing the serious expressions on Chloe's and my faces, Anton hesitated for a long while before finally speaking.
"If I may be so bold... it seems even you two find that gate dangerous. You're right. There's no need to push yourselves. We've experienced the peril firsthand, so we know. Abandoning the raid wouldn't be shameful at all."
Anton seemed to have made up his mind. I responded.
"But leaving the gate as is won't cause more harm to the territory?"
"That's true, but..."
The soldiers around Anton murmured uneasily. If even we, from the Golden Wing Squadron, gave up, it would fall to those above us.
Naturally, that meant the capital's Royal Guard. But the Guard wouldn't rush to some remote border village.
Anton raised a hand to quiet the soldiers' unrest.
"These soldiers have lost comrades and family to those beasts, so their thirst for vengeance is beyond words. But you two are precious individuals. And quite young. We can't demand you risk your lives."
The soldiers bowed their heads in somber silence. But Anton's words as lord weren't wrong.
Having witnessed the beasts' danger firsthand, they couldn't cavalierly ask us to fight.
Chloe seemed to agree, lightly covering her face with her fan.
I could guess without looking. Her expression would say something like, His noble self has no need to overexert for such a lowly village. Sure enough, she spoke.
"Lord Julian. As the lord says, we have no need to push ourselves. It might be best to head back..."
But I cut Chloe off decisively.
"Chloe. We're crossing the gate. Prepare yourself."
"Pardon? My lord, what do you mean?"
I raised my voice so all the territory soldiers could hear.
"Pantheon's Golden Wing Squadron isn't a club just for those of noble birth! Especially Chloe here—Lady Chloe de Iterne of the Iterne Marquisate—is the cadet representative of the Alchemy Guild. Her prowess is renowned even in the capital!"
A stir rippled through the soldiers. On the way here, they'd only paid attention to me, as blood of the Reinhardt line.
Chloe, meanwhile, had worn a displeased expression, as if loath to mingle with mere foot soldiers. They'd likely seen her as just my hanger-on.
'The Iterne Marquisate is famous for its commerce, after all. Though they do have alchemy.'
I continued praising Chloe effusively before them.
"Golden Wing Squadron members can handle Tier 3 beasts with ease. It goes without saying for Chloe. Telling the cadet representative of an entire guild to turn back now would tarnish the Iterne Marquisate's reputation."
One soldier shouted upon hearing me.
"I've heard the same from a relative in the capital! They say Pantheon's cadet reps are already Guard-level in combat skill. Maybe Tier 3 beasts really are no big deal, just like the lord says."
"He's right! I've heard it too. Especially the Golden Squadron—they're evaluated as the Guard's future core cadets."
"Really? Then we have hope!"
The soldiers cheered at my words. I turned to Anton, who looked momentarily awkward.
"Moreover, I too am a Golden Squadron member and of Reinhardt blood. For us to leave without trying would hinder that future. No need to worry, Sir Anton."
Then, before the soldiers, I drew my imperial sword and shouted.
"We can't ignore the peril that has befallen Neuber territory! Lord Anton aided my great-uncle in defending the empire. Thus, Neuber is as good as blood-allied to the Essenmont Border County. Turning our backs on such kin would defy Reinhardt pride! And shirk the duty of high nobility. Worry not! I will save this place!"
The soldiers erupted in cheers again.
"Reinhardt!! Reinhardt!! Glorious Reinhardt!!"
Swept up in the fervor, even Anton couldn't hold back.
"Just like the heroic figure of Border Count Wilhelm I witnessed in my youth! Truly, the blood of a great house never deceives! Filled with such righteous courage! I, Anton, am truly moved!"
I felt a bit embarrassed saying it myself. But heroic deeds boosted the Reinhardt Heir title and proficiency, so there was no reason not to.
Chloe, watching me, resignedly covered her face with her fan. I told Anton.
"You're too kind, Sir Anton. And if it's truly dangerous, we'll use return stones to come back. Pantheon's reserve squadrons are loaned them."
Of course, using a return stone meant exclusion from missions for a while. I had no intention of using one.
I was confident in clearing this dungeon. In fact, I'd cleared the dungeon beyond this gate countless times in Demon King's Son.
It was tough, but a proficiency goldmine. Plus, there was a special reward item obtainable only through Neuber's lord, Anton.
That item was one key reason I'd chosen Neuber for this mission.
"So don't worry. We'll return safely."
With that, Chloe and I stepped through the gate.
A brief wave of nausea washed over me, and the surroundings went dark.
When light returned, Chloe and I had entered a space utterly unlike the outside.
Chloe seemed a bit miffed at my sudden decision and stayed silent at first. But she soon gasped at the scenery and spoke up.
"What in the world is this...?"
Magical beasts created pocket dimensions called dungeons within gates to bolster their power when not emerging.
The dungeon wouldn't vanish unless the boss monster was slain and the gate core destroyed.
Thus, directly assaulting the dungeon by crossing the gate was the most one-sided way to deal with beasts.
But the landscape before us was nothing like a typical dungeon. Chloe, uncharacteristically flustered, said.
"I've never seen a dungeon like this..."
The sky was choked with inky clouds. Around us lay crumbling roads and the ruins of massive buildings.
It was as if a modern post-apocalyptic city lay spread before our eyes.
"I see. An unfamiliar sight."
Of course, it was quite familiar to me. Like a modern city turned apocalyptic ghost town.
Demon King's Son's setting was a medieval European-style fantasy world called Iceland. But this dungeon resembled my old reality more than Iceland.
Yet on closer inspection, the details differed from modern buildings. It felt like medieval European structures stacked into skyscrapers.
A bizarre fusion of modern and fantasy architecture.
I knew exactly which era this dungeon replicated, thanks to Demon King's Son. It matched the "Ancient Empire" described in ancient tomes stored in the imperial palace.
I said calmly.
"Don't panic, Chloe. Magical beasts grow by devouring chaotic power—demonic energy. Dungeons aren't bound to fixed forms."
Only then did Chloe compose herself. She briefly hid her face with her fan, then revealed it again—back to her usual demeanor.
Recalling my earlier words, she added.
"You're remarkably composed for your first combat mission, my lord. And what was that speech? Praising me so effusively, unlike your usual self. I was quite surprised."
The flattery before the soldiers had gotten under her skin. Naturally—normally, I'd only ever berated her.
But proper training requires both carrot and stick. I'd wielded the stick plenty; now it was time for the carrot.
Besides, she'd have plenty to do in this dungeon.
"Just stating facts. You're the Alchemy Guild's cadet rep, a renowned alchemist, and a Golden Wing combatant. Am I wrong?"
"W-Well... that's true, but... still."
Embarrassed by the praise again, she flushed and moved to hide her face. I stopped her.
"Enough chatter. Focus. Dungeons are rife with curses from demonic energy. Invoke holy power quickly."
The curses from dungeons and beasts were hard to endure without holy power bolstering the mind.
Pantheon's holy priests represented the pinnacle of countermeasures. Cadets weren't ordained in their guilds for nothing.
In our combat attire, Chloe's and my bodies were briefly enveloped in soft green light.
Chloe said.
"All set. I don't know how big this dungeon is, but even with holy power, stamina drain is inevitable inside. Let's move fast."
With her dungeon experience, she took the lead. She hesitated slightly at the alien surroundings but soon pressed on without pause.
It was then.
"Chloe! Stop!"
Sensing danger, I shouted at her.