Rusty Golden Pegasus (1)
Selenium, the holy site of the Adventurer's Guild.
Amid its busiest stretch on 1st Street stood the guild house of a certain upstart guild. At its sturdy wooden table sat an unusual mix of men and women facing off.
Three young adventurers. And one knight in battered uniform.
"Puhahaha! Kael, you're serious?! How the hell does a wyvern just keel over and die mid-flight?!"
The blond adventurer with a sword at his hip, Leon, burst out clutching his stomach the moment the knight finished speaking.
The black-haired knight across from him, Kael, let out a heavy sigh.
"..."
The two female adventurers flanking Leon giggled along, egging him on. "Cut it out, Leon. Don't tease him so much. Kael's probably stressed out—he's about to get kicked out of the Lumen Kingdom's knight order soon anyway."
"Pfft! Ellen, you're the worst."
"Kicked out? If the kingdom's sole bodyguard lets the princess fall, isn't that a death sentence?"
"Kael, it's been fun. Farewell..."
"I told you... I wasn't the rider..."
Kael protested, but all he got in return was even louder guffaws.
"Pfft! So four of you rode that ancient wyvern? Puhahaha!"
"Heh. Insane... Honestly, it's a miracle it even took off."
"Stop laughing, Kael—my stomach hurts..."
"I'm not trying to be funny..."
Knights and adventurers. The two professions typically despised each other like mortal enemies. But not this group.
They were childhood friends who'd stuck together thick and thin, even before the academy days.
Of course, Kael's humble origins played a part too. The knight order of his tiny border kingdom, Lumen Kingdom, wouldn't even qualify as a mercenary band by imperial standards. Especially without that one black-haired knight.
"So, you sent the princess and the old prime minister off to the Grand Continental Unification Council's summit in a rented carriage, and now you're slinking here to dodge getting booted from the knights? Puhahaha!"
"I'm not slinking away, Leon. Mock me one more time, and I won't hold back."
"Ooh, scary."
Kael glared, but Leon just propped his chin and grinned it off.
"Finally, the truth about who the real top graduate of the academy was comes out? Gotta round up all our classmates. Fuena, get the cookies ready."
"Got it, Ellen!"
The butt of the jokes, knight Kael, was worlds apart from these free-spirited adventurers.
He'd been healthy rivals with the male adventurer Leon, vying for top spot throughout academy. With the two female adventurers, Fuena and Ellen... Kael had no clue how he actually treated them, but in truth, he harbored feelings for both.
A man of chivalry, harboring such irreverent emotions? It was because he was so dense, he didn't even realize they were love.
Letting them join Leon's guild was proof enough.
Adventurer Leon knew it all. That knight Kael liked both girls. That he played the role of keeping Kael oblivious.
More than anyone, adventurer Leon cherished his friend Kael.
"Kael. I've got something to tell you."
The grin faded from Leon's face.
"Why not ditch that little kingdom and join our guild? With your skills, I could even hand you the guild master spot."
"What're you talking about all of a sudden, Leon? I'm a knight of Lumen."
Leon leaned forward and whispered. "I've got some huge intel."
"...What is it?"
"The council's plans leaked. The mighty gatekeeper of the Demon King Tower's 1st floor has gone AWOL, and the demonic energy pouring from the whole tower's noticeably faded."
"...?"
"So soon, the council's assembling a continental alliance expedition force to march on the tower."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Leon, sorry, but that's hard to buy. No offense, but how's a lone adventurer like you privy to top-secret council stuff?"
Leon smiled again. "The world's secrets always find their way to those who follow the scent of gold first."
Kael still looked skeptical. "Hmph. Even if it's true, the expedition won't take adventurers."
At that, all three collapsed to the floor in unison.
It looked like Kael had unleashed some kind of foot technique.
Roaring laughter.
The three adventurers howled so hard their chairs toppled backward.
"Puhahahahaha!"
"Kekeke. Kael, you're so pure! Uhaha."
"Hehehe. Hasn't changed a bit..."
As Kael stared in utter confusion, Leon explained. "Kael. Listen up. Our party's not joining the council's expedition."
"Then...?"
"We'll beat them to the tower and sweep it clean ourselves."
Kael shot to his feet. "You're insane?!!!"
But Leon's expression didn't waver. "It's not even illegal. Hell, the council's been paying adventurers to scout the tower for years."
Utter madness.
"Leon! You'll die before the empire's judges even convene!"
"The Second Tower Rush has begun."
Leon's eyes gleamed.
"500 years ago. Back when the tower had no gatekeeper. Remember history class? How many houses rose to found kingdoms in the First Tower Rush, and the power their retainers gained?"
For the century after the Demon King fell to the hero and the tower first appeared.
Adventurers who entered and returned spread rumors: the tower was a goldmine.
Its 100th floor held an inexhaustible golden vault.
That turned out true, sparking the Tower Rushes.
Leon claimed that era had returned.
"We'll get there before the expedition and grab everything we can."
"Nonsense. Too dangerous."
"Not talking about clearing the tower or killing the Demon King. Just looting the 100th floor's treasure."
"Even that's too few people—just you three!"
"Nah, the tower favors elite squads. No splitting combat XP. My climbing ancestors said so."
Kael scowled deeply. "Why rush ahead of the expedition in the first place? Isn't the golden vault filled with gold for anyone who reaches the 100th?"
"The Holy Sword's scabbard will lock down and monopolize the tower after the expedition. Obvious. Soon, no one but them gets in."
Kael's resolve wavered.
He'd endured countless jokes from Leon, but this felt real.
Leon's face was dead serious.
"You're really... going into the Demon King Tower, Leon? Fuena... Ellen too."
Ellen smirked confidently. "Don't you trust us, Kael? Seen a stronger party since academy graduation?"
"......"
"Right! Forgot our quartet? We shocked all the profs!"
Kael was speechless.
Then Leon said gravely, "Kael. Join us, and you could raise that poor backwater kingdom overnight. Become the princess you rank third for."
That scratched at Kael's heart. "Wha? Third? Who's first and second?"
Shring-!
Kael's sword half-cleared its scabbard. The guild house air froze instantly.
Kael's glare pierced Leon. "Friend. That crossed a line."
"Whoa, whoa. Calm down."
"Don't badmouth my kingdom."
The blade strained to escape. "Okay, okay. Sorry."
Yet Leon kept grinning slyly, pressing on. "But even if you go back to the knights, join this plan."
"You really are..."
Fuena and Ellen chimed in. "We've always been the quartet! Freaked out the profs with that too. 'Abnormal party size,' they said."
"Kael, time to taste some money! If the dean knew his quasi-valedictorian lived this broke, he'd cry for the academy's rep."
"Yeah... Get a new scabbard for that rusty thing..."
Kael clenched his jaw, sheathing the half-drawn blade with a click.
"...I'll think about it."
He didn't mean it.
Kael was just racking his brain for how to talk these immature friends out of it.
*
In the end, no words came.
Kael lacked the info or silver tongue to sway them.
Whether sensing his turmoil or not, as Kael left the guild house, Leon's teasing voice chased him. "Don't take too long! If you end up wanted for dereliction back in Lumen, we're cutting ties~!"
*
And D-Day.
No reply from Kael.
That night, the three-adventurer party left Selenium.
At this point, the council hadn't even selected expedition members, let alone departed.
Leon, swordsmanship valedictorian of the Imperial Academy. Ellen, magic valedictorian. Fuena, magic runner-up.
Freaky geniuses who'd spurned mage tower scouts and knight orders to form an adventurer guild. The academy's cautionary legend.
The three rascals, dubbed the Rusty Golden Pegasus alongside Kael, reached the Demon Realm in about 17 hours.
Vmmm-
Thanks to Ellen's prized 6th-circle space teleport magic.
They pierced the great mountain range in one go.
Fuena, with her innate support talent, sustained Ellen's mana, and during cooldowns...
Whoosh—! Leon scooped both under his arms and dashed through the air on foot.
Finally, the sky turned blood-red.
They'd entered demon territory.
But not an ant or weed in sight.
After the Demon King's fall, demons scattered; the Demon Realm became an empty shell, survivors holing up in the tower.
Crossing that barren waste, they soon faced it.
A pillar standing like the axis of the world itself.
"This is..." Looking up was futile. No summit in sight.
No hesitation. They shoved open the massive 1st-floor doors of the Demon King Tower and entered.
The three gripped their weapons, gulping hard.
But.
The 1st-floor cavern was the same.
No ants in sight.
"What...?"
"The 1st-floor gatekeeper wasn't replaced... it just vanished?"
Fuena clutched her staff, scanning warily. Leon turned to Ellen. "Ellen, sense anything from the 2nd floor?"
Ellen closed her eyes, focusing. "No dangerous demonic energy."
Leon nodded. "Let's head up carefully."
They moved to the next floor.
But.
"Again?"
2nd floor: same deal. Empty.
They kept climbing.
3rd, 4th, 5th... Empty vistas repeated.
10th. 20th. 30th.
Unbelievable.
The tower was vacant.
Not just the 1st-floor gatekeeper—all demons gone.
In the chaos, Ellen asked, "Someone beat us here? Cleared it already?"
"Impossible. Tower monsters don't despawn. Equal to every party, like the 100th-floor golden vault... supposedly."
Leon said it, but he wasn't sure.
His ancestor's records were 400 years old; changes hit just three days ago.
No clue what shifted.
Still, they climbed on.
Even if someone was ahead, even if that explained the emptiness, if they hadn't reached the 100th-floor Golden Vault yet, opportunity remained.
"Just check the 100th..."
40th. 50th.
Floors rose. Finally.
The trio stepped onto the stairs to the 60th.
Kreeeak-
As the door opened.
"Uh..."
Something was there.
Not a monster, finally.
Leon dropped his hand from his sword hilt at once. "Someone beat us after all..."
"Lame..."
"Still only 60th—plenty of time!"
They didn't see her as a threat.
Small wonder.
In the vast cavern's center, where the girl stood...
A tent. Chair and plank table. Flame-spewing device. Pot of food atop it.
A camp.
So naturally, they thought...
"Camping here, huh..."
Fuena waved innocently. "Hi there! Cool tent you've got!"
The 60th floor's occupant turned.
Frilly all-black gothic lolita dress. Silver twintails framing beautiful pale blue eyes—a stunning girl.
"Whoa... she's gorgeous!"
A steaming cup in her hand.
But.
She dropped it.
Paling at the sight of the three adventurers, she flailed in panic.
Vmmm-!
Ellen instinctively teleported, barely catching the falling cup at the girl's knee.
But closing the distance spooked her more—her face went ghostly white.
She looked ready to faint.
Yet she fumbled around, searching for something.
Ellen grabbed her to calm her. But it backfired—she thrashed wildly.
"No need to freak out... We're not bad guys!"
"We were surprised too—didn't expect anyone ahead..."
"So cute!!!"
The girl trembled, face drained of color.
Yet her beauty was otherworldly.
"Kyaa—up close, she's adorable. How old are you?"
"Seriously pretty? You here alone?"
"Leon, stay back from her. You'll taint her."
"Haven't done anything yet..."
Ellen warned the blond Leon, then told the girl, "Wanna join our party?"
"......"
The girl couldn't respond.
She didn't understand their language—but even beyond that, to her ears, their voices were...