Chapter 721: An Unexpected Return
Chapter 721: An Unexpected Return
“Diana. What’s wrong?”
There had to be a reason for Diana to be acting like this. A very serious one, at that.
My head clearing, I grabbed Diana's shoulders with both hands and asked in a serious voice.
Perhaps she never imagined I would react this way to her seduction, because one of her eyebrows twitched.
But it seemed our great Archmage wasn't ready to give up on her act just yet.
“I told you, did I not? Both you and I are low on mana, so this healing…”
“You know that’s not what I’m talking about, Diana.”
Diana continued to move her hips, trying to give me an awkward, seductive look.
But when I responded with a serious voice, unfazed by her advances, her eyebrow twitched again and again, as if she was displeased about something.
Huh? Wait. Does she actually want to have sex?
No, that can’t be right. If that were the case, there’s no way this perverted exhibitionist of an Archmage wouldn't even be wet in this situation.
“Hmph…”
As I stood there, bewildered by her unexpected reaction, Diana closed her eyes and let out a sharp breath through her nose.
It looked like an attempt to calm herself down.
When she opened her eyes again, the awkward, flirtatious smile she’d been showing me just moments before had completely vanished.
She stared intently into my eyes with a serious expression.
“On the contrary, I am the one who should be asking what is wrong.”
“What? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Are you truly feigning ignorance? Or do you still believe that we haven't noticed?”
“What do you mean, all of a sudden…”
“Hmph.”
Grabbing my cheeks firmly with both hands to hold my head in place, Diana leaned in close, peering even more intently into my eyes.
We were so close that a kiss was just a slight movement away, and our bodies were pressed together over our clothes, but her expression was so serious that there was no hint of a sweet or sensual atmosphere.
After staring into my eyes like that, Diana shook her head and pulled back.
“You’ve been a little strange today, have you not?” she muttered in a sighing tone, as if she’d decided that beating around the bush wouldn't solve anything.
“Strange?”
“If you try to play dumb about this too, I will become truly angry. I won't allow it any further.”
I had only asked to feign ignorance, but Diana cut me off with a tone that promised no more forgiveness.
Tch. So I've been found out.
“…How did you know? I was planning on acting like my usual self.”
No, actually, I was planning on acting even more playful than usual.
Was I too over-the-top?
“It means that we know you better than you think.”
“We?”
“Mm. Why else do you think we suddenly switched you to the last watch without any discussion? It wasn't just me; everyone noticed.”
I see. They thought something was off with me, so they wanted me to at least get some sleep and calm down.
And the person on watch just before me was supposed to figure out what was going on.
They probably decided on Diana after discussing it amongst themselves.
When it comes down to it, Diana is the eldest among us. She’s the most suited for this kind of role.
“Ah, Sara was worried she might have been a bit too harsh. She only said it for your sake, so please be kind to her.”
“Huh? Oh. Yeah. Well, that’s…”
Was she talking about the verbal gut-punch Sara delivered before I went to sleep?
No. I may have reacted playfully, but I knew Sara only said it because she was worried about me, so it wasn't a big deal.
So she was secretly worrying about it after saying it.
She’s so cute.
I wish she’d show that cute side to me more often.
Then again, maybe that’s just part of her charm.
“So, what is it? No more evasions.”
“No. Yeah. I’m sorry for making you worry. It’s not actually that serious, though. It’s just that… I felt a little ashamed, I guess? Or maybe a sense of self-loathing. Something like that.”
“Hmph.”
As I said that, Diana gestured with her chin, as if telling me to elaborate.
“I’ve been playing the role of a tank until now, which doesn’t really suit my job, right? And I’ve been doing a decent job of it. But after participating in a proper battle today, I realized that wasn’t the case. Ah, it wasn’t that I was a good tank, it was just that your attack power is so overwhelming that the battles ended too quickly for me to get hurt. And when I tried to fulfill a role that actually fits my job, I realized I’m nowhere near your level. That makes me a complete burden, doesn’t it? It just feels like you’re all just dragging me down into the dungeon with you because I’m the Saint, and your man.”
“We have never once thought that.”
“Of course, I know that. I know you’re not the type to think that way. But I couldn’t stand it myself. Realizing my own skill level all over again, and then having it laid bare for all of you to see, made me a little anxious. I want to get my skills up to your level as quickly as possible. It feels like my feet are on fire. I was getting too impatient.”
“You don't need to be anxious. We can wait as long as it takes for your skills to improve. If need be, we can go back to the ice cave. It wouldn't bother us at all.”
“Yeah. Sorry. You’re right. There’s no need to be impatient. And I just ended up making you all worry. I’m really sorry. I thought I was doing a good job of hiding it. I guess my anxiety showed through. Or maybe there’s just no fooling you guys?”
“So, is that how you intend to end this conversation?”
As I spoke with a warm smile, Diana muttered with a sullen expression.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“It seems you underestimate me far too much. Very well. I warned you. I said I would get truly angry if you continued to play dumb.”
With those words, Diana clenched one hand into a tight fist and pulled her elbow far back.
Then, with all her might, she threw the punch forward, striking me squarely in the face.
This wasn't the playful patting she’d done before; this was a real, genuine punch.
“Kuaaaah…”
The moment her fist collided with my face, Diana clutched it tightly to her chest and curled up.
With her forehead pressed against my chest, she let out a high-pitched scream.
I-If it was going to hurt that much, you didn't have to hit me. No, you should have just used magic.
“Hey, hey. Are you okay?”
“Eek…! This is your fault!”
When I gently stroked the back of her head, Diana shot her head up and shouted as if unleashing her fury.
Hey. Don’t cry. You’re angry because I was playing dumb, right? Not because it hurts, right?
“Sorry. I was wrong. I’ll tell you everything.”
“Tell me! Everything! Don’t hide a single thing!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Honestly, she looked more cute than scary, but the atmosphere was far from playful, so I decided to obediently confess the thoughts I had been keeping to myself.
The quest requires me to have a certain level of combat ability. But it absolutely requires me, the Saint, to go down there.
Putting those two facts together leads to one conclusion.
The thing sealed deep in the dungeon is an enemy that can only be defeated with a Saint’s skills.
The reason I need a certain level of combat skill is so that I can protect myself while the creature is writhing in pain from my Saint skills and lashing out.
But to put it another way, it means this:
The enemy is a monster that cannot be defeated by any conventional means of combat.
The moment I had that thought, the first thing that came to mind was, of course, the demon god I saw in my dream.
Granted, that demon god looked like it wouldn't even be affected by a Saint's skills, but when I thought of overwhelming power that no human could possibly defeat, it was the only thing that came to mind.
If so, was that dream truly a premonition the Goddess showed me as a warning?
The thought filled me with an anxiety I couldn't shake.
In the dream, I was left alone. I was facing the demon god by myself.
I don't know if my girls had already been defeated, or if they were never with me in the first place. The latter would be a relief. But what if it was the former?
Combined with the prediction that the enemy would be a monster unbeatable in combat, my anxiety grew even greater.
And so, I reached this conclusion.
If that's what's going to happen, wouldn't it be better for me to just go into the dungeon alone?
That way, even if something like the dream were to happen, at least my girls wouldn't be in danger.
And in truth, if the enemy is unbeatable in combat, it means my girls would be useless anyway.
In the battle against whatever is sealed in the depths, their only role would be to act as shields before the creature falls to my Saint skill.
You think I could ever ask them to do that?
I’d rather go alone than make them do something like that.
Fortunately, I’m an all-rounder with high stats across the board.
I don’t have any defensive skills, so it’ll be harder to withstand monster attacks as I go deeper, but I have the unique movement skills of a Moon Shadow Warrior.
If I can’t defend, I’ll just cover for it with overwhelming evasion.
I have more than enough of a foundation to traverse the dungeon alone.
Of course, there’s no way the girls would willingly let me go into the dungeon by myself.
But what if I were to overwhelm them with sheer power?
Sure, each of my girls is an incredible powerhouse in her own right.
But I’m an even bigger cheat character.
I’ve always joked about how Sara is broken or how the Archmage is unbeatable, but the truth is, if I seriously decided to get stronger, there’s no way I couldn’t surpass them.
No matter how strong Sara the Hero is, or Diana the Archmage, if I got serious about power-leveling, using the game system and the Saint's unique rapid growth like I used to when I played games, I could definitely do it.
So, I’ll gain overwhelming combat power, then tell the girls that if they follow me, they'll only hold me back, and leave them behind.
They might hate me a little for it, but it’s a hundred, a thousand times better than a situation where they could lose their lives.
Of course, I don’t have unlimited time.
My deadline is the 6th floor. I’ll set the time limit for when we’ve fully explored the 6th floor, a place Diana has already been.
Until then, Diana’s experience will allow her to manage things, so we should be able to explore in relative safety.
But below that, where we don’t know what will appear or what level of monster will jump out, is a no-go.
I will absolutely go alone.
“So I got a little anxious because I wanted to get stronger quickly…”
“You…! Are you an idiot! Kngh… sniffle.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Diana swung her fist and hit me in the face again.
She clutched her fist and instinctively started to curl up again, but she held it back, tears welling in her eyes as she sniffled and berated me.
Hey. It looks like I’m the one who made you cry. I’m not, right? Please tell me I’m not. Please tell me you’re just crying because your fist hurts. Otherwise, I think I might actually want to die.
“No, but…”
“Let me make one thing perfectly clear! If you die, I will take my own life immediately!”
“Whoa, hey! What are you saying?!”
What is she talking about!
This is the girl who has lived for eons, focusing only on her magic research, even as everyone she knew died around her.
“I am not joking! I have the Apostle’s Seal, so I will know the moment you die. Just you watch. The instant that seal disappears, I will end my life! So you had best never again think of leaving me behind to prepare for your own death!”
Diana fell silent, her jaw clenched, and glared at me with determination shining through her tear-filled eyes.
The moment I saw her eyes, I knew instinctively.
Her stubbornness was on a level I could never hope to break.
This is a problem. Because this time, I can't back down either.