Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Dungeon Conquest (2)
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Ogres, trolls, and other mid-sized monsters charged at us.
These were the same kind of beasts the original Jace had faced during his practical evaluation. Now a Hero, I proved without a doubt that I had become stronger than Jace.
*Thud!*
A single strike felled the massive monster.
It stood well over three meters tall, yet its overwhelming presence felt laughable.
Overflowing power.
To stop me, it would take something on the level of the earthworm from the dwarf village's mine.
Soon, Ceria and the princess rushed forward, finishing off the rest in an instant.
Esterize was a given, but Ceria’s movements were also remarkably fluid.
Aware of her own shortcomings, she was clearly striving to become stronger. Perhaps she would reach S-rank sooner than expected.
“Hmm, something's a bit strange...”
The princess tilted her head, looking suspicious.
She had faced countless monsters before. In other words, she saw right through their habits.
“Monsters are surprisingly cunning. It's very rare for them to charge in so recklessly.”
A random encounter.
I couldn't just explain it away as that. I pieced together the most plausible explanation I could.
“It seems we're getting close to our destination. Dungeons are usually crawling with monsters.”
“In that case...”
“We'll have to be on our guard from now on.”
There was no telling how many more would appear.
Even stronger monsters could show up.
“Considering other variables... no one should let their guard down.”
As the party's leader, I gave a stern warning.
There wasn't any real danger, but I needed to shift the mood.
“Okay, got it!”
“Finally, our first real battle.”
“I could probably handle all of these by myself... but fine, I'll listen to you for now.”
“I wonder what kind of treasure is in the dungeon? Please let there be piles of gold...”
No one was tense. It seemed they all trusted in their own abilities.
Ceria was the only one who showed a hint of seriousness, while the princess was already lost in a sweet fantasy.
It's like nothing has changed.
Didn't the Emperor promise you massive support?
Of course, even with that, her situation was so dire she could barely make ends meet.
A frugality... no, a noble heart, born solely from her concern for her people.
Even after defeating the Demon King's army, it seemed she would stay like that until her kingdom was rebuilt.
Well, what can you do? That's part of her charm... I had no choice but to watch over her.
If things go south, she might even try to plunder a dragon's lair. If that happens, I'll pretend to stop her while secretly helping.
Dragons were universally acknowledged as the strongest creatures, but I doubted one could handle two Heroes.
A bloody battle between a dragon and the Heroes. A heroic tale for the ages would unfold. Or...
*"Ugh, you filthy humans... Fine, I lose! Take this and get lost!"*
It might end up handing over half its hoarded treasure.
The dragon saves its life, and we gain wealth and fame.
It paints a picture of a beautiful ending where everyone is happy. Worth a try.
Of course, that was impossible at our current level. A dragon's strength was just a step below the Demon King's, so we'd have to level up first.
And as it happened, a random encounter event was active. It was the perfect stage to grind for experience.
I can't pass this up.
I quickly decided on the party's formation.
Three in the front, three in the back.
Me, Ceria, and the princess would intercept the monsters, while the others provided support from behind.
We maintained that formation and pushed forward for a while.
Monsters popped out with every step. We fought five or six battles in a short time.
Needless to say, they posed no threat at all.
We had two Heroes, and Ceria was pulling her weight. Even the holy Saintess was lending a hand 'directly'...
“???”
Hey, wait a minute!
When did you change positions?
“Ah, I'm sorry. My hands were getting itchy, so I just...”
“...”
She hastily hid the blood-dripping mace. Seeing my stern expression, she fidgeted as if she'd committed a mortal sin.
What was a Hero to her? To her, I was probably on par with the Goddess. And yet, she had disobeyed my order to maintain her rear position.
This was a classic case of being stabbed in the back by someone you trust. Even the elf girl listened to me, so why did you...
What should I do?
I can't scold her... or is there a reason I shouldn't?
I stared at Luciel. Her disposition was to follow the Hero unconditionally, no matter what. Even if I said something harsh, that premise would never change.
“...I was wrong. I swear to the Goddess, I won't do it again.”
She looked like she was about to drop to her knees. Her delicate figure stirred the darkness within me.
Should I try scolding her? I'm so curious about her reaction. Of course, the process would have to take place in a private location.
I couldn't humiliate her in front of everyone. If we were alone, she might show me something more than a verbal apology.
A certain expectation arose in me, but if I handled it wrong, the consequences could be unmanageable.
“...”
Greed invites disaster.
Luciel was the type of girl who would really do something if she said she would. It would be wise to be very, very careful.
In the end, it seemed best to just soothe her. My sensibilities made it impossible for me to scold a girl who was so devoted.
“Luciel, please, just clasp your hands and pray for me. That's all I ask of you.”
She can't swing a mace while she's praying. This would effectively block her impulsive actions at the source.
Was it because she sensed my desperation? The Saintess was overcome with emotion, looking as if she were about to burst into tears.
“Yes! I'll quietly gaze only at you and devote myself to prayer!”
“...”
It seemed things would be fine for a while.
And just like that, things went very smoothly from then on.
Occasionally, even S-rank monsters appeared, but they all met a futile end at the hands of my sword.
“Wow! You're amazing!”
“We don't even get a chance to step in. You're truly incredible.”
“To be that effective without using the Holy Sword... I guess the real Hero isn't me, but Jace.”
“...”
The party's praises continued.
But instead of being happy, I felt strange. At some point, I had started fighting all by myself...
Huh? How did things end up like this? I was planning to leave most of it to the princess and take it easy.
First impressions are everything...
At this rate, I'd be the one taking the lead every time.
I quickly figured out the cause.
It was none other than Luciel focusing all her buffs on me. Attack UP, Defense UP, Agility UP... stacked, stacked, and stacked...
Ah, you don't have to go that far!
The Saintess's buffs had made me about 1.5 times stronger. I had unknowingly gotten drunk on that power and gone on a rampage.
She may follow me, but still...
Isn't it a bit much to completely ignore the others? Misunderstanding my dumbfounded stare, she proudly shrugged her shoulders.
*'I did a good job, right?'* That was the vibe she was giving off. If I scolded her, I'd just look like the bad guy. So I tried to put it nicely, only to receive a rather logical rebuttal.
“Esterize is using the Holy Sword. So I focused on you to create a balance.”
“...”
Hmm, I don't really have a comeback for that.
Still, there was a slight flaw in her logic. The essence of a Saintess is to be the Hero's exclusive amplifier.
Heals, barriers, buffs—without a Saintess, a Hero's strength is cut in half.
If I had to choose between the Holy Sword and the Saintess, I'd naturally pick the latter.
Both are holy instruments, but isn't the beautiful one better? Plus, her effects were superior.
Anyway, I'll have to let it slide for now.
In a critical moment, she'll probably act properly, unlike usual.
I quickly refined my plan.
I'll handle the trash mobs until we reach the dungeon, and then I'll pass the baton to the princess...
That would be the rational thing to do.
It was impossible to just do nothing and leech from the back in the first place.
The girls had gathered around me.
There were no signs of it yet, but it wouldn't be strange if they funneled all the experience points to me.
No way! Carrying the team solo is tough!
In Hero stories, the standard is to overcome challenges through the bonds of companionship.
Well, in my case, the power of affection seems to be absolute... Anyway, it was important to maintain balance as much as possible.
Of course, rather than investing in the elf girl, it's better to raise the princess and my little cutie.
It wasn't favoritism; it was a fact. A Hero who wields the Holy Sword and a Spirit Master who can summon a Spirit King.
As long as I raised them well, there'd be nothing to fear. If I just squeezed in between them and pulled my own weight, a happy ending would unfold.
I finished my thoughts and continued forward. Each time my exclusive weapon carved an arc, a path opened.
A random encounter is literally random. Sometimes we could move for 30 minutes in peace, and other times a battle would start after just three.
After traveling for about half a day, we found a clearing with well-trodden ground.
A perfect spot for camping. The sun was setting, so we had no other choice.
“We should rest here for the night.”
“Will it be okay? It could get annoying if monsters attack while we're preparing dinner...”
The princess, who had become the designated cook by unanimous decision, voiced her concern.
At her words, Aruru perked up her fox ears and puffed out her chest as if to say, "Leave it to me."
“Don't worry about that. I'll block them with my life!”
I couldn't help but feel reassured.
My little cutie was just that serious about delicious food. We lit a campfire and quickly finished our camping preparations.
Soon, a message appeared saying the random encounters had been temporarily disabled. Right, we should rest well when we can.
The campfire created a sort of safe zone. Nothing would happen until we started moving again. It seemed we could skip the night watch.
“Can you help with this?”
“Yes, of course.”
The girls amicably prepared the meal.
The princess took the lead while Ceria assisted. My little cutie used a spirit to light the fire and handle the drinking water.
Meanwhile, the elf girl and the Saintess just waited blankly. I glanced over at them. Luciel hung her head as if ashamed, but Ilensia talked back.
“What's with that look? It's not a crime to be bad at cooking, you know.”
“...”
I don't know. It's certainly not something to be loud about.
We'd already tried letting her help, but she just made mistake after mistake. Simply staying still was the most helpful thing she could do.
Then again, how much manual labor could she have possibly done in her life?
When you think about it, the princess was the unusual one... but Ceria was a delicately raised noble lady, and she did just fine.
The difference between a scatterbrain and a calm girl. The more the elf girl showed her incompetence, the more lovely Ceria seemed.
My heart grew warmer. I wanted to engage in some lover's affections, but since we were in a group, the opportunity rarely presented itself.
Well, what can you do? The only option was to conquer the dungeon as quickly as possible. I'd have to push a little harder to speed things up.
After dinner, the party members lay down in their spots. I was essentially sleeping in the same space as these beautiful girls, but there was no chance of anything happening.
It was awkward at first, but everyone quickly adapted. Ceria always took the spot to my right, exercising her rightful privilege as my fiancée.
The others had reached a tacit agreement. They would take turns occupying the spot to my left...
When I noticed that pattern, I thought it was pretty amazing. I didn't quite understand it, but they apparently placed so much value on the spot next to me that they made a rotation for it.
“...”
What on earth were these girls hoping for? We kept a considerable distance, so we couldn't even touch by accident in our sleep. Besides, this body of mine doesn't permit mistakes.
If you want something unexpected to happen, you'll have to make the first move. I'm just saying, don't actually do it!
It was a nerve-wracking situation in many ways.
It was because I'd raised their affection too high, and this time, I couldn't deny it was my own doing.
For the record, Aruru was not involved in the battle for the spot. As if declaring her allegiance to Ceria's faction, she always slept with her.
My little cutie.
Isn't it about time you missed your master's embrace? You're so adorable, you're allowed to make a mistake once in a while!
She possessed both boldness and charm, but she seemed to think that was a step too far, shaking her tail as if shaking her head.
“Good night, everyone!”
“See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, you too...”
Amidst the calm atmosphere, another night I wished could have been more heart-pounding passed.
***
Noon the next day.
We got a little lost, but we finally reached the dungeon entrance.
[Dungeon Discovered]
[Main Quest]
[Each time you conquer a Dungeon or Ancient Ruin, Merit +1000]
[Current Dungeons and Ancient Ruins Conquered: 0/27]
A quest... and a main quest at that. This indicated that the story was now on its proper track.
Merit was closely related to fame. Whether by crushing the Demon King's army or saving people, it accumulated by performing heroic deeds.
Conquering dungeons was just one part of that. Of course, the main goal was to obtain artifacts.
“Esterize.”
“Yes?”
“Show me what you can do.”
“Why does that sound like you're planning on sitting this one out? Is it just my imagination?”
“I overdid it yesterday, so my condition is a little...”
“???”
“Then I'm counting on you. Leave the rear to us and push ahead.”
“...Alright. I'll do my best for now.”
The girl who couldn't refuse my requests.
This seemed like a form of gaslighting... but well, since I only wished the best for her, I didn't feel guilty about it.
Anyway, the princess put on a dazzling performance. The A+-rank guardians protecting the dungeon were swept away by a storm of Sword Aura.
“!!!”
The buffs from the Holy Sword and the Saintess had merged into one.
Its power was so immense that even she was surprised.
*Wait, I'm stronger than Jace?*
Seeing my favorite character flustered like that was so cute it made me want to pat her head.
Hmm, now it feels like I'm finally getting to slack off.
Conquering the dungeon was already a foregone conclusion. The only thing left was the bug, and if that worked too, nothing could be better.
How could I resist an item duplication bug?
The true stance of a righteous Hero. For the sake of world peace... my conscience didn't matter at all