Why the Hero's Party Failed the Kubera Dungeon Expedition
The reason the hero's party had failed in their exploration of the Kubera Dungeon was far simpler than anyone imagined.
The first reason was the complete lack of a guide who knew the dungeon's paths. Of course, one could always recruit someone from within the kingdom who knew the routes well, but the Kubera Dungeon remained largely uncharted territory. There simply were not many locals in this world who possessed detailed knowledge of its interior.
In such an unfamiliar place, what was desperately needed was a group of elves blessed with exceptional tracking and reconnaissance abilities to serve as guides. Only then could they determine whether monsters lurked ahead, whether traps existed, and in which direction lay the upper or lower levels of the dungeon.
The second reason was the imbalance within the hero's party. The classic four-person formation was the traditional and foundational structure of hero parties passed down through the ages. In such a balanced setup, the members were divided evenly between offense and defense, fighters and non-fighters, melee and ranged combat, creating an optimal composition.
However, the hero's party was missing far too many essential roles...
There was no one capable of sustained magical attacks besides the hero himself. They had melee capabilities but lacked any ranged fighters. And there was no one to temporarily replace the melee-focused hero...
The hero must have suffered greatly on the third floor. His mind had automatically painted a vivid picture of him fighting alone against the monsters, desperately shielding Adelia and Selina, and dashing desperately through every corner.
The final and third reason was...
The hero was simply too weak.
He had not yet awakened the Holy Sword, his experience in battle was insufficient, and as a hero he lacked even the basic swordsmanship skills that should have come with the title.
If that were all, it would have been one thing, but he had also fallen short even in the most basic of basics—physical stamina—that every combatant was expected to possess from the start.
When I had first been reborn into this world and laid eyes on him, I had truly wondered if he was even worthy of the title "hero."
I had explained all of this in full detail to the emperor, and I had made sure he fully understood why the hero's party could never defeat the Demon King.
"Then, Lowell, you mean that the hero's party has no chance of victory at all?"
"Frankly, aside from Saintess Adelia, everyone else falls short."
Honestly, if one had to pick the only person capable of leading them to victory, it was Saintess Adelia alone.
Of course, when compared to the saintess Illyana I had encountered in this world, she too could be called lacking, but the other two members were so utterly inadequate that Adelia stood out as the only one who still appeared somewhat normal.
"Then, Lowell, you cannot defeat the Demon King in the hero's place?"
"..."
As much as I wanted to step forward myself and turn the Demon King's army into rubble, the words the goddess had spoken echoed in my mind, and I could not bring myself to answer.
'I must help the hero defeat the Demon King.'
It had been "help the hero," not "defeat the Demon King for me."
Perhaps that was why I had searched the temples so desperately in the past, hoping to hear the goddess's response...
The goddess had given me no answer whatsoever.
"I cannot entrust the hero's party to you. There are too many issues—from the Holy Sword onward, to the other party members who must follow me..."
"Indeed... the Holy Sword is the biggest problem..."
This Demon King was different from the ones I had faced before, but possessing the Holy Sword meant I could not possibly lose.
In the worst-case scenario, only the awakened Holy Sword could defeat the Demon King...
Knock knock.
Unaware of the passage of time, we had been discussing my childhood stories and the current state of the hero's party when a knock sounded at the door of the study.
"Your Majesty, Princess Isabel has arrived."
Before the knight guarding the entrance could finish speaking, the door swung open and the princess stepped inside.
Isabel, in her late teens and younger than Alex, immediately began scanning the room with a quick, assessing gaze the moment she entered the study.
"Oh! Isabel, what perfect timing. Come pay your respects. This is Lowell, a friend of your father."
"Lo... Lowell...?"
The emperor's introduction left Isabel's eyes wide open as she approached me and stared directly into my face.
"Y-You... are you really... Lowell, a member of the hero's party?"
"Yes. Your Highness."
Unlike the casual way I addressed the emperor by name, I greeted the princess with formal respect and a polite bow...
It was odd, but...
The thought vanished completely before I could finish it.
"Lo... Lowell-sama!! I'm your biggest fan!!"
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Isabel grabbed both of my hands and pressed her face close to mine...
"I've been a fan of Lowell-sama since I was a little girl! Father kept telling me he was my childhood friend, but he never introduced us, so I thought it was all a lie... but here I am, finally meeting you like this!"
Stuck to me with her sparkling, huge eyes, unable to pull away...
"Y-Your Highness... release my hands..."
With my hands pinned and her face pressed so close, anyone watching might have thought our lips were touching, but Isabel paid no attention and continued examining my body without noticing.
*
From the study of the emperor, Isabel's obsession continued all the way to the dinner table...
"Lowell-sama, do you know? In my academy too, there are so many students who adore you!"
"Ah... yes..."
If only someone would take Isabel away for a moment or even just talk with her...
The emperor, laughing heartily from afar, merely watched us, with no intention of helping, and Alex had never once thought of interrupting.
All he did was offer me a slightly apologetic smile...
"May I come visit your academy tomorrow if you have time? Or the day after?"
"I apologize, Your Highness. I have important duties... and soon I must undergo an investigation for the Holy Kingdom..."
I wondered what kind of rumors had spread about me...
Sophia, the princess of Moncrito, had tormented me in the same way, yet here in the empire I was being tormented by Princess Isabel, the daughter of the emperor's close friend.
"Isabel, let Lowell go for a moment. You'll make it impossible to eat."
"But, Father..."
"Lowell will be staying in our empire for a while, so you won't be lacking in time, will you?"
"Yes..."
In the end, the emperor rescued me, and after thanking him with every ounce of my being, I was able to pick up my spoon again just thirty minutes after dinner was served.
"Ah, by the way, Lowell?"
"Yeah?"
The emperor, who had gently quieted Isabel, spoke to me in the same friendly tone as before...
"Speaking of which, aren't you of marriageable age now?"
"Huh...?"
"It's a tradition in our world for elves to marry before turning a hundred. So aren't you that age yet?"
In this world, my age was sixty-six.
Although ten years older than the emperor, given the elves' long lifespans and slow growth rate, we were practically the same age.
There was one peculiar tradition in the elven world...
In elven kingdoms with low birth rates due to long lifespans, marrying before reaching a hundred was passed down as a kind of custom.
It was not strictly enforced by law, but nearly all elves married before their hundredth birthday, and at sixty-six, I was already of marrying age.
But I had no intention of marrying.
Of course...
To the surrounding elves, I would appear to be missing something essential, some insufficient elf who could not even marry...
Until I defeated the Demon King, left this body, and returned to my original world, I would never do such a thing.
"If only I were a little younger, I could help... what a pity..."
Looking at his useless story, not only Alex but even Princess Isabel sitting beside me stared at their father as if he were garbage...
But when he continued, both their faces brightened, and they eagerly accepted.
"How about my son Alex? He's still lacking, but he's the next emperor. Isn't he worthy of going anywhere without shame?"
"Th-That... what...?"
"I will speak to the elven queen and your family. What do you think? Marriage to my son?"
Overwhelmed by the emperor's words, I could not continue and averted my gaze, while the crown prince Alex sat silently.
Everyone else was already smiling brightly, as if they had rehearsed the conversation.
Calie, sitting beside me, was giggling to herself, finding the situation amusing. To avoid drawing unwanted attention, she turned her face away and laughed as quietly as possible.
"Lowell-sama! Please say yes! Marry my brother! Then you would become the crown princess, and later the empress, and I could stay with you in this empire forever!"
Isabel, lost in the thought of continuing to live in the empire with me, paid no attention to my wishes or those of her brother Alex and clung to me as if she were begging.
"Ha... haha... Your Highness, marriage is something that both parties must truly agree to. Even I have my own thoughts, and the crown prince's are important too. More importantly than me..."
"Then, if my brother agrees, will you marry him?"
"Huh?"
Isabel stood up from her seat without even listening to what I said.
She walked straight to Alex, her brother and the crown prince, and began asking with a serious face.
"Brother! Brother, say what you think. How do you feel about Lowell? She's the perfect bride material. What do you think, brother?"
Alex seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then suddenly stood up with a solemn expression, walked past Isabel, and knelt beside me.
"Ma... Majesty! Since the moment I first laid eyes on you, I have fallen in love. If you grant your permission, I would be happy to make you happy for the rest of your life!"