I quietly opened the door to my room to enter so that I wouldn't wake up Sophia. If we're talking about the distance between the dungeon and the port town of Bellos, it is a bit far in walking distance.
However, I was able to learn and practice parkour when I arrived in this world. Although I wouldn't say I've already mastered it, I'm confident I can use the trees to avoid detection and traverse the path quicker.
Meaning that only I alone would suffice. I don't think Sophia would wake up just by sound alone, but it's better to be wary just in case.
Once I arrived inside the room, I grabbed the storage bag above the nightstand and took out my raincoat. If I learned anything during my dungeon experience here, it's that this raincoat is really an amazing item.
Not only does it not get dirty, but because of its oversized design, I can easily move. The only downside would probably be that I kind of look like a doll when wearing it.
Since I am still wearing the storage ring the baron lent me which houses my sword, all I really needed was this pseudo armor.
Once I wore my coat, I quietly sneaked out of the room to follow after Lester. At the current time, the main door to the mansion should be closed so I jumped out of the window instead.
Using the grass to land quietly, I hid down the bush to observe if the two are still there. They are still talking in view whilst walking, but another person caught my attention.
Hiding in the bush just beside me is a girl with long black hair that contrasted yet reflected the light of moons and eyes that shone brilliant gold.
"Shouldn't kids be sleeping at this hour?" The girl asks. "I could say the same, Anna."
"I'm not a kid, am I?" she argued back. Since the age of coming into this world is earlier than normal, then I guess even if she's a teenager in my point of view, she technically is a grown-up.
But since using this world's terms of this and that is kind of confusing, I just usually use my perspective which made me forget about her technically not being a child.
"Makes sense, but what are you doing here without your wheelchair?" I asked back. She was keeping her attribute active, thus allowing her to move freely as normal which made me uneasy.
I noticed she can keep her blood active mostly for about 5 hours continuously. Since the dungeon rotation mostly lasts for about 6 hours, she only keeps her attribute active when it's necessary.
But right now, she's using it rather excessively in my opinion. "I noticed a presence earlier in the hallway, just standing there. But when I opened my door to look, there was no one there. Instead, I saw glimpses of Lester from the window going out with another person."
"Ahh, that was probably me. I was also observing them just a few moments ago, but I got into my room to change so that I could follow after them. Are you also planning to go after them?" I asked.
"I was planning to, but I don't know where they're going so I might not be able to follow after them if they're going for some distance," She responded.
"I think they're going back to the dungeon, so you wouldn't be able to walk that." A rough estimate of walking from here to the dungeon would be around half an hour at best, and although Anna can keep her ability for more than that, it may not even be worth it.
"And you can?" She asks back. Her tone wasn't mocking, but it sounded like she was really just curious. "Who says I'm walking," I answered nonchalantly, "I'm using the trees to arrive there faster."
"Is that so? Then I'll also join you," She responded. I don't know if she can do what I'll do, but it doesn't look like she'll give up. Besides, I'm not really someone to stop her either.
"You do you, I guess." We followed Lester and his acquaintance outside of the town hall where a carriage with two more people are waiting. "Isn't that the guy I knocked out?" Anna asks quietly, her tone a bit annoyed.
"Suspicious, right?" I answered. She nodded before we followed after them. Once they reached the sloping gate, the wall automatically opened for them, leaving us no choice but to hurry.
Instead, I strengthened my body with mana and jumped down from the wall to a nearby tree outside of the town. If Anna couldn't follow, then it's fine. But she easily did the same as she landed on a tree branch next to my tree.
Using the tree branches as footholds, we hastened ourselves as we followed after their carriage. We arrived a bit later since we cannot fully follow after their carriage at the same speed.
"Just as I thought," I commented. Following after them only leads us back to the dungeon where their carriage is already stationed at. However, it seems like the people here already went inside the dungeon.
I let myself breathe and thought of his goal first. Following my earlier suspicion of Lester's connection with Alfen, the motive was either to save him or to use the opportunity to strike the dungeon's lumoine.
It would have been great if it was the first one, but following after cause and effect, I think I know where that will lead to.
"Let's go," I signaled Anna before dropping off my tree. Since I promised not to use my magic, I readied my sword so that I could be ready anytime.
In the worst-case scenario, I'd have to fight these guys off, but I honestly wouldn't prefer that. It's not like I couldn't win, but it would be really troublesome.
Swinging a sword is but a component of swordsmanship. To use a style means to focus on a decisive factor that could bring the most effective result. If the style is incompatible with one another, then the dominant one which focuses on the more susceptible factor would prevail.
Take fencing and kendo, for example. Fencing would have the advantage as it can make use of the distance and speed of the wrist. However, if that distance was closed by a shinai, a rapier would ultimately lose its advantage if he can't counter that.
This is why my swordsmanship is effective against the many people of this world, but not that much against chimera beasts and dungeon spawns. I would have to use my own observation if I want my sword style to work efficiently against those.
If I were to fight against those guys, even if I'm outnumbered by adults, I can also just increase my strength by mana fusion and efficiently clean them up with my swordsmanship.
But I wouldn't kill them, so the best I can do is immobilize them.
Anna also drew her blade as we went inside the dungeon. The dungeon halls were already clear and it looks like Lester and his acquaintances are rushing the dungeon.
In analogy, the dungeon is as deep as a four-story building, and that doesn't take into account the length of the halls and other paths, so I doubt they'll reach the dungeon boss soon.
Anna and I ran along the clear halls of the dungeon. It took half an hour till we finally saw signs of ashes that still haven't disappeared, meaning that we're close to Lester and his companions.
A loud roar erupted at the end of the hall which caught our attention. It was a roar that echoed both in pain and anger and is definitely not the howl of the kobolds we previously fought.
What caught our sights were a group of giant hounds, the same dungeon boss we saw yesterday, but now roaming around the halls. "They're having a hard time with those dogs," Anna commented in disappointment.
I looked at her with a raised brow, after all, those aren't dogs but literally giant hounds. She's probably the only one I know who'd call those dogs.
"Anyways, let's take this time to sneak our way through," Anna said as she took out her cloak from her storage ring. It was the same cloak that made her invisible during our first meeting.
After putting it, she made a T-pose as if inviting me to go inside her cloak. "Uhh... I have my way," I responded with a dry laugh.
Using the method I learned while training with Velxia, I erased my presence. It wouldn't be as effective as being invisible, but it's enough considering that Lester and his companions are busy with those hounds.
We made our way through slowly to avoid detection. Looking at Lester and his comrades, their swordsmanship was indeed efficient against those giant hounds. Not only do they have the style to cut clean through that thick pelt, but also the footwork to match the pace of the spawns.
Since their goal is probably to reach the dungeon room, Anna and I made our way to the dungeon room to intercept them. It would be nice if we also find Alfen in the way, but I do hope he's still in one piece when we do.
As if answering my prayers, I noticed an unconscious figure hiding behind an artificially widened crevice on the dungeon walls. It was Alfen covered in dirt.
He probably did this himself to avoid detection from those hounds, but it was really a smart move. I wouldn't have noticed him if we weren't actually looking for him.
"We found him, what now?" Anna asks, eyeing the end of the hallway on guard in case Lester and his companions have finished up.
"For now, let's wake him up," I responded as such. I removed some of the dirt covering Alfen to which he reacted. This made me relieved because that means that he's still alive, but my thoughts were easily overturned as I turned his head.
In his face, a deep bloody claw mark made its way from his upper right forehead to the upper left of his lips. I don't even need to diagnose him to know that his right eye is already blinded.
"White, they're coming. What do we do?" Anna whisperingly calls out to me. Even I can hear their footsteps echoing through the dungeon halls.
With Alfen still unconscious and Lester and his companions coming, I only had one thing in mind. "Anna, let me in."