There are three dungeons in the city of Seiris.
The first dungeon is very fitting for beginner adventurers. It's a very simple
dungeon filled with just purple goblins and blue slimes.
Hardly can anyone fail in that place even among beginners. The other side
of it is that the rewards and experience for exterminating these monsters are
very low. However, its difficulty increases from the middle levels onwards.
And that dungeon is where the orphan Eve should be in right now. Or so I
want to believe.
The second dungeon is a better fit for experienced adventurers.
One can lose his life even in the upper levels in a moment of carelessness
against monsters looking like rabbits with horns on their heads called
Needle Rabbits. And from the middle levels, there will be the boars
equipped with horns called Needle Boars.
In its lower levels, there are monsters called Needle Moose which suddenly
appears with it's three imposing horns on its forehead and gigantic body
ramming adventurers into their deaths. You won't normally go there unless
you're a death seeker.
As information isn't really given to anyone with regard to this level, people
diving on to these floors are eventually labeled as death seekers after not
coming out from the dungeon after years they had entered.
And finally, the third dungeon.
It is the dungeon the adventurers here in the port city of Seiris never dare to
enter.
Only a few elite adventurers would enter this place while keeping their
hunting grounds in the upper levels.
[–That being the case, we'll be aiming to clear everything up to the sixth
floor of this dungeon! Its the first time the three of us will be doing this and
I can't help but get excited! This will be fun!]
[I kind of feel that your excitement doesn't really fit based on just how you
described this dungeon but it sure is so like you, huh. Well, that's kind of
relieving on its own, I guess.]
The tension will just always be there though!
Sybilla looks like she understands how I feel as she put her hands on her
waist and laughs in satisfaction.
Emmy on the other hand lets her anxiety show to her face. Looking at
Emmy makes me realize she has the most normal reaction among the three
of us and find myself impress.
It doesn't matter anyway to this Goddess who always do what she pleases
you know?
[You see, we'll be entering this dungeon but we're just here to check
whether it deserves its difficult reputation or not.]
[Oi, is this alright?]
[I told you we'll just take a look.]
The dungeon is surrounded by a simple fence. Then, Sybilla took Emmy's
hand and pulled her over towards a hut nearby where a bearded elder
grandpa is standing aloof like he has nothing else to do.
[Hi, grandpa, thanks for the hard work! We'd like to enter this dungeon!]
[…Ohoho. But I've never seen your faces before.]
After trying to make a useless lovable appeal… Sybilla was on the verge of
retreating until Emmy shown her own adventurer tag.
It appears that Emmy figured out something and decided to show her status.
[Holy Knight] Level 25
I've known this beforehand but she really is strong.
Ofcourse, even the grandpa who initially is keen on giving Sybilla a cold
shoulder widens his eyes in surprise.
[Ho-Holy Knight!?]
[That's right! We're partying together with the top-class Emmy-chan! I'll
have you know all three of us are strong, you know~… So, perhaps you'll
allow us to enter now, no?]
[Haha… Ofcourse, young lady… Just to make sure, would you allow me to
check your tags too?]
[Ofcourse.]
Sybilla gave the elder her own tag and it showed [Mage], Level 26… Isn't
that too high? It's even higher than Emmy's.
…No, wait. What should I do with my own tag?
As I am getting worried how should I get through this, Sybilla took my tag
and closed her eyes without saying anything for a few seconds. And at that
moment…
[…[Saint] Level 8…! You're quite brilliant too, young man.]
[ah – yeah…]
[Thank you so much, grandpa~ oh by the way, are there other people who
went in before us?]
[There were five people who did.]
[Oh… Is that so. Got it.]
Sybilla then waves her hand towards the old man as she makes her way
through the fences.
The fence is just pretty simple and it seems like people can just jump over it
ignoring the person in charge but… well, if someone can jump over this
fence then it must be someone this grandpa can't stop.
[Well then, Emmy-chan to the front! Let's go!]
[Roger!]
With Emmy as the vanguard, we took our first step into the dungeon.
The color of the ground inside the dungeon appears to be normal and the
ceiling is high enough for us to be able to freely hold our swords over our
heads. With the paths themselves this wide then it just means that this is a
relatively huge dungeon.
The reason why my tag earlier showed my [Saint] class in the status appears
to be Sybilla's tampering using one of her magic. Aside from class
conversion magic, she appears to have more under her sleeves.
It would be weird for Sybilla to get my tag every time we go to the guild
and talk to the receptionist so she suggested for her who is just a mage to
act as our representative.
After explaining all of that, Sybilla then taps my shoulders.
[Russell, I'm sure you understand but don't use anything aside recovery
magic until the middle levels, okay?]
[It's about the other party that went in before us, right? That's fine with me.
By the way, it seems like you're familiar with this dungeon. Have you been
here before?]
[Yes. Adoria's dungeon was new and we had no choice but to go there
without any information but this dungeon is different. Monsters here in the
third dungeon are enormous but slow. They're kind of like the living
armors.]
Just as Sybilla said that, there were signs of tremors suddenly transmitted
behind our backs.
–There's something in there.
As me and Emmy are focusing our attention on to that direction, Sybilla
raised her hand beside Emmy and threw out a fireball.
The moment the magic hit the monster, the trembling got stronger and it
hurriedly moved towards our direction. What appeared in front of us is…!
[It's the monster that can normally be found here. A Giganto.]
[This isn't the time for that brief introduction!]
It will reach Emmy soon.
As I'm starting to get nervous, Sybilla whispered something to Emmy from
behind.
[Emmy-chan, right now, you have Russell with you. Make sure to keep that
in mind, kay?]
[ah…. Roger!]
Emmy raises her shield against the humongous giganto who's around two
and half meters at length as it slams its fist towards her shield.
I offer my prayers for Emmy's safety as I prepare to cast my recovery
magic at any moment but… Emmy's shield burst out lights and the giganto
was blown away.
The giganto smashed itself onto the ceiling and fell down head first.
[…So it can't really finish it off with just that, huh. But it's more than
enough. Emmy-chan, are your arms alright?]
[Yes, no worries here!]
…Seriously? That was amazing.
I'm not sure whether it was because of Emmy's defensive abilities or an
effect of one of her skills.
With Sybilla at the center using her offensive magic, Emmy was able to
freely change from defensive to offensive stances repeatedly.
Chantless magic, chanting magic… Or perhaps double casting.
Then, Sybilla's fire javelin pierced the giganto's chest. Its ending was
decorated by its own fountain of blood spurting out from its chest as it fell.
Emmy checked the giganto's body for any sign of movements for several
seconds before she exhaled and put down her shield.
[Can you still go on, Emmy-chan?]
[Ofcourse. The monster was strong but it's kind of weird how I find it easier
to fight compared to my previous party.]
Does she feel that she's getting better support right now than she was with
the [Hero] Vince and the [Sage] Jannet?
Or maybe she's just trying to tell it to us in consideration of our feelings?
I asked Emmy but she just tilted her head and denied it.
[No, it's true. Somehow it feels like I'll be fine even if I get carried away.]
[I just find it hard to believe]
[I'm telling the truth!]
I wonder… I hope she isn't just saying that just to fit in.
She has considerably brightened up but when I remember how Emmy
looked like when she rushed in to my help I… I just can't get help but get
worried she's over exerting herself.
Seems like Sybilla has taken noticed of my worries and responded to it
before I even say anything.
[I think I need to tell you this but it's mainly because of you, you know?]
[Me…? Ah, don't tell me… the one skill that activates when she thinks of
me?]
[Well, yeah.]
If thinking about me would make Emmy safer than I'd be more than happy
for her to think of me no matter how much she wants to. Err, no. It's more
appropriate to say she's the one who is making me safe though…
I can see Emmy scratching her cheeks as she blushes in embarrassment.
[But that's not all. I wonder if you'd understand.]
[…Is it something I did?]
[Well, many things happened so you might have forgotten but… This
helped Emmy-chan too.]
Sybilla then taps the shield with the back of her hand.
[The new shield we got is just too overkill.]
Ah, now that she mentions it… The shield Emmy uses now is the one the
dwarfs had made from the scales of the fire dragon. It isn't something you
can easily get no matter how much money you have.
[This great shield isn't that heavy but it has the power to stand against
tremendous hits. In addition, mana goes well with this shield too so it
enhances the skill Emmy-chan had used… Or that should have been the
case.]
[Is there some kind of problem?]
[To be frank, I thought it's strong enough to kill the giganto in just one
blow. It seems like I've overestimated the power of that skill.]
Emmy seems a little disappointed after realizing what those words mean but
Sybilla just laugh it off as she waves her hand.
[What are you being upset for! The mages me and Russell are relying
heavily on an amazing girl like you, Emmy-chan so you can be more proud.
If you don't, would you rather let Russell get upset and take your place
instead?]
[ah… that's right. Un, right. Russell has now the strength to be in front so
he naturally wants to do so. But it is my job as a vanguard to be in front.]
Perhaps she has understood something from what Sybilla said as Emmy
turned to me and is looking guilty.
She must be feeling sorry to me who's been originally expelled from our
previous party as I wasn't able to be of any use in their fights and feel
responsible why my powers and level are significantly lower than theirs.
I believe its also my fault and I think its wrong to blame Emmy why I
wasn't able to meet any of their expectations but… she's really just that
kind of person. A sweet and caring person.
But, allow me to respond.
[I understand. I can't be anything but a recovery mage for now and that
isn't something I feel bad about anymore. Rather, I am now embracing this
role and I'll show you how your scratches, even lethal wounds, will be
recovered perfectly. That's my job as the [Saint] after all.]
[The [Saint] Russell's recovery magic… un, un! If it's Russell's recovery
magic then I'm sure you'll take care of my recovery very well!]
My recovery magic isn't something that our previous party had relied on.
I never knew I'd be so glad to be able to use recovery magic and help the
people relying on me.
More so when I was able to use the same miracle the Holy Maiden used
before which allowed me to now have Emmy laughing happily beside me.
It somehow reminds me of how Brenda was crying in happiness when she
saw her mother's recovery.
Yeah. Really – I'm really glad I'm a Saint.
I'm really grateful towards the girl who's not here with us from the very
bottom of my heart.
I'm still the Saint of Black Kite after all. To protect Emmy, I'll make sure to
relieve her and me from any injuries and… I'll protect her even against the
sickles of death.
We continued our dungeon crawl familiarizing ourselves in the Seiris' Third
Dungeon.