Sol left his room after waiting a few minutes, hoping to avoid crossing paths with her on the way out. As he walked down the palace hallway, her words echoed in his mind.
'Just go, huh? She clearly disagrees with my actions, but I'm thankful she's letting me leave and not telling anyone about mom and dad. But what about the claimed moment in time? Isn't that supposed to happen soon? Why would she tell me to go?'
It didn't make sense. Even if she opposed his plan to search for his parents, the looming threat of the claimed moment in time, which Deus had been vague about, remained. He thought she would, at the very least, urge him to stay and deal with the impending danger.
'If she doesn't want me to stay, then I'll leave.'
Though he had been willing to assist, he worried she might change her mind if he stayed any longer. Leaving promptly felt like the best course of action.
Through his PAL, he contacted Amber. "No trouble on my end. I'm walking out of the palace now. I know where we need to go."
Amber's voice came through the device. "Meet where?"
Sol considered their options. "The slums, it's the safest route."
Of the many escape plans they had prepared, the slums were ideal. They offered multiple exit tunnels hidden beneath the city walls, thanks to the black market. On top of that, few people ventured into the area, and with their stealth skills, leaving undetected would be simple.
"Okay." Amber confirmed before ending the call.
Still on edge despite his caution, Sol made his way to the slums. Though he doubted anyone knew he was leaving for good, he couldn't shake his nervousness as he exited the palace.
...
Elsewhere in the palace, Saintess Wendy hurried through the corridors toward Princess Valerie's chambers. Urgency coursed through her as she sought the one person who could mobilize everyone quickly. Finding the Princess's room empty, she changed direction toward the next best option, Commander Zaman.
She reached his office, relieved to find him inside.
"Saintess? Are you already done speaking with Sol?" Zaman asked, surprised. He had left Sol at her chambers only ten minutes earlier.
Wendy nodded but waved off the question. "Yes, but that's not important now. Something major is about to happen, and we must be ready to respond immediately."
Zaman's relaxed demeanor shifted. "Did you have a vision?"
"Yes." Wendy confirmed. "Though the details remain unclear."
She didn't have time to explain the strange experience she and Sol had endured, but she knew action was necessary.
Despite the lack of specifics, Zaman didn't hesitate. "Understood. I'll prepare the knights and alert the army. Should I notify the Adventurer's Guild as well?"
"Call anyone who can help." Wendy affirmed. "By the way, where is the Princess? She wasn't in her room or anywhere nearby."
"You won't find her in the palace." Zaman replied, picking up a book titled Dungeon Rules. "She left for the dungeon."
Rather than explaining, he opened the book to a bookmarked page and pointed to a specific line.
Wendy's eyes widened as she read it. "Is this true?"
"We're about to find out. If so, the dungeon may become a valuable ally."
...
Meanwhile, a lone, unremarkable woman with long black hair approached the plaza where the entrance to Necropolis resided. Gazing at the dungeon from a distance, her emotions were conflicted. She hesitated, considering whether to return later or just not at all, but quickly shook off the thought. Though this was the last place she ever wanted to be, it was important for her to go inside.
The two guards stationed at the entrance noticed her approach. Since they didn't recognize her, one of them used his skill, [Battle Assessment], to see if she wasn't strong enough to enter the dungeon. Immediately recognized her overwhelming strength as there was no scenario he could win against her. He exchanged a glance with his partner, and both stepped aside to grant her passage.
The woman entered silently, descending the stairs to the rest area. Relieved to find the area empty, she approached the teleport sigil and removed a bracelet from her wrist.
Her appearance transformed. Black hair turned golden, her unassuming face shifting to reveal the regal features of Princess Valerie.
Instead of activating the teleport sigil, she announced loudly, "I, Princess Valerie of the Kingdom of Crestelia, formally request an audience with the dungeon's core!"
The room remained silent, the sigil unresponsive. As seconds passed by, doubt began to creep in.
'Could the dungeon rules be fake? Zaman assured me they were real…'
Her worry dissipated when the sigil glowed beneath her, whisking her away.
Valerie reappeared in a place unlike the usual rest area. Incomplete dungeon walls surrounded her, with the floor largely made of earth and stone, as if it were still being excavated. She might have mistaken it for underground ruins if not for the massive 10 meter orb hovering silently ahead.
Her breath caught. "The dungeon core." she murmured in awe.
Though she had read about dungeon cores, the descriptions of smaller, meter wide cores in low rank dungeons hadn't prepared her for this. Few had seen the core of an A-Rank dungeon due to the extreme danger of delving so deeply.
The core remained silent, but a dark shadow emerged from within. It rose, taking the form of a Shadow Crawler.
Valerie instinctively tensed. This creature was unlike the others she had encountered in its boss room. It didn't hide its strength as it emanated a powerful shadow aura that revealed to her it was a true A-Ranker.
The Shadow Crawler flicked its tail and addressed her. "I will speak on Mother's behalf, human. The rules state that only the ruler of a nation can request an audience. Where is the king or queen?"
The dungeon's rules were clear, only a ruler could make this request. Valerie may be the princess but she was most certainly not the ruler.
She had expected such a question after initially reading the rules. She steadied herself and replied, "The King is unable to fulfill his duties at this moment, so I am acting as Crestelia's ruler for the foreseeable future."
Though technically true, Valerie had not yet ascended the throne. Her authority stemmed from the King's illness, which left her as the kingdom's most influential figure. But she didn't have full authority yet, for that to happen she would have to fully ascend to the throne which could only happen when the King is conscious enough to pass it to her or he dies.
The Shadow Crawler glanced at the core, seeming to await its judgment. After a moment, it nodded. "Very well. What do you wish to discuss?"
From her spatial ring, Valerie retrieved a dragon scale imbued with the Law of Trades and said, "I wish to propose a mutually beneficial agreement."