Eyes wide open, the girl remained frozen in shock, too dazed to even pick up her fallen staff. Senji continued, his voice heavy.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't save him."
"…Liar."
"There was a strengthened variant on the fifth floor. For some reason…"
"Liar, liar, liar…"
Despite the words spilling from her mouth, her eyes had already come to terms with the truth. Huge tears welled up and streamed down her cheeks, wetting the dry dungeon floor.
"I'm sorry. I abandoned him. When the strengthened variant attacked him, I… I saw my chance and ran."
"…! Y-you…!"
"But what could I do? I couldn't beat that thing! There's no way I'd expect to find a strengthened Ogre on the fifth floor!"
Senji's voice, full of forced frustration, seemed to overplay the act. He glanced at Elly to gauge her reaction. She was surprised, but this time for a different reason.
"A… a strengthened Ogre? Is that… true?"
"Why would I lie about something like this?"
"A strengthened Ogre… that's the kind of monster only the knight order is equipped to handle… something like that, why was it on the fifth floor…?!"
"How would I know?"
Maintaining a grim expression, Senji pushed Elly further away emotionally. With the cold reality setting in, she finally broke down, sobbing like a child.
"Il… Ily… h-how could this happen…?"
Watching Elly cry, snot dripping from her nose, Senji's mind spun with thoughts.
(It's true, though. A strengthened Ogre on the fifth floor is abnormal. Even if the knight order has been making more trips into the dungeon recently, it doesn't make sense for them to leave something that dangerous unchecked. An ordinary adventurer couldn't hope to deal with a monster like that.)
The power dynamics between the adventurers and the knight order were significantly skewed in favor of the knights. Most knights came from noble families, receiving elite training and access to powerful spells passed down through generations. In comparison, common adventurers were far weaker.
Sometimes a famed adventurer might be recruited into the knight order, but only those at the platinum rank were even considered. That's how high the bar was for entering the knight order.
(So why wasn't the strengthened Ogre dealt with by the knights?)
The question puzzled Senji. He racked his brain, using all the knowledge he'd gained from his studies at the grand library, until it suddenly hit him.
(It's the opposite, isn't it?)
He muttered aloud, starting to piece things together.
"The fact that the knight order hasn't dealt with it means they didn't want to. But the knights still exchange monster cores for coin. Which means they are killing monsters. Strengthened variants happen when a monster becomes powerful enough to wipe out other monsters in its area. Essentially, it evolves by killing its competition."
"…?"
"So, the knight order didn't kill the strengthened Ogre because… they wanted it to evolve."
Elly's tearful eyes widened at his conclusion.
"Wait, you mean… the knight order intentionally created the strengthened variant?"
"That's what it looks like. They left the Ogre to grow stronger by clearing out everything around it."
"Why… why would they do that? If what you're saying is true, why?"
The obvious question. Senji had already guessed the answer.
"The knight order is part of the royal army. They wouldn't do something like this without a reason. Think about it—what have they been talking about needing to 'cultivate' lately?"
Elly looked down at her feet, her thoughts swirling. Then, like a spark igniting, realization hit her, and she lifted her face, her lips trembling as she whispered the dreaded answer.
"…The Heroes?"
"Most likely. They're using the dungeon to help train the Heroes. A strengthened Ogre would make for a solid challenge, and if the Heroes can unite to defeat it, they'll gain an invaluable sense of triumph."
Senji's theory was that the knight order was creating a situation to give the Heroes a manufactured victory. It was a classic setup—a problem they'd created themselves just so they could solve it and come out looking like legends.
"But why… why didn't they tell the adventurers, or me, or Il…?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Senji's voice lowered, dripping with disdain.
"They don't care about us."
Maybe. Who knows, really?
"That can't be…"
"Of course they don't care. If they did, they wouldn't be killing monsters and undercutting adventurers' earnings or selling materials through backdoor channels without the guild's involvement."
In truth, Senji wasn't entirely sure why the knight order kept it a secret. He had only exaggerated the theory he'd cooked up to plant seeds of doubt in Elly's mind.
And it worked.
He could see the skepticism bloom in Elly's eyes, her doubt in the knight order growing stronger. Still, she managed to steady herself with a deep breath before turning back to him.
"Mary…"
"What?"
"I still don't fully trust you."
"That's fair."
"I also don't know if Il is really dead."
"Everything probably got swallowed up by the dungeon, including his belongings. There's no way to prove it."
"Not exactly. The adventurer's badge isn't absorbed by the dungeon."
(Oh, crap.)
Senji's heart skipped a beat at this new information. He had always assumed he could get away with anything inside the dungeon. If an adventurer could leave a message on their badge, then the risk of exposure was far higher than he had realized.
Luckily, Il likely hadn't had the chance to leave any message behind. But Senji knew he'd have to be more careful in the future.
"Are you going back to retrieve it? But the fifth floor is…"
"That's fine. If a strengthened variant appears, the guild will send investigators. With a gold-ranked adventurer as a guard, I can handle it."
"Alright."
"Also…"
"Sorry, but I can't go. I've already investigated enough to know the rough area. I'll tell you where it is. Just… please, retrieve his belongings for me. I owe him an apology."
Senji had no intention of going back. Not right now, at least. But a few kind words would suffice for now.
"…I understand. See you later then."
"Wait—let me escort you to the entrance. I owe you that much."
"…Alright."
After nodding, Elly followed Senji out of the dungeon. Along the way, they exchanged a few words about Il, while Senji casually dispatched the weaker monsters they encountered.
Elly, as a mage, continued casting spells from her staff—abilities far beyond Senji's capabilities.
(Maybe I should try practicing magic someday. But with zero mana, I'd just be wasting my time.)
Soon enough, they reached the dungeon's exit. They had spent about three hours inside, though it felt longer.
It was now likely around two or three in the morning. No guards were in sight, so Senji took the time to escort Elly back to town.
"Elly, take this."
Senji handed her the sword he had been carrying.
"I can't accept this."
"Then sell it. Use the money for his sister's treatment. It's the least I can do."
"…Alright."
In truth, Senji didn't need the sword. It would've been a waste to just leave it unused, so this way he could at least score some points with Elly.
After they parted ways, Senji ran back toward the royal palace. The sky was still dark, but dawn was approaching.
(No one's awake yet, so I should be able to sneak back to my room easily—)
Then he remembered.
(Renew doesn't sleep, does she? Great.)
Cursing his luck, Senji used his stealth skills to quietly sneak back into his room. He was exhausted and tempted to dive into bed, but he knew he couldn't sleep—he had to be up for training at dawn.
Skipping that would only worsen his relationship with Renew, and that wasn't an option.
(Man, I'm so tired…)
With a sigh, Senji resigned himself to waiting for morning.
---
After breakfast, Senji guzzled down the coffee Laika had prepared for him and headed straight for the training grounds. As usual, the silver-haired beauty was already waiting for him, arms crossed.
"You're here."
"Yep."
"Hm, you look tired today."
"Just a bit."
"I see... Well, I suppose that's to be expected. Even a Hero like you is still a teenager. I know what it's like to… stay up all night comforting someone. Don't worry about it."
A strange misunderstanding was brewing, but Senji didn't want to clarify—if he did, she'd probably start asking what he was doing up all night.
"Mind your business, pervert."
"Wha—!? I-I was trying to be nice!"
"…Sorry."
"W-Well, if you're going to apologize that easily—hah!"
Before he knew it, Renew closed the distance in an instant, sweeping his legs out from under him. With no time to react, Senji braced for the impact of hitting the ground—
But instead, his head landed softly on something warm.
Looking up, he saw Renew's face.
Behind his head, he felt the soft touch of her thighs.
A lap pillow.
"What is this?"
"Just shut up and enjoy it."
"Uh…"
"If you're tired, rest. Training is important, but rest is even more so—especially for you, Senji, one of the Heroes who must save
this world."
With a gentle, almost maternal smile, Renew gazed down at him.
Senji, conflicted but exhausted, slowly let his eyes close.
The morning sun felt warm, and a soft breeze whispered across his skin.
"Hmmm, hmmm~♪"
Renew began humming a soft tune, one from this world.
As he listened, Senji decided he would allow himself to drift into sleep for just a little while.