Chapter 4

Forgotten Inventory: Suppose an RPG’s Starting Inventory Proved Vital to Escaping a Later Crisis

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Morning on the East Side. Birdsong made the early hours all the more pleasant. This was the only time of day when the bustle of the town took a break, a brief intermission between acts of chaos.

A crow pecked at a drunk passed out in the street. “Not dead yet!” the drunk rasped and brushed the crow away.

Consider the former statement redacted. The East Side never had moments of peace.

While the bird cheeped and the drunk groaned, Lloyd was busy sneaking out the back door of Marie’s shop.

He had a linen bag on his back and the quest brochure in hand. It didn’t exactly look like he was running an early morning errand.

He moved on tiptoes, radiating grim determination.

“Marie will never be up this early! Now’s my chance!”

“And where do you think you’re going?”

As if in reply, a black-clad figured appeared on the roof above.

“Marie?!” Lloyd’s jaw dropped in surprise.

The witch descended gracefully… Well, more like she just took a whole lot of time clumsily clambering along the side of the building, like a cat who could get up a tree but not down.

Eventually, Lloyd was forced to help, and Marie was left regretting her decision to scale the building in the first place.

“I’m surprised to find myself here, too,” she muttered. “Geez, I really get into it where you’re concerned… Can’t really talk shit about Selen, Phyllo, or the kid grandma, can I?”

“But why are you awake this early?” Lloyd asked. “You’re usually sound asleep.”

“I can get up if I want to! I just cut my reading time down, went to sleep early, drank some chamomile tea… I had a hunch you’d try to go on this quest by yourself.”

Lloyd flinched. His reaction was so transparent, Marie wasn’t sure how to proceed.

“Uh…sorry! Gotta go!” Lloyd turned on his heel, clearly desperate to avoid this conversation.

Marie moved to follow, but…

“Argh, wait, Lloyd—guh!”

In her haste, she stepped on her robe and fell flat on her face.

Her undignified yelp made Lloyd stop and turn back.

“A-are you okay, Marie?”

Having given the cracked pavement of the East Side a passionate kiss, Marie staggered to her feet, clutching her nose.

“I…don’t think so. Hah!”

“Ah! Shoot!”

Marie had thrown her arms around Lloyd so he couldn’t get away.

“Come now,” she purred in his ear. “Don’t run away. Explain yourself.”

“Er, uh…M-Marie…”

“If you don’t, I’ll have to hug you all day. And, you know, that’s fine with me, but…”

With the mist wrapped around them and her arms tight against him, Lloyd finally gave in.

“Urp…,” he groaned. “Fine…I’ll explain.”

Released, he slumped against the wall of the shop, gasping.

They sat together in the chilly morning air like two classmates in the school hall.

“…Um,” Lloyd started, avoiding eye contact. He stared off into the distance.

“…Right,” Marie said, grabbing his chin and turning it toward her, enjoying the softness of his cheeks…a lot.

“Mmph…Marie…”

“Look me in the eye when you talk. Why are you avoiding me?”

She was clearly taking this matter seriously, and that really got to him.

“Well, uh…”

“It really hurts, you know. You don’t want to hurt a girl’s feelings, right?”

Despite the serious look on her face, her fingers were still making his cheeks wobble, like a teenage boy who just bought his first boob-shaped mouse pad.

If she kept this up much longer, it risked altering Lloyd’s coloration, but fortunately, he finally started to explain himself.

“So-somebody told me…that I can’t do anything by myself, and that makes me unfit to be a soldier.”

“And you thought that was true?”

“…When she said it, I thought she had a point. I’m only a soldier because Allan helped me out. I only won at the magic tournament because of Riho’s strategy. And I only beat my first monster because Selen, Phyllo, and Mena had it on the ropes.”

“But…”

Marie wanted to tell Lloyd those were all his accomplishments, but with his self-esteem at rock bottom, he’d never believe her. She cut herself off, deciding the best tactic was to let him spill his guts out.

“And this time, I let a snake monster get away, and then all these lizards came out of the dungeon depths and created problems for the neighbors. We still haven’t solved the problem, and I really want to make up for that somehow…and maybe I can’t do anything on my own, but I’d really like to.”

Marie adjusted her glances, wincing… At the same time, she was relieved this wasn’t about her.

That explains why he’s going off on his own…but his lack of self-confidence really isn’t getting better.

Lloyd was so strong that destroying the kingdom would’ve been a simple matter for him. Here he was, however, shaking like a frightened animal, looking deeply apologetic, like a little boy trying to tell his mom why he’d fought with a friend.

“Heh.” Marie smiled softly, reaching for Lloyd’s head. She stroked it gently. “You’re not making sense. I can’t do anything on my own, either.”

“Huh?”

This seemed like a complete surprise.

“I can’t wake up in the morning or cook food. I was eating out of cans, for crying out loud! And I’m lousy at cleaning and laundry.”

“…That’s true, but what I’m talking about is…”

“That same thing.”

Marie rubbed him a little harder.

“But thanks to you, I’ve got great food and a clean home. That’s a huge help. And I’m helping you, too. I’ve taught you about life here, giving you information on the city and a place to stay. I mean, I feel like I’m definitely getting the better end of the deal, but…”

It was almost unfair how this living arrangement had worked out to Marie’s advantage, but that aside, she was making a good point.

“Everyone supports each other in all kinds of different ways. Fishermen, farmers, even soldiers—we all have strengths and weaknesses. You may not be aware, but I bet you’re helping out all kinds of people.”

“…Oh.”

“So it’s wrong to think you can’t do anything without your friends. Instead…”

“Instead?”

“Think to yourself, If I’ve got my friends with me, I can do anything.”

“Oh…I get it!” Lloyd’s face brightened like a ray of light striking a prism. “All right! I’m sorry for this. I promise I’ll do my best!”

“Mm-hmm.”

“You’ll beat that monster if I can’t do it! I feel a lot better about this now.”

“Mm?”

“Marie, you’re the hero who saves the kingdom from the shadows! With your support, I know this will work out! That’s what you meant when you said I could do anything if I had my friends with me! That’s so deep!”

I forgot about that!

Time for a recap. Marie had spent some time in the shadows, gathering information and attempting to free her father from the demon lord’s control. This had led Lloyd to (incorrectly) assume that Marie was a hero saving the country. In fact, it was Lloyd who had saved everyone. He’d mistaken monsters for bugs and banishing the enemy from the king’s body with his enchanted handkerchief.

Marie had taken advantage of his misunderstanding to pull off a number of different schemes. Lately, this had gotten to the point where she said things to Lloyd like “I’m so tired from saving the country all the time. Could you make me a parfait?”

A shudder of guilt made Marie’s fingers twitch, and she let out a strangled croak. Evidently, she was having flashbacks of her past mistakes.

While Lloyd muttered “So deep!” again, Marie wore a face that suggested she’d really stepped in the deep end.

Er, seriously? Even Lloyd couldn’t beat this thing! How will I do anything?!

With a huge smile on his face, Lloyd started stretching.

“I’ll do my best to handle this alone! And prove that I can do a lot on my own because I have friends with me!”

Looking at Marie in that moment, it was hard to imagine she was the one doing the cheering up a moment before. She had a hand on the wall, grunting, “Worse comes to worst, I’ll just have to run begging to the kid grandma…and hope she listens…”

Lloyd stepped up to Marie…

“Huh?”

…and he took her hand in his.

She freaked out.

“Sorry for making you worry. And thank you again, Marie. I’d better get going!”

Feeling bashful, Lloyd bowed low, his cheeks flushed. Then he ran off toward the dungeon.

Marie stared after him, flexing the hand he’d touched a few times. Then she turned bright red, as though the embarrassment had only then caught up with her.

She took a deep breath, waiting for the blush to fade.

“R-right…that worked out. And he does still like me.”

A gleeful smile spread over her face. She felt like they’d grown closer today.

“Sounds like I don’t need to go to that dungeon after all… I’m sure Lloyd will handle that monster just fine. And maybe he’ll wind up with that marriage reward!”

Counting her chickens before they hatched, Marie turned to go back inside.

“Morning, Marie.”

There she found Alka. Instantly dragged back to reality, the witch froze. Total system failure.

Crap… She definitely heard the bit about marriage…

Marie’s face still hadn’t rebooted. Locked into the smile, she slid gracefully onto her knees, carefully choosing a particularly rough patch of street. Her master had trained her well.

Alka, however, was in a very different mood.

“Marie, I need to ask you something.”

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean anything by that marriage line. I don’t even know why I said—”

Marie’s head was already halfway to the pavement. Fortunately, it was still too early for anyone to be passing by.

Alka displayed no interest in Marie’s actions. In fact, she appeared to be rather baffled by them.

“Hmph, another skeevy fantasy? No matter.”

“Har?” Marie aborted her protestation, stunned by her master’s uncharacteristic generosity. “Did you eat something funny?”

“I’m the one asking the questions, Marie. Tell me, is there a dungeon around here?”

“A dungeon… Uh, what kind?”

“The kind where all the treasure chests are long since open, and it’s only useful as training for rank beginners, and even the locals just think it’s a landmark.”

Alka’s description immediately brought that dungeon to mind…the one Lloyd was headed to.

“I can think of one, but…why do you ask?”

Alka stared off into the morning mist. “I think an old acquaintance is there…or something like that anyway. If you know a place, would you take me there?”

The witch slowly stood up, dusting herself off. “Sure, but gimme a second. I’d like to eat breakfast first.”

Marie tried to step inside, but Alka grabbed her arm.

“Sorry,” she said grimly. “We don’t have that kind of time. This is urgent…so we gotta fly.”

“Er, fly—no! Whoa! Aaaaah!”

Without waiting for a response, Alka yanked Marie by her arm and activated some mysterious levitation effect. Desperately holding her skirts in place, Marie was in an instant state of panic. They were already flying over the rooftops.

“What are you so upset about? Lemme just get us up above the clouds; then you can point me to the dungeon.”

“There’s no neeeeeeeed to go that hiiiiigh! It’s right over theeeeere!”

From romantic ecstasies to high-flying thrills in the blink of an eye! The little grandma dragged Marie through the clouds. Seriously, it was a good thing it was so early. If anyone had seen this, Marie would never have heard the end of it.

What had once been a pastoral locale with gentle rolling hills and a dungeon used for basic testing was now completely transformed.

Armed warriors surrounded the dungeon, ready to spring into action the moment any monsters emerged.

According to reports from the scouting parties, the interior was swarming with monsters, each the equivalent of a low-level dungeon boss. Make it through those, and you’d find even more vicious monsters packed into the deeper depths.

The traps had all been replaced. They now used mysterious warp tech. One wrong step could send someone back to the floor entrance or trap them in an infinite, looping corridor…

Beyond that was truly unknown. They could only imagine what traps and monsters lay in wait.

“But that also means there may be some serious treasure waiting,” Allan mentioned. He was stationed at the site on guard duty. “The sudden change in rank was already attention grabbing, and with the quest rewards, there’s a whole lot of people willing to give it a shot.”

It sounded like the demand was higher than anticipated, so they’d been forced to call in cadets to help handle the volume.

He looked around at the glowering adventurers and sighed again—this time rather ostentatiously.

“Why did the king have to say whoever slew this snake monster would get to marry anyone they wanted?”

A significant number of the glowering adventurers were so ugly, they belonged in a zoo, but there were also some who were beyond ecstatic. The rumors had also brought in a contingent of Temple Knights. There was quite a variety here, all told.

“If I weren’t on duty, I’d be giving it a shot myself,” Allan said, sulking. “When you hear you can marry anyone you like, it’s hard not to starting thinking, What about her…or her…?”

The look in his eyes was definitely that of a lifelong bachelor staring at the staff photos on his first visit to a cabaret.

Then he shook it off, a vein on his forehead throbbing.

“Yeah…if only cadets weren’t on duty…so why—?” He pointed at some familiar figures in the crowd. “Why are you standing on that side of the line?!”

Allan’s shaking finger led the eye to Phyllo, Selen, and Riho. Not in their usual gear, either—they were totally kitted out, raring to go, clearly not just passing by.

They each glanced in his direction, then turned away as if he was of no interest whatsoever. Clearly, their minds were on something else entirely.

“I’m more interesting than that! No, wait—why aren’t you on duty?!”

Each of them delivered a prepared excuse in turn.

“…Stomachache,” Phyllo quipped, making a show of clutching her belly.

“I’m planning on catching a cold any minute,” Selen offered with an acrobatic demonstration of how ill she felt.

“I’m just playin’ hooky,” Riho snarled. “Got a problem?”

None of those counted as excuses. This farce just infuriated him.

“I got problems for days!” Allan yelled. “You could at least try to lie about it, mercenary!”

Selen and Phyllo exchanged glances.

“Playing hooky is a bit much, Riho.”

“…Tch.”

“You aren’t much better!” Allan roared. “Your lies aren’t fooling anybody!”

Not one of them cared what he thought, though.

“My life depends on this.”

“…Don’t worry, you aren’t invited to the wedding.”

“I-I’m just here for the treasure.”

“I knew you’d say that! But please, stop it! You’ll lower our reputation again!”

His desperate pleas fell on deaf ears.

Selen seemed to take pride in this. “What is reputation in the face of true love?! For love, I would plunge into a volcano or a dragon’s den!”

“Think of who you take down with you! What you’re doing impacts reps of the local lords and the cadets! Get your butt on these guard lines, now!”

“Oh, please, Allan. You’re only on guard duty and ranting because you’re scared shitless of the dragons, and that provides an excuse not to fight them.”

“Th-that’s not true! As a cadet of Azami Military Academy! As Lloyd’s disciple! I’m doing my duty!”

As if summoned by these words, Lloyd’s face emerged from the sea of adventurers.

“Oh, Allan! And everyone else!”

He was not wearing his uniform but his everyday wear. He was clearly here for the dungeon, too.

“L-Lloyd!” Allan wailed. “You’re shirking your dutyyyy!”

“Sorry,” he said, cringing. “But when I said I wanted to give the dungeon another shot, Chrome said, ‘Cool, cool,’ and gave me the day off.”

“Chroooome!”

It was like a boss giving you permission to take paid leave because a new game came out. Allan’s fury was now entirely directed at their absent teacher.

“Sir Lloyd—here for me, of his own accord!”

“…Let’s beat this monster together and skip right to the ceremony.”

Selen’s and Phyllo’s brains were directly hardwired to their desires.

Then it was Riho’s turn. She generally kept a solid logic cushion between her brain and her desires, which allowed her to rationally analyze Lloyd’s participation.

“I bet he just feels guilty for letting that monster get away in the first place. Geez, Selen’s and Phyllo’s minds twist everything to their convenience.”

“Uh, yeah,” Lloyd admitted. “That’s part of it.”

“Part?”

“Mm, it’s not the best reason but…well, it’s a personal thing.”

He seemed weirdly uncomfortable about all this, which made Riho all the more curious.

“Uh…mind sharing it?”

“I’m done hesitating. I know I’ve got a lot to learn, but…I place my trust in you.”

This sudden burst of formality made Riho turn bright red. Guess that cushion slipped out.

“Er, then… W-well, if you put it that way…thanks?”

Selen was instantly by her side. “Hold up, hold up. He said that to me, not you.”

“But Lloyd said…huh? What are you talking about, m’lady?”

“…You’re both wrong. Master was talking to me. Our eyes met.”

“What on earth do you mean, Phyllo? His eyes were locked on mine! I know that for a fact!”

They were all right. Marie had said he could do anything if his friends were there, so Lloyd had been addressing not just Riho, but Selen, Phyllo, and even Allan.

While his friends bickered, Choline’s unenthusiastic voice rang out over the crowd.

“Okaaaay, time to get this dungeon cleared.”

A ripple ran through the crowd. Everyone secured their place in line, ready to rush in.

“Let’s do this!” Lloyd said.

“…Mm.”

“Oh, Sir Lloyd! We’ll finish this, build a house, get married, and create a wonderful family!”

“Yeah, marr—,” Riho began, then interrupted herself. “Nope, treasure! All about the treasure!”

Armed with these expectations, Lloyd’s group joined the line of adventurers.

Left behind, Allan mournfully watched them go.

“So irresponsible… No, Lloyd’s not like them. He’ll be the hero of the realm in no time. Hngg, I’d better get back to my post.”

Grumbling, he turned to go.

As he did, he bumped into someone else.

“Whoops, sorry,” he said, bowing his head.

The old man he’d nudged looked him over, seemingly unconcerned.

“…Mm,” he grunted.

An odd sort of person.

He struck Allan as a scout, or maybe an appraiser.

“Sir, this area isn’t safe for ordinary citizens,” Allan announced. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Citizens?”

“Aren’t you? Soldiers have a duty to protect ordinary citizens, so go on home before you get yourself hurt.”

Allan was being a little high-handed, but this merely seemed to delight the elder.

“You see me as a citizen to protect… The military of Azami has some good men.”

That was sort of a loaded statement, but Allan just gestured for him to leave again.

“Go on. Get outta here. Careful on the way home.”

He gave the older man a pat on the back. As he did, someone called out to him.

“Allan, have you seen any of the older cadets? The ones who caused trouble for you?”

Allan peered over the crowd, spotting his commanding officer. “Nope, haven’t seen them around.”

“Oh…so I guess they’re the ones who collapsed at the guard post last night.”

Allan’s face clouded over. “C-collapsed? Food poisoning, or…?”

“No, apparently not. No external injuries, either…but they’re all comatose.”

“C-comatose…?”

That word reminded him of the mess with the treant at the hotel.

Treants again? But why just the upperclassmen?

As Allan hesitated, his CO changed the subject.

“No point worrying about it from here. Colonel Chrome’s looking into it. I want you filling in for them on the defensive team. I expect good things, rookie.”

“R-roger that, sir!”

Allan saluted and followed his commanding officer away.

Then he stopped, looking back.

“Did that old-timer leave?”

There was no sign of him, like he’d vanished into thin air… This bugged Allan, but his CO urged him on.

“What’s wrong? I’ve got a lot to brief you on. Let’s get moving.”

As though this was the starting point of a marathon, the adventurers were checking their gear, getting ready for the dungeon to open.

Choline was addressing the crowd through a megaphone. “Veteran adventurers may be sick of hearin’ this, but mess with other parties too much, and you’re outta here! Our goals are monster extermination and making this place safe again! Nothin’ else! Don’t forget, this is a top-level dungeon we know nothin’ about!”

“““““Yeeeeeaaaaaahhhh!”””””

The crowd roared.

The king’s blunder had definitely left the mass of adventurers worked up. The scene at the dungeon entrance resembled the scene outside Comiket or any other convention.

“Right, then,” Choline exclaimed. “Dungeon’s open!”

With that, the newly built doors swung inward.

“““Woooooooo!”””

A cheer erupted from the mob. Money, honor, marriage, Lloyd—all kinds of motivations had driven them here. These cries echoed through the first floor, just like when the doors open at Comiket.

The first floor shook, but another vibration put it to shame.

“…Hah!”

It was Phyllo.

She’d put the full weight of her strength, a match for Lloyd’s own, into a downward smash, as if trying to punch through to the floor below. Her blow rocked the entire dungeon.

The crowd surging forward lost their balance, falling to the ground.

Riho was flat on her ass as well. She looked up at Phyllo, who seemed proud of herself.

“Damn, Phyllo! They just said not to mess with other parties!”

“…I saw a bug… Eep. Gross. Scaryyy.”

“Who crushes ’em with their bare hands? And you’re the worst at acting!”

Phyllo displayed no visible emotions in response to this sound argument. Instead, she turned and ran on ahead.

“…Mm?”

Just as she thought she’d secured a lead, she heard a clattering behind her and found a young man giving chase.

“Rahhhh! I just want to be popular!”

“…You’re…the stinky Temple Knight all girls hate…”

Vicious words had provoked their share of tears, but they did not slow him down.

“I’m the Temple Knight school student council president, Ben Zethonium! I remember you from the Student Sorcery Tournament! The martial artist girl!”

Apparently, the boy she’d destroyed at said competition was named Ben.

Temple Knights wore heavy plate armor, since their profession specialized in fighting magic. With a constant need for countermeasures against magic crime, his future was guaranteed…but since he spent most of his time training in heavy armor, the stench was like a kendo team’s gauntlets. This left his romantic prospects far thornier than his professional ones. Poor kid.

“If I get through this dungeon, I can marry a girl! Get myself a beautiful, mild wife! Obtain true happiness! And prove how great Temple Knights are to the world!”

This last part was clearly far less important but earned brownie points for honesty!

“…No matter how hard you try, that future will never come to pass. Give up and let me win.”

“At least pretend like I have a small shot at it, for pity’s sake!”

Ben really needed to address the BO first. He could only insist it was pheromones for so long.

The Temple Knight’s loud sobs momentarily distracted Phyllo…

Shhhhpppp.

Like a snake that’s spied prey, a belt stained the color of blood wrapped itself around her.

“No racing off ahead, Phyllo Quinone!”

Her face twisted like a demon’s, Selen had used her cursed artifact to snare Phyllo.

“…Interference.”

“Is not! I am merely using your momentum to propel myself through the dungeon! This is teamwork!”

Teamwork that benefited only one person hardly qualified.

“…Eek. Scary,” Phyllo deadpanned.

“I’m confused, but this is my chance for victory! If I can pull—Iaheaaaghhhhhh!”

When Ben darted forward, a massive fireball hit him from behind, instantly barbecuing the poor boy.

“Whoops, you smelled so bad, I assumed you were a monster! What a blunder!”

Riho raced by, her mithril arm gleaming, a heat haze shimmering around her.

Despite the burning smell around Ben, his Temple Knight equipment had mostly kept him safe—although he was now sporting some singed and frizzled hair.

“…Riho,” Phyllo warned. As the martial artist was dragging Selene behind her, Riho was able to match her pace.

Running side by side, the former mercenary made a proposition.

“Wait up now, Phyllo, let’s all cooperate here. You, too, m’lady.”

“The soles of my shoes are wearing down…huh? Cooperate?” Selen asked.

Riho nodded. She was clearly serious about this. The other two stopped to listen.

“Yeah, if we exhaust ourselves here, the monsters will get us. We don’t even know what’s waiting up ahead. The veteran adventurers are a mean threat, too. We oughtta tackle this as a party.”

Selen and Phyllo looked at each other, then nodded.

“Fine, I accept your suggestion. We’re friends, after all!!”

“…Friends forever.”

In the center of the dungeon floor, they put their fists together like their very own Oath of the Peach Garden.

As if attracted by the commotion, monsters appeared—a group of baby dragons. Despite being young, the creatures were still dragons, and even a veteran adventurer could be turned to mincemeat at the slightest error.

This was the perfect chance for the three cadet girls to show off their elegant teamwork.

It was a familiar sight for all students, past and current: People who say they’re going to run a marathon together always betray one another.

“You handle this one! I’ll go on ahead and work the next floor.”

“I’m going to scout the floor below! For all of us!”

“…Take care of this. I’m going ahead.”

Forget the Oath of the Peach Garden—these girls were all as rebellious as the Yellow Turbans at heart.

“Hey! That’s not fair!”

“Says you.”

“…And you.”

All three had dashed off in the same direction. No stretch of the imagination would’ve called this teamwork. It was such a bizarre sight that it actively confused the monsters.

The three of them forgot their real foes and started bickering among themselves.

“How dare you try and slip ahead of me!” Riho accused.

Phyllo stood her ground, looking very serious. “…It’s time we settled this.”

“I agree!”

Yikes, so much for friendship. Even Riho was seeing red, oblivious to the other adventurers who were starting to pass them.

“Fine! Good a time as any! Let’s find out which of us is stron—”

As she raised her mithril arm to fight, Phyllo turned and asked the urgent question, arms hanging limply at her sides.

“…Are you in love with Master?”

“Wh-what?”

Riho had never been more rattled by anything.

“Exactly!” Selen yelped, jumping on board. “You put a lot of work into pretending you don’t have any feelings for Sir Lloyd, but you ditch me to go on a date with him, and then at the hotel, you demanded a massage from him! There’s more where that came from! It’s time you confess!”

The stalker clearly had to know. She pushed this topic with all her might, not about to let Riho wriggle out of it again.

“Uh, ummmmm… We’re in the middle of a dungeon right now…”

“…On your knees.”

“Again, dungeon? Baby dragons?! Shouldn’t we take care of…”

Whump. Crack. Slap. Crunch.

The baby dragons were defeated!

“…We good now? On your knees.”

A pack of monsters slain in seconds. Phyllo’s usual deadpan radiated power.

“Th-that didn’t even buy me time…,” Riho wailed. She didn’t have so much as a chance to make a run for it.

Wiping the baby dragon blood off herself, Selen pointed grimly to the floor.

“Get down, Riho. Try that rough patch of ground there.”

The look in her eyes made Riho shudder. Thinking it unwise to push her luck, she got down on the ground.

“I want to hear it direct from your lips, or I can’t officially designate you a rival.”

“…Mm.”

Before they could demand an answer, the glittering warp devices in the floor depths lit up as one.

The ground rumbled. A massive dragon with scales like molten lava appeared from the warp zone.

“A d-dragon?!”

The sheer gnarliness of it rattled all three of them.

“Nice timing! Thanks a bunch, dragon!”

The perfect distraction gave Riho cause to celebrate. She even threw it a kiss, like an idol working the crowd.

“…Hah!”

Phyllo’s full-force roundhouse kick knocked out the monster’s front legs. It had been charging forward, so this sent it tumbling, crashing shoulder-first into the ground.

A deafening screech rang out as its back scales scraped across the dungeon floor, sparks flying.

It slammed into the wall but landed with its head facing them—so it tried to immediately launch a breath attack.

“This is important!” Selen snapped, and before it could spray fire, her cursed belt tied its mouth closed.

The attack was stifled too late, and the searing flames spilled backward down into its lungs. It was a sad sight, but Selen showed no mercy when romance was in the cards.

Amid pained sounds from the dragon, Phyllo swapped in and delivered a merciless mid-body strike.

“……Mm.”

Her fist hit its unguarded belly, and the monster was down for the count.

The whole thing took ten seconds flat.

“That’s it?! You’re a disgrace to all dragonkind!”

The monster gave Riho an apologetic look (from Riho’s perspective), its gaze wet with sorrow (from Riho’s perspective), but its body fell limp to the ground.

“Argh! Hang in there, dragon! That’s not all you have to offer!”

No human had ever been more on the side of monsters.

Unfortunately, Riho’s friends weren’t done yet.

“…The finish.”

Phyllo’s toe kick left nothing to chance. Holding absolutely nothing back, it was like a keeper kicking the ball as far as possible. The dragon landed on the far end of the dungeon and did not get up.

Selen gave the immobilized monster a cold glare, then turned the exact same look on Riho.

“How dare you root for that thing, Riho!”

“I—I wasn’t rooting for it. I just… I meant, ‘Hang in there. Dragon…Slayer Selen!’”

“Dragon Slayer Selen? When did I earn that imposing name? No matter. You need to make your feelings for Sir Lloyd clear! Hold on.”

“…Crap.”

Phyllo had tried to take advantage of their double act to slip away, but Selen’s belt dragged her back.

“Crap, my ass, Phyllo! We’re a party! We’re party animals!”

This didn’t sound like the fun kind.

All they were doing here was holding one another back. They still hadn’t noticed the stream of veteran adventurers passing them by.

“Arghhhhhh! Wait for meeee!”

Even Barbecue Ben overtook them—and only then did they realize they were the last people left on the floor.

There was a moment’s stunned silence, and then they began yelling at one another.

“What’s the meaning of this?! Cooperating put us dead last!”

“Beating that dragon just helped everyone else out! What’s the point of this party?!”

“…Extremely lamentable.”

Blaming one another was futile.

As their bickering reached the level of an international dispute…

There was a rumble—once again, as if in answer to the tension in the air.

The shaking was stronger than when Phyllo had punched the ground. What was happening?

“I-is this an earthquake?”

At last, the tremors died down. All three braced themselves.

“…Might be a new monster. I’ll check it out.”

“Hey! Phyllo! You just want to get ahead of us!”

“Now, now, let’s split the difference and have me go look. You two wait here.”

Selen calmly turned to leave, but the other two girls each grabbed an arm.

“Don’t you be sneaking off.”

“…Yes…we’re party animals. And friends forever.”

…They were gonna be in last place all day.

“Owwwww…”

In the center of the earthquake, Marie had fallen on her ass.

She was in a dungeon corridor, surrounded by cold rock. Confused, she looked up to where she’d fallen from.

“Yikes…”

Sunlight filtered down from far above. She was lucky to have survived such a fall uninjured, she thought, belatedly breaking out in a cold sweat.

Next to her was the cause of the earthquake—Alka, letting her white robes flutter as she stared down at Marie, arms folded.

“Geez, I said we’re in a hurry! Flying’s nothing to scream about. You’re slowing us down!”

“You drag anyone above cloud level, I’m sure they’ll react the same way!”

“Stop freaking out. Don’t ya have any balls?”

“Of course not! No balls, and no luck!”

The impact from earlier had been caused by Alka’s forcible dungeon entry, plummeting like a meteor from the sky above.

Marie was doing her level best to take things in stride, but just the thought of that dynamic dungeon descent was enough to make her panic. It would be a while before she fully recovered.

“Enough girl talk! I’ve gotta move!”

It was unclear what part of this had qualified as girl talk, but Alka rolled up her sleeves, exhaling so hard she looked like a locomotive.

“Uh, Master? Where to? What about me?”

“Time we went our separate ways. Good luck getting home.”

Alka punched the dungeon wall.

The force was tremendous, so much so that it was hard to believe it came from her tiny arm. The impact tore open a hole to the passage beyond.

Brushing aside the dust raining from above, Marie desperately tried to get any sort of explanation out of Alka.

“Wh-what’s going on?!”

“Taking a shortcut, obviously. Tunneling your way to the shortest route is dungeon exploring, Kunlun-style.”

Alka waved a hand. “Later!”

She began burrowing through the dungeon like a human excavator.

Left behind, Marie couldn’t even muster the energy to get up.

“Huhh…”

They’d come from above. She didn’t know whether to go right or left or where the exit was. She felt defeated already.

“I guess I can’t get anywhere if I just sit here… Gotta trust my gut.”

Marie forced herself up and began following the passage, hoping to find a room of some kind. She’d barely taken two steps before…

“Yikes! What was that?”

She kicked something soft and peered down.

“Argh, it’s too dark to see!”

Marie waggled her fingers, chanting a light spell.

A small orb of light appeared, hovering above her palm. She shone the light at her feet, and saw…

“…A person? I think?”

In front of her was the hippo-faced Temple Knight, out cold, smoke emerging from his inexplicably charred hair. Picture someone who drank too much, missed their last train, and fell asleep in an empty train station. Basically, he had that vibe.

Marie held a hand near his mouth and confirmed he was still breathing.

“He is!” She sighed with relief. Then she sat him up, looking him over. “But I don’t see any injuries… I’ve seen these symptoms before… Eep!”

She’d glanced farther down the passage, and what she saw made her squeak.

“…Yiiikes.”

The corridor was filled with adventurers, all of them in the same condition as the Temple Knight. Marie recognized them from the gathering at the castle the other day.

It was like a mass grave. Except they weren’t dead yet.

That wasn’t the most startling thing Marie saw, however.

“…What are these roots?”

What looked like tree roots were wriggling wormlike across the floor.

“Are they alive? Nobody mentioned anything like this at the briefing…”

A shudder ran down her spine.

“A treant? I can’t ignore that…”

She had to keep moving. Marie stepped forward.

The farther down the passage she went, the thicker the roots became. When she reached the clearing at the end of the passage…

“My, my, my.”

Micona was sitting on the gnarled branches like they were her throne, legs crossed regally.

“M-Micona?”

“Ahh…Marie,” she breathed, looking ecstatic. “What brings you here?”

Marie’s attention was focused on the roots around them.

Quivering, they were like veins, piercing every wall in the room in a way that suggested they penetrated every recess of the dungeon.

Micona herself was perched not unlike a spider at the center of that web.

Marie could guess what this meant, and she gave Micona a searching look.

“Uh…I got lost,” she said. “You?”

Maybe the treant was already here, and Micona had just happened to sit down on it. Marie wanted that to be true, but…

“I’m gathering power…and waiting for him.”

Yup, she’s done for. It’s taken her over.

Marie’s faint hope was immediately dashed.

Knowing that Micona was possessed by a treant parasite did help to clear her mind, however.

This is bad… I dunno if I can handle this solo.

Marie had no idea how a customer of hers came to be possessed by such a thing, but if she did nothing, Micona would only commit more heinous acts.

They had always been friendly, so she wanted to help her.

“Ah…I can feel myself growing stronger… This is a blessing, indeed.”

Micona herself seemed really into it. Even as Marie stood worried for Micona, her roots were reaching out, draining the life energy from more adventurers.

Gotta keep her talking and trust the kid grandma or Lloyd will show up…

Fortunately, Micona was in control enough to speak. Marie’s voice shot up an octave, making her sound like a presenter on a variety show.

“Him? Micona, I can’t let that pass without comment! We talking love?”

Despite the weird voice, this was a clear attempt at distracting Micona with a worldwide favorite topic of gossip.

“Well…I suppose, technically, when you get down to it,” Micona offered reluctantly.

The roots pulsed in response.

Bingo! No girls can resist talking about love! But who could he be…and why does she need power?

With not the slightest clue the target of this love was herself, Marie just assumed they were talking about a boy.

Meanwhile, Micona was still talking, blushing, and fidgeting. This alone would’ve been cute, but all the roots in the room twitched with her, making it all creepy.

“You see…the love of my life is…so wonderful, but…someone stole them from me.”

Marie’s mind went into speculation overdrive.

I see…so she’s in love with this guy, but a girl stole him from her, and she’s out for revenge?

The treant had taken advantage of this grudge, worming its way into Micona’s heart. Marie found herself feeling entirely sympathetic.

“That must have been rough… You poor thing,” said Marie, the one deserving of the most pity as the object of Micona’s affections.

“Yes! It was! I was so sad…hahh-hahh …”

Micona’s wail gave way to heavy breathing. This always happened when you showed sympathy for weirdos. Take note.

Mistaking it for anger, Marie tried to deescalate the situation.

“Revenge is not the answer! If it was me, I wouldn’t want anyone doing that.”

“Urp!”

Since it was Marie, this hit Micona hard. Right in the heart.

That was a good one! I could be a counselor.

The witch patted herself on the back and kept talking, hoping Alka or Lloyd would show up soon. She had all the energy of a detective keeping a kidnapper on the phone until they could trace the call.

“So who are we talking about? You’re making me curious.”

This seemed to rattle Micona.

“There’s nobody else here! Just me,” Marie offered, as if they were chatting at her shop. “Go ahead. You can tell me.”

From Micona’s perspective, her one true love was prying a little too deep, and she was starting to nurse a faint hope that Marie was actually interested in her. This was why you shouldn’t be nice to weirdos.

Marie cupped a hand to her ear, leaning forward expectantly. “Who is he?”

Micona named him—and her tone made it clear this was the target of her vengeance.

“Lloyd Belladonna.”

“Huh?” Marie’s expression froze.

No, no, no, no. Huh? Lloyd? What?!

Marie’s speculation was instantly upended. She tried to sort things out, half to convince herself of the truth.

Micona’s true love was stolen by…Lloyd? Lloyd stole a man?

It simply never entered Marie’s head that Micona might’ve been in love with her. A classic straight girl blind spot, but…

But Lloyd is awfully cute, and he’s good at cooking. We all joke that he’s a great wife, so…it’s not out of the question! Some hardcore adventurer is after his chastity!

She’s just making things worse now.

Lloyd’s domesticity and cutesy looks proved very convincing.

“So who was taken by him? Who’s the one you love?”

Marie was hell-bent on finding out the identity of what she imagined to be some buff-manly adventurer.

Her grim look was like a shot right through Micona’s heart.

“I—I can’t… It’s too much…,” she stammered.

Yeah, I’d be embarrassed, too. I could never admit to a crush on a gay bodybuilder.

No one present had such feelings, but Marie fell silent, feeling like she’d dug up an awkward truth.

Meanwhile, Micona’s love could no longer be restrained, and her roots reached out, snaring Marie.

“I can’t stop myself…haah-haah … Sorry, Marie!”

“Er…M-Micona, wait!”

“Don’t worry! I won’t drain you. Um…right! This is just to lure Lloyd Belladonna here! I’m only indulging the tentacle thing because I need to get that loathsome man here!”

The right! made it clear that Micona had just made this up.

“I’m not indulging any of this! Hey! At least make the bonds a little less tight! And put me down!”

“I can’t! I’ve hardened my heart! And carved this moment into it! Come to me, Lloyd Belladonna! Or don’t, I’m good.”

“Er…what? I couldn’t hear that last bit… Eep, not there!”

“Not where? Be specific!”

Micona was really kicking things up a notch, and Marie concluded the treant had its tendrils into Micona so deep, she could no longer think straight. Honestly, it was really all Micona’s doing. The treant was pretty blameless.

Panting heavily, Micona drew closer, and the look in her eyes was enough to make Marie yell for help…yell the name of the boy she loved.

“H-help! Lloyd!”

“Aero!”

A gust of wind shot out of the side passage—so strong the air pressure hurt Marie’s ears.

Behind the blast of air stood an ordinary boy with a pleasant smile.

“L-Lloyd!”

“I thought that was you, Marie. I was worried it might be cheating, but I figured it was better to use the dungeon-clearing technique I was taught in the country.”

Smashing through dungeon walls isn’t really a country thing—that’s Kunlun-specific!

With roots digging into her skin and the wind bouncing her around, Marie called out to Micona.

“M-Micona! Lloyd’s here, so could you let me go? I’m sure if we talk things out, we can clear the air! Lloyd doesn’t go that way! And as his guardian, I wouldn’t let him!”

Marie’s pleas fell on deaf ears.

“Lloyd…Belladonnaaaaaa! Why are you here?!”

“Er… Weren’t you waiting for him? Isn’t that why you tied me up?!” Marie asked.

“Whoops… I mean, there you are, Lloyd Belladonna! Why the big rush?!”

Try as she might, Micona just couldn’t keep the act up.

“Oh, Micona! Nice to see you again.”

Lloyd greeted her completely normally.

“Lloyd! So polite!”

“Marie, are you okay? I’m sorry. I bet you’re only here because you were worried about me, and now you’ve gotten stuck in these roots!”

He bowed his head, then looked at Micona, taking in the room as a whole. The size of it, the damage to the floor, the gaping hole in the back wall—and he realized this was the same room where the snake had been.

“This is where we met the snake, right?” he confirmed.

“Yes!” Micona cried in answer.

“Then back there… Sorry, I’m just gonna get Marie down. Do you mind backing up a bit?”

Lloyd glanced once toward Micona at the center of the room and then walked over to Marie.

An instant later…

“Huh?”

Roots formed a wall in front of him. He looked surprised.

“You just can’t stop mocking me,” Micona growled. “How can you look at this situation and ignore me?!”

“Oh, are these yours, Micona? I thought you were only sitting on them.”

“You really… No, fine, I’ll let that drop. I suppose you wouldn’t necessarily assume I was controlling them. Or realize—”

Suddenly, there was a loud noise from the passage leading to the floors above—followed by a tremendous roar, and then the flaming hot jaws of a thick-scaled dragon.

“A dragon! Again?!”

Lloyd was as unconcerned as Marie was flustered. Meanwhile, Micona just strolled over to the creature.

The dragon turned its attention to her, red light gleaming in its open maw as it prepared to breathe fire.

Speaking to the monster, she finished the sentence she’d been in the middle of.

“That I’m no longer human.”

Micona held up a hand.

It was the same sort of motion she’d done when giving orders to her minions, but this time, it was the roots that answered.

In less than a second, Micona had the monster trussed and bound, jaws, claws, body, and tail.

“A dragon…with such ease?”

“Wait, is this a treant?”

Marie and Lloyd reacted quite differently, but Micona just flashed them a sinister smile.

“Lloyd Belladonna, witness the power that will take everything from you!”

Micona suddenly shot forward.

She hadn’t jumped. Instead, she’d spread her wings and began circling the bound beast.

“Huh? What?” Marie’s mind couldn’t keep up.

As Micona came in for a landing on the dragon’s nose, a dark shell began covering her, like a human-shaped insect.

“I’ve seen that before…”

“Just like Colonel Merthophan!”

When Abaddon had taken over the country, he’d forced Merthophan to go berserk. The sight of it filled Marie with horror.

“Eh-heh-heh… Eh-heh-heh-heh-heh!”

Unable to stop herself from cackling, Micona swung a shell-coated arm down, hitting the monster’s head.

It dug in, like she’d punched loose soil.

As the dragon staggered, the roots coiled tighter, twisting and strangling.

The sound of breaking bones filled the air, and the dragon’s eyes rolled back in its head as it collapsed to the ground.

Micona looked happily down at Lloyd through the armor.

“With all the strength I’ve absorbed, I can do what you do! Are you ready to battle?”

“Uh, sorry, but the quest has to be my priority here,” Lloyd said, refusing politely. He turned to Marie and started helping her down. “This might hurt a bit.”

His total lack of interest infuriated Micona. Shell and all, she started stamping her foot.

“That’s a lousy reason to turn me down! Doesn’t this impress you?! Aren’t you scared?!”

“No, I’ve seen all this before. I dunno why you’re wearing that getup, but I’ve got better things to do here. Sorry. Will you take these roots off Marie? She’s really upset.”

“You just refuse to stop making fun of me! Fine! I have another idea!”

Micona huffed once, and the treant roots began to move.

Despite the veiny things having already been pushed well past their comfortable limits, they wound tighter and instantly dragged Marie across the floor toward Micona, dangling her in the air.

“Ah…eek?!”

Marie found herself wrapped in a tender embrace. She could not hide her surprise.

Micona could no longer hide her lust, either.

“Ah, hah, hahhh! Come! Lloyd Belladonna! Fight me! Or I’ll have my way with Marie! Oh…no need to rush.”

Beneath that shell had to be a very sketchy grin. Thank goodness it was hidden from view.

“Um, Micona? This is really freaking me out here!”

“My love demands it!”

For a second, Marie thought she saw the specter of Selen behind Micona.

“I don’t know what that—!”

“Okay,” Lloyd said, interrupting.

“Hmph. Someone can’t take a hint…”

If Micona didn’t want Lloyd to fight her, she should have been more specific.

Lloyd was looking at her the way a big brother does a misbehaving child.

“I get being afraid of lizards, but overcoming that fear is no excuse for getting carried away! It’s like you’re drunk—like alcohol has lowered all your inhibitions… Come to think of it, the last time I saw someone dressed like you, they were drunk, too!”

“I’m not druuuunk!” Micona roared, swinging toward him.

Their fists smashed together, and the shock wave blasted across the entire floor.

And the winner was—Lloyd.

“Grahhh!”

With a monstrous grunt, Micona was sent flying backward. She caught herself with her wings just before she slammed into the wall, forcibly hovering in the air.

“If I face Lloyd Belladonna head on, his cheating still has the advantage!” she said, gasping for breath.

He came after her again, taking a huge leap in her direction and using momentum to propel a dropkick.

“Hahhh!”

“Tch!”

Micona twisted herself, darting evasively and refusing to be so easily pinned down.

Clangggg.

There was a low rumble like a giant nail being pounded. Lloyd’s kick shattered the wall itself.

Even with his foot buried in rubble, his eyes never left Micona.

“Arghhh! Let me go! All this dangling is turning my stomach!”

With the superhuman battle rocking the floor, Marie was being tossed around like a moth in the wind.

Micona’s next attack used the treant roots—all of them, from all directions.

She’d already had them stretched all over the place. This was clearly a preplanned move she wasted no time in unleashing.

“Bind attacks from all directions! No escaping! You’ll be caught! And torn apart! Drained to a husk! You cheater!”

Roots came at Lloyd from above and below, right and left. There was clearly no path to avoid them.

But just as it seemed like Lloyd would be subject to the most undignified of indignities…

“Why would I run?” he asked in a totally normal tone.

He knocked all the roots aside. One managed to wrap itself around his ankle, but he kicked it off like dust.

Scraps of bark were piling up beneath his feet like the sidewalk near a freshly mowed lawn.

“Uh…?” Micona managed, gaping at him. Her roots were so strong they’d even bound a dragon, but Lloyd made them look harmless.

“Hup!”

Lloyd grabbed a handful of the mulch, flinging it at Micona.

“Augh!”

A fastball. The difference was that the root was the size of a grown man. There was a thunderous whoosh as it passed right by Micona and slammed into the wall in the back.

“I get that controlling these is a good way to avoid having to touch the lizards, but that’s no excuse for using them on people! Didn’t anyone teach you not to play with brooms or mops? Same thing!”

“These aren’t cleaning equipment! They’re my power!”

Hovering in the air, Micona shook with rage. She hadn’t abandoned her humanity to clean.

Lloyd wasn’t trying to make fun of her. These inhuman powers were just the equivalent of a trash picker to him.

Micona was finally starting to realize that Lloyd’s strength wasn’t a hack, but instead the real deal. Frustrated, she ground her teeth.

“You’re a monster,” she spat. “You disguise yourself as a feeble little creature. The whole time I thought you were cheating, I bet you were laughing behind my back! Toying with me! Stealing the love of my life!”

“Are we done yet?” Lloyd called out. “The more you run around, the more the booze is gonna go to your head, and the worse the hangover will be.”

He still thought she was just drunk. Micona’s furious quivering subsided.

“…You insist on ridiculing me to the bitter end, I see. You use that guileless face to force opponents to underestimate you and take advantage of them. It even worked on Marie…”

Micona quietly landed on the floor, her mind clearly made up.

“I-is it over? Are you done now?” Marie asked. “Then let me go before—”

“I wasn’t sure what toll this form would take on me, and I was scared to try—but I can’t afford to hold back now.”

The second-year student was muttering under her breath, as if arguing with herself—it was unclear if she’d heard Marie at all.

When the whispering stopped, Micona’s fingers began twitching violently.

“Um…what is that?” Marie asked.

The light of magic surrounded Micona, moving through all parts of her body.

She took her time with this, a twisted smile on her lips. Then she let out a cry of anger, ecstasy, sadness, and pain. “I told you to remember me. The famous Godspeed Micona!”

“Godspeed Micona?”

Before Marie could say more, Micona closed the gap between herself and Lloyd.

The force of her leap carved cracks into the ground.

Her leg strength was terrifying.

With treant roots serving as muscles, her thighs bulging, she aimed a mid-kick at his torso.

“!”

The speed of Micona’s attacks was far greater than before, and Lloyd did not have time to block it. He was sent flying helplessly away.

He slammed into the wall just like the chunk of root he’d thrown a moment before.

“That was so fast! Gah!”

Grimacing, Lloyd pried himself out of the wall and tried to recover, but—

“Too late!”

This time, Micona used her wings to lunge even faster, approaching her opponent in the blink of an eye. Her hands clasped the sides of Lloyd’s head and slammed it into the wall behind.

“Uh!”

“I’m gonna grind your skull!”

Micona began rubbing Lloyd’s head against the wall, floor, and ceiling like she was writing letters in the dirt with a stick.

“Eek!”

The sight was so horrifying, Marie let out a shrill scream.

Micona only stopped when the floor was in pieces and the wall reduced to a dust heap.

Blood was running down the sides of her face, and from her eyes as well. It trailed down her nose and into her mouth. The spell must have been doing severe damage to her vision.

She spat out the blood, annoyed, and lifted Lloyd’s head. “…This is all your fault,” she snapped. “You took everything—”

Before she could finish, Lloyd grabbed her arm in both hands and threw her.

“Hah!”

“Aughhh!”

The force of the throw nearly wrenched the girl’s arm off. Micona was slammed back-first into the floor, crumpling her wings.

“That’s right; I forgot! Godspeed Micona, was it?”

Micona looked up and saw that Lloyd’s face was completely uninjured, despite all the abuse it’d taken. She shivered at the sight.

“What?! How are you still intact?”

“I’ve been through far worse back in the village. To my great shame.”

“The village?! What abusive kind of village is that?!”

“Kunlun.”

“From the fairy tales?! How stupid do you think I am?!” Micona shrieked.

As she did, treant roots shot out of her in all directions like missiles. Enhanced by the Godspeed spell, they came at Lloyd like spears hurled with tremendous force.

“Rahhh!”

Lloyd dodged each and every one.

Bounding off the roots, tying them together, threading the needle between tiny gaps in the flurry of attacks. Nothing hit Lloyd.

“Dammit! Damn you!”

With Godspeed activated, Micona’s attacks were faster than ever before, but she was still inexperienced with her new powers. The way she now conducted herself betrayed her actions far more than when she’d merely been attacking directly.

“Good job, Lloyd! Keep that up!”

Marie cheered Lloyd on…

“What’s all the ruckus? Is that Lloyd’s voice?”

“I won’t be fooled! You’re just trying to trick us into letting you…”

“…No, it really is him.”

Familiar voices could be heard down the hall. Riho, Selen, and Phyllo entered the shattered remains of the room.

Between their own squabbles and the occasional dragon fight, none of them were in great condition—and it seemed like they hadn’t noticed the condition of the dungeon around them.

“Sure is a lot of noise… Another dragon?”

“I’ll take on any monster or mongrel this place has to offer!”

“…Mm? Roots? And Marie?”

A number of Micona’s offshoots had stabbed into the floor right in front of them.

“Riho!” Marie called. “Stay back! This place isn’t safe!”

“Crap!” Lloyd had been dodging handily, but when he realized stray shots might hit the three new arrivals, he started to panic.

He stopped dodging and began deflecting the branches so they wouldn’t hit his friends. Grabbing the things, he tossed them to the ceiling, or kicked them aside…

“Er, what?! Sir Lloyd!” Selen cried. Then she shrieked, “Augh!”

The sudden change in tactics had been too much for him, and he missed a root—which struck him square in the back.

“Aaaaaaah!”

He was flung forward, slamming into the ground right in front of the three girls.

“…Master!”

“Yo, Lloyd…what is this?”

“Is that Micona?”

Having finally landed a blow, Micona stopped the onslaught. She was out of breath and clearly needed a moment. Her Godspeed had likely worn off.

“Even with Godspeed…I only hit you once…and then only because you were guarding your friends… You’re a monster!”

If those girls hadn’t shown up, Micona would’ve been the one on the ground.

Gasping and bleeding all over, she glared down at Lloyd. “This is hardly an even match…but this is my shot at finishing him off!”

All the offshoot roots began reaching toward him.

“Uh…,” Lloyd grunted, struggling to his feet.

“Sir Lloyd! Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine! Look out! Here they come!”

“…They…aren’t attacking?”

This time, the roots weren’t coming after Lloyd. Instead, they were thrusting into the floor, ceiling, and walls, burrowing off in all directions.

“Waiiit… If this is a treant… Urgh, bad memories.”

They had snared the nearby dragon corpse, and Riho grimaced at the sight.

“Are they…draining the life force? From that beast?” Marie asked, horrified.

“You know the difference between us?” Micona asked Lloyd gleefully. “You have friends…and friends just lead to unnecessary pain! With the powers I’ve gained, I know I’ve made the right choice! What I need is nourishment! Stepping stones!”

Meanwhile, back on the surface, a rescue and a medical team waited on standby, ready to go at any moment. This was a high-level dungeon with dragons in it, after all.

“…It’s awfully quiet,” Allan observed.

He was near the entrance with the defensive squad.

Having been inside himself, he knew how scary the dungeon below really was and just how powerful its monsters were…yet not a single adventurer had retreated, nor had there been any reports of injuries. It was starting to feel suspicious.

The soldiers around Allan seemed to be having similar thoughts. “There must be something going on in there,” someone said.

None among them suggested going to take a look, however. Allan knew only too well why.

The dragons.

The defensive squad exchanged glances, but nobody volunteered.

Allan folded his arms, considering his options.

“You’re only on guard duty because you’re scared of the dragons.”

…Shut up.

Allan’s brow furrowed.

Those words had only been said out of spite, but part of him knew he was running from danger. He couldn’t argue against it.

If Lloyd wasn’t joining him on the guard line, if they weren’t doing their duty here together…then why was Allan here? Should he have gone with the girls? And worst of all…

“The person I want to be…wouldn’t be stuck here.”

He’d been ashamed of his plan to climb the ranks and give orders from a place of safety just so he could avoid fighting the monsters he feared.

“I thought I made up my mind to follow in Lloyd’s footsteps, even if I can never hope to match him.”

Allan knew he was no match for Lloyd, or Selen with her artifact, or Riho with her powerful magic and mithril arm, or Phyllo, whose physical strength was every bit as impressive as Lloyd’s. The thought of it made his fingers dig into his arms.

“What’s wrong, Allan?”

His commanding officer was standing beside him.

This was all it took. Allan looked up.

“…Sir, I’m gonna take a look inside.”

“Can’t allow it. We’re the defensive line. It’s our duty to prevent the monsters breaching the surface.”

His CO wasn’t the only one against the idea.

“What are you thinking?”

“Leave them to it!”

“The adventurers can take care of themselves.”

However, Allan shook them all off, forcing himself to speak. “You know something isn’t right! Not a single person has come back! If something’s going down…by the time it reaches us, it could be too late! I’m going in!”

Allan hefted his ax, stepping toward the dungeon entrance.

His CO sighed and placed a hand on Allan’s shoulder.

“Allan…”

“Don’t try to stop me.”

“What are you talking about? If I let you go alone and you don’t make it back, that’ll be a real problem. Argh, cadets these days…”

With another sigh, the CO then lit a fire under the soldiers behind them.

“Men, are you going to let a mere student show you all up? Aren’t you soldiers of Azami?”

Allan’s eyes went wide. His CO’s speech was working, and the squad members were visibly perking up.

“When you put it that way, no way am I staying quiet!”

“Hell no! We’re not letting some cocky rookie outdo us!”

“They’ve had enough magazine articles about them!”

“Throwing up double peace signs in the photo!”

Half of this just seemed to be rooted in envy.

Once he was sure the squad was ready, the CO turned back to Allan.

“Right, we’re accompanying you for now, but we’re fleeing at the first sign of danger. We’re here to rescue people, not to get rescued ourselves!”

“Y-yes, sir!”

The whole squad joined Allan.

He fought off his tears and led the others into the dungeon depths.

“Y-yo…”

Even right past the entrance, the sights were already rather sinister.

“They’re all…unconscious? Any injuries?”

“No, nothing that should’ve knocked them out.”

“Did the adventurers and dragons take each other out? But that doesn’t explain this…”

Monster and human alike were comatose on the floor. There were visible signs of a scuffle, but it was like everyone had suddenly keeled over simultaneously.

While the squad stared in confusion, Allan alone was struck by a sense of familiarity.

“Is this…a treant?”

Even as he spoke, a dragon lunged out of a side passage.

“Get these sleepers to safety!” the CO barked.

Allan’s legs were shaking again. He was frozen on the spot.

The large monster was almost upon him.

Allan had a flashback to a day not long ago, the day Lloyd had entered his life.

The foundation-day festival—swarms of locusts all around, and he’d been cowering…until Lloyd had helped him conquer that fear.

“Argh, why am I regressing? Staying stagnant is bad enough, but slipping back into old habits? No way I’ll ever catch him that way!”

“What’s wrong, Allan? …Allan!”

Too worked up to hear his CO’s voice, Allan threw himself toward the dragon.

And…

“Rahhhhh! Hah!”

His ax landed square on its forehead.

There was a dull thud, and the beast staggered back.

“It’s faltering!”

“Ch-change of plans! Surround it! Allan gave us an opening! Don’t let up! Bring that thing down!”

Anyone not otherwise occupied charged in. With trained soldiers hammering it from all sides, the dragon never got back up.

“““Aw yeahhhh!”””

The defensive squad cheered. Allan was among them, panting hard.

“All right! Let’s keep this rescue going!”

“Yeah…mm?”

There was a rumble in the distance, and the smiles slipped from their faces.

“…Again?”

That same passage was serving up a second helping of dragon.

“Fine by me! Send as many as you like!” Allan cried, far more confident now. Once again, he was the first to charge forward.

But, well…he must have jinxed himself. The passage took him at his words and sent in not one, not two, not three…but fourteen dragons.

“Maybe a little too many!” he yelped.

“Run, Allan!”

“Dammit! I’ve come too far to turn back! I’m gonna at least buy you some time!”

Undaunted, Allan just kept on running forward. The soldiers all thought he’d lost his mind.

To hold the monsters’ attention, Allan bellowed, “Come at me, ya puny beasts!”

Thud…thuuud…

As if in answer, one dragon after the other collapsed to the ground.

“Huhhhhh?!”

None of soldiers could believe what was happening. With jaws hanging open, they were rubbing their eyes.

“Wh-what’s going on?” Allan asked, every bit as shocked as the others.

“D-did he knock out the dragons with a shout?” someone whispered.

“No way…”

“But…this is Allan.”

“The top brass are backing him for a reason…”

Things seemed to be getting weird.

“N-no, of course not!” Allan yelped. “Get those wounded outta here! I’m sure there’s more farther in!”

Allan’s denial only convinced them he really had defeated them himself.

…Nobody saw the roots winding round the dragons’ feet.

“Heh-heh-heh… Humans just weren’t enough! Dragons are so much more nourishing.”

Micona seemed to be gorging herself.

There was color on her face; her shell was positively glowing and…getting thicker?

“On your feet, Lloyd Belladonna! Let’s settle this.”

He was still in pain, but he staggered to his feet.

“…I can’t afford to lose here. I have to prove friends aren’t a liability!”

“Perfect! And I’ll prove friends can’t ever make you—”

Micona was interrupted by a kind of glare no one had ever seen on Lloyd’s face.

“I’m not going to stand by while you hurt someone precious to me!”

Micona clicked her tongue, infuriated. “Is that precious person…Marie?”

“Of course!”

The darkness around Micona grew even more intense.

“…I’m gonna kill you.”

“And once I beat you, I’m gonna defeat that snake monster! Then I’ll be able to tell everyone I’m a soldier with pride!”

“Shut up! If it weren’t for you…your words…your very being…! I’ll take everything from you!”

Both parties flung themselves forward.

There was a crunch as their arms locked.

Foreheads pressed together, each one let out a roar.

“Micona!”

“Lloyd Belladonna!”

They were both flung backward.

As soon as they landed and recovered, they clashed once more.

The second impact left them both with a fist on the other’s brow. Blood trickled down Lloyd’s forehead.

Micona’s shell cracked open, revealing her bloody eyes.

Each combatant wore an expression that made it clear they weren’t ready to back down yet.

As if they’d shaken on it, both Lloyd and Micona leaped back once and then slammed together again.

This time fist struck fist.

The sheer pressure made a thunderous crack echo across the chamber—followed by smaller snaps from all around.

“Er, wait—yikes!”

“…! Marie! Over here! The room’s collapsing! Get to the passage!” Riho yelled.

Marie scrambled over, desperate to reach safety.

Selen’s cursed belt grabbed her just in the nick of time…

“…There it goes,” Phyllo whispered.

As the duo in the center pounded away at each other, the damage from the roots and their blows finally proved too much for the room’s structural integrity, and everything went tumbling to the level below.

Lloyd and Micona continued trading hits, even as they plunged down.

“Lloyd!”

“I’m going after him! Hold on to me! The belt can lower us safely!”

Selen’s belt snapped around a protruding rock, and she and the other girls began heading down after Lloyd.

On the true final floor, Lloyd and Micona landed, glaring at each other.

The instant they touched down, fists sliced the air.

“Ungh!”

“Gah!”

Both staggered and fell. Shoulders heaving, exhausted, they observed each other carefully, trying to catch their breaths.

Lloyd rubbed the sores on his body, forcing the dislocated bones back in place.

Then he got back on his feet and started inching toward Micona.

She had put so much stress on her body that blood was pouring from her ears.

After wiping it off, she whispered, “I just gotta…,” and sent roots out in all directions.

“Mm?”

Lloyd looked momentarily confused. He’d expected the attack to come at him, but she’d directed it elsewhere…

When he followed the attack, he saw the girls climbing down. He knew what Micona was trying to do.

“Wait, Lloyd! She’s deliberately targeting us!” Riho yelled, too late.

He tried to protect them, and the roots struck home, not giving him a chance to defend himself.

“Flawless! You were on guard, but no use! Having friends leads to abject failure, Lloyd Belladonna!” Micona crowed.

“That’s wrong!” he argued, a rare note of irritation in his voice.

“Based on what? The horrible injuries you just sustained?”

“Someone precious to me said I can do anything if I have friends!”

“Can you heal those injuries with friends?” she mocked. “You can’t! Can you get stronger? Not happening!”

“Even if my injuries aren’t healed and I can’t get stronger, I can keep on trying! They make me feel like I can’t afford to lose!”

Refusing to quit, Lloyd flung himself at Micona. It was clear his movements weren’t as crisp, however. The damage had taken its toll.

Micona lowered her center of gravity, a malicious smile spreading over her lips—and she absorbed his punch.

There was a thunk. Lloyd’s fist struck her belly, but the shell blocked the blow.

“Gah!”

“I do admire the courage it must take to come at me in so much pain.”

The shell swelled up, trapping Lloyd’s arm, and Micona began using him as her personal punching bag. His head snapped back and forth, but the light failed to leave his eyes.

“Your tenacity is your only redeeming quality, Lloyd!”

“If my body won’t move the way I want—Aero !”

Spying a brief pause in her flurry, Lloyd cast a wind spell on the palm of his trapped hand.

Micona let out a screech, the powerful gale blowing her away—but her smile suggested she’d been waiting for that.

“I’m afraid my body can handle any magic now.” She glared at Lloyd—and let countless leaves stab every inch of his body.

An automatic counter to magic attacks—the power of the treant demon lord, the Erlking.

They were both down—but Lloyd’s damage was far worse. Micona’s hard shell must’ve resisted magic.

“Ha, I’m surprised you can still stand—guess I’d better switch to ranged attacks.”

Aero had failed, but this fact did not diminish the light in Lloyd’s eyes. His face was swollen, and he was bleeding all over but still searching for his next move.

“My legs are dead weights…I can’t get any speed, so my punches will be even weaker… I can still use magic, though. If I could use Godspeed like her…”

Even as Lloyd’s mind scrambled, Micona spread her roots, surrounding him.

“Out of tricks, Lloyd Belladonna? Then let me end this!”

As she let out this shriek of triumph, Lloyd’s voice rang out.

“Godspeed?! That’s it! That’s the only way!” As her attacks sped toward him, Lloyd ran at them. “Aero!”

“Ha! Useless tricks again? Do you love my leaves that much?!”

His spell did not hit Micona—he’d directed the spell somewhere else entirely. Knocking the offshoots aside, Lloyd leaped forward at blinding speeds.

“Rahhhhhh!”

Ignoring the hail of leaves, he came right after Micona.

“Ngh! You used the magic to propel yourself forward? But…”

Micona was still able to block his blow. She purposely thickened her shell, weaving roots around herself.

Grinding her teeth, Micona braced herself—and absorbed the blow.

“I’m shocked you still had that in you, but that won’t be enough—”

“All right! I think I’ve got the hang of it!”

“Of what?” Micona asked, blinking at him.

A smile on his face, Lloyd spoke with the utmost confidence.

“My own style of Godspeed! Aero!”

He held his right hand to one side, chanting the spell. The leaves came after him, but the force of his magic sent him flying sideways too fast for them to follow.

Lloyd let the centrifugal force power a kick.

Micona did not expect this.

His attack landed square on the side of her head.

She screeched, and the shell covering her head shattered, crumbling away. Her eyes turned, glaring at him.

“The counter can’t keep up? Dammit!”

“One more! Aero!”

Keeping the momentum of his spin going, Lloyd used his left hand to fire a burst of wind at the ground.

The sideways momentum and this new gust sent him spinning right at Micona.

“Using chain cast to fly?!”

Aero wasn’t usually strong enough for that to be possible, but Lloyd’s spells were just that explosive.

He was using this trick to attack with far greater speeds than before.

Micona’s automatic leaf counter never even came close to him. They all flew wild, stabbing into the walls and floor of the dungeon.

“This! Is! Insane!” Micona yelped, desperately dodging. Her own speed was massively buffed, but…

“…More, more, more!”

Lloyd’s speed burst was even faster.

Now he was casting Aero from his feet, changing his direction at right angles in midair, zigzagging in unpredictable directions too fast for her eyes to follow.

It was like fighting a typhoon. Lloyd’s friends watched, shielding their eyes.

“I…I can’t believe it… Even in this form… Even with everything I have…I still can’t…”

Micona’s wings flapped in frustration, eyes bloodshot, blood pouring from her nose and ears. Swearing under her breath, she scurried desperately away, but…

“Gotcha! Aero!”

Lloyd slipped right under her guard and hit home.

Spraying blood, spit, Abaddon’s shell, and shards of treant wood, Micona was slammed wordlessly into a wall. The impact embedded her in the stone.

Lloyd landed on the ground and fell to one knee, breathing heavily.

“I did it!” he exclaimed, pumping a fist.

“Lloyd!”

Having watched the entire incredible fight, his friends all rushed over to him.

“Sir Lloyd! You were so amazing!”

“That was nuts. You really are something.”

“…Master!”

And as they gathered round…a gentlemanly voice joined theirs, followed by clapping—well, more like a slapping sound.

“…Not a bad fight! It certainly woke me up.”

With impeccable manners, the snake monster peered down at Lloyd’s face, applauding by hitting itself with its own tail.

Lloyd staggered to his feet, facing the monster.

“I forgot… You’re why I’m here…”

Despite his injuries, he put his fists up, and the snake’s tail reached toward him—

“You’ve grown so tall, Lloyd! It does this old man’s heart proud.”

Instead of attacking, the tail rubbed his head. The monster spoke like a proud uncle doting on his nephew, and no one knew what to make of it.

“Um… Who are you?” Lloyd asked.

“You don’t remember? Ah, I suppose you wouldn’t. You were this wee little thing!”

Everyone gaped up at the beast, who awkwardly scratched its neck with its tail.

“I suppose I should introduce myself—belated, I know! My name is Vritra.”

It bowed its head deeply.

“The guardian beast of Kunlun,” it added.

“““Kunlun?!”””

Lloyd was as surprised as everyone else.

“Yes, Kunlun’s guardian beast—I mostly work to protect the seal and maintain Alka’s power.”

“Chief Alka’s power? But why are you in a dungeon outside Azami?”

Vritra stroked its chin with its tail again. “Follies of youth, perhaps? …Why hasn’t she told you? I assumed she would have! I suppose that means… Anyway, why am I here?”

Vritra suddenly looked furious.

“There’s a good reason! That little grandma suddenly said she wanted to make an apron out of my skin and whipped out Excalibur! I’m a guardian beast! Of her own village! Not one word of apology! There’s a limit to any snake’s patience. I left to convalesce… Oh dear, sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

The flash of rage passed, and Vritra bowed apologetically.

“To convalesce? So you don’t mean any harm to the locals?”

“Not at all! If my presence here is causing issues, I’ll happily move on. But until that grandma apologizes… I was hoping you were all here on her behalf—or at least Lloyd.”

The snake looked quite sad. Everyone felt sorry for it.

“Another victim of the kid grandma… Er, wait a sec…” Doubt entered Marie’s mind. “I assumed the dungeon monster was behind the treant and Abaddon thing… So what actually happened to Micona?”

How had Micona ended up in this unnatural state?

Vritra had seemed like the obvious cause, but that appeared to be highly unlikely now.

“I’m afraid that’s unrelated to… Hmm?”

As if in answer, a new voice called out from the back of the chamber.

“That was me.”

Everyone turned to look. A man stood there, as if he had just appeared, as if he had not even existed a moment before.

This older man had been watching Lloyd’s fight in silence. Now he approached.

“This was her desire—I merely offered some assistance.” He glanced toward Micona’s battered form but quickly lost interest.

“Assistance? Then you’re…”

The man ignored Marie entirely, stepping closer.

“Hello,” he said, greeting Lloyd emotionlessly.

Lloyd and his friends grew very guarded. The way this man carried himself and the air of mystery about him all left them with no other choice.

Barely able to stand upright, the young man turned to face him.

“By the way,” the old man said, before Lloyd could speak.

The deadened tone was gone. Now his voice was pleasant, the sort of voice that demanded you listen close.

The tension in the air dissolved…and that only terrified all of them.

The elder didn’t seem to care. His eyes remained fixed on Lloyd.

“Boy, what do I look like to you?”

“…” He hesitated. Then his eyes narrowed, and his tone grew harsh. “…A bad guy. I can’t think of anything else.”

The old man nodded, seemingly thoroughly satisfied, like a CEO receiving a positive financial report, or a king looking out over a peaceful realm. He possessed that same sort of aura.

“Ah, so that’s who you are.”

The man peered into his Lloyd’s face, his voice elevating to the pitch of a general rallying troops.

“Boy! You wish to be a hero? For the smiles of the people? No matter the cost to life and limb? To battle evil, heroically?”

Lloyd was shaken by this but nodded. “Uh…well, that’s why I became a soldier.”

“Then now is your—”

Before the old stranger could say more…

There was a thunderous noise. Something was coming toward them.

“N-now what?!”

A pigtailed grandma came busting out of the floor.

“Found youuuuuuuuuuuu!” she roared, like a devil’s shriek.

Alka’s white robes were covered in dirt, but she shook herself once like a wet dog and they were as good as new. No need for bleach, detergent, or fabric softeners. Yet another way she was permanently over-the-top.

Her dramatic entrance made everyone yelp.

“Drat it all! I was trying to get to the bottom of this dungeon but went too far and nearly hit the mantle! But I finally caught up with you! Just what are you plotting this time?! Fess up!”

Her frothing rage did not perturb the old man one iota. He merely stroked his chin, looking completely relaxed.

“You never change, Alka. Calm yourself. I’m in an excellent mood. We find ourselves in the presence of a familiar face!”

“How can I be calm? Familiar face? Who—?” At this point, Alka noticed the snake, and her eyes went wide. “…Vritra? Why are you…?”

Its massive body writhing, the guardian beast sighed. “We meet again, Chief. But I think there’s something you need to say before you act surprised.”

“What do I need to say? H-how’s it been?”

“Do you not remember?! After what you did to me?!”

This exchange was so ridiculous, it was killing all the tension in the room.

Then the older man grabbed Vritra, moving too fast for the eyes to see, slipping around to the wound on its back.

“Wha—?! You there, unhand me! That’s a sensitive spot!”

“I heard your wound had not healed, but for the guardian beast of Kunlun to be so badly injured—you were careless, Vritra!”

“You know me? Then you must be…”

“For a decade now, I’ve been fleeing Alka, gathering pawns. Finally my moment has arrived, guardian beast!”

Vritra tried to buck him off, but he wasn’t letting go.

“I can’t let this chance escape! If I eliminate you without a trace, Kunlun…and Alka’s seal will be weakened! And the world will become what I’ve long yearned for!”

Without further hesitation, he plunged his own arm into the wound, rummaging inside Vritra like a baker testing the temperature of the water.

“Hey! You! Knock that off!” the monster yelled, like a boss scolding a subordinate.

The old man’s brows twitched, and his lips curled up.

“Farewell, Vritra. Guardian beast of Kunlun. If you must bear a grudge, direct it at her—and yourself, for taking Alka’s side.”

“Hngg… Certainly little good has come of supporting her. But if I’m gone, Kunlun will be in shambles… Not to mention the world!”

“I am well aware.”

No matter how the beast fought, the man remained utterly placid.

An instant later, its scales began to glow a bluish white, then turned to dust, vanishing.

“Vritra!” Alka yelped. “Argh, do you realize what you’ve done?!”

It was all over in an instant, before anyone could act. They could only stand and watch as the snake monster disappeared.

The elderly man raised his hand triumphantly.

“Vritra is gone, and the priestess of salvation’s power is no longer maintained. Now all I need to do is open that door.”

“How dare you, Sou!”

Alka broke into a run, but the old man—Sou—didn’t even raise an eyebrow. He just stood there.

“Resistance is futile. Your power no longer exists… You will wither away, Alka, and in time, I’ll—Gah!”

Even as he crowed with victory, the chief planted a blow right in the pit of his stomach.

“A-aughhhh… Huh? No! How?!”

The man staggered back, almost comically distraught. His confidence shattered as he found himself rolling across the dungeon depths like a dying cicada.

“…If Vritra is gone, Alka’s power goes with it! Hack…koff…”

Tears in his eyes, he barely croaked out the words.

All traces of his earlier dignity gone, he was reduced to an old man unable to recover from a fall. Lloyd and his friends could only watch in stunned horror.

Alka seemed every bit as surprised. “…I thought so, too, but…seems like I’m fine? Uh…why?”

Sou recovered enough to sit up.

“If the guardian beast is gone, leaving no trace behind, then how can you maintain your power? Unless…”

A haunted look entered his eyes, as if he’d just remembered something.

“I’ve heard stories! Vritra’s skin was made into an artifact that automatically protects whoever equips it! If that equipment is out in the world at large—But I’ve been the world over and never heard tell of it!”

This was a miscalculation. Sou rose to his knees, shaking his head.

“Gosh! That artifact sounds so useful!” Selen exclaimed. “And a lot like my belt, now that the curse is lifted!”

Sou looked toward her, frowning.

Wriggle, wriggle.

Before his eyes was a strange, writhing belt.

“……” The old man picked up a pebble and tossed it at Selen.

Snap!

The cursed belt volleyed it like a tennis ball.

“…………”

Toss…toss…

Snap! Snap!

“The skiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin is right heeeeere!” Sou roared, like he’d blown his entire fortune at the racetracks.

The shock was so great, he collapsed to the ground.

As if in response, a voice came from Selen’s hips—from the cursed belt.

“Whew, I thought I was done for!”

“Eep! It spoke!” Riho yelped, jumping away.

“Now, now,” the belt said, its tone as gentlemanly as before. “Don’t look at me like I’m some sort of creepy-crawly! Such a shame that your schemes have been dashed. I may have lost my body, but there was a new host right here!”

“Hnggg…,” the old man groaned.

“Ha-ha-ha,” Vritra chuckled, sounding thoroughly pleased with itself. “I do apologize for taking possession without permission, young lady. I’ll have to make it up to you later.”

Heedless of all dignity, Sou rolled around on the ground for a minute, then staggered to his feet, turning to Alka.

“Nicely played. Was this why you crafted a belt and equipped it to a friend of yours?”

“Did I?” Alka looked puzzled for a minute; then, realization dawned. “Oh, I remember! I was using Vritra’s skin as an apron and accidentally sliced it up while making pasta! Since it was all stained, I called it a cursed belt and sold it for dirt cheap!”

“………”

This left Sou speechless.

There was an awkward silence, and then the belt snaked out to Alka’s side.

“I suppose this is what they call ‘saved by the skin of my teeth’? Although it’s my back, in this case. Oof, such painful memories!”

“But…Vritra, why were you here?” Alka asked, baffled.

“You of all people should know the answer! You used Excalibur to carve off a piece of me while I was sleeping and turned it into an apron…of all things! I left Kunlun to express my indignation and convalesce! And! If it weren’t for that wound, Sou could never have come after me!”

“Ohhh, that’s right. You left a Dear John letter in lousy handwriting saying not to look for you! So I didn’t.”

“Apologize, you fool! Read between the lines!”

“…? ‘Don’t look for me’ is only one line?”

“I give up! You’re the worst! Absolutely despicable!”

Sou watched them bicker in silence, then rose to his feet, pried Micona out of the wall, and prepared to flee the scene.

“Running away?” Riho called.

Sou flinched, then awkwardly turned back. “At the very least, I’ve weakened Vritra! I still have a fighting chance!”

“Pretending you won? Ha!”

“…This girl has the powers of Abaddon and a treant. I’ll think of something else…and free Kunlun—the Last Dungeon! Just you wait!”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than an earthquake shook the chamber.

“Wait! Come back here, Sou! We aren’t finished!”

He slung Micona over his shoulder. “I have nothing more to discuss.”

“Why? Why are you doing this? Why are you collapsing this dungeon and burying innocent people alive? Have you fallen so low?!”

Alka looked dead serious.

Phyllo just snorted, then slapped the chief’s shoulder, pointing to the crack in the floor she had emerged from.

“…I think this is because you were smashing through the walls.”

“““…………”””

For a moment, only the sounds of the dungeon shaking filled the chamber.

“Take a hint, Sou! It would be a perfect ending if this was your fault!”

“I seriously have nothing to say to you.”

The old man vanished in a burst of light.

“…Argh, right! The dungeon’s collapsing! I’ll use my crystal to open a teleportation gate! Escape through it! Thank me as you dive in!”

Alka wasn’t fooling anyone! But the situation didn’t give them time to argue. Everyone leaped into her crystal.

“Sou…?” Lloyd muttered. “Where have I heard that name before…?”

He glanced once toward where the old man had stood, then vanished into the teleportation gate.

Chapter 5

Anxious Allan: Suppose a Secret Was About to Blow Up in His Face Like He’d Been Hired Based on a Forged Resume

Morning dawned at Marie’s shop on the East Side.

Drifting out of the window, the smell of breakfast reached the nose of a passing cat. It stopped, letting out a plaintive meow.

As if summoned, a gentle-looking boy appeared…seeming almost apologetic.

The cat came bounding over.

The boy set down a saucer with a guilty smile.

Not long after, a figure entered the kitchen, a blanket over her head like a gunman patrolling the wilds.

“…Mornin’.”

It was Marie. Never a morning person.

When the cat saw her, it abandoned the food, racing over to her. Marie jumped, and the blanket fell off her head.

“Yikes!”

It seemed the cat was after that blanket. It quickly made a bed out of it in Marie’s arms.

“You really startled me.”

The little animal was already sound asleep. Marie smiled as she cradled it.

“Oh, good morning, Marie. Feeling better?” Lloyd asked, peering out of the kitchen.

“Yeah, much better,” she reassured. “I was just a little worn out from being tied up so long.”

“That’s good… Well, time to eat!”

He quickly brought the food to the table: rice porridge, stewed vegetables, all easily digestible.

Oh, he’s looking after my health, Marie thought.

Having almost been crushed by the dungeon, they’d staggered home last night, but Lloyd had required only a night’s sleep to fully recover from his injuries. Now he was fussing over Marie’s well-being—ever the great wife, that one.

Marie hadn’t forgotten that glimpse of his manlier side, though.

“…I’m precious to him, huh?” she muttered, her ears turning red.

Lloyd looked alarmed and leaned in close. “Oh! Are you running a fever? You’re looking a bit flushed.”

“Eep! N-no, I’m fine; I swear!”

“You’re sure? You tend to bluff your way through these things. Ask for help if you need it! I love being useful to you.”

This made Marie turn even more red.

“W-well, let’s eat! It looks amaz—!”

Marie realized she was still cradling a sleeping cat. It had asserted dominance over her arms. If she moved at all, it might wake up.

“Uh-oh…”

Lloyd saw the problem and winced. “Yeah, I wouldn’t wanna wake it, either… What now?”

A mischievous grin spread over Marie’s face. “Well…you could feed me,” she suggested.

“Uh…,” Lloyd squeaked.

“I mean, we don’t wanna wake the kitty. And you did say I could ask for help…”

Lloyd stared sheepishly at the ground. He had said that.

“Um, okay…”

They were both blushing now. Lloyd awkwardly filled a spoon.

Before Marie could open her mouth wide…

“I do hate to interrupt your morning flirt,” said a gentlemanly voice at their feet.

Lloyd and Marie jumped.

“Er, uh…Vritra?”

“Yes, it’s me! I survived by possessing this belt, and—well, my owner and her friends will be here soon, so if you could cease flirting and prepare some coffee, perhaps?”

The cursed artifact came coiling up onto the table, spitting instructions. Vritra had clearly stretched out under the door to warn them of Selen’s arrival.

Meow? Hisss…

The sight of the wriggling belt startled the cat, which ran away.

“Your owner, huh…,” Marie said, looking worried.

Vritra calmly added milk and sugar to a coffee cup, stirring. “This looks delightful! But in this form, I cannot partake.”

That belt had always been strange, but now it was even stranger. As Marie gawked at it, Selen and Riho came in.

“Good morning, Sir Lloyd! Marie, are you feeling better? Are you sure you shouldn’t be stuck in bed?”

“How did you make that sound spiteful, Selen?”

“Well,” Riho said, by way of explanation. “Lloyd himself called you precious, so…how else would she react?”

The ex-mercenary looked pretty unhappy herself, but it was nothing like Selen’s level of consternation.

“Let me be clear!” Selen declared. “Calling you precious is nothing to write home about! After all, he said he loved me (in my dreams)!”

“Yeah, that’s a blatant lie. Don’t even try to read between the lines.” Riho sighed, clearly tired of being the voice of reason.

“But you’re all precious to me!” Lloyd protested, still blushing furiously. “I realize shouting that out there was really embarrassing, though… Ah-ha-ha.”

Selen and Riho both turned red at that first statement…and now it was Marie’s turn to look cross.

“Hmm,” Vritra muttered. “You may be a serious threat in the future, Lloyd. Not a field I expected you to excel in.”

Phyllo appeared in the doorway.

“…I’m precious, too? I am unworthy.”

“No point trying to seal the deal now! We’ve already filled out the marriage application!”

Riho started picking at her breakfast, too tired to argue with Selen’s delusions.

“She’s a free spirit,” Vritra observed, shaking his buckle. “Or maybe more like pure chaos.”

Then the true embodiment of chaos emerged from the closet—the chief of Kunlun, Alka.

“Whoo-hoo! Morning, everyone! That sure was a mess, huh?”

“Oh, good morning, Chief!”

Alka had a linen sack in her hand, and she immediately opened it up…to stuff Selen inside. “And in you go!”

No one could prevent this bold morning kidnapping. It was carried out with such practiced ease, they all just sat and watched.

“Hey! Stop! Let me out!” a muffled voice emerged from the sack. Selen sounded quite irate. Naturally.

“Mm? What’s wrong?” the chief asked, as if she’d done nothing odd.

“I mean… If you wanna haul Selen away, it’s fine by me,” Riho said. “But I feel like you should at least explain why?”

“…Morning kidnappings are bad. At least do it at night.”

“Master, I can’t just pretend not to notice in this situation.”

None of the girls seemed to object to the kidnapping itself.

“You’re all heartless!” Selen yelped. Then she went on the stump. “I want Sir Lloyd to kidnap me! And him alone! Come on and take me, Sir Lloyd! Make it a clean snatch! Mmph.”

Was there such a thing as a clean kidnapping? Mid-rant, her belt—Vritra—had freed itself from the sack.

“Halt, Alka! Where are you taking us?”

“Obviously, back to Kunlun so we can revive you!”

“B-back there…?” the belt stammered. “But…well…”

“Hmph. I’m sure you’re feeling a little awkward about going back—since you’ve been away for so long, even though you expected to return quickly. But that’s also on me. I should have apologized. Sorry.”

Alka’s rare display of remorse took Vritra by surprise. “You see right through me,” he squeaked. “I admit it.”

“Well, I’ve known you a long time. Same goes for Sou, but… Well, forget him.”

“Sou?” Lloyd whispered.

Alka pretended not to hear that. “Anyway, if I don’t get Vritra back to normal, there’s no telling what Sou will get up to next! He might even destroy Kunlun!”

“He can do that?” Marie shuddered.

The chief nodded gravely, poking Vritra. “This runaway guardian beast is the seal on my power and Kunlun’s… Well, something else important. Without him, we’re in serious trouble.”

“You mean,” Riho said, catching up, “you’re taking him back to Kunlun to completely restore him? And Selen’s just along for the ride?”

“Yep. If I ask, Vritra will say no, so I’m using force! Hmm, anyone else wanna come? Doesn’t need to be right now, but while I’m reviving our guardian anyway…”

Kunlun was a village from children’s stories, and the idea of just dropping in like a bunch of tourists made everyone gulp.

Meanwhile, Lloyd was scowling, racking his brains…and finally he remembered.

“Sou!” he repeated, too softly for anyone to hear. “That’s…the name of the main character in my favorite novel. That’s gotta be a coincidence, though…”

He put the thought out of his mind.

Who would possibly imagine the hero of their favorite novel was out to destroy their hometown?

Meanwhile, in the audience chamber at the Azami palace…the king was smiling broadly. Adventurers, looking solemn. Around them, rows of armed soldiers.

And in the middle of all this…

“How did this happen?”

Allan was looking really stressed out. Standing bolt upright, he was so stiff, he seemed made of wax.

“Oh, don’t look so tense, Allan Toin Lidocaine!” the king boomed warmly.

Allan grew even stiffer.

“You’re the star of the day! Everyone’s looking up to you!”

“The star? I didn’t do anything…”

His Majesty raised an arm high. The band blasted out a fanfare. Allan’s voice was completely drowned out.

“We will now begin the ceremony honoring the savior of the dungeon, Allan Toin Lidocaine!”

The soldiers and adventurers raised their weapons high, shouting his name.

“Allan! Allan! Allan! Allan…”

“I hear your courage and decision-making skills are unparalleled! You saved the adventurers and defeated a number of dragons!”

“No, no, no, no! I didn’t do that…!”

“No need for modesty! I’m told you defeated over a dozen of those beasts just by shouting at them!”

“I saw him!” cried a soldier who had personally witnessed this feat. “Allan said, ‘Come at me!’ and the dragons all went down, foaming at their mouths!”

“See? Your power drove the monsters away! The local residents are relieved to know the dungeon is no longer a threat.”

“No, no… I didn’t do that… I need no reward! I didn’t do anything to deserve one.”

“What?” the king said, his eyes widening. “You don’t need a reward? You are a true soldier of Azami! You acted out of duty alone! Those beasts can hardly be called monsters when faced with a man like you!”

His Majesty was reading a lot into Allan’s statement, but the adventurers were all very impressed.

“How wonderful! The model soldier!”

“And there I was, only caring about the reward… I’m ashamed of myself!”

“I’m a man, but you can have me anytime!”

Some adventurers were really into the idea. Tears flowed from their eyes.

Meanwhile, Allan was crying for a totally different reason. His reputation was out of control. Defeating dragons in one bold shout? They believed that?

He turned to Choline and Chrome, desperate for help.

“C-Chrome! Help me out here!” Allan begged. “You know I could never pull this off! This is almost certainly Lloyd’s doing… Why are you grinning at me?!”

“No, no, you were magnificent!” Chrome praised, beaming. “Since you refused a reward, I don’t have to run around like crazy trying to make it happen! You’re the best cadet we have!”

“Yeah, we don’t have to try and hook an uggo up with a wife or blow a wad of cash on a primo property!”

The two colonels had been terrified of dealing with the king’s crazy rewards, so this was the ideal solution.

“Chroooooome!” Allan wailed. But another fanfare drowned him out.

“Now, Allan, in honor of your deeds, I bestow upon you the title of dragon slayer!”

“What?! But I haven’t killed any dragons!”

The newly appointed dragon slayer was doomed to a life of unearned titles.