Live Dungeon!

Despite the major Clans’ collaborative efforts, no monsters were encountered. Towards the latter part of their exploration, even Garm found the dungeon to be overwhelmingly tranquil. Many within the group started lowering their guard.

“Teach, you’re looking pretty scary… Are you angry?”

“…What? No, I’m not.”

Diniel was doing her job properly, helping other major Clans search for enemies, and while Garm was relatively relaxed, he still maintained a preparedness to confront monsters at any moment. As such, it seemed unnecessary for Tsutomu to remain on constant alert, but he found himself compelled to do so.

In these Dungeons, once someone died, it spelled their end right there. As such, a Healer had to ensure recovery before anyone bit the dust, and issuing instructions was also undoubtedly essential. Tsutomu, driven by such a sense of responsibility, found himself achieving a level of focus surpassing his usual explorations.

However, the constant vigilance required to be aware of his own mortality and that of his comrades proved to be immensely draining. Tsutomu, even without engaging in battles with monsters, was the only one visibly fatigued. The members of his Clan, upon seeing him like that, regarded him with expressions suggesting confusion.

The Dungeon investigations continued for several more days without any notable anomalies. The abnormal situation of monsters not existing within these Dungeons persisted, and the days in the Royal Capital passed without incident.

“Hey, Tsutomu. We’re here to pick you up.”

“Sorry about this — could we have a moment of your time?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Well, well… Sounding friendly today, Master Babenberg.”

At one point, Tsutomu was once again invited to dine with Brooklyn Kantjelucia. Owing to the consideration of the head of House Babenberg, who had been summoned to the Royal Capital at this time, Tsutomu felt a slight relief in the burden on his shoulders.

Seated before a table laden with an impossibly large offering of food, the three of them were served red wine by the waitstaff. After Brooklyn finished her light meal, the conversation shifted to the previous Stampede.

“You were most impressive during the Stampede, Tsutomu. As I’ve been told, while I was unconscious after the shield was broken, you managed to defeat that strange giant monster.”

“…I only gave out general commands. Besides, I don’t understand magic all that well… but it seemed like you and your children had anticipated the monster’s attack and concentrated all sections of the shield in one place. Without that instantaneous decision, Dungeon City would likely have been obliterated.”

“Huh… well, doesn’t change the fact that the shield was destroyed, though,” Brooklyn spoke with a detached gaze, directing a cold stare at the head of House Babenberg. “As a result, Dungeon City has incurred a huge debt to the Royal Capital, leading to the current situation… isn’t that right?”

“……”

Apparently, even as fellow nobles capable of using the same defensive magic, the relationship between the two houses was not particularly amicable.

“And I’m gonna say this again — The fact that your shield magic is synchronized with your own senses is a blatant flaw. Also, relying on the help of so-called Explorers will be your household’s downfall, you know?”

Brooklyn cast a pitiful gaze upon the head of House Babenberg, who, in turn, showed no sign of concern as he brought the wine glass to his lips. Seeing Brooklyn’s discomfort, he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“Master Kantjelucia, you’re still young. I thought you would be more accepting of a new era.”

“…New era?”

“The society of nobility collapsed in the revolution. Things are much different now from what we were used to.”

Said revolution against the nobility had occurred a few years after the emergence of God’s Dungeon. It resulted in the massacre of an entire lineage from one of the three major noble households and the hanging of the many minor nobles who had ruled unjustly.

At that time, House Babenberg, overseer of Dungeon City, was also affected. Still, as House Babenberg had considered the well-being of the common people, implementing various policies for the benefit of the citizens using taxes collected, they were considered decent enough to spare. While maintaining their noble status and not standing on the same level as the common folk, they refrained from inflicting unnecessary hardships on their people.

Thus, while the revolution did reach Dungeon City, the level of trust was high enough for the organization known as the Security Team to be established from the Explorers’ side. While not exactly considered the best of friends, the nobility was deemed necessary by the common folk. As the revolution was relatively small-scale there, the damage was not extensive.

In the Royal Capital, on the other hand, things were much more violent and extreme; House Babenberg, observing the chaos from Dungeon City, realized then that the magically privileged noble society was already on its way out. Thanks to God’s Dungeon, the citizens now possessed power comparable to the nobility, and their numbers were greatly superior. A future where the nobles would be ousted by the empowered masses if they imposed tyranny was not beyond imagination.

However, in response to the declaration of the head of House Babenberg, Brooklyn wore a face that seemed quite exasperated.

“The revolution? Oh yeah… We killed a bunch of guys back then.”

Yet, at the time of the revolution, while House Babenberg chose coexistence with the Explorers, House Kantjelucia opted for hostility. Despite gaining skills and power in God’s Dungeon, their capabilities were still not mature. The nobility’s magic, utilized in closed circles for centuries, held more developed power than the recently acquired skills.

Moreover, Brooklyn’s magical prowesses stood head and shoulders above the rest, so much so that she later became the head of her household despite being a woman. In fact, during the revolution, it was Brooklyn’s shield magic alone that annihilated the revolutionary army.

Following the revolution, House Kantjelucia captured all the Explorers who had incited the hostilities, executing anyone associated with them. The executions, akin to torture using transparent shield magic, significantly dampened the morale of the revolutionary forces, allowing House Kantjelucia to repel the uprising.

Subsequently, House Kantjelucia systematically killed Explorers involved in the revolution, including those who asserted that skills and magic should be treated equally. Knights who brought such Explorers were also slain, and even nobles who gave preferential treatment to Explorers were crushed.

“Did living in Dungeon City make you grow soft, Master Babenberg? Us nobles shouldn’t lose to the likes of Explorers. I’ll kill any of them who oppose our rule.”

“It was already over the moment His Majesty the King invited the Explorers to the Royal Capital. They’ve conquered eighty layers of God’s Dungeon, and their levels have risen significantly since the revolution. It’s not the same as before.”

“The way I see it, you’re just becoming more defensive the more you age. The other old fools have been saying the same thing…”

“With the emergence of God’s Dungeon, all became equal. We’ve entered an era where anyone can wield power. Nobles are no longer special — They’re just people with convenient powers. You’ll realize that in the coming Stampede.”

Brooklyn contorted her refined face into a demonic scowl and hurled the wine-filled glass in her hand at Master Babenberg. It shattered upon impact with a magical shield, and even the glass shards that flew toward Tsutomu were deflected by another shield that had been set up unnoticed by him. The red wine dripped along the invisible wall, creating a puddle on the table.

“…Sucks to be you, old man. You’re not a noble anymore — Now you’re the Explorers’s lapdog.”

“The people now possess power equivalent to magic. That’s all.”

“Want me to bury you six feet under right now, huh? You know what I did — I’ll kill anyone who treats magic and skills with equal significance.”

“If we fight here, I’ll win. Tsutomu is with me.”

[Don’t drag me into your personal battles, you silly old fool!] Internally cursing the sudden involvement, Tsutomu managed to maintain a stoic expression.

As a White Mage, he did not possess much brute force. There was likely no effective countermeasure against the nobility’s shield magic, so he would most likely be helplessly killed.

Glancing at Brooklyn, who was likely holding a Magic Stone as she had her hand slipped in her pocket, Tsutomu broke into a cold sweat. The tension in the air, verging on an explosion, persisted in a prolonged silence, compelling him to hold his breath.

As Tsutomu was just about to succumb to the sensation of his stomach tightening, Brooklyn finally withdrew her hand from her pocket. Then, with a resentful click of her tongue, she spoke,

“You’re not a noble anymore. Remember that.”

“I know.”

“I swear, once this Stampede passes, I’m gonna…” Brooklyn trailed off as she turned her gaze towards Tsutomu. Internally flinching, Tsutomu stiffened, but surprisingly, Brooklyn’s expression softened. “…You know, I’ve never seen anyone quite like you before. Judging by appearances alone, you seem weaker than anyone. You’d normally not be worth any consideration, but just because you’re here, I couldn’t make a move… It’s a strange feeling. A feeling I can’t hope to understand. Other people are like grass to me, yet I hesitated to trample on you…”

“……”

“Well, what I’m getting at is… I want to keep you here. Now here’s the plan — after I crush House Babenberg, I’ll take you under my wing,” Brooklyn declared, twisting her mouth into a crescent moon shape. “Now that’s something to look forward to, yeah?”

After saying all she wanted to, she casually walked away. Tsutomu, visibly relieved only after her figure vanished, let out a sigh and silently looked at the head of House Babenberg.

“Sorry for involving you like that. But the truth is, I alone can’t win against her. I actually did need your assistance.”

“…She would have instantly killed me in a real battle…”

As the worst at anti-personnel combat within Absolute Helix, likely unable to defeat most other White Mages, Tsutomu would undoubtedly be swiftly defeated. However, the head of House Babenberg shook his head.

“As Master Brooklyn said, you’re exceptional. Your bold attitude and insensitivity to magic make you appear unfathomable to us nobles… Moreover, this makes it the second time that you’ve saved me.”

“No, no, I was just bluffing, sir. I really felt a chill down my spine.”

“Still, I’m grateful. And I have high expectations for your contributions to the defense in the coming Stampede as well.”

“Please don’t expect too much. It feels pressuring.”

And with that, the conversation concluded. After thanking the sommelier-like staff who came to clean up the spilled red wine, Tsutomu returned to his room.

And then, a week later, news arrived at the Royal Capital from a city to the south, delivered by a courier astride their fastest horse.

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