Prologue

♢ Student Council President Sara’s POV ♢

The Eight Saints were the supreme leaders of the Cardia Halidom, one of the largest countries on the Southern Continent. The numbers of the Saint Candidates, their prospective successors, easily surpassed the populations of most small nations. There were so many that the residents of Cardia even had a saying about it: “In the capital, you can’t throw a rock without hitting a Saint Candidate.”

But there were only eight spots for the candidates to claim, leading to fierce competition. It was rare for the Saint Candidates to engage in direct combat with each other, though, and the reason for that was quite simple: Ilia, the Goddess of Fate, acted as arbiter of the final test for sainthood. With her ability to see into the past, she would expose any candidates who had employed cunning to edge out their rivals. That was why Saint Candidates had to act with class and virtue.

I—Sara Iglesia Lodis—had once been required to uphold the morals of a Saint Candidate. Unfortunately, I had been removed from the main Saint Contest that took place in Cardia.

“Sara, I order you to study abroad at Lykeion Magic Academy,” Saint Oriane had told me.

It had taken me a long time to collect myself enough to reply, “Understood.”

Saint Oriane’s orders were absolute, and so it was that I left the halidom for a backwater dungeon city. I couldn’t blame her for this decision. I was a Cleric who was hopeless when it came to Healing Magic. A Cleric who couldn’t heal was a rarity—a rarity that no one wanted. I was a failure of a Saint Candidate. As if to make up for it, though, I excelled at swordsmanship.

“The people you meet and the experiences you have at Lykeion Magic Academy will surely help you in your future ventures,” Saint Oriane had said. “Make their strength your own.”

“Thank you, Saint Oriane.”

I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be sent there, but I couldn’t disobey her command. That was how I transferred to Lykeion Magic Academy, the greatest educational institution on the Southern Continent.

***

W-Wow, everyone here is amazing. I’d heard rumors that all the most talented mages gathered at Lykeion Magic Academy, and it turned out they were true. From the Holy Alliance, I recognized the children of high-ranking priests and the prospective successors to the commander of the Sanctuary Knights. From the Blue Sea Union, I saw the princes and princesses of its numerous nations as well as the children of high-ranking nobility. Finally, from the Grenflare Empire, the largest country on the continent, I saw noble children and trainees to military officials.

Students who possessed rare or valuable talents were chosen to enter the special Hero Course. The sheer amount of power and potential I saw during the opening ceremony for new students startled me, but one person in particular caught my eye as I observed the crowd.

Is that boy over there... The male student I was staring at didn’t stand out, nor was he hanging out with anyone. He was standing alone, his expression dark, but I recognized his face. He was the son of the Imperial Sword, the strongest fighter in the Grenflare Empire and the right-hand man to its current emperor. I’d assumed he would enter the Hero Course, but to my surprise, he was enrolled in General Education.

To better prepare for the possibility of war with the Grenflare Empire, Saint Oriane had secretly ordered me to look into anyone from that nation who might pose a threat to the halidom. I strolled over to him as naturally as I could and said, “Hello, my name is Sara Iglesia Lodis, and I hail from the Cardia Halidom. And you are...?”

After a moment, the boy replied in a gloomy voice, “Eugene Santafield. I’m from the empire.”

Santafield! Yes, there can be no mistaking that name. He’s the son of the most powerful swordsman in the empire! With some clever finagling, I succeeded in forming a party with him. When we first met, Eugene lacked both drive and ambition. Truth be told, I thought of him as a rather boring man.

However, it didn’t take long for me to realize how mistaken my initial impression had been.

“Eugene, look! A group of monsters!”

“Yeah, I see them.”

On the 5th Level of Babel, a pack of Gray Wolves attacked us. During my Cleric training back in the halidom, I’d specialized in combat, so I was confident in my skills with a sword. In almost no time at all, I cut down three Gray Wolves. I proudly looked over at Eugene only to see him standing there with a bored expression, with over ten wolf corpses around his feet.

“Y-You already killed that many, Eugene?”

“Yeah... My weapon snapped in half, though. We’ll have to halt our exploration here.” Though he had only a stick rather than a proper sword, he hadn’t so much as broken a sweat.

“Why don’t you equip an actual weapon?” I asked.

“I...gave up on my dreams of becoming a swordsman,” he replied sadly.

My heart skipped a beat as I gazed upon his profile. He’s so strong, though. What in the world happened? At some point during my explorations with Eugene, I’d started wanting to learn more about him for reasons other than my mission. It was only later that he told me his childhood friend had dumped and abandoned him.

“What a horrible friend!” I exclaimed, genuinely angry at his story. “I can’t believe she would say that to you when you were already down in the dumps!”

“Don’t blame her. She’s aiming to become the empress; she made the right decision discarding an inept partner like me,” Eugene replied with a dejected expression.

“Buck up! Back in the halidom, I stick out like a sore thumb because I’m a Cleric who’s better at fighting with a sword than Healing Magic! We’re the same, you and I!”

Eugene’s lips quirked in a small smile at my encouragement. Fortunately, the Cardia Halidom had ordered me to befriend the son of the Imperial Sword. In particular, Saint Oriane had given me a bizarre directive: “Get as close to him as possible using any tactic you can think of.”

By this point, we were already aware that during the empire’s version of the Selection Ritual, Eugene had received an absolutely useless power. He was a Magic Swordsman who couldn’t deal any damage against enemies. So Saint Oriane’s missive had struck me as odd. Even the other Saints had told her that there was no reason for her to bother with Eugene, but Saint Oriane never rescinded her order. She also suggested that I register a party with Eugene, and it was such a good idea that I wasted no time in bringing it up to him.

“Eugene, would you like to form a contract with me and become my official partner?”

“You’re asking me? I’m sure you could find someone far better.”

“I don’t care! You’re the person I want to team up with!” That was my genuine desire.

“I see...”

Back then, Eugene still hadn’t recovered from his hardships in the empire, so he kept turning me down. It took a lot of time and effort to convince him, but when he finally agreed, I couldn’t have been happier.

“S-Sara, are we really gonna do this?”

“O-Of course we are! You have to seal a contract with a kiss!”

That had once been the custom, at any rate. No one kept it these days, but I’d insisted it was just how we did things in the Cardia Halidom.

We chose to do it inside the small chapel on the school grounds. Right in front of the bust of Ilia, the Goddess of Fate, Eugene and I sealed our contract with a kiss. Between the two of us—a Swordmaster who couldn’t deal any damage and a Cleric who couldn’t use any Healing Magic—we made for a rather unconventional team. Our progress through the dungeon was slow, and we never made it past the lower levels. People often taunted us with the words “For a Saint Candidate and the son of the Imperial Sword, you two don’t live up to your reputations.”

But despite all the obstacles we faced, I enjoyed being around Eugene. Life with him was far freer than my days in the Cardia Halidom, where I’d constantly been compared to the other Saint Candidates and forced to maintain regal poise even in my sleep.

The convent in which I’d been raised strictly forbade us from having any relations with the opposite sex, but Lykeion Magic Academy had no rules against dating. “Once Eugene gets over the pain of his breakup, maybe he’ll confess to me?” I’d often wondered. But just as I got my hopes up, things between us irrevocably changed.

“That’s all I have to relay, Your Holiness,” I said, wrapping up my weekly report to the Cardia Halidom. I was in my room in the Lykeion Magic Academy dormitory. Since I’d cast a soundproofing spell, I didn’t have to worry about anyone eavesdropping or hacking into the magical transmission.

On the other side of the screen, the Eight Saints were staring back at me. This silence always made me uncomfortable, but just when I thought they would dismiss me, one of the Saints opened her mouth.

“Sara, we have a gift for you.”

After she finished speaking, a magic circle suddenly appeared in my room, and a white sword emerged from within it.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“That is Curtana, or the ‘Sword of Mercy,’ a national treasure of Cardia. We are bestowing it upon you.”

I gasped. “This is the sword from all those myths?!”

Curtana had been passed down for generations in the Cardia Halidom. According to legend, someone had used this sword several hundred years ago to defeat a designated disaster—a giant monster that could have brought calamity down on our entire country. And they were granting me a sword like this? On the screen, I could see my bewilderment reflected in the expressions of the other Saints.

“I’m aware that you have a hard time with Healing Magic,” said the Priestess of Fate, the Saint who had offered me the sword. “With Curtana, you can overcome that handicap. Now that you have that sword in your possession, transfer to the Hero Course at once.”

The other Saints nodded with realization and chimed in:

“What a wonderful idea!”

“Yes, it makes little sense for Sara, a Saint Candidate, to remain in General Education.”

“It’s humiliating, the idea of the Blue Sea Union and the empire looking down on her—and us.”

“N-No way...”

Everyone agreed with the Priestess of Fate...except for me. If I transferred to the Hero Course, I wouldn’t be able to remain Eugene’s partner! Normally, students in the Hero Course didn’t form parties with those in General Education.

“Is something the matter, Sara?”

“Um, is this transfer imperative?”

“Are you displeased with our order, Sara?” Their intimidating gazes pierced me even through the screen created by the Communications Magic.

“No... Thank you for your consideration.”

In the end, I swallowed the words I’d wanted to say. With Curtana in hand, I became a Paladin and transferred to the Hero Course. I had to disband my party with Eugene; though I’d wanted to remain on his team, I couldn’t go against the advice of my teachers in the Hero Course or my orders from Cardia.

“I’m sorry, Eugene,” I told him after breaking the news.

But by this point, Eugene had recovered slightly from his past heartbreak, and he sincerely congratulated me on my new position. “It’s fine. I’m happy for you, Sara. It’s an honor to transfer to the Hero Course from General Education.”

“If you ever decide to challenge a Boss, call on me! Promise?!” I exclaimed.

“You got it, Sara,” Eugene replied, a melancholic tinge in his voice.

He must be upset that we have to separate. I’m sad too! But don’t worry, Eugene! I’ll rescue you from General Education one day!

As much as I wanted to stay with him, I had to prioritize my mission as a Saint Candidate. The school and student body held my accomplishments in high regard and invited me to the Student Council Task Force, which many other students from Cardia joined as well. By some stroke of fortune, they voted me as the student council president. “Lykeion Magic Academy student council president” was a prestigious title that bettered my chances of becoming a Saint, and my superiors from my homeland praised me for the achievement as well.

Even with all of those accomplishments, though, having to be separated from Eugene left a hole in my heart. I was positive that he felt the same way.

Wait for me, Eugene! I would get past the 100th Level and become an A-rank explorer. Once I wrapped up most of my work with the student council, I planned on forming a party with Eugene again. The man in question still hadn’t bounced back from his past. But even so, I truly believed that when he regained his drive, I would be the one who would stand at his side.

And yet...how could this be? I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the image displayed on the Satellite System—the image of Eugene in a party with another woman.

Chapter One: Eugene Speaks with the Demon Queen

The moment I stepped into the Seventh Sealed Prison, the Demon Queen Eri greeted me with a cheery smile.

“Sheesh, you’re late, Eugene!” Despite her words, her good mood was clear from the way her wings were fluttering.

“Sorry, Eri.” I, on the other hand, viewed this as part of my Biology Club duties, and today, I was more reluctant than usual to drop by. After all, this would be my first time seeing her face-to-face since we forged a contract.

“Come here, my sweet Eugene.”

“I’m not—” I tried to retort, but she’d woven an irresistible magic into her words.

In the end, I had no choice but to quietly sit down next to her. She immediately tugged me against her and pressed me down onto the mattress. Unable to lift a finger against her, I lay on my back as Eri straddled me with a predatory look in her eyes. They were even more captivating than usual.

Normally, this would be the moment when Eri tore my clothes off or started stripping, but for some reason, she didn’t move. She remained on top of me, keeping me pinned to the bed.

“When we forged our contract, how did connecting our bodies together feel for you? Was it pleasurable?”

“D-Do you have to word it that way?” The memory caused an uncomfortable stirring in the pit of my stomach. Eri was right; during the fight, I had been drunk on that odd sense of omnipotence. But... “More importantly, it felt like you sucked away my strength or my life energy.”

“Ah, that’s because a combination of my demonic miasma and my angelic ether flowed into you so quickly that it overwhelmed your mind. You blocked out the influence with your Barrier Magic, remember?”

“Oh yeah. Thank you, Eri. You really saved me back there.”

“Oho? I did?” Eri smiled sweetly, looking for all the world like she was torturing some hapless little animal.

“So, what’s the price I have to pay for the contract? Just so you know, I can’t let you out of this cage. I simply don’t have the power to do that.”

That was the most important thing I’d wanted to tell her. If I had to hazard a guess, Eri’s greatest desire was to destroy the seal keeping her here and escape from the underground prison.

I bore no grudge against her as a Demon Queen. Not only had she lent me an ear when I was going on about my personal issues, she’d also given me advice. Small as it was, I had a soft spot for her as well. But at the end of the day, she was still the Demon Queen Erinyes, who had long ago conquered and ruled over the Southern Continent. The last thing I could do for her was break her seal and let her go free.

It was true, however, that I would have never won my battle against the Divine Beast without Eri’s power. Or maybe “won” was the wrong word. I’d barely managed to earn some measure of respect from the Divine Beast Cerberus. If Eri asked me to aid in her escape, would I be able to turn her down? When forging a contract with a demon, one had to pay the demon’s price, so if it came down to that, I...

Eri hummed in thought, then said, “Don’t worry about it for now. I don’t have anything I want, anyway.”

It took several seconds for my brain to register her words. “Huh?” I’d been agonizing over what I might have to do for her, and yet she’d given her answer so quickly. “Wait, wait, wait. You can’t be serious. There’s no way you’d lend me your strength without asking for something in return, right?! And aren’t you the one who’s constantly asking to be let out of here?!”

“Well, yes. That’s because I was bored!”

“Then—”

“Your disinterest in dungeon exploration was what bored me! But things will be different now, won’t they?” When I remained silent, she continued, “Eugene, you plan to explore that dungeon you surface folk call ‘Babel,’ right? In that case, I’ll have to guide you through it. I can’t wait!” Eri giggled. Her smile was so cute and genuine that for once, she actually looked like an angel.

“But then, what should I give you in return? I can’t just keep using your powers for free,” I murmured, and Eri cocked her head, eyes wide.

“What are you talking about, Eugene?”

“Huh?”

“I’ve already been taking payment from you.”

“You have?” What in the world was she talking about? Wait, it couldn’t be... “You’ve been consuming my soul?”

“Dummy.” She smacked me on the head. “Eugene, just what do you take me for?”

“A Demon Queen.” Everyone on the Southern Continent knew the legend of the Demon Queen Erinyes.

“That’s right! I am a Demon Queen, but that doesn’t mean I’m a devil. I don’t need your soul.”

“In that case, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Eugene, for how mature you act, you can really be an airhead sometimes... What do you think you’re doing when you come here every week?”

“Well...”

I didn’t want to say the words out loud. Every week, I visited the Demon Queen as a sacrifice, willingly offering her my life essence. That was one of my responsibilities in the Biology Club, and it was a position that Headmaster Uther himself had appointed me to. He’d forced me to assent, claiming that I was the only one capable of this task, and in return, he allowed me to attend Lykeion tuition-free.

“You come here every seven days to sleep with me,” Eri continued, as if we were discussing the weather. “In fact, I was even feeling a little guilty about the way I was playing with your body without ever giving you anything in return.”

“Huh? You were playing with me?” I was shocked to hear that.

I leaned back to take in Eri’s full appearance. She had long and beautiful hair, translucent skin, and scarlet lips. Her proportions were more perfect than those of a doll. When I first saw her, I had felt fear, knowing that I was facing a legendary Demon Queen. These days, I’d grown accustomed to her looks, but even now, her resplendence sometimes stole my breath away.

“What’s the matter, Eugene?” she asked. “After all this time, have you finally fallen for me?”

“Of course not,” I lied, my mouth dry. “Anyway, I’m already paying the price of the contract, so I don’t have to give you anything else—do I have that right?”

“Yes, but...” Eri licked her lips. “I’d like to take more than usual today. You won’t deny me that, will you?”

I swallowed. As Eri proclaimed, our session that day was far more intense than normal.

***

My body feels like it weighs a ton... I’m so sleepy... After leaving the underground prison, I slowly shambled back to my dormitory. I wanted to return to my room as soon as possible and collapse into my bed. When I left the Seventh Sealed Prison, Eri had already been snoring away. As much as I’d wanted to pass out beside her, it was a pain in the neck to maintain a barrier while asleep.

“Ah!” A voice in the distance interrupted my thoughts, and the pitter-patter of running feet followed soon after. It was my partner, Sumire. “Eugene! Hi!”

“S-Sumire?”

“Huh? What’s the matter? You look tired.”

“O-Oh, yeah... I mean, no, I’m not.” Though I’d initially nodded at her words, I quickly shook my head and pretended I wasn’t exhausted. It wasn’t like I’d been doing anything wrong, but I wanted to avoid Sumire pressing me for further details. She made a noise of acknowledgment, so I changed the subject before she could say anything else. “What are you doing here, Sumire? I thought you and Leona made plans for today.”

“We did! I’m on my way to see her now. During my meeting with the headmaster, he told me to pass along a message if I ran into you. He wants to see you in his office!”

“Headmaster Uther does?” I wondered what he could want.

Sumire had to meet with Headmaster Uther at regular intervals. I’d once asked what they talked about, and apparently he would ask her things like “Have you made any friends? Are you keeping up with your classes? Do you have any complaints about the food in the cafeteria?”

Was he secretly her doting uncle or something? I couldn’t believe he would set aside time in his busy schedule to pose such banal questions to Sumire. He could’ve appointed someone else to interview her. Perhaps he was just excited for the opportunity to speak directly with an Ifrit. I sometimes found it hard to believe he was the king of the dungeon city. He was more like a scholar or academic than a monarch.

“Got it,” I said. “Thanks. I’ll go see him.”

Honestly, I wanted to sleep, but I couldn’t ignore a request from the headmaster, so I needed to just get it over with. His time was surely more valuable than mine, and I also had things I wished to discuss with him.

Right as I was about to walk away, I heard Sumire say, “Hmm?” and felt her tug on the hem of my shirt. “Wait a second, Eugene.”

“What is it?”

“There’s something on your shirt. Is this a feather?”

“Ah...” The feather that Sumire had plucked with her fingers was solid black. Apparently, it had been on my shoulder. It must have come from Eri’s wings. “Y-Yeah, it really is a feather. I wonder when it fell on me? Ha ha...”

“It’s completely black! Is it a crow’s feather?”

“A crow?”

“Um, it’s a kind of bird from my original world. They have black feathers like this.”

“It didn’t come from a crow,” I said gravely. Eri...well, all angels were very proud of their wings, apparently, and that didn’t change even after they fell from grace. The last time I compared Eri’s feathers to a bird’s, she’d flown off the handle. It had been a terrifying experience... “I’ll toss it. Can you give it back to me?”

“Okay!”

After I accepted the feather from Sumire, I noticed her giving me an odd look. “Sumire?”

She hummed pensively before explaining, “The scent coming off you right now is the same as the one from the feather.”

“What?!”

I smelled nothing myself, but as an Ifrit, Sumire had sharper senses than a normal human. She sometimes caught details I would never have noticed.

“Is this a rare bird that you’re taking care of as part of your Biology Club duties?” Sumire asked. “Now that I’m taking a closer look at it, it really is a lovely feather.”

“Y-Yeah, that’s it.” Sumire was being way too observant.

“I’d love the chance to see that bird for myself!”

“Y-You can’t! The sealed prison is too dangerous.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.” Sumire pouted.

As an Ifrit, she could probably handle the dangers of the sealed prisons, but something told me I shouldn’t let Sumire and Eri meet.

“Anyway, I’m going over to Leona’s to hang out. Bye!” With that, Sumire hurried away.

I heaved a mental sigh of relief. That was way too close. Though I had no reason to worry, I couldn’t help myself. I watched Sumire until she skipped out of sight across the school grounds. Then I turned in the direction of the headmaster’s office. It’s time to see what Headmaster Uther wants.

***

The headmaster’s office at Lykeion Magic Academy was next to the staff room. Headmaster Uther was hardly ever there; he was usually holed up in his research lab. Today, however, I could sense his presence from behind the old and heavy door.

I knocked a few times and called out, “It’s Eugene. Sumire gave me your message, so I came to visit you.”

“Enter,” Headmaster Uther’s voice replied.

“Excuse me.”

With that, I opened the door. Inside, a bespectacled Headmaster Uther was sitting at his desk reading a grimoire with a look of intense focus. I couldn’t recognize the language the title was written in. Mountains of magical items I’d never seen before were piled up on the desk before him. In fact, the entire room was filled with magical items and grimoires. He had carelessly tossed them here and there, though they must have cost him millions of gold altogether.

Once, I’d accidentally kicked over and shattered a magical pot he’d placed on the ground. It was only afterward that I’d found out the pot had been a magical item enchanted to produce an endless supply of water. Its retail price had been around five million gold. Panicking, I’d profusely apologized to the headmaster and asked if I could do anything to make up for it.

His response? A casual “Oh, it broke? Toss it, then.” The headmaster’s perception of reality was different from most people’s.

Careful not to touch anything, I sat on the armchair for guests, which the headmaster had placed before his desk. I assumed I would have to wait until he finished reading, but he immediately closed the book.

“What a boring read,” he said.

“What was that book about?”

“Are you really interested, Eugene?” He tossed it at me.

“Whoa!” I hurriedly snatched it from the air. The book’s black cover imparted a bizarre slimy sensation to my hand. Ew, what the hell?! “What is this?”

“It’s a manuscript of a grimoire titled The Necronomicon, but whoever transcribed it did a terrible job—there are far too many lacunae. You can have it if you want.”

“Is this book cursed or something?” The Barrier Magic around the hand in which I held the book kept disintegrating no matter how many times I recast it. This clearly was no ordinary grimoire.

“You’re right on the money. It is indeed a cursed book.”

“Thanks but, uh, no thanks.” I carefully placed the grimoire on a nearby bookshelf. Don’t just hand people cursed books... After letting out a soft sigh, I asked, “So, why did you want to see me?”

The headmaster grinned. “Oh? You don’t know?”

I twitched at the question. Of course, I had an inkling as to what the headmaster wanted to discuss, and in fact, I had planned on bringing it up myself. I just hadn’t found the words to make my report. Depending on my explanation, I could very well be considered a criminal and locked away in a jail cell. Making a contract with her really was illegal, huh?

As if reading my thoughts, the headmaster said, “Eugene, you’ve forged a contract with the Demon Queen Erinyes, haven’t you?”

The words caught in my throat. The king of the dungeon city saw all.

Chapter Two: Eugene Speaks with the Headmaster

“Eugene, you’ve forged a contract with the Demon Queen Erinyes, haven’t you?” the headmaster asked. He fixed me with a piercing gaze; its intensity was completely at odds with the evident boredom with which it had flicked over the text of the grimoire.

“U-Um, there were a lot of circumstances that forced me to,” I stammered.

While I was still trying to find the right words to explain myself, the headmaster huffed a laugh. “Don’t be so frightened. I’m not blaming you. However, we mustn’t let the Cardia Halidom, the leading power within the Holy Alliance, know about it. The citizens of the halidom despise her.”

“Yes, I agree.”

Everyone knew about the harsh line the Holy Alliance took on the Demon Queen Erinyes. If the authorities discovered that someone within alliance territory revered the Demon Queen, they would execute that person, no questions about it.

One might have assumed that the Demon Queen no longer had any worshippers, but in reality, quite a few sects remained active on the Southern Continent.

This stemmed from the way the Demon Queen Erinyes had ruled over the continent a thousand years ago. Back then, her policy had been pure hedonism. She lived her life exactly as she pleased, lazing about whenever she could afford to. She largely refrained from massacring humans too. Erinyes had stood out as an oddly lenient sovereign, especially when compared to her compatriots. However, she showed no mercy to those who rose up against her. Their torments were recorded in the history books, and I’d heard stories from the woman herself.

Currently, most people on the Southern Continent worshipped the Holy God, who preached the values of order and self-improvement—the complete opposite of Erinyes’s teachings. Those who found such values suffocating continued to revere Eri in secret. Of course, some only idolized her thanks to the legends of her otherworldly beauty, which I had now verified with my own eyes. With those looks, it only made sense that she’d come to be viewed as a goddess.

Though I wasn’t one of Eri’s devotees as such, I doubted the Cardia Halidom would let me off scot-free if they found out I’d forged a contract with her. The inquisitors of Cardia were infamous for their cruel and relentless interrogations. Am I really gonna be okay?

The headmaster must have seen the anxiety in my expression, because he said, “There’s no need to fret. The other countries believe that the Demon Queen Erinyes is fast asleep inside of her seal. We are the only two people who know she’s awake.”

“I assume you’re hiding it from the citizens of the dungeon city to prevent unnecessary panic?”

The headmaster nodded. “There’s no good reason to announce that the Demon Queen has regained consciousness. Besides, the seal on the underground prison is highly secure. We don’t have to fear her escaping.”

“Really?”

I was well aware of how sturdy the seal on the underground prison was, but as someone who spent copious amounts of time around the Demon Queen, I couldn’t help but worry. It always felt like Eri was up to something.

“Even if she breaks out, I’m the one responsible for the city’s safety, so there’s no need for you to feel guilty about anything,” the headmaster said, shooting me his usual confident grin.

“I was worried that you would toss me into the sealed prison alongside the Demon Queen.”

“Ha ha ha! That’s a good one, Eugene. That might have come to pass if she were controlling you, but from what I can perceive, that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

Silver gleamed in his eyes. This was the power of the Sage’s Eyes; his Mystic Eyes allowed him to see through any kind of deception. It was thanks to this ability that Headmaster Uther had been the first to realize Sumire’s true identity as a reincarnator.

“That’s all I summoned you here for,” he said. “I wanted to check for myself whether the contract had done anything to you, but you look to be fine. I was sure you would be—the Demon Queen likes you, so I couldn’t imagine her putting you in danger.”

Upon hearing that, I stared at him, my mouth agape. “You were worried about me?”

“Of course I was. The students of this school are akin to my own children.”

“Thank you,” I said, bowing my head.

“Don’t worry about it. Anyway, you also wished to see me, yes?”

“Nothing gets past you.” I could never conceal anything from the headmaster. There was only one thing I really wanted to ask him about. “Why did a Divine Beast appear on the 20th Level?”

The headmaster’s expression tightened. “We’re still in the middle of investigating that.”

“Does it have anything to do with an Ifrit appearing in Babel?” I asked.

That was the theory I’d been turning over in my head, though I’d never brought it up around Sumire. An Ifrit turning the 5th Level into a sea of flames and the Divine Beast Cerberus rampaging through the 20th Level—both were bizarre phenomena that had taken place on the lower levels. I worried they had something to do with each other.

The headmaster shook his head and casually struck down my guess with “No, they’re likely unrelated.”

“Really?”

“Yes. This is just my hypothesis, but I believe Sumire came here because she got wrapped up in the mass reincarnator summoning that’s taking place on the Western Continent.”

“M-Mass reincarnator summoning?” What the heck is that?! I thought reincarnators were so rare that even one showing up every few hundred years was a big deal!

“The goddesses still have far greater sway over the Western Continent than they have here. Apparently, to prepare for the Great Devil’s revival, they’re bringing over enough reincarnators for an army. Given the average reincarnator’s exceptional abilities, they will make for a formidable trump card. And the Western Continent is close enough to the Dark Continent, where the Great Devil will supposedly arise.”

“The Great Devil... The legendary monster that ruled the world a thousand years ago, huh? Is it really going to come back?” I’d heard rumors about it, but it didn’t feel real.

“Yes, there’s no question about it. However, it’s not something a student like yourself should worry about. Leave it to the leaders and authorities.”

“Headmaster Uther, you’re a king, aren’t you?”

“I am, and that’s why I’m worried about it. I’ve been collecting intel on the Dark Continent, haven’t I? Now, as for why the Divine Beast appeared on the 20th Level... I have theories of my own, but nothing I can share with you yet.”

“I understand,” I said, backing down without a fuss. If the headmaster didn’t know anything, then I doubted anyone else did. That was when I realized something. “If the Western Continent is mass summoning reincarnators, does that mean there might be acquaintances of Sumire’s among them?”

“Yes, that occurred to me too. That’s why I informed Sumire of it.”

“Does she want to check it out?” It would be to Sumire’s benefit if she could find someone she knew from her previous world here. However, she hadn’t brought this up when I ran into her earlier.

“She said she has no desire to seek out the other reincarnators on the Western Continent.”

Even though this was a chance for her to meet someone from her home world? “Why not?”

“She has amnesia.”

“Right... But there’s always the chance she’ll regain her memories if she meets someone she knows.”

“Remember that right now, Sumire is an Ifrit. There’s always the chance that she’ll find someone she knows but they won’t recognize her.”

“I see...”

Sumire was no longer human; she’d been reborn here as an Ifrit. We had no idea how much her physical appearance had changed during the reincarnation process; for all we knew, she could have looked completely different back home.

“She said that she was scared of meeting them while she’s still an Ifrit suffering from amnesia,” Headmaster Uther continued. “I can understand where she’s coming from. It takes over ten days to reach the Western Continent, so she likely doesn’t want that time and effort to go to waste.”

“Yes... I understand.”

Sumire’s situation was a lot more painful than I had imagined. If only I could do something to help her...

“Oh, by the way, Sumire told me something interesting.” The headmaster grinned. “She said that she’s been feeling less lonely thanks to you and Leona and that she’s having fun at Lykeion Magic Academy. You’ve done a wonderful job fulfilling your duties as her guardian.”

Sumire really said that? I found myself feeling warm and fuzzy inside. “I’m glad.”

“Sumire’s expression is especially bright whenever she talks about you, Eugene. She’s really attached to you.”

“Well, yes...” Sumire’s emotions were easy to read; she always expressed them so straightforwardly. I was aware that she had something of a crush on me.

Then the headmaster proceeded to ask me something crazy: “Are you going to make a move on her?”

“Of course not! I’m Sumire’s guardian!” Of all the things to suggest! How could he?!

“I know what an earnest young man you are, Eugene. That’s why I left her in your care.”

“I’m honored to hear that...”

“Heartbreak drove you to leave your country, and though you managed to enroll in Lykeion Magic Academy, the only girl you’ve had relations with is the Demon Queen Erinyes. You broke up with Sara, the Saint Candidate, didn’t you? You’re still young, so why don’t you try exploring some new amorous frontiers?”

“I wasn’t even dating Sara!”

This conversation had gone completely off the rails. What were we doing here? Why was I discussing my love life with the headmaster and king of the city?

“Hmm... Eugene, I predict that your trials with women are only beginning.”

“Where did that come from?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Call it an old man’s intuition,” the headmaster said with a teasing chuckle. His Mystic Eyes were still shining silver.

That reminds me. The Sage’s Eyes can see into the future, can’t they? In that case, what precisely did he see? I was getting a little creeped out.

“W-Well, if that’s all, I should get going.”

“Mm. Sorry for calling you here at this hour.”

“No, I should be the one thanking you for everything you told me.” I bowed and was on my way out the door when he addressed me again.

“Eugene, you’re aiming for the 500th Level, aren’t you?”

When I turned around, I saw him reading a different grimoire from the one he had been flipping through when I first entered. “Yes, with Sumire.”

“I’m rooting for you. When you clear the 100th Level, I’ll tell you all about my own adventures from my youth.”

“That...sounds wonderful. I’ll do my best.”

Headmaster Uther was the second-place Record Holder who’d reached the 451st Level in the past. To hear a firsthand account of his journey through Babel was a rare opportunity. The 20th Level was the highest point that Sumire and I had reached thus far, so comparing ourselves to Headmaster Uther felt impertinent, but here he was saying he was rooting for us. In that case, we had to live up to his expectations.

With a final bow, I turned and left the headmaster’s office.

The next day, I dropped by Lykeion’s Fifth Training Grounds to sit in on Sumire’s martial arts lesson with Leona.

“Hi-yah! Was that okay, Leona?”

“Yes, very good! You’re getting the hang of it, Sumire!”

Leona had practically dragged Sumire into the Martial Arts Club. In my opinion, this was the best club she could possibly have joined. It boasted a lot of female members, and they were all friendly people. It would be a good environment for Sumire, who still didn’t have a lot of friends or acquaintances at school.

As Sumire’s partner, I felt obliged to say, “Leona, I hope we’re not imposing on you with these private lessons.”

“Why are you apologizing to me? If you hadn’t covered the cost of the Ambrosia Tears, I would’ve been saddled with so much debt I would never have been able to repay it in this lifetime. I can’t possibly turn down your requests, Eugene. Actually, I should be calling you Lord Eugene!”

“Please don’t.”

Leona laughed. “I was just kidding!”

I watched over Sumire and Leona’s sparring for a few more minutes before I started reviewing my stances with a wooden sword.

“Hi-yah!” Sumire performed a roundhouse kick in midair. Sparks flashed around her with a sizzling noise.

Huh? The next second, there was a roar, and a massive streak of flames cut through the air. Leona quickly dodged it with a surprised yelp. Even if the fire had reached me, I could have blocked it with my Barrier Magic, but I jumped out of the way as well, just in case an Ifrit’s fire could breach my shield.

“Leona, Eugene, I’m so sorry!” Sumire cried as she rushed over to us.

“What was that?” I asked.

“Even when I’m not trying to use it, the fire just comes out...”

Leona crossed her arms and nodded, looking impressed. “That’s so awesome—activating Fire Magic just by moving your body.”

In contrast, Sumire was frowning. She must have been beating herself up because she thought she was causing us trouble.

“Ifrits must have so much mana inside them that the excess leaks out. We’ll find you a mage who can teach you to control your magic while Leona focuses on mentoring you in the martial arts.”

Sumire nodded firmly and replied, “Okay!”

As my exploration partner, she was working hard to keep up with me. But...

“Don’t push yourself too hard,” I added.

“I’m fine! I want to improve as quickly as possible so I can go exploring with you!”

“Whoa!” Leona said. “So romantic. Am I third-wheeling here?”

“W-We’re not together like that, Leona!”

Leona sometimes teased us as if we were a couple, which embarrassed me a little as well. My feelings for Sumire were completely platonic, but I still remembered the headmaster’s bizarre question to me the other day about my intentions toward her.

That was when the familiar voice of Claude Percival sounded out over the training grounds. “Oh, Eugene! I’ve been seeing you around the training grounds more often lately.”

As a student in the Hero Course and a Hero-in-Training, Claude was one of the academy’s most elite fighters.

“Claude, you’re here to train as well?” I asked.

“Yeah, the weather’s too nice not to. If I don’t exercise every day, I’ll lose my edge. Oh, hey, is that the girl from another world? I’ve heard so much about her. Hello, nice to meet you! My name is Claude Percival. Eugene and I have been best bros since our first year here, so I hope you and I can get along too.” He shot Sumire a cheese-eating grin, teeth flashing in the sunlight. His womanizing ways never changed.

“Um, my name is Sumire Sashiougi. I’m Eugene’s exploration partner,” Sumire said. She must have been nervous introducing herself to someone she’d never met before, but she didn’t manage to say anything else before a voice as cold as ice interrupted the conversation.

“Oh my. You’ve only been here for two seconds and you’re already flirting with a girl? You’re exactly as I remember, Claude.”

Claude’s expression stiffened. “L-Leona?”

“Long time no see.” Despite her frosty tone, she gave Claude a bright grin.

Claude must not have noticed Leona at first because she’d been behind Sumire and me. An awkward silence fell over the pair, and Sumire and I exchanged a glance.

“H-Hey. So, uh, how’ve you been?” Claude asked.

“How do you think? You completely forgot about me and kept chasing skirts.”

“That’s not true! I wanted to go see you much earlier, but the Martial Arts Club banned me from visiting.”

“And not just the Martial Arts Club! You’re also banned from the Swordsmanship Club, the Archery Club, and half of the Magic Clubs!”

Claude, just what the hell did you do? I’m sure it’s nothing good...

Though Claude was trying to worm his way out of Leona’s interrogation with a smile, I could see cold sweat breaking out on his face. Sumire and I had no choice but to watch in silence as the two of them continued to exchange barbs. Eventually, Claude gave up on hanging around at the training grounds.

“Sorry, Eugene,” he sighed. “I wanted to ask you about that Divine Beast everyone’s saying you defeated, but we can talk about that some other time. Sumire, sorry for interrupting your lesson.”

“Get. Out. Of. Here.” Leona was absolutely not letting up, but Claude wasn’t either.

“Leona.”

“Wh-What?”

“I’ll come see you again.”

Leona looked away. “Liar.”

“I mean it! See you.” Claude walked off, waving the whole time. He must’ve had a strong heart to act this cavalier after the way Leona had treated him.

An awkward silence fell over the three of us who remained on the training grounds. I was obtuse in matters of love, but even I could guess that Leona and Claude had a history together. I wasn’t so insensitive that I would just ask her about it, though.

“Hey, Eugene,” Sumire said, “is that person a friend of yours?”

“Yeah, he is. We’ve been friends since we entered the school. He’s a Dragon Knight, and the Biology Club’s in charge of caring for his mount.”

“Wow! A Dragon Knight! That sounds amazing!”

“It’s not,” Leona muttered, butting into the conversation.

“And Leona, you’re acquaintances with that guy too?” Sumire asked.

“W-Well, I, um...”

Whoa! You’re incredible, Sumire! It wasn’t the smoothest way to do it, but you successfully got us onto the topic of Leona’s past with Claude.

Leona hesitated a few seconds longer, then admitted, “We used to date. But it was a long time ago, and only for a short while. We’re not together anymore.”

“Whaaa—?! I see! Oh, but um, I guess I shouldn’t pry any further.”

“Nah, I don’t really care about him anymore! You really wanna hear about it, Sumire?”

With that, Leona launched into a story about how she’d first met Claude, as well as how they’d ended up together afterward. She must’ve wanted to discuss this with someone for a very long time. I figured that it would be rude to listen in on the two girls as they excitedly gossiped about Leona’s past romance, so I gave them some space and focused on practicing with my sword.

“Isn’t he just awful?!” Leona sighed.

“But he was so cool and handsome! I bet you two were such a cute couple!”

“Omigosh, stop! But, well, yeah... He is pretty cool.”

“Do you, um... Do you still like him?”

“No way!”

“Really?”

Even at this distance, I could hear every word of their conversation, as well as Leona’s silence in response to Sumire’s last question. Man, girls really love talking about love, I thought as I reminisced about my days at the military academy. Back then, even my childhood friend Airi had enjoyed making a big deal about our classmates getting together or breaking up. Maybe girls loving gossip was one of those universal constants.

It was a while before our training started up again in earnest.

A week later, Sumire and I made our way to the entrance of the Last Dungeon, Babel. Sumire had picked up the basics of martial arts, but her control over her magic was still unrefined, to say the least. Still, we couldn’t spend all our time on preparation if we wanted to make it to the 500th Level.

“We’re finally back here, Sumire,” I said.

“Yeah! Let’s start from the 21st Level!”

Since we’d defeated the Boss on the 20th Level, we could take the Dungeon Elevator to that floor. And now it was time to restart our attempt to conquer Babel.

♢Lykeion Magic Academy—Biology Club—Sixth Sealed Prison aka “Calamity”♢

“Have you been good?” I asked, waving at the Wyverns and Griffins crowding around me to sniff at the food I was carrying.

For monsters, they all boasted high intelligence, and they recognized me from all the times I’d come here as part of my Biology Club duties. I took some large chunks of meat out of the magical storage device I’d brought with me and chucked them all around.

“Coo coo! ♪”

“Grrrr! ♪”

“Squeeeak! ♪”

The monsters made happy noises as they tucked into their meals. They were such adorable little crea— Nope, scratch that, they were still pretty intimidating. Monsters capable of flight, such as the Wyverns and Griffins, grabbed the meat with their dagger-sharp claws and carried it back to their nests.

All the monsters here had owners. They belonged, of course, to Monster Tamers. As a Swordmaster who’d joined the Biology Club despite my class having nothing to do with monsters, I was the sole member who wasn’t a Monster Tamer. I’d only joined on the headmaster’s orders, since no one else could enter the massive underground prison that held the Demon Queen and various mythological creatures.

It was a little unfair that, even though I wasn’t a Monster Tamer, I was part of the weekly rotation for feeding duties. That being said, I wasn’t too mad about it, since I’d grown attached to the monsters the Biology Club kept.

A voice interrupted my musings about my club activities.

“Hey, Eugene.” The voice belonged to a male Dragon Knight decked out in fashionable and shiny armor.

“Claude, you’re visiting the Biology Club’s enclosure again? Do you have too much free time on your hands or something?”

“Oh, no, no, I have a date right after this. I found time in my busy schedule to come hang out with my best bro! ☆”

“Okay, so you’re bored. Give me a hand, then.”

“Huh?!”

I forced Claude to help me feed the monsters. The Biology Club’s enclosure was full of medium- to large-sized monsters, and while they had calmer temperaments than their wild counterparts, they were still monsters at the end of the day. Normally, I would never have let an amateur assist me, but Claude was in the Hero Course, so he would be fine.

We finished feeding all the monsters in the enclosure without incident. To thank Claude for helping me, I tossed him a glass bottle full of water.

“Whoa!” he said, though he easily snatched it out of the air. The bottle had been in magical storage, so it was still chilly.

I took out my own bottle and chugged it before asking, “So, why did you come see me, Claude?”

“That’s cold, Eugene. I’m obviously here to congratulate you on clearing the 30th Level!”

“You saw that? Thanks.” It was a little embarrassing to hear him say that, but I was sincere in my appreciation.

A few days ago, Sumire and I had cleared the 30th Level without running into issues. Currently, we were taking a break. Claude had apparently visited me to hear my tales of dungeon exploration.

“I heard that the Boss on the 30th Level was the Orc King this time around. It’s not that strong, but still, it’s unusual for a party of only two people to defeat it!” Claude laughed.

He was absolutely right, so I could only offer him a wry smile. “Sumire still has trouble controlling her mana. As much as I’d like to scout more people for our party, it’s hard to invite them to join us when there’s a real risk of her magic causing an explosion.”

“Yeah, I saw! When the Orc King tried to attack her, she screamed, and in the next second, the entire floor became a sea of fire! It was hilarious.”

“It wasn’t so funny for me,” I sighed.

To be fair, Sumire losing control over her magic was what had won us the battle on the 30th Level. The Orc King had brought an army of Orcs with it, and Sumire had been the one to kill the majority of them with her flames. Not that she had intended to do that.

Sumire and I were aiming for the 500th Level. However, the Last Dungeon wasn’t such a cakewalk that a party of only two people could reach it without any help. Our main objectives right now were teaching Sumire to harness her magic properly and finding more explorers to join our team.

“Eugene, are you looking to scout someone for your party?” Claude asked, his expression and tone suddenly more serious than before.

“Yeah, but we’re not in a rush. We’re still only on the 30th Level, after all,” I replied flippantly.

So far, we had been able to explore on our own without running into any serious trouble. The idea of taking on the Bosses of the 40th and the 50th Levels frightened me a little, though.

“If you need help, just call on me anytime. I’m happy to assist you two,” Claude said.

“You are?” I replied, cocking my head. “Aren’t you already in another party?”

Claude was an A-rank explorer who had already gotten past the 100th Level. He belonged to the Azure Fang, a team of famous warriors from the Blue Sea Union. I couldn’t think of any reason he would help us when we had only just conquered the 30th Level.

“Everyone in the Azure Fang hails from the Blue Sea Union. Since the union’s reputation rests on our shoulders, they’re all really uptight. We can’t do whatever we want, and we haven’t been exploring since we cleared the 100th Level. I’d prefer working with a more casual team.”

“Oh, I see.” Apparently, even elite explorers had problems of their own. Regardless, Claude would definitely be a great help to us. He was one of the few students in Lykeion Magic Academy’s Hero Course, which would make him a very powerful fighter. Letting him join would come with its own challenges, though, because... “I was actually thinking of recruiting Leona as our third party member.”

Claude stared at me for a moment. “You serious?”

“Yeah. Leona and Sumire are friends.”

“Th-That makes sense!”

Claude cradled his head in his hands. I’d known he would react this way. Leona was his ex-girlfriend, after all, so it would definitely be awkward for him to be in the same party as her.

“I’ll ask you for your help when you can hang out with Leona without it being awkward.”

Claude grimaced. “Y-Yeah, sure.”

Still, I was happy that he had offered his assistance. If only he weren’t such a womanizer! We chatted a bit more before Claude had to leave. At one point, he asked me exactly how far I’d gotten with Sumire, and the question was so vulgar that I had to punish him with a slap to the head. Between him, Eri, and the headmaster, why was everyone around me obsessed with talking about my nonexistent romance with Sumire?

“Dude, you’re seriously not gonna shoot your shot with a girl as cute as her? You’ll regret it when she finds herself a boyfriend.”

“I’m not you,” I shot back.

It wasn’t far-fetched for explorers in coed parties to end up dating each other. But me, dating Sumire? I was her guardian.

Well, now that I think about it... Sumire was a very pretty girl, and she was sure to attract a lot of attention from the guys at school. Hmm...

For the rest of the day, my mind kept going over what Claude had said to me.

♢Sumire’s POV♢

“This is Miss Sumire Sashiougi. Starting today, she’ll be participating in our Fire Magic lessons. I’m sure everyone already knows about her, yes? She is a reincarnator. Miss Rin is teaching her the basics, but I’m sure she still has many questions about our world. Please lend her a hand if she’s having trouble keeping up with our classes. Now, Miss Sashiougi, you have the floor.”

“Th-Thank you! I’m Sumire Sashiougi. Thank you for welcoming me to your class. I hope we can all be friends!” After my short greeting to everyone, I lowered my head in a quick bow. My classmates welcomed me with a robust round of applause.

Eek, I wonder if I’ll be all right... Eugene and Miss Rin—the people I’d grown to count on—wouldn’t be here to help me, but they were the ones who had suggested I take some lessons in Fire Magic; they’d said I should acclimate myself to classes with the rest of the student body rather than exclusively attending my one-on-one lessons.

Enough time had passed since I arrived in this world that people had stopped gawking at me openly. The flip side was that fewer and fewer people were giving me special treatment.

Since I could sit anywhere I wanted to, I nervously chose a seat in the very first row. I was giving the teacher my absolute attention so I wouldn’t miss any important information when a voice next to me hissed my name.

“Sumire. Sumire!”

“Huh?”

I looked over to see a serious-looking girl wearing glasses. I felt like I recognized her from somewhere.

She must have realized I was sifting through my memories, because she said, “My name is Teresia Cuttysark. We met when you visited the student council. Do you remember me?”

“Ah! Yes, Miss Teresia, I do!” I just remembered you...

My voice must have been a tad too loud, because the teacher shot me a glare. I focused on the lesson after that, but it was still too difficult for me.

Every time she heard or noticed me having trouble, Miss Teresia would subtly whisper, “Sumire, this is what the teacher meant,” and break things down for me.

“O-Oh, I see!”

Ding dong bing bong. The chime signaling the end of classes rang out. Schools were all the same, no matter what world I was in. Wait, that’s totally not what’s important right now. I have to thank her!

“Miss Teresia! Thank you so much for helping me during class!”

“Think nothing of it. It’s only right to offer aid to those who are having trouble,” Miss Teresia replied with an elegant smile.

She’s such a nice person! I was getting a little emotional as I stared at Miss Teresia. Her long, straight hair was a dark gray that verged on black, and her glasses gave her a studious air. Holy smokes! Now that I’m getting a better look at her, she’s so pretty! She was the kind of beauty who dressed in plain-looking clothes to avoid standing out. That kind of girl—the class representative type—existed in my previous world too! Miss Teresia was a beautiful and competent girl, and I desperately wished to become friends with her!

Wanting to know more about her, I asked, “Miss Teresia, you’re a mage, right?” Considering this school had so many classes specifically for magic, I figured that would be a given.

“Mm, it’s a rather bombastic title, so I’m quite embarrassed by it. But I’m a Sage-in-Training.”

“A Sage?!” That sounded amazing! Actually, no, it was amazing! Sages could use all types of magic, from offensive to healing. Miss Rin had taught me that!

“In training, remember? I still don’t have enough practice or experience wielding my magic, so I can’t call myself a Sage yet,” Miss Teresia said with a gentle smile.

“B-But still! I think you’re incredible,” I said, starting to feel a little down. Miss Teresia blinked at me in surprise, so I explained, “I want to get better at magic as quickly as possible so I can help Eugene.”

A little while ago, we’d cleared the 30th Level. However, the whole time we were exploring, my magic kept going berserk on me. Eugene had told me not to worry about it, but I couldn’t stop fretting. The whole reason we’d decided to aim for the 500th Level was so I could return to my world, yet I was the one holding us back. That was as far as I could reminisce, though, because I noticed Miss Teresia fixing me with an intense look.

“Miss Teresia?”

“Ah, it’s nothing... Sumire, are you and Eugene lovers, by any chance?”

“Huh?!” What an unexpected question. “N-No way! Um, E-Eugene and I aren’t like that. Yet.”

Miss Teresia rested her hand against her chin and murmured, “Yet?” She appeared to be pondering something.

“Miss Teresia, are you close with Eugene?” D-Don’t tell me the beautiful Miss Teresia’s interested in him!

“Ah, no, not me. The student council president—ahem.” She made a show of pressing her hand to her mouth. “My apologies. Pray pretend you didn’t hear that.”

The student council president? She was talking about Sara, the girl I’d met a few days ago, right? She was a fancy-looking girl with black hair, so cute I could’ve mistaken her for an idol. Now that I thought about it, she was very obviously in love with Eugene.

I see! So Miss Teresia’s friends with Sara! I wonder if she’s willing to be my friend?

Miss Teresia giggled. “You don’t have to worry about imposing on me. I’m the head of the student council’s general affairs team as well as a noble of the Cardia Halidom. In Cardia, we follow the gospel of the goddess of fate, which dictates that we treat reincarnators with the utmost respect. And even apart from your status, I have a personal interest in you, Sumire. Or, to be more precise, in your Ifrit mana.” She smiled mischievously. Though she could have been speaking diplomatically in an effort to cheer me up, I felt that she had meant every single word.

“Then, would you like to have tea with—”

But before I could finish my invitation, a guy showed up beside us.

“Hey, Teresia! I’m here to pick you up.”

When did he get here? I hadn’t sensed his approach at all. I recognized him and his shiny, fashionable armor. He was a blond boy so handsome that he practically glowed.

“Claude, you’re early. Hold on for a minute.”

“I just couldn’t wait to see you.”

“Oh, you!”

It was Claude, the guy who called himself Eugene’s “best bro.” As much as I wanted to befriend him, since he and Eugene were close, he was also Leona’s ex-boyfriend, which made me hesitant to do so.

“Huh? Sumire?” he said when he noticed me standing there.

“Hello,” I said with an awkward nod.

“Oh, I didn’t know you and Teresia were buddies. I’ll get out of your hair, then. Teresia, I’ll be waiting for you at our usual spot.”

“Sure, sure. I’ll catch you later.”

Claude gave us a jaunty wave on his way out of the room. Miss Teresia’s eyes followed him the entire time. Though she had maintained an aloof attitude throughout her conversation with him, she didn’t seem to actually dislike Claude.

“Er, Miss Teresia, are you and Claude friends?”

“No, not at all. He’s just so persistent. I had dinner with him once, and ever since, he’s been awfully familiar with me.” She sighed, brows furrowed. Her reaction didn’t look like that of a girl being pestered by a boy she didn’t like. In fact, I had the feeling that she enjoyed Claude’s presence.

Hmm? Did that mean that Miss Teresia and Claude’s relationship was a special one? But Eugene had said that Claude enjoyed flirting with all the girls in the school.

“My apologies,” Miss Teresia continued. “I would love to chat with you some more, but...”

“Don’t worry about it! You should prioritize the plans you made first. Let’s hang out another time!”

“I’d love to. We should have a tea party.”

With those words, Miss Teresia practically skipped out of the classroom. That day, I returned to the dorms with an odd and uncomfortable weight in my chest.

♢The Next Day♢

Leona approached me as the Martial Arts Club members were taking a break from basic training and said, “Guess what, Sumire?! Claude asked if I wanted to hang out with him!”

The image of Claude and Miss Teresia happily chatting away yesterday flashed through my mind, but I maintained a straight face as I matched Leona’s excited energy with “W-Wow! That’s great, Leona!”

“You know what he said too? He was all, ‘I just can’t live without you, Leona!’ What a handful, am I right?!” she gushed, celebrating by kicking away at a punching bag. Just the other day, she had practically kicked the stuffing out of this same punching bag while screaming, “Claude, you bastard!”

“Th-Then, will you get back together with him?”

“Hmm... I haven’t thought that far ahead yet!”

Despite Leona’s words, I was sure that if Claude asked that question, she would nod in a heartbeat. She was on cloud nine. I decided to forget about Miss Teresia and Claude’s conversation from yesterday. Yeah, surely I was worrying over nothing!

“By the way, Sumire, how are things between you and Eugene?” Leona asked.

“Huh?” I hadn’t expected to become the focus of the conversation.

“Have you kissed him yet?”

“O-Of course not!” The suggestion surprised me. I wasn’t even dating Eugene.

“That’s no good! Eugene’s become really popular lately. Everyone sees his potential now that he fought off the Divine Beast Cerberus on his own. Plus, his dad’s a big shot in the empire! If you take too long, some other girl will steal him from right under your nose.”

“U-Um...”

I twiddled my fingers. Leona’s encouragement was pretty aggressive, but I could understand her worries for me. Eugene was cool, and his family was rich. Add his skills with both a sword and magic, and of course he would be popular with the girls. Apparently, he was still single, but if a really cute girl confessed to him and he decided to date her, would he invite her to join our two-person party? And if he did, would they force me to watch them canoodling right before my eyes?

EW! No way, no way! I can’t even bear the thought!

“Sumire, why don’t you confess to him during your next foray into the dungeon?” Leona said.

“C-Confess?!” I thought about it for a bit, moaning and groaning the whole time. “Maybe...”

“Oho? You’re actually open to the idea?”

“Wait, wait, wait! So, like, in the end, what do you plan on doing about Claude?”

“Er, can we save that topic for another day?”

“You were the one who started this! Tell me first!”

We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting about romance, and as a result, my mind stayed stuck on the topic all the way up through the day of my next exploration with Eugene.

Eugene and I met up at the entrance of Babel.

“We’ll start from the 30th Level today,” he said.

“Okay!” I looped my arm through his.

“Uh, Sumire?”

“Let’s do our best!” I said cheerily as I strode into the dungeon.

He seemed perplexed by my actions, but he didn’t shake me off. Did we look like lovers to the other explorers around us? The 1st Level of Babel was teeming with people, including students from Lykeion Magic Academy. Though I could feel their eyes on us, Eugene didn’t look bothered by them.

“Have you gotten used to controlling your mana?” he asked.

“Ack... Y-Yeah, kind of!”

I was paying attention in my magic classes as well as receiving one-on-one tutoring from Miss Rin. Compared to before my lessons, my magic had stopped going berserk as frequently, but it was still difficult for me, as an outworlder, to master it.

“Well, just take things at your own pace,” Eugene said, smiling at me encouragingly.

Th-This guy’s a natural charmer! I decided to try appealing to his protective instincts. “If only I could learn magic from you, Eugene!”

“I can’t use Attack Magic,” he pointed out, expression turning awkward.

Shoot! I messed up! “Oh, no! That wasn’t a dig at you! I—”

“I know, I know,” he said, patting me on the head before I could finish speaking.

Ugh, I can’t shake his calm exterior! Am I not being assertive enough? That said, I liked when Eugene was nice to me. Right when I was thinking that I wouldn’t mind our relationship staying like this for a little while longer...

“Eugene?”

The voice was quiet, but it carried over the din like a chiming bell. When I looked in the direction it came from, I saw a girl with glossy and voluminous black hair and such adorable looks that she was almost fae-like.

Wait, I recognize her. This was my second time meeting her. The first time we’d seen each other had been at the student council building. If I remembered correctly, she was the president.

“Sara?” Eugene said, shock coloring his voice. “Wha—”

“EUGENE! Why did you never visit me again?!” Student council president Sara threw herself into Eugene’s arms, just as she had the day we’d met.

“Some other girl will steal him from right under your nose.” Leona’s words replayed in my mind.

I didn’t think the foreshadowing would pay off so quickly! My peaceful life of dungeon exploring with Eugene was already in danger of ending.

Chapter Three: Eugene Receives Pressure from the Student Council President

♢Eugene’s POV♢

“EUGENE! Why did you never visit me again?!”

Sara, my previous exploration partner, hugged me tight. Not only was she the president of the student council, but she was also an important figure in the Cardia Halidom, so she always maintained her poise around the other students. When she was around me, though, it was like all social walls and barriers ceased to exist for her.

After Sara had entered Lykeion Magic Academy’s Hero Course, marking her as an elite student, I’d told her to forget all about me. But since her response had been “Why would you say something so mean?!” I doubted she understood my reasons for putting distance between us.

Normally, I would have waited until she calmed down, but today, I was here to explore the dungeon with Sumire. I couldn’t hang around with Sara on the 1st Level all day. Just as I was wondering what I should say to her, Sumire spoke up first.

“Er, you’re Miss Sara, right? From the student council?”

Sara glanced at Sumire for a second before turning her attention back to me. Huh? Did she just ignore her? Sumire must’ve noticed it too, because she looked annoyed at the snub.

“Hey, Eugene, are you listening to me?” Sara said.

“Y-Yeah, I am. Actually, Sumire wanted to say something to—”

“I’ve been waiting since your visit, you know? Are you free right now? I’ve reached the 90th Level, but I fear that the later floors will give me some trouble. You fought off a Divine Beast, right? So let’s talk shop! I’m sure I can provide you with useful information for your own exploration,” Sara said, speaking so quickly and loudly that I couldn’t squeeze a word in.

“Wait, Sara, I’m busy with—”

“Miss Sara! We’re headed to the 30th Level of Babel right now! So can you save that for next time?!” Sumire practically yelled at her.

Sara couldn’t possibly pretend she hadn’t heard this time. Her expression went frigid as she turned to look at Sumire. For a few seconds, the two girls glared at each other in silence.

The first to break it was Sara. “My apologies, Miss Sumire. We’re discussing something very important right now. Can you wait your turn?”

“H-Hey, Sara.” She was the one who’d appeared out of nowhere and forced me into a conversation. How could she say something like that to Sumire? The irritation had sloughed off Sumire’s face, leaving her with a blank expression. Ah, she’s pissed. I can’t just let Sara’s behavior slide.

But just when I had made up my mind, Sumire grabbed onto my arm and said, “Eugene! ☆ Let’s leave your old partner here and go exploring! ☆” She tugged me toward her and away from Sara, then proceeded to drag me toward the elevator.

“W-Wait! Hold up!” Sara hurriedly grabbed onto my other arm.

“Can you release him?” Sumire said. “We’re busy.”

“Miss Sumire! Eugene and I share an unbreakable bond! You’re just some novice, so can you butt out?!”

“Oh? But if I remember correctly, you two grew apart after you transferred to the Hero Course, right? Yet you come crawling back to Eugene just because he fought off a Divine Beast? Yeesh, that’s really nasty of you!”

“S-Sumire!”

The look in Sara’s eyes changed at Sumire’s words. “Th-That’s not it! Someone told me that if a Hero Course student like myself spent time with a General Education student like Eugene, then the other students would bully him! That’s why I distanced myself! But even if we’re not in the same party anymore, our hearts are still connected! Stop acting so high and mighty with me just because Eugene is your guardian!”

“Wha—?!” Now Sumire’s expression, too, changed.

They glared at each other in angry silence, looking for all the world like two cats pressing their faces together in an attempt to intimidate each other. This wasn’t good.

“Calm down, you—” I tried, but before I could finish, they spoke in unison without taking their eyes off each other:

“We are calm, Eugene.”

“Stay out of this, Eugene.”

Sumire threw the first stone. “Miss Sara, Eugene is my partner. If you have business with him, you’ll have to go through me first.”

“Partner? Hah! You two only recently teamed up, right? I was Eugene’s partner from the time we started at Lykeion together. I’m your senior in more ways than one.”

“You’re bragging about that even though the two of you split up within six months?”

Sara clicked her tongue before countering, “That’s what I came here to talk about today! I want to form a team with him again. So leave us alone, Miss Sumire.”

“Oh, I’m soooo sorry! I’m already Eugene’s partner, and that’s not changing anytime soon.”

“You do know that Eugene is the son of the Imperial Sword, the most powerful fighter in the empire, yes? That means I, as a Saint Candidate, am the most suitable partner for him!”

“I’m not from this world, so I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Enough! Anyway, I absolutely refuse to let Eugene be in a party where you’re the only other member!”

“Funny, because I don’t remember us needing your permission!”

“Stop touching my Eugene with your grubby hands, Miss Sumire!”

“I-I’m not!”

“Lies! Even before you walked into Babel, you had your arm in his for no reason!”

“Yeah, well, what about you?! Every time you see him, you practically glomp him!”

“Th-That’s because... What are you, my boss?!”

Sumire and Sara’s argument was getting more and more heated. I could only stare at them in unbridled shock as they growled at each other. I’d known Sara since we started at Lykeion, but this was my first time seeing her display her emotions with such candor. As for Sumire, I had always known she was passionate, but I’d never seen her so openly enraged at someone before.

“My, oh my,” a voice echoed in my head, shaking me from my stupor. I didn’t even have to wonder who it was—it could only be Eri, the Demon Queen. “A catfight over Eugene? Life as a popular boy must be so difficult.”

“Hey, Eri, what do you think I should do?” I asked, hoping to rely on Eri and the experience she’d gained through countless romantic conquests.

“Huh? Of all people, you’re asking me?”

“Please. Help.”

“Hmm, let’s see... Oh, I know! Why don’t you sleep with both of them?”

“Wow, great suggestion, but I think I’ll come up with something else myself.”

Right, Eri was a fallen angel. She was the last person I should have counted on for advice. Sara and Sumire were still arguing, but I was distracted by the sensation of being watched. The nearby explorers were staring at us with keen interest, but this odd feeling didn’t emanate from them.

Oh! The source of the peculiar gaze was an enchanted spherical construct floating in the air. It was the Last Dungeon’s eye, which transmitted images to Babel’s Satellite System, and it was staring right at the three of us. I wondered if the students back at the school were watching this.

“I’ve kissed Eugene before! Can you say the same, Miss Sumire?”

I’d been ignoring their argument for a while now, but my head jerked around when I heard something I couldn’t ignore.

“Huh?” Sumire and I said in unison.

“Eugene and Miss Sara... But you said you two weren’t dating.” Sumire sent me a betrayed look, and a drop of cold sweat trickled down my spine.

“W-We really weren’t, Sumire!” I hurriedly said. “When we formed a party, Sara told me I had to, since that was the tradition among Saint Candidates. It was just that one time.”

“Yes, that’s right. Even now, I can’t forget that electrifying kiss,” Sara said dreamily, her cheeks flushing red. Sumire regarded her with an unreadable expression, and she said, “Heh, looks like I’m the winner.”

“Grr...”

W-Winner? I didn’t understand what Sara was claiming victory over.

Sumire glanced at me before she declared to Sara, “I-I spent a night with Eugene in his tent!”

Sara froze, and her eyes widened. “What?” She looked over at me and stammered, “Eu-Eugene, did you two r-really spend...”

“Heh, I got to see Eugene’s face all unguarded while he slept! Oh, wait, don’t tell me... Miss Sara! Have you never seen his sleeping face before?”

“I’ve... I’ve never...”

Wait, what? She was watching me sleep? I remember waking up before Sumire did, but I guess I did fall asleep first.

Sumire and Sara were still glaring at each other, tears in their eyes and sweat dripping down their cheeks. That went for me as well. What in the world did they plan to reveal next?

This time, Sara was the one to break the silence with the words “Y-You’ll rue this day!” She turned on her heel and ran off at lightning speed.

“I won.” Sumire raised her fist in a victory pose. When had this turned into a competition?

“Hee hee, I wonder how they’ll react when they find out what you and I do every time you visit me, Eugene.”

“Don’t even think about it.” The thought was too frightening to entertain.

“Hey, Eugene?” Sumire said, interrupting my conversation with Eri.

“What’s up, Sumire?”

“Tell me the truth. Did you want to accept Sara’s invitation?”

“No, I...”

Actually, I’d considered it for a moment. There was a limit to how much we could accomplish by ourselves. I’d been thinking that Sara would make for a reliable companion if we could scout her, but I doubted she would join us. Judging from the conversation I’d just witnessed, Sumire and Sara had absolutely terrible chemistry.

“Sorry, Sumire. I didn’t mean to make things so awkward.”

“Don’t worry about it! I’m not upset or anything! Let’s do our best today!” Sumire gave me a smile, though it felt hollow compared to her usual ones.

Playing along, I shot her a smile too. But our progress that day was far slower than our previous explorations in the dungeon.

♢Lykeion Magic Academy—Gym Class♢

“All right, everyone, partner up!” the PE teacher ordered.

The mixed class I was attending included students from the upper and special classes, not just General Education. It wasn’t coed, though, so Sumire wasn’t around. For obvious reasons, I hated having to pair up for classes. I didn’t have any friends, after all, so it always took me a while to find someone. I had resolved to find a fellow outcast and ask him to be my partner when a familiar voice called out to me.

“Hey, Eugene! Let’s team up!”

“Claude?”

I hadn’t expected him here. Attendance wasn’t mandatory for students in the Hero Course. So long as they passed their exams, they received credits. Normally, Claude rarely attended gym class. No matter; I was just glad that I knew someone here, so I readily agreed to pair up with him.

“What happened to your face?” I asked when I noticed a wet compress taped to his cheek.

“Hmm? Oh, this... A cat scratched me.”

“A cat?”

“Yep. A cat.”

Claude was a Hero; a cat couldn’t possibly cause him injury with its claws. Well, he probably just didn’t want to talk about it, so I wouldn’t press him.

“Begin sparring!” the PE teacher yelled. All of us were using wooden weapons, so there was no fear of injury.

“Hragh!”

From my blind spot, Claude lunged with his spear. It was a rapid attack, but I twisted my body to the side to dodge it. Using the momentum of the movement, I lifted my sword and rested the tip against Claude’s neck.

“One point to me,” I said with a grin.

Claude grimaced. “C’mon, hold back a bit.”

“I didn’t use any techniques from the Niten Enmei-ryu, you know?”

“Your skills with a sword are so freaky, man.”

“They’re not freaky.”

We chatted as we sparred, sword and spear clashing against each other.

“Hey, Eugene?”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t plan on taking the transfer exam for the Hero Course?”

“Huh?”

“Ha, an opening!”

“In your dreams!”

Claude thrust twice with a spear, but I avoided both attacks at the last moment. Whew, that was close! I put some distance between us before continuing the conversation.

“So, what’s this about a transfer?”

“You’ve been a hot topic among the Hero Course students. A Swordmaster who can defeat a Divine Beast on his own shouldn’t be stranded in General Education and all.”

“I don’t plan on transferring anytime soon.”

“But why not, man?” Claude looked genuinely confused.

“You know why. Without Sumire’s mana, I can’t deal any damage. There’s no way I can pass the exam.”

“Then transfer with Sumire! She’s an Ifrit, so I’m sure she can pass the test too.”

“Hmm...” Transfer with Sumire? I considered it for a moment before shaking my head. “I still don’t think it’s feasible. Sumire can’t control her mana, so she’d probably start a fire during the exam and get disqualified.”

“Oh...” That was enough to convince Claude.

We had to cut off our training session and conversation when a group of students approached us.

“Eugene Santafield, I want to speak to you,” one said. Not only did I see the sword hanging from his belt, but I recognized him as well.

“You’re Orvaux, right? From the Swordsmanship Club?”

“That’s right—Orvaux Vaquer, the Swordsmanship Club’s number three.”

The Swordsmanship Club was the largest faction within Lykeion Magic Academy. It ranked its members based on their strength, and they were all competing to get to the top of that scoreboard. If I remembered correctly, Orvaux was the strongest swordsman in his year.

“I have a message from our president,” he said. “‘Would you like to enter the Swordsmanship Club? I’ll let you enter the First Division. If you’re aiming for the 500th Level, that’s the fastest way you’ll get there.’”

“Er, I—”

“Humph! Just so you know, I’m opposed! Even if you join us, I doubt you’ll be able to keep up with the First Division!”

What’s his deal? Orvaux was making it clear that he wasn’t happy about having to run this errand. I’d seen the president of the Swordsmanship Club before, but we’d never spoken. Prez, you sent the wrong guy to pass along your message.

“I’m grateful for the invitation, but my partner and I will continue exploring at our own pace,” I said. “And I won’t enter the Swordsmanship Club.”

“Ha! I know what’s really going on—you’re chickening out, aren’t you?! You know that we’re way stronger than you if we’re close to clearing the 200th Level!”

Man, does he have to taunt me every time he opens his mouth? His attitude was getting on my nerves. I wasn’t going to just let him walk all over me like this. “Why don’t you find out whether I’m chicken for yourself at Lykeion’s Unity Tournament? I plan on entering as a Magic Swordsman. Let’s see who’s really the better fighter there.”

“The hell did you say?” Orvaux glared at me, a dangerous look in his eyes.

“You’re not going to back down from this challenge, are you?”

“I’ll pummel you into the ground!” Orvaux shouted before leading his posse away. He could dish it out, but he sure couldn’t take it.

“Damn, Eugene. You’ve been attracting a lot of negative attention,” Claude said, exasperated.

“Have I?” I hadn’t noticed anything different from usual. Regardless, I’d almost never spoken to the group of Swordsmanship Club members before.

“You know, the guys on the Student Council Task Force have it out for you too.”

“That’s... That’s because Sara and I are friends.” Saying it reminded me of that awful fight Sumire and Sara had had the other day.

Claude must have remembered the same thing, because he grinned and said, “I saw on the Satellite System. Sumire and Sara were really going at it.”

“You saw that?”

“So, which one are you gonna pick?”

“That’s not the issue here.”

Sara hadn’t shown her face since her confrontation with Sumire, but I was sure I hadn’t seen the last of her. Maybe I should go see her. Visiting the student council room was always such a hassle, though, considering how many people tried to pick fights with me.

“You’ve got two babes vying for your attention, and you’re not gonna even date one of them? You’re looking a gift horse in the mouth, man.”

“I’m Sumire’s guardian, and Sara is a Saint Candidate of the Cardia Halidom, remember? I can’t mess around with either one of them.”

“I think you’re the one who needs to remember that we’re in Lykeion Magic Academy right now! On paper, at least, all students are equal. Besides, don’t you occupy a pretty influential position in imperial society? I’m sure you could date one of them, no problem.”

“Unfortunately for you, the Santafield family creed teaches us to treat women with respect and responsibility. I won’t just hook up with them.”

“Man, you’re so uptight, Eugene. Live a little! You should meet some more chicks. I’ll introduce you to some pals of mine, okay?”

“No need. Leave me alone.”

We continued chatting about ridiculous topics until class ended. I refused to admit that I was a little envious of how Claude lived his life.

A few days later, I was back in Babel. Today, we would start on the 36th Level. The plan was to spend five days ascending to the 40th Level. I was hanging around the entrance and waiting for Sumire, surrounded by a throng of explorers waiting for their own parties. Merchants were weaving their way through the crowd, trying to sell their items, weapons, and armor to the explorers. Some had already tried to show me their wares, but I’d turned them all down.

Right at the time we’d agreed on, I saw Sumire hurrying toward me. I waved at her so she could find me, and when she drew closer, I saw that she wasn’t wearing her usual calm expression.

“Eugene! I’ve got terrible news!” she cried.

“What is it, Sumire?” I asked.

“Um... I’m not sure where to start. I don’t want to say anything mean, since he’s your friend and all, Eugene! Oh, I didn’t mean to rhyme... Wait, that’s not important right now!”

“Calm down, Sumire.” Clearly something had really freaked Sumire out. She let out a long breath, and I silently waited for her to continue. When she collected herself, I asked again, “So, what is it?”

“Okay, so... It’s about Claude.”

“What did he do now?”

Since I was taking care of Claude’s mount as part of my Biology Club duties, I had always been pretty close to him, but lately, it had started to feel like we were spending even more time together. He’d gone so far as to offer Sumire and me a hand in the dungeon. I hadn’t mentioned that to her yet, but I’d planned on discussing it in the future. That being said, Sumire shouldn’t have had any contact with Claude, so—

“Claude’s been cheating on Leona and Miss Teresia!”

For a long time, I couldn’t say anything, and even when I found my voice again, all I could utter was a hoarse “Huh?”

Sumire’s unexpected news was way more vulgar than I could’ve ever imagined.

“Eugene, Sumire, hiya! Let’s do our best today on the 38th Level!” Claude said with a bright grin.

“Sumire, Eugene, I’m looking forward to working with you guys!” Leona said from next to him.

It was the next day. Sumire and I planned to take on the 38th Level, and both Leona and Eugene had joined us for this expedition.

“Leona, you don’t have to explore with the Martial Arts Club?” Sumire asked.

“Nope! After what happened last time, I haven’t been going in there with the club team!”

“O-Oh, right!”

Leona’s words must have reminded Sumire of what had happened. The other day, Leona and the third-string members of the Marital Arts Club had ventured into the dungeon, where they’d encountered and been wiped out by the Divine Beast Cerberus. Thankfully, the fight had taken place on the lower levels, so the dungeon staff had been able to revive everyone with Ambrosia Tears.

Nonetheless, this must have left a deep emotional scar on Leona, who had been the leader of the group. The other members of the third-string team sometimes invited me to go in the dungeon with them during our occasional joint practices, so they didn’t seem that traumatized by their encounter with the Divine Beast.

“All right, let’s get going, then,” I said to the other three. In terms of rank, Claude had more authority than I did, since he had already made it to the 100th Level. For this trip, though, I was the leader of the party.

The 30th Level was the start of the Swamp Area. We avoided roaming into places that could cost us our footing as we searched for the stairs leading upward. Most of the monsters were species like Lizardmen, which thrived in the boggy environment. Compared to the monsters on the previous levels, Lizardmen adapted well to fighting in the swamps, so we had to be careful when dealing with them. But between Leona and Claude, we were defeating them without issue.

“You’ve been all the way to the 38th Level before?” I asked Leona. I’d figured from the way she carried herself in combat that the 20th Level couldn’t have possibly been her record.

“Technically, the highest floor I’ve been to is the 50th!” she replied. “But I reached that record with the help of my seniors in the Martial Arts Club. This is my first time journeying through Babel with such a small group.”

“For real,” Claude sighed. “I’m surprised you got all the way here with just Sumire, Eugene. I thought the dungeon staff would’ve stopped you.” He sounded exasperated, but I guessed it stemmed from worry.

He had a point, though. It was one thing to explore the floors around the 10th Level with only one other person. However, under normal circumstances, there was no way a two-person party could reach the floors around the 40th Level.

“It’s my fault,” Sumire murmured. “I lose control of my mana too easily, and it causes trouble for everyone around me.”

“Well, I’ll consider a bigger party when we really can’t handle it,” I replied optimistically. Though we’d asked Claude and Leona to tag along with us, there was another reason for that. I believed that Sumire and I could’ve handled the 38th Level on our own too.

“Lately, I have been getting better at using magic, though!” Sumire added. “I’ve even made a friend in my magic class!”

“Oh, wow! I’m so happy for you, Sumire!” Leona exclaimed.

“Yeah! I improved a lot faster when I started studying with someone else! Like when you taught me martial arts, Leona!”

As I listened to Leona and Sumire’s conversation, I realized something. Hmm? Isn’t this a dangerous topic?

“Who did you befriend in magic class?” Leona asked. “I wonder if it’s somebody I know...” She probably wasn’t thinking too hard when she asked this question, but Sumire’s mouth snapped shut when she heard it.

Yeah, I bet you can’t reveal the name of your friend. I said, “Everyone, be careful. I sense monsters nearby.”

“Okay, Eugene!” Sumire replied at the same moment Leona said, “Thanks, Eugene!”

I’d changed the subject to help cover for Sumire. Monsters were approaching, though they were still some distance away. I’d simply raised the alarm sooner than I usually would have.

“Aren’t the monsters still far off?” Claude asked me.

Why, you... Whose fault do you think this is? I leaned in close and whispered, “Claude, Teresia’s the one who’s helping Sumire with her magic.”

He sucked in a breath; he must’ve understood why I’d announced the monsters’ presence when I did, because he whispered back, “G-Gotcha.”

After that, Claude helped me divert the conversation to something other than Sumire’s classes. We managed to get through the 38th Level without further complications.

The next day, we entered the dungeon intending to explore the 39th Level. Claude was waiting for us, and, for some reason, Teresia was with him.

“Hello, Miss Sumire,” Teresia said. “I look forward to exploring with you.”

“M-Miss Teresia!” Sumire squeaked. “You’ll be joining our team today?!”

“Yes. Claude is going in with you, isn’t he? That being the case, I figured I could lend my strength as well.”

Claude was looking profoundly uncomfortable. Next to him, Teresia maintained her usual calm. Actually, no, when I took a better look at her, her smile seemed wider than usual.

“Hey, Claude, what’s going on?” I hissed at him.

“Teresia saw us exploring yesterday,” he whispered back.

What the hell, man... Curious, I asked, keeping my voice low, “How do Leona and Teresia feel about each other?”

“I, uh, think they’re about to find out about the whole infidelity thing...”

“How have they not busted you yet?!” Why in the world did you agree to letting them explore together, then?!

“I’m kinda starting to think that things will work themselves out!”

Claude had absolutely no foresight. “Sort out your personal affairs, man.”

“If only there were a way I could date both of them!”

“Don’t come crying to me when a girl stabs you for breaking her heart.” Claude’s optimism was verging on worrying levels.

“They both like me, so how in the world am I supposed to choose only one of them?!”

“How should I know? Just do it.”

“You’re so hardheaded, Eugene. A true man accepts all the love that girls give him.”

“That doesn’t make cheating okay, you know?”

Apparently, Claude and I had very different views on romance, so I stopped nagging him about it. With the help of both Claude the Hero and Teresia the Sage-in-Training, we cleared the 39th Level without complications.

The next day, we were meeting in front of Babel when...

“Huh?”

Neither Claude, Leona, nor Teresia was there. Instead, the person waiting for us was a beautiful girl with long, glossy black hair and sapphire-blue eyes. The student council president’s crest glowed on the front of her academy-issued explorer uniform. It was Sara, who was scrutinizing her reflection in a hand mirror as she tidied up her hair. Next to me, Sumire’s face clouded over.

“Eugene!” As soon as Sara saw me, she raced toward us and held up her arms for an embrace.

Sumire stepped in her path and demanded, “Miss Sara, what are you doing here?!”

Sara’s expression turned thunderous for a moment before she gave us her usual lofty smile. “Why, Miss Sumire. Good day to you.”

“Hello, Miss Sara. I see you deigned to acknowledge my presence today.”

“Of course I did. We’re comrades in the same exploration party, after all.”

“Comrades?” Sumire and I both tilted our heads to the side at that word, and I asked, “Where’s Claude?”

When I’d originally approached Claude for help, it had been to defeat the Boss of the 40th Level. However, I’d asked him to explore the floors before the 40th with us, because the idea of tackling the Boss with a newly formed party had scared me. Today was finally the day of the Boss fight, yet Claude wasn’t here.

“Claude can’t make it today,” Sara said.

“Did something happen?” Claude was a flirt, but he never went back on his promises. If he couldn’t make it on the day of the Boss fight, something terrible must have—

“He’s being grilled about his infidelity.”

“Ah...” At Sara’s words, Sumire and I nodded as one.

Why did Leona and Teresia have to find out about it today of all days?!

“I’ll say this for Claude’s honor: He wanted to prioritize his promise to you, Eugene. I was the one who stopped him and came here in his place.”

“Whaaat?! I wish Claude were the one here, then,” Sumire said mercilessly.

Sara glared at Sumire, who gave her an equally irritated look. Stop the childish antics, you two...

“Teresia, one of the girls Claude was cheating on, is my best friend. She may look like the calm and gentle type, but she’s rather...strong-willed. She was much more aggressive about things than I expected...”

“Leona’s the strong-willed type too, and she never backs down without a fight,” Sumire continued when Sara trailed off.

Feeling a little scared, I asked, “What’s happening right now?”

“Carnage, Eugene. Teresia and Leona are out for blood, and I believe Claude is the only one who can stop them.”

I held my head in my hands and heaved a sigh. As soon as we returned from the dungeon, I was going to march right up to Claude and have words with him. For now, we should focus on today’s mission.

“Well, looks like it’s just the three of us,” I said. “Thanks for the assist, Sara.”

“Of course. Leave everything to me, Eugene. Miss Sumire, stay in the back so your mana can rampage as much as it likes.”

“I’m the only one who can cast Enchant on Eugene’s sword. You should stay in the back, Miss Sara, so my mana doesn’t burn you when I lose control over it.”

“Hee hee, thank you for your concern, you sweet little bandit.”

“Ha ha ha, of course I’d be concerned! We’re comrades, aren’t we? ☆ For now, anyway, and then you’ll be back to being Eugene’s former partner!”

Despite the smiles on their faces, their eyes were as cold as ice. We hadn’t even entered the dungeon, and there was already a giant crack in our party’s teamwork. My headache was turning into a migraine. Could we really defeat the Boss of the 40th Level with this group?

But Sumire and I had already prepared for today’s fight, and Sara was in the Hero Course, meaning she’d cleared the 40th Level before. In terms of strength, we should be okay... With that thought, I pressed the button on the Dungeon Elevator to take us to the 40th Level.

♢Lykeion Magic Academy—Seventh Sealed Prison, Taboo♢

“You look exhausted, Eugene.”

“Yeah, I am...”

We’d successfully defeated the Boss of the 40th Level, and right after we emerged from the dungeon, I’d had to carry out my duties for the Biology Club. I’d pushed my exhausted body to complete all the necessary tasks, but I’d reached my limit in the last cage, which was Eri’s. I collapsed onto her fluffy bed, and it was so comfortable I almost passed out right there.

“Heeey, Eugene? Are you going to sleep?” Normally, Eri didn’t hesitate to jump me, but today, she stroked my head like she wanted to make me feel better.

“Nah. I need to stay awake and finish my work.”

“Oh, I’m sure a nap won’t hurt. Good job on defeating the Boss! ☆” She was speaking in such a gentle voice.

“You’re so nice today.”

“How rude. I’m always nice,” Eri replied with a smile as she continued to card her fingers through my hair.

I thought back to the earlier fight with the Boss on the 40th Level. It had been a giant Minotaur, but we’d defeated it with the magic sword Sumire had enchanted with her Ifrit mana and the Holy Sword Magic that Sara, as a Paladin, excelled at.

That being said, the 40th Level hadn’t been a cakewalk. The lack of party members was starting to hurt. We couldn’t increase our numbers except with people like Claude and Sara, who belonged to other parties but lent us a hand when they had time. In terms of manpower, we’d hit a wall.

As if reading my mind, Eri said, “I’m guessing you’ll be needing the power of a Demon Queen. I’ll train you after you wake up.”

I could never keep any thoughts hidden from her.

♢Sara’s POV♢

Miss Sumire Sashiougi was a reincarnator from another world and Eugene’s current partner. And for now, I would join their party as a temporary assistant.

“Hi-yah!” Sumire unleashed a spin kick and sent an attacking Lizardman flying. “Boom!” As if that wasn’t enough, the monster she’d kicked exploded into flames. The fire spread to the other monsters and increased in intensity.

That’s the high-tier fire spell Firestorm. The power of her magic was incredible. Not even a professional mage could cast Firestorm with this much destructive force. From what I’d heard, Miss Sumire’s magic activated on its own too. Mystic Fist: Sublimate...

Teresia, who was teaching Miss Sumire magic, had given me more information about her. Apparently, her natural constitution activated her magic whenever she moved or experienced powerful emotion. It was similar to Mystic Fist: Sublimate, the zenith of those who’d fully mastered both martial arts and magic. As an Ifrit, Sumire was able to reach that pinnacle naturally. Not only that, but it was also... So beautiful... I could recognize it as a fellow mage. Sumire’s mana was pure, unlike that of any humanoid species, and it poured out of every inch of her body.

“Phew!” Miss Sumire wiped the sweat from her brow and brushed her hair from her face. Crimson mana burst from her skin, sending sparks into the air. She looked as orphic as the fire spirits of yore. Even though we were both female, the sight stole my breath away.

“You’re getting better at this, Sumire,” Eugene said.

“Right? Yay! ☆” Sumire smiled, as beatific as a blooming flower, and exchanged a high five with Eugene.

I’m so jealous, I’m so jealous, I’m so jealous, I’m so jealous, I’m so jealous... My envy must have been evident on my face, because when Miss Sumire saw me, her expression turned confused.

“Is something the matter, Miss Sara?”

“Don’t you think you should hold back a little with your magic? Your spells are so powerful that you’ll endanger your teammates.”

“Oh, shut up,” she muttered before continuing in a louder voice, “Okaaay! I’ll be more careful next time!”

“What did you just say?”

“Nothing!”

“I heard you! Or do you have the memory of a fish?”

“Calm down, Sara. Sumire’s magic is improving, and it still has room to grow.” Every time Miss Sumire and I argued, Eugene would step in to mediate.

“Don’t you think you’re taking advantage of Eugene’s kindness, Miss Sumire?”

“He said I’m fine the way I am! You’re the one who’s too picky about everything, Miss Sara.”

Our conversations always devolved into fights. Miss Sumire and I glared at each other. But still, her face is cute even when it’s contorted in rage. If someone told me that Miss Sumire was a princess from some distant land, I’d believe it. Her emotions are so capricious yet intense, and she’s always so expressive. I wonder if the mystical aura she has is something unique to Ifrits?

Apparently, Sumire was becoming more and more popular among the students of Lykeion Magic Academy, though everyone kept it on the down-low. Well, that’s no surprise considering how charming she is. Even I, her rival in love, had to admit that. If we weren’t fighting for Eugene’s affections, I would’ve wanted to become friends with her too.

I heaved a heavy sigh in my heart, but I affixed the emotionless mask I’d developed during my time at the convent to my face. We continued our exploration of the dungeon. On the surface, our time on the 41st Level ended peacefully.

♢Sumire’s POV♢

Today, we would explore the 42nd Level. Like last time, we had a three-person team consisting of me, Eugene, and...Miss Sara. The 42nd Level was still the Swamp Area. Though we’d been walking in the same environment since the 30th Level, the murky and slimy water was getting deeper and deeper. I was only a novice explorer, so it was taking me everything I had to keep up with Eugene and Miss Sara.

“Sumire, should we slow down?” Eugene asked.

“Don’t worry! I’m fine!” I replied, putting on a strong face. Our goal was the 500th Level, so I couldn’t complain here.

“Wait. Sumire, Sara, a monster!” Eugene warned.

“That’s...a Pouakai. It’s got us in its sights,” Miss Sara said.

The pair were looking up at the sky. I followed their gaze to see a monstrous bird, larger than a horse, circling right above us. Since we entered the 40th Level, more flight-capable monsters had started appearing. Eugene and I were both close-quarters fighters. Well, to be more precise, I could use magic, but I had so little control over it that I couldn’t hit anything far away.

“Leave it to me.” Miss Sara drew the colorful magic sword that hung from her belt. “Answer my prayers, Curtana!” In response to Miss Sara’s words, the magic sword gave off a mystical shine. Seven blades made entirely of pale energy surrounded her. Illuminated by the glowing weapons, Miss Sara resembled a fairy of light. “Penetrate! Holy Sword Magic: Saber of Light!” she murmured.

At her command, the blades pierced the monster’s body with a flash. So beautiful... Enveloped in light like this, Miss Sara looked so alluring that even though we were both female, my heart gave a flutter. The massive eagle-like Pouakai died before it could even let out a death knell, and it fell to the ground.

“Amazing,” Eugene said.

Immediately, Miss Sara’s ethereal elegance vanished, and she began practically begging Eugene for compliments like a puppy. “Right?! Praise me, praise me!”

The gap between now and just a few seconds ago is insane... Miss Sara was so attractive that if she really put a genuine effort into seducing someone, she could get anyone she wanted.

I heaved a mental sigh. Miss Sara was genuinely happy to spend time with Eugene. She was a skilled adventurer who belonged to the special Hero Course, and she was the student council president of Lykeion Magic Academy. Of course, I knew I should try to befriend her.

Yeah, but... No matter what resolutions I made to myself, things always became awkward between me and Miss Sara because of our rivalry over Eugene. I should do something about it, though. I tried my hardest to keep my emotions off of my face, and we continued our expedition. That day, we cleared the 42nd Level without any incident.

♢Eugene’s POV♢

Today, we would explore the 45th Level.

“I’m counting on you, Miss Sara.”

“Likewise, Miss Sumire.”

In the beginning, Sara and Sumire had gotten into fights, but lately, things were peaceful between them. They were even smiling as they greeted each other. However, the conversation died there. They chatted with me just fine, but I couldn’t say in good conscience that we were a party who knew how to communicate and work together.

I’d like to do something about this, but... I doubted I could fix things simply by urging them to play nice with each other. After all, I was the reason for their quarreling. Thus, I figured the best way to resolve the issue was to continue exploring and let them get to know one another better. We weren’t running into any trouble in the dungeon that could distract us either. Between Sumire’s flames and Sara’s Holy Sword Magic, they made short work of any monsters that attacked us.

If we continue at this pace, we’ll reach the 50th Level. Right now, I was a C-rank explorer. This was the designation for explorers between the 11th and 49th Levels. If I cleared the 50th Level, I’d become a B-rank explorer. In other words, the difficulty in Babel would increase from the 50th Level. It might be time for me to test that new power of mine.

“Raaaaagggh!” The sudden and violent roaring of a monster shook the air.

“Eek!” Sumire cried the same moment Sara screamed, “Eugene!”

A black Griffin the size of a small dragon was swooping down on me. One didn’t see that every day. A monster of that level should be a Boss.

“Miss Sumire, stay back!”

“But—”

“Griffins have a habit of snatching their prey one by one! If it grabs and eats you, we won’t be able to revive you!”

“What about you, Miss Sara?!”

“I’ll be fine! I’ve fought one before.”

Despite her words, Sara’s face was tense. Explorers feared Griffins for their high intelligence. This one was coming at us so fast that it was a blur of black feathers. Right before it reached us, it suddenly launched itself into the air again.

“Holy Sword Magic: Saber of Light!” Sara yelled, activating her spell.

The Griffin nimbly dodged the attack and brought its talons down on Sara’s head. Her shrill scream was cut off by the sound of metal clanging. I’d jumped in between her and the monster to parry it with my sword.

“Thank you, Eugene!” Sara said.

“Eugene, use my mana!” Sumire was racing toward me. She’d made the right call; my sword was running low.

After giving it a moment’s consideration, I told the two of them, “I can handle this. Step back.”

“Eugene! Don’t be reckless! You can’t fight it alone!” Sara snapped.

“Yeah, Eugene, let’s work together!” Sumire agreed.

“Don’t worry.” I turned my back on the girls and stared up at the Griffin, which was circling above us again, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. It must have marked me as the first enemy to eliminate.

It’ll make the perfect testing dummy, then. I gripped my sword tightly. Magic Sword: Darkblade. The crimson Ifrit mana I’d borrowed from Sumire was overwritten by Eri’s black Demon Queen mana. Barrier Magic: Steel Heart. I used that spell to guard my mind and keep it from drowning under the weight of Eri’s mana. The Griffin plummeting toward me hesitated, but it was too late. Niten Enmei-ryu Wind Stance: Skystep! In an instant, I’d closed the distance between us.

The Griffin roared, shocked that I’d gotten into its range so quickly, and swiped at me with its wickedly sharp talons.

Niten Enmei-ryu Fire Stance: Lionsbane! In the next instant, I lopped the Griffin’s head off and tore apart one of its wings. Its gargantuan body fell to the ground with a thunderous thud.

Eri’s mana really is amazing. The moment I dispelled the magic sword, the blade crumbled into dust. I’m not as tired as I was after I fought the Divine Beast Cerberus, but that’s because the Griffin was far weaker. I’ll also need to find a work-around for how it completely destroys my weapon when I use it.

“Eugene!” I heard the girls cry in unison. When I turned around, they both hugged me at the same time.

“What was that?!” Sara asked.

“Eugene, that wasn’t my mana, was it?!” Sumire said.

“Is that so, Miss Sumire?”

“Yeah, I can tell!”

“Now that you mention it, it didn’t feel like the usual Ifrit mana. It felt like something far more dangerous...”

Sumire was sharp, and Sara was a Cleric from the Cardia Halidom. They must have noticed something off.

“It’s a new magic sword I picked up recently,” I said. “I was able to use it during my fight against the Divine Beast Cerberus, but I haven’t been able to pull it out since.” That was the truth, though I’d hidden the part about my contract with Eri.

“My concealment skills are perfect! ☆” Eri had promised me, so I was sure that this lie would work.

“Wow! Huh? Wait, doesn’t that mean you don’t need my mana anymore?” Sumire looked anxious.

“Not at all. See? Every time I use it, it destroys my sword, and it leaves me feeling so tired afterward that I can’t move as quickly as usual. It’s more like a trump card than anything.”

“O-Oh, okay!”

“Hey, Eugene? Are you sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard?” Sara asked. “Are you feeling all right?”

“Y-Yeah, Miss Sara’s right! You look pale.”

“I’m fine...but I think we should call it a day,” I told them. After that, we went to the Dungeon Elevator, left Babel, and headed home.

The next day, we took a break from exploring. We needed to rest our bodies after so many consecutive days in Babel. That wasn’t the only reason I’d asked for a day off, though.

“I should buy swords in bulk,” I said to myself.

Yesterday, I’d destroyed a sword with Eri’s mana, and I doubted it would be the last to meet that fate. Ten spare swords sounded like a good number. If I could be honest, I’d prefer to just keep using the same sword, but could I find anything strong enough to withstand the Demon Queen’s mana Enchanting it? I left the room and was about to head to town when I heard two girls calling my name.

“Sumire? Sara?”

The two of them were running toward me. We weren’t going into the dungeon today, so I hadn’t expected to see them together. Had they become friends?

“Miss Sumire, I’m trying to talk to Eugene.”

“I was the one who called to him first!”

“I was the one who saw him first!”

Nope, never mind. Furthest thing from friends.

“So, what’s the matter, you two?”

Speaking in unison once again, they said, “I wanted to spend the day with you, Eugene, but...”

So they were both here for the same purpose—or so I assumed, but as it turned out, they were here to inform me about something else.

“The dungeon staff were asking for you, Eugene,” Sumire said.

“Apparently, they want you to go to the Dungeon Union headquarters,” Sara finished.

“Oh? I wonder what they could want.” Regulations stated that explorers had to visit the union’s headquarters when summoned. “All right. I’m going.”

I would have to buy my swords some other time.

The Dungeon Union was the largest organization in the dungeon city of Karaf, where the entire economy was based on the management and upkeep of Babel. The people of the dungeon city were all connected to the Dungeon Union in one way or another. Anyone who wanted to do business in Karaf needed its permission, and the union also took away some profits as tax. The leader of the union was King Uther.

When I reached the union building, which was larger than the entire grounds of Lykeion Magic Academy, I found it teeming with explorers.

“Did you hear?! Someone found a legendary magic sword and is selling it at the market!”

“Don’t waste your time. I bet it’s a fake.”

“Whoa! You’re still kickin’?!”

“Of course I am. I’ll defeat the Boss for sure next time!”

“Hey! You’re only giving me pocket change for the materials from a monster I busted my behind slaying?!”

“My apologies, but the results of Appraisal are never wrong.”

From every corner, I could hear the loud conversations of the other explorers. I ignored their racket and went up to a union’s receptionist desk, choosing the one in the far corner, where we could garner the least attention.

“Hi, excuse me,” I said.

“Hmm?” The receptionist had been boredly twisting her hair around her finger, but she instantly snapped to attention with a bright smile. Yup, she’s a pro, all right. “Welcome to the headquarters of the Dungeon Union! How may I help you today?”

“My name is Eugene Santafield, and the dungeon staff apparently wanted to see me? Here is my explorer badge.” I handed her my C-rank badge, which doubled as my ID in the Dungeon Union.

“Let’s take a look... Mister Eugene, you only recently became a C-rank explorer, I see. As for today’s appointment...” She gasped and her face paled. Immediately, she slammed a “Closed” plate onto her desk. Huh? “Mister Eugene, here, come this way! Please follow me!”

Whatever the union wanted from me, it wasn’t something that I could get done at the front desk. I followed her up to the waiting room on the second floor and sat down on the immaculate sofa.

“Please wait here for a moment!” the receptionist said before she hurried off, leaving me alone.

Unsure of what to do with myself, I looked at the framed pictures decorating the waiting room. One of them depicted an explorer wielding a strange weapon as he faced off against a giant monster.

“Christo, the explorer with the highest record...” The legendary explorer depicted in the painting was the only person to have reached the 500th Level, whose record Sumire and I were going to challenge. It was probably disrespectful of me to compare myself to him when I hadn’t even reached the 50th Level.

Apparently, Christo had been quite the oddball. Once he entered the Last Dungeon, he could stay in there for a month or two at a time with no complaints. He’d never even used the Dungeon Elevator.

I wonder what kind of person he was? He was shrouded in mystery—almost no personal records of him existed—but we might find something in the largest library in the dungeon city. I should go check it out when I find the time.

A loud bang drew me from my thoughts as the door swung open to reveal a tall woman.

“Hello! I apologize for the wait!”

She was wearing elaborate and expensive-looking clothes, and an extravagantly decorated sword hung from her belt. It was clear that she occupied a prominent position in society. In fact, I knew exactly who she was. Though this was my first time having a conversation with her, I’d often seen her at Headmaster Uther’s side.

She was Isolde Tristan, the Flower Knight and one of the Zodiac Knights under King Uther’s direct command. The Zodiac Knights were the second-highest authority in the dungeon city, right under King Uther. I’d never expected to see someone this important show up, so I jumped to my feet and hurriedly bowed.

“Lady Isolde, my name is Eugene Santafield.”

“Apologies for the summons, young man. At ease.”

Isolde sat down on the sofa across from me. At first glance, she was merely relaxing, but she was ready to draw her weapon at a moment’s notice. There could be no doubt that she was a skilled and experienced fighter. I waited for her to speak, but she merely fixed me with an amused look, her mouth curved in a wide smile.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” I asked after a few more seconds of waiting.

“I hear you fought back the Divine Beast Cerberus. Will you demonstrate your prowess with a magic sword for me? The union training grounds should be fre—”

Before I could reply, the receptionist who’d led me to this waiting room exclaimed, “Y-You mustn’t, Lady Isolde! Regulations state that only A-rank explorers may receive direct tutelage from a Zodiac Knight! We can’t make any exceptions!”

“You’re a stickler for the rules, aren’t you? Fine, then. Let’s talk business.”

Isolde presented me with a piece of paper covered in small text. It looked like some kind of legal document, and I could see numbers at the bottom of the page. At the top, the document bore the stamp of the royal family.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“They sold off Cerberus’s head, your spoils from your fight. The number you see there is how much gold you’ll receive, though the guild will take a handling fee.”

At her words, I gave the document a proper look over. The number at the bottom instantly caught my eye, and it took me a few seconds to find my voice.

“Two hundred million gold?”

“We’ll take twenty percent as a handling fee, so your share is 160 million. On top of that, we’ll be subtracting the fee for the Ambrosia Tears that you promised to cover the other day, so you’re left with just a little over a hundred million. Do you have any questions?”

This was so much money that it was scaring me. Between taking care of the Demon Queen, serving as Sumire’s guardian, and selling materials I’d found during my explorations of the Last Dungeon, I had savings. But this was on a whole different level.

“Who in the world paid such a ridiculous price for that head? I thought the staff said they would auction it off?”

Even as I asked my question, I figured that some noble or royal had purchased it. Judging by how much they’d paid, my guess was a major noble from Hyland, the largest country on the neighboring continent. Most of the people there were rich. The actual answer took me by surprise.

“The emperor of the Grenflare Empire did. He said that he absolutely had to purchase an imperial citizen’s accomplishment.”

“Huh?” His Imperial Majesty did?

“It’s not too strange if you think about it. It’s been decades since the last time materials from a Divine Beast appeared on the market. The magical weapons you can make from them are incredibly powerful and can boost a nation’s combat potential. In fact, letting it fall into a rival’s hands would be out of the question, don’t you think?”

“I... Yes, you’re right.”

It had been over a year since I’d left the empire, and ever since I started staying at Lykeion Magic Academy, I’d never once gone back. And yet the Divine Beast materials that I had gotten in the dungeon would benefit my homeland. It was a strange feeling.

“Now then, Eugene.”

Isolde’s tone had changed. I straightened my back. “Y-Yes, ma’am!”

“Despite the fact that you’re still a student, you’ve now become a millionaire. Do you have any thoughts about that?”

“Er... Well, I don’t have any use for the money, so...” At most, I would’ve used the gold for items and tools that would help with exploration, as well as to purchase spare swords. I already had enough money for those expenses, though.

“I see. But I doubt the people around you think the same way.”

The words gave me cause for thought. Everyone knew I’d fended off the Divine Beast Cerberus because they’d seen it on the Satellite System. As for the auction, people in the know had probably already heard how much money I’d gotten for the head.

“That’s why I wanted to ask if you’d be willing to put me in charge of your finances, especially the money you earned from auctioning off the Divine Beast’s head. Of course, you can let me know any time you wish to access your account. As for why I’m making this offer, it’s to prevent scammers from targeting you in hopes of stealing a share of your fortune.”

“I...would be very grateful if you did.”

She was right; a student in possession of more money than he could ever use would inevitably attract shady individuals and organizations. But if people in the dungeon city knew that Isolde, one of King Uther’s retainers and knights, was in charge of my finances, they would surely give up.

“May I ask why you’re going so far out of your way to help me?” I asked.

I wasn’t acquainted with Isolde the Zodiac Knight. In the empire, I was a commoner. My father was held in high regard and counted as a noble, since he was the Imperial Sword, but that wasn’t a hereditary title, and I didn’t share his status. Once another emperor or empress took the throne, they would appoint a new Imperial Sword, after all.

“Well, it’s because you’re the son of the Imperial Sword,” Isolde said. “At least, that’s what I’d like to say.” She sighed before continuing, “To tell the truth, King Uther was the one who asked me to do this. He said, ‘I’d feel bad if the auction money ended up causing trouble for Eugene and affecting his exploration, so I’ll help take care of it!’”

“K-King Uther himself said that?!” the receptionist exclaimed.

I can’t blame her for her surprise. Headmaster Uther, aren’t you supposed to be super busy?

“Of course, we couldn’t let His Majesty personally handle such affairs,” Isolde continued. “And as I happened to be the one who drew the losing lot, this became my responsibility!” She finished her explanation with a hearty laugh.

Oh, they drew lots for this...

“Why does King Uther favor Eugene so much?” the receptionist asked with a curious tilt of her head.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Isolde said. “He said that he would aim for the 500th Level and surpass King Uther! His Majesty loves people who try to challenge him.”

“I know well how reckless this endeavor is,” I said. After all, my current record was the 45th Level, whereas King Uther’s was the 451th. He’d cleared over ten times as many floors as I had.

“Heh, do you really think so?” Isolde replied. “I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what else you can accomplish. If you have any questions or matters you’d like to discuss, visit me whenever you please. You know where I live, don’t you?”

“Yes, Lady Isolde. You live in the red castle in the Aristocratic District, right?”

“I don’t like the name ‘Aristocratic District,’ but yes, that’s right. I’ll inform the guards about you. Drop by with your friends; I’d love the chance to chat with the otherworlder too. His Majesty always brags about his conversations with her.”

With our business concluded, Isolde left and shut the door behind her. I heaved a sigh, feeling the strength and tension leaving my body as I did so. Her aura was suffocating, as expected of a personal knight to King Uther. Isolde was also an S-rank explorer who’d gotten past the 200th Level, if I remembered correctly. She emanated pressure even when she was just standing there.

“Whew, that was nerve-racking!” the receptionist said to me.

“It was. I was surprised to see her.”

We could converse even at this distance, but the receptionist approached me. Er, wait, isn’t she getting way too close to me? Why is she sitting right next to me on the sofa?

“Hey, Mister Eugene, do you have a dungeon guide?” she asked, leaning in close to my face.

Dungeon guides were dungeon staff who offered individual support to high-ranking explorers. As someone who had been a D-rank explorer until the other day, there was no way I would have a dungeon guide.

“I don’t,” I said.

“Really?! Then, I’ll be your guide! ☆ Here, take this!” She handed me a card, and I read over it:

Dungeon Union—Receptionist and Dungeon Guide

Amaryllis Fiore

XXX-XXXX-XXXX

The card listed her name and occupation as well as her ID so I could directly contact her via Communications Magic.

“Miss Amaryllis?” I said.

“That’s me! If you have the time, we can go over the paperwork to—”

“Ah, wait. I’m still a C-rank explorer, so I’m not really established enough to have a dungeon gu—”

“What in the world are you talking about?! If you’re aiming for the 500th Level, you’ll need one in no time anyway!”

“Well, yeah, but...”

“There’s no need for such humility! ☆”

“I wasn’t trying to be humble.”

We argued back and forth, and I finally managed to get away by promising that I would think about it and discuss the matter with my party members. I would have to bring this up with Sumire and Sara when I found the time.

***

A few days later, I went to the spot where Sumire, Sara, and I had agreed to meet. Only after my arrival did I realize that, in my excitement, I’d left the dormitories far too early.

What should I do while I wait for them? Monsters didn’t appear on the 1st Level of Babel. Stalls lined the area near the entrance, with merchants selling their wares to explorers. Many explorers were shopping or waiting near the Dungeon Elevator, but the rest of the 1st Level was a vast and empty field.

Not all of the explorers were at the market. Some had spread out their equipment and items to look over them and confirm that they’d brought everything they needed. Some were napping on the ground. They all had their own ways of passing the time.

I’ll get in some practice with my sword. After looking around to make sure I wouldn’t disturb anyone, I swung my sword, losing myself in the repetitive movements. I was more pumped up today than usual, because...

“Heeey, Eugene! Did I keep you waiting?!”

“Eugene! I’m so sorry I made you wait!”

Sumire and Sara showed up together—although not “together” as in walking side by side like friends; there was some space between them.

“You didn’t keep me waiting,” I said. “Actually, you’re early.”

“I’m so sorry!” Sumire said. “Miss Sara kept saying weird things, so it took us more time than it should have to get here.”

“Enough with your fibs, Miss Sumire,” Sara sighed. “I was teaching you how to act like a proper explorer.”

“By telling me to keep my distance from Eugene?”

“Yes! Your behavior is crass!”

“Yeah, like I’m gonna take that advice from the girl who glomps Eugene every time she sees him.”

“I...I’ve been controlling myself lately, haven’t I?”

“Uh, no. No, you really haven’t.”

Their interactions were as unfriendly as always. During exploration and battles, though, the three of us had finally learned to work together as a team. That was how we’d made it all the way here.

“Sumire, Sara, I’m counting on you two today,” I said.

The two of them immediately stopped bickering and turned to look at me.

“Of course, Eugene!”

“Leave everything to me, Eugene.”

“All right, then let’s go. Today, we’re challenging the Boss on the 50th Level,” I reminded them, and they nodded back at me.

Right now, I was a C-rank explorer. Explorers who cleared the 50th Level of Babel graduated to B-rank. Thus, the 50th Level acted as a trial of sorts.

I’ve made it this far. I tightened my grip on the hilt of my sword. Then Sumire, Sara, and I entered the Dungeon Elevator.

Chapter Four: Eugene Challenges the 50th Level

The 50th Level of Babel was an expanse of marshlands and forests. When we arrived, a thick fog obscured the entire floor. If an explorer was particularly unlucky, it might even be raining when they got up here. It was easy to forget that this was inside a dungeon.

“We reached the 50th Level,” I murmured.

“Yeah,” Sumire whispered back.

“Be careful, Eugene. And you too, Miss Sumire, I guess.”

At Sara’s words, Sumire’s eyes narrowed. “Okaaay. I’ll be careful that I don’t accidentally miss and hit you with a spell, Miss Sara.”

“I knew it! So you were lobbing the occasional Fireball at me on purpose!”

“Whaaat? That’s not true! I don’t appreciate your baseless accusations!”

“Liar! Every time you cast it, you must be thinking to yourself, I hope this hits Miss Sara!”

“What about you, Miss Sara? Why are you always so slow to offer me, and only me, your support?”

“Y-You must be imagining things.”

“Liar, liar, pants on fire! You always rush to help Eugene!”

“I am a Saint Candidate. I treat all people equally.”

“All people, huh?”

“What are you trying to say?!”

“What are you trying to say?!”

The argument I could hear going on behind me might have given the impression that the girls’ relationship was as terrible as ever, but their teamwork had improved significantly these past few days. During combat, Sumire and I handled the immediate threats while Sara focused on more distant ones. Our journey to the 49th Level had been plagued by powerful monsters like Wyverns and Griffins, but we’d defeated them without suffering serious injury.

This floor, though, was a Boss’s territory. And the Boss of the 50th Level would surely be much more powerful than any of the monsters on the lower floors. For a while now, I had sensed a gaze following us from the shadows.

“The Boss is watching us,” I said. At my warning, the girls fell silent.

“It’s because Miss Sumire insists on raising her voice.”

“As if you were being any quieter, Miss Sara!”

So much for falling silent.

“I’m not blaming you two,” I cut in. “The Boss has been watching us from the moment we arrived on the 50th Level.”

“Really?” Sumire asked.

“Yeah. An Ifrit’s mana is immense, and the aura emanating from Sara’s holy sword isn’t anything to scoff at either. Any monster that was sufficiently wary of its surroundings would notice our approach.”

“If that’s the case, then why hasn’t it attacked us already?” Sara asked with a tilt of her head.

“Well...” I started, but I was interrupted by a thunderous roar, so loud that it sent reverberations through the air.

“Eek!” Sumire screamed as Sara sucked in a breath.

“I guess it’s saying, ‘I’m waiting for you, so hurry up and come to me,’” I finished.

Sumire and Sara both nodded silently. I pulled the sword from my belt and walked deeper into the fog, toward the source of the gaze. The splashing of water echoed all around us. Sumire and Sara followed me at a distance.

“Eugene, wait!”

Sumire rushed up to me and grabbed my arm, pulling it closer toward her. Then she put her hand next to mine on the hilt of my sword. Ba-dump! It felt as if blood were pumping through the weapon, and the blade shimmered a bright crimson. This was the power of an Ifrit’s Enchant—something I’d come to rely on in battle.

I casually swung Magic Sword: Flameblade, weaving a scarlet afterimage in the air. Since Sumire had refined her control over her mana as of late, her Enchant was also much better than it had been in the beginning.

“Thanks, Sumire,” I said.

“Watch your back, Eugene,” she replied.

“I always do. Sara, protect Sumire for me, will you?”

“Of course. Leave her to me.”

I turned away from the anxious Sumire and the solemn Sara to proceed deeper into the mists on my own. My own role here was to serve as bait for the Boss. To protect myself against any ambushes, I cast a magical barrier around my body. Barrier Magic: Tempest Armor! With the thick fog blocking my vision, I couldn’t see the Boss yet. But I could hear its rumbling growl, along with the beating of enormous wings.

The Boss was close.

I looked down when I noticed my C-rank explorer badge flashing at me, indicating that I’d entered the Boss’s territory.

“I, Eugene Santafield, challenge the Boss of the 50th Level,” I murmured to it.

In response, the supervisor of the dungeon made an announcement: “Explorer Eugene, your challenge has been processed. Good luck.”

The next moment, a gust of wind blew away the fog, and I realized I was standing before a body of water as large as a lake. Then, a giant azure dragon revealed itself.

“A Storm Dragon!” Sara’s voice came from behind me.

Without exception, the Boss of the 50th Level was always a dragon, a type of monster that never appeared on the lower floors. Apparently, the god who had created Babel had been the one to decide on this rule. Thus, B-ranked explorers, who’d cleared the 50th Level, all received the title of Dragonslayer as well.

This thing is gigantic, even for a dragon. It’s a Colossal? Another party had cleared the 50th Level just recently, which meant that we were the first group to challenge the new Boss. It was a stroke of bad fortune that this was the monster we had to defeat. It was a Storm Dragon larger than the Divine Beast we’d fought on the 20th Level. I doubted it was an Ancient Dragon—one that had lived for over a thousand years—but it was still a mature dragon that had survived its fair share of battles.

The Storm Dragon roared and whipped up a gale so violent it felt like a side blow. I could barely see anything through the heavy rain, but I could sense the dragon’s attention on me. I’m its target, huh? For a moment, I had worried that it would go for Sumire or Sara, but it had chosen me, the vanguard, as its prey.

The Storm Dragon roared again, but this time, it was an attack: A beam of blue magic shot out of its maw.

I dodged it by a hair. When I glanced at the spot where I had just been standing, I saw that the beam had gouged a huge chunk out of the earth. Despite the storm, the Ifrit’s mana hadn’t faded from my enchanted sword, but I was too far away from the Dragon to use it. I had to close the distance.

Right when I was about to use Skystep again, an explosion rang in my ears and my vision blurred. The next second, I felt an impact through my entire body. It could have been a trick of my mind, but I thought I heard Sumire scream from behind me.

Heal. I cast the spell over myself. The dragon’s giant claws were already closing on me. I didn’t have the time to dodge or put up a barrier. My only choice was to block it with my sword.

“Niten Enmei-ryu Mountain Stance: Ogresteel!”

“Holy Sword Magic: Saber of Light!”

Sara timed her blades of light energy with my sword technique. Clang! We snapped the dragon’s claws, but I was sent flying. I rolled across the ground several times, bracing myself against the impact. Rapid footsteps came splashing through the water toward me.

“A-Are you okay, Eugene?!” Sumire cried.

“Are you hurt, Eugene?!” Sara demanded.

“I’m okay. But I screwed up,” I replied. My body was still numb from absorbing the dragon’s attack. It wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t move, though.

The storm became more violent. A loud snapping sound rang out the same moment an arc of light flashed through the air. I could see the sparks bouncing off the Storm Dragon’s scales. That must have been the attack it had used on me earlier.

“Lightning Magic, huh?” I said. “That’s not gonna be easy to deal with.”

“A bolt of lightning hit you,” Sumire explained. “Can you move?”

“I know your Barrier Magic is impressive, but please don’t push yourself too hard,” Sara said.

“It just shocked me,” I said, forcing a smile so they wouldn’t worry about me.

Admittedly, I’d let my guard down. The dragon had shot its lightning the moment I’d moved to attack, and thus, my Barrier Magic had been weaker than usual. Next time, I would block it. I tightened my grip on my crimson magic sword. The Storm Dragon wasn’t pressing the attack; perhaps it was reevaluating us as an actual threat, seeing as we’d broken its claws. The rain was becoming stronger. If we got chilled, we wouldn’t be able to move as quickly.

“Sumire, are you okay in this rain?” I asked. I was worried about the effect the rain might have on her as a fire monster, but...

“Hmm? Why do you ask?” Sumire seemed completely unbothered—the droplets of rain were evaporating into steam before they could even hit her body.

“What in the world is wrong with your body, Miss Sumire?” Sara asked. A veil of light enveloped her. The sword Curtana must have automatically cast a protective spell over its wielder.

So they’re both okay, then. My magic sword still had quite a bit of mana left too—I hadn’t used it, after all. But...

Fwip...fwip...fwip... Through the rain, I could hear the flapping of wings. Babel was a dungeon, but its interior was vast—vast enough that a gigantic dragon could fly about with ease. The Storm Dragon was staring down at us from high up; it must have put this much distance between us after my combination attack with Sara proved we could deal it damage.

“It’s taken to the air,” I said. “Sara, what do you think? Can you still hit it?”

“I’m so sorry, but I don’t think I can when it’s that far up,” Sara said with an apologetic look.

Her Holy Sword Magic didn’t boast that much range. The Storm Dragon must have realized that too. That meant our only option was...

“Sumire.”

“Okaay! Leave everything to me! ☆”

Sumire raised her hand. In it, she held a cheap wand of the kind that mages used when just starting out. According to Sumire, this wand was the easiest for her to wield. Lately, she had drastically improved as a mage thanks to all her lessons and lectures. She was still rough around the edges and couldn’t cast any spell requiring too much finesse, though.

Humming a little song to herself, Sumire waved her wand through the air. With each movement, light mana emerged from the tip and curled into a complicated design. On occasion, as she drew, Sumire looked down at the piece of paper she was using as a memo.

A three-dimensional glyph drawn in the air... This was an advanced glyph that only skilled mages could master. It also required a lot of mana, but that was no challenge to Sumire. We only had a little bit longer to wait before she finished constructing the elaborate glyph.

“Finished! ☆” Sumire chirped.

The glyph radiated a powerful light as the ground rumbled and shook beneath us. Sara and I both sucked in a breath as her Ifrit magic activated. Sumire had cast the royal-tier fire spell Flaming Jötunn. A giant of fire, so tall it practically reached the ceiling of the dungeon, rose before our eyes.

Magic strength was ranked in five tiers from weakest to strongest: elementary-tier, intermediate-tier, high-tier, super-high-tier, and royal-tier. Holy-tier was the peak, but no human could wield such powerful magic.

The Storm Dragon was hesitating, clearly perplexed by the fire giant’s sudden appearance.

“Forward, Flaming Jötunn,” Sumire commanded. Sweat was pouring down her face; she was having a hard time maintaining control over the spell.

The Storm Dragon raised its voice in a screech. Taking advantage of the opening, it fired a beam of blue light down at the giant and blew off one of its arms.

“Go!” Sumire yelled.

At her orders, the giant grabbed onto the Storm Dragon. The dragon screamed and struggled in the giant’s grasp. But Flaming Jötunn wasn’t a flesh-and-blood creature. It was a metaphysical being of pure magic. It could chase down the Storm Dragon no matter where it escaped to.

According to the explanation Sumire had given us in the past, she wasn’t in control of every little movement Flaming Jötunn made. Once she gave it an order, it acted on its own initiative. With flames consuming it, the Storm Dragon was floundering, but the giant’s attack hadn’t been lethal. The dragon was still attempting to flee. Noticing that, I ran toward it.

Sumire tried to stop me. “Eugene, the fire hasn’t—”

“Don’t worry!” I yelled. “Sara, support me!”

“Oh, for the love of—! Fine!”

Without hesitation, I cut my way through the fire and made for the giant’s feet. The Storm Dragon raised its head and roared at the heavens, calling down a tornado that sucked in the giant. The Flaming Jötunn became smaller and smaller until finally, it winked out like a mirage. Even after it had vanished, the area where it had been standing was engulfed in a sea of flames.

The Storm Dragon was gliding at a low altitude. It no longer had even the strength to flap its wings—it was probably relying on magic to keep it afloat. I cast a barrier around me and charged into the inferno. Right above me was the Storm Dragon, but it wasn’t within striking distance of my sword. The moment that thought crossed my mind—

“Holy Sword Magic: Saber of Light!”

Sara’s spell blasted a hole in one of the Storm Dragon’s wings. It was out of her range, so the attack wasn’t as powerful as usual, but the Storm Dragon was so weak that it was more than enough to knock it off-balance.

With a deafening thud, the dragon’s gigantic body crash-landed on the ground. Thanks to Sumire’s fire, the swamp’s water had completely evaporated. I kicked off the solid ground, launching myself into the air and reaching the Storm Dragon in a single bound. I wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by.

In a final attempt to kill me, the Storm Dragon opened its mouth and screeched as it tried to swallow me whole.

“Niten Enmei-ryu Thunder Stance Arcanum: Kirin!” I yelled as my sword sliced clean through the Storm Dragon’s neck.

Its head fell to the ground with a muffled thump. Did I kill it? Surely it wouldn’t get back up like the Divine Beast had, would it?

“The winner is the challenger. Congratulations,” the announcement rang through the dungeon as if in response to my unspoken question.

Just as I was heaving a sigh of relief, Sumire and Sara hugged me while calling out my name.

“You did it!” Sumire exclaimed, squeezing me around the neck. She was so enthusiastic that I felt she was about to kiss me.

“How many times do I have to warn you?! You’re too close! Get away!” Sara yelled, trying to tear Sumire off.

But Sumire refused to budge. If anything, she even tightened her grip. “No!”

“Why, you little... Well, whatever. Eugene, congratulations on slaying the Boss.” Sara smiled and pecked my cheek.

“What the heck?! Miss Sara, what do you think you’re doing?!”

“Humph. Eugene and I are so close that a little kiss or two is no big deal between us.”

“Yeah, whatever, Miss Sara! You’re just a temporary party member!”

“And you’re the newcomer!”

“Are you trying to start something?!”

“As if you’re not?!”

“Calm down, you two,” I said.

Man, I’m as bad as Claude. How in the world am I going to improve their relationship? Suddenly, I felt like someone was watching me. I looked around until I noticed the magical eye of Babel’s Satellite System fixed right on us. This footage was likely being broadcast throughout the entire continent. Considering this is the 50th Level, I’m guessing we attracted quite the audience.

The members of the student council would probably have an even bigger grudge against me now, so I decided I should avoid their building for the time being. I would probably receive quite a few jeers and passive-aggressive comments about Sumire too.

Speaking of the two girls, I could still hear them arguing with each other. They weren’t seriously angry; these daily fights were practically the equivalent of normal conversations for them.

“Sumire, Sara, do you two want to grab some food to celebrate clearing the 50th Level?” I called out to them.

The pair immediately stopped fighting and said in unison, “We do!”

Are you two sure that you can’t get along?

And that was how we cleared the 50th Level of Babel.

***

“Eugene! Heeey, Eugene! How long do you plan on snoozing?”

I slowly opened my eyes at the sensation of someone shaking me. The first thing I saw was skin as white as snow. Then, I saw black wings that flared open as if to envelop me.

“Eri?”

“You’ll catch a cold if you sleep in that outfit,” said the Demon Queen before me.

“What outfit?” I looked down at myself but didn’t see any clothing at all. She’d meant I was in my birthday suit, and she was equally nude. “Huh?!” I shot up into a sitting position. Wait, what? Why am I in the underground prison?

“What’s the matter, Eugene?” Eri asked. “Are you still half asleep?”

“Oh... No, sorry, I remember now. I came to tell you that I cleared the 50th Level and became a B-rank explorer.”

After that, Eri had said that we absolutely had to celebrate, and so we’d shared a bottle of wine. Then she’d jumped me. Since I’d come here right after leaving Babel, I was already at my physical limit and passed out the moment we finished. I must have spent the entire night in her bed.

“What is it?” I asked when I noticed Eri grinning at me, her expression so beautiful that it sent a shiver down my spine.

The Demon Queen didn’t give me an immediate answer. She touched my body and face for a while before she finally said, “I like the expressions you’ve been making lately. Keep up the good work and become an even better man.”

“Was I a loser before?”

“You’re the man whom I, a Demon Queen, chose to bestow my favor upon. Surely this can’t be your limit.”

“I hope you’re right.” I tried to get off the bed, but Eri dragged me back.

“You’re already leaving?” she asked, looking up at me through her long lashes. Clearly, she was trying to get me to stay.

“I promised Sumire and Sara that I would explore the 51th Level today.”

“The Ifrit girl and the Saint-in-Training? Those two are like oil and water.”

I tried to come up with a good defense for them, but the best I could think of was “They’ve been getting along better lately. I think.”

“Really, now? Anyway, when are you meeting them?”

“Early evening.”

“Then you still have plenty of time!” Eri pushed me down on the mattress, and the impact sent something round rolling onto the bed.

“Ah!”

“What’s this?” Eri snatched up the object before I could.

“That’s my explorer badge. Give it back to me.”

“Hmm, so this is what a B-rank explorer’s badge looks like.” Eri looked it over with disinterest.

Was she implying that a B-rank shouldn’t satisfy me? Explorers who cleared the 50th, 100th, and 200th Levels graduated from B- to A- to S-rank. But our goal was even higher than that.

Even so, as someone who had been meandering about as a D-rank for over a year, I had been genuinely proud to receive a B-rank badge. As it turned out, however, I was off the mark with my guess as to why Eri was making a face at my badge.

“It reeks of another woman. Two women, at that,” she said.

“Uh, what are you talking about?” Even as I tried to obfuscate, I had little confidence in it working.

“You can’t keep any secrets from me. Spill. Sumire and Sara aren’t enough for you, so you went and hooked up with other girls?”

“That’s not it. I recently had a meeting with Miss Amaryllis, who’s my dungeon guide, and Lady Isolde, who’s one of the Zodiac Knights—she’s the one looking over my finances.”

“How impertinent of you. You’re a mere B-rank explorer and yet you already have your own dungeon guide?”

“Yeah. It’s a long story.”

I thought back to what had happened the day before.

***

The moment I set foot in the Dungeon Union, Miss Amaryllis charged straight toward me and said, “Hooray! ☆ Mister Eugene, congratulations on clearing the 50th Level! My goodness, you did such a great job slaying the dragon! I didn’t think you would have trouble with it, of course. Here is your B-rank explorer badge! See? I prepared it in advance for you!”

“You were watching us, Miss Amaryllis? Thank you,” I said, accepting the badge from her. It was hard to believe that this was the same bored receptionist I’d seen at the front desk playing with her hair only yesterday.

“Hey, Eugene? Who is this girl?” Sumire asked at the same moment Sara said, “Eugene, may I ask that you introduce us to that woman?”

Their voices were frosty. Are they misconstruing the situation?

“I’ll introduce you,” I said. “This is—”

Before I could say anything more, Miss Amaryllis greeted them. “Hello! ☆ It’s a pleasure to meet you! My name is Amaryllis Fiore, and I’m a dungeon staffer! Normally, I work as a receptionist in the Dungeon Union’s HQ! You’re Sumire Sashiougi, the reincarnator from another world, and you’re Sara Iglesia Lodis, the Saint Candidate from the Cardia Halidom, yes? You two are famous around these parts!”

She must have looked into my party members as well, and they were clearly taken aback by Miss Amaryllis’s enthusiasm.

“O-Oh, yes, I am. Hello, I’m Sumire.”

“I’m Sara. Er, I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“The other day, I approached Mister Eugene with the offer to become his dungeon guide,” Miss Amaryllis continued, “so I thought I should extend a greeting to you two as well!”

“Dungeon guide?” Sumire said, blinking in confusion.

“Could you tell me more about that?” Sara asked, narrowing her eyes.

Since Sumire had never heard of dungeon guides before, I gave her a quick rundown of what their duties entailed.

Once I finished, she said, “Hmm, I see! Basically, she’s a member of the dungeon staff who would offer exclusive support to our party?”

“Some dungeon guides sign contracts with multiple parties, but I don’t have any other parties I’m personally in charge of,” Miss Amaryllis replied, the smile of a friendly salesperson fixed to her face. “So thinking of me as your personal dungeon staff would be accurate, yes! ☆”

Oh, huh. She’s not looking after any other parties?

“Miss Amaryllis, under normal circumstances, a dungeon guide only helps explorers A-rank and above. Why did you already ask Eugene if you could become his dungeon guide when he only just cleared the 50th Level?” Sara asked, skewering Amaryllis with a suspicious look.

I couldn’t blame her for wondering; I had too. When I glanced over at Sumire, I saw her seemingly pondering the same thing.

“Well, that’s because...” Miss Amaryllis started.

“That’s because?” we prompted.

We waited for a few seconds before Miss Amaryllis giggled. “Obviously, that’s because Mister Eugene is an explorer who’ll rake in the big bucks!” Her eyes glimmered, and she formed a circle—the shape of a golden coin—with her fingers. Wait, what? It’s all about money? “The materials from the Divine Beast you brought back sold for two hundred million gold at the auction, and I hear that King Uther has taken a personal interest in you, Mister Eugene! You’re practically catnip to dungeon guides!”

She had a far more materialistic motive than I’d been expecting. I could have gone so far as to say it was the most materialistic reason imaginable.

“Well, that’s understandable. What do you two think?” I asked Sumire and Sara.

“Hmm... So, money is her only motive?” Sumire muttered.

“Is that really all there is to it?” Sara said.

They didn’t look convinced.

Miss Amaryllis drew even closer and chuckled. “You two don’t have to worry about a thing. If it makes you feel better, I can add a clause in the contract stating that the moment I try anything romantic with Mister Eugene, I am to be relieved of my duties.”

“Wha—?!” Miss Amaryllis’s words not only surprised the girls but took me aback as well.

In response to our shock, Miss Amaryllis blinked, perplexed. “Everyone in the Dungeon Union knows about your party, you know? We regard you as a brilliant party of student explorers who cleared the 50th Level with only three members. We also know about your horrible teamwork—and the fact that it stems from two of your members fighting for the leader’s affections.”

The three of us fell silent at that. Seriously? The Dungeon Union gossips about us? Now that I thought about it, though, Sumire and Sara were always arguing in front of the Satellite System’s eyes. I glanced over at them. The girls were giving each other awkward looks.

Miss Amaryllis was the only one of the four of us still smiling. “Hee hee, yet despite your inability to work together, the three of you still defeated the Boss of the 50th Level without breaking a sweat. The Dungeon Union would love to support you in your expedition through Babel! So, sign a contract with me!”

Miss Amaryllis was a little aggressive in her attempts at securing a deal with us. Sumire and Sara had opposed her help, but now they’d both fallen silent, so she must have realized this was the perfect opportunity. Since Miss Amaryllis had been kind enough to offer her services, I didn’t mind asking her to be our dungeon guide. But there was one thing that I was curious about.

“Why do you need money?” Though it was rude to ask, I wanted to know, just in case. My father had once told me that the best way to know a person was to ask them how they used their money. I had no idea if that was just him talking, though.

“To tell you the truth...” For the first time, Miss Amaryllis’s smile faded and her expression clouded over. After hesitating for a few moments, she removed the dungeon staff hat from her head. Two adorable beast-like ears poked out of her auburn hair.

“Whoa! Cat ears!” Sumire exclaimed.

“They are not cat ears! They are tiger ears,” Miss Amaryllis corrected her.

“You’re a beastperson?” Sara said.

“That’s right. I hail from a small island in the Blue Sea Union. I have a lot of younger brothers and sisters, and as the oldest sibling, I’m the breadwinner of my family. However, I can’t find any A-rank explorers who are willing to hire a beastperson as their dungeon guide.”

“So you targeted us since we’re B-rank explorers?” I asked.

“Will you take me on as your dungeon guide?” Miss Amaryllis asked, looking up at us.

Humans were the majority in most nations. This was especially true on the Southern Continent. Depending on the subspecies, beastpeople had different cultural practices and religions, which made it difficult for them to form their own united country. As a result, though no race faced blatant prejudice, humans were usually the ones with a societal advantage. That was no less true in Karaf despite the fact that its economy revolved around dungeon exploring.

“I don’t mind,” I said.

“Neither do I!” Sumire added.

“All are equal in the eyes of a Saint Candidate from the halidom,” Sara declared.

Fortunately, no one in our party took issue with Miss Amaryllis’s identity. And that was how Miss Amaryllis became our party’s dungeon guide.

***

“This is where Zodiac Knight Isolde Tristan lives...”

Sumire, Sara, and I were on the dungeon city’s First Avenue—otherwise known as the main artery of the “Aristocratic District”—to see Lady Isolde. Miss Amaryllis had told us that Lady Isolde had left a message for me, asking me to visit her when I had the time, so I’d decided to drop by before I could forget.

Though Sumire and Sara hadn’t needed to come, they’d insisted on accompanying me and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I would have to tell the guards who they were and ask if they could enter with me.

Since Miss Amaryllis had already set up an appointment for us, a butler greeted us as soon as we went up to the front door and led us to a waiting room. A few minutes later, Lady Isolde entered the room. Instead of the armor she’d been wearing the first time I saw her, she was in casual clothing.

“Hello, Eugene. I didn’t expect you to visit me so soon,” she said. “Girls, I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Isolde Tristan. Please don’t think of me as a guardian of the dungeon city while you’re here. I have today off, so make yourselves at home and don’t stand on ceremony.”

Sara knelt before Lady Isolde without hesitation. “My name is Sara Iglesia Lodis, and I hail from the Cardia Halidom. It’s an honor to meet you.”

After thinking about it for a few moments, Sumire copied Sara’s motion and said in a rush, “I-It’s nice to meet you ma’am my name is Sumire Sashi—”

“Hey now. There’s no need for formalities,” Lady Isolde said. In the blink of an eye, she appeared behind the girls and hauled them back onto their feet, then sat them down on the sofa.

I sat down next to them and said, “I heard you wanted to speak with me.”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m sure you three are exhausted, having come here after exploring the dungeon, so I’ll keep things short. For starters, I’d like to congratulate you on clearing the 50th Level.”

“Thank you very much.” Miss Amaryllis knowing about it was one thing, but I hadn’t expected that someone as important as Lady Isolde would too.

“Despite some dicey moments, you defeated the Boss with energy to spare. And I got the impression that you still have more tricks up your sleeve,” Lady Isolde continued. She’s sharp, and she’s right too. I didn’t use the Demon Queen’s mana for my fight on the 50th Level. “Well, it would be impolite to ask. I called you here for something else.” Lady Isolde’s voice turned serious as she continued, “I’d like to speak with you about the Divine Beast Cerberus. We may have figured out how it showed up on the 20th Level.”

The three of us collectively sucked in a breath. Sumire and I hardened our expressions, as did Sara, though she hadn’t been present during my fight with Cerberus. In the Last Dungeon, Babel, defeating Bosses was a challenge that all explorers had to tackle. Normally, Bosses were adjusted, within reason, to match the explorers’ strength. This was because the omnipotent and heavenly creator of Babel was using this dungeon to test the mortals below.

However, the Divine Beast’s appearance on the 20th Level had shattered all established rules and expectations. Nowadays, every time a new Boss appeared, explorers prayed that they wouldn’t encounter a Divine Beast.

“Why in the world did the Divine Beast show up?” I asked.

“Though we still haven’t figured out a clear motive, we know who was behind it.” Then, in a hushed voice, Lady Isolde asked, “Have you three ever heard of a group called the Order of the Serpent?”

“We have. They’re people who worship demonic sovereigns, aren’t they?” Sumire answered. Sara and I were aware of the cult as well; it was common knowledge in our world.

“The Fallen Queen Erinyes is the demonic sovereign whom people worship on the Southern Continent. No country has ever legalized this religion, of course, so no member of the Order of the Serpent has ever publicly revealed themselves.”

“And you’re saying that they summoned the Divine Beast?” I asked.

Lady Isolde shook her head. “No. We found records of explorers from the Order reaching the 100th Level. However, instead of fighting the Divine Beast, they cast Teleport on it. We still haven’t figured out why they did that.”

“Does that still count as clearing the 100th Level?”

“It doesn’t.”

“Then that was a pretty useless thing to do.”

“It was, wasn’t it? That’s why we can’t figure it out,” Lady Isolde said, furrowing her brow.

I’d thought that the explorers must have figured out some trick to pass the Deus Discipline, but apparently, things didn’t work that way.

“Where are they now?” I asked.

“We’ve put a bounty on their heads, so they’re now wanted criminals, but they’re good at covering their tracks. Finding them won’t be an easy task.”

“I see...” It sounded like they hadn’t made much progress on the case. “Why are you telling us this?”

“It won’t be long before the three of you challenge the 100th Level,” Lady Isolde said with absolute confidence. Like Miss Amaryllis, she had high expectations for us, so we had to meet them. “Be careful. These days, people are far warier of the Order of the Serpent, and there’s no telling what the cultists might do to accomplish their goals. If you run into any trouble, do not hesitate to reach out to me. I’m even willing to convene the Round Council if there’s a concern you’d like to raise with them.”

“Y-You’d go that far for us?!”

The Round Council was the high council of Karaf, with King Uther serving as the chairperson. Of course, I’d never so much as seen a meeting between them, let alone attended one. Lady Isolde really is a key player in this city. Her casual offer to contact the Round Council on our behalf reminded me of her influence. King Uther, the headmaster of Lykeion, outranked Lady Isolde and was closer to me, but he always acted in such a friendly and casual way that I always forgot his position in the city.

In any case, the Order of the Serpent’s involvement hadn’t been made public. Ordinary people weren’t aware that the cult still existed, so to announce it would only foment suspicion and anxiety. Thus, Lady Isolde asked us to remain silent about everything we’d discussed with her.

Of course, all we could say to that request was “Understood,” and afterward, we took our leave.

***

“What’s the matter, Eugene? Why do you look so troubled?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about something.”

I had been ruminating about my conversation with Lady Isolde. The Order of the Serpent, a sect that worshipped Demon Kings and Queens, had masterminded the surprise appearance of the Divine Beast Cerberus on the 20th Level. Then, to fend it off, I had made a contract with the Demon Queen Eri.

Was that a coincidence? I looked up at the Demon Queen above me but couldn’t read anything from her sweet face. She leaned down, bringing her face close to mine. I remained still as she kissed me.

“Don’t do that,” she scolded. “I should be the only thing on your mind when we’re together! ♡”

You were on my mind!

Nowadays, she seemed like a cute lady, but a thousand years ago, this Demon Queen had conquered and ruled over the Southern Continent. Even if I tried asking her about it, I doubted she would let slip any information. So, though I’d just woken up, I fulfilled my duty of warming Eri’s bed. It was past noon by the time she finally allowed me to leave the underground prison.

***

I arrived at the 1st Level of Babel earlier than our meeting time, so I occupied myself with stretching and warming up. At the exact time we had decided on, I saw two silhouettes—Sumire and Sara—approaching me through the crowd.

If only you two would be more civil with each other! Since I was the reason for their poor relationship, I couldn’t say that, though. From the 51st Level, the monsters were much stronger than on the previous floors, so I swore to myself that we would exercise more caution today. I looked over to them and...

“Eugene! So sorry I kept you waiting! ☆”

“Eugene! My apologies for being late!”

“Sumire, Sara, today we’ll... Huh?” My mouth fell open when I properly registered the two girls standing before me.

“What’s the matter?”

“You have quite an odd expression on your face.”

Both Sumire and Sara looked confused. Uh, no, wait. That’s not right. Nothing about this makes sense. The last time we went into the dungeon, Sumire and Sara were practically at each other’s throats, yet here they are, holding hands?! What in the world happened?!

“Sara! ♪ A monster’s heading your way!”

“Okay, leave it to me, Sumire! ♪ Oh, take care of those monsters over there for me, please!”

“Roger! ☆”

Gyaaaah! Graaagh! Sara’s holy sword bisected a giant monster while Sumire’s massive Fireball blew up a group of weapon-wielding beastmen. The remaining monsters screamed as they attempted to flee. Amid the chaos, the two petite girls slaughtered the creatures like they were performing a macabre dance. Sensing that they couldn’t defeat the pair, some monsters charged at me instead, howling and roaring. I used my Ifrit-Enchanted magic sword and sliced through them.

I kept hearing about how much more difficult the 51st Level is compared to the previous floors, but... My swordplay was still more than enough to defeat the monsters here. That made me happy. However, my abilities paled beside Sumire’s and Sara’s. The destructive force of their teamwork was on a whole other level.

“Yay! ☆”

“That was a piece of cake.”

Sumire smiled as she and Sara exchanged high fives. Around them were mountains of corpses.

“Eugene, we’ve finished killing everything here! ☆” Sumire exclaimed, still grinning as she waved at me.

“Eugene, what did you think of my magnificent performance?” Sara asked as she elegantly brushed her hair over her shoulder.

Then, the two held hands again, squeezing tight.

When did they become such good friends? I tilted my head to the side. Up to this point, mediating between them had been a daily chore.

“You two were amazing,” I said. “I’m impressed.”

“I know, right?” Sumire giggled.

“Eugene, have you fallen for me again? You have, haven’t you?!” Sara demanded.

“Sara?” Sumire said in a tone of warning.

“Oh, don’t be such a stick-in-the-mud. It’s hardly a big deal.”

Sumire hummed in consideration at Sara’s answer, then addressed me. “Hey, Eugene? I worked really hard today, so I’d like a reward.”

“Sumire, that goes against our agreement.”

“Don’t be such a stick-in-the-mud. It’s not like it’s a big deal or anything.”

The girls glared at each other in frustration. As I thought, relations between them hadn’t yet completely thawed.

“Sumire, Sara, to celebrate our passing the 51st Level, do you two want to grab some food?” I suggested.

“Yes!” the girls exclaimed in unison, turning to face me at the same time.

Despite their disagreements, they were still in sync.

The dungeon city was a city of explorers, so it stood to reason that it contained many bars and pubs. Among them, the most popular one for students was the Perch Tavern, which was the establishment I took Sumire and Sara to.

“Cheers!” the three of us said, raising our glasses to celebrate clearing another floor in Babel.

I ordered my usual dark ale, Sumire ordered a red fruity cocktail, and Sara ordered carbonated white wine. We also got some food to go with our drinks: a cheese platter, a plate of noodles smothered in sour sauce, hearty meat on the bone seasoned with salt and pepper, a seasonal salad, and more.

“The food at the Perch Tavern is so good!” Sumire said. She was really enjoying her time here.

“I almost never patronize restaurants like this, but it is quite fun,” Sara said. Though she had felt uncomfortable in the raucous atmosphere at first, she was relaxed now.

The Perch Tavern wasn’t my usual scene either. Claude had been the one to introduce me to it.

A few days ago, he’d asked me, “Do you party with your companions after clearing a floor in the dungeon?”

“Should I?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course! After surviving numerous trials and tribulations, you eat and drink together to celebrate your accomplishment. That’ll strengthen your bonds as a party. It’s common sense, dude.”

“Oh...” The classes at school had never taught us that, but Claude was an A-rank explorer who had cleared the 100th Level. I could trust his advice. “I’ll invite Sumire and Sara next time, then.”

“Yeah, you do that.”

“Do you wanna come with us, Claude?”

“I, uh, don’t want to incur their wrath, so I’ll pass.”

“Why don’t you invite someone too, then?”

“I’ve got plans; Leona and Teresia wanna see me.”

It had taken me a moment to get my exasperation sufficiently under control to reply, “In the end, whom do you plan to date?”

“Let’s talk about that next time. Eugene, you should worry about your own relationship troubles first.”

“That’s not what you said last time we discussed this.”

But still, Claude had recommended a great restaurant, though he’d been occupied today and couldn’t accompany us.

Back in the present, Sumire and Sara were offering each other drinks.

“Your glass is empty, Sara! Let me pour you some more.”

“Sumire, drink up! You haven’t had nearly enough.”

Aren’t they drinking a bit too fast? If memory served, Sara wasn’t a big drinker. As for Sumire, she had only started drinking alcohol recently. Since she was a reincarnator from another world, we didn’t know how old she was, but the headmaster guessed that she was around the same age as Sara and me. As a fifteen-year-old, she would count as an adult in the empire, which meant she could legally consume alcohol.

I decided this was the best time to ask them something I’d been curious about: “Why did you two suddenly become friends?”

The smiles that had been on the girls’ faces the entire night immediately slipped away. Had my question been too direct?

“Well...” Sumire started the same moment Sara murmured, “The dungeon guide the other day...”

“Dungeon guide? You mean Miss Amaryllis?” I said.

“She mentioned that people are gossiping about us because Sara and I keep arguing.”

“We don’t want to trouble you, Eugene.”

“Well, that’s...” Were they doing this for my sake? In that case, I felt sorry for putting them through this.

“So, Sara and I got to talking and...”

“Yes, during our conversation, we realized that this wasn’t the time for infighting.”

“That’s why we became friends!”

“I suppose we were too blatant about it.”

“I’m sorry for making you two push yourselves,” I said.

“Huh?!” Sumire exclaimed. “We aren’t! Not at all!”

“It provided the perfect opportunity,” Sara agreed.

“Really?” I said. That was a relief.

“That’s why I’m going to get Sara drunk! ☆” Sumire cheered. “So we can be even better friends!”

“So you say, but it’s incredibly obvious that your plan is to get me so drunk I pass out, leaving you free to spend the rest of the night alone with Eugene,” Sara scoffed.

“As if that isn’t your plan too! ☆” At Sumire’s words, Sara giggled. “Ah! You can’t worm your way out of this with a laugh! Drink! Drink!”

“Wai— Don’t mix the alcohol together like that! You should drink up too!”

“Hey, maybe you two should calm down,” I suggested. They really were drinking too fast.

Two hours later...

“Hee hee hee, Sumire, you’re bright red. Are you drunk already?”

“Mm, nope, I’m still going strong! ☆ What about you, Sara? You look so sleepy. You can go rest if you wanna!”

“My, are you concerned about me?”

“Of course I am!”

“Wow, you’re so nice, Sumire!”

They were completely wasted; their words were slurring together too.

Worried, I asked, “Don’t you two think you’ve had enough to drink?”

I’d never been drunk before. Apparently, I just had that kind of constitution. Once, Eri had kept pouring me wine and forcing me to drink it, but it had never affected me. She’d ended up complaining, “This is so boring! You’re not even a little bit drunk!” and sulked in bed until she fell asleep.

The night before I transferred to Lykeion, I had drunk with my father for the first time. Though my old man had bragged about how practically no one in the empire could beat him in a drinking contest, he’d ended up passing out before I could even get tipsy. Thanks to that, I’d had to spend my last night in the empire taking care of a drunk. Sometimes, an inability to get intoxicated wasn’t a good thing.

“Heeey, Woogeeene...”

“Woogene, I have a question for youuu...”

Sumire and Sara both leaned against me.

“What do you wanna ask?” The deadly looks in their eyes frightened me a little, and I almost didn’t want to hear their question.

“You still can’t forget about your childhood friend?” Sumire asked.

Sara followed it up with “Woogene, do you still like her?”

“Huh?” So that was what they wanted to know? “You want to hear about Airi?”

For the first time in a long while, I thought about my childhood friend. Her rejection was the reason I’d transferred to Lykeion Magic Academy in the first place. But things had been fun of late. I’d met Sumire and revived my partnership with Sara. We were making good progress through Babel. The self-pity that had hounded me during my earlier days at Lykeion had disappeared.

“I...” But right when I was about to tell the girls that I’d completely forgotten about the despair that once plagued me, I heard snoring from either side of me. “Hmm?”

Sumire and Sara were fast asleep. They hadn’t given me the chance to answer their question. Oh well, I’d deliver them back to the dorms. After I settled our bill at the Perch Tavern, I picked up both girls. I couldn’t very well treat them like luggage, so I used my Barrier Magic to construct something like a hammock and placed them on top of it. This way, I didn’t have to worry about them falling off. This method of transporting them really stood out, though. The entire time I walked back to the dorms, other students kept calling out to me.

“Heeey, Eugene! You bringin’ a girl back to— Wait, isn’t that President Sara?!”

“And Sumire, the otherworlder, is there too!”

“What the heck?! You’re bringing both girls back to your room?!”

“Sadist!”

“I hope you can’t get it up!”

“Wait!” I exclaimed. “I’m just delivering them back to the dormitory.”

The students just stared at me. Why are they looking at me like they’re thinking, “This guy is nuts”? Who in his right mind would do something like sleep with a drunk girl?

And so, despite all the students’ teasing, I managed to deliver Sumire and Sara back to the girls’ dormitory. I could finally heave a sigh of relief after entrusting them to the dorm supervisor.

I wonder if this has actually improved our teamwork? I couldn’t tell. But my mind was in a better place than before. This was probably thanks to both Sumire and Sara as well as Eri. Tomorrow, I would keep on doing my best.

***

The next day, Sara came up to me with an apologetic look and said, “I’m so sorry, Eugene. To tell you the truth, I won’t be able to explore Babel with you for a little while.”

I asked her the reason and...

“Lykeion Magic Academy’s school festival?” Sumire echoed, blinking blankly.

Oh yeah. This would be Sumire’s first festival.

“Every year, the Lykeion Magic Academy hosts a major student-run event. There’s a combat tournament to decide the strongest fighter in the school, an announcement panel for new magic, an auction for valuable magical items found in the dungeon, and more. It’s not just popular with residents of the dungeon city. People from all over the Southern Continent, and even from other continents, visit us to attend it.”

“Wow! Amazing! That sounds like so much fun!” Sumire said, eyes sparkling. But it didn’t take long before she thought of a question. “But Sara is the student council president, right? Are you the one in charge of it?”

“Of course not,” Sara said. “Another organization puts together the Festival Committee. The student council just assists. So, under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t take up too much time, but...”

“Will the head of the Festival Committee be keeping you busy, then?” I asked. I had an inkling that that was the reason, since I knew what had happened last year.

“That’s right! That festival-obsessed airhead!” Sara snapped. “Always pushing for ‘bigger is better’!”

“Eugene, what are you two talking about?” Sumire asked.

“Apparently, the head of the Festival Committee always causes problems, so every year, the student council has to bail her out.”

“It’s the same this year! She’s a troublemaker, but she’s awfully charismatic. Lots of students follow her lead, so she gets carried away and goes too far,” Sara sighed. Her expression made it clear how hard she worked to keep things under control.

“I guess you won’t be able to enter the dungeon with us for a while, then,” I said.

“I’m terribly sorry, you two.”

“There’s nothing you could’ve done about it! So, Eugene and I will go in together and—”

“Sumire?” Sara interrupted. “Don’t take advantage of this to get a head start.”

“O-Oh, you! I would never do that, Sara! ☆”

“Why don’t we have a little chat, girl to girl?”

“Don’t worry, I know the rules!”

Sara grabbed Sumire’s hand and dragged her off to the corner, where they held a whispered conversation.

After they finished, Sara said, “See you, Eugene. Wait for me. I’ll be back before you know it.” Then, she reluctantly headed for the student council building, leaving me alone with Sumire.

“We won’t be able to enter the dungeon for a while,” I said.

“Is it because the two of us aren’t strong enough on our own?” Sumire asked, disheartened.

“Well... Yes, that’s part of it. We should reevaluate our overall strength before we head for the 52nd Level. Sara is a universal fighter who can cover close-quarters, mid-distance, and long-range enemies. But the two of us can only handle close-quarters combat. Enemies that can fly will be especially hard for us to deal with.”

“Oh. That makes sense. Okay! Then I’ll use this time to train extra hard!” Sumire’s expression returned to normal. Her ability to shift gears smoothly was one of her strong points.

We returned to the Biology Club room, since I still had some club duties to finish. Today, I had to patrol the First Prison. It was when I approached the enclosure, having asked Sumire to wait outside, that I noticed something off. Someone’s inside? The seal had been removed. Not broken, but unsealed using the correct procedure. If anyone has business in this enclosure, it would be...

“Oh? Eugene? Long time no see!” said a relaxed and familiar voice. A man with messy blond hair appeared. His crumpled white coat identified him as a researcher.

“Hello, Carlo,” I said. “It’s been six months since we last saw each other.”

As I’d expected, Sumire approached and asked me, “Eugene? Um, who’s this?”

I didn’t have any reason to obfuscate, so I replied honestly, “This is Carlo. He’s my senior in the Biology Club.”

After saying that, I realized I’d never introduced Sumire to the other members of the Biology Club. But they rarely attended classes at the academy, let alone showed up at the clubroom. I never got the chance to talk about them with her. Of all the people she could’ve met first, it had to be Carlo... The members of the Biology Club were all quirky, and Carlo was the strangest of them all. I was a little worried about how Sumire would respond.

♢ Sumire’s POV ♢

“By the way, Eugene? Who’s that cute girl over there?”

The boy who’d shown up had a constant and friendly smile on his face, though his long and messy blond hair made it hard to see his eyes. With his tall and slender physique, he resembled a model. Or he would have if only he’d improved his posture. I felt that if he put more effort into his appearance, he would be a really handsome guy.

“Carlo, this is Sumire Sashiougi. Have you heard about her? She’s the reincarnator from another world, and she’ll be joining our club.”

“Oh? An otherworlder? This is my first time meeting one!”

“I-It’s nice to meet you! I’m Sumire Sashiougi.”

“Nice to meet youuu! So, like, what can you do?”

That was a pretty abrupt question. “What can I do? Um... I’m good at Fire Magic! And I’m also learning martial arts right now!”

“You don’t have an interesting familiar? You can’t summon a rare phantom beast?”

“Uh, no...”

“Awww... That’s too bad.” Carlo let his shoulders slump. His reaction took me by surprise. Everyone I’d met until now had acted like it was inherently interesting that I was an otherworlder. But Carlo didn’t seem to care about that at all. “See you later, my juniors! I’m heading back to the lab. The thesis I’m working on for the next presentation is giving me so much trouble!” He turned and walked off, waving his hand.

Ngh, he was kind of a weirdo... I thought as I watched him go, only for Eugene to call out after him.

“Sorry, Carlo! I have a request to make of you!”

♢ 52nd Level, Babel ♢

“Wow, it’s been forever since I went dungeon exploring! Mm, just take in this stagnant air and filthy mana! The Last Dungeon is depressing no matter when I drop by for a visit!”

Carlo was obviously excited to be back in Babel, despite his review of the surroundings. But was it all right for him to be talking so loudly? Monsters could attack us at any time.

“Um, Eugene? Why did we come to the Last Dungeon? I thought we were going to focus on training until Sara can rejoin us,” I whispered to my partner.

“I thought it would be good for you to observe how Carlo fights. It’ll be good experience for me too.”

“Oh, really?” I tilted my head to the side. Carlo was wearing what looked like a lab coat from my previous world, and he didn’t have any weapons or armor. He didn’t seem like an explorer at all. I looked at him and asked, “You don’t have a party?”

“I’m a solo explorer,” he replied.

How odd. The academy teaches us that explorers usually challenge the dungeon in teams. The next moment, Carlo sprayed some sort of mist onto me, causing me to shriek in surprise. Eek! It’s freezing! What the heck?!

“Carlo, say something before you spray monster-repelling holy water on someone. You took Sumire by surprise.”

“Oh. My bad!” Carlo said. It didn’t sound sincere.

Grr! I don’t think he feels bad at all! But then, drawn to the noise, an armed Lizardman appeared. Its sharp gaze flicked over us, assessing us as its prey. It got so close to us! The monster repellent isn’t working at all! I hurriedly got into a combat stance, but Eugene didn’t look concerned.

“Carlo, should I buy you some time?” he asked.

“Don’t worry! I’ve already called for them,” Carlo replied.

They were having a really casual conversation when a monster was within striking distance. Eugene was standing between us and the monster, as if he was trying to protect us, but he didn’t even have his sword in his hand. At Carlo’s words, he quickly stepped to the side. The Lizardman chose the unarmed Carlo as its target and began its slow approach.

In a calm voice, Carlo murmured, “Come.”

At first, I didn’t know who he was talking to. But I got my answer soon enough.

Bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt...

“Huh?”

This horrible buzzing of wings... I’d heard this in my previous world from time to time. A swarm of bees came flying out of the swamp. But these weren’t normal bees—each one was the size of a fist. They were more akin to wasps, and they had us surrounded. I screamed and almost fell over, but someone grabbed me around the shoulder and covered my mouth with his hand.

“Sumire, don’t make too much noise or you’ll disturb Carlo’s Killer Bees. Just watch them do their work.” Eugene’s voice was more serious than when he faced off against monsters.

“Don’t be so rude,” Carlo said. “My adorable baby bees would never attack you two! I even sprayed you with the monster-repelling holy water earlier, didn’t I?”

“Wait, so the holy water was...” It was to ward off Carlo’s monsters rather than the monsters in the dungeon?!

I swallowed and looked around, taking in the situation. Thousands of wasps were hovering in the air in orderly lines. None of the other monsters in the dungeon had ever arranged themselves so elegantly.

The Lizardman screamed, but its cries became weaker and weaker. Urk... When I looked over at it, I saw it fall to the ground, blood spraying from the puncture wounds that now covered its entire body. Numerous wasps had come to rest on the Lizardman’s corpse. Click...click...click... What was that weird noise? It didn’t sound like the buzzing of wings, but I didn’t want to imagine what it actually was.

“The wasps that defeated that adorable lizard are free to eat it, but no leftovers, okay?” Carlo said cheerily.

Click, click, click! The wasps clattered their mandibles in unison. Are they happy?

I was at a loss for words. Monsters eating monsters... I couldn’t help but avert my eyes from the sight.

“Sumire, I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now, but Carlo is a Monster Tamer,” Eugene said. “He specializes in controlling insects.”

“Yeah, I figured. But why did you want to show me this?”

“I’ll explain later.”

Ugh, I hate bugs... Eugene had told me that most members of the Biology Club were Monster Tamers, but I hadn’t imagined they controlled this type of monster. If only Carlo specialized in a cuter species...

“Eugene, can I clear this floor?” Carlo asked.

“Yes, of course. But actually, I thought you couldn’t make such fine adjustments to your control.”

“Ha ha ha! Now that you mention it, you’re right!”

“And let me remind you that you can’t destroy the dungeon.”

“I know, I know!”

I couldn’t figure out what Eugene and Carlo were talking about, so I asked, “Hey, Eugene, what does it mean to destroy the dungeon?”

“Oh. This happened before I entered the academy, but when Carlo was going through Babel’s Field Area—from the 2nd Level to the 10th—he controlled monsters known as Tyrant Locusts and used them to denude all the fields and trees. Though he cleared those floors, he completely wrecked the ecosystem, which caused a huge controversy back then.”

“L-Locusts?”

“Yep! Here’s one of my sweet Tyrant Locusts.”

There was something sitting on the right hand Carlo extended to me. “Hmm? EEEEEK!” On his palm was a locust the size of a human baby. Goose bumps covered my skin. Th-This is so scary and nasty!

“Carlo...” Eugene sighed.

“Oops. My bad!” As Carlo apologized, he stuffed the giant locust back into the pocket of his lab coat.

Huh? Wait, logically speaking, there’s no way a locust that size can fit in a pocket! “E-Eugene, what was that?!”

“Carlo enchanted the pockets of his robes with a storage spell. Apparently, he always carries around over a dozen species of insectoid monsters in them.”

“O-Oh, that’s neat!” I said as I took a few steps away from Carlo. He always had over a dozen species of monstrous insects in his pockets? Didn’t that make him a walking bioweapon?

“All right, my adorable bees. Go explore for us!”

At Carlo’s order, the horde of bees disappeared into the rainforest of the 52nd Level. Wait, is it safe for us to be here? As the thought passed through my mind, Carlo unhurriedly took some round, ball-like objects out of his pockets and lined them up on the ground. Are those eggs? A thin membrane covered the surfaces of the orangish eggs. Ugh, I bet insects will come bursting out of them...

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Eugene asked.

“Hmm... Can you help me pour mana into the eggs? They’ll hatch faster that way.”

“All right.” With that, Eugene copied Carlo and placed his hand over an egg, filling it with his mana.

If that was all Carlo needed, I could probably handle it... “Um! I’ll help out too!” I said.

“Oh yeah? Thanks a bunch!” Carlo replied.

I fearfully touched an orange egg with my hand. The surface was springy and warm. Th-This is probably a good amount, right? Using the same technique my teachers had taught me to channel mana into my wand, I sent it flowing into the egg. After a few moments, I felt a powerful pulse, like a heartbeat, travel through it.

“Huh?” I said. The eggs had been orange a second ago, but now they turned a burning crimson. D-Does this count as a success?

“Oh? Wow! My juniors sure have some bizarre mana!” Carlo said.

“Uh, my egg is turning white.” The egg filled with Eugene’s mana was indeed paler in color than the rest.

Squish! Suddenly, something exploded out of the egg in front of me.

“Huh? Eeeeek!” I already lost count of how many times I’d screamed today. The “something” was a giant red ant. If it had stood up on its hind legs, it would have been as tall as a human.

“Whoa! That’s a mutant. Wowie! Is this because it consumed the mana of an otherworlder?” Carlo looked around with keen interest.

When I followed his gaze, I saw more giant ants breaking their way out of the eggs. They were all black, save for a single white one—presumably Eugene’s.

“Huh?” I was so focused on the hatching that I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings. By the time I realized its approach, the giant ant that had emerged from the egg I’d poured my mana into had jumped up on me. “AAAAAAHHHH!” My scream was as loud as the Lizardman’s earlier.

The last things I heard were Eugene frantically calling my name and Carlo’s upbeat “Ah ha ha! Army Ants are really smart, so they know who gave them mana. It really likes you, Sumire!”

Oh no... My vision’s going dark... With that thought, I lost consciousness.

♢ Eugene’s POV ♢

“Sumire!” I yelled as I snatched Sumire away from the Army Ant. Her breathing was steady; she’d just fainted.

“Oh dear. I feel kinda bad. Is she okay?” Carlo asked.

“It was all a bit too much for her. I’ll carry her on my back until she wakes up. But wow, this is quite the sight.”

I looked around at the hatched Army Ants. By my estimate, there were over a hundred of them. Each one was exceptionally powerful, and yet Carlo could control them with barely any effort. He was an incredibly talented Monster Tamer.

“They’re my pride and joy,” Carlo replied, chest puffed out. “All right. Let’s get moving!”

Clack clack clack clack clack clack clack clack clack... All the Army Ants started making noises with their mouthparts.

Okay, this is kind of scary.

The Killer Bees had scouted the way ahead, so Carlo proceeded through the dark rainforest without hesitation. Meanwhile, the Army Ants crowded around us like bodyguards. Monsters attacked us as we walked through the rainforest, but the insects under Carlo’s command defeated them all in short order. They even ripped apart flying monsters like Wyverns and Griffins. The Killer Bees stabbed their wings with their stingers, reducing them to helpless prey that the Army Ants devoured in seconds.

Tyranny of the majority. That was the best way to describe how Carlo deployed his insectoid monsters. If one died, two more would push forward to kill the enemy while Carlo replenished his army’s numbers. The most dangerous aspect was... Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp... The ants immediately consumed the monsters they defeated, absorbing their strength and making it their own.

“Oh, more evolution! More captains for my army,” Carlo said happily.

Carlo’s insect army became stronger and stronger as they forged their way through the 52nd Level. At one point, Sumire woke up, but the sight of the Army Ants chowing down on a dead monster was too much for her, and she passed out again. I would have to chat with her later.

Hmm? Since Carlo’s insects were taking care of the monsters, I had nothing to do. I was looking around, observing my surroundings, when I noticed something sparkling on the ground. This is... I leaned down and picked it up. I guessed another explorer had dropped this, but it wasn’t an item for exploration. What’s this doing here?

“Eugene, let’s gooo!” Carlo called to me. He had been moving ahead while I stopped to ponder what I’d found.

“O-Okay!”

I put the item out of my mind for now and asked Carlo the question I’d been wanting to know this whole time. “Can you remind me again—which floors do wild Killer Bees and Army Ants show up on?”

“Uh... Oh, from the 61st Level onward! They don’t start out as a horde, though.”

“Right...”

The insects rampaging through the 52nd Level would appear as normal enemies in nine more floors. Not only that, but the higher we went, the more would show up at once until we had to face off against an army. Worse than that was the fact that insectoid monsters could evolve.

Army Ants were especially notorious for this. Their chain of evolution was: soldier ant, captain ant, leader ant, division leader ant, and general ant. Each rank was stronger than the last. General ants were so powerful they could even fight on equal footing against a dragon. In fact, I’d seen Carl’s general ants tear one apart before.

“I’ve got to think of a strategy against them,” I murmured.

Carlo watched me rack my brains for a moment before he said, “Eugene, I’m sure you already know this. But do you know why people are so afraid of insectoid monsters?”

“It’s because of their voracious appetite, right?”

“Bingo! These sweeties immediately devour the prey they defeat or drag it to their nest, so we can’t bring them back even with Ambrosia Tears.”

Ambrosia Tears were magical items that could revive people on floors below the 100th Level. However, they didn’t work when an insectoid monster ate an explorer. As a result, insectoid monsters posed the biggest threat to explorers under the 100th Level.

In the end, we easily cleared the 52nd Level with Carlo’s help. To be more precise, Carlo did it all by himself.

***

“I’m gonna wander around the dungeon some more,” Carlo said. “My babies are still hungry.”

“Thank you for your help today,” I said.

“No probs!”

Carlo led his army of insects to the 53rd Level. They were undoubtedly strong enough to destroy any monster in their path. I could only hope they didn’t scare the other explorers. Apparently, most just collapsed from the shock. I couldn’t blame them. With Sumire still on my back, I made my way to the Dungeon Elevator. She woke up as the elevator descended the tower, so I told her my reason for inviting Carlo with us today.

“Huh? Those insectoid monsters will start showing up as enemies from the 61st Level?” Sumire said, face paling.

Of course, I told her about the dangers those insects posed too. The last thing I wanted was for her to drop her guard in the dungeon because she thought Ambrosia Tears could bring her back. Her face never regained its color as she listened to my explanation. Today was a reminder of how terrifying those insects were for me too; it had been too long since I’d last seen them in action.

“See you, Eugene...” Sumire said after I took her to the girls’ dormitory. She stumbled into the building.

Is she going to be okay? I hope she can get plenty of rest after today. This definitely proved that the coming levels would be a challenge for us. I took the sooty silver accessory I’d found on the 52nd Level out of my pocket. I had a lot of questions I wanted answers to, so I decided to pay a certain someone a visit.

♢ Seventh Prison, Biology Club, Lykeion Magic Academy—Sealed Underground Prison ♢

I approached the Demon Queen’s cage and peered inside. The black-winged fallen angel was fast asleep, her expression relaxed. Oh, this is a surprise. Normally, the second I dropped by, she would scold me for taking too long between visits. I opened the cage door and stepped inside. The Demon Queen’s eyes remained closed.

“Eri, wake—” I shook her shoulder to wake her but didn’t get a chance to finish my sentence.

“Ngh? Huh?!” Eri’s eyes snapped open. “Eugene, what’s up?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you while you were sleeping.”

“I wouldn’t have minded if you’d used me while I was still unconscious.” She narrowed her eyes seductively, and I looked away.

I ignored that remark. “Look at this,” I said, taking the silver accessory I’d found in the dungeon out of my pocket.

It depicted a snake wrapped around an apple. Though this was my first time seeing it, I knew what it was. Snakes were the symbol of the devil that demons worshipped. Snake motifs in a design usually identified it as belonging to a group that worshipped demons and demonic sovereigns. That I’d found this in the dungeon meant that, a short while ago, someone who belonged to a demon-worshipping cult had been on the 52nd Level—likely a member of the Order of the Serpent.

“Oh? This is...” The Demon Queen took a keen interest in the accessory.

“Eri, do you know something about this?” I asked. Eri was a Demon Queen, which meant she was one of the sovereigns the Order of the Serpent worshipped.

“Of course I do. I was the one who designed the emblem for that sect.”

“Huh?”

Her answer was more surprising than anything I could have ever expected.

Interlude: From the Student Council

♢Student Council Building, Lykeion Magic Academy♢

In the student council building of Lykeion Magic Academy hung a giant Satellite System screen, which displayed a constant live feed from within the Last Dungeon, Babel. Currently, the members of the council were all glued to the screen, watching a certain party take on the Boss of the 50th Level. It was a small party consisting of only three people: a Swordmaster wielding a crimson magic sword, a mage who exercised control over fire, and the student council president, armed with a holy sword.

“Oh, President Sara! I can’t believe the Boss is a Storm Dragon of all things!”

“Dammit! I wish we could go help them!”

“Will she be all right? Storm Dragons are some of the more powerful Dragons...”

“It’s the strongest Boss you could fight on the 50th Level! And they’re trying to defeat it with only three people!”

“Eugene, you bastard! I’ll have your head if anything happens to President Sara!”

The members of the student council all hurled insults at the Swordmaster on-screen. Half of this reaction stemmed from their concern for President Sara’s safety, the other half from their jealousy toward Eugene. Everyone on the student council idolized Sara, which was why they were so worried about her attempting to defeat the Boss with such a small party. But then...

“The winner is the challenger. Congratulations.”

“They defeated it pretty easily...”

“H-He wasn’t playing fair! I could defeat a Storm Dragon too if I had the help of an Ifrit mage and President Sara’s Holy Sword Magic!”

“Could you jump headfirst into those flames?”

“If you’re not careful, Sumire’s flames will burn you to a crisp...”

“I still can’t believe that he cut off that gigantic dragon’s head with just a sword.”

“Don’t you think they cleared the 50th Level too quickly? I thought it was normal to challenge a Boss multiple times.”

“It looks like they’ll reach the 100th Level in no time!”

“If they keep going at this rate, it won’t be long until Eugene breaks our records...”

“Contact the student council alumni! We have to clear the 100th Level before they do!”

“Student council alumni are all A-rank explorers. They’re too busy for that.”

“Just go look for someone who has free time! I’m sure they’ll help their juniors if we beg them!”

“Do you really think things will work out so conveniently for us?”

And that was how, unbeknownst to Eugene and his team, the members of the student council resolved to form a temporary party to try to face off against his.

Chapter Five: Eugene Asks the Demon Queen for Help

“I was the one who designed the mark for the Order of the Serpent.”

“Huh?” That was the only response I could muster to the Demon Queen’s confession.

“It’s fashionable, isn’t it?”

“Uh... F-Fashionable?” The mark depicted a menacing obsidian snake coiling around a dull silver apple. Honestly, it was more creepy than anything.

“Eugene, you don’t know the first thing about this crest’s worth,” Eri sighed, shaking her head as she sprawled on the mattress. She was in a worse mood than earlier, but I had to get this information from her.

“I found this crest while exploring the 52nd Level,” I said. “I’m guessing members of the Order of the Serpent were on the same floor. If someone has this, that means they worship you as a Demon Queen, right?”

Eri hummed in thought before replying, “Originally, the Order of the Serpent worshipped the Great Devil, who ruled the world a thousand years ago. If they’re from the Southern Continent, then, yup, they would be worshippers of the Fallen Queen. After all, I’m just so adorable! ☆” She struck a pose and winked at me. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, she was very adorable.

Now that she mentioned it, the Order of the Serpent did worship the Great Devil as their highest deity. They’d only ended up with the Demon Queen as their patron goddess because of how much influence Erinyes had over the Southern Continent.

“I sensed a pretty nasty presence watching us while we were on the 52nd Level. At first, I thought it was a monster, but it might have been members of the Order of the Serpent...”

“Well, the Last Dungeon, Babel, isn’t picky about who it welcomes through its doors, so it could have been. I wonder what they were doing.”

“Maybe they’ll try to break the seal keeping you here.”

“In that case, why didn’t they come directly to the Seventh Sealed Prison? There’s no reason for them to climb through Babel, right?”

“You’re right...” Maybe I was overthinking things, so I asked her something else I’d been worried about. “Do you think other people have figured out about my contract with you? Headmaster Uther, at the very least, knows about it.” If the Order of the Serpent had their eyes on me, the only reason I could think of was my relationship with Eri.

“Ew!” she retched. “He found out about it?! Aw, man... And here I was trying to worm myself into your good graces and everything!”

“Is that really something you should admit to my face?”

“Oh, boo! You have a good time when you’re with me too, so why sweat the details?” Eri asked, poking my cheek. I couldn’t argue with her logic. “So, you’re worried about the contract you formed with me, hmm? I don’t think anyone’s noticed it, including Ilia, who’s watching over the whole Southern Continent from above. If she did, she would’ve sent an angel, but she hasn’t reacted at all. Girl needs glasses.” Eri giggled.

Even the goddess hasn’t noticed? And yet Headmaster Uther did? Just who in the world is he? It’s impossible to know how his mind works. I’d hoped to get something useful out of Eri only to come out of the conversation empty-handed. My suspicion that the cult was planning something nefarious had probably just been paranoia on my part, so that was a relief. That wasn’t the real reason I’d visited Eri, though.

“There’s something else I’d like to discuss with you,” I said.

“Mm... I don’t mind hearing you out, but you know the drill, don’t you?”

Eri narrowed her eyes and wrapped her arms around my neck, drawing her face close to mine. Normally, we would be going straight to bed, but...

“Today’s not a feeding day, remember?” I said, pushing Eri back. Every seven days, I would come to offer her my essence. Today wasn’t a scheduled visit; rather, I had something I wanted to ask her.

“Huh? What? Why?! You’re just going to leave me hanging?! Unbelievable!” Eri looked up at me, eyes full of tears. The sight was more than enough to stir my heart.

“I-I’ll spend time with you after we talk, okay?”

“Hooray! ☆ All right, then. Ask away.”

Eri’s upset expression instantly morphed into a wide smile. Ack... She’s got me twisted around her finger.

But I had to get the information I wanted to know from her, so I said, “The monsters on the floors past the 50th Level are significantly more powerful. If we keep tackling the dungeon with our current manpower, our progress will be slowed down. Is there anything I can do about this?”

“Hmm, I see...” For a moment, Eri looked down in thought, a hand on her chin. “Eugene, what do you think your strengths and weaknesses are?”

Rather than giving me a straight answer, she’d posed a question of her own. This was probably her way of telling me to think for myself.

“My strengths, huh? One-on-one combat, I’d say. Right now, I can use magic swords enchanted with your mana and Sumire’s mana. I’m confident that I’d be able to hold my own even against a designated calamity.”

“I agree. Then what about your weaknesses?”

“I have no way to attack enemies at a distance. My barriers and Healing Magic can only cover another person if they’re right next to me. If we’re surrounded by a whole group of enemies, I can’t protect my party. I think that sums it up.”

“Good. Very self-aware,” Eri said with a satisfied smile.

“If I had to list another weakness, I’d say it’s my own mana. My magic sword doesn’t stay enchanted for long. Things are working out fine for now, but I’m nervous about having to face off against a giant horde of monsters.”

“That’s only when you’re borrowing Sumire’s mana,” Eri giggled. “Didn’t you notice that the magic sword enchanted with my mana never ran out?”

“Now that you mention it...” Back when I’d fought Cerberus, Magic Sword: Darkblade had never weakened even after I used it to slice off one of the Divine Beast’s heads. My body hadn’t had the endurance to keep up with the sword’s magic. “Is your mana a different type than Sumire’s?”

“The difference isn’t in the type of mana. It’s in the amount of love. We love each other, which is why our magic sword lasts longer. ♡”

“L-Love?” That sounded sketchy.

“Duh! Our relationship is so intimate! It can’t compare to what you have with some random otherworlder girl!”

“Okay, okay. So it’s because I have a long-standing friendship with the Demon Queen.” I would have to rely on Magic Sword: Darkblade in emergencies. Since I thought of it as my trump card, I had my reservations about whipping it out casually.

“Now, let’s talk about your other weaknesses. You said that you can’t attack at a distance and that your barriers and Healing Magic are both limited in range. Those are both easy problems to solve.”

“How?”

Lately, I’d been doing my best to fix these issues on my own. For example, my issue with distance could be solved with the Niten Enmei-ryu technique Wind Stance: Flying Sparrow. This move channeled a shock wave through my sword. However, using it would dispel Magic Sword: Flameblade. This was because I was borrowing Sumire’s mana. Since I could only use it once, it wasn’t a practical solution.

As for the short range of my barriers and healing, this was something I’d been working on since my military academy days. I’d tried using wands or chants, but to no avail. Apparently, this was just the constitution I’d been born with. My barriers and Healing Magic are both so effective, though...

“Eugene, try exploring solo,” Eri said, interrupting my thoughts.

“Solo?”

“Yes, that’s right. With your skill set, that’s the best way to do things. That’ll solve all your problems.”

“My skill set?” I thought about what Eri was saying.

“I’m sure you’ve figured it out yourself. You defeated Berry, a Divine Beast, all on your own. If you didn’t have a couple of deadweights in your party, you wouldn’t be struggling on a floor as low as the 52nd Level.” Despite Eri’s harsh words, she had a dazzling smile on her face.

It’s not that I don’t get what she’s saying, but... “All I have is white mana. If I’m alone, I can’t defeat any monsters.”

“Then stop fighting them. Your barriers can block out even the miasma of the sealed underground prisons, so just walk past them all.”

I’d considered employing this method before. If I used my barriers and stuck to the shadows of the dungeon, I’d be able to sneak past all the monsters. However...

“That won’t work, Eri,” I said. “I can ignore all the monsters in the dungeon, but I still have to fight the Bosses.”

That was the rule in the Last Dungeon. Babel itself was a giant Deus Discipline, and one couldn’t cheat one’s way through it. There was no way to avoid combat completely.

“I know that!” Eri said. “When you have to fight a Boss, just use my mana. Ignore normal monsters and defeat Bosses with the mana of a Demon Queen. Easy peasy, don’t you agree?”

For a moment, I was speechless. She was making it sound like it would be a walk in the park, but I doubted things would work out so neatly. Not that I could think of an argument against the suggestion.

“What about Sumire?” I asked instead. “She’s my party member.”

“Ask her to stay behind. Besides, that Sumire girl is trying much too hard to get your attention. Same with Sara, the little Saint Candidate. I don’t want to see you surrounded by girls, getting all hot and bothered.”

“Okay, nice to get your subjective opinion.”

“It’s my objective opinion that you would be stronger if you were exploring solo, though.”

Eri was fixing me with a serious look. I would be stronger on my own, huh? She wasn’t wrong: That was something I’d never thought of before.

“I’ll give your suggestion some thought,” I said. “Thanks, Eri.” As I turned to leave...

“Eugene, if you’d really like to thank me, do so with your body.”

There was no escape from the Demon Queen. She pushed me down onto the mattress without further warning.

Once I’d done what I needed to do, I rolled out of bed and said, “See you, Eri. I’ll be back.”

“You’re already leaving? What a busy boy you’ve been, Eugene,” Eri said with a pout.

I wasn’t in the mood for lazing about, though. Despite how sluggish my body was, I was bursting with motivation. I knew what I had to do. Maybe next time, I’ll go into the dungeon myself. It didn’t mean I would break up my partnership with Sumire, and trying out different approaches wasn’t a bad thing. I’d always enjoyed training on my own, so I could think of it as part of that.

Just a few months ago, I’d stagnated, unable to proceed past the 9th Level. But now, I had a way to fight. That thought in itself was enough to get my blood pumping. Since I still had to prepare for my next foray into the dungeon, I turned to leave the underground prison, but Eri stopped me.

“Eugene.”

“What is it?”

“Do you know why Babel was constructed?”

That came out of nowhere. “It’s to test the people of the surface. Whoever clears the Last Dungeon earns eternal life and the right to live in the heavens,” I said, reciting the answer I’d read in my textbooks.

Eri gave me a knowing smirk. “That’s only the cover story. Do you know why the goddesses above went out of their way to create this gigantic labyrinth for the people of the surface?”

“No...” I’d never thought about the deities’ motivation.

“Althena, the goddess of the sun and the leader of the goddesses, wants to create a new deity.”

“A...new deity?” I tilted my head to the side.

“Since the last Heavenly War fifteen million years ago, no new god or goddess has been born. The heavens have been stuck in the past, and Althena wishes to break that status quo. That’s why she came up with Operation Ladder to Heaven. Babel is the tool to accomplish that. With the impossible prize of eternal life as bait, she’s tricked the people of the surface into climbing the tower, acting as guinea pigs for her to observe.”

What in the world was this Demon Queen talking about? Operation Ladder to Heaven? Guinea pigs? But more importantly, “impossible prize”?

“Eri, what are you—”

“Kidding! ☆ That was a joke!” The knowing expression from earlier vanished, replaced by Eri’s usual carefree smile. “For now, forget everything I just said. Focus on clearing the 100th Level as fast as you can, no matter what tactics you have to resort to. You’re such a hardhead that you can only think of clearing the dungeon the standard way, but if you keep trying the same thing, you’ll keep getting stuck for no good reason.”

“Fine, fine.”

As curious as I was about what Eri had been talking about, I doubted she would give me any more information, even if I asked her. I should focus on the 100th Level. Once I passed that, I would become an A-rank explorer—one of the top titles one could achieve on the Southern Continent. It was a good goal to work toward for now. Of course, I wouldn’t stop after I reached it. My ultimate goal was to reach the 500th Level, which was also where Sumire was heading.

Eri opened her mouth wide in a loud yawn before she flopped back down onto the bed. Within seconds, I heard her quiet snoring. Her face when slack in sleep was relaxed and beautiful. It was hard to look at her and remember that she was a fearsome Demon Queen.

“Goodnight, Eri,” I said before leaving the underground prison.

***

The next day, Sumire told me she would be holed up in the academy for a while. Apparently, she was taking a short-term intensive magic course. She still needed to improve her control over her mana and magic, but she was coming up with creative solutions to her problem. I had to do my best too.

All right. Let’s go! Inside Babel, I headed for the Dungeon Elevator. This was my first solo exploration in a long time. My goal today was to clear the 53rd Level. The biome between the 50th and 60th Levels was the Timberland Area. As soon as I stepped out of the Dungeon Elevator, I was greeted by dense rows of trees that cast the entire floor into shade, as well as by the squeaking and chirping of insectoid and other monsters. I looked around but didn’t see any other explorers.

Now then... Today, I was completely alone. Without access to Sumire’s Ifrit mana, I couldn’t fight off any monsters. Barrier Magic: Hidden Veil. This spell had been powerful enough to trick the eyes of the Divine Beast Cerberus. Well, actually, in retrospect, I wasn’t sure if it had kept me hidden...

In any case, this spell camouflaged me against my surroundings. So long as I kept still, it should prevent monsters from noticing me. However, if I was going to explore the dungeon, I had to move. That was why I combined it with a Niten Enmei-ryu walking technique that erased my presence. In principle, it wasn’t so different from the way small animals moved through the undergrowth. Apparently, this move had historically been used for assassinations.

I would try to clear the 53rd Level with this mix of the Niten Enmei-ryu and Barrier Magic. Carefully, I made my way through the dark forest. Several times, I passed by monsters, but they all continued on their way without paying me any mind.

Wow, this...This just might work! Eri’s advice was always on point. I would have to thank her next time I paid her a visit, though I figured she would ask for my body again. But this is awfully draining. I had to stay entirely focused the entire time. Not only did I need to maintain my Barrier Magic, I couldn’t stop using the Niten Enmei-ryu technique either. Just because I wasn’t fighting didn’t mean I could keep this up forever. I spent the entire day walking around, occasionally stopping for a break, before I finally discovered the stairs leading up to the next level.

Looks like a floor a day is my limit. That was just my guess, though. Nonetheless, it proved that even on my own, I could clear a floor past the 50th Level. Tomorrow, I would use this method to see just how far up I could climb.

***

On the seventh day of my solo ascent of Babel, I would tackle the 59th Level. Everything was going smoothly. So that means I’ll finally have to face the Boss of the 60th Level next. Hmm... A level is one thing, but tackling a Boss all on my own? This was something I should probably discuss with Sumire and Sara. As the thought crossed my mind...

“Eugene!” I heard two voices calling out in unison from behind me. Not only were these voices familiar, but I could hear the slightest hint of anger in them. I turned around to see, as expected, Sumire and Sara running up to me.

“Hey, long time no—” I started before they interrupted me.

“I can’t believe you would go exploring by yourself! Are you leaving me?!” Sumire yelled at the same time Sara demanded, “Why were you exploring alone?! Are you tired of me?!”

They must have seen my efforts through the Satellite System. Now that I think about it, all I told them was that I would be training alone for a bit—but I never mentioned the details of my training. They probably misunderstood and thought I’d become a solo explorer.

We were on the 1st Level of Babel, meaning a large number of explorers were milling around us. Two girls were yelling at me, throwing out words like “leaving me” and “tired of me,” so I didn’t think the chilly looks I was attracting from our audience were a trick of my mind.

“Wait!” I said. “Calm down, you two!” It took quite a bit of explaining before they were satisfied.

“So, you won’t be exploring solo forever, right, Eugene? We’ll still be in the same party?”

“Of course, Sumire,” I said with a firm nod.

“Eugene, I’m almost ready to come back to dungeon exploring! Just give me twenty more days and we’ll have solidified our plans for the school festival, which means I won’t have any pressing student council business for a while. Wait for me a little longer!”

“I understand. We’ll start exploring as a team again once all three of us are ready,” I said soothingly to a hysterical Sara.

They stared up at me with their eyes wide.

“Eugene, don’t push yourself too hard when you’re alone, okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll be careful, Sumire.”

With tears welling in her eyes, Sumire squeezed my hand tightly, so I patted her head with my free hand.

“Eugene... I’m still worried about you. You can’t attack monsters when you’re alone, right?” Sara said, shoving Sumire out of the way and sliding up next to me. Sumire, snubbed, shot Sara a quick glare.

“Well, that’s true, but this is training. I’ll stop before it gets too dangerous, Sara.”

“Sara, isn’t it about time for you to go back to the student council?” Sumire asked. “I’ll keep Eugene company.”

“Sumire, don’t you have magic class? Eugene and I will continue chatting.”

“No, no, you don’t have to be so considerate of our time when you’re so busy yourself, Sara! ☆”

“Isn’t your schedule busier than mine? There’s no need for you to match ours! ☆”

The girls shared a smile and a giggle before they reached out and grabbed each other’s hands.

“In that case, Sara, let’s go back together.”

“Yes, I agree, Sumire.”

They were holding each other so tightly I could’ve sworn I heard their muscles straining.

“See you, Eugene!” Sumire said.

“Do your best in there, Eugene!” Sara added.

The pair of them, hand in hand, walked back to the school together. I could hear them whispering angrily at each other on the way, but I couldn’t make out the words.

Wow, they sure have become good friends! I thought, only for Eri’s voice to echo in my mind.

“Sometimes, it’s like you lose all your brain cells for a moment.”

She must have heard our conversation. I replied, “Isn’t it true that Sumire and Sara’s relationship is better than it was before?”

“You don’t understand anything! They just stopped arguing in front of you. In private, things are just as vile and nasty as they were before!”

“R-Really?”

“You need to brush up on your understanding of the feminine psyche.”

The Demon Queen was giving me a personal tongue-lashing. But where in the world would I go to learn about the feminine psyche? For a moment, the face of my womanizing Dragon Knight acquaintance popped into my mind. He would probably say something like, “Why don’t you just date both of them?”

Wait, maybe that is the right thing to do? Polygamy wasn’t unheard of in the empire. Many who practiced it were nobles who wanted to have as many heirs and heiresses as possible. Even the emperor had over a dozen mistresses.

“It’s so hard to remember the names and faces of all my moms,” my childhood friend Airi had once complained.

No, I could never face my old man again if I did that. My father had remained single ever since my mother’s death, since he was still trying to do right by her memory. That was why I’d vowed to remain devoted to my partner as well. Unfortunately, the girl I’d thought would be my partner for life had ended up dumping me, so...

“Whatever do you mean? You have me!”

“Uh, run that by me one more time, Eri?”

“I was your first, wasn’t I? That makes me the perfect wife material for you.”

“N-Now, listen here...” If I went home and announced I’d be marrying the Demon Queen, would my father pass out from the shock? On second thought, he didn’t take things very seriously, so he might even think it was a hoot. More importantly, though... “Our relationship isn’t exactly...”

At the end of the day, she was an imprisoned Demon Queen, and I was only taking care of her as part of my duties in the Biology Club. Though we’d formed a contract, I had only consented to it in the heat of the moment. I didn’t even know what Eri’s opinion of me was.

“I like you, Eugene.” She’d said this over a hundred times in the course of our relationship, and I could feel my resolve wavering at the sweet words. “So, how do you feel about me?”

“I’m grateful to you, Eri.”

“Boo, what a bore. You’ll never become a strong man if you can’t be more honest about your desires. Heroes love pleasure, didn’t you know?”

I didn’t have anything to say in response to that. Many stories about heroes and their romantic escapades had been passed down through the generations, but just how accurate were they?

Eri and I continued our conversation as I walked to the Dungeon Elevator. When I reached it, I said, “I’m going to start today’s exploration, Eri.”

“Okay! ☆ Do your best, Eugene!”

“Thanks. I will.”

“Oh, yeah! You’ll be facing off against the Boss soon, right? Come visit me before you do. You should stock up as much mana as possible.”

“All right...”

Truthfully, spending a night with Eri was more tiring than getting past a level in Babel. I should take a break from exploring after I go see Eri, I thought as I entered the Dungeon Elevator.

♢Three Days Later♢

“I, Eugene Santafield, challenge the Boss of the 60th Level.”

I was standing alone before the territory of the 60th Level’s Boss, facing off against the monster. Sumire and Sara already knew I would be challenging it. Though they had expressed their deep concern for my safety, I’d promised them that I would flee if things got out of hand.

Fwish...rustle, rustle, rustle...

Before me was a giant, moving tree with a large face in the middle of its thick trunk. It stared down at me with imposing gravitas.

“So the Boss of the 60th Level is a Treant King?” I muttered. That made sense for the Boss of the Timberland Area. Fittingly for a tree monster, it towered over me.

“Explorer Eugene, your challenge has been processed. Good luck,” the announcement rang out over the floor.

All around the Treant King, regular Treants shot out of the soil with popping noises. Though the Treant King couldn’t move from where it was rooted in the ground, the other Treants could. If I couldn’t defeat its subjects, I couldn’t approach the king. Not only that...

Pew! Pew! Pew! The Treant King rained its leaves down on me. Each one was charged with miasma and mana, turning it into a blade sharp enough to slice apart a normal human. Knifelike leaves relentlessly assailed me from above while hundreds of Treants came at me from the ground.

If Sumire were here, this would be really easy. A shroud of miasma and mana protected the Treant King, but at the end of the day, it was a tree, meaning it was exceptionally weak to fire. Sumire’s Ifrit mana could have burned it to a crisp. However, there was no point in complaining about that right now.

Niten Enmei-ryu Wood Stance: Willow Rose! I used my swordplay technique to dodge the attacks while waiting for an opening. But there was no lull in the rain of leaf blades, and the number of Treants only grew by the minute. This is going to be a tough one.

As a Swordmaster, I had to get up close and personal to attack the Treant King. If it had been a normal monster, I could simply have lopped off its head, but I was up against a tree monster. I needed to find its core—the equivalent of a heart for a monster—and destroy it with a precise blow. Right as I was starting to wonder whether I should turn back and try again next time...

“Why are you chickening out, Eugene?” Eri asked, her voice echoing through my head.

“Say whatever you want, but don’t you think it’s going to be hard to fight my way out of the situation when it’s already escalated this much?”

If I used Eri’s Demon Queen mana, I could attack the monsters. But there were so many Treants that I would run out of mana by the time I reached the King.

“Hee hee. That’s when you pull out my indigo mana.”

“Indigo? Oh, you mean poison?”

The Demon Queen possessed three colors of mana. Indigo mana’s domain was poisons and curses. Poison sapped away at its victim’s physical strength, while curses drained at their mind.

“Now, speak your wish. Say that you want to use the Demon Queen’s indigo mana.”

I hesitated, but if I didn’t act now, this would become a battle of attrition. If the alternative was giving up on my challenge, it was worth giving the indigo mana a shot.

“I, contractor Eugene, call upon the Demon Queen Erinyes. Will you share with me a portion of your indigo mana?”

Ba-dump! I felt like all the blood in my veins had come to a boil. With a sizzling noise, the blade of my sword began to turn an unsettling purple.

“Barrier Magic: Steel Heart! Tempest Armor!” With a sense of foreboding, I cast the spells over myself to protect my mind and body. Just holding the magic sword imparted to me a strong sense of disgust.

“Magic Sword: Venomblade,” Eri murmured happily. “Not bad for your first time.”

“But how can I use this to attack the Treant King’s core?”

I couldn’t use powerful or wide-range spells to wipe out a large group of monsters like Sumire could, nor could I launch consecutive attacks from a distance like Sara. Eri didn’t answer me, but she wasn’t the kind of person who would have made me do something meaningless. I looked down at the pulsing purple sword. I only had a single chance. One attack would drain almost all the mana I’d borrowed from the Demon Queen.

Even now, the Treant King’s rain of leaves didn’t abate, and more and more Treants were emerging from the ground. That was when I noticed something. Wait, are the Treants being born from... I narrowed my eyes, focusing, and saw it. Roots! The Treant King’s spread its roots all throughout the 60th Level.

I knew where I had to attack. Dodging the leaves, I waited until I saw a Treant crawling out of the soil. Now! The window of opportunity was small, as the root only appeared for an instant when it birthed a Treant. Without bothering with fancy swordplay or techniques, I thrust Magic Sword: Venomblade into the exposed root. As soon as I did, the root changed colors and melted away.

At first, there was no big change to the Treant King. But slowly, it began raining down fewer and fewer leaves, and the creation of new Treants slowed as well. The Treant King’s face contorted in pain. Is the venom working? In that case... Skystep!

I closed the distance with the Treant King in a single leap. The face in the midst of its massive trunk was staring up at me hatefully. The monster was so big that simply slicing at it with my sword wouldn’t kill it. I likely only had one more attack with Magic Sword: Venomblade, so I would unleash my most powerful move on it.

Niten Enmei-ryu Fire Stance: Lionsbane! I struck it with the same technique I’d used to defeat the Boss of the 10th Level.

“Graaaagh!”

The Treant King’s body twisted in agony. The ground shook as its leviathan roots emerged from the soil and lashed about like the tentacles of an octopus. Eventually, the Treant King’s roots stopped moving, and the Treants milling about them collapsed one after another. The bladed leaves transformed back into normal falling leaves.

Amazing! The Demon Queen’s mana is really something.

“Isn’t it? You better thank me, Eugene.”

“Thanks, Eri,” I said sincerely. With Eri’s help, I could even defeat the Boss of the 60th Level on my own.

♢Sumire’s POV♢

“The winner is the explorer, Eugene. Congratulations.”

I had been watching Eugene’s fight on the giant screen hanging over the cafeteria in Lykeion Magic Academy when the robotic voice sounded out to announce his victory. Since it happened to be lunchtime, I’d come here with my friends.

“Whoa! Sumire, did you see that? Eugene defeated the Boss on the 60th Level all by himself!” Leona said, in between bites of a meat and vegetable sandwich. She sounded both impressed and exasperated.

“Taking on the 60th Level alone? An insane endeavor, though I must admit it’s very like him to do that,” Teresia said, sounding as exasperated with Eugene’s behavior as Leona did.

Today, the three of us—me, Teresia, and Leona—were having a meal together. Though I was good friends with both of them, this was the first time all three of us had hung out at once. That was because Eugene’s friend, Claude, had been cheating on both Leona and Teresia! Even though they were rivals for Claude’s affection...

“Why didn’t Eugene invite Claude with him?” Leona wondered aloud.

“Apparently, Claude reached out to him. However, Eugene turned him down, stating that he wished to train on his own. Claude was quite upset about it,” Teresia replied.

They were holding a very normal conversation.

“Oh, wow, really? When did you hear about it?” Leona asked.

“Last night. It’s your turn tonight, so why don’t you ask him about it?” Teresia suggested.

“You’re right. I’ll tease him about how his precious Eugene dumped him!”

“You mustn’t bully Claude so much, Leona.”

“I shouldn’t? But, Teresia, I think you use some pretty harsh language yourself whenever you’re with Claude.”

“Do I? I don’t think I’m nearly as bad as you are.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

I kept my mouth shut as I listened to the two. Apparently, Leona and Teresia had decided that they would both date Claude. I-Is that really a good solution?

“Hey, Sumire? You’re not going to explore with Eugene?” Leona asked, pulling my attention back to the table.

“Y-Yeah, I already told him that I would rejoin his party in earnest after my intensive magic course.”

“He’s abnormally powerful to have defeated a Boss all by himself,” Teresia murmured. “I wonder how many floors he plans to clear solo.”

“He reminds me of the legendary explorer Christo!” Leona said.

I could tell from what they were saying that Eugene was doing something pretty unconventional. Well, I could figure out that much by myself just from watching the Satellite System. In terms of size alone, the Treant King that served as the Boss on the 60th Level had been larger than any other Boss we’d faced off against in the past. It was more aggressive than the others too. And yet, Eugene had defeated it without issue.

“If only I could control my magic better...” I concentrated mana into my right hand and summoned a small fireball. Sizzle...crackle...pop! Poof! Even this tiny fireball was unstable, much like a bomb seconds before it exploded. I sighed and banished the flame.

“Sumire, your magic is fascinating. It’s as if your mana is a living thing. I suppose that makes it harder for you to maintain good control over it,” Teresia, a Sage-in-Training, observed.

Leona hummed in thought before speaking up in my defense. “I think she’s doing a great job considering she only reincarnated here from another world a short while ago.”

“Yes, but I believe Eugene is progressing through the dungeon far faster than Sumire can master her magic.”

“What can I do to be of more use to him?” I murmured.

At my words, Leona’s expression turned worried. “Sumire...”

I knew that trying to rush things wasn’t the answer. But I couldn’t help but worry when I saw how quickly Eugene was getting through the dungeon. Could I honestly call myself his partner like this?

“Say, Sumire,” Teresia said after observing me for a moment.

“Yes, Teresia?”

“Do you have the grit to do anything for Eugene?”

“Teresia, do you know a way to help Sumire?” Leona asked.

“Do you, Teresia?!” I exclaimed, leaning over the table.

“Whoa!” It took Teresia a second to compose herself before she continued, “It’s a rather unique method, so I don’t particularly recommend it. Actually, President Sara would be furious if she learned that I revealed this to you... Hmm, what to do...”

“Huuuh?” Leona moaned. “You’re going to keep it a secret after saying all that? Just tell us!”

“My, I suppose you’re right.”

After saying that, Teresia taught me her “unique method.” She was right—it was a pretty crazy idea.

♢61st Level, Babel♢

I took the Dungeon Elevator to the Timberland Area. As soon as I got out, I sucked in a deep breath. The air was humid, and the fog was thick. Though the Timberland Area continued past the 60th Level, the visibility had gotten worse since I’d arrived on the 61st Level.

Bzzt...bzzt...bzzt...

From beyond the white fog, I could hear the cacophonic buzzing of wings. If I had to guess, they were Killer Bee scouts patrolling the territory.

“Gyah!” A guttural scream pierced the air.

Holding my breath, I headed in the direction I’d heard it from. If the cry came from another explorer, I had to help them. But... Oh, they’re carrying away a Goblin. In the air above my hiding spot, I saw a Goblin, hanging limply in the grasp of a Killer Bee swarm. They were taking it back to their hive as food for either their queen or their grubs.

For novice explorers on the lower levels, Goblins were tough opponents to face. But here, beyond the 60th Level, they were prey for the insectoid monsters roaming about. Explorers, too, were a part of this food chain.

On floors below the 100th Level of Babel, Ambrosia Tears could revive perished explorers. However, Ambrosia Tears only worked if the body hadn’t been devoured by monsters. From the 60th Level, we would start to see Killer Bees and Army Ants. Then, from the 70th Level, we would encounter Arachnes and Lamias. They were all aggressive social monsters with voracious appetites and a penchant for hauling their prey back to their nests.

Looks like taking Eri’s advice was the right idea. Right now, I was a solo explorer who could barely defend himself. I had to avoid unnecessary battles. Fortunately, the poor visibility afforded me plenty of hiding places. I snuck through the dark forest at a slow, careful pace.

I wasn’t sure how long I had been walking when I heard voices from a distance. Human voices, nor Orcs or Goblins. Considering I could also hear the clanging of swords and explosions of magic, they must have been in the middle of a fight. Mixed in with the chaos, I could make out panicked yelling.

Are they explorers being attacked by monsters? Still tiptoeing, I rushed toward the sound.

***

“Dammit! There’s just no end to them!”

“Army Ants never stop attacking their prey! When they die, they spray out pheromones that attract more of them! To stop them, we need to kill the captain ant!”

“I know that! But how can we kill the captain ant when there are over a hundred Army Ants standing in our path?!”

“Oh no! Another one of us went down! Shit!”

“If only we hadn’t gotten involved with that suspicious freak!”

“Stop your complaining! Does anyone have healing items?!”

Judging from their conversation, they were in a dire situation. Actually, one look at the fight told me things were going sideways for the explorers. They were surrounded by a swarm of mature Army Ants, each larger than a horse. Around their arms, the explorers wore red sashes emblazoned with a black sword. That meant they hailed from the Grenflare Empire.

Without hesitation, I jumped into the fray. “Let me help,” I said as I cast Healing Magic over the explorer bleeding out on the ground.

“Huh?” The explorer had fallen unconscious, but now his eyes blinked open.

“Are there any other injured?!” I asked.

“No, we can all still move! Barely, though!” the explorer replied. “Wh-Who are you?!”

“I’m a student from Lykeion Magic Academy. I hail from the empire too.”

“A student explorer! Thank you for your aid. We have to do something about this horde of Army Ants!”

“Let’s defeat the captain ant. They’ll be disorganized without a commander, and we can use that opening to escape.” Carlo had taught me that basic strategy for dealing with Army Ants.

“That one’s the captain,” an explorer I assumed was their leader said in evident frustration, pointing at an Army Ant. “We can’t attack it, though! Its subordinates are protecting it!”

The ant he’d singled out was larger than the rest, with horns protruding from its head. That one, huh? I drew my sword. However, a normal steel sword wouldn’t be able to break through the tough exoskeleton of an Army Ant. I had no other choice.

I call upon my contract with the Demon Queen Erinyes. Lend me your mana. With a sizzle, the blade of my common sword was engulfed in a black stain, even darker than the night, as it turned into Magic Sword: Darkblade. Ugh... Eri’s mana is as difficult to handle as ever. I didn’t have any time to waste. I lowered my stance, keeping my sword low as well.

“Hey, boy! What do you think you’re doing?!” an explorer exclaimed.

“I’m going to defeat the captain,” I replied. “I’ll only need a second’s opening. Can I count on you to divert the other ants’ attention for me?”

“D-Don’t be ridiculous! Do you plan to go through that swarm?!”

“Yes. There’s no time, so I’m going to make my move now.”

“Tsk... Someone assist him!” Despite his hesitation, the leader gave the order for me.

“Raining Fire!” a mage yelled as they cast their spell.

A score of arrows burning with magical flames rained down on the Army Ants. Though there weren’t that many arrows, the attack was enough to pin them down for a split second.

Niten Enmei-ryu: Skystep. I became a gust of wind, blowing past the swarm of ants. It was impossible to weave through their serried ranks; their bodies were pressing against one another. So I used their hard exoskeletons as stepping stones, jumping from ant to ant and closing my distance to the captain ant.

Of course, the Army Ants weren’t going to simply watch me do that. They hissed and screeched as they tried to attack me. An Army Ant’s weapons were its sharp mandibles and the knifelike claws extending from its six legs.

Barrier Magic: Tempest Armor. If I shielded myself with a powerful barrier, it would slow me down. Rather than tanking the ants, I used my barrier to avoid their assault. The captain ant before me, much larger than its brethren, roared in an attempt at intimidation before it tried to attack me. But I was already in range.

“Niten Enmei-ryu: Ogresteel!”

I swung down the black blade. I didn’t feel any impact, nor did I hear any noise. With a sensation like cutting through soft jelly, I hacked off the captain ant’s head, and it fell to the ground with a thud.

“Oh, thank you! You saved us!”

After I defeated the captain ant, the leaderless Army Ants fell into a panic. I’d heard that a new captain ant would emerge from the ranks after some time, so we hurriedly beat our retreat. We fled until we were back to the Dungeon Elevator. I felt sluggish after borrowing Eri’s mana, so I didn’t think I could continue my exploration today.

“I’d like to thank you again. I am the leader of this party, and we represent the empire. Thank you so much for bailing us out back there. We don’t have anything on us right now, but I’ll pay you back later.”

“I am Eugene, a second-year student at Lykeion Magic Academy. My father is a member of the imperial army,” I said, shaking the leader’s extended hand. This was a pretty standard conversation...or so I thought.

The leader’s expression hardened. “Eugene?”

“Leader, is he the...” another member of his party whispered.

“Can you tell me your last name?” the leader asked.

“It’s Santafield. Eugene Santafield.”

At my words, the members of the imperial party all sucked in a breath.

“He’s the son of the Imperial Sword...”

“The one who defeated the Divine Beast Cerberus on his own...”

“No wonder he’s so strong!”

So much information about me got exposed in an instant. Not that I could blame them. Santafield was a pretty rare surname on the Southern Continent.

“Our apologies for the disrespect we showed you! Sir Eugene, I fought side by side with your father on a recent extermination campaign against an Ancient Dragon. We were honored to have eliminated a threat against the empire together!” Having completely changed his tone, he now offered me a salute, and the other imperial explorers quickly followed suit.

“H-Hold on a minute! Yes, my father occupies a high position in the imperial army, but I’m a military academy dropout. Right now, I’m nothing more than a civilian student, so please address me as you would any other student.” It was impossible to hold a conversation with these people, who looked a decade older than me, while they were still saluting me.

“But...” The leader didn’t look happy about that, but I managed to convince him to drop the title and the excessive respect.

“That was a dangerous situation you were in,” I said after he finally agreed. “I’d heard that insectoid monsters didn’t form large swarms on the 61st Level, though.”

I was asking them about their fight with the Army Ants. Carlo had said that insectoid monsters appeared from the 61st Level onward, but only one by one. Running into a swarm of over a hundred insects was supposed to be a rarity on this floor.

“Yeah, that’s how it’s supposed to be. Actually, a strange explorer was the one to sic those Army Ants on us.”

The leader of the party gave me a rundown of what had happened. According to him, they had been exploring the 61st Level when they came across an explorer wearing a gray robe with the hood pulled up to hide their face. They hadn’t been wearing one of the sashes that identified explorers from the Grenflare Empire, Blue Sea Union, or Holy Alliance. They weren’t a student from the academy either; explorers from Lykeion Magic Academy wore a uniform bearing the school emblem, so they were easy to pick out of a crowd.

Normally, if explorers from the same nation ran into each other, they might exchange a greeting and pleasantries. If they encountered explorers from another nation, they would avoid them so they didn’t cause unnecessary conflict. On the Southern Continent, it was rare to meet someone who didn’t belong to the empire, union, or alliance. Had this been an explorer from another continent? Or...

The explorers from the imperial party continued their story.

“The Dungeon Union recently warned us that the Order of the Serpent’s been active in and around Babel.”

“They told us to report any sightings to them.”

“Just in case, we tried calling out to see where that explorer hailed from.”

But apparently, the strange explorer had run off without saying anything. The imperial explorers had been in the middle of debating whether or not they should go after the stranger when the group of monsters suddenly attacked them.

“I’m guessing that the explorer used a Summoning Flute.”

“I agree. It was faint, but I heard a flute with the slightest hint of mana woven into the sound. But why in the world would they do that?”

“Who knows? I bet they were doing something they didn’t want anyone witnessing.”

“Now that I think about it, a while back...” I proceeded to tell them about how I’d stumbled upon a silver charm bearing the Order of the Serpent’s emblem. I didn’t have the accessory with me, since I’d already handed it over to the Dungeon Union.

“The Order of the Serpent...”

“I wonder what goes on in the minds of demon worshippers.”

“Probably the revival of the Demon Queen.”

“Ugh, give me a break.”

“Well, in any case, let’s call it a day. We have to make extensive preparations for our next exploration,” the leader said, clapping his hands to cut off further conversation.

“Sir Eugene, why are you exploring the 61st Level by yourself?” an imperial explorer asked curiously.

“I usually explore with two others, but they’ve been busy with other things,” I explained.

“Ah, the Saint Candidate from the Cardia Halidom and the Ifrit from another world, right?”

“Wait, how—” How did they know that?!

The imperial explorer laughed. “You’ve been the talk of the imperial army as of late, Sir Eugene!”

“If you were to go back to the empire now, they’d reinstate you as an officer cadet in no time.”

“Oh, stop that. He’s trying to clear the 500th Level of Babel and surpass Christo’s legendary record. There’s no way he’ll go home satisfied with a mere sixty-one floors.”

“Er, I...” Unfortunately, it was impossible for me to return to my old status as an officer cadet. According to Eri, I could only borrow her mana if I was in Babel’s vicinity. I couldn’t take Sumire back to the empire with me either. After all this time, I was still a swordsman who couldn’t fight on his own.

“If it’s all right to ask, has your father reached out to you? Did he say anything after you defeated the Divine Beast?” someone asked.

“No, my father’s pretty laissez-faire.”

“Ooh, that’s the Imperial Sword for you! It’s like he’s saying you can achieve even greater things than defeating a Divine Beast!”

“Ha ha...”

I did think he could’ve contacted me if rumors about me were flying around the empire. But after my father sent me off with an “Enjoy your time at the school and learn more about the world,” he’d never asked me to come home. Last year, I hadn’t visited the empire at all. I should go back on the anniversary of mom’s death.

The imperial explorers and I rode the Dungeon Elevator back to the surface. Though my body still felt like it weighed a million tons after using the Demon Queen’s mana, the explorers insisted on treating me to dinner as thanks for saving them, so I shared a meal with them at their favorite pub. During dinner, they gave me news updates about the empire and the imperial army. Granted, it had only been a little over a year since I’d left the empire, so there hadn’t been any major changes.

The emperor was expanding the army in hopes of conquering and unifying the Southern Continent. However, the Blue Sea Union and Holy Alliance were increasing their firepower as well to keep the Grenflare Empire in check. Same old, same old. Infernal Demonic Beasts—designated calamity-level monsters unique to the Southern Continent—were becoming more common, and the various countries were doing their best to keep up with the challenges of containing them.

Finally, although the fight for the crown hadn’t yet started in earnest, since the current emperor was still healthy, they were narrowing down the list of potential candidates. One of those candidates was my childhood friend.

“All right, then. Thank you again for today, Sir Eugene!”

“If you need any help, don’t hesitate to call us!”

“He was the one to help us, you know?”

“I should be the one thanking you all. I had a great time today,” I said before they could start arguing. “Be careful the next time you’re in the dungeon.”

“Oh, just one thing... I know this might be unwelcome advice, but could you hear me out?” the leader said with a serious expression.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Can you hold off on exploring by yourself? Especially now, with so many suspicious people roaming around the Last Dungeon. I know talented explorers prefer to explore solo or as part of a smaller elite force. But it only takes a single mistake to cost you your life. Be careful.”

“Understood,” I said with a nod.

After waving goodbye to the explorers from the empire, I returned to my dormitory. It had been fun to talk about my homeland after so long.

♢Several Days Later...♢

“Eu-Eugene, are the monsters really unaware that we’re here?” Sumire asked as she looked around the dungeon in amazement, her hand in mine.

We were on the 52nd Level, continuing on from the floor Carlo had helped us with. Since this was my third time going through this floor, everything was familiar to me.

“Yeah. With Barrier Magic: Hidden Veil, we’re camouflaged against our surroundings. I was a little worried that monsters would sense your powerful mana, but looks like my barrier’s doing its job,” I replied.

I had been exploring solo for a while, but since Sumire had gotten past the more intensive part of her courses, I’d invited her to Babel. My current record was the 65th Level, while Sumire’s was the 52nd. There was quite a gap between us now, so I’d thought we could take this opportunity to close it.

Avoiding any unnecessary battles, we had slowly but surely made our way upward. The Boss on the 60th Level had been another Treant King, albeit smaller than the one I’d faced. Sumire had used Phoenix, a royal-tier fire spell she’d recently mastered, and burned the monster to a crisp. I tried not to think about all the work I’d put in to defeat my Treant King...

Now, we were sneaking through the 65th Level, with Sumire whisper-screaming as Killer Bees loudly buzzed high above the trees of the Timberland Area. Every once in a while, we heard the dying screams of the poor monsters they hunted down.

Screeee! That was an Orc crying out.

Krsh krsh krsh krsh krsh... Those were the odd footsteps of Army Ants. In their mandibles, they held several unfortunate Goblins. The strong feasted upon the weak. That was the cruel reality of this world.

Sumire paled and averted her eyes.

“Are you okay, Sumire?” I asked.

“I’m... I’m fine,” she replied with a plucky nod.

She didn’t look fine. Hoping to take her mind off things, I struck up a conversation. “The spell you used to incinerate the Treant King was amazing. Insectoid monsters are weak to fire, so I’m counting on you if we run into any trouble.”

“Y-Yeah... Oh, aren’t insectoid monsters attracted to Fire Magic?”

“Uh, I think so...”

“If that happens, then I’ll set them all ablaze!” Sumire exclaimed, fear warring with determination on her face.

However, none of the monsters noticed us. Killer Bees and Army Ants were powerful fighters, but they weren’t very intelligent. Understanding their habits and movement patterns was the key to avoid running into them and get through this area without fighting.

***

“Er, we reached the 69th Level in no time at all,” Sumire said, looking like she thought the conclusion of our journey had been pretty anticlimactic.

“Yeah, but the Boss is on the floor above us. We’ll have to fight.”

“Sara isn’t coming with us, is she?”

“I asked her, but she seemed busy.”

Sara’s record was the 89th Level, so she could come with us to the 70th. However...

“I-I just can’t stand insectoid monsters...” Sara had said apologetically. She’d decided to sit this one out since she didn’t want her fears to end up dragging us down. Besides, she genuinely had work with the student council to get through.

Before us was the staircase leading up to the 70th Level.

“What do you want to do, Sumire?” I asked. “Do you want to at least check out what the Boss is?”

“S-Sure. That sounds good.”

Sumire really didn’t look enthused. However, she didn’t complain as we cautiously made our way to the 70th Level. As soon as we got there...

Bzzbzzbzzbzzbzzbzzbzzt! A horrifying din greeted us the second we stepped onto the 70th Level. After a moment, I realized this was the sound of Killer Bee wings. Next to me, Sumire inhaled sharply. When I looked around, my breath caught as well.

Tens of thousands of Killer Bees were staring at us, furious that we had intruded on their territory. One of them caught my attention. It was a golden monster resembling a beautiful woman, regarding us with a cruel gaze.

“The queen of the Killer Bees,” I whispered.

The current Boss of the 70th Level was a Killer Bee Queen—the monarch in command of thousands of Killer Bees.

“Foolish humans,” she chuckled, looking down at us with a frigid grin. “Coming all the way here to be our prey.”

“I-It’s talking?!” Sumire exclaimed.

Huh? That’s what you’re surprised by? “Monsters on the upper levels are intelligent enough to hold a conversation with,” I explained. “Granted, there’s no way to negotiate with any of them.”

Monsters viewed explorers as both their food and their enemies. The only way to deal with them was combat.

“Why aren’t they attacking us, then?!”

“I think it’s because we haven’t announced that we’re challenging the Boss. But wow, the entire 70th Level is covered with Killer Bee hives.”

Killer Bees piled dirt into mound-like hives. I could see several hives, each so large it was practically a castle. No wonder there were so many Killer Bees surrounding us.

But that was enough observation. We had to defeat the Killer Bee Queen if we wanted to press onward.

“Sumire, are you ready?”

“Yeah! I am!”

Sumire squeezed my hand. Ba-dump! Her hot fire mana spread into me. In the next second, flames erupted from the blade of the sword in my hand.

Holding up Magic Sword: Flameblade, I murmured into the explorer badge, “Eugene Santafield and Sumire Sashiougi will challenge the 70th Level Boss.”

After the dungeon staff received my message, the announcement rang out: “Your challenge has, like, been processed. Good luck!”

Was it just a trick of my mind, or did the voice sound different from usual? One way or another, I didn’t have time to wonder about that. The surrounding Killer Bees swarmed us in a heartbeat.

I was about to jump into the fray, fighting off Killer Bees while keeping Sumire safe with my barriers, when I sensed someone staring at me. Hmm? It was Sumire, her expression solemn, like she was deep in thought about something.

“Sumire?”

“Eugene, the mana I give you runs out pretty quickly, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. But there’s not much we can do about it. I don’t have any red mana myself. Yours is the only mana I can borrow and use for a short amount of time. The mana from other mages gets overwritten by my white mana, so I can’t even use Mana Link with them. This is more than enough for me.”

“If... If the mana I lend you could last longer, it would be very useful to you, right?”

“Well, yes, of course.”

“Then leave it to me! I’ll give you even more mana!”

“Huh? Wait, Sumire, what are you—”

I didn’t get the chance to finish my sentence. Sumire wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly. Before I could ask what she was doing, a rapid thumping vibrated through my body. I realized it was the sound and sensation of Sumire’s heartbeat. Then, in the next second...

I gasped as Sumire’s mana surged through my body like a torrent. The wave of mana was so intense I felt like I was drowning. The pressure was so overpowering that I couldn’t breathe, and the excitement was so strong that it felt like it was a fire burning in my chest. Th-This is the mana of an Ifrit?

Bzzbzzbzzbzzbzz... The wings were getting louder. I had gotten so distracted by Sumire’s mana that I’d allowed the Killer Bees to get too close.

Tsk! I hurriedly raised my sword, but... “Huh?” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Before me was a sea of fire. Now that I was paying attention, I realized Sumire and I were standing in the middle of a massive flaming tornado. Killer Bees were falling out of the sky, bodies black and charred.

Fwoosh! The fire continued to rise until it was practically burning the artificial sky.

I could only stare upward, mouth agape. Still, Sumire’s mana was pouring into me. It was already tens of times more than the usual amount, so I didn’t see myself running out of mana anytime soon. That was when I noticed something off. Someone was panting in my ear.

“Huff, huff... ♡ Eugene... ♡ Eugene... ♡”

“S-Sumire?! Are you all right?!”

Sumire, arms still around me, was flushed a deep red, and she was breathing so hard it was like she had just sprinted with all her might. She was staring at me with eyes like those of a hungry predator locked onto its prey. There was something very obviously wrong with her.

“Oh dear, this isn’t good. Little Sumire here’s experiencing mana intoxication,” Eri’s voice sounded in my head.

“Eri?! Mana intoxication... That’s when a novice mage uses a powerful spell without practice and ends up causing the mana inside them to go berserk, thus leading to bodily discomfort, right?!”

“You got it in one. Whatever her origin, Sumire’s an Ifrit now. The amount of mana she has is nowhere near the level of an ordinary person. She pushed herself too hard to cast a powerful spell, which is why her symptoms are so severe. Apparently, her desire to impress you is what caused her to go beyond her means. Whew, you stud! If she stays in this state for too long, though, she’ll probably suffer some aftereffects.”

“Oh no... What can I do? How can I return Sumire to normal?”

If this were an injury, I could heal her with magic. But I had no idea what to do about mana intoxication. The last thing I wanted was to cast a spell on her and accidentally make things worse.

“Mm... Someone will have to take on the mana that’s going berserk inside of her. You’re the only person around, so that task falls onto your shoulders.”

“How can I take the mana from her?!” I demanded, but Eri remained silent. “Eri!”

“You do it with me all the time, don’t you?”

“What?”

“Use! Your! Head! Just do what you always do when you take my mana. Aw, man, you just had to force the answer out of me.”

Doing what I do with Eri? So that means...

Sumire was still panting, but her arms and body were growing limper by the second. I had no time to waste.

“Sorry, Sumire,” I said before leaning down and pressing my mouth against hers.

♢Sumire’s POV♢

Huh? What?

After hugging Eugene, I fell unconscious.

When letting someone borrow mana via Mana Link, hugging them was a lot more efficient than simply holding on to their hand. This was advice that Teresia, a Sage-in-Training, had given me.

“Oh, wow! I didn’t know you could do it that way!” I said.

“There’s one more technique, though it’s not something you can do with just anybody.”

“What is it?!” I leaned forward. I would do anything if it meant helping Eugene.

In response, Teresia gave me a meaningful smile. “The more you like the person you’re using Mana Link with, the more mana you can hand over, you know?”

“Really? I didn’t know about that.” Leona, who was eating lunch with us, sounded surprised.

“There are a lot of things the staff here don’t teach the students, since not every technique has a strategic use. The magical effect I speak of is called the Contract of Love, and it’s quite easy to activate. Mages who like each other have an easier time using Mana Link and synergizing their magic. That’s it.”

“Wow!” Leona and I said in chorus. I was a novice at magic, and Leona specialized more in martial arts.

Leona seemed to realize something, and she asked, “Wait, so what happens if you and I Mana Link?”

“Would you like to try it?” Teresia replied. “Hold out your hand, Leona.”

“Er, wait, we don’t actually have to—”

“This is an experiment. We can debate theory all day long, but nothing is more educational than a practical demonstration.”

“Ugh, I should’ve just kept my big fat mouth shut!”

Leona reluctantly reached out, and Teresia held her hand.

“All right. Are you ready?” Teresia said.

“Yes, yes, just get on with it,” Leona groaned.

For some reason, I felt nervous just watching them, and then... Zap!

“Yeowch!” Leona screamed at the same moment Teresia grunted, “Ow!”

Their hands were bright red, as if each had suffered a burn.

“Hey, what the heck! Teresia, what was that for?!” Leona demanded.

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Teresia said. “Let me heal you first.” She cast a spell on Leona’s hand, then on herself. Fortunately, the burns were minor enough that they vanished in an instant. “I knew the logic behind this mechanism, but now I can say for sure that it’s true.”

“Um, Teresia? What was that?” I asked hesitantly.

“The result demonstrates that two people whose relationship is characterized by mutual dislike cannot perform Mana Link with each other. Exactly as I expected,” Teresia explained calmly.

“If you knew this would happen, then you shouldn’t have done it!” Leona cried.

“However, I’m absolutely certain of something now,” Teresia continued.

“What?” Leona asked.

“Sumire, you shouldn’t attempt a Mana Link with President Sara.”

“Huh?” I blinked at Teresia’s words.

“Ahh, you have a point there,” Leona said with a nod. “Considering how painful it was between me and Teresia, I shudder to think of what could happen between you and Miss Sara. Both of you have such tremendous amounts of mana...”

“It would be awful if you two caused an explosion,” Teresia agreed.

“W-Wait, really?!” I yelped. “Just the other day, Sara and I were chatting about what would happen if I used Enchant on her holy sword...”

“Perish the thought,” Teresia said. “Most likely, it will cause your mana to go berserk.”

“Yikes!” Thank goodness we hadn’t tried it yet!

“So, that means Eugene’s the only person you can Mana Link with, huh?” Leone said teasingly. “And since the effect will be stronger if you hug him... Go for it, Sumire! ☆”

“I-I know, Leona!” This was for exploring, after all! It wasn’t like I had any ulterior motives!

“So, Leona, you hate me this much, huh?” Teresia sighed. “It brings a tear to my eye.”

“Oh? That’s not true at all. Aren’t you the one who hates me?” Leona replied.

“Hee hee, of course not. I think we get along well whenever we’re with Claude.”

“Well, we do. That’s because you always play innocent around him!”

“My, oh my. You’re always pretending to be such a nice girl around him. May I suggest some acting lessons, though? ☆”

“Stop! Lunch break’s almost over, so let’s go back to the classroom!” I said hurriedly, sensing danger and cutting off the argument before it could start in earnest.

The faint memories continued to swirl through my head as I struggled to piece together what was happening. Eugene’s face was the only thing I could see. W-Wait, what? Is he kissing me? And it wasn’t a peck or anything either. It was a deep kiss! A really deep one! I was so overwhelmed by the situation that I started moving my hands every which way, unsure of what to do.

“Sumire! Are you back to yourself?!” Eugene asked.

“Um, Eugene? What happened?”

That was when I noticed my surroundings. We were standing in the midst of a sea of fire. A sea of fire exactly like the one I’d woken up to on the 5th Level of Babel, when I’d first wandered into this world. Wait, did I do this?! No way...

“Thank goodness,” Eugene sighed. “Looks like you’ve recovered from your mana intoxication. The color’s returned to your face too.”

“Mana intoxication?!”

“Yeah. Your mana was going berserk inside you, so I moved it into me. I’m glad the treatment worked,” Eugene replied, giving me a relieved smile.

I failed... The realization had me feeling pretty bad about myself before I noticed something off about Eugene’s body. “Eugene, your hair...”

“Hmm? Huh? My hair’s turned red,” Eugene murmured, looking at a lock of his bangs.

“A-Are you okay?! Do you feel like there’s anything wrong with your body?!”

“No, in fact, I—” But before Eugene could continue, a furious voice interrupted us.

“You bastards!” It was the Killer Bee Queen, and she was fuming. “How dare you kill my adorable children like that! I’ll grind you two into mincemeat!”

At her command, the swarm of over ten thousand Killer Bees charged at us. My out-of-control magic must have formed a wall of flames around us, but now that the fire was dying down, we’d left ourselves wide open.

“Eugene,” I said, but before I could apologize for getting us into this mess, Eugene pressed a finger against my lips and stopped me.

“Leave everything to me, Sumire.”

His voice was as calm as ever, and yet his expression was brimming with more confidence than usual. With red hair, he gave off a completely different impression too, and my heart skipped a beat. The Killer Bees were closing in fast. Eugene slowly raised his sword above his head, his movements calm and unhurried.

Whoa! I was a total amateur in just about every area, but even I could sense the pressure he gave off. The very air seemed to vibrate with tension.

“Niten Enmei-ryu Wind Stance: Flying Sparrow.” Eugene swung down his sword.

Whoosh! From the blade, he sent forth a shock wave that resembled a giant bird of flames. In the blink of an eye, it pierced through the swarm of Killer Bees, reached the Queen, and bisected her.

Amazing!

The Boss died without even the chance to scream. The Killer Bees, having lost their queen, fled in every direction. Eventually, the horrendous din of their wings faded away, and the 70th Level fell silent.

“Congrats! Victory goes to the challengers!” the announcement sounded out over Babel.

Wait, isn’t the voice different from usual? But right now there was something more important to discuss.

“Eugene!”

“Sumire!”

We looked into each other’s eyes, and the sight of him brought back memories of what had just happened. The kiss that had just happened. We stared at each other in silence as time slowed to a crawl.

“Uh, Sumire?”

“Y-Yesh?!” I accidentally bit my tongue.

“Sorry about what I did earlier. I didn’t have any other way to help you. I won’t let that happen a—”

“Eugene!” I interrupted. His hair was still red. “Right now, you yourself have been enchanted by an Ifrit’s red mana, right?!”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“I knew it!”

Eugene’s answer confirmed my guess, even if I didn’t understand how this all worked. Normally, Enchant only worked on weapons and armor. That was what I’d learned in magic class. However, the truth right before my eyes was that Eugene himself was now infused with my mana.

“This method works!” I continued.

“Huh?”

“We’ve solved the issue of my mana running out so quickly! Let’s use what we did whenever we can!” I blurted, cheeks burning.

“Are you sure you’re okay with that, Sumire?”

“Of course! We’re partners, aren’t we? We have to use everything we have to reach the 500th Level!”

In the end, Eugene nodded. “All right...”

And that was how I ended up closer to Eugene than ever before!

♢Sara’s POV♢

“Nnnngh... Phew! We finally reached a good stopping point in planning for the school festival!” I said, stretching out my back. I was in my office, with mountains of paperwork—remanded documents and papers stamped with Approved—on the desk before me.

“President Sara, I’ve prepared some tea for you. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

“Thank you, Teresia.” I accepted the cup from her and drained it in one gulp. “I wonder how Eugene’s doing.”

Eugene—that was the name of the man I loved. Though we used to explore as a duo, we were now a trio, as Sumire was a part of our group. However, I hadn’t been able to enter the dungeon with the other two for the past twenty days thanks to my work with the student council. When I heard that Eugene was entering Babel alone as a form of training, I was pretty worried about him, but apparently, he was back to his old partnership with Sumire.

That worries me in another way, admittedly... No, stop. Sumire and I have a nonaggression pact. She wouldn’t take advantage of my absence. But I couldn’t stop thinking about them, so I turned on the giant Satellite System screen installed in my office. The screen flickered to life, showing me what was happening inside of Babel.

“Oh?” One of the many panels caught my attention. “A team is on the 100th Level challenging the Deus Discipline. Those uniforms... They’re our students, aren’t they?”

“Yes, they contacted the student council before they entered. It’s a mixed team, consisting of the Swordsmanship Club’s third string and the Solar Magic Study Club’s second-years. They were brimming with motivation when they left,” Teresia replied.

“Interesting... Ah! The tower summoned a Divine Beast!” On the screen, a gigantic monster crawled out of a rainbow magic circle. “A giant two-headed dog... Orthros?”

“Goodness. That’s quite a pugnacious Divine Beast to have to fight.”

I sympathized with the group. Orthros was the two-headed guard dog of the heavens and a familiar name to anyone who knew their mythology. Its name appeared in accounts of the Heavenly War of yore.

“Many of the explorers are already losing their nerve,” I pointed out.

“It’ll be an arduous battle,” Teresia said.

The Deus Discipline on the 100th Level has started. The announcement sounded out. But just seeing Orthros had already negatively impacted the explorers on-screen. Only minutes later, as I’d expected, Orthros easily trounced the joint party, and the explorers scurried back with their proverbial tails between their legs.

“The 100th Level is truly difficult, isn’t it?” Teresia murmured. “They were so enthusiastic when they set off too.”

“Well, we haven’t cleared the 100th Level yet, so we have no right to criticize them,” I replied.

Teresia shrugged. “Agreed... I was just thinking that Eugene is truly unbelievable. He defeated the Divine Beast Cerberus—Orthros’s older brother and the guard dog of the underworld—all on his own.”

“Right?! Eugene’s awesome, isn’t he?! I’m so glad you agree!”

Ahh, every time I think of him, I lose control of myself! In my recent communications with my homeland, the Cardia Halidom, the Priestess of Fate had ordered me to get as close to the Imperial Sword’s son as I could. Thanks to this command, I could stay in the same party as Eugene without having to make up some excuse. I can’t wait until I can see him again! As soon as I’m finished with all my work with the student council, I’m going to—

At that moment, the Satellite System for the Last Dungeon switched feeds and displayed a team facing off against the Boss on the 80th Level. I recognized the people on the team too.

“Eugene and Sumire?” I said, surprised that they had made it all the way to the 80th Level.

Teresia’s quiet murmur of “Oh dear!” reached my ears.

Before I could ask what the matter was, the nightmarish footage on-screen caught my attention.

“Huh?” My mind shattered. What? What? Huh? What the actual hell am I witnessing right now?

Before my eyes, openly broadcasted via the Satellite System, were Eugene and Sumire standing before the Boss of the 80th Level with their arms around each other and their lips locked together in a passionate kiss.

Chapter Six: Eugene Challenges the Deus Discipline

Contracts were common practice in the magic world. It was a technique one could use to supplement an ability one lacked with the help of another mage. As a Swordmaster, it wasn’t something I’d ever familiarized myself with, but lately, I’d had to study up on it.

There were five types of contracts:

Contract of Words: A verbal agreement, for all intents and purposes, but it needed mutual trust to have a powerful effect.

Contract of the Flesh: A contract that only activated with physical contact. Some people referred to it as the “Contract of Love.”

Contract of Blood: A contract that activated when making pacts between blood or sworn siblings. Apparently, the Contract of the Blood could work between an apprentice and their master too.

Contract of Life: This was the heaviest and most serious contract one could enter. When one party died, the other would die along with them. On the other hand, the effects from this contract were unparalleled. Entering a Contract of Life was illegal in both the empire and the halidom, and using it was forbidden.

Contract of the Soul: This wasn’t a contract that humans could form with each other. Instead, it activated when someone prayed to a god in the heavens. Believers could obtain an ability from the goddess of fate.

My contract with Eri was, of course, the Contract of the Flesh. Since Sumire and I had verbally promised that we would clear Babel together, we had a Contract of Words between us. However, we had now shaken up the contents of that contract.

“Eugene... ♡” Sumire said as she kissed me.

Fwooosh! Flames erupted around us and formed a tornado at a terrifying speed.

“Gyaaah!”

“Screeee!”

We were in the territory of the Boss of the 80th Level—an Arachne Queen—surrounded by Arachnes guarding their monarch. However, Sumire’s fire was burning the monsters to a crisp. Her magic triggered based on her emotions, and it felt like the flames were growing hotter by the day. We could only use this technique when facing off against a Boss. There was a real risk of us accidentally hurting or causing trouble for other explorers on a normal floor, after all.

Though we’d only just cleared the 70th Level the other day, my Mana Link with Sumire had dramatically increased in power since we exchanged a Contract of the Flesh. I could use Magic Sword: Flameblade without time constraints now. Granted, I couldn’t even get close to the Arachnes thanks to the heat of Sumire’s flames.

Sometimes, when I used Mana Link with Sumire, I could hear strange chuckles and giggles in my head. I’d asked Sumire about this phenomenon, but she’d said that she never heard anything like what I described.

Now that we’d transformed the 80th Level into a sea of flames, the furious Arachne Queen attacked us. The Arachnes also leaped into the fray from all directions, eager to protect their leader. Sadly, their webs were their greatest weapons. The powerful silk threads could tie up and contain even the largest monster, but they were terribly weak against fire. Our flames burned the silk to dust before they could reach us.

“You bastards!” the Arachne Queen screeched, aiming straight for Sumire.

I got behind the Queen, raised my sword high above my head, and brought it straight down. The Arachne Queen hurriedly spun around with a shocked gasp, but she didn’t even have time to scream before I sliced off her head. Having lost their queen, the Arachnes scrambled away, hissing and screaming all the while. I looked over at Sumire, who was staring back at me with a blank expression as she continued to spill fire around herself.

“Sumire, the Boss is dead!” I said. “Put out your flames!”

“Hmm? Eugene... ♡ I want more! ♡”

“S-Sumire! Calm down!”

Still looking like she was in a trance, Sumire leaned forward, begging for more kisses. She still hadn’t woken up from her mana intoxication.

Victory, like, goes to the challengers! ★ Congraaats! The announcement sounded out. The voice had turned quite peppy as of late... If I remembered correctly, the voice used to be colder and more emotionless...

“Ah!” But thanks to the announcement, Sumire finally came back to herself. “Fweh? It’s over?”

“I don’t know if that’s the right way to put it. You were the one who ended everything...”

The Killer Bees on the 70th Level and the Arachnes on the 80th Level were social monsters that, under their queen’s orders, used their numbers to overwhelm any challengers. Under normal circumstances, explorers had to plan out a strategy and form a large enough party to handle the swarm, but...

I looked around again. Sumire’s flames were finally dying down, but they had already burned up the hundreds of Arachne nests, causing them to collapse. Dungeon destroyer... I was the one who’d defeated the Arachne Queen, but Sumire was the one who’d put in all the work.

“Let’s aim for the 90th Level next! Woo-hoo!” Now recovered from her mana intoxication, Sumire was full of energy again, pumping her fists in the air and cheering, “Hip hip hooray!” Apparently, this was something that people said in her original world. “Are you feeling it, Eugene?! ☆”

“Yeah, I am.”

In any case, we were progressing smoothly. Sumire would handle swarms of monsters while I defeated the Boss. Our party was climbing Babel at a breakneck pace.

♢Perch Tavern, the Go-To Pub for Explorers♢

We were celebrating our clearing the 80th Level when Sara burst in through the door and joined us at our table.

“Wait! Calm down, Sara! The kiss wasn’t what you thought it was! We needed to kiss for the sake of our exploration!”

“Heh heh... I was a fool to have taken you at your word. You traitor... I’ll dye the blade of my holy sword red with your blood...”

“Stoooop! Hold on! I thought that holy sword was super important to you! Don’t use it for such nefarious purposes!”

“Don’t worry. The priestesses gave me permission to do whatever I like with it. Now then, Sumire. Confess your sins before I smite you...”

“Eeek! She’s gonna kill me!”

“Kill? No, this is a punishment. Naughty girls falling into sin deserve to be punished...”

Sara’s eyes were deadly serious. I had to put a stop to this. “Sara, do you still have a lot of work to do with the student council?”

Sara shot me a glare. “Eugene, you horrible man! How could you do something like that with Sumire when you already have me?!”

“Sara... Weren’t you listening to our explanation? That was our method of lessening the effects of Sumire’s mana intoxication and—”

“Yes, I saw everything through Babel’s Satellite System! I’ll give you a pass for the kiss after defeating the Boss of the 70th Level, but are the other kisses really necessary?!”

“We only kiss when facing a Boss. We’ve been sneaking past all the other monsters.”

“Eugene, we’re in the same party, aren’t we?! Then don’t you think I deserve equal treatment?!”

“Uh, Sara?” I stammered at the same moment that Sumire shrieked, “Sara?!”

Sara, blushing, gave me a seductive look as she rested her hand against my cheek. Then, she drew her face close to mine. Wait, what? What’s happening?

“What are you doing, Sara?!” Sumire yelped.

“You just sit there and watch, Sumire.” Sara replied. “Feast your eyes on the deep, passionate love that exists between Eugene and me.”

“H-Hey, Sara?” I was about to ask if she was drunk when I noticed that the glass of grape wine on the table was completely empty. She’d chugged down the wine I’d ordered for myself. In other words: Yes, Sara was completely drunk.

Sara giggled as she pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. She straddled me in my chair, her face getting closer and closer to mine. Sumire’s eyes were as wide as saucers, and she was looking around as if unsure of what to do, making nervous noises the entire time. She said nothing to stop Sara, though. The other customers were openly staring at us.

I can’t reject her. I didn’t dislike Sara or anything, but we were in front of a crowd, so I wasn’t sure what to do. But before I could come up with a solution...

“President Sara!”

“What in the world are you doing?!”

“Step away from him!”

Suddenly, a group of buff students surrounded us. I recognized each and every one of their faces. They were members of the Student Council Task Force.

“Eugene! What the hell do you think you’re doing to our President Sara?!” one of them yelled as he grabbed me by the front of my shirt.

“I have no idea how to answer that,” I replied. No matter how you slice it, isn’t it obvious that Sara was the one coming on to me?

“Hey, violence isn’t—” Sumire said frantically, but a calm voice interrupted her.

“Release Eugene.” It was Sara. In contrast with how she’d been behaving mere seconds ago, she’d reverted to the persona of the unflappable student council president.

“President Sara! But—”

“Did you not hear what I said?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Though he’d had the nerve to ignore Sara’s order once, the man hurriedly let go of my shirt at her second prompting. I fixed my rumpled collar.

“Kneel before me, all of you,” Sara said, and the boys scrambled to obey her command. “What is the meaning of this?”

“W-Well, uh...”

“Speak loudly and clearly!” Sara snapped.

Sumire was staring at Sara with open curiosity as she continued to interrogate the members of the task force. “She’s so different from how she usually is,” Sumire whispered to me.

“To members of the Cardia Halidom, Sara is a Saint Candidate,” I hissed back. “She can be herself around us, but when she’s around other people from Cardia, that’s how she always carries herself.”

“Oh... Being a Saint Candidate sounds pretty rough.”

“Yeah... A woman named Saint Anna once saved the world. Out of respect for her deeds, the top leaders of the halidom are referred to by her title. That’s why they’re called the Eight Saints. The eight are chosen through elections rather than through heritage, which distinguishes them from the royal family.”

“An election?! How modern!”

“Apparently, it’s pretty difficult to keep things fair. I’ve heard that voter fraud and bribes are a major issue there.”

“O-Oh...”

Sumire had once told me that elections were commonplace in her original world. For the past few centuries, the Grenflare family had ruled over the empire, so a culture where the people got to choose their leader sounded pretty strange to me.

“President Sara! Why are you in a party with someone like Eugene? He’s a General Education student!”

“You’re one of the most favored Saint Candidates!”

“You should be in a party with us Sanctuary Knights! Let’s clear the dungeon together!”

“We’re so close to undertaking the Deus Discipline on the 100th Level! Please return to us! Don’t stay with that tiny group!”

While Sumire and I were chatting, Sara was standing before the members of the task force—all of whom were still kneeling—as they begged her to return to their party. Her expression was conflicted. As much as I wanted to go help her, I felt that my presence would only make things worse.

“All of you...” Sara murmured. “Didn’t we agree when we enrolled in Lykeion that we would temporarily discard the titles we held back home? And Eugene just cleared the 80th Level, so the Deus Discipline isn’t that far off for him either.”

Her words had no effect on the task force members.

“But—”

“We can’t accept him!”

“There’s no need for any of you to accept him,” Sara said bluntly. “Enough. Speak no more of this to me.”

At that rejection, the men of the task force let their shoulders slump and walked off, but not before shooting me one last glare. Sara sighed and returned to us.

“Welcome back, Sara!” Sumire said.

Sara sighed again. “What am I to do with them?”

“Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to cause you trouble.”

“It’s not your fault,” Sara replied. “Anyway...” She narrowed her eyes at Sumire and me. “Picking up where we left off, I will be returning to the party.”

“Whaaa?” Sumire said.

“What do you mean by ‘Whaaa’?! I refuse to allow you any more head starts, Sumire!”

“Okaaay...”

“You too, Eugene! Prepare yourself!”

“Yes, of course,” I said. “Are you sure you’re done preparing for the festival and with your student council work?”

“I’ve dealt with the most pressing matters. Teresia can handle any smaller issues that crop up!”

And that was how we resumed exploring with our entire party.

The next day, we ascended to the 81st Level. As soon as we stepped off the Dungeon Elevator, we found ourselves in a dark cave. Sumire, Sara, and I carefully made our way through the dungeon, staying so close that we were pressing against one another. Part of the reason we were moving around like this was because of how small my Barrier Magic’s range was.

Sssszt... Right next to us, a Big Worm, so large it could swallow a Goblin whole, slithered past. Floors above the 81st Level contained nests of Big Worms.

“Eek! So scary!” Sumire whispered, trembling.

“Amazing,” Sara said in a soft yet surprised voice. “Eugene, your barriers can hide our presence this perfectly?”

Sara had already cleared this level before, so she could remain calm. I’d heard that on her first time here, she’d reacted much like Sumire.

“I once used Hidden Veil to disguise my scent from the Divine Beast Cerberus,” I said. “Big Worms have pretty terrible eyesight, so I figured that they wouldn’t notice us if I mixed a soundproofing spell into my barrier.”

“My, this should be against the rules. No wonder they say your clear speed is the fastest in a hundred years.”

“Huh?” I looked over at Sara. I’d heard no one mention what she’d just brought up. “What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. No party has been overwriting its record at the crazy speed you have. Some people on the student council have been saying you’re the second coming of Team Rosalie, the Record Holder in ninth place.”

“Rosalie J. Walker... The Crimson Witch of the Western Continent...” That took me by surprise. I’d had no idea that people were talking about us.

“Eugene, who’s Rosalie?” Sumire asked. “Is she someone famous?”

“Yeah. Apparently, she used to be a student at Lykeion. If I recall, she’s the leader of a legendary party that reached the 300th Level in only a few years.”

“Oh, wow! That’s amazing! Why did she stop exploring at the 300th Level?”

“It’s a mystery no one has an answer to,” I said. “I don’t know all the details.”

“I do,” Sara said. “It was written down in the student council records.”

“Really?! I’d love to know why, Sara!” Sumire said.

I was pretty interested too, so I waited for Sara to continue. For a few moments, she was silent, worrying her lip as if she wasn’t sure if she should say anything.

Then, she murmured, “Miss Rosalie, the leader of the party, was a genius mage. But she was also prone to concupiscence. She fornicated with all the men in her party, and when they found out, the party broke up. That’s what it said in the records.”

“Huh?” Sumire and I exclaimed together. I regretted learning about the private affairs of a legendary explorer...

“And that’s why we will forbid untoward behavior within the party. Understood, Sumire?” Sara said.

Sumire gasped. “That’s not fair! Eugene and I are simply trying to stop my mana intoxication! Our behavior isn’t untoward at all!”

“You should try to improve your mana control so that you don’t have to deal with mana intoxication in the first place! Under my watch, you’re never kissing Eugene ever again!”

“So it’s a personal grudge! And we’re not kissing! It’s treatment for my mana intoxication!”

“Calm down, you two,” I hurriedly interrupted as they started getting carried away. “The monsters will notice us.”

“Okaaay.”

And that was how Sumire, Sara, and I overwrote our record, even if it hadn’t been the smoothest exploration trip in the world.

We’d reached the 91st Level, and Sumire and Sara were looking around the dungeon in awe.

“Wow!” Sumire squealed. “It’s soooo pretty in here!”

“I’d seen this through the Satellite System, but it’s completely different in person,” Sara agreed.

“It really is amazing,” I said, unable to keep my calm. The 91st Level was still part of the Cave Area, but it was nothing like the gloomy caves we’d cleared. Magical ores of all colors glittered on the walls. We could mine these ores if we wanted to, but the sound of the digging could attract monsters... “All right, let’s go.”

“Okay!” Sumire said.

“Thanks for all your hard work, Eugene,” Sara said.

The girls pressed themselves against me. The sensation of their bodies so close to mine made my heart beat faster, but I cast my barrier around us and we slowly walked deeper into the shimmering cave.

“Gyah gyah!”

“Kee kee kee!”

When I glanced over at where the sounds were coming from, I saw a group of Goblins hunting animals in the distance. We took a different turn to avoid them, only to come across a giant Wyvern, snoring in its sleep. It went without saying that we avoided the Wyvern and pressed forward.

There wasn’t a common thread among the monsters that showed up around here. It made it difficult to come up with a strategy beforehand. On the other hand, if you were lucky, you could walk through here and only encounter weak monsters. We walked through the dungeon in silence until Sumire spoke up and broke it.

“The Boss on the 90th Level was really something!”

“Yes, that fight was quite difficult. It was thanks to Eugene that we defeated it.”

“It’s because we all worked together,” I said. “I didn’t know what to do when Sumire’s fire wasn’t working on it.”

A Cadaverous Dragon—that had been the Boss on the 90th Level. Despite its name, it looked like an oversized Big Worm, and it was the leader of all the other worms. Truthfully, it wasn’t a monster I wanted to look at for too long.

As the Boss of the 90th Level, it wasn’t as easily defeated as the previous ones. For one thing, Sumire’s fire didn’t work on it. Cadaverous Dragons were a kind of earth dragon. Sumire could turn the entire surface into a sea of flames, but the Cadaverous Dragon could escape harm by simply burrowing into the soil.

Second, the scales covering its skin were incredibly thick. Slashing at them with a sword did absolutely no damage, whether that went for my Magic Sword: Flameblade or Sara’s holy sword. As a final resort, I’d purposely allowed the Cadaverous Dragon to consume me. Attacking it from the inside had been the key to defeating it.

“When Sara saw the Cadaverous Dragon eat you, she totally freaked out!” Sumire teased.

“Wha—?!” Sara gasped. “As if you didn’t burst out sobbing!”

“I-I didn’t cry! Oh yeah, I remember you dropping that holy sword of yours!”

“Stop remembering it! Forget about it! Oh yes, I remember you falling over from the shock and flashing me.”

“Huh?! You’re joking, right?! No way!”

“I was joking.”

“I can’t believe you would lie to me!”

“How could you have possibly believed me?”

“Okay, enough, you two,” I said as their disagreement devolved into a physical fight. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have surprised you two like that.”

We’d passed the 90th Level, and they still didn’t seem very worried or nervous about anything. Well, maybe this was for the best; it was better than them being too nervous. We took it slow and steady, going into the dungeon day after day, until we finally reached the 99th Level.

And that was how we earned the right to challenge the Deus Discipline on the 100th Level—our first time having a proper and official Deus Discipline.

***

Today was my weekly meeting with Eri in the prison underneath the school. I’d brought apples, wine, and smoked meats—Eri’s favorites—and completed my usual task.

It was after we finished and were having a chat when Eri asked, “Eugene, you’ll be undergoing your Deus Discipline today, right?”

“Yeah. It took a while, but I finally made it up there.”

Eri giggled. “I wonder what Discipline Beast you’ll have to fight? I can’t wait to see.”

“Hopefully it’s not too powerful.”

“Oh, don’t be so silly. You already defeated the big and scary Cerberus. What could you be so afraid of?”

“I only won because I was lucky, and I’m sure Cerberus went easy on me.”

In retrospect, the Divine Beast Cerberus had been just as discombobulated as we were about the irregular summoning on the 20th Level. I knew this now because the other day, I’d watched a recording of another exploration party taking on Orthros for their Deus Discipline. Orthros’s power had been incredible. A Discipline Beast, summoned through the proper avenue for an official Deus Discipline, was unbelievably strong.

“Who’s gonna show up? Watching you fight Fenrir or Phoenix might be fun. Ooh, how about Hydra? He’s got some nasty venom, but I’m sure you can fend it off with your barriers. Medusa might be a tough fight, though! Her status as a demigoddess really amplifies the power of her petrifying gaze.”

“Do you realize that every Discipline Beast you just named is a high-class mythological creature?”

If I had to face any of the monsters Eri had just listed, I would lose. In particular, Medusa and Hydra were monsters that had fought on the losing side of the Heavenly War. They’d been cast into the depths of the underworld for their transgressions, and as a result of their imprisonment, they were far more vicious than other Divine Beasts when summoned for a Deus Discipline. In contrast, Cerberus usually spent his time snoozing away in the underworld, and many considered him pretty docile among his brethren.

“You sure sound familiar with the Divine Beasts,” I continued. “Have you met them before?”

“Of course I have!”

“You actually have, huh?” It was always shocking to hear about her experiences from her time as a High Archangel and Demon Queen. “If I remember correctly, you served Freya, the Goddess of the Trees, right?”

Eri scrunched up her face and said nothing for a long moment. “Don’t remind me of things I’d rather forget.”

She always hated talking about this era of her past. This was apparently because the entire reason she’d fallen from grace was an argument with a goddess.

“Sorry,” I said. “Honestly, though, I’m pretty jealous of how you were able to meet actual goddesses.”

“Having to interact with them isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Eri sniffed. “They’re all ridiculously selfish and spoiled.”

“Does that go for Althena, the Goddess of Justice, too?”

Althena was the primary deity of the Grenflare Empire, and the Santafield family—including my old man—had worshipped her for generations. Aside from her title as the goddess of justice, she was also the goddess of victory. According to legend, she could bring all her opponents to their knees with a single look. All warriors aspired to reach the pinnacle she symbolized.

“Althena, the Goddess of the Sun... She’s on a whole other level from the others. Althena is a truly wonderful goddess.”

“Hmm... You’ve spoken to her?”

“Maybe once or twice, and only ever brief exchanges. She has too many worlds to oversee, and she’s so busy that she only ever glances at this world for seconds at a time. Ahh, if only I could choose which goddess I worked for.”

“So you’re saying that if you’d served Althena, you wouldn’t have become a fallen angel?” Should I mourn the fact that things hadn’t turned out that way? But it went without saying that without Eri, I would’ve never gotten the opportunity to explore up to the 100th Level.

“Oh, talking about this brings me back... I’m a little nostalgic for how busy it always was up in heaven. On the surface, I can spend as much time lazing about as I want. I bet the angels working for Ilia, the Goddess of Fate, are so busy they don’t even have time to sleep! Mm-hmm, I much prefer the surface! ☆”

“Is working for Ilia that tough?”

“Well, she is one of the three goddesses of fate in charge of this world, and all three of them have pretty heavy workloads. Oof, I feel bad for any angels assigned to them.”

“Huh...”

I couldn’t imagine what Eri was describing. The entire Southern Continent worshipped the goddess of fate, but she was the primary deity of the Cardia Halidom—Sara’s homeland. I’d figured it would be an absolute honor to serve someone like her.

“All right, I should get going,” I said. “If I clear the 100th Level, can you tell me more stories about your past?”

“Huuuh? No way! I wouldn’t mind telling you all about how amazing I was as a Demon Queen during some pillow talk, though! ☆”

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve heard enough about your Demon Queen days,” I replied with a wry smile before leaving the sealed underground prison.

***

“All right, are you two ready?” I asked Sara and Sumire. We were on the 1st Level of Babel, and today, we would be heading up to the 100th Level to take on the Deus Discipline.

“Yup! I’ve finished all my preparations, Eugene!” Sumire replied. She was holding a staff she’d recently purchased specifically to help her with her mana control.

“I can go whenever you give the order,” Sara added. Her holy sword was slung from her belt, and she was wearing the student council’s custom uniform.

I’d brought two swords with me for this trip, just in case one broke. We had told our acquaintances that we would challenge the Deus Discipline today, and they’d all had different things to say.

“You’re already challenging a Deus Discipline?!” Leona had exclaimed, shocked. “Sumire, you’re practically blitzing through the dungeon!”

“President Sara, please don’t push yourself too hard,” Teresia had said. “And please refrain from arguing with Sumire too much.”

“I know that! You’re such a worrywart,” Sara had replied.

In response, Teresia had sighed. “If only I could accompany you...” However, Teresia hadn’t reached the 99th Level yet. She also needed to finish up the minor student council tasks that Sara had given her.

“What?! You’re not taking me with you?!” Claude, my partner-in-crime, had complained. As an A-rank explorer, Claude had already cleared the 100th Level.

“I’d like to try challenging it with just the three of us first,” I’d said. “We’d be too relaxed if we knew you were watching our backs.”

“That makes sense... All right, well, I hope it goes well for you. Don’t be too reckless... Ha, I guess it’s too late for that warning.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t you remember when you charged at a Divine Beast without any backup?”

“I won’t be doing that ever again.”

Unlike last time, we were going into the dungeon fully expecting a Deus Discipline. We’d had plenty of time to purchase supplies and steel ourselves for the challenge ahead. The three of us were chatting on our way to the Dungeon Elevator when things went south. A team of explorers, all wearing the Lykeion Magic Academy uniform, surrounded us the moment they saw us.

“President Sara! The fact that you’re with Eugene means...” someone began. I recognized him as a member of the Student Council Task Force as well as one of the people who’d picked a fight with me the other day. In fact, everyone in the group was a member of the task force, and they were all geared up for battle. “We’re heading up to the 100th Level to tackle the Deus Discipline!”

“Cool. Same with us,” I replied.

“Eugene! Only an A-rank explorer deserves to serve as leader of a party President Sara’s affiliated with! If we clear the Deus Discipline and you fail, then President Sara will join us!”

“Excuse me? Who gave you the right to poach me?!” Sara snapped, cutting into our conversation.

“Whoa... Eugene and the boys in the student council fighting over Sara? I’ve read doujinshi like this before... If this were an NTR book, it would end with the boys passing Sara around...”

“Sumire? What nonsense are you muttering about?”

“Nothing, Sara!”

“Look me in the eye. My magic will sniff out your lies.”

“Eek! So scary!”

The girls’ argument was amping up, but I was more focused on a particular explorer in the student council’s party. They were wearing the standard uniform for dungeon city explorers. All the magical items they were carrying were of high quality and bore signs of heavy use. The emblems for the Blue Sea Union and Lykeion Magic Academy were emblazoned on the front of their chest, marking them as a Lykeion alumnus from the union. Despite their petite frame, the aura around them was leagues different from the other students.

They noticed my staring and said, “Oh, you are... Ah, yes. The rash boy who launched a solo attack at Cerberus the other day.”

“Yes. I’m Eugene Santafield. And you are?”

“Ah, apologies for my rudeness. My name is Michel, and I’m a graduate of Lykeion. Nowadays, I’m working as a mercenary and explorer. These boys hired me for today’s Deus Discipline, which is why I’m accompanying their party.”

Michel smiled at me, the expression so bright and innocent it reminded me of a child’s. I shook the small right hand they extended to me and felt surprising strength in the grip. Thanks to the closer proximity, I could see the S badge on his chest.

“Michel, you’re an S-rank explorer?”

“Yes, I am! My current record is the 209th Level. I’ve been struggling to beat the Boss on the 210th Level these past few years, so instead of going into Babel, I’ve been prioritizing my mercenary business on the outside.”

“The past few years?” Michel only looked about a year or two older than me.

“I’m half elf, half human! My ears are the same size and shape as a human’s, so it’s hard for others to tell my heritage. As for my age, it’s a secret! ☆”

“O-Oh, I see...”

One couldn’t judge a person by their appearance. Michel looked young, but they were a seasoned warrior. I couldn’t even tell if Michel was a man or a woman. They were a senior full of mysteries.

“Heeey, you guys! We’re going to the same floor anyway, so let’s get going. We can decide which party takes on the Deus Discipline first after we get up there,” Michel suggested to the guys from the student council.

Michel must have commanded their respect, because despite their dissatisfied grimaces, they entered the Dungeon Elevator alongside us. Twelve people made up the student council’s party, comprising six frontline fighters and five backline ones. Michel was the only one whose job I was unsure of. They had a sword, but most of the magical items they carried were for mages.

As if reading my mind, Michel looked at me and said, “I’m a Magic Swordsman, so I can fill in different positions as a fighter.”

“A Magic Swordsman? That’s really cool.”

I had aspired to become one as well. Nowadays, I did count as a Magic Swordsman, though I had to borrow other people’s mana.

“I’m pretty interested in you,” Michel said. “Your partner Sumire is an Ifrit, right? I’ve also heard that you’re a young swordsman who is able to give orders to a top Saint Candidate from the exclusionary Cardia Halidom. After this Deus Discipline, you wanna spar with me?”

“May I? I’d love to.” I had no reason to turn down an invitation from a veteran S-rank explorer who was also making a name for themself outside of the dungeon city.

“Great! It’s a date! ☆” Michel said, smiling as they patted me on the shoulder.

“Um, M-Michel? Why are you fighting alongside the student council members?” Sumire asked, joining our conversation.

“Hmm? Oh, you’re the Sumire I’ve been hearing so much about. It’s very nice to meet you,” Michel replied. “You see, I was on the student council back at Lykeion Magic Academy. I’d dropped by the school to chat with an old teacher of mine, and then the kids hired me to help them clear the 100th Level. Normally, I charge a million gold for my services, but since they’re students and my juniors, I gave them a special discount of fifty thousand!”

“That’s so cheap!” Sumire and I exclaimed in unison.

Fifty thousand gold? That’s less than ten percent of their usual asking fee! I couldn’t tell if Michel had little interest in money or if they were just someone who really cared about their juniors.

“President Sara, we’ll clear the Deus Discipline for you!” a student council member said.

“Please keep your eyes on us as we do!” another added.

“Unbelievable...” Sara sighed. “You ask me to watch over your efforts, yet you bring along an S-rank explorer for aid...”

“Connections are a form of power too!” a student council member replied.

“Claude, an A-rank explorer, offered to help us out, but Eugene rejected him,” Sara pointed out.

“We can’t be picky about our tactics!”

Sara continued her back-and-forth with the student council members. She was having a hard time getting through to them, but I watched on in silence; butting in would only have made things worse.

“Hey, Eugene, so about the order we challenge the Deus Discipline in...” Michel started.

“We’ll go second,” I said before they could finish. “Sumire, Sara, do you two have any objections to that?”

“Huh?” Sumire said. “Are you sure that’s okay, Eugene?”

“You don’t have to be considerate of them,” Sara agreed. Neither of them looked like they were too happy with my offer.

“If we go first, we won’t be able to watch Michel in action,” I pointed out.

“Oh! So you want to see my skills, huh? Sure thing! No problem! Make sure you get a nice, long gander! ☆” Michel cheerily slapped my arm a few times. Ouch! What the hell?! They’re freakishly strong!

Upon seeing our interaction, the student council members butted into our conversation.

“Michel! What are you doing, getting all chummy with Eugene?!”

“You’re supposed to be on our side!”

Michel just laughed in response. “You’re my clients, but I’m free to befriend whoever I want on the job, aren’t I? And by the way, you should really treasure the bonds you can make with your fellow students while you’re still in school. It’s pretty hard to look for people to explore with after you graduate. Sure, the Dungeon Union can introduce you to other explorers, but anyone who’s not already in a party is either weak or has some defect in their personality.”

“Well...”

“Sure, but...”

“Oh, that reminds me,” Michel continued. “I visited the school to chat with my teacher, yes, but I also wanted to look for explorers I could reserve for my party. Lykeion Magic Academy only accepts students who meet a certain standard, so the quality of their talents is guaranteed.”

At Michel’s words, the looks in everyone’s eyes sharpened.

“Wait, so they were looking for people to add to their party?!”

“An opportunity for an S-rank explorer to scout us...”

“Maybe I also have the chance to...”

“I won’t hire anyone who would cause trouble with other teams, though! ☆”

“Understood!” the members of the student council said in response to Michel’s comment, and they all stopped glaring at me.

“Thank you, Michel,” I said.

They chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. I wanted to speak more with you anyway, Eugene! ☆”

My heart skipped a beat when they looked up at me with their large eyes. Wait, what? What am I thinking?

Sara, freed from the student council members, hurried over to me and latched onto my arm. “Michel, thank you so much for your help! But don’t you think you’re standing a bit too close to Eugene?”

“Ah, so you’re the current student council president? Glad to explore Babel with you,” Michel said.

“L-Likewise! My name is Sara, and I’m delighted to have this opportunity.”

“I hear you wield a holy sword. I’d love to see you in action.”

“O-Of course! I don’t mind... But please refrain from scouting Eugene for your party! He’ll be marrying into the Cardia Halidom in the future, after all!”

“Huh?” Sumire and I tilted our heads to the side. I could agree with the first part of what Sara was saying, but the second half? When had I promised her that?

We continued our conversation up until we reached the 100th Level. Unlike the 99th Level below it, it was a spacious field with only a fighting ring in the middle. Someone had etched a complex-looking magic circle in the middle of the ring.

So that’s where the Discipline Beast will be summoned?

“All right, we’re first!”

“Let’s go!”

The more aggressive members of the Student Council Task Force rushed forward, pushing and shoving to be first. Considering we had already decided on the order in which we’d undergo the Deus Discipline, they didn’t need to worry about us claiming their spot.

“Watch yourselves, everyone!” Sara yelled, looking anxious.

The members of the Student Council Task Force didn’t share her worries, and they replied confidently:

“No need to fret over us, President Sara!”

“The Deus Discipline on the 100th Level will be a cakewalk, for sure!”

“We’ll clear it before Eugene can!”

“Sheesh...” Sara sighed.

In the next moment, the announcement rang over the floor: “The Deus Discipline on the 100th Level is underway!”

Sssszt... A black fog covered the ring. Miasma? A dense and horrible presence fell over the air. It didn’t feel like the aura of a Divine Beast from the heavens.

“This miasma... I see. The Discipline Beast this time is a Beast of Malefaction,” Michel murmured.

“A Beast of Malefaction?” I echoed. “A servant of the old gods, who launched a failed rebellion against the gods in heaven, right?”

“Yeah. When I had my Deus Discipline on the 200th Level, Babel summoned a Greater Dark Elemental. Whew, that one really got us all freaked out. If we hadn’t escaped when we did, it would have turned all of us into mindless vegetables!”

“A Greater Elemental? I thought they were all wiped out during the ancient Heavenly War. They still exist?”

“Elementals can’t go extinct. They’re everywhere around us, albeit invisible to our eyes. Commanding them as your familiar is a real herculean task, but... Hmm?”

During my conversation with Michel, the ring in the middle of the field changed. Rumble rumble rumble... Plants and trees sprouted from the empty field, and before we knew it, a forest—a dark forest overflowing with miasma—had formed around the ring.

“The leaves on those trees are pitch-black. They look so creepy,” Sumire said.

“Those are demon trees!” Michel explained. “They’re full of miasma. You can usually find them in Nadir, one of the Last Dungeons, and the Demonic Forest of the Western Continent, where a demonic sovereign’s grave is.”

“They really freak me out...” Sumire squeezed my clothes.

“Welp, I should head off. Make sure you stay here and keep your eyes on me!” Michel said, waving at us with a cheery smile as they walked toward the ring. When they turned their head, though, I noticed that their expression had hardened somewhat, as if from nerves.

As soon as Michel joined up with the cautious-looking members of the student council team, the magic circle began to glow with the colors of the rainbow. What’ll be summoned? I looked on in silence. Sumire and Sara, too, said nothing.

“WAAARRGHHH!” someone screamed. A black vine shot out of the dark forest, wrapped itself around the ankle of a student council member, and was attempting to drag them deeper into the woods.

“Hi-yah!” Michel sliced apart the vine and saved the explorer. “Be careful! Our Deus Discipline has already begun!”

“How can we be careful, Michel?! We can’t even see the enemy!”

“Attacking us while hiding itself? This Discipline Beast doesn’t play fair!”

The student council party looked around, clearly on edge, when...

“Oh? I’ve been here the whole time, though,” a melodious voice sounded out from the air. An invisible presence was hovering over the forest.

This voice... It was familiar, but before I could sort through the annals of my memory, I heard Sara gasp and Sumire groan behind me. When I looked back at them, I saw Sumire fall to her knees, clutching at her chest with her face scrunched up in pain.

“Are you two okay?!” I yelled, running over and throwing a barrier around them.

“I’m fine,” Sara panted. “The barrier of my holy sword protects me. Check on Sumire.”

“Eugene... What’s going on?” Sumire whispered.

“I’m guessing you’re affected by the miasma filling the air as well as the mana from that voice we heard.”

At some point, the sky and the ground had turned a bizarre gray. It was like the entirety of the 100th Level had been transported to some alternate universe. Or like it had turned into the sealed prison underneath the school...

There was a second scream. A black vine was dragging another student council member into the forest, but this time, Michel wasn’t the one who rescued him. That task fell to one of the victim’s fellow student council members.

“Magic Sword: Lightning!”

The blade of the sword in Michel’s hand glowed bright, and he jumped high into the air to slash at the mysterious opponent above the forest. A loud snap rang out over the 100th Level.

“Did they do it?!” a student council member yelled.

Seconds later, Michel fell to the ground with a thud, but they quickly got back to their feet, expression twisted in pain. “This isn’t good... Everyone, we have to flee.”

“Aaaahhhh!”

“Oh no! Not even an S-rank explorer can handle this!”

The student council party fell into a panic. Some ran away, while some others got into fighting stances.

“Huh? Is everyone going home already?” There was a gust of black wind, and she appeared before us without a sound.

The woman’s long hair was platinum silver, and her skin was pale as porcelain. She boasted otherworldly beauty and a voluptuous frame. While one could have believed her a goddess, the black wings protruding from her back made it clear she was anything but. Michel, the student council members, and Sara were all gaping at her in shock. After all, everyone on the Southern Continent were painfully familiar with the identity of this woman. Sumire was the only one who couldn’t keep up with the situation.

“Im... Impossible,” Sara murmured, the blood draining from her face.

“Eu-Eugene?! Who is that? Is that the Divine Beast for this Deus Discipline?! She looks like an ordinary woman!” Sumire exclaimed.

“She’s—” I started, but before I could finish, she turned to look at us.

“I’m Erinyes. Nice to meet you, Ifrit girl. ☆”

Sumire gasped and shuddered in response.

Yes, the woman calmly smiling at us was none other than the Demon Queen who had ruled over the Southern Continent a thousand years ago—the Fallen Queen, Erinyes.

Over a thousand years ago, the Great Devil had ruled the world, with nine demonic sovereigns governing the people of the surface. Today, we referred to that era as the Dark Ages. During the Dark Ages, people had been forced to serve the Great Devil and the nine demonic sovereigns, being viewed and treated as nothing better than livestock.

But then, in Year Zero of the Age of the Savior, the great hero Abel slew the Great Devil. The nine demonic sovereigns lost in the battle as well. Some hid themselves away, while others fled to the Dark Continent.

The Fallen Queen Erinyes, who had ruled over the Southern Continent, did not escape this fate. However, she had been so powerful that not even Abel the Savior had been able to fully kill her. According to the history books, using Babel’s mana to seal her away had been the most he could do. Because of this legend, people of the Southern Continent believed that among the demonic sovereigns, Erinyes had been especially strong.

Unfortunately, there had been no way to prove or disprove this belief...until now.

“Yeeearrrghh!”

“Aaaahhh!”

“H-Help!”

The black vines were ensnaring the members of the student council, tying them up, and lifting them into the air. Michel was their last hope.

“Lightning Magic: Thunder Serpent.” A giant snakelike dragon formed from magic wrapped itself around Michel.

Michel held aloft his magic sword, the blade crackling with electricity, as the creature born from his royal-tier spell stood at the ready. The Demon Queen Erinyes stared down at them, a confident expression on her face.

“Sumire, I’m taking some mana,” I hissed, taking hold of her hand.

Though the thick miasma and the Demon Queen’s mana were affecting Sumire so badly that she couldn’t even speak, she nodded at me. Sara, pale faced, was frozen in place and her holy sword was still in its sheath. The Demon Queen Erinyes had to be one of Sara’s most loathed enemies as a Saint Candidate and goddess worshipper, but her fear had paralyzed her.

“Sara, protect Sumire for me,” I whispered to her.

At my words, she shook off her terror enough to reply, “What do you plan on doing, Eugene? If you butt into a Deus Discipline, you’ll be punished!”

“If Michel doesn’t win, I’ll lend them a hand. We can’t just leave the student council guys to their fates, can we?!”

Other than Michel, everyone in the student council party was wrapped up in the black vines and had lost all will to fight. Many of them had even passed out. Whether this Deus Discipline ended in success or failure all depended on the outcome of Michel’s fight against Erinyes.

“Wait. I’ll go with you, then. Come to me, Curtana.” At Sara’s voice, the sword glowed, and then a replica of it fell to the ground with a quiet thud. “Sumire, hold on to the Curtana copy. There’s a barrier around it that’ll protect you from the miasma.”

“Th-Thank you...” Sumire was shaking so badly it was like she was standing unprotected in the middle of a snowstorm. I was starting to have doubts about whether I could leave her here alone when I heard the fight between Michel and Erinyes begin.

“Thunder Serpent Blade!” Michel swung his sword, sending out a massive magical shock wave that threatened to bisect the Demon Queen Erinyes.

Even from a distance, I could tell that the power behind the attack was on par with the leader of the empire’s Golden Knights... No, perhaps it rivaled even the power of the Heavenly Knights, who were the best of the best.

Boom! For a second, my vision was filled with the sand and dirt whipped up by the wind. As it cleared, I heard Sara’s gasp of “No way!” but I wasn’t surprised by the results. Not after all the time I spent around Eri.

“Hmm... I guess it stung a little,” the Demon Queen Erinyes said, her hand wrapped tightly around Michel’s neck as she held them aloft, ignoring their choking and gasping. Even after being hit with all of Michel’s power and their strongest attack, she didn’t have a single scratch on her black wings.

The battle’s clearly over. I yelled into my badge, “Explorer Eugene challenges the Deus Discipline!” and ran toward Michel and the Demon Queen. Half a second later, I heard Sara following behind me.

Babel hadn’t acknowledged us and made an announcement yet, but we didn’t have the luxury of time. If we didn’t act now, Michel and the student council members would die. Right before I got close enough to the Demon Queen to use a Niten Enmei-ryu technique, Eri looked down at me and our eyes met.

“Eri!” I yelled without thinking.

She responded with a faint smile. “Naughty boy. It’s not your turn yet. ☆”

With that, the Demon Queen spread her feathered wings and flapped them, whipping up a black tornado right in the center of the ring. The gale hid away not only the Demon Queen but Michel and the trapped student council members as well. Sara screamed, and I turned back to look at her.

“Sara! What happened?!”

“Nothing; I’m fine! When I drew closer to the tornado, I felt a glancing pain, like I was cut by something sharp. Are you all right, Eugene?”

“Yeah. Here, let me heal you and—”

“Wait! We have to rescue the others first.”

Sara and I looked up at the tornado, which was growing bigger and fiercer. Still, the announcement didn’t sound out over Babel. That’s odd... Why isn’t the Deus Discipline terminating?

“I, explorer Eugene, challenge the Deus Discipline!” I yelled at my badge again, but to no avail. “Sara, help me. We need to disperse that black tornado.”

“All right. Lend me your strength, Curtana.” Right when Sara’s sword began to emit a powerful light, someone suddenly grabbed us from behind.

“Stop, you two!”

At the voice, we relaxed our stances and spun around to see...

“Lady Isolde?”

“The Seventh Knight?!”

Standing behind us was Isolde the Flower Knight, one of the guardian knights of the dungeon city.

“Retreat, Eugene,” she said. “There’s something wrong with the Deus Discipline.”

“But there are still students and explorers trapped in—”

“Don’t worry about them!” Isolde interrupted me. “Sir Lloyd and his party are on their way to the 100th Level. Leave the Demon Queen to them!”

“The Second Knight is?!” Sara repeated, shocked.

Sir Lloyd Gawain—the Second Knight and the King’s Aegis—was also a guardian of the dungeon city. Isolde was right that Lloyd was on his way, then we could leave everything to him.

“Understood,” I said. “Sumire, are you able to stand?”

“Y-Yeah...”

Sumire was having a hard time maintaining her balance, though, so I lent her my shoulder. I couldn’t see what was happening in the ring, nor could I see past the dark tornado. Eri... Michel... Despite my reluctance to do so, I turned and left the 100th Level.

♢Round Council, Dungeon City♢

Nine knights and a king sat around a round table. Everyone, save for the monarch, had furrowed brows and deep frowns on their faces. The lords and ladies of the Round Council were:

King: Uther Mercurius Pendragon

First Knight: Claire Lancelot

Second Knight: Lloyd Gawain

Third Knight: Alistair Lionel

Fourth Knight: Abrams Galahad

Fifth Knight: Charlotte Kay

Sixth Knight: Brad Ector

Seventh Knight: Isolde Tristan

Eighth Knight: Pyron Gareth

Ninth Knight: Corrine Bors

Tenth Knight: Harrison Lamorak

Eleventh Knight: Daisy Palomides

Twelfth Knight: Jeffrey Mordred

Among them, the First Knight Claire the Second Knight Lloyd, and the Ninth Knight Corrine were absent.

“Oh, what a mess things have become...”

“To think that Sir Lloyd the Second Knight would lose to the Demon Queen Erinyes...”

“I knew it! Every Zodiac Knight in the dungeon city should’ve gone into Babel to neutralize her!”

The oldest of the Zodiac Knights, the Fourth Knight Abrams, slammed his fist on the table. “Sir Lloyd is a Record Holder who’s close to reaching the 300th Level. As the supervisor of Babel that day, he wanted to rescue the explorers as quickly as possible. We cannot blame him for being loyal to his station.”

“He should have exercised more caution—he knew he would be facing the Demon Queen!”

“I can’t believe the Demon Queen took hostages, though... Weren’t demonic sovereigns supposed to be prideful creatures?”

“According to records from a thousand years ago, the Demon Queen Erinyes was slyer and more cunning than any of her peers. It was foolish of Sir Lloyd to attempt a rescue head-on.”

“Why did the Demon Queen Erinyes show up anyway? I thought she was asleep in the sealed underground prison,” the Eighth Knight Pyron said irritably, leaning his cheek against his hand.

“The Dungeon Union’s reports may shed some light on that. They believe this may be the work of the Order of the Serpent—demon worshippers who were recently spotted going in and out of Babel. They’re likely aiming to revive the Demon Queen.”

“Seems that the union believes they used sacrificial arts. To think they would offer their own lives to summon the Demon Queen...”

“Not like those idiots actually revived her,” scoffed the youngest at the table, the Twelfth Knight Jeffrey. His language was much coarser than that of the other Zodiac Knights. “All they managed was to summon her as a Divine Beast. Pretty pathetic return for something they killed themselves for.”

“Not really! There are a lot of secret demon worshippers on the Southern Continent.”

“Agreed. And thanks to the Satellite System broadcasting the Demon Queen’s beauty all over the continent, they’ll no doubt become more active in the future...”

“Yowza, just look at that babe! Bark bark bark! Damn, if she weren’t a Demon Queen, I would’ve totally tried rizzing her up.”

“Brad, that’s so irreverent!”

“Sheesh, it was just a joke. Calm down, Charlotte.”

“Ugh... Unbelievable.”

The knights were arguing and debating among themselves to the point that the discussion had completely stalled. King Uther was watching over the proceedings with keen interest evident in his expression.

“We’ve been able to get in contact with Lady Claire, the First Knight, right?” someone asked, changing the flow of the conversation.

“Yes. She was participating in the extermination of an Infernal Demonic Beast at the Blue Sea Union’s behest, but she is rushing back to the dungeon city posthaste. Unfortunately, she will likely reach us the day after tomorrow...”

“That’s too slow.”

“Even if you took the most advanced airship, the journey between the dungeon city and the Blue Sea Union would take two days. It’s simply too far.”

“What did the empire and the Holy Alliance have to say about this?”

“The empire will send the First Division of Golden Knights, commanded by a Heavenly Knight, as reinforcements against the Demon Queen. They also dispatched their only Hero. They’ll arrive in three days.”

“I’m shocked their emperor was willing to send those guys. Aren’t they the top fighters in the empire?”

“It’s all part of his plan, I’m sure. I’ve heard rumors about how Emperor Grenflare wants to involve himself in the dungeon city’s operations.”

“So if we accept his help, we’ll give him an opening to insert himself into our politics, huh?”

“I don’t even need to ask whether the Holy Alliance will send reinforcements or not.”

“Well, yeah. They’re a group of religious nations who worship the Holy God, so all demonic sovereigns are their enemies. The elite forces of the Holy Knights and the Cardia Halidom’s Hero are already on their way, and they’re quite gung ho about turning the Demon Queen to dust. Like the reinforcements from the empire, they’ll arrive in three days.”

“We’re all united in our goal to defeat the Demon Queen. Should we wait for the Holy Alliance’s reinforcements to arrive before going into Babel together to stop the Demon Queen?”

“No... The leaders of the Holy Alliance, the Eight Saints, are power-hungry sadists. If we rely on them here, they’ll view it as a weakness to leverage to their advantage.”

“Just like the empire, they’ll be sure to interfere with how we run the dungeon city.”

“They’re already lobbying for shared ownership of the weapons and magical items found in Babel, arguing that they need it to defend themselves after the Great Devil’s revival.”

“Ugh, that sounds like a pain in the neck.”

“So handling this situation ourselves, without any outside help, is our only option.”

“We can’t do anything until the First Knight returns...”

“What the hell?! Are we completely incapable unless Lady Claire is with us?!”

“Well, no, but Lady Claire and Sir Lloyd are the twin guardians of the dungeon city. If one of them is defeated, then it falls to the rest of us to work together and—”

Suddenly, for the first time, King Uther opened his mouth to speak. “Hmm... Looks like there’s no other choice. I will go and—”

“No! Absolutely not!” The Zodiac Knights, who hadn’t been able to agree on a single thing, all yelled the words in unison.

“Oh, come now. There’s no need for all of you to turn me down like that, is there?” King Uther said, pulling a theatrically sad face.

“If anything should happen to you, then the dungeon city is done for!”

“King Uther, your presence is what’s preventing the empire and the Cardia Halidom from trying to annex this dungeon city!”

“Please contain yourself, Your Majesty!”

“I know that! It was just a thought... How unfortunate.” Though King Uther was acting like his suggestion had been a joke, all the Zodiac Knights knew that this free-spirited king would’ve gleefully thrown himself into battle against the Demon Queen if they hadn’t stopped him. “In that case, what do you all suggest we do? Claire won’t return until the day after tomorrow. Will we sit around twiddling our thumbs until then?”

At King Uther’s words, the Zodiac Knights fell silent for a moment.

“Well, we’ve asked the Dungeon Union to send a Demon Queen extermination request to the S-rank explorers...”

“Under normal circumstances, I’m sure those foolhardy thrill seekers would’ve accepted the job, but we didn’t give them much time to prepare. Our request called for them to kill the Demon Queen within a day.”

“I’m not surprised those freaks would’ve accepted the job, though. High-ranking explorers spend all their time in the Last Dungeon and only take a break when they’re injured.”

“None of them are stupid enough to face the Demon Queen without ample preparation, huh?”

“Even Michel, a fellow S-rank, didn’t stand a chance against her...”

“That’s probably because they got distracted helping the students who hired them. Michel should’ve put up a better fight.”

“Do you know any other skilled explorers?”

“I know a few A-rank explorers, but honestly, they’re still not strong enough to face off against the Demon Queen Erinyes. Some courageous A-rank students are clamoring for the chance to fight her, but the Dungeon Union deemed it far too dangerous for them and are keeping them away.”

“Charging in with nothing but bravery will only lead to more hostages...”

Even now, the Zodiac Knights couldn’t come to a conclusion. That was when the Seventh Knight Isolde addressed King Uther.

“If I may, Your Majesty?”

“Hmm? What is it, Isolde?”

“I hear that you have many acquaintances from outside of the continent. If we cannot request aid from the empire or the halidom, how about using those connections?”

At her suggestion, several of the Zodiac Knights perked up, their expressions bright with anticipation.

King Uther nodded. “Actually, the White Sage of Hyland from the Southern Continent has reached out to me.”

“The White Sage!”

“The White Sage is a descendant of a member of the legendary party that vanquished the Great Devil, right?!”

Excited murmuring broke out around the Round Council. The White Sage was the most powerful mage on the Southern Continent and was said to rival King Uther in power. Yes, if she lent a hand, they might be able to do something about the Demon Queen Erinyes.

“The White Sage is one of Hyland’s most powerful fighters. I highly doubt Hyland’s royal family and leading aristocrats will send her over at the drop of a hat,” the Eighth Knight Pyron, a logical realist, pointed out.

“Um, King Uther? Did the White Sage say what she wanted in return for her assistance?”

“No. The White Sage cares little for material wealth. Apparently, the upper brass of Hyland have several requests they want to make of us, though. She told me to call on her if the situation gets out of hand.”

“In other words, the White Sage is our last resort...”

“Yes,” King Uther sighed. “In our correspondences, she was complaining about how annoying it was to be tied down by obligations when she herself doesn’t mind helping out against the Demon Queen.”

“Hmm...”

“Is there anyone else?”

“Er... How about the Crimson Witch? She’s an alumna of Lykeion Magic Academy, right?”

“Oh! Miss Rosalie!”

“A correction, if I may. She’s not really an alumna, because she dropped out.”

“Oh, yeah. She destroyed Babel during her graduation exam, and the supervisor banned her from the Last Dungeon, right?”

“She has experience fighting against demonic sovereigns, making her absolutely perfect for this job!”

“King Uther! Are you able to get in contact with the Crimson Witch?!”

“I’ve been sending her messages via Communications Magic, but she hasn’t responded to me. I have no idea where she is.”

“No...”

“Our last hope...”

The Zodiac Knights’ faces fell. The discussion around the Round Council continued, but they never agreed on a realistic solution. Eventually, they all ran out of ideas, and the meeting came to a close.

“All right, let’s summarize what we have,” Abrams Galahad, the Fourth Knight and the oldest of the Zodiac Knights, said as he looked around the table. “Us Zodiac Knights have a rotating watch on the Demon Queen. Currently, the Ninth Knight Corrine is on the 100th Level to monitor the situation. Under no circumstances is any of us to challenge the Demon Queen alone. Our showdown against her will be the day after tomorrow, once the First Knight Claire returns. All twelve members of the Zodiac Knights will attack the Demon Queen Erinyes together and eliminate her. Does anyone have any objections?”

Everyone present shook their heads. Though they didn’t look happy with the decision, they had nothing better.

“We will continue to send out requests to the explorers,” Abrams continued. “However, only explorers S-rank or higher will be permitted to engage the Demon Queen. We will not join any explorers in their battles, nor will they be allowed to join ours, as neither group has experience coordinating with the other. Our goal is to defeat the Demon Queen before the Heroes of the empire and the halidom arrive in three days, and we will accomplish that with our own strength!”

All the Zodiac Knights nodded at Abrams’s encouraging words.

“And if we’re all killed?” the Third Knight Alistair asked playfully. He was the only one who didn’t seem to realize the danger the Demon Queen posed.

Abrams’s expression twisted for a moment before he regained his composure. “If that happens, the dungeon city will either have to accept the aid from the empire and the halidom or request assistance from another continent. That choice will be up to you, King Uther.”

“Mm. Understood. I doubt things will turn out that way, though.” In contrast to Abrams’s solemn expression, the king’s words remained relaxed.

“Yessir!” the Zodiac Knights replied, placing their fists over their chests in a salute. Right when everyone thought the meeting had adjourned...

“Ah, before we all go back to our business, may I raise one final suggestion?” the king said, raising his hand and blinking like he’d just remembered something.

For a moment, the Zodiac Knights remained silent. They all shared the same thought: The king almost never said anything good in times like this.

“What is it, King Uther?” Abrams asked, nominating himself as everyone’s representative.

“No exploration team has offered to challenge the Demon Queen tomorrow, right? Of course, I concur that there’s always a chance that some S-rank explorers will volunteer between now and then.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Don’t you think it’s a waste? The legendary Demon Queen is back, and of all the places where she could’ve hidden out, she chose the 100th Level of Babel! I’d like to recommend a group of explorers to try to defeat her.”

“Pardon me, but we’ve already asked exploration parties skilled enough to take her down. Don’t tell me you’d like to send a group of A-rank explorers up there?”

“Hmm... I don’t believe he’s an A-rank explorer. He should still be a B-rank.”

“A B-rank?! You want to send an explorer who hasn’t even cleared the 100th Level yet to fight against the Demon Queen?! That’s incredibly reckless!”

“King Uther, don’t tell me you’re thinking about him.” The Seventh Knight Isolde was the only person who had an idea as to whom King Uther had in mind.

“No need to fret. This is my personal decision, and it isn’t an order. If he doesn’t want to go, I won’t force him to,” King Uther said. He stood up and multiple magic circles appeared in the air around him. He was casting a teleportation spell. “All right. Meeting adjourned. I’ll be returning to the school, so if you have any further business with me, you can find me at Lykeion.” And with that, King Uther disappeared.

The remaining Zodiac Knights heaved a heavy sigh in his absence.

♢Eugene’s POV♢

I wonder how Michel’s doing, I thought as I swung my sword in the school’s practice grounds. I hadn’t gone back to Babel since returning to school from the 100th Level with Lady Isolde’s help; I’d received orders to remain here until further notice. Apparently, the Second Knight was on his way to the 100th Level to save Michel and the student council guys. Though I’d never had the chance to speak with him personally, I’d heard that he was the third strongest person in the dungeon city, so I was sure he could clear the 100th Level’s Deus Discipline without issue. That he had to face off against the Demon Queen was the only factor I was worried about.

What in the world is going through Eri’s head? I’d dropped by the underground prison to check on the Demon Queen’s enclosure, but it had been empty. She hadn’t returned yet. I hate sitting around doing nothing. As distracted as I was, I kept practicing. Right when I finished a thousand swings and was about to continue for a thousand more, a voice suddenly called out to me from behind.

“Keeping those skills sharp, eh, Eugene?”

I spun around and, out of habit, slashed out with my sword. Exhaustion weighed down my limbs, but I’d put my full strength behind that attack, and yet the surprise visitor caught the sword with one hand.

“Headmaster Uther?” I exclaimed.

“That’s a good swing, lad,” he replied.

“Thanks...” I grimaced. As much as I appreciated the compliment, he didn’t even need two hands to block it. “What is it?”

“Rejoice, Eugene. I’ve come with good news for you.”

I was hit with a terrible premonition. The last time the headmaster approached me with this exact expression, he’d taken me to the underground prison to meet the Demon Queen.

“I have a request for you and your party,” he continued. “Can you summon the others?”

I hesitated before asking, “What’s the request?”

“Oh, nothing too difficult. I’ll explain when all three of you are here.”

The headmaster staying mum about the mission while grinning? Suspicious... I’d planned on wandering around the school and then going back with “I couldn’t find either of them,” but to my surprise, it wasn’t difficult to locate Sumire or Sara at all. They were both in Sara’s office, watching the Satellite System to monitor the situation inside of Babel. When I met up with them, they told me that the Demon Queen Erinyes had defeated the Second Knight Lloyd.

Eri’s still on the 100th Level? Normally, a Deus Discipline only lasted two to three hours, but half a day had passed since the Last Dungeon summoned her. What was going on?

“Hey, headmaster! What do you want us to do?” Sumire asked.

“Your Majesty... This is quite a sudden summons,” Sara noted.

Both girls looked uneasy—not that I was feeling any different. We were standing at the Ninth Training Grounds, which was located behind the school. Usually, this place was reserved for the teachers, and students couldn’t access it thanks to the lock on the door.

“All right, now that you’ve all assembled...” Headmaster Uther said, looking around at us. After a pause, he slowly began. “Eugene, Sara, and Sumire, I would like you three to fight the Demon Queen.”

“I knew it.”

“Fighting the Demon Queen...”

“Huh?!”

All three of us had different reactions to the request. I already had a vague inkling as to what he wanted from us, and Sara was fixing the headmaster with a solemn expression. Meanwhile, this was a bolt from the blue for Sumire, and she was staring at Headmaster Uther with her mouth agape.

“Hmm,” Headmaster Uther said, rubbing his beard. “Eugene and Sara don’t look surprised, whereas Sumire wears her emotions on her sleeve.”

“Whaaaa?!” Sumire squawked. “Fight the Demon Queen?! No way! That’s the last thing we wanna do! Right, Eugene? Sara?!”

“I don’t believe we stand much chance against an enemy who could defeat the Second Knight,” I agreed.

“Your Majesty, am I right to interpret this as an official request for the Cardia Halidom’s aid?” Sara asked.

Headmaster Uther looked like he had anticipated our reactions. Without hesitation, he explained, “Naturally, this is not a mandatory mission. Say no if you don’t wish to accept it. Young Sara, to answer your question, this is not a request for the halidom’s aid but a suggestion to a student of the academy. The Zodiac Knights have come up with a strategy to take down the Demon Queen, and they’re making the necessary preparations. They will execute the plan two days from now, which means that the Demon Queen Erinyes’s schedule for tomorrow should be wide open. I approached you three since you lost your chance to take on the Deus Discipline the other day.”

“The Discipline Beast for this challenge is the legendary Demon Queen. Aren’t there explorers much stronger than us who would be more suitable for this task?” Sara asked. Her question was a reasonable one.

“The Dungeon Union asked explorers S-rank and higher, but they’ve been reluctant to enter the Last Dungeon. Explorers A-rank and lower have been deemed too weak to put up a good fight against the Demon Queen, unfortunately, and the Dungeon Union has been turning them away when they volunteer.”

“We’re B-rank explorers,” I pointed out, even though I was sure that Headmaster Uther was aware of this.

He laughed. “You’re acting quite humble for someone who’s aiming for the 500th Level! There’s no need to hold yourself back, Eugene. It’s not as if you have anything to fear from the Demon Queen Erinyes.”

“Well, sure, but...”

I had no personal fear of Eri, but my party—Sumire and Sara—didn’t share my immunity. When I looked back at them, I saw Sumire shaking her head and Sara lost in her thoughts. They didn’t look enthused about this at all.

“Headmaster Uther, I’m sorry, but—”

“Let me explain why you three are the most suitable explorers to defeat the Demon Queen!” Headmaster Uther interrupted me before I could finish.

“Suitable?” Sumire echoed, tilting her head to the side.

I was a new and inexperienced Magic Swordsman. Sumire had just come from another world. Sara possessed the halidom’s treasured sword, but her skills as a swordswoman were average. I doubted we were a party who could put up a fight against the Demon Queen.

The headmaster snapped his fingers, and a massive screen appeared in midair.

“This is footage from the 100th Level, right?” I said.

The screen was displaying a dark forest. After looking around for a bit, I found Eri up in the trees. She was sleeping in a handmade hammock, posture hideously sloppy, with a relaxed expression as she murmured something in her slumber. It was how Eri usually looked when she was asleep.

“She reminds me of a kitty cat,” Sumire said.

“That’s the Demon Queen of legend?” Sara murmured.

Though I was used to Eri acting this way, Sumire and Sara looked befuddled.

“Hmm?” I blinked when the Demon Queen suddenly opened her eyes.

She clicked her tongue with an irritated expression and pointed straight at “us.” In the next second, the footage disappeared with an audible blip.

“Oh, she noticed us spying on her,” Headmaster Uther said, shrugging his shoulders. “Now then, as I’m sure you remember from your classes here, the Demon Queen Erinyes was once a High Archangel who served Freya, the Goddess of the Trees, up in heaven. Because of that experience, she’s adept at using Wood Magic. That dark forest—the Ngai Forest—is a living barrier she’s cast using said Wood Magic. So long as the Ngai Forest stands, no one can lift a finger against the Demon Queen. The S-rank explorer Michel and the Second Knight, Lloyd, were defeated because she used the hostages she trapped in the Ngai Forest as human shields.”

“Um... Are the hostages all right?” Sara asked, worried.

“You don’t need to worry about them. The Dungeon Union and the Zodiac Knights have been monitoring the situation, and they reported that all the hostages are still alive.”

At Headmaster Uther’s words, Sara and I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn’t sure if I could have continued treating and thinking of Eri the same way as before if she had killed any of the students from Lykeion.

“All right, Sumire. It’s time for a pop quiz. What is Wood Magic weak to?”

“Um, Fire Ma— Oh!” At Headmaster Uther’s words, Sumire’s entire expression changed.

“That’s correct! Not only that, but you’re also an Ifrit. You’re the perfect person to go burn down that forest!”

“Wait a moment, headmaster! What about the hostages?” I protested.

I knew for a fact that Sumire could conjure some powerful flames, but when it came to control, she was little better than a novice mage. While my Barrier Magic provided complete protection against them, I was unfortunately much better at casting it over a small group rather than a large area.

“And that’s where Sara comes in,” Headmaster Uther replied. “Curtana is the Sword of Mercy; it’s far better suited as a weapon of protection than a weapon of destruction. Sara, how many copies of Curtana can you produce?”

“Twenty is my limit.”

“The last person I knew who wielded Curtana could produce and control nine hundred and ninety-nine blades of light. The Demon Queen has taken twenty-three people hostage, so I’d like you to push yourself to create the last three copies necessary.”

“A Curtana wielder who could produce and control nine hundred and ninety-nine blades of light? You speak of the sword’s first wielder! Your Majesty, you’ve met her before?!”

“Yes, though we weren’t very close. There was a period when she, too, was aiming to climb her way up Babel.”

“Wha—?!” Sara was speechless. I knew little about the Cardia Halidom’s history, but the figure they were discussing must have been quite an impressive woman.

“Now, Eugene, your role is the most important,” Headmaster Uther said. “You’ll have to keep the Demon Queen busy while Sumire and Sara are rescuing the hostages.”

“Um. Headmaster, do you know whose mana I’ve been borrowing?” I asked. Magic Sword: Flameblade used mana from Sumire, and Magic Sword: Darkblade used mana from the Demon Queen. How was I supposed to defeat the Demon Queen when her mana was what I used to power up my sword?

“You’ve gotten the wrong idea about this mission, Eugene,” Headmaster Uther said with a confident grin. “Listen. You’re not going up there as a Hero to slay the Demon Queen. You and your party are going up there to take on a Deus Discipline that Babel created for you. There’s no need to actually defeat her in combat. She simply needs to acknowledge your strength.”

“Well, yes, but...” But how?

As if to answer my unspoken question, Headmaster Uther leaned in close and whispered, “I’ve been watching you through the Satellite System. You’ve gotten accustomed to using Sumire’s Ifrit mana, but you’re still having trouble with the Demon Queen’s mana, aren’t you? I saw you pause to catch your breath after a single swing.” He was right, so I said nothing in response. “You don’t get this opportunity every day. Think of this as a rare chance to fight against a powerful Demon Queen and cut loose. Ah, and one more thing...”

“One more thing?” What else could there be?

“I’m not sure if the Zodiac Knights can pass the Deus Discipline the day after tomorrow. Not when their opponent is the Demon Queen Erinyes.”

“No way.” They were the guardians of the dungeon city. If the powerful Zodiac Knights couldn’t win against her, who could?

“The dungeon city has enjoyed centuries of peace and prosperity. The Southern Continent is far from the Dark Continent, where the demonic sovereigns roam. No matter how skilled or experienced they are, they’ll tense up in their first battle against a demonic sovereign. If anything goes wrong, I plan on entering the fray, but the sight of the dungeon city’s king being forced to use his own strength to quell this threat will only result in more political pressure from the halidom and the empire. It would benefit the dungeon city if students of the academy were the ones to pass the Deus Discipline instead.”

Headmaster Uther’s tone was casual, as if this were an ordinary chat, but I noticed something off. So I asked, “Headmaster, are you being put in a bad spot because of this?”

“Oh yes, I am.” Though he shrugged, the gesture as easygoing as always, I felt like he was acting differently than normal. Like he was pushing himself to put up his usual facade.

All right. “Understood,” I said. I owed the headmaster a great deal.

When I originally took Lykeion Magic Academy’s entrance exam, I would’ve failed it, since I only had white mana. The headmaster had been the one to intervene with the adjudicator and suggest that I be allowed to take a special exam that had been scrapped ages ago. Since my enrollment in Lykeion, he had always watched over me (although granted, this perceived favoritism was the root of my classmates’ jealous anger toward me) and listened to my problems when I needed a sympathetic ear. He scratched my back, so it only stood to reason that I would scratch his.

“I’m willing to accept your request to take on the Demon Queen Erinyes and the ongoing Deus Discipline, if Sumire and Sara are okay with it too.” I looked over at them.

“I just have to burn the trees, right?” Sumire asked, still looking unsure.

“The Demon Queen took members of the student council hostage. As their president, I will not turn down the opportunity to save them,” Sara replied with a nod, determination burning in her eyes.

“Oh, you’ll go? I knew you had it in you, Eugene!” Headmaster Uther laughed, thumping my shoulder. “All right, your Deus Discipline will take place tomorrow. I’ll train you all before you have to go in!”

“Huh?” the three of us blurted out. What the hell did he just say?

“Huuuh? A day of training isn’t gonna do anything!”

“S-Sumire! His Majesty is personally offering to train us!” Sara hissed. “This is an immense honor!”

I gotta hand it to Sumire... Even when she’s conversing with the headmaster, she holds nothing back.

“As a humble mage myself, I understand your skepticism, Sumire. So, I’ll lend you a secret magic item of mine. It’ll turn any novice mage into a master of the mystic arts!”

“Really?! I didn’t know something like that existed! Whoopee!” Sumire cheered like an innocent child.

Sara and I exchanged looks, our faces pale. A secret magic item belonging to Headmaster Uther, the king of the dungeon city? It would surely cost enough to purchase a small country.

“Oh, wait,” Sumire said. “If I break it, will I have to pay for it?”

“Ha ha ha! Use it as you wish! If it breaks, then it was simply its time to go!”

“Sara, do not ask about the price,” I hissed.

“I-I know that!” she whispered back before we nodded at each other. If the headmaster told Sumire the astronomical cost of the magic item, she would definitely hesitate to use it. I was afraid to hear it too.

“All right. If I’m going to spar against Sara and Eugene, then I’ll have to dust off my skills with a sword.”

After he finished speaking, Headmaster Uther murmured words in a language I’d never heard before. A golden magic circle appeared in the air, and a glowing magic sword emerged from it, its blade shimmering with all seven colors of the rainbow. As soon as I saw it, I sucked in a breath and took a step back without thinking. The very sight of the sword caused the hair to stand up on the back of my neck. That sword was bad news. I knew just by looking at it that my barrier didn’t stand a chance against it.

“Th-The Divine Sword, Laevateinn,” Sara whispered.

My eyes nearly boggled out of my head when I heard that. That was the sword that appeared in the old legends?

“It’s a replica,” Headmaster Uther explained casually. “I don’t have the real one.”

“But how did you get a copy of it?” I asked.

“I think I won it on the 400th Level? Somewhere around there? I can’t remember anymore.” He said it like finding a replica of the Laevateinn was an everyday occurrence. Understanding this guy was impossible. How could he forget such a momentous discovery? “Take out your weapons, Eugene and Sara. Sumire, if you want to join in, do so at any time. I’ll lend you my magic item later.”

With that, a terrifying amount of mana swirled around Headmaster Uther, causing me and Sara to shift hurriedly into fighting stances. Our training that day didn’t end until the evening.

Chapter Seven: Eugene Challenges the Demon Queen

“Eek, I’m sooo nervous!” Sumire said, pacing around the Dungeon Elevator with an anxious expression.

“Sumire, it’ll take us a while to reach the 100th Level. Why don’t you drink some of this?” Sara suggested, handing Sumire a relaxing draft.

“Thanks, Sara... Ugh, it’s so bitter! But I feel better, I think.”

“Good, I’m glad. Eugene, I’m impressed by how calm you are.”

“Well, yeah... How are you holding up?”

At my question, Sara gave me an awkward smile. “When I reported this to my homeland’s Saints, they really put the pressure on me, stressing that I absolutely have to perform well and honor the halidom.”

“Just don’t push yourself too much. I’ll deal with E—I mean, the Demon Queen, so focus on freeing the hostages.”

“Hey, Eugene? Aren’t you scared of the Demon Queen?” Sumire asked, staring up at me through her thick lashes.

I hesitated for a moment before replying, “Nah, I’m fine.”

“Whoa! That’s crazy!”

“Eugene, you must have nerves of steel. We’re going up against the legendary Demon Queen. You realize that, right?”

Sumire and Sara were shooting me identical looks of disbelief, but my reason for remaining calm despite the upcoming battle was a little different from what they were imagining. I’d have been panicking if our opponent were any other demonic sovereign.

“We will soon arrive on the 100th Level,” the cold announcement sounded throughout the carriage of the elevator.

The three of us fell silent as the doors slowly slid open. Unlike the spacious and open field before, an ominous-looking black forest greeted us. The trees were swaying despite the absence of a breeze. Standing at the front of the group, I cautiously led the girls through the Ngai Forest. The visibility was terrible thanks to the fog, which was so thick that I couldn’t make out ten paces around me. The miasma was making it hard to breathe.

“Sumire, how are you holding up?” I asked. The last time Sumire had inhaled the Demon Queen’s miasma, she couldn’t even stand up properly.

“I’m feeling a little unwell, but...I’m fine, Eugene.”

“Sumire, stay close to me,” Sara said. “Not even the magical equipment from King Uther can fully neutralize the toxins in the miasma.”

“All right... Thanks, Sara...”

For this mission, Sumire and Sara were moving as a team. The Demon Queen had spread her living barrier, the Ngai Forest, all throughout the 100th Level. Sumire would burn it down while Sara rescued the hostages. My responsibility was to fight the Demon Queen and buy the other two enough time to complete their mission. Because of this, I would be the only one to proceed deeper into the woods.

“Okay, I’ll go on ahead and declare my Deus Discipline challenge to the Last Dungeon. Move out as soon as you hear the announcement. I’m counting on you.” But before I could set off, the two girls grabbed me by my arms. “Sara? Sumire?”

“Hey, Eugene?” Sumire said with a solemn expression before I could ask what the matter was.

“Yeah?”

“After we clear the Deus Discipline, I have something I’d like to tell you.” Sumire was blushing, and there was a thin film of tears over her eyes. Whatever she wanted to say was serious.

“Something you’d like to tell me? I don’t mind hearing it now.”

“No, it has to be after we clear the 100th Level. Getting past the 100th Level is a goal that’s shared by all explorers, right? So I’ll tell you after we accomplish it.”

“Uh... Okay.” I was curious about what Sumire wanted to share with me, but I wouldn’t press her about it here. I had to remember to ask her about it after we beat this floor.

“Eugene.” This time, it was Sara who tightened her grip on my hand. She pressed herself closer to me, and my heart skipped a beat when her silky hair brushed against my skin. Leaning in so close that I could feel her breath, she whispered, “I, too, have something I’d like to tell you—something I should have told you long ago, before that little minx appeared...”

“Excuse me? Sara?”

“Kindly butt out of this, Sumire. I was nice enough to wait until you finished, wasn’t I?”

“Minx, you said? Gosh, I wonder who you’re talking about!”

“My, my... You need me to spell it out for you? I’ve never met a minx with so little self-awareness or self-consciousness before.”

“Ooh, you need to get your mouth washed out with soap! For a student council president with such a clean and pristine image, you’re always soooo mean to me!”

“This is my actual personality. One doesn’t become a Saint Candidate without a facade or two. Sumire, it’s about time you learned to show me proper respect, don’t you think?”

The two girls were pulling at each other’s cheeks.

“Uh, hey, you two... Remember to play nice, okay?” I said. They were the key to the mission’s success. I thought they had been getting along, but small fights and arguments still broke out between them.

“Leave it to me, Eugene!” Sumire said. “I’ll cooperate with Sara when the time comes!”

“Yes, Eugene, you needn’t worry about a thing. I’ll take care of her.”

“Let’s go, Sara!”

“You stay behind me!”

“Oh, come on. Let’s hold hands!”

“I don’t want to hold your hand! If I don’t put up a barrier, you’ll burn me!”

The two girls continued their loud argument as they disappeared down a different path than the one I was about to take. We had already discovered where Eri was keeping the hostages, so they were surely heading in that direction.

I looked up at the sky. Though it was hard to see through the canopy of trees, I could make out a round magic item floating in the air. It was the Dungeon’s Eye. This eye broadcast everything it saw in the Last Dungeon to the Satellite Systems across the continent.

Are dad and Airi watching? Even if they weren’t tuned in at the moment, they would eventually find out and watch the footage. I would be going up against the Demon Queen, after all. I can’t put up a pathetic display.

My trek through the dark forest continued. Though I’d expected the forest to impede me, nothing happened. Finally, I reached a small spring in the center of the woods. White flowers bloomed around the water, creating an ethereal scene. Nestled among the flowers was a beautiful woman. Her usual black wings were absent from her back; I never knew they were retractable. I could hear her quiet breathing, the rhythm slow in sleep.

Does she know I’m here? No matter. Ambushes weren’t allowed in a Deus Discipline. The challenger had to show off their strength in proper and fair combat.

“I, Eugene Santafield, challenge the Deus Discipline,” I murmured into my explorer badge.

In response, the announcement rang out over the 100th Level. “Explorer Eugene’s Deus Discipline challenge has been processed. Um, seriously, you gotta do something about this. Please.”

Huh? Something was off about the end of that announcement. But I didn’t have time to worry about it. The air changed.

“Finally, a challenger!” the Demon Queen said, yawning as she woke up. She blinked when she looked up at me, but then her lips stretched in a wide smirk, like she had just come up with a mischievous prank. “Dungeon Eyes, leave us.”

“Huh?” I said foolishly.

The eyes of the Satellite System—the Last Dungeon’s eyes, which should have been impervious to anyone’s influence—drifted far away from us. A cold sweat broke out on my brow. Oblivious to my tension, Eri gave me a bright smile.

“Yoohoo, Eugene! You’ve come to see me, haven’t you?” she said, waving her hand enthusiastically.

She was acting so much like her usual self that I almost relaxed, but the amount of mana and miasma flowing from the Demon Queen was incomparably different. At this instant, her petite frame seemed several times larger than a dragon.

“Hey, Eri, don’t you think it’s about time you returned to the school’s underground prison?” I asked as I rested my hand on my sword’s hilt. I’d already gotten the Ifrit mana from Sumire. This time, though, I had one more trick up my sleeve.

“Hmm. You know, this is my first taste of freedom in a long time. I’d like to savor it some more! Oh, and I see your girlfriends aren’t with you, huh?”

“They’re so scared of you that they didn’t want to come.”

“Liar.”

Eri saw straight through my fib. I’d never expected to trick her anyway. This black forest was Eri’s barrier. So long as we remained in it, she could sense every move we made.

“The Ifrit girl... Whoa, what’s she wearing? I bet it’s right up that geezer headmaster’s alley. The Saint Candidate girl... Huh, she’s got a holy sword with her, but she’s nowhere close to unlocking its full potential. I doubt she can even hear its voice. Hmm...” She was talking about them like she could actually see them. In fact, she probably was peeking at them right now using her barrier.

“Eri, I’m the one who’s challenging the Deus Discipline,” I said, unsheathing my sword and activating the magic within. The blade burned red and sizzled.

“I don’t remember raising you to be so impatient, Eugene,” Eri said. At that moment, her black wings burst from her back, and a dark wind blew through the forest and shook the trees.

What an insane miasma! The air in the school’s underground prison couldn’t hold a candle to this. If someone with no mana resistance were here, they would lose consciousness in a heartbeat. Sumire, Sara... I was only distracted for a split second, but it was enough for the Demon Queen to close the distance between us.

“You’re unfocused.”

Teleport?! My body was already moving before my mind could catch up. As the Demon Queen reached for my neck, I twisted away, barely dodging her hand. Pew pew pew pew! Hundreds of branches rained down upon me from the trees, their tips so sharp they were closer to javelins. I deflected them all using my Barrier Magic and Magic Sword: Flameblade.

“Oh dear. You’re quite good. How do you like this, then? Dark Magic: Shadowbeast.”

A score of shadowy beasts leaped at me. There were too many of them.

“Niten Enmei-ryu: Air Sickle!” The extra blades from Air Sickle lopped off the heads of the shadow beasts.

As if this were all part of her plan, Eri sang, “Dark Magic: Sable Flurry.”

I didn’t even have time to catch my breath before her next barrage. A magical slash resembling the claws of a massive beast was bearing down on me. I grunted in pain as it struck my barrier, the force behind the blow so powerful that I could hear my body creaking.

“Niten Enmei-ryu: Lionsbane!” I stabbed out with my magic sword and cut my way out of the wind. As I beat my escape from the Demon Queen’s magic, she clapped her hands.

“That’s the spirit, Eugene. This is the bare minimum I expect from you.”

The Demon Queen looked happy with my performance, but I was growing more and more frustrated. I couldn’t even get close to Eri, let alone land a blow on her. Is it about time? I thought back to the conversation I’d had during my training with the headmaster yesterday.

***

“Wear this, Sumire.” Headmaster Uther said, handing Sumire a red robe.

“Is this the magic item that’ll make me better at magic?”

The robe looked a little retro, and I couldn’t sense anything special about its mana either. For being the headmaster’s secret weapon, it was a little plain. Sara, whose knowledge of magic exceeded mine, looked like she shared my opinion.

However, the moment Sumire shrugged on the robe, my skin broke out in goose bumps. I smelled something burning, and sparks were dancing through the air. What was happening?

“Wh-What’s...” Sumire herself was confused.

“Looks like it worked, Sumire. That magic item is the Salamander Robe. It attracts a large number of Fire Elementals to the wearer. An ordinary person would be covered in serious burns within five minutes in that.”

“What the hey?! Headmaster, what are you making me wear?!”

“No worries, Sumire. You’re an Ifrit—a higher being than those Fire Elementals. You don’t need to worry about getting burned. Barrier Magic causes the Fire Elementals to run away, so I can’t equip that. The Salamander Robe only works if someone is wearing it properly, but I gave up on ever finding that elusive someone...”

“Until Sumire came to this world, right?” I said.

“That’s right! What a stroke of luck!” The headmaster laughed heartily.

“Your Majesty, I mean no offense, but Spirit Magic is much more difficult to control than normal magic. Only elves and dwarves, with their superior lifespans, have ever been able to master it. I believe this may be too high a hurdle for Sumire...”

“Huh? Wait, really, Sara?!”

“I’ve heard of that too,” I agreed. The school had taught us that.

The headmaster grinned. “You’re right. Of all the types of magic in this world, Spirit Magic’s unparalleled difficulty makes it an unpopular choice among mages. But just why is it that Spirit Magic is so hard to control? It’s because the elemental spirits it relies on are capricious little creatures. It takes many long years of bonding before they’re willing to follow a mage’s orders. However, our enemy this time is the Fallen Angel Erinyes. Do you know why elemental spirits and angels are enemies, Sumire?”

“Um... I have a vague recollection...”

I offered her some help. “It’s because the god of the elemental spirits and the god of the angels went to war against each other.”

“Oh! The Heavenly War! I remember now!” Sumire exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

“This is why Spirit Magic will be exceptionally effective against the Demon Queen Erinyes. And let me give you a trick to master Spirit Magic. You don’t need to give them precise instructions. If you simply tell them that you’d like to defeat Erinyes, the previous High Archangel, or that you’d like them to lend you strength, they’ll gladly do so. Under normal circumstances, a Spirit Mage would need to learn the elemental spirits’ language, but the Salamander Robe will translate your instructions for you.”

“I see... But she can’t wear this all the time, can she? Sumire would be a walking fire hazard,” I said, staring at the sparks floating through the air around us.

“In that case, she can carry it around rather than wear it, or she can use a barrier to dissuade the Fire Elementals from gathering around her. Fortunately, two members of her party know how to cast barriers.”

“So she has to stay near me or Sara or risk a fire, right? Like, on this mission, Sumire would have to work as a team with Sara.”

“Can you?” Headmaster Uther asked.

“O-Of course! I’ll do my best!” Sumire nodded, her expression tense. And that was how, in just a day, Sumire became a (temporary) Spirit Mage.

***

“All right. What’s... Hmm?” The Demon Queen noticed something wrong.

Fiery sparks were dancing through her dark forest. Sumire had gotten through to the Fire Elementals. The trees were groaning and swaying in agony.

“Fire Elementals, huh? That’s a little annoying.” Though only infinitesimally, Eri sounded less confident than before. “Eugene, don’t tell me you think this is enough to give you an advantage?” She raised her hand, and from out of nowhere, a black spear dropped into her palm. “This is one beaten-up Yggdrasil’s Spear, but I guess it’s better than nothing.” I gasped when she held the spear aloft; the aura emanating from her was so dangerous that I felt like she was pressing the blade right against my throat. “There’s still plenty of time. Let’s enjoy this dance of death, Eugene.”

Eri licked her red lips. I felt a bead of sweat drip down my neck. The legendary Demon Queen who had once ruled over the Southern Continent was going to be my opponent, and she didn’t plan on holding back.

The Demon Queen Erinyes held her spear in a combat stance, her movements slow and leisurely. I tightened my grip on my burning sword. I couldn’t see any openings I could take advantage of. Eri had been a master of all weapons since she was born as an angel, as she had to fulfill her duties as a servant of God. The Demon Queen and I stared into each other’s eyes for a minute.

“You’re not going to attack me first, Eugene? That doesn’t seem like you,” the Demon Queen said with a curious expression as she tilted her head to the side.

“No, I will...” I was thinking about when Eri had told me how much she wanted to leave her cage and spread her wings after over a thousand years in captivity. “Niten Enmei—”

But before I could unleash my technique, I heard a popping noise, and then a searing pain erupted from my cheek and ear. Her attack had pierced through the layered barriers around me.

“You’re too slow! ☆ Gosh, Eugene, are you trying to bore me to death?”

The agony was all-consuming. I couldn’t even form words. I couldn’t hear anything from my left ear, and I didn’t have the presence of mind to care about the warm blood dripping down my face. The Demon Queen was right before my eyes, bringing down her black spear. I managed to throw myself to the side, dodging the blade before it could pierce through my heart.

“Dark Magic: Sable Rain.”

At Eri’s command, black knives rained down. From the corner of my eye, I could see the Demon Queen charging toward me at what seemed like the speed of light, her spear held in front of herself like a jousting lance.

I can’t dodge this. It’s over.

Death—the word dominated my thoughts. But at that moment, the headmaster’s words echoed in my mind.

***

“Eugene, you’re a descendant of a line of Sword Saints from the Eastern Continent, right?” Headmaster Uther asked me when we were taking a break during training.

Though I could hardly catch my breath after the headmaster’s spartan training, I replied, “Until my grandfather’s generation, the Santafield family called itself a line of Sword Saints, but my father didn’t inherit the title. My first memories begin after we left the Eastern Continent too.”

“Wait, really, Eugene?! This is the first time I’m hearing about this! Why didn’t you tell me?!” Sara exclaimed.

“Eugene, what’s a Sword Saint?” Sumire asked.

“Sumire, pay more attention in your history classes,” Sara immediately replied.

“I’ve only just arrived in this world, you know!”

“The Sword Saint is the hero who brought a temporary peace to the Eastern Continent around five hundred years ago,” I explained before they could start fighting. “The calm was only on the surface, though. As soon as the hero passed away, war engulfed the Eastern Continent again.”

“Wow! So you’re the heir to that family?”

“Who knows? Supposedly, the ‘saint’ title being part of my surname is proof that we’re descendants of the Sword Saint, but tons of families from the Eastern Continent have similar stories behind their names. To tell the truth, I’m pretty skeptical about the whole thing.”

“I didn’t know about that,” Sara said. “I’m not too familiar with the Eastern Continent.”

“Hmm. There might be some weight behind your family’s story. Your Niten Enmei-ryu resembles the techniques I saw the first Sword Saint use. Granted, he wielded two swords, so that’s a major difference between you two.”

Huh? Headmaster Uther’s talking like he’s actually met the first Sword Saint. But that can’t be true. No way. The first Sword Saint lived five hundred years ago!

“Why are you bringing this up out of nowhere?” I asked.

The headmaster stroked his beard and looked up, furrowing his brow as if trying to remember something. “I don’t believe the first Sword Saint used any traditional or fixed stances in his swordplay. His fighting style differed every battle. He said, ‘Swordplay has no rules. You simply need to change how you wield your weapon to best kill your opponent.’ He killed demonic sovereigns and Infernal Demonic Beasts with that philosophy, all without blinking an eye.”

“He didn’t use any stances?”

“Eugene, you’ll be fighting against the Demon Queen Erinyes, the demonic sovereign who ruled over the Southern Continent a thousand years ago. She’s a monster whom even Abel, who once saved the entire world, couldn’t defeat and instead had to seal away. Don’t think you can defeat her with techniques you’ve already mastered. Observe her, find her weakness, and update thyself. Victory lies beyond the unexplored path.”

For this mission, Headmaster Uther had given Sumire a magic item, and he had taught Sara how to use Curtana more effectively. But his advice to me was pretty basic.

“The Explorer’s Tenets?” I asked.

The school drilled all nine of the Explorer’s Tenets into us. They were:

Remain calm at all times.

Always prepare an exit path.

Observe first.

Find the enemy’s weakness.

Fear the enemy.

Know thyself.

Opportunities are invisible.

Update thyself.

Cut open the path to victory.

We were to keep all nine principles in mind as we explored the Last Dungeon, and the tenets were written down on the first page of our student handbooks.

“That’s about all I can say to you,” Headmaster Uther said. “I’m sure you can handle yourself. Now, what do you say about one more match?”

“Yes, please.”

At the time, I didn’t really understand what Headmaster Uther had been trying to say to me. Before I could digest the words, I found myself lying on the ground, my entire body aching from Laevateinn’s strikes.

***

Countless black knives rained down from above as the Demon Queen charged toward me, her spear aimed straight for my heart. Danger surrounded me on all sides, and I had no hope of escape. My barriers stood no chance of protecting me from the Demon Queen’s attack.

Checkmate. I lost. But the moment the words flashed through my mind, I heard another voice from within me. I call upon my contract with the Demon Queen Erinyes. Lend me your strength. In the next moment, a pitch-black shroud of miasma surrounded me. Normally, I would have used my Barrier Magic to protect myself as I brought it under control, but this time, I purposely let it flow into my body and take over.

“Eugene?” the Demon Queen said, her bewilderment obvious in her voice.

The black knives stabbed into me over and over, but I didn’t care about them. Instead, I focused my attention on the Demon Queen’s spear before me. God’s angels were born with the combat skills and knowledge necessary to serve Him. But that was their limit. Angels were immortal but unchanging. They reached their pinnacle at birth, and they could never grow past their limits. Eri had been the one to tell me this when complaining about her previous life.

The Demon Queen handled a spear with consummate mastery, and her physical body was as tough and powerful as that of a Divine Beast. But she was wielding the power she received as a servant of God in a one-note pattern. Ignoring the blood spilling from my body, I used Skystep right before her attack reached me and lunged forward, aiming for her neck.

The Demon Queen froze, expression slack in surprise, before she hurriedly backed away. Whew. Finally, some time to recuperate. “Healing Magic: Grand Recovery.”

The black blades fell from my body as my injuries closed. I looked over at the Demon Queen and smiled. Even with my vision blurry from the heavy blood loss, I could see the fresh ichor dripping from her neck. The crimson looked like a single blooming rose against her porcelain skin and dark wings.

“It took a while, but I landed a blow,” I said.

“Are you stupid, Eugene? Your recklessness will kill you,” Eri sighed as my wounds finally closed. I’d wagered my life on that attack, and it had only left a single scratch on her. “The way you look right now, it’s like you’re making my mana your own.”

“Making your mana my own? The way I look?”

“You didn’t notice the change in your own body? Here.”

Eri snapped her fingers, and a giant mirror appeared before me. My reflection was more or less what I’d expected, but my skin was darker.

“Wha...” When I reflexively looked down at my arm, it didn’t look like my own.

“Eugene, you only have white mana, so you’re easily dyed by other colors,” Eri explained. “White mana’s unique for how easy it is to transmute and influence. You look pretty good, albeit kind of like a player.”

“Pl-Player?” Sometimes, I didn’t understand Eri’s vernacular.

“Gosh, Eugene, your fighting style is so rash. Anyway, we—”

But before Eri could finish speaking, someone came barreling out from the forest and yelled, “Eugene! Are you still alive?!”

“Sumire?! This wasn’t the plan! What are you doing here?!”

“We freed all the hostages and set fire to the forest! Everything’s okay now, so Sara told me to come rescue you! You need me to top off your mana, don’t you?!” As Sumire spoke, I hurried over to her so we could maintain our distance from Eri. When I approached her, her eyes widened. “Huuuh?! Eugene, when did you decide on a new look?! You look like a player! Not that that’s bad or anything. You look like you should work at a host club.”

“Player? What’s that supposed to mean?” Sumire was using the same odd terminology. Did the word come from her world?

“Before I explain, let me give you some mana! ☆”

Sumire reached up to wrap her arms around me, but before she could, Eri said, “Aw, man. Someone just had to come ruin the fun.”

Though I was long familiar with Eri’s voice, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. She sounded murderously angry. Something dashed across my vision and...

“Huh?”

Without a sound to alert us to the danger, a dark blade stabbed through Sumire’s chest, and she slowly sank to her knees before collapsing onto the ground.

“Sumire!” I hurriedly ripped the blade out of her and cast Healing Magic over her, but the wound wasn’t closing.

“Eu...gene...” Sumire called out to me, her voice hoarse and faint as she struggled to breathe.

“Oof, she didn’t die from that? Ifrits are technically fire deities, and since I used to be an angel, my attacks aren’t that effective against the divine. Too bad!”

“Eri, you—”

“What’s the matter? I’m the Demon Queen, remember? Did you think I would go easy on you? You can just bring her back with an Ambrosia Tear anyway.”

I didn’t answer her, too busy wallowing in my regret. I should have been firmer with the girls to make sure they didn’t come here. Though I thought Eri would continue her assault, she remained still, so I kept casting Healing Magic over Sumire, but it was slow progress.

“The blade I used on her was poisoned,” Eri explained. “It’ll be a while before she’s back in action. Guess she can’t bestow her mana on you!”

“Shit!” I picked up Sumire and made to escape, but Eri beat me to the punch.

“Ah ah ah! ☆ If you try to run away, I’ll kill you both. The Deus Discipline hasn’t ended yet.” She was serious; her murderous intent was genuine. I couldn’t abandon this battle.

“Sumire. Wait for me,” I said as I slowly lowered her to the ground again. Then, right as I was about to get up to begin my final confrontation with the Demon Queen...

“Wait... Eu...gene... Wai...” Sumire grabbed my arm.

“Sumire! Don’t move!”

Ignoring my warning, Sumire murmured, “Hey... Fire Elementals... Can you...lend...Eugene some...of your power?”

Before she could even finish making her request, I had a loud thumping, and my vision was flooded with red. When I looked around, I saw that a massive whirlwind of flames had surrounded the two of us. The red mana was pouring into me, and I could feel it overwriting Eri’s black mana. Then...

“Update thyself. Victory lies beyond the unexplored path.”

“White mana’s unique for how easy it is to transmute and influence.”

Past conversations replayed in my memory. The mana from Sumire and the Fire Elementals was incredible. With it, I was sure that I could fight the Demon Queen, but was that all I needed to do? If I wanted to find the unexplored path and veer away from established stances...

“Magic Sword: Flaming Darkblade.” Bright red fire enshrouded the black blade, and I felt the black and red mana inside me swirling like a tempest. Though my Barrier Magic was keeping them in check, it wouldn’t last long. Power like nothing I’d ever felt before was flowing through my body.

“Dark Magic: Sable Rain.” Eri cast her spell, once again sending countless black knives to rain down upon me.

I swung my sword skyward. With a deafening boom, the black knives exploded like fireworks. The range of my magic sword had expanded exponentially.

Eri sighed. “Ugh, what a pain. I can’t believe I have to fight against the Elementals too.” She scratched the back of her head before continuing, “All right. Let’s finish this, Eugene.”

“Yeah...” I slowly held my sword aloft.

“I’m...rooting for...you...Eugene...” Sumire rasped.

I glanced at her and nodded. My body burned from the enormous volume of red mana flowing into me, but I ignored it and lowered my stance, preparing to put everything I had into a single, devastating attack.

“My name is Eugene Santafield,” I announced, “and I will destroy you.”

“My name is Erinyes Cherub Freya,” Eri replied. “But I abandoned the name I went by in heaven, so these days, I go by Demon Queen Erinyes. Come at me, Eugene.”

The trees of the black forest waved in the wind, and the crimson flames roared as they burned. I ignored them all, focusing only on the Demon Queen Erinyes as she stared down at me. With an audible noise, a crack appeared in the consecrated silver blade of my sword. It couldn’t withstand the combined mana of the Demon Queen and an Ifrit.

Once again, I have to gamble everything on a single attack. It was the exact same condition that had been imposed upon me during my fight against the Divine Beast Cerberus. Every battle I fought was fated to be all-or-nothing, it seemed.

“Reverse Magic: Dark Angel,” the Demon Queen said before she recited an incantation that sounded like a beautiful song.

The shadows of small, childlike angels danced into existence, cackling as they surrounded me and Sumire. Their bodies and wings were pitch-black, in eerie contrast to their bright white teeth. An angel approached me, giggling all the while. Right before it entered the range of my sword, a pillar of fire engulfed the angel with a whoosh. It screeched as the flames reduced it to a pile of ashes. For a moment, I saw a humanoid shadow inside the fire. What was that?

“Oh dear. Salamander, eh? You’ve summoned a troublesome elemental to fight for you,” the Demon Queen said, as if answering my unspoken question.

“Salamander?”

“Hee hee. Looks like it was protecting Sumire. All right, Eugene, come at me. You don’t need to worry about holding back.”

The Demon Queen spread her arms wide in invitation, but the tiny black angels were still hovering around her like a wall. The living barrier served as a sapient weapon as well. If I approached without a plan, they would surround and eviscerate me within seconds. Sizzle...sizzle... The magic sword in my hand was vibrating, like it was encouraging me to move.

“Aren’t you going to destroy me?” the Demon Queen asked with a challenging smile.

I took a deep breath and bent my knees. It should be almost time to strike... Though there were some unexpected complications, the three of us had discussed when I would launch my full-scale attack. I had to gauge how powerful the Demon Queen was while Sumire and Sara rescued the hostages. After that, I had to receive fresh mana from Sumire. And then...

“Raining Sabers!” Sara’s voice sounded out as over a hundred blades of light showered down upon us.

As magical weapons created by Curtana, they passed through Sumire and me without damaging us. Sarah had required considerably more casting time than usual to conjure this many blades, and she wasn’t skilled enough to conjure them for more than a few seconds, which was why she could only use this as a surprise attack.

The black angels screamed as the blades of light vanquished them, and even the Demon Queen seemed somewhat surprised. This was my only chance. I sprinted forward, cutting through the rain of light, and closed the distance between myself and the Demon Queen. As I came into striking range, black miasma and crimson mana coated the blade of my magic sword.

Niten Enmei-ryu Arcanum... I was about to use my most powerful attack—the same one that had beheaded Cerberus—but a terrible premonition hit me. This isn’t going to work against the Demon Queen. I couldn’t explain why. It was sheer instinct, but I never doubted my swordsman’s sixth sense.

I used the Arcanum stance as a feint and changed my attack to a normal stab. I had to move forward, thrust faster, and make sure my sword struck home. However... She’s watching me! The Demon Queen’s eyes were tracking the movement of my sword, but it was already too late for me to change course.

Barrier Magic: Tempest Armor. I doubted this could provide adequate protection against the Demon Queen’s attacks, but it was better than nothing. I launched myself at the Demon Queen in a suicide attack, prepared to take her out with me. But though I braced myself, I never felt her javelin pierce through me. I only felt the impact of my sword embedding itself into something soft.

“Huh?”

My magic sword had thrust clean through Eri’s body. She groaned and collapsed onto the floor.

How... How is this possible? I was sure she would dodge it...

Bliiing... With a sharp noise, the blade of my magic sword shattered. I slowly approached the Demon Queen, lying prone on the ground. I was worried I’d killed her, but I could still hear her breathing.

“Eri...”

“You...got me...” Eri panted, voice thick with pain.

“You could’ve blocked my attack.”

“Yes... Probably...” she admitted without argument.

“So why didn’t you?” Had she gone easy on me? Let me pass the Deus Discipline out of affection or something? If that was the case, then I couldn’t find any joy in this victory.

“Hmm...” The Demon Queen seemed to think about it, still wincing from the bleeding injury in her chest.

“Sorry. You don’t have to talk if it hurts too—”

“There’s a limit to how much power I can use in a Deus Discipline on the 100th Level,” she said, interrupting me before I could finish.

“What?”

“I have a habit of looking into the future and stopping time while fighting, you see. It’s something I picked up when I was an angel and had to fight the heretic gods’ forces. But I can’t use that tactic against explorers on a floor as low as the 100th Level.” She was describing her incredible feats in such a casual tone.

“How can anyone win against that?” I muttered. It sounded like a nightmare to deal with.

“You’d be surprised. Many of the enemies in the upper levels of Babel can perform feats like that, so you’ll have to learn how to deal with them.”

“No way...” The upper levels of Babel are teeming with such unfathomable monsters? I was pulled from my thoughts when the Demon Queen coughed up a torrent of blood. “A-Are you okay?” I didn’t think it was right for me to be asking that when I was the one who had done this to her.

“That’s real rich of you, Eugene,” Eri panted. “You were the one who did this to me.”

“W-Well, yeah, but... You’re not going to die, are you?” I asked, worried.

“If a scratch like this could do me in, I’d have no right to call myself the Demon Queen... But I’ve lost a lot of mana. I’ll have to catch up on my beauty sleep...”

“R-Right!” I breathed a sigh of relief. Yeah, what was I thinking? Someone like me couldn’t possibly kill the legendary Demon Queen.

“See you later, Eugene. Congratulations on clearing the Deus Discipline.”

A cloud of black feathers billowed into the air with a whoosh, blocking Eri from my sight for a few seconds. By the time they cleared away, the Demon Queen had disappeared. She must have returned to her underground prison cell. I would have to find time to pay her a visit later, and when I did, I would give in to any demand she made of me.

Wait! I almost forgot! I hurried back to Sumire’s side only to find her snoring on the ground with a serene expression. Sara was kneeling at her side. I yelled, “Sara! How’s Sumire?”

“Congratulations, Eugene,” she said. “Sumire’s asleep. Your Healing Magic closed up her wounds, but she’s lost too much blood.”

“Whew... That’s a relief.”

“More importantly, how are you doing? You were hit by the Demon Queen’s direct attack, weren’t you?”

“Oh, uh...” I couldn’t very well say that the Demon Queen had gone easy on me. How should I explain this to Sara? As I was ruminating on that...

“Victory goes to the challenger! ☆ Congratulations!” The announcement rang out over Babel. It sounded incredibly cheery, as if the announcer could hardly contain their excitement. A golden magic circle appeared in the air, and a humanoid silhouette emerged from it. It had white wings, blonde hair that glowed like the sun, and eyes as blue as the sky. The figure continued in a voice that sounded like chimes, “Whew! You had me sweating for a moment! ☆”

Standing before us was a beautiful angel.

Chapter Eight: Eugene Has No Idea What’s Happening

Angels acted as supervisors for Babel. This one had skin as pale as porcelain and hair as golden as stars. Whenever she flapped her pure white wings, a gentle breeze brushed against my cheeks.

“Whew, that was amazing, boy! ☆ I can’t believe you beat Eri! Oh, I can’t really talk so candidly while the Dungeon’s Eye is around. Can you guys leave us alone for a sec? ☆” In contrast with her cherubic appearance, the angel spoke like we were pals.

The Dungeon’s Eye had approached us after we defeated the Demon Queen, but at the angel’s words, it floated away again. Apparently, the Dungeon’s Eyes were subservient to angels. That doesn’t mean they have to listen to Eri, though, since she’s a fallen angel.

“Y-Your Holiness!” Sara hurriedly knelt before the angel. Angels were highly revered in the Cardia Halidom. I copied Sara and knelt, while Sumire snoozed on.

The angel giggled. “No need for formalities here! You three are the stars of the day, after all. Ooh, I don’t think the otherworlder girl would want to miss this, so let’s wake her up. Hiya! ☆” The angel waved her little wand, casting sparkles over Sumire’s body.

“Ngh... Huh?” She blinked open her eyes.

“Heyo, Sumire! ☆ How you doin’? Gosh, I feel bad for you, having to bear the brunt of Eri’s temper tantrum!”

“Who are... Wait, oh my goodness! An angel! Look, Eugene! There’s an angel!”

“S-Sumire?”

“Sumire?!”

Sara and I were shocked at how easily Sumire accepted the angel’s presence.

“Nice!” the angel exclaimed. “Everyone in this world is way too courteous! I wish they’d be friendlier! Hello there, Sumire. I am Leeta, the angel supervising the 2nd to 100th Levels of Babel! Call me Li’l Lee!”

“Hi, Li’l Lee! I’m Sumire!”

“I-I’m Sara Iglesia Lodis.”

“And I’m Eugene Santafield.”

Upon hearing our self-introductions, the angel Leeta gave us a gentle smile. In a different tone from before, she said, “Congratulations on clearing the Deus Discipline. Ilia, the Goddess of Fate, was pleased with your performance.”

Golden mana surrounded the angel’s body and emitted a sacred wind. Having sensed the more serious shift in mood, Sumire kept quiet. Sara remained cowed, as she had ever since the angel had made her appearance. I was nervous as well, but I felt something off about this angel. There was something oddly familiar about her mana...

“The great Althena, who ordered the construction of Babel, once said that if those on the surface are courageous and hardworking enough to pass the trials the dungeon imposes upon them, they shall receive rewards befitting their efforts.”

With each word the angel spoke, a change came over the 100th Level. The black forest withered away. Golden trees and flowers replaced it, sprouting from the ground at unbelievable speeds. Instead of fruits, the branches of the trees were laden with jewels of all colors.

“A-Amazing!” Sumire whispered, and I heard Sara gasp in reverence.

I, however, was speechless. Though I’d seen this through the Satellite System before, it was much more impressive in person. Before long, we were standing in a phantasmagoric space that shimmered with gold everywhere we looked.

“You may take as much as you like—gold, jewels, magical ore... With these treasures, you will never have to worry about money again,” Leeta the angel said in her gentle tone.

This was the reward bestowed upon explorers who cleared the Deus Discipline on the 100th Level, as well as one of the reasons explorers all around the Southern Continent were aiming for the upper levels of Babel. It was also why people called this the second trial...

“Eugene, we can have all this?!” Sumire exclaimed, grabbing onto my sleeve.

“Yeah, pretty much,” I replied shortly.

“Calm down, Sumire.”

“Calm down?! Sara, she said we can have all of this!”

Sara and I knew what was coming, which was why we couldn’t rejoice as unreservedly as Sumire.

“However,” Leeta continued, her expression turning mean, “you will not be able to use Ambrosia Tears from the 101st Level. The monsters you’ll face on the upper levels will be more cunning and aggressive than the ones you’ve defeated. More trials and tribulations await you above, which is why we’ve prepared a Gift of Grace for those who clear the Deus Discipline on the 100th Level.”

A small stone platform appeared where she pointed. Three swords were stuck inside it.

“Eugene, what’s that?” Sumire asked.

“That’s—”

Leeta interrupted me with a knowing chuckle. “Sumire, those are weapons or armor that’ll help explorers as they aim for the floors above the 101st Level!” she explained, her tone changing back to the friendly one before. This was probably her natural personality. “Just so you know, a Gift of Grace is equipment that is personalized for you, so even if you try to sell it, you won’t receive much gold in return. It’s about as useful as garbage in other people’s hands!”

“Um, so you’re saying we can receive both the gold and the gear?”

The angel’s eyes sparkled. She must have been waiting for this question. “Now, let me ask you this: Which do you choose? Enough wealth to set you up for life, or weapons to help you on your journey to greater heights?”

“Huh?” Sumire blinked.

“And that’s the catch, Sumire,” I sighed.

“You have to choose one or the other,” Sara added.

“Huuuh?!”

It was a mean-spirited trial. These days, explorers who have reached the 100th Level of Babel were so well respected that any country on the Southern Continent would jump to recruit them as high-ranking officials in their government or military. Not only could they easily secure good jobs with good pay, but they would also receive unfathomable wealth. This was where the majority of explorers hung up their swords for good. But...

“Please give me a weapon, Your Holiness,” I said without hesitation.

My goal was the 500th Level. To reach it, I didn’t need gold but rather a weapon I could use. Finally, I wouldn’t have to worry about my swords breaking every time I enchanted them—at least, I hoped so, anyway.

“Please give me armor, Your Holiness,” Sara said. She must have chosen armor because she already had Curtana.

“Sara, are you sure? I thought you were going to stop dungeon exploring after you reached the 100th Level,” I said.

Sara had once told me that the Cardia Halidom had given her two missions. The first was to excel at Lykeion Magic Academy and leave behind a legacy that would make her country proud. She had already accomplished this by becoming the student council president. The second one was to clear the 100th Level of Babel and become an A-rank explorer. Those were the two conditions she needed to meet to become a Saint.

Exploring the floors above the 101st Level was nothing more than extra busywork for Sara. In fact, if she wanted to become one of the Eight Saints—the top authority of the Cardia Halidom—after graduation, she would need as many resources as she could get. That was why I’d figured she would ask for the gold.

“Explorers who ask for gold never make it very far in the later levels,” Sara said. “Everyone in the school knows that. Eugene, I thought our goal was to reach the 500th Level.”

“Yeah, Sumire and I are trying to reach it.”

“Then I will too. I’m going with you two.”

Sara knew the risks and was prepared for them. Finally, I looked over to Sumire, who was deep in thought about something.

“Sumire?” Sara and I said in unison.

Sumire, whom I’d thought would be the least hesitant in this party about which to choose, had scrunched up her face and was tapping her finger against her lips.

“It looks like you’re having a hard time deciding, Sumire from another world,” the angel giggled.

Leeta’s words pulled Sumire out of her thoughts, and she said, “N-No, that’s not it.”

The angel flapped her wings and flew closer to her. “There’s no point in trying to hide it! ☆ I may be new, but I’m technically an Archangel, y’know? You have doubts, don’t you? About whether you want to return to your original world or make a life in this one.”

“N-No, that’s not it! I really want to go back to my original world! Th-That’s why I came all this way!” Sumire protested, voice trembling.

“You made that decision right after you came to this world, though,” Leeta pointed out. “But then so many things happened. You made friends, got a crush, had lots of fun...”

“W-Well, yeah, but...”

Leeta was smirking at Sumire in a way that reminded me of someone. Oh, of Eri. Are angels usually like this? More importantly, though...

“Um, Leeta, Your Holiness?”

“Oh, what’s up, Eugene?”

“I assumed Your Holiness would prefer it if more explorers tried going past the 101st Level. If Sumire decides to stay in this world, none of us have any reason to go up to the 500th Level.”

“Wha—?!” As soon as I pointed that out, the angel pulled an expression that screamed, “Ah, crap!”

She didn’t notice that contradiction? What an airhead.

Leeta immediately changed her tune. “S-Sumire! Actually, I think you should aim for the upper levels...”

Sumire crossed her arms, still considering her options.

“Sumire,” I said, giving her a gentle pat on the back.

“Eugene?”

“Choose whichever you like. Enemies like the Demon Queen we just fought will regularly appear after the 101st Level—er, not constantly, but still, it’s undeniable that exploration’s going to become much more dangerous from here on. You don’t have to keep pushing if the prospect frightens you. Besides, you’ve grown accustomed to life here, haven’t you?”

“Eugene...”

“Hey, Eugene?” Sara poked my back and pursed her lips. “If Sumire stops exploring, what should I do?”

“I plan to head higher, even if I have to go alone,” I replied.

“Oh, really? In that case, I’ll go with you, Eugene! ♡ Our duo’s back together! ☆”

Huh, yeah, I guess Sara and I would be a duo again.

“I’m going to choose the weapon too!” Sumire declared loudly.

“Ugh, I knew you would tag along,” Sara grumbled.

“I’m so excited to keep exploring with you, Sara!” Sumire chirped.

They smiled at each other, faces so close that their noses were practically touching. In the end, it seemed our party would revert to the original trio. When I glanced over at Leeta, the angel was heaving a sigh of relief.

“Very well,” she said. “I’ll send in the orders for your Gifts of Grace. Let me check your mana and constitutions! ☆ Your equipment will be ready within ten days. I’ll contact you three through the Dungeon Union!” As she explained, Leeta shook our hands in order. She must have been using physical contact to check our mana. I was the last one she checked, and when she held my hand, her expression changed. “Hmm?”

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“Do... Do you have a contract with Eri?”

Shit! Busted! On second thought, I should’ve expected this. Leeta was an Archangel; there was no way I could’ve hidden my contract from her. Sumire didn’t look like she understood the significance of the question, but Sara was staring at us suspiciously.

“What?” she said.

“Hmm... So you’re contracted with the opponent you fought against in the Deus Discipline... Is that even allowed? There’s no precedent, so...I should probably ask the goddesses about this... Ah, wait, I should look into this a little before I waste their time...” Leeta was muttering to herself under her breath. She furrowed her brow and thought for a moment, eyes darting here and there, before she clapped her hands together like she had a great idea. “Got it! I’ll just ask her myself! Eri! I’m gonna summon you!”

“Huh?” Sumire, Sara, and I were all taken aback by the angel’s sudden announcement. She’s going to summon Eri?!

“Wha—? W-Wait, back up! Right now?!” Eri’s panicked voice sounded in my head. She hadn’t expected this either.

Bliiing! A golden magic circle appeared in the air, and out stepped the Demon Queen. But this wasn’t the dangerous and sophisticated Demon Queen we had seen earlier. No, out stepped Eri, already dressed in her pajamas and ready for bed. Sumire and Sara froze.

“Eh?” The Demon Queen was staring right back at them, mouth agape. She was wearing shorts and a shirt that hadn’t been buttoned up properly—the usual outfit I saw her in when I visited her cell. Though I could see hastily wrapped bandages here and there, she didn’t appear to be sick or in pain. I was relieved that I hadn’t done her any lasting damage.

“Eri! Long time no see! Remember me? It’s Leeta! You helped me out so much during my orientation period! My goodness, I was so shocked when I saw that you were chosen to be the Discipline Beast for the 100th Level! And you, like, never went away either! That’s a big no-no, you know? You shouldn’t interfere with Babel’s system like that. I covered for you, so I expect lots of compliments later. Anyway, I have something to ask about the Deus Discipline just now, and... Uh, Eri? What’s the matter? Why are you glaring at me like that?”

“Cut the camera,” Eri said in a deep and menacing voice.

“Hmm?”

“Did you not hear what I said?”

“O-Oh! Right away! Enter sleep mode, my adorable eye!” At Leeta’s order, the Dungeon’s Eye fell to the ground with a low humming noise. “E-Eri! What’s the matter?”

“Why, you little—!”

“Eeeeek! Ow ow ow ow ow! My skull is gonna break!”

The Demon Queen was giving the Archangel a noogie.

“Um, Eugene?” Sumire said.

“What in the world are we witnessing?” Sara hissed.

“Is the Demon Queen friends with that cute little angel?!” Sumire exclaimed.

“U-Uh, yeah, I guess they’re acquaintances,” I said with a nod.

Eri had once told me that she’d been in charge of training the new angels. At the time, I’d only been mildly interested in her story, but it looked like she really was a senior angel to them. Apparently, the angels were very strict about their hierarchy too.

“Hey, boy, don’t just stand there! Help me out! Aren’t you supposed to be Eri’s partner?!” Leeta exclaimed.

“What?!” Sumire and Sara demanded before I could say anything.

“Ugh...”

“Eugene’s the Demon Queen’s partner?” Sumire gasped.

“Y-Your Holiness? Just what are you saying?” Sara stammered.

“E-Excuse me, can you—” I said, running over to stop Leeta from saying anything else incriminating. But before I could...

“Oh! You know, boy, now that I’m seeing you up close, you’re pretty handsome. Like, you totally aren’t my type, but you’re definitely Eri’s,” Leeta said. At some point, she’d escaped the Demon Queen’s headlock, and now she was hovering right in front of my face.

“What the heck are you talking about?! What do you mean Eugene is partners with that terrifying Demon Queen?!” Sumire screeched.

“Your Holiness, there are some lines you mustn’t cross and some things you should never say!” Sara yelled. “There’s absolutely no way that Eugene would enter a contract with that filthy Demon Queen!” Eri’s brow twitched at that. “Besides, the Demon Queen is supposed to be asleep in the underground prison!”

“Oho? So your teammates had no idea about this? That’s not good. Your party members are basically your family, so you shouldn’t keep secrets from them. I can clearly see that a Contract of the Flesh binds you and Eri together!”

“Hey!” This goddamn featherbrain! I can’t believe she spilled everything! A chill ran down my spine, and it felt like the temperature had dropped several degrees. I was too scared to turn around and see what expressions Sumire and Sara were making.

“Ah ha ha! The Contract of the Flesh is that Contract of Love thing you have with me, right? Oh, Li’l Lee, you’re such a jokester! The Demon Queen is some old hag who’s been around for centuries or something, right? There’s no way Eugene would enter a relationship like that with her!”

“Yes, you’re absolutely right, Sumire! I wasn’t aware that angels could tell jokes! You almost got me, Your Holiness!”

Sumire and Sara were laughing loudly. Eri’s expression, however, had changed from the moment Sumire had called her a hag. She disappeared from our sight before she silently teleported behind me and pulled me into an embrace.

“Eugene! ♡ You know, the wound you left on me still hurts. Will you comfort me like you always do?”

“E-Eri!”

Unlike earlier, when she had put on a domineering mien, she was talking to me with the same high-pitched register she used during our meetings in her underground cell. She gave me a seductive look through her long lashes and ran a finger down my neck.

“What are you doing?! We’re in public!” I hissed at her. You’re supposed to be the legendary Demon Queen! The bane of the Southern Continent!

“What’s wrong, Eugene? Feeling shy? Come now, this isn’t new for us! ♡” Eri said, tightening her grip on me and pressing her soft chest against my back.

“Demon Queen! Get your paws off him!” Sumire yelled, crimson mana gathering in her hand.

“Release him, fallen angel!” Sara snapped. She unsheathed Curtana, and the sword glowed.

“Eek, so scary! Eugene, help!” Eri cried.

“Sumire, Sara, calm down. The Deus Discipline is over now,” I said, trying to get a handle on the situation, but when Eri rubbed her cheek against me, the girls’ faces grew even stormier.

“Eugene! Move! I’m gonna burn her to a crisp!”

“Licentious witch! I’ll slice you into ribbons!”

Eri giggled. “Dodging your attacks will be child’s play.”

I couldn’t understand why Eri was provoking them. As much as I wanted to shut her up, I didn’t want to be too rough with her considering I had just stabbed her with a magic sword. I racked my brain for a solution as the atmosphere around the three girls grew tenser and tenser. It feels like we’re about to start a second Deus Discipline...

“How do you plan on calming them down?” I asked the angel, the root of all evil.

“Wowzers, this looks like trouble, doesn’t it?” she replied.

“How can you act like this has nothing to do with you?!”

“Now, now, leave everything to me. Heeey, Dungeon Master! Stop Eri, please!” the angel yelled, raising her head to look up at the ceiling.

Dungeon Master? There’s a Dungeon Master in Babel? I’d never heard anyone talk about this at school. Did that mean the angels weren’t the only supervisors of the Last Dungeon?

“In my opinion, it’s so pathetic whenever you see an older woman get all serious about a relationship with a younger boy. Don’t you agree, Sara? ☆”

“I totally agree, Sumire! Maybe Erinyes was a Succubus Queen rather than a Demon Queen.”

“My, you two sure love to yap. I’ll have to teach you a lesson!”

I could see a vein pulsing on Eri’s forehead. Wait, hang on, she’s genuinely pissed off? Right as I prepared myself to jump in and physically stop the impending fight, a giant wall appeared between Eri and the two girls with a loud boom.

“Oh.”

“Ahh!”

“Hrgh!”

Eri remained calm while Sumire and Sara, though surprised, jumped back to avoid the wall. The angel had been the one to put it up.

“No, no, Eri! You mustn’t tease youngsters like that! As for you two, you should treat the opponent you faced in the Deus Discipline with respect!”

Though the three all looked like they had more to say, they held their peace, and the wall slowly faded away.

For a moment, the three girls glared at each other before Eri irritably asked, “So, Leeta, what did you want to ask me?”

The angel hummed in thought before replying, “I’m investigating whether you went easy on that boy because of the contract you have with him. Of course, I remember how strict you were back in heaven, so I doubt you would hold back.”

Eri sighed. “Look, Leeta, Eugene already fought and proved his strength to Berry back on the 20th Level. He probably could have been exempt from the Deus Discipline on the 100th Level because of that. Surely you know this about him already?”

Eri fixed Leeta with a stern look, and the angel’s expression tensed as if she had been caught red-handed. Wait, she didn’t know about that?

“H-Hear me out! The last supervisor got transferred because of that whole ‘Cerberus appeared on the 20th Level’ thing, so the transition process has been a real mess. I’ll check the history, okay? Let’s see... Ah! Yes, you’re right, he did fight against Cerberus! All right, in that case, you pass the Deus Discipline with flying colors!” The angel laughed cheerily. She was pretty careless when it came to her work.

“Sheesh. Now that we’ve cleared that up, I’m returning to my cell. The wound that Eugene left still smarts, you know...” Eri muttered, clutching her stomach.

“Are you all right, Eri?” I asked without thinking.

“Aw, are you worried about me?”

“O-Of course I am!”

Eri grinned and rested her hand against my cheek. The mana and rage emitting from Sumire and Sara were terrifying, but I put them out of my mind for now. I couldn’t ignore their grabbing onto my arms, though.

“Hey, Eugene! You seem awfully friendly with that Demon Queen over there,” Sumire said.

“Eugene? ☆ Would you mind explaining what this is all about?” Sara asked.

Their voices were deeper than I had ever heard them. Meanwhile, Eri was holding a conversation with Leeta.

“Eri, let me heal you up!”

“I’m technically still a Demon Queen. You know that, right?”

“Oh, no need to sweat the details! I’m the only angel watching over the first hundred levels of Babel!”

“They still haven’t assigned another supervisor to this shift?”

I could rest easy knowing that the angel would heal Eri’s injury, but I wasn’t out of the woods yet. Sumire and Sara were still latched on to my arms, preventing me from escaping. Looks like I can’t talk my way out of this. So I confessed everything to them.

“No... No, you must be lying,” Sara was murmuring as she unsteadily paced between me and Eri, Curtana still unsheathed in her hand.

She’s not going to start swinging at me all of a sudden, is she?

“Uh... Wait, so... So, Eugene and the Demon Queen are, um, in a relationship? A ph-physical one?” Sumire asked, face beet red as she looked from me to Eri.

Eri chuckled and replied with a wide grin, “That’s right! ☆ Too bad, so sad, you two! Eugene’s first time was with me!”

“Eri, don’t say anything more than that.” Shut up. Please. Shut up.

“Tsk... I’m going to use my authority as the student council president to abolish the Biology Club! I have to free Eugene from the Demon Queen’s clutches!”

Sara was making a pretty unreasonable proclamation. Since she had lost her calm, I reminded her, “You can’t do that. Headmaster Uther was the one to establish the Biology Club.”

“Then I’ll march right up to the headmaster and give him a piece of my mind!” Sumire shouted. “Like, why are you the only person who has to do this?!”

“The headmaster and I are the only people who can enter the Seventh Sealed Prison,” I explained. “Apparently, the other club members used to be able to go down there, though.”

“So why did things change?”

“Your research-obsessed headmaster kept stuffing all sorts of mythological creatures into that underground prison, which led to the miasma becoming so thick that surface-dwellers can’t go down there without suffocating,” Eri replied with an exasperated shrug. “Eugene’s the only person who can withstand it, so it’s not like any of us have a choice in the matter.”

“Argh... Unbelievable...” Sumire moaned.

“Oh? But wait! Since Sumire is technically of a divine race, she should be able to go into the dungeon!” Leeta said. Sumire whipped around as the angel continued, “Sara can probably go into that underground prison with her holy sword’s protection too.”

“I-Is that true, Miss Leeta?” I asked.

“Uh-huh! I’ll have you know that even the goddesses praised how much my eyes can see!”

Now this was a surprise. Claude, a Hero, could barely approach the underground prison, yet Sumire and Sara could enter it?

“You little gremlin! You and your big fat mouth!” Eri yelled.

“Huh?! Should I have kept it a secret?!”

“Duh!” Eri stomped over to the angel. “That was my private sanctuary with Eugene!”

“Yay! Miss Demon Queen, hope you don’t mind me and Sara butting into your private sanctuary for a little play date! ☆” Sumire cheered.

“Stay away!”

Sumire was taunting the Demon Queen! Wh-When did she get so bold? Suddenly, a golden light enveloped Eri’s body.

“Eri, now that you’ve told me what I wanted to know, you can head back home!” Leeta said. “I’ll make some time to visit you!”

“You stay away too... See you later, Eugene!” And with a final wink in my direction, Eri disappeared into the light. She must have teleported back into her underground cell.

“All right, time for me to get back to work! If you need my help for anything, just go to the 100th Level and call for me. I’ll treat you to a cup of tea. See you later! ☆”

The angel teleported away, and when she disappeared, so did the golden forest. The 100th Level reverted to its usual emptiness, leaving me, Sumire, and Sara standing in the middle of it. We heard a mechanical whirr as the Dungeon Eye came back to life and floated into the air.

“Well, time to go back down,” I said, the exhaustion catching up to me.

We’d cleared the 100th Level. Our next course of action should’ve been reporting our victory to the Dungeon Union, even if they already knew about it thanks to the Satellite System. But right when I turned to head for the Dungeon Elevator, Sumire grabbed my arm.

“Eugene, I have something I’d like to say to you.”

“We can chat la—” I said, but then I cut myself off. Sumire’s expression was simply that solemn.

“S-Sumire, you want to tell him now?” Sara asked, sounding a little nervous.

“This is the only chance! Sara, you heard what kind of relationship Eugene has with the Demon Queen! Are you really okay with this?!”

“Of course not! This is terrible! How in the world am I supposed to tell my homeland about this?!”

“Uh... So you both have something to say to me?” I asked nervously, only to be met by identical glares. Oh, I’m definitely in for a scolding...

Not that I could blame them. After all, I had hidden my contract with the Demon Queen from them. Explorers in the same party basically vowed to live and die together. It was common sense to avoid secrets to the extent possible. They might want to cut off ties with me, and I wouldn’t have any right to protest.

“Eugene!” the girls said in unison.

“Y-Yes?” I replied, gulping.

The two girls said nothing for a bit, as if they were still making up their minds. If they wanted to break up this party, I would have to return to being a solo explorer. It wouldn’t be easy to clear the floors above the 101st Level alone, and I couldn’t even fight properly without Sumire’s mana. It would be a hard journey, but I steeled myself.

“If you have something to say, just tell me. No matter what it is, I’ll accept it,” I said, making sure I sounded as calm as possible.

Even if they abandoned me, they were the reason I had even made it up to the 100th Level in the first place. I would never forget the heavy debt I owed them. It felt like an eternity had passed since the days when I couldn’t even clear the 10th Level. Exploring was tough, but lately, I always ended my days with a deep sense of satisfaction. I held nothing but gratitude toward them, and I wanted to convey that emotion through my words.

However, upon hearing me say as much, Sumire and Sara blinked and stared at me blankly.

“Hmm? What did you say?” Sumire asked.

“Did you just say you’ll accept anything we say to you?” Sara murmured.

“Yeah...”

I would accept their decision to refuse exploring with me, since I had formed a contract with the Demon Queen, but somehow, I felt like that wasn’t how they’d interpreted my words. A deep sense of foreboding filled me. Somehow, somewhere, I’d screwed up. But I couldn’t take back what I had said. After all, according to the Eastern Continent proverb my old man had taught me, “A man’s word is his bond.”

“Oh, you...” Eri’s voice, thick with disbelief, sounded in my mind.

“What?”

“Dummy.”

Thanks to our contract, she could listen in on our conversation, but I didn’t understand why she was insulting me.

“Eugene.”

“Eugene...”

Sumire and Sara grabbed my arms again. They didn’t look angry anymore.

Wait, so they’re not breaking up the party? I waited for them to continue.

After a moment of silence, Sumire and Sara spoke again.

“I like you, Eugene. Please go out with me.”

“I love you, Eugene. Please become my lover.”

Instead of breaking up the party, they simultaneously confessed their love to me.

♢Round Council, Dungeon City♢

“Victory goes to the challenger! ☆” the announcement, which was peppier than usual, sounded from the Satellite System broadcasting the footage from within the Last Dungeon.

The Zodiac Knights of the dungeon city listened to the announcement in silence from their places at the round table. On the screen, they could see a shimmering light descend upon Eugene and the others. The camera didn’t capture the sacred image of the angel, as only those who passed the Deus Discipline could behold her. Granted, everyone on the Round Council was a Record Holder who had already cleared the 100th Level, so none of them felt envious of the explorers’ privilege. However...

“Eugene... He... He actually won against the Demon Queen,” the Seventh Knight Isolde said, her voice faint with disbelief.

“Just who is that guy? How is someone of his caliber still a B-rank explorer?” the Sixth Knight Brad exclaimed.

“That’s the son of the Grenflare Empire’s Imperial Sword. I’m sure you know him,” the Fifth Knight Charlotte replied, projecting her voice to match Brad’s volume.

“And why is he in General Education? It doesn’t make any damn sense!”

“Don’t ask me.”

“Considering that exceptional performance, I suppose he should be transferred out,” the Ninth Knight Corrine said, staring at the screen with open fascination.

“He defeated the Demon Queen! It wouldn’t surprise me if the empire wants to call him back,” the Eighth Knight Pylon replied, his eyes also fixed on the Satellite System.

“He dropped out of their military academy, so he’s an ordinary civilian now. I doubt the empire can order him around like that.”

“And the imperial army just let him drop out? Are they stupid?”

The rest of the Round Council joined in the conversation:

“If neither we nor the empire say something first, the Holy Alliance and the Blue Sea Union will try to recruit him.”

“Yeah, I bet... At the end of the day, that student explorer’s in charge of his own fate, so who are we to say anything?”

“Should we pick him as a Zodiac Knight candidate?”

“What, are you trying to secure him for Karaf? Well, I’m not against such a skilled student joining us.”

The meeting was much rowdier than usual. King Uther remained silent, cheek resting on his hand, as he watched the Satellite System’s footage with amused interest. Then...

“Knights of the Round! Lady Claire, the First Knight, is about to return to the city!” a dungeon staffer panted as he ran into the room.

“Knights of the Round” was another name for the Zodiac Knights. The gathered knights looked at one another.

“Already? That was awfully fast.”

“I thought she still had half a day’s journey?”

“Apparently, she used Teleport to rush herself back.”

“Oh, dear... She pushed herself.”

“I’ll go greet Lady Claire,” the Seventh Knight Isolde said before she left the room with the dungeon staffer.

“That reminds me! The Heroes from the empire and the halidom are arriving tomorrow, aren’t they?”

There was a chorus of “Ah”s from several of the Zodiac Knights; they sounded irritated already.

“We’ll just send them right back where they came from,” the Third Knight Alistair said with a deep chuckle. “The Demon Queen’s already been vanquished.”

“Unfortunately, we can’t do that,” Abrams, the oldest of the Zodiac Knights, rumbled. “The empire and the halidom sent them to aid the dungeon city, and we must receive them with the respect they are due. The First Knight Claire and I will handle—”

That was when King Uther interrupted with, “No worries. I’ll handle the visitors.”

“Are you sure?” the Fifth Knight Charlotte asked.

King Uther rarely volunteered for such troublesome tasks. If something didn’t catch his fancy, it might as well not exist to him.

“They came all this way to fight the Demon Queen, yet we already defeated them. I’d like to ask them how they feel about all that wasted time and effort.”

“That’s hilarious!” the Third Knight Alistair cackled.

“Please don’t do that!” the other knights yelled.

“I was joking,” King Uther assured them. “I’m sure their emperor and priestesses have ordered them to sound out the dungeon city’s offensive capabilities, defenses, and administrative operations too. They’ll refuse to return empty-handed. If the king himself speaks with them, though, they’ll have no choice but to do so.”

“We’re grateful for your help, Your Majesty,” the Fourth Knight Abrams said with a bow.

“Well, now that we’ve finished discussing business, let’s party! We must celebrate Eugene’s victory over the Demon Queen! And invite our foreign visitors too!” King Uther said.

“Understood. Shall we invite the student explorers in question to the party? I’m sure they’ll spend the night being pestered with questions and invitations, though.”

“Hmm... If they wish to participate, then why not?”

“All right. The pretense for the feast will be the student explorers’ victory over the Demon Queen, then.”

“I’ll leave organizing the party to you all,” King Uther replied as he stroked his beard.

“Yessir!” the Zodiac Knights said in unison before they left the meeting room.

And that was how King Uther ordered a massive party in Eugene’s honor.

♢Eugene’s POV♢

The day after our battle with the Demon Queen, I looked into what had happened to the people she had taken hostage. The S-rank explorer Michel and the members of the student council had to be hospitalized. Sir Lloyd, the Second Knight, was already back to his normal duties. He was a pretty tough fellow. The school nurse was examining Sumire. She hadn’t yet recovered from the physical and mental stress of fighting against the Demon Queen while wearing a magic item she wasn’t accustomed to.

“I’m not feeling so hot,” she’d said before telling me that she would lie down in the infirmary after her physical.

Sara was visiting the student council members. After that, she had to go around greeting the members of the Cardia Halidom’s upper brass, as they were paying the dungeon city a visit. Life as the student council president and Saint Candidate was busy indeed. As for me...

“Eugene, you don’t have a single scratch on you.”

“I healed all my wounds myself.”

“Do you feel sick or nauseous at all?”

“Nope.”

The doctor sighed before asking in her usual blunt manner, “Kid, did you seriously fight against the Demon Queen? Like, I know you did since I saw it from the Satellite System, but still...”

“It was a pretty tough fight.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you, Eugene Santafield. You’re free to go.”

After receiving my bill of health from the exasperated infirmary doctor, I went to the training grounds to get in some solo sword practice. Today, many foreign guests would visit the dungeon city, and all the dungeon staff and teachers would be busy greeting and entertaining them, so Lykeion Magic Academy had canceled classes for the day without much notice. Because of this surprise visit and the free day, everyone at school—no, in the entire dungeon city—was buzzing with excitement.

I looked up at the sky. Normally, it seemed to stretch for miles, but today, it was only a small patch of blue thanks to the airships parked around Babel. Among them were a score of airships bearing a familiar design.

The hulls were red as blood, and each bore a symbol that resembled a black sword. This was the imperial crest of the Grenflare Empire. I’d heard that the pride and joy of the empire—the Golden Knights, along with the Heavenly Knight who led them—had arrived in those vessels. Apparently, the Hero of the Sword, the greatest fighter in the empire, had come as well. Upon hearing that a Heavenly Knight was visiting, I’d immediately thought of Airi, but the empire had sent someone else. Though I recognized the name, I’d never met this Heavenly Knight before.

A short distance away from the empire’s fleet were white airships emblazoned with a green bow. These were the alliance’s Holy Knights’ airships, and there were about twenty of them. They outnumbered the empire’s airships by a hair, and I sensed that this was a deliberate power play on the alliance’s part. I heard that the Cardia Halidom’s Hero of the Bow was among the alliance’s ambassadors too. Sara was off greeting them.

Finally, I looked at the last group of airships, which belonged to neither the empire nor the alliance. Unlike the other two fleets, these airships’ designs and shapes weren’t uniform. However, they all shared the same blue line on their hulls, along with a symbol resembling a golden shield. These were the Blue Sea Union’s airships. I’d heard that the fleet had been put together to defeat an Infernal Demonic Beast that had appeared near some of the union’s countries, but it had hurriedly changed course for the dungeon city after receiving news of the Demon Queen’s revival. Lady Claire Lancelot, the First Knight of the dungeon city and the King’s Sword, had participated in the mission to take down the Infernal Demonic Beast, but she had already returned to the dungeon city as well.

The Grenflare Empire, the Holy Alliance, and the Blue Sea Union were the three dominant powers on the Southern Continent. When was the last time all three armies had gathered on such a large scale? I, at the very least, had never heard of this happening before. As for why they were all here...

“Wow, I can’t believe how many people came together just because of little old me,” Eri’s carefree voice sounded in my head.

“I didn’t realize things had taken such a dramatic turn.”

“Well, aside from the odd Infernal Demonic Beast showing up, the Southern Continent is pretty peaceful. The Demon Queen’s revival is big news for everyone.”

“It’s not as if you actually came back to life, though.”

“People think that I’m still asleep under my seal, so the mere idea of me waking up is shocking enough.”

“Is that so?”

I conversed with Eri so often that I couldn’t really understand how ordinary folks would feel about seeing her.

Lykeion Magic Academy had another event going on today. Apparently, there would be a party this evening to celebrate a certain group of students defeating the Demon Queen in a Deus Discipline. Of course, this “certain group of students” was my exploration party.

“Will you not join in the festivities, Eugene?” the Seventh Knight, Lady Isolde, had asked me earlier. Sara had already agreed to attend the party, whereas Sumire was too exhausted to go.

“I won’t,” I had said.

“Are you sure? This is a rare chance for you to promote yourself to the higher-ups of various countries.”

“I plan on exploring Babel for the foreseeable future.”

“Ah, right. You’re aiming for the 500th Level, aren’t you?” Lady Isolde had given me a small smile before walking away.

As I thought back to my conversation with her and continued to swing my new sword, I heard Claude calling out to me.

“Heeey, Eugene! What’s the star of the show doing way out here?”

“Huh? Star? Me?”

“Come on, now... Haven’t you heard? You’re the talk of the town! All anyone can discuss is the swordsman who defeated the Demon Queen.”

“I didn’t defeat her. It was closer to a sparring match than a genuine battle, and she only used a fraction of her power.”

Claude stared at me in disbelief. “That wasn’t her full power?”

“Apparently.”

I thought back to Eri’s words after the Deus Discipline. She had said that she couldn’t use her ability to stop time in a Deus Discipline on a floor as low as the 100th Level. She had also mentioned that enemies capable of such supernatural feats were common in the higher levels of Babel.

What should I do? I had been gung ho about getting through the Last Dungeon with magic swords alone, but it didn’t seem like a realistic goal anymore.

“You know what else people have been talking about?” Claude asked, interrupting my musing. “That confession at the end! Everyone in school’s heard about it by now. The student council has been tearing Lykeion apart searching for you.”

“Oh, that...”

“I like you, Eugene. Please go out with me.”

“I love you, Eugene. Please become my lover.”

Sumire and Sara had confessed to me with those words. Worst of all, their confessions had taken place right in front of the Satellite System. Because of that, the entire continent knew about it.

Ah... A wave of emotion rose within me as I thought back to that moment. I didn’t regret my decision or anything, but...

“Heck yeah! Now we’re in the same boat!” Claude hooted.

I couldn’t even reply to him. Just the other day, I had been shaking my head at Claude’s decision to cheat on Leona and Teresia. But now that I was also dating two girls at once, I had no right to judge him.

“Really, if you include me, you have three girlfriends! ☆” Eri’s teasing voice reminded me.

Does she really count?

“What are you so pressed about anyway?” Claude asked. “Polygamy’s legal in the empire.”

“That’s not the problem...” My issue with this situation didn’t stem from the empire and its laws, but rather...

“Hey! Eugene!”

“So this is where you are. We were looking for you.”

Two female students—Leona and Teresia—strolled up to Claude and me.

“Heyo, Leona and Teresia! Did you miss me tha— Ow ow ow!” Claude reached out to embrace them both, only for Leona to kick him away while Teresia twisted his cheek between her fingers.

Wow, Claude... I couldn’t believe how okay he was with this kind of shameless PDA. Maybe I should take a leaf or two out of his book.

“Don’t,” Eri immediately said.

“We’ll deal with you later, Claude. Eugene, I’ve got a message for you,” Leona said.

“And I’ve been entrusted with a letter for you,” Teresia added.

So they were here for me rather than Claude.

“A bigshot from the empire wants to speak with you! So you have to attend tonight’s party,” Leona informed me.

“All right.”

A summons? Well, I’d expected that, so I readily agreed.

“My turn. Here, I was instructed to give you this.”

“Thank you, Miss Teresia,” I said, accepting the letter from her. The envelope bore the remnants of a magic circle for Teleport, along with the Santafield name written in a familiar hand. “Dad?”

“Whoa! Your dad’s the Imperial Sword, right? What did he write you?”

“Claude, don’t pry into other people’s business!”

“Considering it’s from the Grenflare Emperor’s right-hand man, it could contain confidential information.”

In contrast to Claude’s open interest as he tried to peek at the letter, the girls were a lot more reserved. I ripped open the envelope and unfolded the letter. This wasn’t the first letter my father had sent me, and the contents of his correspondence were usually pretty average. His most frequent questions were things like “Do you have enough spending money?” or “You haven’t caught a cold, have you?” So I wasn’t concerned about much as I read the simple and short letter.

Dear Eugene,

Congratulations on clearing the 100th Level. Your skill with a sword has improved. You were amazing out there. It’s almost the anniversary of your mother’s death. You didn’t come home last year, so you better this year.

PS If they’re free, remember to bring your girlfriends, Sumire and Sara, with you.

Love,

Dad

I felt dizzy. Despite the brevity of the letter, I could sense my father’s refusal to take no for an answer. It looked like Sumire and Sara would have to accompany me on my homecoming.

Epilogue: Eugene and the Demon Queen

“Pass me that glass, Eugene.”

“Give me a massage, Eugene.”

“Entertain me with a story, Eugene.”

“Listen, Eri...” I sighed. Ever since I dropped by the Seventh Sealed Prison after finishing my Deus Discipline on the 100th Level, I had been at the mercy of Eri’s whims. And every time I tried to protest the unfair treatment...

“Oh, the wound you left on my shoulder hurts so much! The agony!”

Hearing her say that caused my heart to tighten up. “I’m at your command...”

After I’d spent a while indulging Eri’s endless barrage of requests, she asked casually, “Hey, you’re going back to the empire soon, right?”

“Yeah, in about a week. We’ll have a vacation after the term ends, so I planned on using that time to leave the dungeon city and return to the imperial capital.”

“Hmm. So I guess I won’t get any Eugene time for a while, huh?” Eri pursed her lips as she sulked on the bed.

“I won’t be gone for long. I’m only going to visit my dad and pay my respects at mom’s grave.” At my words, Eri raised her head and stared at me, so I asked, “What is it?”

“What kind of woman was your mother?”

That came out of nowhere. “She died soon after she gave birth to me, so I don’t remember her. I have a picture of her. If you’re curious, I can bring it with me some other time.”

Eri hummed in thought before she replied, “Nah, you don’t have to do that. So she died after she gave birth to you, huh?” She crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side. What in my story had caught her attention? But after a while, she said, “Well, whatever. I’m sure I’ll figure it out in time.” Before I could ponder what those cryptic words meant, she shot me a knowing grin. “That reminds me. You’ll finally be meeting that childhood friend of yours again, right?”

“I don’t plan on doing so...”

“Oh, you! You can’t hide your excitement from me!”

I ignored Eri poking my cheeks. I was dating Sara and Sumire now, so I wouldn’t lose my composure just from seeing Airi’s face after so long. At least, I didn’t think I would. Eri continued to tease me for a while, but after she got bored with that, she pushed me onto the bed.

“E-Eri?”

“It’s been so long since we had time for each other. Don’t think I’ll let you sleep tonight!”

She quickly stripped, and before I knew it, the Demon Queen had revealed her sinfully beautiful naked body and crawled on top of me. Her skin was flawless, with no trace of the wound I’d left on her with my sword. So all her complaints earlier had been lies!

Eri dragged her long finger down my back as she whispered, “Eugene... ♡”

The sight of her staring down at me with half-hooded eyes was so seductive that by the time I’d realized it, my body was already moving to pull her into a tight embrace.

***

The Demon Queen was humming as she relaxed on the bed. She was in a good mood. Meanwhile, I was staring blankly up at the ceiling. How strange. Just yesterday, I had engaged in a battle to the death against the Demon Queen, and now I was lying down in the same bed as her. The angel had suspected favoritism at play in my Deus Discipline, and I was starting to see how she had come to that conclusion.

Noticing my line of sight, Eri tapped my forehead. “I bet you’re thinking about boring stuff like regulations or whatever right now. Why don’t you relax and enjoy your life a bit?”

I looked up at her and her kind smile. Now that I thought about it, this expression of hers had brought me great comfort on many occasions since my arrival at Lykeion Magic Academy. “Thanks, Eri,” I said, the words coming easily.

“All right! One more round! ☆”

“Wait, I’m still too ti—”

“Not listening! ☆”

And so the Demon Queen made me keep her company all night.

Interlude: From the Empire

“Erinyes, the Demon Queen, has woken from her slumber.”

This report caused a miniature panic within the Grenflare Empire, with the civilians reacting in various ways. Some demanded that the emperor waste no time in sending the army to quell and seal her again. Others fainted from the sheer terror of her revival, while still others started worshipping her in secret. The meeting that the emperor called was equally disorganized.

“Assemble the Heavenly Knights and the Golden Knights! We must strike her down while she’s still gathering her bearings!”

“Calm down. Who will defend the capital if we send them all out?”

“The dungeon city has King Uther, the greatest mage on the continent, and the Zodiac Knights who protect him. Won’t they be able to handle this?”

“Well, apparently, the Second Knight, Lloyd Gawain, has been taken hostage by the Demon Queen.”

“What?!”

After discussing various ideas, the empire decided to send reinforcements to the dungeon city. Princess Airi Areus Grenflare, a Heavenly Knight, had volunteered to lead the Golden Knights, but her father, the emperor, shot that offer down. In the end, the Hero of the Sword and another Heavenly Knight were chosen to go to the dungeon city.

The next day, news arrived of the Demon Queen’s defeat, and the streets of the imperial capital were once again abuzz with gossip and rumors.

“Who did it? Was it Claire Lancelot, the First Knight? Or did King Uther personally seal her away again?”

“No... From what I’ve heard, a student from the academy defeated her.”

“A... A student from the academy?! Wh-Who in the world...”

“You’re not gonna believe it—the son of the Imperial Sword did it!”

“Amazing. Maybe the empire shouldn’t have allowed him to leave.”

“I hear that he’s received orders to return to the empire, and he should be here any day.”

The rumor spread through the officers of the imperial military, and it didn’t take long before it reached the ears of Princess Airi herself.

Extra Story: The Seniors in the Biology Club

I was taking today off from dungeon exploring in order to recuperate from my grueling fight against the Demon Queen. Instead, I caught up on my chores for the Biology Club, which meant I had to go from one sealed prison to the next. I decided to start from the Seventh Sealed Prison, since it usually took me a long time to finish my jobs there, but Eri was taking a nap, so I barely spent any time inside.

My plan was to check on the Second to Seventh Sealed Prisons and then go to the “Ranch,” which was another name for the First Sealed Prison. After that, I would go to the training grounds. But before I could finish my rounds, Sumire and Sara showed up.

“Eugene! ☆ Wanna hang out?”

“Eugene! Do you have free time after this?”

“Excuse me, Sara? I spoke to him first.”

“I’m making time in my extremely busy schedule as student council president for Eugene, so can’t you just give me this?”

The girls glared at each other.

“No way!” Sumire exclaimed.

“Then don’t think I’ll let you spend any alone time with him,” Sara retorted.

“Calm down, you two,” I interrupted them. “I’m not done with work yet.” I’d thought that fighting the Demon Queen together had made them better friends, but they still had a long way to go.

“Whaaa?” the two girls whined in unison and frowned.

“I only have one more enclosure to check on. Why don’t you two come with me?” I suggested.

Sumire and Sara looked at each other.

“I hear that the Biology Club keeps monsters, right? If it won’t be dangerous, I wanna go!” Sumire said.

“I just remembered that, as King Uther is the Biology Club’s adviser, you enjoy a certain amount of extraterritoriality. The student council has been told not to bother checking in on the club’s activities, so I’m fairly curious about what’s going on here,” Sara said.

“The First Sealed Prison’s called the ‘Ranch’ and only houses calm monsters. We take care of it with the help of the Dairy Club and the Animal Husbandry Club,” I explained as I led the pair into a round building that resembled a massive tent.

“Huh? We’re inside a building?” Sumire exclaimed.

Even Sara was shocked. “I-Isn’t this too wide a space, Eugene?”

The First Sealed Prison “Ranch” was a green pasture that stretched as far as the eye could see. The magical ceiling allowed us to look at the expansive blue sky above us too. While the building itself was already quite large, the headmaster had used the Space Magic he excelled at to make the interior a thousand times bigger. We couldn’t even see the walls from here. Herds of massive black cows and bay horses as well as droves of chestnut pigs grazed in peace as the three of us strolled through them. Some students looked up from their work and saw us.

An acquaintance from the Animal Husbandry Club—Daryl, if I remembered correctly—looked away from his livestock and asked, “Oh, Eugene! Busy patrolling?”

“Yeah, just my usual Biology Club chores. Did something happen?”

“Nah. The Ranch is as peaceful as ever thanks to the headmaster’s barrier. Oh—the Gardening Club was complaining about a giant chestnut pig that messed up their fields in Sector Nineteen. Chestnut pigs have a pretty voracious appetite, so one must have broken down the fences.”

“Ah. I’ll go check it out, then.”

“Sorry for the hassle. Are those two girls with you new members of the Biology Club?”

“Yes! My name is Sumire Sashiougi! Nice to meet you!”

“I’m Sara. Though I’m not in the Biology Club, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Daryl. Sumire and Sara...” That was when Daryl realized who he was talking to. “Wait, Sara?! Sara as in the president of the student council?! What are you doing here?! Eugene! Why did you bring her here? Is this a surprise inspection?!”

“Calm down,” I said. “She’s just here as my guest. This isn’t an inspection.”

Daryl tilted his head to the side. “Wait, the president is your guest?”

“That’s right. I’m Eugene’s girlfriend. Weren’t you watching the Satellite System?” Sara replied, tossing her silky hair over her shoulder before taking a step forward and holding my hand.

Daryl’s eyes widened, and he stared at me.

“Yeah, what she said,” I said.

“Whoa, congratulations! I didn’t know about that. But wow, Eugene. And to think that just a year ago, you were moping around with dead fish eyes!” Daryl smiled before glancing at Sumire.

He probably didn’t mean anything with the look, but Sumire latched on to my arm and said, “By the way, I’m also Eugene’s girlfriend!”

“Huh?” Daryl’s round eyes turned back onto me.

“Yeah... Sumire’s actually my girlfriend too...”

“W-Wow... You, er, have a lot of energy!” Daryl took a step back. I must have creeped him out.

“Anyway, I’ll go check out Sector Nineteen,” I said, breaking the awkward silence before walking away.

“So I guess it’s true that an alpha male attracts a lot of females,” Daryl muttered, but I pretended I didn’t hear him.

“This must be the broken fence,” I said as I looked around, taking in the damage.

Sector Nineteen was a garden full of apple orchards and grape vineyards. With no barrier to keep it out, the chestnut pig had completely torn it apart. The giant pig, easily several times larger than a person, was sleeping in the field as if it owned the place.

“We must chase the monster away before we can fix the fence,” Sara said as she drew Curtana.

Wait, that’s not good! “Hold on, Sara. What do you plan on doing with that holy sword?”

“What do you think? I’m going to exterminate the vermin that trashed this place,” Sara replied calmly.

“The monsters in the Ranch are herbivores that never attack people,” I hurriedly warned. “They all belong to the Animal Husbandry Club, so we can’t go around killing them.”

“Huh? So what do you propose we do?” Sara asked. “That bloated blob is far too heavy for us to cart around.”

“Heh heh heh. Leave everything to me!” Sumire said, sounding like she had been waiting her whole life to hear those words.

She slowly approached the enormous chestnut pig, and a faint layer of her crimson mana enveloped her. Sizzle sizzle! Sparks danced through the air. Shocked awake from sensing the Ifrit’s mana, the eyes of the sleeping chestnut pig snapped open, and it snorted angrily.

“Sumire! Chestnut pigs are pretty aggressive after they wake up! Watch out!” I called out to her.

“Got it! But don’t worry, Eugene!” Sumire replied cheerfully. The chestnut pig snarled and lowered itself to charge at her. Right before it could, Sumire said, “Mister Pig, if you don’t leave, I’ll turn you into barbecue.” The pig couldn’t understand her words, but it must have sensed something, because it squealed pathetically, turned tail, and fled. Sumire turned to smile at me as she raised two fingers. “Victory! I chased it away, Eugene!”

“Thanks, Sumire.” Since we’d gotten rid of the monster, Sara and I used our magic to restore the fence. “And thank you, Sara.”

“This was nothing.”

Now that we were done with my tasks, Sumire asked, “Eugene, should we go back?”

“The field is still a mess,” Sara pointed out.

“Yeah...” It didn’t feel right to leave while the field was still in such a state, but the damage was so extensive that even with magic, Sara and I couldn’t fix it. As I was wondering what we should do, a high-pitched and melodious voice reached my ears.

“Oh? Eugie! What are you doing here?”

I spun around to see the familiar face of a beautiful female student. She had a slender build and long hair, and she had modified the hem of her uniform’s skirt to be shorter than normal.

“Hello, Fran,” I said. “Long time no see.”

“It’s really been too long, Eugie! ☆ How’ve you been? You seem like a whole different person!” She walked up to me and pulled me into a hug.

Huh?

“Wha—?!”

“Hey!”

Sumire and Sara immediately reacted and grabbed my arms, pulling me back.

“Oh? Are they your girlfriends?” Fran asked.

“We are! I’m Sumire, his girlfriend!”

“I’m Sara, his lover!”

They practically yelled their answers. I was a little scared of how Fran might react, but she blinked a few times before smiling.

“Congratulations, Eugie! Two whole girlfriends! ☆ Good job!”

She ended up praising me. Whew. We were saved by Fran’s unconventional morals.

“Uh, Eugene?” Sara said.

“Who is this person?” Sumire asked, making me realize that I hadn’t introduced them yet.

“This is Francoise Lim, my senior in the Biology Club.”

“Hello! ☆ Just call me Fran or Frannie! ☆”

“Hello, Fran.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Fran.”

Neither Sumire nor Sara used the cutesier nickname. Though Fran looked about our age, she was a long-lived elf, and no one knew how old she was. The one time I’d asked her, she had gotten very cross with me.

“Do you have business here, Fran?” I asked.

“I do! The headmaster wanted me to mend the field that got all messed up. Isn’t he so mean?”

“Oh, right! Your power would be able to fix all this damage. I’ll leave this to you, then,” I said.

“Eugene, what’s her power?” Sumire asked.

Before I could answer, Fran said, “Watch and learn, Sumire!” She tossed something to both Sumire and Sara.

“Huh?” Sumire said. “Uh, this is... EEEEEK!”

“Sumire?! What... AAAHHHH!”

As the girls screamed, the thing that Fran had been throwing about flew at me. I caught it gently, and it squirmed around in my hands.

“Hmm? Do they hate Slimes?” asked Fran, who was a Slime Tamer.

“A monster getting thrown at their face would catch anyone off guard,” I told her.

“Now, my adorable Slimes! Let’s clean up this field! ☆”

Sumire and Sara hugged each other, screaming as, at Fran’s command, several thousand green Slimes pushed out of the dirt. Each Slime was weak on its own, but they were impressive when they assembled and worked together like this. Countless Slimes were tilling and plowing the dirt.

“Fran, will this help restore the field?” I asked.

“Yuppers! Forest Slimes plow the dirt and become one with the soil. Though they disappear in the process, they fertilize and bring nutrients... Oh, look! It’s already happening!”

I looked over at what Fran was pointing to. Slowly but surely, the ravaged vineyards and orchards were coming back to life. The sight of the expansive field returning to its former glory was glorious and beautiful, but...

“Looks like the Slimes will need a few more hours,” I said.

“We’ll just take it nice and slow, then!” Fran said as she settled down on the giant Slime she’d called forth. It was large and jiggly, and it looked like it made a comfortable sofa.

“Uh... These Slimes aren’t attacking us, huh?” Sumire said.

“Are you a Monster Tamer who specializes in Slimes?” Sara asked.

They had finally gotten used to the sight of the Slimes at work and so joined our conversation. The sight of all those Slimes must have scared them, though, as they were still pressing up against each other.

“Mm... Are you two scared of Slimes?” Fran asked, looking and sounding dejected.

“N-No! That’s not it!”

“They simply surprised us!”

“How unfortunate... Slimes make amazing beauticians too...”

“Huh?!” The look in Sumire’s and Sara’s eyes changed at Fran’s words.

“Oh? Did that pique your interest?” Fran said. “I gave Eugene a taste of their skills a while ago. Remember that?”

I thought back to what had happened about a year ago. “You’re talking about the Slime that gives full-body massages, right? That was a real surprise.”

Fran had said, “It’s been forever since anyone joined us. Welcome to the Biology Club! ☆” before ordering a Slime to swallow me whole. I hadn’t known what was happening and assumed she was attacking me.

“Oh, Eugene, you’ve experienced their benefits too?” Sumire asked.

“In that case, I guess we don’t have anything to worry about,” Sara said. Both girls sounded more interested in the Slimes now.

“Then come on over, my sweet Slime! ☆ I should get a nice Slime massage too while it’s here.”

Sumire and Sara screamed as a giant orange Slime bounced forward and swallowed them whole. I’d experienced this myself, and so I was fairly sure that it wouldn’t harm them. On the contrary, the Slime’s massage was effective at refreshing the body and curing exhaustion.

“Eugene, do you want a massage too?” Fran asked.

“No, thank you. I’m fine.” I would wait for them outside.

“H-Huh? Wait a sec!”

“Eh?! Hold on, what’s...”

“What’s wrong?” I asked Sumire and Sara when I heard their confused voices from inside the Slime.

“Wait, don’t look, Eugene!”

“Eugene, turn away!”

“Huh?” When I peered inside, I saw pale skin. For some reason, the Slime had stripped Sumire and Sara. I hurriedly obeyed their wishes and turned away before asking Fran, “Um, Fran? What’s... When I received my massage, I had my clothes on the entire time.”

“What are you talking about? The Slime gives people a full-body massage, so clothes would only get in the way. Considering I’m a girl and you’re a boy, you would’ve thought me some kind of pervert if I had stripped you right after you joined the Biology Club!”

“I see,” I sighed. “Wait, Fran?! Why are you stripping now?!”

Fran was completely naked. I spun around as quickly as I could so I wouldn’t be staring at the three girls. This senior had no common sense!

“Agh...”

“That tickles!”

“Whoa! I can’t believe it’s even reaching for there!”

“Fran! I don’t need that place massaged!”

“Don’t worry! ☆ Just leave everything to my slimy beautician!”

Though their conversation kept raising questions in my head, I never once turned around to look at the girls or the Slime.

***

Two hours later, Sumire and Sara had left the Slime and were checking each other out, fully clothed.

“Whoa, Sara! Your skin is so smooth!”

“Sumire, your hair is so shiny! And your skin! It’s flawless!”

“Oh! ☆ You two look like supermodels!” Fran, her skin looking just as new and refreshed, smiled at them.

“Thank you so much for the massage, Fran!”

“This Slime is truly amazing...”

Though Sumire and Sara had been making a fuss all throughout the Slime massage, they had ended up falling in love with it.

“I’m glad that you enjoyed my Slime! ☆ The field is back to normal, so I’ll be taking my leave now! ☆” Fran said before jumping onto a giant Slime and riding off. The hundreds-strong army of Slimes following in her wake was both amusing and disgusting. After she had disappeared from our sight, Sumire and Sara murmured at me.

“Hey, Eugene?”

“Eugene...”

Yeah, I know what you two want to say...

“Your seniors in the Biology Club are, uh...”

“They’re all pretty eccentric, aren’t they?”

Everyone meeting members of the Biology Club for the first time said that, and I myself had had the same reaction. But...

“You know, Fran is one of my more normal seniors in the Biology Club.”

“Huh?!”

“Really now...”

Sumire was staring at me with her mouth agape, and Sara’s expression was dubious. I was telling the truth, though. Fran was obsessed with taking care of her looks and had absolute confidence in her figure, which was why she preferred clothing that showed a lot of skin. Aside from her fashion, though, she had a good amount of common sense.

“Ugh... I wonder if I’ll be okay,” Sumire murmured.

“I’m glad you’re having fun in your club,” Sara said.

“Ah! You were being sarcastic! Sara, you’re such a meanie!”

“Of course I wasn’t being sarcastic. If you’re feeling uncertain about the Biology Club, why don’t you join the student council? I’ll give you plenty of work to keep you busy.”

“No way!”

Sumire and Sara were back to their normal routine. I would have to introduce Sumire to the rest of the club in the future, but since they rarely showed their faces around the school, I doubted we would run into them.

And that was how, with this reminder that my chores for the Biology Club always came with a side of irregularities, I finished my work for the day.

Afterword

Hello, it’s Isle Osaki. Thank you for reading the second volume of Zero Damage Sword Saint. This volume focuses on the actual dungeon exploration. Babel, the Last Dungeon, is a really big dungeon with a total of a thousand floors, so while it’s fun to describe the different traits of each section, it’s also a lot of work.

The final Boss of this volume is Erinyes, whom you can see on the cover. To tell the truth, I’d planned to have Eugene fight her at a later point in the story, but someone commented, “I want to see the heroines interacting with each other” on the online version. I was pretty interested in writing that, which was why I reorganized the story to feature it here. I’m pretty happy with the end result.

The next volume will be the arc when Eugene returns to the empire. That’ll be when Eugene finally reunites with his childhood friend the princess, who is actually the star of the subtitle in the Japanese version of the title. How will he react to seeing her again? Please look forward to finding out in the third volume.

I’d like to thank kodamazon, who always delivers with the excellent illustrations. Thank you so much. And to all readers who have reached this part of the book, I hope you’ll continue to support Zero Damage Sword Saint.