Episode 43.6

(Ah, I see.)

(So that's the reason behind their request for Tsubolt Knights' deployment.)

Palcimo appears to house many powerful mages. However, on very deep floors, sometimes <Magic Wolves> that are completely immune to magic spawn. Hence, why they're rearing magic knights. However, <Magic Wolves> that spawn on truly deep floors, floor 100 and below, are probably too much for their magic knights to handle.

This dungeon hasn't been conquered in 60 years. And the last conquest before that is said to trace back to before the founding of Zaka Kingdom. They must be very eager to conquer the dungeon even if it means borrowing knights from another territory.

The last floor of Dungeon Palcimo is floor 151. However, the destination of warps performed on floor 100 and below is randomized. You won't know whether you get warped to floor 101 or floor 150 until you did. There were cases of people suddenly getting warped to floor 150 from floor 100. Or people who never reached floor 150 no matter how many times they warped. Once you've conquered floor 150, the stairway leading to floor 151 will manifest itself, but even a party that can easily conquer floor 100 would face total destruction were they suddenly got thrust into floor 150.

In other word, by attempting to challenge floor 100 and below, you must be fully prepared to fight floor 150's boss. Magic knights capable of prevailing against pure white <Magic Wolves> on floor 151 are extremely rare. Hence, they went to Marquis of Tsubolt and entreated to borrow knights from the <Dungeon of Swords>. Naturally they believed those knights would be fully equipped with powerful Grace Swords if they did get dispatched here.

"Obaba, this wand's for you."

"Lecan-chan, didn't you Appraise it earlier?"

"It's a <Wand of Ordas>."

"I could tell that by looking. Does it have other Grace besides <Mana Control Up>?"

"Yeah, <Magic Power Up>."

"What. That's a jackpot. That thing's gonna fetch handsomely."

"Yeah? It's only a Small up though."

"<Magic Power Up> is effective on offensive and <Recovery> spells, they're sought after by both explorers and the temples."

"Good to hear. Gotta be some decent pocket money for you."

"Ah well. Suppose I'll take it off you if you insist. This wand's only gonna be a fetter on you with the amount of mana you got after all."

Lecan walked up to the dead white <Magic Wolf>, and made a quick stab at a spot near its heart with <Sword of Rusk>.

"<Move>."

A magic stone flew out of the magic beast's body, stopping inside Lecan's left palm grasp. Lecan put away the magic stone after wiping it clean.

"Hee. Nicely done."

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka.com >

"We've been in your care for the past three days. This is your reward."

"Much appreciated. Here, Ui. Split them among the girls. So, Lecan-chan. What's the plan tomorrow. I don't mind lending you a hand from tomorrow on as well."

"No, I've got a good grasp of this dungeon thanks to you folks. We're not ready yet right now. Gonna give it another try later."

"Hou. Not ready yet, is it? Fumu."

That night, Jiza, Ui and the other three mages were invited to a banquet with Lecan and Julius at the townlord's mansion.

It's a banquet to entertain a relative of Marquis of Wazrof, Lecan, sponsored by the nephew of Palcimo's townlord, lord Toru Ciel. It's full of good food and good booze, and the topics of conversation were limited to dungeon related matters.

Dungeon stuff is Lecan's favorite. He would go on to narrate brief summaries of his expeditions in other dungeons when asked. They were especially interested in Dungeon Tsubolt, thus he explained the mechanisms behind floor 100 and below. However, he said nothing about Grace Void on the last floor. Lecan himself acquired plenty of information regarding mechanisms of Dungeon Palcimo depths from Jiza and the others.

For some reason Ui has a low opinion of Lecan. She's also weirdly confrontational toward him.

"Thirty one floors in three days huh. Depth-going explorers can cover that many floors in one day."

"Hou, I see."

"Well, I guess it pays to be careful. Lecan-dono too would discover the true nature of Dungeon Palcimo once you get to floor 81. That is if you could get there."

"How far down have you got to?"

"I personally have arrived at the depths."

The depths here mean floor 101 and below. Ui is a depth-walker.

(Someone as good as her.)

(Should notice my strength to a degree at least.)

In a clash of swords, Ui is likely far below Lecan.

Hard to say what the result would be like in a match of strictly magic, but Lecan's mana pool is far above Ui's at least. Lecan would hold the advantage in a protracted battle inside the dungeon. And yet, it's weird how Ui speaks as if she's above Lecan even now.

"Today there's left only a few people who were present on that day Dungeon Palcimo was conquered."

Jiza muttered.

"Heard it was 60 years ago."

"It was 62 years ago."

"Lecan-dono. Chief Minister Jiza's grandmother was one among the group of heroes who conquered Dungeon Palcimo."

Toru added.

"Hou. Obaba, you didn't get to the last floor huh."

"I have conquered floor 150 thrice."

"What."

"But in two of those three instances, the stairway to floor 151 did not show itself up because we lost our party members. As for the one exception, our party had exhausted all our strength on floor 150 despite the stairway's emergence, thus we did not take it further down."

"That's too bad."

"I should have gone then. Even by myself. Then I could have witnessed floor 151 with these eyes before my last breath."

Silence descended.

"Lecan-chan. Do you think I'm an idiot for having such thoughts?"

"Who knows. I'm not gonna nitpick on what others put value on."

"Hyo, hyo, hyo. You're really an interesting man, aren't you."

"But if it were me, I wouldn't be appeased with just seeing."

"Yes, I could see you being that."

"I won't fight an opponent I can't beat. I'll retreat. No matter how beaten up I get retreating, by surviving I have another shoot at conquering it one day."

"That's a dream already beyond reach for this old decrepit body of mine."

"Lies."

"Hou?"

"You haven't given up on trying to conquer this dungeon."

"What makes you say that."

"Your fighting spirit is still at its height even now. Your presence's got no gaps. Your mana is still being honed even this instance. I'm convinced your fangs are yet broken."

Jiza stared wide at Lecan.

The small withered branch-like elderly woman looked like a gigantic monster in that moment.

A second later, Jiza's face loosened up before she broke into laughter.

"Hyo, hyo. Hyo, hyo."

Jiza kept laughing for quite some time.