Volume 4 - CH 7

Originally conquering a dungeon took a lot of time. Even at the beginning floor, without the map that the adventurer guild had finished, just conquering the first floor would take more than one day.

That was even truer for the lower floor where the monsters were stronger and the path complicated. There would be traps to evade, monsters to deal with, and sometimes there would also be path that led to the floor above instead to below. There would also be cases where it took multiple days to conquer a floor.

But, the route to head down from floor 70 of this dungeon was recorded in the document that the royal family owned.

Normally the objective of entering a dungeon would be to collect the 『treasure』 that was created by the dungeon in that floor, but we ignored all of them and simply kept advancing deeper. We took no side trip and followed the route that was written in the document.

My general impression of dungeon was that I thought the monsters would become more powerful the deeper we went.

In the upper floors there were only low ranked monsters and they would become stronger the deeper you went, but it didn’t mean that below floor 70 there would only be mythical class monster appearing.

What changed from there wasn’t the monster’s strength, but the “difficulty”. At the middle level the monsters’ appearance was still sporadic, but at the lower level they kept appearing without giving us any time to rest. It made it easier for us to get ambushed.

The monsters in this area were mostly rank 3 ogre or orc. Furthermore they didn’t appear solo but always in group. What was even more troublesome than that was that the monsters in low level were very aggressive.

The monsters at the low level were hungry. From the start there wasn’t any food inside a dungeon to fill the monsters’ stomach. But the monsters gathered here because the dungeon was alive and transforming into the optimum environment for them.

Magic particles could also serve as nutrient. The thick magic particles inside the dungeon could allow monster to survive even without them needing to eat a lot.

But it didn’t mean that it could satisfy their desire to eat. What the monsters sought was human meat.

The dungeon were regulating the monsters by guiding their mind to prevent them from devouring each other, and dropping the corpses of human who unfortunately got caught in a trap at the upper level to lower level so that the monsters wouldn’t get too used to being hungry.

Because of that the monsters in this lower level were constantly aggressive. They would sniff our scent even from afar, followed the track we left on the path we passed through, and attacked through day and night.

But, not all of the enemies were rank 3. When monsters appeared in great number, not all of them would have high rank. Some of them would come as subordinate of the higher ranked monsters, like rank 2 hobgoblin or high kobold that was just barely rank 3.

In that kind of situation, the royal guards would also join the fight, but the royal brother Amor showed his disapproval when they went out to fight like that.

「What are you doing!? It’s the job of the adventurers to clear out the enemy. You knights have the duty to protect the next generation young royalties like Ervan and Elena aren’t you!?」

The way he said it was bad but it was a correct argument. We were hired for that duty, and nobody among us adventurers had delicate mind that would feel hurt from hearing such words.

But, although it was the correct argument, there would still be people who felt dissatisfied if it was said with the wrong tone.

Wouldn’t the group be able to advance quicker if they also joined the fight? The knights who felt like their chance to show off their stuff got taken away from them were accumulating dissatisfaction. In turn Sera and Elena who were doing their best to quell that down were also accumulating mental fatigue.

But more importantly……Carla was still not making any move even though no one would be able to stop her when inside the dungeon like this. Her silence felt just a little eerie.

.

At the beginning everyone still felt somewhat high spirited when they prepared to camp. Even when the royalties ate the modest meal which was a first experience for them, they were still putting on a smile.

But now, several days after entering the dungeon, people who scowled each time it was time for meal started to appear. Inside here we couldn’t know whether it was noon or night. They had to sleep in fear and even when they woke up, the area would still be dark like before. Gradually dissatisfaction and fatigue were starting to show in everyone’s face.

「……It’s only us and that young lady who are still energetic huh.」

「Uh huh.」

Viro muttered while nibbling on ration during the break. I also replied noncommittally while glancing at her direction.

Carla didn’t join the royalties even during break and stood alone. The servants of the royal family feared her and wouldn’t approach near her. Sera and Elena acted tactfully and did things like offering her tea and the like. In respond she would accept what they gave her but other than that she would take out something like a candy from her spatially expanded bag and snacked on it.

Carla who was used with being inside dungeon looked like she was having fun instead for being given food even if she stayed quiet. I knew because I was the same. I who was used to camp outside alone found the current situation to be not that hard.

Conversely I thought that someone like Viro who was in the group of wanting to rest in an inn as much as possible during journey would complain for having to eat while standing but…….

「This is still better than the food you made.」

We could easily find monster meat everywhere here, so I thought that we could just eat that without touching our precious food store, but I was strictly ordered that I must never touch them, Well, it wasn’t like I wanted to eat the meat of humanoid monster by preference.

Setting aside Carla, Elena too was eating her food without complaining. Her body was weak so I was concerned that she might not have an appetite, but nobody could complain in this situation. ……Other than “him”.

「Head maid! This meal isn’t suitable for Elena. Isn’t there anything better?」

「Uncle, I’m fine……」

He too must be trying to protect his niece in his own way but, it was completely a futile effort and caused a burden instead to Elena who tried to stop him.

The knights were discontent seeing the frail Elena forcing herself like that, but Amor who got his hands full with himself didn’t realize that there was such atmosphere.

.

That delicate atmosphere crumbled when we had gotten down by two floors.

There was an open space where multiple paths crossed. Several people including Viro and I lifted our face when everyone reached the center of the place.

「Everyone-!」

「Draw your weapon! A lot of monsters are coming-!」

The warning pushed us and the knights to draw our weapon. Mira sent the low rank wind spirit she employed to the air.

「O spirit of wind, place the protection of wind around us!」

The protection of wind enveloped the group, at the same time low rank monsters like goblin and hobgoblin surged out from several paths that connected to this open space.

「Tsk, a “monster room”!」

The “monster room” that Viro shouted was a kind of trap in dungeon. It referred to a phenomenon where a lot of monsters suddenly overflowed in a place that seemed like safe.

「Let’s go!!」

「We’ll back them up too with our pride as the royal guards on the line!!」

『For the pride of the royal guards!!』

Dalton and Feld rushed forward, at the same time the knights who didn’t get too many chance to fight until now also rushed toward the monsters that were trying to surround us.

In this situation the priority should be to protect the royalties. But the dissatisfaction of the young knights who had been held back until now had reached the limit and they became unable to even make a normal decision after staying for several days inside this dungeon.

It became a sudden melee and I also took out my pendulum to give back up. But then a voice stopped me.

「Is it alright for you to leave?」

「……Carla?」

Carla’s voice sounded amused. At the same time a lot of monsters started to flood out too from the direction of the path that we had passed to here.

「Wha-, get back here knights! Shit-」

Amor noticed that and raised his voice, but it didn’t reach the knights who had gotten embroiled in chaotic melee. Clara seemed to keenly feel the danger to her life in that situation and staggered as though she had anemia. Ervan hurriedly caught her in his arms.

Seeing their masters like that caused the servants of the royalty who didn’t specialize in fighting to begin feeling even more flustered.

「Calm down-, first make sure of the safety of his highness and the others!」

In this situation Sera who had the strength to fight couldn’t move in order to manage them. Then my gaze met Elena who still tried to protect the crown prince even in such situation.

「I-I won’t let anything hurt them!」

Amor raised his voice to shake himself free from the fear and pointed his short sword toward the approaching high kobold.

This must be his first real battle even though he had received legitimate training in sword. I was impressed with the way he tried to protect Elena and Ervan despite his fear but, that wasn’t your job.

「Hih」

The instant the claws of the attacking kobold was about to tear Amor’s throat, a pendulum’s blade pierced its face.

「……Wha-!?」

「Step back.」

I stepped in front of Amor who was dumbfounded seeing the monster falling on the ground before him. Then I thrust a dagger on an approaching hobgoblin before slashing the throats of two kobolds.

「It’s my work from here.」

「Aria!」

Elena who was under Sera’s protection let out a pained voice toward me who rushed out to deal with the monsters that approached from the rear.

Perhaps Elena recalled that time when I almost died to protect her.

But……it’s alright Elena.

I directed a smile just for a moment toward her to reassure her before readying my pendulum and knife.

The dungeon trap “monster room” was an attack by large amount of monster when the victim stepped into a space where there was nothing. It was a highly dangerous trap that was difficult to avoid, but if there was a silver lining to be found was how all the monsters that got drawn by the dungeon’s “call” had low rank.

Even so “number” was a threat by itself. Even if each monster wasn’t a threat individually, if a single person got attacked by more than ten, it would become a lethal danger even if the attackers were just rank 1 or 2 monsters.

Even for Dalton and other members of Rainbow Knight, although they could defeat these enemies in one hit, the requirement that they couldn’t allow the enemies to approach the protection targets and that they had to support the knights made them unable to exert all their strength.

They were “orthodox” adventurer for good and bad. Even though they could slaughter ogre or troll in one blow, their strength and weapon were too powerful to face numerous small fries in the middle of melee.

「W-wait! What’s the point of a young girl like you going-!」

Amor who tried to fight at the frontline despite being a royalty raised his voice in concern for my wellbeing.

Although his behavior right now was horrible, it could be seen from Elena and Ervan’s attitude toward him that normally he was a good person. That was why he didn’t wish for my death even though I was an adventurer, an occupation that he was unable to stomach.

Surely someone like him who was only able to believe what he had seen with his own eyes thought that it was impossible for a girl in the same age of Elena to fight at the frontline.

He tried to go to the forefront himself, perhaps because of his manly pride or noble dignity. I guessed it was admirable but, right now this side didn’t have any proper combatant remaining.

The knights couldn’t get back because they got caught in a melee. There were still few guards remaining behind but, the duty of these people including Sera was more like 『shield the royalties with your life』 rather than fighting.

「There’s no time. Don’t get in the way.」

「Wha-」

The monsters from the rear had approached close. I radiated pressure for an instant at Amor who was in the way to shut him up, then I lightly waved my hand to Elena and Sera, stood in front of the swarm of monsters that were rushing like an avalanche, and cut my way through them like a knife splitting a wave.

Open your eyes. I’ll show you the way “I” fight.

『GOGYA!』

I quickly tapped my heel. Then I jumped and landed a kick with the blade in my shoes. The face of the kobold that was running at the forefront was torn together with its skull.

I threw a slashing type pendulum from my Storage before I landed and tore the throat of the goblin that tried to slip from my side. My scythe type pendulum deeply split the brain of a hobgoblin.

『GIGYAGYA!』

Two goblins attacked me at that timing with rusty short sword.

The instant I landed, I absorbed the impact using my knee joint and thigh muscle while using the momentum to make my bending leg to kick on the ground. I leaped forward and planted the black knife and black dagger in my hands into the two goblins’ foreheads faster than they could swing down their short sword.

『GAAAAAAAAA!!』

A high kobold with large build and an orc approached at that moment. They thrust using their rusty spear and stone axe at me.

My hands let go of the knife and dagger that stabbed into the goblins and bent backward to dodge the approaching blades. Without stopping I kicked up at the jaw of the high kobold from below using the blade at my toes. I dodged the spurt of blood while swinging down the weighted type pendulum to smash the orc’s skull.

『GIGYAA!!』

The kobold and goblin that came rushing next had their throat torn open at the same time using the slashing pendulum that had its power increased from centrifugal force.

「HAAAA!!」

I recovered the dagger using the string of the general purpose pendulum and grabbed it midair, planted it into the forehead of an approaching hobgoblin, then I grabbed my other knife in the air and rotated with my whole body to behead a high kobold.

The high kobold’s freshly severed head flew while spurting black blood everywhere. It made the wave of approaching monsters paused slightly.

Even though they were called here by the dungeon and in a hungry state, it seemed there was still al ittle bit of sense remaining inside them. But I had no intention of overlooking that opportunity.

I targeted the goblins at the left and right with the slashing and scythe pendulums. They tore through the two’s necks before I pulled on the strings with all my strength. The two kobolds who were on their path had their throat cut open with a trail of blood spray left behind on the pendulums’ wake. Then I rotated them while rushing to the midst of the monsters.

『GUGYA!?』

『GIII!』

The eyes of the highly spirited monsters were finally filled with fear seeing me killing them in succession without even a moment of pause. Their movement began to dull down.

Fear caused your body to be stiff. In the battlefield the so called 『moderate fear with appropriate amount of tension』 didn’t exist. If you didn’t conquer or overcome it, there would only be “death” waiting for you.

I sidestepped the jerkily moving monsters with paper thin distance while caressing the carotid artery of several goblins using my black knife and stabbing my dagger into the jaw of a petrified high kobold from below until its brain.

『GI……GYIGAAA!!』

The monsters started moving simultaneously in terror seeing that.

I ducked to dodge the multiple spears that the monsters thrust, grabbed the stone floor with my hands like a cat, and shot out like arrow using my arms’ muscle strength and my legs’ kick. I slashed apart the throat of a hobgoblin with my heel’s knife while knocking up the jaw of the orc right in front me with my palm heel, then I horizontally cut apart its throat that became completely open with my knife.

『GAAAA!!』

I used my left arm’s hand protector to parry the rusty hatchet that a hobgoblin haphazardly thrust. The blade was diverted to a nearby kobold, cutting it apart. I cartwheeled to kick up the arm of a high kobold that attacked me with its sharp claws while directing it to the hobgoblin that attacked me with hatchet. The two crashed on each other and lost their balance before I killed them simultaneously with knife and dagger.

I dodged the blades of the approaching monsters only using Detection that I focused to the extreme. I crouched like a cat, grabbed on the stone floor to slip through right under the feet of the monsters while killing them in turn starting from the monsters that showed opening.

No hesitation. Also no fear.

I killed all the enemies before my eyes.

I constantly spun to change position while swinging around my pendulums with centrifugal force to cut open the neck of monsters, smashed their skull, and tore through their carotid artery.

Only half remaining──

***

「……What’s……this……」

Hoarse voice leaked out from Amor’s throat.

That adventurer was a slender girl with traces of childishness still remaining in her looks, no different at all from his niece Elena and the fiancées of his nephew Ervan.

It seemed she was acquainted with Elena but, the way she acted to her was disrespectful for a mere adventurer in the presence of a royalty. Just like how she ignored the existence of Amor who tried to protect the young royalties and faced the monster swarm on her lonesome.

Even the royal guards here who had reached rank 3 wouldn’t get out unscathed if they got surrounded by five armed hobgoblins while alone. That was because knights were trained with the assumption that they would have comrades at their side in the battlefield and there would be no need for them to face many enemies alone. On top of that they also had no experience of going through such thing in real battle.

Furthermore here the opponents weren’t just rank 1 goblin or kobold, there were also rank 2 hobgoblin and orc and high kobold that were rank 3 although only barely.

Even if the girl was a member of the famous adventurer party “Rainbow Sword”, there was no way she would be able to win. ……That was what he thought.

But the girl used strange weapon and martial art to kill dozens of monsters in the blink of eye.

A life would have been reaped without fail each time the girl whirled as though she was dancing and her black blade glinted. The girl’s “ash” covered hair became dyed red from the blood spurt and spray of the monsters. That look coupled with her well-ordered appearance reminded him of a 『rose made from iron』.

「……”Ash Crowned Princess”……」

One of the luggage carriers who also served as guard absentmindedly muttered those words. Amor spontaneously turned toward him.

「What’s that……, do you know about that girl-!?」

Amor grabbed at the cloth of that guard. That guard’s expression convulsed even while he nodded his head.

「I-I don’t know that much! But……if I remember correctly, there was an “ash covered” girl who got called like that after destroying many branches of assassin guild and thief guild……」

The man answered based on the “rumor” that he remembered some merchants or the like were talking about. Then behind him another servant looked as though he recalled something and raised his voice.

「I also heard about it once! There was a rumor that a single girl annihilated a group orc that attacked a baron territory at the north by herself……」

Ervan and Clara also gulped from hearing that statement. Even Elena and Sera who knew about that rumor opened their eyes wide when hearing that coupled with the fierceness of the scene in front of them.

Clara also knew about that information. After all that assassin guild branch that was annihilated by that Ash Crowned Princess was near Dandall.

There was also other unbelievable rumors like a thief guild that was made up from fierce fighters getting annihilated by the same girl, but they could only believe those rumors after watching the girl fighting before their eyes. Clar felt like her sight turned dark when she recalled how she was thinking of eliminating such girl.

As though to seek for salvation, she turned her eyes toward Ervan who told her that he would 『protect』 her and continued to hold her hand. There she saw how even though he was also feeling afraid like Clara by the violent scene before them, there was only that “girl” being reflected inside his eyes as though he was under her charm. It made Clara’s consciousness slipping away.

「Clara-!」

Ervan caught Clara who fainted and fell down, while continuing to stare and tremble at the girl who he thought as 『simply a pretty girl』 when he got acquainted with her before.

Amor too muttered in a daze after hearing the unbelievable stories.

「That’s absurd……」

Impossible. There was no way such things could be true.

That “common sense” got rewritten by the “reality” of the girl who killed monsters before his eyes. It engraved “fear” into Amor’s mind like a wedge.

「Aria……」

Seeing the unbelievable growth of the girl who once exchange an oath with her in the past, Elena called her name while placing her hand on her chest as though to ascertain the “oath” once more.

While gazes of surprise, excitement, and fear were directed there, only Carla was staring at the figure of the girl who fought as though she was dancing with ecstasy in her expression.

Carla kept doing nothing except watching without dirtying her hand until now was because she wanted to saw the figure of the girl killing and getting hurt even more than taking away life with her own hands.

She let out that twisted passion together with a heated sigh, then she turned a heated gaze toward the girl.

「As I thought, no matter whose blood it is, a blood soaked Aria is pretty……」

***

『GU……GAa』

*GOKIN-…* The neck snapped with such sound. The last high kobold fell down after I loosened up the string around its broken neck.

It was over with this. The dungeon’s trap ended and around me there were the corpses of more than fifty monsters lying in pools of blood.

The extermination at the other side had also just finished. The knights who returned back in panic saw the situation here and took a step back in shock.

There were also the young knights who talked to me on the ship among them, but even they backed away from feeling overwhelmed seeing me soaked in blood. The opened a path for me to walk through.

I lightly waved my hand at Elena who was among the royalties in the middle of the knights. In respond she sighed with a slightly angry face before finally she smiled just a little, as though saying that it couldn’t be helped.

「Aria-!」

I saw Feld and Mira running this way from my path ahead. I too took a step ahead toward the height where they were standing on.

I became stronger yet again.