Shinka no Mi

Chapter 121: Into the Dungeon

We somehow managed to convince Ranze-san to let Louis come with me. I was taken by Treasure Chest using his transportation magic to come here, but on my way back to Barbadora, I used my own magic.

The teleport destination was the stadium where they held the in-school tournament, as there was nobody around.

Both Louis and Lutia were taking in the change of environment.

「How amazing… Even though just teleporting one person consumes a lot of mana, mentor teleports three at the same time, and across such a great distance no less. Isn’t it supposed to be a hard feat to achieve?」

「Yes. Even nigh-impossible, they say, since it obviously requires a tremendous amount of mana. Even so, Seiichi doesn’t even show symptoms of mana exhaustion, he sure is something else.」

For some reason, the two gave me a delightful look. Their stares felt itchy on my skin.

「 … Come to think of it, what gave you the idea that I was amazing, Lutia? I haven’t shown you my strength, right?」

What suddenly appeared in my head was the fact that Lutia put me so high in the pedestal without any obvious reason.

While it was true I was the one who lifted her 『curse』 back then however, just like that white haired ikemen demon argued that ability wouldn’t prove useful in direct combat.

For Louis though, I fought her first hand, so of course she would know…

Exposed to my question, Lutia instead just tilted her head.

「Hm? Did I say something weird? I just said so because I can feel Seiichi is awesome. There isn’t any other reason.」

「Hmm, what a mystery.」

What did she mean she could feel it? Did I release that kind of aura? If I did, I can’t see it.

「Well, that’s fine. Either way, it seems like everyone is gathering in the class I’m in charge of, so let’s go there.」

I brought the two with me and headed towards the classroom.

◆◇◆

「——For that reason, let me introduce you. This is Louis, the 【Sword Knight】 of the Wimburg Kingdom, and this is Lutia, currently seating as the representative demon lord.」

「And I’m telling you, for what reason!? Rather, we did this convo for the second time already!」

As soon as I reached the class, I walked towards the podium and told everyone so, with Louis and Lutia in tow.

When I did so, Helen gave my crude explanation a big retort.

Saria and Al were more surprised that Louis came with me, their eyes opened wide.

「Eh! Louis-san! Why are you here?」

「No, rather than Louis-san, who’s the other girl? He said something like a representative demon lord, but… 」

「Hmm… It’ll take too long to explain, you see… 」

But I still had to explain it, whether I liked to or not, so I told everything from when I was kidnapped by the Treasure Box to the fight with the Demon God Cult.

Helen, done hearing all I had to say, facepalmed.

「Y-, you… just how many strange things do you want to do before you are satisfied…」

「I’m the victim here, actually.」

「Excuse me, Seiichi-sensei. From how you said it, does that mean the two of them are going to live here as well?」

Asked Beatrice-sensei to me.

「You’re right. If we just look at the conclusion, Lutia is indeed saved, but she’s still being targeted by the Demon God Cult, and the demon folks say that her being with me would be the most reassuring, so…」

「Etto~ If the demons, or rather… from what I can take, if the generals of the Demon Army say that, it makes me think~ What do they mean by having her with you would be the most reassuring, Seiichi-sensei~?」

「Rachel, don’t waste your breath trying to talk with that teacher. I mean, look, that woman named Louis, she is called as the strongest knight of Wimburg, the 【Sword Knight】, and she’s Seiichi-sensei’s disciple. Trying reason with him will only make you sound stupid.」

「I can’t refute that, but please, be gentle with me!」

Trying to objectively analyze me would only make me feel even more out of the ordinary!

「Now that’s my Aniki! Your women are increasing by the day!」

「Come on, Seiichi-sensei, just tell me what’s your secret to snipe down women!」

「The fact that you genuinely think that hurts me the most.」

My image received yet another heavy blow when I was attacked by Agnos and Flora with their gleaming eyes.

「A, ahem! Eeh, to make it short, Lutia is here because I’m the one guarding her, and Louis is here because she wants to train all over again so she followed me. Also, I apologize in advance, but I won’t be able to teach you guys for a while.」

「Eh?」

「Ah, it’s about that matter.」

The students weren’t informed about it, but Beatrice-san had guessed what I meant and nodded.

「It’s a direct request from Barna-san, the headmaster. Apparently, a dungeon appeared in the nearby forest, where the man from Demon God Cult hid before. In order to investigate it, I along with Louis and Lutia, as well as Saria, Al, Rurune, and Olga-chan will head there. The four are my adventuring party in the first place. But, this might pose dangerous for all you students, so you guys will have to standby for now.」

「Th, then, during the time Aniki in the dungeon, Beatrice-neesan will handle all the classes?」

「That will be the case.」

「But, since it’s impossible for me to hold a practical class like Seiichi-sensei, every class will be a theory class.」

「NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNN!!!」

Agnos crumbled on the place he’s on. Umu, do your best.

「I don’t think I need to say this, but…do your best studying while I’m gone, okay!」

『Yees』

「NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!」

Everyone except Agnos answered energetically.

◆◇◆

「So this is the dungeon, huh…」

「uwaah! So the entrance is like this!」

We came here under the premise that I would bring Saria and the girls with me without even asking for their confirmation, but they completely agreed with their roles without complaint.

And now, what was in front of us was a cave that really shouted the aura of “Here is a Dungeon’s Entrance!”

It’s that, you know, the same feeling that I got from when I was about to enter Zeanos’ cave back in the 【Forest of Endless Love and Sorrow】.

That being said, it sure was hidden well behind the trees.

From an interrogation with the demon god cult member, apparently the area was buried with a grotesque mess of monsters’ corpses before, although now they are gone.

Evidently, as the result of it, the ecosystem in the area collapsed and a dungeon along with ferocious monsters emerged.

By the way, this would be my third time entering a dungeon, but the second time I’m entering from the entrance.

「Louis-san! Lutia-san! Best regards!」

「Yes, Saria-san. Thank you for having me.」

「Best of regards. …Just like Seiichi, you too have a weird presence around you.」

「Is that so? But, I’m matching with Seiichi, so it’s okay!」

Saria and her cheerful-as-ever attitude managed to close her distance with Louis and Lutia in no time.

After which, Louis directed her eyes on Olga who’d been loitering around silently.

「It has been a while, Olga.」

「 …Nn. It’s been a while, Louis-oneechan.」

「Have you been well?」

「 …Nn. I’m Gucchi.」

I didn’t know where she learnt that word, but Olga-chan gave Louis a thumb-up.

「A black cat beastman…. that girl is another rare individual to meet.」

Lutia who watched the exchange between Louis and Olga-chan opened her eyes a bit bigger.

「So, a black cat beastman is rare, after all?」

「… Un. But, rare, because… they’re a target of persecution…」

「Ah…」

Just because she was born as a black cat beastman, Olga-chan was thrown away by her parents and brought up to be an assassin.

…….Really, what a joke.

While I was crestfallen in spite of myself, Lutia then directed her eyes to Rurune and Al.

「 …And when I look at it, the girl over there has the same aura as Saria and Seiichi as well. Also, though different, the girl next to her seems to have received a blessing from someone.」

「Mu? I, is that so… the same as milord…」

「Blessing? Did I get a blessing from someone…?」

Putting Rurune aside, Al was visibly confused.

Well, for her case, Al’s curse should’ve been reversed by the ring we got from Treasure Chest’s loot, and its description also said Blessing written on it.

That being said, it seemed like Lutia was capable of sensing the aura and atmosphere of things and people, like mine and the others.

After all, she even noticed, not only Saria, but also Rurune who had received the effect of 『Fruit of Evolution』.

That very Lutia then, after scanning all of us, looked back to the Dungeon in front of us.

「 …… This dungeon…. It gives…. a very sad aura…..」

「Very sad aura?」

「Un. Although, I don’t know why it is giving off such an aura…」

All I could see was just a normal cave, but as I guessed, what Lutia perceived was different.

「….Well, no use thinking about it. Let’s delve in right away.」

As everyone gave their full consent, we took our first step into the dungeon.