Grail Accidentally Broke Some Kind Of Seal

Grail followed the pair who seemed to have defeated the E-layer area boss while keeping his distance.

The pair was insanely strong.

Of course, that was only natural since they were wearing B-rank equipment. Not only the F-layer monsters, but even the E-layer monsters were cut down in a single strike.

(…Even I, with Swordsmanship, struggle against hunter lizards, and they deal with them that easily!)

Grail could not help but be astonished at the sight of high-level adventurers.

Grail did not think in the slightest that the pair’s true identities were Ios and Misha.

There were two reasons. First, simply the distance.

Grail had kept his distance so the pair would not notice him. They were quite far away, so he could not see their faces at all, nor could he hear their voices.

Next was their equipment.

Grail never once imagined that Ios, who should have been stuck at F-rank, would be wearing B-rank equipment. Judging from the appearance of his back, Grail’s reason may have considered the possibility by about one percent, but his emotions unconsciously rejected it.

There was no way Ios, who was more worthless than me, would be wearing equipment like that!

If he acknowledged such a fact, Grail’s swollen self-consciousness would probably have completely collapsed.

Misha had also switched to D-rank equipment with defense in mind. Her trademark triangular hat had also been changed to one of a different color to match. To Grail, she was nothing more than “someone he did not recognize.”

Only Nyankoromochi, walking at their feet, looked familiar, but—

Whenever they went adventuring, Ios had always hidden Nyankoromochi with his skill. Grail did not think for even a moment that he would be walking around with her.

(…A cat? Isn’t that nothing but dead weight? Bringing something like that along, as expected of B-rank… They have room to spare… They’re in a different league from Ios, who always hid his cat with that crap skill…)

That was what Grail thought.

Because there was distance between them, Grail did not notice Nyankoromochi’s contributions at all.

And so—

Grail continued following them without realizing the pair’s true identities.

(…They’re too strong… I can’t stop respecting them…!)

While thinking about such things.

As a warrior, Grail did have admiration for strength.

Before long, the pair reached the D-layer.

The D-layer—

A layer Grail had never stepped into.

Even Grail, as expected, became nervous. In principle, he was following behind the pair, so it should have been safe. But in a dungeon, one never knew what might happen.

(Don’t get scared, Grail! You have the Swordsmanship skill, don’t you!)

He was different from Ios, who had a useless skill!

If he was capable, then he should be able to make it through some hardships!

Grail steeled himself and took one step into unknown territory.

The pair began fighting against D-layer trolls.

They were used to it. The warrior slashed, and the mage scorched them with fire. With coordination that was like breathing in perfect sync, they defeated the trolls in no time.

They defeated one after another and advanced deeper and deeper into the dungeon.

(S-So amaaaaaazing!)

Grail was excited.

And then, he thought this.

(…Is there some way I can get acquainted with those two…?)

Their levels were too different, so he probably could not join their party, but—the fact that he had high-level acquaintances would lift his spirits.

There would surely be many things he should learn from them.

It would not be bad to have them become his masters either.

Meeting the greatest masters after being expelled was one of the common story patterns.

As expected of Grail, the protagonist of the world!

(Iiiiiiooooooooos! I’ve finally met them, the beings who will become my masters! Have you met them!? Beings like that!?)

It was when Grail was thinking about whether there was some way to become friendly with them.

Clunk.

The moment Grail put his weight on it, the wall of the passage where he had placed his hand sank inward in a rectangle.

(Could it be a trap…!?)

Thinking that, a chill ran through him.

But it was not.

With a small rumbling sound, the wall right beside him slid open. When Grail quietly peered inside, there was something like a room at the end of a short passage.

(—A hidden room!)

They existed. Hidden rooms like this. And there were even rumors that untouched gold, silver, and treasure lay inside them.

Grail’s lips loosened into a grin.

(…Luck’s finally come around for me too!)

His heart heated up at this unexpected good fortune, and Grail advanced into the hidden room. The pair was fighting multiple new trolls. If he hurried back, he probably would not be left behind.

At the back of the room was a large metal box.

Not a treasure chest, but a box like a coffin, whose lid opened by sliding.

(Ha ha ha ha ha! It reeks of treasureeeee!)

Grail approached the box and placed his hands on the lid.

A terrifyingly cold sensation came through his palms. Grail, excited by the scent of treasure, did not feel anything in particular.

Grail put his weight into it and slid the heavy stone lid aside.

He slid it halfway—

And Grail was disappointed.

Because there was nothing inside the box. There was only an empty space, with darkness pooled at the bottom.

“What the hell, damn it!”

The moment he shouted, Grail reflexively kicked the box.

Thud!

At the moment a dull sound rang out—

As if an enormous swarm of flies had all taken off at once, the darkness that had settled at the bottom of the box burst upward.

“Ahii!?”

Startled, Grail fell over spectacularly and landed on his backside.

“—It’s just bugs, damn it!”

He was disappointed from the bottom of his heart. He had finally discovered a hidden room, and he had thought there might be a chance for a comeback here.

(So damn boring!)

Grail stood up and turned around to return to where he had been.

At that moment—

“Huh?”

There was an unidentified “something” there.

There was?

No.

It was trying to appear right now. The particles of darkness that had flown out of the box gathered together, trying to form “something.”

It was painted completely black from head to toe—

A “something” in the shape of a person.

Its lower body was densely covered in beast hair, its upper body bulged with well-trained muscles, and its height exceeded two meters.

Its whole body was jet-black, as if dyed with black ink.

The head that formed last was—

The skull of a goat.

In the eerie head, red lights, like eyes, lit up.

“Y-You bastard, are you a monster!”

Grail drew the broadsword from his waist.

(I’m so damn unlucky!)

Even if he wanted to run and ask the pair for help, the exit was behind the monster.

Somehow, he had to get through this on his own.

(But I have the Swordsmanship skill! With my attack power, even if it’s D-rank, I should be able to land one hit. If I use that opening to escape!)

“Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!”

With a shout of fighting spirit, Grail slashed at the goat-headed figure. Perhaps because it had only just appeared, the goat head did not move an inch.

The blade Grail swung down struck the goat head—

And was repelled.

(Wh—What!?)

Numbness ran through his hand.

“Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!”

Even so, Grail repeatedly attacked with his sword, but his blade was only repelled by the goat head’s body.

In this world, stats were absolute.

Unless the attacker’s attack power surpassed the defender’s defense power, no damage would be taken.

In other words—

The goat head’s defense power exceeded Grail’s attack power.

Grail could not read it, but written on the box’s lid in ancient letters was this.

Here, a fragment of the “King of Defilement” is sealed. It must never be opened.

Far from D-rank—

It had power comparable even to B-rank.