Episode 113

First, a dungeon has an entrance that looks like a small hill.

Basically, most of them lead underground.

If you go down the stairs that continue underground for a while, you arrive inside the dungeon.

The places you arrive at vary.

Sometimes it’s like an open plain, and other times it’s dark and damp like ruins.

If you proceed and take down the monster called the dungeon master, you can clear the dungeon and destroy it.

If you defeat the dungeon’s master—or what they call the boss monster—no monsters will appear inside the dungeon anymore, and it will eventually vanish.

The small hill that was the entrance disappears, and if you dig the ground there’s nothing.

Because of that, people sometimes say the inside of the dungeon connects to another world…

That’s the dungeon itself, but its appearance can have a big effect on the surrounding area.

Monsters may start appearing more frequently around the entrance hill, or monsters living nearby may be strengthened.

This is a phenomenon caused by mana produced by the dungeon.

Monsters can mutate and change into ones you’ve never seen before, becoming a threat.

The effects of mana can act not only on monsters but also on the land.

The land can become barren, making it difficult for people to live there.

Hearing only this, it seems like the appearance of a dungeon is often dangerous, but it’s not all bad.

For example, a mutated monster might be an endangered species—or even a monster that had gone extinct.

Depending on the land, the influence of mana can turn it into fertile ground.

If it has no effect on the surroundings, the monsters inside the dungeon could become an almost infinite resource if you keep hunting them.

The monsters inside the dungeon seem to be created by mana, but parts of their bodies can remain.

Apparently, there is a limit to how many monsters can appear, though.

If the internal land is used well, it could help lords who are short on land.

So, handling a dungeon is tricky.

The reason we don’t have to depart immediately after Lord Goral’s instructions is that they’re right now making those judgments.

Well, I only learned all these details recently.

When I told Ivas about these things, he opened his eyes in admiration.

“You’re knowledgeable, Lord Faik. Impressive!”

“Th-that’s not true.”

I get a little embarrassed when I’m praised.

I just repeated everything Alicia taught me.

“By the way, is Lady Alicia coming along too?”

“Yeah…”

“Huh? Lord Faik, you’re not very enthusiastic, are you?”

I nodded at Ivas’s casual question.

“Well. It’s because Alicia can use healing magic, so she might join the dungeon raid.”

If it turned out the dungeon needed to be destroyed, Alicia would join the raid along with her stepbrother.

I’ve heard the dungeon itself isn’t that difficult, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any worry.

“Huh, Lady Alicia can use healing magic?!”

“Y-yeah.”

“Lucky… People who can use healing magic are really rare! …I want to party with her. Is that not possible, Lord Faik?”

What is Ivas saying.

I can’t let Alicia take part in something so extremely dangerous.

“No! It’d be terrible if something happened to Alicia!”

“Wah, Lord Faik, please don’t shout so loud! I’m half-joking!”

“But the other half is serious, right?!”

“Um… but I’ve heard nobles are trained in various things, so Lady Alicia might be pretty capable in battle, right?”

I recalled the past a little at Ivas’s words.

Alicia had come to me a few times while she was doing blacksmithing.

She once lightly swung a sword for me, and it looked quite proper.

I heard then as well that Alicia had learned a bit of swordsmanship.

One of the duties of nobles is to repel threats.

Of course, that includes hunting down monsters.

Not all nobles are skilled fighters, and there’s always a possibility that monsters far beyond their ability could appear.

They can request others to handle such things, but there’s no doubt Alicia is very likely to participate this time.

People who can use healing magic are extremely rare…

I wish in some way to make Alicia participate more safely in the dungeon raid—no, preferably not participate at all.

While thinking that,

“You don’t really have to worry that much.”

Alicia came over.

I turned my gaze at the sound, and Alicia gave a wry smile.

Her wry smile made it clear I’d had quite the expression on my face.