Episode 19

The underground dungeon could be explored even without the Light spell. The walls constantly gave off a faint glow.

“Hey.”

The survey unit shaved off a section of wall for sampling and tried to take it back, but once separated from the wall, the glow vanished. It seemed the light came not from the wall itself but from another substance deeper within.

“Hey…”

The wall merely served to transmit the light; even if it did not emit light on its own, it might have other uses. Since a detailed study on-site was difficult, they decided to bring samples back as planned.

“Hey! You can hear me, right⁉︎”

“You… who have you been talking to for a while now? …Are you all right?”

“You, obviously! You. I’m talking while looking at you!”

Keat protested loudly.

“Please be a little quieter. Your voice echoes and it’s noisy. …That said, I sympathize.”

The survey unit was now on the fifth basement floor. The exploration was going smoothly—so smoothly that doubts arose.

“If you get it, don’t butt in. …Have you been in this dungeon before?”

“And what does that have to do with you?”

“A lot! You’re a member of the survey unit, aren’t you⁉︎”

“How strange. Who was it making a fuss about ‘bringing a child,’ again?”

“Guh… that’s…”

“Hah. Was the stroll just right for you? …If you can’t act as my hands and feet, get lost—you’re an eyesore.”

Zeke sliced the air around him with verbal blades. His words sounded self-centered, yet they were not entirely wrong.

As on the first floor, the other floors also had gimmicks: break statues in the correct order; cast a specific spell at a wall; offer a designated ore to an altar—puzzles difficult to clear blind. Zeke handled them all alone.

Keat could hardly be blamed for being suspicious.

“What methods are you using? I can’t make sense of it.”

“Don’t measure me by your convenience. …If you’re done venting, get out of my way.”

Zeke’s stream of invective did not stop. The survey members faltered—except for Glanz, whose gaze on him was different.

(It looks like mere scorn, yet it also feels like he’s keeping us away… Why?)

Up to this point, even Glanz could have dealt with the gimmicks given time; some form of hint had existed.

But Zeke dispelled each one without any visible deliberation—as if he already knew them.

(It’s been about two weeks since this dungeon was found. The kingdom sealed it off immediately, so knowing the interior beforehand should be difficult.)

Sensing faint mana flows or parsing messages the statues indicated was not impossible. Similar features existed in other dungeons.

But the script inscribed inside—the so-called “dungeon script,” an ancient writing—was another matter. Its style and meaning varied completely from dungeon to dungeon.

“Dungeon script” referred to the old-era characters seen in dungeons across the land. Notes required for dungeon progress, treasure locations, records of the old era, even information on special magic—various knowledge was inscribed there.

It was said that deciphering even a single entry could earn you wealth for life. That was its value—and how hard it was to decode.

(I dislike judging by age, but deciphering demands knowledge and experience. That altar had dungeon script carved into it, and yet…)

For the altar’s inscription, understanding it at a glance was nearly impossible. Similar styles sometimes existed, but for Glanz, it had been his first time seeing that particular script.

(Was it dungeon script he just happened to know—or did he merely place an ore he happened to be carrying?)

The ore Zeke used was commonly traded, so acquiring it was not hard. But there was no reason to carry it without purpose, much less to lug nonessential items into a survey.

(So he did grasp this dungeon’s reality in advance? If so, why wait for the survey unit? And why show us how to solve the gimmicks at all?)

He said nothing concrete; hand-waving it as exceptional insight did not explain it. He clearly acted as if he knew and made sure they saw.

(A feeling of being drawn into deeper water… Truly a fascinating boy.)

Glanz found his attention drifting from the dungeon to the boy before him. He felt something hard to express in words. Was it different from the foreboding he’d sensed before, or the same?

“Even so… there really aren’t any monsters.”

“Indeed. I’d prefer it ended without incident.”

Unlike the surface, a dungeon’s ecosystem differed dramatically. Not just in raw strength—its creatures’ raison d’être could be entirely different.

They fought not to live, but to guard ruins, repel intruders, sometimes even act as guides.

“I was hoping for some monsters with bite. Dungeons are supposed to be fun.”

“I can’t fully agree, but it is a suitable environment for broadening one’s horizons.”

“Kid, you’ve got a sword—are you learning under someone? I could teach you… for a fee.”

“I haven’t fallen so low that I need a fool’s concern.”

“…You. What will you do if monsters show up? Maybe fix that attitude first?”

“Is self-hypnosis trending in the knights? Keep it up.”

At this point, it was almost impressive. How could someone hurl abuse so freely without being cowed by those around him? It was arrogant enough to be mistaken for “promising.”

“…Hey, big man. Use Search on that wall.”

“Mm? Search… on the wall? …I can, but…”

The big man, Routon, did as Zeke said and cast Search on the wall. —Glanz’s eyes narrowed.

“Wha⁉︎ What is this supposed to mean⁉︎”

“Don’t shout so suddenly. What is it?”

“There are massive readings inside the wall! A horde of monsters.”

“Huh? We’ve been running detection constantly! Why only now?”

As Keat said, they had kept detection up at all times—spells, techniques, and layered vigilance from different angles.

“…It seems this is another concealment spell—and a rather sophisticated one.”

“But Glanz-sama, it should be inside our detection range. Why couldn’t we notice until now?”

“It appears designed so the concealment breaks only once you focus awareness on it.”

(If we had proceeded without noticing, we might have been ambushed in this tight space…)

“So, what do we do? Hit them here?”

“I can raise a barrier, but securing a retreat will be difficult.”

“Karina, prioritize treatment. Conserve your mana—here, I will—”

They assessed the situation in an instant and formed up. As befitted a kingdom-selected team, they were well chosen. —But one person acted separately.

Zeke walked unhurriedly toward the wall, a short knife in his hand.

“Hey—what do you think you’re doing⁉︎ Fall back, now!”

“Be quiet, four-eyes. Stay still.”

He halted just short of the wall. With smooth, precise motion, he drove the knife into it. —A magic circle rose, centered on the blade.

“Another concealment spell⁉︎ And double-layered!”

“Don’t panic over every little thing. It’s annoying.”

(This circle isn’t modern… Space, range, designation, erasure…?)

The circle glimmered with an uncanny light—then faded with time. Nothing had changed within visible range, but…

“—! The monster signatures are gone… What happened?”

“Wh—what even is this…?”

“E-everyone, calm down—confirm the situation!”

“Brat! What did you just do!”

They had braced for combat—and then all targets suddenly vanished. Not seeing them only made the confusion worse.

“I erased all the monsters. That’s all. …What’s wrong? Did I not live up to your expectations?”

A mocking smile tugged at Zeke’s lips. He was blatantly belittling them.

“Erased all the monsters? In this short time… Impossible.”

“If you can’t comprehend it, this is your stop. Go home and take a nap.”

Ignoring the group, Zeke moved on ahead—as if advertising how little interest he had in them.

(So he is rejecting us—no, pushing us away? What lies ahead?)

“W—wait! That’s not an explanation!”

“Glanz-sama, he is clearly concealing information. The kingdom could deem this treason.”

“…As he says, perhaps we should withdraw.”

With a grave expression, Glanz stared after Zeke.

“What’s wrong, Sage? Catch a chill of cowardice?”

“So it seems. …I dislike using the word ‘intuition,’ but I have a bad feeling.”

“…I’m going on. As a knight, I will do my duty.”

“Same. If he’s hiding something, we can haul him in.”

“I’ll do my job. That’s the work.”

The survey unit decided to proceed. They chased after Zeke, heading deeper into the dungeon.

(Is it my ego to hope this choice won’t birth a tragic end?)

In his position, Glanz had witnessed many casualties. He was a Sage who wished happiness for these young people with a future.