Chapter 13: Wrangling Shadows
Blair had his eyes on a certain individual.
He had been secretly commissioned by Count Beetle to do so.
Almost immediately after he began marking this target, he realized something was clearly off.
The boy was supposed to be acting under the Count’s orders. So why was he visiting weapon shops and item shops on his own? He appeared to be chatting with ordinary residents in town, but upon investigation, those people had unknown origins.
Blair decided to continue his surveillance with a small team of subordinates, ensuring the target remained unaware.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Two months had passed since Clarice and I began diving into the 【Dungeon】.
Starting today, we were going to begin hunting in the Spawn Room. Clarice’s level had risen enough that she could now easily defeat a Hobgoblin without me needing to act as a decoy.
Here is Clarice’s current status:
【Name】 Clarice Lampard
【Title】 －
【Rank】 Human・Commoner
【Condition】 Good
【Age】 7
【Level】 14 (+3)
【HP】 70/70
【MP】 518/518
【Strength】 28 (+5)
【Agility】 30 (+6)
【Magic】 44 (+8)
【Dexterity】 42 (+10)
【Endurance】 28 (+6)
【Luck】 20
【Unique Ability】 Barrier Magic G (Lv 0/5)
【Special Ability】 Swordsmanship C (Lv 3/15)
【Special Ability】 Archery B (Lv 2/17) (1→2)
【Special Ability】 Water Magic C (Lv 2/15)
【Special Ability】 Holy Magic A (Lv 6/19)
【Equipment】 Defender
【Equipment】 【Magic Arrow】
【Equipment】 【Mysterious Anklet】
The number of Goblins on the first two floors had settled down significantly. It was now only slightly more populated than the Ilgusia 【Dungeon】.
Recently, we had started bringing preserved food with us to extend our time inside the 【Dungeon】. We would leave our supplies in the Safe Zone, clear the large rooms on the second floor, and were currently making our way through the third floor.
We were almost at the Spawn Room.
I spoke to Clarice as we walked.
"I’m going to wipe them all out first, so I want you to watch. I explained how the Spawn Room works earlier, but I think seeing it in person might still make you panic."
"Understood. Besides, I’ve been wanting to see Mars’s 《Wind Cutter》 for a while now."
That’s right, I still hadn’t used 《Wind Cutter》 in front of Clarice. I had stuck strictly to being a decoy, avoiding attacks whenever possible, and prioritizing her safety above all else.
The Spawn Room was in the same location as it was in the Ilgusia 【Dungeon】, but there was one difference. I had anticipated it, but there were thirty Goblin Generals right from the start, and thirty vortexes to match.
When the Knights saw it a while back, they mentioned there were twenty locations, so the 【Dungeon】 itself must be evolving or changing.
For me, it didn't matter if there were twenty or thirty Goblin Generals. In fact, I was happier with thirty because it meant more experience points.
Clarice, however, looked bewildered by the sheer number of Goblin Generals. She might actually be a little scared.
"A-Are you really going to be okay? Isn't this amount abnormal? Shouldn't we need the entire Order of Knights for this..."
"It’s fine, Clarice. No matter how many Goblin Generals there are, I will definitely win. Just watch."
Wanting to show off a little to Clarice, I went forth to massacre the Goblin Generals.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Clarice watched as Mars headed toward the horde of Goblin Generals.
Usually, Mars fought with a sword in his right hand, but this time he had nothing equipped.
Mars simply waved his hand horizontally, and the Goblin Generals ahead of his motion were sliced in two.
Armor and weapons meant nothing. With a single swing of Mars's hand, his target and the surrounding Goblin Generals were collectively bisected.
It didn't even take two minutes to defeat thirty of them.
What surprised her most was that the corpses of the defeated Goblin Generals were already gone. They had turned into magic stones the instant they were slain.
Amazing. Clarice honestly thought so.
An ordinary person would likely harbor fear at such a sight.
But Clarice felt happy. She felt proud.
If this hadn't been Mars, Clarice would have been terrified, too. But her absolute trust in him prevented any fear from taking hold.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Having literally massacred the Goblin Generals, I was feeling a tinge of regret.
I overdid it... I wanted to look cool in front of Clarice, so I got too carried away. She’s definitely scared of me now...
Thinking this, I turned back toward Clarice, only for her to come flying at me.
"Amazing! Mars! That was really amazing!"
It was so unexpected that I couldn't support her weight and we tumbled over. Of course, I made sure to hold onto her properly.
"You weren't scared?"
"Not at all! Halfway through, I was watching with total peace of mind."
"No, I mean, aren't you scared of me?"
"Why would I be scared?! I’m happy, and I’m proud. It makes me want to brag to everyone that we came from the same previous life."
I felt the same—I wanted to brag that I was sharing secret information with such a beautiful girl.
After enjoying a sweet moment together, I said, "Come to think of it, if you wipe out this room solo within thirty minutes, a treasure chest should appear... Ah, there it is!"
Clarice followed me toward the chest.
Using Appraisal on the chest revealed it had a Value of 2.
When I opened it, a crystal appeared.
【Name】 Appraisal Crystal
【Special】 －
【Value】 E
【Details】 Allows the user to appraise a person or object a single time.
This was a low-key jackpot. Even if it was single-use...
It would help with motivation for leveling up, so I decided to let Clarice use it later. seeing her own stats directly might be more motivating than just hearing about them.
"Alright, the Goblin Generals will respawn in a bit. Let's step outside and wait for all of them to come back. I have a plan."
Clarice nodded without a word, trusting my judgment completely.
And thanks to my strategy, Clarice’s level would surpass mine two weeks later.
"Once we kill one, the next will spawn immediately! Let's do this!"
"Yeah! I still have plenty of mana, so I'll whittle them down with the 【Magic Arrow】 and finish them off with the Defender!"
I kept my eyes on Clarice’s combat the entire time.
She was already capable of defeating a Goblin General one-on-one. However, facing more than one at a time was still dangerous.
So, upon entering the Spawn Room, I would kill them one by one, at a pace of one per minute.
After defeating twenty-nine of them, I would switch with Clarice.
This allowed Clarice to fight one-on-one for a full minute.
If Clarice took damage, I would cast 《Heal》 immediately.
She couldn't take down a Goblin General in a single hit yet, so she aimed for the eyes with her 【Magic Arrow】 to rob them of their sight, then moved in to finish them with the Defender.
She couldn't hit the eyes with pinpoint accuracy yet, but since the arrows generally hit around the face, the Goblin Generals would always flinch. Especially since they had just spawned, they hadn't fully grasped their surroundings yet. Reacting to and dealing with an arrow was too much to ask of them.
Sometimes it took her over a minute to kill one, in which case I would handle the next spawning Goblin General. Though, that was mostly when we first started hunting them; it wasn't necessary anymore.
"Once we kill this one, let's head back to the Safe Zone!"
Clarice just nodded; she was likely too exhausted to speak.
Clarice would never say she wanted a break on her own. If I didn't judge her condition by her expression and movements, we’d be in trouble.
There was one time when she hit a Goblin General in the eye with a 【Magic Arrow】 and went in for the kill with the Defender, only for her grip strength to give out. She ended up throwing the sword. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest that time.
But hunting Goblin Generals with Clarice like this was incredibly fun.
And not just hunting. Being with her was fun, always.
In my previous life, my youth was spent striving alone.
Striving together with someone is truly enjoyable. And the person I’m striving with happens to be an outrageously beautiful girl.
What a fulfilling, riajuu life I’m leading.
Since Clarice and I started diving into the 【Dungeon】, not a single Stampede had occurred.
Count Beetle explained to the residents that the lack of Stampedes was due to Clarice and me diving into the 【Dungeon】. As a result, the titles "Sword Saint" for me and "Saintess" for Clarice became even more entrenched.
But it wasn't all bad. We became very close with the people of Granzam.
Getting close to the citizens of an enemy country might be considered bad, but not to me.
Of course, the fact that Clarice visited the clinic to cast 《Heal》, and that I had stopped the Stampede, helped the residents accept me despite my hidden origins.
Also, the population seemed to have increased since the Stampedes stopped.
According to Grey, people believed that once a Stampede happened, another wouldn't occur for a while, leading to an influx of immigrants from other cities.
When we found 【Potions】 in the 【Dungeon】 chests, we sold them to the item shop upon returning to town, and when we found ingots, we sold them to the weapon shop.
The market prices for these items were soaring, but I sold them to the shops at their standard rates. In turn, the shops kept their retail prices low, which made everyone in town happy.
Grey and Elna had lost their wariness toward me and seemed to trust me completely. They even started allowing Clarice to stay out overnight for our "Goblin General hunts."
Honestly, I’ve considered just living in Granzam permanently.
I like the people and the atmosphere of this town; I’ve grown too accustomed to it. And above all, Clarice...
"Let's deplete our MP, hit the Spawn Room one more time, and then head home for today."
"Sounds good. I want to take a shower as soon as possible."
"Yeah. After we commute to the Spawn Room for about another week, let's try our best to learn Barrier Magic next. Once you learn that, we can dive into the Boss Room and conquer this Granzam 【Dungeon】..."
"Yeah... you're right... we have to clear it soon... right."
Lately, whenever the topic of clearing the Granzam 【Dungeon】 came up, our conversations would trail off.
Because we both knew.
We could only be together until the Granzam 【Dungeon】 was cleared.
Back in the Safe Zone, we leaned against the wall, huddled shoulders together, and slept.
After finishing the Goblin General hunt and returning to town, we stopped by the item and weapon shops while chatting with the residents as usual. We were there to deliver the 【Potions】 and ingots.
We no longer went to the clinic. The Knights and adventurers had finished off the monsters surrounding Granzam.
As we headed back to the Lampard house after visiting the shops, I felt something strange.
"Do you feel a gaze or something?"
"No? Is someone watching us?"
Clarice didn't seem to sense anything.
It had been happening occasionally lately—a feeling less like being watched and more like being monitored.
I pretended not to notice and looked around, but I couldn't tell who was watching.
People who admired the Sword Saint or Saintess wouldn't need to hide while looking at us.
I thought maybe I was just tired.
But if failing to be cautious led to a bad outcome, I’d rather be overly cautious. I walked back to the Lampard house, ready to protect Clarice at any moment.
Once back, we showered and ate.
I felt bad about freeriding forever, so I had been paying the Lampards some money without telling Clarice. My financial situation was pretty good lately, so it wasn't a major expense.
I looked out the window. It was just past evening.
The earlier unease was gone, and Clarice, exhausted, was lying on the living room sofa, fast asleep.
I used Appraisal on her.
【Name】 Clarice Lampard
【Title】 －
【Rank】 Human・Commoner
【Condition】 Good
【Age】 7
【Level】 19 (+5)
【HP】 90/90
【MP】 0/540
【Strength】 37 (+9)
【Agility】 40 (+10)
【Magic】 55 (+11)
【Dexterity】 57 (+15)
【Endurance】 38 (+10)
【Luck】 20
【Unique Ability】 Barrier Magic G (Lv 0/5)
【Special Ability】 Swordsmanship C (Lv 3/15)
【Special Ability】 Archery B (Lv 4/17) (3→4)
【Special Ability】 Water Magic C (Lv 2/15)
【Special Ability】 Holy Magic A (Lv 6/19)
【Equipment】 Defender
【Equipment】 【Magic Arrow】
【Equipment】 【Mysterious Anklet】
An astonishing level-up speed. She had already surpassed me.
The Demi-God explained that the experience required for the next level varies by individual.
Clarice undoubtedly required less experience, and I probably required more... plus, thanks to my 【Heavenly Gift】, I needed three times as much... Well, I was prepared for this.
Clarice’s stats showed growth in Agility and Dexterity because she used a sword, and Magic and Dexterity because she used the 【Magic Arrow】. Since she took damage fairly often, her Endurance rose as well. Of course, using a weapon boosted her Strength.
Also, surprisingly, once Clarice’s Dexterity exceeded 50, she became capable of using Holy Magic without chanting.
This clarified one thing. Voiceless casting is talent-dependent. At the very least, if you have Talent A and a Dexterity of 50, you should be able to manifest it without chanting.
Why do I think that? Because I cannot use Holy Magic without chanting. My Dexterity is higher than hers. Our Holy Magic levels are the same. If someone told me it was a difference in effort, I wouldn't know what to say, but Clarice said she was able to manifest it voicelessly quite easily. It was the same with my Wind Magic.
Does that mean if I learn Lightning Magic, I’ll be able to use it voicelessly too...? However, no matter how many times I try, the Lightning Magic won't manifest. Well, that likely depends on effort too, so I just have to keep at it without rushing.
In any case, Clarice’s growth is on track.
In a week, we’ll start practicing Barrier Magic.
My fun time with Clarice is drawing to a close.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Why is he going back and forth between the 【Dungeon】, the weapon shop, and the item shop?
What does he think of Count Beetle’s orders?
I also question why he enters the 【Dungeon】 at all.
He is plotting something—that much is certain.
Blair, along with his subordinates, continued to monitor a certain individual today.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Another week passed since the Goblin General hunt with Clarice.
Clarice leveled up faster than Ike; she was already up to Level 20.
Today, we start Clarice’s Barrier Magic training.
However, saying we’re practicing Barrier Magic is fine and all, but I have no idea what to do.
There are no grimoires, and naturally, no one to teach us.
We had come to the Spawn Room without a single clue.
"Barrier Magic... I have a vague idea of what kind of magic it is, but... it doesn't seem like something I can learn easily."
"Just think of it as 'it would be nice if I could use it,' and let's just make whatever effort we can."
My true feeling was that I wanted her to learn it for her safety, no matter what.
Given the name "Barrier Magic," it’s easy to imagine it’s a spell for protection.
But I thought putting too much pressure on her wouldn't be good, so I phrased it like that.
The fun times disguised as training with Clarice were slipping away rapidly.
"Mars, I'm sorry. You've stuck with me through all this. But doing this much and still not learning it is getting a little depressing..."
"It can't be helped. It's a magic only Clarice can use. Tomorrow is the day we storm the Boss Room, so let's call it a day and rest up at home."
Even after a week, she couldn't learn Barrier Magic.
And finally, the morning of the Granzam 【Dungeon】 Boss Room raid arrived.
Clarice had worked incredibly hard to get here.
【Name】 Clarice Lampard
【Title】 －
【Rank】 Human・Commoner
【Condition】 Good
【Age】 7
【Level】 20 (+1)
【HP】 94/94
【MP】 549/549
【Strength】 39 (+2)
【Agility】 42 (+2)
【Magic】 57 (+2)
【Dexterity】 61 (+3)
【Endurance】 40 (+2)
【Luck】 20
【Unique Ability】 Barrier Magic G (Lv 0/5)
【Special Ability】 Swordsmanship C (Lv 3/15)
【Special Ability】 Archery B (Lv 4/17)
【Special Ability】 Water Magic C (Lv 2/15)
【Special Ability】 Holy Magic A (Lv 6/19)
【Equipment】 Defender
【Equipment】 【Magic Arrow】
【Equipment】 【Mysterious Anklet】
With talent and higher levels, her stats showed impressive growth, but they were still lower than mine or Ike’s—probably because she only started training recently.
Still, her stats were comparable to a Rank C or D adventurer.
Since she lacked practical experience, she might be weaker than someone with similar stats, but still...
As for me, my level hadn't gone up, but since I’d been acting as a decoy and using magic constantly, my stats had increased.
We hadn't told Grey and Elna that we were raiding the boss today.
But they must have read the atmosphere.
As we were leaving the house, they said things like, "Definitely come back safe," and "If you think it's impossible, it doesn't have to be today."
Leaving the Lampard house with a heavy heart, we headed to the Adventurer's Guild.
Today, we would be diving into the 【Dungeon】 with Count Beetle.
He wouldn't go as far as the Boss Room, but he insisted on coming along to the Safe Zone to watch over us.
We had arranged to meet the Count at the Adventurer's Guild.
We couldn't keep the Count waiting, so we arrived at the meeting spot an hour early.
Almost simultaneously with our arrival, Count Beetle appeared.
"Oh? I tried to arrive quite early, but did I keep you waiting?"
"No, we just arrived this very moment."
"Do your best today. You can expect a reward as well."
"Thank you very much. Shall we get going immediately then?"
"Wait a moment. I thought I would bring a few men from the Knights Order today. Even if it is a Safe Zone, I feel a bit insecure going alone."
Just then, about ten knights appeared from behind the Count.
One of the men stepped forward to greet us.
"This isn't the first time we've met, but it is the first time we've spoken. I am Blair Blaze, Commander of the Knights. Mars-dono, you saved us at the very last moment during the Stampede. It's late, but thank you. And Lady Clarice, thank you for treating the knights. Today, we will be guarding the Count, so please allow us to accompany you."
""Pleasure to meet you.""
My first impression of Blair was solemn and strict.
He exuded an aura that suggested he wouldn't tolerate anything crooked and wasn't very flexible.
I used Appraisal on Blair.
【Name】 Blair Blaze
【Title】 －
【Rank】 Human・Head of the Baronet Blaze Family
【Condition】 Good
【Age】 36
【Level】 27
【HP】 182/182
【MP】 5/5
【Strength】 44
【Agility】 40
【Magic】 1
【Dexterity】 20
【Endurance】 60
【Luck】 1
【Special Ability】 Swordsmanship E (Lv 5/11)
【Special Ability】 Spearmanship D (Lv 7/13)
【Special Ability】 Axe Arts E (Lv 4/11)
【Equipment】 Silver Sword
【Equipment】 Silver Spear
【Equipment】 Hand Axe
【Equipment】 Silver Armor
He had talent in Swordsmanship, Spearmanship, and Axe Arts. Whether natural or a result of his job protecting the people as a Knight, his HP and Endurance were high.
As the Knight Commander, he held the rank of Baronet.
Since the Granzam 【Dungeon】 was close to the Adventurer's Guild, we decided to walk.
Clarice and I walked side-by-side in front, while the Knights walked behind us, guarding the Count.
After walking for a bit, I felt that unease again. The gaze I’d been sensing since the other day. Today, I caught the sensation more definitely than usual.
"Clarice, do you feel something like a gaze after all?"
"Now that you mention it, maybe I do feel something... coming from behind?"
"Yeah. It's before the residents usually start their activities. It's definitely not an ordinary citizen."
I slowed my pace and fell back near the Count.
"Count Beetle, Commander Blair. I sense something strange. Is it just my imagination?"
"What kind of strangeness?" The Count answered, sounding surprised.
"It started a while ago, but I feel a gaze. Today the feeling is particularly odd..."
"Let's leave that matter until after the 【Dungeon】 is cleared. I have taken countermeasures, so I want you to focus on conquering the 【Dungeon】, Mars-kun."
This time, I was the one slightly surprised. The Count had noticed the gaze too. And apparently, he knew the identity of the watcher.
I returned to Clarice's side and told her what happened.
"It seems certain that something is happening without our knowledge. But the Count is right. Let's focus on clearing the 【Dungeon】."
"Understood. If anything happens, tell me immediately. I don't want to have any regrets."
Harboring a smidgen of anxiety, we headed into the 【Dungeon】.
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