Chapter 17: Preliminary Battle at the Royal Capital’s Dungeon

We departed from the town of Cylindarl and headed for the royal capital, Axenpedal. Our destination: the dungeon near the capital.

After several days of travel, we arrived in Axenpedal and headed straight for the Adventurers’ Guild there.

When we informed the receptionist about our dungeon expedition on behalf of the Hero, we were immediately shown in to see the Guildmaster of Axenpedal.

Upon entering the room, an elderly man—presumably the Guildmaster—stood to greet us.

He looked like a kindly old gentleman, his face adorned with a thick white beard. Despite his age, he gave off the impression of a benevolent grandfather.

However, despite being elderly, his posture was perfectly straight. He was slightly taller than me—at 168 cm—and was surprisingly muscular for his age. Combined with his white beard, he gave off the aura of a warrior-elder.

He also radiated a strong magical presence, suggesting that despite his years, he was still very powerful.

“I’m Andrea, the Guildmaster of Axenpedal. You must be Kazuya Marsh, the Hero from Cylindarl. I’ve heard you’ve cleared several A-rank quests despite only being B-rank. Very impressive. It’s a pleasure.”

He extended his right hand.

“I’m Kazuya. I still have a long way to go, but I intend to get stronger. Likewise, pleased to meet you.”

Kazuya returned the greeting and shook hands with him.

Then, the two of them froze in place. No—if you looked closely, their hands were trembling slightly, as if they were locked in a test of strength. The air between them grew tense.

After a few seconds, Guildmaster Andrea let out a short breath and released his grip.

Kazuya exhaled too, and the tension melted away.

“Hmph. Seems you’re the real deal. I’m counting on you.”

“Thank you. I’ll do my best.”

“By the way, is this young elven lady your party companion?”

“Yes. She’s my party member, my partner, my best friend, and my wom—ugh!”

He got jabbed in the side for saying something unnecessary.

“I’m Miki Claire, Kazuya’s best friend. Just call me Miki—pleased to meet you.”

“I see. Having an elven mage in your party is a huge asset. You’re a lucky man, Kazuya. Miki-chan, I leave the Hero in your care.”

Generally speaking, elves have higher magical power than humans and can wield a wider array of spells.

In that sense, a single elven mage is often more capable than multiple human ones. Still, as our enemies get stronger and more numerous, Kazuya and I might not be able to handle everything on our own.

Ideally, I’d like to expand our party, but it doesn’t seem like Kazuya has any intention of doing so.

As for what Andrea meant by “lucky”—as I’ve mentioned before, elves don’t typically ally with either humans or Demon Lords. They remain neutral.

If Kazuya weren’t a Hero, I wouldn’t be involved in the Demon Lord subjugation either.

That’s why having an elf willingly join the Hero is considered a stroke of luck.

From there, our conversation with Andrea continued peacefully, and we officially received our quest.

We also learned that another Hero had already begun tackling the dungeon earlier today, and that another party of Heroes would be joining later.

After accepting the dungeon quest directly from Guildmaster Andrea and leaving the guild, we set off to secure lodging that would serve as our base of operations.

I had hoped we’d get two rooms, but Kazuya’s persistence led us to settle on a twin room.

We had received a generous parting gift from the Lord of Cylindarl, and I thought affording two decent rooms for an extended stay wouldn’t be an issue—but with Kazuya pleading that hard, I couldn’t exactly say no.

We also went around town gathering supplies for the dungeon expedition, and that day came to a close.

The next morning, while I was getting ready, Kazuya hugged me from behind.

Ever since that morning we woke up naked together, it’s become routine for him to embrace me every morning—something that had never happened before, not even during our journey to the capital.

As for me… I haven’t resisted. I just let it happen until he’s satisfied.

It’s gotten pretty cold lately, and being wrapped in Kazuya’s arms is surprisingly warm and comforting.

Usually, he lets go after ten to thirty seconds. It’s not like I dislike it. It’s just a hug, so I leave it to him.

…Though lately, he’s started burying his face in my hair and the nape of my neck, too.

As I was thinking that, Kazuya seemed satisfied and let go.

Wasn’t that a bit short today? I wouldn’t have minded if it lasted a little longer.

Still, I kept those thoughts to myself.

After all, I didn’t want him thinking that I wanted to be held by him.

…Yes, because if he ever found out, he’d definitely get cocky about it. No doubt about it. That’s why I can’t say it out loud. Exactly. That’s all it is.

...Who am I even trying to convince?

Kazuya and I began exploring the dungeon near the capital.

Up to the fifth floor, the enemies were weak and the layout was simple—almost like we were just walking through.

But from the sixth floor, everything changed. The monsters became stronger—ranging from C-rank to B-rank—and the dungeon’s structure became suitably labyrinthine.

Thanks to my mapping spell, we didn’t get lost, but the sheer number and strength of the monsters started wearing us down.

We found a convenient side room, cast a barrier, and took a short break.

It had already been over six hours since we entered the dungeon.

Of course we were getting hungry and tired.

We were on the ninth floor. A B-rank mid-boss had appeared at the deepest part of the fifth floor, so we figured there might be another one on the tenth.

Maybe there’d be one on the fifteenth, too. We chatted about it while eating.

By the way, monsters in dungeons typically turn into magic stones upon defeat, and their bodies vanish.

Then, after a certain amount of time, they reappear.

This is because the dungeon master designs the dungeon that way, imbuing it with magic and catalysts to keep it functioning.

If the dungeon master is defeated, the dungeon stops operating—but even then, it takes at least half a year for it to shut down completely. Until then, the dungeon remains a prime spot for earning money and training.

But if the dungeon master is left undefeated for too long, the monsters inside start developing flesh and blood, eventually overflowing and attacking nearby villages and towns.

To prevent that, this dungeon near the royal capital needs to be cleared as quickly as possible.

“Still, mapping magic is really handy. We made it this far without getting lost thanks to how much ground it lets us see.”

“Is mapping magic not common among humans?”

“Not that I know of… In fact, I’d never even seen a true high-tier spell until I met you. Even among those who can use magic, maybe only a handful of top-class mages can do it?”

“I see. Sounds like a lot of magic has been lost among humans.”

“Yeah. Aside from regular and high-tier magic, what other kinds are there?”

“Other types? Let’s see… There’s ancient magic, and also primal magic. You might get to see them eventually.”

“Ooh, I’ll look forward to that.”

After finishing our short break, we resumed the dungeon expedition with the goal of clearing the tenth floor.

That day, we cleared the tenth floor and spent the night in a small room just past the entrance to the eleventh.

The next day, starting from the 11th floor, the dungeon became even more complex, and the enemies were far stronger than we’d expected. Even the groups of monsters were at least B-rank, with some even reaching A-rank. And those that appeared alone—well, they seemed like high-tier A-rank beasts. They were formidable.

Our pace slowed dramatically. With the fatigue and the mounting injuries, more and more of the burden fell on Kazuya, and we had to take more frequent short breaks. Physical wounds could be healed with magic, but mental fatigue was a different story entirely.

Two more days passed, and we finally broke through the 14th floor. That was thanks to my mapping magic—without it, I’m sure the hero party that set out ahead of us would be stuck somewhere around this area.

Then came the 15th floor. Based on the pattern so far, we expected there would be a powerful mid-boss waiting at the far end of the floor.

But our prediction was off. Just after descending the stairs, we found a massive door—and aside from a few small chambers, there was nothing else. It gave the impression that this wasn’t just the mid-point… this was the final level. Not a mid-boss. A major boss.

As we stood before the door, a deep, earth-shaking roar erupted from beyond it. It was a sound that made it clear—something on an entirely different level awaited us.

I glanced over at Kazuya. He had clenched his fist tightly and was glaring at the door ahead.

According to the mapping spell, there was a large chamber beyond the door—exactly the kind of space you'd expect for a boss battle. To prepare thoroughly, we entered one of the side rooms and decided to rest for the night.

The following morning, we began prepping. I pulled necessary items out of the enchanted pouch and laid them out for quick access.

While I was doing that, Kazuya came up and embraced me—this time from the front—and whispered into my ear.

“I think something tougher than anything we’ve fought before is waiting for us past that door. Honestly, I’m still tired, and mentally, I’m not at my best… but we’ll get through this. I know we can. I need your help, Miki.”

As he said that, the arms wrapped around me tightened. I felt his fingers tremble slightly. Whether it was tension or a warrior’s thrill, I couldn’t tell.

But one thing was clear—Kazuya was feeling anxious.

In times like this, the only thing I can really do is give him strength. I have to support him. At the very least, I have to help ease that anxiety.

I wrapped my arms around Kazuya’s back, returning his embrace.

“It’s fine. You’ve got this, Kazuya. Be confident. We’ll clear this dungeon in no time.”

I said it in a deliberately casual tone.

“Miki…”

Kazuya pulled back just a little, staring into my eyes. And then—wait a second. Is he trying to kiss me?

Hey—don’t get carried away!

I chopped him right across the face.

“Mpff! Miki! What was that for?!”

“What do you mean ‘what for’? Don’t try to sneak in a kiss during an emotional moment. Don’t get ahead of yourself. You're a hundred years too early for that.”

“Aw, come on. When you say that, it really feels like I’ll have to wait a full century…”

Seriously. I shouldn't have gone soft on him. Well, at least now the tension's gone.

“Your hands aren't shaking anymore, are they? Looks like the nerves are gone. Let’s get moving.”

“Yeah… thanks, Miki. Time to bring the heat!”

With that, Kazuya and I threw open the heavy doors with renewed spirit.