episode_0105

I had a few thoughts. Will this device only heal wounds? If someone with an incurable disease comes near this device, will that disease be cured as well?

… … I had such useless thoughts, but there was one thing that worried me the most.

I suppose it’s possible that this device doesn’t have a shop or blacksmith function. If you sell items, who’s going to get the money? And even if it had the ability to modify weapons, it would take at least several hours, or at most several days, so you can’t just stand here and wait for that.

Rather, there was something that was a bit concerning.

In the game, the recovery devices installed throughout the dungeons serve as landmarks to prevent you from getting lost. Usually, the game is one where you can see the destination if you keep going straight ahead, but there were often players who endlessly wandered through the dungeons that became somewhat complicated in the latter half.

So, this milestone system was introduced in the series based on the most recent world view.

The recovery device is initially in a disabled state, and only activates when the player approaches it.

And it remains in operation, emitting light, until the dungeon is cleared.

The fact that the recovery device is glowing shows that ‘this road is the way to go’.

Honestly, I’m not sure if anyone would get lost in a dungeon in a game that kindly provides a mini-map.

Is this also something that changed as the game became reality? Is it okay to think that this recovery device has been in operation for thousands of years?

If not that… … .

It means that someone has already passed by here.

I saw the door leading to the boss’ room.

It was a huge stone door that was designed to open on both sides.

In the original, it wasn’t specifically locked. It was set to open automatically when the player approached within a certain range. The principle behind this wasn’t revealed.

It’s probably magic.

“Are you ready?”

I looked back and said.

Claire, who was looking around the inside of the dungeon as if it was new, Alice and Leo, who were looking closely at the recovery device, all looked at me.

The same was true for Bella, who was leaning against the ruins wall as if she had no particular interest. It seemed that Bella had put the treasure she had been holding back into her bag at some point. The treasure’s light was constantly streaming out of the bag, but the light coming from the recovery device was so strong that it wasn’t noticeable.

“Ian seems to be the most serious. If the ancient people who built this ruin wanted to protect it—”

“… … There must be some very powerful security devices or guardians in there.”

Alice said that and glanced at the recovery device again.

I nodded.

Whether it was re-activated by someone or has been in operation for a long time, it is still incredibly durable, capable of operating properly even after a very long time.

It wasn’t just the storage. The fact that the ruins were able to remain in this state, and that the perception-obstructing magic on the ruins was still working.

Evidence that a civilization far more powerful than anything we have today already existed before the Empire.

Seeing me checking the state of my firearms once more, the three of them looked at their weapons. All three of them used swords, but their styles were different. Alice’s was a two-handed sword with a wide blade that could be used as a shield to some extent, while Leo and Claire’s were thinner and seemed like they could be swung with one hand.

Even though they were both Grace-style swordsmen, Leo and Claire had different ways of swinging their swords. Strictly speaking, Leo’s was more straightforward, while Claire’s was somewhat tricky.

But the fact remains that all three of them wield swords.

… … Strictly speaking, I feel like I should be the last one to go in, but when I think about the shotgun I’m holding, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case. It’s not the type that can control magic, so if you shoot from behind, three people could get caught up.

Bella’s swordsmanship is completely different from others. Although it is a sword, the attack range is closer to mid-range. It would not be a big problem to leave the rear to Bella.

Well, if something goes wrong, I guess I can just turn back time.

“Are you ready?”

When I asked, they all nodded. Seeing all three of them holding their swords firmly with both hands, I slowly approached the door.

And then I put my hand on the door,

“Ah.”

I heard a sound like that from behind.

Light spread out from the place I touched. The light spread out in geometric lines like the circuits on a computer board, but it didn’t last long and quickly disappeared.

But it was clear that the light had some function.

Before long, the door opened sideways with a low creaking sound and scraping the ground.

A slight vibration was felt on the floor, and some sand fell from the ceiling. At that moment, I was a little worried that it might collapse, but the door opened completely with a thud.

And then, the brightly lit interior was visible.

Looking at the slimes I encountered throughout the dungeon, I thought that the boss inside would definitely be a slime as well.

And that thought was somewhat correct. The soggy liquid soaking through the floor looked similar to the melted traces of the slime corpse that Lena had previously encountered.

Yes, it was a corpse.

“… … people?”

In that room, where the floor was soaking wet, there was a person standing.

No, to be exact, there were ‘people’ standing there.

“Oh, right.”

Bella muttered.

“… … Father… … ?”

The voice heard afterwards was Alice’s.

“… …Father? Alice’s?”

Claire’s voice is heard in surprise—

“Then… … .”

Leo was heard muttering in horror.

“Hmm.”

The broad-shouldered man who looked at least a head taller than me, standing face to face with a human at the innermost part of the dungeon, had his shining golden hair neatly trimmed and tidied left and right along the parting, even in a place like this.

Although he didn’t shave off all of his beard, the short, short hair that followed his jawline gave him a very neat impression.

He had a somewhat young impression, but that didn’t mean he looked frivolous. Rather, his blue eyes, which seemed to be thinking about something, were cold and sunken, giving off the air of a very serious person.

“I prepared to surprise my daughters, but, wow, I can’t even say hello because of the uninvited guests.”

Even in the face of an enemy with an ominous atmosphere, the Emperor spoke in a pretended cheerful manner.

“lung, lung, lung, lung lung… … ”

Leo kept repeating the same sound like a gramophone with a scratched LP record on it.

“Your Majesty!?”

It was clearly a reaction that would have been scolded as disrespectful if it had happened in the palace.

But our emperor seemed to not care about that at all.

“Is that Grace’s child? This is the first time I’ve actually seen her face.”

The emperor’s expression as he asked that question even seemed somewhat natural.

The Emperor’s red cloak was shining with light, so it seemed that the other side had brought the imperial treasure.

“… … Did you leave it here on purpose?”

“If I left a sign that I was gone, you wouldn’t be so surprised.”

The emperor smiled as if he had noticed my surprised expression.

“… … .”

“Let’s solve the regret later.”

As the Emperor spoke, Leo could be heard panting. Indeed, being born into noble family is not always an easy thing.

Well, it’s much better to be born into a proper noble family than to have some kind of mediocre blood relationship.

While I was thinking about such things, I aimed the shotgun with a bullet loaded in the chamber at the opponent.

The person the emperor was confronting was… … I couldn’t tell his age. But judging by his build, he didn’t seem like a man. If the opponent wasn’t intentionally cross-dressing, then the author was clearly a woman.

A white mask with nothing drawn on it, just black eye holes. A black hood extends behind the mask.

The hood was connected to a robe that flowed downwards. At first glance, it looked like something a lightsaber-wielding knight from the famous space opera franchise would wear. The hem was a bit frayed, though.

The line from the shoulder to the pelvis is thin. The chest covered by the robe also sticks out quite far forward, so even at first glance, you can’t help but think it’s a woman.

The opponent just stood there without even making a sound.

In one hand he held a sword. It was a long, double-edged sword, like the one the Emperor held, and like the one Alice wielded in both hands. It seemed quite old, with teeth missing here and there.

“… … .”

And then I looked at that opponent, who didn’t show any sign of agitation even in the presence of the Emperor of the Empire, and thought.

Who is it?