What a Surprise—Personal Summons!?
[Rivana Royal Castle]
4.4★★★★★ (4457)
Royal Court Mage
★★★★★
Princess Eltia is a truly wonderful person.
I hope she succeeds as the next queen.
Young Knight of Rivana
★★★★★
From now on, I’ll work hard to support the country!
Whoooaaa!
Secretary Vel
★★★★☆
Lately, the youth have been getting soft.
If they’d let me do the screening, I’m sure this country would be even better.
—
When we arrived at the Rivana Royal Castle, we were greeted by a mystical sight.
The building was made of ice. Yet, there was no sense of cold at all.
“This way, please. Would you follow me?”
Our escort was a knight.
His appearance was neat, and he spoke politely, leaving a good impression.
However, he didn’t explain why we were summoned.
Along the way, I couldn’t resist and touched the walls—despite being ice, it was as solid as concrete and didn’t feel cold.
“It’s a unique magic of the Rivana royal family. Naturally, they won’t tell us the details,” said Bridget casually after spotting me poking the wall. Aqua seemed a little down after hearing that—she probably wanted to know more.
We still didn’t know why we’d been summoned, but there was an unexpected bonus.
The progress rate of my map had been steadily climbing.
Thanks to sightseeing with Aqua, it was now at 85%.
If we could cover the castle, it would likely hit 100%.
Judging by the lack of data on the Ancient Dungeon, it seemed it wasn’t considered part of Rivana territory but rather a hunting ground.
I’d been walking around outside the castle trying to fill in the map, so this was very helpful.
Then Milfie called out to me.
“Hey Tabito, are we really sure it was Tia who summoned us?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Aside from Bridget, we don’t know anyone else here.”
“But wouldn’t Tia mention our names?”
… Now that she mentioned it, that’s true. But who else would have called us?
Since we got here, we’ve eaten, slept, sung, danced, and worn masks… that’s about it.
We did find signs of the Ancient Dungeon, but… wait.
Could it be we’ve stumbled upon some national secret?
Maybe there are soldiers ahead, ready to tell us, “Sorry, but you have to die now,” and Tia’s not involved at all.
… It’s possible.
If it comes to that, I’ll protect everyone. Bridget, Milfie, Aqua…
… Wait, aren’t I the one being protected?
“Mr. Tabito!”
A voice snapped me out of it.
Looking up, I saw a woman in a pure white dress.
Long pale-pink hair and big doll-like eyes.
It was Princess Eltia—Tia.
“Tia—”
“We apologize for the delay. Princess Eltia,” Bridget quickly dropped to one knee before I could wave. Milfie and Aqua followed smoothly, and after a delayed moment, so did I.
Ah, crap, that was close!
I almost called her by a nickname, out loud no less.
Looking around, I saw a bunch of intimidating knights nearby.
Tia had a bit of a “whoops” look too, so it probably slipped out naturally.
She seemed to have covered it up well, so I should keep it strictly professional as just an adventurer acquaintance.
Still, it really was Tia who summoned us.
But why didn’t she mention our names?
“Please raise your heads. Thank you for making the trip.”
“Not at all. May we ask what this is about?”
Bridget, being the highest-ranked among us, spoke as Tia addressed her formally to avoid any impropriety.
I had to keep it together too—this was a royal castle after all.
Still, I couldn’t hide my joy, so I snuck in a little wink and Tia smiled slightly.
“… Nya.”
… Why do I feel Milfie glaring at me?
After that, we were led into a room.
Calling it a lounge didn’t do it justice—it was more like a conference room. Two sofas facing each other with a table in between, both looking ridiculously expensive.
Just as I suspected, my guide lens reacted.
–
Niriliai Sofa
★★★★★
Estimated price: 1 million gold.
Made from specialty weaves of the western regions, exclusively gifted to royalty.
—
Absolutely… must not mess anything up.
After Tia sat down, we were allowed to take our seats too.
“I apologize for summoning you anonymously. This was entirely my decision.”
“Your decision? What do you mean by that?”
“The reason I called you here today is about the ‘Ancient Dungeon.’ Mr. Tabito, my subordinates reported that you’ve been asking the public about it.”
Eh, eh, eh.
Wait, seriously!?
Did I actually stumble into a national secret? I didn’t expect to hear it directly from Tia, and I was too shocked to say anything.
It’s over. My days of Tabito’s Guide Map, Rivana edition, end here.
Thank you, everyone. It’s been fun—
“Does the Ancient Dungeon truly exist?”
Then, Tia looked at me with unwavering eyes.
No, this feels different. She doesn’t actually know anything about it yet. But my map doesn’t lie.
“I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, so I can’t say for certain if it’s the Ancient Dungeon. However, I did find a dungeon near Karina Square.”
The attendants around Tia started murmuring in agitation.
“That’s impossible.”
“Princess Eltia, we thought you had seen it yourself, but this is—”
“So it really is like that.”
Apparently, no one except Tia believed me.
I could feel a slight wave of heat coming from Milfie.
A quick glance revealed her glaring intensely.
No, don’t cause a scene, please!?
“I trust Mr. Tabito. Anyone who dares deny his words will not be forgiven.”
But Tia sharply cut them off.
She used to have such a soft impression, but in this moment, she was every bit the princess.
The conversation returned to the main topic.
“Mr. Tabito, I’d like you to find and explore the Ancient Dungeon.”
“… Huh? Explore?”
Then Tia said something shocking.
“What… do you mean?”
“This is a personal request from me.”
Apparently, the existence of the Ancient Dungeon had long been told in legends.
They said a great treasure that could save the country would be found there in times of crisis.
Tia herself wasn’t sure how much to believe, but she suspected that the increasing number of monsters was connected to it.
They didn’t know where the monsters were coming from and were struggling to contain them.
That’s why she wanted me to get to the bottom of it.
Hearing that, I realized she had been thinking the same thing I had.
I had the guide map and had seen the Dungeon’s data, which gave me clues.
But Tia trusted me simply because I said it existed, and that made me happy.
“So far, thanks to Miss Bridget and the soldiers, there haven’t been any casualties. But unless we root out the cause, we can’t predict when or where monsters will appear again. With monsters pouring out, things could get far worse.”
If monsters were spilling out from the Ancient Dungeon, it meant they were not being culled, and their numbers were growing. In the worst case, the dungeon itself could collapse.
Then, to my surprise, Tia stood up—and bowed deeply.
“Princess! Please, raise your head!”
“This is a very dangerous request. I am asking you to risk your lives to protect the safety of our people. This is only proper.”
She was right—up until now, I’d planned to go to the Ancient Dungeon on my own.
I could have quit whenever I wanted. But as a formal request, it meant I’d bear responsibility.
Tia was a princess and my dear friend. She could have commanded me or made a casual request, but she did neither. She treated me with full courtesy.
There’s no way I could refuse now—not if I call myself a man.
But I couldn’t do it alone.
“Miss Bridget, Milfie, Aqua?”
I glanced at everyone, silently asking for their agreement.
They all gave me slow, reassuring nods.
“We’ll gladly accept your request, Tia.”
If a friend’s in trouble, it’s only natural to help.
Leave it to us.
“Thank you! We’ll prepare all resources—”
“No, I already have a good idea where it is.”
Based on Bridget’s story and the fact that no one knew where the monsters were coming from, I was sure of it.
“The entrance to the Ancient Dungeon… it’s in the sky—high up in the air.”
The guide map displayed overlapping layers, but there was no route underground.
This country built on water had tricked us into thinking ‘underground.’
If it’s not below, then it must be above.
… Did I just talk casually to a princess?
What do you think about this chapter?
