We Finally Made it to the Ancient Dungeon!
The Ancient Dungeon existed high above Carina Square.
When I explained this, not only Tia but also my companions were shocked.
A dungeon floating in the sky had never been confirmed before.
But it explained everything—the monsters appearing out of nowhere and the overlapping map layers.
“Princess Eltia, that’s impossible. No one has ever seen a dungeon in the sky.”
“Vel, stop speaking so definitively.”
“… Forgive me. However, for the sake of this country’s future, we cannot act on mere rumors.”
Sitting beside Tia was the secretary I had seen mentioned in reviews.
Tall, black-haired, wearing glasses—he looked intelligent and cool, but he clearly didn’t like what I was saying.
Still, I could understand; if the roles were reversed, I would feel the same.
But I was confident.
“Then why don’t we all go see it for ourselves?”
At my suggestion, everyone’s eyes widened again.
◇ ◇ ◇
“Princess Eltia, you truly are reckless. If His Majesty finds out you’ve been taken here, we’ll be in serious trouble.”
“Isn’t it your job to make sure that doesn’t happen? Besides, I want to see it with my own eyes.”
We had moved to Carina Square—not the main streets, but a restricted area near a special back gate.
By Tia’s side were Secretary Vel and a few knights. Although she was told not to come, she insisted.
Vel kept giving me a scrutinizing look, as if evaluating me.
“Tabito, how are we going to get into the sky, meow?”
“I’ve got an idea… wait, Milfie, you believe me?”
“Of course! I believe you, Tabito. I’m excited for this.”
She said it without a hint of doubt.
And so did Aqua and Bridget.
It’s nice to have reliable companions.
“Aqua, can you learn a spell from the magic book we bought recently?”
“Eh? Sure, but which one?”
“The ‘Water Manipulation Magic.’”
That spellbook had been expensive, but it was the only combat-usable spell suitable for Aqua.
“You intend to use the book now? Learning magic takes months—”
As Vel frowned in doubt, Aqua focused intensely on the book.
In the next moment, the book vanished, and I could sense magic flowing into her.
Even the knights exclaimed, “That quickly!?” and Bridget murmured quietly, “Impressive.”
“It’s done.”
“Nice work. Next… Miss Bridget, I’ll have a big favor to ask.”
“Of course. Anything you need.”
As expected, our dependable big sister.
I explained to my companions how we’d get into the sky.
They seemed a little uneasy, but they trusted me.
First step: visual confirmation.
We’d check with our own eyes if the dungeon really floated above us.
All of us would go together. On the other side were Princess Eltia and Secretary Vel.
Though she was against it, Tia firmly insisted she had to see it herself.
“Alright, everyone, gather around Aqua.”
We all huddled in an ordinary-looking spot.
“Okay, I’m starting. Please don’t move too much.”
Aqua began chanting. Controlling the seawater, she formed a floating puddle beneath our feet.
Then she cast an enhancement spell specifically on Milfie—generously so.
“Alright, let’s go meow!”
Crouching on the puddle, Milfie compressed her legs.
Her muscles bulged dramatically—then she launched herself from the ground with tremendous force.
“—Flight Magic.”
In the next moment, thanks to Aqua imbuing the puddle with levitation magic, we soared into the sky along with the water beneath our feet.
The instant our weight lightened dramatically, Milfie used her power as propulsion.
We rose higher and higher, and looking down, the entirety of Rivana spread out below us.
It really was a beautiful country.
But I quickly shifted my gaze to the guide map. Just like before, the layers overlapped—
—or so I thought, until I noticed a slight distortion.
“Miss Bridget—over there!”
“—Leave it to me.”
Bridget swiftly took up her stance.
Her specialty was wind slashes—attacks that could fly through the air.
A slash cut through seemingly empty sky, and suddenly a sound like shattering glass rang out.
Mana scattered, and as though pulling back a curtain, a form revealed itself.
A floating Ancient Dungeon.
Its exterior resembled an ancient castle, cloaked in clouds but clearly hovering in the sky.
“Incredible… this… this really exists?”
“Such a thing… was here all along?”
Tia and Secretary Vel both raised their voices in astonishment.
The great thing about the guide map was that you didn’t have to see something with your eyes.
If it wasn’t beneath the square, it had to be in the sky.
Since it hadn’t been discovered, I guessed it must be concealed by a barrier—
—and it turned out I was right.
But the levitation was gradually weakening.
Aqua kept it from plunging us straight down, but it wasn’t stable like a flying carpet.
Eventually, we descended back to where the knights were waiting.
“Amazing, amazing! Tabito, you were right!”
“It’s not just me. We did this together.”
“No, we couldn’t even get a lead without you. You’re really amazing.”
“Agreed. To me, it was just empty sky. I’m honestly shocked.”
Even though I felt a bit embarrassed by the praise, I couldn’t stop smiling.
Then Secretary Vel spoke up.
“… I sincerely apologize. I realize now I was too rigid in my thinking.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’d probably have said the same thing if I were in your shoes.”
It was enough that they believed me now.
And to apologize so promptly to a lowly adventurer like me—he was a good guy.
Tia looked straight at me.
“Mr. Tabito… please, explore the Ancient Dungeon.”
“Leave it to me. Though I can’t promise we’ll clear it in one go. We might need a few days.”
“Of course. We will compensate you properly through the adventurer system.”
“Ha! That’s what I wanted to hear.”
Vel tilted her head in confusion.
“What do you mean? I thought we would spend more time finding a route up to the dungeon?”
“No need for that. We can go whenever.”
The moment I confirmed the dungeon, I marked it with an [Area Pin].
As long as it appeared on the map, I could mark it.
Tia must have remembered.
“And the treasures inside… they’ll belong to us, right?”
When I grinned, Tia returned it with a bright smile. “Of course!”
“Alright, let’s do this.”
Milfie grabbed my hand, Aqua clung to my sleeve, and Bridget pressed a fist lightly against my chest.
“You’re always so exciting to be around.”
And then—
[Teleportation in 10 seconds. If combat is initiated, teleportation will be canceled.]At last, we arrived at the entrance of the Ancient Dungeon, a place no one had ever reached before.
◇ ◇
“!? P-Princess Eltia, where… where did they go!?”
“They departed to fulfill their mission. We have our own work to do—expand aerial surveillance and track monster movements above us. And continue reporting regularly about High Tide incidents.”
Princess Eltia turned back, and Secretary Vel adjusted his glasses while following.
“J-Just… who are they, exactly?”
“I believe… they are the heroes spoken of in legends… and to me… they are… precious…”
“… Excuse me? What was that last part?”
“Ah, i-it’s nothing! Now, let’s get to work!”
What do you think about this chapter?
