Princess-style Dungeon Attack
"I still oppose this. At the very least, I should accompany you. Even if it's an artificial pseudo-dungeon, we don't know what's in there. As an experienced person, I should go with you."
Father was still against it even on the day of departure. However, I could see through his true feelings. His words and expression didn't match. He had a look of anticipation on his face.
"What's your real reason?"
"I want to show off and have you hug me, saying 'Papa, you're so cool!'"
There's no helping it. I don't understand why he's being so stubborn about this. I do trust in Father's greatness, and I genuinely respect his superhuman abilities. I can confidently say there's no one in this world who can defeat him.
"Father, are you saying this to prevent us from further improving our skills? Spoiling us isn't everything."
Big brother countered, clearly thinking Father was being overprotective. For Big brother, it probably felt like just the right level of training. In reality, if I'm there, treating poisons or injuries wouldn't be a problem, and with Big brother's skills and weapons, only heavily modified golems could pose a challenge. Big brother fights in a speed-oriented style, much like Anon.
"Why don't you be honest, too”!"
"Alright. Then hurry back and deal with the pile of work waiting for you."
Big brother's true feelings slipped out, and Father's face tensed. He doesn't hold back even with our parent. Big brother is only gentle with Mother and me...
Well, Father, who was throwing a fit, was smiling as he was captured by Knights holding chains and forcibly sent back on an airship. Left behind were the four maids, Brother, Anon, and me. For some reason, my Master decided to join us as well.
"Well, now that we've sent the nuisance back, let's get on with the raid."
"Master, you should go back too."
"With your strength, you can't carry that thing, right? It's not practical to use magic every time to carry it. I'll use it for you."
The new equipment we had mass-produced for this day weighed over 10 kilograms, making it impossible for me to even lift, let alone shoulder it. Even 5 kilograms is too heavy for me in my natural state. That's why Master decided to join, but I had planned to have a golem carry it instead.
Well, given our equipment and personnel, there shouldn't be any casualties. Besides, if there are injuries, I can handle them, and with the full deployment of the watchdogs, the danger is minimal. Plus, we're going to grab all the dungeon treasures while we're at it!
"There's an impressive number of people here. Is this how dungeons are usually conquered?"
"No, Anon. I just want to clear it efficiently. Don't worry, we'll complete Ostland’s request too."
For this exploration, Ostland's side had set some conditions. First, we needed to create a map of the dungeon. Also, we were prohibited from taking out any grimoires. They didn’t require the map to be comprehensive; they just wanted a map to the lowest level. Without it, they couldn't even manage the dungeon. Additionally, there were numerous golems roaming inside and an abnormal number of traps.
Aside from that, we were free to do as we pleased. We can take anything except grimoires, which was an excellent deal. Golems could be dismantled and used for materials, and the traps seemed intriguing. They might even give me some ideas for pranking Alicia.
"Princess? If you're seriously considering pranks, I'll call Madame."
"How did you know?!"
"I can tell just by looking at your face."
"Alice, you're so easy to read."
Ugh, even though I thought my face was expressionless... Oh well. As long as I can fulfill my desires with Master, that's fine. Master and I are excited to explore, as there’s more to see than just grimoires—like ancient golem constructions and other interesting finds.
"Alright, let's go."
"Roger. Woofers Squad sortie~♪"
(Howl~~~~!)
Over 80 magic beasts surged through the entrance that appeared when we slid aside the shelf with the forbidden books. They were our scouts, avoiding traps with their animal instincts and destroying golems. If they found anything, they'd report back to us.
A few magic beasts remained around us—primarily those that could blend into shadows. They were my personal guards, officially endorsed by Mr. Coote. Additionally, we had ten new types of magic beasts, which I called Kung Fu Pups. Their fur looked like they were wearing martial arts uniforms, complete with red lines on their foreheads that resembled headbands.
When I first played with these beasts, I was amazed by their dedication to self-improvement. According to Mr. Coote, "they are only interested in strength," and they loved training. I taught them a basic punch as a joke, and they mastered walking on two legs. Though their body structure made bipedal movement difficult, they seemed to adapt to the strain remarkably well. Now, they could approach rapidly and deliver powerful punches, astonishing and confusing the Knights of Arland with their strength.
"You have some strange beasts. How are they walking like that? It looks really tough for them."
"The Kung Fu Pups are hard workers. They want to surpass their species' limits. They're doing it voluntarily."
"That's weird."
The dungeon seemed to be primarily composed of corridors. Neatly stacked stone-like materials formed a path that stretched ahead. There were torch-like magic devices at regular intervals, but it was still dark. So, I took out a lantern-type magic device and activated it. This device floated around the user, illuminating the surroundings.
As the Kung Fu Pups walked in formation ahead of us, the sound of something slicing through the air suddenly echoed. I suspected a trap had been triggered and immediately went on alert. In that moment, one of the Kung Fu Pups blurred and appeared by my side, deflecting something. I looked to see that it was an arrow.
Even though I had already cast a protective barrier, preventing any injuries, their reaction speed was astonishing. It felt like something was fundamentally wrong, like they were giving up something vital, but they were incredibly reliable.
What do you think about this chapter?
