Chapter 59
Even the mages of the Magic Tower and renowned knights found 『Dungeon Clearing』 daunting.
Why was that?
The reason was that no one knew what might happen inside a dungeon.
Dungeons contained various monsters and countless traps.
Among them could be traps or monsters that were the natural enemies of mages and knights.
For example, there could be rooms where magic itself could not be used or where magic of a specific attribute was nullified, and special monsters such as King Slimes, which were completely immune to physical attacks like swords, might appear.
Monsters and traps that could be handled with sufficient preparation if identified outside the dungeon could suddenly ambush them inside, leaving even captain-level knights and Tower Master-level mages helpless.
That was why adventurers who challenged such dungeons thoroughly investigated and prepared before entering.
Based on the information recorded at the dungeon gate and the mana detected there, they made thorough preparations for the expected traps and even brought a magical artifact called 『The Third Eye』 in case of unforeseen circumstances.
The magical artifact known as the ‘Third Eye’ broadcast the adventurer’s field of vision from inside the dungeon so that companions outside could watch it and obtain information about the dungeon.
If the first adventurer to enter died, the adventurers outside who had been watching through the Third Eye analyzed what they had seen before beginning the next attempt.
Even with such preparations, dungeon clearing required them to be prepared for considerable casualties.
In a Grade 1 dungeon, even renowned adventurers of the Empire had to be prepared for death.
Everyone fell silent at the thought that a young lord intended to clear such a dungeon alone, without help from other adventurers.
Some could not understand it, while others were simply dumbfounded.
Even Calix’s closest aides—Sharen, Rana, and Azel—were left speechless.
“It seems our lord has grown quite tired. Would it be all right if he rested for a while?”
Sharen was the first to recover and spoke politely to everyone.
Everyone from the Platinum Council official to Tower Master Raer nodded, and Sharen, Rana, and Azel led Calix to the tent beside them.
After confirming that no one was nearby, Rana immediately began scolding him.
“My lord… have you gone crazy?”
Rana had learned the dangers of dungeon clearing very systematically at the academy.
To her, Calix’s actions had gone too far, no matter how much she liked him as her lord.
“Rana… that’s too harsh.”
“…I’m sorry. I was too flustered. Let me say it again.”
Rana gave a light cough.
Then she composed herself and spoke again.
“My lord… have you lost your mind?”
I was a little hurt by Rana’s words.
What was the difference between that and what she had just said?
Starting with Rana’s words, everyone began lecturing me.
“I acknowledge your abilities, my lord, but dungeon clearing is dangerous no matter how you look at it. Please reconsider.”
“Azel is right. I understand that you care about the people of the West and the South, my lord, but your life is more important to us.”
Even Azel and Sharen, who normally followed my orders without question, each had something to say.
I understood their feelings as well.
I had died countless times when I first began clearing dungeons, too.
But after becoming a Dungeon Master through hundreds of deaths, their worries were meaningless to me.
“Does no one trust me?”
“It is not that we do not trust you. We are speaking of what might happen.”
“That’s right, my lord. House Kron does not even have an heir.”
That was one of Kron’s biggest problems.
I was currently the only direct descendant of Kron.
“If you insist on going, you must give us an heir before you leave.”
“Rana…”
“…”
I had no idea what Hart and Princess Lily had said to her, but Rana tried to pounce on me whenever she got the chance.
Listening to Rana’s usual suggestive remarks, I spoke to everyone with the confidence of a Dungeon Master.
“Let me make this clear: this is neither an adventure nor a desire to prove myself. It is a conclusion I reached after coolly analyzing and considering the situation.”
Separate from the investigator’s examination, I had also investigated the dungeon gate myself.
And thanks to my experience as a Dungeon Master, I had learned almost everything about the dungeon.
The dungeon that had descended here was ‘Goddess of the Bow ‘Mer’ Dungeon, Stage 3-12’.
Because an incredible event took place there, it was the most memorable dungeon among the many I had encountered.
“If you still cannot trust me, watch me for now. If you all still say you cannot trust me afterward, I will give up on clearing it.”
I spoke confidently to everyone.
It was obvious that they were flustered by how confidently I had spoken.
They could hardly help it.
I vividly remembered every trap, monster, and random event that could appear in Dungeon 3-12.
I had not earned the title of Dungeon Master for nothing.
After settling the matter, I returned to the tent where the key personnel involved in dungeon management had gathered.
“Sorry to have kept you waiting. Let us continue discussing clearing the dungeon.”
I shared the information I had gathered with everyone.
It was material about the dungeon that I had investigated separately from the official investigation.
“First, I would like you to look at what I investigated separately.”
“This…”
“It is information about the dungeon that I investigated.”
The material I had gathered separately from the dungeon investigator contained far more information than Investigator Ham’s findings.
It included highly detailed lists of the monsters that would appear and the traps that were likely to be encountered.
“What do you think, Investigator Ham? Does my research seem accurate?”
“This… just what… Lord Calix, have you ever studied dungeonology under someone?”
“No, I taught myself.”
“That’s impossible… This is even more detailed than the dungeon report written by ‘Otilia’, the greatest adventurer in the Empire.”
‘Otilia’ was the dwarf adventurer who had cleared more dungeons than any other living adventurer.
I remembered that she had been an SSR character, too.
I was delighted to be compared to her, but I maintained a lordly poker face and spoke calmly.
“As you can see, my decision to clear the dungeon is not a reckless challenge. It is because I have a definite chance of victory, and it is also the best path for everyone.”
I could feel everyone there mentally working through the calculations.
They were probably all considering how best to proceed in this situation.
But the result had already been decided.
When a young lord volunteered to take on a difficult task in their place, who could object?
If it went well, all the better; if it failed, it would be my fault, and we could simply deal with the Dungeon Wave according to plan.
“We will follow your will, my lord.”
“I will follow it as well.”
The investigator and the Platinum Council official said they would follow my wishes, and the decision was made for me to clear the dungeon.
Only my vassals and Tower Master Raer continued to look at me with worried eyes.
* * *
Once the decision had been made, preparations for clearing the dungeon proceeded quickly.
The investigator had verified that what I said was true, and there was not much time left.
“It would be best for two people to enter this dungeon.”
I gathered everyone involved in clearing the dungeon and spoke to them.
Rana asked about my statement.
“Two seems too few. It would be better to have more people enter to protect you, my lord.”
“No. This dungeon becomes more dangerous the more people enter, so two is appropriate.”
There were several types of dungeons.
This dungeon was the challenger-proportional type.
The more challengers entered, the stronger the traps and monsters became, so having more people enter could actually make it more dangerous.
Two people was the appropriate number.
“Then who is going in?”
One of the two would be me, the Dungeon Master.
Rana asked who would accompany me.
Azel then stepped forward and said,
“I will protect you, my lord. If I go, I will be able to help you inside the dungeon as well.”
By common sense, Azel was the most suitable companion.
However, this dungeon contained a room where large numbers of soft-bodied monsters that matched poorly against knights like Azel would appear.
I named the companion I had in mind.
“This dungeon contains monsters that are a bad matchup for Azel.”
“Then who is going with you, my lord?”
“The person going into the dungeon with me will be ‘Sharen’.”
Sharen looked genuinely surprised by my choice and answered.
I looked at Sharen.
“Me?”
“Yes. Sharen’s magic is necessary for clearing this dungeon. Can you come with me?”
Considering the dungeon’s characteristics, its traps, and my abilities, Sharen was the most suitable choice.
Sharen appeared surprised for a moment at my words.
But she soon smiled happily and answered,
“Of course. Sharen the red mage will protect you with the Flame of the Fire Dragon.”
“I’m counting on you, Sharen.”
With that, the people and equipment for entering the dungeon were ready.
We discussed beginning the dungeon clearing early the next morning, then rested in our respective tents.
That was when someone came to my tent.
“Lord Calix, are you there?”
“Tower Master Raer?”
It was Tower Master Raer.
She entered the tent with her platinum-blond hair and red cloak billowing behind her.
“May I speak with you for a moment?”
“Yes, of course.”
She sat down in front of me.
The aura she gave off and the look in her eyes suited an elven Tower Master over three hundred years old.
Yet her beautiful, youthful appearance made her look like an adorable young woman in her twenties.
I had sensed the same from Sharen, but elves truly were fascinating in many ways.
She spoke to me with a serious look in her eyes.
“There is one thing I want to ask you, Lord Calix.”
“Ask me anything.”
She took a small sip of the tea I had prepared.
Then she glared at me with an unnervingly sharp gaze and said,
“What is your purpose in clearing the dungeon?”
“Pardon?”
The day before we were to clear the dungeon, an interrogation suddenly began.