Kays Translations

Chapter 48

Before long, a knock echoed through the room where I had been waiting.

“Excuse me.”

Surprisingly, the voice from outside the door belonged to a young woman.

I immediately stood up from the sofa, preparing to greet whoever it was.

As the door opened, a woman clad in full armor—distinct in design from Schuris’—entered the room, with Schuris herself following behind.

“You’re the adventurer who defeated the monster, correct?”

“Yes. I’m Same, a member of the Adventurers’ Guild.”

“Same, is it? Then allow me to introduce myself. I am Cres Veil, Captain of the Holy Nation’s Knights.”

Huh? Veil…?

Now that I looked closely, the Knight Commander, just like Schuris, had beautiful golden hair and striking blue eyes.

Their faces were very similar, too. Could it be…?

“By any chance, are you related to Schuris?”

“I am. What, she didn’t tell you?”

“Well, I was curious about how you’d react. That’s right, Cres is my beloved younger sister. Unlike me, she pledged her loyalty to the nation and now leads the Order of Knights with distinction.”

“Wow… You’re both really impressive.”

Sounds like the Veil family is a house with a proud martial tradition…

“Sister, let’s get to the point.”

“Right. I’ll keep quiet.”

Once they confirmed I was seated again, the two of them also took their seats across from me.

“Now, tell me everything—from the details of the incident to all the information you know.”

“Yes. I’ll explain, though some of it is speculation on my part.”

I shared everything I had told Schuris:

The attackers’ country of origin.

How we had once delved into the dungeon depths together.

The fact that their behavior and appearance suggested they might not be from this continent.

The possibility that they were summoned from another world.

That they may hold an important position in the Kingdom of Golda.

And finally, that they had transformed into a monster.

“…Summoned from another world—that’s likely correct. In the past, during a time when war between Golda and our country escalated, there are records of warriors being summoned. Even in our own nation. The summoning ritual itself has been passed down since ancient times. Of course, only among those in power.”

“Um, is it really okay to be telling someone like me—just an adventurer—all this?”

“I could tell my sister trusts you, and I doubt you’d go around carelessly spreading this information. Of course, if you did, we’d take appropriate action.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Then… you believe me?”

“Of course. Right now, the monster is being analyzed at a research facility in the forest outside the castle. We’ve already confirmed that the magic device implanted in its body originated from a foreign country. A similar item came through in another case. If things go well, we may be able to return the transformed person to a state where we can speak with them.”

Muraki might return to normal? That’s… good news.

We might finally find out what’s going on in that country.

“In that case, having you present might help us extract information. Can we rely on your cooperation?”

“…I guess so. We didn’t have the best relationship, but he’ll probably remember me.”

“I see. Then I’ll count on your assistance—”

Time to play my strongest card.

“No, there’s someone more suitable. I haven’t even told Schuris this yet. But today, I didn’t come just to report on the incident. I came to share something far more important. Because of the nature of the information, I insisted on meeting someone officially connected to the royal family—hence, I requested an introduction to you, Cres-sama.”

“I see… Is that true, Sister?”

“It is. He’s a cautious man. Rather than trusting me blindly, he asked me to introduce someone whose words would definitely reach the Queen.”

“If this concerns Her Majesty, then I must scrutinize it carefully.”

“In that case, could I ask Schuris to leave the room? To be honest, I’d like as few people as possible to know what I’m about to say.”

Cres’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“I’ll say this up front—I’m stronger than my sister. If you’re planning anything suspicious, be prepared.”

“No, not at all. I’m not asking Schuris to leave so I can pull something shady. If what I’m about to share is accepted as truth and reaches Her Majesty’s ears, then… I intend to tell Schuris as well. No—this will likely reach everyone in a position of authority.”

“Cres, don’t get so worked up. And I won’t let you just say you’re stronger than me! I beat you last time we sparred, didn’t I?”

“Over the long run, I’ve won more.”

“You’re including everything from our childhood races to eating contests!?”

“Wha—!?”

They’re… surprisingly close.

Looks like they were quite the rowdy sisters growing up.

“I don’t mind stepping out. Cres, this is just my personal opinion, but I really think you should hear Same’s story. He’s… admittedly hard to read. But he’s a sincere man. Of all the men I’ve met in my life, he’s the best one.”

“…You’d say that much? Alright. Same, I’ll hear you out. Sister, wait in the Commander’s office.”

With that, I prepared to reveal my strongest card: that I possessed the Dungeon Core of the Scorched Earth Valley.

“So, can I assume now you’ll tell me about the ‘more suitable candidate’ you mentioned earlier?”

“Yes. But… could we save that for after what I’m about to share? This matter is far more critical than that.”

“A matter more important than one that could shake the nation, huh? Fine. Speak.”

“Then, I’ll be blunt.”

Feigning that I was pulling something from my pocket, I drew out from my item box the Heart Core of Diedrich—the dungeon core of the Scorched Earth Valley.

A deep crimson gem, laced with swirling black, as if black mist was curling atop a pool of blood. A sinister jewel, to say the least.

“I, Same the adventurer, have conquered the Scorched Earth Valley and defeated its Dungeon Master. This is the dungeon core.”

I declared it clearly.

A long silence followed. Then Cres’s expression slowly twisted in shock.

“It’s hard to simply take that as truth… But… that certainly resembles a dungeon core. I could still pass it off as a joke, a prank—if I wanted. But we have a way to determine whether it’s real. Still, Same, do you insist that this is a genuine dungeon core?”

“If it can be verified, then please do so. And once you confirm it’s real, I ask that I be present throughout the entire process—so that it isn’t stolen or mishandled.”

“…Very well. Don’t worry. The verification won’t take long. Just stay here with it for now.”

With a tense expression and a firm voice, Cress spoke and then quickly left the room.

…Right. There’s also the danger that the country might forcibly take it away.

If it comes to that… I might have to consider going against the nation.

I reached into my item box and took out three rings, slipping them onto my fingers.

[Ring of Angelus]

Doubles the wearer’s maximum HP and grants automatic recovery (2% per second).

Delays incoming damage for five seconds; if all the damage is healed during that time, it is nullified.

[Daughters of Pallas]

Increases all stats by 50% when at full HP.

Reduces all of the target’s stats by 20%.

Adds an amount equal to the user’s attack power to their attacks.

If another party member is also equipped with “Daughters of Pallas,” the effect is halved.

[Ring of the Poison Courtesan]

Steals all buffs from the attack target and applies them to the user.

However, each attack consumes 0.5% of the user’s max HP.

If a buff is stolen, the user recovers 5% of their max HP.

I equipped the three accessories that I used when fighting seriously as Same.

They’re powerful, but vulnerable to status ailments. It’s a loadout purely for offense.

I equipped them just in case. If it comes to a fight… I want to make absolutely sure I win.

With all three equipped, I could even rival Silent.

The biggest perk of having Thief as a main or sub-job is the “+2 accessory slots” bonus.

“…They were pricey enough to rank in the top 10 most expensive, I think…”

Having three accessory slots always made it tough to decide what to equip back then.

Thieves have low stats, but if properly geared, they’re incredibly versatile as a sub-job.

Still, what’s demanded of damage dealers is “burst and sustained DPS.”

Thieves are useful and adaptable, but fall short of being top-tier.

But when I wore all three rings at once, tons of players kept peeking at my equipment.

“I really hope this country doesn’t pull anything heavy-handed…”

Not even ten minutes passed before Cress returned, her footsteps a little louder than before.

This time, she had brought a new guest with her.

“This is him. The adventurer who claims to have brought in a dungeon core—an unaltered natural one.”

“My, my. That’s quite the bold lie you’ve told, isn’t it? And to bring it deep into the royal palace, no less. Whose recommendation did you get?”

It was a young woman in a lab coat.

Her hair color was strange, and on top of her head, she had ears similar to Melt’s.

A fox…? No, maybe a dog or wolf? The fur looked slightly different.

And that hair—its color changed depending on the light as she moved.

It looked flaxen one moment, yellow-green the next, and sometimes golden… very strange.

“It was my sister who brought him. He claims it’s a natural dungeon core, from the Scorched Earth Ravine.”

“Oh? I suppose you’ve heard that place has recently been shut down and the dungeon entered hibernation?”

“Dungeon hibernation…?”

That was a term I hadn’t heard before.

“So? Where’s this fake core you just had to drag me all the way here to examine?”

“Right. Same, this is your last chance. I want you to be honest. You’ve brought us valuable information and earned my sister’s favor. I’d rather not have to arrest you as a criminal.”

“Well, honestly, I didn’t think you’d believe me right away either. Here—it’s the dungeon core from the Scorched Earth Ravine. Please confirm it for yourself.”

I handed the dungeon core to the mysterious woman in the lab coat.

“Well… it’s well made. The flowing magic light… even the remnants of the dungeon master’s soul swirling inside are recreated. It matches the characteristics of dungeon cores described in the literature. I’m very curious how this was crafted. However, no matter how close the appearance is, with analysis—”

She pulled a device resembling a magnifying glass from her pocket and pressed it to the dungeon core, beginning her examination.

“…You said your name was Same, correct? What’s your rank?”

“You mean adventurer rank?”

“Yes. What is it?”

“Ruby.”

“I see… What was the dungeon master like?”

“His name was Diederich. He specialized in traps. But from what I can tell, all dungeon masters, regardless of form, share a common trait—they’re demonic in nature, inherently evil. If you have someone who can use anti-demon techniques or spells, it makes the conquest easier. That’s how it was in my case, too.”

I answered the questions and shared what I knew at the same time.

“What are you talking about? What’s the result?”

“Yeah, right. This guy wanted to report the dungeon core to the Queen, didn’t he?”

“That’s right. I don’t want Her Majesty to be misled by false information during this emergency.”

“Hm, I see. Got it, Cres.”

Then the woman put away the loupe-like tool and returned the core to me.

“Cres, report to Her Majesty immediately. Tell her, ‘A man who conquered the border dungeon has brought a dungeon core and come to speak.’ It’s the real thing.”

“What!? That’s ridiculous!!! No one’s reached the deepest level of that place in decades! Its very structure is a living maze that prevents anyone from getting close to the core!”

“It’s real, without a doubt. My analysis device instantly malfunctioned due to magic interference. There’s no doubt a massive amount of power is dormant inside. On top of that, I was able to verify the presence of the Dungeon Master’s soul. That core contains remnants of a Dungeon Master. This isn’t something that can be artificially replicated. It’s unmistakably a natural dungeon core.”

The woman delivered the results calmly, in a matter-of-fact tone.

Cres, on the other hand, looked back and forth between her and me in disbelief, as if trying to convince herself this was some mistake.

Eventually—

“Move immediately, Commander Cres Veil! This is a direct order from Kokuri Maya, Director of the Research Institute! This is a matter that will determine the future of the nation!”

“—! Understood!”

With a single sharp command, things finally began to move.

“Phew. She’s so stiff. Are all soldiers like that, I wonder?”

“You’re Same, right? I’ll personally vouch that this is a natural dungeon core. So, is it really from the Scorched Earth Ravine?”

“Yes. I conquered the dungeon and defeated the Dungeon Master myself.”

“…You’re Ruby-ranked, which puts you in the upper tier of adventurers, but I’ve never heard of you.”

“That’s not surprising. I’m still a rookie—definitely not famous yet.”

“Hm. And yet, here you are—caught up in a major incident, gaining Shuris’ favor… impressive. If that core really is from the border dungeon, I wonder what kind of demands you’ll make to the Queen.”

“Well, I’m not interested in money at all, so… something other than that, I guess.”

“You’ll probably meet the Queen soon. You should start preparing yourself mentally now.”

And with that, the white-coated woman—still not fully introduced—left the room.

Wait, she said her name was Kokuri, right? …Hopefully that’s got nothing to do with Kokkuri-san…

Anyway… let’s see just how far I can negotiate with the ruler of an entire nation—

After a while of waiting in the reception room, a soft knock echoed through the space.

They’re here, finally—feeling my body stiffen from the nerves, I tried my best to steady my voice.

“Yes.”

“Good. You’re still in the room, I see.”

The voice that responded belonged to the woman who had called herself Kokuri.

When the door opened, Cres was nowhere to be seen—only Kokuri stood there.

I asked if she had forgotten to tell me something, and she replied:

“No, it’s just… I figured if both Cres and I showed up for the audience, it might raise suspicion. So I had her head there ahead of me. …There are a few things I’m curious about too.”

“Things you’re curious about…?”

“Yeah. I’ll stay here with you. Partly to keep an eye on you.”

“Haha… Got it.”

I thought having someone with me might ease the tension a bit…

…but it seems that’s not going to be the case.

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