chapter 28

“That ……”

“Hmm?”

The morning Hiyori and the rest head to the dungeon.

The only person in the courtyard was the bespectacled knight.

I was really curious about the dungeon, so I asked about the story I heard yesterday.

“I heard that everyone is heading to the dungeon today……”

“I was just about to talk to you about that.”

The knight starts to walk away. ‘Follow me,’ he says, and I feel a bit of anticipation.

We enter the royal castle and go down the stairs to the basement.

I thought I was going to go to the place where I was summoned, but then I thought I was going to go past the place where I was summoned.

The knight stops when he descends to an even deeper place.

It’s a cave-like place. The walls are of dirt and there is a locked iron door in front of me.

“I and the other knights are supposed to go to the dungeon.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

The bespectacled knight suddenly starts talking.

They’re going to the dungeon, which means, inevitably, so am I.

“I’ve decided not to let you go because you’re not ready.”

“Eh ……”

Can’t go…….

Inexperienced, it’s true, and it’s inevitable.

“Instead, there’s special training. Kind of like a dungeon.”

“Really?”

The knight’s words were unintentionally loud.

It’s a shame I won’t be able to go with everyone else, but in the meantime, I have to improve my skills.

If it’s similar to a dungeon, then there’s probably a place beyond this door that resembles a dungeon.

The knight unlocks the door.

The door was opened with a loud bang.

“Enter.”

“Yes, sir.”

I walked in as I was told, and the knight followed, mumbling something to me.

Then a light came on in the space.

“It’s called light stone, and it will continue to shine as long as there’s magic in it.”

There is a large stone stuck in the wall, which serves as a light.

It’s a typical item in a world with magic.

In the lit space, was a large hollow.

There’s a hole in the back that’s a size or two bigger than me. The path seems to continue, and indeed, if you go through that place, it’s going to be like a dungeon.

“What if we train here–?”

I was about to check with the knight when a numbness rushed through my body.

My body stopped moving and I fell on the spot.

This is – magic with a paralyzing effect!

The knight stands right above me.

“This place has been used by the knights for ages, a leveling ground unknown to the higher-ups.”

“…… what”

“The hole you see there leads to the dungeon you’re about to go to. I mean–that’s where the monsters are supposed to come from, of course.”

“What?”

The knight smiles. It was the most terribly lowly smile I’ve ever seen.

As it is, it kicks me in the gut. It blows me a few feet away.

“Three days early, five days late.”

“Nah……!”

The knight with the glasses walks away.

“I don’t like this guy.”

“You know.”

“You guys are the ones who are being promoted as being hero candidates or whatever.”

The knight steps towards the door.

” Despite being called heroes, the people gathered here are all amateurs who don’t even know how to fight.

You’ve raised your status with the tactics of numbers in the [Bonds-list], but you’re a treasure because you haven’t done any of the basics.

Nevertheless, people are lifting you up.

It’s for the Order. All of our original plans have been disrupted, and the leader is your playmate.

And they ended up taking the dungeon that we were going to go into.

The morale of the group is ruined. Our abilities were not recognized by the princess.”

The knight snickers to himself.

“And you are what? All motivation without the ability to do it. You, a mook who knows nothing, you who can’t even use [Bonds-list.Without you, our precious time wouldn’t be wasted.”

The knight leaves the room and puts his hand on the door.

“You said it’s okay, you want to be strong on your own.

And here you are, starting your training.

You pushed yourself too hard and the monsters killed you.”

The knight says something unintelligible and moves the door.

“But, wait, wait. …… Don’t close it!”

A motionless body and unrest turns into anger.

“So long, little guy.”

“——-!”

My screams were drowned out by the sound of the door being closed.