Chapter 4

―――Holy Mark.

It is a proof of surpassing humanity. And the one widely known as possessing a Holy Mark, feared by the surrounding countries, was none other than Dandelion I, the Emperor of the Lostco Empire, also known as the Flame Emperor.

Gineva engaged in a nearly equal battle with Dandelion. If that was the case, perhaps he also possessed a Holy Mark. This thought was not entirely off the mark. However, among the high-ranking officials of the Lostco military, only Dandelion considered this possibility.

That's how rare and special those who possess a Holy Mark are. In this area, only Dandelion was known to have one. At least, there had never been any talk of the Crown Prince of Antalya Kingdom possessing a Holy Mark. That's why when Dandelion asked, "You have a Holy Mark, don't you?" the gazes of everyone in the tent focused on Gineva.

"I don't know."

Amid the gathered gazes, Gineva answered with a wry smile. Hearing this, Dandelion furrowed his brow slightly.

"You must know, it's about yourself, isn't it?"

"To be honest, I have never considered myself to have a Holy Mark. I have never seen a Holy Mark on my body. But yesterday, if Your Majesty hadn't held back, I wouldn't understand why I could hold on for so long."

Gineva answered with a look of confusion. Indeed, he was the most confused in this situation. After hearing his explanation, Dandelion muttered, "Hmm," and then, in a casual tone, said something that further confused Gineva.

"Then, take off your clothes."

"Huh?"

Gineva involuntarily let out a surprised voice. The staff members also looked confused, not understanding Dandelion's intention. Dandelion then explained his intention.

"You don't know if you have a Holy Mark on your body, right? It might be in a place you can't see."

That's why, Dandelion said, take off your clothes. Asking a prince of a country to undress, even if he is a prisoner, is quite impolite. However, Gineva himself was also interested in whether he really had a Holy Mark. So, he obediently took off his clothes and was left in his undergarments.

"Alright, let's see..."

Dandelion manifested his Holy Mark. A pattern resembling flames glowed red, covering from his neck to the right side of his face. Although he was sitting, a tremendous pressure was released, and Gineva instinctively braced himself. The staff members around him let out exclamations of amazement.

"Oh...!"

"On his back...!"

"This is truly...!"

Seeing their reactions, Dandelion smiled slightly and told Gineva, "Show me your back." On Gineva's back, a pattern resembling a bird spreading its wings glowed blue.

It was undoubtedly a Holy Mark. Dandelion nodded in satisfaction after confirming it. He then had two mirrors brought in and let Gineva see his own Holy Mark. Gineva peered into the hand mirror, not with joy, but with a look of confusion.

After that, Gineva put his clothes back on and faced Dandelion again. It was confirmed that he possessed a Holy Mark. It seemed as if a weight had been lifted from his chest, and he had gained a bit of confidence. However, the fact that he was still a prisoner remained unchanged. So, Gineva waited for Dandelion's next words.

He was not alone. All the staff members in the tent were also waiting for Dandelion's words. Until now, Dandelion was the only known Holy Mark bearer in the world. Another one had appeared. How would he be treated?

"Well, Lord Gineva. I have a favor to ask of you as a Holy Mark bearer. Would you help me conquer the dungeon?"

Dandelion asked with a grin, looking amused. It was such an unexpected request that Gineva couldn't respond immediately. The staff members around him were the first to recover, and one of them exclaimed in a panic.

"Your Majesty! Are you in your right mind!?"

"To doubt your lord's sanity is impolite."

Dandelion said with a wry smile. It was clear that he was serious, and it was also clear that he had no intention of retracting his words.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider. Accompanying the Crown Prince of another country to conquer a dungeon is unprecedented!"

"But, a Holy Mark bearer is the highest level of combat power. Wouldn't the conquest go more smoothly with his cooperation?"

"But, even so...!"

"Besides, this war is not over yet. Let's quickly finish the dungeon conquest and launch a counter-invasion."

When Dandelion said this, the staff members seemed to be roused, and voices of agreement rose. Seeing this, Dandelion turned his gaze back to Gineva and said,

"So, Lord Gineva, will you cooperate?"

"From what I hear, it seems that refusing would be in Antalya's best interest..."

Gineva responded with a wry smile. If the dungeon conquest ended quickly, the Antalya Kingdom would be counter-invaded by the Lostco army. As the Crown Prince of Antalya, he couldn't simply nod in agreement. However, Dandelion continued,

"Well, don't say that. If you cooperate, I'll serve you wine with dinner."

"In that case, I have no choice."

In the end, Gineva gave in. It wasn't because he wanted to drink wine. Considering his position as a prisoner, he thought it would be better not to argue further. Additionally, he thought he might be able to escape from the dungeon if he saw an opportunity. However, this plan was shattered by Dandelion's next words.

"Then, Lord Gineva, you will accompany me in the conquest. Of course, it will only happen once the dungeon is found. For now, go and rest."

"Yes, I will do that."

Gineva left the tent. And so, for some reason, he ended up helping to conquer the dungeon that had caused a rampage.

□ ■ □ ■

Now, I must explain the dungeon.

―――Dungeon.

It is a magical realm that invades the world inhabited by humans. It is the source that generates monsters, and when these monsters overflow outside, a rampage occurs. As Dandelion mentioned, new dungeons can be born, and in some cases, they are discovered only after a rampage occurs, as in this case.

Most of the time, dungeons are underground, so their entrances are cave-like. It is not uncommon for a single dungeon to have multiple entrances. The interior is abnormally vast, a place where the common sense of the outside world does not apply, which is why it is called a magical realm.

On the other hand, a dungeon is also an inexhaustible, all-purpose mine. In other words, a variety of resources can be obtained from its interior. Therefore, in most cases, dungeons are strictly managed by those in power. The main purposes are two: to prevent rampages and to obtain as many resources as possible from the dungeon.

One way to obtain resources from a dungeon is to defeat monsters. Incidentally, defeating monsters also helps suppress rampages. Therefore, infiltrating the dungeon and defeating monsters, i.e., conquering the dungeon, is encouraged in many countries, including the Antalya Kingdom and the Lostco Empire.

When a monster is defeated, a magic stone is obtained first. A magic stone is a blue, translucent stone, and its size and color intensity vary depending on the monster defeated. Generally, the deeper you go, the larger and more intense the magic stones become.

Magic stones initially emit a faint light. In this state, they are sometimes called luminescent stones. Humans can absorb a force called mana from luminescent stones.

What happens when you absorb mana? To put it simply, you level up. Some describe it as "feeling as if a new power has spread throughout the body, as if reborn." In any case, it is well known that physical abilities improve in proportion to the amount of mana absorbed.

As a side note, the direct reason why the emperor's direct command army of the Lostco Empire is known for its strength is precisely this. In other words, the soldiers of the direct command army regularly conquer dungeons as part of their training, absorbing mana from magic stones to build up their strength.

Of course, the Antalya Kingdom and other countries also strive to strengthen their forces in the same way. However, the Lostco Empire's direct command army has put more effort into this area and achieved significant results.

Getting back to the topic, magic stones after absorbing mana are also valuable resources with various uses. The simplest use is as fuel. It burns longer than charcoal and produces no smoke, making it highly valued. Recently, it has also become a popular power source for magical devices. Therefore, magic stones have become a valuable source of income for those who conquer dungeons.

When a monster is defeated, a magic stone is always obtained, but other resources can also be obtained. When a monster is defeated, it usually turns to ash and disappears, but sometimes parts of its body or equipment it used remain. These are called drop items, and what drops is a matter of chance. Due to the unstable supply, prices tend to be high, making them a good source of income for conquerors.

Incidentally, large chunks of meat sometimes drop. This meat is edible and quite tasty. However, it can be inconvenient to collect and carry, making it a frustrating drop item for conquerors.

Additionally, resources can be obtained from the dungeon itself, i.e., from its walls and floors. However, they are not available everywhere. While it is possible to dig and find something anywhere, to obtain resources efficiently, specific locations are required, known as mining points.

From mining points, mainly minerals can be obtained. Gold, silver, copper, iron, and precious stones, as well as fossils and rare metals found only in dungeons, can be mined from these points.

Mining points are numerous within the dungeon, but their quality varies depending on location and size. Convenient locations are often monopolized by those in power, or if not, they become too crowded to use effectively.

Furthermore, water springs within the dungeon, and this water is also a resource. It is used as a raw material for medicine. Additionally, it can be used to brew delicious tea, and some nobles even hire people to fetch water from the dungeon.

Moreover, plants often grow in places where water springs in the dungeon. These plants are also resources obtained from the dungeon. Medicinal herbs become raw materials for medicine, and edible fruits also grow. Especially rare fruits and flowers found only in dungeons can be traded at high prices.

In this way, the resources obtained from dungeons are diverse. From both a financial and security perspective, conquering dungeons is the duty of those in power.

However, a problem arises at this point. The main people responsible for conquering dungeons are the commoners. When dungeons are conquered, the commoners' physical abilities are strengthened, and they earn large sums of money by selling the resources they obtain. This is a significant issue from the perspective of the ruling class.

It's not a big problem if commoners have money. The amount of money an individual can earn is limited, and it can be legally collected through taxes. Economically, it is not a significant issue.

However, the strengthening of the physical abilities of the commoners who conquer dungeons is a major problem. The power to enforce rule is held by military and police institutions, and there is a risk that these will be rendered ineffective.

In simple terms, the ruling class is afraid of being overthrown by powerful commoners. However, it is not possible to exclude commoners from dungeons. There are not enough nobles to conquer dungeons, and if this were to happen, a rampage would occur sooner or later.

Due to this dilemma, the idea that "conquering dungeons is the duty of the noble" was born. In other words, the ruling class, mainly men, personally and proactively conquer dungeons.

On the surface, the reason is "to protect the country and its people," which is not a lie, but it is not the whole truth. The hidden intention is to train themselves and their enforcement institutions to suppress rebellions if they occur, or to demonstrate their power to deter rebellions. The direct command army of the Lostco Empire is a typical example of this.

For this reason, Gineva, who held an extremely noble position as a crown prince, also regularly ventured into dungeons to fight monsters. By continuously absorbing mana, he eventually obtained a Holy Mark.

However, the path to this point was not easy. Gineva, following his father Garellean's instructions, started venturing into dungeons at the age of ten and began conquering them alone at twelve.

The direct cause was a report made by a knight who accompanied him as a guard. The knight reportedly told Garellean,

"His Highness the Crown Prince is truly gifted. The young Isfar of the Elvistan Duke's family is also said to be talented, but he cannot match His Highness. He is indeed the son of Your Majesty."

It is unclear what in this report displeased Garellean, but he reportedly said with a displeased expression,

"If he is that talented, he doesn't need a guard. From now on, let him conquer dungeons alone."

Of course, the knight tried to persuade him to change his mind, but Garellean refused to budge. Since then, Gineva has been conquering dungeons alone. Perhaps this is why he eventually obtained a Holy Mark. Thinking about it, it is quite ironic.

When Garellean's unconventional order became public, the people around Gineva sympathized with him. Conquering dungeons was not something to be done alone. They thought Gineva would fail to conquer dungeons satisfactorily or would soon lose his life, and they mourned. However, this did not happen.

Gineva's conquests did stall temporarily, but he quickly regained his pace and survived until today. The young Isfar, on the other hand, did not and could not conquer dungeons alone, which inadvertently proved Gineva's talent. The fact that he was eventually accepted when he was ordered to do so was due to his proven track record.

So, in this way, it had been a long time since Gineva had formed a party to conquer a dungeon. "How will it go?" Gineva was a little worried, but he quickly became optimistic, thinking, "Well, it will work out somehow."